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Viking spoiled us!! What will we think of Crystal Symphony?


dcsam
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We had a wonderful time on the Viking Sun. Loved everything about it - especially the handicap friendliness for someone with mobility issues. And the food. And the modern decor. And....

 

There’s a great itinerary with Crystal aboard the Symphony. For those who have cruised both, would you say Crystal is a lesser experience, on par or better?

Thank you

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We had a wonderful time on the Viking Sun. Loved everything about it - especially the handicap friendliness for someone with mobility issues. And the food. And the modern decor. And....

 

There’s a great itinerary with Crystal aboard the Symphony. For those who have cruised both, would you say Crystal is a lesser experience, on par or better?

Thank you

 

Good question. I hope you have asked it in the Crystal forum as well!

 

While you are waiting for answers, search this thread for Crystal, Seaborne, Oceania, etc because answers to your question have come up in some of the most least expected threads. And there have already been a couple of threads dedicated to comparing Viking with its various competitors that have done a nice job of laying out the perceived difference. I suggest searching them out because some of those folks might not be following this forum anymore but their answer seemed helpful.

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We did the Northwest Passage cruise on crystal Serenity in August 2017 and loved the ship and all it offered. Crystal is a bit upscale for us, but we love Viking. Both lines have wonderful; food and amenities. All inclusive with Viking is the best.

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We were very happy on our 13 Oceania Cruises then came Crystal.

 

We believe there is no service like Crystal, no food like Crystal and absolutely no enrichment like that on Crystal.

We love the lectures and were busy with them every Sea day. Our only minor problem were with the small suites although we did find them very well designed which helped with the lack of space.

 

We will be trying Viking in the fall and don’t expect a Crystal experience but rather a different one which we plan to enjoy. We greatly look forward to the large suite but will miss the O and Crystal butlers and personal service,

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2 Viking Oceans past year and Crystal Symphony last month.

 

Instant flash comparison:

 

VO Cabins are much better. Food is excellent on both

Crystal is more formal. Not counting Black Tie nights nights 80% jackets in MDR compared Viking 10%. No buffet or any place you can eat in jeans or shorts in the evening on Symphony.

Slight edge to the Crystal staff . Crystal entertainment better but Viking theater much better. Enrichment tied. Crystal allows smoking in most outdoor areas including around fitness equipment. Much better beds on VO. Crystal has Casino that was mostly empty and also has a high roller area. Crystal sucks up to frequent cruisers, VO in general has a more relaxed atmosphere. Shops about the same. Symphony well maintained VO still has new car smell. Crystal includes open bar, VO includes excursions. Many veranda cabins on Symphony have obstructed views. Covered pool and outdoor movie a plus on VO. Viking tech stuff (TV, Internet, etc.) slightly better on VO . Crystal had problems communicating embarkation change, VO and Viking Air back office seldom resolve problems without escalation.

 

I posted similar comments on the Crystal board and rebuttals may be found there.

 

Since we are destination oriented, the ship is just one part of the overall cruise experience.

 

Based on ships, exclusive of itineraries, we liked Viking 1, Symphony 2, Azamara Quest 3, Oceania Riviera 4, HAL Prinsendam 5.

All of the cruises were in the past year and I am sure if we cruised on the Prinsendam a few years ago we might have had a different impression. On the Oceania, the loyalists were commenting howthings have gone downhill over the past few years

 

 

If you didn't have to walk through a cloud of smoke to get to the grill it would be a tie and we would definitely cruise on the Symphony again.

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Thank you for the comparison. We haven't cruised with Crystal yet, but I'd guess your rating is similar to my pre-cruise estimation. I can't imagine any ship being nicer than a VO. There are pros and cons to both lines, however. Hubby doesn't drink, so hate paying for that on Crystal. We weren't fond of VO excursions, and dislike paying for that too (better to do your own). So each has it's strengths. But Crystal it is. Love the itinerary, promenade deck, mostly all-inclusive, service, good food. We can't go wrong.

I am a bit concerned about the formality of Crystal. Been there and done that. We do enjoy the casual (but still nicely dressed) atmosphere of Azamara, VO and HAL.

Edited by dcsam
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Thank you for the comparison. We haven't cruised with Crystal ................... We do enjoy the casual (but still nicely dressed) atmosphere of Azamara, VO and HAL.

 

We found the excursions, pre and post stuff, and transfers on Crystal more outrageous then the others but we do our own. On VO take the included tour in ports that don't have must see or do attractions.

We felt VO was a much more casual ship then Crystal especially after 6PM.

 

Crystal does include gratuities and with few exceptions VO does not.

 

One of the things that neither has, except for some suites, is laundry by the bag pricing. Washer and Dryer are not in our cruise vocabulary.

 

DW liked the afternoon Tea in the Wintergarden and is not sure it was offered on a regular basis on the Symphony

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Interesting read for sure. For me I do see points where Crystal would outshine. We would prefer open bar and included gratuities over included excursions without a doubt. We like the more relaxed idea of Viking over the more formal, however i realize that there are a lot of people who feel exactly the opposite.

The big negative I read is the comment on smoking. Having designated smoking sections is great but this sounds as if it is open range throughout the outside public areas?

