CRYSTAL CLEAR
As the demand for luxury cruises grows, Crystal Cruises leads the way. Managing Director Karen Christensen talks about what the future holds.
As the demand for luxury cruises continues to grow, Crystal Cruises is leading the way.
Even though Karen Christensen is sailing Crystal Cruises through a period of great growth, the cruise line’s Australasia Senior Vice President and Managing Director is doing so with all the calm and ease of an experienced captain. Exciting itineraries have been added, ships have been revamped, and brand-new river cruise ships and yachts have been added to the growing fleet. The company is also soon to launch the most luxurious expedition yacht the world has even seen, Crystal Endeavor.
“We are excited that Crystal is putting a ship of this calibre – its first expedition ship – predominantly in our region,” states Christensen. “The opportunity to go to Antarctica from Christchurch and Hobart across the Ross Sea is unique, especially at this
level of luxury.” Such exclusive itineraries are a true cornerstone of Crystal Cruises. “We traversed the North-West passage twice with our ocean ship, Crystal Serenity, and we’ve just launched the North-East passage. In all my years in cruising I’ve never seen that itinerary on a luxury cruise ship, and after just a few weeks, the sailing is close to selling out.”
Christensen believes that if a location is on the bucket list, or if it’s remote or unique, price point isn’t the main priority for the modern traveller. “The demographic for our guests and guests looking at the luxury space is changing constantly,” she says. In line with the Cruise Lines International Association’s Cruise Travel Report in 2018 – which revealed that almost a quarter of millennials surveyed had sailed on a luxury cruise in the past three years – Christensen says that cruise guests are getting younger. “The company has been going for 25 years so it has evolved as the travel industry has evolved,” she states.
Crystal were one of the early adaptors of all-inclusive cruising, and having technology available for guests. Explains Christensen: “The modern traveller also wants personalisation and individual choice – which Crystal does very well without losing our brand heritage. Our ocean ships are the lead for everything we do, and what we’ve done with ocean cruises has been translated to the river, yacht and expedition experiences. It is a gamble going into new areas if you have been successful in one … you need to deliver that same experience. Our guests will expect consistency no matter what they are travelling on.”
Expanding into river cruising was a new experience for Christensen, who had always worked with ocean cruises. She sailed aboard Crystal Mozart out of Vienna, and is now a convert. “It’s very special,” she says. “You are travelling at night, you’re on breathtaking rivers, you visit some amazing ports.”
Always a pioneer, the Crystal river ships feature brand-new technology to maximise space on the ships, and take advantage of the view. “Each suite has what we call a panoramic balconywindow,” she says. “They’re the width of the room, they are electronic, they come down half height with a shelf that folds out for your champagne.”
Another mainstay of the Crystal brand is the theme of immersive journeys – getting involved rather than just watching from a distance.
“For the ocean and river journeys there are multiple overnight stays, so you can really experience a location,” explains Christensen. “We have spent a lot of time perfecting our shore-side excursions. While the cruise ships are magnificent, you need experiences on board too. There’s a PGA instructor on every voyage and our entertainment is world- class. And we are the only ones with Nobu on board, as well as other Michelin-inspired restaurants. Our ships are not big but our quality and offering is consistent across the brand.”
Crystal have continued to evolve their brand to satisfy the modern traveller. “The re-imagining of both of the ocean ships were the leads for that,” Christensen says. “We brought in the new level of spacious suites that come with a butler, high-speed technology, amazing learning centres, open seating in the main dining room which means we’ve had to reduce the capacity while maintaining the staff. When Crystal Endeavor launches next year, and guests cruise to Antarctica while dining on Nobu’s food, you can’t really beat that.”
“When guests cruise to Antarctica dining on Nobu’s food, you can’t really beat that.”
KAREN CHRISTENSEN