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Crystal Symphony

Crystal Serenity

Exceeded expectations!

Nadi

We chose this cruise back in October, before omicron, because the price was a steal. When it cam close to the cruise date, we were beatinng whether or not to go (and lose $2000 if we canceled). but we were upgraded a week before to a penyhouse "suite", so it was hard to pass up. We had to test negative for COVID within 48 hours of our flight to San Juan and, again, at the dock bfroe boarding. We had to wear masks in public areas. Social distancing was easy (the cruise was designed to be at 50% capacity and it turned out it was only at about 33% capacity).

The Caribbean cruise was lovely. St Thomas denied us docking, but St Kitts, Dominica and Tortola went smoothly (except that one could not get off the ship in Dominica unless you were on an official tour). Despite that, we had a great time. The level of service and the qulity of food was extraordinary. I suppose it would have been more fun without the masks, but it was great to have so much space and privacy and attention from the crew.

Because the Crystal owners were having financial woes and owed several millions for fuel, a judge in Miami put the ship under "arrest" a few days before we were to terminate in Miami, so we diverted to Bimini in the Bahamas rather than ending up in Miami. Because of this, we all missed our connections but we (at any rate) easily rescheduled our flights. We did get an extra day of the same level of service and amenities on the ship for "free." The only really bad part was the ferry that took us back to the US from Bimini to Fort Lauderdale. It was crowded, a fair number of people did not wear their masks and the seas were very rough. Some people were miserably seasick for what seemed like an interminable 2 hour trip.

Surprise Ending

Wellington

We had sailed on Crystal Serenity 6 years ago for a Mediterranean cruise. We loved it! Sooo, when I received a promotional deal for early December, we thought we’d give it a try. I did enormous research as for as the state of cruising in this Covid environment. All passengers had to be fully vaccinated. Also, every passenger was tested right at the dock. I felt safer than at Costco! All crew wore masks at all times. We truly felt like we were in a bubble. Additionally, they sailed at 50% capacity. Only 480 passengers were on board. 

Food—Was absolutely beyond what I had remembered! We ate at the “Nobu” restaurant twice and it was every bit as good as the Nobu I dine at in NYC. We ate at Prego (italian) twice. Both times were exceptional. I should note we were allowed to eat at each once. The additional times were at $30/ea. Incredible deal. The chinese restaurant was excellent too. All other dining was great as well. The exception for me was the main dining room. Had a great mushroom soup but my salmon was over cooked and the greek salad was average at best. We only ate here once.

Entertainment—Every night I couldn’t wait till 9:15 for the evening show. The singer Elio Pace from the UK was AMAZING. Again, exceeding expectations. The rest of the performers were excellent throughout the week. A great variety of all types of music and shows! Rock to Broadway.  Enjoyed it all!

Enrichment presentations—Loved this as well. The one I attended was on Tuscany. Just fantastic!

We chose to get off at 2 of the 4 islands. Antigua & St. Barths. Always lovely to hang at the beach. Having been to St. John’s and St. Maarten many times we took a pass and enjoyed being on boat having the pool to ourselves. Islands are nice but beside the beach, not much going on.

Crew—Simply AMAZING! Every crew member was polite, helpful, friendly. They could not do enough for you. This includes the room cleaner to the servers in the restaurants and all through the boat. . Highly professional! They always greeted you and many new us by name. Impressive.

Yes, we were lucky that we went just before this current Covid surge. I look forward to taking another Crystal cruise when things (God willing) calm down. Best vacation ever! It was a week away from the insanity of our times!

Crystal is delightful once onboard the ship.  No complaints.  Every experience exceeded expectations.  How things were handled at the Port of Miami both on departure and on arrival was nothing less than dismal.  At departure there were lines, requiring to show passports and varying cruise documents at least four times.  It took forever and was unpleasant.  On return, once through Customs and Immigration, outside the bus that was supposed to take us to Miami Airport as a no-show.  Hot and humid outside with no place to sit down for over 30 minutes until a bus appeared.  The driver told us he was on his way elsewhere and was called back to the Port to pick us up.  It was a good thing I had plenty of time to spare.  After 14 days of being onboard the Symphony, the end was horrible.  It seems rather difficult for Crystal to operate out of Miami as they don't have a regular dock each time the ship arrives.  It makes for an unpleasant experience.

Onboard Super!  Port of Miami Awful.

