Finding a New Home - Should it be Crystal?

[RLK33853]

Hello Everyone - we have a couple of questions about Crystal.  We are currently booked on Symphony next April/May in the Mediterranean.

 

We are experienced mainstream cruisers (50 + cruises on Princess, plus other lines) who have decided to try various upscale lines hoping to find a new home.  Mainstream lines are now nickel and diming worse than ever, loyalty perks are being taken away, plus service and food quality continue to deteriorate.  

 

Just a bit of background about ourselves - mid sixties, very active, usually stay in mini-suites or full suites, enjoy good food and the dining experience, like exploring new places, spend two to three months a year travelling (usually on cruises but have also done extensive land trips in Africa, South America and Australia), and have made life long friends around the world doing so.

 

We have used these boards extensively and value the advice we have received over the years.  Hopefully you can assist over the next while with our Crystal questions. 

 

By way of information regarding our Mediterranean comparison cruise line adventure next April/May, we are starting with the Athens to Rome 14 night cruise on the Symphony.  We disembark, fly to Venice to get on an 8 day Silversea from Venice to Rome, then fly back to Venice to do a 7 day Viking Ocean from Venice to Rome, ending with 4 days in Tuscany.  We are also booked on Paul Gauguin next month - hopefully we will find a new cruise line that meets our expectations.

 

First off, why do you prefer Crystal? 

 

Second question concerns the included wines.  My wife enjoys crisp clean whites in the afternoon, and nice full bodied reds in the evening, preferably Australian blends or Shiraz. Our question regarding wines, are the included wines of decent quality or should we expect to purchase optional ones?

 

Thank you in advance.  Crystal looks to be a good fit for us in the future.  We have 7 months before we board and want to be as informed as we can be. 

 

Any other advice, or tips and tricks will be appreciated.  

 

Thank you

 

Ray and Ann

 

[Keith1010]

Ray and Ann,

 

Based on your cruising experiences, items you like and other things you have said, you have certainly picked a great luxury line to try out.  We had sailed many mainstream lines before trying Crystal in 2022.  Since that first sailing we have sailed other lines but within three years of that first cruise Crystal clearly became our go to cruise line.  We started sailing Crystal when we were in our 40's.

 

The first thing I noticed about Crystal was that they saw myself, my wife and our two adult children as individuals and not a number. I noticed this day one literally.  Over the years this has grown immensely with each passing cruise.

 

So for us what we like starts with the amazing crew.  For us they are amazing.  

 

It continues with the size of the two vessels and their ability to provides a wide ranges of activities and programs while still providing a luxury product and cozy places to enjoy.  There is something for pretty much everyone. Over the years our interests have changed so having lots of enrichment, other activities and entertainment has given us lots of choices as we evolved.

 

I enjoy fitness so having a 7x24 fitness center and other outlets such as the wraparound promenade deck is important and I evolved to playing Paddle Tennis something I truly enjoy.  There are lots of other things in the day time whether that is art classes, computer classes, golf classes, bridge classes and bridge play, fitness classes and so much more including lectures on a range of topics.

 

Food is very important to us as is great service and Crystal provides them exceptionally well.

 

Their standard rooms are smaller than the other luxury lines.  But they have many accommodations to choose from including different sizes of suites.  Each of the two vessels was sized for many more guests than they carry today as the overall capacity was reduced to increase the number of suites in a two or more major dry docks and one which completed only a few months ago. This means the two vessels which already had more public space than many vessels and a great ratio of space to guests now have a higher ratio of space per guest. 

 

Back to service the service is superb IMHO and that includes throughout the ship.  When dining they do all those little things which many lines we have sailed didn't do and the service levels are high whether it is in your room or suite or in other areas of the ship.

