Crystal Serenity Cruise

CRYSTAL SERENITY

I was lucky enough to sail on a 5 night Mediterranean cruise aboard Crystal Serenity between Rome and Athens, calling at Sorrento, Kusadasi & Mykonos.

Special arrangements were made for our boarding as we joined the cruise part way through its itinerary. This made boarding very simple and quick, although I am sure that when boarding under normal circumstances, the process would have been very rapid and smooth too.

THE SHIP There is no doubt that the ship was pristine and the cabins furnished to a high standard with all cabins having a sizable bathroom with double wash basins and bath with shower over. Due to the larger than average bathroom, the cabin and wardrobe space was a little compromised, but never the less, very comfortable.

We did visit a couple of suites which were furnished to a similar high standard, but rather smaller than expected. The size of the suites cannot be compared to most cruise ships, even mainstream ships.

The deck and sun area was outstanding. The quality of the sunbeds was exceptional and a wonderful touch was the delightful cabanas, sofas and coffee tables which were all around the pool area. Very comfortable for those who just wish to sit in the sun and enjoy a drink and a conversation with friends.

SPA There was a well equipped spa and gym onboard. A wide spa menu was on offer. Prices were very expensive, but probably on par with many cruise ships. Ladies and gents sauna and steam were complimentary.

SERVICE The service onboard was particularly good in the Speciality restaurants, Prego and Silk Road as well as the main restaurant, although not as attentive and a bit lacking in enthusiasm at the Lido and Trident Bar & Grill during the daytime. I dined at the Trident most lunch times and had to actually go to a waiter to ask for service each time. Dinner at the Trident was much better and had a nice relaxed atmosphere.

Sometimes I got the impression that the waiters were only interested in those buying alcoholic drinks. This was particularly noticeable in the casual restaurants and on the sundeck areas.

RESTAURANTS & FOOD The speciality restaurants of Prego (Italian style) and Silk Road (Asian Fusion) were both excellent and could not be faulted for food quality and service. The waiters were very attentive and helpful and the food quality and menu was exceptional.

The food and service in the Crystal Dining room was also exceptional. The choice and variety was excellent.

The trident has two sections, the first being a grill with self service burgers, chicken etc and the second section open between 1 and 3pm was a waiter service lunchtime menu. Whilst the food in the Trident Grill was also excellent, the service was poor by comparison. Great Ice Cream bar though!

The Lido is open for buffet breakfast and again excellent quality and a good choice. It was usually quiet and we never had a problem getting a table.

ENTERTAINMENT I was very disappointed in the entertainment. The resident singers offered a couple of shows, but not very professional and apart from the lead male and female singers, the rest appeared to be miming. There was a guest violinist onboard who did an excellent show and saved the day! Whilst you expect the entertainment to be on a smaller scale on a ship this size, I have experienced much more professional shows (and more frequent) on even smaller ships with less passenger capacity.

BARS The ship offers complimentary soft drinks at any time. In the evening most of the bars were deserted. Not sure if this was due to the limited passenger numbers, many passengers retiring to bed early or the very high bar prices.

From 2012 Crystal will be going All Inclusive, which I am sure will be a good thing. Currently, passengers are allowed to bring their own wine on board, but a charge of $15 per bottle is made for corkage. This seemed to defeat the object, although there was no wine on the menu less than US£46 per bottle. On a ship of this standard, you expect drinks to be expensive, but it was difficult to find a drink under US$12.

The ship did lack atmosphere although this may have been because there were only 600 passengers when she normally carries 1000 passengers.

DESTINATION The itineraries are designed to make the most of the time in port. As the ship is smaller than average, it can sail into smaller ports such as Sorrento which we visited. It was great not having to endure the expensive 45 minute taxi journey from Naples!!

The itineraries allow for many late evening departures and overnight stays, again making the most of the posts of call. Where necessary, Crystal also provided their guests with complimentary transfers to the local town.

There are some fantastic itineraries in the brochure with some unique excursions to special events worldwide.

GUESTS I would suggest this ship caters mainly for wealthy retired couples and singles (single room supplement often only 25%) with the emphasis on the North American market. Crystal offer a superb product and on the whole, excellent quality although I am not certain that passengers who traditionally travel on smaller luxury ships such as Seaborne or guests who like the relaxed informality yet exceptional service of Azamara would be would be entirely happy.