HIGH EXPECTATIONS MET AGAIN
It was going to be my 70th birthday as Crystal Serenity cruised up the Mississippi River to New Orleans. That seemed like the perfect combination, and it didn’t disappoint. We have taken 30 cruises, 12 on Celebrity, and the rest on eight other lines (two defunct). This was our third Crystal cruise, second on Serenity.
From embarkation to the minute we stepped off the ship, things ran so smoothly. Every place I looked, there was plenty of crew and staff, all cordial, all expert at their jobs. The crew and staff are appropriately professional and just friendly enough, as well as extremely well trained. It’s a well-oiled machine, almost always. I’m talking about the servers in all the dining venues, the staff at the computer lounge (no doubt answering the same questions, over and over and over again), the stewardess, the tender operators. Everybody!
Of the 16 drawers, my husband uses three and gives me 13, which allows me a place for all my clothes as well as my hair things, costume jewelry, scarves and small purses. He uses the shelf in the closet, and he doesn't mind leaving half his small clothing items in the suitcase under the bed.
The lighting is great; the little three-plug mini power strip on the desk/dressing table is nice; the safe is easy to use. If you need a socket for a three-pronged plug, take out that mini power strip and you'll find it. I also used the European socket with the converter I always carry with me. Don't forget that stateroom walls are magnetic, so bring a few magnets to hold up papers for easy reference.
Bed is so comfy I never even gave it a thought.
Each stateroom has a doorbell, and two lights you can choose to activate. One says Do Not Disturb, the other says Please Clean Room.
Wanted to go see Little Dix Bay Resort, where we had a memorable vacation years ago, but it is evidently closed for renovation. Many people enjoyed The Baths.
Nice! Easy stroll to a little museum and war memorial, and shell beach is right nearby, too. Wear your beach shoes. High end shops were closed on our Sunday visit.
Rented a golf cart and drove in one direction to see salt fields, flamingos and donkeys, then in the other direction to see the Beach of a Thousand Steps.
Enjoyed the museum very much and then went to the square with the memorial plaques.
Nice port area with plenty of shops and eating/drinking venues. Take a shared taxi into town, but if you walk, you can stop at the John Glenn replica of his space capsule from 1992 when he landed nearby after circumnavigating the globe.
Museum definitely worth visiting.
Loved New Orleans, as always. Went to the Acme Oyster House for char-grilled oysters and walked around the French Quarter and along the Mississippi.