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Passenger Reviews

• Canary Islands Adventure

  Passenger Rating:

  Canary Islands Adventure Crystal is considered one of the best cruise lines. It is Japanese-owned, so I should not have been surprised that there were 370 (out of about 1000 passengers) Asians on the ship. The ship was full. The Serenity is a small ship by todays standards, but the size was just right for me. Crystal is a premium cruise line with premium rates. The cruise line gave me a fantastic deal on this cruise, and they also upgraded me to a deluxe verandah cabin. This was my first verandah cabin, and I didnt use it very much but it was nice to have. I liked the ship, though as one of the passengers said, it doesnt have a “WOW factor” like Royal Caribbeans beautiful ships. The décor is understated, conservative and a bit dated.

  My cabin was a nice size, but not large. It…

  Canary Islands Adventure Crystal is considered one of the best cruise lines. It is Japanese-owned, so I should not have been surprised that there were 370 (out of about 1000 passengers) Asians on the ship. The ship was full. The Serenity is a small ship by todays standards, but the size was just right for me. Crystal is a premium cruise line with premium rates. The cruise line gave me a fantastic deal on this cruise, and they also upgraded me to a deluxe verandah cabin. This was my first verandah cabin, and I didnt use it very much but it was nice to have. I liked the ship, though as one of the passengers said, it doesnt have a “WOW factor” like Royal Caribbeans beautiful ships. The décor is understated, conservative and a bit dated.

  My cabin was a nice size, but not large. It had plenty of storage space. The bathroom had granite counter tops, double sinks, and a tub/shower combination. There were plenty of towels and quality bed linens. The only negative was that the lighting in the cabin wasnt good for reading.

  The food was very good. The menu changed daily in the dining room and was not repeated during the cruise. Service in the dining room was slow, but there was seven of us and generally the larger the table the slower the service on any ship. The staff accommodated all special requests for food. The only negative about the dining room is that the noise level was very high. The Lido was frequently so crowded one had to search for a table, but this was likely due to the ship being at capacity. The staff did clear the tables quickly. The mushroom soup that was served in a small bread bowl with a bread cover in Prego, the specialty Italian restaurant, was memorable as was the Grand Marnier soufflé in the main dining room.

  Crystal is similar to Holland America but without the pesky photographers, lines at elevators, and annoying public announcements about bingo. It has better food, better service, quality entertainment, and offers a good lecture series. Many things are included for which there is a charge on other cruise lines such as soft drinks, bottled water, and specialty coffees. There is also no additional charge for the specialty restaurants. I selected this cruise because of the itinerary and everything else was a bonus.

  This was an 11-night Grand Canary Classic Cruise beginning in Barcelona, Spain and ending in Lisbon, Portugal with stops at Malaga, Cadiz, Casablanca, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and Madeira. This was a great itinerary and we had good weather for mid-November. All my shore excursions were booked through the ship. The ship provides a free shuttle into town at many ports. The only problem with the itinerary was that since Crystal couldnt get me flights out the day the cruise ended I was in a forced overnight situation in Lisbon. Id been in Lisbon before and at the end of a cruise I just want to go home, but it worked out better than expected. They put me up at the Tiara Park Atlantic Hotel which is next to The Ritz. The Tiara Park Atlantic is a very nice hotel. Crystal had everything organized at the hotel and for the airport transfer the next day. If there is one area that Crystal excels over any other cruise line it is in organization. Disembarkation and transfers to hotels and the airport were carefully planned out and handled smoothly.

  There were many passengers on this cruise who were well-traveled and interesting conversationalists. My dinner companions were exceptional and contributed greatly to the overall cruise experience. Many of the passengers were repeaters and several said they would never cruise on any other line. This was my 29th cruise and the first cruise with Crystal. I would cruise with them again if the itinerary was what I wanted and the price was right.Canary Islands Adventure5

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• The Cat Purred, But Didn't Meow!

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  The Cat Purred, But Didnt Meow! I may be unfairly comparing this, my first cruise with Crystal with my recent (and first and only) Alaska cruise on the Regent Seven Seas Navigator. I traveled alone on Crystal Symphony, as my spouse was in Africa on safari, whereas we were together on the Regent Alaska cruise. The port calls to smaller towns in Alaska had a very different feel from those to major cities on the Crystal cruise, and that added to the enjoyment of the Alaska cruise. I had made several business visits to most of the cities on the Crystal cruise (and was raised in Boston), so the port calls held only passing interest for me. Basically, I was looking for a pleasant and relaxing interlude on board, and I got it.

  My spouse and I had heretofore opted for ships in the 100-150 passenger range, and I…

  The Cat Purred, But Didnt Meow! I may be unfairly comparing this, my first cruise with Crystal with my recent (and first and only) Alaska cruise on the Regent Seven Seas Navigator. I traveled alone on Crystal Symphony, as my spouse was in Africa on safari, whereas we were together on the Regent Alaska cruise. The port calls to smaller towns in Alaska had a very different feel from those to major cities on the Crystal cruise, and that added to the enjoyment of the Alaska cruise. I had made several business visits to most of the cities on the Crystal cruise (and was raised in Boston), so the port calls held only passing interest for me. Basically, I was looking for a pleasant and relaxing interlude on board, and I got it.

  My spouse and I had heretofore opted for ships in the 100-150 passenger range, and I think that would still be my preference for future cruises. So, I am looking forward to trying the "Yachts of Seabourn" in the future. Somehow, the smaller ships, even with their lesser offerings of entertainment, give me more of a sense of being at sea, a closeness with the ocean.

  But, comparing features, the staterooms on the Navigator were comparable in decor, but offered walk-in closets and bathrooms almost as big as at home, with both a full bathtub and shower. By contrast, there was only a sliding door wall closet and a cramped bathroom with 3/4 tub shower on the Symphony. The bed on the Navigator was way too soft for me, and did not support my aching back, whereas the bed on the Symphony was pleasantly firm and supportive; Advantage, Symphony! The stateroom on the Crystal Symphony felt somewhat more cramped than on the Regent Seven Seas Navigator, and my sense was that if I had been traveling accompanied, one of us would have had to sit on the couch or on the bed to allow the other to move around. I did not get that feeling traveling with my spouse on the Regent Seven Seas Navigator; Advantage, Navigator.

  I would rate the food as A-minus on the Navigator, especially the breads and the soups, and only a B-minus on the Symphony. The breads tasted almost commercially baked, nothing really to look forward to, and the soups were marred by the chefs unsuccessful attempts to depart from the basics and jazz them up (example: chopped up sun dried tomatoes in a creamed chicken soup, or wine or Champagne in split pea soup, or a clam chowder that was anything but the New England clam chowder that it was supposed to be). And, the entrees were nothing to write home about, either. Seasoned Crystal travelers remarked that the meats seemed to have degraded in quality from what they had been accustomed to on past cruises. So, advantage Regent Seven Seas.

