Crystal Symphony Cruise Reviews - Reviews

This was a great cruise overall for our first trip to Asia. However due to the negative experiences noted in this review, it is not likely that we will book another Crystal Cruise anytime in the foreseeable future.

Crystal is getting there, but still has some glitches compared to the last cruises in Jan 2021 (we were on the Symphony on its last sailing). Having first sailed on Crystal in May 1994--and proudly watched as they continued their string of "best ship" wins for many years, Crystal will have to do a lot to ever get back there. It's going to be in the details (such as not keeping the aft decks clean), and returning to better meals, especially dinners. The Crystal of today is not even in the same league as the Crystal of yesteryear. The bright spot is that the staff is still the best!

It is wonderful to have Crystal back in operation. There is certainly no drop off in service and pampering. Their standards definitely surpass anything we’ve found on the seas or on land before. We’ve now rejoined the ship for another week around Italy and looking forward to another wonderful cruise.

As always, a great relaxing cruise with Crystal quality and style

Crystal always provides topnotch service. Itinerary was not key to this trip. Just wanted to get away and be pampered. The ship was not crowded and there were plenty of activies to satisfy everyone.

Loved the ship and exceptional service. Hated the disembarkation process.

Overall, this was by far the best cruise experience I've had with 6 other cruises. First time on crystal and definitely will not be the last. Literally, the only negative i would say is that the boat moves a lot and vibrates a lot. I don't know whether i'm just used to much larger ships with the other cruise lines but 2 of the 5 nights it was impossible to sleep because of the vibrations. The seas were not rough either. Again, my overall experience greatly outweighed this one negative but it is worth mentioning. The food was superb and we are tough critics. I would like to add we are in our early 30s and were definitely the youngest by about 30 years but that didn't bother us at all. It was very quiet everywhere. We were usually the only ones in the casino. The staff was extremely attentive, and you were being offered something within 45 seconds of sitting down to eat int he buffet or at a table. The drinks were very well made! Again we can't wait to cruise Crystal again!

Very enjoyable experience primarily due to crew complement and service. Ports were very nice Excursion prices were high compared to other cruise lines that offer one free excursion in Each port. Ship environment was geared towards older people. Would not recommend this cruise line for kids. Food was excellent. Gym and Sauna were excellent. Entertainment and cruise activities were below par. Our penthouse stateroom was excellent.

Overall, it is a great cruise. I do not think that you need a room with Verandah for this particular destination. You can enjoy the best view by going to high deck or deck 7. For us, we did not use Verandah because it is just too cold outside when sailing. I would recommend saving your money by selecting cheaper room.

Great cruise. Plenty of sea days to enjoy the ship's programs.

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.

Great food, moderate sized ship, clean, gracious crew.

This is second time reviewing this Cruise for United. The run did not go to Santa Cruz at all. The main destination is the great ship and all its’ venues. So many choices of activities. The best for us was cruising and enjoying the Crystal

I love this cruise line and my experience. Once you have cruised with Crystal and enjoyed the fantastic food and service, you will look at Crystal offerings before considering any other.

We visited six ports of call in 10 days. The organized tours helped us make the best use of time in port. Lots of activities on ship made for fun and variety. The ship itself is like a floating four star hotel. Almost any need was anticipated in advance. The regular wines included in the tour were great selections, much better than typical everyday fare. Several different eating venues with convenient times, good variety, and great service helped to round out a vacation of a lifetime. We can't waiting to cruise again.

Service was very good as was food. Would have been nice to stay in Estonia overnight. Seemed because of time of year perhaps, that tour sites were very crowded.

Second time on Symphony and can't wait to get back.  First class service all the time, never a let up.

Great ports of call in Beijing and all over Japan.  They took the entire ship to Beijing for a three day, two night excursion, all part of the cruise fee, nothing additional.  On top of that, the accommodations and food were first class and the sightseeing just incredible.  We had an amazing tour guide the entire three days, Oscar on Bus #22, and his contributions were essential in making Beijing a memorable stop.

Japan is in full bloom with cherry blossoms so every stop was beautiful. All the stops were exciting.  The ship made the decision to miss a port to avoid possibly being stranded in the strait for a couple of days, courageous and correct decision and one that was well communicated to the entire ship.

We had one problem on an excursion and Crystal immediately refunded our cost to us.

Food was incredible.  Just cruised on Celebrity Solstice around New Zealand two months ago and they are about five levels below Crystal.  Nice having all inclusive cruising as well, even though we don't drink.

We loved the destinations, all were up to our expectations and Crystal really know how to treat a guest.

would recommend this to experience many places without unpacking/packing and flying constantly.  great itinerary   Our cruise specialist, Trisha Kirkbride (luxury cruise agent)was great and always took care of every detail    Would highly recommend her.

The overall experience was extremely positive but then we got very lucky and fortunate which improves everything. We were assigned a table of six for the early seating. We ended up with two other couples who we had so much fun with that the highlight of each day was having dinner with them.  The cruise was under booked with about 550 guests. They had about 480 staff and crew on board so you could not move far without someone helping you or serving you. Food was excellent in all aspects of the club. We did not do Prego or Silk Road much as we wanted to enjoy our friends in the main dining room. Those two places were very good as well. The Lido Cafe for breakfast/lunch was exceptional. Trident Grill makes an excellent hamburger. Most of our excursions were cultural in nature and we found them very informative and enjoyable. Others on board had excursions that they felt less positive about. I really thought the "at sea" lecture series to be one of the highlights of the cruise. What fantastic people sharing their experiences. The evening entertainment was also very good especially the show "Imagination". Thee were some "hiccups" at times but in a three week cruise this can be considered inevitable. Some friends had less positive experiences in terms of services rendered and excursion availability but these were more exceptions rather than normal practices. Overall ships comfort was impressive. Some rough sea days (10 feet + seas) made walking about interesting but not impossible. Stabilizers did an impressive job!!! I would be happy to take a Crystal Cruise again. I am not sure I would fly 20 hours to do so.

First of all, Crystal Cruise Lines was so far above any other line we've sailed with, in terms of service, food, accommodation and ambiance, with only 900 passengers and almost 600 crew, that it defies description. The only extra charges were for excursions. Everything else is included, even special dietary requirements, different wines if the current day's offering was not to my satisfaction, and four seatings at the speciality restaurants. It makes for a completely relaxing environment for the entire trip. Add to that the interesting speakers, bridge teacher, and other attractions, as well as a fabulous itinerary around New Zealand, and this was one amazing trip. 

Milford Sound, New Zealand (fiord)