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[kool kruiser]

I have been very tardy in posting my thoughts following my recent seven day Alaskan cruise on Serenity. If only life didn't get in the way of things...

To start, a little about DW Steph and me. We have been cruising for over 30 years, initially on the mainstream lines but moving up a notch in recent years. We certainly do not have limitless funds and do look for value. Vince recently poted some really good comments on the standard balcony cabins and highlighted some design flaws. Whilst agreeing with all that he said, we would still not contemplate the ( for us ) substantial additional cost of, say, an Aquamarine suite, even with the daily canapes, the only seemingly material additional perk. Since lockdown ended, other than a one-off Celebrity cruise taken due to their being the first line to allow independent time ashore, we have travelled on Azamara and Explora. We will travel again on Explora once they grow up and realise they have cruise ships with cruise passengers ( !! ) and continue to sail on Azamara for their fantastic itineraries. I may reference our experience with Explora as a comparison, as they are truly Crystal competitors. Our first love will continue to be Crystal, enhanced by our recent experience. Incidentally, this was our first time on Serenity, our previous trips having all been on Symphony. Going forwards, happy to sail on either, destination will be the decider.

Let me state very clearly at the outset that we had a fantastic time. No cruise is expected to be absolutely perfect and this was no exception. However, the pluses were numerous and the minuses very few in number. However, I will call them out. Please bear in mind that these are very personal observations, not necessarily shared by others and particular to our cruise. For example, the current Serenity cruise seems to have different and perhaps better programming in the evening in the Cove.

So, after clearing US Immigration in Vancouver, we proceeded to embarkation. As I think Keith mentioned, the initial Crystal interaction after our arrival by Uber was terrific, highly efficient with our luggage labelled and processed so efficiently. Crystal check in could not have been easier or better, using the old Casino space very effectively. But then, our worst service mishap of the entire cruise. We took two glasses of bubbly from the usual tray but the drink did not seem quite right. We were very efficiently seated in Waterside, imbibed further but the taste was no better. A sommelier then came to top us up, I asked to look at the label and all became clear. Cheapskate blanc de blancs, not Jacquart. I had a really difficult conversation with the sommelier who firstly started to lecture me on ''methode champenoise'' and when I made it clear that I would prefer the ''real'' stuff, said that I would need to buy from the upcharge offerings. When I asked about the house champagne, he said it was not available !!! Eventually, he returned with some, with an air that he had broken all the rules for us. Yes, I know that I should have quietly spoken to the head waiter acting as restaurant manager, but my wife really hates issues such as these and as we had been on board such a short period of time, I decided not to take this course of action. However, Crystal, please don't spoil a wonderful first moment serving cheap plonk and don't ever allow a waitstaff member to behave as this chap did.

Our lunch was terrific, with great food service.

We then did our customary tour of the ship and all I can say is...WOW. I learned that the ship is some 21 years old. The quality of the refurb has resulted in the ship looking more like 21 days old. Beautiful luxurious finishes everywhere, oozing class and refinement, we thought it looked and felt fabulous in every way. How truly lucky we are to be able to enjoy such sumptuous surroundings. A masterclass in how to show a ship at it's finest.

More soon...

Colin

[kool kruiser]

After our rapid tour, we proceeded to our balcony stateroom ( sorry, I tend to use traditional cruisespeak that most readily understand😀). Full disclosure, this is only ever used by us to change, wash and sleep, with an occasional afternoon nap for DW whilst I read my online newspaper. Never dine there and, in all honesty, no need for us to have a butler. As previously mentioned, Vince recently contributed a brilliant critique of a similar room which I could not even attempt to get close to as regards detail. What I will say is that the new decor is gorgeous and we loved the shower cubicle, especially not being attacked by a curtain !! We did think the storage was inadequate and the drawers in the dressing table ridiculously sized. The bathroom soap dishes were not sensibly located. On the plus side, we had ample space to relax, the bed was very comfortable, pillows, linens etc great and we felt really comfortable. Our two lovely cabin attendants kept the room immaculate and the butler took care of our limited needs courteously and efficiently. We feel that at Crystal's current pricing strategies, this is the value buy for us and we cannot see us moving up to a higher grade, unless we unexpectedly get very rich very quickly !!

More to come.....

Colin

[oakridger]

@kool kruiser I will be reading along as your report unfolds.  Thank you for writing this for us!

