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Crystal Private Adventures Surge as Savvy Cruisers Customize Their Time Ashore

eTN

As savvy consumers continue to customize their lifestyles and personal experiences, luxury cruise specialist Crystal Cruises reports a 55% increase in its Crystal Private Adventures.

From a birthday picnic atop the rock of Gibraltar to an ancestral tour of Jewish points of interest in Shanghai, highly customized shore experiences are providing intimate and enriching perspectives of the world on a very personalized level.


To date, from January through August 2007, Crystal's land programs team arranged 55% more private arrangements than for the entire year of 2006. Approximately 70% of the customized arrangements are requested in conjunction with Crystal's European cruises.


In the nearly two years since the line debuted its Crystal Private Adventures, the biggest surge in participation has been among multi-generational families who recognize the tremendous choice, value and luxury of a Crystal cruise vacation and appreciate the opportunity to tailor their time ashore and travel as a group. Others taking advantage of the customized service are 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."


The Crystal Private Adventures team of travel experts handles each request with precision and detail. Guests or their travel agents can confirm an exact itinerary they have in mind, or work with a specialist to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience.


Some of the custom adventures arranged in 2007 include:


For true wine connoisseurs: 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.


For six friends celebrating a special occasion: an Amalfi Coast cruise in a private yacht with lunch reservations at an exclusive restaurant in Capri.


For golf enthusiasts: private tee times on world-renowned courses in Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta.


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.


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.

 Printable Version  | published Sep 05, 2007