Aquamarine Suites on Crystal Serenity

[emckeeve]

Are some still not renovated.  If so, are the Classic suites really dated?

[ryndam]

59 minutes ago, emckeeve said:

Are some still not renovated.  If so, are the Classic suites really dated?

Depends what your definition of "dated" is. We've sailed in the classic version and the 2018 version. We like the additional USB and electrical outlets and the big walk-in shower in the 2018 version, but overall, we prefer the classic version. In our opinion, the classic version has better storage, a better closet, better desk space, better flat space, the bathroom door does not open directly on the bed area, and the glass doors to the balcony are larger. It is a better designed layout, at least for us.

 

Attached are a few pictures of the suite that we just spent the last 30 days enjoying.

 

Rob

 

 

[ryndam]

Here are a couple of pictures of the 2018 version that we sailed in December. I don't have as many pictures, because I was not that impressed. The photos on the Crystal website are accurate. As mentioned above, we did like the bathrooms in the 2018 version, but in order to have that larger shower, the real estate was taken from the living area in order to create those larger bathrooms.

 

Rob

 

 

Edited February 7 by ryndam

[fisherboe]

We were in a Classic Aquamarine on Serenity in December, and was a bit worried beforehand too - the pics on the website don't look all that great and made it seem quite dated. But am very happy to report that we loved it.

 

It was absolutely felt much more elegant and refined than it appears on the website. Surprisingly so, and I don't know why the website photos don't capture how nice it actually felt. I always expect that the reality will fall short of photos online. But in this case, it's the opposite.  

 

The bathroom photos did feel accurate to me, and exactly as expected. And yes, we would have preferred the updated aquamarine bathroom, but it didn't change how much we enjoyed the cabin.   

[Mrs. Claypool]

The Classic Aquamarine also has a bathtub, I believe?

[ryndam]

46 minutes ago, Mrs. Claypool said:

The Classic Aquamarine also has a bathtub, I believe?

Yes it does. But honestly, we only used it to rinse and dry our snorkel gear. 😊

[barcrab]

What about aquamarine classic and redesigned  suites on Symphony?

[Ibis]

Based on our experience on Serenity in November, the Classic Aquamarine Suite is most definitely our preferred category. If you call these suites dated then I would say yes in the very best way. That is; elegant, spacious, well designed and very comfortable. We have booked our next two cruises in this category:-) While on board, we were able to view several other categories when tours were offered and just our personal opinion, we preferred Classic Aquamarine over other newly renovated higher categories. But like so many other things, everyone will have their personal take on various designs.

[Keith1010]

The Classic Aquamarine suites have gone through several changes over the years but they are not the newest of the Aquarmarine Suites. Like everything, we all have our own opinion.

 

Personally, I prefer the Aquamarine classic suites over the newer ones on Serenity and over all of the Aquarmarine suites on Symphony. Whereas I prefer Sapphire on Symphony, I prefer Classic Aquarmarine on Serenity.

 

I like the two desks in the Classic providing a good amount of space and comfortable seating. I like all of the shelve and draw space provided in the living area.  I like the effiiciency of the closet. While the Aquarmarine does not have a round table like the Sapphire and has less space in the living area I stil prefer it on Serenity.  We don't use the bath tub so somewhat wasted space. However we make good use of it to hang clothes that don't go into the dryer after they are washed.

 

The Classic Aquarmaring evolved over the years and IMHO all for the better.

 

Keith

[emckeeve]

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful responses.  We booked a segment of a world cruise in 2025, and Classic was our only option.  Very happy to hear the good reports.

 

[jet65]

While we agree with others who have posted regarding preference for the Classic Aquamarine over the newer versions, there is one aspect of the suite that hasn't been mentioned.......having enjoyed the Classic many time before the bankruptcy , we were disappointed that during the extensive AK refurbishment , these suites were not touched in any way.  The carpeting, drapes, chairs, and sofa are quite worn and really need to be replaced .  This is still our preferred type of stateroom and hope that Crystal will address this in the near future.

Perhaps by your 2025 cruise this will have been addressed.