  The entertainment on the Symphony was first rate. I did not go to the entertainment on the Navigator, so I cannot compare them. The Symphony is a larger ship with more specialized spaces, such as the Palm Court, so that is a plus for the Symphony. The entire crew on both ships were friendly and cordial and made me feel wanted and pampered.

  I appreciated the all-inclusive (alcohol, gratuities) policy on the Regent line much more than on the Crystal line, even with the total of $700 on-board credit that I got on the Symphony. Because, though I am not a big drinker, by any stretch of the imagination, every time I was offered a drink on the Symphony, a cash register went off in my head "Ka-Ching!" and more often than not, I passed it up. By contrast, the house wine selection on the Navigator was included, so I often had a glass of wine with dinner and one night even ordered a cocktail before dinner. My travel agent pre-paid the major gratuities for my Crystal cruise, so the comparison was a wash for me, and I wound up giving additional gratuities on both ships, both augmenting the tips to the room stewards and giving tips to selected wait people who were not covered by the basic gratuity arrangements. But, had the basics not been covered by my travel agent, I would have been uneasy having to do the calculations about each tip. In a word: advantage Regent Seven Seas.

  I did not like the idea of having to dress formally on two nights of the Crystal cruise, or of not being able to beat the formal dress requirement by eating in one of the specialty restaurants (because, they, too, required formal dress). The only way to beat that requirement was to order room service, but that was not a good alternative for me. I realize that this was a big plus for many of the guests, as was the opportunity for unaccompanied women to dance with special host "ambassadors," but neither of these held any attraction for me, and the dress code was a nuisance that I just had to put up with.

  BUT NOW FOR THE BIG DISCRIMINATOR: the single supplement was 25% on the Crystal line and a whopping 100% on the Regent Seven Seas line. So, everything else being equal, if I were to travel alone again, I would choose the Crystal line over Regent Seven Seas hands down, even though I found several features of the Regent Seven Seas line more more to my liking.

  OOPS: Port 5 rating... OK, this was really St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, not St. Johns Newfoundland. I took the bus tour (SJB-I) to St. Martins. a little fishing village. The weather was chilly and rainy, putting a damper [UGH, PUN!] on the trip, but the female guide was superb in keeping our interest. She was a resident of St. Martins with grown kids, and she related family activities like going out in the woods during moose ruts and calling male moose with a moose call made from a shoe lace threaded through a hole in the bottom of a tin can (knotted inside to keep it from slipping out), then wetted and stroked to produce the call of a female moose. We all got to try the moose call and to sample the local "delicacy" of seaweed jerky (I already forgot the local name for it). And we saw the before and after reversal of the river flow from the in-rushing tide of the Bay of Fundy. We had a great fish chowder lunch (better chowder than any soup served on the Crystal Symphony!), and I was able to order absolutely first-rate fried clams (with the "bellies") made from freshly caught local clams, a real treat for someone who was raised in New England. So, despite the rain, this was a really good tour.

  Read the Canada & New England ports review by George GeorgesThe Cat Purred, But Didn't Meow!5

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• Partly happy 1st time Crystal Cruisers

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  Partly happy 1st time Crystal Cruisers This was our 1 cruise on a Crystal ship and we had heard only good things about Crystal Cruises, but there were also some negative items we did not appreciate at all.

  First to the good things: nice ship, good size (below 1000 PAX), never crowded, excellent food in all restaurants, excellent service and staff. Perfectly organised boarding in Valparaiso and de-boarding in Buenos Aires. Well organised excursions (but VERY expensive but thats the same on other cruise lines). Some of the excursions did not fulfill the expectations, but most of them did.

  Negative things:

  Small cabin (everything we needed was there, but we would have appreciated a bit more space in the room as well on the veranda), considering the price paid.

  Lido Restaurant openings: We would expect that this (morning self service…

  Partly happy 1st time Crystal Cruisers This was our 1 cruise on a Crystal ship and we had heard only good things about Crystal Cruises, but there were also some negative items we did not appreciate at all.

  First to the good things: nice ship, good size (below 1000 PAX), never crowded, excellent food in all restaurants, excellent service and staff. Perfectly organised boarding in Valparaiso and de-boarding in Buenos Aires. Well organised excursions (but VERY expensive but thats the same on other cruise lines). Some of the excursions did not fulfill the expectations, but most of them did.

  Negative things:

  Small cabin (everything we needed was there, but we would have appreciated a bit more space in the room as well on the veranda), considering the price paid.

  Lido Restaurant openings: We would expect that this (morning self service restaurant) would also be open EVERY evening for a light (self-service or service) dinner (why not a steak restaurant) or a place for a sightseeing dinner (nice large windows, ideal for a dinner in places such as the inside passages on the Chilean side, the Magellan Passage, the Beagle Street or the Cape Horn as well as during the evenings in Antarctica or between Puerto Madryn and B. Aires with sunset around 10 pm or regions with warm climate (but unfortunately the Lido was only open on 3 evenings);

  The other item which disturbed us a lot, was the frequent closure (or closed bar service) at the PALM COURT (the nicest place on board above the bridge with large windows to the front and the sides and a splendid view). We instantly fell in love with this place, but many times when we wanted to go for a drink before dinner (were on late seating), we were refused entry because of some Bridge club happenings or just because the Bar was not attended). Even at times when the Bar should have been open (as per the daily Reflection), the Bar was unattended). I reported this fact, got an excuse from the Hotel manager, but nothing changed. This is, for a deluxe cruise line as Crystal pretends to be, totally unacceptable, since the remaining 3 Bars (one next to the lobby and two very dark and noisy ones, were not at all our taste).

  What we did is get a bottle of wine and install ourselves on the terrace of the closed Lido Cafe or on our veranda (weather permitting).

  We were also quite unhappy, with the opening hours of the various food places (everything closed at 6pm !! except the for the dining room and the 2 restaurants). There was no place open to get some finger food after 6 pm, something we have not seen on any other cruise line.

  Final remark: Crystal Cruises are expensive, provide excellent food and service, have well trained staff.

  As 1st time cruisers we felt sometimes a bit neglected compared to the C.C. society members. We would have expected to be personally informed about the future Crystal cruise society benefits (there was plenty of time on a 19 day cruise for an information session on a sea day with all 1st timers).

  So yes we liked some of it, but it was not enough to convince us to book again. Read the South America & Antarctica ports review by swiss60Partly happy 1st time Crystal Cruisers5swiss60

  Review By swiss60

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• First Cruise Experience by Chance & Frank Earle

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  First Cruise Experience by Chance & Frank Earle We signed up for our first cruise experience with Crystal with many recommendations from friends. We were not disappointed. Crystal Symphonys crew made us feel welcome from the get go. We were part of the "Mix & Mingle" reception and met a few other Cruise Critic board members plus the cruise directors and hotel manager. We shared questions and got great support. We were especially pleased to have met Jane Salk, Crystal Societys hostess for this cruise. She made us feel part of the "Crystal family".

  We had delightful table mates, who will be our friends forever. The waitstaff was outstanding and it seemed "no problem" for our special requests that veered from the menu set for the day. Amazing!

