They didn’t just charter any plane, though — they chartered the Crystal 777. I first wrote about the Crystal Boeing 777-200 in 2016, as this is one of the most luxurious private jets in the sky. This is the same company behind Crystal Cruises, one of the highest end cruise lines out there. Crystal plans to use this plane to offer private jet tours around the world. The 777 seats just 88 passengers, though has a heck of a layout. The part of the cabin with standard seats doesn’t look that exceptional. Actually, it looks subpar for business class nowadays, as there’s not direct aisle access from every seat.
| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Headquarters | Miami, Florida |
| |
| Products | Cruises |
| Parent |
|
| Website | www.crystalcruises.com |
Crystal Cruises is an American cruise line[1] headquartered in Miami, Florida, United States. Since 2015, it has been a subsidiary of Genting Hong Kong.
History[edit]
The company was founded in 1988 by Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK).[citation needed] Its first ship was Crystal Harmony.[2]
On March 3, 2015, NYK announced that it was selling Crystal Cruises to Genting Hong Kong.[3] The sale price was US$550 million in cash, subject to certain adjustment items.[4] On May 15, 2015, GHK announced that it had closed on the acquisition.[5]
Moneystorm casino free chip 2020. On July 20, 2015, Crystal announced that it would expand to provide expedition cruises, river cruises, and private jet travel.[citation needed]
On February 4, 2016, Crystal Cruises signed a purchase option for the SS United States, also providing funding for docking costs for the ship in Philadelphia for nine months while it conducted a feasibility study into returning the ship to service.[6][7] However, the plan was dropped on August 5, 2016, citing technical challenges. It also announced a donation of $350,000 to cover docking costs through to the end of the year.[8]
In September 2019, Crystal Cruises announced that it would have Broadway themed cruises available in 2020.[9]
Crystal Skye 777
In August 2020, Crystal cancelled all cruises for the remainder of the year. Its parent company Genting Hong Kong had suspended payments to creditors citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new 200-passenger Crystal Endeavor was under construction at the time, with delivery scheduled for November 2020; that was delayed for a year because of the suspension of operations at the MV Werften shipyard in Germany.[10][11]
Sub-brands[edit]
Crystal Yacht Expedition Cruises[edit]
Crystal Yacht Expedition Cruises launched in December 2015 with the Crystal Esprit. The 62-guest, 3,000-ton yacht is outfitted with features including a two-passenger submarine, four 10-passenger zodiacs for excursions and a 12-passenger yacht tender for boating adventures. Additionally, water skis, wake boards, kayaks, jet skis, fishing, scuba, and snorkel equipment are available.[12] On January 15, 2018, the company cut steel for Crystal Endeavor at MV Werften.[13] Crystal was to have debuted its new PC6-designated expedition yacht in 2020 but construction has been delayed by the pandemic. Crystal Endeavor will have a tonnage of 19,800 GT and will operate polar expeditions as well as voyages in remote tropical regions. The yacht will offer accommodation for 200 guests.[14]
Crystal River Cruises[edit]
In July 2016, Crystal launched Crystal River Cruises with the re-furbished vessel Crystal Mozart [de]. Crystal Bach and Crystal Mahler, the first two of four 'Rhine Class' new-build river ships, were added in 2017 followed by Crystal Debussy and Crystal Ravel, in 2018.[citation needed]
Crystal 777 Cabin
Crystal Luxury Air/Crystal AirCruises[edit]
Crystal Luxury Air private jet service launched in 2015 with the company's Bombardier Global Express jet, available for charter and accommodating 12 guests. In August 2017, Crystal AirCruises took flight with the launch of Crystal Skye, a Boeing 777-200LR configured with 88 first class flat-bed seats, a lounge/dining room that seats 24 and a full bar. The National Hockey League is one of its first three charter customers.[15] In addition the company took delivery of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in May 2017. As of November 2017, this aircraft was stored.[16]
Fleet[edit]
Current fleet[edit]
| Name | Built | Builder | Entered service for Crystal | Gross Tonnage | Flag | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Symphony | 1995 | Kvaerner Masa-Yards | 1995 | 51,044 | Bahamas | ||
