Crystal Cruises

MV Crystal Symphony

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Operator: Crystal Cruises
Year Built / Last Refurbished: 1995 / 2000
Length / Tonnage: 778 / 50,000
Number of Cabins / Passengers: 480 / 960
Officers / Crew: Norwegian / European
Operating Area: Worldwide
Telephone / Fax: Tel 630 916820 / Fax 130 6716

Crystal Cruises was created in 1989 and currently operates three ships. These include the 960-guest ships: Crystal Harmony and Crystal Serenity plus the most recent addition to the fleet the 1,080 guest Crystal Serenity, which entered service in June, 2003. Crystal is wholly owned by Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK), the largest shipping company in the world.

Headquartered in Tokyo, the firm operates over 800 ships, has offices all over the globe and is renowned for its fast, reliable and economical service to people around the world.

Each of the Crystal ships offers an elegant and refined cruise experience - at top-dollar cruise prices. While we really do like the Crystal ships, we do have a problem with the way the line is marketed. Is a Crystal cruise really a "six star" experience as the marketing materials proclaim? In our opinion the answer is no...if something is going to be rated that highly, it must deliver the goods....there is NO ROOM FOR ERROR.....in any department, ship or landside...it's no different a system than school report cards....if you get an A+ on an exam, it means that exam was perfect in every way.

Is it worth spending the money to sail with Crystal? Only you can really answer that question...but if you are looking for the best value for dollar spent, in our opinion there are better alternatives. On the other hand, if you have the time and the means to afford a cruise on a Crystal ship you will probably have an enjoyable if not always memorable experience.

The public areas of the Symphony are attractive and laid out well. Since she only carries 960 passengers, there are rarely crowds, and there are plenty of comfortable chairs in quiet corners to relax or read.

A quick tour of the Symphony begins on the top deck, the Sun Deck (deck 12). The Crystal Salon and Spa occupy the aft portion of this deck. Moving forward on Sun Deck you pass the sliding glass roof over the smaller of the ship's two pools and a small paddle tennis court before reaching a walkway that overlooks the main pool on the deck below. There is also a small driving range on this deck.

The forward portion of the next deck, the Lido Deck (deck 11) is occupied by the Palm Court which is a great place to meet for drinks before or after dinner and provides a panoramic view over the ship's bow. Afternoon tea is also served here. Leaving the Palm Court heading aft brings you to the Seahorse pool, the larger of the two pools on board the Symphony. There is a bar area and small stage near the pool where a band play during most days at sea. Continuing aft brings you to the Trident Bar which overlooks the smaller Neptune pool which has a retractable roof in the event of inclement weather. The Lido Cafe and Gardens which is the main casual dining venue, occupies the remainder of the deck.

The aft stairwells take you down one level to a small deck area on the Penthouse Deck (deck 10). The remainder of this deck is occupied by passenger accommodations and the ship's bridge and officers quarters. The next two decks, Sea Breeze (Deck 9) and Horizon (Deck 8) are also dedicated to passenger accommodations.

The next deck, the Promenade Deck (Deck 7) consists of passenger accommodations and a nice walk-around promenade which is usually very uncrowded and is a great place to relax, unwind with a book or just sit back and watch the sea pass by.

The Galaxy Lounge occupies the forward portion of the next deck, the Tiffany Deck (Deck 6). This is the main entertainment venue on board hosting more of a Broadway feel than the Las Vegas experience found on other lines. The Caesars Palace at Sea casino, Hollywood Theatre and Atrium fill out the middle portion of this deck. Just past the Atrium is the Starlite Club which offers dance music in the evenings and occasional ballroom dance lessons during sea days.

The Symphony's two specialty restaurants are located just past the Starlite club on the port side of the ship. Jade Garden offers Chinese cuisine while Prego serves Italian specialties. The Library, and computer center are located on the starboard side of the deck, aft.

The forward portion of the next deck, Crystal Deck (Deck 5) is occupied by passenger cabins and the Crystal Plaza reception area. The Crystal Cove bar is located to one side of the reception area and the main dining room occupies the remainder of this deck.

