Prepare to be Pampered
Written: Jan 04 '01 (Updated Jan 04 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Unbelievable luxury, terrific shipboard amenities, gourmet food, sumptuous service
Cons: Older scene
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| 10486300's Full Review: Crystal Symphony |
I just returned from a 14-day cruise on board the Crystal Symphony and I think I've just experienced a piece of heaven. My parents and I took a Panama Canal holiday cruise which left Ft. Lauderdale, stopped in Key West, Cartagena, Puntarenas, Acapulco, and ended in LA. It was a phenomenal trip. At first I was somewhat apprehensive at the prospect of spending two weeks on a large cruise ship (800+ passengers) which I thought would be full of senior citizens. (Nothing against the elderly, but I'm still in college.) Yes, there were plenty of old folks, but a good number of young families and kids on vacation too. The scenery was beautiful and the ports were fascinating, but I'll focus my review on the ship itself.
The Crystal Symphony and her sister ship, the Crystal Harmony are nearly identical. They vary somewhat in their size and minor details. I have been on both, and this review should suffice for either ship.
First of all, this ship is big -- 12 decks. Unlike other cruise lines which try to pack in their passengers, the emphasis with Crystal Cruises is luxury. The staterooms are incredibly spacious and most of them have private verandas which are a wonderful amenity. All have private baths with either showers or shower/tub combos. There are tons of large public areas on board: 3 large lounges and several small ones, over 6 bars, a gym and spa, hair salon, movie theater, casino, library, computer lab, card lounge, two pools on deck, paddle tennis court, 2 golf driving nets, ping-pong tables, an infirmary, and more. In shory, everything. It's amazing what they can pack into a cruise ship these days. But listing all of these amenities just scratches the surface. By far the most impressive part of the cruise was the service.
Every cabin has a stewardess. The penthouse cabins have a stewardess and a BUTLER. They will do anything for you. Sheets are changed every day, towels delivered fresh morning and night, clothes folded for you, bathrooms washed, floor vacuumed DAILY. All done with a charming Scandanavian smile and a curtsey. During the day, waitresses and deck stewards bring you clean towels to your deck chair, beverages, sun tan lotion, and food if you wish. At meals, European waiters serve you with the utmost professionalism. These are not college kids moonlighting as waiters so they can cruise around the world, these guys are pros. Head waiters prepare any dish you want that is not on the menu at your table - Dover Sole, rack of lamb, Crepe Suzettes, Saltzburger Nockle (Sp?), baked Alaska, the list goes on, and speaking of food . . .
One expects the food on a cruise ship to be pretty good at best. I was blown away by the quality of the meals on board the Crystal Symphony. I have eaten at some of the best restaurants in New York, Boston, London, Rome and Paris, and the food on board this ship rivaled the meals I've had at these places. Don't ask me how they keep everything so fresh and tasty, I don't know. At every dinner, there were at least 6 entree options, 4 appetizers, and 3 soups. Vegetarians are well looked after. The desserts were incredible too. As I mentioned above, all served by a highly-trained wait staff.
Despite all of this high praise, I feel like I'm still not doing justice to this cruise ship. Everything was just perfect. Shore excursion options (all arranged by the ship's staff) were very interesting although not terribly active in nature. Every stateroom has a color TV with VCR. The ship gets ESPN and CNN via satellite in addition to 3 movie channels. The library has a nice video collection. Oh yeah, and if you find a speck of dirt, let me know. The crew cleans, washes, and polished EVERY SURFACE of the ship EVERY night. You see, now I'm just rambling to cover everything I remember. I should stop here. GO ON THIS SHIP, or it's sister, the Harmony. You are in for a treat. It's really expensive, but worth every penny and you will have the cruise of a lifetime. Happy Cruising!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
10486300
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Location: New York and Boston
Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 2 members
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