Crystal River Cruises has expanded its 2022 European offerings with the reintroduction of Crystal Mozart, the company’s grand, double-wide inaugural river ship.
The deployment of the vessel increases the luxury options available to travelers on Europe’s rivers. Affectionately known as the Queen of the Danube, Crystal Mozart will offer weekly seven-night Danube Dreams & Discoveries voyages, conveniently sailing roundtrip from Vienna beginning March 28, 2022. With Crystal Mozart’s return, Crystal Mahler will reposition to the Rhine, Main, and Moselle rivers, also with a variety of new itineraries.
In an industry first, Crystal Mozart, which launched Crystal River Cruises five years ago, will offer 38 deluxe window suites dedicated to solo travelers – with no single supplement – on all voyages, reducing her capacity to just 120 guests and making her the most spacious river ship, with the highest crew-to-guest ratio, in the European river industry. Crystal Mahler and her Rhine Class sister ships – Crystal Bach, Crystal Debussy, and Crystal Ravel – accommodate just 106 guests, also boasting superior space ratios for all on board.
Kicking off the Crystal River Cruise European schedule on March 28, 2022, Crystal Mozart’s Danube Dreams & Discoveries itineraries will sail from Vienna on Mondays with overnights in the Austrian capital and Budapest, as well as calls to the historic city of Esztergom, Hungary; Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia; Linz, Austria, and day trips to Salzburg; Dürnstein and daylight sailing through the breathtaking Wachau Valley.
As Crystal Mozart returns to the Danube, Crystal Mahler will now sail a variety of new itineraries ranging from five to 16 nights on the Rhine, Moselle, Main, and Danube rivers, including some voyages that combine three rivers in one journey. Her new itineraries highlight the seasonal beauty of the region, including five-night summer Rhine & Moselle Summer Escapes sailings between Amsterdam and Trier; 10-night fall Splendors of the Rhine & Moselle voyages between Amsterdam and Basel; and 14-night Magnificent Europe sailings between Amsterdam and Budapest on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers.
Crystal Mahler begins her season on April 2, 2022, with a series of Legendary Rhine and Romantic Rhine seven-night sailings between Amsterdam and Basel followed by springtime Tulips & Windmills voyages on Dutch waterways and the Rhine River, beginning April 30, round-trip from Amsterdam. These voyages showcase the once-in-a-decade Floriade Expo near Amsterdam, where the city and surrounding area transform with flora and greenery from across the globe. The voyage also visits Hoorn, Kinderdijk, Middleburg and Rotterdam, Netherlands, and Antwerp and Ghent, Belgium.
The popular seven-night Romantic Rhine and Legendary Rhine itineraries between Amsterdam and Basel, which Crystal Mahler will again offer from October through December of 2022 and are also featured on Crystal Bach and Crystal Debussy, feature overnights in Koblenz and Amsterdam; calls in Cologne, Rüdesheim, and Mannheim, Germany; and Strasbourg, France, and daylight cruising through the Rhine Gorge (Middle Rhine Valley).
Along the Moselle and Rhine rivers, one of the most breathtaking waterways in Europe, guests can explore the vineyard-flanked river in the heart of the Mosel Wine Region. Convenient, new five-night summertime Rhine & Moselle Summer Escapes voyages sail between Amsterdam and Trier, with late-night stays in the lovely wine villages of Cochem and Bernkastel; the UNESCO World Heritage City of Cologne; and overnights in Trier for exploration Roman heritage sites or day trips to Luxembourg. From Trier, guests can extend their vacation with optional two-night pre- or post-cruise Extended Land Programs in Reims, France, the unofficial capital of the Champagne region. The land package includes sightseeing, tastings, and transfers between Paris and Reims.
The new ten-night autumn Splendors of the Rhine & Moselle sails north- and south-bound departures between Amsterdam and Basel in September and October, during peak harvest season in the vineyards. The voyages sail through the Middle Rhine Valley and UNESCO-listed Rhine Gorge, with its storybook castles and rolling vineyards; wine valley cities of Cochem, Trier, and Bernkastel (considered the epicenter of Riesling); offer day trips to charming Heidelberg via Mannheim; Koblenz, situated at the confluence of the two rivers; Rüdesheim and extended stays or overnights in beautiful Strasbourg.
For longer luxury journeys, guests can sail Crystal Mahler’s 16-night and 14-night springtime Grand Europe and Magnificent Europe itineraries, respectively, which combine sailing along the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers. Beginning and ending with overnights in Amsterdam and Budapest, the voyages offer immersive experiences throughout Germany’s riverside towns of Cologne, Rüdesheim (overnight), Miltenberg, Würzburg, Nuremberg, Regensberg and Passau; Vienna (overnight) and Dürnstein, Austria; and Bratislava, Slovakia.
Both Crystal Mozart and Crystal Mahler will also offer special holiday sailings in late December. Crystal Mozart’s Danube Holiday Wonders voyage spends Christmas and Hannukah sailing roundtrip from Vienna on December 19, 2022, visiting Melk and Linz, Austria; Bratislava, Slovakia; and Esztergom and Budapest, Hungary spotlighting the wondrous experience region during the wintertime holidays. Guests can ring in the New Year aboard a Spectacular Danube Holiday voyage, embarking in Vienna on December 26, 2022, visiting Melk, Linz, Krems, and Dürnstein, Austria; Passau, Germany, and ending with two nights in Vienna for an extraordinary New Year’s Eve.
Crystal Mahler will sail a new ten-night Holidays on the Rhine sailing from Basel to Amsterdam on December 23, 2022, spending overnights in Strasbourg, Mannheim, and Amsterdam (two nights) and exploring the winter wonderlands of Rüdesheim, Cochem, Koblenz, Bernkastel, Trier and Cologne, Germany. Guests will spend Christmas Eve in Strasbourg, France, and enjoy a midnight mass and Christmas Day in Mannheim, allowing visits to Heidelberg. On New Year’s Eve in Amsterdam, Crystal Mahler will be joined by sister ship Crystal Bach for a special celebration.
The Crystal River Cruises fleet comprises the most spacious ships sailing Europe’s rivers with generously sized guest suites, expansive social spaces, and open-air top Vista Decks. In addition to her newly dedicated suites for solo travelers, the all-suite Crystal Mozart sets the standard in European river cruising in several other ways, as she is the only ship to feature a wrap-around Promenade Deck, the largest onboard spa, two onboard fitness centers, and guest suites that feature Toto toilets with personal washlet system.
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