CRYSTAL : A NEW CHAPTER
None of this , of course , would mean a thing without the crew . Crystal ’ s people are the vital ingredient in its recipe for success . As Brand Ambassador Fernando Barroso de Oliveira , expresses it , “ The ships are magnificent , accommodation fabulous , and we probably have the largest amount of space per guest in the industry . But it ’ s the crew that creates the soul of the ship .”
Bernie Leypold , Crystal ’ s Senior Vice President , Global Hotel Operations , strikes a similar note . Asked what makes Crystal truly special , he replies : “ It starts with the crew . For them it ’ s not just a job . It never has been a job . It ’ s a passion . We hire our crew to be part of a family ; we hire them for their attitude , for their approach to service , and then we train them on board .”
Crystal ’ s crew-to-guest ratio , Leypold adds , is one of the best in the industry , with almost one crew member for each guest , which means they can really concentrate on providing the highest levels of warm , anticipatory service . “ For the guests ,” he says , “ it feels like coming home – because even if you have not been on board for three years , you will have crew members remembering your name , what you would like to drink , what we should put in the mini-bar , what your preference of pillow is . In essence , this is what we mean by Exceptional at Sea .”
Former Travel Editor of The Times JANE KNIGHT now shares her expert knowledge of luxury travel for a variety of titles , from Condé Nast Traveler to The Telegraph .
Clockwise from top right AURŌRA SPA ; AL FRESCO DINING AT MARKETPLACE , CRYSTAL SYMPHONY ; THE POOL DECK , CRYSTAL SERENITY
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