Products & services

First Crystal ship custom built for exploration paired with luxury retail experience

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 16 July 2021 16 July 2021

Premier retailer at sea, Starboard Cruise Services – an LVMH Moët Hennessy company – and Crystal Cruises unveil a highly curated adventurous-luxury shopping experience aboard its first purpose-built expedition vessel, Crystal Endeavor. Crystal’s first-ever expedition guests will board Crystal Endeavor from Reykjavík, Iceland on July 17, 2021.

Reflective of Crystal’s mantra for expedition cruising, Where Luxury Roams Freely, shipboard shopping includes limited-time merchandise and destination-related, artisanal collections inspired by the ship’s planned itineraries. For initial voyages, guests can shop from a range of relevant goods that include a selection of outerwear accessories for polar climates, cold weather skin care and sun protection technology (polarization and UV protection).

“The vision for Crystal Endeavor’s retail concept exemplifies adventurous with an element of practicality complemented by a flexible merchandise approach that equips guests to explore exotic, undiscovered destinations with comfort, style and craftsmanship,” says Lisa Bauer, Starboard’s president and CEO. “The fresh approach on retail is perfect for adventure travel while maintaining Crystal’s ultra-luxury standard.”

Rugged + refined

Crystal Endeavor’s voyagers are fully equipped for remote destinations and extreme environments along with both exclusive and thrilling experiences.

– Alpaca Apparel, cozy clothing woven out of the softest, functional and sustainable fibers on Earth.
– Caudalie, French-skincare line that specializes in vinothérapie – products that harness extracts from grapes and grapevines – is an extension of Crystal’s new in-suite amenity experience.
– Herschel Supply Co., timeless, quality designed bags that bring convenience to off-the-beaten path travel.
– Hubert Jewelry collection created from rare, ethically sourced, one-of-a-kind diamonds and gemstones and long-time favorites of Crystal guests.
– Lat & Lo, the world's first jewelry line of inscribed latitude and longitude coordinates with the offering onboard planned to reflect the wanderlust-driven itineraries.
– Swarovski Optik binoculars, the gold standard in the world of sport optics, complimenting Crystal’s Swarovski Spotting Scopes that guests will find on deck to view the spectacular surroundings.

"The launch of Crystal’s first vessel designed exclusively for expedition cruising needed the retail program to be customized for adventurous world travelers. The daring retail program elicits exploratory shopping and accentuates the unique guest cruise journey,” says Jack Anderson, Crystal’s president. “The onboard curated products significantly strengthen the new standard of luxury expedition cruising.”

Crystal Endeavor will offer 10-night immersive voyages around Iceland’s beautiful and fascinating locales. The unique retail program for Crystal Endeavor will evolve to reflect local treasures and culturally significant items related to other remote and exclusive destinations as the yacht travels around the world.

Perfection onboard Crystal Endeavor when combining expedition and luxury

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 15 July 2021 15 July 2021

TDoS has delivered design to the six-star expedition ship Crystal Endeavor, which sets sail from Reykjavik July 17 for a ten-night roundtrip around beautiful Iceland.

Crystal Endeavor, a name taken from the ship sailed by Captain James Cook on his voyage of discovery to Australia and New Zeeland, will carry 200 guests in 100 suites and is the world’s largest and most spacious megayacht. Crystal Endeavour will offer extreme luxury combined with extraordinary service, and with more space per person than any other ship. The ship is classified with a Polar Class 6, enabling her to sail through medium first-year ice in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

One of the most impressive spaces onboard the ship is the two-story solarium, glass-enclosed social area offering panoramic views from sea to sky with an ultra-modern retreat featuring Crystal Seahorse Pool and Jacuzzi. During the evenings the base becomes an entertainment area with stage and dancefloor.

“The Solarium design is a realisation of our vision to bring the outside in. Look up to witness the majesty of star fields, while you let all your worries evaporate in the spa or maybe catch a glimpse of a polar bear as you cruise by, while sipping a snow ball cocktail…. We're creating unforgettable memories by surrounding you with plenty of exquisite designs.” says Anders Lund-Rasmussen, TDoS Project Director.

