LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The travel savvy readers of Condé Nast Traveler have once again voted Crystal Cruises as the “World’s Best” medium sized cruise line (501-2,499 guests), earning the ultra-luxury company the coveted honors for a record of 23 years. The publication’s 2016 Readers’ Choice Awards included input from more than 300,000 readers, who cast votes for more than 7,000+ hotels, 500 cruise ships, 600+ cities and 200+ islands, resulting in a preeminent list of more than 1,400 of the world’s best travel experiences.
“To again be recognized as the world’s best by an audience as astute and selective as Condé Nast Traveler’s subscribers is high praise, and validation that our commitment to not only meeting, but exceeding, guests’ wishes and expectations continues to be invaluable,” says Crystal CEO and president, Edie Rodriguez. “Since our first sailing more than 25 years ago, we have set a new standard of luxury and excellence for selective travelers, and we are proud and honored that this standard has surpassed other ‘one hit wonders’ in the travel industry.”
The Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards are the longest-running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry and are commonly known as “the best of the best of travel.” Under Editor in Chief Pilar Guzmán, the Readers’ Choice Awards have become more selective and specific to the passions that inspire today’s travelers.
Crystal’s score of 92.24 topped the list of 12 finalist cruise lines in its category, with a margin of 4.8 – the highest in Crystal’s 23 years of winning the award and among the ocean ship categories this year. Criteria voted on included accommodations, service, dining, activities, design and value. Crystal’s acclaimed ocean ships, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, have each undergone millions of dollars in redesign and updates over the years, both featuring elegantly styled and spacious public areas, posh lounges and theaters, luxuriously appointed guest suites (most with private verandahs), and culinary experiences that include modern gastronomy and signature cuisine from Master Chef Nobu Matsuhisa.
In the past year, the company has embarked on a tremendous brand expansion that has thus far seen the launch of Crystal Yacht Cruises’ Crystal Esprit and Crystal River Cruises’ Crystal Mozart. The intimate yacht sails just 62 guests to exotic locales throughout Cosmopolitan Emirates, Dalmatian Coast and Seychelles, while the grand river ship sails quintessential itineraries to Europe’s most charming locales along the Danube River.
Adds Rodriguez, “As the individual travel styles of guests throughout the world continue to diversify, we will continue to expand in our offerings and our efforts to accommodate virtually any luxury traveler’s wish.”
For more information and Crystal reservations, contact a travel professional, call 888.799.2437, or visit http://www.crystalcruises.com . Join the hundreds of thousands who follow the Crystal Cruises Facebook page and @crystalcruises on Twitter and Instagram, and engage in the conversation with #crystalcruises.
Crystal Cruises is the World’s Most Awarded Luxury Cruise Line™, having earned more “World’s Best” accolades than any other cruise line, hotel, or resort in history. Crystal Cruises has won “World’s Best Cruise Ship” in Condé Nast Traveler’s Reader Choice Awards for 23 years; been voted “World’s Best Large Ship Cruise Line” by Travel + Leisure readers for 20 consecutive years; and the “Best Luxury Cruise Line” by Virtuoso for three consecutive years (2014, 2015 & 2016). In summer 2015, Crystal embarked on the most significant brand expansion in the history of luxury travel and hospitality, introducing three new classes of cruising – the recently launched Crystal Yacht Cruises (December 2015), Crystal River Cruises (July 2016) – The World’s Only Luxury River Cruise Line™, Crystal Exclusive Class Ocean Cruises (Fall 2019), Crystal Luxury Air (April 2016) and Crystal AirCruises (2017).
