Crystal ​😪​

[nancygp]

4 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Crystal items can be bought in an online auction: https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Crystal-Cruises-items-going-to-auction?ct=river

 

notamermaid

 

The items are not from the ships or riverboats…just furniture and junk from the Miami office

 

Nancy

[notamermaid]

13 hours ago, nancygp said:

The items are not from the ships or riverboats…just furniture and junk from the Miami office

 

Nancy

Thanks, I was wondering what the stuff was... I thought it might be "spare parts" from a warehouse to be used in case they are needed on ships. So, just the liquidation of office furniture.

 

Sad. And not sure that I would want any of that stuff if I was living close by the pick-up place.

 

The question that came to me: want happens to all the stuff on the ships? You know, apart from the perishables. The crew that looks after ships can use things up, but towels, other movable items, etc.? Would a ship be sold as seen with all those things on board? Or may we see another auction of things from onboard ships?

 

As I mentioned elsewhere, could not find any real news on the ships (with German search criteria), the Mozart is still in Linz being prepared for the new owner and the other four are signalling from a winter harbour/shipyard in the Netherlands.

 

notamermaid

 

[ctjon]

Anyone have any idea what is happening with the Crystal River ships?   The ocean ones apparently have been sold but I've heard nothing recently about the river vessels.

Thanks

[Texas Tillie]

Since we now have some idea what will happen with Serenity, Symphony and Endeavor, wondering when there will be any news on the 4 "new" Crystal riverboats and what the new buyer plans for the Mozart.

[Coral]

On 6/21/2022 at 10:05 AM, Texas Tillie said:

Since we now have some idea what will happen with Serenity, Symphony and Endeavor, wondering when there will be any news on the 4 "new" Crystal riverboats and what the new buyer plans for the Mozart.

Hoping for Heritage Group! It would be a great addition to their fleet!

[notamermaid]

On 6/21/2022 at 5:05 PM, Texas Tillie said:

Since we now have some idea what will happen with Serenity, Symphony and Endeavor,

Good news, return to sailing in 2023 I read: https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Crystal-Serenity-and-Symphony-acquired

 

The river cruise ships with their stand-alone luxury and large suites (less money yield per sailing or keep the prohibitive prices for almost all European customers up) appear a bit more difficult to sell:

https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Little-interest-Crystal-river-ships

 

There are so many fantastic ships on the rivers now that I cannot see Germany and adjoining countries as potential markets. The price they asked for was 50 percent over the most expensive comparative cruise I was interested in. Just as an example.

 

notamermaid

 

[Coral]

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

Good news, return to sailing in 2023 I read: https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Crystal-Serenity-and-Symphony-acquired

 

The river cruise ships with their stand-alone luxury and large suites (less money yield per sailing or keep the prohibitive prices for almost all European customers up) appear a bit more difficult to sell:

https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Little-interest-Crystal-river-ships

 

I am not aware that the river boats have been put up for an auction yet. I actually don't see the companies mentioned in this article as potential buyers. For example - my heart would break if Uniworld would take these ships and decorate them!!! While Avalon makes it sound like their ships are superior due to their design, I disagree. Though it doens't fit their model. And it obviously doesn't fit into the Viking longship model. A few of these companies like to fill the ship to the max and don't have a great space ratio.

 

I think river cruises are hot and I think there is a place for luxury river ships. I think they will find a buyer. The ships are gorgeous!

 

Sometimes I just don't trust the media. I have no doubt that the writer reached out to those companies and I also believe those companies are not interested for reasons stated but it doesn't mean there are not other companies. These listed companies in the article have their own "model" of ships. These Crystal ships ranked extremely high amongst those who sailed them. This won't be ignored amongst other buyers. There may be a luxury ocean cruise line who may want to add river boats to their portfolio. 

 

It would surprise me if these ships don't have a buyer. There was never a complaint on these boards from anyone who sailed on these ships.

 

The media kept saying that the 2 ocean ships would probably go to scrap and no one would want them. They ended up in a great place!

 

Edited June 23, 2022 by Coral

[notamermaid]

1 hour ago, Coral said:

The media kept saying that the 2 ocean ships would probably go to scrap and no one would want them. They ended up in a great place!

The media does indeed say a lot, too much sometimes . I never thought the ocean ships would be scrapped, I saw more potential in them than in the river cruise ships. And you are right, there is a buyer somewhere out there for the river cruise ships, it will just take time. As one company said in the article "the price will come down". Which also means there is under the radar for us but on the radar within the industry an asking price going round. I am sure the bank and administrators will have made it known to the industry how much the ships should go for.

