Crystal Symphony
Published Wednesday, December 22nd 2010 - Updated Wednesday, December 22nd 2010
Our cruise on the Crystal Symphony departed Los Angeles and docked at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerta Vallarta. Since we were traveling from Dec 5-12, 2010, the ship was beautifully decorated with holiday cheer.
Crystal Plaza's (waterfall) on the Crystal Symphony
We left our 15 year old son home (as he had school) and this was the first “grown-up” cruise my husband and I ever took. And I have to say, we had a spectacular time!
Crystal offers a superb array of lectures, cultural and enrichment programs. We took Yamaha keyboard lessons, Bridge, Berlitz Spanish, ballroom dance, paddle tennis and computer lessons. For those women loving to dance but do not have a dance partner, Crystal had four Ambassador Hosts to twirl you around the dance floor.
There were many other activities, but we couldn’t fit them into our busy schedule. They had golf clinic, tai chi, all sorts of fitness classes like pilates, yoga, walk on water, spin, water aerobics and nordic walking poles. They also had a huge library of books, DVDs, CDs and games.
There were two specialty restaurants which you are allowed to book one of each prior to the cruise and more upon boarding, based on availability. Needless to say, the food was excellent. We did the Specialty Restaurant four out of seven nights.
If you have a special dish that you desire and it is not on the menu, they will prepare it for you as long as you give them 1-2 days notice. Starting Jan 2011, Crystal will be offering “open dining” in their main dining room.
The service, entertainment and cuisine were outstanding. Crew members greeted us by name as we walked around the ship. How do they remember?!
The ship is equipped with a retractable roof over the food and ice cream courtyard. This was one of my favorite places as it was furnished with tables and chairs or sofa with plush pillow seating. It’s a great place to hang out, grab a bite to eat, read, nap or people watch.
Crystal Cruises cost more than the mass market cruise lines, but it's also a 6 star luxury service and voted Best Large-Ship Cruise Line for 17 years by Condé Nast Traveler.
The ships are smaller with fewer passengers, at a ratio of 6 crew to every 10 passengers. Crystal only has two ships: the Symphony and Serenity.
The spaciousness, the convenience of no waiting on lines and not having to save lounge chairs or theatre seats is a relaxing luxury. The theatre has a very intimate atmosphere, unlike the larger ships. And how often are you able to disembark a cruise ship, go through customs, pick up your luggage from the baggage area and depart the terminal in 10-15 minutes?!
We made many new friends. The service is so wonderful that many of the passengers we spoke to will only cruise on Crystal Cruises. What a pleasure it was on the Crystal Symphony!
Leave a Reply
indicates a required field
