Review: Crystal Serenity - Venice - Athens

This is a review of our cruise on the Byzantine Odyssey cruise on the
Crystal Serenity from June 25 - July 7 2010 with time spent pre-cruise
in Venice and after disembarking in Athens.

STATS AND STUFF

We’re a gay couple from San Francisco, ages 54 & 61. This was our
first cruise on Crystal, but our 23rd cruise overall. We’ve cruised
on most of the other cruise lines, but most frequently have enjoyed
Cunard and HAL.

Since this was our first Crystal cruise, this review will highlight
“the Crystal difference” as well as give some advice for the various
ports of call.

THE SHIP

The Crystal Serenity (68,870 GMT) was built in 2003 and holds only
1070 passengers (with a crew of 655). The ship is very comfortable,
with no interior passenger cabins.

Currently, the main dining room has two traditional seatings, but this
is scheduled to change next year, with a more flexible dining concept.
There are 2+ alternative restaurants: Prego for Italian food, and Silk
Road for Asian items which also includes a sushi bar overseen by Nobu,
the celebrity chef. Aside from tips, there is no extra charge for
dining in these restaurants. Besides a well-designed buffet, there's a
nice area called the Bistro for coffee and pastries as well as areas
near the pool for ice cream, burgers and salads and such. Notably,
the chefs in the dining room will happily accommodate special
requests. Do you want a special dish, not on the menu? Ask the day
before, and they’ll prepare it if they can.

There are three major public rooms, the single-deck Galaxy Showroom,
the Stardust Lounge, for musical performances and dancing, and the
Palm Court, the forward lookout bar, with a large dance floor and
small stage. Additionally, there’s the clubby Avenue Saloon, with dark
wood paneling and leather, a disco, cigar lounge and casino.

There are two pools (one with retractable dome) and a gym/spa.
Additionally, the ship is equipped with a comfortable theatre, a large
computer lab with separate classroom and the Studio, with electronic
keyboards for music classes. On the same floor is the Vintage Room,
where special dinners with tasting menus are served.

Although the specific assortment of rooms might not be unusual for a
ship this size, it's not the case of many competitors in the luxury
market, which tend to use smaller more “boutiquey” ships.

A unique feature of this ship is the location of the lifeboats.
They’re tucked beneath the promenade (outside the casino and theatre)
Not only are there no obstructed view cabins – it avoids the common
situation of cabins on the deck above the boats, where the views are
horizon or lifeboats, but not the sea. Of course, this diminishes the
revenue-generating space on the ship, but for passenger comfort, it
can’t be beat.

THE PASSENGERS

On this sailing, the ship was not full. There were 700+ passengers. As
might be expected for a 12 night cruise of this type, there were a
number in their 60s, 70s and above - but there were probably 50-100
(well-behaved) kids. Perhaps owing to the Japanese ownership of the
line, there were a significant number of Asian passengers in the mix
as well.

THE CRYSTAL DIFFERENCE

The passenger space and crew ratios are superb, as might be expected.
One would expect a high level of service and that is certainly the
case. There’s another aspect to the warm, committed service that
surprised me, and that was the attitude of the crew and staff to the
company, itself. Time and again, in conversation, crew members
volunteered how happy they were to be working for Crystal – and how
well the company takes care of them. This attitude toward their
employees clearly manifests itself in the attitude toward their jobs
and to the passengers.

Not only are the staff happy and service-oriented, they’re extremely
talented. Martin, the pianist in the Avenue Saloon, spent many years
playing for the English Royal Family on their yacht, Britannia, and at
Windsor Castle. The Berlitz Spanish instructor was responsible for
all their programs in Central and South America. The list goes on. To
a person, their credentials and knowledge are impressive.

Continuing on this theme, I must note the production shows. They were
excellent. Unlike shows we’ve seen on other lines, the entertainment
was provided by the entertainers, not the stage or shtick. The company
consists of two lead vocalists and an ensemble of eight singers and
dancers. Yes, like Broadway, the chorus is multitalented – they sing
too. There were a couple of other notable facets to the shows. One
show, “My favorite Things” exclusively features the music of Rogers
and Hammerstein. R&H Theatricals is notorious for keeping VERY tight
control of the catalogue. (Think about it – have you EVER seen a R&H
song in a showtune revue?). Finally, check the shoes! The two ladies
in LA who create the shows for Crystal must like shoes. Unlike other
lines, each of the many costume changes includes its own footwear.
(This was pointed out during a backstage tour I attended)

There were many other luxury touches included. Defying the fee-crazy
trend of recent years, there is no charge for non-alcoholic beverages
or ice cream (happily provided by the ever-available staff). In the
well-designed cabins, there are full-size bottles of premium
toiletries. The soft drinks, water and fresh fruit was replenished
daily at no charge. Going ashore? Be sure to grab a complimentary
bottle of water or beach towel inside the gangway. When you return,
there’s a chest of cold towels to refresh you.

