Crystal Serenity

I had the pleasure of cruising on this beautiful ship around Turkey, Greece and Italy last year.

This has to be my favourite cruise ship that I have been on. The staff onboard couldn´t do enough for you and knew my first name and knew what I was drinking before I even said! Even around the pool area when I was sunbathing the staff would come round with lovely cool face towel to cool you down as it so warm.

The food onboard is to die for especially Silk Road (Asian style restaurant). I could have ate in here every night it was so good. You need to pre book as it books up very quickly.

Crystal have now gone all inclusive which is fantastic as it is so much value for your money!

I have just returned from a fabulous cruise on Crystals Serenity. Before booking I did lots of research to make sure I choose the right cruise line and itinerary and I certainly made the right choice.

I joined in Athens for a six night sailing, taking in the ports of Napoli, Mykonos, Kusadasi and Istanbul all of which I thoughly enjoyed and all of which offered something different.

Crystal Serenity is a so-called midsized ship, which was perfect for me. The size of the ship made the choices of dining and entertainment varied but with less than 1000 passenger it also meant there was a feeling of space and it was easy to find a quiet corner where I could relax and read my book!

The highlight of my cruise had to be the food. I had some amazing meals in all of the restaurants. My day started with a wake up calls from my stateroom stewardess delivering tea and pastries that I enjoyed watching the sun coming up. At lunch time I enjoyed Tastes where the chicken salad was to die for closely followed by the sweet potatoes fries at Trident grill. The service in the main restaurant was excellent and my waiter ‘Crunch really looked after me knowing my favourite type of bread to how I liked my steak cooked, even treating me to French Macaroons to take-away and enjoy later one evening! I also dined at both the speciality restaurants of which there is no extra charge, Prego was superb Italian food and Silk Road (created by Nobu Matsuhisa) was my best ever meal afloat, the Wagu beef starter melted in my mouth and the blacked cod was a delight. If that wasnt enough I managed to fit in room for a few cheeky ice creams and also pate and cheese from the Bistro!!

In the evening I enjoyed various variety shows and particularly enjoyed a singer by the name of Phillip Browne and Elton John tribute show. For pre-dinner drinks Palm Cove offers a lovely setting and the resident band played music to suite the client on board. I also like a dance in the evening and the gentleman hosts were very accommodating.

My stateroom albeit not the biggest I have even stayed in was superbly furnished and had everything I could possible need. And possibly the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in.

I now just need to study next years brochure and find somewhere new for Crystal to take me as I have been spoilt and dont think another cruise line can compare!

We boarded the Serenity and were met and accompanied in the lift to the main reception area with an open lobby and winding staircase.

We then handed over our passports we had our photograph taken and we were given our key/identification card which we were to use to get on and off the ship with and to enter our stateroom. We made our way up the lift to Deck 10 and found our AA Deluxe Stateroom with Verandah. Mine was room 10120 which is Aft and Port Side. I found everyone we spoke to were friendly and professional and my first impression was we were in a lovely 5* hotel.

The stateroom had a queen size bed, a lovely balcony with conservatory style chairs and table. A dressing table with light up mirror. Flat panel TV with remote control, blue ray dvd player. A stocked mini bar with soft drinks and water, with the option of asking for your favourite tipple to be brought up and added to the bar. Free use of safety deposit box. Use of the plush bath robes and slippers and a lovely bathroom with double sink and shower over a small sized bath.

You don´t need to bring a hairdryer, individual hairdryers are provided (not like the ones attached to the wall) the plug sockets are European and US so most adapters will fit and you will receive full power for your hairdryer/straighteners.

A and B Grade Deluxe Staterooms with veranda are the same although on lower decks and the balconies are slightly smaller with different furniture.C Grade Deluxe Staterooms with a large picture window have exactly the same décor/amenities to the AA, A & B Grade Stateroom

The service on board the Serenity was in the main, fantastic, the attention to detail and friendliness of the staff in the main restaurants was second to none, however my experience in the more relaxed eating areas such as the Trident Bar and Grill and the Lido Café the staff were not as attentive, just minor points like empty plates not taken straight away etc. But I must say the food was really good, fresh and hot.

The Lido café is open for breakfast and you can choose from a traditional English breakfast or a freshly prepared omelette to croissants, fruit, cereals, pancakes, all of which you can order to be delivered to your stateroom in the morning at no extra cost – all the food and drinks, including premium alcoholic drinks and service charges are included.

The main restaurant is the Crystal Dining Room located by the reception area and the Crystal Cove Bar. You can choose from 1st sitting at 1830, 2nd sitting at 2030 or Open Dining by Reservation which means you book the time you would like to eat and this is usually preferred by guests that want to dine at a table for 2. The food you can expect in this restaurant is amazing the waiters are friendly and nothing is too much trouble for them if you don´t like what you´d ordered (not that I did!) they are more than happy to bring you something else even off the menu . They also remember the wine you like.

There are two speciality restaurants one is Prego which is the Italian restaurant and the other is Silk Road and The Sushi Bar, both you can pre book 1 night in each before sailing and then once on board you can reserve a table as many times as you like subject to availability.

