Crystal cruise policies
Crystal Cruises Policies: Deposits, Final Payment, Cancellation, Gratuities, Dress Code and Age Rules
Every booking rule that affects your wallet or your packing list, on one page: what you pay when you book and whether it comes back, when the balance is due, what it costs to cancel, what is already in the fare, what to wear after 6 pm and who can sail on Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony. Figures are Crystal's own, from the Booking Terms and Conditions for cruises booked in the United States, the Guest Ticket Contract and the Crystal FAQ.
Deposit
Crystal does not print a fixed deposit in its U.S. booking terms: the amount is set at the time of booking and shown on the confirmation, with a deposit due date to go with it. The deposit holds the suite or guest room until final payment and is refundable until the final payment due date, less the administration fee below.
| Cruise length | Deposit |
|---|---|
| Standard and combination voyages of 39 days or fewer | Amount set at booking, refundable until 120 days before departure except the $125 administration fee |
| Voyages of 40 days or longer, including Grand Journeys | Amount set at booking, refundable until 180 days before departure except the $250 administration fee |
| 2027 and 2028 World Cruises, Aquamarine, Sapphire, Junior Penthouse and Penthouse categories | Amount set at booking; $500 administration fee outside 407 days, then 10% of the fare from 406 to 181 days |
| 2027 and 2028 World Cruises, Single and Double Guest Rooms | Amount set at booking; $500 administration fee outside 181 days |
| 2029 World Cruise | Amount set at booking; outside 365 days, $500 administration fee on suites up to and including Sapphire and 10% of the fare on Junior Penthouses and Penthouses |
| Bookings made inside the final payment window | Full fare at booking |
Good to know
- Crystal's U.S. terms publish no percentage; the UK booking conditions ask for a minimum deposit of 25% of the booking, and reduced-deposit promotions run from time to time, so ask what applies to your sailing. Your confirmation shows the figure Crystal requires.
- The deposit must reach Crystal by the date on the booking, or the reservation is cancelled. A booking can be held without a deposit as an Option until the expiry date on the Option invoice, but an Option does not guarantee the suite.
- One Crystal open deposit certificate can be applied toward the deposit as a partial payment.
- Once a deposit is paid, every change to the booking is subject to the administration fee, and the fee can be used toward another sailing within 24 months of the cancellation date.
- The refundable part of a cancelled deposit goes back to the original method of payment within 7 to 10 business days.
- Extended Land Programs booked through Crystal are paid in full at booking and cannot be cancelled; Crystal Air and Crystal-sold hotels follow their own 90-day rules, shown under cancellation.
Final payment
The balance is due on the date determined at booking, which Crystal's U.S. terms fix by the length of the voyage. Check or any major credit card is accepted for bookings confirmed in U.S. dollars. Miss the date and the booking can be cancelled with the fees below.
Standard schedule
| Cruise length | Balance due |
|---|---|
| Standard and combination voyages of 39 days or fewer | 120 days before departure |
| Standard and combination voyages of 40 days or longer, including Grand Journeys and full World Cruises | 180 days before departure |
| Bookings made inside the final payment window | In full at the time of booking |
Good to know
- Crystal does not publish a separate final payment date for Grand Journeys or the World Cruise; the length rule above applies, and Crystal prints the exact date on the confirmation.
- Pre- and post-cruise hotel packages must be booked before the final payment date.
- Fares are per person, double occupancy, and include destination fees (government taxes, port and harbor charges). Crystal says published prices are not expected to change but reserves the right to adjust them for significant external factors and to add a fuel or similar supplement to existing bookings.
- SmartCruiser confirms your exact date with Crystal when we book.
Cancellation charges
Cancellations must reach Crystal in writing. Charges are a percentage of the total cruise fare less destination fees and depend on the length of the voyage and on when Crystal receives the notice; outside the penalty window only the administration fee is kept. Flights, hotels, transfers and land programs booked through Crystal have their own rules, listed in the notes.