 

1 hour ago, Coral said:

These Crystal ships ranked extremely high amongst those who sailed them. This won't be ignored amongst other buyers. There may be a luxury ocean cruise line who may want to add river boats to their portfolio. 

Yes, I think that ocean cruise companies should have a look into expanding in that direction, the Heritage Group you mentioned sounds like it may be able to keep the Crystal brand going (strong) for the happy customers, why not the river cruise ships, too?

 

Come autumn, I am confident that we will hear more. Hoping for good news.

 

notamermaid

 

[Coral]

4 hours ago, notamermaid said:

The media does indeed say a lot, too much sometimes . I never thought the ocean ships would be scrapped, I saw more potential in them than in the river cruise ships. And you are right, there is a buyer somewhere out there for the river cruise ships, it will just take time. As one company said in the article "the price will come down". Which also means there is under the radar for us but on the radar within the industry an asking price going round. I am sure the bank and administrators will have made it known to the industry how much the ships should go for.

 

I am not fully sure if I should trust what I have read but what I have read indicated that the river boats have not been put up for auction yet. For the cruise ships - there was a specific date when offers would be accepted and they had to put down a certain amount of money based on their offer. Then a date when offers were no longer accepted. I have not heard that this process has taken place for the river boats. Maybe it has. 

 

The expedition ship went quickly and I don't understand what criteria they used for that. Even Silversea had indicated that they could not confirm immediately if they were the new owners of the expedition ship based on the process.

[Host Jazzbeau]

According to that TravelWeekly article, "Levis said that A&K was not interested in Crystal's river ships."

https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Travel-agent-reaction-Abercrombie-Kent-acquisition-Crystal

 

Most of the major players are out for one reason or another.  Who's left?  Tauck?  Scylla?  Or somebody new who wants to jump in at the high end of river cruising [Azamara?]  These will be expensive ships to operate, with their extremely low passenger counts.

[steamboats]

Tauck is just starting to use their ships again (which are owned by Scylla). I don´t think that Scylla is interested in buying ships. They are building their own and currently they do charter out ships to other companies as those they have built the ship for don´t need them right now.

 

steamboats

[Host Jazzbeau]

20 hours ago, steamboats said:

Tauck is just starting to use their ships again (which are owned by Scylla). I don´t think that Scylla is interested in buying ships. They are building their own and currently they do charter out ships to other companies as those they have built the ship for don´t need them right now.

 

steamboats

Because Scylla buys ships for other cruise lines, they could use a set of four that doesn't match anything else they own (unlike all the lines quoted in the various articles who tout their unique designs).  I think these ships would be right for Tauck to charter from Scylla.

[steamboats]

3 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Because Scylla buys ships for other cruise lines

 

The only ship Scylla has bought is the MS Seaventure (ex MS Bremen from Hapag-Lloyd). All river cruise ships have been custom built for Scylla and the charterers.

 

Scylla does not act as a river cruise company itself. That´s VIVA Cruises - a sister company. Tauck is still not back in full operation. They do have 8 river cruise ships on the Rhein/Main/Danube river system. Adding another 4 or 5 (including the old Mozart) might be a bit too much of a growth in those times.

 

BTW the MS Seaventure was supposed to run for VIVA Cruises but is only running on select charters (meaning one or two cruises are chartered and then the ship is pausing until the next charter).

 

steamboats

 

[steamboats]

At least one former Crystal ship will be back in April 2023 on the German market - the Mozart will sail as "Riverside Mozart" for a new brand called "Riverside Collection" (by Seaside Hotel Collection of Hamburg).

 

No news on the other ships.

 

steamboats

[Canal archive]

Interesting that someone is willing to fork out the Euros.

[notamermaid]

Just now, steamboats said:

"Riverside Mozart"

Thanks for the info, have just read the press release coming through this German website: https://anbord.de/luxus-auf-der-donau-das-neue-flusskreuzfahrtschiff-riverside-mozart/

 

notamermaid

 

[TER777]

Translation:

”

With the "Riverside Mozart" the most exclusive river cruise ship on the Danube starts from April 2023 - under the flag of the Hamburg Seaside Hotel Collection

Press release

It combines space and time into a contemplative experience. It is the most luxurious river cruise ship on the Danube. And it knows how its important namesake to capture the audience. If you sit on the Vista deck of the "Riverside Mozart" in an intimate atmosphere with an Earl Grey or a fine, fresh Grüner Veltliner and let the lovely landscape of the Wachau pass by, you will not forget this moment.