Raiatea

We have been back home a week, from our cruise to Bermuda on Crystal Symphony.  We are experienced cruisers but first time on Crystal and on a luxury cruise.  We often cruise out of Boston, no flying, and couldn’t resist this last minute offer close to home.  I want to give our impressions, but also answer questions we had before going especially during a pandemic. 

We have been to Bermuda many times and it was a good thing.  The island was struggling to get the virus under control, and we didn’t want to go very far or do much.   It did not prevent us from having a wonderful time on this cruise.  

There were quite a few hoops to jump through before and during this cruise due to the pandemic.  We got tested four days before leaving making sure it was the proper test required by the Bermuda government.  Our travel agent helped keeping us up to date on what we needed.  We got all our paperwork, vaccination records together scanned and e-mailed it to Bermuda, days later we received our authorization then signed scanned, and sent that in for our approval e-mail.  We arrived at the dock with about 8 pages of paperwork, we needed it all.  

When we arrived at the Falcon Pier in Boston there were very few people, only 220 people going on the cruise, on a ship that usually has around 900 passengers.  We were tested again, the 15 minute quick test and were cleared.  We checked in with all our paperwork, and headed on to the ship.  Next we were ushered into the Starlight Club  for the passport check and having our picture taken then off to lunch in Silk.  We were told later everyone passed the test at the pier.  It was worth all the effort. 

Since there were so few people there was lots of space, and the crew were very attentive to us.  

We are used to the smaller ships on Norwegian and Royal Caribbean but this was a bit too quiet, even so with the pandemic it was welcome.  It was the first time in 18 months we felt as relaxed around others.  Though we still distanced in the shows, and we only ate with each other all week.  The staff was masked around us, so you couldn’t forget about the pandemic.  

The Crystal Symphony is a beautiful ship, lots of public areas though the deluxe veranda cabin we had was smaller than we are used to.  Still it has a surprising amount of storage space.  The amenities were wonderful.  Though we didn’t need the cashmere throws they were beautiful.  The full size Italian ETRO toiletries were great without the overpowering scent, as well as the plush slippers.  The Asian robes were a real treat.  We knew we were on a luxury cruise when we got to our cabin after lunch, our luggage was already on our bed ready to unpack.  

On Monday we were each given appointment times to show up for another test, the one that we paid the $75.00 to the Bermuda government at the time we got our authorization.  Yes it was the brain tickler type, but they Bermuda staff were experts not uncomfortable at all, and very quick. When we arrived in Bermuda on Tuesday we got fairly close and a pilot boat come out to pick up the tests.  We docked around 2pm, but could not get off until Wednesday when all the tests results were done.  Again everyone passed, another hooped jumped through successfully.  It was gratifying to have everyone pass and for it all to work so well.  

We throughly enjoyed all the sea days, the lectures, learning to play bridge going to the movies in a theater using the gym and sitting on our balcony eating ice-cream watching the ocean.  We really took advantage of what was offered since there were 4 sea days.  We went to all the production shows, what a talented group they, were all excellent.  Don’t miss Elio Pace if he is performing his Billy Joel show it was outstanding not to be missed.  He told us he would be on some of the NY trips.  We went to tea in the Palm Court twice, so relaxing another must do.  We ate in all the restaurants and recommend them all, I can’t really say we had a favorite.   In the Waterside dining room everyone had a window seat because there were so few passengers.  The musicians who played all around the ship were also outstanding, the ship was filled with music most of the time.  

The big difference from a mainstream cruise is that things seem to happen easily.  For example when we sat down to breakfast someone was over in a minute to see if we wanted coffee and juice rather than having to go look for it.  The quality of the food was outstanding, and interesting.  The unlimited internet worked smoothly, and quick.  Having everything included meant you were not constantly bombarded with people asking you to buy something, and there was not a blizzard of flyers delivered to the cabin with sales, and offers.  At dinner every night we were offered a selection of special wines.  The crew made us feel very welcome, and pampered.  We are so glad we decided to take this cruise, we hope Crystal will come back to Boston to embark on another cruise soon.

First Time Luxury and Crystal Cruiser During a Pandemic

Ilulissat

I wish to provide my personal thoughts on a 8 day cruise. As for my background I am in my 70's with 20 cruises in the last 4 years 10 on 6 star lines Silver Sea, Seabourn and Oceana. First the pros for the Symphony  The ship is 25 years  old but in general well cared for but you would expect this from a 6star line charging premium prices.  No wow factor,  The food is very good, nicely presented  and a fine selection.  The crew are friendly and helpful. The small cabin was clean, the bedding was first class.  The TV was fine and the internet free and in general worked well.  Getting on and off the ship was fast and smooth. 

