Live From Miami & Then Crystal Serenity - A New Crystal Adventure Begins

[Keith1010]

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

Keith

[Keith1010]

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FlyerTalker]

Seeing the Reflections blurb about pre-owned Rolexes makes me think this is a concessionaire trend, as Silversea also is pushing the used Rolex market.

 

Of course, Explora is hawking new ones in their dedicated Rolex boutique (in which I never saw an actual customer).

 

Looking forward to my first voyage on NC.

 

 

[Keith1010]

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Keith1010]

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

[Keith1010]

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

[History&Wine]

Good Morning Keith.  Happy Holidays to you and Anne Marie!

 

What is the coffee brand served on board?  That is one of the few items i thought needed improvement in the food and beverage area. 

[Texas Tillie]

54 minutes ago, History&Wine said:

Good Morning Keith.  Happy Holidays to you and Anne Marie!

 

What is the coffee brand served on board?  That is one of the few items i thought needed improvement in the food and beverage area. 

 

It's Julius Meinl, an Austrian brand. Old Crystal started using that brand on their river boats and then on the ocean ships. Just an FYI, the only really good coffee has always been in the Bistro and I found it to be the same this past August.

 

Patty

[History&Wine]

@Texas Tillie Thanks.  That is a different brand than I remember on my last cruise with OC in 2019.  And I agree...best coffee was always at the Bistro. 

 

Dwight

[LewiLewi]

Keith,

  I just left the Serenity on Sat., the day you embarked. I absolutely enjoyed my cruise. The only problem I and other cruisers encountered was slow service during dinner in Waterside, and there were only 350 passengers on board last week. Has service improved even though there is double the amount of passengers on board this week?

There was no problem getting a lounge chair on the lido deck last week. How is it now?

[Keith1010]

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

[Cancun01]

7 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

Seeing the Reflections blurb about pre-owned Rolexes makes me think this is a concessionaire trend, as Silversea also is pushing the used Rolex market.

 

Of course, Explora is hawking new ones in their dedicated Rolex boutique (in which I never saw an actual customer).

 

Looking forward to my first voyage on NC.

 

 

The “pre-owned” hawking was one of 2/3 negative comments that I have from our cruise last week.  Last week they were also hawking pre-owned handbags which I found offensive as did several other passengers.   If a person wants a “difficult to obtain” used handbag (which  most of those showcased last week weren’t), the better known auction/estate houses or even Poshmark offer them (authenticated) at much better value!    

Edited December 25, 2023 by Cancun01

[Keith1010]

38 minutes ago, LewiLewi said:

Keith,

  I just left the Serenity on Sat., the day you embarked. I absolutely enjoyed my cruise. The only problem I and other cruisers encountered was slow service during dinner in Waterside, and there were only 350 passengers on board last week. Has service improved even though there is double the amount of passengers on board this week?

There was no problem getting a lounge chair on the lido deck last week. How is it now?

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

[Cancun01]

46 minutes ago, LewiLewi said:

Keith,

  I just left the Serenity on Sat., the day you embarked. I absolutely enjoyed my cruise. The only problem I and other cruisers encountered was slow service during dinner in Waterside, and there were only 350 passengers on board last week. Has service improved even though there is double the amount of passengers on board this week?

There was no problem getting a lounge chair on the lido deck last week. How is it now?

Sorry to hear that you encountered slow service in Waterside last week.  We found that the service was exemplary in every venue including Waterside all week.    Maybe it was timing because we found the service in Waterside to be better than it had ever been.  We were there at approximately 7:30 pm except 2 nights

[Keith1010]

4 hours ago, LewiLewi said:

Keith,

  I just left the Serenity on Sat., the day you embarked. I absolutely enjoyed my cruise. The only problem I and other cruisers encountered was slow service during dinner in Waterside, and there were only 350 passengers on board last week. Has service improved even though there is double the amount of passengers on board this week?

There was no problem getting a lounge chair on the lido deck last week. How is it now?

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

[FlyerTalker]

6 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

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.

 

Can you share the brand/model number of the coffee maker in the room?  Wondering about what kind of "pod" it uses, and if I should bring some of my own.  Thanks.

 

 

[occasional cruising]

Keith - Just a note that we appreciate your reporting. We are on Serenity in late June for a quick eight day run from San Diego to Vancouver. Your reporting is always interesting and useful. Just adds to upcoming excitement. I think this is Crystal #6 or 7 and your comments make us feel like we have made a great decision to take another Crystal voyage —- only been on one other cruise ship; another 5 or 6 star cruise line that taught us how special Crystal is in all aspects of their business.

