While your Cruise Guru didn't attend but wish she could have in order to really write a personal review, Crystal, the Most Luxurious Travel and Lifestyle Brand Portfolio. Crystal Mozart was officially welcomed to the Crystal River Cruises fleet in Vienna, Austria.
, the christening of burgeoning luxury travel conglomerate Crystal Cruises' Mozart--billed as the world's more elegant river going vessel--proved a gala affair by other media and VIP guests who attended the Vienna ceremony that marked yet another milestone for the expansion of
The Mozart, which 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, will make her maiden voyage on July 13, 2016 to mark the official launch of Crystal River Cruises, which will expand to four additional river yachts launched by the end of next summer. Crystal’s CEO and president, Edie Rodriguez, will personally welcome each guest of the inaugural sailing aboard the newly reimagined vessel, where they will experience 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 travelers to explore the world with us,” says Crystal CEO and President Edie Rodriguez. “Each new vessel and adventure is another step for Crystal toward our goal of providing savvy global travelers with virtually every luxury travel experience they can possibly imagine.”
Enjoying the introduction to the Mozart were 175 VIP guests at 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,” says 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.”
Get this perk, after dinner, guests were taken 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.
The all-suite, 154-passenger ship spans 395 feet in length 75 feet in width. There are dining venues perched on Crystal Deck Three along with lounges and bars. Deck 4 sports a pop-up bar which sets the scenes for celebrations under the stars at night and during the day becomes a venue for yoga or relaxation in expansive sun loungers as they sail along the Danube River. For fitness and wellness enthusiasts there's one of the largest spas in river cruising at the Crystal Life Spa, which features an indoor pool and fully-equipped fitness, spa and saloon facilities.
The Mozart does the Danube River with stops throughout Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, and Serbia. A first for Crystal is the addition of many complimentary shore excursions. Guests can even 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.
For more information and Crystal reservations call 888.799.2437, or visit www.crystalrivercruises.com.
