It’s A Crystal Family Affair – Return To Crystal & Crystal Serenity

[USCAdventurer]

what a fabulous dinner, keith.  the food looks great and i'm sure the wines were wonderrul.  who's that handsome man with the gorgeous woman?  looks like a nice way to spend an evening with friends.  the photos are terrific too.  did you go inside the guggenheim museum?  its one place i'd like to visit some day.

[Keith1010]

7 minutes ago, USC Adventurer said:

what a fabulous dinner, keith.  the food looks great and i'm sure the wines were wonderrul.  who's that handsome man with the gorgeous woman?  looks like a nice way to spend an evening with friends.  the photos are terrific too.  did you go inside the guggenheim museum?  its one place i'd like to visit some day.

Thank you so much.

 

We did go to the museum on a prior visit.

 

Keith

[ctjon]

Not the most exciting ice cream flavors.

 

Does anyone know if there are gluten free meals on board - if needed do you need to let them know before the cruise?

[tryber]

4 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

 

Last evening, we hosted a private Vintage Room. Including us, six people in attended. Food, Wine and Service was amazing. Took photos of most everything but missed the risotto.  Head Sommelier Jiri did a wonderful job as usual and he was assisted by a terrific team. Many thanks for the Executive Chef Werner and Pastry Cef Johann for coming towards the end when we had a special dessert. We learned so much about the history of each vineyard and the wine which we were to enjoy. An amazing evening.

 

For those of you who have not done this type of Vintage room on Serenity you can have 14 people. We chose 6 so for the same price we will have finer winers since with 14 you will consume many more bottles than with six. We try to keep it small so we can have one conversation most of the time but whether its 14 or less you will still enjoy some very impressive wine and learn a lot about wine.

 

I’ve included some photos from The Trident Grill.

 

We were docked by 9:00 AM for the next port-of-call Bilbao Spain. Crystal provided a shuttle between the cruise terminal and the city center. Bilbao is the capital of the province of Vizcaya, which is situated on the western part of the Basque country. It is the home of the Guggenheim Museum and from what we learned this is what made this city what it is today. It attracts visitors from Spain, the rest of Europe and from areas around the world. This city is also the gateway to the Cantabrico Sea.

 

We continue to have a wonderful time on Crystal Serenity doing all the things we enjoy and being with so many special people, crew and guests.

Cheers

 

 

 

 

 

Those are some very impressive wines.  I'm sure the food was good, but the Vintage Room dinners are all about the wine.  What was the cost for that one?

[Roland4]

1 hour ago, tryber said:

 

Those are some very impressive wines.  I'm sure the food was good, but the Vintage Room dinners are all about the wine.  What was the cost for that one?

In 2018 we did an Australian Guest Chef's Vintage Room dinner and we had something like six bottles of Penfold's Grange at $900.00+ per bottle! I suspect it costs a lot more now!

[Keith1010]

9 hours ago, tryber said:

 

Those are some very impressive wines.  I'm sure the food was good, but the Vintage Room dinners are all about the wine.  What was the cost for that one?

I didn't ask if the price from previous private VR's went up so am unsure of the cost at this time.

 

When I do these they have kept to what is the standard cost, but we normally keep to five to seven people so you can keep to one bottle pairing. We like them to build up and included one or two very special wines.  We've gone with themes at times and I remember one-time having guests figure out did it come from Napa or Bordeaux.

 

Keith

[dimundsR]

Can I be your friend?  I'll be on Symphony April and May of 2024.

[Keith1010]

3 hours ago, dimundsR said:

Can I be your friend?  I'll be on Symphony April and May of 2024.

I had a high school friend who asked if she can travel with Anne Marie and myself after seeing some photos.  🤣

 

We will be on Symphony in 2024 but not in that April/May time frame.

 

 

[Keith1010]

13 hours ago, tryber said:

 

Those are some very impressive wines.  I'm sure the food was good, but the Vintage Room dinners are all about the wine.  What was the cost for that one?

I would prefer not to post the cost but not much higher than the last time we did this which was 2020 as we didn't do a VR during the Bahama Cruises.

 

The red that we enjoyed with the beef received a 100 rating.

 

We were with people who truly appreciate wine as we do.  

 

Champagne was great too.  

