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Crystal River Cruises has pushed back by one month the launch of its first two new river cruise vessels to allow for more time to “prepare the vessels,” the company told Travel Weekly.
Crystal has postponed the originally scheduled launch of the Crystal Bach and Crystal Mahler, initially set for June and August, respectively. Their new maiden voyages along the Rhine and Danube rivers will now take place on Aug. 13 for the Crystal Bach and on Sept. 30 for the Crystal Mahler.
Although Crystal did not specify the precise reason for the delay, the company said its focus is on “ensuring seamless delivery” of the vessels. The Crystal Mahler and Crystal Bach will sail on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers and have been deemed Rhine-class river yachts. They are being built at 443 feet in length with 53 suites for 106 guests.
Crystal has promised that the new river cruise ships will be all-balcony, all-suite river vessels with all staterooms located above the waterline — most river cruise ships feature some cabins that are partially below the water line with smaller porthole windows just above water.
The Crystal Bach and Crystal Mahler are also expected to feature multiple dining venues, a Palm Court with a dance floor and a glass-domed roof, a library, a fitness center, a spa, and sporting equipment such as electric bicycles, kayaks and water scooters. There will also be walk-in closets and what the company has described as “cutting-edge technologies” in all suites.
The vessels will be Crystal’s first new river ships, following last year’s launch of the Crystal Mozart, a former Peter Deilmann river cruise ship that Crystal purchased and transformed from a 203-passenger vessel into a 160-passenger one.
The Crystal Bach and Mahler are to be followed by the Crystal Debussy and Crystal Ravel, slated to launch in 2018 and to sail the Rhine and Danube rivers.
Sоurсе: travelweekly.com