Crystal Commemorates Its 30th Anniversary
Crystal Cruises first set sail in 1990, beginning a legacy of personalized luxury and innovation
MIAMI, July 24, 2020 – Today marks a special milestone for Crystal, as the company commemorates its 30th anniversary of luxury cruising. On July 24, 1990, Crystal Harmony sailed from San Francisco to Alaska on her maiden voyage debuting a single ship full of innovations including private verandah staterooms, alternative dining venues, extraordinary spaciousness and much more. Since that time, Crystal Cruises has welcomed its two highly awarded Ocean ships, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, to the fleet as the company said goodbye to Crystal Harmony in 2005.
Genting Hong Kong purchased the company in 2015, empowering Crystal’s vision to expand to new waters in response to its guests’ desire to travel the world in different ways in the embrace of the Crystal brand. Crystal Yacht Cruises launched in December that year with Crystal Esprit, followed by Crystal River Cruises in 2016, which now boasts the youngest and most luxurious fleet on Europe’s rivers.
“I am immensely grateful for the officers and crew, Crystal Society Members and travel partners who have made this 30th Anniversary milestone possible,” said Crystal’s president and CEO, Tom Wolber. “I want to thank all the members of the Crystal Family over the years who had the passion and dedication to create this company, and the vision for all the possibilities it represented, and our parent company, who has continued to empower this vision and steadfastly supports us every day.”
Crystal is observing the occasion tonight by hosting a special 30th Anniversary edition of Friday Nights at the Galaxy as part of its Crystal@Home: A Virtual Cruise Experience series of digital programming, which brings elements of the Crystal onboard experience to fans across the globe. The broadcast will begin tonight (July 24) at 6 p.m., Eastern Time on the Crystal Cruises Facebook page, and will be available for viewing following the broadcast on Facebook and on www.crystalcruises.com. The Crystal website also features a detailed timeline of Crystal’s milestones and innovations through its three decades.
In addition, Crystal’s 30th Anniversary guest-curated playlist – Crystal: Sailing Through 30 Years – is now available for download on Spotify. The playlist of 30 songs is curated by Crystal Society members, who submitted selections of songs that most reminded them of the voyages and experiences they have enjoyed with Crystal over the past 30 years. Iconic tunes like Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World, Andy Williams’ Moon River and Israel Kamakawiwo’le’s Somewhere Over the Rainbow – the traditional sail-away songs of Crystal Cruises, Crystal River Cruises and Crystal Yacht Cruises, respectively – are complemented by guests’ choices including classics like Bobby Darin’s Beyond the Sea, Nat King Cole’s Stardust, Billy Joel’s Piano Man and Frank Sinatra’s Girl From Ipanema.
Crystal is now making available for purchase its artfully designed Taste: Crystal’s 30th Anniversary Cookbook, thanks to the enthusiasm and high demand from guests following the book’s onboard release earlier this year. The culinary tome, comprising more than 260 pages of Crystal’s acclaimed recipes for classic and modern dishes, desserts, cocktails and more, was previously exclusively available to guests sailing aboard a designated 30th Anniversary itinerary. Crystal’s globally inspired creative cuisine, served in an array of all-inclusive, onboard venues including Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s only seagoing restaurants, has long been a celebrated hallmark of the brand. Guests can order their personal copy at cookbook.crystalcruisesbrochure.com.
While its fleet is paused, the company has been developing new procedures and policies that will support all public health and regulatory requirements and ensure that guests’ vacations continue to be not only relaxing and pleasurable but safe and healthy. The new Crystal Clean+ 2.0 protocols, announced on July 22, are the initial set of measures for Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, developed with the latest data available from health experts and will be updated as new information and guidelines becomes available. Details can be found here. Currently in development are measures for Crystal River Cruises, Crystal Yacht Cruises and Crystal Expedition Cruises. The safety of its guests and crew members is Crystal’s number one priority and the fleet will resume service only when the company’s expert team and global health and government authorities indicate that it is safe to do so.