The food in main dining room is very good although the level of service is not always up to the level promised in Crystal promotional materials. The quality of the food in the two specialty restaurants on board - Prego and Jade - is comparable but we prefer the atmosphere in Prego.

Casual dining is available at the Lido Cafe and the Trident Grill pool side where individually prepared hamburgers and fries are available. The Bistro on Tiffany Deck offers breads, cheeses, deli meats and desserts for late risers who miss dining room breakfast hours.

The cabins on board the Symphony are fine - very nice even.....with pseudo walk in closets, reasonable if not generous drawer space, a small sofa and sitting area, television with VCR, refrigerator, and a petite tub in the bathroom. I must admit that the beds, pillows, and accompanying down comforters are heaven at sea! A restful night is almost a given on the Crystal Symphony.

As cruise lines begin a regression toward the two class system of yesteryear, Crystal is no exception....and they have created for suite passengers....and balconied cabins....a different world...separated from the rest by better cabin service. Butlers, originally serving only Penthouse Deck suites, are now helping out on Deck Nine. It's the butler service, and precious little else, that might allow me to consider the Crystal Symphony a five star product. If you end up in one of these cabins, you'll be pampered until you cry "no more!" As for the physical layout of these suites, they're okay....not wonderful....though the chairs and sofas are cushy comfy. Penthouse Deck digs range in size from 360 square feet with veranda to 948 square feet, also with veranda. To my eye, Crystal put in furniture that looks too large or blocky....the cabinet housing the refrigerator and bar, with the television on top, overwhelms the category A cabins. In their defense, the cabins are decorated with light neutral colors, and are well equipped.....but once again, Crystal's competition has put to sea some truly impressive accommodations during the last five years.....and with service to match.

Actually, who goes depends on where the Crystal Symphony is going....and for how long. Obviously, the longer cruises cater to those with tons of time and money....portions of that trip will bring the average age down a bit. One common thread binding most Crystal passengers is a love for the subdued atmosphere....fewer conga lines and rum swizzle blow outs, and more classical music fans....and those who love the peaceful pleasures in life.

Crystal Symphony will spend the bulk of 2002 in Europe offering extended 12 and 14 day cruises to the Baltic Sea, Russia and Mediterranean. In October, she will cross the Atlantic and begin a series of Panama Canal cruises before finishing up the year with holiday cruises to the Caribbean and Mexican Riviera.

In January and February of 2003 she will head to South America. In late February she heads across the Pacific on a 20 day cruise to New Zealand. From there she will spend 27 days sailing around Australia, New Zealand and the Orient. In April she returns to Los Angeles, then proceeds through the Panama Canal before heading across the Atlantic to begin her European and Mediterranean itineraries. In August she crosses the Atlantic to New York for a number of Canada and New England fall foliage cruises. In October, it's back to South American before returning to the Caribbean for her holiday cruises.

Of all the companies offering cruises to far flung destinations, Crystal includes mostly major ports of call....only rarely will she visit an out of the way place....so her itineraries are ideal for first timers to any given part of the world.

If you're not a tried and true Crystal Cruise fanatic, be smart....comparison shop! And consider this....does the Crystal Symphony go where you want to go....what does Crystal give you (not promise you in the brochure, but actually give you)...that no other cruise line cannot? Is a Crystal cruise worth the extra price you'll pay? Will you have more space, more elbow room than on other ships? Can you be assured that ALL the crew are trained and capable of providing five star service? And if your Crystal cruise falls short of their advertising or your expectations, will the line listen to you....and offer a solution?

The food on the Crystal Symphony is all right....pretty good if you aren't too discriminating....but not close to gourmet..... the atmosphere restful, the accommodations complete if a little awkwardly arranged...and the public rooms are wonderful. The staff ranges from among the finest working at sea today to the hopelessly incompetent. As I write, this is beginning to add up to sounding an awful lot like competing cruise lines....who charge up to 50% less than Crystal! For the money, I'd rather double my vacation time with two cruises on someone else than pay the prices for a cruise here....there are a handful of sailings on the Crystal Harmony with deals to be had....Panama Canal sailings, as an example, are sometimes put on sale.....offering a per day rate equal to competitor's fares. And when this happens, Crystal may be worth trying.