Again in both restaurants the food and service is fantastic I would recommend the Sea Bass in Prego and the Nobu Box in Silk Road - especially the blackened cod which was A MA ZING!

As an alternative the Lido Café is open in the evening and is more relaxed buffet style of dining. Every day in Palm Court traditional English afternoon tea is served; violins play in the back ground whilst you are served cucumber sandwiches and scones with jam and clotted cream. Or take a trip to Scoops Ice Cream Bar for a Ben & Jerrys with sauce and topping of your choice!

My overall experience of the Crystal Serenity was that it was a very good 5* hotel on the sea, the entertainment was very cruise ship and a little too cheesy for me but depends on your taste. The food was the best I have had in any restaurant, and I couldn´t fault the service or attention to detail in the main restaurants.

Crystal have larger ships than most 6* cruise lines taking around 1000 passengers although they boast the most space on board and I must say at times it seemed we were the only guests on the ship, we did not need to queue and always were able to get a table or sunlounger.

I would definitely travel with Crystal again in the future.

From the moment you step on board the Beautiful Crystal Serenity, You enter a state of calm, Peace and Untroubled bliss, a true Oasis of Serenity.

Embarkation on Crystal is incredibly smooth. We were met on arrival at the cruise terminal by Crystal Staff and escorted to Security. Once through we made our way to the Gangway where the Security Staff issued us with a Ships Pass which was to serve as our Key etc. whilst on board. We were then escorted by a Cabin Steward to the main reception area where we then completed the Check in Process. We were given a lovely little Wallet to keep our Cabin Key in for the duration of the cruise. This proved extremely useful as it kept it nice and neat for us.

We were then shown to our Stateroom and met by our own Stewardess who took the trouble of showing us how everything worked and took down any requests that we had regarding pillow types etc.

We were lucky to have been upgraded to an AA Balcony. One thing to note is that the AA balcony cabins have Luxurious Wicker Furniture on the Veranda as opposed to standard plastic furniture on the B and A grade balconies.

Our stateroom was very comfortable and the bed is probably the most comfy I have ever had on a ship. The toiletries in the Bathroom were “AVEDA” and there was a good selection of towels including oversized and flannels. We also had a Towelled Dressing gown and a Kimono each. Slippers were provided too. In our wardrobe Crystal also provided us with an Umbrella, a Crystal branded Tote Bag, A Shoe Horn and plenty of Hangers for garments. The Mini Bar was stocked with Sodas, Water and Beer and we had Ice provided daily in an ice bucket. We were also greeted to a beautiful basket of fresh fruit. Our luggage was delivered within 20 mins of us arriving in our Cabin.

Bars: Avenue Saloon; During the evening there is a Pianist/Singer in here and the Bar is open late. It is located next to the Cigar/Smoking room which stocks a wide variety of Cigars for all over the World but particularly Cuba. Crystal Cove; This is the Bar located in the main Atrium/Lobby area and is particularly popular with pre and post dinner cocktails. You would typically find a Pianist of String Quartet playing in here in the evening. Martinis are the Speciality here. Palm Court & Sunset Bar; This is located at the Top of the ship and at the Very front. It has a large dance floor and during the evening this is where the Gentleman Dance Hosts are to be found for any ladies that wish to Ballroom. A Very popular venue with Guests. During the Afternoon Crystal serve Afternoon Tea in here. Usually accompanied by the String Quartet. Pulse Night Club; This is the late Bar and club on board. It also doubles as the Karaoke Bar early in the evening and is popular with the Japanese Passengers during this time.

Restaurants: Crystal Dining Room; Main Restaurant and the menu changes daily in here. Silk Road; Very Popular and Early booking strongly recommended, Stunning food with the special touch by Nobu. Here you can get Miso Baked Cod, Wagu Beef and of course Sushi and Sashimi. You also have the Sushi Bar where reservations are not necessary. Prego; Italian Speciality serving Pasta Specials and well worth a Visit. Very popular and early booking is strongly recommended. Lido Café; This is the Buffet Restaurant which is open for Breakfast and Lunch. A great place to Dine Al Fresco at these times. Tastes; This is the Burger/Pizza venue on board near the Pool area. You can also get a great Caesar Salad here and the Ice Cream Bar is located next to this. The Bistro; This is the on board Coffee Shop, Just like an upmarket Starbucks, You can get speciality Teas and Coffees and also snacks throughout the whole day are available here.

Crystal also has a great Room Service Menu and this service is quite speedy. We had breakfast on our Balcony a couple of times which I recommend if you wake with an amazing view outside.

The Entertainment on board was varied from the main Dance Troops and singers to a Magician and a West End Headliner. Performances were in either the Main Showroom (Galaxy Lounge) or the Secondary Showroom (Stardust Club). There is also a Cinema on board where Popcorn is provided for anyone wishing to watch a Movie. One of the main signatures of crystal is what happens when the ship departs from a Port. After the 3 blows of the ships Horn, Crystal plays Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong throughout the ship. Giving guests a special moment to reflect on where they have been that day and what they have done. A lovely touching end to what is usually a fantastic day exploring a foreign port.

