Press Release: Crystal Mozart Is Cruise Critic ‘Editors’ Picks’ Best New River Ship

Hello Everyone,

Today's Crystal Press Release (10/13/16) Enjoy !

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PHOTO: Crystal Mozart

Photo Credit: Ian Schemper

Crystal Mozart Is Cruise Critic ‘Editors’ Picks’ for Best New River Ship

Luxury Cruise Line earns accolades from U.S. and U.K. cruise experts

for ocean and river ships

LOS ANGELES, October 13, 2016 – Crystal Mozart, the inaugural vessel in the Crystal River Cruises fleet, has been named “Best New River Ship” by the discerning editors of, both, the U.S. and U.K. editions of Cruise Critic. Considered a go-to resource for cruise line and itinerary information and up-to-the-minute cruise news, where new and seasoned cruisers can find dozens of message boards full of candid input from travelers, Cruise Critic unveiled the results of its annual Editors’ Picks Awards, which featured a win for Crystal’s ocean vessels for “Best Enrichment” in the luxury category from both editions, and “Best Itineraries” in the luxury category from the U.K. edition.

“To be recognized by the savvy experts of Cruise Critic is high praise, and validation of our commitment to offer the world’s travelers a new standard of excellence in luxury,” says Crystal CEO and president, Edie Rodriguez. “It is especially gratifying to receive such an honor for Crystal Mozart, our newest fleet member, as she sets a new bar as the only luxury river ship in Europe.”

Crystal Mozart embarked from Vienna on July 13, sailing along the Danube River on itineraries calling in some of the region’s most stunning locales throughout Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, and Serbia. Measuring 395 feet long (120.4 meters) and 75 feet wide (22.9 meters), the all-suite, 154-guest capacity ship is the largest of all European river vessels and boasts numerous public areas for guests to enjoy.

Crystal Mozart also bears the distinction as the most technologically advance 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.

Aboard Crystal’s award-winning ocean vessels, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, innovative and entertaining enrichment has long been a cornerstone of guests’ cruise experiences. Enlightening presentations from some of the world’s preeminent experts in world affairs, politics, medicine, business, finance, history and other fields are available on every itinerary, with recent and upcoming guests including astronauts Captains Mark Kelly and Scott Kelly, U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), James Carville and Mary Matalin, and numerous destination experts to highlight each itinerary. Additionally, exclusive glamourous stage productions grace the lounges and theaters of the posh ships each night, including the high-energy music and light show iLuminate and headliner tributes to Elton John and Billy Joel.

Crystal’s roster of worldwide itineraries also runs the gamut of diverse selections to suit virtually any type of luxury traveler. Covering all seven continents on voyages that travel from Antarctica to the Arctic, Crystal ships sail routes of seven to 100+ days. In 2016, Crystal Serenity successfully navigated the first ever voyage through the Northwest Passage by a luxury cruise ship, sailing from Alaska to New York City. More groundbreaking itineraries are planned for 2017, including a second Northwest Passage route, a return to the Holy Land and numerous innovative explorations of Europe, South America, Australia/New Zealand, Africa and the Middle East.

For more information and Crystal reservations, contact a travel professional, call 888.799.2437, or visit http://www.crystalcruises.com. Join the hundreds of thousands who follow the Crystal Cruises’ Facebook page and @crystalcruises on Twitter and Instagram to engage in the conversation with #crystalcruises.

Crystal Cruises is the World’s Most Awarded Luxury Cruise Line™, having earned more “World’s Best” accolades than any other cruise line, hotel, or resort in history.  Crystal Cruises has won “World’s Best Cruise Ship” in Condé Nast Traveler’s Reader Choice Awards for 22 years; been voted “World’s Best Large Ship Cruise Line” by Travel + Leisure readers for 20 years; and the “Best Luxury Cruise Line” by Virtuoso for three consecutive years (2014, 2015 & 2016). In summer 2015, Crystal embarked on the most significant brand expansion in the history of luxury travel and hospitality, introducing three new classes of cruising – the recently launched Crystal Yacht Cruises (December 2015), Crystal River Cruises (July 2016) the “World’s Only Luxury River Cruise Line,” Crystal Exclusive Class Ocean Cruises and Residences (Fall 2019), Crystal Luxury Air (April 2016) and Crystal AirCruises (2017).

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...“To be recognized by the savvy experts of Cruise Critic is high praise, and validation of our commitment to offer the world’s travelers a new standard of excellence in luxury,” says Crystal CEO and president, Edie Rodriguez. “ . ..

Is this not also an endorsement for every other luxury cruise line?

