Crystal Serenity Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Ship was beautiful, cabin was nice. Service ranged from ok-amazing. The food was excellent. My biggest complaint was there was no music by the pool or in the restaurant. Not even background easy listening music. I could hear the man snore from 4 chairs away and I felt like I was part of a guys phone conversation that was on the other end of the pool. The crowd was mature British or American and I expected that. The restaurants closed earlier than posted and I found it hard to find food at certain times of the day. Internet was included but very slow. I had a balcony cabin and found it to be decent, balcony size was larger than standard. There rarely was any lines and I found it never crowded. The ship was at capacity and was themed a F1 cruise but there was little pertaining to F1. I found it fairly good value and I would sail them again.

This was our very first cruise and we were pleased to choose Crystal. We had an amazing experience and we met very nice people. People were generally very friendly. Frank Popowski invited us to see hi penthouse and I must say it fabulous! I think Frank spoke so highly the cruise line I think you should hire him to do some marketing for you or offer him some sort of recompense or reward!

First "real" cruise we have done as we don't count The Disney Cruise 25 years ago (not impressed at all).....Before we left the Serenity we signed up for another future cruise. Crystal cruises was so Over The Top that we will only do High End Cruises!

Remarkable. Outstanding! Will go on crystal again!

We are seasoned cruisers but this is the first time we’ve sailed Crystal. Pricier than most cruiselines so I waited for a good itinerary before trying them. Monte Carlo to Venice with neat stops in-between was an excellent itinerary. The food quality, first-class service and all-inclusive premium brands all helped to add value to the cost of this cruise. Definitely recommend and in fact, we’ve already re-booked.

Love the Crystal Serenity! It doesn’t get any finer! The dining is outstanding, service impeccable, and the Christmas decor is a 10+. However, there were eighty children onboard for this holiday cruise. For the most part, were well supervised by their parents, but unfortunately there were some children who made poor behavioral choices. As a grade school educator, it was difficult not saying something to parents who let their three and four year olds run up and down the grand staircase. Staff were not allowed to say anything even though this was a safety issue. And it was sad to see young adults/teens put their feet up on the couches and coffee tables.

Great experience. The crew really takes good care of their passengers. Would go again if possible

We had cruised with Crystal twice before on Symphony prior to its recent dry dock renovations. Serenity will be in dry dock in October for similar upgrades. Crystal continues to impress and the ‘new’ Serenity and the already new ‘Symphony’ will continue the 4+ star performance of this brand. I think we prefer Symphony as there are more public spaces with windows. On Serenity, facilities that are on one deck on Symphony are on two. The second deck is devoid of windows to the outside in the public passageways and this given one a closed in feeling. Other than that, the ship’s staff was amazing and, frankly, a notch above Symphony. The cruise director on Serenity is also a ventriloquist and was a featured performer two nights ... be sure not to miss Gary as he is amazing!

Outstanding service Great food and wine especially Prego Older guests than expected for an August cruise. Older vibe all around

Excellent service and experience on Crystal Serenity. We enjoyed this crossing of the Pacific and enjoyed many nights dining and being entertained by the extensive range of entertainers and the ensemble. Dining was excellent and service was great. Very happy with our cruise on Crystal Serenity

This was a rare chance to visit the Arctic before it is drasticly changed by global warming. Signs of change are already visible, and it's unclear what lies ahead for the wildlife and Inuit communities who depend on it. I would have been happy to have gone had the experience been much more mundane. As it was, our first cruise on Crystal (out of 50+) jumped this line to a tie for second place in our personal ratings.