All in all I was very impressed by Crystal; they offer a fantastic All Inclusive Luxury experience and have a very high repeat ratio amongst Guests. They do not cheapen their product and really look after their guests on board. I can´t wait to go back!

Upon embarkation, we were met and taken to the dazzling Crystal Atrium to check in and have our photographs taken. The Atrium is Beautiful and has multiple levels of glass and chrome stairs with a big waterfall feature. We were then taken to our cabins to be shown around by the room steward. Everything seemed perfect and the rooms were lovely. There was a short presentation in the Theatre to go over the muster drill where we all had to take our life jackets and sit through a short DVD, and then the rest of the time was ours to go and enjoy the ships facilities.

The focus on the ship is ‘the little things´. The Crystal Serenity is perfect in so many ways. It is all about elegance and sophistication, and there are 9 different decks all providing ample space for guests so there is never a feeling of overcrowding, even on the days at sea. Everything seemed effortless and the staff were so attentive.

The cabin was very roomy and had lots of space and had been recently refurbished. The main feature was the huge queen sized bed with a massive leather head board, it was fantastic and the bed was so comfortable I didn´t want to get out of it! There was a lovely sitting area, a big closet with shoe rack, plenty of drawers for storage, a safety deposit box which was complimentary. A flat screen TV and DVD player offering 14 channels, a telephone system offering private voicemails and automated wake up calls. The bathroom came with both a bath tub and shower overhead and also a double sink which was brilliant, It didn´t bother me that there was no shower door just a curtain, even though I know the others would have liked a shower door instead. The bathroom also had a telephone and speakers so if you were listening to music or watching TV you could have it playing into the bathroom whilst you got ready. The balcony itself was very spacious and came with a table and 2 chairs. A highlight for me was being able to hire complimentary DVD´s from the Library and watch the latest films whilst getting ready for dinner.

We were all really blown away by the entertainment on board the ship, which took place in either the ‘Star Dust´ club or ‘Galaxy Lounge´. Both venue´s had comfortable sofas, arm chairs and table style seating. Crystal put on some fantastic Broadway style shows and singers who performed on different nights throughout the cruise. A highlight for us was special guest ‘Philip Browne´ who had played the main part in the ‘Lion King´ in the West End. He put on the most incredible performance and had everybody up on their feet at the end of the show. They also had legendary musical performer: “Rocket Man”—aka Elton John who sang a rendition of Elton´s famous hits whilst the on board dancers did routines around him. The best time to see the shows was after first sitting for dinner, we ended up changing our dinner reservations so that we could have a meal before hand then go and see the show after, it seemed to make the night flow better.

After the shows our nights were spent drinking cocktails and taking in the ambience in the wood paneled ‘Avenue Saloon´ bar which had a great pianist who performed songs and sang hits like the Beatles whilst we sat around the big round bar chatting to fellow guests. Around 11:30pm a waiter would go round with trays of canapés for you to try. The ship was fairly quiet later on in the evening as most guests would go to bed after the shows, the night club on board was virtually empty most nights but there was still a few guests who would go and try their hand at karaoke and dancing.

Avenue of the Stars was the ships on board shopping arcade with three stylish boutiques offering upscale clothing and jewellery. There was a Good sized Casino featuring slot machines, blackjack tables, poker machines, a roulette table, baccarat table and Ultimate Texas Hold´em.

The Hollywood Theatre features showings of the latest blockbusters on a daily basis, with state-of-the-art audio visual equipment, popular venue for a lot of guests.

Computer [email protected] center offers 24 hour internet and e-mail access. The library features over 3,000 books, videos and DVDs. This was my favorite place, we could hire all the latest movies for free to take back to our cabins. I found myself watching them whilst getting ready for dinner. I hired on average 2 movies a day!

I have to say that the food on board was absolutely fantastic, we were well and truly spoil with the choice and quality on offer. Each Venue really stood out and offered a great choice of dishes on the menu, the evening dining though was much better than the day time dining. The excellent main dining room was situated off the main Crystal Atrium, and offered a main sitting around 6:30pm or second sitting around 8:30pm. We were booked onto second sitting but found there was no issue at all when wanting to change to first sitting on most nights. The staff couldn´t have been more accommodating, and each night there was a great selection of classic European menus, with a special theme. The Sommelier was great and had a good selection of wines to recommend with our evening meal.

The Silk Road Restaurant – the superb alternative Japanese restaurant by master chef, Nobu Matsuhisa. Open from 6:30pm to 10pm (at no extra charge).This restaurant requires reservation and is always very booked up because it is extremely popular. If we could have gone here every night we would have, the food was out of this world. A few of our group were converts to Sushi by the end of the night! If the restaurant was booked up there was a walk in Sushi Bar where you could sit and order some food or eat off the sushi menu. It really was fabulous!

