Crystal Cruises Ships Arrested in Freeport

Posted on 6 February, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

The Crystal Serenity and Symphony have docked in Freeport in the Bahamas where both ships have been arrested.

An announcement made to the crew aboard by the captain on the Symphony cited unpaid bills.

The ship arrests will not impact crew movement, according to the announcement, which was obtained by Cruise Industry News.

“Crew sign-offs can still go as planned, and we are still in process of preparing those,” the announcement said.

In late January an arrest warrant was issued for the Crystal Symphony by a Miami-based judge with a fuel supplier claiming unpaid bills. The ship has not docked in the U.S. since.

There are no guests on board either ship as Crystal has wound down commercial operations for the time being as parent company Genting Hong Kong struggles with financial issues.

Players in a Likely Crystal Cruises Acquisition

Posted on 24 January, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

With Crystal Cruises suspending operations through April with owner Genting Hong Kong warning of cash troubles, there is no shortage of speculation of what will happen to one of the key luxury brands in the industry.

According to sources familiar with the situation, Crystal is drawing interest for its brand name, past passenger list of wealthy American clients, its new 200-guest expedition ship and fleet of river ships. Less interesting, according to sources, are the company’s larger ocean-going ships.

Catching up with industry sources, Cruise Industry News put together a list of possible suitors and scenarios.

Potential Players:

Genting: Could Genting reorganize using bankruptcy protection and continue to operate Crystal? The company could emerge stronger with reduced debt loads, new money and a fresh outlook if a reorganization takes place.
Lindblad: Lindblad Expeditions and Genting have already been at the negotiating table as Lindblad bought the Crystal Esprit in 2021. Lindblad has been active in the acquisition space, also having bought up complementary companies in recent years. While Crystal’s big ocean-going luxury ships don’t fit the Lindblad product, the river ships, new Endeavor and passenger list could be ideal.
MSC: MV Werften and a 75 per cent-finished 5,000-gest Global Dream could present an interesting opportunity for fast-growing MSC Cruises. The family-owned company is known to make quick decisions and wants to dominate the cruise industry. Could a shipyard and newbuild designed-for-China give them a platform to accelerate future growth even more? It could prove tempting. The Endeavor would also allow the company to enter the expedition market overnight.
Carnival/Royal/Norwegian: Could one of the three major players acquire Crystal into their portfolio of brands? It would prevent potential new competition. However, chances are the answer is no, as all three would see significant pushback from the investment community, which is focused on short term financial performance.
Azamara/Sycamore: After buying Azamara Cruises from Royal Caribbean Group in early 2021, Sycamore Partners, a private equity company, added the fourth ship with the acquisition of the Pacific Princess. It’s no secret in the industry circle they have been looking for more. A new parent company could operate both brands, with a lean shoreside organization, and vessel management from V. Ships Leisure, which is already running the Azamara fleet. It would allow Sycamore to add to its ocean-going capacity while entering the expedition and river markets.
Ponant: Another small cruise line that has been quickly growing is Ponant. With well-financed French owners, the boutique luxury operator has acquired both Travel Dynamics and Paul Gauguin and introduced a fleet of new ships for the Ponant brand.
National Investment Fund: It’s not a matter of if, but when, as it relates to a major public investment fund from a Middle Eastern country buying majority control of a cruise line.
Hotel Chain: The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and Margaritaville enter the cruise industry in 2022. For hotel chains with a fear of missing out, this may be a key opportunity to get into the business.
New Money: The pandemic has brought new private equity money, hedge funds and new investors into the cruise industry. According to sources, there are still multiple deep-pocketed investors waiting for the right time to buy-in.
River Operator: The Crystal river ships are said to be drawing interest from a number of existing European river operators.

Crystal Cruises to Require COVID-19 Vaccine for Guests

Posted on 19 February, 2021 by Spacejunkie2

Crystal Cruises has confirmed it will now require all guests to be fully inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to their Crystal cruise.

Guests will need to provide proof of vaccination before embarkation and must have received both doses of the vaccine if recommended by the manufacturer by that timeline, the company said.

“We are encouraged by the progress being made with the COVID-19 vaccines and what this means for our Crystal Family and the travel industry as a whole as we eagerly look forward to exploring the world again,” said Crystal’s interim president and CEO, Jack Anderson. “We know that peace of mind is the greatest luxury; and the vaccine requirement is simply the best way to ensure the safest possible Crystal Experience for all onboard. This sentiment is underscored by conversations with our guests and travel partners and a recent Cruise Critic survey of cruisers that revealed that more than 80 percent of respondents would cruise if a vaccine were required.”

Crystal’s crew, who hail from dozens of countries around the world, will be expected to be vaccinated as well when the company resumes sailing, however, this may not be a viable option for all crew members given their age and/or the availability of vaccines in their home countries, the company said, in a statement.

“As part of the company’s Crystal Clean+ 4.0 measures, crew members will be tested for COVID-19 prior to leaving their home location to join the ship and must receive a negative result. They also will take a COVID-19 test at embarkation; quarantine for seven days upon arrival; be tested again at the end of that seven-day period and must receive a negative result before beginning their duties,” Anderson noted. “When vaccines are widely available, they will be a requirement of employment for crew which must be completed at least 14 days prior to service.”

In addition to providing verified documentation of their COVID-19 vaccine at the time of boarding, guests will complete an online form acknowledging this requirement before their cruise tickets will be issued. Crystal has published a frequently asked questions document on the advisory alert section of its website for further reference.