The largest river ship on the Danube River marks newest chapter in epic brand expansion, becomes ‘World’s Only Luxury River Cruise Line™’
Yesterday, in another milestone for the expansion of Crystal, the Most Luxurious Travel and Lifestyle Brand Portfolio™, Crystal Mozart was officially welcomed to the Crystal River Cruises fleet in Vienna, Austria. During an elegant ceremony attended by local dignitaries, media and distinguished executives from Crystal, the “Queen of Europe’s Rivers” was christened by Godmother Ms. Elisabeth Gürtler, who is the managing director of both the Hotel Sacher, Vienna’s most famous hotel, and the city’s historic Spanish Riding School.
Crystal Mozart’s maiden voyage on 13 July, marked the official launch of Crystal River Cruises, which will see four additional river yachts launched by August 2017. Crystal’s CEO and president, Edie Rodriguez, personally welcomed each guest of the inaugural sailing aboard the newly reimagined vessel, where they experienced the hallmarks of the all-inclusive, all-exclusive Crystal Experience – spacious suites, personal butlers, six-star service featuring the highest guest to crew ratio in river cruising at 1.74, luxurious amenities, world-class cuisine and the only river ship with a full wrap around promenade.
“This is an extraordinary time for our company, as our expansion from the world’s oceans to its rivers and air allows for numerous new opportunities and ways for travellers to explore the world with us,” said Crystal CEO and President Edie Rodriguez. “Each new vessel and adventure is another step for Crystal toward our goal of providing savvy global travellers with virtually every luxury travel experience they can possibly imagine.”
The traditional ceremony welcomed 175 VIP guests to a cocktail reception on the Vista Deck Four of Crystal Mozart, featuring a traditional Viennese Brass Orchestra dressed in historic uniforms and playing traditional Austrian Marches. Master of Ceremonies and Crystal Mozart’s lead entertainer, musician Mark Farris, then ushered guests shoreside for the naming of the ship by the godmother and breaking of the magnum of Szigeti’s 2011 Sonderedition “Adele” champagne. Rodriguez, along with Crystal COO Thomas Mazloum and Crystal River Cruises Vice President and Managing Director Walter Littlejohn officially welcomed Crystal Mozart to the fleet and kicked off further festivities, which included a lavish dinner in the ship’s Waterside and Blue restaurants.
“Crystal’s presence on the rivers of Europe absolutely raises the bar of excellence for the luxury river cruising industry, a standard the company set long ago when it entered the luxury ocean cruising market,” said Littlejohn, a veteran of the river cruising industry. “We are thrilled to introduce a new way to explore the world with the highly-acclaimed Crystal Experience.”
Following dinner, guests were transported to the Belvedere Palace for an exclusive evening of Mozart and Strauss performances, an event that all Crystal Mozart guests will experience complimentary when sailing on Crystal River Cruises’ Danube river itineraries.
Measuring 395 feet long (120.4 meters) and 75 feet wide (22.9 meters), the all-suite Crystal Mozart is the largest of all European river vessels and boasts numerous public areas for guests to enjoy. On Crystal Deck Three, guests will find an array of elegant and casual dining options, lounges and bars that will foster camaraderie among guests as they share stories and cocktails. On the uppermost deck, Vista Deck 4, a pop-up bar sets the scenes for celebrations under the stars while during the day guests can attend a yoga session or relax in expansive sun loungers as they sail along the Danube River. Fitness and wellness enthusiasts can indulge in the largest spa in river cruising at the Crystal Life Spa, which features an indoor pool and fully-equipped fitness, spa and salon facilities.
The 154-guest capacity vessel will sail itineraries along the Danube River, calling in some of the region’s most stunning locales throughout Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, and Serbia. And for the first time on a Crystal voyage, most excursions are complimentary. Guests can reserve electronic bicycles on the ship for independent exploration, while VIP Champagne boat tours will also be available for private cruising and sight-seeing along Europe’s narrower waterways.
Crystal Mozart also bears the distinction as the most technologically advanced river ship in the world. Each suite offers Apple® iPad devices that serve as Digital Directories for virtually all of guests’ on-board needs, from dry cleaning and butler service to room service and dining reservations, as well as concierge and Crystal Adventures inquiries and more. Suites also boast 40-inch flat-screen HD televisions, along with backlit bathroom mirrors with integrated televisions. Bathrooms also feature highly advanced TOTO Washlet personal cleaning systems integrated with the toilets, which also offer heated seats, automatic open/close, aerated water and warm air dryer.
Throughout the ship, digital signage puts available services and port information at guests’ fingertips, including weather forecasts for the day, available spa appointments, dining reservations and profiles of Crystal crew members.
Crystal Cruises is the World’s Most Awarded Luxury Cruise Line™, having earned more “World’s Best” accolades than any other cruise line, hotel, or resort in history. In summer 2015, Crystal embarked on the most significant brand expansion in the history of luxury travel and hospitality, introducing three new classes of cruising – the recently launched Crystal Yacht Cruises (December 2015), Crystal River Cruises (July 2016), Crystal Exclusive Class Ocean Cruises (2019), Crystal Luxury Air (April 2016) and Crystal Air Cruises (2017).