 

Everyone has different preferences when it comes to wine.  I find the inclusive wines to be quite good. Some I am very familiar with and others not.  Crystal often arranges to bring on local wines based on where the ship is sailing to complement other wine they have year round and often it is the local wines (when I say local if you are in South America regardless of country they might bring on some wines from South America and the same is true of Europe or South Africa, etc.  In general the wine might have a retail price of $18.00 to $22.00 per bottle in the USA on land in stores that sell wine at competitive rates.  I did find them to be better than the overall set of inclusive wines offered on other lines we have sailed.  As to Shriza they might only have one or possibly two types that are inclusive having more choice in cabernet and merlot. On the white side they have several with a slightly higher number of chardonnay.

 

I would say give the inclusive side a try.  I have my favorite blends as well but try to try others while sailing Crystal and this has actually been great as it has pushed me to experience a greater number of blends and when home try to keep that so I am not in a rut when it comes to what type of wine I enjoy. 

 

At the same time, if you don't prefer what is offered that is inclusive or want to try others there is a range of wine to purchase.  Also, some of the inclusive wine varies by dining venue but if you ask the sommelier they can often bring you wine from another venue.

 

We have found the majority of sommeliers to be very knowledgeable.

 

If you enjoy wine they will offer one or two vintage room lunches where food is paired with champagne one time and say wine the next time and dinners when it s paired with wine.  There is a cost and you can sign up  once on the ship and it is a great experience.

 

I may have provided you with more information than you prefer.  Others will have their own set of opinions.

 

We love to cruise and over the years enjoyed most of our cruises but for us Crystal is our go to cruise line.  We are glad we found a product that we really prefer but as I say it started with a love for cruising and for us Crystal worked out well. Is it for everyone?  No. But very few if any products are. For us it works out great.

 

Keith

[Texas Tillie]

Just a small correction to a typo on Keith's post, he has been sailing Crystal since 2002 not 2022. I agree with him 100% on all of Crystal's qualities.

 

Patty

[RLK33853]

Thanks very much Keith.  Excellent overview!

[ctjon]

There is just something about Crystal that makes it different and better.  You feel that almost immediately when you board. 

One of the things that makes it great is that the crew wants to and tries never to say No.  Whatever you ask for they will do everything they can to make it happen.  Doesn't mean it always will but the feeling you get is that they will do all they can to make you happy.'

Try and you'll see.

[gmarsh]

Crystal is all about customer service.

 

i wanted some red roses for the wife at New Year’ Eve.

we’re sorry sir, we have only yellow..

Oh that will be fine, I say.

NY Eve arrives and RED roses appear!

The next day I inquire about  them, 

a crew member was ashore and found red ones for us.

Made us happy.

[Cruisecyp]

Ray and Anne,

 

We are currently on the Symphony sailing to Dubai and will be on the Athens to Rome voyage in April but continuing on to Lisbon.

 

We have done 19 voyages and as previously said there is something special about Crystal.  We haven’t sailed on any of the lines you have mentioned so we cannot compare.  But from our very first voyage it satisfied all our requirements and so we remained with them and have never been disappointed.

 

It could be said that we are unadventurous but if it ain’t bust don’t fix it comes to mind, which is possibly why so many of their cruising passengers return year after year. There are so many things to like about Crystal and the Symphony but what stands out is the service which is exemplary.  The food is exceptional.  We enjoy the talks which can be entertaining and informative.  We like the the shows and go to the cinema. We like the promenade deck something which is fast disappearing from new ships.

 

Symphony has a timeless understated elegance which is difficult to quantity.  You have to try it.

 

With regard to wine.  We live in a Mediterranean wine village that doesn’t export its product.  It is drunk locally so we cannot comment on the Crystal wines except to say that in our opinion our local wines are superior but of course we would say that!

 

Rod & Linda

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RLK33853]

Thanks everyone for all your responses - they are greatly appreciated.  Keep them coming.

 

Keith - you mentioned the fitness centre, how good is it on the Symphony?  We spend at least an hour a day in the gym if it is well equipped.  Ann likes ellipticals and bikes.  I spend time on the weights, and/or the elliptical (we used to use the treadmills but after years of abuse our knees say - not a chance!).

