There are many beautiful stories that have been told about Crystal Cruises and how they constantly exceed expectations. Two of our luxury cruise experts of the Sovereign team; Caroline Latham and Megan Chan, recently embarked on a 7 night voyage to the Mediterranean with Crystal; the world’s most awarded luxury cruise line. Overall they were extremely impressed with the high quality service, entertainment and accommodation that is offered on board. Caroline and Megan both discuss their daily Crystal experience below, which is worth a read if you are considering a future Crystal luxury voyage.
Day 1
We arrived in Malta and joined the elegant Crystal Serenity on the 31st of October 2015. We were greeted with a warm welcome and a glass of champagne. After a brief sit down at the bar we were able to enter our luxurious balcony stateroom. With a shower over bath and a double marble sink the bathroom is one of the best I’ve seen at sea! And with a queen sized bed and a fully stocked mini bar we were set for our travels.
The decor of the stateroom is beautiful and very modern complete with a sitting area and a larger than average balcony. After unpacking we set to explore the ship and familiarise ourselves with what’s on board. The highlight so far for me is the top pool deck. The loungers are so relaxing and you sit down for less than two minutes before being offered a drink and blanket!
The whole ship is so modern I am so excited for dinner and seeing everything come to life! Before dinner we were invited the the Captains suite to meet all of the directors on board and be introduced to Crystal. This wasn’t just for our group but all passengers and I thought it was a lovely personal touch. There were waiters with canapés and champagne and everyone introduced themselves and then mingled with the guests.
Dinner was incredible. We ate in the Crystal Main Dining restaurant and the food was stunning. I opted for garlic prawns to start and a fillet stick for my main and of course cookie dough ice cream shortly followed. The atmosphere around the ship during the evening was great, everyone was in high spirits enjoying the dancing and the array of beverages in the bars. After dinner with the other agents we went to the Avenue Saloon for cocktails. Avenue Saloon is on deck 6 and is one of the many vibrant bars on board. With a nautical theme and music playing via a piano it was a nice calming atmosphere. Being a long day we both called it a night shortly after. What an amazing first day!
Day 2
Today we are at sea and the sun is beaming through our balcony. After a brief agent meeting we decided to go back to our stateroom for breakfast on the balcony, before exploring the remainder of the ship. It is lovely to see the ship in the sunshine with everyone out on top deck relaxing and having a lovely time. The sun was shining, the food was amazing and the background sound of the waves made it such a relaxing place to be. Shortly after breakfast we decided to explore more of the ship and sit out in the sun around the pool area. The sun lounges were so comfortable and the waiters were always around to provide you with drinks.
Lunch was in the form of room service and we even asked for something off the main menu and it was no problem at all. The staff on board are always happy to help and meet your every need. They know your name and your drink, and nothing is too much to ask. Tonight is our formal evening and all the agents decided to eat together again in the main dining room. After dinner which consisted of 3 courses of heaven, we went back to the Avenue Saloon bar. After a few cocktails we called it a night.
Day 3
Today we woke up in Mallorca. We disembarked and went exploring shortly after waking up. As you disembarked the ship, there were umbrellas you could take with you, however we unfortunately forgot so we got rained on! Disembarking the ship was so easy and they made it very clear where you had to go to catch the shuttle bus to the Centre of Mallorca. Once off the shuttle bus we walked towards a beautiful cathedral. It was absolutely stunning and made well for some holiday photos! Walking through the side streets of Mallorca we found some small shops that sold souvenirs and came across an array of restaurants, cafes and bars. The main shopping area was filled with designer brands. Unfortunately getting caught in the rain without an umbrella meant we had to return to the ship for a spot of lunch.
The space on the Crystal Serenity is so impressive with its award-winning design that offers some of the highest space-to-guest ratios in the industry. Not once have we waited in a queue for anything. Nowhere is ever full or busy either which helps the relaxation on board. After arriving back on board we continued to explore and visited the award-winning Crystal Spa & Salon, the only Feng-Shui-inspired spa at sea that offers massages, dry saunas, steam rooms, whirlpools, relaxation area and separate facilities for men and women.
