LOS ANGELES, March 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Luxury cruise specialist
Crystal Cruises achieved the highest overall rating of any cruise line in the
just-published readers' poll conducted by CruiseMates, a popular U.S.-based
consumer cruise web site.  In addition to outscoring all luxury, mid-market
and budget lines with ships of any size, Crystal Cruises received the highest
individual scores in the categories of service and entertainment.  Among
luxury lines, Crystal Cruises, operator of Crystal Harmony and Crystal
Symphony, also outscored its competitors in value for money and overall ship.
The complete CruiseMates Poll Report can be found at http://www.cruisemates.com/ .
    According to the CruiseMates editors, "Crystal was the only luxury line to
score excellent for entertainment, indicating the larger ship with more
activities was appreciated by our cruisers."
    Furthermore, in the medium-sized (40,000 to 70,000 tons) ship
classification, Crystal Cruises not only received the top rating in service
and entertainment, but also in the categories of food, shore excursions, and
overall ship.
    This award is the latest in an extended line of accolades given to the
luxury line since its inception, just over ten years ago.  In 2001,
Crystal Cruises received an unprecedented sixth consecutive designation as
"World's Best" cruise line (with cruise ships carrying over 400 and
425 passengers) in the readers' surveys conducted by both Travel + Leisure and
Conde Nast Traveler magazines, respectively.
    "Our steady placement at the top of every industry survey attests to
Crystal's product consistency and our leadership position in luxury cruising,"
says Gregg L. Michel, president, Crystal Cruises.  "This latest award
underscores the tremendous efforts of our shoreside and shipboard team to
deliver a luxury vacation experience that exemplifies the highest standards of
hospitality, and mirrors our highest-ever guest ratings, as measured by our
post-cruise Quality Assurance Program survey."
    The CruiseMates Readers' Poll scores are based on the "excellent" and
"superior" votes in the categories of food, service, staterooms, appearance,
entertainment, children's programs, shore excursions, and value for money.
    Crystal Harmony and Crystal Symphony provide the ideal environment from
which to explore the world in contemporary comfort and style.  The elegant
50,000-ton vessels feature private verandahs on more than half of their
exquisitely-appointed staterooms.  They also boast expansive decks, a wide
variety of lounges for award-winning entertainment and innovative onboard
enrichment programs -- including Computer University@Sea with 24-hour e-mail
and internet access --, full-service fitness facility and salon and the only
Caesars Palace at Sea casino.  Crystal pioneered the concept of alternative
dining venues, offering intimate Italian and Asian restaurants, in addition to
the Crystal Dining Room, and enjoys exclusive alliances with Piero Selvaggio
and Wolfgang Puck of the famed Valentino and Chinois restaurants of
Los Angeles, respectively.
    In 2002 and 2003, Crystal Cruises' fleet will sail to worldwide ports in
Europe, South America, Alaska, the Orient, Panama Canal/Caribbean, Mexico and
Australia/New Zealand.  The line's third ship, Crystal Serenity, will debut in
July 2003.
    Crystal Cruises is booked exclusively through professional travel agents.
For a free brochure, please call 800.820.6663.  More information is available
on Crystal Cruises' web site at http://www.crystalcruises.com/ .

    For further information, please contact:  Mimi Weisband, +1-310-203-4302,
or Kristin Turner, +1-310-203-4304, of Crystal Cruises,
publicrelations@crystalcruises.com.