The other superb alternative restaurant requiring reservation was Prego. This Italian a la carte has a Roman Décor and great Italian menu by Pierro Selvaggio. We dined here one night and really enjoyed the different foods and wines, it would be a great venue to come for a special reservation. Great ambience and again a very popular venue.

We spent all our days in the Trident Bar and Grill having lunch by the poolside, very relaxed and good choice of food. Service by the poolside wasn´t as good as in the main restaurants, the staff weren´t as attentive and we would have to grab somebody to come and take our order or serve us drinks. It didn´t spoil anything for us though.

We discovered Palm Court when having afternoon tea one day, it like walking onto the set of ‘Miss Marple´. All the waiters were serving tea, cakes, sandwiches and pastries with the finest china, all very posh and civilized! We felt a bit out of place at first but soon relaxed into it and enjoyed the experience. Afternoon tea was served daily between 3:30pm to 4:30pm.

We made good use of the 24hr room service, especially when having breakfast on our balconies in the morning, breakfast could be ordered from 5:30am to 10:30am and there was a great choice of food on the menu. We did also make use of the late room service one night! Joe decided to order to full meals with 2 glasses of champagne in the early hours which was no problem at all for them, needless to say by the time it had arrived Joe had scarpered back to his room leaving me to sort it out!

The pool deck which has been recently enhanced really was quite impressive. The pool itself was a great size and there were 2 Hot Tubs either side of the pool. The main deck area was equipped with circular sun beds, clusters of sofas and new padded lounge chairs. There was plenty of space to sit out and relax on the different lounges, often moving to a different bed when the sun went in the shade. It was really nice and chilled and on the day at sea and even though everybody was on board there was still plenty of space on the pool deck. There was a band performing on the stage singing songs and getting everybody joining along to the music!

Guests could also exercise on the two full-size paddle-tennis courts or play table tennis or hit some golf balls. There was a good sized gym on board which we didn´t shamefully make use of! Also beauty salon and an impressive spa with sea views off the ship´s stern and a full menu of the latest treatments.

Went on the Serenity on the transatlantic repositioning cruise that ended in Lisbon.

It was our first time on Crystal and we were very impressed with the whole trip. Our friends had recommended them and they were right to!

Our Balcony cabin was large and very comfortable with a nice sitting area, comfy bed, toiletries provided and a full bathroom which was really lovely. Our cabin steward was very good and discreet, nothing was too much trouble.

The meals were to die for – we tried all the restaurants except the Sushi as didn’t really fancy it. Silk Road was amazing!

All our drinks were included as well as premium brands so we hardly spent any money, other than the odd flutter in the casino.

The West end style shows were excellent, as good as London shows we thought.

As we had lots of sea days we did an excursion in Madeira and saw the sites of Funchal which was very pretty, although not very warm!

Crystal really looked after us, we will probably go on a mediterranean cruise next time as we fancy seeing more of Italy.

Great service and friendly staff. Food was faultless, what more could I ask for?

I decided to cruise with Crystal again after several years trying other lines . I was pleased to find standards on Serenity were still very high and the dining excellent . The only thing that lets them down is the size of suite I guess a small price to pay for having the best of entertainment and facilities on-board. These ships if you have never tried are in between the small luxury lines such as Seabourn and the large ships so often seen in ports now and yet there was never a feeling of too many people on-board . The crew knew our names from day one which I found astounding and the cabin stewards attention to detail anticipating our needs before we knew them ourselves was just charming . My husband follows strict Kosher food and the kitchen was pristine so we could both relax and enjoy the break . I shall definitely return

What a beautiful ship! This was our first trip on Crystal (previously Celebrity) and it wont be our last!

We flew to Miami and cruised around the Caribbean and it was just amazing. We wanted for nothing as everything was included in all the bars and restaurants. We had Champagne when we got on board and a lovely lunch. Our Balcony cabin was gorgeous – we even had a pillow menu! Bathrobes and slippers were provided and Elemis products in the bathroom.

Our favourite eating place was Nobu’s Silk Road – amazing!! We did the flexible dining programme so we could eat when we wanted depending on if we had been on or off the ship during the day.

You could literally eat from morning till night as somewhere was open all the time. I loved the Icecream bar as well.

There was lots going on all the time from excursions to keep fit classes, art exhibitions and shopping in the boutiques on board. Or you could just lay on your sun bed and watch the world go by!

The evenings had West end show and there were several bars to choose from plus a Casino and a nightclub open till the last man leaves!

We felt it was well worth the money as we really didn’t spend anything on board apart from in the casino so could thoroughly recommend it along with Cruise 118 who arranged it all for us.

Having just returned from the Crystal Serenity we found the ship to be absolutely fantastic. The layout was excellent and the ship was contemporary, light and modern, all public areas were spotless and airy. I loved both speciality restaurants Prego & Silk Road and found the food to be out of this world in both of these and the main crystal dining room too. The pool area and crystal cove was also excellent and the staff were amazing. Absolutely fantastic cruise & couldn’t fault a thing – we will be enjoying many more Crystal Cruises with your company in the near future!

