New Rewards for Frequent Sailing

As cruise veterans know, most repeat passengers are rewarded with thoughtful presents by booking more sailings with the same cruise line. Those sailing more than once with Los Angeles-based Crystal Cruises, for instance, have always received crystal glassware, moving up from glasses to pitchers to decanters as their number of cruises increased.

“But when we asked the repeat guests what they would like best,” says Joseph Watters, Crystal president, “they named air upgrades, on-board credits and an occasional free cruise.”

So Crystal announced recently that they’re replacing the glassware in 1998 with practical rewards such as free cruises, first-class air upgrades, shipboard credits and cabin upgrades.

Anyone who has sailed at least once on the Crystal Harmony or Crystal Symphony qualifies, and all previous sailings are counted in the new program. Unlike airline frequent-flier awards, which may be limited to certain flights, the Crystal awards are good on all sailings, and the total number of cruises continues to mount even after awards are claimed, never going back to zero as frequent-flier programs do.

After five cruises, a passenger can get a cabin upgrade and receive a shipboard credit, good in the shops and bars aboard. After 15, a passenger gets an airline upgrade to first class.

Passengers booking a penthouse suite with butler service (prices begin at about $645 a day per person, double occupancy) will receive additional perks.

Various other Milestone Levels accrue other awards at each fifth cruise up to 30, then at 50, 75 and 100. In between the Milestone Levels, passengers are awarded shipboard credits, which they can spend in the shops, beauty salon or bars.

After 100 cruises, a super-loyal passenger (presumably one with a lot of free time and money) can get a free cruise for two in a Crystal penthouse, the most deluxe accommodations aboard.

Crystal’s marketing director Adam Leavitt describes it as “a progressive program--the more you cruise the more you get.”

Repeat passengers already receive a 5% discount on any cruise, plus an additional 5% off if the next cruise is booked while on one of the ships. Full commissions are paid to the passenger’s travel agent even when the cruise is booked aboard.

Since the line’s debut in 1990, the Crystal ships have been among the most highly rated luxury vessels at sea.

This summer, the Crystal Harmony will be cruising in Europe, starting in the Mediterranean in May and June with 12-day itineraries between Rome and Athens, followed by 12-day Northern Capitals sailings between London and Copenhagen or Hamburg.

European sailings begin at $3,272 per person, double occupancy, when booked early enough to qualify for a 25% early booking discount.

Among the enrichment lecturers scheduled for summer sailings in Europe are newsman Walter Cronkite, author Judith Krantz and actress Bonnie Franklin.

In the autumn, the ship relocates to the Mediterranean, then crosses to Fort Lauderdale and heads to South America at the end of October. A Carnival in Rio itinerary will be one of the South American highlights in early 1998.

The Crystal Symphony will spend the summer in Alaska, offering 12-day itineraries round trip from San Francisco. Fares begin at $4,653 per person, double occupancy, when a 10% early booking fee is applicable. Guest lecturers scheduled on Alaska sailings include Caspar Weinberger, former secretary of defense; author David McCullough; and celebrity chef John Ash.

On Aug. 26, the ship cruises along the U.S. East Coast from San Juan, Puerto Rico to New York, then offers a series of 10-day sailings between Montreal and New York before beginning its winter series of Panama Canal cruises.

For 1998, Crystal introduces 24 new ports of call, including Alicante, Spain; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Qingdao, China; and Seattle.

The 1998 World Cruise aboard the Crystal Symphony sets out from Los Angeles Jan. 14 on a 101-day Routes of Royalty itinerary that will include maiden calls in Dunedin, New Zealand; Thursday Island, Australia; Ambon, Indonesia; Salalah, Oman; Port Blair, Andaman Islands; Goa, India; Aqaba, Jordan; and Bitung/Manado, Sulawesi.

For a free color brochure for 1997 and an advance sailing schedule for 1998, see a travel agent or call (800) 446-6620.