PLG

although Seaborn considers itself a luxury cruise, paper luggage tags and canvas tote bags tell a different story. the serve is inconsistent and it took 8 days for me to get a very minor problem resolved. I cruised them twice in 6 months, thinking the first hiccup was a fluke (I sent clothes tot he laundry and they came back crammed into a bag, still damp. when I suggested that perhaps I didn't need to send laundry out the supervisor said maybe you don't. I just think that they can't shake the "carnival" feel and yet the cost father cruise is so much more.

This is the second Crystal Cruise and we have booked our third for next year. The entertainment and the travelers seem to be, on average, well pst 60 years old.  they are delightful, yet quite senior.  As a result, most of the entertainment is geared towards  a traveler who prefers ballroom dancing, Reviews, Magicians and Acrobats.  The one shining light was the Avenue Saloon singer Neal Fullerton.  Thank good ness for him.  He tried to bring us into the 60s (smile). The food is great: the quality and presentation are 5 Star.  Th various food venues are lovely with great choices there as well.  The excursions are varied and the guides are top shelf.  I think it might be difficult to cruise with anyone else after these terrific back-to-back trips.  Our first was to the Baltics last year.  Just fantastic.  

I expected more from a luxury cruise line that has been around a while. I have taken 8 cruises, all with "all-inclusive" luxury cruise lines. I had hoped this would have been the best based upon ratings and reviews. It was not, unfortunately. The food, entertainment and tours could all be improved given the brand. The jury is out on whether I will book this cruise line again.

This was the most relaxing cruise we have taken. Because of the number of number of sea days they held an unbelievable Buffett in the general lounge area that took my breath away. It was absolutely beautiful and delicious. I have never seen anything like it. All of the chefs were introduced and acknowledged for their contributions, which was thoughtful and well deserved. The Christmas decorations were also top notch. There were "Santas Helpers" who made sure every detail was attended to on the ship. there were beautiful 6 foot Nutcrackers and reindeer and trees that made you believe Santa is coming to town. The decorations were terrific and really put us in the Christmas mood. The only observation I have is that the typical cruiser is going to be older because it is easier to navigate the ports on this cruise and it is a mild weather cruise. Many of the cruisers had walking problems. We had a great time and would recommend it is you just want to relax and see the sights.

I am convinced that once you go Crystal, you cannot go back. We are looking to book another Crustal Cruise and want to go to South America, but it looks like that is not on the itinerary for next year. So I guess we have to see what else is available. I do prefer the ship tot he other because of Pulse, for the younger, under 75 year old crowd.

WE do not cruise because we thought it would be boring.  Luckily my husband changed my mind and we went on this, our first cruise in 15 years.  Amazing.  Everything from embarkation to disembarkation is managed to the tiniest detail.  The rooms are very functional with full shower and tub and many shelves and drawers so you can "spread out".  The linens are lovely and the beds themselves very comfortable.

Check out their website, everything is exactly as presented.  And the emphasis on both hygiene and safety, throughout the cruise, is appreciated.    There are stations where you are able to sanitize your hands throughout the ship.

The food is truly amazing.  And even though there is a breakfast buffet in the Lido,you also have the breakfast option in the Crystal Dining Room with a varied and delightful menu.  I loved the variety yet the choices were presented in a delicate way, not mounds of food everywhere, as you can see even in luxury buffets.  

The service in all of the dining areas is impeccable.  It was surprising that our names were remembered by all of the staff members we met by the second day!  that was a pleasant surprise.

The entertainment is mostly geared to the "older crowd".  And the cost of the Internet service is high.  I think it should be included, as most of their competitors have done.

 I never felt that the ship was crowded.  I thought that the day at sea would tell-the-tale.  But no, on our day-at-sea everything was just wonderfully leisurely with no evidence that the ship was full, which I believe it was for our trip.

There are a couple of shops on board: Apropos and Facets.  The former provided a collection of mens and women's clothing and accessories, mostly high-end:  Furla, Chanel and Gucci handbags, Michael Kors clothing and some odds and ends costume jewelry.  Facets is a high-end jewelry store with Hublot, Tag and other beautiful time pieces as well as designer jewelry you will also find at stores like Neiman Marcus. 

The excursions are terrific.  They ranged in cost from $49 to over $300. They were worth every penny.  The guides are knowledgeable, have  good personalities and attend to as well as are aware of your needs are you are transported about.  since we took a excursion every day, we didn't miss the entertainment so much.  It was nice to kick back and get ready for the next day.

I would have liked to have "modern/current" dancing and a great DJ available earlier in the evening.  That was open after 11:00 nightly, but when you have an excursion at 8:00 and you already going through several time zones, it can be tough to do it.  There should be a place where the ballroom crowd can do their thing at a reasonable hour, and the rest of us can "go to the club" at that same reasonable hour.

The transfer process both getting to and from the ship is flawless.  Everything went smoothly.  You can tell that they know exactly what they are doing.  We left the ship in Copenhagen but our flight did not leave until much later that night.  All of us with later flights were taken to a lovely hotel and staged there, with light meals provided, until our airport departure.

I don't use this word often, but I have to say that this trip was "perfect".  The problem that I now have is that I started at the top with Crystal.  

We are looking at future sailings and trying to decide where to take our next Crystal Cruise.  I cannot wait to be treated "Crystal-fabulous" for another 10 days.  We had a memorable experience and have decided to become "cruise-people" as a result of this trip.