Live From Crystal Serenity - The Adventure Continues - LA to NYC

[ryndam]

Today’s afternoon snack tray. Really good watermelon.

 

 

[ryndam]

Evening, pre-dinner bar canapés. We were informed that the kitchen is experimenting with a different cold and hot canapé each evening this cruise. The most eaten/popular ones will be kept going forward. The most that  get returned or uneaten will likely vanish into the culinary trash heap.

 

Last night’s cold one was a tuna tartare presented in a sesame cone. The warm one was a stuffed mushroom, wrapped in some sort of coconut/panko crust.

 

The midnight snacks remain constant. Pizza, followed by “chicken McNuggets” or quesadillas or quiche or an egg roll. Last tray a selection of various cookies or mini sweets.

 

The pillow chocolates are back. Sort of. We receive three round truffles every evening when we return to our suite. Either consume, or save in the fridge, or ask your butler not to deliver if you don’t want all this chocolate delivered everyday.

 

Rob

[Texas Tillie]

As to the chocolate truffles, I was on for 14 nights, so 42 truffles. I probably ate about 6 over the course of the cruise. The rest went into a zip lock bag I brought home and put in the fridge. Just today (39 days after returning home), I threw the empty zip lock in the trash! A very nice way to remember Crystal. 😁

 

Patty

[BEAV]

3 hours ago, ryndam said:

Osteria comments. We dined there last night.

 

1. For anyone that reminisces about the old  Prego, get over it and move on. Prego is history, it was interesting while it lasted and it’s done, gone and relegated to the history cooking books.

 

2. Try to wrap your expectations around the current concept. You’ll have a much better experience. If the menu does not make your taste buds salivate at all, then there are other venues onboard. Again, Prego is gone and it’s not coming back.

 

3. try to experiment a bit out of comfort zone. After all, everything on the menu is included. Try it. Ask for half portions. If you don’t like it, send it back and try something else. Ask your server which dishes seem to be most popular with the guests. And follow their guidance.

 

4. We have found certain items that we enjoy. This is what we ordered last night. We arrived at 7:00p and left the room around 9:15p. I don’t take a camera to the restaurant and rarely post food porn pics, so here’s the description only:

 

a. We shared a portion of the beef tartare. Would order again, but needs a bit more salt.

b. Jim ordered the cold lobster appetizer. Meh. Not a repeat for us.

c. I ordered the baccala appetizer. Delicious. I’d order this again as a main course.

d. We shared both tortonollo versions. Three pieces each the beef/fig and the ricotta/pear. Would consider this as a main course next time.

e. Jim ordered a half portion of the steak. It was delicious and the half sized portion was the perfect size. A keeper.

f. I ordered the duck. If you enjoy duck, it was okay, but probably not interesting enough to try again.

g. I ordered the cheese tray for dessert. The best tallego I’ve ever had.

h. Jim had the strawberry mascarpone which he thoroughly enjoyed.

 

Wine service throughout was perfectly paired with each course.

 

On our earlier cruise last January, it was a one-and-done for us. This time, we are really looking forward to returning in a week or so.

 

We were repeatedly informed that the menu continues to evolve and a new menu is “coming soon”. No one seems to have an ETA for the menu change. 
 

Conclusion: go with an open mind. Experiment. Send it back if not to your liking. Try something else until you find a preparation that suits your palate.

 

And Prego is dead. RIP Prego.

 

Rob

Really enjoyed our Osteria visit in July. Interest was high given the love or hate division. 
 

I like to think of myself as an adventurous eater, eager to try and experience new things. So I agree with your outlook and advice to go with an open mind. 👍

 

Can you elaborate on what changed from “one and done” in January to your experience last night? Evolving menu items? 
 

 

 

 

[ryndam]

Reflections posted. Waterside menus not posted yet.

 

 

1F409433-222A-44A4-98CC-219BE3F5B29D.pdf

[ryndam]

Went to Magic show this afternoon. It’s a great, 30-40-minute late afternoon diversion when offered. Up close sleigh-of-hand can be interesting to watch. Sign up in the library the day you board if a magician is scheduled on your sailing. Performances are limited and fill up quickly.

 

Rob

[Emdee]

5 hours ago, Texas Tillie said:

As to the chocolate truffles, I was on for 14 nights, so 42 truffles. I probably ate about 6 over the course of the cruise. The rest went into a zip lock bag I brought home and put in the fridge. Just today (39 days after returning home), I threw the empty zip lock in the trash! A very nice way to remember Crystal. 😁

 

Patty

Great idea …we will be on for 27 nights so many truffles to take home for my husband who is a chocolate fan! Asked them to hold them last year. 

