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| Edie Rodriguez, CEO & President of Crystal Cruises with Susan L. Gibbs, executive director of the S.S. United States Conservancy. |
Crystal Cruises announced this week that is has signed a purchase option for the S.S. United States, once the world’s fastest luxury liner. This announcement comes during a critical time for Crystal, as is it adding several new elements to its overall brand. These new products include three new ocean liners, five new river yachts, a new Crystal Luxury Air program, which will serve clients on a private Dreamliner jet, and a private air charter service, Crystal Charter Air.
Travel Agent attended an event for Crystal Cruises at Ink48 Hotel in New York City last night. During the evening we spoke one-on-one with Edie Rodriguez, the CEO and president of Crystal Cruises, about the latest developments in the Crystal brand, including Crystal Charter Air.
The charter service hasn’t been promoted as widely as the other new services under Crystal umbrella, because the company plans to make a bigger launch of the service in March, with the first for sale availability beginning in April, says Rodriguez.
Crystal Charter Air will consist of two aircraft, one that seats 30 and another that seats 13. This service will give travelers the ability to customize flight routes for their personal vacations. For example, six couples could charter the flight to meet their Crystal Cruises departure instead of flying first class on their favorite airline, says Rodriguez.
Some Crystal clients may question how all these new developments will affect the ocean liner product, but Crystal Cruise fans shouldn’t worry about Crystal moving away from ocean cruising.
“What allows us to catapult to all of this growth is our core, Crystal Cruises, and I always say to my team never take your eye off the goal, and, in this case, the goal is Crystal Cruises' Serenity and Symphony. So it is very important to me to really grow an ocean vessel so they have sisters,” says Rodriguez.
Looking forward, there will be just 48 residences on each of the three new ocean vessels, coming in 2018, for purchase. But Rodriguez explains that there will be no tax advantage to purchasing.
Stay tuned to travelagentcentral.com for continuing updates.