Keith1010

I can't find a model number but it is a Nespresso and Krups on top. I've taken a photo of it plus a photo of one of the coffee pods which they have on board. Keith

The Holiday Cruise celebrates Chanukah (even though this year it has past), Christmas and New Years.

I looked at the pool area on my way to and from Paddle Tennis today and while busy there were several chairs and lounges available so all good. Keith

We heard Waterside was mobbed the first day with a line out the door to the Cove when it opened which is why we dined in Osteria which was quiet. Last night there was about 20 people inn front of us when we arrived when the door opened but overall not busy. On the first two cruises we would arrive when it opened at 6:15 no line and very few people there and noticed it was busy with many arriving 7:30 but one show which was later so for us service was perfect. We prefer taking our time so we like to dine for 90 minutes to 120 minutes. It was windy yesterday so didn't look crowded by the pool area when I went by there to and from Paddle Tennis. While the ship is sold out it does not feel crowded. Keith

Thank you Patty and I agree with you both about The Bistro. In my case I am up so early that I use the coffee machine in our room. In earlier years of cruising t\The Bistro and Anne Marie used to bring her own coffee. Keith

A couple of additional items. With a sold out ship you are seeing two shows most evenings. Also, Waterside opening 6:00 PM rather than 6;15 PM to provide more time for those wishing to go to a 7:45 PM show. Keith

Merry Christmas from the pool deck on board Serenity.

I know there have been some questions on a couple of items. I believe someone had asked a couple months ago about whether or not they drain the pools at night. They do and a netting is over them. Other was about The Bistro on Serenity and on this cruise it is self service. I know some prefer it one way or the other way. As they say, it is as it is. Supper Club tonight. This is only on Serenity as they have Stardust which accommodates this. As I mentioned on the Inaugural Cruise capacity reduced recognizing various factors including waitstaff needed. This evening Tastes will be closed so waitstaff can assist in other dining venues on a formal night. Tonight is a Captain's Welcome Party. There will be a separate one for Crystal Society in a few days. Doing this separately is an exception but this will vary based on various factors including the length of the cruise and even the type of cruise such as this being the Holiday Cruise. To those who ask is Crystal making use of Junior Activity Directors the answer is yes if there is a sufficient number of children to justify this. I believe there are four JAD's on this cruise. Keith

A very Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate this holiday. And for everyone else enjoy the holiday season. Since boarding on 12/23 we have had an amazing cruise. It is always a celebration sailing with Crystal and sailing on a holiday and/or when celebrating an anniversary, birthday or some other milestone adds to this as well. Great dinner at Waterside last evening. Food is super and as I've mentioned even better than before. Service superb. Beautiful dining venue. And you don't have to do the cooking or cleanup yourselves LOL. I am adding menus from last evening and the Reflections Program from today. Happy Holidays and Cheers Keith

A very Merry Christmas Eve from Serenity. Keith

Cruise Critic Many thanks for the kind, Bon Voyage wishes and comments. They are very much appreciated. As they say there is no place like home. Before and after the muster drill we ran into several guests some who we knew already and some for the very first time. The general comment from guests we spoke with was how well embarkation was handled. We are sailing with a full ship. It was great that the debarkation process went well. The Miami terminal was busy. There were some very large ships in port and the maximum total of 9. Many people I checked with seemed to get their luggage relatively quickly which is always nice. As always it was wonderful to see not only the Crystal Society members but the amazing Crystal Serenity Crew. There were some surprises as well with some crew here who I didn't think we would see this time around or until we sailed Symphony. The crew is as excited as they were on those first two cruises and their positivity, professionalism and warmth radiates throughout the ship. Thy are truly amazing and the heart and soul of the ship. The ship looks very festive with all the holiday decorations adding to the festivities of the holiday cruise. We enjoyed a great dinner at the Osteria Italian Specialty Restaurant. We had dined here a few times on the July/August sailings. It's a beautiful dining venue with superb cuisine and the amazing service of the Osteria team. For those who have dined here before the lighting can now be dimmed and last evening was the first night they used a new color of tablecloth which is no longer white and also added to the contrast to the white china. The taste of each item is magnificent starting with a special item from the chef and continuing through dessert. We also enjoyed the three different types of rolls. There have been a couple of tweaks to the menu including the veal which is no longer on a bone. We tried the veal, and it was very tasty. We dined early, and it was quiet with more guests arriving between 7:00 and 7:30. Today is the first of two sea days and this is one of the many areas and this is an example of Crystal being exceptional at sea. Lots of activities on the schedule with great lectures, and so much other enrichment to enjoy. Then there is the food. We had a great day. Walks together and by ourselves. Catching up with crew and guests. Paddle Tennis in the afternoon despite the winds. Lots of cruising friends to play with. We're in a happy place. Happy Holidays. Keith

