LOS ANGELES, Feb. 5, 2002 -- In "Conde Nast Traveler"'s first-ever list of "The Best Cruise Ships in the World," Crystal Harmony placed first of 21 ships in the medium-sized ship category (carrying from 500 to 1,500 passengers), and sister-ship Crystal Symphony follows close behind in third place.

A complete list of the awards appears in the February issue. The magazine heralds Crystal Cruises' two luxury vessels as the "... longtime favorite twin sisters."

This award is the latest in an extended line of accolades given to the luxury line since its inception, just over ten years ago. In 2001, Crystal Cruises received an unprecedented sixth consecutive designation as "World's Best" cruise line (with cruise ships carrying over 400 and 425 passengers) in the readers' surveys conducted by both "Travel + Leisure" and "Conde Nast Traveler" magazines, respectively.

"It continues to be a great honor to be rated number one by discerning travelers, and it is a testament to the hard work, dedication, creativity and loyalty of all of our employees, shipboard and shoreside," says Gregg L. Michel, president, Crystal Cruises. The high individual scores for both of our ships in the "Conde Nast Traveler" poll reflect the consistency of our luxury fleet, and match the record ratings of the most recent quality assurance surveys completed by our onboard guests."

The "Conde Nast Traveler" Readers' Choice Awards for "The Best Cruise Ships in the World" represent the culmination of an extensive poll of travel preferences, in which subscribers were asked to rate individual ships on six criteria: itineraries, service, design, food, events and activities. Crystal Harmony outscored all other medium ships in the food and events categories.

In addition to a cruise industry overview post-Sept. 11, 2001, "Conde Nast Traveler" specifically cites Crystal Cruises' accelerated security measures.

Earlier this year, the January issue of "Conde Nast Traveler" featured the publication's annual "Gold List" of worldwide hotels, resorts and cruise lines. Once again, Crystal Cruises was the highest-rated mid-sized cruise line, and outscored all other cruise lines -- small, medium and large -- in the categories of entertainment and shore activities. Readers complimented Crystal's "well-planned land excursions," such as a Kenya safari; "superb Broadway-caliber shows and classical performances;" and the line's Computer University@Sea for 24-hour e-mail and internet access, as well as hands-on lab instruction.

Crystal Cruises operates the Six-Star rated, 940-guest Crystal Harmony and Crystal Symphony, heralded as two of the most spacious ships afloat. The luxury vessels sail on worldwide itineraries to Alaska, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, the Caribbean, Europe, the Mediterranean, the Mexican Riviera, the Panama Canal, Scandinavia and South America. The line's third ship, Crystal Serenity, is scheduled for delivery in summer 2003.