 

Ray and Ann

[latsyrc]

If you go to this site, Roy has listed the last week's menus including included wine selections:

 

CrystalMenus2023 | Roy's Grand Voyages (wordpress.com)

 

Lots of previous, pre shut down, menus as well. This should give you an idea of what is served. 

As background I am about to leave for Dubai to board Symphony to reach 50+ cruises with Crystal. I have been sailing with them since 1996. It is by far my favorite cruise line. If you enjoy good food, you will be in heaven. Enjoy.

[Keith1010]

3 hours ago, RLK33853 said:

Thanks everyone for all your responses - they are greatly appreciated.  Keep them coming.

 

Keith - you mentioned the fitness centre, how good is it on the Symphony?  We spend at least an hour a day in the gym if it is well equipped.  Ann likes ellipticals and bikes.  I spend time on the weights, and/or the elliptical (we used to use the treadmills but after years of abuse our knees say - not a chance!).

 

Ray and Ann

Ray,

 

Symphony has a very nice Fitness Center as does Serenity and they have the two items you said Ann enjoys plus the ones you were interested in for yourself.

 

It is equipped with several types of equipment including indoor cycling bikes and stationary bikes as well as Ellipticals and Treadmills. There are free standing weights and all sorts of weight machines.  There are other items such as balance balls and bands.  There are classes offered in Fitness as well.

 

I appreciate it being open 7x24. It is staffed from approximately 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

 

Keith

[May B]

When we boarded Crystal Symphony in June of 2015, we had high expectations. Crystal exceeded them!

 

That was Crystal then. We expect Crystal now to be equal to or better than what we’ve experienced on our previous nine Crystal voyages. We look forward to boarding Nov. 2nd in Miami.

[Ibis]

15 hours ago, gmarsh said:

Crystal is all about customer service.

 

i wanted some red roses for the wife at New Year’ Eve.

we’re sorry sir, we have only yellow..

Oh that will be fine, I say.

NY Eve arrives and RED roses appear!

The next day I inquire about  them, 

a crew member was ashore and found red ones for us.

Made us happy.

That experience is so typical of Crystal.

[avalon1025]

I’d say wait a bit,  I’ve placed some clients on the new crystal and though on board product is still great,  there are still issues with this start up.  Missing reservations on board for restaurants and shore excursions.  No record of transfers.  Etc.  Bring all your paperwork and back up on board,  not what I’d call luxury right now 

[Emdee]

You will love Paul Gauguin…old ship but the location is fabulous and great service.

Crystal has it all…two elegant ladies , exceptional cuisine and outstanding service. 
Crystal has music in several locations each evening, great lectures, a movie theatre and a Nobu restaurant. Waterside serves exceptional meals every day with wonderful service and staff with a warm and friendly manner. I only requested white asparagus instead of green and white in my meal but for the state of aesthetics they gave me both plus a serving of white asparagus. I requested an early morning breakfast when we were leaving and though not on the menu the staff went out of their way to make it special. 

My three SSea cruises did improve on each other.

The first included the waitress’s fingers touching my lettuce leaves, the second had hockey pucks for bagels and donuts and the third had a friendly staff and a wonderful ship which was incidentally built by Crystal. If you are itinerary driven then I have to say SSea has some amazing itineraries especially on their expedition ships. 

[RLK33853]

17 hours ago, Emdee said:

You will love Paul Gauguin…old ship but the location is fabulous and great service.

Crystal has it all…two elegant ladies , exceptional cuisine and outstanding service. 
Crystal has music in several locations each evening, great lectures, a movie theatre and a

 

Thanks very much for the comparison.  

[Psoque]

I haven’t tried the new Crystal yet.  I’m waiting for it to finish a few more cruises before we decide to try it for ourselves.  We have cruised with them starting in 2006 and we have enjoyed our experience on board, though they really did not manage the pandemic related customer service issues well at all.

