VIPs attend gala ceremony in Germany
By Patti Covello Pietschmann| Crystal's river yachts will carry on the butler theme which is offered on Serenity and Symphony |
Crystal River Cruises celebrated the laying of the keel of two new riverboat yachts named the Crystal Bach and Crystal Mahler. The company is creating a symphony of musical-named super luxe vessels that are several degrees from what you used to think about riverboats. They are ultra swank,sleek and designed for the high-end, discerning traveler. There was the usual keel laying hoopla at MV WERFTEN shipyard in Wismar, Germany\for the boats that will debut next summer. Of course the ebullient and omnipresent CEO, president of the Los Angeles and Miami-based uptown travel conglomerate, Edie Rodriguez was hand for the fete along with Tan Sri Lim, chairman of Crystal parent company Genting Hong Kong; Erwin Sellering, Prime Minister of the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and the usual suspects of distinguished guests. The first sections of the six-star ships were ceremoniously lowered into position on keel blocks.
“This keel laying marks an important milestone for us. These river yachts are not only the first brand new vessels under the Crystal River Cruises brand, but also the first constructed in our very own shipyard,” said Genting chairman Tan Sri Lim.
Genting Hong Kong actually owns the Lloyd Werft ship building, which it purchased earlier this year in anticipation of Crystal’s meteoric brand and fleet expansion, which, by 2019, will see six new build luxury river yachts, the world’s first purpose-built polar class megayacht and the first of three Exclusive Class™ polar class ocean ships constructed at the yard.
Rodriguez told invited guests, “This phase of the expansion of Crystal River Cruises is in the hands of the expert shipbuilders and designers at MV WERFTEN. We are thrilled to take this step toward offering our travel-savvy guests another option in which to explore the world in the utmost luxury.”
Crystal Bach and Crystal Mahler will measure approximately 135 meters in length and 11 meters in breadth, accommodating 110 guests in Crystal’s signature, all-suite luxury. “We are proud to have these beautiful ships produced in our city, under our flag,” Erwin Sellering, Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern stated. “Crystal’s reputation for excellence and discerning standards are shared by the professionals at MV WERFTEN, and the partnership will doubtlessly produce an unparalleled product for global travelers.”
The luxury river yachts will carry on Crystal's acclaimed butler service for every suite and featuare plush king-sized beds that face toward the Panoramic Balcony-Windows, walk-in closets, dual vanity in the bathrooms, ETRO robes and slippers, wall-mounted flat-screen HD TVs, and Nespresso machines for those of us who need our caffeine fixes upon waking in the morning, or after an afternoon nap. Additional amenities include Crystal’s highly-rated cuisine that will be served in multiple eateries such as the elegant Waterside Restaurant, namesake Bistro cafés and the exclusive Vintage Room; Cove Bar and Palm Court.
MV WERFTEN will build ten vessels for Crystal in the next five years, among them the so called “Wismar-Max class,” the world’s biggest cruise liner regarding passenger capacity. The 201,000 GT cruise ships of the "Global Class" series will be more than 340 meters long and 45 meters wide. The production will start end of 2017 and the delivery to the shipping company Star Cruises is planned for 2020. “We are happy and proud to start now. It is our great pleasure to build these ships and push ahead our building program. We have grand plans, are headed in the right direction and will strengthen our staff and skills further in the fields of planning, design, procurement and project management,” Jarmo Laakso, the Managing Director of MV WERFTEN said.
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