  We did get great information ahead of time from Crystal Cruises and Cruise Critic which…

  First Cruise Experience by Chance & Frank Earle We signed up for our first cruise experience with Crystal with many recommendations from friends. We were not disappointed. Crystal Symphonys crew made us feel welcome from the get go. We were part of the "Mix & Mingle" reception and met a few other Cruise Critic board members plus the cruise directors and hotel manager. We shared questions and got great support. We were especially pleased to have met Jane Salk, Crystal Societys hostess for this cruise. She made us feel part of the "Crystal family".

  We had delightful table mates, who will be our friends forever. The waitstaff was outstanding and it seemed "no problem" for our special requests that veered from the menu set for the day. Amazing!

  We did get great information ahead of time from Crystal Cruises and Cruise Critic which was an enormous help for us as first time cruisers. We would highly recommend that new cruisers seek out the info we did and just ask. Most folks gave us good info.

  We know we will be cruising with Crystal in the near future and its just deciding as to where do were want to go. Read the Panama Canal & Central America ports review by mvcountessFirst Cruise Experience by Chance & Frank Earle5mvcountess

  Review By mvcountess

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• Summit 3/25/11 - Great Experience

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  Summit 3/25/11 - Great Experience Airport: Nightmare both ways. Flew thru Miami and it was the day after the fuel fire. Previous day they had cancelled all flights, on the day we flew, our flight was cancelled. American Airlines got us on a later flight that day, but we were supposed to meet up with my Mom and daughter in bagged in San Juan and they had to go on ahead to the hotel and meet us later. TSA took applesauce from my bag but let me take knitting needles??? Flying just isnt fun anymore. On the way home, our flight was delayed an hour because of weather in Washington DC. We barely made our connection from Miami to Denver. Very stressful, but we made it. Wont be flying again for a very long timeTres Palmas Inn / San Juan: Nobody has said much about this hotel on the boards,…

  Summit 3/25/11 - Great Experience Airport: Nightmare both ways. Flew thru Miami and it was the day after the fuel fire. Previous day they had cancelled all flights, on the day we flew, our flight was cancelled. American Airlines got us on a later flight that day, but we were supposed to meet up with my Mom and daughter in bagged in San Juan and they had to go on ahead to the hotel and meet us later. TSA took applesauce from my bag but let me take knitting needles??? Flying just isnt fun anymore. On the way home, our flight was delayed an hour because of weather in Washington DC. We barely made our connection from Miami to Denver. Very stressful, but we made it. Wont be flying again for a very long timeTres Palmas Inn / San Juan: Nobody has said much about this hotel on the boards, so I will. This hotel was right on the beach, small friendly, reasonably priced and rooms were spacious. I would recommend it if you are not looking for luxury or frills. I would stay there again. I love San Juan and wish we could have spent more time thereEmbarkation: The best ever. We got there around 12:30 PM and were moving through the line constantly, never had to wait. We were on the ship in less than 30 minutes and our luggage was delivered to cabins as soon as we were finished at the buffet, which was delicious. The only complaint I have is the guy who took out luggage blocked the passage onto the ship and demanded to be tipped before we were let thru. We were planning to tip anyway, but I felt this was rude and obnoxiousFood on Summit: EXCELLENT! They make almost everything from scratch and several members of my family have diet restrictions. We were able to eat most everything and it was delicious.Service: EXCELLENT! The maitre de (Dimitar) was wonderful. He was kind, attentive and bent over backward for our diet restrictions, had special desserts made for us with only natural sweeteners. Head Waiter, Bembang (hope I spelled that right) was very efficient, nice, a little nervous and apologetic when he had no reason to apologize for anything. Asst Waiter, Rudy was wonderful also. He was so sweet. No complaints at allPorts/ToursSt. Thomas: We have been there before so just walked to Kmart, then spent the rest of the day on the shipSt. Maarten: Took a taxi tour of both sides of the island, very pretty and very interesting. We dont use the cruise line to book tours because we can usually get our own for around $15 ppAntigua: Excellent shopping next to the ship, best prices on the whole trip,but very dirty and not so pretty island. Went to the beach in the afternoon and I am not sure why, maybe lack of time, but the taxi driver took us to a dirty, not so pretty beach. This is the only day we had a few clouds and a few showersSt. Lucia: By far, the most beautiful island. Took a taxi tour around the island and got great picsBarbados: Very beautiful island also. Took shuttle to a nearby beach recommended by cruise ship employees. It was a nice beach, but we and several other passengers were very misformed about prices, etc. We were told it was $5 to get in, but when we got there it was $12. Still a very good time, the water was great and it was a much prettier beach than the one we went to in Antigua.Cabin: We had a balcony cabin (9023) and my Mom and daughter had 9025, a inside cabin across from us. Very beautiful and spacious cabins. Cabin stewards were greatTaxis in San Juan were extremely expensive going to the airport and cruise ship port. Kids Program (Fun Factory): Excellent. My son is 10 and he preferred to go the the Fun Factory over going to the pool with us, so thats gotta tell you something!Pools: Very nice. Love the salt water instead of chlorine. Never had trouble finding a chair and the towels were thick and luxurious. The sea day the pool was busier, of course, but still found chairsShip Condition: I really never notice things like this but since there were so many negative posts about the condition of the Summit, I did look and could find NOTHING wrong. Its not a glitzy ship, but its beautiful, well maintained and I really couldnt even see anything that looked worn at allEntertainment: EXCELLENT! The Celebrity entertainers were very good. Lewis Johnson (comedian from Denver where we live) was so funny. We had an impressionist who was wonderful also. Laundry: This is the only other complaint I have. I dont like not having self-service laundry on board. We did use their laundry service, which I thought was a little expensive, having never done this before. Turn around time was about 24 hours, which was good. Laundry came back not quite wadded up, but not folded. Since it was just socks and underwear, not a big deal. It was clean and there was nothing faded or off-color. Several people on these boards thought that they werent doing the "stuff the bag" for $29 anymore on 7 night cruises, so I went ahead and paid full price, but wish I would have waited, because they did offer this on Wednesday, which would have been perfect and we would have gotten more laundry washed for lessSmoking: Almost non-existent....hurray!Disembark: We chose to do the (self) Express Walkoff at 7:30 AM. Never knew we could do this before, but thanks to posters on this board, I knew about it in advance and took advantage. You do have to haul your own luggage, but its worth it to me. You get off first, miss the rush at customs/immigration and the horrible crowds at the San Juan airport on a Saturday! This was the smoothest disembarkation I have ever done.All in all, I would say that Celebrity is now my favorite cruise line, with Princess coming in 2nd. The few minor complaints I have would definitely not stop me from cruising with Celebrity again.Summit 3/25/11 - Great Experience5TheresaK

  Review By TheresaK

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• First Cruise on Crystal

  Passenger Rating:

  First Cruise on Crystal The cruise was great.

  Pros:

  Everything I had read about the food was right on. It is outstanding and you get anything you want by just asking. As our head waiter said “We can give you anything except world peace”.

