A&K Travel Group Ltd. Purchases Crystal Ships & Set to Revive Crystal Cruises Brand
In a surprising turn of events, Crystal Cruises is officially back!
Luxury operator A&K Travel Group Ltd. has officially been named purchaser of Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity. The vessels will operate under the ‘Crystal Cruises’ brand, which the company has also acquired.
A&K Travel Group has said it will give both ships extensive refurbishments to prepare for their return to passenger operations. They will resume cruising at an unconfirmed date in 2023 under the Crystal Cruises name.
This announcement comes on the heels of last week’s news that the two ships sold at an auction held by The Supreme Court in the Bahamas. Crystal Serenity is said to have garnered a whopping $103 million from a buyer listed as ‘CDE Ltd,’ and Crystal Symphony's buyer was listed as ‘CSY Ltd’ with a reported purchase price of $25 million. We now know these undisclosed buyers to be A&K Travel Group Ltd.
A&K Travel Group Ltd. is an award-winning luxury travel company owned by Geoffrey Kent and Heritage, an industrial holdings company chaired by Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio. Lefebvre d'Ovidio has a deep history with the cruise industry. His family owned and operated Sitmar Cruises, which merged into Princes Cruises in 1988. Lefebvre d'Ovidio is also the former owner and executive chairman of Silversea Cruises. Currently, he is Co-Chairman of A&K Travel Group Ltd., Abercrombie & Kent, and now Crystal Cruises.
"I am thrilled to start this new chapter and to be back in an industry that has always had, and always will have a special place in my heart. Thirty-five years ago, my family acquired control of Sitmar Cruises, building three of the first purpose-built cruise ships, and 30 years ago my family pioneered a new way of cruising. Our goal was to deliver the best experience, pampering guests from all over the world with around-the-clock butler service and extraordinary culinary experiences,” said Lefebvre d'Ovidio. “Selling the cruise business that belonged to my family for a quarter of a century was a difficult decision, as I knew I would miss this industry immensely. Therefore, when the opportunity arose to acquire Crystal Cruises, I did not think about it twice. Having next to me my incredible friend and inspiring leader Geoffrey Kent makes this venture even more enjoyable.”
"Even though it seems like yesterday, 30 years have passed since the Lefebvre family, and I had our first ship together...Manfredi and I have been best friends and business associates ever since,” said Geoffrey Kent, Co-Chairman of A&K Travel Group Ltd. and Crystal Cruises, and Founder, Co-Chairman and CEO of Abercrombie & Kent. The idea of combining the unparalleled onboard service that Crystal Cruises is known for, with the extraordinary tailor-made experiences Abercrombie & Kent has been successfully providing for our guests for the past 60 years, fills me with excitement, enthusiasm and pride.”
A&K Travel Group Ltd. has partnered with leading cruise ship manager V.Ships Leisure to operate Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity. According to the company, V.Ships was a natural partner with their unique experience and global scale.
Details on the ship’s upgrades, as well as upcoming itineraries and operation dates, will be shared by A&K Travel Group Ltd. and Crystal Cruises later.
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