 

Couple of questions if you don’t mind: Is Captain Egil still with Crystal? We had a couple of dinners with him over the years and laughed from sitting down to dinner to stumbling back to our cabin. —— Do you know the latest they would seat us for dinner on night one (embarks at 6:00 PM.)

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[Keith1010]

12 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Can you share the brand/model number of the coffee maker in the room?  Wondering about what kind of "pod" it uses, and if I should bring some of my own.  Thanks.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Keith1010]

9 hours ago, occasional cruising said:

Keith - Just a note that we appreciate your reporting. We are on Serenity in late June for a quick eight day run from San Diego to Vancouver. Your reporting is always interesting and useful. Just adds to upcoming excitement. I think this is Crystal #6 or 7 and your comments make us feel like we have made a great decision to take another Crystal voyage —- only been on one other cruise ship; another 5 or 6 star cruise line that taught us how special Crystal is in all aspects of their business.

 

Couple of questions if you don’t mind: Is Captain Egil still with Crystal? We had a couple of dinners with him over the years and laughed from sitting down to dinner to stumbling back to our cabin. —— Do you know the latest they would seat us for dinner on night one (embarks at 6:00 PM.)

 

Enjoy your cruise.

You are booked on a great cruise.  The experience on Crystal is terrific.  Truly better than ever.

 

On Serenity there is Captain Vincent who is relatively new to Crystal joining this year and we sailed with him on the second voyage of the year after Captain Birger went home.  Captain Giske is no longer On Serenity.  I believe on your voyage you will have Captain Birger.  On night one Waterside will open at either 6:00 or 6:15 PM and they prefer that people arrive by 9:15 PM (latest) but you could arrive at 9:30 PM.  Most popular time seems to be between 7:00 and 7:30 for arrivals but this can vary as on this cruise on the first night a lot of people arrived at 6:00 PM.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

By afternoon yesterday the wind were calmer than the day before and the sun came out and the temperature rose.  Great afternoon for Paddle Tennis and played with many of my Paddle Tennis buddies.  

 

First of three formals last night. Supper Club offered with about 70 attending and it is 100% booked for the final one.  

 

We had a Captains Welcome Party.  This is our second sailing with Captain Vincent having sailed with him in August.  He let the guests know about his background including being from France and his time at sea. He introduced his team.  Chatted with some guests and members of team Serenity.  

 

We dined at Waterside. The menu was a Christmas dinner oriented such as Turkey, Ham, Beef, etc.  Desserts too.  

 

Service impeccable, Cuisine delicious.  Beautiful venue. Great wine.

 

Not busy when we dined so a lot of time to talk with the outstanding staff who has been taking excellent care of us.

 

We have Senior Head Waiter Jacque, Senior Waiter Marcin (first time having him this cruise but have known him for many years), Waiter Enver and Sommelier Zane.  Lots of time to talk about family, home country, food, wine and lots of other things.  We like to enjoy the meal, take it all in, and dine for 90 minutes to 120 minutes.  

 

Today we arrive to our first port of call St. Thomas.

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Keith1010]

Nice to see the shore excursion highlights/map pamphlet. On the first two cruises they put together a map and the traditional one was being worked and now we have them.  

 

I may have mentioned this already but on this cruise they went back to serving yourself food at The Bistro.

 

Look for a few more familiar face from the crew to return over the coming weeks and months.

 

I still remember pushback when I said majority of crew would return.  And when I said new Crystal would have many similarities to old Crystal.  

 

For those who have not been back since the first couple of cruises phones are working and TV's too with no drops in the TV broadcasts.  

 

The small cracks from when they recoated the paddle tennis courts are fixed.  Ship looks terrific.

 

I do want to note when some say no work was done in the classic suites some work was done beyond detailing and painting but I realize this might vary by category. For example in Saphires suites new dining chairs and coffee table.

Cheers,

 

Keith

[happy cruising]

Keith, can you please ask Zayne the sommelier when he is going home for holiday? I seem to remember him telling us a few months ago that it was in January … will he be on the next cruise Jan 5-18? Thanks and happy holidays to you and Anne Marie. 

[Keith1010]

57 minutes ago, happy cruising said:

Keith, can you please ask Zayne the sommelier when he is going home for holiday? I seem to remember him telling us a few months ago that it was in January … will he be on the next cruise Jan 5-18? Thanks and happy holidays to you and Anne Marie. 

He's on that cruise. Happy Holidays.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

Today's Reflections.

 

I am assuming everyone can read this if you can open the PDF.

 

Keith

 

Refelctons.pdf

[rafinmd]

That was perfect Keith.  A couple of questions.  Have you heard anything recently from Rabbi Morris?  Also, while the Priests on Crystal always do a great job with interfaith services, I am a bit saddened to see no Protestant Clergy for the Holiday cruise:

 

Roy