[ryndam]

2 hours ago, BEAV said:

Can you elaborate on what changed from “one and done” in January to your experience last night? Evolving menu items? 
 

 

 

 

Some new items added since January.

Some items no longer offered since January.

Our expectations changed since our “oh, no Prego gone” in January.

Relied on our servers guidance and recommendations.

Ordered half portions, the full portions just too massive.

 

BTW, the restaurant was virtually full between 7:30p-8:00p. It did not appear that tables turned during the course of the evening.

 

Rob

[BWIVince]

13 hours ago, Texas Tillie said:

As to the chocolate truffles, I was on for 14 nights, so 42 truffles. I probably ate about 6 over the course of the cruise. The rest went into a zip lock bag I brought home and put in the fridge. Just today (39 days after returning home), I threw the empty zip lock in the trash! A very nice way to remember Crystal. 😁

 

Patty

Some of mine made it till morning many days, which in fairness still beats Vegas odds for open food in my cabin by a couple of hours.  😏  A package of any kind of chocolates or truffles in my house lasts for months, but there is something about them just sitting there open in plain sight that dramatically changes their life expectancy.  😁 

 

There were some areas where I thought it was a win to extend the butlers to all the cabins, and this was one of them.  This enabled a leveling of amenities and services a little more between the cabin grades, without completely undermining some of the value-adds for the suites, IMHO.

 

Vince

[USCAdventurer]

Vince,

It was hard for me to ignore the open truffles left by the housekeeper in my cabin.  I'm a true Chocoholic!

[ryndam]

Today’s waterside dinner menu.

 

 

B6C3CDFF-AF12-43A6-8320-6BB1D3BD7802.pdf

[Texas Tillie]

1 hour ago, BWIVince said:

Some of mine made it till morning many days, which in fairness still beats Vegas odds for open food in my cabin by a couple of hours.  😏  A package of any kind of chocolates or truffles in my house lasts for months, but there is something about them just sitting there open in plain sight that dramatically changes their life expectancy.  😁 

 

There were some areas where I thought it was a win to extend the butlers to all the cabins, and this was one of them.  This enabled a leveling of amenities and services a little more between the cabin grades, without completely undermining some of the value-adds for the suites, IMHO.

 

Vince

 

My zip lock bag was in a drawer and I would dump the truffles in the bag as soon as I returned to the cabin in the evening and close the drawer. Out of sight, out of mind!! 😉

 

Patty

[KenzSailing]

16 hours ago, ryndam said:

 

 

Last night’s cold one was a tuna tartare presented in a sesame cone.

 

Rob

 

Whoa, a touch of the French Laundry at sea.  Nice. (And no, the FL doesn't use sesame, or tuna for that matter. Poetic license.)

 

Seems to me NC is determined to up level some aspects of the food on offer(not saying it was down level before.)  And they are certainly not afraid to tinker(I mean, their hulls are barely wet and they've announced significant revamps to Osteria and Tastes.  Makes me wonder what delights we'll encounter when we finally get back on board.)   

[KenzSailing]

2 hours ago, BWIVince said:

😁 

 

There were some areas where I thought it was a win to extend the butlers to all the cabins, and this was one of them.  This enabled a leveling of amenities and services a little more between the cabin grades, without completely undermining some of the value-adds for the suites, IMHO.

 

Vince

 

Vince, could you expand on this?  IIRC, when Crystal relaunched they used a slightly different terminology for cabin butler service vs suite service(can't remember the exact terms.)  In practice, what are the tangible differences, if any?   

[Texas Tillie]

27 minutes ago, KenzSailing said:

 

Vince, could you expand on this?  IIRC, when Crystal relaunched they used a slightly different terminology for cabin butler service vs suite service(can't remember the exact terms.)  In practice, what are the tangible differences, if any?   

 

Not Vince, but having been in an Aquamarine and 2 ocean views on 7 since the relaunch, I can speak to the difference. I believe they are called junior butlers in the nonsuites. Afternoon canapes aren't served in the nonsuites. I never asked either the regular butler or the junior butlers for anything but I "felt" that the junior butlers weren't anywhere as experienced. With the junior butlers I kept running into one and he kept asking if there was anything I needed. The other one was MIA most of the cruise, but I never went out of my way looking for him.

 

Patty

[Keith1010]

Patty is correct.

 

Junior butlers serve the non-suites.

 

Also late night room service (when butlers are off) are called Junior Butlers.

 

For the past couple of years there have been junior waiters (not talking about the ones who are called waiters and assist senior waiters).

 

Some people are hired immediately into the position of butler based on their experience. Some with less experience become junior butlers providing a nice opportunity for them to see if they like the position while providing the on board team an opportunity to see how they do.