Now the cons.  My biggest complaint, and taken to the excursion director, was our trip to the Santa Barbara  wine country $239 each for a trip to three wine tasting rooms which you can buy at tasting room for $15 each.  No tour at any of these wineries only tasting a few wines and then back to the bus., This was a cruise excursion rip off. Now the most disturbing aspect of the excursion was the driver/ tour guide was driving down the freeway at 65mph in traffic talking to us on a hand held mic on one occasion using his cell phone. He was certainly distracted and one one occasion drifted off the lane and on to the shoulder very scary.  The other 25 guests fortunately could not see what was going on.  My wife insisted on telling the excursion director of this dangerous trip and of course the response  was, she very sorry and will look into it.. This guy the driver was violating the law putting people at risk and she is sorry.  Next the entertainment was ok but fell short of  other six star ships.  The public rooms in general featured worn out dated carpets and furniture and fixtures.  This is ok but not ok on at 6 star prices.  The liquors were top draw but the house wines were $10 to $12 and nothing special,  Bottom line cruise was ok but would not sail again with her.

Summary crystal symphony pacific coast Jan. 2020

We have previously sailed on Crystal Serenity.  Both cruises our suite was beautifully furnished and very comfortable.  Since we had cruised the Bahamas in past years, we wanted a different itinerary. So we decided to Hawaii would be a nice change.

Embarkation started off a little rocky, Crystal was trying out a new system and it took awhile to get information into an iPad.  Our cabin was ready when we boarded.  However, we were shocked and horrified after entering our penthouse suite 1035 to see duct tape all around a door connecting to another suite.  Yes, duct tape.  Then we looked at the furniture.  First you see a big wooden desk that is old and shows a lot of wear.  Nicks and dents in the wood.  Then looking at the carpet you could see it was stained in places. The rest of the furniture was also worn and shabby.  Shabby is probably a good description of this suite.  This was very depressing.  We try to book a suite when there a lot of sea days, since we usually spend more time in our cabin during sea days to relax.  We had 10 sea days and we were not looking forward to spending time in this depressing room.  We talked to the Concierge about changing rooms, but the ship was sold out.  Housekeeping came by and apologized for the duct tape around the door.  After they took it down it was apparent that there was a big gap around the door that allowed noise and light thru. So you have a choice of  looking at duct tape having some privacy or hearing your neighbors conversations thru the door.  Both the concierge and the head housekeeper to their credit did not try to deny that the suite was not what is should be.  They noted the ship was going into dry dock in April, but that did not help us. There is only one outlet in the room, none next to the bed.  They ran a big extension cord around room to get us a pug there.

This ship is very cold in the some common rooms and venues, so pack a sweater.  Coffee is very weak.  We were saved by the coffee maker in room.  There are lots of pluses.  Crew were all friendly and helpful.  I do think they are short on housekeeping staff.  Took awhile to get our room made up.  Food in all venues was very, very good.  Probably better than on Serenity.  Entertainment was ok.  The New Years Eve party was fabulous.  The cruise director Russ is the best we have seen.  Try to catch the magic show.  You get tickets in the library.  Computer classes were good and a lot of people enjoyed the lectures.

Weather, I was told by someone that the Pacific could be rough in December.  I was hoping they were wrong.  They were not.  As soon as we left San Diego weather turned cold and over cast. Lots of wind and rough sea.  This ship (as acknowledged by an officer) has unbalanced propeller which causes a lot of vibration and noise.  We were delayed in leaving because the ship's doctor had become sick and was taken to the hospital.  The captain had to go faster then he normally would in rough seas to make up time and that caused a lot of rocking and rolling.  One night we heard a large crash when the ship hit a wave and dishes fell in the dining room. Finally, get to the Hawaii Islands only to be told by the captain that we would leave a day early missing the big island Hawaii, because more bad weather was coming.  Another disappointment.   

So, this was not the best cruise we have been on.  I would urge you, unless you need a connecting suite to stay clear of 1035.

Horrible suite/very good food

Not our first time on Crystal, but now our last.

We were late leaving San Diego as the ship's doctor had to be rushed to the hospital.  As we were sailing under a Bahamian flag, it was determined that two of the guests who were doctors, would stand in.  Safe?  Maybe.