• Seabourn, Best Luxury Cruise Line
  
• Regent, Best New Luxury Cruise Ship
  
• Azamara, Best Luxury Cruise Ship Refurbishment
  
• Oceania, Best Luxury Cruise Line for Dining
  
• Regent, Best Luxury Cruise Line Cabins
  
• Silversea, Best Luxury Cruise Line Itineraries
  
• Azamara, Best Luxury Cruise Line Shore Excursions
  
• Crystal, Best Luxury Cruise Line for Enrichment
  
• Windstar, Best Luxury Cruise Line for Romance
  
• Viking, Best Luxury Cruise Line for Value
  
• Viking, Best Luxury Cruise Line Spa
  

That's quite a press release for what is in reality a really bad news for Crystal - except for Mozart. And, of course Mozart is not even a new river ship.

And, of course Mozart is not even a new river ship.

Which leads to....what was the competition??

Is this not also an endorsement for every other luxury cruise line?

 

• Seabourn, Best Luxury Cruise Line
  
• Regent, Best New Luxury Cruise Ship
  
• Azamara, Best Luxury Cruise Ship Refurbishment
  
• Oceania, Best Luxury Cruise Line for Dining
  
• Regent, Best Luxury Cruise Line Cabins
  
• Silversea, Best Luxury Cruise Line Itineraries
  
• Azamara, Best Luxury Cruise Line Shore Excursions
  
• Crystal, Best Luxury Cruise Line for Enrichment
  
• Windstar, Best Luxury Cruise Line for Romance
  
• Viking, Best Luxury Cruise Line for Value
  
• Viking, Best Luxury Cruise Line Spa
  

That's quite a press release for what is in reality a really bad news for Crystal - except for Mozart. And, of course Mozart is not even a new river ship.

Pretty funny. It's like they want to be sure they all get some kind of award. I wonder why that is.

Had to laugh at the paragraph dedicated to the advanced technology on the Crystal Mozart. That may have been the plan but it definitely wasn't the practice when I was onboard last month. Technologically challenged would be a more accurate description!!! With the exception of ToTo, who most guests elected to partially deactivate anyway, the rest was still a 'work in progress'.... I didn't meet anyone who was actually aware that there should have been a tv in the bathroom mirror (I was from earlier press releases) - all noticed a portion of it never fogged up but had no idea that clear piece was supposed to be a tv screen!!! Likewise with the iPads, so much of the things that they should contain or control were still either non- functional or impractical....even the daily Reflections was not in place, our daily information came via a very simple A4 size sheet of paper on the bed each evening, and the list goes on.... Whilst the ship itself is beautiful and worthy of award, I'm surprised it got one with so many kinks still to be ironed out....

Anne...

When a 1987 hull can be considered "new", I question the criteria used in the evaluation.

 

Which leads to....what was the competition??

In fairness, the hull doesn't count for much when you gut a ship like Crystal did with Mozart. I'm normally critical on those points, but in this case I would consider Mozart a "new" ship. I would never say that about Esprit, for example, even though she has perfectly updated interiors.

Vince

Had to laugh at the paragraph dedicated to the advanced technology on the Crystal Mozart. That may have been the plan but it definitely wasn't the practice when I was onboard last month. Technologically challenged would be a more accurate description!!! With the exception of ToTo, who most guests elected to partially deactivate anyway, the rest was still a 'work in progress'.... I didn't meet anyone who was actually aware that there should have been a tv in the bathroom mirror (I was from earlier press releases) - all noticed a portion of it never fogged up but had no idea that clear piece was supposed to be a tv screen!!! Likewise with the iPads, so much of the things that they should contain or control were still either non- functional or impractical....even the daily Reflections was not in place, our daily information came via a very simple A4 size sheet of paper on the bed each evening, and the list goes on.... Whilst the ship itself is beautiful and worthy of award, I'm surprised it got one with so many kinks still to be ironed out....

 

Anne...

Anne, just out of curiosity, what was wrong with the bathroom TVs? Did they not work, or was the remote just not there to use it?

Vince

Anne, just out of curiosity, what was wrong with the bathroom TVs? Did they not work, or was the remote just not there to use it?

 

Vince

Isn't everything supposed to "work" through the iPad?

Patty

Anne, just out of curiosity, what was wrong with the bathroom TVs? Did they not work, or was the remote just not there to use it?

 

Vince

They were completely non- functional, nothing was said about them and there was nothing there to use for them. Didn't even get a mention when the butler did his run through of the room, whereas some of the funtions that can be controlled from the iPad (room service, laundry, etc..) were just glossed over with the advice that the phone was quicker - which it was...