I must mention the seamstress. We noticed that a couple of buttons on
our formal wear needed replacing. The solution? Five minutes after a
call to the front desk, the ship’s seamstress appeared at our cabin. A
half hour later, the buttons were attached – no charge.

Last, but certainly NOT least, I’ve got to mention my cruise critic
posting and its aftermath. During the first dinner, things were a bit
bumpy. No major problems, but the experience was not what I had been
led to expect by the rave reviews and postings on Cruise Critic. (No
significant issues at all - the experience would have been totally
expected on a mainstream line) Unsure exactly how to calibrate my
expectations, I posted a question on Cruise Critic before I decided if
I should talk to the appropriate crew members.

Talk about responsible service and going above-and-beyond! Hours
later, on the next night, we had new dining room staff, and the maitre
d’ and dining room manager checked in repeatedly to ask if things were
OK. (They were) Also the next day, I received a message from Victor,
the Food and Beverage Manager, inviting me to discuss any concerns I
might have. I sent him a note to thank him and reply that indeed,
everything was wonderful. Later that day, a nice bottle of wine was
delivered with a note from him. What had the potential for a small
negative experience was quickly turned into an impressive display of
proactive customer service and truly exceeding expectations.

Again, I must mention a comment that illustrates how this attitude
permeates the Crystal experience. A few nights later, during an
amazing 4th of July deck party on our Istanbul overnight, I saw
Victor, introduced myself, and complimented the great event put on by
the people who work for him. He corrected me, crediting the people who
work WITH him.

PORTS AND EXCURSIONS

I always recommend doing some research before leaving, in order to
maximize the experience and help decide when it makes sense to spend
extra for a ships tour or to do it on your own. One of the best
starting places is always Cruise Critic (http://www.cruisecritic.com)

Venice

We departed from Venice. What can I say? We had heard Venice would be
stinky (not true) crowded (not if you just walk a couple of blocks
away from San Marco and the other tourists) and expensive (yeah, that
one's accurate) -- but we were enchanted by this unique city of
islands and canals.

We stayed at the Hotel Al Codega. It's located on a little courtyard
about midway between the Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge - yet
surprisingly, there's only one little bridge to either destination. It
was charming, quiet, and reasonably priced.

We took a water taxi from the airport. Following 20+ hours of travel,
this was money well spent. Standing up in the back of the luxurious
boat as we sped across the lagoon to Venice was a spectacular
experience. We didn't blow our money on a gondola ride - and we think
this was a better use for those roughly 100 euros. (By the way, we DID
ride in a gondola -- the next day we used a tronchetto to cross the
Grand Canal for 1 euro)

I mentioned that our hotel was located on a small courtyard. I was
glad that I had checked it out using the street-view cams at Venice
Connected, or I may have bypassed the little alley to the courtyard
entirely. (http://www.veniceconnected.com) This site is a compendium
of information and the best source for advance purchase of passes for
museums and vaporetti (boats used for public transit)

Venice Tours
We took a number of tours - primarily not provided by the ship:
Venice Backstreets Tour (http://www.theveniceexperience.com) - we took
this walking tour an hour or two after arriving. Mike, the owner of
the company took us around spots that most tourists would likely miss.
Most importantly, he exposed us to the two key aspects to enjoying
Venice. First - go down that little alley. Get lost. Be brave (there's
no crime to speak of in the city) - if you think something interesting
might be down that little street, go there! Second - take a break and
have a spritz. Venetians' favorite cocktail, appropriate any time of
day, a spritz, is a refreshing blend of prosecco, soda and Campari
(bitter) or Aperol (orange) with a garnish of citrus and olive. All
cafes serve them, and you'll get a knowing smile if you order one -
especially with Campari.

Another highly-recommended tour is the Secret Itineraries Tour of the
Doge's Palace. This tour is only offered three times a day in English
and must be booked in advance. (http://www.venice-museum.com). This
tour takes you to the "secret floors" above the public areas of the
palace, where the bureaucrats, and spies kept their records and
reports - also prison cells and a torture chamber. It was absolutely
fascinating.

When you're online, you can also save a lot of time and avoid the LONG
lines of tourists by pre-booking an entrance reservation to the don't-
miss Basilica San Marco in advance (http://www.venetoinside.com/en/
basilica_of_san_marco/)

We usually enjoy taking boat tours of cities. From the rivers of St
Petersburg to the canals of Amsterdam and Copenhagen, these tours
inevitably give another perspective of the city, while allowing an
hour or two to rest our tired feet. We found a tour in Venice. We were
disappointed. Besides the cost (30 euro), they don't use specially
designed river tourboats like in other cities. In Venice, these tours
are done in water taxis - which are designed for many things (low
bridge clearance, inside passenger luxury) but not for views from
inside or audibility of the guide's comments. All-in-all, better to
grab Rick Steve's guide and ride the vaporetto down the Grand Canal.

