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In This Issue:

DG Amazing Experiences
Insider Travel Briefs For Private Aviation Travelers

Special Report:

Crystal AirCruises

A Custom Boeing 777-200LR;

84 Club Seats Convert To Beds;

Global Journeys From 15-29 Days;

An In-Flight Restaurant, Bar and Lounge;

From Local Experiences to Culinary, Culture and Adventure, and

Custom Charters Too!


Check-out Our DGAE Library featuring:

Insider previews of top suites and villas at hotels and resorts across the USA, Hawaii, the Caribbean, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brasil, China, England, France, French Polynesia, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Oman, Portugal, Russia, Seychelles, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Switzerland, Tahiti, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, Vietnam, plus on the high seas aboard Regent Seven Seas Explorer, Seabourn Encore, Crystal Esprit and Norwegian Breakaway

Special Report: Crystal AirCruises - December 2016




A Crystal Clear Evolution…


For a quarter century Crystal Cruises was owned by Japanese container shipping giant NYK lines. Despite just two ships, it was often referred to as “the most awarded cruise line” for its continuous nods from the likes of Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure. It brought a Four Seasons level of service back to the high seas, combining friendly staff (which many lines have) with polish and refinement. It channeled a bit of Ritz-Carlton (Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen). When you want to move from the bar to dinner, a waiter will bring your drinks with you. Crew get lots of training, even smaller things like speaking English properly that make them more confident with the high-powered guests, which often includes Forbes list families.


Customers came back again and again, but NYK was never able to move Crystal beyond two ocean ships even though its well traveled clients kept telling management they wished there were more ways they could vacation the Crystal way.


That changed in May 2015 when hospitality and gaming giant Genting Hong Kong (It owns Asia’s largest cruise line, Star Cruises, and Resorts World, which is expanding to Las Vegas.) bought Crystal from NYK and charged its new CEO Edie Rodriguez with expansion.  


In short order, it has launched on-demand charter with a Bombardier Global Express XRS outfitted in Crystal style, it converted a 62-passenger vessel into a yacht-style ship (Esprit) with water sports deck, wave runners and mini-submarine. It launched a river cruise division (I’m aboard its Crystal Mozart sailing the Danube as I write this – more in a future issue) and next August it will launch Crystal Air Cruises, offering global luxury tours aboard a Boeing 777-200LR configured with just 84 club seats that convert to flat beds, a sleek bar, dining tables, a lounge, wine cellar, etc. Airlines typically have 300 + seats in this type of aircraft.


Private jet vacations have become a hot category (TCS, Four Seasons, Abercrombie & Kent, Travcoa, Presidential Private Jet Vacations all offer them) as they provide a great way to see more in less time than if you were covering the same itinerary using commercial airline flights. 


Crystal AirCruises offer will be both set itineraries aboard its Boeing 777 and on-demand, custom-designed trips on both the Boeing 777 and Global Express. Our full report is below. 


PS — We keep all past issues on an easy to access website DG Amazing Experiences where you can find both newsletters and special reports.


I hope all your trips are amazing experiences!

 

All the best,

 

Doug Gollan

Founder/Editor-in-Chief

DG Amazing Experiences

 Please Note - DG Amazing Experiences is not commercially affiliated with any of the resorts we profile or travel advisors we reference


In This Issue:


Crystal AirCruises


1.  Overview

2.  On The Ground

3.  On The Aircraft

4.  Whos Flying The Aircraft?

5.  Current Itineraries For Sale

6.  Questions You Might Have

7.  Recent Awards

8.  Key Contact

9.  DGAE Special Reports Library




Our Security Reports (Links Below):


Should you drive a car in Cuba?

How to survive a terrorism attack

Preventing A Robbery While Traveling




Crystal AirCruises Launches With Six Itineraries


1. OVERVIEW


The biggest news in luxury travel next year won’t be a new hotel or resort. In my opinion, it’s an aircraft. And specifically, in this case, it’s a Boeing 777-200LR that is being configured with just 84 lounge seats that turn into flat beds, an extensive bar area and wine cellar, plus four full dining tables that seat 6-8. Owned by Crystal AirCruises, a subsidiary of gaming and hospitality giant Genting Hong Kong, the aircraft is part of the company’s massive expansion beyond ocean cruises to yacht cruises, river cruises, on-demand charter (it has a single Bombardier Global for now) and what it terms air cruises.


Air cruises are a great idea if you want to cover more ground in less time. For example, a 16-day “Savoring the Winelands” itinerary that visits Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Italy and France would take at least 21 days if you flew via commercial airline flights, and I know for a lot of you five days is quite a bit of time to waste.

 

There is competition. Crystal will set itself apart by owning the plane it is flying. It is also a wide body aircraft. Four Seasons, TCS, A&K all charter the planes they use, mainly reconfigured 757s, while nice lack lounge space and maybe a bit confining for long flights. 


