Having sailed with a couple of other "luxury" cruise lines, we have found Crystal to be the most consistently enjoyable experience in cruising. This was our seventh Crystal cruise and our second TransAtlantic cruise on the Serenity. We've learned that each cruise is very different in terms of the people we meet, the crew, and the overall experience, but each Crystal cruise leaves us wanting another.

Embarkation in New York was a breeze. It was only about twenty minutes from the time we stepped out of the taxi until we were through security and had our room cards in hand. Since we had an overnight on the ship in NYC, we flew in the day of embarkation. Otherwise, we always arrive in our departure city at least a day in advance. A flight delay meant we missed the lovely champagne lunch we had eagerly anticipated, and we arrived hungry in the middle of the afternoon. After leaving hand luggage in our room, we headed for the Trident Grill and the fabulous burgers served by the incredible Lido Team. We were offered champagne and happily made toasts to a great cruise. Although ice cream is always available on Lido Deck, I was in the mood for pastries and realized it was time for tea in the Palm Court. We were feeling relaxed and relieved to be onboard so we headed for the Palm Court which was almost deserted at tea time on embarkation day. We chose a table in the bow of the ship next to the large windows and gazed at the New York skyline as a parade of waiters visited our table with tea and a variety of pastries. We leaned back and enjoyed the scenery and agreed that "This is a great life."

The great life on Crystal continued for sixteen days until we disembarked in Dover. Other reviewers have described the rooms. We were on Deck 8, our preferred deck. We have always found the rooms to be sufficiently large for our needs. The closet occasionally seems a bit small, but we manage. We enjoy the shower/tub combination and the ample storage in the bathroom. We've had many wonderful stewardesses on Crystal, but Indre was among the best. She was fast, efficient, friendly and happy to honor our requests. I typically ordered a pot of coffee each morning, sometimes with fruit and croissants. Indre always gave me an estimate of when it would arrive, and it was never a long wait. Read more