Crystal Ravel Revealed

Last week I was lucky enough to experience my first ever European River Cruise, and I was even luckier to be doing it with Crystal, one of the ultra-luxurious River Cruise Lines.

I sailed on the Crystal Ravel for 4 nights from Passau to Vienna so I thought I would share a little about my time on board and the experience.

I flew into Munich, the closest airport for Passau so I knew I had a 2-hour transfer ahead of me. As soon as I cleared customs there was a private blacked out Mercedes waiting to take me to the ship so from the start you get an understanding of the standard Crystal offers their customers.

On arrival at the Port, the Check-in Experience is very different to what you get on an ocean cruise liner. You are immediately escorted to your Suite (All accommodation on Crystal is classed as a suite) and your check-in is completed there. A quick swipe of your Card and you’re all done. I was then introduced to the cabin steward who showed me around the cabin and how the lights and windows worked etc and shortly after her leaving I was brought a glass of champagne by my Butler (Yes you have your very own butler in all suites). He introduced himself and explained if I needed anything then just to call.

As I had arrived fairly late I had to go to muster drill straight away, now I have to say muster drill, although I know is very important, is something I dread however I could actually quite enjoy Muster drills on Crystal! The drill took place in the main bar area and on entering someone was playing the piano and I was asked if id like a drink whilst I waited (none of this closing everything down on here) so I sat and relaxed with a Belgium beer whilst they took me through the short muster drill.

So onto the all-important food part!

What’s really nice on Crystal is although there are only just over 100 guests on board you do have a choice of where you want to eat with 2 options serving breakfast lunch and dinner.

The main restaurant is the Waterside Restaurant, a beautiful intimate restaurant with amazing floor to ceiling windows so you can enjoy the passing countryside as you sail past. Crystal prides itself on serving Michelin inspired food. Here you can enjoy a buffet breakfast with a small menu to order from serving eggs benedict, American style pancakes etc The Waiters and Waitresses ensure you have fresh coffee and juices and anything else you may want.

For Lunch again you have a choice of the buffet but a buffet of the highest standard with beautifully cooked steaks and the most amazing pasta cooked to order. Again there is a small menu to order from which includes classic burgers etc.

For Dinner, which is all waiter service the restaurant turns into a beautifully lit area where you can enjoy the most amazing food inspired by the area you are visiting, so for our cruise, on the Danube, sailing through Austria venison an veal was aplenty but other classics were always available as were vegetarian options.

For lunch and dinner, the sommelier is on hand to pair your perfect wine with your meal all of which is included within the cost of the Cruise.

The alternative restaurant is the more casual Bistro Ravel serving late risers breakfast from 9. Pastries, fruit and cereals are available but again eggs can be cooked to order.

For dinner, it turns into a casual Bistro serving tapas inspired options.

The food in both restaurants is beautifully presented and of the highest quality with a good choice so should work for all.

The main bar/ lounge area is the Palm Cout, again floor to ceiling windows so you can sit relax and enjoy the views with a coffee or your drink of choice. During the day when sailing, there may be the odd quiz other than that it is a place of pure relaxation.

During the evening Palm court will have pre-dinner music on the piano then, after dinner, the entertainment is still generally based around the pianist but he has a great way of getting everyone involved and taking to the audience all evening. Inbetween playing and singing he will throw the odd made up song that involves people on board, a little bit cheeky at times but really good fun and not something I was expecting and speaking with the other guests certainly helped make the cruise more memorable. Other nights there is various local entertainment that comes on board and I have to say the overall standard was excellent from musical performers to local dancers it was very good.

The other area for relaxation was out on the deck. You really notice the difference with Crystal when you see all the other riverboats, Crystals outside deck really does stand out. Comfy furnishing, rugs to keep you warm, and an outside bar perhaps for the better weather but it certainly was a great place to sit and have a drink as you sail.

One of my absolute outstanding experiences was the Crystal Signature event which happens on their cruises in various ports. For us, it was in Vienna and an evening at the Belvedere where we got to enjoy a classical performance by Vienna’s renowned Schonbrunn Palace Orchestra with dancers from the Vienna Volks- opera this was purely for our ship so no problem getting a front row seat here. Again this is all in the cost as are most of the excursions.

On the Crystal Ravel, you also have a small indoor pool, gym, and spa facilities if the walking tours have not taken to much toll.

The whole experience on Crystal was amazing. Food, service, entertainment, friendliness of the staff was second to none. it’s not cheap but id say value for money is excellent so if you’re looking to celebrate a special occasion and like the finer things in life and are looking to be spoilt you can’t go wrong with Crystal.