Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri continues to receive orders for new cruise ships and is expanding its operations in both luxury and large cruise ships. Crystal Cruises, which was rescued from bankruptcy just two years ago, has exercised its option for a third ship after signing a memorandum of agreement in June 2024.
It continues the remarkable resurgence of the brand, which was launched by Japan’s NYK Group in 1990 as a premium cruise product. NYK sold the brand and its two current cruise ships to Genting Hong Kong. Genting Hong Kong wanted to expand its brand into expeditions and river cruises. , is planning luxury air travel charters as well as a new generation of cruise ships. However, along with Genting Hong Kong, Crystal Cruises went bankrupt and the ship was arrested and auctioned in 2022.
Manfredi Lefebvre Dovidio, executive chairman of A&K Travel Group, reported that he approached Genting about acquiring the brand and subsequently participated in an auction to purchase two cruise ships and the brand name. His family had previously invested in Sitmar Cruises, a pioneer in modern cruising. He later launched Silversea Cruises and later sold the luxury brand to Royal Caribbean Group.
Crystal returned to service with two cruise ships, Crystal Symphony (built in 1995, 51,000 gross tonnage) and Crystal Serenade (built in 2003, 68,870 gross tonnage). The company aims to capture the ultra-luxury market and has partnered with A&K Travel to offer unique local tours.
The third vessel ordered today will be a sister vessel to the first two, with each vessel measuring approximately 61,800 gross tons. The company plans to continue upgrading the brand to include all-suite ships, with each cabin having its own private balcony. There are also plans to prepare suites for one person. The brand promises one of the highest passenger-to-crew ratios in the industry.
The new ships will each accommodate 690 passengers and, according to Crystal, will “feature numerous amenities and innovative design.” These highlight traditional open promenade decks for passengers to stroll through, as well as dining options and other concepts such as Umiuma, the only nobu at sea.
One of the changes to the brand is the addition of casinos on cruise ships. When NYK was founded, they partnered with Caesars Palace Las Vegas to operate the casino. When the brand relaunched under A&K, the decision was made to remove the casino, but repeat customers complained. The brand is currently partnering with Casino de Monte Carlo and plans to install its first casino at Crystal Symphony this month. Crystal Serenity will add casino next month.
Orders continued a strong year for Fincantieri, which saw large orders from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, including Regent Seven Seas and luxury cruise ships for Oceania. Carnival Corporation also ordered larger cruise ships, and Viking expanded its orders for smaller luxury cruise ships. Fincantieri reports that this latest order from Crystal falls into that large category (between 500 million euros and 1 billion euros).
Manfredi Lefebvre Dovidio, Executive Chairman of A&K Travel Group, said: “This order is a great opportunity for Fincantieri and my family, who started with Sitmar Cruises, continued with Silversea, and now is thriving again with Crystal. “This is another milestone in 40 years of productive collaboration.”
The first Crystal Cruises ship is expected to be delivered in the second quarter of 2028. No date has been announced for the second ship, but today delivery of the third ship is set for 2032.