Dwight some of those ladies such as Olga, Pauline and Mama Lee have the Serenity record for sure. Keith

Enjoying the ship this morning catching up with guests and the crew. We feel so at home. While we were with cruise consultant Andrew next to his desk and outside Waterside was an array of cookies and when we returned to our room the was a nice platter of desserts. I guess those elves have been very busy. Keith

I'll post later about dinner from last evening but just wanted to say how much we enjoyed Osteria. I know. It does't work for everyone but for us it works very well. In our case, while we enjoyed Prego most of the food there are items we could find in many Italian restaurants in the USA and my wife being half Italian could easily cook and utilize her own recipes some of which were passed down to her. The items at Osteria are ones you wouldn't find in the majority of restaurants in the USA other than some very high end restaurants. If you want to dine there ever couple of evenings you will become bored but to me this is why they call this a specialty restaurant. Waterside's cuisine has been upgraded and some people I know who had issues with Waterside before Crystal is restarted tell me they enjoy Waterside a lot more. Anyway, we thought the food last night was superb. Food was tasty. Presentation fabulous. Add to this impeccable service and a beautiful dining venue and for us this is a recipe for success. The veal is now prepared differently and no longer a veal chop and it was a thick cut and very tasty. Happy Holidays. Keith

Thank you for your very kind words. They mean a lot. We were speaking with two couples yesterday after the lifeboat drill about how special Crystal has been to so many people and that includes guests, crew and enrichment and entertainers. Thankfully new Crystal has returned and I do believe new Crystal is even better. Keith

Lighting is not great in the room and I don't want to go down to the cover to take photos as I did in August so let's see how this works.

I walked into Umi Uma a little while ago and to me they don't look as bright but for me before was not a big deal. I will ask when we dine there but as I say I think they've adjusted them. Keith

Well that means I won't be posting them. Rather than taking photos of them I went to Crystal's intranet site and took screen shots using iPhone and posted them. Oh well.

Many thanks for the kind Bon Voyage wishes and comments. They are very much appreciated. As they say there is no place like home. We spoke with several guests yesterday including some we have sailed with and some we have met in person for the first time. The general comment was how well embarkation was handled. We are sailng with a full ship. It was great that the debarkation process went well. The Miami terminal was busy. There were some very large ships in port and the maximum total of 9. Many people I checked with seemed to get their luggage relatively quickly which is always nice. As always it was wonderful to see not only guests but the amazing Crystal Serenity Crew. There were some surprises as well with some crew here who I didn't think we would see this time around or until we sailed Symphony. The crew is as excited as they were on those first two cruises and their positivity, professionalism and warmth radiates throughout the ship. Thy are truly amazing and the heart and soul of the ship. I am posting the Reflections Program from yesterday and today. Cheers, Keith

Not sure. We'll find out when we visit in a few days. Keith

Nine ships in port today. You will find 7 to 9 ships in port on a Saturday between November thru the next couple of months. Saturday and Sunday are the most popular for cruise lines such as Carnival, MSC, Royal Caribbean and NCL and then add to this some other lines. Most offer 7 days cruises and this way people don't have to take time off from work. Keith

We are not used to sailing so late out of Miami. This is the benefit of having two sea days over the next two days. Today has been great. We have met lots of guests who we have known for many years and others we know from CC. OK now the most important things. The lighting in Osteria has been adjusted so for those who thought it was too bright the light has been lowered. And, they changed out the table cloths so they are not white but are like a light berry. Food was perfect. More tomorrow. Keith

Yep nights

On the milestone chart I mentioned toward the bottom it shows this. For sailings 16 days or more you get 2 cruise credits. Wonderful that you are taking the World Cruise. Happy Holidays. Keith

And easy peasy boarding in Terminal E. Serenity was easy to spot even though we were the smaller of the ships in port today with eight other ships. Keith