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6 Stars and then some...... |
| Reviewed By: Potter, London on 16th May 2008 |
| Cruise Line: Crystal Cruises |
Times cruised before: 10+ |
| Cruise Ship: Crystal Serenity |
Sailed:
May,
2008 |
| Destination: Western Europe |
Age: 56-65 |
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We sailed on the Crystal Serenity from Rome back to Southampton in April/May 2008 which was the last leg of the ship's world cruise which had lasted over 100 days. With that time period at sea you would expect the ship's crew to be flagging but not a bit of it, from being met as we stepped out of our limosine in Rome, to being escorted to a taxi at Southampton, the crew were lively and impeccable, even to the extent of the waiters in the buffet who did not normally serve us, remembering our names throughout the cruise from the first time we introduced ourselves. We were not even allowed to carry the food from the buffet counter to our table! The crew seemed very happy even after such a long journey and the Captain and other senior members of the crew were highly visable to the passengers.
The food wherever you ate on the ship was excellent and varied. As well as the traditional Dining Rooms there were an Italian and Japanese restaurants. Buffets featuring food from different countries were held around the pool at lunchtime on sea days. Every effort was made to accommodate special diets even at short notice. Alcohol prices were similar to those on other ships although I did find the wine per glass price a little high and was disappointed that the Microbrew beer was only available in one bar.
In Rome we were escorted from our limosine to the check in area with our luggage being portered behind us. There was no waiting to check in which was performed very efficiently. We arrived a little early so we were told we could board but not go to our cabin until 1500 which gave us time for a splendid lunch. There were facilities to leave our hand luggage. When we got to our cabin at 1515, all our luggage was there and we were able to unpack leisurely before dinner.
The food on board was excellent and even when we were nearing the end of the cruise, there were no shortages of anything, which we have experienced on other cruise lines.
The ship was immaculately kept, all the public areas including the toilets were kept clean whatever time day or night. Our cabin was kept in first class order by a very efficient stewardess who could not do enough for us. Room service was fast. We had not realised that soft drinks were included so this came as a very pleasant surprise particularly when freshly squeezed (and I do mean that) orange juice and delicious home made lemonade was readily available.
Our cabin was a double with a balcony which gave us ample room and the balcony was larger than we had previously experienced on other cruise lines with a similar grade of cabin. The cabin had all the usual facilities and included with the television was a DVD player. The library had an enormous collection of DVD's if the entertainment on the ship was insufficient. The toiletries provided were a very well known make and were regularly replenished. The bathroom had a double hand basin and bathtub.
My wife opted for the Spa which she said was the best she had known on board ship whilst I went for the (free) computer photography course which was very informative and will be useful in the future. I used the Sauna and Steam room regularly which again was kept very clean and had everything required. It was fantastic to be able to sit in the Sauna and watch the sea go by through the window....very relaxing.
Sometimes on American based cruise ships the entertainment can be "different" to British tastes, not so on this cruise although there was a mixture of American, Britsh and European entertainers they all came over extrememly well. The production shows were lively and colourful and we particulalrly enjoyed the James Bond show. The ship was not full so there was always plently of room to get in to see a show and one did not have to rush out of dinner in order to get a seat. The separate cinema was an added bonus.
We had some excellent ports of call but if there was one quibble which we had it was why spend one and a half days in Monte Carlo but only four hours in Gibraltar?
The price of the cruise was more than we had previously paid for similar cruises with other cruise lines but it was well worth the extra.
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| Quality of Food |  |
| Most Buffet - Seafood
Least Japanese | | Entertainment |  |
| Full Sail were absolutely fantastic. The James Bond show was very good. | | Shore Excursions |  |
| We only went on the one in Valencia | | Staff | |
| All of them | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities | |
| | Cabins | |
| Larger Balcony than we expected | | Overall Rating | |
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Some of our favourite QE 2 pics!
QM2 
Iberian Interlude - The Chiles'
Baltic Highlights
