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Cruise Reviews

Crystal Cruises

Crystal Serenity

The Crystal Experience

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The Crystal experience	24 of 27 people found this review informative

Reviewed By: richards, Ilfracombe on 11th Dec 2011
Cruise Line: Crystal Cruises	Times cruised before: 10+
Cruise Ship: Crystal Serenity	Sailed: November, 2011
Destination: Canaries	Age: 56-65
Cabin: Balcony	Occasion: Annual/regular holiday

We have done many cruises, with different lines, to find the one that suits us best, this time Crystal Serenity, from Barcelona to Lisbon. So here we go. The check in was quick, straightforward and easy, first impressions of the ship were not overwhelming, but maybe that was influenced by the slight tackyness of christmas decorations and music (which we were not expecting nor wanting on 27th november) The general decor and presentation was good but not outstanding and not really to our taste. The ship was only 70% full so there was a feeling of space and calm about the ship at all times, no queues, no waiting and exellent friendly service from a highly trained crew who created a 'Crystal family' like atmosphere on board. The passengers I would say were 50% Asian, 45% American and 5% other and the cruise lent towards catering for that. The cruise itinary itself was good, however not so good was docking in the middle of commercial container ports on most stops, we do not take tours but prefer to do our own exploring ashore so cannot comment on these, but I must comment on the cruise excursion manager who was terrible, one wonders how he managed to get the job! The stateroom/cabin was very small, it was not possible to access the wardrobe easily with virtually no room between the bed and the doors, very little room to live in and nowhere to sit but the bed because the small settee was always full with cushions, spare pillows etc, either there or the floor, which would leave nowhere to walk. The bed was very comfortable. We selected late dining, this is the last time we will go on a cruise with fixed dining, it just does not work for us, especially now that ships offer alternaive dining restaurants, the atmosphere is lost. The restaurant itself was quite large with a very low ceiling, which meant it was very noisy, so difficult to hear table conversation. The food itself was good but not special, certainly not better than other cruise lines. The breakfast buffet was probably the poorest we have had in selection and quality. It was not practicle to sit outside and breakfast most days as the cushions on the seating had not been taken in at night so were usually wet with dew as were the tables. The alternative eating spots, Italian and Asian were exellent but almost impossible to reserve more than once during the cruise, and to eat at the sushi bar required you to start queing by about 5pm to get two of the 9 seats for the evening! so we did not get the chance to sample this however by all reports those that did said it was superb. The entertainment was good from the Crystal dancers and singers, but the lead male singer was not up to standard, the guest entertainers were very good. Overall then. To be fair we did have high expectations of Crystal, given their consistant exellent reviews and awards, so maybe we were starting off without a completely open mind, however all we can do is give a balanced view, and if you have cruised a lot , then of course your reviews inevitably compare with past experiences on other lines. With that said, I do think even if this was our first cruise, then we would have still enjoyed it and been very happy, but still looking for something more next time. Overall we were disapointed with the Crystal experience and find it hard to justify the high regard in which they are held. In our honest opinion, we would rank them along with HAL and Celebrity, certainly no better, indeed the latter have better appointed and designed ships with a better ambiance and public spaces. Certainly Crystal are no comparison to Oceania or Seabourn who are in a different league and remain our favourites, however it could be said that it is unfair to compare since these have much smaller ships. But for us, we will look no farther than smaller ships in the future, to us, as we have said before, what they provide is what crusing should be all about.
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Shore Excursions	n/a

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24 of 27 people found this review informative

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Comment by Coxhill, Reading (12 Dec 11 22:02) about this REVIEW

Wow! As it is now 2 years since we went on Serenity I can only assume from this report that it has gone downhill dramatically. I know the cabins are not large but having 2 months ago been on Azamara, I can tell you the cabins are no bigger, very dreary in decor and all you get is a rubbish shower with a curtain and the whole bathroom is sooooo small. You couldn't even see inside the wardrobes on Azamara to find what you were looking for - the lighting was ghastly. At least with Crystal the wardrobes were beautiful with sliding mirrored doors and lit up like blackpool illuminations when you opened them. We disagree about the breakfasts but there you are. Always enjoyed the food wherever we ate on Crystal and never had any problem getting a reservation in the speciality restaurants. Happened to be on board Serenity once when these truly amazing floristry decorating team from LA were on board getting the Xmas stuff done during the wee small hours and thought it was all very tasteful and believe me, being an interior decorator myself, I am very fussy and hard to please. Yes, am intending to try Oceania and Seabourn this coming year therefore wait for my review!

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