The difference between 5.5 star and 6 star is evident! Crystal seriously takes care of you! Start to finish!
Crystal Symphony Cruise Review to Alaska
7 Night Glaciers And Gold (Vancouver To Anchorage)
Sail date: June 03, 2018
Ship: Crystal Symphony
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 8005
Traveled as: Singles/Friends
Reviewed: 6 years ago
Review summary
I am comparing this cruise with Crystal with a 5.5 star transatlantic with a Celebrity Reflection Aqua class cruise I took. The linens and cleanliness is comparable, but on board the difference between 5.5 and 6 star is very evident! The front desk and excursion staff never got short or exasperated with passengers. The staff uniforms were crisp. It is smaller than Celebrity, but I found I actually liked that, as it was never crowded. There was always a place to get a great view for photos of the glaciers. The caliber of passenger etiquette made a huge difference. There was never anyone reaching over you at the buffet line. People were polite and friendly. As a solo woman traveler, I found it very very comfortable. Easy to meet people or stay solitary. Whatever you do in Alaska, DO NOT MISS the float plane experience! My hands down favorite excursion was Misty Fjords, where we flew over snow covered peaks, across glaciers, and landing in a high mountain lake. I got to stand outside on the pontoon! TIP: try to be the last one on board and he will make you the co-captain and you will sit in the front with the pilot!!! I cannot say anything bad about this Crystal cruise because it was so perfect, which is unusual. The Crystal staff is not overworked and pushed to exhaustion as other cruise lines do. They are well rested, go on shore and absolutely love working for Crystal which...actually enhances a passengers on board experience. I felt like an honored guest on this cruise. Now they have “open seating”. TIP: Book your specialty restaurant dinners way in advance! Crystal has a huge following of repeat customers who know to book UMA UMA quickly. If you wait until you are on board you won’t get in. Their SeaBass was extraordinary!!!! ( to die for!!!) Passengers get to dine once in each specialty restaurant free of charge. Additional dining is inexpensive. But the MAIN DINING ROOM is very beautiful with 10 star service. The food was fabulous! Also my favorite was the Brazilian steakhouse with favorite meat being the “short rib” which is not s rib, but a medallion of beef. All the lamb, steak, chicken, shrimp you can eat. Plus delicious creamed spinach, one of my favorite meals. Being a solo woman traveler I was very comfortable. You make friends in the excursions. My advice to anyone considering this cruise is take as many excursions as you can. Do not be frightened by helicopter landing on a glacier! These are experienced companies with good new equipment and... it is a lifetime memory. It would be a shame to miss the helicopter or flight plane! (My favorite was the flight plane.) formal night was cancelled much to the disappointment of guests who went to great lengths to bring tuxedos and formal gowns. Dress on this Alaska cruise was far more casual than I expected on Crystal. Even at the high tea, where the staff wore misfitting Venetian costumes, passengers were still in their excursion clothing, including tennis shoes. The fitness area is wonderful. They had treadmills that would incline which is my favorite. And there are full glass windows for views of the majestic mountains. I would do this exact cruise again and take different excursions. It was fabulous. Oh... additionally, disembarkation was beyond the best I’ve ever experienced. No loud speaker announcements. You are treated like a valued guest even after departure. All the way until you step out at the airport. It’s incredible that they have so many people on shore to make sure you are taken care of.Embarkation
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Ship tip
Do NOT book a massage with the young man. I was certain he was a begginer masseuse, not knowledgeable with hot stones and deep tissue, only to learn he’d been with Crystal for ten years. Crystal needs to know how bad he was! I am still limping (two days later) from him pushing my thigh muscles around in an unknowledgable way.
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3 Comments
gatorhotline 6 years ago