Thoughts on being back on Crystal (The Inaugural Cruise)

[AtA]

A week ago Saturday we got off the inaugural Crystal Serenity cruise. It was a fabulous 11 days aboard her and I look forward to being on Symphony in 3 weeks and back on Serenity in January.

 

We had one of the new Sapphire suites on deck 9. The room was beautiful and spacious with a small walk in closet, large shower, comfortable seating and a large balcony. There were also lots of places to plug in your phones, IPads, etc as well as an assortment of other plugs. We brought a strip but never used it. The TV’s had a lot more channels than in the past. One could watch, if one wanted, the news channels as well as channels such as the cooking channel and HGTV. The internet was much better than before shutdown. In our 11 days there was only one time I couldn’t access the net and that was only for a short 5 minutes or so.

Igor our butler, who before the shutdown worked on Symphony was truly excellent. We lacked for nothing! Our housekeeper had only been working for Crystal for a week. She was efficient and friendly, but was still learning the ropes. I think she will wind up being excellent with a bit more experience.

 

The food was better than ever. I used to find Waterside hit or miss. No longer. It’s a hit! And of course Umi Uma was as fabulous as always. I have heard people complaining about “New Prego”. Let me just say, before you gripe, try it. It’s more northern Italian and we found it to be very good. Tastes was also excellent for a lighter bite and Marketplace, the Bistro and Trident Grill were the same great quality as before. (And yes, for those who love them, they had the tarts!) However Scoops was better than before with fabulous gelato. And the cookies were just as good as before.

 

We went to all the shows and they too were better than before although I agree they could use some new shows. However every show was still lots of fun and the cast were even better if that’s possible. Loved the magician. Lectures were also good to excellent.

 

Seeing the staff and crew was like coming home to family you love. Over the past 18 months we tried SS, Seabourn and Regent. The difference is with Crystal, the staff feels comfortable getting to know you and letting you get to know them. They are comfortable with light banter and not afraid of “saying the wrong thing” or even chatting for a bit with us. This was unlike what we found on the other lines where if they engaged for more than a minute or two they’d get the “look”.

On the other lines the staff and crew would respond to requests. And many times the answer would be no, we can’t do that. On Crystal the answer is either yes, or “let me see what I can do” and almost always the answer would be yes. On Crystal staff and crew anticipate our needs. One example? Some days I’d come to the Bistro to needlepoint, have a snack and have a latte with almond milk. One afternoon, I sat at a table in the bistro talking to a friend. Not 5 minutes after I arrived, without my asking for one, a latte was put down in front of me.

 

The negatives?

In the past, when we would board, we’d be given a time slot to get onboard which was based partly on one’s cabin. So being in a Sapphire, we assumed we’d be able to get on fairly quickly. This was not done this time. We got to the desk to check in and were given the number 4, while the couple on the line next to us was given the number 3. (And the numbers had nothing to do with which cabin you were in). Additionally, we met up with some friends a bit later who checked in after us but were given the number 3 too. So we wound up waiting longer than them to get onboard. I think they need to figure out a better way of checking in everyone.

Now having said that, it was wonderful to see Carmelo handing out glasses of water for those waiting. We had to wait around ½ hour to get onboard. Once onboard, after hugging everyone hello, we headed to our suite.

 

The phones didn’t work for the first 3 days we were in the suite. We kept being told they were working to fix them. I finally went down and spoke to Scott Peterson and 10 minutes later we had a working phone.

There was only one phone so if we were in the living room, we had to run (ok, walk swiftly) to the bedroom to answer the phone (Yes I know, a first world problem.)

Additionally unlike in the older suites and PH’s, there was no phone in the bathroom. (Again a first world problem.)

The first 2 days the TV was hit or miss with the sound going off, but that was eventually fixed. However, if we turned the TV on in the living room, the TV in the bedroom also turned on and visa versa.

In the bedroom, the cable box which was behind the TV, kept flashing all night long. We solved the problem by putting a napkin over the box.

