Crystal Serenity Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We were so happy when Crystal decided to homeport the Serenity in Nassau for the summer. Although a much shorter cruise than we normally take (pre-pandemic) just being back onboard to enjoy the ship again and visit some of the lesser known Bahamian islands was a great way to spend seven days.
Bimini was the only real downside since the day was treated (unknown to us at the time) as a turnaround day by the crew. All the other stops were great with the Shore Excursion team out in force. If we were to revisit Bimini we might have a better time with one of the paid tours.
The other hidden plus was that due to Crystal's requirement that all passengers and crew be vaccinated and pass a rapid antigen test it turned out to be the biggest "Safe bubble" that we've had and that made it especially easy to have a vacation on board.
Cabin Review
Penthouse with Verandah
The classic Penthouse has always been our favorite. It has plenty of storage space and the bathroom with a jacuzzi is a real treat.
Port Reviews
Bimini
Bimini was a total bust for us due to two factors. 1. Crew treated this day as a turnaround day so we were left to fend for ourselves upon disembarking. We had to guess where the tram was and there were no crew on the jette to guide us. 2. We wanted to go visit the Beach club but the manager insisted on charging $40 which we declined. Too bad, you'd think he'd welcome people to view the facility and get some nice publicity. Anyway, there were apparently some "free beaches" elsewhere but no one could tell us how to get there. Oh well...
Wonderful beach day. Crystal sets up "Crystal" beach umbrellas and chairs on a strip of beach on Emerald bay. Even with a short rain shower it was lovely to sample the waters. The raindrops made it feel like bathing in Perrier.
This was probably my favorite and I highly recommend the Hamilton cave and Dean's blue hole tour. The cave was the tidyest cave I've ever seen with the stalagmites and stalagtites along with miniature bats and gardens to tend to. Meeting the owner, Leonard Cartwright and his relatives was also interesting since they're traditional islanders who's ancestors probably came either as Loyalists during the American war of independence or the American civil war. Dean's blue is neat, especially from above. Crystal sets up one of their two "Crystal" beaches their, but we went to the one that's further (on the free shuttle Crystal provided) called Gordon's beach. That is fantastic with at least a mile of white sand and turquoise water. Even the toilet facilities were brand new and brought in by Crystal.
This was a close second as best port. San Salvador is one of those place to get off the world for a while and chill. We went around the island and climbed a lighthouse which was in really good condition. You can see what original Bahamas looked like with the Lucayan and Arawak indians were here and of course imagine Columbus setting foot here. Lots of scrub and low trees which have not had invasive foreign trees take over like in New Providence (where Nassau is). We could see salt ponds starting where the locals can harvest sea salt. San Salvador had the prettiest beach of our trip on Long Bay. Crystal should have setup their beach hear but I guess the location they did pick was more convenient if you didn't want to drive. Anyway, its supposedly the place where Columbus set foot but who knows?