Articles About Crystal River Cruises
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Snapshot
Since it was founded in 1990, Crystal Cruises has been a beloved upscale line, with ships in the 800- to 1,000-passenger range, with the CRYSTAL SERENITY and SYMPHONY large enough to offer a wide scope of dining choices (with Asian and Italian specialty restaurants before everyone else jumped on that boat) and activities (offering computer workshops before such things made waves). They have also always excelled in their lecture program, with most cruises featuring numerous experts giving talks about the destination as well as other topics. Now Crystal has taken what it does best and downsized it, so to speak, for its new fleet of upscale river boats. In a series of announcements soon after Crystal was bought by Genting Hong Kong in mid 2015, Crystal outlined an ambitious expansion program that they later modified, though there’s still a lot happening.
Currently, the new offerings include the 62-passenger expedition-style ESPRIT, which debuted in the Seychelles in December 2015.
As for river boats, the 158-passenger CRYSTAL MOZART debuted in July 2016 and is reviewed here. The first two of four new Rhine-class river boats debuted a year later: the 106-passenger CRYSTAL BACH and sister CRYSTAL MAHLER. The pair will cruise the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. CRYSTAL DEBUSSY and CRYSTAL RAVEL are slated to debut in spring 2018.
The CRYSTAL MOZART is a 1987-built ship formerly operated by Peter Deilmann and TUI Cruises, and thanks to an extensive renovation and its large stylish suites and restaurants, plus gym, mini spa, hair salon and pool, it’s not easy to tell it’s one of the oldest river boats afloat in Europe. These attributes and the wonderful wraparound promenade on Deck 3 are thanks to CRYSTAL MOZART being the widest riverboat in service in Europe (not including Russia).
The company also operates a new Boeing 777 called Crystal Skye for luxury air trips. To join the ESPRIT, Crystal has plans for three new expedition ships to start sailing in 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively. Down the road, Crystal wants to build three new 1,000-passenger luxury ships to sail in polar regions; they’ve changed their target date several times, and are currently shooting for a 2022 launch.
Ship, Year Delivered & Passenger Count
CRYSTAL MOZART (built 1987, re-built 2016 & 158 passengers); CRYSTAL BACH (built 2017 & 106 p); CRYSTAL MAHLER (built 2017 & 106 p).
Crystal Bach rendering. * Crystal Cruises
Passenger Profile
Well-to-do couples 50s on up, with some senior singles and families during summers and holidays, from North America mainly, plus a sprinkling from the UK, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Many have cruised on Crystal’s larger ships.
Passenger Decks
4 (elevators between decks 1-3)
Price
$$ Expensive
Included Features
Just about everything — wine, spirits, soft drinks, tips, one or two excursions in every port, WiFi (an hour a day), self-serve laundry, butler service, and 24-hour in-room dining from the restaurant menu.
Itineraries
CRYSTAL MOZART’s focus is on 10- and 11-night cruises on the Danube River round-trip from Vienna, venturing west to points along the river in Germany and Austria, and southeast to Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia and Serbia. CRYSTAL BACH is sailing the Rhine and Moselle rivers, traveling between Amsterdam and Frankfurt, and Amsterdam and Basel. CRYSTAL MAHLER is doing seven-, 11- and 16-day voyages along the Rhine and Danube rivers calling in Austria, Germany, Slovakia, the Netherlands and Hungary.
When to Go?
Cruises are offered between early April and December, with the best months being May, September and October, when the weather is warm and the summer-time crowds are nowhere in sight. If you’re into the Christmas market scene, then November and December are the months to enjoy the famous markets in Munich and Vienna.
They’re all mini suites or larger aboard the Crystal Mozart. * Crystal Cruises
Cabins
On MOZART, all rooms are called suites and are on the lowest two of the four decks. Some 39 have picture windows, while 36 have French balconies (a sliding door with railing and a ledge to step on). A pair of 883-square-foot two-bedroom suites has a living/dining area among other indulgent features, and a dozen 330-square-foot penthouse suites comprise a sitting area, walk-in closet and a bathroom with double sinks, shower and separate tub — all 14 have the French balconies. The rest of the suites measure 204 to 219 square feet and all have a sitting area with a sofa, plus, like the largest suites, Nespresso coffee machines, mini fridges, 40” wall-mounted flat-screen HD TV, and other goodies.
BACH and MAHLER are all-suite with posh 250-square-foot abodes boasting French balconies and butler service. Walk-in closets and dual vanities in the bathrooms feature in many of the suites. They have king-sized beds and dual vanity in the bathrooms in most categories. ETRO robes and slippers, personal iPads, Nespresso machines, flat-screen HD TVs with streaming movies and free Wi-Fi are other amenities.
Crystal Bach’s Waterside Restaurant (rendering)
Crystal Mozart’s Waterside Restaurant. * Photo: Crystal Cruises
Dining
All the river vessels have four open-seating dining venues featuring farm-to-table cuisine, with the Waterside being the main restaurant, serving buffet-style breakfast and lunch, and served dinners (with one or two “black-tie optional” nights per cruise that mandate a tux, suit or in the least, a dark jacket for men, with or without a tie); in the center is the cozy Vintage Room & Wine Cellar for private meals paired with fine wines for small groups of friends (at an extra cost). The casual Bistro cafe offers fresh baked goods, fruit, light snacks and coffee/tea, and doubles as a lounge with a cozy faux fireplace. Up top, an informal indoor/outdoor bar and grill is always the most popular place for lunch. For nibbles, The Pantry snack bar is on Deck 2 next to the reception area.
Crystal Mozart’s spa and indoor pool, WOW! * Photo: Crystal Cruises
Activities & Entertainment
Public areas on all of the river boats reside on the top two decks, 3 & 4, plus the forward part of Deck 2. The top deck is the place to watch the scenery along the riverbanks float by, with plenty of outdoor seating, both shaded and not, plus a bar and a sports area for yoga, pilates and stretching classes. One deck below is Crystal’s signature Palm Court lounge, the ship’s hub and a spacious room wrapped in windows and with a stage (for talks, dancing and local entertainment), piano, TV and bar. Adjacent is the Connoisseur Club, an intimate room for cigar smoking and after dinner drinks, and also the Cove & Piano Bar, another venue for drinks and light entertainment. Deck 3 also has the ship’s wraparound outdoor promenade deck for strolling and lingering; it’s a rare rare feature for a riverboat in Europe. Down on Deck 1 is a fitness center with cardio machines and free weights, impressive for a ship of this size; above on Deck 2 at the bow you’ll find a beauty salon, massage rooms and a steam room/sauna, plus a small pool.
The line’s classic and beloved Palm Court is the ship’s hub. * Photo: Crystal Mozart
Along the Same Lines
Uniworld and Scenic are close-ish.
Contact
Crystal Cruises, 11755 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90025; 1-310-785-9300 or www.crystalcruises.com.
— HMS
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