 

Last time I cruised Crystal in 2019, the sparkling wine offered (not Champagne) was Roederer Estate Brut.  I thought it was good and have bought it at their winery here in California.  It's about $25 at my local Total Wine store.

 

Your taste is yours so certainly drink what you prefer!  I'm glad a good French champagne, Jacquart, is offered on board as well!

 

Do you remember what the sparkling wine they served is?  Is it still Roederer?

 

~Nancy

 

 

 

 

[ryndam]

Current included wine list attached.

 

Waterside AI Wine List OCE240327.pdf

[ctjon]

it has to come from a certain region of France to be "legally" called champagne - so called something else it may taste just as good

[kool kruiser]

On 9/5/2024 at 12:16 AM, ryndam said:

Current included wine list attached.

 

Waterside AI Wine List OCE240327.pdf 28.92 kB · 56 downloads

Pretty sure it was the listed blanc de blanc. Not to our liking !!

[kool kruiser]

Perhaps today I can mention the enrichment and entertainment onboard. Although passenger numbers are lower, there have only been a few cutbacks. There are still at least three guest speakers on board, one destination-based, one current affairs and another on simply anything. Of course, there could be more but we had the three. Timings very similar and Crystal remains supreme in this aspect. Our computer classes were non-signup and plentiful and there were the usual craft classes, bridge lessons and play sessions, golf pro, photography classes  and so on. And, of course, trivia on sea days. Crystal, once again, excels. 

As mentioned on another thread, the duo who played in addition to the dance group ( now duo ) have gone, although the violinist and cocktail pianist remain. On our cruise, the dance duo only played in the Palm Court, which meant that the DJ played frequently in the cove. A downer for us, as we prefer live music. On the positive side, the band also played in the cove when not required for the show. 

You may remember that a choice of two canapes was offered pre-dinner, with constant revisits for ''top ups''. Well, now only one rather uninspiring offering and no revisits. In the cove, we frequently spotted the waiter standing around doing nothing rather than offering additional items. A cheapskate and frankly embarassing service reduction.

We struck lucky with our entertainment on two fronts. Firstly, we had the pleasure of enjoying the outstanding Mark Farris in the Avenue. He is, of course, an absolute showman but it must be stressed that he is also a terrific pianist and singer. We soom became his British royal couple and had an unforgettable time. Thanks Mark, we now know what all the fuss is about !! Secondly, we were truly lucky to see the James Foxx (?) Billy Joel tribute show, superbly constructed and delivered by James and the whole company. The best show we have seen in a very long time. 

Now for a bit of controversy. Whilst understanding why this this may happen, some of the shows are really old-fashioned and tired. We actualy enjoyed some of the cabaret lounge style shows on Explora more and no. I don't mean presenting a show in a cabaret setting but an alternative style. If Crystal wishes to attract a younger crowd, the offering needs to be rethought. We also dodged a bullet by passing on the comedian, based on his Reflections biography, thinking his humour would be solely directed at US guests. We were right but it seems he was also pretty awful to boot. Although the ship was reasonably full, just the one show each night, at 9.30. Finally, theatre and cabaret lounge dark on White Night.

Please remember these are very personal views, with no expectation that you will agree.

More soon...

Edited September 8 by kool kruiser
typos

[zak477]

1 hour ago, kool kruiser said:

Perhaps today I can mention the enrichment and entertainment onboard. Although passenger numbers are lower, there have only been a few cutbacks. There are still at least three guest speakers on board, one destination-based, one current affairs and another on simply anything. Of course, there could be more but we had the three. Timings very similar and Crystal remains supreme in this aspect. Our computer classes were non-signup and plentiful and there were the usual craft classes, bridge lessons and play sessions, golf pro, photography classes  and so on. And, of course, trivia on sea days. Crystal, once again, excels. 

 

Thanks for all of your insight.  We have sailed on Regent Seven Seas 15 times as our luxury cruise experiences.   But since covid, they are no longer luxury. Starting to nickel and dime with less crew, less quality in the kitchens and a Head Office in Miami that is amateurish and unprofessional. So I have researched new venues for our travels. We will be doing Explora 1 in January and I thank you for your comments there. I am now researching Crystal and my TA is looking into pricing as I write. So thank you for your comments. They helped me to decide that I am doing the right thing by booking my first Crystal cruise. 

