By
Eve Smith |
Crystal Symphony has now entered the final stages of an extensive refurbishment at the Fincantieri shipyard in Trieste, Italy, after successfully completing its sea trials.
The ship is being refurbished by its new owner A&K Travel Group, which saved the Crystal brand from liquidation in June 2022. It has now passed all the navigation, technical, mechanical and fire safety tests it needed to ensure it is ready to return to service.
“We are thrilled that Crystal Symphony has completed sea trials and is one step closer to returning to service in a few short weeks,” said Roberto Fazi, senior vice president of marine operations at Crystal.
Following the refurbishment, Crystal Symphony has larger suites with unique finishes and refreshed speciality dining venues, including the new Osteria d’Ovidio restaurant, which was designed to reflect the Northern Italian heritage of Crystal’s executive chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio. Other onboard highlights will include a new pickleball court, upgraded wellness facilities – which include the renamed Aurora Spa – and other upgraded entertainment offerings. The ship will have one of the industry’s best staff-to-guest ratios, according to Crystal.
Crystal Symphony will spend the remainder of the summer in Europe following its maiden cruise from Athens, Greece, on 1 September, then head to Africa in October before repositioning to host voyages in Australia and Asia.
The vessel’s sister ship, Crystal Serenity, re-entered service on 31 July after a similar renovation.
“To be able to relaunch our brand and two ships within such a short amount of time is completely unprecedented, and we could not have done it without the amazing work of our leadership and teams, both on board and shoreside,” said Fazi. “We also wouldn’t be here without our partners at Fincantieri who worked around the clock to deliver this beautiful ship on time.”