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| · July 1, 2003 · |
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· Crystal Cruises Launches First-Ever Meetings And Incentives Program Luxury Line Offers 10, Seven-Day Caribbean, Mexico, Mediterranean and New England Sailings in 2004LOS ANGELES - To appeal to meetings and incentives groups beginning in 2004 award-winning 940-guest sister-ships, Crystal Harmony and Crystal Symphony, and the luxurious 1,080-guest Crystal Serenity, set to debut this week, will offer a series of seven-day cruises in the Caribbean, Mexico, Mediterranean and New England. All three Crystal vessels offer spacious meeting rooms, state-of-the-art audio visual equipment, elegantly appointed staterooms (most with private verandahs), up to five evening dining options plus outdoor grill, and Italian and Asian specialty restaurants to meetings and incentives groups. Crystal Cruise's new Meeting & Incentive package offers guests complimentary bottled water, soft drinks and specialty coffees, in-stateroom bar, wine served with dinner and onboard gratuities. "Crystal Cruises is always favorably compared to the best land-based resorts in the world," says Michael von Wittenau, Crystal's director of groups, charters and incentives sales. "By tailoring our itineraries to meet the needs of meeting and incentive planners, Crystal can now offer them exceptional value, Six-Star luxury, world-class ports of call and a host of on-board amenities second to none at a fraction of what it costs to host a similar program on land." On their free time, meetings and incentives guests may enjoy the Feng Shui-designed Crystal spa, fitness center featuring yoga, Pilates instruction and personal training, lap pool, paddle tennis courts, golf driving ranges and putting greens, renowned Computer University@Sea facility, Crystal Visions Enrichment lecture series, and a Caesar's Palace at Sea casino. E-mail is also available from every stateroom and suite. "Aboard all of our ships, guests will find an array of fine dining choices, elegant accommodations and Broadway-style production shows," says von Wittenau. "Each presented with the gracious service and refinement that have earned Crystal the highest accolades from the world's most discerning travelers." From the sun-drenched Caribbean and Mexico, to the Mediterranean, or New England and Canada, meetings and incentives planners can choose from among 10 of Crystal's seven-day voyages, including: Crystal Serenity June 29, Mediterranean - Venice to Athens, Corfu, Rhodes/Lindos, Kusadasi and Santorini/Thira. July 6, Mediterranean - Athens to Rome, Mykonos, Dubrovnik, Sicily/Taormina and Sorrento. Nov. 20, Caribbean - roundtrip Fort Lauderdale, Freeport, Nassau, Cozumel and Key West. Crystal Symphony Feb. 19, Caribbean - roundtrip Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Cozumel, Nassau and Freeport. Feb. 26, Caribbean - roundtrip Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Cozumel, Nassau and Freeport. April 5, Caribbean - roundtrip Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Cozumel, Nassau and Freeport. Oct. 12, NewEngland/Canada - roundtrip New York, Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, Halifax and Martha's Vineyard. Dec. 15, Caribbean - roundtrip Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Cozumel, Nassau and Freeport. Crystal Harmony Oct. 24, Caribbean - roundtrip Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Cozumel, Nassau and Freeport. Oct. 31, Caribbean - roundtrip Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Cozumel, Nassau and Freeport. About Crystal Crystal has consistently earned the highest guide book ratings and travel awards in the cruise industry. For the seventh consecutive year, Crystal was named best large-ship line in the 2002 readers' surveys conducted by Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure magazines. And, when reviewed against 70 of the world's leading cruise ships, Conde Nast readers in 2002 said Crystal Symphony provided the best food at sea. The luxury line's devotion to sharing the joys of food and wine with guests is further evidenced by its own highly regarded Wine & Food Festival, now in its seventh year, and a series of exclusive alliances with the world's leading names in food and wine - Piero Selvaggio's Valentino and Wolfgang Puck's Chinois on Main for Valentino at Prego aboard Crystal Harmony and Crystal Symphony, and Chinois at Jade aboard Crystal Symphony, respectively. Recently, Crystal partnered with Master Chef Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa to bring his legendary cuisine to the Sushi Bar and Silk Road restaurant aboard Crystal Serenity. In keeping with Crystal's penchant for quality alliances, the newly-minted Creative Learning Institute (CLI) is partnering with well-known organizations and schools - such as Berlitz, Yamaha, The Cleveland Clinic, Society of Wine Educators, Pepperdine University, Parsons School of Design, Tai Chi Cultural Center, BOOK magazine and Barnes&Noble.com among others - to bring experts in their respective fields aboard to share their knowledge in a classroom setting. Offered as a series of classes - vs. single lectures - the CLI curriculums feature progressive levels of instruction on a single subject or several one-class sessions of related topics. The "five pillars" comprising the CLI include: Arts & Entertainment, Business & Technology, Lifestyle, Wellness and Wine & Food. The Creative Learning Institute is the latest development in Crystal's highly-regarded Crystal Visions Enrichment Program of renowned speakers, special interest lecturers and celebrities. To learn more about Crystal Cruises, and its meetings and incentives program, please contact von Wittenau at 310-203-4366. Visit the web site at www.crystalcruises.com. Media Contact: Mimi Weisband 310-203-4302 publicrelations@crystalcruises.com |
| Produced by Judi Janofsky, Rich Steck and the Golf Press Association |