So how was life outside of the room?
Island life is special, and experiencing it from the comfort of a cruise ship penthouse takes it to the next level, writes
David De Lorean.
Stylish, comfy rooms, delicious food and heaps to do. I’ve had a taste of the cruising life and want more.
The place
The Seabreeze Penthouses on board the Crystal Symphony cruise ship, travelling around Fiji, Tonga, Niue and the Cook Islands.
Review
Right from the get-go, the Crystal Symphony is serious about luxury.
Imagine a giant two-storey water feature, a transparent piano and a mini shopping area with a Faberge egg – and that’s just where you check in.
Crystal Cruises has completed a major, multi-million dollar redevelopment on the ship, redesigning many of the rooms on board. In the process, it has reduced the number of guests the ship can hold from more than 900 to 848. It has paid off, big time.
The cabin
I spent a week inside the refreshed seabreeze penthouse, travelling from Fiji to Rarotonga.
It’s probably not the biggest space you’ll stay in on holiday, but the room didn’t feel cramped. The soft colour scheme – lots of greys and whites – coupled with the massive sliding door out to a private balcony ensures the room feels open and airy.
That sliding door enabled some spectacular views as well, like the entire nation of Niue, and that really makes a room special.
I had a main area with a bed, couch, mini-bar and TV (there’s also a penthouse suite with a separate lounge), a walk-in closet, private balcony with a table and chairs and a surprisingly big bathroom – all the usual bells and whistles you’d expect from luxury accommodation.
The bed was comfortable and massive, and I’d always come back to fresh linen, even if I only stepped out for a few minutes.
The mini-bar was kept fully stocked at all times, and they even quickly learned of my fondness for Coke Zero, and stocked extra throughout my voyage. I didn’t have to tell anyone, they just did it.
It was one little detail that sold me on the room: they put USB plugs by the toilet. I found that hilarious. That’s my definition of luxury.
The walk-in closet had plenty of space for two people, heaps of room for shoes and lots of drawers for even more storage.
I’m a light packer when I travel, but you could easily bring your entire wardrobe on the trip and comfortably fit everything in.
In short, the refreshed seabreeze penthouse is a stellar room that had absolutely everything I could want. An attentive – but not intrusive – butler bringing daily snacks, a soft bed, wi-fi (which wasn’t great and had trouble staying connected, but you do need to be a bit understanding when you’re in the middle of the ocean) and plenty of space to stretch out and relax.
The only thing I wasn’t prepared for was the plugs – they’re all American – but even that was quickly solved with an adaptor provided by the ship for free.
Cruises don’t come cheap, but if you have the money, travelling in the seabreeze penthouse is a comfortable, stylish, modern way to enjoy your journey across the seas. Phenomenal.
The 12-floor ship comes with myriad eateries, bars and areas to relax, with a spa, gym, movie theatre and so much more for passengers.
I tried my hand in the casino (and promptly lost US$50), got a couple of golf lessons from a very helpful pro, caught some shows (a neon-fuelled dance show in a pitch-black room was my highlight) and in-between my adventures off the ship in Fiji, Tonga, Niue and Rarotonga, I sampled an insane amount of food.
That food is spectacular. There’s something for everyone, with Chinese, good ol’ fashioned American favourites, Japanese, Italian and more on offer.
Everything was presented nicely and service was swift across the board. In one restaurant I legitimately believed they’d mistakenly given me someone else’s order of the same item as it arrived so fast.
There was the odd occasion where something was slightly overcooked or undercooked, but any issues myself and the media group I was travelling with had were dealt to immediately. Anytime I saw a passenger have a problem, they were helped and the issue was solved right away.
Most importantly, everything tasted great. Eating in one of renowned chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s restaurants was a dream, and getting to taste everything from wagyu beef to truffle (on fries, no less) is a food odyssey I won’t forget any time soon.
What was the journey like?
I travelled on part of the ‘‘Polynesian Palette’’ cruise, from Fiji to Tonga, then Niue and finally to the Cook