Crystal Cruises, in partnership with A&K Travel Group, has launched an exceptional initiative aimed at helping guests and travel advisors who lost money during the company’s previous ownership. The initiative will allow eligible former guests who hold a verified claim in the Crystal Cruises LLC case to apply for a credit to be used towards future voyages on board either the Crystal Serenity or the Crystal Symphony.
“This Initiative is a plan we have been working on since we acquired Crystal as it will benefit our most loyal customers,” said Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, Co-Chairman of A&K Travel Group and of Crystal. “We believe that being exceptional means doing what is unexpected, unusual, and unprecedented. We are choosing to help former guests and travel agents recover their money and hope we will be able to focus on returning to service, the exceptional crew, and onboard service that has made Crystal an award-winning cruise line for three decades.”
In order for guests to qualify for the credit, they must have filed a valid claim in the Crystal Cruises LLC case for amounts owed related to cancelled cruises on board the Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity. The amount of the credit will be restricted to the outstanding balances owed minus any funds already refunded through insolvency proceedings, and it will be split into five instalments to be applied towards five future bookings. The first booking must be made by July 1, 2023, and the credit must be used towards voyages departing on or before December 31, 2025.
Mark Healy, Executive Vice President of Moecker Associates, said, “What Crystal has decided to do with this gesture is remarkable partly because they had no obligation to do it, but mostly because it gives customers another alternative to recover funds lost in the shutdown.” Healy also added that they are working to analyze all the claims received and believe that by the end of summer, they will be in a position to release the first reimbursements.
The Exceptional Initiative is a significant step for Crystal Cruises as it demonstrates the company’s commitment to helping former guests and travel advisors. The specific terms and conditions of the initiative, along with FAQs, will be posted on the Crystal website.
The inaugural sailing of the Crystal Serenity will depart on July 31, from Marseille, for a Mediterranean cruise, and the Crystal Symphony will depart on September 1, from Athens. The planned voyages will travel throughout the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Canada and New England, Alaska, and the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
For those looking to book an exceptional new itinerary, they can contact their professional travel advisor. With the launch of the Exceptional Initiative, Crystal Cruises is making it possible for former guests and travel advisors to recover their lost funds and experience the exceptional crew and onboard service that has made the company an award-winning cruise line for three decades.
Written by: Anne Keam
