Debussy staff and ship were more than expected. We were in the “low water” season and initially were worried about the lack of information shared with us on what changes would be made to the itinerary. As we sailed we realized that Crystal’s objective was to keep us onboard, and stay true to the itinerary no matter what...The captain was brilliant and did just that with creative maneuvering. Embarkation and disembarkation was highly personalized with a crew member sitting with us explaining all aspects of the cruise and confirming the requests that were made in advance. When our room was ready we were escorted to the cabin and introduced to the staff that would be caring for us during the sailing. Our departure was also cared for on a one to one ratio. Staff knew our names by the time we set sail! The ship is elegant with personal service that made us feel that we were their favourite guest. Enjoyed that we were able to dine when it suited our schedule and that we had the option to dine alone or with others. The food was incredible and again the service outstanding, with staff remembering our likes and dislikes very quickly. We never felt rushed to leave meal service at anytime which was refreshing. Entertainment varied, with a talented couple leading musically and enthusiastically with trivia and other activities. We had guest speakers with varied topics, a gifted violinist, so truly something for everyone! Shore excursions were a delight, lead with well educated, informative guides and small groups which allowed for an excellent experience. The Crystal busses and drivers were also exemplary. Read Less

Chose the original cruise 15 months in advance splendors of the rhine... trip of a lifetime. Total cost $20,000 by the end of it 3 days prior notified we would be in the Netherlands 7 days and Germany 3..how rude of corporate..we only cruised 5 hours of daylight and saw the country side of germany..I know the river was low.we should have been offered a refund. A rebooking for next year...or a discount because the itenery substituted was inferior for the price we paid...the crew was awwsome..Crystal only offered us $500 per cabin toward a future trip with them..they should have given passengers a partial refund or other options and more than 3 days notice of a drastic change in our itenary. We spent 3 days in amsterdam..too many...dorchdeht Netherlands. Rotterdam. Nijmegen cochem they skipped bonn and lastly kolbenz..we cruised at night AMD our trip was half as.long as planned..Hoping that crystal corporate comes through with a better compensation for an inferior itenary...otherwise we have learned a hard lesson and spent alot of money for an inferior product and poor customer service from corporate headquarters Read Less

the really no downsides to anything on this cruise. Food, service and planning were first rate. This is a serious contender for a Rhine river cruise- I would certainly take a hard look at Crystal vs Viking et al. embarcation was 5 minutes with the iPads that they use and we were in the room in 10 minutes Food was outstanding in every way. There was a set menu with 2 or 3 choices along with suggested regional favorites. One poster said that they didn't follow dietary requests. The ship could probably do a few things but hard core gluten free, reduced salt etc users should look elsewhere - the same as any cruise ship (or restaurant) It isn't a personal chef. Breakfast was good with enough choices as well as lunch. There was a Bistro setup throughout the day for snacks. This isn't a ocean cruise ship with 15 stations set up with every conceivable meal all day - Indian, chinese, sandwiches etc. wine and liquor are included all day and it was top shelf with plenty of choices. Rhine cruises have mostly German and Austrian wines, although there are some French and Italian - mostly for sales as "upgrades". Most would be fine with the wine selections included service around the ship was excellent including the restaurant. The butler is "a butler". he isn't serving food in the off hours. when we had some requests he easily got them for us. Housekeeping was first rate martin kaye was the performer on board and he made the cruise. Piano, singing dancing - he did it all. excursions were good and well planned. The guides included University students who were passionate about telling a story. Take the e bike tour in amsterdam - it was fun. On the top deck it was a collection of couches (under an awning) chaos and padded deck loungers. It doesn't appear that other lines have that. These were comfortable and allowed plenty of space to relax The Petit Suite was big enough for us. Great layout Read Less

The Debussy looked very new which it should since it just entered river sailing last year. By cruise standards, it was quite small (a boat with 100 passengers and 50 odd crew members), but it never felt that way. There's plenty of room for everyone. The furnishings are first rate, the food is amazing and dinners are made to order. Breakfast omelets were made to order, and lunches were delicious. We made it a point not to eat in port, but rather enjoy the ship's cuisine. the hamburgers were my favourite! I like to take my time to exercise even on vacation and, I enjoyed the fitness room and stretching classes. The fitness room, although very well equipped, is small and if there's 2 people in there, it feels tight! It was definitely too small for a cruise ship. Overall on board experience was relaxing and comfortable. The Rhine varies from spectacular scenery to industrial blight, but the crew kept us taken care of with a smile. The Vista deck was always a comfortable spot to just hang out and enjoy the ride. Read Less

We had an incredibly marvelous time on this 8 day river cruise from Basel to Amsterdam. It was magical. The food was delicious and plentiful as was the wine and spirits. The daily excursions were extremely well planned and very interesting. We did not take any excursions that cost extra money and were very satisfied with all of them. One of the best aspects of Crystal river cruises is that everything is included in your price unless you choose extra money excursions or extra money wine and spirits. In addition we got about $500 of credits from American Express, whom we had booked through. This paid for laundry and gratuities to the charming staff. The entertainment was excellent for making social friends. Martin Kaye did a great job of getting to know most of the travelers and meeting their entertainment requirements. The other travelers were charming and very friendly. We made good relationships with several couples. The demographics was about 70% American, 20% Asian and 10% European. The ages were generally 60-80 with a few younger couples. By the way, there were no single travelers on this cruise. There were 2 couples of women travelling together. Read Less

