Fleet

Recently emerging under new ownership after some financial struggles, Crystal is looking to pick up where it left off as one of the pre-eminent luxury cruise brands. The line has long embraced the mantra of quality over quantity and frequently comes close to the top of the rankings for passenger experience despite only having two ships in its fleet. Neither of those ships (Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony) are particularly new, nor particularly big by modern standards, but both have been extensively renovated over the years and are a byword for luxury and sophistication amongst those cruisers that are happy to manage without the raft of high-tech facilities that can be found on newer and bigger ships.

Guests

Whilst not quite into the realms of hiring a private yacht, Crystal is a line for people that don't mind paying top dollar in exchange for top service. Pretty much everything on board is included, so expect a big initial price tag in exchange for a luxury experience and the peace of mind that you don't need to worry about all the little extras.

Reflecting that ethos, everything about Crystal has a fairly grown up feel to it, and the majority of guests choose the line because they want a calmer and more exclusive atmosphere that they'd find on board a larger ship. Families are made welcome and there are facilities for children, but for the most part you can expect younger cruisers to be in the minority.

Style

Although Crystal has embraced a lot of modern touches, it is definitely at the more traditional end of the spectrum and is marketed more on the basis of the elegant and refined cruise experience on offer than on the basis of having the latest leisure and entertainment facilities.

Maintaining high standards is key to everything about Crystal and with that comes a degree of formality. The line tends to attract those that value quality of service very highly and most of those guests enjoy making the effort in terms of dressing smartly for dinner and maintaining an sophisticated atmosphere around the ship.