  I asked for Salmon Wellington and the next night an entire fish filet was wrapped in pastry and served to our entire table. Luckily I was traveling with five others that could help with the meal.

  Entertainment was also very good along with the many activities available through out the day.

  The crew was very friendly and attentive to your needs.

  Cons:

  The smoking in the casino was unbearable at times. It is the main reason that I stayed away. Some of our group…

  First Cruise on Crystal The cruise was great.

  Pros:

  Everything I had read about the food was right on. It is outstanding and you get anything you want by just asking. As our head waiter said “We can give you anything except world peace”.

  I asked for Salmon Wellington and the next night an entire fish filet was wrapped in pastry and served to our entire table. Luckily I was traveling with five others that could help with the meal.

  Entertainment was also very good along with the many activities available through out the day.

  The crew was very friendly and attentive to your needs.

  Cons:

  The smoking in the casino was unbearable at times. It is the main reason that I stayed away. Some of our group did weather the smoke but they too were disappointed that people were allowed to smoke or that the ship didnt do something to mediate the problem.

  We did not get to see Hubbard glacier because of bad weather and ice. Too bad as it was one thing that I would love to have seen.

  The transportation we got when we disembarked was less than first class. They took us to a hotel and dropped us off to wait for our flight. We then had to board a common bus that stopped at other hotels to pick up passengers. The bus then proceeded to the airport stopping at all airlines and picked up more passengers and dropped off some. It was a goat rodeo as the bus got very confusing. This is not the type of transportation I have received on other upscale cruise lines.

  Room was a bit small.

  Overall:

  I would again sail with Crystal.First Cruise on Crystal5Tilac

  Review By Tilac

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• Four Cruise-line comparo: Crystal, Celebrity, HAL, Princess

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  Four Cruise-line comparo: Crystal, Celebrity, HAL, Princess This is a four-cruise-line comparison, following our first cruise on Crystal and, before that, nine cruises on Princess, Holland America and Celebrity. In brief, cost per day on Crystal is a bit more than twice the others. In return you get the best food, no lines anywhere, and a friendlier, more intimate and quieter atmosphere.

  But thats not the whole story. Crystals Cruise Critic reviews emphasize the superiority of the service provided on Crystal. Our experience has been that service has been excellent on all our cruises; crystal was excellent but not superior. For example, our two best room stewards were on Princess, as was our best team of waiters; our top bartender and bar waiter were on HAL, and our best deck stewards on Crystal, as was the best afternoon tea service. The best informal lunch service was in…

  Four Cruise-line comparo: Crystal, Celebrity, HAL, Princess This is a four-cruise-line comparison, following our first cruise on Crystal and, before that, nine cruises on Princess, Holland America and Celebrity. In brief, cost per day on Crystal is a bit more than twice the others. In return you get the best food, no lines anywhere, and a friendlier, more intimate and quieter atmosphere.

  But thats not the whole story. Crystals Cruise Critic reviews emphasize the superiority of the service provided on Crystal. Our experience has been that service has been excellent on all our cruises; crystal was excellent but not superior. For example, our two best room stewards were on Princess, as was our best team of waiters; our top bartender and bar waiter were on HAL, and our best deck stewards on Crystal, as was the best afternoon tea service. The best informal lunch service was in Celebritys Aqua café. Overall, on service our experience was: Pick ‘em!

  We have mostly had standard balcony cabins. Our deck 8 cabin on the Crystal Symphony was slightly smaller than comparables on the other lines, and the bathroom quite a bit smaller, though both room and bath were very well laid out and beautifully appointed. Only the Celebrity Infinitys concierge cabin was superior. Princess wastes space with a protrusion in the middle of a bit-larger cabin. Our cabin on HALs Ryndam was somewhat rundown.

  Infinity has a beautiful two-deck library and selection of books, with the smaller top-deck library of the Royal Princess coming in at second place in our esteem. The larger Princess ships have an unmatched number of tucked away spaces where you can sit and read or meditate quietly. Celebrity had the most stunning public décor, and the sculpture and hanging art was also mesmerizing. Crystal may well come in last on this rather subjective dimension.

  The food in the Crystal Symphonys dining room was superb night after night—nothing like it elsewhere. As an example of attention to detail: every night there was a different pasta dish available. I ordered it as a secondo preceding the entrée, and each one was amazing—the best Ive every eaten. Comparable things could be said about the rest of the menu (my wife says Crystal has the best pastry at sea). Why go to a specialty restaurant then? Well we did, to Silk Road, their Asian spot, and it too was unbelievably good. Despite all this, we missed the Princess steakhouse and the Infinitys S.S. United States. Crystal has quite a few two-person tables in the dining room, important to us, but the late seating is very late, 8:30.

  The best bar afloat, in our view, is Crystals Avenue Saloon. It is an old-time saloon, beautifully paneled and lighted, with fine service, excellent canapés, perfect Beefeater martini, and a lounge bar pianist who interacts wittily with the patrons and plays and sings well, with moods to fit the ambience. The other ships havent a single space among them, nor an entertainer, that achieved this overall balance. There is a smoking section in this bar but there was no smoke during the many times we had pre-diner drinks there. I usually allow myself one cigar per cruise, and the Crystal Connoisseur Clubs environment and selection of cigars and brandy—and the service—were by far my best experience at sea—two cigars is the Clubs rating in my book.

  The best wine list we found was on Celebrity. It was more comprehensive, leaned toward French wines, but California was well represented. The cellar masters selections were sensitive to the importance of vintage. You did have to go to the specialty restaurant, the S.S. United States, to get most of them, and the main dining room sommelier was incompetent. On HALs Ryndam the cellar master had a much smaller selection, but it was excellent and provided us with out best wine experience among these ten voyages, including a pair of properly aged bottles of Caymus cab and a tasting of Chateau Yquem.

  Worth mentioning is Crystals Vintage Room. Its a small, beautiful room that seats twelve, and serves a seven-course meal complete with wine tasting, usually only once a voyage. We found the food to be excellent, of the level of the main dining room. The wine was however a little disappointing, the head sommelier seeming to be more interested in unusual grapes, vineyard locations and other inputs than in the outputs—how they actually taste. Of the eight or nine wines we sampled none stood out, though of course they were all very drinkable! The great thing about this event was the company, a very compatible, witty, and maybe just a touch edgy crew of Americans and Australians. Four hundred and twenty bucks will get you and your partner this experience.

  Crystals passenger profile was distinctive. There were few under fifty, but the over 50s looked to be people whod taken care of themselves—fit and able to enjoy what the cruise had to offer. The older age of the passengers contributed to the quieter nature of the cruise, as did the absence of the seemingly endless and overly-magnified announcements of the cruise directors on the other ships. On Crystal we were apparently trusted to be able to make our activity choices merely by reading the daily newsletter. Still, the passenger profile combined with the ships décor left a hint of blandness on these cruisers palates

  We really missed the Princess atrium, found also on HAL but not on Celebrity and in a truncated form on Crystal. It formed a central place, rather like a small towns plaza from which all the ships activity seemed to radiate. Acrobats, bars, piano players—something always was going on. Sadly the list apparently no longer includes classical music if our last Princess trip (on the Grand) is representative—unless you count the accordion as a classical instrument.