 

[ryndam]

18 minutes ago, jet65 said:

While we agree with others who have posted regarding preference for the Classic Aquamarine over the newer versions, there is one aspect of the suite that hasn't been mentioned.......having enjoyed the Classic many time before the bankruptcy , we were disappointed that during the extensive AK refurbishment , these suites were not touched in any way.  The carpeting, drapes, chairs, and sofa are quite worn and really need to be replaced .  This is still our preferred type of stateroom and hope that Crystal will address this in the near future.

Perhaps by your 2025 cruise this will have been addressed.

 

Interesting observation. We found the upholstery and sofa & chair cushions in the 2018 version on our December 2023 cruise to be sagged-out and showing significantly more wear than the classic suite we occupied last month. I agree that the carpet in the suite needs some love, but nothing was worn, soiled, torn or in obvious need of repair. Even the loose bed and sofa pillows were pristine. The sofa on the classic version was way more comfortable than the sofa in the 2018 version.

 

Everyone views decor differently. The classic suite we occupied was certainly not worn out or shabby.

 

Rob

[emckeeve]

I am the original poster and looking through the website photos, I definitely see advantages to the Classic floorplan.  One thing I didn't notice before was the small slider vs full sliders in the Classic.  I also prefer the TV to be opposite the bed.  So thank you all.  We have a perfect cabin!!

 

[Keith1010]

33 minutes ago, emckeeve said:

I am the original poster and looking through the website photos, I definitely see advantages to the Classic floorplan.  One thing I didn't notice before was the small slider vs full sliders in the Classic.  I also prefer the TV to be opposite the bed.  So thank you all.  We have a perfect cabin!!

 

And this is an example of how things evolved. A few years ago when old Crystal put in the interactive TV's they moved the TV which previously had been on the side of the bed where the built ins are and placed it above the couch so you can see it from the bed. This opened up some space in the wall until as well.

 

Keith

[goldengatecruisers]

Not to be contentious but I am not convinced the sliders are of different size?  Maybe they are and I am happy to be corrected.  Having recently sailed two weeks in a 2018 decor Aquamarine followed by two weeks in a classic decor Aquamarine suite I can confirm the light in the classic is far superior. At first I could not figure it out but then I started to pay attention to the design. I believe if it is the positioning of the curtains.  If you look at the photos provided by Rob (ryndam) you will note the classic provides for a more pronounced recessed area to store the curtains. The recessed area extends beyond the width of the sliding glass doors in a more extreme design when compared to how they are situated in the 2018 'Seabreeze' renovation. By doing so, it reveals more of the glass and provides more light into the room.  I might be wrong entirely but that was my take away.  While I absolutely love the bathrooms in the 2018 renovation I agree with most in that the classic suite is far superior in so many ways. 

Ashley

Edited February 8 by goldengatecruisers

[fisherboe]

4 hours ago, jet65 said:

While we agree with others who have posted regarding preference for the Classic Aquamarine over the newer versions, there is one aspect of the suite that hasn't been mentioned.......having enjoyed the Classic many time before the bankruptcy , we were disappointed that during the extensive AK refurbishment , these suites were not touched in any way.  The carpeting, drapes, chairs, and sofa are quite worn and really need to be replaced .  This is still our preferred type of stateroom and hope that Crystal will address this in the near future.

Perhaps by your 2025 cruise this will have been addressed.

 

We were in a classic aquamarine on Serenity in December, and did not see anything that was worn or in need or replacement, and I looked carefully too - the sofa, chair, drapes and carpet all were in like-new condition. I had similar concerns based on the reports from the drydock. Perhaps the soft goods have been quietly upgraded since your last sailing, or perhaps we just got lucky. But I'm inclined to believe they're in very good shape now, given our experience and the overall condition of the ship.  

