Posted by David Porter on July 28, 2015 · 1 Comment
Edie Rodriguez, Crystal Cruises President & CEO
In a remarkable and unprecedented move, Crystal Cruises recently announced major plans to become the first and only luxury hospitality brand to offer luxury explorations and adventures for Ocean, Expedition, River, Yacht, and air!
Coming soon: new yachts, new river cruise ships, new expedition-capable ocean liners, and even a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which normally seats 300, all decked out for 60 luxury passengers with fully reclining seats.
Wow! That is a significant commitment to the luxury traveling world!
Here’s the scoop…
Exactly 25 years after Crystal Cruises set its course as a leader in luxury cruising with the launch of the first of three ships, the world’s most awarded luxury cruise line is charting a new, much more vast, route. Aboard the line’s annual President’s Cruise on Crystal Serenity and Chairman’s Cruise on Crystal Symphony respectively, Crystal’s president and CEO, Edie Rodriguez and Chairman Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay announced today Crystal’s plans for the most significant brand expansion in the history of luxury travel and hospitality. Over the next three years, Crystal Cruises will introduce new ships – effectively establishing three brand new classes of cruising – as well as its own Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
In their special address to guests, Rodriguez and Tan Sri Lim made clear of new parent company, Genting Hong Kong’s investment in maintaining Crystal’s award-winning reputation and writing a new chapter in the continuing story of Crystal Cruises. The Chairman stated, “Our intent is to make Crystal Cruises the core of what will become the world’s premier luxury hospitality and lifestyle brand portfolio, not only for the immediate future but for years to come.”
In her announcement on Crystal Serenity, Rodriguez shared her enthusiasm about the expansion of Crystal Cruises, saying, “We continue to think bigger, aiming to create unparalleled luxury experiences and adventures for our loyal and new guests, who – like Crystal – continue to seek broader horizons and new perspectives on the world.” She added, “We are ecstatic to continue pioneering new areas of luxury travel. Crystal’s newly expanded fleet will truly be travelers’ passport to virtually the entire world.”
The stunningly ambitious timeline of new Crystal products begins at the end of 2015.
Crystal Yacht Cruises – December 23, 2015
Crystal Esprit Yacht Rendering
Late this year, Crystal Esprit will embark on its maiden voyage as the first expansion of the Crystal Cruises fleet. The vessel is an extravagantly appointed yacht, delivered to Crystal Cruises by Genting Hong Kong (GHK), and extensively redesigned to reflect the stylish elegance for which Crystal is renowned. The 62-guest, 3,000-tonnage yacht will offer intimate, exclusive, and immersive experiences with a boutique ambiance. The all-suite yacht will feature posh, high-end finishes and modern technology, and is outfitted with some decidedly extreme features, like a two-passenger submarine, four 10-passenger zodiacs for special excursions and a 12-passenger Wider 32-foot super yacht tender for special boating adventures. Additionally, at their guests’ fingertips are water skis, wake boards, kayaks, jet skis, fishing, scuba, and snorkel equipment.
Set for delivery in November 2015, Crystal Esprit marks the debut of the new all-inclusive Crystal Yacht Cruises program, which will sail regional, warm-water itineraries of seven days and offer thrilling experiences on water and ashore. The first voyage sails December 23, 2015, exploring the Seychelles Islands, followed by an inclusive, post-cruise New Year’s Eve celebration at the Taj Dubai Hotel. Effective immediately for Crystal Society members (the line’s repeat guest loyalty program), 2015 – through early 2018 Crystal Yacht Cruises itineraries are exclusively available for booking through August 31, 2015.
For 2016 and 2017, and early 2018, Crystal Esprit routes for the Seychelles Islands, Dubai and Adriatic Coast include:
- Seychelles Islands – Mahé, Victoria; St. Anne Island, La Passe, la Digue; Baie Ste. Anne, Praslin; Laraie Bay, Curieuse Island; Anse Saint Jose, Curieuse Island; Cousin Island; Aride; Big Sister Island; and Desroches Island)
- Dubai – Khasab and Muscat, Oman; Doha, Qatar; Sir Bani Yas Island and Abu Dhabi, UAB)
- Venice, Italy/Dubrovnik, Croatia – Rovinj, Sibenik, Trogir, Vis, Hvar, and Korcula, Croatia
- Dubrovnik, Croatia/Venice, Italy – Kotor, Montenegro; Split, Zadar, and Opatija, Croatia; and Piran, Slovenia
- Dubrovnik, Croatia/ Athens, Greece – Kotor, Montenegro; Corfu, Parga, Itea, Hydra, and Navplion, Greece)
All-inclusive “Book Now” yacht fares start at just $2,690 per person for a four-day, roundtrip Mahé, Victoria, Seychelles itinerary in 2017.