  Crystal has a great observation lounge, comparable to HALs Crows nest, though the one on the Osterdam was pretty seedy. This venue, called the Palm Court, was also the home of the daily afternoon tea, a great and unparalleled experience. Crystals coffee house serves fine food and is much the largest of its kind, though the appointments are rather cafeteria-bland.

  Our Crystal cruise was great, but so were all the others. If Crystals prices were competitive we still would not become Crystal-only cruisers. Should we manage to cruise ten more times, the odds are that we would once again sample the wares of all four of these fine cruise lines.Four Cruise-line comparo: Crystal, Celebrity, HAL, Princess4

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• Great Services but sub-standard food

  Passenger Rating:

  Great Services but sub-standard food We went on this cruise with another couple, who have travelled with Crystal Harmony 4 times before. We flied to N.Y. the night before, spent an evening in N.Y., then boarded the ship just before noon. We stayed in Ink48, which is 10 minutes cab ride to the pier. We really liked the hotel, clean, modern, and quiet, with very comfortable bed. This is not a 5 star hotel, good enough for a short stay but a bit far from theatre district.

  Boarding took about an hour, when we got on the ship, our room was not ready. We checked our hand luggage, which took another half hour, then went to the Dining Room for lunch. Around 2:30pm, we were in our room. Our luggage was delivered to our room, including our hand luggage. So bring extra lock for your hand luggage.

  …

  Great Services but sub-standard food We went on this cruise with another couple, who have travelled with Crystal Harmony 4 times before. We flied to N.Y. the night before, spent an evening in N.Y., then boarded the ship just before noon. We stayed in Ink48, which is 10 minutes cab ride to the pier. We really liked the hotel, clean, modern, and quiet, with very comfortable bed. This is not a 5 star hotel, good enough for a short stay but a bit far from theatre district.

  Boarding took about an hour, when we got on the ship, our room was not ready. We checked our hand luggage, which took another half hour, then went to the Dining Room for lunch. Around 2:30pm, we were in our room. Our luggage was delivered to our room, including our hand luggage. So bring extra lock for your hand luggage.

  The room was clean, but small. The sitting area looked bigger in picture. With the coffee table pushed closer to the couch so that we could access the drawers, there was not enough leg room for two persons to sit on the couch, only one person at a time.

  I am only going to talk about the few things that I have always wanted to know but never found the answers here.

  With the 2 for 1 pricing, was the food as good as they said? Maybe it normally is, but not on this sailing. Compared to the 5 star restaurants found in any big city, the food served on this cruise would only get a 3.5 rating. Someone told me the regular chef was on vacation. More than 1/3 of the time our food arrived luke warm. A few times, we waited 40 minutes for our dinner. Soup was watery. Most of the time, chicken consomme was served and it tasted like Campbell soup. On the Galley tour, one lady asked the Executive Chef Manfred Schaller why the soup choice was getting more and more limited. His reply was that “There is just not a lot of demand”. Well, if the soup did not taste good time after time, people would not order them. Steak was tough and always came overcooked. Order a medium rare if you want a medium well. Seafood was a lot better and most patrons did order fish. This may be the reason why they did this very well. Souffle was one of the few dishes that was met our expectation. Lobster was also very good but for a 19 days cruise, they only served it once. If you want another lobster dinner, place the order the night before.

  Is the cruise on Crystal worth the money? Base on our experience, with the 2 for 1 pricing, and a $2,200 shipboard credit, I would say yes. But if you are young and active, wants to do a lot and see a lot on board and on land, then the answer is no. This ship caters to clients over 70 years old, who are rich and shameless. Their money works for them and not the other way around.

  I met a lot of nice people, who have sailed with Crystal numerous times (easily over 15 times). One thing I found is that they are "crystalized", and have not travelled with any other cruise line since they sailed with Crystal. With no other experience to compared with lately, they simply dont know what they are missing.

  Service was excellent. We havent met one single rude employee.

  Bathroom is small but has enough storage space. Shower has great water pressure. They still have receptionists making the wake-up calls personally; therefore there may be 5 - 6 minutes delay on a port day.

  I have very sensitive skin, and reacts to strong commercial detergent used by the Princess Cruise ships. I was hoping that Crystal might be different. On the 4th day, my skin started to break out in rash. My cabin steward replaced the linen promptly with what I brought from home. The rash subsided. She ordered special sheets for me, catered to people with sensitive skin. It did not work. After the 3rd day, my skin broke out in rash again. So if you have sensitive skin like mine and had similar experience, bring your own sheet. I did not seem to have any problem with the Celebrity cruise line.

  Spa was very nice and cozy. Fitness centre was usually only half full.

  If you are booking this cruise to transit the Panama Canal, the best view is on open deck, not in the Palm Court. You just would not get a great picture there due to the window frame. Order room service early in the morning, then head straight to the open deck, if you are fit and nimble.

  I asked my friends how this cruise compared to their previous cruises with Crystal, they said that this one does not even come close to what they experienced before. We had a full ship on this sailing. On the afternoon of the so called Mozart tea, everyone showed up. So instead of having the pastry brought to us, we had to take our plate and lined up for them. Tea was served in tea bag instead of loose tea leaves. I would not call that a High Tea at all. I had better experience in a side walk cafe. Read the Panama Canal & Central America ports review by Emerald22Great Services but sub-standard food4

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• Crystal - Panama Canal - Par Excellance

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  Crystal - Panama Canal - Par Excellance Although the Crystal Symphony is older than the Seabourn Sojorn we last sailed on, the ship is maintained in top condition. Beautiful inside and out with amazing attention to detail. With about 900 passengers, we never felt crowded in this spacious vessel. The Captain and crew were wonderful, although the no handshake policy was a little strange, no matter how much sense it makes. It felt a little odd. Maybe you could post hand sanitizers just past the receiving line? But, the crew were courteous, industrious, and efficient. The main dining room was a little less formal than Seabourn or Regent but still elegant. And, the maitred made special desserts several evenings which were great. Grand Mariner souffle, cheeries jubilee, bananas foster, viola!! And, a special filled birthday cake for one of our tablemates who were all wonderful. We sat with 3 other couples and…

