Luxury Cruise Line to Triple Fleet Size in Six Years

Luxury cruise line Crystal Cruises is planning astonishing growth over the next few years with plans to order four additional ships to expand their fleet.

This announcement comes just under a year after the cruise line was purchased by A&K Travel Group after Genting Hong Kong, the line’s previous owner, declared bankruptcy.

Crystal Cruises to Order Four New Ships

Crystal Cruises, which currently operates just two luxury cruise ships – Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity – has announced they they are working toward building four new ships over the next six years, dramatically expanding fleet operations and offering tremendous growth to the brand.

The announcement was made during a briefing to media and travel agents aboard Crystal Serenity ahead of the ship’s official debut on Monday, July 31, 2023.

“We have ambitious growth plans for Crystal and are proud of what we have accomplished with the relaunch of Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony in just under a year following the purchase of the brand,” said Cristina Levis, CEO of A&K Travel Group. “We are now thrilled to formally announce that we will be growing our fleet and continue to offer the most exceptional cruising experiences in the industry.”

It should be noted that no ships have begun construction at this time, but the cruise line is working with lenders, export credit agents, and other officials to sign a memorandum of agreement with two European shipbuilders for the new vessels. A “memorandum of agreement” would mean that both parties – the cruise line and each shipbuilder – legally agree to the project.

The shipbuilders for the new vessels are not yet identified. Crystal Cruises’ older ship, Crystal Symphony, was built in 1995 by what is now a division of the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, while Crystal Serenity was built in 2005 at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France.

The only details yet announced about the proposed upcoming ships is that two are meant to be “classic ships” and two are planned to be “expedition vessels.”

This indicates the company is planning to grow both the traditional luxury cruise ship market as well as expand into more unique destinations that require specially-built expedition ships, which could mean Antarctic sailings or other exotic cruise regions.

Cruise Line Just Days From Official Relaunch

Crystal Cruises has made this bold announcement just days from officially relaunching its brand with the inaugural sailing of Crystal Serenity. That 12-night voyage between Marseille, France and Lisbon, Portugal will visit a number of top Mediterranean ports of call, including Monaco, Portofino, Corsica, Barcelona, and more.

Following the inaugural sailing, the 68,870-gross ton Crystal Serenity will offer a varied selection of itineraries, including northern Europe destinations, an Icelandic cruise, and North America and Canada sailings for fall foliage, before homeporting from Miami for the early winter with longer Caribbean cruises.

On January 18, 2024, Crystal Serenity will depart Miami on a roundtrip World Cruise of an astonishing 141 nights, visiting global destinations on a true circumnavigation before returning to Miami on June 8. The ship will then offer Alaska sailings for the 2024 summer season in the Last Frontier.

The cruise line’s second vessel, the slightly smaller 51,044-gross ton Crystal Symphony, is also nearing its relaunch. The revitalized ship will debut anew on September 1, 2023, with a 14-night Mediterranean sailing from Athens to Venice. Crystal Symphony will remain in the Adriatic region for several cruises, before offering sailings in the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia.

Both ships have been extensively revitalized and upgraded, with improved onboard guest-to-staff ratios for amazing personalization to exceed every guest’s expectations.

Crystal Serenity can welcome just 740 guests onboard, while Crystal Symphony is ready to welcome 606 travelers. Both ships offer a true luxury experience for all travelers with multiple dining and bar options onboard, refreshed entertainment, and much more.