Anne..

Isn't everything supposed to "work" through the iPad?

 

Patty

Didn't see anything on the iPad in my room for the bathroom tv....I used the normal remote for the room tv, but even that had it's quirks to actually get to the tv channels.. Also the tv whilst a great size is set into the wall and doesn't come out on an 'arm' so you only get a clear view of it from the bed, if you want to watch from the sofa you get a slightly distorted sideways view only...

Anne...

Didn't see anything on the iPad in my room for the bathroom tv....I used the normal remote for the room tv, but even that had it's quirks to actually get to the tv channels.. Also the tv whilst a great size is set into the wall and doesn't come out on an 'arm' so you only get a clear view of it from the bed, if you want to watch from the sofa you get a slightly distorted sideways view only...

 

 

Anne...

Anne, I never saw if you gave an overall review of your trip. We are booked on Mozart for 2017 for the Christmas Markets cruise. This will be our first river cruise. Was this, overall, a solid product and a good way to see these destinations?

Michael

Anne, I never saw if you gave an overall review of your trip. We are booked on Mozart for 2017 for the Christmas Markets cruise. This will be our first river cruise. Was this, overall, a solid product and a good way to see these destinations?

 

Michael

Haven't finished my blog or the review yet as work has got in the way since I got back but I think the worst if that is behind me now so I will get back to work on those two projects this week.

Overall it was lovely, I liked the Mozart and the river cruise more than I expected to and I'm sure the kinks onboard will all get ironed out during this season and off season. There were designers, project managers and others responsible for the refurb onboard the last few days of my cruise and they were collecting feedback etc. all around the ship during those days...

We were lucky with the weather and apart from the overnight in Passau had warm, sunny weather so could make use of the huge Vista Deck as well as the indoor public spaces. I'm not sure how different it would be in the winter weather with everyone indoors as we had a couple of quite lengthy 'scenic cruising' periods so people were well spread around the ship. However, it is a huge boat for just 150 odd guests...

Anne...

Great for Mozart - not great for the rest of Crystal. Awards they used to win they no longer do. Even a great product must keep up with the times or others will exceed.

Great for Mozart - not great for the rest of Crystal. Awards they used to win they no longer do. Even a great product must keep up with the times or others will exceed.

That is why it's so mportant that Crystal step up their game and get going with new builds. I and friends of mine have no future cruises with Crystal but do with others on their new ships.

Potential new guests that are now moving up to luxury have many new products to choose from and Crystal is lagging behind.

Unfortunately, by the time Crystal has a new build in the 2020's, we could be dead and buried.

Ergo: We have booked the NEW Silversea Silver Muse for May28th to June 21st to replace our cancelled Crystals V7216 & V7217 cruises.

Also looking at the NEW Regent Explorer for a bookings in 2017/2018,

even though we prefer Crystals wonderful staff..

As much as we have loved Crystal, we prefer to have up to date ships with larger staterooms and various dining venues.

As well we love cruising through the Suez Canal, Egypt, Jordan,etc.and Southern routes crossings....Northern crossings in September can make for chilly(read cold) and stormy ones, IMHO.

Just saying, one woman's opinion.

Pat

Haven't finished my blog or the review yet as work has got in the way since I got back but I think the worst if that is behind me now so I will get back to work on those two projects this week.

 

Overall it was lovely, I liked the Mozart and the river cruise more than I expected to and I'm sure the kinks onboard will all get ironed out during this season and off season. There were designers, project managers and others responsible for the refurb onboard the last few days of my cruise and they were collecting feedback etc. all around the ship during those days...

 

We were lucky with the weather and apart from the overnight in Passau had warm, sunny weather so could make use of the huge Vista Deck as well as the indoor public spaces. I'm not sure how different it would be in the winter weather with everyone indoors as we had a couple of quite lengthy 'scenic cruising' periods so people were well spread around the ship. However, it is a huge boat for just 150 odd guests...

 

Anne...

Thanks so much for your abbreviated version. I always enjoy your input and opinions on these boards. We are looking forward to the ship and something different. The Xmas markets have always been high on my list of things to do, but I, too, wonder if the cold weather will make the public spaces onboard too crowded.

Michael

This whole list means nothing , especially since CC continues to include Oceania, Azamara, Windstar and Viking in it luxury cruise category. They are not even though they are terrific cruise lines.

This whole list means nothing , especially since CC continues to include Oceania, Azamara, Windstar and Viking in it luxury cruise category. They are not even though they are terrific cruise lines.