Voyages of 39 days or fewer
Every suite and guest room category.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| 39 days or fewer | 121 days or more | $125 administration fee |
| 39 days or fewer | 120 to 91 days | 25% |
| 39 days or fewer | 90 to 76 days | 50% |
| 39 days or fewer | 75 to 51 days | 75% |
| 39 days or fewer | 50 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
Voyages of 40 days or longer
Grand Journeys and other combination voyages of 40 days or more; the World Cruises below have their own tables.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| 40 days or longer | 181 days or more | $250 administration fee |
| 40 days or longer | 180 to 151 days | 25% |
| 40 days or longer | 150 to 121 days | 50% |
| 40 days or longer | 120 to 91 days | 75% |
| 40 days or longer | 90 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
2027 and 2028 World Cruises
The early steps depend on the category booked; from 180 days every category follows the same percentages.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Aquamarine, Sapphire, Junior Penthouse and Penthouse | 407 days or more | $500 administration fee |
| Aquamarine, Sapphire, Junior Penthouse and Penthouse | 406 to 181 days | 10% |
| Single and Double Guest Rooms | 181 days or more | $500 administration fee |
| All categories | 180 to 151 days | 25% |
| All categories | 150 to 121 days | 50% |
| All categories | 120 to 91 days | 75% |
| All categories | 90 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
2029 World Cruise
The first step depends on the category booked; from 364 days every category follows the same percentages.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Suites up to and including Sapphire | 365 days or more | $500 administration fee |
| Junior Penthouse and Penthouse | 365 days or more | 10% |
| All categories | 364 to 151 days | 25% |
| All categories | 150 to 121 days | 50% |
| All categories | 120 to 91 days | 75% |
| All categories | 90 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
Good to know
- The administration fee is printed per booking in Crystal's tables and described as per person, double occupancy, in the footnote; ask us for the figure on your booking. Whichever way it is assessed, it can be applied to a future sailing within 24 months of the cancellation date.
- Crystal Air is fully changeable and refundable until the tickets are issued, generally 90 days before departure; after that the full ticket cost or the airline's own fee applies, and Crystal quotes it when you ask to cancel. Crystal-sold hotels are refundable until 90 days out and charged in full inside that. Transfers are refundable until 30 days out. Extended Land Programs are paid in full at booking and cannot be cancelled.
- Name changes are subject to the administration fee and the booking must always keep at least one guest from the original reservation. No name changes are allowed on bookings with insurance or air, or within 7 days of departure; anything else needs Crystal's review and approval.
- No refund for a no-show, a late cancellation, or unused or partly used tickets.
- Refunds go back to the original method of payment, or to SmartCruiser when we made the payment for you, and we pass them straight on. Crystal's terms let it issue a cruise refund as a cruise credit at its option, valid for at least a year. If Crystal itself cancels or delays a cruise, refund requests must be made within 180 days of the sail date.
- Allianz travel protection bought through Crystal can be cancelled for a full refund within 10 days of purchase; its pre-existing condition waiver requires purchase by the final payment date. Crystal strongly recommends cover for trip cancellation.
- Cancellation and administration fees are subject to change without notice; the terms posted on crystalcruises.com on the day Crystal receives your cancellation are the ones that apply.
Gratuities
Crystal is all-inclusive: housekeeping, bar and dining gratuities are in every fare, together with wines and spirits in every bar and restaurant, Wi-Fi throughout the ship, butler service in every room category and a set number of specialty restaurant reservations. In Crystal's words, it has taken care of tipping so you do not have to think about it. There is nothing to prepay and nothing added to your shipboard account for service.
| Stateroom | Daily gratuity |
|---|---|
| All suites and guest rooms, every voyage | Included in the fare (housekeeping, bar and dining) |
| Crystal shore excursions | Guide and driver gratuities included in the excursion price |
| Aurōra Spa treatments | 20% service charge added to the bill at checkout; further tipping discretionary |
| Babysitting | Hourly charge to the onboard account (up to three children over one year old, up to three hours) |
Good to know
- Any other tipping on board is optional and never expected.
