Crystal has launched a new initiative to provide credits to previous guests who lost money following the demise of the brand under its former owners. This latest ‘make good’ offer needs to be activated by 1 July 2023 for the first of up to five future sailings, the first departing before the end of 2025.
This latest initiative has been created in partnership with A&K Travel Group, which took over Crystal and its two ships Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony.
Named the “Exceptional Initiative”, eligible former Crystal guests who hold a verified claim in the Crystal Cruises LLC case will be able to apply for a credit to use towards future Crystal voyages.
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“This Initiative is a plan we have been working on since we acquired Crystal as it will benefit our most loyal customers. This is not something we were legally obliged to do,” said Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, Co-Chairman of A&K Travel Group and of Crystal.
“However, 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,” Lefebvre d’Ovidio said.
Mark Healy, Executive Vice President of Moecker Associates, a US-based receiver, 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.
“We are also working to analyse all the claims we received and believe that by the end of the summer we will be in a position to release the first reimbursements,” he said.
In order for guests to qualify for the credit, the following conditions apply:
- Guests must have filed a valid claim in the Crystal Cruises LLC case for amounts owed related to cruises onboard Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity that were cancelled.
- The amount of the credit will be restricted to the outstanding balances owed to the guest minus any funds that have already been refunded through the insolvency proceedings.
- The credit will be split into five installments to be applied towards five future bookings.
- The first booking must be made by 1 July 2023, and the credit must be utilised towards voyages departing on or before 31 December 2025.
At this time, the Exceptional Initiative appears to only be offered on a handful of sailings, but it is expected additional voyages will be added. More details can be found here.
Crystal Serenity’s inaugural sailing will depart 31 July from Marseille for a Mediterranean cruise, and Crystal Symphony will depart on 1 September from Athens.