Crystal River Cruises added another ship to its “Rhine Class” yesterday in a handover ceremony at MV WERFTEN Shipyard in Germany. Christened Crystal Mahler, she and her sister ships are available for seven to sixteen-day voyages along the Rhine and Danube Rivers. Stops include both the medieval and modern in Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Netherlands, and Hungary.
If you aren’t familiar with Crystal River Cruises, I’m happy to fill you in. Just like with their ocean and air journeys, their river ship experiences are easily of the best you’ll find around. What sticks out to me the most about their “Rhine Class” additions is how much they have to offer. Typically on a river cruise, features and amenities tend to be more limited than they would be with an ocean liner. There’s definitely nothing wrong with this as the ships are much smaller and you’re signing up for a more intimate vibe. However, these have quite a bit going on. Speaking to the Crystal Mahler, you can find a spa, separate fitness center, the highest crew-to-guest ratio in the industry, and multiple open-air restaurants with Michelin-inspired cuisine. And did I mention that everything is gorgeous? As for where you’ll be laying your head at night (or in the middle of the day, I’m not judging), they only offer suites, each of which comes with so much that I have to bullet it out below:
- French balconies
- Crystal’s celebrated butler service
- ETRO robes and slippers
- Personal iPads
- Wall-mounted 42-inch, flat-screen HD TVs with streaming movies
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Nespresso machines
and
- Walk-in closets and dual vanities in the bathrooms (most)
Crystal River Cruises will be adding two more ships to their “Rhine Class” fleet in 2018, the Crystal Debussy and Crystal Ravel. So you’ll soon have even more opportunities to experience the worlds most awarded luxury cruise line. Personally, though, I don’t know that I would wait until next year to get onboard.