If Oceania, Azamara, Windstar, and Viking are not even luxury lines, doesn't that say something about Crystal because they lost to those lines? Doesn't that say something about those non-luxury lines that can beat Crystal? And doesn't it says something about Cruise Critic Editor's Pick awards, one way or the other.

I think that is certainly more than nothing ... and also less than everything.

Anne, I never saw if you gave an overall review of your trip

Michael - Anne's in progress review is @ http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2395457 - unfortunately CC insist on it being in the River Cruises forum as opposed to the Crystal forums so it's hard to come across

Anne has also done an external blog - there is a link to that in the thread

BTW there is certainly no shame in not having finished the review, I think we all recognise how much time and effort goes into them and the reality is most are busy enjoying themselves while on holiday and come back to other things after that which means some blogs take a little while to complete - but the wait is worth it. I certainly appreciate those who do choose to share their experiences with our community

They were completely non- functional, nothing was said about them and there was nothing there to use for them. Didn't even get a mention when the butler did his run through of the room, whereas some of the funtions that can be controlled from the iPad (room service, laundry, etc..) were just glossed over with the advice that the phone was quicker - which it was...

 

Anne..

That's sad... :( All the models I've seen in use so far have a separate, water-resistant remote, but I haven't seen a connected version of a mirror-TV yet, so they have all used that small remote. I wonder what the back story is on those... That's a significant investment to just walk away from.

Thanks for answering our questions. :) I'll probably never take a river cruise, but I'm pretty impressed by the design overall, so that sparks questions from time to time.

Vince

Hello Everyone,

 

Today's Crystal Press Release (10/13/16) Enjoy !

 

=====================================

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PHOTO: Crystal Mozart

Photo Credit: Ian Schemper

 

Crystal Mozart Is Cruise Critic ‘Editors’ Picks’ for Best New River Ship

 

Luxury Cruise Line earns accolades from U.S. and U.K. cruise experts

for ocean and river ships

 

LOS ANGELES, October 13, 2016 – Crystal Mozart, the inaugural vessel in the Crystal River Cruises fleet, has been named “Best New River Ship” by the discerning editors of, both, the U.S. and U.K. editions of Cruise Critic. Considered a go-to resource for cruise line and itinerary information and up-to-the-minute cruise news, where new and seasoned cruisers can find dozens of message boards full of candid input from travelers, Cruise Critic unveiled the results of its annual Editors’ Picks Awards, which featured a win for Crystal’s ocean vessels for “Best Enrichment” in the luxury category from both editions, and “Best Itineraries” in the luxury category from the U.K. edition. . . . .

 

 

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What is there to "enjoy". It's all hype and spin. Frankly, the more of this spin and the continued arrogance and Edie's condescending attitude the less inclined we are to continue with Crystal. We are booked on the Mozart next year and North Cape in 2018.

However that could change. We do not own private jets nor mingle with those that do. So by Edie's standards, after 24 cruises in 26 years, we are not the type of customer Edie wants.

Sorry to be so cynical we are tired of the hype and spin without results.

Nan.

Thanks so much for your abbreviated version. I always enjoy your input and opinions on these boards. We are looking forward to the ship and something different. The Xmas markets have always been high on my list of things to do, but I, too, wonder if the cold weather will make the public spaces onboard too crowded.

 

Michael

Michael,

I also would love to do a Christmas Markets cruise and following our experience on the Mozart in July I would definitely choose the Mozart again.

My take on what happens in colder or rainy weather is that there are two particularly appealing indoor areas on the Mozart that would be perfect for those scenic cruising times (or any time for that matter). The most obvious one is the Palm Court which is lovely and big enough to hold everyone on board. The second one is the front of the indoor pool area which has very limited space (5 or 6 loungers if I recall correctly) but which struck me as a perfect hideaway with a great view. The "living room" areas midship on decks 2 and 3 are not large enough for big crowds but are nice areas to hang out.

In short, I do believe there are large enough indoor venues to easily absorb all passengers in poor weather.

I hope this helps.

I'm taking notes as we prepare for our Christmas Market cruise we depart for in less than 1 month! Anne and Claudia, ya'll have been so helpful! Another question, a really random one at that. Do they have tea time aboard the Mozart? I know we can get tea and sweets anytime, but how about a true tea service? I know most days we will be out touring, but we might stick closer to the ship some days and skip the tour and tea time sounds like the perfect way to warm up. As it is 94 today in Austin(!!!) I'm actually looking forward to being cold, but it would be good to know, just the same.

Thanks!!

Susan