We boarded the Serenity and were met and accompanied in the lift to the main reception area with an open lobby and winding staircase.

We then handed over our passports we had our photograph taken and we were given our key/identification card which we were to use to get on and off the ship with and to enter our stateroom. We made our way up the lift to Deck 10 and found our AA Deluxe Stateroom with Verandah. Mine was room 10120 which is Aft and Port Side. I found everyone we spoke to were friendly and professional and my first impression was we were in a lovely 5* hotel.

The stateroom had a queen size bed, a lovely balcony with conservatory style chairs and table. A dressing table with light up mirror. Flat panel TV with remote control, blue ray dvd player. A stocked mini bar with soft drinks and water, with the option of asking for your favourite tipple to be brought up and added to the bar. Free use of safety deposit box. Use of the plush bath robes and slippers and a lovely bathroom with double sink and shower over a small sized bath.

You don´t need to bring a hairdryer, individual hairdryers are provided (not like the ones attached to the wall) the plug sockets are European and US so most adapters will fit and you will receive full power for your hairdryer/straighteners.

A and B Grade Deluxe Staterooms with veranda are the same although on lower decks and the balconies are slightly smaller with different furniture.C Grade Deluxe Staterooms with a large picture window have exactly the same décor/amenities to the AA, A & B Grade Stateroom

The service on board the Serenity was in the main, fantastic, the attention to detail and friendliness of the staff in the main restaurants was second to none, however my experience in the more relaxed eating areas such as the Trident Bar and Grill and the Lido Café the staff were not as attentive, just minor points like empty plates not taken straight away etc. But I must say the food was really good, fresh and hot.

The Lido café is open for breakfast and you can choose from a traditional English breakfast or a freshly prepared omelette to croissants, fruit, cereals, pancakes, all of which you can order to be delivered to your stateroom in the morning at no extra cost – all the food and drinks, including premium alcoholic drinks and service charges are included.

The main restaurant is the Crystal Dining Room located by the reception area and the Crystal Cove Bar. You can choose from 1st sitting at 1830, 2nd sitting at 2030 or Open Dining by Reservation which means you book the time you would like to eat and this is usually preferred by guests that want to dine at a table for 2. The food you can expect in this restaurant is amazing the waiters are friendly and nothing is too much trouble for them if you don´t like what you´d ordered (not that I did!) they are more than happy to bring you something else even off the menu . They also remember the wine you like.

There are two speciality restaurants one is Prego which is the Italian restaurant and the other is Silk Road and The Sushi Bar, both you can pre book 1 night in each before sailing and then once on board you can reserve a table as many times as you like subject to availability.

Again in both restaurants the food and service is fantastic I would recommend the Sea Bass in Prego and the Nobu Box in Silk Road - especially the blackened cod which was A MA ZING!

As an alternative the Lido Café is open in the evening and is more relaxed buffet style of dining. Every day in Palm Court traditional English afternoon tea is served; violins play in the back ground whilst you are served cucumber sandwiches and scones with jam and clotted cream. Or take a trip to Scoops Ice Cream Bar for a Ben & Jerrys with sauce and topping of your choice!

My overall experience of the Crystal Serenity was that it was a very good 5* hotel on the sea, the entertainment was very cruise ship and a little too cheesy for me but depends on your taste. The food was the best I have had in any restaurant, and I couldn´t fault the service or attention to detail in the main restaurants.

Crystal have larger ships than most 6* cruise lines taking around 1000 passengers although they boast the most space on board and I must say at times it seemed we were the only guests on the ship, we did not need to queue and always were able to get a table or sunlounger.

I would definitely travel with Crystal again in the future.

From the moment you step on board the Beautiful Crystal Serenity, You enter a state of calm, Peace and Untroubled bliss, a true Oasis of Serenity.

Embarkation on Crystal is incredibly smooth. We were met on arrival at the cruise terminal by Crystal Staff and escorted to Security. Once through we made our way to the Gangway where the Security Staff issued us with a Ships Pass which was to serve as our Key etc. whilst on board. We were then escorted by a Cabin Steward to the main reception area where we then completed the Check in Process. We were given a lovely little Wallet to keep our Cabin Key in for the duration of the cruise. This proved extremely useful as it kept it nice and neat for us.

We were then shown to our Stateroom and met by our own Stewardess who took the trouble of showing us how everything worked and took down any requests that we had regarding pillow types etc.

We were lucky to have been upgraded to an AA Balcony. One thing to note is that the AA balcony cabins have Luxurious Wicker Furniture on the Veranda as opposed to standard plastic furniture on the B and A grade balconies.

Our stateroom was very comfortable and the bed is probably the most comfy I have ever had on a ship. The toiletries in the Bathroom were “AVEDA” and there was a good selection of towels including oversized and flannels. We also had a Towelled Dressing gown and a Kimono each. Slippers were provided too. In our wardrobe Crystal also provided us with an Umbrella, a Crystal branded Tote Bag, A Shoe Horn and plenty of Hangers for garments. The Mini Bar was stocked with Sodas, Water and Beer and we had Ice provided daily in an ice bucket. We were also greeted to a beautiful basket of fresh fruit. Our luggage was delivered within 20 mins of us arriving in our Cabin.