[Emdee]

13 hours ago, zak477 said:

Thanks for all of your insight.  We have sailed on Regent Seven Seas 15 times as our luxury cruise experiences.   But since covid, they are no longer luxury. Starting to nickel and dime with less crew, less quality in the kitchens and a Head Office in Miami that is amateurish and unprofessional. So I have researched new venues for our travels. We will be doing Explora 1 in January and I thank you for your comments there. I am now researching Crystal and my TA is looking into pricing as I write. So thank you for your comments. They helped me to decide that I am doing the right thing by booking my first Crystal cruise. 

You are absolutely doing the right thing. After trying all the competition the last few years Regent is our solid #2. We just finished 14 days on Regent and will be on 17 days on Regent next month. Next year is so far all Crystal for us as we have 27 days and then another 14 days booked on her in between surgeries. While Regent staff are always trying to please and their special orders are excellent on Crystal we feel like we are family. 

[Noggins]

Disappointed to hear the canapé news, Colin. For us they were one of the Crystal standouts. Hopefully just a blip....

We have felt for years that evening entertainment needed some modernization - eg ditch the Abba tribute shows! But we also appreciate that we young 70 year olds (😬) are not necessarily the majority. Finding a balance that works for tonight's audience and the new young crowd needed to bring long term stability can't be easy.

As for comedians, their shows are always the highest risk, in our experience. (Jasper Carrot, anyone?! )

Glad to hear you had a good time and we can't wait for our return to Serenity in January.

Adrian 

[kool kruiser]

Firstly, to zak477, Crystal definitely remains unashamed luxury, no staff cutbacks and just a very very few minor niggles. Adrian, as regards the canapes, do remember that on Explora they comprise nuts and crisps, no great effort being made there. On Azamara, it's help yourself, in one location only and, whilst acceptable, hardly gourmet. Like you, I felt that Crystal was fantastic here but not so much now, based on our experience.

I must also thank zak477, who has prompted me to pen some words about service. After our initial disappointment, for the rest of the cruise the crew were simply brilliant. We like to think that we are fairly informal and friendly people. Whilst the crew may not be our friends as such, we strive to treat them respectfully, politely and appreciatively. On this cruise, they got everything spot on throughout. Never waited to order a drink anywhere and always received exemplary food service. We witnessed so many acts of kindness to those fellow passengers not as able as we are lucky to be. It has to be said that we had no need to wince, as we have on other cruises, when some passengers do not interact with them as they should.;.

I will highlight just a couple of examples of the numerous instances of outstanding service we received.. We dined the first night in Tastes, so night 2 was our first in Waterside. On arrival, I made a small request of the amazing Paulo regarding our table choice and boy, did he come up trumps. For us, the perfect location, great waiter, charming assistant, lovely sommelier and very friendly and professional head waiter. During the meal, Paulo made a point of coming to our table to see if we were happy. No imagination needed for our response. On arrival the next evening, we were asked if we would like the same table, to which we immediately responded affirmatively.Needless to say, we had the same table for the rest of the cruise. So, open dining, with a table of our choosing and dining when convenient to us. Thanks Paulo, what a diamond.!

The second example relates to a late lunch in Tastes, after we had been ashore. As we felt a bit chilly, we asked whether, without causing any inconveience, we could have some hot chocolates. The immediate response ? Of course, it's absolutely no inconvenience and it will be my pleasure. Just an example of what we experienced throughout our cruise. We are so so lucky...

A brief mention regarding the front desk, on other lines known as the complaints section !! Not on Crystal. We had a very minor techie issue in our cabin. The front desk chap understood the issue and suggested a simple fix. More importantly, he gave me his card and said to call down and ask for him if his idea didn't resolve and he would make sure it was sorted. Our only other visits were to obtain information, all promptly supplied with a smile. How other lines could learn from Crystal and these unsung heroes.

A couple of things to finish with today. We loved the layout of the Trident/Scoops/Tastes area and found the decor very appealing. We did not use the grill, focusing more on Marketplace when onboard at lunchtime. However, we did have a gelato. Lovely and creamy but really lacking in flavour. Whilst supporting the move away from single use plastics, the wooden spoons given to us were awful, as all we could initially taste was the wood, not the ice cream ! Easily remedied, as we obtained two teaspoons from a waiter, who made it clear that he would have done exactly the same. Solution ? Make teaspoons also available at the point of service.