This was our first time on Symphony, but many times on Serenity and on Harmony.  We were treated like a stranger throughout the ship, especially in the various dining areas.  Even though we had reservations in the Japanese restaurant, they kept on trying to seat us right by the front door.  We opted for the Sushi bar, a better choice.  The Prego restaurant is full of itself- marginal food and surly service, as if they were doing us a favor by being there,  No welcome, no smiles, no thank yous.  

The food in the Chinese restaurant was sad and never changed.

We dined with another couple in the main dining room.  That is when we found out that there is other options not on the menu and a souffle available with one day's notice.  We were never told any of this, and since it was at the end of the cruise, tough on us.  It finally occurred to us, there is a reason you are asked your room number in the dining room, a floating caste system.

The snorkeling excursion on Kauai was dangerous.  The water was very rough and the guide picked a place that was very hard to enter and exit the water.  A few guests tried and returned to the shore.  The guide/driver did not signal while driving,  was stopped by the police and lied, saying that the signal was broken.  He did not even have a Hawaii drivers license, after telling us he had lived there three years.  The hike to Diamond Head was much better organized and led.

The lectures were top notch, as usual.  

The ship is in need of an update in decor, and the addition of art.

The gym was always crowded.  A spin class was offered, but with only four bikes, and an additional one broken, we had to scramble to be included.

The seas were very rough, except at meal times, which lead us to believe that it could have been smoother.  

Wine is included.  However, the champagne is undrinkable and gave me a headache.  We would rate the wines between Walgreens and Trader Joes.  

For the Christmas Folklorico, instead of hiring a local, authentic act, they brought on a horrible group of talentless goofballs.  Total waste of time.

Holiday Hawaiian Cruise

Sardinia

We went on this cruise to check out Crystal's luxury ocean cruise line. We picked this one because it has a paddle tennis court on it which we could use for pickleball. We brought four pickleball padles and by the end of the cruise we had about 14 players all rotating in at 9 o'clock a.m. every day.  It made the trip. We liked the cruise experience so much that we're planning on doing another one on Serenity that has two paddle tennis courts September 28th in case anyway wants to join us for some pickleball. We have been on Oceania, Regent, Holland America, Royal Caribbean,  Carnival, Norwegian so have experienced many different classes of ships and classes of service. We had pretty much given up the ocean cruising because we didn't like the masses of people on board and nickle and diming experience. Then we tried luxury cruising. Compared to the Regent, my only complaint is that there could be some more music on the pool deck. I think we only had music one day and then also there is no sports bar, so if you want to watch a sporting event you have to go to your Room. I also like the fact that you don't need to pay for excursions on crystal...(regent includes excursions in their fares). Also I have to say Crystal does a better job protecting their pickleball courts from the wind. They had wind screens all around the court and about a 12' plexiglass on one side so it's pretty protected from the wind that makes it more playable when your cruising.

We really enjoyed the cruise and the ship.  They also did  fabulous decorating for Christmas. We didn't really care to get off in any the ports since we've been there so many times, just enjoyed the ship.  Even went to few of the movies in the Hollywood theater. 

We had excellent service all around and big shout out to our Butler Victor who went above and beyond, anticipating our every need. We did tip him extra as he was unbelievable.  We had absolutely wonderful 6 star service throughout the cruise from dining, housekeeping, to cocktails at the pool, every crew member was great.

We did see one variety show and the dancers and singers were very good. 

Lastly,  an interesting note is they still allow guests to come on board so we had 4 friends visit for dinner at our overnight port in San Diego. I have tons of pictures and video of this ship let me know if you need something in particular... like menus.

First Crystal Cruise with Pickleball 

The 10 nights Symphony cruise from Caldera to San Diego was our 15th cruise and our first cruise on Crystal. We sailed on Oceania and Azamara and the rest were mainstream lines like Celebrity, Princess Cunard etc. Oceania was our best cruise experience so far and I was curious how it will compare to Crystal. 

Embarkation took literally 15 minutes till we were in our cabin. 30 seconds later our cabin attendant knocked and introduced herself. 5 minutes later our luggage arrived. So far so good. 

We always book the lowest category cabin since we don’t use it much other than sleep and shower. We were in E2 cabin on deck 8. It is described as fully obstructed view but it is not really fully obstructed. The lifeboat blocks about half of the view, so you can still see the upper part of the view. The cabin is not big but it worked just fine for us. There is a lot of storage, and it’s nice to have a bathtub shower combo. It is also very nice to have a free self laundry.  

One odd thing about the cabin is that they still have those old thermostats. Not sure why they don’t replace them with the digital ones. Took as a while to set the temperature to a comfortable level. 

