Crystal Announces Launch of Exceptional Initiative Guests who Lost Money Under Crystal Cruises’ Former Ownership Can Apply

[Keith1010]

Some very positive information for Crystal customers who are owed money from Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony sailings.

Keith

 

 

 

 

Crystal Announces Launch of Exceptional Initiative

Guests who Lost Money Under Crystal Cruises’ Former Ownership Can Apply for Credits

 

MIAMI –March 23, 2023 – Crystal announced today that it has launched an Exceptional Initiative for all guests financially impacted by Crystal Cruises’ former ownership and their travel advisors. The initiative is being created in partnership with A&K Travel Group, the new owners of Crystal and its two ships Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony.  

 

Eligible former Crystal guests who hold a verified claim in the Crystal Cruises LLC case will be able to apply for a credit to use towards future Crystal voyages on board either Crystal Serenity or Crystal Symphony.

 

“This Initiative is a plan we have been working on since we acquired Crystal as it will benefit our most loyal customers. This is not something we were legally obliged to do,” said Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, Co-Chairman of A&K Travel Group and of Crystal. “However, we believe that being Exceptional means doing what is unexpected, unusual, and unprecedented. We are choosing to help former guests and travel agents recover their money and hope we will be able to focus on returning to service, the exceptional crew and onboard service that has made Crystal an award-winning cruise line for three decades.”

 

“What Crystal has decided to do with this gesture is remarkable partly because they had no obligation to do it, but mostly because its gives customers another alternative to recover funds lost in the shut down,” said Mark Healy, Executive Vice President of Moecker Associates. “We are also working to analyze all the claims we received and believe that by the end of the summer we will be in a position to release the first reimbursements.”

 

In order for guests to qualify for the credit, the following conditions apply:

·       Guests must have filed a valid claim in the Crystal Cruises LLC case for amounts owed related to cruises onboard Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity that were cancelled.  

 

·       The amount of the credit will be restricted to the outstanding balances owed to the guest minus any funds that have already been refunded through the insolvency proceedings.  

·       The credit will be split into five installments to be applied towards five future bookings. 

·       The first booking must be made by July 1, 2023, and the credit must be utilized towards voyages departing on or before Dec. 31, 2025.  

 

The specific terms and conditions of the Exceptional Initiative along with FAQ’s will be posted on Crystal’s website.  
 

Crystal Serenity’s inaugural sailing will depart July 31, from Marseille for a Mediterranean cruise, and Crystal Symphony will depart on Sept. 1, from Athens. Planned voyages will travel throughout the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Canada and New England, Alaska, the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

[Keith1010]

Additional information from Points Guys.

 

Keith

 

https://thepointsguy.com/news/crystal-cruise-ship-credit-offer/

 

[happy cruising]

Here is the info on Crystal's web site:

Crystal Cruises | Exceptional Initiative

[TER777]

https://apple.news/ACJU5rH36Ru6JKzVvg0FJag

Bloomberg article 

[Texas Tillie]

14 minutes ago, TER777 said:

https://apple.news/ACJU5rH36Ru6JKzVvg0FJag

Bloomberg article 

 

FYI, that's behind a paywall. 

 

Patty

[nancygp]

From Cruiseindustry news

 

https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2023/03/crystal-announces-launch-of-exceptional-initiative-for-past-guests/

 

Nancy

[ryndam]

It's an interesting marketing gesture. My simple, non-actuary/mathematic-type brain did a quickie not-so-hypothetical calculation. It's a 20% discount off of A&K Cruises/Crystal's higher per diem rates. So one needs to spend $150K to "recover" $30K in lost/unreimbursed/bankrupt advance deposits with Genting/Crystal. This appears to be a generous initiative, especially for those booked on future, multi-segment WC's or Grand Journeys. For others, maybe not so much. There doesn't appear to be any downside to register for the credits by 6/1/23.

 

Rob

[HappyInVan]

Enjoy! Sounds like their sales are slow.

[Keith1010]

I just submitted one.

 

Very easy.

 

If you have your form from Moecker it makes it easy. I also needed my Crystal Society Number.

 

Keith

[bitob]

44 minutes ago, ryndam said:

It's an interesting marketing gesture. My simple, non-actuary/mathematic-type brain did a quickie not-so-hypothetical calculation. It's a 20% discount off of A&K Cruises/Crystal's higher per diem rates. So one needs to spend $150K to "recover" $30K in lost/unreimbursed/bankrupt advance deposits with Genting/Crystal. This appears to be a generous initiative, especially for those booked on future, multi-segment WC's or Grand Journeys. For others, maybe not so much. There doesn't appear to be any downside to register for the credits by 6/1/23.

 

Rob

I applaud the new company.  They are finally addressing the bad will out there. No idea if bookings are slower than expected and they want to lure back former loyal customers.  I will register of course but not sure I will book. My dance card is really full through 2025 

[travelberlin]

40 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

I just submitted one.

 

Very easy.

 

If you have your form from Moecker it makes it easy. I also needed my Crystal Society Number.

 

Keith

Which form from Moecker? I remember we have filed a complain by Email. Was there also a form?

Ivi

[bitob]

My ta has told me that his consortium — the largest booker of old crystal — is negotiating with nc about their huge losses. My ta has seen very few requests to book crystal. Maybe this gesture is a response to number of bookings. I don’t know 

 My ta was not impressed with the offer. Prices on nc are 20% higher. 20% off is not exciting. No one knows if it will be worth 20% more. Few people can take enough cruises in that short a time even if they wanted to. Plus no one knows what the product will be 

 

I still think it’s a nice gesture. Not sure how many  will take advantage of it. If u were planning to cruise the new crystal anyway it’s great. 