Finally, on Saturday, we took a very special ship's excursion, called
Venetian Artistry. Our first stop was the home of Bevilacqua, where we
saw the looms which have been used for hundreds of years - still using
the jacquard cards which store the patterns for their historic silk
velvets. We then boarded our water taxi to Murano, to visit another
historic producer of Venetian art - the Archimede Seguso factory,
which is usually closed to the public. It was a spectacular, and very
special, afternoon capped with a lunch catered by the top
establishment in Venice - all of this was arranged and provided only
by Crystal.

Ravenna

Closed on Sunday. We saw the beautiful mosaics and then returned to
the ship.
Not a highlight.

Corfu

Took the ships' excursion to the "sea caves" at Paleokastritsa with
beach time and local snacks from a view spot. The sea caves were "sea
niches" at best, but the boat time was pleasant, the beach was nice,
the guide was interesting, the snacks were good - and the Greek beer
we purchased was refreshing. The excursion was fine, but doing your
own tour at this port would be OK too.

Rhodes

We downloaded a walking tour for this fascinating city. It was very
well done. (http://www.discovery-walk.com) A highlight of our visit
was the excellent Archeological Museum. It's much more extensive than
it originally appears, with many garden areas.

Bodrum

We took a tour which had been offered by our travel agent. We visited
the usual two sites: the old palace, now an excellent "underwater
archeological museum" and the ruins of the mausoleum. It was a nice
port. However, I'm told that the city is known as a major party town
and to really experience Bodrum, one must be there in the evening. A
number of passengers took an excursion to Ephesus - which is
fascinating, but requires a loooong bus trip.

Mykonos

One of the highlights of the trip. We took a ship's excursion to the
sacred island of Delos, which is just offshore of Mykonos. This island
is uninhabited, but is completely a historic site. Only 20% has been
excavated and that much is breathtaking. Our "Greek guidess" was
wonderful and provided so much context for the many sights. While we
did our trip as a ship excursion, tours are widely available, and the
ferry to the island is public.

After the tour,. We wandered the little city of Mykonos, climbing
through the little white walkways and shops. We had a delightful lunch
of seafood, lamb and more local beer in a little garden oasis.
Fortunately, we were the only ship in port that day. There were five
ships the day before, and I suspect the tiny town would have been
overrun.

Istanbul

We loved Istanbul and look forward to returning. It's a fascinating
city with so much to experience that our overnight stay just whetted
our appetites - which considering the delicious Turkish food, is
literally true.

We arranged for a private tour with a gay tour guide -- specifically
for the nightlife tour mentioned below. Although there's much that is
exotic about Istanbul, it's quite approachable and a savvy cruiser
could easily see the major sites on their own. As an alternative to
large ship tours, there are a number of resources for small group and
private tours besides the one we selected.

In our two half-day tours, we saw the usual sights: Hagia Sophia
(don’t miss the views from the second story), Blue Mosque, the
Cisterns (very cool!) and the Grand Bazaar and Topkapi Palace Museum.
All were breathtaking, don't-miss experiences. However, we also ate a
delicious lunch at one of the oldest restaurants in the city (it was
more of a cafeteria, really).

In our Istanbul Gay Nightlife tour, we visited six bars starting at
10:00 at night and returned to the ship before 3:00 (We could have
stopped at more, but were pooped by the end). Our guide seemingly knew
people at all the bars and on the streets. The venues ranged from a
small café at the start of the evening (where a wedding party,
including the bride in full white dress, arrived and started dancing
to traditional Turkish music) to "atmospheric" bars up three dodgy
flights of stairs, to a beautiful nightclub with a 10 piece band
performing Turkish disco dance music - it's surprising how well a
house beat matches Turkish music. (http://www.istanbulgay.com)

If you have an overnight stop in Istanbul - do NOT stay on the ship
all night. It's a short taxi ride to the Taksim district. This is
where seemingly all of Istanbul goes in the evening to walk down the
well-lit pedestrian street filled with shops, restaurants and bars.

Athens

We spent an extra three days in Athens after disembarking. This was a
good choice. First, because it allowed us to see the major sites,
secondly, because there was a general strike and some demonstrations
on our second day - which allowed us to adjust our schedule to
accommodate it.

I wish I could add some advice to the usual suggestions, but I cannot.
The Acropolis and Ancient Agora were breathtaking. The Parthenon
Museum is exquisitely designed - with space set aside for those Elgin
Marbles, should the British Museum ever return them. The National
Museum is the other can't miss sight with an incomparable collection
and superb signage and explanations to put it all in perspective.

SUMMARY

At this point, the usual question is "Will you do it again?"

We most certainly will cruise Crystal again. As forewarned, indeed,
we've been spoiled and found much to love about the Crystal
experience. However, there's a wide world of cruising options and
alternatives, so our future plans won’t be exclusively with the line.
For instance, our next cruises are likely to be a river cruise in
Europe, what I'm calling a "big, dumb Caribbean cruise" on the Oasis/
Allure of the seas and quite possibly another North Atlantic crossing
- and none of these match the Crystal experience. It took about 25
years to try Crystal for our first time, but it'll be a small fraction
of that before we sail on the line again.

