Hi everyone,
I came to these boards looking for information on this ship but could not find much, so I thought I would post about our experience in hopes it might help others. For reference, I have been on Carnival Cruises (twice), Disney Cruise Line (once) and Royal Caribbean International (once).
I booked this cruise around October 2020. There 6 in our group. We had XD cabins, two people in one room, and four in the other.
Embarkation
I'll start by stating one of the cons, non existent communication about the process. There was good information on the website, but for example it said nothing about the time. I had to call to ask. We got our COVID tests done at a pharmacy (our hotel concierge indicated that the labs recommended by them were all far). Despite the lack of previous communication the embarkation process was really easy. They had table set up for checking COVID tests and vaccination cards, followed by a table to check your reservation, followed by a group that would tag your luggage. From there you actually entered the port facilities. Once inside the port facilities, you were given a welcome drink (punch or cold water) and were handed the promotional material for their drink packages (more on this later). At around 2:30t this took 10 minutes as there were multiple desks and probably no one in line. Passports were checked, credit card for incidentals, and our key cards were handed over.
Muster drill
Very easy and no need to bring the life jacket.
Room
For us this cruise was the end of a broader European trip with totaled (including the cruise) 33 days. So to save some money we chose an XD category room for four people (me, husband, 19 y. o. son and 17 y. o. daughter. It was tight quarters but we survived. We had two lower beds, two upper. There was a "desk or vanity" with a chair, and an armchair with a small table beside it. It was ocean view and it had a large window and offered great views. (For comparison my parents room next door had a King size bed and a sofa, and the rest was pretty much the same (no arm chair). We had a total of 8 carryon size suitcases and 4 personal items. We were able to fit all of our luggage by doing the following: Placed 4 bags in the closet space. The three hard cases that open right in the middle fit in the open configuration under the beds. And my son's other suitcase was at the foot of one of the beds. Personal items were placed at the foot of the other bed, under the table and under the armchair. The bathroom was pretty small and my least favorite part. The toilet was in an awkward position (my parents was positioned better). The shower had a curtain and not a door, and the water always leaked into the floor of the bathroom, making a mess. There was handsoap, body wash and shampoo in dispensers. Towels were changed daily. You were not supposed to flush toilet paper. We also had a mini fridge in the room. There were bottles of water for purchase. 1 € for the small 500 mL one and 2 € for the 1.5 L one. Decor was a little dated and some things needed repair, but overall I think the size of the room was good. The one thing I will say is that we felt a lot of the squeaks and squeals of the ship. I could also hear the tv from the next cabin from my bed, which they apparently left on all night. However I was so tired I slept comfortably every night. There was a small flat screen tv in the room which we never turned one so can't comment on the programming. There were two outlets on the desk, one was American style (110 V) and another was the European style. Lucky for us we could use both. The one con is that you could feel the vibrations, squeaks and squeals from the ship. For the most part it did not bother us, too tired from our adventures.
Food
This is a smaller ship, and accordingly the food options are more limited. You do not have included food available 24/7. If you do not eat at the times listed in the daily programs for their restaurants, then you need to purchase the food (think pizza or burgers, and also room service). Dinner: Dining in the two a la carte restaurants is first come, first served. They have two such restaurants with the same menu, and a buffet restaurant. In addition, the have a specialty restaurant. You can also order some specialty items from the main restaurant (lobster, steak, etc). You are supposed to order three courses (one from appetizers, soup, salad, one main, one dessert). But you could order more things if you didn't like something, wanted more, etc. On the menu typically there were like 5 starters, 4 mains, and two desserts, one sugar free dessert, selection of fruits and selection of cheeses. Some dishes were better than others, but overall I found the food to be pretty good. The first night we went to the restaurant on the fifth floor (Olympus) and the second night to Amalfia (on the eight floor). After that we returned every night to the same set of servers on Amalfia except for the one night where we ate from a buffet. Breakfast: we had a couple of breakfasts at the Ledo Buffet (did not try the main restaurants for this) but most days we went next door to Aura (also buffet). The first day we went to Aura we approached the concierge, they asked for our room number, and they took us to a table. What we didn't know is that this place is not for everyone. Apparently only for people in decks six and seven. Not something that was announce or anything. It may be that it is only for suites, and because the ship was not full everyone in those floors could use it? Guess we won't know. Food here was the same as on the buffet side, except you could order a specialty item that varied (for example one day it was scrambled eggs with salmon). For lunch it was always the same thing, ceasar salad, minute steak and I think creme brûlée. They also made omelets and pancakes by the pool. Lunch: similar to breakfast. There was always something being served by the pool, one day it was burgers, one day it was tacos, etc. Overall I think the food was pretty good, as we did with dinner.
Activities: Included excursions There were two included shore excursiones, in Ephesus and in Rhodes. We declined the Ephesus tour and went on a private tour with Levent Solmaz. This allowed us to the see the House of Virgin Mary and also the Terrace Houses at Ephesus, which we would not have seen at the ships tour. Later I learned that apparently you can pay extra to go Virgin Mary's house (I overheard it was 15 €). We do not regret our decision. For Rhodes we did do the ships tour. As with most ship tours I have encountered over the years, it was a bit rushed. Nonetheless, I would classify it as good. They were organized, the bus was comfortable and the tour guide was very nice. Other excursions We paid for a ships tour in Crete, mainly because it was only a 5 hour stop, and we did not want to risk being out our own. We went the Palace of Knossos and Heraklion. I think the tour of the palace was great, I wish we had more time in Heraklion. I don't have much to compare with other cruise lines, but I would rate the excursions as pretty good. Shows: There was a nightly show, which lasted anywhere from 45 minutes to a little bit over one hour. There were two showings most nights, at around 9:00 pm and around 10:15 pm. On the two nights that we stayed really late in port (Mykonos and Santorini) there was only one show at 10:45 pm. Other activities: I personally did not participate in any other activities, but did witness kids drawing and making crafts, and people participating in a napkin folding class. The first night our teens attended in the organized teen meet up (usually started between 10:00 and 11:00 PM). That was a huge hit with them, to the point that they stayed way up late with the crowd of friends, from all over the world, that they met. They made a WhatsApp group and they still contact each other.