Crystal River Cruises – 2017
The spring of 2017 brings more growth with Crystal River Cruises. Featuring expertly curated itineraries, Crystal River Cruises will offer the hallmarks of the all-inclusive Crystal experience – six-star service, world-class dining, and enriching shore-side adventures. Spacious suites with exquisitely designed interiors and elegant public rooms will punctuate Crystal’s entry into worldwide river cruising.
Crystal Luxury Air – 2017
Also in 2017, Crystal’s brand of Six-Star luxury will soar to new heights with the launch of Crystal Luxury Air, becoming the first in the luxury travel industry to offer extravagant around-the-world trips on the world’s most advanced twin-aisle Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The plush aircraft, which typically seats 300, will fly 60 guests in fully reclining business class seats to coveted destinations to which major airlines do not offer nonstop service. Each approximately 28-day itinerary will visit 10-12 remote and/or sought-after locales, with accommodations at some of the world’s finest hotels and resorts; cuisine prepared by celebrity chefs inspired by the destination; and world-class cultural entertainment.
Ocean Vessels: “Crystal Exclusive Class” – Late 2018
Certainly not resting on any laurels, Crystal returns its focus to the seas, with three new “Crystal Exclusive Class,” cruise ships with the first expected for delivery in late 2018. Genting Hong Kong has signed a letter of intent with Lloyd Werft in Germany to build the polar ice class vessels. Lloyd Werft is widely recognized in the shipping industry for its excellent reputation and success with world-class new builds, building and lengthening six Norwegian Cruise Line vessels, including the Pride of America, the only ocean cruise ship flying the American Flag, sailing year round in Hawaii.
“Our vision and revolutionary plans for Crystal’s ocean vessels requires us to partner with a premium shipyard that has the expertise and resources to deliver the ‘Crystal Exclusive Class’,” said Tan Sri Lim. “Lloyd Werft is synonymous with successful world-class new builds and luxury mega yachts, including Luna, the second largest expedition private yacht in the world, measuring at 337 feet long.”
With the introduction of these new vessels, Crystal will be the first-ever cruise line to deliver expedition-capable ships with all the signature features and amenities of a luxury ship or private yacht. The all-suite, all balcony ship will accommodate 1,000 guests, similar to the capacity on Crystal Symphony (922) and Crystal Serenity (1,070), and weigh more than 100,000 gross tons.
“With an impressive 100 tons of space per guest, the average space ratio for luxury cruise ships being 60 tons per person, our new ships’ guest-to-space rations will be vast in comparison to past, current and under-construction luxury ships, reaching all corners of the world safely, smoothly and in the utmost style and comfort,” said Rodriguez.
Additionally, for the first time ever, guests will have the opportunity to call a Crystal ship “home,” with innovative Crystal Residences. Situated on the top deck of the new ships will be 48 unique homes, boasting their own private restaurant, reception and facilities, and much higher ceilings (9 feet) than residences on any other cruise ships or yachts; and equal to most land apartments. Residences will start at 600 square feet and go to more than 4,000 square feet of interior living area, which will be the largest on the high seas.
Other revolutionary features being introduced on Crystal’s new vessels are: a whopping 400 square feet minimum for the suites – nearly doubling the size on other luxury vessels; increased ceiling heights by one foot to 8 feet in all suites and decks; raising the bar on personal attention and service with 1,000 crew members on the ships to provide an unheard of one-to-one crew-to-guest ratio; an abundance of mouthwatering options centered on the art and expertise of Michelin-starred and celebrity chefs; and intrepid yacht-like amenities including submarines, helicopters and zodiacs.
The plans fulfill Rodriguez’s growing vision for the company since taking the helm in 2013, while also solidifying Crystal’s unrivaled reputation for innovating new facets of luxury travel.
“It has been a personal mission of mine since joining Crystal to see that this incredible company reach new potential – and thus, new luxury travelers from all over the world – as we continue to deliver unparalleled guest experiences and superior standards of excellence,” said Rodriguez.
Crystal Cruises is the world’s most awarded luxury cruise line, having earned more “World’s Best” awards 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 21 years; voted “World’s Best Large Ship Cruise Line” by Travel + Leisure readers for 20-consecutive years; the “Best Luxury Cruise Line” by Virtuoso; and both Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity were rated as two of the “Top 5 mid-size ships” by the 2015 Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships.
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Posted by David Porter on July 28, 2015 · Leave a Comment
If you had told me 10 years ago that Carol and I would own a travel agency in 2015, I would have laughed in your face. We used a travel agency to book a nice trip for us back in the early 80s. The trip was a disaster and we vowed to never again use a travel agent.