Bars: Avenue Saloon; During the evening there is a Pianist/Singer in here and the Bar is open late. It is located next to the Cigar/Smoking room which stocks a wide variety of Cigars for all over the World but particularly Cuba. Crystal Cove; This is the Bar located in the main Atrium/Lobby area and is particularly popular with pre and post dinner cocktails. You would typically find a Pianist of String Quartet playing in here in the evening. Martinis are the Speciality here. Palm Court & Sunset Bar; This is located at the Top of the ship and at the Very front. It has a large dance floor and during the evening this is where the Gentleman Dance Hosts are to be found for any ladies that wish to Ballroom. A Very popular venue with Guests. During the Afternoon Crystal serve Afternoon Tea in here. Usually accompanied by the String Quartet. Pulse Night Club; This is the late Bar and club on board. It also doubles as the Karaoke Bar early in the evening and is popular with the Japanese Passengers during this time.

Restaurants: Crystal Dining Room; Main Restaurant and the menu changes daily in here. Silk Road; Very Popular and Early booking strongly recommended, Stunning food with the special touch by Nobu. Here you can get Miso Baked Cod, Wagu Beef and of course Sushi and Sashimi. You also have the Sushi Bar where reservations are not necessary. Prego; Italian Speciality serving Pasta Specials and well worth a Visit. Very popular and early booking is strongly recommended. Lido Café; This is the Buffet Restaurant which is open for Breakfast and Lunch. A great place to Dine Al Fresco at these times. Tastes; This is the Burger/Pizza venue on board near the Pool area. You can also get a great Caesar Salad here and the Ice Cream Bar is located next to this. The Bistro; This is the on board Coffee Shop, Just like an upmarket Starbucks, You can get speciality Teas and Coffees and also snacks throughout the whole day are available here.

Crystal also has a great Room Service Menu and this service is quite speedy. We had breakfast on our Balcony a couple of times which I recommend if you wake with an amazing view outside.

The Entertainment on board was varied from the main Dance Troops and singers to a Magician and a West End Headliner. Performances were in either the Main Showroom (Galaxy Lounge) or the Secondary Showroom (Stardust Club). There is also a Cinema on board where Popcorn is provided for anyone wishing to watch a Movie. One of the main signatures of crystal is what happens when the ship departs from a Port. After the 3 blows of the ships Horn, Crystal plays Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong throughout the ship. Giving guests a special moment to reflect on where they have been that day and what they have done. A lovely touching end to what is usually a fantastic day exploring a foreign port.

All in all I was very impressed by Crystal; they offer a fantastic All Inclusive Luxury experience and have a very high repeat ratio amongst Guests. They do not cheapen their product and really look after their guests on board. I can´t wait to go back!

Upon embarkation, we were met and taken to the dazzling Crystal Atrium to check in and have our photographs taken. The Atrium is Beautiful and has multiple levels of glass and chrome stairs with a big waterfall feature. We were then taken to our cabins to be shown around by the room steward. Everything seemed perfect and the rooms were lovely. There was a short presentation in the Theatre to go over the muster drill where we all had to take our life jackets and sit through a short DVD, and then the rest of the time was ours to go and enjoy the ships facilities.

The focus on the ship is ‘the little things´. The Crystal Serenity is perfect in so many ways. It is all about elegance and sophistication, and there are 9 different decks all providing ample space for guests so there is never a feeling of overcrowding, even on the days at sea. Everything seemed effortless and the staff were so attentive.

The cabin was very roomy and had lots of space and had been recently refurbished. The main feature was the huge queen sized bed with a massive leather head board, it was fantastic and the bed was so comfortable I didn´t want to get out of it! There was a lovely sitting area, a big closet with shoe rack, plenty of drawers for storage, a safety deposit box which was complimentary. A flat screen TV and DVD player offering 14 channels, a telephone system offering private voicemails and automated wake up calls. The bathroom came with both a bath tub and shower overhead and also a double sink which was brilliant, It didn´t bother me that there was no shower door just a curtain, even though I know the others would have liked a shower door instead. The bathroom also had a telephone and speakers so if you were listening to music or watching TV you could have it playing into the bathroom whilst you got ready. The balcony itself was very spacious and came with a table and 2 chairs. A highlight for me was being able to hire complimentary DVD´s from the Library and watch the latest films whilst getting ready for dinner.

We were all really blown away by the entertainment on board the ship, which took place in either the ‘Star Dust´ club or ‘Galaxy Lounge´. Both venue´s had comfortable sofas, arm chairs and table style seating. Crystal put on some fantastic Broadway style shows and singers who performed on different nights throughout the cruise. A highlight for us was special guest ‘Philip Browne´ who had played the main part in the ‘Lion King´ in the West End. He put on the most incredible performance and had everybody up on their feet at the end of the show. They also had legendary musical performer: “Rocket Man”—aka Elton John who sang a rendition of Elton´s famous hits whilst the on board dancers did routines around him. The best time to see the shows was after first sitting for dinner, we ended up changing our dinner reservations so that we could have a meal before hand then go and see the show after, it seemed to make the night flow better.

