Onboard Crystal Serenity Now

[LewiLewi]

I boarded the Serenity on Dec. 16 for one week. I am pleasantly surprised to be enjoying it as much as I am. We were on board the Symphony pre Covid, but now I am traveling as a single. My single cabin is beautifully renovated, and I like the carpet. The bathroom is beautiful, newly renovated with lots of sparkly granite and glass shower. The cabin is small, but certainly large enough for one person. The bed is very comfortable, and the room is very quiet; I do not hear anything between cabins at all. Storage space is adequate for one person; I do pack a lot of clothing, even for one week.

The service on board is exemplary, they cannot do enough for you. Romeo, my butler is wonderful.

 Dinner in the MDR has been good so far. I am wowed by the Marketplace lunch buffet; an enormous selection of salad fixings, entrees, desserts, cheeses, etc. I look forward to a great lunch there every day. They have the most wonderful warm baked chocolate chip cookies. Lobster Cobb salad was served yesterday, hot mussels the day before, all kinds of Asian and Italian specialties are available every day. I would not bother dining in the MDR for lunch, even if it was available. I will be dining in the Specialty Restaurants during the week. The blueberry pancakes for breakfast are the lightest and fluffiest I have ever had.

The entertainment has been very good so far. A tribute to Frank Sinatra, a comedian, and the Serenity’s production show with singers’ and dancers’. Movies are also good in the Hollywood Theatre; I’m finally able to catch “Barbie”. 
The Lido sun deck has a good amount of sun beds available, but I was told that there are only 350 passenger’s on board this week. Next week, over the X-mas holiday they expect a full ship, so availability may be different. However, there was a notice printed in Reflections that suggests that hogging sun beds will not be allowed. If a sun bed is empty for 45 minutes, the possessions on that sun bed will be removed and brought to the Lost and Found. Hopefully, it will cut down on the hogging situation if it occurs.

I am appreciative of the solo fares on Crystal. I have cruised these past two years on Regent as a solo, and I have had to pay double fares. This single fare as well as everything else on Crystal will bring me back again.
 

 

[travelberlin]

Thanks for sharing your impressions. It sounds  good 👌. I am glad you are enjoying it. Have you met people on board? How is your experience from the point of view of a solo passenger?

Ivi

[Keith1010]

So glad you are experiencing and enjoying new Crystal.

 

Keep enjoying and thank you for your post.

 

Keith

[LewiLewi]

1 hour ago, travelberlin said:

Thanks for sharing your impressions. It sounds  good 👌. I am glad you are enjoying it. Have you met people on board? How is your experience from the point of view of a solo passenger?

Ivi

I have met many other singles on board. The first night on board I went to Waterside and asked to be seated at a single table with other singles. There are many singles on board, all very friendly. I met many of them on subsequent nights, and have made arrangements to join them for dinner at   the specialty restaurants. You will find them around and willing to join you for lunch, dinner, shows, etc. So, don’t be concerned about meeting others. My experience as a single so far has been very good.

[cruisr]

And grilled lobster tails at Marketplace for lunch today.  Delicious.  Scoops is beyond amazing,  the flavors are sublime and different ones everyday.  Crew, as with OC, cannot do enough for you.  It is so nice to be asked how you want to be addressed.  My DH and I are very informal and so we tell them just call us by our first names.

 

approximately 350 guest onboard.  I cannot remember if i was told 346 or 364 so i am going with 350.

Edited December 19, 2023 by cruisr

[LewiLewi]

I really am enjoying my cruise this week. I have been pampered by the staff; wonderful breakfasts in my cabin. The best blueberry pancakes ever. The pool staff cannot do enough for you; cold drinks, cool towels, anything you want, and always with a big smile. 
The people that I have met onboard are wonderful; friendly and welcoming. There is always a single table available in all of the restaurants, so dining is fun sitting together and getting to know each other. Tonight we dined in Umi Uma, the Nobu specialty restaurant. On excellent advice, we ordered practically every appetizer on the menu and we were not disappointed. 
I’m glad that Crystal is back. I feel that it is an especially good fit for single travelers. I plan to continue cruising on Crystal in the near future.

[cruisr]

Ditto the pool deck staff.  I think if we asked to be carried to the pool so our bare feet do not touch the hot deck they would do it.  And the kindness is genuine.  
 

And tonight we set our clocks back so another hour to enjoy everything lol.

 

Only negative are the shows and White Night, last night, were rock concert loud.  We left a few minutes after it started.  My days of enjoying head banging music are long over.