Everyone has an Alaska cruise on their bucket list. We are so glad we chose Crystal for this one. The service and dining are exceptional, and having
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Fast and efficient. Our luggage was checked in at the Alaska Railroad terminal in Seward, and appeared in our suite onboard the Serenity later that day
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
With a Nobu restaurant onboard, and terrific changing menu at Waterside, the food quality, taste, and presentation exceeded our expectations
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Enrichment program brings interesting speakers with expertise in their fields. As this was an Alaska cruise, we did not utilize the pool area, and were too busy on excursions to try out the spa
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Entertainment programs were very good, not necessarily excellent. Bigger ships and cruise lines have had grander shows, but I will say the performers were very very talented on Crystal
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Probably the biggest differentiator on Crystal are the staff. Knew our names and preferences by day 2, and continuously strived to provide individualized service in bars, restaurants and suite areas
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Super clean, easy to navigate. With fewer than 700 passengers, we never waited for an elevator, bars were not crowded, and dining rooms were not over filled. Common bathrooms were well tended to, and ship common areas were spotless
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We had an Aquamarine Veranda Suite on deck 10. Very quiet, spacious, and more drawer/ storage space than we could use. Separate shower and jacuzzi tub are a nice feature of this 'Classic' renovation suite
Ship tip
The 'Classic' suites have the edge in storage and drawer space
Very nice town with combo of touristy sites and local flavor. We self-toured, had lunch, did some shopping, and made it a quick visit before heading back to the ship for high tea (which is incredibly nice)
Had a cruise sponsored excursion of whale watching and land based bear sighting. Spotted numerous humpback whales, and had one literally breach surface 50 feet from our boat. Incredible video made. Managed to spot one coastal brown bear in the stream near our bear sighting trail
Booked a salmon fishing excursion directly with Baranof. There were 4 of us on the boat and we caught King, Pink and Silver salmon, a couple of rockfish, and a halibut. King salmon have to be at least 28" to keep so a few got put back, but a 29" and a 32" were kept. At the end of the excursion Baranof arrange for a local company to filet the fish, vacuum seal the filets, and ship them overnight to us. We ended up with about 13 lbs of fish that arrived at our home on the day after our cruise ended
We passed three Orca whales just before entering the Inside Passage, which is a beautiful area to traverse. Ships have to be a certain size or smaller to cruise the Inside Passage, and the Serenity is small enough for it
Went straight from Vancouver cruise port to taxi to airport, so we only saw Vancouver from the taxi, but it is a very clean city with plenty of sidewalks in evidence
Had our luggage picked up outside our suite the night before disembarkation. Immigration was a breeze, and we went straight to a waiting taxi in the port terminal garage. The port staff in Vancouver were very efficient and friendly
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