Will we revisit the ports? Yes, we will revisit Istanbul. We loved
Venice and would enjoy seeing her again, but don’t have the
"unfulfilled" feeling about revisiting. Athens? Been there, done
that.

It was an amazing vacation. We adored the ship and many of the cities
we visited. We learned a lot, had some amazing food, and drank a lot
of local culture. Life is good!

Mark, wow, it sounds like y'all had a wonderful trip in every way.
Thanks for sharing all of the details with us. I savored every word!

It was very interesting to read your summary of The Crystal Difference.
I am more convinced than ever that the line needs to be on our short
list. (If I tell my husband about the quality of the production shows
and their rights to the R&H songbook, he will get over the sticker shock
pretty quickly!) The most telling thing you conveyed was when the F&B
Mgr made the work "with" instead of "for" distinction.

Fun to read about ports new and old to me. We have similar tastes and
interests--I am totally with you on your conclusions about Venice,
Athens and Istanbul. When you return to Istanbul, do the whole land trip
including Cappadocia and whatever else strikes your fancy, then end it
with a relaxing "blue cruise" on a traditional gulet...that is the life!
I'm pretty jealous you got to see the Archimede Seguso glassworks...if
you haven't read The City of Falling Angels yet, move it up on your list
while your memories of Venice are fresh.

Great to get feedback on a Discovery Walks audio tour.

In the eclectic cruise travel category, I stumbled onto two that have
really intrigued me. Take a look at the Jayavarama and RV La Marguerite.

Cheers!

Diana

On Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:54:39 -0700 (PDT), Mark (SF) wrote:

This is a review of our cruise on the Byzantine Odyssey cruise on the
Crystal Serenity from June 25 - July 7 2010 with time spent pre-cruise
in Venice and after disembarking in Athens.

STATS AND STUFF

We¢re a gay couple from San Francisco

The Holy Roman and Apostolic Catholic Church's position on
homosexuality is that a homosexual orientation is not morally wrong
just as no moral guilt can be assigned to any inclination that a
person has. Think of a compass entirely out of whack.

However, based on natural moral law, the Holy Roman and Apostolic
Catholic Church believes that homosexual acts are contrary to human
nature and therefore morally wrong.

Jesus doesn't care which way you point as long as you don't act like a homo.

--Jean-- Am Not A Homo, Jury Is Still Out On Charles And Tom K.

Nice review, we get so few Crystal pax here. Glad you and yours
enjoyed yourselves.

Ari, C.T.A.

On Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:54:39 -0700 (PDT), Mark (SF) wrote:

This is a review of our cruise on the Byzantine Odyssey cruise on the
Crystal Serenity from June 25 - July 7 2010 with time spent pre-cruise
in Venice and after disembarking in Athens.

STATS AND STUFF

We’re a gay couple from San Francisco, ages 54 & 61. This was our
first cruise on Crystal, but our 23rd cruise overall. We’ve cruised
on most of the other cruise lines, but most frequently have enjoyed
Cunard and HAL.

Since this was our first Crystal cruise, this review will highlight
“the Crystal difference� as well as give some advice for the various
ports of call.

THE SHIP

The Crystal Serenity (68,870 GMT) was built in 2003 and holds only
1070 passengers (with a crew of 655). The ship is very comfortable,
with no interior passenger cabins.

Currently, the main dining room has two traditional seatings, but this
is scheduled to change next year, with a more flexible dining concept.
There are 2+ alternative restaurants: Prego for Italian food, and Silk
Road for Asian items which also includes a sushi bar overseen by Nobu,
the celebrity chef. Aside from tips, there is no extra charge for
dining in these restaurants. Besides a well-designed buffet, there's a
nice area called the Bistro for coffee and pastries as well as areas
near the pool for ice cream, burgers and salads and such. Notably,
the chefs in the dining room will happily accommodate special
requests. Do you want a special dish, not on the menu? Ask the day
before, and they’ll prepare it if they can.

There are three major public rooms, the single-deck Galaxy Showroom,
the Stardust Lounge, for musical performances and dancing, and the
Palm Court, the forward lookout bar, with a large dance floor and
small stage. Additionally, there’s the clubby Avenue Saloon, with dark
wood paneling and leather, a disco, cigar lounge and casino.

There are two pools (one with retractable dome) and a gym/spa.
Additionally, the ship is equipped with a comfortable theatre, a large
computer lab with separate classroom and the Studio, with electronic
keyboards for music classes. On the same floor is the Vintage Room,
where special dinners with tasting menus are served.

Although the specific assortment of rooms might not be unusual for a
ship this size, it's not the case of many competitors in the luxury
market, which tend to use smaller more “boutiquey� ships.

