The discerning readers of Condé Nast Traveler have once again recognized Crystal Cruises as the very best - this time as the number one cruise line spa in the magazine’s 2002 Readers’ Spa Poll.

Crystal’s score securely places the luxury line on top of the four other cruise lines recognized in the annual survey, and perhaps more significantly, it rivals some of North America’s most renowned resort and destination spas including the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, The Greenbrier, and the Miraval Life in Balance Resort & Spa.

In their debut year in the third annual survey, cruise line spas were rated on cabins, workout facilities, treatments and staff/service, with Crystal taking top honors for its exercise facilities and service. In the category of staff/service, the line also earned the notable distinction of outscoring 36 of the 40 spas on the list- including the esteemed Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires and Canyon Ranch Health Resort, Tucson.

Despite Crystal’s number one standing among all cruise lines and its high marks for workout facilities, it is the company’s impressive score in the critical area of staff/service that puts the luxury cruise line on par with the best spa purveyors in the nation.

“It is an honor to share company with some of the world’s best traditional resort and destination spas. This type of recognition continues to validate what more and more of today’s sophisticated travelers are coming to know - that a luxury cruise can easily exceed the experience found at a land-based resort, and that service is one of the most important elements,” says Gregg L. Michel, president, Crystal Cruises. “Crystal Cruises is committed to the continued evolution of the Crystal Spa program. We realize fitness plays a key role in our guests’ daily lives, and rejuvenation is a significant component of their vacation experience. To meet our guests’ varied needs and interests, we have devoted a considerable amount of resources and space to create an energizing, yet soothing environment.”

The Crystal Spa, found aboard Crystal Harmony and Crystal Symphony, is designed in accordance with the principles of Feng Shui, the Oriental Art of Placement to evoke health, prosperity and happiness, and offers a variety of treatments applying these principles to the body. The luxurious floating resorts feature a range of therapies designed to alleviate stress and tension, from Aroma Stone Massages to Japanese Silk Booster Facials to exotic Frangipani Body Nourish Wraps. Complementing the treatments are sports activities, a fully equipped gym, and group and private training in yoga and Pilates, disciplines of stretching that engage both the mind and the body.

For the Spa poll, the independent firm of Mark Clements Research, Inc., asked 4,000 readers to rate 230 cruise ship spas and destination, resort, and urban hotel spas in North America and the Caribbean that they had visited in the past three years.

Crystal’s number one ranking in Condé Nast Traveler’s Annual Readers’ Spa Poll is the most recent award in what many in the travel industry are starting to regard as a dynasty. Last fall, the readers of Condé Nast Traveler bestowed Crystal with its sixth consecutive award as “Best Large-Ship Line,” and earlier in the year, Crystal was voted “World’s Best Large-Ship Cruise Line” by the readers of Travel + Leisure for the sixth year in a row. These prominent awards are joined by a host of other recognitions from both consumers who purchase the vacations and the travel trade that sells them.

Crystal Cruises operates the two Six-Star rated, 940-guest Crystal Harmony and Crystal Symphony, heralded as two of the most spacious ships afloat. The luxury vessels sail on worldwide itineraries to Alaska, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, the Caribbean, Europe, the Mediterranean, the Mexican Riviera, the Panama Canal, Scandinavia and South America. The line’s third ship, Crystal Serenity, is scheduled for delivery in summer 2003.

Crystal Cruises is sold exclusively through travel agents. Call 800.820.6663 for a brochure, or detailed cruise information can be found at the line’s web site: www.crystalcruises.com.

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