After the shows our nights were spent drinking cocktails and taking in the ambience in the wood paneled ‘Avenue Saloon´ bar which had a great pianist who performed songs and sang hits like the Beatles whilst we sat around the big round bar chatting to fellow guests. Around 11:30pm a waiter would go round with trays of canapés for you to try. The ship was fairly quiet later on in the evening as most guests would go to bed after the shows, the night club on board was virtually empty most nights but there was still a few guests who would go and try their hand at karaoke and dancing.

Avenue of the Stars was the ships on board shopping arcade with three stylish boutiques offering upscale clothing and jewellery. There was a Good sized Casino featuring slot machines, blackjack tables, poker machines, a roulette table, baccarat table and Ultimate Texas Hold´em.

The Hollywood Theatre features showings of the latest blockbusters on a daily basis, with state-of-the-art audio visual equipment, popular venue for a lot of guests.

Computer [email protected] center offers 24 hour internet and e-mail access. The library features over 3,000 books, videos and DVDs. This was my favorite place, we could hire all the latest movies for free to take back to our cabins. I found myself watching them whilst getting ready for dinner. I hired on average 2 movies a day!

I have to say that the food on board was absolutely fantastic, we were well and truly spoil with the choice and quality on offer. Each Venue really stood out and offered a great choice of dishes on the menu, the evening dining though was much better than the day time dining. The excellent main dining room was situated off the main Crystal Atrium, and offered a main sitting around 6:30pm or second sitting around 8:30pm. We were booked onto second sitting but found there was no issue at all when wanting to change to first sitting on most nights. The staff couldn´t have been more accommodating, and each night there was a great selection of classic European menus, with a special theme. The Sommelier was great and had a good selection of wines to recommend with our evening meal.

The Silk Road Restaurant – the superb alternative Japanese restaurant by master chef, Nobu Matsuhisa. Open from 6:30pm to 10pm (at no extra charge).This restaurant requires reservation and is always very booked up because it is extremely popular. If we could have gone here every night we would have, the food was out of this world. A few of our group were converts to Sushi by the end of the night! If the restaurant was booked up there was a walk in Sushi Bar where you could sit and order some food or eat off the sushi menu. It really was fabulous!

The other superb alternative restaurant requiring reservation was Prego. This Italian a la carte has a Roman Décor and great Italian menu by Pierro Selvaggio. We dined here one night and really enjoyed the different foods and wines, it would be a great venue to come for a special reservation. Great ambience and again a very popular venue.

We spent all our days in the Trident Bar and Grill having lunch by the poolside, very relaxed and good choice of food. Service by the poolside wasn´t as good as in the main restaurants, the staff weren´t as attentive and we would have to grab somebody to come and take our order or serve us drinks. It didn´t spoil anything for us though.

We discovered Palm Court when having afternoon tea one day, it like walking onto the set of ‘Miss Marple´. All the waiters were serving tea, cakes, sandwiches and pastries with the finest china, all very posh and civilized! We felt a bit out of place at first but soon relaxed into it and enjoyed the experience. Afternoon tea was served daily between 3:30pm to 4:30pm.

We made good use of the 24hr room service, especially when having breakfast on our balconies in the morning, breakfast could be ordered from 5:30am to 10:30am and there was a great choice of food on the menu. We did also make use of the late room service one night! Joe decided to order to full meals with 2 glasses of champagne in the early hours which was no problem at all for them, needless to say by the time it had arrived Joe had scarpered back to his room leaving me to sort it out!

The pool deck which has been recently enhanced really was quite impressive. The pool itself was a great size and there were 2 Hot Tubs either side of the pool. The main deck area was equipped with circular sun beds, clusters of sofas and new padded lounge chairs. There was plenty of space to sit out and relax on the different lounges, often moving to a different bed when the sun went in the shade. It was really nice and chilled and on the day at sea and even though everybody was on board there was still plenty of space on the pool deck. There was a band performing on the stage singing songs and getting everybody joining along to the music!

Guests could also exercise on the two full-size paddle-tennis courts or play table tennis or hit some golf balls. There was a good sized gym on board which we didn´t shamefully make use of! Also beauty salon and an impressive spa with sea views off the ship´s stern and a full menu of the latest treatments.

Went on the Serenity on the transatlantic repositioning cruise that ended in Lisbon.

It was our first time on Crystal and we were very impressed with the whole trip. Our friends had recommended them and they were right to!

Our Balcony cabin was large and very comfortable with a nice sitting area, comfy bed, toiletries provided and a full bathroom which was really lovely. Our cabin steward was very good and discreet, nothing was too much trouble.

The meals were to die for – we tried all the restaurants except the Sushi as didn’t really fancy it. Silk Road was amazing!

