It was not for the faint-hearted, but still within the realm of a leisurely cruise. It was not an expedition, despite Crystal trying to make it one, but it is not possible to truly combine luxury with back packing. All and all though Crystal succeeded in providing a platform for some wild shore excursions from a luxury platform. The cost was steep, but once on our way we could see why. Zodiacs and drivers do not come cheap, neither does the British icebreaker, Shackleton, that escorted the Serenity most of the way, nor the four ice-pilots, the special excursion leaders for kayaking, etc. The lectures were plentiful and very high quality. So was the entertainment, mostly above shipboard quality one would expect, and Crystal had done some heroics in resuplying entertainers and provisions in places that did not even have a simple dock. At first we were very apprehensive, did not know what to expect.

This was our first cruise with Crystal, the itinerary was the deciding factor, so cannot compare with Crystal people on less adventurous venues. People were friendly, but a bit standoffish. The rather restrictive seating arrangement did not foster wide interaction either.

Food was fabulous, well prepared, great selection, daily menus never repeated in 31 days! Read more