Cuisine:
Crystal Dining Room- The cuisine that is served in the Crystal Dining Room is
consistently far above the standards of that found on almost every cruise line.
The menu is clearly laid out and the cuisine is presented in the light classical-French
tradition. The ingredients used are of an extremely high-quality and the dishes
are attractively presented, although not at all gourmet. One must be aware of
the extremely high noise-levels in this restaurant. This complimented with the
wait-staff constantly dropping plates and silverware creates little or no ambiance
at all. The service from the European staff is very good, although not always
personal. Often, dishes do not come out the way one orders them. The wine list
is, however, simply superb.
Prego and Silk Road- The two specialty restaurants onboard offer attractively-presented
gourmet cuisine. Prego offers gourmet Italian dishes, although to some people,
the food may be "deep"; most people are used to the "light"
Italian side. Silk Road, the Japanese alternative dining selection on Serenity,
is managed by famous Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, creator of the Nobu restaurants in London
and New York. Silk Road features a wide variety of sushi, which are constantly
being flown in to the ship to ensure freshness and quality. Overall, Silk Road
offers extremely good value, as it is very easy to eat yourself into hundreds
of dollars at the actual restaurants.
Weak points:
Dining in the Crystal Dining Room is unfortunately, not a "six-star"
event, as is touted in the company's brochures. Because of the rather small size
of the dining room, and the extremely low ceilings, this creates, literally "surround-sound"
loudness that is really quite deafening to the ears. Also, having to send in a
filet mignon 3-4 times in order to receive "medium-rare" is really unacceptable
on a ship of this class and price. At times, you get a sense that further organization
with regards to the service is needed. Service at Prego can be over-the-top (such
as the same waiter asking for water 3 times within a minute). At Silk Road, attentiveness
is somewhat lacking at times.
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Service:
Service on Serenity resembles that of a Four-Seasons, or Ritz-Carlton; attentive,
yet at the same time, discrete if deemed necessary. The Filipino staff members
truly make the cruise memorable; a genuine smile and feeling of constant happiness
can always be seen from them. Without a doubt, the Filipino's are a great asset
to this cruise line; they are not at all an "expense". Housekeeping
is good at their job; although they sometimes do not clearly understand the connection
between "keep" and "throw-away". Front desk is extremely helpful.
Butler service is superb. One will not encounter any rude staff members onboard
a ship of this prestige. The word "no" should not be in any of the crew,
staff, and officers vocabulary. No matter what the request is, the staff onboard
does it, in style. The service onboard Serenity is definitely one of the high-points
of the ship.
Weak points:
Not available
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Accommodations:
The accommodations offered onboard Serenity range from the outdoor cabins (Crystal
does not offer inside cabins on Serenity) to the opulent Crystal Penthouse. As
an added treat, Penthouse-accommodation guests receive many complimentary liquors,
as well as 24-hour butler service. Penthouse-category suites also include a Bang
& Oluffsen stereo, and a 30-inch LCD Panasonic TV display. Fresh fruit is
brought into the rooms daily, and "afternoon snacks" can be brought
in upon request to the butler. The "Penthouse Stateroom" does not deserve
this title. They are really just overpriced staterooms with some small added amenities
that one finds in the other Penthouse grades of accommodation.
Weak points:
Unfortunately, when a guest enters his or her room, they will likely find that
their rooms are indeed smaller than anticipated. Thus, making it difficult to
order room service as the line boasts. The bathrooms on the standard cabins are
poorly-designed, which creates a rather uncomfortable, cramped experience. Older
guests should note that the bathtub and shower are combined, making it difficult
for anyone with a leg injury to step into the shower. This is unacceptable for
a line of this standard. Another poorly-designed feature in all rooms is the fact
that light can seep through the two-layers of blinds. With this in mind, how can
this ship sail to Alaska (let alone another northern port-of-call) where light
is seen 21 out of the 24 hours of the day? As a result, this leads a "bad
night's sleep", especially after a long day of touring.
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Entertainment:
The entertainment offered onboard Serenity really illustrates to us the type of
crowd that Crystal Cruises markets towards. This can be clearly seen on certain
nights, where you are often treated to traditional musical classics. To many,
this brings back old, fond memories of their life. The production shows are quite
simply poor. There are no "sets", and the shows are certainly not entertaining.
