Your Cruise Your Way Cruise Blog

As savvy consumers continue to customize their lifestyles and personal experiences, luxury cruise specialist Crystal Cruises is reporting a 55% increase in its Crystal Private Adventures. Crystal Cruises, the leader in luxury cruising, is excelling in offering a wide variety of adventures for those cruisers with a vivid imagination, and a penchant for the unusual. I read an article the other day stating the growth of Eco-Adventures more cruisers are taking, but Crystal goes beyond that with watching shark feeding in St. Maarten, a ride in a MIG fighter, or a birthday picnic atop the rock of Gibraltar. More cruisers are electing to reserve highly customized shore experiences, providing intimate and enriching perspectives of the world on a very personalized level.

So far this year, Crystal has exceeded it’s entire number of private arrangements for all of 2006. Crystal’s land programs team arranged 55% more private arrangements this year than last, with approximately 70% of the customized arrangements being requested in conjunction with Crystal’s European cruises. Crystal has another full schedule of European cruises in 2008. 27 in all, with such exotic names as Casino Royale, Greek Gods and Gondolas, or Baccarat and Bellinis. Sound good? Crystal Serenity is carrying the majority of the Mediterranean cruises, and the Crystal Symphony will be featured in Northern Europe. There will be plenty of private adventures to choose from in Venice, Rome, Athens, London, Barcelona and Monte Carlo.
Family and group cruises have seen a tremendous surge in popularity on Crystal over the last two years, but they are also catering to couples seeking privacy and exclusivity, and guests celebrating special occasions such as anniversaries, birthdays and honeymoons.
“A cruise vacation is so much more than the ports of call on an itinerary - it’s a great vehicle to explore places long dreamed of, and our Crystal Private Adventures allow us to fulfill guests’ wishes in a very personalized manner,” says John Stoll, Crystal’s director of land programs. “The opportunities are limitless. Usually the only limitations are those imposed by the guest.”
Crystal is famous for the individual attention they give to each reservation, and are experts at developing specialty itnineraries on-shore for discerning guests. Some of the custom adventures arranged in 2007 included a tour of Italy’s Bolgheri wine region in a private Mercedes Benz with exclusive visits to two renowned wineries - one responsible for creating Sassicaia, the other renowned for its Ornellaia cabernet sauvignon. Private yachts are available for small groups of friends celebrating a special event. Private tee times are always available, with Mexico being high on the list. I sailed on the Crystal through the Panama Canal with a stop in Acapulco, and a chance to play the Acapulco Princess course.
For sheer indulgence: a private luxury car and conversational English-speaking driver in nearly every port of call on a Baltic Cruise; and on the same itinerary, lunch at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens, and seating in the private Benois Box for a performance at St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theater. I had the pleasure of sailing the Crystal Serenity from Barcelona back in 2003, and was able to attend a private dinner event high atoip a mountain over looking the area surroundoing St Tropez. It was unbelieveable.
Crystal Private Adventures are available to guests already booked on a Crystal cruise for a nominal $100 non-refundable charge, due upon receipt of request. If the guest accepts the personalized shore program, the service fee is applied to the booking. The cost of the private arrangements varies widely depending on its complexity and exclusivity.
There are three convenient ways to pre-reserve a Crystal Private Adventure:
Website. Visit crystalcruises.com and click on “Crystal Private Adventures” under the Crystal Adventures (shore excursion) tab. Guests complete the online form and e-mail it directly to PrivateAdventures@crystalcruises.com.
Fax. A Crystal Private Adventures form is included in the 90-day preliminary documents sent to all guests, with a direct return fax number to the Crystal Private Adventures desk.
Telephone. The Crystal Private Adventures desk may be reached at 1-866-446-6625 for guests wishing to discuss details of their dream adventure. All verbal requests must then be confirmed in writing via email or fax.
Choices ashore are greater than ever. In addition to the highly customized Crystal Private Adventures, Crystal offers more than 1,400 comprehensive destination tours and limited participation boutique excursions for today’s most discriminating travelers. Your travel agent should be well versed on most of them.