This Luxury Cruise Line Has Returned After Bankruptcy—Here’s How It Stacks Up Against the Past

After global tour operator A&K Travel Group acquired the Crystal Cruises brand and its two original ocean liners from pandemic bankruptcy last year, they committed to not only maintaining but enhancing the qualities that have made this line a favorite among luxury cruisers for three decades.

Filling that role was no small feat, considering Crystal’s established reputation for exceptional service, high staff-to-guest ratios, and impressive guest loyalty. As a longtime fan of Crystal, I can confidently say that after a preview sailing on the refreshed Crystal Symphony in August, the union of these two esteemed travel brands is off to an encouraging start.

As I boarded in Dubrovnik, it was hard to believe I was stepping onto a ship that was 30 years old; the interior of this sleek, modern vessel hardly resembled the one that had transformed me from a cruise skeptic to an enthusiast seven years ago during a two-week journey through the Greek islands.

Much of the traditional wooden decor I remembered from the cabins and public spaces had vanished, replaced almost entirely by contemporary designs featuring Italian marble, glass, and fabrics that convey a modern aesthetic.

The most significant change involved the number of cabins. The company didn’t just renovate; they stripped the ship down to its steel framework, knocking down walls to create larger suites, ultimately reducing the number of staterooms by nearly a quarter while preserving the ship’s extensive public areas, which include eight dining venues, a spa and fitness center, a pickleball court, multiple lounges, a library, a theater, a nightclub, as well as a putting green and driving range nets on the top deck for golf practice.

Currently, the Symphony accommodates just over 600 passengers, down from almost 850, offering a diverse range of cabin layouts and decor options.

I stayed in one of the 85 Sapphire Veranda suites, featuring a modern decor of blue and earth tones, highlighted by an art display of blue glass discs above the couch. The living area included a small table with two chairs, a desk, a coffee table, a sitting chair by the couch, and a walk-in closet. The remaining space (which used to be a second cabin) was entirely dedicated to the bedroom and bathroom, boasting a long, marble double vanity, ample shelving and storage, and a shower so spacious that a fellow traveler joked it was big enough for a party.

In response to guest requests, A&K CEO Cristina Levis mentioned that some cabins have preserved their classic wooden decor. Additionally, there are penthouse and junior penthouse suites that boast furnishings and amenities comparable to the world’s top hotels.

Though the ship boasts a sleek, modern aesthetic throughout, I quickly recognized some of my favorite spots, including the glass-walled Palm Lounge at the ship's bow, the upper deck pool, and cozy corners like the Avenue Saloon and Connoisseur Club cigar bar. The intimate, service-oriented essence of Crystal remains unchanged.

About 45 minutes after settling into my suite, I visited the front desk to ask about the Wi-Fi service.

“Hello Jeri, how may I assist you?” inquired the attendant, who had only previously interacted with me during check-in.

The following morning, just before 7:05 a.m., my butler delivered the breakfast I had ordered for between 7 a.m. and 7:15 a.m. I remarked, “Perfect timing, thanks!”

“Actually, Jeri,” he replied, “I’m a few minutes late. I apologize for that.”

This level of personalized, luxurious service is precisely what Crystal enthusiasts have come to appreciate and anticipate. However, such service has become increasingly rare in the wake of significant employee turnover in the hospitality sector worldwide due to the pandemic. Fortunately, with 80 percent of the previous, highly dedicated crew back under the new ownership of A&K, the hallmark Crystal service model, featuring nearly a 1-to-1 guest-to-crew ratio, was in full effect.

Indeed, aside from a few minor cosmetic details like exterior touch-up painting that were still being completed, it was difficult to detect any indications that our recent preview cruise from Dubrovnik to Athens was what the industry refers to as a “shakedown” cruise, a maiden voyage where initial issues often arise as things are being fine-tuned.

Currently, A&K is dedicated to both expanding and evolving the Crystal brand, utilizing the company’s global network of luxury travel specialists to create a broader range of itineraries, excursions, and pre- and post-cruise land options that surpass traditional offerings.

During the relaunch in July of the Symphony’s sister ship, Serenity, the company unveiled plans to construct four additional ocean vessels—two similar in size to the Symphony and two expedition ships designed to carry around 220 passengers. Over breakfast on the Symphony preview cruise, Levis shared that the company is also negotiating to introduce riverboats on the Peruvian Amazon and Colombia’s Magdalena River, which will debut its first-ever passenger cruises when AmaWaterways launches two 60-passenger ships there next year.

Just weeks into the relaunch of the Serenity and Symphony, many excursion options are still a work in progress, according to Levis, as the two companies collaborate to capitalize on their combined strengths. However, we had the opportunity to experience one of the ways that Crystal is leveraging A&K’s expertise and its focus on small group experiences to enhance excursions and pre- and post-cruise options.

On the morning before our departure from Dubrovnik, while many were engaged in the traditional old town tour, a local A&K guide led a small group of us on a “A Taste of Croatia” excursion to a family estate near Orasac, home to a nearly 300-year-old horse-powered olive oil mill. After witnessing a demonstration of this traditional pressing technique, we enjoyed samples of the local oil, along with regional wines, hams, and cheeses. Next, we traveled to Mali Ston, located just outside the walled city of Ston, where we boarded a small boat that took us to an oyster and mussel farm, allowing us to sample shellfish fresh from the sea. These stops were merely the prelude to an outdoor seaside lunch at the Bota Sari oyster and sushi restaurant.

The following two days were primarily spent at sea, indulging in the ship’s offerings and exquisite dining experiences, such as Umi Uma, the only Nobu restaurant at sea, and Osteria D’Ovidio, an Italian specialty restaurant named after the company’s owner, Manfredi Lefebvre D’Ovidio. The food, wine pairings, and service were exceptional across all venues I visited—from the salt-baked sea chard with tarragon sauce and Swiss chard to the Asian noodles and salad I enjoyed at the expansive Marketplace, which features both indoor and outdoor seating at the rear of the ship.

Seven years after that initial Crystal voyage reshaped my perspective on cruising, I must admit that I still prefer ships with a capacity of only a few hundred passengers. However, the newly refurbished Symphony once again demonstrated that a larger ocean vessel can feel just as intimate—if not more so—than a smaller ship when you’re on the right one.

Just don’t refer to it as luxury.

“The term luxury has been overused to the point that every [company now] claims to embody it,” Levis remarked. “And it means different things to all of us. So, we chose to define ourselves as ‘exceptional’ because we truly are an exception. We stand apart.”