A unique feature of this ship is the location of the lifeboats.
They’re tucked beneath the promenade (outside the casino and theatre)
Not only are there no obstructed view cabins – it avoids the common
situation of cabins on the deck above the boats, where the views are
horizon or lifeboats, but not the sea. Of course, this diminishes the
revenue-generating space on the ship, but for passenger comfort, it
can’t be beat.

THE PASSENGERS

On this sailing, the ship was not full. There were 700+ passengers. As
might be expected for a 12 night cruise of this type, there were a
number in their 60s, 70s and above - but there were probably 50-100
(well-behaved) kids. Perhaps owing to the Japanese ownership of the
line, there were a significant number of Asian passengers in the mix
as well.

THE CRYSTAL DIFFERENCE

The passenger space and crew ratios are superb, as might be expected.
One would expect a high level of service and that is certainly the
case. There’s another aspect to the warm, committed service that
surprised me, and that was the attitude of the crew and staff to the
company, itself. Time and again, in conversation, crew members
volunteered how happy they were to be working for Crystal – and how
well the company takes care of them. This attitude toward their
employees clearly manifests itself in the attitude toward their jobs
and to the passengers.

Not only are the staff happy and service-oriented, they’re extremely
talented. Martin, the pianist in the Avenue Saloon, spent many years
playing for the English Royal Family on their yacht, Britannia, and at
Windsor Castle. The Berlitz Spanish instructor was responsible for
all their programs in Central and South America. The list goes on. To
a person, their credentials and knowledge are impressive.

Continuing on this theme, I must note the production shows. They were
excellent. Unlike shows we’ve seen on other lines, the entertainment
was provided by the entertainers, not the stage or shtick. The company
consists of two lead vocalists and an ensemble of eight singers and
dancers. Yes, like Broadway, the chorus is multitalented – they sing
too. There were a couple of other notable facets to the shows. One
show, “My favorite Things� exclusively features the music of Rogers
and Hammerstein. R&H Theatricals is notorious for keeping VERY tight
control of the catalogue. (Think about it – have you EVER seen a R&H
song in a showtune revue?). Finally, check the shoes! The two ladies
in LA who create the shows for Crystal must like shoes. Unlike other
lines, each of the many costume changes includes its own footwear.
(This was pointed out during a backstage tour I attended)

There were many other luxury touches included. Defying the fee-crazy
trend of recent years, there is no charge for non-alcoholic beverages
or ice cream (happily provided by the ever-available staff). In the
well-designed cabins, there are full-size bottles of premium
toiletries. The soft drinks, water and fresh fruit was replenished
daily at no charge. Going ashore? Be sure to grab a complimentary
bottle of water or beach towel inside the gangway. When you return,
there’s a chest of cold towels to refresh you.

I must mention the seamstress. We noticed that a couple of buttons on
our formal wear needed replacing. The solution? Five minutes after a
call to the front desk, the ship’s seamstress appeared at our cabin. A
half hour later, the buttons were attached – no charge.

Last, but certainly NOT least, I’ve got to mention my cruise critic
posting and its aftermath. During the first dinner, things were a bit
bumpy. No major problems, but the experience was not what I had been
led to expect by the rave reviews and postings on Cruise Critic. (No
significant issues at all - the experience would have been totally
expected on a mainstream line) Unsure exactly how to calibrate my
expectations, I posted a question on Cruise Critic before I decided if
I should talk to the appropriate crew members.

Talk about responsible service and going above-and-beyond! Hours
later, on the next night, we had new dining room staff, and the maitre
d’ and dining room manager checked in repeatedly to ask if things were
OK. (They were) Also the next day, I received a message from Victor,
the Food and Beverage Manager, inviting me to discuss any concerns I
might have. I sent him a note to thank him and reply that indeed,
everything was wonderful. Later that day, a nice bottle of wine was
delivered with a note from him. What had the potential for a small
negative experience was quickly turned into an impressive display of
proactive customer service and truly exceeding expectations.

Again, I must mention a comment that illustrates how this attitude
permeates the Crystal experience. A few nights later, during an
amazing 4th of July deck party on our Istanbul overnight, I saw
Victor, introduced myself, and complimented the great event put on by
the people who work for him. He corrected me, crediting the people who
work WITH him.

PORTS AND EXCURSIONS

I always recommend doing some research before leaving, in order to
maximize the experience and help decide when it makes sense to spend
extra for a ships tour or to do it on your own. One of the best
starting places is always Cruise Critic (http://www.cruisecritic.com)

Venice

We departed from Venice. What can I say? We had heard Venice would be
stinky (not true) crowded (not if you just walk a couple of blocks
away from San Marco and the other tourists) and expensive (yeah, that
one's accurate) -- but we were enchanted by this unique city of
islands and canals.

We stayed at the Hotel Al Codega. It's located on a little courtyard
about midway between the Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge - yet
surprisingly, there's only one little bridge to either destination. It
was charming, quiet, and reasonably priced.

