Crystal Cruises May Change Cruising As We Know It
Crystal Cruises has announced an unprecedented expansion plan that includes the launch of luxury ocean, yacht, river cruises — and air travel.
CRYSTAL CRUISES has announced an unprecedented expansion plan that includes the launch of luxury ocean, yacht, river cruises and air travel.
In fact, when you factor in ports of call, it could be said that the luxury cruise liner will cover all the main bases — travel by land, air, and sea — when it launches Crystal Luxury Air.
Set to take off in 2017, the 787 Dreamliner will be reconfigured to seat 60 travelers instead of 300, who will fly on fully reclining business seats for around-the-world trips.
Twenty-eight-day itineraries will include stops to about a dozen destinations “…to which major airlines do not offer nonstop service,” as well as stays at luxury hotels, restaurants and world-class entertainment.
The concept is not far off from a Four Seasons-branded program that launched earlier this year, offering all-inclusive, around-the-world trips aboard private luxury jets.
Meanwhile, late this year the company will also launch Crystal Esprit, a 62-guest, 3,000-tonnage vessel designed to offer a “boutique” ambiance, the first of the company’s Yacht Cruises program that will set sail in the Seychelles Islands, Dubai and Adriatic Coast.
CRYSTAL CRUISES OFFERS FIRST HYPOALLERGENIC SUITES
Activities aboard the yacht cruises include two-passenger submarines, zodiacs, water skis, wakeboards, kayaks, jet skis, fishing, scuba and snorkel equipment.
After making its foray into air travel, and trying to carve a new niche market in boutique yacht cruises, Crystal will also raise anchor on three newly commissioned ships in 2018, configured to offer a luxurious, at-sea experience that takes cruising up a notch.
That means increasing the average space ratio from 60 tons per person on a typical luxury cruise ship to 100 tons of space.
The new Crystal Exclusive Class will also feature Crystal Residences, 48 homes built on the top deck that will offer affluent cruisers their own little community, with a private restaurant, reception and facilities.
And at 600 to 4,000 square feet, (56 to 372 square meters), the residences are billed as the largest on the high seas.