Luxury Institute Survey: High Net-Worth Consumers Rank the "Best of the Best" Cruise Customer Experiences

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - May 21, 2009) - The Luxury Institute reported today the top-rated cruise line brands in the 2009 Luxury Customer Experience Index (LCEI) survey, which identifies the top brands that deliver true luxury customer experiences in numerous categories based solely on the independently verified ratings of wealthy and ultra-wealthy consumers.

High net-worth consumers who have been customers of the brand during the past 12 months rated Crystal Cruises the "Best of the Best" among 14 cruise lines. Consumers who recommend Crystal say, "This is a true luxury line. Every aspect of your trip is thought out and your every whim is catered to," and "Excellent service, fabulous food, ideal destinations, good passenger to crew ratio and excellent amenities."

The LCEI asks high net-worth consumers who are actual customers to rate luxury brands by category across three equally weighted and detailed rating components: Complete Satisfaction, Brand Personnel and Cruise Line Environment. The survey also measures the Problems and Resolutions ratings and the Worthiness of a Significant Price Premium and Willingness to Recommend on the part of wealthy customers.

The "Best of the Best" are: (LCEI score out of 10)
  --  Cruise Lines
      --  Crystal Cruises- 8.57
      --  The Yachts of Seabourn- 8.55
      --  Regent Seven Seas Cruises- 8.34

"The luxury cruise line industry is incredibly competitive and capital intensive. As we begin to see hopes of an economic recovery, many luxury brands are rejecting the call for 'back to basics' while embracing innovation and reinventing luxury for the 21st century. It is clear that luxury consumer values and attitudes have changed dramatically," says Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute. "We expect the best luxury cruise lines to begin to innovate and reinvent their customer experiences to address the new needs, attitudes and desires of luxury consumers in a way that delivers pleasurable, engaging and meaningful luxury cruise experiences."

The proprietary Luxury Customer Experience Index (LCEI) survey is the only unbiased measure of true customer experiences of leading brands among wealthy and ultra-wealthy Americans. A national sample of 2,856 wealthy consumers was surveyed in-depth online. Respondents were recruited and screened to only include those age 21 or older with minimum gross annual household income of $150,000 and/or minimum investable assets of $2 million. Survey results are weighted to match demographic and net-worth profiles of the same audience according to the latest Survey of Consumer Finances from The Federal Reserve.

About the Luxury Institute (www.LuxuryInstitute.com)

The Luxury Institute is the uniquely independent and impartial ratings and research institution that is the trusted and respected voice of the high net-worth consumer. The Institute provides a portfolio of proprietary publications and research and consulting services that guides and educates high net-worth individuals and the companies that cater to them on leading edge trends, high net-worth consumer rankings and ratings of luxury brands, and best practices. The Luxury Institute also operates the LuxuryBoard.com (www.LuxuryBoard.com), the world's first global, membership-based online community for luxury goods and services executives, professionals and entrepreneurs.

Contact Information: For Further Information, Please Contact: Evins Communications, Ltd. Dotty J. Giordano Director Enid Lewin Vice President Phone: (212) 688-8200 E-mail: dotty.giordano@evins.com E-mail: enid.lewin@evins.com The Luxury Institute, LLC Martin Swanson Business Development Phone: (914) 909-6350 E-mail: mswanson@luxuryinstitute.com