Live From Crystal Symphony - A New Adventure - Reykjavik to Dover

[Keith1010]

Daily Reflections and Waterside Dinner menu for September 19.

 

Keith

 

Sept 20 Reflections.pdf

 

September 20 Waterside Dinner Menu.pdf

 

 

[Keith1010]

I think I mentioned this early on but since I am doing the laundry now I wanted to mention a couple of items.

 

Sometimes older technology is easier for a user.  The washers and dryers I am using on Crystal Symphony are older than ones I have used on Decks 10 and 11 on Serenity.  On Serenity there are so many choices and button to push for the wash and dryer and I have to be sure to have my reading glasses to read all of the small lettering. If you push one button it doesn't allow you to change the water temperature and to do that you must use another setting. Two weeks later on Serenity after doing frequent laundry I still have to look closely at each setting to make the right decision.

On Symphony very easy. You essentially have a few knobs for wash and maybe a couple for the dryer. With less choices words are more readable too.

 

I often say choice is good. I often say new technology is great.

 

For this one, I am finding the reverse is true. Go figure.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

Greetings from Crystal Symphony

 

We have many wonderful memories of the Avenue Saloon on Crystal Symphony and Serenity including going by ourselves, with cruising friends, and with family to enjoy beverage, conversation and/or music.

On our second cruise on Symphony in 2004, almost each evening we would go to the Avenue Saloon at around 7:30 pm with two couples who we met the first and second days of the cruise respectively. This was back in the day when we had late night dining at 8:30 PM.

 

Since 2002, Crystal has made it possible for us to visit a significant number of cities and countries throughout the word including sailing each of the seven continents and to see each of these places through our own eyes. Yesterday, was an example of this.

 

Yesterday’s tour of Amsterdam was amazing. It was our first visit to this great city. We had a terrific tour guide, Kaleigh.  She has lived in the Netherlands for ten years and her fiancée was born there. She is from the USA having lived in New Orleans until Katrina struck and then moved to Colorado. She has a Master’s in Art History.
 
We started at the Portuguese Synagogue, also known as the Enoga or Song whose congregation is Orthodox. It opened in 1675.  Its structure is unique as its height is enormous. It was supposed to be used for deportation of the Jews, but the *** were talked out of this. They were able to conceal Jewish ritual items for the deported Jews in the sanctuary ceiling and attic floor.  

During our visit we also learned all about its history and about the impact World War II had on the Jewish Population. Sadly, most of the Jewish population died in the Holocaus as was the case in many European countries. As we walked the city there are markers outside many of the homes where the Jewish people who lost their lives lived. It is very impactful seeing the names of the individuals, the year they were born, when where and how they died. It is not only impactful but very respectful. We spent several more hours seeing walking around several blocks of Amsterdam including learning about its history.  Like any city, one could spend months here and not see it all.
 

We were impressed to learn that all new businesses must be local. For example, while there are places such as USA food chains in the city no longer can new ones go up. Even new local stores must be local and not tourist shops.

 

Evidently, they are also looking for ways to balance the amount of tourism with the enjoyment of the city by the locals.  This is not all that different than other places around the worlds are dealing with such as Venice, Bar Harbor, Maine and Charleston, South Carolina.

 

When it was time to have something to eat, we opted to get French fries at what the tour guide said was the best place to get a French Fries in the city. They make them from scratch, and after we placed the order we waited for them until they were fully cooked.  There are several choices of toppings but our tour guide recommended two of them. One is a mayonnaise which we slected but unlike the type of mayonnaise we would get back in the USA.  The other topping is a sauce containing various ingredients mixed with peanuts.  It is topped with onions. They come in three sizes; small, medium and large. Our tour guide recommended that Anne Marie and I share a medium one and she was right. Later, we went to a bakery where a traditional cookie is made which is two cookies with a filing inside forming a cookie sandwich.

 

We visited several churches, saw many different homes, visited museums, visited an historical complex for single women, and learned all about the history of the city including its architecture.  We learned that taxes are based not on the height of the buildings but on their width, so some places are very narrow.  It was analogous to a country we once visited where homes are not taxed if they don’t have a roof showing or where homes are not subject to tax if not completed.  Some buildings are tilted as their foundation is on wood and the water below them has resulted in the wood deteriorating.

 

We learned about the remembrance of the dead which commemorates all war casualties since the start of World War II.  Traditionally the main ceremonies occur in Amsterdam, and it is a true two minutes of silence where pretty much everything comes to a halt. In many areas people come together and gather around a monument and listen to speeches and lay down flowers to commemorate the dead. We were struck with the importance of this so that the youngest generation learns of what happened, so they never forget.  

 

The number of bicycles you see is in Amsterdam staggering. There are around one million people who live in Amsterdam and there are one million eight hundred thousand bicycles.  Laws are enforced for those in automobiles and their speed is restricted. 