  Crystal - Panama Canal - Par Excellance Although the Crystal Symphony is older than the Seabourn Sojorn we last sailed on, the ship is maintained in top condition. Beautiful inside and out with amazing attention to detail. With about 900 passengers, we never felt crowded in this spacious vessel. The Captain and crew were wonderful, although the no handshake policy was a little strange, no matter how much sense it makes. It felt a little odd. Maybe you could post hand sanitizers just past the receiving line? But, the crew were courteous, industrious, and efficient. The main dining room was a little less formal than Seabourn or Regent but still elegant. And, the maitred made special desserts several evenings which were great. Grand Mariner souffle, cheeries jubilee, bananas foster, viola!! And, a special filled birthday cake for one of our tablemates who were all wonderful. We sat with 3 other couples and their presence made the meatimes special. We stopped in St Thomas, St Maarteen, and Curacao on the way to the canal and just walked the towns to get a feel. They were all picturesque, friendly, warm, and quaint but like a lot of other Caribbean ports. Amazing yatchs in St Thomas harbor though. The Panama Canal should be on everyones bucket list, what a sight. Just watching the operation was enlightening, well worth the trip. We debarked in Caldera and took a coffee plantation tour up the valley to San Jose. We had lunch at Cafe Britt Coffee Plantation. The Costa Rican food was great and we were schooled on coffee production from seed to brew. The San Jose Marriott was beautiful in old colonial style of heavy dark wood and wrought iron. With an open roof over the courtyard and open hallways. Like living outdoors. A quick 10 minutes to the airport and home. All in all, a great adventure. Publication Date: 02/20/12 Read the Panama Canal & Central America ports review by hjames2 More Crystal Symphony Cruise ReviewsCrystal - Panama Canal - Par Excellancehjames2

  Review By hjames2

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• Crystal Symphony The Best

  Passenger Rating:

  Crystal Symphony The Best My friend Linda came to sail with me on a trip to Alaska on the Crystal Symphony. This was her first time on Crystal and my second. The cruise was just fantastic The food was really a cut above all other cruise lines. The entertainment was fabulous. Our cruise had "emerging artists" sailing and entering us. They were extremely talented and we all enjoyed the shows. The lectures were interesting and entertaining. Beginning Bridge classes were given and I liked them. The gym was just wonderful and I worked out most days. Excellent, attentive staff. The spa was very good, and I had two massages. I think the prices are over the top, however. All in all it was a great trip. Linda and I especially enjoyed meeting & hanging out with Bradely & Stuart, who were passengers from the U.K. The Ron Owens group was a…

  Crystal Symphony The Best My friend Linda came to sail with me on a trip to Alaska on the Crystal Symphony. This was her first time on Crystal and my second. The cruise was just fantastic The food was really a cut above all other cruise lines. The entertainment was fabulous. Our cruise had "emerging artists" sailing and entering us. They were extremely talented and we all enjoyed the shows. The lectures were interesting and entertaining. Beginning Bridge classes were given and I liked them. The gym was just wonderful and I worked out most days. Excellent, attentive staff. The spa was very good, and I had two massages. I think the prices are over the top, however. All in all it was a great trip. Linda and I especially enjoyed meeting & hanging out with Bradely & Stuart, who were passengers from the U.K. The Ron Owens group was a lot of fun and Joanne from Fugazi Travel took good care of us...
  Crystal Symphony The Bestnewman3202

  Review By newman3202

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• Cruising with Crystal was a great experience

  Passenger Rating:

  Cruising with Crystal was a great experience The quality of the food, the service, the entertainment and overall ambience was much superior to that we have experienced on other cruise lines. The first day we heard two discussions among different groups about whether Seabourn or Crystal was the best cruise line with no agreed conclusion except that it had to be one of the two. Ill just list in no particular order some of things we liked: - Spotless cabins and public areas - The cabin was small but had ample storage - The service staff made an effort to learn the names of passengers and greet them by name. - Every effort was made to accommodate the wishes of passengers and to create a family type atmosphere - There were a high percentage of repeat customers loyal to Crystal indicating consistent quality - some had taken over 50 cruises on Crystal. - We could…

  Cruising with Crystal was a great experience The quality of the food, the service, the entertainment and overall ambience was much superior to that we have experienced on other cruise lines. The first day we heard two discussions among different groups about whether Seabourn or Crystal was the best cruise line with no agreed conclusion except that it had to be one of the two. Ill just list in no particular order some of things we liked: - Spotless cabins and public areas - The cabin was small but had ample storage - The service staff made an effort to learn the names of passengers and greet them by name. - Every effort was made to accommodate the wishes of passengers and to create a family type atmosphere - There were a high percentage of repeat customers loyal to Crystal indicating consistent quality - some had taken over 50 cruises on Crystal. - We could bring on a bottle of liquor each for use in our cabins - Bingo was cancelled for lack of interest! - There were no sales of kitschy "art" - The computer setup was great with free lessons and help readily on hand for problems - There were few announcements on the PA -- absolutely none of the type "trivia begins at 1:30" - Excellent lecturers like Tex Harris on world affairs and Sylvia Rimm on family issues enhanced the already very good enrichment program. The cruise left from Miami, went to Barbados and then to Devils Island where we couldnt land because of the surf. The ship then sailed along the coast of Brazil. A stop at Salvador was cancelled because of a police strike and then on to Maceio. A stop at Bouzios, a pleasant beach resort, was substituted for Salvador. Finally we ended up at Rio during Carnival -- a fabulous time. The failure to land at Devils Island although beyond the control of Crystal was handled very well. The Cruise Director quickly reconfigured the days program to a sea day and had it printed and distributed to passengers within a couple of hours. Free drinks were offered in all the bars during the two hours before dinner. A nice recovery which contrasted with our April 2011 cruise on the old Royal Princess which missed a stop at Easter Island and made no effort at "make-up". The attitude toward passengers is much more positive on Crystal than on Princess. The only sour note on the cruise was our stop at Maceio. Its a dump and the passengers couldnt understand why the ship stopped there. Shabby and rundown buildings with flaking walls covered in graffiti were all there was to see. The guides on the Crystal tour buses with one exception were poor English speakers and didnt understand the concept of bathroom breaks. We ended up spending an hour in a lace market street with not very good products. Wed strongly recommend that Crystal not call there again. The old adage "you get what you pay for" is certainly true here -- it costs more to cruise on Crystal but its a higher quality experience. Publication Date: 02/27/12 Read the South America & Antarctica ports review by prof1420 More Crystal Symphony Cruise ReviewsCruising with Crystal was a great experienceprof1420

  Review By prof1420

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• Journey thru the Panama Canal with Road Scholar

  Passenger Rating:

  Journey thru the Panama Canal with Road Scholar Background Information - The Panama Canal has always been on my "Bucket List" and when I discovered that this cruise was offered thru Road Scholar Adventures Afloat program with free airfare, my husband and I booked it immediately! Travel To Port of Embarkation - A direct flight to Miami booked by Road Scholar Hotel Info - Overnighted at the Courtyard by Marriott Miami Airport South; a nice enough accommodation with free airport shuttle service running every 20-30 minutes. The block square Marriott Miami Airport Campus also included a Residence Inn & The Miami Airport Marriott, giving you ample restaurant options. The only thing that I found lacking was a room safe. Stateroom - Category A on Deck 9 Forward: A very quiet location on the port side, 4 cabins down from the front elevator bank, allowing us easy access to most areas of the ship.…