The carpet in the new Sapphires had yellow streaks running through it and I kept thinking the carpet wasn’t clean because of that. I think that carpet wasn’t their best design choice. LOL.

 

The closet in the new Sapphire could have used another hanging bar so that one side had full length hanging and the other side had a double for hanging shorter things like shirts and jackets.

Also if the door in the closet was open, the drawers in the dresser didn’t open fully because they’d bang into the closet door.

The drawer at the desk was too shallow to really put anything in it. I like to put my glasses and hairbrush in. My hairbrush was too fat for the drawer as were 2 of my eyeglass cases.

 

There was no full-length mirror in the suite. I was told it was backordered so hopefully it will be in there soon.

 

I prefer drawers in the bathroom versus the shelves they put in. Certain things do not have to be on display on shelves. Also the garbage can was under the bottom shelf so to throw something away, one had to squat down to get it into the garbage can. (Yes I know. Another first world problem!)

 

The shower had no door on it. I thought that would be an issue with being cold, but I was quite warm in there. I also liked that it was push buttons to turn the shower heads and sprays on and off. What I didn’t like was that the choice was an overhead rain head (which I dislike) or a wand that was set too low on the wall and had only one choice of spray. And the only way to use it was to hold it in your hand. No way for it to work on the bar even if it had been set higher. Oh and there were 3 body jets. The problem with those was if you used them, the water sprayed out of the shower! Personally while I liked that the shower was large, I still prefer the smaller shower in the older suites because they have the choice of spray and height.

 

Lastly in the past if one were in a PH or PS, one would be able to go to the specialty restaurants for no additional charge anytime, if there was room. Now even in a Sapphire, one has to pay the additional $50 pp. And no longer can we have a cocktail party in our room. In the Sapphire, one does get 5 items pressed a day, plus 5 items dry cleaned a day and 1 bag of laundry washed once on cruises 11 days or longer. However I personally don’t believe it’s worth the extra money compared to an Aquamarine. We were always happy with the space in a PH (now called Aquamarine) and feel that for the future, with the money we save by booking an Aquamarine instead of a Sapphire, we can pay the $50 pp every night of the cruise to go to the specialties, or pay for laundry and still be ahead in terms of savings.

 

So what are my final thoughts? We met one of the entertainers on another cruise line in March. This entertainer said it so well. Crystal is family and none of the other lines feel like family. Crystal is back and is overall better than ever!

[basenji56]

I have a Crystal sailing booked next year.  I appreciate hearing the pros and cons of the restart.  People tell me that the new Crystal is well capitalized--which is my main concern given how much money some people lost in the past.

 

[ctjon]

If you went back and read posts from a couple of months ago - almost nobody thought things would be anywhere near as great as they seem to be.  There were doubts that anything would really work, if sailed at all, and that it wouldn't be a good experience.  From the comments it has been a very good experience for almost all.

Great job A&K

[oakridger]

Thanks for the detailed review @AtA.

 

I have a question about the boarding.  From my recollection, in the past there was no priority boarding by cabin class, other than probably the Crystal Penthouse (I haven't traveled in one).  OP stated that in the past it was cabin specific.

 

7 hours ago, AtA said:

In the past, when we would board, we’d be given a time slot to get onboard which was based partly on one’s cabin.

 

Am I remembering correctly, and is there priority boarding now by cabin class?

 

 

~Nancy

[Leejnd4]

Thank you for this very detailed review! I've been following reports from this first cruise, here and elsewhere, and I've seen nothing but absolutely rave reviews. I'm sure many of us have been watching and reading, hoping to see that Crystal really is *back* in this new form. It certainly sounds like it is! Your descriptions of the dining, entertainment, and service sound truly fabulous. 

 

The few negatives you mentioned are nothing that concern me. Most of them are, as you noted, minor annoyances, and cabin-specific, and many of them are likely to be kinks that will be worked out over time.  The ones that will remain, such as funky showers and less-than-optimal closet/drawer situations, are not things that are all that important to me. I actually love rain shower heads myself. 🙂 And I expect the boarding situation will smooth out over time. 