Turning to the Bistro, we loved the new decor and found the seats fine. Great coffee, although sadly no longer any cafetiere/french press. Also disappointed that it closed so early. We understand the need to rope off the serving area in Alaska but would have preferred, if logistically possible, for the display to be moved forwards, with protective perspex or a similar guard and the server behind, rather like Emporium on Explora. 

More to come...

Colin

[Texas Tillie]

Re: spoons at Scoops, I think I remember a combo of plastic spoons and real, metal spoons in July. I understand plastic is a no, no but I will agree that wooden is unacceptable.

 

I think the serving area in the Bistro is fixed to the floor/wall and the way they have it roped off when in the US and Canada is all they can do. Wish they could have figured out a hand washing station when remodeling but understand it wasn't possible. As an aside, I have observed exactly zero people using the hand washing stations in Marketplace. I'm sure people use it, I just haven't observed it.

 

Patty

Edited September 9 by Texas Tillie

[ryndam]

There are proper, stainless steel (they could be silver plated) gelato shovels at Serenity’s gelato bar now.

 

Rob

 

Edited September 9 by ryndam

[BWIVince]

On 9/8/2024 at 7:33 AM, kool kruiser said:

You may remember that a choice of two canapes was offered pre-dinner, with constant revisits for ''top ups''. Well, now only one rather uninspiring offering and no revisits. In the cove, we frequently spotted the waiter standing around doing nothing rather than offering additional items. A cheapskate and frankly embarassing service reduction.

 

 

That's especially concerning, Colin...  We had two different canapés on the July 2nd cruise, but I didn't have any cocktails in the Cove on that cruise, so I can't directly compare the service.  We had drinks every evening in either the Palm Court or the Avenue before dinner, and the server came around with the trays just like they did in the old days -- with one server making a pass of the room with one item, and then coming back 5-10 minutes after they complete the pass, with the next item, and repeating.  We weren't usually there long enough after the pass of item #2 to the asked again on the revisit of item #1, but in the couple of cases that we were, we were always asked if we'd like a second serving of the original item.

 

I saw Rob mentioned they were experimenting with new canapés, but I didn't realize they had slimmed them down to just 1.  😞 

 

Vince

[TER777]

4 minutes ago, BWIVince said:

 

That's especially concerning, Colin...  We had two different canapés on the July 2nd cruise, but I didn't have any cocktails in the Cove on that cruise, so I can't directly compare the service.  We had drinks every evening in either the Palm Court or the Avenue before dinner, and the server came around with the trays just like they did in the old days -- with one server making a pass of the room with one item, and then coming back 5-10 minutes after they complete the pass, with the next item, and repeating.  We weren't usually there long enough after the pass of item #2 to the asked again on the revisit of item #1, but in the couple of cases that we were, we were always asked if we'd like a second serving of the original item.

 

I saw Rob mentioned they were experimenting with new canapés, but I didn't realize they had slimmed them down to just 1.  😞 

 

Vince

I was on the Symphony in August. We always had multiple visits of two different canapes every evening.

[Roland4]

2 hours ago, TER777 said:

I was on the Symphony in August. We always had multiple visits of two different canapes every evening.

We were on Symphony for 12 nights in mid-April, and there were always multiple passes in both The Cove and Starlite. Did not always indulge, but they were offered!

[ryndam]

5 hours ago, BWIVince said:

 

I saw Rob mentioned they were experimenting with new canapés, but I didn't realize they had slimmed them down to just 1.  😞 

 

Vince

On Serenity now. There are two selections of cocktail hour canapés. The first pass is a cold concoction. The second pass is a warm experiment. There have been hits, as well as misses. We are always offered cashews, mixed nuts, pretzels or chips if we don’t care for the daily specials snacks.

[kool kruiser]

As a postscript to ''canapegate'', I am delighted that our experience appears to be an isolated mishap. It seems we missed out on the hot selections. 

Thanks Rob for the photo of the gelato spoons, which look perfect. To be fair, our teaspoons worked out fine.

