Crystal Cruises is surely doing their part to help make the world a better place. It all started in January 2011, when they introduced the “You Care, We Care” voluntourism program where guests and crew can be directly involved in worthwhile causes in the destinations they visit, including opportunities such as assisting with poverty relief, education, cultural preservation, environmental conservation, animal welfare, and more. In May, Arun Gandhi joins guests aboard Crystal Symphony for a Iberian Peninsula sailing.

Few names in world history evoke such powerful images of integrity, courage, social harmony, and – perhaps most of all – hope. Arun Gandhi carries within himself the same guiding principles as his grandfather, the legendary peace-maker and spiritual leader, Mohandas K. Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi. A speaker of international acclaim, Gandhi has spoken at hundreds of colleges and universities, and corporate and civic organizations. His unique talents and cross-cultural experiences have brought him before governmental, social, and educational audiences in countries all over the world. Arun is a cultural treasure, offering firsthand insights into one of history’s most influential leaders.

From May 9 – 21, 2012, join Gandhi aboard Crystal Symphony’s  ”Iberian Journey“ sailing from Barcelona to London, with calls in Mallorca/Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, and Málaga, Spain; Tangiers, Morocco; Lisbon and Oporto/Leixoes, Portugal; and Bordeaux, France. You too can help make the world a better place!

Bypass the lines and get to the luxury

Crystal VIP Airport Services may include:

-Greeting upon airport arrival (inbound, outbound, and connecting flights)

-Luggage porter service

-Flight tracking and handling, including assistance with delayed or cancelled flights and related lodging, transportation, meals, etc.

-Escorted and expedited check-in, security, customs, and immigration

-Entree to restricted-access airport lounges

-Preferred boarding

-Limousine/town car transfers between airport, home, day room, and/or ship

For more information and Crystal reservations call 888-799-4625 or visit www.crystalcruises.com.

Crystal Cruises launched its “Crystal Love Stories” Facebook contest yesterday, offering Crystal Society members the chance to win a free cruise for two worth up to $15,000.

For two months, Crystal’s past and present guests can submit their 100–500 word personal stories about their most cherished moments with Crystal Cruises. Entrants have until noon PST on April 16 to submit their love story, whether it be a romantic evening onboard, a lovely moment of relaxation at one of Crystal’s onboard spas, or a beloved experience on a shore excursion.  If you loved something about your cruise, make sure to let Crystal know!

Contest Entry Instructions:
1. Like the Crystal Cruises Facebook page.
2. Fill out the brief entry form.
3. Submit your inspiring essay of 100-500 words.

After the two month submission period, Facebook users will read and vote on the loveliest story of all. The two top vote-getters will be guaranteed a spot in the “Final Five” – a panel of Crystal judges will choose the remaining three finalists and the Grand Prize Winner. All five finalists will receive $500 in shipboard credits.

For additional contest details, visit Crystal Cruises’ Facebook page: www.facebook/crystalcruises

It’s the beginning of a new year, and a new you! If you’re resolving to be healthier this year, why not kick start your new fitness regimen on board an ultra-luxe cruise ship? Crystal Cruises is now offering complimentary Pilates and yoga programs on board both Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity on nine sailings each throughout the year. Travelers can attend several classes per day during their cruise, or arrange private one-on-one sessions of either interest (for a fee), as well as men- and couples-only yoga instruction.

Every Crystal Cruise offers a host of complimentary classes such as stretch, spinning, abs, circuit training/boot camp, and more. Crystal’s state-of-the-art fitness center, the only Feng Shui spa and gym at sea, features Kinesis strength training equipment, LifeFitness® treadmills with individual flat-screen TVs, cross trainers, recumbent and upright life cycles and steppers, free weights, and other strength-training equipment. Golf instruction, tennis, Nordic Pole walking, WALKVEST® Training, personal trainers, and a bevy of dietary choices offer the perfect opportunity to kick-start, or comply with, your healthy lifestyle.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2012 aboard Crystal Cruises!

For more information on Crystal Cruises, visit www.crystalcruises.com

Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Serenity rescued two rowers this morning while en route to St. Maarten from the Canary Islands.  The rowers’ small boat capsized 480 miles west of the Canary Islands after a large wave sunk their boat. Twenty-three-year-old Tom Fancett from the U.K. and Tom Sauer from the Netherlands, competitors in the 2011 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge Race to row across the Atlantic, were huddled on a tiny life raft for 10 hours before being picked up by Crystal Serenity at 6:00 a.m. local time. The ship was 120 nautical miles north of the rowers when it received the rescue assist call from the Falmouth (U.K.) Coast Guard.