 

Tomorrow we expect to taste some very good wine at lunch and at a Chateaux.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

Last evening, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner with Fernando Barroso de Oliveira who is the Crystal Ambassador. We had a delightful evening and there was never a pause in the conversation, and we enjoyed laughs throughout the evening. We shared travel experiences with one another and enjoyed getting to know Fernando. The food was great too as was the service. We were taken great care by Head Waiter Sigi, Waiter Albert, and Sommelier Adrian.

 

It is great to be back on-board Crystal Serenity doing all the things we enjoy and being with so many special people, crew and guests. 

He will be on-board the early sailings of Symphony, other sailings and the Full World Cruise.

 

After all guests were on-board the featured entertainment was James Fox who sang songs Billy Joel, Leo Sayer, The Eagles, Elton John and other artists.

 

With an arrival to Bordeaux this evening, today was what you might expect a sea day to be the Crystal way. This included three lectures; destination lecture about Bordeaux by Dr. Kenneth Pearl, a talk on about traveling in space by Astronaut Dr. Jefrey Hoffman and a talk in the afternoon given by Entertainment Lecturer Gregory Sherman appropriately titled Supercalifragilistic! In total, forty daytime activities and that doesn't include eating which is several activities in itself. LOL.

 

Sea days are always special with Crystal Cruises and today has been no exception. We still fit in time for walks and Paddle Tennis, eating and the enjoyment of the enrichment and conversation with the amazing Crystal Serenity Crew and fellow guests.

 

Cheers

Keith

[Keith1010]

All the times we previously were in Bordeaux on Serenity we docked at an industrial port outside the city. Since that time they dock downtown as they arrive when the tides are lower as we did last night.  It was wonderful to dine last evening as we made our way up the river and we enjoyed many spectacular views. Later we went out onto our verandah and stayed until we were docked.  It was very special. Serenity can spin like it is on a dime and not many ships can do this as we have learned.  We also had some assistance just in case.

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[happy cruising]

Keith, gorgeous photo of downtown Bordeaux - that sky is spectacular! 

[Amber14]

Hi Keith, I have really enjoyed reading your thoughts about each day of your cruise and I thank you and your wife for taking time to post them for us. I see that you and especially your wife walk the deck a lot. I am interested in how crowded it is and if there are times that it is more crowded than others. I will be on in January and will have to do 5-15 mile runs onboard and would like to use this deck. Do you ever see runners using the deck? I do not like the treadmill and can only do a few miles on one. Thanks!

[Keith1010]

1 hour ago, Amber14 said:

Hi Keith, I have really enjoyed reading your thoughts about each day of your cruise and I thank you and your wife for taking time to post them for us. I see that you and especially your wife walk the deck a lot. I am interested in how crowded it is and if there are times that it is more crowded than others. I will be on in January and will have to do 5-15 mile runs onboard and would like to use this deck. Do you ever see runners using the deck? I do not like the treadmill and can only do a few miles on one. Thanks!

We don't find it crowded at all. We walk different times but often out at 7:30 AM or 8:00 AM and my wife again around 12:30. I run from time to time. Not a problem and some run too depending on the cruise.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner last night, starting with canapés, followed by dinner. 

 

As we dined, we had breathtaking scenery as we sailed into Bordeaux. There was so much to see. This continued after dinner as we went out onto the verandah to watch until we were docked right in downtown Bordeaux.

 

Given the height of Serenity we had to arrive when the tides were low, and it was interesting to watch as we spun around as part of the approach to where we would dock. Many cruise ships cannot spin around as Serenity can and we also had a little assist with by a tug-boat.

Later in the night was White Dress Party at 10:00 PM.

 

Bordeaux looks very much like other cities in France which the beautiful architecture of its buildings. It is second to Paris as the country’s most densely populated city. Today, it is best known for its chateaux’s, wonderful cuisine and the wines produced in this region. In fact, over 3,000 wineries are in relatively short proximity to the city of Bordeaux.

 

We had thought today we had a private tour which included a visit to a Chateaux. Thank goodness I looked at the website of the restaurant we were to eat at and saw it was closed on Thursdays for lunch.  When I spoke with the Shore Excursion Manager, I realized the tour was Friday rather than Thursday which was the day we requested. Somehow, I had mistakenly added it to our excel spreadsheet for today.  Glad this was all sorted out yesterday since our tour doesn't begin until 10:30 AM tomorrow. LOL.