Another favorite spot onboard is Palm Court, which is an inviting contemporary space perfect for afternoon tea or a cocktail. With a magnificent forward view one can admire the beautiful scenery outside or listen to the presentations or lectures of the day.

Crystal Life Spa & Salon, Crystal Life Fitness and Crystal Life Sauna are all wellness areas offering fitness classes, treatments and relaxation in absolute comfort with a perfect view, all designed by TDoS.

“The design and building calibre of Crystal Endeavor is outstanding,” said Captain Thomas Larsen, who will helm Crystal Endeavor. “With her responsive, agile manoeuvrability, safety and technical capabilities, this vessel is akin to driving a finely tuned German-built elite sports car such as a Porsche. Combined with the programs and features that will bring the journeys to life, Crystal Endeavor represents the pinnacle of luxury expedition cruising and I look forward to exploring the world with her and our valued guests.”

With two helicopters, a submersible and aft marina Crystal Endeavor will offer perfect expedition experiences from the Arctic to the Antarctic.

“It has been a great pleasure for the TDoS team to be part of the Genting & Crystal teams in the development of Crystal Endeavor and we hope for a great success in future for Crystal Cruises and their guests – a true gem to experience says TDoS Project Manager Christer Hagen.

Rolls-Royce and MAN Energy Solutions in turbocharger partnership

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 24 June 2021 24 June 2021

Rolls-Royce and MAN Energy Solutions have signed an agreement for a strategic partnership that will see MAN's PBST brand distribute state-of-the-art mtu turbochargers. "With this cooperation, we are combining our competencies - on the one hand, PBST's global sales structure for turbochargers and, on the other hand, Rolls-Royce's latest high-efficiency mtu turbocharger technology for high-speed diesel and gas engines," explains Andreas Schell, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

The turbochargers developed and produced in-house by Rolls-Royce Power Systems will thus be made available in additional markets. For Rolls-Royce, this creates a new channel for sales in addition to Woodward L'Orange. PBST will include the latest generation of the mtu turbocharger family ZR1 to ZR5 in its product portfolio and will distribute them under the series name HIRO in the future.

"The mtu brand is characterized above all by its in-depth know-how in high-speed applications. Thanks to this product expansion, we are now able to offer our customers exactly the right turbocharger for their high-, medium- and low-speed applications under one roof via the PBST brand," says Dr. Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Energy Solutions.

The mtu turbochargers are offered on the basis of a modular system for engines in the 400 to 2,500 kilowatt power ranges in single- and two-stage versions. Rolls-Royce designs them to meet the specific requirements of various applications such as marine, rail, construction, heavy land vehicles and power supply.

"Advanced turbocharging helps engines achieve low fuel consumption and high power over a wide speed range. It is an important building block for meeting increasingly stringent emission requirements in the future - without compromising engine performance or efficiency," explains Dr. Otto Preiss, Chief Technology Officer and COO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems. "With the aim of offering new propulsion and energy solutions for a climate-neutral future, we are also currently working on electrically assisted turbochargers for greater agility and lower fuel consumption, as well as on turbocharger concepts for fuel cells."

YSA Design captures essence of Florence for Costa Firenze

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 30 June 2021 30 June 2021

With its maiden voyage set to start on 4 July, the final touches are being put in place so that Costa Cruises’ Costa Firenze can offer guests the flavour of a trip to Florence from the comfort of a cruise ship.

The 323-metre Vista-class cruise vessel, which was built by Fincantieri, features four venues designed by YSA Design that pay homage to the world-famous capital of Italy’s Tuscany region. Each space captures a different aspect of Tuscan culture and heritage, contributing towards an onboard ambience befitting of the vessel’s theme.

