Crystal announces launch of exceptional initiative

Friday, March 24, 2023

Crystal announced today that it has launched an Exceptional Initiative for all guests financially impacted by Crystal Cruises’ former ownership and their travel advisors.

The initiative is being created in partnership with A&K Travel Group, the new owners of Crystal and its two ships Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony.

Eligible former Crystal guests who hold a verified claim in the Crystal Cruises LLC case will be able to apply for a credit to use towards future Crystal voyages on board either Crystal Serenity or Crystal Symphony.

This Initiative is a plan we have been working on since they acquired Crystal as it will benefit our most loyal customers.

This is not something we were legally obliged to do, said Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, Co-Chairman of A&K Travel Group and of Crystal.

However, they believe that being Exceptional means doing what is unexpected, unusual, and unprecedented.

They are choosing to help former guests and travel agents recover their money and hope they will be able to focus on returning to service, the exceptional crew and onboard service that has made Crystal an award-winning cruise line for three decades.

What Crystal has decided to do with this gesture is remarkable partly because they had no obligation to do it, but mostly because its gives customers another alternative to recover funds lost in the shut down, said Mark Healy, Executive Vice President of Moecker Associates.

They are also working to analyze all the claims we received and believe that by the end of the summer we will be in a position to release the first reimbursements.

In order for guests to qualify for the credit, the following conditions apply:

Guests must have filed a valid claim in the Crystal Cruises LLC case for amounts owed related to cruises onboard Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity that were cancelled.

The amount of the credit will be restricted to the outstanding balances owed to the guest minus any funds that have already been refunded through the insolvency proceedings.

The credit will be split into five installments to be applied towards five future bookings.

The first booking must be made by July 1, 2023, and the credit must be utilized towards voyages departing on or before Dec. 31, 2025.

The specific terms and conditions of the Exceptional Initiative along with FAQ’s will be posted on Crystal’s website.

Crystal Serenity’s inaugural sailing will depart July 31, from Marseille for a Mediterranean cruise, and Crystal Symphony will depart on Sept. 1, from Athens.

Planned voyages will travel throughout the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Canada and New England, Alaska, the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

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