Crystal River Cruises christens newest ship, Crystal Ravel

Crystal Ravel is the fifth ship to be introduced to the Crystal River Cruises fleet

Crystal Ravel has been welcomed into the Crystal River Cruises fleet during a christening ceremony held in Budapest, Hungary.

The cruise line celebrated the occasion with Crystal’s president and CEO, Tom Wolber, the ship’s godmother and Hungarian philanthropist, Mariann Peller, and Crystal River Cruises’ vice president and managing director, Walter Littlejohn.

The ceremony took place during the ship’s overnight stay in Budapest on its weeklong ‘Danube Serenade’ voyage, allowing guests aboard the sailing to participate in the festivities, whilst Crystal crew members looked on from the decks of the ship.

“Today is a proud day for the entire Crystal family. In just over two years, we introduced five ships, which is a tremendous accomplishment of growth for this expansion of the Crystal brand,” Wolber said.

“But what makes us most proud is that with each new ship and new experience, Crystal’s commitment to superb quality and exceptional luxury and service has remained unwavering.”

The Crystal River Cruises fleet now comprises of Crystal Ravel and her identical sister ships Crystal Bach, Crystal Mahler and Crystal Debussy, as well as Crystal Mozart, which is Europe’s most spacious river cruise ship.

“Beyond these exquisite ships – which are earning the acclaim of luxury travellers from around the world – the heart of the Crystal River Experience is the people,” Littlejohn said.

“Crystal’s crew is simply unmatched in their warm, genuine service and attention to detail. Our guests are savvy travellers who truly value that personal connection and frequently share the sentiment that sailing with Crystal is like coming home to their onboard family.”

Crystal Ravel is currently sailing itineraries of six to 14 days between Vienna and Basel.

In 2019, she will be the only river ship to sail seven-night Danube cruises roundtrip from Vienna to ports in Austria, Hungary and Slovakia.