<p>LOS ANGELES, October 16, 2009 &ndash; For a record 16th year, Crystal Cruises has once again been voted the &ldquo;Best Large-Ship Cruise Line&rdquo; for 2009 by the readers of the prestigious Cond&eacute; Nast Traveler magazine (U.S.). Crystal&rsquo;s overall score of 92.7 is one of its highest in the survey&rsquo;s history. The luxury line&rsquo;s 16 &ldquo;wins&rdquo; is unprecedented by any cruise line or hotel in the world.</p>
<p>&ldquo;With just months until we celebrate our 20th anniversary of cruising in 2010, we are especially honored to be voted the very best by the discerning readers of Cond&eacute; Nast Traveler,&rdquo; says Gregg Michel, president, Crystal Cruises. &ldquo;As the competition intensifies and our guests&rsquo; expectations increase, this award is an outstanding measure of achievement and a testament to the consistency of the Crystal experience. I am very proud of our exceptional staff and their commitment to providing so many global travelers with a dream vacation that exemplifies the highest standards of hospitality.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Considered one of the highest honors in the travel industry, the Cond&eacute; Nast Traveler Readers&rsquo; Choice Awards celebrate the best-of-the-best hotels, airlines, cruise lines, cities, rental car companies and islands. More than 25,000 subscribers voted in the 2009 survey. Travelers evaluated cruise lines on their Activities/Facilities, Cabins, Crew/Service, Design/Layout, Food/Dining, Itineraries and Shore Excursions to determine the overall score. The full list of travel awards are published on the magazine&rsquo;s website and in its November 2009 issue.</p>
<p>Attesting to the consistency of its luxury travel experience, in August 2009, Crystal was voted the 2009 &ldquo;World&rsquo;s Best Large-Ship Cruise Line&rdquo; by the readers of Travel + Leisure (U.S.), as well as top honors internationally and from trusted travel agent consortiums.</p>
<p>Renowned for their service, space, quality and choices, Crystal Cruises&rsquo; two stylish ships, Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, were voted number one and two, respectively, in Cond&eacute; Nast Traveler&rsquo;s February 2009 World&rsquo;s Best Ships issue. The ultra-luxury line has been recognized for innovative partnerships with Master Chef Nobu Matsuhisa and Piero Selvaggio, stimulating Creative Learning Institute and Computer University@Sea, Feng Shui-designed spa, and a myriad of culinary, cultural and fitness-oriented enrichment. Itineraries of seven to 108 days are available throughout the world.</p>