We took a water taxi from the airport. Following 20+ hours of travel,
this was money well spent. Standing up in the back of the luxurious
boat as we sped across the lagoon to Venice was a spectacular
experience. We didn't blow our money on a gondola ride - and we think
this was a better use for those roughly 100 euros. (By the way, we DID
ride in a gondola -- the next day we used a tronchetto to cross the
Grand Canal for 1 euro)

I mentioned that our hotel was located on a small courtyard. I was
glad that I had checked it out using the street-view cams at Venice
Connected, or I may have bypassed the little alley to the courtyard
entirely. (http://www.veniceconnected.com) This site is a compendium
of information and the best source for advance purchase of passes for
museums and vaporetti (boats used for public transit)

Venice Tours
We took a number of tours - primarily not provided by the ship:
Venice Backstreets Tour (http://www.theveniceexperience.com) - we took
this walking tour an hour or two after arriving. Mike, the owner of
the company took us around spots that most tourists would likely miss.
Most importantly, he exposed us to the two key aspects to enjoying
Venice. First - go down that little alley. Get lost. Be brave (there's
no crime to speak of in the city) - if you think something interesting
might be down that little street, go there! Second - take a break and
have a spritz. Venetians' favorite cocktail, appropriate any time of
day, a spritz, is a refreshing blend of prosecco, soda and Campari
(bitter) or Aperol (orange) with a garnish of citrus and olive. All
cafes serve them, and you'll get a knowing smile if you order one -
especially with Campari.

Another highly-recommended tour is the Secret Itineraries Tour of the
Doge's Palace. This tour is only offered three times a day in English
and must be booked in advance. (http://www.venice-museum.com). This
tour takes you to the "secret floors" above the public areas of the
palace, where the bureaucrats, and spies kept their records and
reports - also prison cells and a torture chamber. It was absolutely
fascinating.

When you're online, you can also save a lot of time and avoid the LONG
lines of tourists by pre-booking an entrance reservation to the don't-
miss Basilica San Marco in advance (http://www.venetoinside.com/en/
basilica_of_san_marco/)

We usually enjoy taking boat tours of cities. From the rivers of St
Petersburg to the canals of Amsterdam and Copenhagen, these tours
inevitably give another perspective of the city, while allowing an
hour or two to rest our tired feet. We found a tour in Venice. We were
disappointed. Besides the cost (30 euro), they don't use specially
designed river tourboats like in other cities. In Venice, these tours
are done in water taxis - which are designed for many things (low
bridge clearance, inside passenger luxury) but not for views from
inside or audibility of the guide's comments. All-in-all, better to
grab Rick Steve's guide and ride the vaporetto down the Grand Canal.

Finally, on Saturday, we took a very special ship's excursion, called
Venetian Artistry. Our first stop was the home of Bevilacqua, where we
saw the looms which have been used for hundreds of years - still using
the jacquard cards which store the patterns for their historic silk
velvets. We then boarded our water taxi to Murano, to visit another
historic producer of Venetian art - the Archimede Seguso factory,
which is usually closed to the public. It was a spectacular, and very
special, afternoon capped with a lunch catered by the top
establishment in Venice - all of this was arranged and provided only
by Crystal.

Ravenna

Closed on Sunday. We saw the beautiful mosaics and then returned to
the ship.
Not a highlight.

Corfu

Took the ships' excursion to the "sea caves" at Paleokastritsa with
beach time and local snacks from a view spot. The sea caves were "sea
niches" at best, but the boat time was pleasant, the beach was nice,
the guide was interesting, the snacks were good - and the Greek beer
we purchased was refreshing. The excursion was fine, but doing your
own tour at this port would be OK too.

Rhodes

We downloaded a walking tour for this fascinating city. It was very
well done. (http://www.discovery-walk.com) A highlight of our visit
was the excellent Archeological Museum. It's much more extensive than
it originally appears, with many garden areas.

Bodrum

We took a tour which had been offered by our travel agent. We visited
the usual two sites: the old palace, now an excellent "underwater
archeological museum" and the ruins of the mausoleum. It was a nice
port. However, I'm told that the city is known as a major party town
and to really experience Bodrum, one must be there in the evening. A
number of passengers took an excursion to Ephesus - which is
fascinating, but requires a loooong bus trip.

Mykonos

One of the highlights of the trip. We took a ship's excursion to the
sacred island of Delos, which is just offshore of Mykonos. This island
is uninhabited, but is completely a historic site. Only 20% has been
excavated and that much is breathtaking. Our "Greek guidess" was
wonderful and provided so much context for the many sights. While we
did our trip as a ship excursion, tours are widely available, and the
ferry to the island is public.

After the tour,. We wandered the little city of Mykonos, climbing
through the little white walkways and shops. We had a delightful lunch
of seafood, lamb and more local beer in a little garden oasis.
Fortunately, we were the only ship in port that day. There were five
ships the day before, and I suspect the tiny town would have been
overrun.

Istanbul

We loved Istanbul and look forward to returning. It's a fascinating
city with so much to experience that our overnight stay just whetted
our appetites - which considering the delicious Turkish food, is
literally true.

