A New And Different Way To Enjoy Luxury Cruises

Crystal’s Luxury Cruises

The cruise industry is very specialized, and not my specialty, but those in it generally consider Crystal an “ultra-luxury” line, famous for its extremely high staffing, including butlers, large accommodations and public areas, generous inclusions and lack of extra fees, and an excellent and diverse culinary program—including famed Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s only eatery at sea. Crystal claims to offer the most physical space per passenger in the entire cruise industry, and one of the highest staff : guest ratios—nearly one to one.

I recently wrote about how in resorts and hotels on dry land, luxury all-inclusive is one of the hottest trends in travel right now, but at sea, Crystal has been offering its “ultra all-inclusive” for years. Most cruise lines charge for adult beverages, and many even charge for soft drinks, while it is normal in the industry to have surcharges or limits for “fancier” restaurants (as specialist website CruiseCritic.com wrote, “Planning to enjoy a few cocktails or glasses of wine on your upcoming cruise? On many cruise lines, that pleasure can come at a hefty price.”) But Crystal’s rates include every restaurant, every bar, tasting dinners with wine pairings, champagne, unlimited in-room dining, even gratuities.

The ships are big enough to traverse the world’s major oceans, and carry amenities such as swimming pools, spas (with sauna and steamroom) and casinos, but are far smaller than most big cruise lines, giving much more intimacy and space. You will not get lost on them, a real possibility in today’s cruise world, and Crystal’s two ships (a third is on the way for summer 2028) were both extensively refurbished in 2023. They hold just 606 and 740 passengers, which would be on the larger side for a non-Vegas hotel but tiny by cruise standards, with ships today that can take more than six or seven thousand people, ten times as many. As a result, on Crystal, every room is an outside sea view room, yet despite the small scale, the ships have 9-10 dining venues, which is pretty amazing for that size—plus 24-hour room service. They just won the 2025 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Award for Midsized-Ship Ocean Cruise Line.

Abercrombie & Kent

Founded in 1962 by Geoffrey Kent, who still leads trips as the company’s Chairman Emeritus, Abercrombie & Kent is likely the world’s most famous tour operator, though “tour operator” really doesn’t do them justice. The company offers a staggering array of scheduled and custom tours of all styles and varied levels of luxury, all around the globe, including expedition cruising in arctic regions. They even operate several of their own luxury lodges under the A&K Sanctuary brand, something very few competitors do, and these include a new one next year in Moab, UT, their first outside Africa. Moab is the gateway to the amazing Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and has long been a very popular tourism destination that lacked anything near this level of lodging.

But what really sets A&K apart is the depth of its hands-on operations, with highly acclaimed guides, many of whom have been with the company for a very long time, and their own offices in more than 30 countries. The norm in the industry is for tour operators to subcontract everything from drivers and local transport to guides, but A&K has much more of its own staff, which allows for better quality control. There are also a lot of staffers behind the scenes, doing invisible but important jobs such as shepherding guest luggage securely.

This also allows for better local connections, which in turn means more VIP access. When I joined them for a trip in the Philippines, where the traffic is pretty bad, they had arranged for the local police to provide motorcade escorts to and from the airport and on every excursion, which was a huge time savings day after day, as was their VIP expedited immigration clearance on arrival, and a police escort is something you simply cannot do on your own—and in fact, few other tour operators can do. When we went to see the rare Sun bears in Malaysia, we were led by the world’s foremost research scientist, and if you do the A&K trip described below to Rome, you’ll get private access to the Vatican. Those are just a few examples, but are representative of the company’s clout, which helps explain why they have won the coveted Conde Nast Traveler Best Tour Operators in the World award three times.

A New Way To Enjoy Luxury Cruises

It’s a match made in travel heaven. While like any cruise line, Crystal always offers shore excursions (usually for a fee), these special voyages go a lot further, using the full-blown Abercrombie & Kent tour experience, with signature enrichment programming and exclusive access under the leadership of its renowned team of experts, included in the fare.

Not everyone onboard is doing the A&K combo, some are just booking the “regular” luxury Crystal experience, but the former adds a lot of extras. Each A&K x Crystal Cruises departure begins with airport meet and greet and a two-night stay in the departure city at a luxury hotel selected by A&K, featuring programming designed to immerse travelers in the destination. That’s a big extra right out of the gate.

For example, if you do the Rome to Venice 12-night Mediterranean voyage, you are put up in Rome’s awesome Anantara Palazzo Naiadi, a historic luxury gem that is a personal favorite of mine, and which I wrote about in detail here at Forbes when it opened three years ago. The first full day in Rome includes an A&K guided VIP visit to the Vatican—before it opens to the public. Or choose to explore the Colosseum and other historic sites, including an important Church not open to the public. Or dive into the Trastevere neighborhood and vista a private villa with a stunning collection of Rafel frescoes. Because the demographic for these trips are people who have probably visited places like Rome before, there are always multiple options so you can try something new. Do this itinerary in the other direction and you’ll unwind at the start in Venice’s wonderful San Clemente Palace.

Then there are priority embarkation privileges, and all A&K couples stay in Sapphire Veranda Suites, the highest category below the penthouses (on Serenity they are 430 square feet with a 107 square foot outdoor veranda, separate living room, large luxury bathroom, some with tubs, and the suites include free laundry and dry cleaning, an unusual touch) while solo travelers get Aquamarine Veranda Suites, the next level, just slightly smaller and also with a large outdoor living and dining area.

In addition to Crystal’s full range of amenities and entertainment, A&K guests participate in a program of exclusive on-board events, special dinners and expert-led lectures during the voyage. The biggest benefit is a choice of included and carefully curated shore excursions designed by A&K’s network of local specialists.

The A&K x Crystal Cruises partnership concept was just launched this year, with five inaugural 2026 voyages, beginning with an Italy, Greece and the Balkans trip in late August—which sold out in just weeks after being announced. Then trips have quickly proven so popular that ten itineraries were added for 2027 and are currently taking bookings.

“The overwhelming demand for our 2026 pilot voyage demonstrated something extraordinary,” said Fernando Delgado, Chief Product Officer at parent Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group. “Guests instantly connected with the combination of A&K’s deep cultural expertise and Crystal’s unparalleled onboard atmosphere. That success gave us the momentum to expand into 2027 with even more departures, more destinations and more opportunities for travelers to experience cultural exploration with both brands at their very best.”

Both of these venerable brands have a lot of loyal repeat customers, but until now, travelers would have to choose between Crystal luxury cruises or an A&K adventure on dry land. Now you can experience both in one trip, with white glove service and champagne at every turn. It’s a new and different way to enjoy luxury cruises.