We'd been to most of the places this itinerary went, before and several were not even worth getting off the ship, so the ship was the main reason to go on this cruise. We just wanted to relax. Crystal Serenity did not disappoint! We arrived in Barbados and jumped in a cab for the 20 minute ride to the pier. The Pier in Barbados is a crowded area and after a few moments we figured out where to go. Luggage was collected from us to be delivered to our cabin and we were shuttled to the actual ship.

Upon arrival onboard, we checked in ( took like 5 mins--so fast) and were told ( even though it was only 1PM) that the cabins were available. So we went to our suite. WOW, is all I can say. What a way to spend 10 days. The Deluxe Penthouse was awash with light from not only the sliding door to the oversized balcony, but the window in the bedroom area as well. Huge Tub and a separate shower was a nice feature. Walk in closet and the entire thing was immaculately maintained by Themyo, our stewardess, who was AMAZING! Our Butler, Richard, always seemed rushed. At one point I asked how many suites he managed and he said 14 in total. Compared to our cruise on Silversea where the butler did all kinds of things for us without being asked ( noticed we needed shoes shined- Made a bookmark as I was using a boarding pass as a bookmark). We really didn't ask much of him other than one night we had a few friends we'd met aboard over and he brought some extra snacks and some Champagne. Most of our interactions were signing for things Wine/Strawberries sent to us. . We never had a meal in the suite nor sent out any laundry. We were pretty low maintenance. However, he was always in a hurry so I guess others were more demanding of his services. I'd suggest Crystal consider a few more butlers per deck, if this indeed is the norm.

We ate all of the breakfast and Lunch meals at the beautifully renovated Lido dining area. It was spectacular. We found the food to be hot, fresh and just fabulous. Breakfast was overwhelming, all the choices. Lunch too! The Bugers in the Trident Grill were amazing and despite the complimentary Ben and Jerry's I only gained a pound on the cruise. Read more