Crystal River Cruises Will Sail Youngest Fleet in 2020

Luxury operator Crystal River Cruises will deploy the youngest fleet of ships among luxury river cruise companies in 2020, said company officials.

Crystal River Cruises’ fleet will feature four identical, recently built ships, Crystal Bach, Crystal Debussy, Crystal Mahler and Crystal Ravel, following the departure next year of Crystal Mozart, which will transfer from Crystal River Cruises to sister company Genting Cruise Lines.

“Crystal River Cruises’ ships are not only the newest in the industry, they are the only to feature all-suite, all-balcony accommodations with every room category situated above the water line,” said Tom Wolber, Crystal’s president & CEO.

Wolber said the ships also offer Crystal’s “signature personal butler service” and added, “While the new ships’ itineraries vary, our guests and travel advisors will now find a uniform ship experience across the full fleet.”

Crystal Mozart’s final Crystal voyage, a Vienna to Budapest cruise, will embark December 2. “Crystal Mozart set the stage for Crystal River Cruises’ debut as its inaugural ship in the summer of 2016,” Wolber said. “We are pleased to see her carrying onward with Genting Cruise Lines.”

Crystal guests currently booked aboard previously scheduled Crystal Mozart 2020 sailings will be accommodated on similar Danube itineraries offered by Crystal Mahler or Crystal Ravel, said officials.

Crystal’s remaining four vessels were all launched between 2017 and 2018. The 106-passenger ships offer staterooms averaging over 40 percent larger than the industry norm, with crew-to-guest ratios twice establish standards, according to Crystal officials.