We arranged for a private tour with a gay tour guide -- specifically
for the nightlife tour mentioned below. Although there's much that is
exotic about Istanbul, it's quite approachable and a savvy cruiser
could easily see the major sites on their own. As an alternative to
large ship tours, there are a number of resources for small group and
private tours besides the one we selected.

In our two half-day tours, we saw the usual sights: Hagia Sophia
(don’t miss the views from the second story), Blue Mosque, the
Cisterns (very cool!) and the Grand Bazaar and Topkapi Palace Museum.
All were breathtaking, don't-miss experiences. However, we also ate a
delicious lunch at one of the oldest restaurants in the city (it was
more of a cafeteria, really).

In our Istanbul Gay Nightlife tour, we visited six bars starting at
10:00 at night and returned to the ship before 3:00 (We could have
stopped at more, but were pooped by the end). Our guide seemingly knew
people at all the bars and on the streets. The venues ranged from a
small café at the start of the evening (where a wedding party,
including the bride in full white dress, arrived and started dancing
to traditional Turkish music) to "atmospheric" bars up three dodgy
flights of stairs, to a beautiful nightclub with a 10 piece band
performing Turkish disco dance music - it's surprising how well a
house beat matches Turkish music. (http://www.istanbulgay.com)

If you have an overnight stop in Istanbul - do NOT stay on the ship
all night. It's a short taxi ride to the Taksim district. This is
where seemingly all of Istanbul goes in the evening to walk down the
well-lit pedestrian street filled with shops, restaurants and bars.

Athens

We spent an extra three days in Athens after disembarking. This was a
good choice. First, because it allowed us to see the major sites,
secondly, because there was a general strike and some demonstrations
on our second day - which allowed us to adjust our schedule to
accommodate it.

I wish I could add some advice to the usual suggestions, but I cannot.
The Acropolis and Ancient Agora were breathtaking. The Parthenon
Museum is exquisitely designed - with space set aside for those Elgin
Marbles, should the British Museum ever return them. The National
Museum is the other can't miss sight with an incomparable collection
and superb signage and explanations to put it all in perspective.

SUMMARY

At this point, the usual question is "Will you do it again?"

We most certainly will cruise Crystal again. As forewarned, indeed,
we've been spoiled and found much to love about the Crystal
experience. However, there's a wide world of cruising options and
alternatives, so our future plans won’t be exclusively with the line.
For instance, our next cruises are likely to be a river cruise in
Europe, what I'm calling a "big, dumb Caribbean cruise" on the Oasis/
Allure of the seas and quite possibly another North Atlantic crossing
- and none of these match the Crystal experience. It took about 25
years to try Crystal for our first time, but it'll be a small fraction
of that before we sail on the line again.

Will we revisit the ports? Yes, we will revisit Istanbul. We loved
Venice and would enjoy seeing her again, but don’t have the
"unfulfilled" feeling about revisiting. Athens? Been there, done
that.

It was an amazing vacation. We adored the ship and many of the cities
we visited. We learned a lot, had some amazing food, and drank a lot
of local culture. Life is good!


--
Ari Silverstein, C.T.A; C.T.A.S, FREE Cruise Travel Advisory Services
Sign up for special email deals @ www.CruiseQuick.com - able to offer
some of the lowest prices and best value added in the industry. (not
affiliated)

On Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:36:47 -0400, Jean O'Boyle wrote:

On Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:54:39 -0700 (PDT), Mark (SF) wrote:

This is a review of our cruise on the Byzantine Odyssey cruise on the
Crystal Serenity from June 25 - July 7 2010 with time spent pre-cruise
in Venice and after disembarking in Athens.

STATS AND STUFF

We¢re a gay couple from San Francisco

The Holy Roman and Apostolic Catholic Church's position on
homosexuality is that a homosexual orientation is not morally wrong
just as no moral guilt can be assigned to any inclination that a
person has. Think of a compass entirely out of whack.

Good post, Jean! Yes, their compasses are pointed South...towards
HELL.

However, based on natural moral law, the Holy Roman and Apostolic
Catholic Church believes that homosexual acts are contrary to human
nature and therefore morally wrong.

"If men were made to have sex together, they would have both a penis
and a vagina." ~ Pres. JEPTHA B. GINN, Tennessee's Pioneer Baptist
Preachers Association

Jesus doesn't care which way you point as long as you don't act like a homo.

It's fine to walk light in your loafers or gently limp your wrist but
in the bedroom, keep you pee-pee to yourself.

--Jean-- Am Not A Homo, Jury Is Still Out On Charles And Tom K.

They worry me/us.

sue

Mark (SF) electronically interjected On 7/14/2010 3:54 PM:
This is a review of our cruise on the Byzantine Odyssey cruise on the
Crystal Serenity from June 25 - July 7 2010 with time spent pre-cruise
in Venice and after disembarking in Athens.