Albert Herrera, SVP with Virtuoso, a group that encompasses some 10,000 travel advisors who sell over $15 billion in luxury travel annually, is enthusiastic about Crystal entering the market. He says “private jets of this caliber are in high demand,” and adds, Crystal’s configuration offers “unparalleled quality” and the best space-to-guest ratio he has seen. He also likes table dining service and the fact that cabin attendants are being drawn from the line’s staff of trained butlers.

 

The actual Crystal AirCruises aircraft has two missions I think you will find relevant. Firstly, it will operate luxury tours, ranging from 15-29 days. Itineraries include the aforementioned wine tours, safaris, iconic sites around the world (Easter Island, Uluru, Victoria Falls, etc.) exotic adventures and the inaugural (Sept. 1 , 2017), which will visit all 10 Peninsula hotels around the world (details below).

 

When the Boeing 777 isn’t doing these trips, it will be available for full charters, and Crystal AirCruises has already received requests for birthdays, anniversaries and company incentives spanning 1-2 weeks. Planning requires about two months advance for unique access, and particularly for sourcing hotel rooms for groups of 84. For these missions, Crystal will put together a full itinerary, or if you have a simple mission, such as taking 80 friends to a football game, to see you compete in a marathon or maybe Art Basel, that can be done too.

 

On the flip side, if being on the Boeing 777 with other people is not what you want, Crystal Luxury Air can put together exclusive vacations for you using its Bombardier Global Express, which can sleep up to six when converted for beds.


Normally, I would say one negative of these private jet tours is that you are somewhat stuck with the same itinerary, however, as Crystal AirCruises offers multiple tracks everyday, and the opportunity to customize your own private excursions, there really isn’t that downside.


2. ON THE GROUND:


Of the itineraries Crystal AirCruises has announced typical journeys include 2-3 nights in each destination at 5-star hotels, resorts, safari lodges, etc. In each destination there is a choice of four different programming tracks focused around adventure, personal connections to locals, cultural discoveries and gastronomy.

 

On the inaugural trip there are 91 different experiences that can be combined in 331 different ways. These are all included. Typical group size will be 8-12 people. You can also split up from your partner.

 

For example, in Scotland one of you might want to play The Old Course in St. Andrews while another option could be a day trip to Paris for VIP shopping. You can also have Crystal design something for you in any or all destinations at an additional charge. Other experiences include things like dining atop the Great Wall of China, tours of vineyards by the owner, private entrance to castles not open to the public, dining in Michelin restaurants hosted by the chef and so on.

 

3. ON THE AIRCRAFT:

 

There is global WiFi. The anticipation is many participants will be active owners/CEOs of businesses with the need to be in touch whenever necessary so there is phone call capability as well.

 

Extensive in-flight entertainment includes 24" monitors, unlimited complimentary global Skye-Fi, Bose® Noise Cancelling headphones, Apple iPads® preloaded with your personalized itinerary.

 

There is a “cruise” director, ground operations manager, chef and doctor onboard at all times. There is also a “proactive” security program for every destination, which starts during the planning stages and monitors the situation right through arrival and departure.

 

Having seen the renderings and seen how Crystal outfitted the Crystal Mozart, I believe the finishes and attention to detail, both with service and fixtures will be exciting to see.

 

4. WHO’S FLYING THE AIRCRAFT?

 

Comlux Aruba NV is a division of Zurich-based Comlux, which since 2003 has significant experience in private aviation operations and management, particularly for large aircraft such as the Boeing 777. I checked out its current fleet and found in recent months they have operated jetliners into places as diverse as Singapore, New York-JFK, Almaty, Astana, Lusaka, Windhoek and Bangor, Maine. To oversee its aviation division, Crystal AirCruises tapped Marc Cavaliere, a top executive with South African Airways, American Airlines and Pan Am. 


On the in-flight side, it is bringing onboard cabin attendants (trained for air safety) from its ships to ensure same level of service.

 

5. CURRENT ITINERARIES FOR SALE:

 

August 31, 2017: 

The Peninsula Grand Inaugural Crystal AirCruise

 

(Roundtrip New York, 27 days) – Visiting New York, Chicago, Los Angeles; Tokyo, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, China; Manila, Philippines; Bangkok, Thailand; and Paris, France; $159,000 per person

 

October 21, 2017: 

Around the World: Iconic Sites & Legendary Locales

 

(Round-trip Los Angeles, 29 days) – Visiting Los Angeles; Lima, Peru; Easter Island, Polynesia; Uluru (Ayers Rock), Australia; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Lhasa, Tibet; Jaipur, India; Mauritius, East Africa; Victoria Falls, Zambia; and Prague, Czech Republic; $139,000 per person

 

June 1, 2018: 

Savoring the Winelands

 

(Roundtrip San Francisco, 16 days) – Visiting San Francisco; Santiago, Chile; Mendoza, Argentina; Cape Town, South Africa; Tuscany, Italy; Bordeaux and Champagne/Paris, France; $73,000 per person

 

June 23, 2018: 