| Crystal Serenity | 2003 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | 2003 | 68,870 | Bahamas | ||
| Crystal Esprit | 1991 | Flender Werke | 2015 | 3,370 | Bahamas | Previously MegaStar Taurus Operated by Crystal Yacht Cruises.[12][17][18] | |
| Crystal Mozart | 1987 | Deggendorfer Werft und Eisenbau[19]
| 2016 | 532 | Malta | Operated by Crystal River Cruises / Named after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | |
| Crystal Bach | 2017 | MV Werften | 2017 | Malta | Operated by Crystal River Cruises / Named after Johann Sebastian Bach | ||
| Crystal Mahler | 2017 | MV Werften | 2017 | Malta | Operated by Crystal River Cruises / Named after Gustav Mahler | ||
| Crystal Debussy | 2018 | MV Werften | 2018 | Malta | Operated by Crystal River Cruises / Named after Claude Debussy | ||
| Crystal Ravel | 2018 | MV Werften | 2018 | Malta | Operated by Crystal River Cruises / Named after Maurice Ravel | ||
| N989SF | 2007 | Bombardier Aerospace | 2015 | United States | Bombardier BD-700 Global Express. Operated for Crystal Luxury Air by Corporate Flight Management, Inc | ||
| Crystal Skye P4-XTL | 2011 | Boeing | 2017 | Aruba | Ex Air Austral B777-29M(LR) reg F-OLRA. Operated for Crystal AirCruise by Comlux Aruba NV. |
Future fleet[edit]
| Ship | Will enter service | Class | Builder | Gross Tonnage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Endeavor | Late 2021[20] | Endeavour (Yacht) | MV Werften | 19,800 |
| TBA | 2022 | Diamond | MV Werften | 67,000 |
Former fleet[edit]
| Ship | Built | Builder | Service for Crystal | Gross Tonnage | Flag | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Harmony | 1989 | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 1990–2006 | 50,142 | Bahamas | Renamed Asuka II |
References[edit]
- ^'404'. Archived from the original on 2009-06-28.
- ^Miramar Ship Index: Crystal Harmony, ID#8806204.
- ^Sloan, Gene (March 3, 2015). 'Shake-up in luxury cruising as Crystal gets new owner'. USA Today. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
- ^Dake, Shawn (March 3, 2015). 'Crystal Cruises Sold To Genting Hong Kong For $550 Million'. Maritime Matters. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
- ^Norton Masek, Theresa (May 16, 2015). 'Crystal CEO Rodriguez Comments on 'Thrilling, Yet Bittersweet' Sale'. TravelPulse.
- ^'Crystal Signs Purchase Option for SS United States - Cruise Industry News - Cruise News'.
- ^'S.S. United States, Historic Ocean Liner of Trans-Atlantic Heyday, May Sail Again'. The New York Times. 4 February 2016.
- ^'Crystal Drops SS United States Project - Cruise Industry News - Cruise News'.
- ^'New Crystal on Broadway Voyages Take Center Stage in 2020'. TravelPulse. September 30, 2019.
- ^'Crystal Cruises parent halts payments on debt of $3.4B'. Travel Weekly. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
temporarily suspend all payments to the Group's financial creditors.
- ^'Crystal Cruises 'Not Going Out of Business' Despite Genting Troubles'. Travel Weekly. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
temporarily suspend all payments to the Group's financial creditors.
- ^ ab'404'. Archived from the original on 2015-07-22.
- ^Staff, CIN (2018-01-15). 'Construction Starts on Crystal Expedition Ship'. Retrieved 2018-01-16.
- ^'Crystal Reveals More Details on Endeavor'. 2018-03-06. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
- ^Gollan, Doug (2017-08-10). 'Everything You Need To Know To Charter The Crystal Skye Boeing 777-200LR'. Private Jet Card Comparisons - Know Before You Buy. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
- ^'Crystal Luxury Air Fleet Details and History'. Planespotters Net. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
- ^'Crystal: Three New 100,000 Ton Ships, Plus Luxury Yacht, River Cruises and Boeing 787 - Cruise Industry News - Cruise News'.
- ^Knego, Peter (December 21, 2015). 'CRYSTAL ESPRIT Christened'. Maritime Matters. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ^'Premicon AG'. 2014-02-06. Archived from the original on 2014-02-06. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
- ^'Crystal Cruises 'Not Going Out of Business' Despite Genting Troubles'. Travel Weekly. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
temporarily suspend all payments to the Group's financial creditors.
Bibliography[edit]
- Cudahy, Brian J (2001). The Cruise Ship Phenomenon in North America. New York: Cornell Maritime Press. ISBN0-870-33529-4.
External links[edit]
Crystal 777 Cabin
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to Crystal Cruises. |