Sailing at full speed to the boaters, Captain Økland maneuvered Serenity through the remaining Atlantic Challenge racers and worsening weather. With lookouts posted throughout the night, Crystal Serenity located the boaters’ flare five hours later, hoisting them directly onto the ship.  After a checkup in the ship’s medical center, the survivors appear to be healthy.  Crystal Serenity expects to arrive on schedule in St. Maarten on Sunday.

“Both individuals are in good spirits and, of course, very happy to be alive,” says Crystal’s President Gregg Michel.  “We are so proud of the quick reaction and skilled seamanship of our crew that enabled them to save these brave men.  While these young men hoped to cross the Atlantic in a most basic fashion, they are certainly experiencing the crossing in the most luxurious environment – an ironic, and heartwarming, turn of events.”

Mark Bittman knows food, and he’s picked Copenhagen as the newest breakout culinary city. Serious foodies will be already be familiar with Noma, the two Michelin star restaurant run by chef Rene Redzepi (and Restaurant Magazine’s Best Restaurant in the World the last two years running), but Bittman’s recommendations don’t stop there: there’s also Relae (run by Noma alumni), Geist, Paustian, Schonnemann, and Kodbyens Fiskebar. From the Robuchon-style mashed potatoes with pickled brown crab at Geist, to the herring smorrebrod sandwiches at Schonnemann, each restaurant serves up traditional Danish fare with a modern twist.

It’s not only the restaurants in Copenhagen that are cool—the city is also home to its very own Ice Bar, where everything from the walls and furnishings to the cocktail glasses the vodka libations are served in are made from ice specially imported from the Tome River in Jukkasjarvi, 125 miles north of the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden. The bar’s kept at a crisp 23 degrees Fahrenheit—so bundle up!

If your appetite’s been whet for the latest in creative Nordic cuisine, Crystal Symphony will be making six calls to Copenhagen in 2012, including three overnights, giving you plenty of time to sample the best the city has to offer. Book Now All-Inclusive fares start at just $5,890/person, double occupancy, through December 31. And for an even greater in-depth tour of Scandinavian gastronomy, Crystal’s Wine & Food Festival-themed August 14 sailing from Stockholm to London will feature two renowned Nordic chefs on board.

If you’ve ever dreamed of cruising around the world, your dreams are about to get even better! Explore legendary lands and idyllic isles on Crystal Serenity’s 2012 World Cruise, a 94-day round-trip Los Angeles journey circumnavigating the world’s greatest ocean. Best of all, the sailing already has quite the guest list, and includes TV legend Regis Philbin, Hall of Famers Hank Aaron (baseball) and Don Shula (football), Olympians Dorothy Hamill (ice skating) and Kathy Rigby (gymnastics), and astronauts “Hoot” Gibson and Rhea Seddon. So start the New Year off right by making your dreams come true and booking your world cruise with Crystal Cruises.

With temperatures dipping below freezing and a snowstorm in October, it’s no secret that winter came much too soon. While we can’t control the weather, we can certainly run from it! Ditch the snow boots, pack your warm weather gear and escape with top luxury line, Crystal Cruises, instead.

Voted World’s Best more than any other cruise line in history, Crystal Cruises offers a diverse collection of itineraries exploring the Panama Canal, South America, Caribbean, and the Pacific Coast. Book before December 31, 2011 and receive up to $4,000 per couple in additional savings! But hurry, Crystal Cruises’ Book Now Fares don’t last forever.

Other exclusive offers, available for a limited time, include 2-for-1 fares, special savings for repeat Crystal Society guests, families and friends traveling together, new-to-Crystal savings, early full payment savings, and generous savings for back-to-back combination cruises. So, pull out your bathing suits and sun block, put away your hats and gloves, and book now to save!

Lucky fans will get the thrill of their lives upon meeting the “Queen of Suspense” herself,  author Mary Higgins Clark, on Crystal Cruises’ “Beyond the Bosporus” sailing  from Venice to Istanbul September 7 – 19.

Known for keeping readers on the edges of their seats, Clark will share tales of her life, her novels, and what it takes to make the suspense come to life.

Two-for-one fares start at just $7,485, and guests can save on verandah and penthouse staterooms as part of Crystal’s big fall fare sale. All bookings include air transportation from 24 North American cities and $2,000 “As You Wish” shipboard credit per couple.

Is the suspense killing you? Book today for the thrill of a lifetime!

You won’t need a sea-parting miracle to take this Jewish voyage across the water. Interest is growing in Jewish heritage tours and Crystal Cruises has noticed! Crystal has scheduled over a dozen Crystal Adventures that explore Jewish life, past and present, all around the world! From Mumbai to Miami, Copenhagen to Rome, and of course, Jerusalem, there’s countless sights to be seen.

Each tour gives an overview of this fascinating culture within a culture through spaces, exhibits, artifacts, traditions, and people that bring the international Jewish narrative to life. There is also a Jewish heritage tour of Shanghai in the works for the 2012 World Cruise–we’ll keep you posted!