Vessels will feature new penthouse suites, dining venues and more after 2017 and 2018 refits
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity are to be fitted with new penthouse suites, dining venues, reimagined public spaces and complimentary bow-to-stern wi-fi connectivity when they are renovated in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
As part of the line’s ‘Evolution of Crystal Luxury’ initiative, Crystal Symphony will be renovated between 19 September and 21 October 2017, while Crystal Serenity will enter dry dock between 14 October and 10 November 2018.
Crystal Symphony will be fitted with two new categories of accommodation – 12 new Seabreeze Penthouse Suites with verandahs, and 28 Seabreeze Penthouses with verandahs on Deck 9. They will boast the same square footage as existing Penthouses and Penthouse Suites (367 square foot and 491 square foot respectively), and the Seabreeze Penthouses will be connected by a shared entryway recessed from the hall.
Meanwhile, Crystal Serenity will be fitted with 36 additional Penthouses and two additional Penthouse Suites on Deck 10. They will also offer the same square footage as existing Penthouses and Penthouse Suites (403 square foot and 538 square foot respectively).
Penthouse guests will benefit from butler service, in-room speciality dining and unlimited complimentary dining at the onboard speciality restaurants. Although the conversions of staterooms into the new penthouse accommodations effectively reduces the ships’ guest capacities – Crystal Symphony to 848 and Crystal Serenity to 980 – it actually increases the per-guest space ratio aboard the ships to 60.2 and 70.3 respectively.
Dining venues will also be transformed. The ships’ Crystal Dining Room will be redecorated and renamed Waterside, reflecting the main dining room onboard Crystal River Cruises’ Crystal Mozart. Featuring additional tables for groups of two and four, the venue will offer a new open seating concept each evening. Meanwhile, the Lido Café will reopen as the Marketplace with buffet-style dining for breakfast and lunch, and Churrascaria for Caipirinha cocktails and a Brazilian-inspired tapas and grilled foods each evening.
Silk will be added to both Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, serving modern Chinese-inspired cuisine from its location in the Trident area of the Lido Deck. Silk Road and The Sushi Bar, the speciality dining venues by famed Master Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, will be rebranded as Umi Uma to reflect the Japanese word for Crystal’s eponymous seahorses.
All speciality dining reservations for Umi Uma and Prego will be complimentary for Penthouse guests, while all other guests will enjoy one complimentary evening of speciality dining, with additional reservations available for a modest charge.
“Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity are the foundation of Crystal and continue to embody the cornerstones of the celebrated Crystal Experience,” said Edie Rodriguez, Crystal CEO and president. “These ships have earned us not only acclaim from the world’s most eminent entities and publications for more than two decades, but more importantly, the loyalty of the world’s most discerning travellers and travel partners. We are committed to continuing their reign as the most luxurious ships at sea by investing in changes and updates that will far exceed our guests’ wishes.”
Technology enhancements will see 42-inch, interactive flat-panel TVs being added to all staterooms, suites and public areas. Guests will be able to use the TVs to view menus, reserve onboard and onshore activities, and watch the latest Hollywood movies and hit TV series. Crystal’s Computer University@Sea classrooms will also undergo updates.
Guests will also receive unlimited access to complimentary wi-fi throughout the ship, allowing them to see daily menus, activities, shore excursions and port maps via the new Crystal Connect portal. Available via a mobile app on guests’ personal devices, Crystal Connect will offer several international newspapers in digital format, movies, Crystal lectures on demand and much more.
“Throughout this tremendous expansion, our commitment to setting an unprecedented standard of luxury travel experiences is unwavering,” said Rodriguez. “We will continue to place the quality of our guests’ experience above all other priorities, and our exquisitely designed vessels are integral to that experience.”