Table Of Content
80% of Crystal Serenity’s crew are line veterans and the hotel manager and cruise director, Scott Peterson and Rick Spath, respectively, are industry legends. So many guests are long-time devotees and it’s not unusual to speak with some whose Crystal sailings number 50 cruises or more (one woman aboard this cruise sailed a staggering 170 times). The final stop on this fall-foliage voyage was Quebec City, and when I realized that the port is a five-minute walk away from Old Quebec, I decided to extend my trip and linger in the city. It was the perfect base for a magical two days exploring the charming city, and was filled with other Crystal guests who had the same idea.
The Crew Already Know the Ship – and Their Guests
When you're up top on Crystal Serenity, as at so many other areas of the ship, you'll feel like you're on an all-new vessel. For the late-night crowd, there's a small nightclub with a semi-circular bar tucked back behind the Stardust Club. Called Pulse, it doesn't get going until around midnight, assuming anyone on board is still up for it. A third entertainment space on the same deck as the Stardust Club, the Hollywood Theatre is a traditional cinema playing recently released movies and also broadcasting live sporting events at times. The entertainment hubs on Crystal Serenity include Galaxy Pavilion, a full-blown theater at the front of the ship on Deck 6 that offers all sorts of relatively big entertainment productions in the evening. During my sailing, for instance, it was the site of a Billy Joel tribute concert and a show by a comedian who flew in for the performance.
Night Buenos Aires To Rio De JaneiroDetails
Being onboard Crystal Serenity is somewhat reminiscent of the feeling we got when cruising returned after a long shutdown because of the pandemic. On Crystal Serenity, as it did on many of those first ships back, it starts with the crew, who are genuinely excited to be back onboard. Cruise Critic was invited onboard Crystal Serenity for this shakedown cruise. The redesign also included the addition of larger versionsof Serenity’s most popular accommodations, Sapphire Veranda Suites (430 squarefeet with 107-square-foot verandas).
Crystal Serenity Itineraries Cruises
Its name is just slightly different (note it's just Crystal, not Crystal Cruises), and it's operating the same two main ships that once sailed for Crystal Cruises. You'll also find many of the same senior staff and crew on those ships as before. Crystal is technically a start-up luxury cruise company — one that just debuted this year and is being built from the ground up. That company ceased to exist when its parent company, Genting Hong Kong, collapsed in early 2022 and was liquidated. Crystal Serenity is the new flagship for Crystal, a luxury cruise brand that is at the same time all-new and decades old. The ship has a smattering of accessible cabins and suites, and elevator banks are located aft, forward and midship.
Helping leisure selling travel agents successfully manage their at-home business.
During the evenings, the official dress code steps up to what Crystal calls "evening resort." For women, that means dresses, skirts, pants, blouses or sweaters, dark-wash jeans with no rips, or tailored dress shorts. For men, it's button-down shirts, collared polo shirts, sweaters or smart designer sweatshirts, dark-wash jeans with no rips (only when accompanied by a jacket), chinos, and a sports jacket or blazer (the latter being optional). In addition, men can wear tailored shorts but only when dining in the casual Tastes restaurant. During the day, the dress code is "day casual," which for Crystal means sundresses, elegant shorts, jeans; T-shirts, polo shirts or blouses; or linen clothing.
What It’s Like to Sail the Crystal Serenity, the Newly Resurrected Luxury Cruise Ship
Today, Crystal officially relaunches under the new guardianship of A&K Travel Group, as Crystal Serenity sets sail following a multi-million-dollar refurbishment. Departing on its inaugural voyage today from Marseille, the cruise line's largest vessel accommodates 740 guests and is the first of two ships returning to service this summer. But after a major overhaul in early 2023, part of a relaunch of the Crystal brand under new owners, it's back to being one of the leading luxury ships at sea. The spa also offers a sauna and a steamroom – one each in the men’s and women’s changing rooms. There’s also a relaxation room where passengers can wait for their appointments.
Crystal Serenity ex-Nassau Bahamas cruises 2021 summer
Spending a week on Crystal Serenity feels like staying at a resort that families have been visiting for 20 years. On a July cruise in the Mediterranean Sea, most of the passengers I met had sailed on Serenity many times before. Veteran Crystal cruiser Keith Steiner regaled me with stories of the paddle tennis tournament he plays in every year, alongside the crew, on the line’s world cruises. Linda Glenn, who has been on 130 Crystal cruises, promised to show me the beautiful ring her husband, Stanley, commissioned from the jeweler who supplies Serenity’s boutique.
Other Crystal Cruises cruise ships
There are four suite categories, beginning with the 323-square-foot Aquamarine Veranda Suite featuring an 86-square-foot balcony. The next largest option is the 430-square-foot Sapphire Veranda Suite, which features a separate living and sleeping space with a 107-square-foot balcony. With décor that combines traditional and contemporary elements—for a look that’s more elegant than cutting-edge— Crystal Serenity is a ship designed to appeal to upscale, mature travelers who enjoy fine dining and cultural exploration. Under the aegis of A&K Travel Group, Crystal (“Cruises” has been dropped from its brand name) currently operates Crystal Serenity along with sister ship, 606-guest Crystal Symphony, relaunched in September 2023. Although both ships offer most of the same amenities, Crystal Serenity, at 68,870 gross tons, is slightly larger and has 13 decks vs. Crystal Symphony’s 12.
