Crystal Serenity

 June 3, 2024

Today is Cindy’s birthday and I arranged this cruise so that she could celebrate it in style on the high seas.  We are into day eight of a twelve-day cruise from Las Palmas (Canary Islands) to Miami, arriving on June 8th. Thus far it has been a perfect cruise with excellent weather, flat seas and spectacular service and food. We really didn’t know what to expect from the new Crystal after Covid and a corporate bankruptcy, but they are doing a fantastic job. 

There are people on board  who started this cruise in San Diego in early January and will finish the cruise there on the 21st of June.  I love cruising but can’t conceive of being on a ship, no matter how luxurious, for 140 days plus!!  Our first day on the cruise was very interesting since we were 200 or so newbies, and those who'd been on board for weeks or even months would look at us and size us up. There are about 250 passengers that have been on the entire cruise and of course they know each other quite well. The first night after dinner we went to the Avenue Saloon to hear a remarkable piano player and it was like being in Cheers. Everyone  (except the newbies) who entered the bar was greeted by name from the piano player, who incidentally never missed a note during his shout out. We have noticed that every night the same people occupy the same tables at drinks before dinner, in the dining room at dinner, and again in the bar for after-dinner drinks. One large family!

The ship is designed to carry 740 passengers in great comfort with almost as many crew members. On this leg of the passage there are only about 450 passengers, meaning there are far more crew than passengers and which might account in part for the great service. We are told that two hundred or so passengers disembarked in Cape Town when it was announced that due to piracy concerns in and around Yemen, they would no longer be visiting India, Oman, Jordan, Egypt or the five ports planned in the Med. Instead they would be going up the western coast of Africa for two weeks visiting countries that we only hear about because of famine, drought, civil war and pestilence! No doubt there were more UN Peacekeepers than  passengers in most of the stops.  Certainly I would have jumped ship!

Crystal is an all-inclusive cruise line and everything is included in the upfront price. That means that from the time I stepped aboard I only needed to carry my suite key, pocket knife, handkerchief, pedometer and some See’s Lollipops. All of the food, drinks, tips, and wifi are included. Our butler came on day #1 asking how we would like our suite bar set up and every day since he checks, replenishes and brings us canapés before cocktails. Perhaps I could stay for 140 days but they would actually have to use a crane to take me off my balcony at the end of the cruise!

In reality, we are always quite moderate on these cruises and usually lose a little weight since we have lots of time for exercise and we can choose from many healthy food groups. There are about six places to eat, three formal dining options and three informal which are mostly used at lunch time. We honestly have not had a bad mouthful of anything and the food is always fresh and well prepared. They offer lots of wine choices and the bars are stocked with top-shelf booze with well-trained bartenders and servers. What’s not to like?!

On this cruise we opted for a one-bedroom suite and it is delightful, well designed and maintained with a large comfortable balcony.  I suppose we could have breakfast or lunch out there, but really, who wouldn’t rather be waited on in air conditioned comfort in one of the dining venues? The balcony is a nice place to exercise in the morning and to sit and have a coffee or quiet drink. We used to choose cabins with large windows but no veranda/ balcony. That all changed during Covid when on the news we saw people being confined to their cabins with no access to fresh air - or worse yet, those that had interior cabins with no windows. With age comes privilege!

Speaking of age, we are in the category of youngest on board. Two thirds of the passengers are clearly in their eighties/nineties and there are lots of walkers, scooters and wheelchairs being used, but these passengers are a game bunch and they don’t let anything get in the way of having fun.  It's a good reminder for us to be thankful for our mobility and good health.