 

I know Crystal reads this board, and will be making notes of all of the feedback. 

 

I'm glad you had a wonderful cruise! It was definitely brave of you to be willing to chance the inaugural cruise, knowing that there likely would be kinks. On the other hand, I'll bet the energy you felt just from being on that first cruise was an experience like no other! I wish I could be on Symphony's inaugural (I've only sailed on Symphony) but my travel schedule doesn't permit a Crystal cruise until next November. 

 

 

[Txcotn]

48 minutes ago, oakridger said:

Thanks for the detailed review @AtA.

 

I have a question about the boarding.  From my recollection, in the past there was no priority boarding by cabin class, other than probably the Crystal Penthouse (I haven't traveled in one).  OP stated that in the past it was cabin specific.

 

 

Am I remembering correctly, and is there priority boarding now by cabin class?

 

 

~Nancy

In the past, PH and above were ready by noon....

[nancygp]

2 hours ago, oakridger said:

Am I remembering correctly, and is there priority boarding now by cabin class?

I recall, pre Covid in 2019, penthouses and above had priority boarding.  I believe this was also the case in 2021 when crystal restarted.  Also, I believe those on a CP were escorted onto the ship and probably has TOP priority boarding.

 

Nancy

[vml]

We seem to be doing the same cruises and I agree with your review 100%.   Crystal is back better than EVER.   People said it would never be the same.   I always thought it could even be better and much to my surprise it IS!!!  Looking forward to Symphony inaugural- first 3 segments then back to Serenity Nov 13- Dec 2 then Jan 18.  Can’t wait!!!

[AtA]

2 hours ago, oakridger said:

Thanks for the detailed review @AtA.

 

I have a question about the boarding.  From my recollection, in the past there was no priority boarding by cabin class, other than probably the Crystal Penthouse (I haven't traveled in one).  OP stated that in the past it was cabin specific.

 

 

Am I remembering correctly, and is there priority boarding now by cabin class?

 

 

~Nancy

In the past both before covid and then post covid, those in a PH or above were given priority boarding starting usually at noon. And those who were in the CP were escorted onto the ship.

 

Now the only ones with priority boarding are those in a Jr CP or those in the CP. We were in a Sapphire on the cruise and did not have any priority boarding.

[AtA]

2 hours ago, Leejnd4 said:

Thank you for this very detailed review! I've been following reports from this first cruise, here and elsewhere, and I've seen nothing but absolutely rave reviews. I'm sure many of us have been watching and reading, hoping to see that Crystal really is *back* in this new form. It certainly sounds like it is! Your descriptions of the dining, entertainment, and service sound truly fabulous. 

 

The few negatives you mentioned are nothing that concern me. Most of them are, as you noted, minor annoyances, and cabin-specific, and many of them are likely to be kinks that will be worked out over time.  The ones that will remain, such as funky showers and less-than-optimal closet/drawer situations, are not things that are all that important to me. I actually love rain shower heads myself. 🙂 And I expect the boarding situation will smooth out over time. 

 

I know Crystal reads this board, and will be making notes of all of the feedback. 

 

I'm glad you had a wonderful cruise! It was definitely brave of you to be willing to chance the inaugural cruise, knowing that there likely would be kinks. On the other hand, I'll bet the energy you felt just from being on that first cruise was an experience like no other! I wish I could be on Symphony's inaugural (I've only sailed on Symphony) but my travel schedule doesn't permit a Crystal cruise until next November. 

 

 

Honestly the few negatives didn't impact our cruise at all. And I agree they'll figure out the boarding situation.

 

Knowing who bought the cruise line and hearing privately that so many of the crew were returning, I didn't consider it brave at all. And yes, the energy was wonderful. I think everyone had smiles on their faces throughout the cruise. 

