Crystal Debussy

Crystal Debussy cruise ship belongs to the fleet of Crystal River Cruises. The company operates a total of 4 newbuild top-luxury "river yachts" (by the shipbuilder Lloyd Werft / MV Werften, Wismar Germany) plus 1 riverboat acquired in 2015. Mahler's fleetmates and sisterships are Crystal Bach, Crystal Mahler, and Crystal Ravel. To start operations, Crystal's river cruise line purchased an existing riverboat - Crystal Mozart - that was fully refurbished and launched in July 2016.

History - construction and ownership

One of the top-luxury passenger shipping companies, Crystal Cruises operates both ocean and river cruises on premium liners and newbuild riverboats with all-inclusive travel package deals. Company's ships are top-ranked in numerous categories, offer intimate cruising experience, 5-star hotel amenities, superior service. The company was founded in 1988 as a subsidiary of the Japanese NYK Line (Nippon Yusen Kaisha) - one of world's largest container shipping companies. In 2015, NYK Line sold Crystal Cruises to Genting Hong Kong (GHK). Following the acquisition, the company was renamed to Crystal Ltd. It currently includes the brands Crystal Cruises (ocean-going ships), Crystal River Cruises (European riverboats), Crystal Yacht Cruises (mega-yachts), Crystal Luxury Air (aircraft) and Crystal AirCruises (fly-cruise deals).

Crystal River Cruises (a division of Crystal Cruises) operate with fully all-inclusive deals. Brand's product is marked by gourmet dining, expert enrichment program, high-class onboard entertainment, top-luxury amenities and impeccable service on newbuild riverboats in Europe. In each port along the cruise tour itinerary are offered culture-themed events and excursions. In some ports, Crystal river cruise ships offer overnight stays allowing passengers to enjoy high-class gourmet dining experiences at Michelin-starred restaurants ashore and also exclusive evening events and entertainment shipboard.

To start its operations, the Crystal river cruise company purchased an existing riverboat that was refurbished and renamed Crystal Mozart (launched in July 2016). The company additionally ordered four new luxury "river yachts" by the shipbuilder Lloyd Werft Germany.

Cabins

The boat has a capacity for 114 passengers (max 169 pax / triple occupancy) and top-luxury suites (ranging from 20-71 m2 / 220-760 ft2). All staterooms on the new series Crystal river cruise ships feature the following industry-first cabin amenities - King beds, walk-in closets, and en-suite marble bathrooms with double sink vanities. 

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Onboard dining options include Waterside Restaurant (dining room), Vintage Room (wine bar / private dinner/party venue), Palm Court (show lounge), Cove Bar, Bistro (casual cafe), top-deck Vista Bar & Grill. All venues are operated with open-seating dining. 

Onboard dining menus include food prepared with freshest, locally sourced ingredients and itinerary-based traditional specialties - fresh seafood and fish, seasonal fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry from local farms, local draught and craft beers, regional wines and cheeses. Specialty coffees and teas served complimentary on the ship are by the Vienna Austria-based company Julius Meinl.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The boat has 3 lounges and bars, 4 restaurants, 1 panoramic / glass elevator, gym, and spa facilities. Unique features are the glass-domed atrium area and the indoor infinity pool (resistance swimming pool). The ship’s show lounge, Palm Court, has a stage for live performances, grand piano performances, singalongs. The lounge features a dance floor for themed dancing parties, glass-dome cover, floor-ceiling window walls, live plants for decoration, comfortable seating, full-service bar. The 24-hour open coffee-tea corner, The Pantry, offers complimentary fruit basket, pastries, cookies, sparkling water. On the new river yachts, there are also Fitness Center and full-service Spa. One deck is dedicated to all onboard public spaces (including spa, gym, library, glass-domed Palm Court lounge). Each riverboat carries its own fleet of electric bikes, 2-person kayaks and jet skis for complimentary passenger use on an individual or guided tours and excursions ashore.

