Less than two years ago, Crystal launched its first river ship, Crystal Mozart, marking the company’s grand entrance into Europe’s river cruising industry.

Today, Crystal River Cruises welcomed its fifth ship and the newest member of the fleet, Crystal Ravel, during a christening ceremony in Budapest, Hungary.

The company celebrated the occasion with Crystal chief executive, Tom Wolber; the ship’s godmother, Hungarian philanthropist and creator of the hit “Virtuosos” classical music talent show, Mariann Peller; and Crystal River Cruises’ managing director, Walter Littlejohn.

“Today is a proud day for the entire Crystal family.

“In just over two years, we introduced five ships, which is a tremendous accomplishment of growth for this expansion of the Crystal brand,” Wolber said.

“But what makes us most proud is that with each new ship and new experience, Crystal’s commitment to superb quality and exceptional luxury and service has remained unwavering.”

Crystal River Cruises now comprises Crystal Ravel and her identical sister ships: Crystal Bach, Crystal Mahler and Crystal Debussy; as well as Crystal Mozart, which at twice the width of any other river cruise ship.

“Beyond these exquisite ships – which are earning the acclaim of luxury travellers from around the world – the heart of the Crystal River Experience is the people,” Littlejohn said.

“Crystal’s crew is simply unmatched in their warm, genuine service and attention to detail.

“Our guests are savvy travellers who truly value that personal connection and frequently share the sentiment that sailing with Crystal is like coming home to their onboard family.”

The ceremony took place during the ship’s overnight stay in Budapest on its weeklong Danube Serenade voyage, allowing guests aboard the sailing to participate in the festivities, while Crystal crew members also looked on from the decks of the ship.

Travellers from around the world joined the celebration via the Facebook Live broadcast on Crystal’s Facebook page.