Product Manager, Michaela, sailed between Cairns and Darwin with Crystal Cruises. She spent four nights onboard the Crystal Serenity, struck by the immaculate condition of the ship.
Crystal Cruises are renowned for their unique experiences, warm service, world-class dining and outstanding entertainment onboard. With a high standard of ‘all-inclusive’, everything is complimentary, from start to finish. From the only Nobu at sea, premium spirits any time of day, to butler service for every suite… you can unpack once and relax.
Learn more about Michaela’s experience onboard the Crystal Serenity.
Crystal Cruises Accommodation
Check-in was a breeze and we were soon shown to our Sapphire Verandah suite which was a very generous size of 40sqm. We were very fortunate to have a cabin on Deck 8, midship. We had a dining and lounge area separate from the bedroom, divided by a curtain. The cabin was so spacious with plenty of room to store clothes in the walk-in closet with a double vanity and huge shower in the bathroom. The balcony spanned across both the bedroom and lounge so it was great for spending the days reading a book or enjoying breakfast out on the deck.
The lead-in suite is the Double Guest Room with Ocean View at 20sqm. Honestly, you probably wouldn’t want to be on a longer voyage in this category! Definitely upgrade to the Double Guest Room with Veranda. There are quite a few options for interconnecting rooms to choose from for families or friends. Both Crystal Serenity and Symphony have been refurbished, with larger suites now being on offer, although there are still some classic rooms which are yet to be redone.
The other types of suites available are:
Single Guest Room with Ocean View (20sqm)
Exclusively for solo occupancy, this stylish guest room offers a comfortable living area with sofa, large picture window, walk-in shower, and a sleek built-in wardrobe.
Aquamarine Verandah Suite (30sqm + 8sqm balcony)
Available with either a walk-in shower or with a separate shower and bath, this spacious suite features a private veranda, walk-in wardrobe, comfortable living area with sofa, and complimentary pressing service.
Sapphire Verandah Suite (40sqm + 10sqm balcony)
Available with either a walk-in shower or with a separate shower and bath, this elegant suite features a walk-in wardrobe, separate living room with sofa and dining area, and a private veranda. Enjoy special touches such as afternoon canapés, binoculars, a coffee maker, and complimentary laundry, dry cleaning, and pressing services.
Junior Crystal Penthouse Suite (60sqm + 15sqm balcony)
This luxurious suite features a walk-in wardrobe, separate living room and dining area, Jacuzzi bathtub, separate shower, bidet, and guest bathroom. Guests staying in this stylish home away from home enjoy unlimited dining at specialty restaurants, unlimited laundry services, afternoon canapés, flowers, binoculars, and a coffee maker.
Crystal Penthouse Suite (117sqm + 10sqm balcony)
The largest suite offers two walk-in wardrobes, separate living and dining areas with panoramic ocean views, a study, and a custom built-in bar. There is also a Jacuzzi bathtub with ocean views, separate shower, bidet, and guest bathroom. Unlimited dining at specialty restaurants, unlimited laundry services, and more.
Onboard Facilities
There are plenty of spaces on the ship to enjoy…it was actually something that stood out to me with how many activities and facilities there are available to guests.
Crystal Cove was a beautiful piano bar, then to the Bistro, a coffee lounge with snacks and pastries available all day. There are 3 different theatres (Hollywood Theatre, Stardust Lounge and Galaxy Lounge) with all kinds of entertainment, talks and even movies happening at various times of the day.
During the afternoon you could partake in an afternoon tea in Palm Court, which transformed into the Sunset Lounge by the evening. This is where Crystal Cruises held dances before dinner and late night drinks. After dinner, there are so many options for entertainment or late night bars. The Avenues Bar was a dark and moody venue that also served snacks. For those who wanted something even more, the Pulse Nightclub had a DJ and karaoke on various nights.
I spent one morning enjoying the Aurora Spa area and having a Swedish massage. There is a complimentary sauna and steam room available for all guests even if you haven’t booked a treatment. I enjoyed a beautiful relaxing tea in the guest lounge after my treatment while watching the ocean behind the ship. The spa uses Elemis products which are pure luxury.
We wanted to exercise each day so we could try everything on the menus, so we hit the Gym and the Promenade on deck 7. The gym was very spacious with a wide variety of equipment and classes on offer. The promenade deck meant you could walk around the entire ship, an activity which was surprisingly delightful. There are even pickleball courts, putting greens, driving ranges and table tennis available as other activities. You will never be bored with Crystal Cruises.
On 7 nights or longer voyages there is always a formal night and a White Night which the guests love! It’s great to see everyone really getting into the theme and enjoying themselves on these nights.
Crystal Cruises Dining and Service
The variety and level of cuisine was definitely some of the best I’ve ever had on a cruise ship! Beefbar for lunch or dinner was a highlight and even the everyday Marketplace, Trident Grill and Waterside restaurant had fabulous food options. The standout though were the two specialty dining restaurants of Osteria d’Ovidio and Umi Uma- the only Nobu at sea. My husband is not a foodie and it’s hard to impress him, but he couldn’t stop talking about the level of food we ate on the ship. It didn’t matter if it was breakfast, lunch or dinner, we were continuously blown away by the cuisine in each dining venue!
With the crew to guest ratio being nearly 1:1 there was always a staff member on hand for anything you could ask for. From the butlers to the wait staff to the bar staff, service was by far exceptional. They almost knew what you wanted before you did!
Overall Crystal Cruises Experience
The demographic was a little older, given this was part of a World Voyage, but there was so much space on the ship and so many different options of things to do day and night, that there were activities for everyone. The staff were a definite highlight with 90% of them from pre-COVID joining the Crystal family again once the ships have come into the A&K portfolio. They clearly love working on these ships! The whole cruise felt like we were constantly being pampered and we couldn’t have wanted for anything more.
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