All our drinks were included as well as premium brands so we hardly spent any money, other than the odd flutter in the casino.

The West end style shows were excellent, as good as London shows we thought.

As we had lots of sea days we did an excursion in Madeira and saw the sites of Funchal which was very pretty, although not very warm!

Crystal really looked after us, we will probably go on a mediterranean cruise next time as we fancy seeing more of Italy.

Great service and friendly staff. Food was faultless, what more could I ask for?

I decided to cruise with Crystal again after several years trying other lines . I was pleased to find standards on Serenity were still very high and the dining excellent . The only thing that lets them down is the size of suite I guess a small price to pay for having the best of entertainment and facilities on-board. These ships if you have never tried are in between the small luxury lines such as Seabourn and the large ships so often seen in ports now and yet there was never a feeling of too many people on-board . The crew knew our names from day one which I found astounding and the cabin stewards attention to detail anticipating our needs before we knew them ourselves was just charming . My husband follows strict Kosher food and the kitchen was pristine so we could both relax and enjoy the break . I shall definitely return

I had the pleasure of cruising on this beautiful ship around Turkey, Greece and Italy last year.

This has to be my favourite cruise ship that I have been on. The staff onboard couldn´t do enough for you and knew my first name and knew what I was drinking before I even said! Even around the pool area when I was sunbathing the staff would come round with lovely cool face towel to cool you down as it so warm.

The food onboard is to die for especially Silk Road (Asian style restaurant). I could have ate in here every night it was so good. You need to pre book as it books up very quickly.

Crystal have now gone all inclusive which is fantastic as it is so much value for your money!

I have just returned from a fabulous cruise on Crystals Serenity. Before booking I did lots of research to make sure I choose the right cruise line and itinerary and I certainly made the right choice.

I joined in Athens for a six night sailing, taking in the ports of Napoli, Mykonos, Kusadasi and Istanbul all of which I thoughly enjoyed and all of which offered something different.

Crystal Serenity is a so-called midsized ship, which was perfect for me. The size of the ship made the choices of dining and entertainment varied but with less than 1000 passenger it also meant there was a feeling of space and it was easy to find a quiet corner where I could relax and read my book!

The highlight of my cruise had to be the food. I had some amazing meals in all of the restaurants. My day started with a wake up calls from my stateroom stewardess delivering tea and pastries that I enjoyed watching the sun coming up. At lunch time I enjoyed Tastes where the chicken salad was to die for closely followed by the sweet potatoes fries at Trident grill. The service in the main restaurant was excellent and my waiter ‘Crunch really looked after me knowing my favourite type of bread to how I liked my steak cooked, even treating me to French Macaroons to take-away and enjoy later one evening! I also dined at both the speciality restaurants of which there is no extra charge, Prego was superb Italian food and Silk Road (created by Nobu Matsuhisa) was my best ever meal afloat, the Wagu beef starter melted in my mouth and the blacked cod was a delight. If that wasnt enough I managed to fit in room for a few cheeky ice creams and also pate and cheese from the Bistro!!

In the evening I enjoyed various variety shows and particularly enjoyed a singer by the name of Phillip Browne and Elton John tribute show. For pre-dinner drinks Palm Cove offers a lovely setting and the resident band played music to suite the client on board. I also like a dance in the evening and the gentleman hosts were very accommodating.

My stateroom albeit not the biggest I have even stayed in was superbly furnished and had everything I could possible need. And possibly the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in.

I now just need to study next years brochure and find somewhere new for Crystal to take me as I have been spoilt and dont think another cruise line can compare!

What a beautiful ship! This was our first trip on Crystal (previously Celebrity) and it wont be our last!

We flew to Miami and cruised around the Caribbean and it was just amazing. We wanted for nothing as everything was included in all the bars and restaurants. We had Champagne when we got on board and a lovely lunch. Our Balcony cabin was gorgeous – we even had a pillow menu! Bathrobes and slippers were provided and Elemis products in the bathroom.

Our favourite eating place was Nobu’s Silk Road – amazing!! We did the flexible dining programme so we could eat when we wanted depending on if we had been on or off the ship during the day.

You could literally eat from morning till night as somewhere was open all the time. I loved the Icecream bar as well.

There was lots going on all the time from excursions to keep fit classes, art exhibitions and shopping in the boutiques on board. Or you could just lay on your sun bed and watch the world go by!

The evenings had West end show and there were several bars to choose from plus a Casino and a nightclub open till the last man leaves!

We felt it was well worth the money as we really didn’t spend anything on board apart from in the casino so could thoroughly recommend it along with Cruise 118 who arranged it all for us.

Having just returned from the Crystal Serenity we found the ship to be absolutely fantastic. The layout was excellent and the ship was contemporary, light and modern, all public areas were spotless and airy. I loved both speciality restaurants Prego & Silk Road and found the food to be out of this world in both of these and the main crystal dining room too. The pool area and crystal cove was also excellent and the staff were amazing. Absolutely fantastic cruise & couldn’t fault a thing – we will be enjoying many more Crystal Cruises with your company in the near future!