 

We have plans to return next year to this very interesting city and have a good idea what we will see the next time in addition to a visit inside the Anne Frank Museum/House. We did stop by and saw the outside and expanded our understanding and learned about other issues impacting the country from the war including starvation that took place as the war was winding down.  This issue I already knew was not isolated to the Netherlands and why President Truman enlisted the help from former President Herbert Hoover who had expertise in this area to help provide relief all over Europe as the scarcity of food was a big issue.  

 

There is so much more we saw and learned about, and I could write pages upon pages about this. However, this alone is quite long.

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner at Waterside last evening. Another wonderful meal between the attentive and warm service, outstanding cuisine, and beautiful dining venue. 

 

 

After dinner, we stopped by the Starlite Club where Cruise Director Raphael Derkson and the Crystal Showband and Crystal Ensemble of Singers and Dancer were lighting up the room and the dance floor.  

 

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

 

[Keith1010]

Just want to note that Vicki just had a twist of her ankle so being cautious Raph is here until 9/26 when Russ attends.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

A theme of this cruise is D-Day and this afternoon we had two speakers; one covering lessons from War that we should not forget and the second speaker shared stories about his father who was in Easy Company parachuting to Normandy on D-Day and his father and other men of Easy Company were portrayed in Band Of Brothers. I was glad that my son watched this series a few months ago.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

September 21 Daily Reflections and Waterside Dinner Menu.

 

Sep 21 Reflections.pdf

 

September 21 Waterside Dinner.pdf

 

Keith

Sep 21 Reflections.pdf

[Keith1010]

Today, we will be in Belgium for the very first time. We do have a tour.

 

We will probably just have a very light lunch or maybe a snack.

 

So should it be french fries? Or maybe belgium waffles? When in Rome........

 

We shall see.

 

We are having a great time on board Symphony.  

 

We feel just as at home as if we sail Symphony often yet first time on board since May of 2018.

 

Last night was Umi Uma and I'll post about that later.

 

In general we try to go to Umi Uma and Osteria once per cruise. On the first cruise we went to Osteria twice as we were invited to go after we already went.

 

We do this for a couple of reasons. 

First, because since new Crystal launched we have found the cuisine at Waterside to be better than ever so for us it now has because anther specialty restaurant in its own way.

 

The second reason is because we love the overall experience at Osteria and Umi Uma. So you say if you love it so much why not return more often.  I guess for us by going less times we truly look forward to it so by the time we go it just adds to the overall enjoyment.

 

My view is if we go often then it's no longer special.  

 

We normally go to Tastes once a cruise as well but decided this time to not go to Tastes because we were there recently on Serenity.  

 

Next time we return it will be Beef Bar.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

It takes a Crystal Village and strong Teamwork.

 

The other day I mentioned when I walk the ship in the early hours that I see the incredible members of the night team cleaning every nook and cranny of the ship. This includes all public spaces including rooms, stairwells, steps, outside and inside of elevators, restrooms, and countless other items.

 

They not only clean everything but between the night crew and members of other teams including Food & Beverage everything is put in its proper place. Take the tables and chairs in public rooms. Everything is lined up perfectly as you will see in these three photos.

 

Likewise, as I walk the open decks the same thing is true including around the pool.

During the day on the promenade deck there is a lot of care being taken to maintain it as well. It includes washing the outdoor decks, but it doesn’t stop there. For example, since we boarded some areas have been touched out with white paint. At the same time, we seen the deck hands removing the varnish on the railing on the promenade deck by hand with sandpaper in preparation for a new coating of varnish to be applied to the rails.

 

All of this allows each vessel to look pristine and many years younger in age.

All of this is truly amazing and reflects attention to detail, strong teamwork and a lot of care and another reason why we enjoy sailing with Crystal.

 

 

Cheers

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

Greetings from Crystal Symphony

 

The Galaxy Lounge is a big part of Crystal’s enrichment and entertainment program across Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity.

 

 

Over the years we have seen many lectures and evening performance in this lounge as well as attending various question and answer sessions.  Sometimes the lounge is used for other purposes such as face-to-face sessions with local authorities with passports in hand.

 

Let’s begin with yesterday afternoon.

 

This a Special D-Day sailing as we will have overnights in Rouen, France providing the opportunity to visit Normandy. As part of this voyage there were two speakers in the afternoon, retired Commander Robert Bradshaw who spoke about the lessons of War. Later George Luz Junior who spoke about Through my father’s eyes. He spoke about his father and other members of Easy Company who parachuted into Normandy on D-Day and were also part of Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge.

 

You can see the lectures in person or on the Crystal TV, so we chose to watche each one from our room.  

 

Last evening it was dinner at the Japanese Specialty Restaurant, Umi Uma and we a wonderful dinner with terrific conversation, outstanding cuisine and service in a beautiful dining venue.  

 

 

Crystal Symphony arrived to the port of Zeebrugge this morning which is about 30 minutes from the city of Bruges.

The entire historic center of Bruges has been designated as a UNESCO world heritage site. Like Amsterdam, Bruges is sometimes referred to as the Venice of the North.
 
Bruges has a rich history, and its medieval architecture is mostly intact. Between the 12th and 15th century Bruges was one of the world's chief commercial cities.  This came about after the port was developed and land connections provided the ability to allow for trade. 