[ryndam]

39 minutes ago, goldengatecruisers said:

Not to be contentious but I am not convinced the sliders are of different size?  Maybe they are and I am happy to be corrected.  Having recently sailed two weeks in a 2018 decor Aquamarine followed by two weeks in a classic decor Aquamarine suite I can confirm the light in the classic is far superior. At first I could not figure it out but then I started to pay attention to the design. I believe if it is the positioning of the curtains.  If you look at the photos provided by Rob (ryndam) you will note the classic provides for a more pronounced recessed area to store the curtains. The recessed area extends beyond the width of the sliding glass doors in a more extreme design when compared to how they are situated in the 2018 'Seabreeze' renovation. By doing so, it reveals more of the glass and provides more light into the room.  I might be wrong entirely but that was my take away.  While I absolutely love the bathrooms in the 2018 renovation I agree with most in that the classic suite is far superior in so many ways. 

Ashley

Ashley, I totally agree with your observation about the drapery pockets in the classic version vs. the 2018 version. However, I will gently correct your observation about the width of the balcony sliding doors. They are wider in the original classic versions.

 

In the first photo, check out the difference between the deck 10 & deck 11 doors when compared to the deck 8 & 9 doors. Also on deck 10, immediately below the person on the deck 11 balcony, going aft, these are the 2018 conversions with the smaller doors. The three rooms all the way to the left of the photo on deck 10 are the original classic versions.

 

In the second photo, the deck 11 rooms are the original classic version. The rooms below on deck 10 are the 2018 renovations, and the rooms on decks 8 & 9 are the 2023 Sapphire renovations, all with the original door openings from the ship's original balcony configurations.

 

Rob

 

 

 

[goldengatecruisers]

I love it!!!  Thank you.  I told you I would be happy to be corrected and I have learned something new. From now on, only classic for me!  One of the things I did not enjoy about the 2018 decor was the lack of light.  I was thinking my perception came from the fact the windows were on the 'bed side' of the room, whereas in the classic the windows are on the 'living room' side.  Then I got fixated on the curtain placement.   You are 100% correct about the width of the sliders. Thank you for the photos as it is very easy to see! 🙂 

Edited February 8 by goldengatecruisers

[Keith1010]

Classic Aquamarine on Serenity is the way to go.  I have been saying this for years.

 

 

[AtA]

We liked our classic Aquamarine so much that we booked the same cabin for our 2025, 22 day cruise. It is always our go to choice.

[SandyKnits]

We just booked a 2018 Aquamarine suite on Serenity and now I am considering changing to a classic suite after reading all the comments here.  Does the classic suite have updated outlets/USB ports near each side of the bed?  Thanks for any info.

….Sandy

[ryndam]

22 minutes ago, SandyKnits said:

We just booked a 2018 Aquamarine suite on Serenity and now I am considering changing to a classic suite after reading all the comments here.  Does the classic suite have updated outlets/USB ports near each side of the bed?  Thanks for any info.

….Sandy

No, they do not.

 

For us, the overall configuration of the classic arrangement outweighed the lack of outlets on either side of the bed. There were sufficient outlets on the desks to accommodate all our electronics.

 

Others may find the need for bedside outlets more relevant than other features.

 

Rob

Edited March 8 by ryndam
Additional info

[May B]

1 hour ago, SandyKnits said:

We just booked a 2018 Aquamarine suite on Serenity and now I am considering changing to a classic suite after reading all the comments here.  Does the classic suite have updated outlets/USB ports near each side of the bed?  Thanks for any info.

….Sandy

Enjoy, Sandy!

 

I chose classic to have the bathtub. I was very happy to see ryndam say he prefers the classic’s layout.

[Keith1010]

1 hour ago, SandyKnits said:

We just booked a 2018 Aquamarine suite on Serenity and now I am considering changing to a classic suite after reading all the comments here.  Does the classic suite have updated outlets/USB ports near each side of the bed?  Thanks for any info.

….Sandy

Sandy,

 

I am in the camp who loves the Classic Aquamarine on Serenity.

 

As Rob said outlets not updated but between the outlets on both desks we manage this very nicely with all our devices.

 

Keith 

[SusieQft]

Our devices will all charge on 220 with a simple adapter (not needing a converter), so for us a bedside Euro outlet is just as good as US.  Is there one or the other on both sides of the bed in the Classic Aquamarine on both ships?