Plus, with the advent of the Internet, common wisdom was that the best travel offers were found by doing it yourself and searching the Internet.
Important Point: there’s a paradigm shift happening in the way people are booking travel.
Nearly a year ago, I wrote an article entitled, 5 Reasons People Don’t Work With a Travel Advisor. Since then, we’ve booked nearly another million dollars of travel for our clients, and we continue to hear, “I can’t believe the exclusive offers you’re making available to us“. We have very happy clients because we’re doing all of the travel planning for them, AND, we’re bringing them offers that they simply can’t get on their own.
A skeptic will read these words and perhaps believe them to be untrue, or perhaps just a sales pitch. But, it really is true.
Why? It’s simple math really. We’re part of the $12 billion Virtuoso travel network and we bring you $12 billion of buying power and clout. Because of this, every single day we find the world’s best travel brands clamoring for our business. Each day our email inbox is filled with exclusive offers to share with you as they all compete for our attention and a piece of the $12 billion of business our network will do this year. Make sense?
Real-life examples from our travel agency
- Ocean and River Cruises: did you know that 70% of all ocean and river cruises are booked through travel agencies? Click here to read an article that I wrote on this very topic a few months back. The simple truth is that the price you will pay for a cruise when you book it yourself, or book through us, is exactly the same. The difference is, we’re very likely to have exclusive offers from our network to pass along to you as well. Example: just yesterday one of our clients booked an ocean cruise to Japan on Regent Seven Seas Cruises. When we booked the cruise for our client, the price was exactly the same, and she still got all of the fabulous offers the cruise line was offering. BUT, because we have bulk pricing with Regent Seven Seas Cruises, we were able to offer our client $500 in credits that were available through our network. We did all the work, she got the exact same offer from Regent, but she saved another $500 by using the clout of our Virtuoso network. We can’t promise you $500 in credits on every conceivable ocean or river cruise, but we see this all the time! Further still, this particular sailing was part of our private cruise society (Virtuoso Voyager Club), and she also received additional benefits worth hundreds of dollars on top of the $500 we brought her with our bulk purchasing advantages. Do you see, it really makes no sense for you to book an ocean or river cruise on your own. At the very worst, we do all the work and the price will be the same. But, chances are extremely good that we’ll have exclusive offers for you from our Virtuoso travel network.
- Luxury Hotels & Resorts: the same is true here as well. Because of the volume of bookings through our network, we are privileged to be among a select group of travel agencies to be a part of the hotel industry’s “preferred partner” programs. Here, beside getting you exclusive rates, we also bring along complimentary perks like complimentary room upgrades, free nights; complimentary breakfast each morning, resort credits to be used for dining, spa, golf, and a host of other benefits. Example: over the weekend, we received a call from a gal that was in Hawaii for her wedding. She booked the Ritz-Carlton on her own, and she was looking to spend a few extra nights at the Four Seasons Maui. She saw an article that we had written in our website about our relationship with Four Seasons, and so she called. We reserved two nights for her, got her a complimentary room upgrade (subject to availability), access to the best guest room inventory (not available to online booking engines), a $100 resort credit, and breakfast for her and her new husband each morning. This is all worth hundreds of dollars, and again, the price was no higher than if she booked it herself. We have these relationships with Belmond (formerly Orient Express), Dorchester Collection, Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, Marriott Elite, The Peninsula, Ritz-Carlton, Rosewood Hotels, Sofitel, Starwood, and more. Do you see? It makes no sense for you to book a luxury hotel or resort on your own.
- Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean: these are very popular destinations for American travelers with mega-billions of dollars booked each year. Because these areas are so popular, we have access to special air and hotel/resort packages that are simply incredible. You call us, and through our bulk contracts, we will help you obtain a remarkable package that includes airline tickets from your preferred airport. One call to us does it all. These packages are very popular with honeymooners, special occasion travelers (think special birthdays or anniversary’s), as well as multi-generational family travel experiences. Example: not too long ago, a friend from Michigan called frustrated that the Caribbean resort they wanted was sold out. Well, because we have group block in most of the major resorts, we had her booked in her desired resort in less than an hour. In this case, we delivered a fabulous package, and our clout got her into a “sold-out” resort. Do you see? It makes no sense for you to try and book Hawaii, Mexico, or the Caribbean on your own.