Crystal serenity Best for: I would recommend this cruise line to those seeking to be immersed into other cultures and world history. I noticed a lot of single travelers, accommodated with an ambassador host (provided by Crystal) to assist during dance times.  The ambassador hosts can also be utilized if one has a spouse who doesn't feel like dancing. The clientele were mostly retirees with an average age of around 60-80 years.  Mostly on the 70 range. Highlights: The highlights of this trip was the diversity of the activities offered. You can play bridge, golf, dance, walk, Pilates, instructional classes, lectures, learn to speak a language, needlepoint, knitting, digital film editing classes, paint, shop, get pampered in the Spa or just relax be the pool.  There are numerous activities for beginners to experts to indulge in. Afternoon tea is each day at 2.30-3.30pm and is served in the finest China accompanied by cucumber sandwiches or my favorite - scones and clotted cream. Stateroom experience The staterooms on board are mostly balconies (80percent) with a few ocean view rooms on the promenade deck. The interesting thing to know here is that unless you are in a penthouse (cat PH) or a penthouse suite (cat PS) all the rooms are exactly the same size, at 269 sq ft, and have the same bathroom and room amenities. (Omit the balcony from the ocean view 226sq ft) The one difference for the P1 and P2 or P3 categories is there is an upgraded filter system in place to provide cleaner air and a dust free environment.  This is great for those who have allergies, asthma or the like. All bathrooms come with a tub shower combination and double sinks. The PH Penthouse with verandah's are all located on the 11th deck and are 403 sq ft, have a jetted tub and a separate shower plus double sinks. They also have a walk in closet and are equipped with a coffee maker. Personal butler. The PS penthouse suite is also on deck 11 and has 538 sq ft with all of the above plus a separate area for the bedroom which can be closed off by a curtain for privacy. The PH and the PS can accommodate a 3rd guest but only a child as the couch does not fold out to a bed. I was not able to tour the crystal penthouse. I stayed in a B1 and it was on the 8th deck forward.  We had a couple of days of very rough seas which when I spoke to guests located in midship, they did not have as much movement in their rooms.  I would recommend midship for my future guests if they have any issues or not sure if they get seasick. It is a smaller ship and so it seems you feel movement a lot more frequently than you do on a larger ship with the same waters. The beds are incredibly comfortable.  There was plenty of storage space.  My overall impression with the room was it needs a makeover, maybe an update or two to get rid of some brass fixtures here and there, and an updated tv.  The decks are large enough for a small bistro table and 2 wicker chairs, and the balconies all have the metal rails.  All in all it was beautiful and accommodating for the clientele it seeks. Dining experience: The options were endless.   Lido cafe was located close to the pool and is open for breakfast and lunch. In a very laid back atmosphere, guest can dine with a cover up after swimming or sunbathing. Next to this was Tastes, which is more of a tapas style restaurant, open for lunch and dinner, with reservations recommended for dinner.  The menu seemed to be the same and so a couple of experiences was enough but the dishes were small enough to try a couple but big enough to share with your partner. Dress was casual. The Bistro is a little coffee shop over looking the crystal cove (piano bar) and reception area. This stays open from 6.30am until 11pm and has a buffet set up with light pastries and cheeses throughout most of the day.  This is the best place to get your coffee fix for sure! In the same area as lido cafe, there is also the trident grill and scoops(really they are a station in the same place) Trident girl offers hamburgers and hot dogs and wraps, and scoops has Ben and Jerry ice cream and cookies. If you are looking for a more formal setting then the Crystal Dining Room offered a sit down and be served style restaurant, which is open for breakfast, lunch and then becomes the main dining room for dinner. Dinner options: Crystal dining room has either 6pm or 8.30pm options, with 75 percent of the ship eating at 6pm, due to the age of its clientele. The specialty restaurants are offered complimentary 1 time in each during an 8 days or less cruise and twice in each for longer stays. Additional dinners are $30 per person. Both located on the aft of deck 7 are Prego and Silk Road. Service at each of the restaurants were amazing.  I really like that my waiter Kevin, knew I was English and made suggestions to the things he thought I would enjoy and he was spot on every time.   I would recommend not missing the afternoon tea and try a scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam. While onboard we participated in a private magic show.  It was very intimate with a room of just 20 guests.  The magician was amazing!  All the tricks were performed up close and was faster than the human eye could see to catch how he was doing tricks. In addition, he was hilarious and has the entire room in stitches. We did not participate in any shore excursions due to all of them beginning between 8.30am and 9.30am. Insider tip Be sure to utilize the concierge service.  If you want truffles to be placed in your room during turn down service, you can just ask. The best spa deals occur during days where the ship is in port. Breakfast is over pretty early, so the best way to be able to enjoy the foods you would like for breakfast is to order room service. We were scheduled for late dining before we boarded so we just went to the dining room once we boarded and changed our dining time to 6pm.  

Crystal is a great experience but it is not quite the level of Seabourn, Regent or Silversea.  All my comments are relative.  The staff is extremely professional, responsive and accommodating.  The difference is that they are "reactive" versus "proactive".  Physically, the ship is bigger than the smaller ships of the luxury lines, but not too big where it is intimidating and its size allows for more.  My one poor experience is that the food in the main dining room was not great.  The specialty restaurants are a completely different experience. 

Enjoyed the great food, activities, excursions and friendly staff.

Please read the comments below to get my feedback on the detailed aspects of the cruise.  I hope by now I have reach the minimum of 150 characters to be able to submit this review without it being rejected.