On the road as "Riverside Mozart" for the Riverside Collection of the Seaside Hotel Collection from Hamburg from April 2023: The former Crystal Mozart.

(Archive photo), photo: enapress.com

Before the outbreak of the corona pandemic, this ship was renovated by the US company Crystal Cruises in millions and named "Best of the best" by the renowned business magazine Forbes. Now it has been taken over by the Hamburg Seaside Hotel Collection. The first tours start between Linz and Budapest in April 2023. "River cruises offer much more possibilities for a luxury trip than the huge ships on the oceans. There are only 100 to 150 guests on board the Riverside Mozart, and the journey to the ship is short," says Gregor Gerlach, owner of the Seaside Hotel Collection with Anouchka Gerlach. For chartering the exclusive ship, the siblings have now founded the Riverside Collection brand.

Luxury on board the "Riverside Mozart" means having space and having the choice. Space, because the ship with a width of 23 meters offers significantly more space for a total of 81 suites - while the cabins on ordinary river cruise ships measure an average of only 16 square meters, the smallest suite on the "Riverside Mozart" has 20 square meters, the largest 80! The choice because there are four different restaurants - with the ship's gliding through the different regions of the Danube, the creations of the kitchen team also change. Here you can have breakfast in the bistro, for example, have lunch in the Blue restaurant at the stern of the ship or a barbecue on the Vistadeck, where the chefs have also created a herb garden. The Waterside restaurant offers à la carte dinner. But don't worry: The "Riverside Mozart" does not have to leave guests like apricot dumplings after the trip. In addition to the special excursions to the most beautiful cities in Europe or to architectural treasures such as Melk Abbey or bike tours on land, sport on board is also possible. For example, during a walk or jogging on the circuit on Deck 3. Or when training in the professionally equipped fitness area. Or when swimming in the indoor pool - the counter-current system challenges maximum performance on request. Another sauna visit or a massage? On the "Riverside Mozart" there are two separate areas for men and women, both with Finnish sauna and steam bath.

The "Riverside Mozart" employs a significantly larger crew, especially in service and in the kitchen - the flagship of the Seaside Collection has always been the flagship of the Seaside Collection. Every guest enjoys the luxury of a butler in their suite. In contrast to other river cruisers on the Danube, the "Riverside Mozart" can already be booked for a trip of four days. Perfect for couples or a group of friends who celebrate a birthday instead of a long holiday on a short trip, for example. There is also a special feature for this: The Vintage Room on board the ship is a magical space for exclusive dinners. Here, the chefs create a menu for which the wines selected by the chef sommelier set the tone. Yes, maybe life is really too short not to treat yourself to this pleasure.”

[steamboats]

Funny thing... Seaside Hotel Collection has chartered the ship but couldn´t answer the question who owns the ship.

 

steamboats

[Canal archive]

Spookyyyyyyyyyyy

[Texas Tillie]

Just now, Canal archive said:

Spookyyyyyyyyyyy

 

What's spooky?? 

[Canal archive]

Not being able or be prepared to say who purchased the vessel. Maybe interesting would have been more appropriate.

[notamermaid]

So this is her new "passport", her details according to Binnenschifferforum: https://www.binnenschifferforum.de/showthread.php?112293-RIVERSIDE-MOZART-KFGS-04805980&p=446885#post446885

 

notamermaid

Edited September 8, 2022 by notamermaid

[steamboats]

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

So this is her new "passport", her details according to Binnenschifferforum:

 

Not correct... Seaside Hotel Collection is not the "Eigner" (= owner). Their subsidy Riverside Collection has fully chartered the ship. They haven´t bought it.

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

On 9/8/2022 at 2:12 PM, steamboats said:

 

Not correct... Seaside Hotel Collection is not the "Eigner" (= owner). Their subsidy Riverside Collection has fully chartered the ship. They haven´t bought it.

 

steamboats

Thanks. I stumbled over that one as well. I do not know the actual owner, not sure if it has changed from the interim people in Hamburg? I also do not know the forum people so cannot contact them. Perhaps someone within the community will point it out, it was only uploaded earlier today.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Okay, we have read that Riverside has the old Crystal river cruise ships. But this one eluded me, puzzled I was! The Crystal Mahler is now called Transcend Advance. Wasn't there something about another company? This must be it: https://www.transcend.cruises/advance

 

The spotters on Binnenschifferforum saw the ship: https://www.binnenschifferforum.de/showthread.php?115725-Transcend-Advance-KFGS-04812700&p=461988#post461988

 

notamermaid