 

If we assume that the new Crystal will be as good as the old, I would consider sailing with them again.

[LouChamp]

Aloha. I have been blessed to cruise since the 1970s and have sailed countless times around the world with various lines and am top tier with most of the mainstreams. While I have not personally sailed with Crystal my parents have done so since 2002. Coincidentally the same year as Keith. They started with the Harmony and of course Serenity and Symphony.  They introduced me to cruising and having sailed, flown, dined and stayed at the finest I never saw my parents so elated than with Crystal. Having stayed many times at the Cipriani in Venice, the Halekulani in Hawaii, etc etc and living in Manhattan and all the restaurants, etc. We cumulatively have thankfully been there done that. They didn’t care where they sailed as long as it was with Crystal. Sadly my father is no longer with us and my mother at 90 has dementia which has robbed her of all beautiful memories. Enough of us. Point being I believe that you will not be disappointed.  We are looking forward to sailing with Crystal at some point in the not too distant future and I will certainly seek the advice of Keith who 

has been there done that and certainly I believe knows Crystal better than most. I am done with mainstream ships and themepark of the seas and feel confident you will enjoy wholeheartedly. So please keep us posted and  after you intake all the information let us know what you are doing. All the best!

[RLK33853]

Thanks everyone.  We pulled the trigger today and Crystal will be the first of our trial cruises next April/May.  We do the Athens to Rome on Symphony, disembark, get on the Silversea Whisper, disembark, and end with a Viking Jupiter cruise.  All of them look like they have things they do well - now we can see which suits our style best moving forward.  Like LouChamp said, we are done with the mainstream lines and hopefully we will find our new home on the oceans of the world!

 

I will say that the Crystal board is WAY more positive and helpful than some of the others on Cruise Critic.  That in itself is a plus.

 

So bear with us - we will no doubt have lots of specific questions before we sail in April.

 

Thank you

 

Ray and Ann

 

 

[Keith1010]

Ray and Ann:

 

I am very glad to hear you pulled the trigger and signed up for your first Crystal Cruise. Sounds like a great plan you have developed. You have selected a terrific itinerary and a great time of the year to sail this area.  

 

Please return to ask questions whenever you have them.  

 

If you have not done so already be sure to go to the Crystal Cruises website to set up your user name and password for your account. Once this is set up you can view your account and see your booking and fill in some or all of your guest documents. 60 days prior to the start of your cruise you will be able to make shore excursion, specialty restaurant and spa/salon reservations.

 

Positivity is something I truly believe in. Life is short. And current events such as what happened in Israel is a reminder to put things in perspective IMHO.  If the greatest problem in life is that someone didn't care for a restaurant life is surely good.  

 

Congratulation to you both.

 

Keith

[AtA]

On 10/14/2023 at 12:28 PM, avalon1025 said:

I’d say wait a bit,  I’ve placed some clients on the new crystal and though on board product is still great,  there are still issues with this start up.  Missing reservations on board for restaurants and shore excursions.  No record of transfers.  Etc.  Bring all your paperwork and back up on board,  not what I’d call luxury right now 

Actually it very much is luxury right now. 

[AtA]

On 10/16/2023 at 11:34 PM, RLK33853 said:

Thanks everyone.  We pulled the trigger today and Crystal will be the first of our trial cruises next April/May.  We do the Athens to Rome on Symphony, disembark, get on the Silversea Whisper, disembark, and end with a Viking Jupiter cruise.  All of them look like they have things they do well - now we can see which suits our style best moving forward.  Like LouChamp said, we are done with the mainstream lines and hopefully we will find our new home on the oceans of the world!

 

I will say that the Crystal board is WAY more positive and helpful than some of the others on Cruise Critic.  That in itself is a plus.

 

So bear with us - we will no doubt have lots of specific questions before we sail in April.

 

Thank you

 

Ray and Ann

 

 

We too will be on the Athens to Rome cruise so hope to see you then. You picked a great itinerary.