The ship is very elegant, and is in an excellent condition considering its age. You could never tell it is 25 years old. For some reason there is no art on the ship. Not sure why. There are about 5-6 dining venues (including 3 specialty restaurants), a lounge for main evening shows, 4-5 other smaller lounges, a movie theater, a very nice library etc. 

Service was exceptional across the ship, very efficient and friendly at the same time. Very friendly staff. Our cabin attendant Marina was great. The cabin was always in perfect condition, our favorite drinks and ice always re filled on time.  

Evening entertainment and daily activities were excellent. We attended six guest lectures, by Joe Wolff and Louis Rene Beres, all of them were fascinating. Definitely a step up compared to Oceania. 

Food was outstanding and comparable to Oceania. The breakfast buffet very good, the dinner in the dining room is excellent, lunch buffet not very consistent. It is probably heaven for Asian food lovers, but for someone like me who doesn’t like Asian food, the selection was a bit limited some days. We had 3 visits to the Brazilian steakhouse and loved it. There is an option to pre order basically anything you want, as long as they have the ingredients, which is very nice. 

The Italian specialty restaurant, Prego, was excellent, similar quality to Oceania's Tuscana. Amazing experience, both food and service. Between the mushroom soup, the filet steak and the desert, I still have to decide which dish was the best. They all were so good.

Loved the Bistro for quick snacks. Did not visit the Asian venues since I don't like Asian food, but overall feedback from those venues is excellent.  

Internet was very good. Not the best we have experienced on sea, but among the best.

Disembarkation was super quick, took us literally 20 minutes from the moment we left the ship till we arrived to San Diego airport. We paid $12 for the 7 minutes taxi ride (Crystal wanted $42 per person for transfer to the airport - I still have no idea where they are getting those prices and who is willing to pay them). 

Some things that we didn't like (or liked less):

1. Shore excursions while well organized overall, I was surprised to see buses almost full on most excursions (around 40 people, sometimes more). If this is typical, this is significantly worse than we experienced on Oceania. Even on Celebrity some excursions had only 20-25 people. Also the excursion staff provided incorrect information on couple occasions. 

We tried to cancel one of the excursions 26 hours in advance and got a negative answer. Yes, it was after the deadline (which is 7pm two days before the cruise), but they could be more flexible. Especially considering the fact that this tour is a trolley to old town San Diego, which you can do for $2.5 each direction with public trolley - Crystal cost was $79!! On Oceania, we had no issues to change or cancel excursions even after the deadline.

2. Pool experience has been good overall, no issues to find chairs. But there are very few chairs in shade, and I was surprised to see that Crystal still allows to smoke in the pool area.

3. Lunch buffet closes at 1:30 and Waterside at 1:00. If you come back from excursion after 1:30, the lunch options are fairly limited (Silk if you like Asian food, Trident Grill with some burgers, hot dogs and salads, and Bistro). Of course there is always an options for room service, which works 24/7 and is free. Still not ideal in my opinion, and they could extend it when there are large groups of guests returning from shore excursions around 1-1:30.

4. For some reason, most computer based classes focus on Apple products (iPhone/iPad/Mac). We are Android users, so most classes were useless to us. Which is unfortunate, and I find it odd considering that 70%+ of smart phone users today use Android. 

Despite some imperfections, we had a wonderful time, and Crystal is really very special. It exceeded our expectations in most areas, except the shore excursions. The ship combines a small ship experience (excellent service, no lines etc.) with outstanding entertainment and enrichment program. A truly 6 star experience, and definitely a step up compared to Oceania. We loved Crystal and already booked three more cruises on Symphony and Serenity.

A 6 Star experience, despite some minor imperfections

We've been on well over 50 cruises, but this was our first one on Crystal. We wanted to experience the 'top of the line' feeling and we were not disappointed. When we cruise, our most important aspect is the on-board life, especially the food and service. On this ship the food was outstanding. Quality, quality and quality!! Of course the service was just as fine. You can tell the impact a high employee to passenger ratio really has. 

We were also very happy with the refined clientelle on this ship. Most everybody was happy and friendly. Oh, and the pool deck was just great: lots of chairs and lounges. No fighting for a chair at any time!

Our cabin was the 'picture window' variety. It was very spacious, had ample of room for storage and even sported a bath tub. Noteworthy was the shower which had great water pressure and none of the temperature flucctuations experienced on most other ships. 

Would we go again?

Certainly!!!

Just as advertised

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