The Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, as well as the Crystal
Cruises brand, have been acquired by A&K Travel Group, the company
owned by Abercrombie and Kent CEO Geoffrey Kent and Heritage, the
holding company chaired by Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio.
Crystal Cruises and Abercrombie & Kent will report to Cristina Levis, CEO of A&K Travel Group.
The company said it has partnered with cruise ship management company
V.Ships Leisure, which has been managing the two ships since they
ceased operations earlier this year.
Lefebvre had previously expressed interest in the ships, and in a
statement he said that he was "thrilled to start this new chapter and to
be back in an industry that has always had, and always will have a
special place in my heart .... Selling the cruise business that belonged
to my family for a quarter of a century was a difficult decision, as I
knew I would miss this industry immensely.
"Therefore, when the opportunity arose to acquire Crystal Cruises, I did not think about it twice."
A&K Travel Group did not confirm the purchase price, but earlier
reports put the sale at a combined US$128 million for the pair. There
was no indication from A&K Travel if the Crystal Endeavor expedition
ship was part of the deal.
Source: Travel Weekly