I cruised on Crystal Serenity in 2012 and 2015. I cruised on Crystal Symphony in 2014. The experience on all cruises was good; however, cruising on Crystal Symphony in 2014 was better than either cruise on Crystal Serenity. Crystal Symphony had better wine stewards, better Internet connectivity, and showed NFL football.

It was my first cruise with Crystal Serenity. We started the itinerary from Valletta to Monte Carlo. The services were very good and food was excellent.

Crystal Serenity is a very beautiful smaller cruise ship. It only carries up to 1000 passengers. The ratio of passenger to crew is one crewmember to every 3 passengers. That does make for unbelievable service. This was our first cruise on Crystal Cruises and I am about to book another for 2017.

I had told my travel agent that I wanted to pamper my wife since she had just finished her radiation for breast cancer and was found to be cancer free. It was a long six months for her.

Dawn our travel agent suggested the all inclusive cruise on Serenity. The service was on such a high level that it made the Four Seasons Hotels service and the Waldorf of New York services seem meek compared to Crystal's service.

Believe me I should know for I was in the Hotel Industry for over 40 years and worked at some of the finest hotel companies in the world. 

Crystal's upscale service is seen as soon as you go to check in. It is one of the smoothest and quickest check ins I have ever experienced.

Upon entering our beautiful stateroom one could see how well appointed it was. The bathroom consisted of double granite sinks, his and hers, plenty of storage spaces and a full bathtub and shower. Most comfortable and spacious bathroom on any ship I have been on.

We really enjoyed the 24 hour room service. It definitely came in handy at 2 am after a night of dancing. The all inclusive package was the best I have ever had. Being able to have a standing order of beverage to be delivered at a certain time everyday was outstanding especially my 10 am bloody Mary. Lol

The main dining room was found to be the best. Every night the menu exceeded our every wish. The all inclusive luded one night in their two specialty restaurants.. They both were excellent but my wife and I enjoyed the fare in the main dining room much more. Their European staff could not do enough for you. As soon as your wine glass was half full, along came a staff member to top it off for you.

Anyone looking for a first class luxury cruise I would highly recommend Crystal. You will not be disappointed. Much value for your dollar. 

I may have enjoyed my cruise a lot more if I didn't spend as much time scratching, throwing up or dealing with a swollen tongue. Crystal was alerted to our food allergies months before our cruise, and then the travel agent again alerted them a few weeks before our trip. On our first Crystal Cruise two years ago, we were given a menu each night so we could select our food for the next day. Our choices were given to the kitchen and if a dish contained something we were allergic to it was either prepared separately for us or we were asked to choose something else if this was not possible. On our second trip, to Antarctica last year, this consideration was not offered to us. Each meal, we would ask the waiters to double check to make sure there were no nuts in the food we had ordered, and with the exception of one incident (I was given a cookie I was assured had no nuts, but it turned out to be marzipan!) we had no problems. This year on a Caribbean cruise with Crystal...what a nightmare. I was repeatedly given food that contained nuts after asking the waiter to check to make sure that it didn't contain any! Many times I caught it before I ate it, but several times I didn't and ended up spending hours throwing up and scratching hives. These bouts are followed by hours of not feeling very well, as one might expect, and walking around lightheaded, with a sore jaw and swollen tongue is not the best way to enjoy a nice vacation.  As a going away gift, the morning our cruise was over, I was given a small sweet roll at breakfast and told "Oh no madam, no nuts, it's just a cinnamon roll". One bite later, I was running back to our stateroom to commence being sick, and then had to endure the side effects on our trip to the airport and the ride home. It's one thing to sit sadly after dinner each night watching everyone else in your party eating desserts containing dairy and nuts with no other options for the allergy sufferer, but it's another thing entirely to be repeatedly POISONED INTENTIONALLY by a waitstaff and kitchen that just can't be bothered to actually check and see if a dish contains nuts. Shame on them! Oh, I do have other complaints about Crystal, but I think trying to kill your customers probably supersedes those concerns...

Ship was elegant and clean. Bed was uncomfortable. Staff mostly friendly. Regarding the dining arrangements, It would have been great to have an evening buffet. Several times we were back on ship at the last moment and were unable to make it to the dining room.

Very nice ship. Our room was perfect for us. The staff was a combination. The maid service excellent, the butler very nice but not as thorough as he should have been. Every time I went to the front desk, they were not very warm or helpful. Most of the rest of the time around the boat, all the staff were very friendly and helpful. Lots of great activities were available and it was nice to have the narration of the canal/ updates everyday and very specific information about ports, activities, etc.