[Keith1010]

Enjoyed your review. It was great sailing with you both for the very first time and first meeting you at the event on the pool deck and then spending time in Palm Court. We hope we will sail with you both in the not so distant future.

 

The phones still have some issues to work though.  Take our room. We can make calls from each phone but if I am calling on the phone in the living area and we get disconnected (an early issue) and they call back I have to run to the bedroom. The living room can receive calls but to do so instead of dialing 110xx

you have to dial 111xx whose room number doesn't exist.  Had three Crystal folks up here yesterday and one of them thinks the issue is that one location was analog and one diigial and both phones are digital. 

 

Still some issues with the TV although some improvement from first voyage. Issue are momentary loss of picture at sea (better than first voyage but still an issue)  and volume much better but occasionally no volume. The solution is to change channels which often clears up the problem and if that does not turn off and on the TV and in port we get no TV.  

 

Thankfully, the internet has been a winner.  These issues should be sorted out soon.

 

Keith

[zship]

Thanks for the review AtA. If you were to choose between the redesigned 2023 or the classic designed Sapphire suite in the future, which would you choose ?  Is the furniture more comfortable in one over the other ?  Is there more drawer space in one over the other ? 

[AtA]

11 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

Enjoyed your review. It was great sailing with you both for the very first time and first meeting you at the event on the pool deck and then spending time in Palm Court. We hope we will sail with you both in the not so distant future.

 

The phones still have some issues to work though.  Take our room. We can make calls from each phone but if I am calling on the phone in the living area and we get disconnected (an early issue) and they call back I have to run to the bedroom. The living room can receive calls but to do so instead of dialing 110xx

you have to dial 111xx whose room number doesn't exist.  Had three Crystal folks up here yesterday and one of them thinks the issue is that one location was analog and one diigial and both phones are digital. 

 

Still some issues with the TV although some improvement from first voyage. Issue are momentary loss of picture at sea (better than first voyage but still an issue)  and volume much better but occasionally no volume. The solution is to change channels which often clears up the problem and if that does not turn off and on the TV and in port we get no TV.  

 

Thankfully, the internet has been a winner.  These issues should be sorted out soon.

 

Keith

We enjoyed meeting and talking with you and Anne Marie.

Hoping the glitches get worked out soon. As mentioned, those are minor things that certainly didn't impact our enjoyment. Heck the only reason I probably knew about many of them is because I caught a cold and stayed in the room for a day and 1/2 so as not to infect anyone else. 

[AtA]

9 hours ago, zship said:

Thanks for the review AtA. If you were to choose between the redesigned 2023 or the classic designed Sapphire suite in the future, which would you choose ?  Is the furniture more comfortable in one over the other ?  Is there more drawer space in one over the other ? 

Tough question. I think despite the shower and shelves, I might still choose the newly redesigned one over the classic. It feels just a bit more spacious than the classic one although the classic does have 2 desks if I recall. Now having said that, if I recall the classic vanity desk doesn't even have a drawer to store anything. I'll take a too narrow drawer over no drawer.

Plus the new one had sliders out to the balcony from both the living room and the bedroom area.

However, if a very good shower is important to you, choose the classic.

Also as I recall all the classic ones were up on deck 11 which is under the pool/marketplace. We prefer not to be under the pool as we're not early morning risers.

In reality, on our next Serenity cruise we chose to go with an Aquamarine classic PH. On Serenity, that truly is our favorite. Great storage. Great shower, etc.

Now having said that, either way you can't go wrong.

[CruisePfan]

We thought the shower was great in the newly redesigned suite with a bench you can sit on. The area around the two sinks is spacious with more storage under the sinks and more storage on the opposite wall.

The sofa is very comfortable and the tv is bigger in the living room. By closing the curtain between the BR and LR, occupants can watch different shows at the same time, but because the tvs are back to back, the remote may adjust the wrong tv, a small nit.