The people who work on Crystal Serenity love the brand and its guests, and it shows in the pride they take in doing their jobs and taking care of their guests. All passenger cabins were upgraded with new 42-inch smart TVs with interactive panels (infotainment system). Among the redesigned public spaces is the fore-located Palm Court (observation lounge on deck 12), where was added more intimate seating. The Lounge's stage was relocated, and the former stage area was transformed into a dedicated "Afternoon Tea" space offering fresh leaf teas and house-made pastries in the afternoons. The ship's drydock refurb in 2018 (October 18 - November 6, done at Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven Germany) reduced the passenger capacity in order to enable single-seating dining.
Crystal has brought back familiar names and familiar faces, including 80% of the crew, many who are seeing guests for the first time in 18 months. The majority of Crystal Serenity’s guest rooms and suites have a veranda, but the two lowest-priced categories, each offering 215 square feet of space, are solely ocean-view. These are the Double Guest Rooms with Ocean View (42 are available) and the new Single Guest Rooms with Ocean View (14 are available to solo travelers). There are eight ADA rooms on Crystal Serenity — some aquamarine veranda suites and some aquamarine ocean-view suites. About 40% of the ship's accommodations (151 out of 377) are Sapphire Verandah Suites. Measuring a whopping 537 square feet including balcony space, these are unusually spacious suites for a main cabin category on a cruise ship.
Instead, what you get atop Crystal Serenity is a stylish, refined pool deck experience. If you're the kind of person who likes to lounge next to a Four Seasons hotel pool, you know what I'm talking about. At the base of Crystal Serenity's two-deck-high atrium, Crystal Cove is the ultimate social hub for the ship, the place you go when you want to meet all the new friends you're making on board for a pre-dinner cocktail or a nightcap afterward. Open from late morning until the wee hours, it offers live music for much of the day, starting as early as lunchtime and continuing through midnight.
Crystal's World Cruise is Nothing Like Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise - Cruise Critic
Crystal's World Cruise is Nothing Like Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise.
Posted: Mon, 22 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
First came the rebirth of Crystal Serenity in the summer, followed last month by Crystal Symphony; a host of new ships, including expedition vessels, are also on the horizon. Aside from renovating the ship’s accommodations to create a larger number of spacious suites, A&K Travel Group also refreshed several of Crystal Serenity’s public spaces. These include the ship’s two specialty restaurants, Umi Uma and Osteria d’Ovidio, along with The Bistro casual cafe, the Aurōra Spa and Fitness Center and carpeting and wall coverings in the hallways and central atrium.
It was a massive undertaking that involved knocking out dozens of walls — and one that has profoundly changed the vessel. Once criticized for not having big enough rooms, Crystal Serenity now offers one of the most impressive arrays of big suites of any luxury ship. However, it's a lounge without a bar, and it comes off as a dead space on the ship — a room that is rarely used. That's no longer the case, thanks to the overhaul of the cabin decks mentioned above.
This epic new luxury cruise costs up to $550,000 per cabin — and might be worth it - The Points Guy
This epic new luxury cruise costs up to $550,000 per cabin — and might be worth it.
Posted: Tue, 19 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The machinery repairs and upgrades (below deck 4) were needed as the equipment was old and poorly maintained. Crystal Serenity itinerary program is based on a World Cruise (out of Miami or San Francisco), Caribbean voyages, Mediterranean Sea and Canada-New England Fall Foliage cruises from Quebec and NYC. Outdoor activity facilities include the GOLF DRIVING NETS & PUTTING GREEN, and the WIMBLEDON COURT. The onboard golfing facilities are served by expert trainers (including PGA Golf Pro certified).
In the winter, the ship will cruise the Caribbean, stopping in ports like St. Thomas, Grand Cayman, and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Looking ahead to 2024, the ship will begin a five-continent world cruise — the first since A&K bought Crystal — cruising French Polynesia, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa, South America, and in Europe, winding up in the Mediterranean Sea again next summer. The 2025 lineup was just announced, too; learn more about the sailings here.
Although there is no additional charge for the specialty restaurants, reservations are required. Our spa offers a wide range of health and beauty services for ladies and gentlemen. There is a complete sauna and steam room facilities, as well as a variety of treatments, including aromatherapy, aqua meditation, exfoliation, reflexology and Swedish massage.Treatements are by appointment only. Crystal Cruises unveiled its 2024 World Cruise, a 105-night voyage scheduled fo rCrystal Serenity that explores the Southern Hemisphere and beyond leaving from PortMiami Florida USA and ending in Civitavecchia-Rome Italy (January 5 thru April 20, 2024).
No comments:
Post a Comment