River Cruise Itineraries

Initially, Crystal Debussy itinerary program was based on Seine River cruises leaving out of Paris France on 5-, 7- and 10-night itineraries with multiple overnights in Paris City. They were themed "Paris and The Arts”, “Best of Paris, Seine River and Normandy”, also Christmas Markets (“Christmas Paris and Shopping”, “Gilltering Pre-Christmas Paris and Shopping”). The list of visited port city destinations included Honfleur, Normandy beaches, Deauville, Rouen.

However, for the inaugural 2018-2019 season, the boat had scheduled 7-day and 10-day Moselle and Rhine river cruises between Amsterdam and Basel, visiting Switzerland, Holland, Germany, and Belgium.

The all-inclusive Crystal river cruise deals (as cruise price inclusions) offer the following complimentary amenities and services:

• Gratuities for all the ship's staff, including housekeeping, bar, dining, butlers
• All meals (featuring 6-star gourmet cuisine and regional specialties)
• Unlimited soft drinks, premium beverages (including champagne, fine wines, spirits, beers, bottled water)
• 24-hour self-service pantry (specialty coffees, teas, wines, nonalcoholic drinks)
• 24-hour room service
• 24-hour Wi-Fi access, free Wi-Fi and satellite Internet usage (60 min pp per day)
• interactive TV (infotainment system) with movies on demand and music library
• Airport-to-ship group transfers - luxury coaches to transport passengers from the airport to the riverboat on embarkation day.
• Ship-to-airport group transfers (on disembarkation day).
• Onboard daily yoga and fitness classes, daily choice of digital international newspapers
• Onboard entertainment and enrichment programming (destination / itinerary-focused), including lectures, destination expert (on each cruise), local experts and tour guides.
• Self-service guest laundry
• Twice daily housekeeping services (evening turndown service)
• In-cabin dining (hors d'oeuvres)
• Butler service for each cabin
• Two complimentary "Crystal Adventures" shore excursions in every port (curated). Additional excursions are available for purchase.
• Complimentary culinary tours to renowned local establishments
• Complimentary Atlanta eBikes, Nordic walking poles and audio headphones on all "Crystal Adventures" (shore excursions/land tours).

Crystal Debussy riverboat is named after the French composer Claude Debussy (1862-1918). The (dual) steel-cutting ceremony for Crystal Ravel (yard number 129) and Debussy (yard number 128) was on January 9, 2017, held at MV Werften shipyard (Wismar Germany). The first steel plates were flame cut. The special event was attended by Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay (Genting Hong Kong's Executive Chairman), Edie Rodriguez (Crystal Cruises’ President, CEO, and Chairman) and Harry Glawe (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's Economics Minister).

The (dual) keel-laying ceremony for Debussy and Ravel was held on May 24, 2017, at MV Werften Wismar. The vessel's first sections were ceremoniously lowered into position on keel blocks. The special event was attended by Jarmo Laakso (MV WERFTEN's CEO), Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay (GHK's Chairman and CEO), Josef Lumetsberger (Crystal River Cruises' General Manager of Operations), Harry Glawe (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's Economics Minister) and other distinguished guests. Minister Glawe and Tan Sri Lim placed "lucky coins" on the keel blocks before the ship's first 2 sections (each one 170 tons) were laid down.

The riverboat was launched on June 4, 2017, and christened in Wismar on March 8, 2018. The naming ceremony was attended by Tom Wolber (Crystal Cruises President and CEO), Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay (GHK's Chairman and CEO), Colin Au (GHK Group President) and Jarmo Laasko (MV WERFTEN's CEO).

Ship's official naming ceremony was on May 28, 2018, in Amsterdam. Godmother is Rachel York (US actress and singer). The ceremony was attended by Tom Wolber and Walter Littlejohn (Crystal River Cruises’ VP and managing director), and live-streamed via the company's Facebook page.

The Inaugural Cruise (Maiden Voyage) was scheduled for April 9, 2018, themed "Tulips and Windmills". Next table shows the itinerary's ports and port times.

Note: You can see the CruiseMapper's list of all river cruise ships and riverboats in the "itinerary" section of our River Cruises hub. All companies and their fleets are listed there.