LoyaltyLobby
  • News
  • Hotel Promos
    • Accor
    • Best Western
    • Radisson Rewards
    • Choice
    • Fairmont
    • Hilton
    • World of Hyatt
    • IHG Rewards
    • Marriott
    • Ritz-Carlton
    • Starwood
    • Wyndham Rewards
  • Reviews
  • Contact Us
  • Blog View
  •  
LoyaltyLobby
  • News
  • Hotel Promos
    • Accor
    • Best Western
    • Radisson Rewards
    • Choice
    • Fairmont
    • Hilton
    • World of Hyatt
    • IHG Rewards
    • Marriott
    • Ritz-Carlton
    • Starwood
    • Wyndham Rewards
  • Reviews
  • Contact Us
  • Blog View
  •  
LoyaltyLobby
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT

Crystal Cruises Will Make a Comeback In 2023 As Two Ships & Brand Were Purchased By A&K Travel Group

by Sebastian Powell
June 26, 2022
Reading Time: 3 mins read
2

There might be good news on the horizon for fans of Crystal Cruises, the former prestigious cruise line that has fallen victim to the bankruptcy of its parent company Genting MV and ceased operations.

Experienced industry insider Abercrombie & Kent (A&K) has now purchased the Crystal brand as well as two of their ships, the Crystal Symphony and the Crystal Serenity, and plans to make a comeback in 2023.

When Crystal went under I had already speculated that someone would snatch up both the brand and the ships which were in excellent condition and a favorite of Crystal’s well-heeled customer base.

ADVERTISEMENT

The “Crystal Symphony” has previously made headlines as it fled creditors in the U.S. after dodging Millions in unpaid fuel bills in Florida.

U.S. authorities then issued a warrant against the vessel and the owners decided to let it anchor in the Bahamas (Bimini) to avoid the Symphony being seized in Port Everglades, FL. This was shortly before the line went under and ceased operations – the writing was obviously on the wall.

Now Cruiseline.com reports that Crystal is arising from the ashes.

Luxury operator A&K Travel Group Ltd. has officially been named purchaser of Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity. The vessels will operate under the ‘Crystal Cruises’ brand, which the company has also acquired.

A&K Travel Group has said it will give both ships extensive refurbishments to prepare for their return to passenger operations. They will resume cruising at an unconfirmed date in 2023 under the Crystal Cruises name.

This announcement comes on the heels of last week’s news that the two ships sold at an auction held by The Supreme Court in the Bahamas. Crystal Serenity is said to have garnered a whopping $103 million from a buyer listed as ‘CDE Ltd,’ and Crystal Symphony’s buyer was listed as ‘CSY Ltd’ with a reported purchase price of $25 million. We now know these undisclosed buyers to be A&K Travel Group Ltd. …

A&K Travel Group Ltd. has partnered with leading cruise ship manager V.Ships Leisure to operate Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity. According to the company, V.Ships was a natural partner with their unique experience and global scale.

Details on the ship’s upgrades, as well as upcoming itineraries and operation dates, will be shared by A&K Travel Group Ltd. and Crystal Cruises later.

According to online data, the Serenity was built in 2003 at a cost of $350M, now 20 years later A&K still paid $105M for it. The Symphony had its maiden voyage in 1995 and cost $250M back in the day, a tenth of what the new owners paid for it now.

If ships are extremely well maintained then even an upper age isn’t exactly a problem but it all boils down to renovation and maintenance costs for the operators as well as the economics of fuel consumption and environmental features of the vessel, especially in ecologically sensitive regions such as Alaska where they have a lot of restrictions.

To restart Crystal will cost A&K a pretty penny even though they got the ships for a reasonable price.

What remains to be seen is how the brand will be able to recover from the reputational loss of having to repatriate passengers by a common ferry back to the U.S. and still owing a lot of money in refunds.

Prestigious Crystal Cruises Halts Operations, “Symphony” Stuck In The Bahamas After U.S. Judge Issues Arrest Warrant

I somehow can’t see a new operator resurrecting the Crystal Society which was Crystal’s loyalty program but I feel that would be an elementary piece of the puzzle in order to build goodwill with the existing client base. It’s just difficult to look at the economics of it all as previously Crystal was able to charge a premium based on its reputation as a luxury brand. They now have to prove themselves all over again.

Other cruise lines had the advantage that they always kept going, even at major losses, and therefore never really suffered damage to the brand. Cruising with Celebrity for example was just bliss for the last year as they sailed with very limited capacity at excellent prices. Great for the passenger, not so great for the cruise line though.

Conclusion

Crystal Cruises will reportedly make a comeback sometime in 2023 with new owners at the wheel. A&K Travel Group Ltd. has purchased the Crystal brand as well as two vessels which they plan to use in order to resurrect the brand.

It will be interesting to see if they’ll be successful with this attempt. Restarting a cruise line that was affected by bankruptcy and has previously burned some passengers isn’t going to be easy. It will cost a lot in investment, goodwill, and marketing expenses to get Crystal going again. I’m very curious to see where this is going!

