Getting Away with Crystal
The concept of more choices is exactly what Crystal intended with their Evolution of Crystal Luxury initiative. It’s not that options weren’t there before; it’s the idea that they are taking personal choices to a new level.
As our summertime soirée of European destinations was coming to an end, a long flight home held limited appeal. What better alternative could there be than to sail home to South Florida from Portugal aboard the gorgeous Crystal Serenity? Who in their right mind would pass up 12 days of pampered cruise indulgence and culinary excellence, as opposed to airport chaos, a bag of pretzels, and sitting upright for ten hours strapped into a flying cylinder?
The crux of transatlantic cruises is that they are a personalized relaxing unwind that just happens to be at sea — over 4,500 miles of it! Transcending hectic destination agendas, they create a tranquilizing conundrum with the idea that they start and end somewhere, stopping nowhere in particular, with everything happening in between. There are no early morning wake-up calls or grabbing breakfast on the run before rushing ashore. The ultimate decision-making process on a transatlantic cruise begins with, “Do I want breakfast in bed … or should I head up to the buffet?” But this is not where the decisions end. The concept of more choices is exactly what the company intended with their Evolution of Crystal Luxury initiative. It’s not that options weren’t there before; it’s the idea that they are taking personal choices to a new level.
Since the most extensive refit in the company’s history in 2018, Crystal Serenity has emerged with new dining venues, reimagined public areas, and, due to the demand from the company’s discriminating guests, a boost in the number of spacious Penthouse accommodations that provide personal butler services, in-room dining, and unlimited complimentary dining in the ship’s specialty restaurants.
The culinary acclaim that has been a Crystal mainstay remains, but now with even more venues to choose from. The main dining room, now renamed Waterside, has been redesigned to accommodate more tables for two and four, offering enhanced intimacy supplemented by the new open-seating policy that permits evening dining at your leisure.
The daytime Marketplace breakfast and lunch buffet area morphs into the new Churrascaria in the evening, implementing the popular Brazilian steakhouse format with choice meats being carved by roaming gauchos off of an oversized sword-like skewer. For trendy Asianinspired fare, Silk Kitchen & Bar is a contemporary restaurant option that replicates an outdoor patio–like ambiance even while indoors. The adjacent Trident Bar & Grill offers made-to-order late-riser breakfast service as well as light lunch selections. The rebranded Umi Uma features celebrated dishes of renowned celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa, in addition to providing a home to the ship’s very popular sushi bar. Prego is adorned in classical Italian decor, with exceptional Italian cuisine served in style.
With 12 days of gastronomic immersion expanding the physical lap of luxury, it’s essential to interject daily engagement. Crystal provides refined activities far removed from cliché pool games, with a series of professional enrichment seminars, lectures, and demonstrations. A diverse range of topics are covered by accomplished authors, journalists, historians, and celebrities every day. Nightly events alternate between headline entertainers and a talented troupe of singerdancers covering all genres of musical productions. Intimate lounges, atrium bistros, and late-night venues feature music for listening or dancing.
Crystal has become well known for its acclaimed themed cruises, and this transatlantic journey was billed as a Big Band & Ballroom Dance cruise featuring The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, with a nightly on-your-feet shindig for ballroom dance fans. Crystal’s Gentlemen Ambassadors assure that single ladies enjoy every opportunity to fill their dance card waltzing the night away; if your two left feet present an issue, daily dance lessons are provided by a quartet of ballroom dance instructors.
Crystal’s hallmark commodity of an all-inclusive concept is bolstered by upgraded complimentary WiFi, open bar, alternative restaurants, and tipping included in the original cruise fare. The extensive Crystal Life Spa and its staff of 20 trained technicians caress, coddle, and cater to physical wear and tear with treatments of selfindulgence supplemented by sauna and steam rooms.
Like the European mariners that have plied the seas of the Atlantic for centuries, Crystal Serenity charts its course to the New World discovering Antigua and St. Thomas before culminating the high seas adventure on the shores of Ft. Lauderdale.
The heralded elegance of Crystal Cruises justifies the unwavering loyalty shown by past guests. It only takes a day or two of being spoiled by onboard extravagance and personalized attention before realizing that you too have gracefully become Crystalized.