Ship common areas: This is a small ship, so it pales in comparison to the other cruises we had taken. However, it is so port intensive that it's OK (at least for us). It had a tiny pool (which I only dipped my toes in as the water was way too cold for me). It had a hot tub. Its had sports bar. There was a small shop which sold a bunch of things (from clothes to candy). There was a casino. There were two lounges a small disco, and two outdoor bars. There was also a small library and a kids area. You could definitely entertain yourself if you did not want to leave the ship when in port.
Ports and port times: This was a one week cruise with seven ports. Thessaloniki: (9:00 am - 6 pm) (totally walkable (it was hot, but we survived). We had lunch at a burger shop where we had really good burgers and fries and with water and soft drinks spent less than 10€ per person. Water at convenience stores was very cheap (like may 0.25 €). We bought bottled water and snacks (chips) to bring to the ship. Kusadasi: (1:00 - 9:00 pm) Very nice port area. Could see a small beach close by, and lots of shops and restaurants. We did spend time here since we had an excursion to Ephesus. We used Levent Solmaz, and I highly recommend him. Rhodes: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm) Took the included excursion to the Acropolis of Lindos and Citadel of the Knights, which took you to Rhodes Old Town. Rhodes Old Town is walkable from the ship although we took the bus back. There is a beach 20-30 minutes walk. We opted to go the ship for lunch, and by that time is was past 2:00 pm, and we decided going to the beach would be too rushed so we stayed on the ship. Crete: (7:00 am -12:00 pm). Very short stop. As much as I liked it, I wish we would have gone straight to Santorini and spent more time there. Did a ships tour to Palace of Knossos and Heraklion. Rushed in Heraklion. Santorini: (Tender port, 4:30 pm - 2:00 am). This was a bit too short, especially because there was a medical emergency and we left Crete about an hour late. As a result we arrived an hour late, and then we had to take a tender, and the cable car. Apparently another much bigger ship had also arrived and the line was 1.5 hours of a chaotic mess. As a result, we had two hours to see Santorini, as I wanted to ensure we would be able to take the cable car back down. We took the obligatory pictures and saw the sunset from Oia, and did not have time for much else (we had a private tour here). So this was the one port we were a bit disappointed with the timing. Mykonos: (9:00 am - 2:00 am) - There were like six other ships, (all pretty large) in port. The Crystal was the only one that docked at the new port, and provided a shuttle to the old port, where you could walk to town and do other things. We paid (10.00 € per person) for a bus to take us to Paradise Beach. We regret this. There is nowhere to sit or put your things unless you pay for a set of sunbeds with umbrellas (45 € for then ones in the back up to 80 € for the closest ones to water for two chairs and an umbrella). On top of renting the chairs, you also had to purchase minimum 15 € per person. The beach was very rocky so it really bothers your feet, and there are also large rocks in the water. We had been advised there was a beach that was a 20 minute walk from the new port, we should have done that. Or go to the small public beach at the new port. After our beach stint we went on a guided tour (private) of town and the ruins in Delos (that was a rocky ride....). We enjoyed the trip to Delos very much. We made it back to the ship to grab the last plates as they were closing be big buffet they had by the pool. We had to wait over 20 minutes for the shuttle to leave from the old port to the new one. We had planned on returning to town to experience some of the nightlife, but decided we were to tired for the hassle. For Mykonos and Santorini we used Greek Traveling. Milos: (9:00 am to 6:00 pm). This is also a tender port, and the Celestyal is the only cruise liner that stops there. They actually use the ships emergency boats to shuttle you and from the ship to the dock. From the dock there is an area with shops, restaurants and tour excursion offices. We had a private tour with Milos Experience. We saw several points of interest, and had about two hours at a beach (Kariniko).
Drinks package: This was a major beef I had. When I booked this trip, a drinks package was not even an option. They had a classics drink package which included many things, and you could pay to upgrade wines, spirits, etc. The first thing they gave me when I embarked was the promo for drinks packages. At 27.00 per person for the most inclusive one, it was a steal compared to other cruise lines. However, the classic drinks package was significantly reduced, especially in the cocktails section (now there is only two cocktails for you to choose from and one is a bloody mary...). I complained about this because we were notified of this and did not budget for it. As a result, they programmed our cards so that we could ask for all the drinks that were included in the "old" classics drinks menu. For us this was sufficient. The drinks are pretty light, so you can ask for double shots of liquor. They had to scan you card every time they served you even if it was water. The servers were plentiful, so it was always easy to get a drink. No self service stations for anything, not even water.
Service: Excellent.
Miscelaneous: Process for tender tickets as easy and first come first serve. They had photographers but were not pushy, and you could easily miss them. My parents purchased the pictures, so I can't comment on the price. We did not use the WIFI. We have TMobile which worked great and at no extra cost in Europe. Because we were sailing so close to the islands most of the time, there were very few instances in which we lost coverage.
Overall: We went with the expectation that this was a floating three star hotel, that would take us to some of the beautiful islands. We were pleasantly surprised. We really enjoyed our week. If I had to do it over again, I would.
