by Jason Leppert
Last updated: 6:00 PM ET, Mon September 12, 2016
If one cruise company is making the single biggest expansion right now, it is Crystal and its ever growing collection of travel brands.
Crystal River Cruises
Following the launch of Crystal River Cruises with the deployment of its first Crystal Mozart riverboat, the brand has laid the keel for its first entirely new "Rhine Class" vessels - the Crystal Bach and Crystal Mahler - at the MV WERFTEN shipyard in Wismar, Germany. Both are slated to set sail along the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers in Europe in the summer of 2017.
Present for the shipbuilding ceremony (pictured above) were Tan Sri Lim, Chairman of Crystal parent company Genting Hong Kong; Edie Rodriguez, Crystal's CEO and president; Erwin Sellering, Prime Minister of the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommen and other guests.
"This keel laying marks an important milestone for us. These river yachts are not only the first brand new vessels under the Crystal River Cruises brand, but also the first constructed in our very own shipyard," said Genting Chairman Tan Sri Lim.
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The lowering of the initial building block into place comes shortly after Genting HK acquired the Lloyd Werft shipyards for such new construction, including six riverboats, a polar megayacht and three Exclusive-class ocean ships to come.
"This phase of the expansion of Crystal River Cruises is in the hands of the expert shipbuilders and designers at MV WERFTEN," added Rodriguez. "We are thrilled to take this step toward offering our travel-savvy guests another option in which to explore the world in the utmost luxury."
The new all-suite riverboats will measure in at 135 meters in length and 11 meters in width to carry 110 guests each. They will feature butler service, window-facing king-sized beds, walk-in closets, dual bathroom vanities, ETRO robes and slippers, flat-screen HD televisions and Nespresso machines. Public rooms will also encompass multiple restaurants, as well as the line's signature Cove Bar and Palm Court.
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Also in Crystal River Cruises news, the Crystal Mozart has begun broadcasting live views from three perspectives so that fans can follow her Danube River journey at the line's website.
"The live views are truly a benefit for our guests and future guests at home, as they can be instantly transported to the picturesque destinations the world's only luxury river cruise line visits," said Rodriguez. "It is also an extremely useful planning tool for those unfamiliar with some of the ports. They can follow along on a voyage virtually and discern which itineraries are right for them."
Crystal Cruises
Meanwhile, classic Crystal Cruises is celebrating its Crystal Serenity for being the largest luxury cruise ship to ever enter the Northwest Passage. The ship is now two weeks into its 32-day voyage as it heads across towards New York City. The line has released a number of images from onboard the historic journey as seen in the slideshow below.
"From the get-go of this epic cruise through the fabled Northwest Passage, Crystal Serenity has been filled with great excitement," said Crystal Serenity Master, Captain Birger J. Vorland. "Everyone here, whether crew or guest, is clearly aware of the significance of this voyage. As we have ventured north and east on our passage this excitement has only grown."
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