Crystal launches luxury river line

Crystal Cruises has launched its first river cruise ship, Crystal Mozart, at a ceremony in Vienna. 

The vessel, which is capable of holding 154 passengers, will usher in a new era of river cruising, according to Crystal’s CEO Edie Rodriguez.

There will be a total of 92 staff on board, meaning an impressive guest to crew ratio of 1:74.

“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,” said 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.”

The ship was christened by Elisabeth Garter, managing director of Vienna’s famous Hotel Sacher.

Walter Littlejohn, managing director of Crystal River said: “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.”

The all-suite Crystal Mozart will take guests on Danube and Rhine cruises to destinations including Bratislava, Budapest and Cologne. The vessel will also come with its own Wider speedboat and fleet of bicycles.

To read our review of Crystal Mozart click here, more pictures are available below.