I will tell you we did 21 days on Whisper last September with 3 friends and none of us will do SS and Whisper again based on that cruise. There was a huge lack of service, etc. I have heard that the newer SS ships are better

 

For example, I mentioned to our butler one day that there was no place to get a chocolate chip cookie after 2 PM. His response? On the other ships you can get it at the cafe. (There is no cafe on Whisper) He didn't offer to go find one for me and just walked out of the room. Note that if I had mentioned about not being able to get something on Crystal, they would have gone out of their way to get it for me, even if they had to bake it for me!

 

Another example is another time at lunch time, I went upstairs to get a cookie. They had none out so I asked if they had any. The waiter outside found the platter, opened it and reached in with his bare hand to hand me a cookie. Obviously I refused.

 

Additionally now SS is all-inclusive and their tours, unless you pay for the upgraded ones, are no better than mass market tours. The upgraded ones are very good.

 

I have not been on Viking but hear wonderful things about them.

We used to be Regent cruisers until they went all inclusive. Then their tours went downhill, so in 2014 we decided to try Crystal. We never looked back. The difference was obvious from day one. And as good as Crystal was back in 2014, the NC is even better with better food.

 

See you in 

[Old Sea Dog]

On 10/14/2023 at 7:28 PM, avalon1025 said:

I’d say wait a bit,  I’ve placed some clients on the new crystal and though on board product is still great,  there are still issues with this start up.  Missing reservations on board for restaurants and shore excursions.  No record of transfers.  Etc.  Bring all your paperwork and back up on board,  not what I’d call luxury right now 

We are at present on Symphony and the above comments could not be further from the reality on this sailing 

The ship it’s personnel from top to bottom are exceptional,the food is improved from OC.

Tonight is formal with Captains greet and meet and majority of passengers are dressed accordingly which gives the ship an elegant look and feel

You would be very hard pressed to find this quality of product on any other line and I speak from experience of just a mere thirty sailings with Crystal 

 

[avalon1025]

1 hour ago, AtA said:

Actually it very much is luxury right now. 

Hmmmm,  It’s great you think that and I’m sure the onboard product is amazing.  It’s the details that impact a luxury vacation and if you are ok overlooking them,  great.  

[Keith1010]

57 minutes ago, avalon1025 said:

Hmmmm,  It’s great you think that and I’m sure the onboard product is amazing.  It’s the details that impact a luxury vacation and if you are ok overlooking them,  great.  

Have you been on board since new Crystal began.

 

Overall for anyone who enjoyed Crystal it is Crystal and even better.

 

We’re there a few hiccups?  Yes but that has to do with a restart but our overall experience was superb and I hear this from lots of people.

 

Keith

[May B]

On 10/16/2023 at 11:34 PM, RLK33853 said:

Thanks everyone.  We pulled the trigger today and Crystal will be the first of our trial cruises next April/May.  We do the Athens to Rome on Symphony, disembark, get on the Silversea Whisper, disembark, and end with a Viking Jupiter cruise.  All of them look like they have things they do well - now we can see which suits our style best moving forward.  Like LouChamp said, we are done with the mainstream lines and hopefully we will find our new home on the oceans of the world!

 

I will say that the Crystal board is WAY more positive and helpful than some of the others on Cruise Critic.  That in itself is a plus.

 

So bear with us - we will no doubt have lots of specific questions before we sail in April.

 

Thank you

 

Ray and Ann

 

 

What a fun plan!

 

Mr B and I stepped on our first Viking Ocean, coincidentally the Jupiter, on our 55th anniversary, and it was my 55th cruise. After one glitchy main dining room dinner the first night, the rest of the cruise settled down to exceed our expectations … b/c of the whining of the Viking cruisers, hence our diminished expectations. 

 

Right now we have two Crystal booked, and one more Viking Ocean. Our two Crystal happen to be on Serenity, b/c they’re in North America.

 

Have fun with your planning!