MV WERFTEN Delivers River Cruise Ship for Crystal
MV WERFTEN CEO, Jarmo Laakso, and Tom Wolber, President and CEO of Crystal Cruises (Photo: MV WERFTEN)
From left to right: Joachim Hagemann, MV WERFTEN; Oliver Behrendt, MV WERFTEN; Jarmo Laakso, MW WERFTEN; Mona Lai, Genting Hong Kong; Tom Wolber, Crystal Cruises; and Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Genting Hong Kong (Photo: MV WERFTEN)
Lauren Barfield, godmother of the Crystal Mahler, releases the bottle of champagne (Photo: MV WERFTEN)
Colin Au, Genting Hong Kong; Gustaf Grönberg, Genting Cruise Lines; Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Genting Hong Kong; Lauren Barfield, SSC Palmberg Schwerin; Economics Minister Harry Glawe and Tom Wolber, Crystal Cruises (Photo: MV WERFTEN)
Just a few weeks after delivery of the Crystal Bach, shipbuilder MV WERFTEN has handed over the Crystal Mahler, the second of four Rhine Class ships for client Crystal River Cruises. After the ceremonial change of flags, the ship was christened at the outfitting quay of MV WERFTEN in Wismar.
Like its sister vessel, the 135-metre long and 11.4-metre wide river cruise ship was specifically designed for exploring Europe’s rivers. It complies with the highest safety and navigation standards, including a permanently staffed, state-of-the-art navigation system as well as Azimuth thrusters for optimum maneuverability. The elegant design of this luxury ship resembles that of private yachts. The interior of the Crystal Mahler boasts light and airy public areas with floor-to-ceiling glass walls as well as spacious suites with horizontal sliding windows. Other onboard facilities include three gourmet restaurants, a spacious spa and fitness area and a swimming pool with a glass roof.
The ship carries 110 guests in 55 all-balcony suites along the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers through Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Hungary, among other countries. The vessel will be manned by 68 crew members.
“A new milestone has been reached with the handing over of the Crystal Mahler to Crystal River Cruises: half of the Rhine Class river cruisers have now been delivered,” said Jarmo Laakso, CEO of MV WERFTEN, during the handover. “I would like to thank all of the employees and project partners for their commitment and this tremendous achievement and most especially our parent company Genting Hong Kong for this trust in us.”
“We are incredibly pleased to be collaborating with the experts at MV WERFTEN, and thank them for their attention to detail and delivering the kind of innovative and stylish vessels that embody Crystal’s vision of offering travelers an unmatched experience along Europe’s rivers,” said Crystal’s new President and CEO, Tom Wolber.
The celebration continued with a traditional christening at the shipyard. Lauren Barfield, a U.S. citizen who plays for SSC Palmberg Schwerin, the reigning German volleyball champions, served as godmother to the ship. MV WERFTEN has sponsored her team since March 2017. The athlete blessed the ship with a traditional blessing before the champagne bottle burst impressively against the side of the ship.
After delivery of Crystal Mahler, a further seven ships, to be delivered by 2021, are on order from the shipbuilding group. Numbers three and four of the Rhine-Class ships, Crystal Debussy and Crystal Ravel have been under construction since January and will be delivered in 2018. In the spring of 2018, production will begin on the first of three Endeavor Class mega yachts as well as the first of two ships of the Global Class for Star Cruises.