Sacred Sites, Seashells & Safaris


(Roundtrip New York City, 22 days) – Visiting New York City; Tokyo, Japan; Yangon, Myanmar; Gan Island, Maldives; Agra, India; Victoria Falls, Zambia; Cape Town, South Africa; and Vienna, Austria; $99,500 per person

 

September 8, 2018: 

Exotic Adventures

(Roundtrip New York City, 22 days) – Visiting New York City; Lima, Peru; Easter Island, Polynesia; Cairns, Australia; Siem Reap, Cambodia; Lhasa, China; Agra, India; Cape Town, South Africa; and Abu Dhabi, UAE; $99,500 per person

 

October 13, 2018: 

South Pacific Explorer

 

(Roundtrip Los Angeles, 15 days) – Visiting Los Angeles, Easter Island, Polynesia; Bali, Indonesia; Cairns, Australia; Queenstown, New Zealand; and Bora Bora, French Polynesia; $69,500 per person

 

6. QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:

 

DGAE:  How does the seating work on the aircraft?

 

Crystal AirCruises:  Seat assignments are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis once a guest has made a deposit.  We try to accommodate everyone’s request, but seat assignments are not guaranteed as there may a rare occasion we need to specifically allocate seats.

 

DGAE:  Can you make table reservations for the dining tables? 


Crystal AirCruises:  We will be serving meals in the main (seating) cabin and, depending upon the duration of the flight, in the lounge/dining area. Given that we can accommodate 24 guests at a time at the dining tables, we will take requests (reservations) from guests in the cabin on a rotating basis so that everyone will have an opportunity to dine in the lounge area during the journey.

 

DGAE:  Can people buy segments?

 

Crystal AirCruises:  Each AirCruise is made available only for the entire journey rather than individual segments. If guests wish to voluntarily leave the tour prior to the end, they can do so, but there are no refunds for the unused portion.

 

7. RECENT AWARDS:

 

Condé Nast Traveler Magazine - Gold List – World’s Best (1997-2014), Reader’s Choice Award – Best Cruise Line (1992-1993, 1995-2005, 2007-2015), Reader’s Choice Award – Best Cruise Ship - Crystal Serenity 1st, Crystal Symphony 2nd (2006, 2008-2010, 2012);  Crystal Symphony 1st, Crystal Serenity 2nd (2013), and Reader’s Choice Award – Best Cruise Line Spa: Crystal Serenity (2002, 2004, 2007, and 2012)

Travel + Leisure Magazine - World’s Best Cruise Line (1996-2015), World’s Best Service (2005; 2012-2013)

U.S. News & World Report - Best Luxury Cruise Line (Gold Award: 2014, 2015), Best Cruise Line for Romance (Gold Award: 2014, Silver Award: 2015), Best Luxury Cruise Ship: Crystal Symphony (Gold Award: 2013), Best Cruise Ship for Couples, Europe, the Pacific, and Caribbean: Crystal Symphony (Gold Award: 2013)

Robb Report - Best of the Best 2016 - Cruises - Crystal Esprit (2016)

 

Cruise Critic - Editors' Pick - Best Cruise Line for Luxury (2015), Cruisers’ Choice – Best Service: Crystal Symphony (2014), Cruisers’ Choice – Best for Fitness: Crystal Symphony, Crystal Serenity (2014)
Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice – Best Dining: Crystal Serenity (2013-2014); Crystal Symphony (2012), Cruisers’ Choice – Best Entertainment: Crystal Serenity (2013); Crystal Symphony (2012 & 2014)

 

Virtuoso – Travel Advisors - Peer-To-Peer Awards: Best Luxury Cruise Line (2015-16)

 

Stern’s Guide to the Cruise Vacation

Six+ Stars (1998–2015)

 

Money - Platinum Award - Best in Travel (2016)

 

8. KEY CONTACTS:

Edie Rodriguez, Chairman, Crystal Luxury Corporation, Ltd. at erodriguez@crystalcruises.com or Marc S. Cavaliere, Sr. Vice President, Crystal Luxury Air and CrystalAirCruises at mcavaliere@crystalcruises.com


 


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Visit our library of previous news and reports from DG Amazing Experiences.


DG Amazing Experiences 
is by luxury expert Doug Gollan

My name is Doug Gollan. I am a strong advocate of the private aviation industry.  You can read my frequent coverage of private jets and luxury travel at  Forbes.com.
 
I've chosen you to receive  DG Amazing Experiences  because I believe you share my passion for both business aviation and the best travel and luxury experiences in the world.
  
DG Amazing Experiences  is your e-newsletter guide to the best places and experiences for private jet travelers like yourself.  Each recommendation is personally selected by me with the help of some of the smartest and best travel advisors in the world.  

My goal is to give you a look ahead at what's new, what's hot, and the best of the best. To make it easy for you, the stories are short, but detailed, and I provide plentiful links to additional, relevant information.

You will know links because they are underlined in red. Where relevant, I provide  email contacts of top travel professionals who will personally answer any questions you might have.  Key contact email addresses are underlined in blue.


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