MV Werften cuts first steel for Crystal River Cruises duo

German shipbuilder MV Werften's Wismar shipyard today celebrated the cutting of the first piece of steel for Crystal River Cruises' two additional Rhine Class luxury river yachts, Crystal Debussy and Crystal Ravel, scheduled to sail in spring 2018

Both MV Werften and Crystal River Cruise are subsidiaries of Genting Hong Kong and the first plates of the luxury river ships were flame cut in the presence of Genting Group Executive Chairman Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's Economics Minister Harry Glawe and numerous other guests.

The structurally identical Crystal Debussy and Crystal Ravel will be built completely at MV Werften's Wismar site, and measure approximately 135 m long and 11 m wide. Specifically designed for the growing European luxury river cruise market, the ships will cruise the Rhine, the Danube, the Main and the Moselle, exploring iconic locales in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Hungary.

Europe's only all-balcony, all-suite river ships will accommodate up to 106 guests, and offer luxurious services and amenities, including a 1.55 guest to crew ratio, butler service for every suite, king-sized beds that face toward the Panoramic Balcony-Windows, walk-in closets, and wall-mounted flat-screen HD TVs.

"Today is another crowning achievement in the growth of the Crystal brand, as we take another step closer in further delivering the growing demand for a true luxury experience on Europe's rivers," said Edie Rodriguez, Crystal's Chairman, CEO and President. "I, along with my leaders at our wonderful parent company and our expert partners at MV Werften, are excited in bringing Crystal Debussy and Crystal Ravel to life."

"This is a moving moment for us, because it is the first steel cutting ceremony under the MV-Werften flag," said Jarmo Laakso, Managing Director of MV Werften. "We are proud to be building these high-quality ships for Crystal River Cruises, which will meet the highest safety and travel standards."

MV Werften's order book includes a total of nine ships for the next five years. In addition to four river cruise vessels, three expedition megayachts for Crystal Yacht Expedition Cruises and two cruise ships of the Global Class for Star Cruises – the largest in the world in terms of passenger capacity – will be built at the Group's three shipyards.