Another rod in the closet would definitely be nice, but there are six small shelves over the bar/ desk area for putting hats, tour tickets, and makeup.

All in all, the redesigned suite is very comfortable and will make a wonderful home for the World Cruise.

[AtA]

On 8/20/2023 at 11:50 AM, CruisePfan said:

We thought the shower was great in the newly redesigned suite with a bench you can sit on. The area around the two sinks is spacious with more storage under the sinks and more storage on the opposite wall.

The sofa is very comfortable and the tv is bigger in the living room. By closing the curtain between the BR and LR, occupants can watch different shows at the same time, but because the tvs are back to back, the remote may adjust the wrong tv, a small nit.

Another rod in the closet would definitely be nice, but there are six small shelves over the bar/ desk area for putting hats, tour tickets, and makeup.

All in all, the redesigned suite is very comfortable and will make a wonderful home for the World Cruise.

I did like the bench and the size of the shower. 

I personally prefer my stuff at the sink in drawers, but that of course is a personal opinion.

And yes it is a comfortable space, and I like it much better than the classic Sapphire, but is it worth that much more per person than for a classic Aquamarine?

[krb1000]

2 hours ago, AtA said:

 

And yes it is a comfortable space, and I like it much better than the classic Sapphire, but is it worth that much more per person than for a classic Aquamarine?

 

Yes, that is the question.
Although our next four sailings are in Sapphire suites…based on the fact that we will no longer have complimentary unlimited specialty restaurant access, nor the ability to host a cocktail get-together …hardly seems worth the premium over an Aquamarine. As you’ve pointed out…we’ll take the savings and pay the very reasonable $50 per visit.

And, thank you @AtA for taking the time to post your review…it was a wonderful read♥️

[KenzSailing]

11 hours ago, AtA said:

I did like the bench and the size of the shower. 

I personally prefer my stuff at the sink in drawers, but that of course is a personal opinion.

And yes it is a comfortable space, and I like it much better than the classic Sapphire, but is it worth that much more per person than for a classic Aquamarine?

 

When pricing was announced my first impression was that Aquamarine was the bang-for-the-buck option if you wanted something bigger than a standard double(mind you, this is coming from someone who was completely content with a double, until OC one time made us an offer on a PH.)  I still feel that way. YMMV.

 

With regard to the specialty restaurant take-away, I was surprised by that.  Until I looked at the updated deck plans and realized just how dramatically NC had changed the ratio of suites to standard cabins.  With suites being a whole lot more numerous than before, and the restaurant sizes not changing, something had to give.  Yeah, I don't like it either, but that's the math of it.  

 

 

[Keith1010]

1 hour ago, KenzSailing said:

 

When pricing was announced my first impression was that Aquamarine was the bang-for-the-buck option if you wanted something bigger than a standard double(mind you, this is coming from someone who was completely content with a double, until OC one time made us an offer on a PH.)  I still feel that way. YMMV.

 

With regard to the specialty restaurant take-away, I was surprised by that.  Until I looked at the updated deck plans and realized just how dramatically NC had changed the ratio of suites to standard cabins.  With suites being a whole lot more numerous than before, and the restaurant sizes not changing, something had to give.  Yeah, I don't like it either, but that's the math of it.  

 

 

I am doing this by memory but believe they added 170 suites. Could be wrong but a lot.

 

Also Nobu would not allow them to serve in the suites other than a handful of them.

 

For those who have ever seen the size of the Specialty restaurant Galley it is small.  None of the food is stored there either other than what they prep.

 

In the end there is not one size that fits all. What oner person prefers another one does not.

 

For example, I don't like the original seabreeze on Serenity but some people do and that applies to Aquamarine and Sapphire. I did like the new Aquamarine and Sapphire suites but didn't stay in them so my experience is obviously limited. I like the former PH over the former PS but the former PS is larger.

 

Anyway, there is a lot of choice since there are three types of Aquamarines and three types of Sapphires and the new Junior CP and the new double and solo rooms.