[bitob]

The comment about the calculation of money owed being “minus funds recovered in the insolvency proceeding” is curious 

 

will we recover anything and if so when we will know?

[Keith1010]

17 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

Which form from Moecker? I remember we have filed a complain by Email. Was there also a form?

Ivi

 

Ivi, I used the form provided to us.

 

It was a proof of claim form and I hand wrote the information and mailed it certified mail to them while some people sent it as an enclosure to an e-mail. I filled out several of them.  It was one page and then I attached my credit invoice from Crystal which showed payment dates, Credit Card company and amounts.

If you didn't use a form then go to the Crystal Site and click on what is being asked for so you have the information in front of you.  It took me one or two minutes to complete one submission.

 

Keith

[happy cruising]

Keith, on the online form to apply for the credit it asks for 

CRUISE RESERVATION ID NUMBER(S) (EXAMPLE: 2332819, 2331982)

 

Did you input your cancelled reservation ID numbers or did you input your newly booked on New Crystal reservation numbers for which you are requesting credit?   I could find no place on the form where it specifies which cruise reservation IDs it wants.

 

 

[travelberlin]

18 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

 

Ivi, I used the form provided to us.

 

It was a proof of claim form and I hand wrote the information and mailed it certified mail to them while some people sent it as an enclosure to an e-mail. I filled out several of them.  It was one page and then I attached my credit invoice from Crystal which showed payment dates, Credit Card company and amounts.

If you didn't use a form then go to the Crystal Site and click on what is being asked for so you have the information in front of you.  It took me one or two minutes to complete one submission.

 

Keith

Thanks Keith, I have also been able to submit to the New Crystal for this initiative because in the Email to Moecker the info was provided. No confirmation email came about this submission from NC but in their web page it told me my application for this initiative was received.

 

Now I understand we have to make our first booking by the end of July 2023 but we can sail until end of December 2025. Is this correct?

 

Ivi

[nancygp]

5 minutes ago, happy cruising said:

Keith, on the online form to apply for the credit it asks for 

CRUISE RESERVATION ID NUMBER(S) (EXAMPLE: 2332819, 2331982)

 

Did you input your cancelled reservation ID numbers or did you input your newly booked on New Crystal reservation numbers for which you are requesting credit?   I could find no place on the form where it specifies which cruise reservation IDs it wants.

 

 

It’s your cancelled reservation ID

 

Nancy

[happy cruising]

Another question:  in the Ts and Cs on the Exceptional Initiative web site it says: An individual booking is defined as one (1) suite or guest room reserved for one voyage, which includes back-to-back voyages, Grand Journeys, or the World Cruise.

 

Does this mean that if you booked back to back voyages you get credit only for 20% of what is owed or would you get 20% for each of the individual back to back voyages?

[Keith1010]

3 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

Thanks Keith, I have also been able to submit to the New Crystal for this initiative because in the Email to Moecker the info was provided. No confirmation email came about this submission from NC but in their web page it told me my application for this initiative was received.

 

Now I understand we have to make our first booking by the end of July 2023 but we can sail until end of December 2025. Is this correct?

 

Ivi

Ivi, that is correct.  It is good for all voyages between July 31 and ones departing in December. 2025.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

9 minutes ago, happy cruising said:

Keith, on the online form to apply for the credit it asks for 

CRUISE RESERVATION ID NUMBER(S) (EXAMPLE: 2332819, 2331982)

 

Did you input your cancelled reservation ID numbers or did you input your newly booked on New Crystal reservation numbers for which you are requesting credit?   I could find no place on the form where it specifies which cruise reservation IDs it wants.

 

 

As Nancy said it is asking about the cancelled cruise so you put that reservation number.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

3 minutes ago, happy cruising said:

Another question:  in the Ts and Cs on the Exceptional Initiative web site it says: An individual booking is defined as one (1) suite or guest room reserved for one voyage, which includes back-to-back voyages, Grand Journeys, or the World Cruise.

 

Does this mean that if you booked back to back voyages you get credit only for 20% of what is owed or would you get 20% for each of the individual back to back voyages?

I am checking for you.

Keith

[happy cruising]

Thanks Keith.

[Keith1010]

4 minutes ago, happy cruising said:

Another question:  in the Ts and Cs on the Exceptional Initiative web site it says: An individual booking is defined as one (1) suite or guest room reserved for one voyage, which includes back-to-back voyages, Grand Journeys, or the World Cruise.

 

Does this mean that if you booked back to back voyages you get credit only for 20% of what is owed or would you get 20% for each of the individual back to back voyages?

The way it was just explained to me say it was the World Cruise with many segments if you booked the entire World Cruise you would get one credit for the entire thing and same would go for Grand Voyages and back to backs.

 

Keith

[nancygp]

4 minutes ago, happy cruising said:

Another question:  in the Ts and Cs on the Exceptional Initiative web site it says: An individual booking is defined as one (1) suite or guest room reserved for one voyage, which includes back-to-back voyages, Grand Journeys, or the World Cruise.

 

Does this mean that if you booked back to back voyages you get credit only for 20% of what is owed or would you get 20% for each of the individual back to back voyages?

A back to back will be considered one voyage based on the info 

 

Nancy

[happy cruising]

Nancy, I'm not sure I would read it that way.  Glad Keith is verifying ...