ONBOARD THE CRYSTAL MOZART — With a smash of glass and a spray of Champagne, Crystal Cruises christened its first river vessel last week, the refurbished Mozart, which will sail on the Danube.
The watchword onboard as the ship prepared for its debut embarkation from Vienna was "luxury." As in, Crystal CEO Edie Rodriguez proclaiming the company's first river yacht the only luxury river vessel in Europe and the "Queen of Europe's rivers."
Those are bold statements, especially for a concept as subjective as luxury. What's gorgeous to some might be gaudy to others. What one person calls ornate, another might dub ostentatious. So the question is less whether the Mozart is the only luxury river yacht in Europe than it is what luxury means aboard the Mozart.
The answer is manifold.
The size of Mozart itself is a luxury. After all, the former Peter Deilmann ship is 75 feet wide, double the width of most river vessels, allowing for multiple corridors and ample public space.
The top deck has been put to good use with various seating options, a retractable bar, a fitness area and a display garden. Inside, on Deck 3, there's a lounge atop the stairs, the Cove piano bar and the Palm Court, the ship's primary entertainment venue, with large TVs and enough seating for every guest.
"No river cruise has the diversity of public space onboard," said Eric Maryanov, president of All-Travel in Los Angeles.
Suites range from about 219 square feet, which includes a king-size bed, to the 883-square-foot Crystal Suites, which come with a dining area, walk-in closet, living room and two bedrooms with river views. There are two Crystal Suites aboard the vessel.
The staffing is a genuine luxury. The Mozart has a crew of 92 serving up to 154 guests, and in an effort to instill the company's well-regarded service culture in the new cruise product, Crystal pulled employees from its ocean vessels as well as welcoming back former staffers who had jumped to river ships with other operators.
"The crew that we got together is really sensational here," said COO Thomas Mazloum. "You immediately feel Crystal."
The design is certainly luxurious. In remaking the ship, Crystal added 300 tons of marble and focused on a color palette of black, white and gray with metallic accents and pops of emerald and blue. Many furnishings are done in velvet, giving the space a luxe, contemporary feel that will hold true across the entire fleet of forthcoming Crystal river ships, now at six newbuilds.
"We don't disclose the price," Rodriguez said of the total investment in getting the Mozart ready to sail, "but it was a lot of money."
As for other luxury amenities aboard the Mozart, Maryanov pointed to the spa — which features two treatment rooms, a small indoor pool and whirlpool and men's and women's sauna and steam rooms — and a gym with separate cardio and free-weight areas and daily group exercise classes.
The Mozart also has its own elegant, 32-foot Italian tender boat, a James Bond-style vehicle available as an upgrade for private bookings, nighttime tours and trips into narrow areas where the ship simply won't fit.
There are multiple dining options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and each guest has the opportunity to book a meal at select Michelin-starred restaurants along the cruise route, with dinner, wine, transportation and gratuity included in the fare. There's also gourmet dining aboard the Mozart in the intimate Vintage Room, which serves a tasting menu with special wines for an additional fee.
"This ship is truly a destination, rather than a mode of transportation," Maryanov said. "It's so unique to anything on the river."