'Kids Sail Free' Aboard Crystal Harmony

[Jason]

'Kids Sail Free' Aboard Crystal Harmony on 2005 Alaska Summer Cruises

Highly Acclaimed Children's Programs Make Crystal Cruises Best Luxury Line for

Family Market

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- As the demand for multi-generational

family travel continues to grow, Crystal Cruises invites children under 12 to

cruise for free aboard seven Crystal Harmony 2005 Alaska cruises when sharing

the same stateroom with two adults. Available during the peak family travel

months of June, July and August, families and children of all ages will

delight in the awe-inspiring majesty of the Last Frontier with specially

designed shore adventures, onboard enrichment, and a comprehensive Junior

Activities program.

With eleven departures from May through September, Crystal's 2005 Alaska

season is the most extensive ever offered by the luxury cruise line. A new

7-day itinerary round-trip from Vancouver takes to sea on May 21, and ten

12-day cruises operate conveniently round-trip from San Francisco departing

May 30; June 11, 23; July 5, 17, 29; August 10, 22; and September 3, 15. All

itineraries feature at least one glacier experience; three of which include

two glacier experiences.

"Alaska is an educational wonderland of discovery, offering travelers of

all ages an open classroom in adventure, nature and the environment," says

Bill Smith, Crystal's senior vice president of sales and marketing. "For

families, a Crystal cruise represents tremendous comfort and value -- no other

luxury line offers such an extensive program dedicated to children of all

ages, while the journey through Alaska itself affords priceless experiences."

From the regal beauty of Victoria's Butchart Gardens to the Tlingit totem

poles of Ketchikan, ports of call reveal the beauty of a land embraced by

nature. Depending on the itinerary, guests will travel to Vancouver and

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Wrangell and

Haines, Alaska, cruising the Inside Passage, Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier

and/or Tracy Arm.

Along each itinerary, children will be amazed at the sight of breaching

whales, calving glaciers and soaring eagles. An extensive collection of shore

excursions in each port provides ideal options for family adventures such as

the legendary White Pass Scenic Railway in Skagway, a Sea Otter and Wildlife

Quest in Sitka, or the Misty Fjords Seaplane Flightseeing Exploration in

Ketchikan.

With its acclaimed children's programs and activities, Crystal is the

luxury operator best suited for the family market. Crystal Harmony has a

fully supervised Junior Activities program for kids ages 17 and under, and

Fantasia -- the ship's dedicated children's playroom -- is outfitted with

games, craft materials, Sony PlayStation® video games, and personal

computers with entertainment and education software.

The line's highly qualified staff of Junior Activities Directors includes

grade school, high school, and physical education teachers on summer holiday,

as well as seasoned camp counselors. There is at least one counselor for each

12 participants, a ratio that supports a variety of age-appropriate activities

tiered for toddlers through teens. Crystal also caters to children with a

special Alaska program featuring a guest naturalist when Crystal Harmony

cruises Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm.

For example, younger kids display their handcrafted creations, such as

frosted sugar cube igloos, in an Alaska Art Expo open for viewing by all

guests. For their older brothers and sisters, one high point is a 'teens

only' disco night for which they get their own personal invitations.

Depending on itinerary, cruise fares start at $1,825 per person/double

occupancy. The "kids sail free" promotion is limited to triple stateroom

accommodations and is capacity controlled.

At 50,000-tons, the luxurious Crystal Harmony carries only 940 guests, and

is a perfect floating resort from which to view the breathtaking glaciers and

unspoiled Alaskan and British Columbia scenery. The award-winning ship

features expansive decks, richly appointed staterooms, more than half of which

boast private verandahs, a wide variety of lounges for critically acclaimed

entertainment, gourmet dining, a Caesars Palace at Sea® casino and a

state-of-the-art, feng shui-designed spa and fitness facility.

Crystal Cruises is the recipient of an unprecedented nine consecutive best

large-ship cruise line awards from the readers of Conde Nast Traveler and

Travel + Leisure magazines.