LUXURY line Crystal Cruises has unveiled plans to roll out three new luxury cruise brands as well as its own Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Making the announcement together, Crystal’s president and chief executive, Edie Rodriguez and chairman Lim Kok Thay said the first of the new cruise classes would take shape with the delivery of Crystal Esprit in November this year.
The Crystal Esprit marks the debut of the new all-inclusive Crystal Yacht Cruises programme, which will sail regional itineraries of seven days. The 62-guest, 3,000-tonnage yacht’s maiden voyage will explore the Seychelles Islands when it sets sail on December 23, 2015, ending with an inclusive, post-cruise New Year’s Eve celebration at the Taj Dubai Hotel.
Come 2017, Crystal will enter into river cruising with the launch of Crystal River Cruises, bringing its all-inclusive service onto the waterways.
In the same year, Crystal Luxury Air will also mark the company’s foray into air travel on board a specially configured Dreamliner, which flies 60 guests in fully reclining business class seats to destinations to which major airlines do not offer nonstop service. The itineraries, which last around 28 days, will offer non-stop service with visits between 10 to 12 different destinations.
Crystal will also launch three new Crystal Exclusive Class cruise ships in late 2018. These all-suite, all-balcony vessels will accommodate 1,000 guests, similar to the capacity of the 922-guest Crystal Symphony and 1,070-guest Crystal Serenity.
“With an impressive 100 tons of space per guest, the average space ratio for luxury cruise ships being 60 tons per person, our new ships’ guest-to-space rations will be vast in comparison to past, current and under-construction luxury ships, reaching all corners of the world safely, smoothly and in the utmost style and comfort,” said Rodriguez.
Additionally, the 48 Crystal Residences, situated on the top deck of Crystal Cruises’ new ships, will boast a space starting from 56m2 and facilities such as a private restaurant and reception.
