A jewel of a ship!

So – following the Royal Princess cruise, visit and naming was my next ship “experience” of the week  - a visit aboard the beautiful Crystal Symphony. I had been offered this tour through the Ocean Liner Society so we all met up in the QEII terminal half an hour before boarding. I had assumed, wrongly as it turned out, that Southampton was a way port for Symphony but it transpired she was turning around here so there was lots of activity as people were loading their luggage into taxis and a few others started to arrive. It was not long however before we were invited to embark.

 

Symphony arrived at dawn with the assistance of one tug

 

We were taken straight up to the panoramic Palm Court where a line of stewards held trays of Champagne and Mimosas for us. It was a beautiful and elegant room and as we were taken up my first impressions of the ship were muted shades of grey, mushroom and lilac – elegant and calming.

 

We had a short presentation and introduction to Crystal Cruises before we were divided into small groups and taken on a tour of the ship. It was not long at all before I had decided that I need to sail with Crystal! This was my kind of ship. At 51,000 tons she is a lovely size – similar to my beloved Artemis and, like her, built in Finland.

The Lido Deck was beautifully laid out with cream rattan loungers, some in the sun, some in shady areas, the whole deck area covered with classic teak planking.

 

The cabins were not that large but beautifully appointed with sliding louvred doors to the wardrobes and a bell system by each door to indicate whether you were available, not to disturbed or the cabin could be made up.

 

Then we moved to the main passenger decks. There was a stunning water feature in the Atrium or Crystal Plaza as it is called.

 

On the upper level were shops etc, and on the lower was Reception, shore excursion desk, concierge etc. There are plenty of entertainment venues including a show lounge and small theatre as well as a surprising number of different places to eat for a ship this size – Prego, Sushi Bar, The Silk Road etc. After our tour we were taken back to the Palm Court for an extravagant spread of hors d’oevres accompanied by drinks of our choice.

 

The above photo shows The Vintage Room - in Crystal's words, 'Inspired by the rich tradition of wine-makers to gather and showcase their most treasured vintages, dinners served in the elegant Vintage Room are the pinnacle experience for wine enthusiasts. Working with our sommeliers, crystal's culinary team creates menus to enhance the unique attributes of each vintage, with exceptional selections from famed wine-making regions such as Bordeaux and the Napa Valley.'

 

 

 

My overall impression was a classic, elegant ship. Although there are some facilities for children it is clearly aimed at adults. The service was quiet and impeccable. I believe most cruises are of the 7-10 day duration, and pretty port-heavy, but a few sea days in the sun on this ship would be my idea of heaven. Now – how to save up…..