| |
|
| Reviewed By: Swanson, Upminster on 18th Dec 2007 |
| Cruise Line: Crystal Cruises |
Times cruised before: 3-5 |
| Cruise Ship: Crystal Serenity |
Sailed:
September,
2007 |
| Destination: Mediterranean |
Age: 26-35 |
|
I recently returned from my second cruise with Crystal Cruises, this time sailing on the luxurious Crystal Serenity. I took a 12 night mediterranean cruise from Monte Carlo to Venice with my mother (it was her first cruise). We chose to stay in an AA grade which is one of the highest balcony cabins and it was perfect for a cruise of this duration. The decor was nice and modern with pleanty of storage space and a nice size bathroom and balcony. We did have a snoop around at the other grades during one of the 'open days' and I would say that if we were crusing for longer I would splash out on one of the penthouse grades (to be honest I was swayed by the idea of having my own butler!) The itinerary, whilst incorporating a few places we had both been to before, was lovely. We chose it for its overnight stays in both Venice and Monte Carlo and for the ports of call around Greece and her islands and we were not disappointed. We took part in several excursions which were all well organised with excellent guides provided (some of them knew so much about the places were were visiting I don't know how they remembered it all!)
The food, as onboard all cruise ships, was plentiful but unlike some ships I have sailed on was all of an extremly high standard. Whether we were at the Lido breakfast buffet or one of the seciality restaurants, nothing slipped below the Crystal high standard.
We only had three days at sea during this voyage so didn't have much time to enjoy the plentiful onboard facilities but we did squeeze in some spa treatments (well it would be rude not to) and we managed to make the dance classes with teachers Balin and James from Australia.
During the evening, the onboard cinema was a real treat - we were able to catch up on a couple of recent films whilst enjoying the fresh hot popcorn! I was again well entertained by the variety of other entertainment on offer, from the Crystal ensemble of dancers and the wide range of musicians/entertainers brought onboard. My only slight niggle was that some of the musical shows from the Crystal dancers were a little similar to ones I had seen previously onboard the Crystal Symphony - but then again the popular musical numbers are the ones the people want to hear!
But despite all of this variety and enjoyment onboard I have to say that the thing that made my cruise was once again the staff onboard. At every step they were there ensuring that I had everything I needed, from the cold towels by the pool to my favourite tipple in the Crystal Cove bar. They made it their personal quest almost to ensure we were having a great time all the while with a cheery "Good Morning" on their lips and a sincere smile on their face. I think these may possibly qualify for a 'best staff at sea' award.
I would definately look at sailing with Crystal again and am eagerly waiting for their 2009 itineraries to come out!
|
| Quality of Food |  |
| We regularly ate our breakfast at the Lido Cafe where there was a huge variety on offer in a hot and cold buffet style (with waiter service of course)and the Silk Road and Sushi bar was a real winner with Nobu inspired food for no extra cost! | | Entertainment |  |
| The musical acts brought onboard were fantastic and included opera singers and keyboard players. Also a performance by the Cruise Director who it turned out was quite a ventriloquist was really good | | Shore Excursions | |
| all really well organised, my favourite (purely for personal interest reasons) was the trip from Navplion to Mycenae | | Staff | |
| All of the staff were amazing - no one stood out as any better than they rest as they all exceeded my expectations. | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities | |
| A huge range of activities onboard from the physical (dancing, golf, aerobics classes) to the intellectual language and keyboard lessons and guest lectures | | Cabins | |
| Excellent facilities, well maintained and a good size with pleanty of storage. | | Overall Rating | |
|
|
|