We selected Crystal based on my partner's experience several years ago. Our instincts were correct, as the entire experience was top-notch. The crew were friendly, professional and very caring. The ship was new, and everything worked as expected. We were in a larger cabin (S1 Suite). The bath was well appointed and very functional, the bed was comfortable and the closet fit all the things we brought and really did not need. We had a small electrical issue where we may have thrown a breaker, it was corrected in 15 minutes. Dining was always excellent, with expert preparation and presentation, even the salad dressings were worthy of photos! This being a smaller ship (106 passengers) there was the one dining room and a smaller "Bistro" that was open at certain times. But we certainly were never hungry. there were plenty of choices and the dining staff were accommodating to any reasonable request. Excellent wine selections, too. Overall on board experience was relaxing and comfortable. The Rhine varies from spectacular scenery to industrial blight, but the crew kept us taken care of with a smile. The Vista deck was always a comfortable spot to just hang out and enjoy the ride. Read Less

It was our first river cruise and our first on Crystal. And the Debussy was pretty much brand new as Crystal entered river sailing just last year. If you don't read any further, just know how special this boat is, how caring the crew is, how wonderful the food is and how nice the cabins, even the smallest public ones are (how about windows that electronically lower with a nice wooden bar halfway down so you can lean on it and watch the world pass by). By cruise standards, a boat with 100 passengers and 50 odd crew members is quite small, but it never felt that way. There's plenty of room for everyone. The furnishings are first rate, the food is amazing and dinners are made to order. Breakfast omelets were made to order, and lunches were delicious. We made it a point not to eat in port, but rather enjoy the ship's cuisine. A special acknowledgement for the hamburgers in the Bistro! A few heartfelt compliments for the crew, starting with the Captain, who I have so much respect for when you see him in his sweats working with the crew in port to load provisions! Octavian, our butler was a sweetheart! Daniela our sommelier, was there for us every night with a special wine! Istavin, our concierge was right on everytime! (BTW, usually I never trust the concierge). And although I try not to exercise while on vacation, I enjoyed Roman's abs and stretching classes. The fitness room, although very well equipped, is small and if there's 2 people in there, it feels tight! The servers in the dining room, Marianna, Lukasz and the others were attentive, without being intrusive. And a special shout out to the kitchen staff and Boyan, the breakfast and lunch chef! Who would thought putting freshly grated horseradish on a bagel and lox could be so good! The Room Attendant, Benne, was on top of it, freshening up the room 2-3x a day. The excursions were first rate, led by interesting guides and the coaches we traveled in (and they traveled with us) were the nicest I've ever been in. Kudos to the security people. The Crystal signature events - Opera, String Quartet, lectures were very good and our entertainment host Martin Kaye was great (even if he refuses to sing Springsteen!). Being all inclusive, everything from liquors, wines and amenities are all premium. My one nit was the tequila. I realize river ships are smaller than their ocean-going breasts, but at least have some Patron Silver or Partida on board. And the showers were great with Etro products, but I think a little wooden bench would have made it more comfortable. My other little nit was the "Michelin-starred" restaurants in Amsterdam on the last night of the cruise. Our experience was poor and talking to fellow travelers, we all agreed that the food was so much better on the ship! Since I was dealing with 9 hours of jet lag, I got to enjoy dawn on the deck several times including going through the locks on the river. It is amazing to see the crew fold everything and the deck bar lowers hydraulically into the deck below! Read Less

My wife and I chose this cruise for two reasons: (1) Our experience on the Crystal Symphony last year was excellent and we were able to obtain great pricing for this river cruise; and (2) the itinerary gave us a chance to visit our son who is studying abroad at a university in Germany. Our journey was just seven days. We had no time to explore Switzerland or the Netherlands on either end of the trip. We felt this was plenty of time and did not regret the schedule at all. Crystal's high quality was evident throughout our trip. The food and drinks were excellent. The staff was always cheerful and eager to assist. The boat was spotless and the itinerary and excursions were very well planned. We had a wonderful time. Martin Kaye provided terrific music each night. He played a little of his own music, but mostly had the crowd singing to pop favorites from the 60s, 70s, 80s, etc. We also greatly enjoyed a special concert at a palace in Koblenz. It was a fancy production and a one-of-a-kind experience. We are kicking ourselves for not taking advantage of the organ recital in the Strasbourg Cathedral. The food was magnificent, especially appetizers and desserts. The coffee and espresso need improvement, but then again, I find that we Americans tend to be dissatisfied with much of the coffee in Europe. Finally, anyone who has problems with seasickness should consider a river cruise. I've never been on a more stable vessel. Read Less