In a huge affirmation of cruise industry excellence, Condé Nast Traveler magazine (U.S.) readers have voted Crystal Cruises* as the Best Cruise Line (midsize) for 2013, a record 20th time that the company has received this honor. Crystal's triumphant score of 94.4 was the highest overall score of all small-, midsize-, and large-ship cruise lines.

The Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards are among the most pre-eminent in travel, honoring the best hotels, airlines, cruise lines, cities, rental car companies, and islands from around the world. Almost twice as many readers voted this year as last ” a record 79,268 ” rating their personal experiences with cruise lines' itineraries, excursions, service, food, activities/facilities, staterooms, and design. And Crystal received the highest rating in many of those categories.

"To earn this award once is an incredible achievement; to be recognized by discerning travelers for an unprecedented 20 years is astounding," said Edie Bornstein, Crystal's new president and chief operating officer, who joined the company in October 2013. "While I have long admired Crystal from afar, it was only when I recently sailed that I fully grasped why this experience receives such consistent accolades. Every single member of the Crystal team works incredibly hard to give discerning vacationers a Six-Star standard of luxury travel that is unwavering, while leading new developments within cruising. I want to personally thank all of Crystal's crew, employees, associates, and guests for their part in this humbling, momentous win, and look forward to leading the company into the next two decades of record-breaking awards."

The renowned Crystal Experience has been rated World's Best more than any other cruise line, hotel, or resort in history. The newest Best award is but the latest in a string of readers' choice awards Crystal has won in its size category this year, including Condé Nast Traveler's #1 and #2 cruise ships, Travel + Leisure magazine's World's Best Cruise Line.

The NYK Group will continue its efforts to offer safe cruise experiences that pamper customers with ultra-luxury.