 

This was a great day. Weather great too and warmer than normal for this time of year according to the locals. We will post other photos tomorrow too.

 

Tomorrow is largely a sea day as our scheduled arrival time to Rouen, France is 6:00 pm. We will have two overnights with a planned departure the following morning at 9:00am.  The morning after we arrive to Rouen, we have a tour planned for Normandy.  Our only prior visit to Normandy was in the summer of 2003 when we arrived at Rouen, on-board our first Crystal Symphony cruise, a year after our introduction to Crystal on-board the former Crystal Harmony in July of 2002.

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

[Keith1010]

Daily Reflection and Waterside Dinner Menu for September 22.

 

With an arrival time of 6:00 PM local ship time at Rouen, France September 22 on board Symphony is like a sea day.

 

Keith

 

Sep 22 Reflections.pdf

 

Sep 22 Waterside Dinner.pdf

 

 

[Keith1010]

Greetings from Crystal Symphony 

 

I am posting early as we have a busy afternoon.

 

We also had time yesterday to get over to the local town about 15 minutes from the port. It has a nice beach and many shops. It was busy with locals and in the summer months when tourists visit the number of people triples from what we saw on our visit. The weather was terrific as we took a long walk.

 

On our visit to Belgium will be remembered for its history and architecture. In addition, we got to see and will remember its Belgium waffles, candy, fries, and beer. They certainly offer more possible toppings for the waffles than I could have imagined.  

 

 

 

 

 

Like the Avenue Saloon, we have lots of wonderful memories of the Hollywood Theatre. The Theatre can be used for a diverse set of activities.

 

Each evening a full-length movie is shown and the following day the same movie is shown in the afternoon.  Then this is repeated with a different movie shown in the evening. In our early years of cruising Crystal on some afternoons and evenings we would watch a movie there.

 

On some days a lecture is given in this venue, often in the afternoon on a sea day when one or two other lectures are given in the morning in a different venue.

 

Each morning a Catholic Mass takes place in the Hollywood Theatre with a start time that varies based on where the ship is sailing.  On certain cruises such as one or more segments of the World Cruise there has been a Protestant Service offered.  Every Friday night there is a Sabbath Service, and this is followed by a kiddush with wine, challah, and some other food.  On Jewish holidays such as the High Holy Days of Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah, on the Holiday Cruise and Passover and often on the World Cruise a Rabbi is on board and for all but the Passover Seder the services are conducted in the Hollywood Theatre. Over the years we have attended services on both ships 

 

 

I am including photos from last evening’s dinner.

 

I wanted to highlight two of them.

 

One is a photo featuring several members of the Waterside Wait-Staff team.  When we entered Waterside no one was behind us, so it was a great opportunity to get so many members of the amazing Waterside team into one photo without holding up other guests.  

 

 

 

Another two photos show two sides of a wine bottle. 

This is one of the Heidi Barrett wine's on-board Crystal Symphony called All Greet Things. It is on the Connoisseurs' wine list. These bottles are known for their unique labels.


The back of this bottle has a quote from Winston Churchill.

 

"All great things are simple and can be expressed in a single word freedom; justice; honor; duty; mercy; hope."


I thought a quote from Winston Churchill fit in nicely with  this cruise since we will be revisiting Normandy on September 23.


At the same time, I am reminded about all of the challenges that the Greatest Generation faced and very much appreciate this sailing includes the special speakers Crystal has on board covering topics related to World War II including D-Day and the Holocaust and that we have the opportunity to visit places on this itinerary which remind us of the many people who were greatly impacted during the War and those who made great sacrifices for a greater good. 

 

Last evening featured a comedian and a white night party.

 

 

Today, we are scheduled to arrive to Rouen, France at 6:00 pm and stay for two overnights.  This will provide sufficient time for those such as us to visit Normandy tomorrow or in our case to revisit Normandy.

 

With an arrival in the evening, today was a sea day with lots of activities on the program.  This included three lectures two, of which, focused on World War II. These talks covered: 

 

Births, Marriages and Deaths which shaped the British Royal Family, Living Fearlessly a Holocaust Survivor’s Story, and D-Day 80^th Anniversary Panel Discussion.

 

Other enrichment programs included Odyssey at Sea, Fitness, Bridge, Golf, Computer, Creative Media and Dance Classes, Team Trivia, Duplicate and Social Bridge, Health Seminars, along with some other activities I haven’t listed. 

 

As usual, let us not forget the time for food.

Cheers,

Keith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Keith1010]

If you check the live cams from time to time we have some very nice scenery on one or both of the ships depending on where we are on the river.

 

Keith

[USCAdventurer]

Keith,

So glad you and Anne Marie are having a wonderful trip.  The photo of the patisserie makes me very hungry for those belgian pastires.  How many did you have?  The next couple of days sound like you will make some more good memories.  Sailing with you vicariouisly!

[Keith1010]

Thank you so much David for your kind thoughts.

 

We definitely have been enjoying the food on this cruise.

 

Keith