- Private Land Journeys: in this case, we not only bring you buying power, but we’ll save you months of travel planning. Example: just this morning, we enjoyed a welcome home call with clients that we helped plan a two-week journey to New Zealand and Australia. They were ecstatic and told us that everything went off like clockwork. They had never been to New Zealand or Australia. And, neither have we for that matter. But, through our network, we have “on-sites” all over the world. They are at our disposal to help our clients plan overseas land journeys. They live in the destination countries, know the hotels, the best tour guides, and work with us in three-way conference calls to plan just the perfect experience within our clients desired budget. Can you imagine how long it would take to plan a trip to New Zealand and Australia on your own? We had the whole package put together in a few weeks and now have happy lifelong clients. Trust me, it makes no sense for you to try and plan a private land journey on your own. There are simply too many pieces to go wrong. We have the contacts to make this happen seamlessly for you. We’ve planned scores of these types of journeys for our clients, and they’ve all been very happy.
- Small Group Land Journeys: you’re never going to guess, but the same thing is true here. We have relationships with the world’s best group travel companies, and when combined with our Virtuoso network clout, you’re going to enjoy the same benefits and privileges that we bring to all of the other styles of travel.
- Around-the-world Flights and Cruises: these are becoming very popular. And, you guessed it, we can bring you great value here as well.
- Space Travel: I threw this in for fun, but it’s true. If you want, we can book you a seat on the upcoming Virgin Galactic and send you off into space. It will set you back about $300,000/person, but you’ll have good stories to tell around the water cooler. No? 🙂
So, where will you get the best luxury travel offers? Well, if you don’t mind a little shameless enthusiasm, it’s with us. 🙂 We’ll bring you $12 billion of buying power and a bucket full of industry clout.
For a no-obligation chat about your next travel experience, why not give us a call? We’re expert travelers, we’re expert travel planners, we detest high-pressure sales tactics, and we’d love to add you to our growing list of happy travelers. Call us at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request form by clicking here.
Let’s talk soon! 🙂
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Posted by David Porter on July 25, 2015 · Leave a Comment
The World’s Top 100 Airlines in 2015
If we have an unhappy client in our travel agency, 9.5 times out of 10 it has to do with the airlines.
Why? Well, in my humble opinion, the American traveler has taught the American airline industry that price alone is the predominant force driving their airline ticket buying decision. Consequently, the American airline industry has moved towards becoming merely a commodity with fairly consistent price wars being waged on the Internet.
As business owners for decades now, Carol and I learned a long time ago that the best is never the cheapest. And because the American consumer tends to value the cheapest most of all, our airlines have long ago given up the seat of world’s best airlines to foreign competitors.
Click the links below to find the best of the best airlines for 2015
If you look at the list of the world’s top 100 airlines for 2015, you have to drop all the way down to #45 to find Delta Airlines, the highest ranked American airline on the list. It really is a sad state of affairs. But, if Americans continue to make price their #1 buying decision qualification, then this isn’t going to change.
So, now that my rant is over, take a peek at all of the links below to discover the best of the best airlines in the world for 2015.
In the World Airline Awards ceremony at Paris Airshow, Skytrax announced the world’s Top 100 Airlines in 2015, voted for by airline customers around the world in a global passenger survey. The World Airline Awards are coveted Quality accolades for the world airline industry and regarded as a global benchmark of Airline Passenger Satisfaction levels. The Awards are not subscriber based or a profit-driven award program, and are referred to as the Passengers Choice Awards for the airline industry.
GLOBAL AWARDS
World’s Best Airlines Airline Rating 1-100 Best Low-Cost Airlines Best Airline Cabin Staff Best Regional Airlines Most Improved Airlines Best Leisure Airlines Best Airport Services Best Airline Alliance Best Inflight Entertainment Best Airline Cabin Cleanliness Best Airlines – Transatlantic Best Airlines – Transpacific
BEST BY CABIN
First Class – all categories Business Class – all categories Premium Economy – all categories Economy Class – all categories
CATEGORIES
A-Z of Award Winners Best Airlines – by Region Best Airline Staff – by Region Best Independent Airport Lounge Best Airline Spa Facility
Source: Skytrax World Airline Awards
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Posted by David Porter on July 20, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Here’s a client postcard we received from our clients Rob and Mary enjoying a riverside cafe in Passau, Germany while on their Viking River Cruise.
They’re back home now, but here’s what they had to say:
“In summary our trip was fantastic, everything we expected and Viking delivered as promised. The ship was sleek, clean and well kept, and best of all the service was incredible.
We were lucky weather wise, actually a little warm at times. I think it is fair to say that we fell in love with Germany and Austria and …. drank the best beer I have ever had at the Weltenburg Abby. Thanks so much for preparing the trip for us and we hope to see you soon.”
Thanks Rob and Mary, we’re tickled to death that you had a wonderful time as well as a new set of lifetime memories.
You know, Carol and I have grown to have great confidence in Viking’s ability to deliver fabulous experiences for our clients. Thanks Viking!
If you’d like our help planning a fabulous Viking River Cruise, call us at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request by clicking here.
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The Roaming Boomers
