The Crystal touch |
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Reviewed By: Simpson, Barrow in Furness on 26th Oct 2009
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| Cruise Line: Crystal Cruises |
Times cruised before: 1-2 |
| Cruise Ship: Crystal Symphony |
Sailed:
June,
2009 |
| Destination:
British Isles
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Age: 26-35 |
| Cabin: Suite |
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Having been on Holland America's Prinsendam and Fred Olsen Braemar recently which were very different from each other, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Crystal. As soon as I got onboard the difference was clear...Crystal clear.
It was like nothing i'd ever seen. The ship oozed the six star treatment from the second you boarded with some of the most friendly and helpful staff i've met and a truly spotless interior to the ship. I got to visit the ship at the 2009 cruise convention with some fellow travel agents and was lucky enough to view all the types of stateroom and even sample a five course meal in the main restaurant.
The standard outside and balcony cabins were absolutely incredible alone, but the Crystal penthouse and the other suites are just something else unlike anything else at sea. Spacious, elegant, beautiful and pristine but without being snobby or giving you the feel of a "class system" like certain other companies do.
The ship itself was remarkable with fantastic looking shops, bars, casinos and a tremendous atrium.
They also have a gorgeous Italian restaurant onboard and even a Nobu restaurant which I was told costs around $200 per person to dine in if you went to one of his outlets in the US...but onboard Crystal, it's complimentary.
The food in the main restaurant was absolutely to die for. I had crab cakes with mash and then a wonderful vegetable and truffle soup for starters before tucking into a fillet steak which was the best piece of meat i've ever eaten...bar none! For dessert I had four different samples of mousse, biscuit, sorbet and fruit which topped it off beautifully. To follow was coffee and throughout the meal we were plied with some of the tastiest wine i've had the pleasure of drinking.
Remarkable in every way and simply put, one of the best experiences i've ever had. I now want to live onboard Symphony permanantly but feel it might be a little pricy to say the least. Hehe.
If you want something that little extra special for an anniversary then you'd be hard pressed to find something better and more luxurious than this.
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| Quality of Food |  |
| I ate in the main restaurant and the fillet steak was incredible. | | Entertainment |  |
| I unfortunately didn't see any of the evening entertainment but did manage to experience quite a few musicians around the ship, including a gentleman playing a clear glass piano by a beautiful waterfall in the atrium and an amazing violist. | | Shore Excursions | n/a |
| | Staff | |
| Our guide was informative, well spoken and very beautiful. | | Children's Facilities |  |
| Not the best ship in the world as far as kids facilities are concerned but then, Crystal aren't really the sort of company you'd take children on. | | Onboard Activities |  |
| Lots of choice without being over the top like some of the larger companies. | | Cabins | |
| Every cabin, even the lowest grades were sensational compared to most others i've seen in the past. | | Overall Rating | |
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