- Also included: Wi-Fi in-room and throughout the ship, signal permitting (enhanced packages are sold on board); premium wines and spirits at any time of day; every restaurant except The Vintage Room; self-serve laundry rooms with detergent; the stocked minibar.
- Specialty restaurant reservations at Umi Uma and Osteria d'Ovidio: one at each on voyages up to 11 nights, two on 12 to 22 nights, three on 23 nights or more, unlimited for Crystal Penthouse and Junior Crystal Penthouse guests and full World Cruise guests. Extra reservations cost $75 per person. Beefbar is complimentary at lunch and dinner with evening reservations required.
- Extra charges on board: The Vintage Room dinners, caviar in your suite, Waterside or Umi Uma, Kobe and Wagyu cuts at Beefbar, shore excursions, dry cleaning (included only in select suite categories, voyages or promotions), medical consultations and in-room phone calls. There is no corkage fee, and you may bring your own wine, spirits and soft drinks on board.
Dress code
Day Casual until 6 pm, Evening Resort after 6 pm, and on voyages longer than seven nights one Formal Evening where cocktail dresses, gowns, suits and tuxedos are the rule in every indoor venue except Beefbar. Every sailing also has at least one White Night party. The daily program and the Dress Code Itinerary in your documents name each evening's code.
Day Casual, until 6 pm
Casual attire everywhere, restaurants included. Covered swimsuits are allowed only at Trident Grill, Beefbar and Marketplace.
Evening Resort, after 6 pm
A step up from Day Casual: cocktail-chic, with no flip-flops or sliders, swimwear, hats, shorts or casual daytime wear in public areas and dining venues. Umi Uma asks for it after 6:30 pm.
Formal Evening
Mandatory in all dining venues, bars and lounges after 6 pm, optional at Beefbar: cocktail dresses or gowns for women, suits or tuxedos for men.
White Night
A party evening on every sailing; dress under the Formal or Evening Resort code, with white clothing encouraged.
Dress Your Best nights
| Cruise length | Formal nights |
|---|---|
| 7 nights or fewer | 0: casual evenings throughout (Evening Resort after 6 pm) |
| More than 7 nights | 1 Formal Evening; Crystal does not publish a higher count for longer voyages, Grand Journeys or World Cruise segments, and the Dress Code Itinerary for your sailing is final |
House rules
- Not permitted anywhere on board: swimwear on its own, wet swimwear, revealing clothing, bathrobes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps and clothes with offensive messaging.
- Shorts, flip-flops and casual daytime attire are not allowed in public areas or dining venues after 6 pm.
- The casino recommends Evening Resort by day and the Formal code after 6 pm; the specialty restaurants suggest formal attire on the Formal Evening.
- Shore excursion notes carry their own dress recommendations, for example covered knees and shoulders at religious sites.
Age rules
Crystal's age rules come from its Guest Ticket Contract and FAQ. Age is counted at embarkation; the ships have no large children's program, so the rules are written for the occasional family rather than for a family ship.
Minimum age to sail without a parent or guardian
| Departure | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Every sailing: anyone under 18 is a minor and must travel with a parent or legal guardian | 18 |
| FAQ wording: a child under 18 must be accompanied by an adult over 21 | 21 (the accompanying adult) |
Stateroom assignment
Guests under 18 must share a guest room or suite with a parent or guardian, and unwed, unrelated couples must both be 18 or over to share a room. A minor traveling with an adult who is not a parent or legal guardian needs a Parental Consent Guardianship Form signed by a parent or guardian and received by Crystal no later than 30 days before sailing. The accompanying adult is responsible for the minor throughout the cruise, must accompany minors on any shore excursion bought through Crystal, and may never leave a minor on board while going ashore. Crystal can limit the number of guests under 3 and of infants aged 6 months to 2 years on any sailing.