  Journey thru the Panama Canal with Road Scholar Background Information - The Panama Canal has always been on my "Bucket List" and when I discovered that this cruise was offered thru Road Scholar Adventures Afloat program with free airfare, my husband and I booked it immediately! Travel To Port of Embarkation - A direct flight to Miami booked by Road Scholar Hotel Info - Overnighted at the Courtyard by Marriott Miami Airport South; a nice enough accommodation with free airport shuttle service running every 20-30 minutes. The block square Marriott Miami Airport Campus also included a Residence Inn & The Miami Airport Marriott, giving you ample restaurant options. The only thing that I found lacking was a room safe. Stateroom - Category A on Deck 9 Forward: A very quiet location on the port side, 4 cabins down from the front elevator bank, allowing us easy access to most areas of the ship. The only disadvantage to this location was the distance to the self-service laundry room which was located beyond the mid-ship elevator bank and the small sun deck located on the ships aft. The stateroom itself was lovely and very well maintained. Hanging storage space was more than ample and both terry and light weight bath robes were provided, as well as two pairs of cheap one-size fits no one slippers. Drawer space for folded clothing items was less generous, but we managed. The 2 adjoined twin bed set-up made the room a bit tight, but we appreciated the sleeping comfort they provided. We were rocked to sleep many a night with a gentle breeze coming from our open Veranda. A small fridge, stocked with soft drinks and bottled water as well was a fresh fruit plate both of which were updated daily were nice no charge extras. Ship Info - Very comfortable and well maintained...everything was ship/shape! Dining - We were in the early dining seating and enjoyed dinner followed by entertainment options and being early risers, we were usually in bed by 10. Five course dinners were the norm, although we quickly learned to limit ourselves to either the soup or salad option. Five entree offerings were standard fare as well as a Vegetarian option and the deserts were to die for! Activities - Spas, a Salon, Workout area, walking/jogging track, swimming, hot tubs, golf nets, table tennis, shuffleboard, and paddle tennis... Childrens Clubs - As no grandchildren were with us, Im pretty clueless, although I did note a special computer center and an activity room which didt seem to be in use much on our cruise as most of the children, as well as their parents, seemed to be back to the daily post-holiday grind. Service - In a word, EXCELLENT! The staff often thought of things I might require before I knew that I needed them... Entertainment - Daily lecturers were excellent and offered insight on the history and politics of the Panama Canal and Central America as well as their personal experiences in that part of the world. Nightly entertainment could be found at the Piano Bar, Night Club, and a Las Vegas Style Lounge. Shows including comedy, broadway style shows, and celebrity entertainers were also featured on a daily basis. Port & Shore Excursions - Ports of Call included George Town/Grand Cayman, Cartagena/ Columbia, Panama City/Panama, and Huatulco, Puerto Vallarta, & Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Excursions were available for passengers with various physical abilities and budgets. Disembarkation - Smooth and efficient with many Crystal ground support people to assist you once you left the ship. Summary - Loved t he cruise and would certainly consider sailing with Crystal again! Publication Date: 03/05/12 Read the Panama Canal & Central America ports review by Little Toot More Crystal Serenity Cruise ReviewsJourney thru the Panama Canal with Road ScholarLittle Toot

  Review By Little Toot

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• The Magic Of Alaska On The Crystal Symphony

  Passenger Rating:

  The Magic Of Alaska On The Crystal Symphony Review Of Voyage 1219 – August 13 Alaska Sailing

  Overall Summary

  ==============

  We had a wonderful time on this voyage. This cruise exceeded our expectations.

  Embarkation

  ==========

  We arrived early and terminal security allowed us to sit inside the waiting area of the Pier 35 passenger cruise ship terminal.

  This was our third embarkation since the roll out of the Priority Check-in & Planning Center(PCPC) and the check-in process was better and faster than ever. In a matter of a minute or two, we were given our shipboard cards with our picture and we were headed to the gangway to board the ship. We stopped so the photographers could take our embarkation photo. Once on board the ship, we enjoyed a nice…

  The Magic Of Alaska On The Crystal Symphony Review Of Voyage 1219 – August 13 Alaska Sailing

  Overall Summary

  ==============

  We had a wonderful time on this voyage. This cruise exceeded our expectations.

  Embarkation

  ==========

  We arrived early and terminal security allowed us to sit inside the waiting area of the Pier 35 passenger cruise ship terminal.

  This was our third embarkation since the roll out of the Priority Check-in & Planning Center(PCPC) and the check-in process was better and faster than ever. In a matter of a minute or two, we were given our shipboard cards with our picture and we were headed to the gangway to board the ship. We stopped so the photographers could take our embarkation photo. Once on board the ship, we enjoyed a nice lunch in the Crystal Dining Room. We did have our traditional Cobb Salad and enjoyed a complimentary flute of Champagne so that we could toast the start of the cruise.

  After lunch, we took care of a few items including signing up for the Internet, and when we stopped by our room it was ready for our occupancy. Our luggage arrived shortly after that. We were all unpacked and settled before the lifeboat drill and the sail away from San Francisco.

  Service

  ======

  I have the benefit of also having sailed on some other luxury cruise lines including a 200-passenger ship. While there are certainly differences in the physical nature of a ship carrying 200 versus 900 passengers, Crystal has perfected the ability to provide a level of service as good if not better than even the very small cruise ships that we have sailed on.

  We do not travel on the Symphony anywheres near the number of times we travel on the Serenity a matter of a day or two we were greeted by our names throughout the ship and our preferences known in many venues around the ship.

  Overall, service was outstanding throughout the ship and this is one of several core strengths of Crystal Cruises. What always impresses us is not just the high level of service provided by each member of the Crystal staff individually, but how they work together as one unit/team to deliver an outstanding level of service to each guest.

  On top of the wonderful service found around the ship, we were very pleased with our stewardess, stewardess in training, our butler, who we have had previously, and by the Crystal Dining Room staff including our waiter, senior waiter, sommelier, and by Headwaiter and the Crystal Dining Room Maitre.

  The Ship

  =======

  This is our second voyage on the Symphony since its major dry dock from the fall of 2009. The ship is as beautiful as ever and some of our favorite areas include the Lido Café and Lido Deck with the beautiful couches, the ambiance of Silk Road and Prego, the color scheme throughout the ship and our room. The ship is very well maintained and the public rooms are very spacious. While the ship was sold out, and we estimate that there were around 50 or so children on board, it never felt crowded and there are many quiet areas on board the ship.

  Enrichment

  =========

  This was a food and wine themed cruise, which we really enjoyed and we were very impressed with the number of lecturers on board this voyage and the range of topics they covered. There are well over fifty activities offered on each sea day during the morning and afternoon hours. For example, on the sea day while we cruised the Inside Passage there were three lectures plus a cooking demonstration by the guest chef, and an afternoon program by the mixologist along with an array of other activities.

  Entertainment

  ============

  There was a nice choice of entertainment on the cruise. On some nights in addition to the production shows there was also additional entertainment such as on the night where the Production Show Route 66 was not only performed twice, but later that evening a Cabaret Show was performed featuring the comedy and music of Jimmy Travis. There was more entertainment on this voyage than I expected, particularly as it related to entertainers brought onto the ship for this voyage.