Let's turn to dining. Truly, overall, Crystal is outstanding. Not to say there is not room for improvement but they get far more right than any other line we have travelled. On the first night, we dined in Tastes and had a great waiter and wine waiter, who were so kind and helpful, as this was a new experience for us. We enjoyed every dish, the ambience was lovely and this was a terrific start to the cruise. We dined on four nights in Waterside and I have already said how brilliant our entire team were.in looking after us. We enjoyed some truly memorable meals there and had just the one miss between the two of us throughout all of our meals. Unbelievably, this was a filet dish, which, although ordered medium rare, was really tough and unpalatable. Our lovely head waiter salvaged the situation, bringing a replacement in an olympic standard sprint time !! Eating in specialities for three nights, inevitably these clashed with some of our favourite Waterside dishes. No problem, as we were easily able to make special orders at breakfast time, no need for 24 hours notice. On our particular trip, the galley did seem to struggle when the restaurant was at  or close to capacity, with undue gaps between courses. Our great waiter was very apologetic and kept us up to speed, though.

Rob has penned a great critique of Osteria and I would echo all that he says. So much more inventive and upscale than our Italian eateries at home. Great service and we loved the concept and our terrific meal. For us, RIP Prego.

Leaving the supremely best till last Nobu was fantastic. Although Explora's Sakura runs it close, this place is out of this world. Every dish was perfection and so so many stand outs. The hardest problem is what NOT to have !! Great service to boot as well. Wonderful.

A question for you experts out there. Now that the Bistro sadly closes so early, is there anywhere that produces a really good barista coffee for when we finish our meal in Waterside? We believe the coffee there is from a bean to cup machine and he same is true of the Cove.

Probably just some odds and sods left now...

Colin

[Txcotn]

We have found that we can get a good cappuccino in the Cove bar.

[sidwich]

The last couple of times I was on Symphony, the coffee machines had been removed from the Avenue and the Cove, and the only place to get late evening coffee/tea (besides the galley) was the Palm Court.  

 

I will note that in the past the staff have cheerfully walked my tea from the galley to wherever I was, but I don't generally like to ask for that.

[kool kruiser]

Thanks for the responses regarding coffee. I can confirm that the Cove machine was bean to cup on our cruise, thus similar to Waterside. Please open Bistro later !!

For today, a few bits and bobs. We had afternoon tea twice, one being the excellent chocolate-themed tea, a great new addition. Missed our apfel strudel at the Viennese tea but definitely not the costumes !! On our other tea visit, we arrived a little early, as they were still setting up. We were struck by the beauty of the Palm Court, a magnificent room, exquisitely furnished. As soon as we sat down, a server came across to confirm when tea service would be starting and also asking if they could offer us anything in the meantime. Typical exceptionally kind service.Background live music was spot on. The cake stand was truly impressive, with a lovely selection of finger sandwiches, freshly-baked scones and scrumptious cakes etc. So so impressive. Tea selection great, all served on traditional crockery. But then....as well as being offered jam for our scones, we were proffered... WHIPPED cream. Here in the UK, it simply HAS to be clotted cream with scones, even our local modest cafe would not dare to use an abomination such as whipped cream. Incidentally, Explora offers clotted cream, although Crystal surpasses them in every other aspect of tea service. Shall we start a clotted cream movement to get Crystal to see the error of their ways ?

Moving on, I must say how struck we were with the enhanced passenger/guest space ratio. On our cruise, due to the weather, the outside decks were very underutilised. However, this did not impact on the inside areas and we never had difficulty in finding what we needed. It was so easy to get seated in Marketplace, even though the outside dining area could not be used. Fantastic.

Although Crystal are apparantly using Starlink, wifi speeds were only so so, although adequate for our needs. As I have previously expressed, I am against the two tier system whereby you pay extra for faster speeds on a luxury line. Contrast this with the exceptionally fast wifi on Explora, with no additional cost option available or indeed required.

So, to final thoughts. Although I may have highlighted some personal criticisms, please be aware that these are most definitely outweighed by so many superlatives. We had a great time, Crystal remains our number one choice, subject to itinerary and pricing etc and we hope to sail on either ship for many years to come. Our next cruise is back on Serenity for the Thanksgiving cruise, another first for us. We will be accompanied by our son, daughter-in-law and daughter, yet another first. Can't wait.

Thanks for allowing me to share.

Colin

 

[Helene1111]

We asked for clotted cream at tea on the Serenity and the servers were happy to bring it to us. 

[dimundsR]

Same with us on Symphony last May.  We asked and they brought it out.  Is it some kind of hidden treasure to be guarded?  Just wondering . . . .

[Keith1010]

Colin,

 

I've have caught up with your most recent posts and thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts from your cruise.  

 

Many thanks,

Keith

[Emdee]

Clotted cream on Crystal has always been on request. We usually ask for it.