Crystal Cruises’ international sales boss has outlined a period of stabilsation for the line following a policy of rapid expansion under Edie Rodriguez’s tenure.
Helen Beck admitted there were “consequences” when the company, led by former president and chief executive Rodriguez, launched Crystal Yacht and Crystal Air, a charter jet service, and Crystal River Cruises in quick succession.
The expansion plans followed the acquisition of the company by Genting Hong Kong in 2015.
Currently Crystal Cruises has two ocean vessels, Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony; one yacht class ship, Crystal Esprit; and six river ships.
The first of three new ocean vessels is scheduled for delivery in 2022. Earlier this year, Wolber revealed these would be downsized and have a passenger capacity of 800 rather than 1,000.
Outlining the brand’s immediate plans, Beck said: “We are really stabilising. If you look at Crystal Cruises we have had 25 years of being stable and then we had an ownership change which brought about a whole raft of announcements.
“We announced the creation of Crystal Yacht, Crystal Air and decided to do that all at once which was ambitious and extreme in that there were consequences to all those ambitions.”
On Rodriguez, Beck said: “Crystal Cruises needed Edie. She is excellent at brand presentation and getting a brand out there.
“We needed Edie to pump up our awareness a bit.”
Last year Thomas Wolber took over from Rodriguez when she resigned from her position and became Ponant’s Americas brand chairman and corporate special advisor a month later.