  Cuisine

  ======

  We found the cuisine to be even better than ever and that says a lot since we always enjoy the cuisine on board Crystal Cruises. We did not have a meal that we regretted or would have changed.

  The quality of the food and its overall presentation was very consistent and in our opinion six star. While in Prego and in Silk Road the kitchen is turning out meals for a much smaller number of guests, the reality is that the Crystal Dining Room is turning out meals for around 400 or more guests in each seating. Yet, when each item comes out it has the taste and the presentation of a kitchen that is turning out meals for far fewer guests.

  Often we order fresh seafood and we did this for the majority of our evening meals in the Crystal Dining Room. We very much enjoyed the fresh fish from Alaska.

  We also found the salads and the fresh fruit to be very tasty and choices were plentiful throughout the cruise.

  Accommodations

  ==============

  We stayed on the Penthouse Deck and occupied the same room as we did last November. The layout of the room is just perfect for us.

  Shore Excursions

  ==============

  There was a very nice choice of shore excursions to consider. Since we have been to these ports of call from anywhere from three to four times previously, we only chose shore excursions for two of the ports of call.

  We really enjoyed the volunteer shore excursion. We thank Crystal for making one of these available per voyage.

  Itinerary

  =======

  The itinerary was perfect. We enjoy sailing out of San Francisco and appreciate that the cruise began and ended there and we enjoyed the six ports of call and cruising Glacier Bay a great deal. This voyage had a nice mix of sea days and days in port.

  In spite of rainy weather, we felt the sunshine throughout the ship.

  Disembarkation.

  =============

  The disembarkation was as smooth as the embarkation. We waited in our room until around 8:15 AM as our disembarkation group was scheduled for 8:45 AM and we disembarked right around that time. There were plenty of personnel at the pier and we easily found our luggage.The Magic Of Alaska On The Crystal SymphonyKeith1010

  Review By Keith1010

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• An Outstanding Oxperience

  Passenger Rating:

  An Outstanding Oxperience Our experience aboard the Crystal Serenity was marvelous. Our expectations were high and we were not disappointed. The staff was outstanding. We were skeptical that they could be as legitimately warm, friendly and unhesitatingly helpful as previous reviewers had described, but it was true. We wanted to take some of them home.

  The Crystal orchestra was terrific -- and trumpeter Rafael worth taking the cruise to hear. The Broadway style productions were spectacular, some of the best we have seen anywhere. Some appealed a bit more than others to our tastes, but it would hard to fault anyone on professionalism. Special moments in some productions were quite moving. There was so much quality entertainment that it was difficult to take everything in.

  I thought it interesting that the two lecturers on the Panama Canal disagreed as to whether the USA should…

  An Outstanding Oxperience Our experience aboard the Crystal Serenity was marvelous. Our expectations were high and we were not disappointed. The staff was outstanding. We were skeptical that they could be as legitimately warm, friendly and unhesitatingly helpful as previous reviewers had described, but it was true. We wanted to take some of them home.

  The Crystal orchestra was terrific -- and trumpeter Rafael worth taking the cruise to hear. The Broadway style productions were spectacular, some of the best we have seen anywhere. Some appealed a bit more than others to our tastes, but it would hard to fault anyone on professionalism. Special moments in some productions were quite moving. There was so much quality entertainment that it was difficult to take everything in.

  I thought it interesting that the two lecturers on the Panama Canal disagreed as to whether the USA should have retained control.

  The officers aboard were as charming as staff, and the captain was especially charming and helpful.

  We have frequented many top restaurants, none superior to every option aboard Serenity. This was the first ever cruise to offer "open dining by reservation," and that helped schedule times that worked well for us. Our every request was honored and seating for two (our general preference) was always available. With only 569 fellow passengers and a crew of 630, we felt anointed.

  In summary, this vessel is beautifully designed and maintained, its staff well managed and lavishly helpful, and although it wasnt inexpensive it was worth every penny. Bravo.

  PS: We would have favored a stop other than the Cayman Islands.

  Huatulco, Mexico was delightful, and the dock an easy walk to everything. We would return here. We would have preferred at least one additional stop, preferably in Panama. Read the Panama Canal & Central America ports review by simpsonbookAn Outstanding Oxperience

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• ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Passenger Rating:

  ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know that many people love Crystal Cruises, in fact most of the passengers on my cruise had sailed Crystal numerous times, but I am not one of them and do not plan on sailing Crystal again. I was bored out of my mind!!!!Daytime activities were limited to one trivia and 1 bingo per day plus some lectures, a mid-afternoon movie and dance classes. I read a lot of books on this crossing! The food and service were no better than what I have experienced on many cruise lines that charge much less than Crystal does. I did not find the food or the service excellent or exceptional (except for Prego - see below). The boring breakfast buffet at the Lido Cafe was the same ever morning and the lunch buffet was quite limited and boring also. Food in the dining room was OK, except for my medium rare steak…

  ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know that many people love Crystal Cruises, in fact most of the passengers on my cruise had sailed Crystal numerous times, but I am not one of them and do not plan on sailing Crystal again. I was bored out of my mind!!!!Daytime activities were limited to one trivia and 1 bingo per day plus some lectures, a mid-afternoon movie and dance classes. I read a lot of books on this crossing! The food and service were no better than what I have experienced on many cruise lines that charge much less than Crystal does. I did not find the food or the service excellent or exceptional (except for Prego - see below). The boring breakfast buffet at the Lido Cafe was the same ever morning and the lunch buffet was quite limited and boring also. Food in the dining room was OK, except for my medium rare steak arriving overcooked every night except for the first one. Most passengers loved the free drinks and the wines flowed freely. I dont drink but was happy to have all the Coke Zeros and bottled water I wanted. 2 good things - the delicious cupcakes in the Bistro Cafe and my dinner at Prego- only in that restaurant were the food and service exceptional. It was the best meal I had while on the cruise and I can see why it was fully booked every night. My balcony cabin was much smaller than a balcony cabin on any other cruise line I have sailed, the bathroom was tiny and the bed was as HARD AS A ROCK. If I hadnt been able to get a puffy mattress pad that made the bed a little softer I would have slept on the floor. The pillows were plentiful and wonderful, however. The bathroom was very small with a tub/shower combo. Good water pressure and plenty of hot water and bath sheets that actaually went all the way around me. Thankfully, very few (maybe 10) children on the cruise. Passengers were well-heeled and well-traveled but fun to be with and not snooty at all. Everybody seemed to actually stick to the daily evening dress code. You saw very few (if any!) around the ship in shorts or tee-shirts after 6PM. As this was a big band theme cruise, there was plenty of dancing and gentlemen hosts to dance with some of the single ladies. Many places around the ship to listen to various types of music. Casino-old slot machines that did not pay and ate your money. There were some interesting classes such as beginning Berlitz Spanish, Yamaha keyboard and various computer classes. I prefer a cruise with many more daytime activities that I like to do. You wont see me on a Crystal ship again anytime soon!ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Cruising Ginger

  Review By Cruising Ginger

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