The Crystal Symphony is truly luxury cruising on a large ship!

Let's start with the staterooms, I was in a category B balcony room and it was just great. Comparable to balcony rooms on most ships it was basically just slightly larger with a private veranda and small sitting area. It had a stocked bar/refrigerator (pay to use), nice vanity area and of course the 2 twins beds that convert to one.

One of the nicest features is the bathroom, it is larger than on the Crystal Harmony (sister ship to Symphony) and has double sinks!! The bath products included Neutrogena shampoo, soap, and moisturizer replenished everyday if needed.-- Our only problem we encountered during our cruise was somehow getting charged for beverages we did not use from our minibar and the purser took care of it.

Ok, so on to the entertainment.. the shows were revue style with insanely elaborate costumes and professional singers and dancers. They were some of the best shows I've seen on a ship and definitely worth going to (sometimes we just skip the shows and head to the casino).

The food and service was excellent! One of our favorite features was a grill near the pool that was open most of the time. They served salmon burgers, turkey burgers, hamburgers, steak sandwiches, fries, salad, salsa & chips and other casual items. It was a very nice option if you were hungry and did not want room service.

There was the Asian alternative restaurant which you make reservations for that was excellent. The menu was created by a famous chef from California (can't remember the name) and I would definitely make sure you dine there at least once. There is also an Italian alternative restaurant which is fabulous too.

The food and service in the main dining room was fantastic and certainly lived up to the reputation.

Our cruise went to part of the Baltic.. Copenhagen (where we spent one night prior) and is a great city to spend extra time in; Gdansk, Poland where we went to tour a castle and had lunch.. it was interesting but somewhat depressing to see what happened there in WW2; and Stockhholm, Sweden which was beautiful and light outside until midnight when we were there (June). We stayed at the Stockholm Sheraton and it is a fabulous hotel done in the true Scandinavian style with modern teak wood furniture throughout.

Crystal is not the least expensive cruiseline, but if within your price range it truly is an excellent cruise value.



Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Couples