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Why Go?
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 Variety of dining options, from Italian to sushi
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Outstanding, solicitous service on all levels
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Active casino
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First-rate enrichment programs on photography, foreign languages
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Big enough to include many features (great spa) but still feels intimate
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Itineraries and Ports of Call: South America & Antarctica
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Crystal Symphony Review
Editor's Note: As mentioned in our recent review of Crystal Symphony, the ship is due for a refurbishment in fall 2009. Among the areas that will benefit include Prego, the ship's Italian restaurant, and the Lido Café. The pool deck will get a makeover. And the ship's priciest accommodations – its two Crystal Penthouses and 61 Penthouses and Penthouse Suites will get a much-needed update. Some other interesting changes include renovated elevators, an upgrade of the ship's broadcast production studio (which will result in better television clarity and programming) and medical centre improvements. We'll be back later this fall to visit Symphony when it re-emerges and will report on the changes then.
It's 1 a.m., and an enthusiastic -- if not altogether talented -- would-be American Idolist is wailing her way through Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive." Fellow night-clubbers, armed with Cosmopolitans and glasses of cabernet sauvignon and Veuve Clicquot, are either cheering her on while dancing, cuddling on the art-nouveau-meets-21st-century banquettes or perching atop Philippe Stark barstools. It's another karaoke night at LUXE, and again -- for the third time in a week -- we've broken "curfew" and stayed up way, way, way past our bedtimes.
You'd think we were party animals on a three-night cruise to nowhere.
Once one of cruising's more sedate vessels (and, by all means, you can still enjoy the peace and quiet), Crystal Symphony underwent a major refurbishment a few years back. Costing a whopping $23 million, it's the most significant ship redo in Crystal's history. (Another slightly less ambitious refurb effort is planned for the ship in September 2009.)
LUXE, the pocket-sized nightclub tucked into a corner between the atrium and the casino, is definitely a transitional place onboard this ship, which was not formerly known for its nightlife. Sleek and colorful -- almost raucously so -- this 10-p.m.-until-late venue would feel right at home on South Beach.
Indeed, Crystal Symphony has, in many places, been transformed -- from an elegant dowager, say, to a sophisticated socialite. There's a new energy onboard, whether it's coming from the completely remodeled casino, the redecorated Bistro cafe, the all-new atrium shops or the aforementioned LUXE. And cabins, too: The decor of staterooms feels more boutique-hotel than luxury-cruise-ship, featuring beds with leather headboards and bathrooms with now-trendy bowl sinks.
Also completely redesigned was the Starlite Club; walls were removed and new, almost Starbucks-like clusters of wonderfully cozy armchairs were arranged around a brand-new circular bar (one of the best people-watching spots onboard).
And yet, even as Crystal Symphony cruises with a new spring in its hull, what's also significant – and, frankly, what Crystal understands better than any other luxury cruise line -- is how to add more contemporary elements without changing its essential ambience. These changes balance the new with the ship's fabulous standards -- from the clubby Avenue Saloon to the fabulous once-a-cruise Sunday jazz brunch on the Crystal Deck.
Although Crystal continues to invest in existing ships (this was Symphony's second major refurb in three years; during the first, penthouse suites and dining rooms got a makeover), the line's priority remains stalwartly planted in creating a sense of community among those onboard, whether it's passengers, crew or both.
Read Complete Crystal Symphony Review
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Crystal Ships: Crystal Serenity • Crystal Symphony
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