Previous Post

Compensation Clinic: Hilton Rotterdam

Next Post

Airfare of the Day [Business Class] TURKISH AIRLINES Singapore to Amsterdam from $2,142

Related Articles

Celebrity Cruises & Other Lines Are Re-Introducing Mask Requirements for Indoor Spaces After Infections Exceed 1% Of Passengers

More Cruise Lines Just Dropped Their Pre-Sailing Covid Testing Requirements

Sebastian Powell
August 11, 2022
3

More good news for cruise enthusiasts as several lines just announced that the Covid test requirements prior to embarkation will...

Reader Question: Are Complimentary Cruise Offers Really “Free” And How Do They Work?

Reader Question: Are Complimentary Cruise Offers Really “Free” And How Do They Work?

Sebastian Powell
August 8, 2022
7

Today we have a Reader Question about cruises, in particular, Free Cruise Offers that sometimes show up the mail offering...

Alaska Cruisers Face Potential Itinerary Changes As Skagway Dock Is Threatened By Rockslide

Alaska Cruisers Face Potential Itinerary Changes As Skagway Dock Is Threatened By Rockslide

Sebastian Powell
July 27, 2022

A potentially catastrophic rockslide is threatening the famous cruise dock in Skagway, Alaska, and could impact entire itineraries of popular...

Upgrade Your Travel IQ

Make the most of your travel with our free and daily newsletter with the latest hotel and airline news and promotions.

We do not sell or share email addresses.

ADVERTISEMENT

Trending

Japan (1): How I Ended Up Spending Six Months In Japan
Travel News

Japan Opens eVISA Applications For Citizens Of The US & Canada On August 18, 2022

August 10, 2022
Hilton Go Employee And Friends & Family Rate Plans
Hilton Honors

Hilton Go Employee And Friends & Family Rate Plans

July 25, 2021
Grand Hyatt Sanya Evicting Guests To Become Quarantine Hotel
Hyatt - World of Hyatt

Grand Hyatt Sanya Evicting Guests To Become Quarantine Hotel

August 10, 2022
Celebrity Cruises & Other Lines Are Re-Introducing Mask Requirements for Indoor Spaces After Infections Exceed 1% Of Passengers
Cruises

More Cruise Lines Just Dropped Their Pre-Sailing Covid Testing Requirements

August 11, 2022
Thailand Is Considering To Bring Back The 45-Day Visa Exemption Stamp
Thailand

Thailand Is Considering To Bring Back The 45-Day Visa Exemption Stamp

August 12, 2022

Top Categories

  • IHG Rewards Club
  • Marriott Bonvoy
  • Hilton Honors
  • Accor ALL
  • Airfare Of The Day
  • Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG)
  • Hyatt – World of Hyatt
  • American Airlines – AAdvantage
  • Travel News
  • United Airlines – Mileage Plus
ADVERTISEMENT

All Categories

In Case You Missed It

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Award Changes Effective August 9, 2022

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Award Changes Effective August 9, 2022

August 9, 2022
Radisson Blu Plaza Ljubljana

Hotel Promo Update: Best Western, Choice, Hyatt, Radisson & Wyndham August 2022

August 9, 2022
Reader Email: No Access To Executive Club When Booking Executive Room At JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul?

Reader Email: No Access To Executive Club When Booking Executive Room At JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul?

August 6, 2022
Radisson Rewards for Business Double Points In Asia-Pacific January 1 – May 31, 2021

Radisson Rewards Up To 5,000 Bonus Points Through September 30, 2022 (Book By August 31)

August 9, 2022
Hyatt Up To 20% Off Latin America For Stays Through February 28, 2023 (Book By October 15)

Hyatt Up To 20% Off Latin America For Stays Through February 28, 2023 (Book By October 15)

August 7, 2022
ADVERTISEMENT

Since 2011, we have been helping millions of visitors like you untangle travel loyalty programs for free upgrades, flights and hotel nights.

Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram

Site Navigation

  • About LoyaltyLobby
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Airfares
  • Contact Us

Hotel Promotions

  • Accor
  • Hilton
  • IHG Rewards
  • Marriott
  • World of Hyatt

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Our free daily newsletter sends you the latest information on hotel and airline programs.

We do not share or sell email addresses.

Site & Contents ©2011-2022 LoyaltyLobby.com
Terms of Use & Privacy Policy

  • News
  • Hotel Promotions
    • Accor
    • Best Western
    • Choice
    • Fairmont
    • Hilton
    • IHG Rewards
    • Marriott
    • Radisson Rewards
    • Ritz-Carlton
    • Starwood
    • World of Hyatt
    • Wyndham Rewards
  • Reviews
  • Contact Us
  • Blog View
No Result
View All Result

© 2011–2021 LoyaltyLobby.com - Site & Contents