Crystal Cruise Lines announces River cruise "yachts" !

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August 2015

When will Crystal River Cruises launch? March of 2017, with both "yachts" launching at the same time. "We're getting into this a little later than the competition,” Docekal said. “We have a lot to learn but we're going to improve on the competition based on what we see is working and not working."

Will Crystal's ships be smaller or larger than other river cruise vessels? To navigate the locks on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, river cruise vessels are typically built at maximum proportions of 135 meters by 11.45 meters. Bigger than that, and ships can't get through the locks. Crystal's two river cruisers are being built to those maximum specifications, Docekal says.

How is Crystal making use of the limited interior space available to river cruise vessels? Crystal's vessels will feature 70 staterooms and suites measuring a minimum of 250 square feet each, compared to up to 95 staterooms on the Viking Longships. "So we'll have fewer guests and bigger rooms ," Docekal told European River Currents. "The plan right now is to have walk-in closets as well."

Will there be accommodations for families, connecting staterooms or provisions for the mobility impaired? Crystal execs are looking into accommodations for families with connecting staterooms. As for accommodations for the mobility impaired, Crystal President and CEO Edie Rodriguez jumped in to comment during the Q&A: "We want to be ADA compliant ... but be cognizant of the fact that these river boats tie up against each other and you hop over each one of them to get off in ports. That is a bit of an inhibitor, especially with wheelchairs and things of that nature."

What itineraries will the vessels operate? While not yet concrete, Docekal presented a few "sample" voyages. One was "Cruising The Danube & Gorges From Budapest To Vienna." Docekal told Gala attendees that some companies operating similar itineraries disembark guests in Romania and drive them an hour to Bucharest for their flights home (as well as embark guests on the same day). "I recently did this exercise at the airport in Bucharest, and after I had done that, I decided we were going to start in Budapest, visit the gorges, and backtrack to Vienna, which is a lot more comfortable than flying in and out of Bucharest," Docekal said, adding that he was deliberately choosing comfortable gateway airports for embarkation and disembarkation for both ships.

Backtracking to Vienna also allows Crystal to visit additional ports along the Danube, Docekal added. The result is "a very comprehensive itinerary featuring Central and Eastern Europe, plus you have the easy air in and out of Budapest and Vienna."

Where will the second vessel operate? While one vessel will operate on the Main, Rhine and Danube rivers, the other will sail the Seine. "That was a tough decision because we had two great rivers to choose from in France, the Seine -- and the Rhone river from Burgundy through Provence," Docekal said.

But rather than doing a seven-night on-the-ship program on the Seine as many of its competitors do, Crystal will operate a 10-night program, roundtrip Paris. The river yacht will spend two nights/three days docked in Paris and also two nights/three days in Honfleur, allowing guests to visit the Normandy beaches and see other sights, such as Deauville, for example.

When do bookings open? Itineraries for the 2017 season are scheduled to be open for booking (for Crystal Society members initially) on December 1.

The sample voyages won praise from agents who commented during the Q&A. "Those are fantastic itineraries, and we're very excited about them," said Ellen Kalish, of Cruise Center in Texas.

"Thank you so much for the wonderful itineraries and longer cruises, because they're really going to make a difference in how we set up the trips for our clients," added Gina Morovati of Northstar Cruises.

What is the rationale behind overnights on board? Docekal said Crystal will not engage in the "baggage drill," transferring guests off its ships to hotels. "When you do a pre and post you pack and unpack three times. The way we want to schedule our itineraries is with longer stays in port and more overnights. Our rooms are big enough, we're close enough to town in most places, and we have control over the quality of the food, plus there is all our Crystal service. We want the room nights on the river yachts, not shipping our guests off to hotels."

Docekal added that longer stays in port and overnights also would enhance the guest experience. On Christmas markets cruises, for example, Docekal's sample itinerary has the vessel staying overnight in Linz so that guests can experience the Christmas market in Linz and also visit Salzburg. "Ours is an eight-night trip rather than the seven-night trips offered by the competition," Docekal said.

He told Gala attendees that while many companies offer pre- and post-hotels on Christmas markets cruises, usually in Prague, Crystal will do something different. "I actually am of Czech background, and Prague in the winter is not the most beautiful place in the world, as nice as Prague is," Docekal said. "So we're going to offer a three-night Paris pre/post. December is a magnificent time of year in Paris. You don't have to elbow your way through museums. The city is lit up beautifully, and it's one of my favorite places in the world in December."

Will Crystal's excursions be included in the cruise fare? "We will have included tours as well as optional tours," Docekal confirmed.

Will Crystal's yachts be available for groups and the standard tour conductor credit? With only two vessels, Crystal execs said that resources will be limited with regard to the tour conductor credit. "We're obviously at a disadvantage with only 70 cabins compared to Viking with 95 cabins, so we won't be able to be quite as liberal with the tour conductor credit as our competitors, but this is a policy being reviewed," Docekal said. Group contract opportunities are also under review, with clear answers and policies coming within the next two months, Docekal said.

Will gratuities be included in Crystal’s river cruise fares? Docekal deferred to Crystal COO Thomas Mazloum. "Remember the pillars of our inclusiveness when it comes to gratuities, when it comes to beverages, when it comes to internet, no matter whether it's on the yachts, on the rivers, on the ocean ships, the policies will be 100 percent consistent," Mazloum told Gala attendees.

Will Crystal's river yachts feature alternative dining venues? That's still being discussed. "We want to have the same level of service that we have here (on Crystal Symphony and Serenity), and we need to have the same culinary experience because otherwise our current Crystal audience will demand it,” Docekal said. “If they don't experience the same standard on the river cruise ships, they're probably not going to come back to the river cruise ships and maybe not to Crystal, and we don't want to lose them as a customer."

Will Crystal’s river yachts feature room service? Yes, Docekal said. Only a few companies currently offer room service. Scenic offers room service, Tauck offers a "Bite to Eat" (a limited menu of snacks), Uniworld offers room service to guests in select stateroom categories.

Will Crystal have bikes on board? "We absolutely will have bicycles on board, and yes, we will have electric-assist as well, the kind you turn on when nobody is watching," Docekal said.

How will Crystal handle issues with low water/high water? "I think that has to start in the selling process," Docekal told Gala attendees. "You have to tell your clients that the trip may be interrupted by high water, usually in the spring, and low water, usually in autumn." He added that Crystal is looking for a solution so that guests do not have to swap ships. "We will definitely have a very good alternative in our back pocket," Docekal said.

What type of entertainment will be on the Crystal river yachts? "These days we have as many people showing up for an enrichment lecture as we do an evening show," Mazloum said. "We believe there is an opportunity to introduce an element of enrichment that is similar to what you experience on here (Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity)."

Where will Crystal source staff? "Our crewing agency is in Oslo, and they've done a great job with these two ships , so we want to continue using our agency in Oslo for sourcing staff,” Docekal said. “Plus, of course, we're going to take key staff from our ships here and plug them into the river ships. We think we're going to attract a lot of talent because of the brand also."

What's the price point? Mazloum provided a hint. "We know that today with thousands of Crystal guests who go on a river cruise, they have told us very clearly that if they knew that Crystal offered river cruises, they wouldn't think twice, even if they had to pay a premium." Stay tuned.