 

In short, there  are junior busters, butlers, two head butlers and one senior head butler with one head butler and one senior head butlers serving on any given voyage. When the head senior butler is off on holiday then one of the head butlers swings up.

 

Keith

[BWIVince]

1 hour ago, KenzSailing said:

 

Vince, could you expand on this?  IIRC, when Crystal relaunched they used a slightly different terminology for cabin butler service vs suite service(can't remember the exact terms.)  In practice, what are the tangible differences, if any?   

When they launched, they were using verbiage and titles of Butlers and Junior Butlers.   All reference to those titles have been removed from marketing, tags and the documentation in my room and materials.  Not that the positions have disappeared, to Keith and Patty’s point below, but they aren’t are formal marketed tier by category as they were originally intended.  I think there is more of a functional distinction now, and an unspoken thing about certain isolated room locations.

 

43 minutes ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

Not Vince, but having been in an Aquamarine and 2 ocean views on 7 since the relaunch, I can speak to the difference. I believe they are called junior butlers in the nonsuites. Afternoon canapes aren't served in the nonsuites. I never asked either the regular butler or the junior butlers for anything but I "felt" that the junior butlers weren't anywhere as experienced. With the junior butlers I kept running into one and he kept asking if there was anything I needed. The other one was MIA most of the cruise, but I never went out of my way looking for him.

 

Patty

Just curious, did your room have more than one designated, like with the attendants?  My non-suite just had an assigned “Butler”, and he was the same butler as the Sapphires and other doubles around me.  
 

I totally agree about the off-hours coverage (I had a disastrous experience with one of those), but I suspect the evolution in the marketing happened as the logistical realization set in.  It’s really hard to tell an entire category that they’ll have a Junior Butler when the staterooms are sprinkled around the ship (Symphony), or the staffing challenges of those locations vary by ship.  They can use Junior Butlers at different hours, and they can use them in areas of exclusive non-suites (like Serenity Deck 7 or Symphony’s solo staterooms), but they can’t have the Junior Butlers crossing sections of suites served by Butlers to get to non-suites.  Realistically, many (Serenity) or most (Symphony) butlers are going to be shared by suites and non-suites, for better or worse.

 

Vince

[ryndam]

Welcome to Huatulco. 
We took a short hike up and over the hills to the cute little town inland.

Came back and went swimming. Where else can you find such a nice beach, literally steps from the gangway, with the beautiful Serenity as a backdrop?

 

Rob

 

 

[CabinBoy2020]

5 hours ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

My zip lock bag was in a drawer and I would dump the truffles in the bag as soon as I returned to the cabin in the evening and close the drawer. Out of sight, out of mind!! 😉

 

Patty

Patty - I did the exact same thing and enjoyed them at home.  Waste not, want not!  

[Texas Tillie]

4 hours ago, BWIVince said:

 

 

Just curious, did your room have more than one designated, like with the attendants?  My non-suite just had an assigned “Butler”, and he was the same butler as the Sapphires and other doubles around me.  
 

 

 

Vince

 

I was on deck 7, so everyone was "steerage"! It is probably different than the balcony cabins on the other decks mixed in with the suites. I had one butler (junior or not, but not all that great) and one attendant (still dressed like the stewardesses of old). As I said, the one big difference is no afternoon canapes, although on my January cruise one day a small bowl of potato chips was left, unsolicited.

 

Patty

[ryndam]

On 8/31/2024 at 5:50 AM, loriva said:

DH LOVED the sound of the butter and ginger seared grouper on the Waterside lunch menu!  What are the chances past Crystal cruisers think that dish will show up on a NE and Canada itinerary vice Mexican one?

The grouper was also offered on the buffet in Marketplace for lunch the same day.

 

Rob

[ryndam]

Today’s “Mexican themed “ snack. 
Guac & chips. Shrimp ceviche. Melon. And a couple of small pastries added for good measure.

 

Rob

 

 

[ryndam]

Reflections and menus posted.

 

Rob

 

 

EB18B551-466A-4007-BC37-C1CB6FA8997E.pdf 1E843E21-F2D6-4F32-829D-2E3BF5802B41.pdf E7F58B12-C756-4835-9E9D-435756A37E0D.pdf

[ryndam]

Today’s snack. A mushroom/cheese/chive puree/dip, veggie & turkey mini-wraps, grapes, and the obligatory mini-pastries added for balance.

 

We are dining in Tastes tonite. Review tomorrow.

 

Rob

 

 

[oakridger]

Maybe I'm just paying closer attention to the afternoon snacks, but they seem to be much more inventive than what I saw posted even a year ago!  Almost all of them we have seen in the last couple of weeks look very tasty to me!

 

Thanks for sharing the pictures. 

 

~Nancy