Crystal Serenity Cruise Reviews - Reviews

This was our second Crystal Cruise and we were not disappointed.  The staff members were friendly and eager to please and the service we received was top notch!   We can't wait to go on another Crystal Cruise again.

This was a great way to visit many cities you always wanted to see while coming back to the same place each night.  The food was wonderful, the staff was friendly and helpful, and our room was cozy.  I will always recommend Crystal Cruises to anyone who can afford them.

getting to the ship in Venice was AWFUL!! It would have been nice if they had even one person at the train station to give a direction. the ship was great. all the staff was so nice and happy. the food was excellent. we had plenty of room in our cabin and enjoyed the balcony. we picked the late dinner which we enjoyed, always enough time to get back from any excursion and freshen up for dinner. the entertainment was at 830 and 1030 so, we never saw any of the shows. we did go see a magician who we had to get tickets for. the lunches on the excursions were very good, two out of our three were at small restaurants. most of the excursions were good. one gave us too much free time (1 1/2 hours) considering it was raining and off season so most things were closed.

while I feel an attempt was made to accommodate my diet it was not a successful attempt and did not live up to their promises. they asked to be informed months ahead of any dietary accommodations. I assumed when I arrived someone would be aware of my dietary restrictions, far from the case. most of the staff had no idea what a vegan was and I was offered the fish or chicken.

I was also told things were vegan when I was served only to have them removed as I was eating on more than one occasion. somehow as I was eating my meal acquired unvegan characteristics. curious.

I was told to request anything I wanted for the next day. I actually had a friend look up recipes on the internet and submit them to the chef. when I arrived for dinner I was told they did not have the ingredients. my request was for seitan. I am still wondering which ingredient they did not have, the flour or the water.

I was told they would have dessert other than fruit and that there would be chocolate. well there might as well not have been because all but one of the desserts served were so awful as to be inedible. the only dessert that was delicious was an unrequested surprise made by silk road chef naka-san. his dinner was also the perfect vegan accommodation which I had discussed with him the night before. he personally served it and made a wonderful dessert which I had not ordered.

for the most part service was great if a little over solicitous. each server would ask if everything was perfect 3 times. this was a little overbearing since there were many servers and we would be forced to tell each of them 3 times that everything was perfect. we would also have to explain we did not need anymore coffee each time we took a sip to the 2 or 3 people pouring coffee.

i'm not sure this was their fault and assumed it was part of their training. maybe most people enjoy this kind of service but my family and friends found it a bit intrusive and interruptive.

our travel agent gifted a $125 credit which we were not given. when I requested the credit I was told it would take days to research. by the time it was credited there was nothing we could use it on. so most of our credit was blown at the casino which I would never had gone to. I wanted to use the credit on a tour.

all in all the food on the buffet was wonderful and the chef at the buffet was kind and generous. but I would have to wait for him to come down and tell me what I could and could not eat each day because no one else knew what was vegan. he was not always available and I would often have to wait for him and my food.

this being said there was dancing with hosts which both I and my husband enjoyed. I, because I love to dance and he because he doesn't.

our party's consensus overall, there were 5 of us,  was the shows were neither as good or as large as the productions of other far inferior cruises we have attended in the past. the cast we felt for the most part was far superior to the productions which hobbled them. individually many of the performers truly shined.

we have been on at least 4 other lines. off hand I can only think of princess, costa, Holland and Norwegian all of which had superior shows and scheduling.

your ship was beautiful, well maintained, the cabins were lovely and clean. I very much admired your  move towards being more green and hope you continue in this direction. I was very happy that you shared this information in your currents and only wish you had shared it earlier. I feel if you had it might have made a larger impact and solicited greater cooperation.

being vegan and the lunatic fringe of green I can think of many ways for your company to continue moving toward a more economical use of resources and would be happy to discuss it with you.

at times we found your currents difficult to read and understand because of the format. it was also a bit redundant and at times said something that was contradicted in the very next sentence. editing could certainly use some attention.

I think most of my disappointment was due to the fact I was promised more than was delivered. had I not been I think I would have been less upset at the shortfalls because the cruise was  superior  in many ways. I will probably go on another celebrity cruise someday but next time I will have more realistic expectations and I will know to look for dessert on shore.

as far as the nonvegan food and dessert my friends found them 5 star. unfortunately we are still searching for a cruise line that is a little more vegan friendly.  I think cruise lines are not the only ones to not accommodate the small  number of vegans. I wonder if they are aware that although we are small in numbers very often we are the ones choosing which cruise or rest. to patronize based on our dietary needs. in this case I was with a party of 5 which chose crystal based on the promises they made me and were not honored.

having a laundry available was great and a good reason to choose celebrity.

