Crystal Cruises is officially back – the Crystal Serenity embarked on her first voyage since the cruise line was brought back from extinction this year.
The ship has been undergoing extensive refurbishment work, and this week set sail on her 12-night cruise from Marseille to Lisbon. The ship is calling at a number of Western Mediterranean ports, including Cannes, Monaco, Portofino and Barcelona.
It’s quite the comeback for the cruise line, after its parent company Genting Hong Kong declared bankruptcy. For a time, it appeared to be the end of Crystal Cruises.
The brand has always been recognised as one of the leading providers of luxury cruises, rivalling companies such as Regent Seven Seas and Silversea for the standards of service onboard.
A&K Travel purchased the cruise line following Genting’s bankruptcy and announced plans to revive both ships. The smaller Crystal Symphony will be re-launching later in 2023.
Crystal has been recognized for decades for exceptional experiences and we are excited to welcome guests back onboard for its new gilded era. It is an honor to be signaling this new chapter better than ever and right on schedule, all while retaining 80% of Crystal’s beloved crew onboard.
Cristina Levi, A&K Travel Group CEO
The good news for Crystal continues to flow, as following the successful relaunch of Crystal Serenity, plans have been unveiled to triple the size of the fleet over the next six years.
While no formal shipbuilding contracts have been signed, the cruise line has made the announcement that it wishes to add two more classic cruise ships to the fleet, along with two expedition ships.
Many luxury brands have expanded into expedition cruising, with smaller ships that are designed to access the most hard-to-reach ports in the oceans – and now Crystal is joining them.
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