Thank you for the comparisons.

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Well, there was a smoking section on VO too. It was on the upper deck, under cover. It was located near a door, and some times that smoke would find its way into the ship. Still... it was only one designated area. It didn't bother me too much. Sounds like there's more than one area on Crystal (all of which I hope are outside)?

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Interesting read for sure. For me I do see points where Cryst.............Having designated smoking sections is great but this sounds as if it is open range throughout the outside public areas?

Thank you for the comparisons.[/quote

 

If I recall, somewhere it was stated that the designated smoking areas were on the front and back sections on the port side of the pool deck and the aft patios of some of the lower decks. In the morning we would walk from the fwd to the aft part of the pool deck and ash trays were set up on several tables at each end. Later in the day the smokers and ashtrays migrated to the entire port side. The aft part of the pool deck is an entrance to the grill, Silk and buffet. The patios (might not be the correct terminology) also housed fitness bikes. There is a cigar room on deck 6 and every once in a while the doors were left open. This is on the way to Prego.

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Well, there was a smoking section on VO too. It was on the upper deck, under cover. It was located near a door, and some times that smoke would find its way into the ship. Still... it was only one designated area. It didn't bother me too much. Sounds like there's more than one area on Crystal (all of which I hope are outside)?

I think it was out of the way on deck 8 and you didn't have to walk through it to get to any venues. Could be wrong

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Viking has a designated smoking area on Deck 8, comfortable seating, glass partitions on each side. That seems reasonable to me. Whether smoke was able to enter the ship I have no idea but if I remember correcly it was in its own area that was avoidable.

I was just a bit surprised to hear what sounded like a lenient smoking policy on Crystal. Their company and their rules. It Is helpful to know ahead of time. Thanks for further clarification.

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We’re on the Viking Sea now (first time), and were last on Crystal in 2015. We have a definite preference for new/newer ships ... state-of-the-art hardware and software. Quite honestly, we are blown away by the Scandinavian aesthetic and art on Viking. We’ve never experienced anything like it before ... from the Tree of Odin ceiling and the raven sculptures in the Wintergarden to the advanced video projection in the theater to the touch-screen coffee tables on deck 2.

 

We love relaxing in gorgeous spaces, and nothing we’ve ever cruised on before compares with the Explorer’s Lounge with its upstairs library, and the exquisite spa ... I could go on and on. And one has to admit that it’s refreshing to cruise sans casino, sans tacky photographers, sans art auctions, and sans scooters in the hallways.

 

The lectures on Viking are just as good as those on Crystal. We do, however, miss the Mac classes on Crystal (even Cunard had computer classes). And while both Crystal and Cunard offer white glove tea service, Viking’s selection of over 15 loose leaf teas is impressive; who could ever go back to pedestrian tea bags??

 

The cabins are also better insulated for noise. We’re in a Junior Suite, which is closest to the Concierge Suite on Regent. And on the topic of food, I think Regent, with its main dining room and three specialty restaurants, wins over Crystal hands down. (Although the Chilean sea bass we had last night was sublime.)

 

As others have said, you probably can’t go wrong on either line, but we are so thrilled that Viking has entered the ocean cruise market. I really think it was a game changer.

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There are cruise lines that offer computer classes? That’s fascinating. I would never have guessed that people would enjoy learning about computers on vacation. I wonder how common this is?

 

 

From the attendance at the computer classes on Crystal I would say many people like the opportunity very much.

Such classes generally take place on sea days.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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Don’t mean to harp on design, but the Viking Sea’s enormous two-level atrium is jaw-dropping gorgeous ... there can’t be anything that compares on the open seas. We’re now sitting on deck 1 with latte, and I’ve counted 13 types of chairs/sofas in the area just in the bar/living area alone. This is an interior designer’s dream! (Our favorite is the rust leather hard-back chair ... order me five!) And there are none of those standard window treatments/drapes ... just beautiful woven Nordic designs that are candy for the eyes ... to complement the Munch drawings on the nearby walls.

 

And when you walk up the main staircase and look down below the steps, instead of seeing a tiled floor, you see a beautiful rock/succulent garden. What design genius came up with this?!

 

And last but not least, the Steinways! None of those lesser grand pianos. This is an amazing touch (we have a 90-year-old Steinway baby grand at home), and truly reflects the luxury of these Viking ships.

Edited by OceanPatter
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Thanks everyone for you input. We went ahead and put our deposit down in a Crystal cruise. While the Crystal Symphony ship probably won’t b near as nice as the Viking ships, the itinerary is great. And the cost was much better too. Just hoping we can dress similarly to Viking’s dress code and leave formal attire at home.

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Thanks everyone for you input. We went ahead and put our deposit down in a Crystal cruise. While the Crystal Symphony ship probably won’t b near as nice as the Viking ships, the itinerary is great. And the cost was much better too. Just hoping we can dress similarly to Viking’s dress code and leave formal attire at home.

 

Congratulations while we have yet to try Viking, we LOVE Crystal and hope you will as well. We do not do formal and it was never “required” but rather optional.

Now our question is we like Viking this fall.

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