Got so much hype about Crystal that I would never go on another line but really not much different than most cruise lines. Sure it's all inclusive but you pay for that. Nobody made any special effort above what I would expect on any cruise ship. Nobody went out of their way to do anything extra or more than usual.

With that said the food was better than most cruises especially at the specialty restaurants. The tours were typical. However in Venice we were forced to pay $69 per person to get into Venice from the cruise ship. (We were promised free transportation into each city we docked in to the city center...surprise in Venice)

All in all I would book this again if the price is right BUT only if the price is right. There is no reason to pay more for a cruise on Crstal from the experience that we had.

Ship, service, food were excellent.  Excursions were well priced and reflected the quality of the cruise line.  All inclusive wines and drinks were of high quality and service was accommodating and responsive.  Entertainment also was very good.

This was my first cruise and have heard from many that compared to other cruise lines this one is really excellent. The food and service were great. Detailed menus with lots to choose from and good quality. The sushi restaurant was our favorite. We were more than satisfied with the drink selection, and very impressed with the included wine and spirits. Staterooms and balconies are very clean and comfortable. 

If I were over the age of 50 I would probably give the cruise a 4-5 star rating. However, being in my 30's I'm not sure if this cruise was the best choice for my husband and I. The ship really caterers to the older generation, which makes sense since it's the vast majority of their client base. Most of the activities and shows were geared toward them, and the ship's decor is quite dated. The pool area looks like it needs an update as well.

I would highly recommend the cruise for those who want to be pampered, eat great food, and enjoy a quiet relaxed atmosphere, and do not want or need something geared toward younger generations. 

Our Crystal Serenity cruise was fun, rejuvenating and provided experiences that will we remember for our entire life.  

It was great docking either in the middle of town or close to towns.

One of the additional highlights was meeting people from around the worlds and making new friends.

    We signed on for the trip , only to discover that the cruise was going on to Venice after Istanbul.  This was not included in your advertising or your brochures, and if we had known on the front end, we would have continued on.

   As for the ccruise itself, this was our first with you, and we sere very, very pleased.  So much so that we signed on for another.

An overall excellent experience.

The best cruise ship I have ever traveled on. Roomy, uncrowded, multiple eating options, exceptionally high level of service.

Services are great. Be generous to the wait staffs, they work over 14 hours day

Crystal is a wonderful cruiseline but unfortunately I had a reaction to a facial on the 2nd day which basically ruined the rest of my cruise.

Experience was so positive we were able to book the next cruise and made it a 14-day.

Cruise started off poorly when ourvembrcation in zBimini was cancelled at last minute and we were forced to get from Bimini to Nassau at last minute WITH ABSOLUTELY NO HELP OR ASSISTANCE FROM CRYSTAL. Boarding process was mismanaged and poorly executed. Crystal should have told everyone in advance that all boarding needed to start at their designated hotel. Mass confusion and no one would answer their phone. Extremely disappointing and soured the first day of cruise. And, inexplicicably they changed our cabin. Cruise once it began was great although many shore excursions were cancelled. Overall the cruise was excellent but my guess is it was learning experience for Crystal and cruises 3 and onward will be much better.

The service and food were top notch. By far the best cruise line I have been on.

The best cruise I ever had. They made everything easy from checkin to departure. The food was so much better than the Oceania cruises this year. Umi Uma has great Nobu cuisine and Prego has super Italian food. The entertainment was better on Symphony of the Seas but they are not equipped or known for over the top entertainment. The lecture series were very interesting. The public areas are very inviting (nice places to eat your Ben and Jerry ice cream!). I’m looking forward to my next Crystal cruise next year.

The cruise was so good we are looking to book another Crystal Cruise at our earliest availability. 6 Stars rated in our book. They go a step beyond other lines.

Excellent experience. Staff could not have been more attentive or friendly. Food options were great, especially the specialty restaurants. Wonderful entertainment and very informative speakers. We booked another cruise for next summer.

We sailed Barcelona to London. This was our second Crystal cruise. We LOVED it. Never any problems embarking or disembarking, very smooth. Excursions are great and the lectures beforehand by knowledgeable people are very informative. A very clean ship, invaluable crew, and beautiful staterooms. We took part in the art classes and it was a life changing experience! ( Thank you Beth) The food!!!! Amazing! We can’t say enough about Crystal Serenity!!