This was my first cruise in decades, and the first ever for my husband. He was particularly worried about the "people" factor. Suffice it to say, we are converted and cannot wait for our next crystal experience!
Accommodations
Our room was very nice and roomy enough. We had a balcony which I think is a must. We were traveling with my parents who had the cabin next to use and we were able to ...
We chose this itinerary so we could see the Hubbard Glacier and not all ships go there. Also, we took a Princess cruise in 2005 and after that experience I couldn't have cared less if we ever cruised again. Then comes our 20th wedding anniversary and I started the research. Crystal seemed to meet all of our criteria - outstanding dining, great wines, less passengers, and their staterooms.
We ...
First time Crystal Cruisers, spoiled for life. Very rarely do we see this kind of superior service. I can't even count them on one hand. The entire sailing was marked by pleasant surprises. We booked a year in advance, and I had forgotten that I had mentioned my birthday, and our anniversary. We were surprised 2 nights after dinner with a celebratory cake for our occasions, and well wishes ...
We had wanted to take an Alaskan cruise for several years. We choose Crystal for several reasons. We wanted a round trip out of Vancouver, we wanted a nice ship and we wanted to visit either Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier. This Crystal itinerary met all those criteria. We had previously sailed with Seabourn, Oceania and Silver Seas. Up until this cruise Seabourn was our preferred cruise line. ...
We were on the 10th floor in a stateroom on the back of the ship. Unbeknownst to us, six inches from our stateroom was a smoking area. With cigarette and cigar smoke coming into our room. We complained and the conceige told us they would review their smoking policy. As if that was any help! My husband is a cancer survivor and the last thing we needed was smoke in our room. Their indifference to ...
We have never sailed on a cruise ship but do a lot of sailing on 10-12 passenger catamarans in Europe and Caribbean. Went on this cruise because friends were gong and we always wanted to do an Alaska cruise. We booked a penthouse with verandah and all our concerns were assuaged. Despite that number of passengers, it never felt crowded. Never any lines. Extremely good about embarking and ...
We've cruised with Crystal before and have high expectations for this cruise line. The checkin and buses from downtown to Whittier was very confusing and a big mess, with no one really seeming to know what was happening, but the buses arrived and we all got to the port eventually (our group was split over 3 buses).
Cabins were ready early so we were able to unpack before dinner, which you ...
Overall a great cruise. Food was the best we have ever had on any cruise-line. Drinks were properly made and served.
Cabin was a little small - but we expected that. Unfortunately, the weather was not good - but the cruise can not be blamed for that.
The only two small complaints - the entertainment was terrific, but way too early. We had the late seating, and most of our shows were at ...
Wanted a smaller ship - had cruised on Azamara last year and liked the small ship experience. Very pleased with the Crystal experience - food and service were outstanding. So happy we made dinner reservations months in advance - we would not have been happy if we had to wait on line for the 6:30 (too early) or 8:30 (too late) seating. We were able to get reservations for 7PM - do it early! The ...
From embarkation to disembarkation we could not have asked for anything more. Our stateroom was situated on the Horizon Deck, midship.
We dined in all of the locations and never once did we experience any upset stomachs. To us this goes to show the high standard that Crystal adhere to. We also had a tour of the galley on our final day, this was very interesting indeed.
Palm Court was a nice ...