Abercrombie & Kent (A&K) and Crystal Cruises are doubling down on Asia, with a focus on educating the market and capturing a new generation of ultra-luxury travellers.
Speaking at a recent media lunch in Bangkok, Michelle Mickan, vice president of marketing for both brands, shared insights into their strategy and the region’s potential.
“The growth in the ultra-luxury cruise market over the last two to three years has been really strong, hence why we now have a team up here,” said Mickan.
She added: “Asia is becoming just as significant as Australia for us. A lot of it is fly-cruise, especially into the Mediterranean, which remains a top seller for this region.”
Mickan acknowledged that cruise market penetration in Asia is not yet on par with the West – with an emphasis on yet.
“It’s all about creating a brand in this market – it’s a huge education piece. We’re working closely with luxury agents in-market to build the brand and highlight Crystal’s offerings, especially the culinary and enrichment experiences that resonate with affluent younger travellers,” she noted.
Since acquiring the Crystal brand and ships in 2022, A&K has invested in full-scale renovations and a brand reboot.
“We only bought the ships and the name. We had to rebuild everything – from the website to the ordering systems, renovating and elevating the ships and re-employing the staff,” Mickan explained.
Remarkably, around 90 per cent of the original Crystal crew returned, a testament to the brand loyalty and emotional connection that Crystal Cruises’s crew members have with the company.
“It underscores how deeply the staff identify with the brand – seeing it not just as a job, but as a home and community they genuinely want to return to. They want to be back with the guests; they want to be back on board,” she commented.
According to Mickan, upcoming synergies between A&K and Crystal set to launch next month will further blur the line between land and sea luxury with “a new type of journey”.
“It’s really about linking the two together because A&K does land so well, and then having Crystal at sea is the perfect tie-in,” she summarised.