According to YSA Design chief executive Anne Mari Gullikstad, the project echoed the company’s work on Firenze’s sister ship, Costa Venezia. “Like Venice, Florence is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and enchanting cities in the world,” she says. “Therefore, as with Costa Venezia, the challenge with Costa Firenze was to recreate this charm while avoiding cliché.”

To achieve this, YSA sourced authentic materials and paid great attention to detail when selecting colour palettes and adornments, taking inspiration not only from the historical architecture of Florence and its surroundings but also from the city’s contemporary identity.

This approach is embodied in Lounge della Moda, a chic and sophisticated bar at the aft of Deck 5 that is accessed via a ‘catwalk’ showcasing Italian fashion through the ages. “The idea with this bar was to highlight another important side of the city’s identity,” says Gullikstad. “As well as being an architectural marvel, Florence is an international capital of fashion and home to some of the world’s biggest and best-known clothing brands.”

At Ristorante dei Medici in the aft section of decks 3 and 4, guests can experience the beating heart of Florence while enjoying genuine Italian cuisine. This fine-dining restaurant pays homage to the city’s iconic cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore, and the adjacent Piazza del Duomo, with white and green marble walls reflecting the elegance of the building’s façade.

Located forward of Ristorante dei Medici on Deck 3, Ristorante Palazzo Vecchio recalls the grandeur of its namesake, Palazzo Vecchio, and another Florentine palace, Palazzo Pitti. Like the two palazzi, the restaurant is richly appointed and houses an art gallery displaying classical Italian paintings. Materials and decorative elements include marble flooring, ornate gilding and panel work, chandeliers and tactile velvet.

Midship on Deck 10, meanwhile, is the Versilia Deck, an informal dining, pool and lounge area that offers guests a change of scenery, transporting them from central Florence to the courtyard and gardens of a Tuscan country palace. Port side at the forward end of the venue is Bar del Conte, a small corner bar designed by YSA to recall Florence’s Santa Maria Novella - the world’s oldest pharmacy.

Having previously designed several spaces on board Costa Venezia as well as the magrodome pool area aboard Costa Serena, YSA Design has a long-standing relationship with Costa Cruises. The Italian cruise line continues to call on YSA for its ability to turn complex, highly specific briefs into visually stunning yet fully functional interior spaces.

(Corrected) Tillberg Design of Sweden and COLUMBIA blue launch ship design partnership

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 24 June 2021 24 June 2021

COLUMBIA blue – The Leisure Group, one of the world leading maritime leisure management companies, and Tillberg Design of Sweden (TDoS), an industry leader with 50+ years’ experience in design and interior architecture for cruise ships and yachts, have agreed to work together on conceptualising and building vessels from scratch.

“The design skills of TDoS and the operational proficiency of COLUMBIA blue form a unique set of expertise, offering a seamless and complete project lifecycle of a vessel design – from the first lines on the sketch board, to the actual operations of the yacht or cruise vessel,” said Julia Siebert, COLUMBIA blue’s Vice President of Business Development.

The partnership will make the creative process more efficient and cost-effective for clients, by merging the initial design and operational verification phases of the ship development cycle.

In the planning stage, TDoS will “design efficient ships and yachts with the smoothest and smartest flows to offer an extraordinary guest experience and best work environment for all crew”, Madelene Hall, CEO of TDoS, explained.

Meanwhile, COLUMBIA blue’s role is to minimise the ongoing operational costs of the propulsion, hull design and power supply, while making them sustainable, and to optimise the ship’s technical and hotel service back-of-house areas.

The companies have already worked on an initial vessel design project, which saw TDoS's expertise in design and materials complement the operational know-how of COLUMBIA blue.

This partnership goes beyond state-of-the-art designs and functionality, with both companies committed to developing a revolutionary design for crew spaces. “We will conduct in-depth research among the COLUMBIA onboard employees to identify necessities, priorities, wishes and trends for crew accommodation and leisure spaces on new buildings. Paired with our design expertise, we will be able to offer our clientele unique solutions in the future,” TDoS’ Hall said.