We had lunch in the grill where the waiters all know us by name now which is a lovely touch. After a relaxed lunch we went to see some of the other luxury staterooms on board with the Sales Manager Nikki. We saw the penthouse suites and had a chance to ask any questions we needed. We met a few directors too who were all lovely and they gave us a real feel for life on board as crew.
Tonight we have dinner at tastes. This restaurant is casual al fresco style dining with a nice variety of tapas. We ate with a few other agents in our group and all ordered a lovely selection of dishes. This restaurant is my favourite part of the ship. The plants and lights make you feel you are in a peaceful garden and the roof retracts when the weather is warmer. After dinner we decided we wanted a quiet evening and went to watch a movie in the cinema. Crystal provide popcorn and you are able to take drinks and blankets into the cinema with you. The movie ended and we retired to bed. Today was another beautiful day on my definite favourite ship.
Day 4
Today we are in Barcelona for our overnight stay and the weather is beautiful and sunny. After a needed rest we had a late breakfast and set out exploring the city. We wandered around and found a man with a bike and carriage. He charged us a small fee and took us for a 30 minute ride round Barcelona seeing sites and the beach, it was so beautiful! We also did some shopping and walked up the Ramblas.. It reminded me slightly of Covent Garden in London.
When we got back on board we went to the Bistro for coffee and a snack – this bar has a lovely variety of cheese, meats, cakes, biscuits, fruits and even scones. After a while we went back to our room to do some needed chores and slowly got ready for dinner at Prego.
Tonight we were set to dine in Prego, one of the speciality restaurants on board. The food was delicious and my personal favourite dish was the mushroom soup in a bread cup. Shortly after dinner we went to the Galaxy Lounge to watch the show. Tonight was local entertainment which was Flamenco Dancing. It was absolutely brilliant and great to experience a part of the Spanish culture. Crystal Cove was our next venue the evening as we met the rest of the group for some after dinner drinks. Crystal Cove is a bar located in the Atrium. It’s a really lovely area and they usually have a group of violinists to entertain the passengers while enjoying a beverage.
Day 5
Another beautiful morning in Barcelona! We woke early for breakfast on the balcony which never disappoints. We got ready and took the shuttle back in to Barcelona. After a stop in a local bar for a drink we walked up the Ramblas before catching one of the hop-on-hop-off buses for a tour around the local Barcelona sights. The roofless bus has headsets for you to listen to the local history and it was very informative.
We boarded the ship a little later and had lunch in the Bistro. After a nice light lunch we sunbathed on the loungers on the aft of the ship close to our room, before heading to Palm Court for afternoon tea. This was definitely worth the experience and I would recommend to anyone.
After heading back to the room for a bit we then went to dinner at Silk Road, the other speciality dining restaurant on board. Silk Road is a mixture of Asian flavours from the famous restaurant Nobu and you can have any dishes from two menus, one being sushi! Sushi is my favourite type of food so I was really in my element and after eating here we booked it again for the following night. Tonight we went for drinks at Avenue Saloon and in Pulse (the nightclub) where the DJ took personal requests. A few drinks and we called it a night ready for our final day!
Day 6
Today we woke up in Toulon, our final destination. The sun was shining and the views were really quaint and pretty. After a light late breakfast at the Bistro we headed out to explore. We walked through the streets and found a local French market. The buildings here are lovely and I could never get bored of the view.
We got back on board for lunch and visited the Lido restaurant for the buffet lunch, where we were spoilt for choice. We then caught the last rays of sun by the pool before heading back to our room to pack. This evening we have the farewell cocktail party and another Silk Road reservation. We were going to visit Tastes again but, unfortunately they were closed tonight.
Dinner again was beautiful and I tried some other cultural flavours which were beautiful. Saying goodbye to everyone was sad, we got to know most of them so well but tomorrow we arrive in Monte Carlo and will be flying home.
If you like most things in life, this ship will cater to you. We were treated the same as all the guests on board and we got to know some of the lovely staff. It has been a pleasure to call this ship my home and I will always remember such a wonderful trip!
Overall we were extremely impressed with Crystal and we would both definitely travel with them again! Everything from the décor on the ship to the service of the staff amazed us. Without a doubt, we would recommend this cruise line to anyone who fancies a luxurious break away.