Getting Back On the Water

If anyone can restore Crystal’s luster, it’s travel industry titan Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio.

By Courtney Shea

Last year, Crystal Cruises relaunched with a new owner (A&K Travel Group), a new name (Crystal), and a new tagline (Exceptional at Sea). For returning passengers, this means even higher standards of luxury. For A&K Travel Group co-chairman and cruise industry veteran, Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, it means getting back on the water — and back into the family business. (His father, Antonio, founded Silversea Cruises in 1994, and Manfredi would later serve as CEO.) Crystal’s not-new, but definitely improved Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity ships are once again gracing ports the world over, many of which are included on the latter’s 123-night, 31-country global adventure. Here, Lefebvre d’Ovidio shares his insights on the ever-evolving definition of high-end cruising and what guests can expect from the new Crystal experience.

Range What was your approach to renovating Crystal’s ships?

Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio These are beautifully built ships that are now further enhanced. We want to make sure that the style of the fleet, which was so loved by its passengers, is still the same, so we’re talking about improvements, not radical changes, in both the guest suites and public areas. If you’re going on a three- or four-month world cruise, you have higher expectations: more space in the cabins, bigger bathrooms, more dining options.

R What kind of dining options?

MLd Nobu is back! People all over the world flock to Nobu, and now Crystal cruise ships are the only ships where you will find it. We also have our Italian restaurant, Osteria d’Ovidio, named for my family, where you

R How do you know returning guests will feel at home?

MLd One of the things I am really happy about is that we have retained 80 percent of the crew. These are former Crystal Cruises staffers who wanted to come back because they love the ships, they love the passengers. The ratio between crew and passengers is close to 1:1. Every suite and guest room will have a butler.

R That explains the new “Exceptional at Sea” tagline.

MLd Luxury, ultra-luxury — these standards are getting even higher. On our ships, people are going to recognize that we’re more than luxury. We’re exceptional.

Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio

In 2020, when he was CEO of Silversea Cruises, Manfredi company to Royal Caribbean for US$1.25 billion. Now co-chairman of Abercrombie & Kent (A&K) Travel Group, he recently acquired Crystal Cruises, which had declared bankruptcy in 2022.