 

Keith

[AtA]

10 hours ago, KenzSailing said:

 

 

With regard to the specialty restaurant take-away, I was surprised by that.  Until I looked at the updated deck plans and realized just how dramatically NC had changed the ratio of suites to standard cabins.  With suites being a whole lot more numerous than before, and the restaurant sizes not changing, something had to give.  Yeah, I don't like it either, but that's the math of it.  

 

 

Yes I realize that's the issue. My suggestion was that those in a Sapphire should at least have a second night in the specialties for every 8-10  days of sailing if space is available.

 

I realize that this would no longer be able to be an option in the Aquamarine suites as they now are being considered the "standard suites", but with the price jump from Aquamarine to Sapphire, there needs to be something other than just 1 free bag of laundry every 11 days. (In fact we're in a Sapphire for our next cruise which is only 8 days. The difference in cost for the Sapphire is an additional $2000 pp, yet we don't even get the one bag of laundry free.) Heck we didn't even get early boarding on our inaugural cruise! (And yes, still first world problems! LOL)

 

Going forward, unless something more is offered in a Sapphire, we will be very happy in a classic Aquamarine and pay for laundry (or do it ourselves) and extra nights in the specialty restaurants. 

[mariners]

AtA, thank you for taking the time to share your experiences onboard.  I'm with you on your opinion on sailing in a Classic Aquamarine rather than in a Sapphire.  The information you provided will help those passengers who are considering the two options.  Great review!

 

 

[KenzSailing]

4 hours ago, AtA said:

Yes I realize that's the issue. My suggestion was that those in a Sapphire should at least have a second night in the specialties for every 8-10  days of sailing if space is available.

 

I realize that this would no longer be able to be an option in the Aquamarine suites as they now are being considered the "standard suites", but with the price jump from Aquamarine to Sapphire, there needs to be something other than just 1 free bag of laundry every 11 days. (In fact we're in a Sapphire for our next cruise which is only 8 days. The difference in cost for the Sapphire is an additional $2000 pp, yet we don't even get the one bag of laundry free.) Heck we didn't even get early boarding on our inaugural cruise! (And yes, still first world problems! LOL)

 

Going forward, unless something more is offered in a Sapphire, we will be very happy in a classic Aquamarine and pay for laundry (or do it ourselves) and extra nights in the specialty restaurants. 

 

I agree with you.  I also think your final point hits on the dynamic at play.  When Crystal initially set prices they were making something of an educated guess. We can debate how much was "educated" vs "guess" but both components were there.  I'm sure they are very closely watching take rates by category.  If they see Aquas booking while Sapphires lag they'll make adjustments, probably in the form of narrowing the price spread.

 

In the end, as you implied above, the client base does get a vote on this(maybe not a tie-breaking vote, but a vote nonetheless.)     

[ggo85]

Sorry for jumping in late but, other than free laundry one time and more space, are there any advantages to a Sapphire over Aqua?
 

Also, anyone who was in a JS, how did you feel being close to the bow?

[AtA]

1 hour ago, ggo85 said:

Sorry for jumping in late but, other than free laundry one time and more space, are there any advantages to a Sapphire over Aqua?
 

Also, anyone who was in a JS, how did you feel being close to the bow?

Yes we also got ironing for 5 items a day and dry cleaning for 5 items. 

And flowers in the rooms. Apparently in the lower suites they supposedly no longer have flowers? Or so we were told by the head of housekeeping. Oh and afternoon canapés.

And of course the Sapphire is a little larger.

[Texas Tillie]

45 minutes ago, AtA said:

Yes we also got ironing for 5 items a day and dry cleaning for 5 items. 

And flowers in the rooms. Apparently in the lower suites they supposedly no longer have flowers? Or so we were told by the head of housekeeping. Oh and afternoon canapés.

And of course the Sapphire is a little larger.

 

No flowers in the Aquamarine. My butler mentioned ironing but I try to pack things that don't need ironing.

 

Patty