Infants
| Sailing | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Every voyage | 6 months at embarkation; no younger infant is booked on a cruise or cruise tour |
| Pools | Babies and toddlers are not allowed in the pools, even in swim diapers; older children are welcome |
| Cribs and playpens | Provided on request for infants of 6 to 24 months |
Drinking age
| Departure or destination | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| At sea and in ports outside the United States: wine and beer | 18 |
| At sea and in ports outside the United States: spirits | 21 |
| Docked or anchored in a U.S. port or within U.S. territorial waters (the three-mile limit): any alcoholic drink | 21 |
Good to know
- Casino: 18 and older for any monetary game of chance; the casino is non-smoking and closes whenever the ship is docked or anchored. Aurōra Spa treatments and facilities: 18 and older, except as part of the Junior Activities Program.
- Guests who will enter the 24th week of pregnancy (after 23 weeks and one day) at any time during the cruise cannot sail.
- Children's facilities: Waves for young children and Fantasia for teenagers, and on select Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony voyages a Junior Activities Program run by a Junior Activities Director once at least 12 children are on board. In-suite babysitting is available with 24 hours' notice.
- Smoking is permitted indoors only in the Connoisseur Club and outdoors only in the designated areas aft on Decks 8, 9 and 10 (and Deck 11 on Crystal Serenity); cigarette smoking and vaping are also allowed in the port-side forward area of the Seahorse Pool. Every suite and veranda is non-smoking: smoke detected in a room costs a $250 cleaning fee per occurrence and can lead to disembarkation without refund.
- A passport valid for six months past disembarkation with at least six blank visa pages is required on every sailing; visa requirements vary by nationality and are not always available on board.
- An infant who does not meet the 6-month rule is denied boarding with no refund, so check the embarkation date against the birthday before you book.
How SmartCruiser handles the fine print for you
- We confirm your deposit amount and your 120 or 180 day final payment date with Crystal when we book, put the date on our calendar and remind you before it.
- Before final payment we watch your sailing for Crystal promotions and reprice the booking when the line allows it.
- We handle cancellations, name changes, air and hotel changes and suite moves with Crystal directly, in writing, and tell you the exact charge before you decide.
- Crystal Air, pre- and post-cruise hotels, transfers, land programs and Allianz travel protection go on your invoice if you want them, and your Crystal Society number goes on the reservation.
- SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on top of Crystal's own offers where Crystal's advertising policy allows it, not available booking direct. Ask for it when you call 1-800-444-1560.
Last verified October 14, 2026 against Crystal's own pages: Booking Terms and Conditions for cruises booked in the United States (effective February 1, 2023), Guest Ticket Contract (minors, alcohol, pregnancy, smoking), FAQ: dress etiquette, children and teenagers, FAQ: food and beverage, inclusivity and pricing, FAQ: entertainment, casino and formal nights, FAQ: health, safety and smoking, FAQ: account, loyalty, payments and gratuities, FAQ: suites and guest rooms (Wi-Fi), FAQ: Aurōra Spa (service charge, age), All-inclusive: what the fare includes, Crystal Society member benefits, UK Booking Terms and Conditions (25% deposit, for comparison). These deposit, payment and cancellation terms are Crystal's Booking Terms and Conditions for cruises booked in the United States, effective February 1, 2023 and still the version posted at crystalcruises.com/legal/booking-terms-conditions when we checked. Crystal publishes separate booking conditions and contracts for the United Kingdom and the European Union, with different administration fees and a 150-day balance date on long voyages; those do not apply to U.S. bookings. Policies change; the cruise line's ticket contract and the terms on your booking confirmation govern.
Questions
Crystal policy FAQ
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When is final payment due?
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Does Crystal have a loyalty program?
Ask a Crystal specialist
Deposits, deadlines, cancellations and what to pack: one call and it is handled, with SmartCruiser's bonus onboard credit on your booking.