In Good Company: Matthew Boutwell on What Makes Travel Truly Meaningful
- amanda7443
- Jul 13
- 5 min read
In Good Company is a series by AUTHENTIC Meetings & Incentives® that highlights the people behind the brands shaping today’s incentive travel landscape.
This week, we sat down with Matthew Boutwell, Senior Director of Global Charter & Incentive Sales at Crystal Cruises…
What drew you to the world of luxury travel in the first place?
I started my career working with the more mainstream cruise lines which are great, and I think shaped my transition into the higher end and luxury segment of the market. The draw for me personally in the luxury space is being able to offer something completely out of the box, new, and challenging to our team operationally and delivering that level of expectation, whereas the mainstream markets will be more restricted. From a service perspective, nothing compares to the exceptional quality that can be delivered in this segment. Another draw for me to this segment is the number of guests you experience and travel with. As you travel more and more you start to see the real value of the guest to space ratio where a quiet corner or a seat at the bar is easily found on board.
Crystal has been through quite a journey. What does it feel like to be part of its next chapter?
I was asked to join Crystal soon after Abercrombie & Kent Travel group purchased the Crystal Trademark and two of their ocean ships. It was truly an incredible honor to have had the opportunity to grow both the MICE team and company from where it was to where we are today and part of the AKTG Family. With three more ships on the way and the first to be delivered in May 2028, there is so many more opportunities to offer our guests both in destinations and ships.
How would you describe the Crystal experience to someone who’s never sailed ultra-luxury before?
We all have a favorite restaurant or bar by home that we visit and every time we do the host, or hostess smiles as we come in and greets us by name or the bartender may say ‘the usual Mr/Mrs. XXX’. We keep going back to the same venue at the same seats and continue to come back because of the service and food. This to me is what ultra luxury is, the personal touch of your butler or host/hostess greeting you by name, remembering your coffee order, asking if you would like the same seat as last night by the window. But it goes further than just this, the experience on board the ultra-luxury products will also not ask for a credit card or room number every time you are ordering a drink, asking to sign a bill before leaving dinner, but instead offering for you to try both main meals because you cannot decide between the two.
What’s something that surprised even you when you first stepped on board?
I first went on board in May 2023 while the ships were still in drydock from the previous company. These ships were originally built to carry 850 – 1,100 guests and after we purchased both ships the capacity decreased 606 – 740 but the ships size remained the same. The sheer amount of public space on board is incomparable to any other luxury product. When you see the ship along with the vast number of full suites we have on board, it shows there is nothing in the market similar to what we are offering here at Crystal.
You’ve worked with some incredible travel brands. How has your definition of luxury evolved along the way?
I have had the opportunity to work for and with many phenomenal luxury brands in the past but for me after 17 years in the industry it comes down to service. You can have the best hotel or cruise ship in the world with beautiful spaces and locations but if your service and delivery is off, guests will not return no matter how great the view or suite was. When we went back to service in July 2023, we offered our previous crew the opportunity to rejoin in our new brand, and over 85% came back right from our re-launch. Another very important aspect of luxury is to be free from schedules and set times. We all have schedules during our work and life at home but on holiday we may want the freedom to choose, Crystal and A&K make it a standard for the guests to make their own choice on how they want to holiday.
When you're working with a corporate group, what makes Crystal feel different from the rest?
Flexibility and product. No other cruise line offers groups the flexibility for dining, blocking of public space, meeting, and the incredible opportunity to have A&K lead all our shore excursions for both FIT and Corporate groups.
What’s a memory from a sailing or incentive program that reminds you why you love what you do?
I have operated/contracted hundreds if not thousands of programs in my career but two memories really stick out to me. The first was on a mainstream cruise line with a group of approximately 800 guests from the USA travelling to the Caribbean. On sail away from Miami I was on the top deck standing next to a couple who won the incentive to be on board and as we passed Miami Beach the couple said to each other that if wasn’t for XX company and how hard he/she worked we would have never been able to see this view. I asked them if it was their first cruise and of course the answer was yes but they then told me it was the first time leaving the country. This incentive gave these guests two first time experiences even before we left the view of the city.
The second was on a full ship charter to the Arctic operating roundtrip Longyearbyen which is the furthest northern airport in the world. Logistics do not even begin to explain the difficulty of operating in these regions. Fresh fruit on day 7? Steak for 200 people if they ordered it every night? Weather? Coordinating charter flights from Oslo? The list never ended for this charter. After every guest made the charter flight and the two back up aircrafts landed with all the luggage and provisions the real fun started for this client. In the Arctic and more remote areas of the world, itineraries are more of a guided idea instead of a schedule and it did not disappoint. From watching every guest jump into the icy water from the ship to midnight sun dance parties, and hikes to remote mountains with nothing but a guide was something magical to see come to life.
What do you hope clients and colleagues take away from working with you?
From the client perspective an authentic, honest feedback, and a partner who will always help whenever it is feasible. In a world where everyone has deadlines and budgets it is important to know that everyone is doing their part to deliver once in a lifetime experiences and incentives. For my team, they know I never ask for something that I would not do myself and that we always will and do work best together, without my entire team we would not have the success we do today.
Planning a luxury program at sea?
Crystal delivers the kind of high-touch service, spacious design, and personalized attention today’s groups remember. Learn more about their ultra-luxury offerings and group experiences at crystalcruises.com.
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