Natural light streamed through
floor-to-ceiling windows, while six hexagonal skylights provided
additional light. I instantly liked the Palm Court, located high up
on Deck 12 of the Crystal Serenity.
I liked its rattan furnishings, which were arranged in cozy
groupings on two levels. It's a roomy setting, providing an ideal
location for the captain's welcome party and a delightful venue for
the best-served afternoon tea I've experienced in my years of
cruising.
This was the Crystal Serenity's inaugural, and despite the
line's concern that some unfinished work would compromise its high
standards, I had no complaints.
Few of my fellow passengers voiced any complaints, either. We
were notified before boarding that this sailing was free, Crystal's
way of apologizing in advance to its best customers.
Room at sea
That made for a happy mood when the Serenity set sail from
Southampton, England, on its seven-day -- and nearly flawless --
voyage.
The line's first ship in eight years, the Crystal Serenity is
larger than its two sister ships, the Crystal Harmony and the
Crystal Symphony. The Serenity's size led Crystal executives to
resolve the tricky balance of keeping the onboard experience the
same while updating the product and spreading it out over 36% more
space.
Most of the passengers onboard were Crystal Society members, loyal
guests who were well equipped to compare this ship with the line's
other vessels.
One Crystal Society passenger remarked, "Just about everything
feels familiar, but there is more of it."
More space, for instance, on the deck surrounding the lido, in
the public-room corridors, under heightened ceilings, in the oval
atrium and on the widest open promenade I have ever seen on a
ship.
On some vessels, I dread the lido lunch line, but no such queues
formed on this ship. There are a half-dozen stations to patronize
and ample staff to assist.
It may sound a bit trite, but passengers greeted familiar staff
-- two-thirds are veterans -- as long-lost friends.
The great majority of cabin accommodations are larger than on
other Crystal ships, with the 286 A & B categories measuring
269 square feet compared with 246 square feet on Crystal's other
ships.
A new category, AA, offers butler service plus complimentary
wine and spirits upon embarkation.
We occupied the PH category, one of the ship's 64 penthouses
that also come with butler service.
Here's how attentive the service was:
The butler would appear at the end of each day to see if we
wanted a snack of hors d'oeuvres.
At other times, he'd leave a tempting plate of foie gras, smoked
ham or finger sandwiches in the cabin.
Dressing for the first formal night, my red bow tie lost its
clasp. In the space of 10 minutes, the butler had taken it to the
tailor and brought it back repaired.
On the mornings I requested it, breakfast appeared right on
time, rolled in on a table then set up on the pop-up coffee
table.
The room's entertainment center, housed in a mahogany cabinet,
included a flat-screen TV and a DVD player; the bathroom had a full
Jacuzzi bath, separate shower and twin sinks in a marble
counter.
The walk-in closet had plenty of hanging space, and with the
additional drawers in the bedroom, this penthouse had ample
storage.
One complaint: The night table was wedged between two beds with
large, puffy spreads, making it a tight squeeze and difficult to
open the drawers.
The balcony's plastic chairs and table also disappointed, but
guests can ask for chaise lounges.
All cabin accommodations are outside, as with the Symphony, but
here the lifeboats do not obstruct the views.
Food for thought ...
Evening dining choices include the traditional Crystal Dining
Room with two seatings, unique to such a high-end product.
The room buzzed with activity each night we ate there, but was
never noisy.
Prego, the Italian specialty restaurant, has a different design
on this ship -- the venue nearly is twice as big as its cousins on
the Harmony and Symphony and is simpler in decor, lacking the
high-backed chairs and formality.
It is a long room, executed in white and gold, with bas-relief
urns filled with fruit on the bulkhead pilasters. Instead of
paintings on the walls, there are lightboxes depicting Tuscan city
scenes that change color depending on the time of day.
Two favorites from the menu were the pumpkin ravioli flavored
with apricot and a gorgonzola-topped filet of beef.
On the Serenity, the Asian restaurant called the Silk Road
features noted chef and restaurateur Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa as
the consulting chef -- and on this sailing he was aboard in person
-- offering a pan-Asian menu that offered lobster with truffle yuzu
sauce, black cod with miso and chicken with teriyaki balsamic.
The airy setting is executed in lime green and soft blue
lighting. The Sushi Bar at the entrance is a new offering for
Crystal.
For poolside diners, Tastes furnishes attractive table settings
next to the Trident pool and under the retractable glass
ceiling.
The 8,500-square-foot spa and fitness centers, located high up
and aft, are much larger than aboard its sister ships and are
arranged with separate entrances and very good soundproofing.
... Thought for food
For the mind, the innovative Crystal Learning Institute offers
more than a dozen sign-up courses, such as Yamaha piano
instruction, drawing workshops, Spanish lessons, Cleveland Clinic
health talks and tai-chi. All classes were fully booked.
"Whatever anyone has an interest in, we think it'd be fun to
teach," said Alexandra Don, Crystal's director of onboard services,
on an earlier ship tour.
One passenger noted, "The Crystal Learning Center is like an
Elderhostel at sea, good for the mind and my social life."
The library of books and DVDs has three bays for curling up in a
comfy chair, and the Avenue Saloon, a Crystal trademark, offers a
pianist in a clubby setting.
For other entertainment, guests on later sailings will be able
to check out full-scale productions in the Galaxy Show Lounge; the
Serenity also boasts Crystal's first disco, the Stardust Club.
The Serenity called at Warnemunde, a north German port, and a
private train took passengers in comfort to the city.
I much preferred this to the longer bus ride.
Copenhagen, Denmark, was an overnight call, then after two stops
in Norway, the ship circumnavigated the British Isles before
returning to Southampton.
In the fall, the ship will be positioned in the Mediterranean
then move to the Caribbean.
Following a Panama Canal transit, the Serenity will depart Jan.
19 from Los Angeles for a 106-day world cruise, ending in New
York.