Crystal Cruises is closing down by the end of the week, say new reports. Company employees have informed agents that the company is expected to shut down by the end of the week, and with their last day on 11FEB, according to Cruise Week. Crystal has yet to put out an official statement on the matter, but early hopes that the cruise line would continue with new owners doesn’t appear to be in the cards.
"It happened very quickly, only three weeks after suspension of service," said one employee.
"Everything you’re seeing and hearing from your agent sources about our closing down is true," said another company source to Cruise Week.
As reported by Open Jaw, all three Crystal Cruise ships were reportedly arrested over unpaid fuel bills. Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity were both arrested in the Bahamas on 04FEB.
Crystal Endeavor was held by authorities in Ushuaia, Argentina on 03FEB at the end of a 19-night itinerary, but has since been released and was last reported to be making its way north in the Atlantic Ocean, according to cruise ship mapping service CruiseMapper.com.
Crystal Cruises has also not provided any statements on the arrests, with most of the available information coming from social media posts by crew members onboard.
Reports also say that one of the ships, Crystal Symphony, has been listed for sale in an effort to pay back creditors. A report shows the ship, unnamed but with a photo and a matching description, on listing web site Yacht World. The site is used by brokers to sell all types of high end vessels, and the broker of the post lists the ship for sale.
Crystal's imminent shut down comes three weeks after the closure of parent company Genting Hong Kong, which filed for bankruptcy on 19JAN. Following Genting Hong Kong's announcement, Crystal had ceased all ocean cruises through 29APR, with river cruises suspended until the end of MAY 2022.
