Vessel now boasts one of the highest per-guest space and service ratios in the industry
By
Richard Humphreys |
Crystal Serenity has rejoined the Crystal Cruises fleet after an extensive refurbishment, which mirrors the changes implemented onboard her sister ship Crystal Symphony in 2017.
Crystal Serenity will rejoin the fleet and set sail from Lisbon on 10 November.
Crystal Serenity now boasts new dining options; new Seabreeze penthouse suites; redesigned lounge and entertainment venues; a new production show called ‘Crystal on Broadway, The Show’; and new interactive technological amenities.
“The scope of this redesign is truly remarkable. Our ocean ships remain at the heart of our brand and our commitment to their continued excellence and success is unwavering,” said Tom Wolber, Crystal president and CEO. “The changes onboard Crystal Serenity are a beautiful reaffirmation of Crystal’s timeless style and luxury, which continues to evolve with the preferences of luxury travellers but will always be rooted in the cornerstones of genuine, personalised service, abundant space, superb quality and numerous choices.”
Crystal Serenity has several new dining venues including the contemporary Waterside restaurant in the centre of the ship, which replaces the former Crystal dining room. The Lido Café has been transformed into the Marketplace, an ‘open kitchen’ venue that offers made-to-order dishes and transforms into the Brazilian-style barbeque restaurant, Churrascaria, in the evening.
Formerly known as Tastes, the new Silk Kitchen & Bar is an Asian-inspired venue that serves traditional Chinese food and is located in the Trident area of the ship. Meanwhile, Silk Road & The Sushi Bar has been rebranded as Umi Uma and continues to serve the Japanese-Peruvian specialities of master chef Nobu Matsuhisa by his personally trained chefs. It remains the only Nobu restaurant at sea. Elsewhere, the refurbished Stardust Club offers a brand-new Rat Pack-inspired dining experience that features a four-course menu and live musical performances from Crystal’s ensemble and a string quartet.
“The new open-seating dining gives our guests the freedom to dine when, where and with whom they want, while the new restaurant options uniquely showcase and celebrate the flavours of the world we travel in,” said Wolber.
Public spaces have also been refurbished. Palm Court has been reimagined with an ‘in-the-round’ stage, a modernised bar, more seating areas, lighting and furnishings, and floor-to-ceiling windows. The Galaxy Lounge will offer a new ‘Crystal on Broadway, The Show’, which will feature songs from the hit musicals Rent, Something Rotten! and West Side Story and when it debuts on 7 December during the ‘Pacific Coast Panorama’ cruise. The show is a result of a partnership with Kevin McCollum, the multi Tony Award-winning producer. Pulse and the Resorts World Casino at Sea have also been updated with new modern carpet and furnishings.
Thirty-six new Seabreeze penthouses and two Seabreeze penthouse suites now occupy the space of the former deluxe staterooms. Guests in these penthouses will benefit from the same personal butler service, speciality services, walk-in closets, spa-like bathrooms and spacious square footage as the other penthouses onboard. The transformation has reduced the ship’s capacity from 1,070 guests to 980, but the number of crew onboard remains the same, meaning that Crystal Serenity provides one of the highest per-guest space and service ratios in the industry.
“The new Seabreeze accommodations are in direct response to guest demand for more suites that, of course, include our personalised butler service,” said Wolber. “And the redesigned lounges will make spaces that are already favourites among our guests even more versatile and inviting.”
All public spaces and guest suites now have new high-definition flat-panel TVs, and the wi-fi coverage throughout the ship has also been upgraded. Crystal Serenity’s enrichment facilities were also redesigned. The Computer University@Sea has new carpeting, seating and computer equipment, along with 70-inch TVs. The multifunctional enrichment room, The Studio, has been divided to offer a classroom for language, art and other instruction and a separate dance studio for private lessons.
A new guest portal – Crystal Connect – is now live, found on the landing page of onboard internet service which contains shipboard and itinerary info, daily menus, shore excursions and port maps, daily issues of Reflections, global newspapers and entertainment library.