Crystal Cruises bags prestigious award

In the rough economic waters which many industries are now sailing winning a big award can be the difference between sinking or swimming.

Therefore, Crystal Cruises must be over the moon to have been named the Best Large Ship Cruise Line for the 15th year running by Conde Nast Traveller magazine - and by quite some margin.

Crystal Cruises unprecendented 15-year win was cemented this year with an overall score of 93.1, beating the scores of all competitor cruise lines in every relevant category.

Gregg Michel, president of Crystal Cruises, said: "We are honoured that the well-traveled readers of Conde Nast Traveler once again, through their own personal experience, consider Crystal Cruises to be the best cruise line in the world."

He expressed his pride at the firm's staff's "exceptional" attitude and their commitment to "providing such a treasured vacation experience to so many global travelers".

Mr Michel concluded: "Now, more than ever, brand, reputation and consistency are key factors in consumers' purchase decisions. Such prestigious awards reinforce Crystal Cruises' leading position in hospitality."
The Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards were voted for by more than 32,000 subscribers this year and other prizes were dished out for top quality hotels, airlines, cities hire car firms an destinations.

Other accolades under Crystal Cruises belt include World's Best Large-Ship Cruise Line, which it was named by the readers of Travel + Leisure earlier this year, while two of its ships Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, were voted number one and two, respectively, in Conde Nast Traveler's February 2008 World's Best Ships issue.

The oceanliners offer those on board the chance to relax in luxury, enjoy fine food cooked by some of the world's top chefs and also boast a range of state-of-the-art entertainment facilities.

Meanwhile, cruise experts at MSNBC have advised this week that before this kind of break holidaymakers must firstly ensure the style of boat is to their taste, secondly that where the boat is heading is agreeable to them and thirdly that it is the right season to be in that destination.

Holidaymakers would also be well advised to shop around for the right price and splurge on a nice room to make the trip all the more memorable, said the experts.