Many passengers agree. The Galaxy Theatre is very small, but has excellent sight
lines. In the evening, you are treated to live music throughout the vessel and
in most public rooms. The Crystal Piano located in the Crystal Cove is truly a
sight to see. There are also a variety of sophisticated guest entertainers from
pianists to comedians. On sea days, there are a variety of guest lecturers that
many find informative. Depending on your age and background, you may enjoy the
entertainment to a different degree. This is reflected in the entertainment rating.
Weak points:
The Galaxy Theatre has little ambiance, and is only one deck. Often, the same
music plays again, and again in the buffet. For most, this is bothersome. Depending
on your age and background, you may enjoy the entertainment to a different degree.
This is reflected in the entertainment rating. On sea days and when the ship is
in port, there are announcements in the morning around 9 A.M. Many people are
trying to sleep at this hour, and it is very disturbing to them.
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Ship:
Crystal Serenity is a handsome vessel with a nicely raked-bow. Many guests will
be disappointed with the "apartment-block" look that she boasts from
the exterior. The vessel as a whole is designed very well, with good passenger
flow. The breakup of the decks is as follows:
Deck 4: Tender Embarkation Area.
Deck 5: Crystal Plaza, Crystal Cove and Crystal Dining Room. This area is magnificent
with a solid glass grand piano in the center of it.
Deck 6: Caesars Palace at Sea Casino is located here. This classic casino is
operated by Park-Place Entertainment. On this deck there is also the Avenue of
the Stars "shopping gallery". This area is very small, and does not
belong here. The selection in the shops is extremely disappointing. Across from
the shops is "The Bistro", a very elegant area to get snacks throughout
the day. The front of Deck 6 is the home to the Galaxy Theatre, the ships main
show lounge. This theatre cannot compare to the theatres on newer, larger vessels
in terms of technology and overall ambiance. Towards the aft of deck 6 is the
Hollywood Theatre; a cinema. It is well designed, with raised seats so every seat
is the best seat in the house. The photo-gallery runs along-side with the Hollywood
Theatre. Behind this area is the Connoisseur Club and the Avenue Saloon. These
are two of the finest public rooms at sea today in terms of décor and comfort.
The aft of deck 6 boasts the "Stardust Lounge" and "Pulse".
Both are evening lounges for dancing, and music. Stardust Lounge also serves as
a secondary theatre. Pulse caters to a younger crowd of people.
Deck 7: Deck 7 contains the Library, Bridge Room, "Computer University
at Sea", Prego, and Silk Road. Also on deck seven are some standard staterooms
with no balconies. The Library is elegantly furnished with a wide selection of
various reading materials. The Bridge Room serves it purpose well. Prego and Silk
Road are both excellent.
Decks 8, 9: Standard staterooms with balconies.
Decks 10, 11: Penthouse staterooms and suites.
Deck 12: This deck is home to the Lido Café, Tastes, Trident Grill,
two pools (one indoor and one outdoor), and Palm Court. The Lido Café,
Tastes, and the Trident Grill can really be classified as one eatery. This area
serves well-prepared food for all three meals. The selection is outstanding. The
service is even better. Often, there are themed buffets for lunch which are quite
creative. One pool is inside, and one is outside. Both are larger than the industry
standard; and both are heated to perfection (about 86 degrees Fahrenheit). The
outside one is salt-water, and the inside one is not. Palm Court is an elegant
lounge where the Captains Welcome Party is held. It is also used for afternoon
tea, art auctions, and a casually-elegant evening lounge. Fantasia, the children's
play-room is also on this deck. It is small, and really pointless.
Deck 13: On deck 13 one finds the paddle tennis courts, and the Crystal Spa
and Gymnasium. The Spa/Gymnasium is larger than the standard of what would be
found on most vessels of this class and size. The paddle tennis courts are underused,
but certainly do belong there as nothing else is there.
Overall, the Crystal Serenity is a beautiful vessel with some of the finest
interiors found at sea today.
Weak points:
The "Computer University at Sea" is PATHETIC!!! This center deserves
to be boycotted for its OUTSTANTDINGLY HIGH prices. This is one of the main reasons
that this ship is only 5-stars, not 6. The ship itself would have received a nearly
perfect rating if not for this. If you search the internet on normal pages for
15 minutes, you will $60.00. This center needs to go. It needs to shape up or
ship out!
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Overall Ending Impressions:
We at the Deutsch Fliegen Boot Gruppe believe that Crystal Serenity is the finest
large cruise ship in service today. We wish her many pleasant cruises ahead...