 

We are asked if there is still a Catholic Priest on-board and the answer is yes with Catholic Mass held each morning. Unhosted Sabbath Eve Services are held every Friday at 5:30 PM as they always have been.  On the World Cruise and on Jewish Holidays such as the high holy days, on Passover and on the Holiday Cruise the plan is to have a Rabbi on board.

 

We walked for several miles around the down area of Bordeaux retracing some of the steps we took on our first visit on the 2007 Crystal Serenity World Cruise. That visit was a Sunday when very few people were out and about in the morning. We had a wonderful time in this special city.

 

After lunch I went out by myself for a nice walk and will postt photos about it tomorrow.

 

We are enjoying a nice afternoon on board Crystal Serenity.

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

 

[Amber14]

35 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

We don't find it crowded at all. We walk different times but often out at 7:30 AM or 8:00 AM and my wife again around 12:30. I run from time to time. Not a problem and some run too depending on the cruise.

 

Keith

Sounds perfect, thank you!

[Keith1010]

Before I begin, I wanted to note how much we enjoy overnights as it provides more time to see more of an area, we visit by Cruise ship. On top of this, two overnights and almost two full days in port are wonderful for the crew. Most can get off the ship and smell the roses and get some fresh air. So happy for the crew when they can have time to relax off the ship. This has been the case the past two days. In fact, some crew were able to take bikes out and there are lots of bike lanes in Bordeaux.

 

 

Yesterday, I went out in the afternoon by myself and visited other areas including the beautiful park.  

 

Last night dinner at Waterside where we enjoyed a wonderful dinner.

 

Today we have a private tour arranged by Crystal so I am posting early and will post all about it tomorrow.

Cheers,

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[USCAdventurer]

keith, 

as ususl the pictures are wonderful.  what a beautiful park you visited.  i always try to visit parks and/or botanical gardens in new cities i visit.  i thought you were having dinner at a winery but you didn't mention it so i guess you didn't. enjoy todeay's surprise.  and the caesar salad is mouthwatering.

[JusttheTwoofUs]

5 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

 

 

Today we have a private tour arranged by Crystal so I am posting early and will post all about it tomorrow.

 

Keith, you have often mentioned private tours from Crystal.  How do you inquire about availability of these?  We might be interested in one on our cruise next year.  Does our TA just ask their regular Crystal contact, or is there some special group that either he or I can discuss this with?

[Keith1010]

1 hour ago, JusttheTwoofUs said:

Keith, you have often mentioned private tours from Crystal.  How do you inquire about availability of these?  We might be interested in one on our cruise next year.  Does our TA just ask their regular Crystal contact, or is there some special group that either he or I can discuss this with?

We coordinate this on the ship and it works out very well. Best to speak with the shore ex manager.

 

Keith

[JusttheTwoofUs]

5 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

We coordinate this on the ship and it works out very well. Best to speak with the shore ex manager.

 

Keith

Well, I guess this won't work for us, since I'd like to have this all arranged prior to our cruise, rather than wait and perhaps not have a suitable private tour available and not have any self-booked tours available.  Thanks, anyway.

[Keith1010]

We enjoyed a wonderful touring day followed by evening on Crystal Serenity.

 

Took a private tour I arranged with Crystal.  

 

Toured around the UNESCO Classified Village of St Emilion which we had visited one-time before but saw different parts of the village, lunch at a very special restaurant, followed by a visit by Land Rover through the vineyards of Chateau Tripling Mundot.  Other than one other person we had the whole place to ourselves, great tour followed by tastings of five wines.  Excellent driver, tour guide and the representative of Chateau Tripling Mundot.  

 

Fantastic dinner last evening.  We ordered in and had some items from Osteria d"Ovidio as originally we were to dine there with one other person and an amazing sail-away.

 

Cheers,
Keith

 

 

They presented us with this wine box with a nice bottle of wine inside. Offered for us to take the five other opened bottles with us but too much to carry with us.

 

 

If you bring children or grandhilcen they can have their own vehicle to ride in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Once again I am most appreciative of your posts and pictures. Great memories of the ports and as you know I love food pictures. All the best!

[Keith1010]

1 hour ago, LouChamp said:

Aloha. Once again I am most appreciative of your posts and pictures. Great memories of the ports and as you know I love food pictures. All the best!

Thank you. A great day and a great food and wine day too.

 

Keith

[USCAdventurer]

keith

sure looks like you and anne marie had a marvelous day in the country and a wonderful lunch.  thanks for the pictures and taking the time to show us where you have been.  enjoy the sea day.