[snip]
SUMMARY

At this point, the usual question is "Will you do it again?"

We most certainly will cruise Crystal again. As forewarned, indeed,
we've been spoiled and found much to love about the Crystal
experience. However, there's a wide world of cruising options and
alternatives, so our future plans won’t be exclusively with the line.
For instance, our next cruises are likely to be a river cruise in
Europe, what I'm calling a "big, dumb Caribbean cruise" on the Oasis/
Allure of the seas and quite possibly another North Atlantic crossing
- and none of these match the Crystal experience. It took about 25
years to try Crystal for our first time, but it'll be a small fraction
of that before we sail on the line again.

Will we revisit the ports? Yes, we will revisit Istanbul. We loved
Venice and would enjoy seeing her again, but don’t have the
"unfulfilled" feeling about revisiting. Athens? Been there, done
that.

It was an amazing vacation. We adored the ship and many of the cities
we visited. We learned a lot, had some amazing food, and drank a lot
of local culture. Life is good!

Great cruise report! I figure one of the reasons Crystal can afford not
to charge fees that other mass market cruises charge is you pay for it
all up front with your cabin fare.

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"The poor dog is the firmest of friends, the first to welcome the foremost to defend" - Lord Byron

View My Web Pages: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951
My Shutterfly Page http://photosbybrianmk.shutterfly.com/

On Jul 14, 12:54*pm, "Mark (SF)" wrote:
This is a review of our cruise on the Byzantine Odyssey cruise on the
Crystal Serenity from June 25 - July 7 2010 with time spent pre-cruise
in Venice and after disembarking in Athens.

STATS AND STUFF

We’re a gay couple from San Francisco, ages 54 & 61. This was our
first cruise on Crystal, but our 23rd cruise overall. *We’ve cruised
on most of the other cruise lines, but most frequently have enjoyed
Cunard and HAL.

Since this was our first Crystal cruise, this review will highlight
“the Crystal difference” as well as give some advice for the various
ports of call.

THE SHIP

The Crystal Serenity (68,870 GMT) was built in 2003 and holds only
1070 passengers (with a crew of 655). *The ship is very comfortable,
with no interior passenger cabins.

Currently, the main dining room has two traditional seatings, but this
is scheduled to change next year, with a more flexible dining concept.
There are 2+ alternative restaurants: Prego for Italian food, and Silk
Road for Asian items which also includes a sushi bar overseen by Nobu,
the celebrity chef. Aside from tips, there is no extra charge for
dining in these restaurants. Besides a well-designed buffet, there's a
nice area called the Bistro for coffee and pastries as well as areas
near the pool for ice cream, burgers and salads and such. *Notably,
the chefs in the dining room will happily accommodate special
requests. Do you want a special dish, not on the menu? *Ask the day
before, and they’ll prepare it if they can.

There are three major public rooms, the single-deck Galaxy Showroom,
the Stardust Lounge, for musical performances and dancing, and the
Palm Court, the forward lookout bar, with a large dance floor and
small stage. Additionally, there’s the clubby Avenue Saloon, with dark
wood paneling and leather, a disco, cigar lounge and casino.

There are two pools (one with retractable dome) and a gym/spa.
Additionally, the ship is equipped with a comfortable theatre, a large
computer lab with separate classroom and the Studio, with electronic
keyboards for music classes. On the same floor is the Vintage Room,
where special dinners with tasting menus are served.

Although the specific assortment of rooms might not be unusual for a
ship this size, it's not the case of many competitors in the luxury
market, which tend to use smaller more “boutiquey” ships.

A unique feature of this ship is the location of the lifeboats.
They’re tucked beneath the promenade (outside the casino and theatre)
Not only are there no obstructed view cabins – it avoids the common
situation of cabins on the deck above the boats, where the views are
horizon or lifeboats, but not the sea. *Of course, this diminishes the
revenue-generating space on the ship, but for passenger comfort, it
can’t be beat.

THE PASSENGERS

On this sailing, the ship was not full. There were 700+ passengers. As
might be expected for a 12 night cruise of this type, there were a
number in their 60s, 70s and above - but there were probably 50-100
(well-behaved) kids. Perhaps owing to the Japanese ownership of the
line, there were a significant number of Asian passengers in the mix
as well.

THE CRYSTAL DIFFERENCE

The passenger space and crew ratios are superb, as might be expected.
One would expect a high level of service and that is certainly the
case. There’s another aspect to the warm, committed service that
surprised me, and that was the attitude of the crew and staff to the
company, itself. *Time and again, in conversation, crew members
volunteered how happy they were to be working for Crystal – and how
well the company takes care of them. This attitude toward their
employees clearly manifests itself in the attitude toward their jobs
and to the passengers.

Not only are the staff happy and service-oriented, they’re extremely
talented. Martin, the pianist in the Avenue Saloon, spent many years
playing for the English Royal Family on their yacht, Britannia, and at
Windsor Castle. *The Berlitz Spanish instructor was responsible for
all their programs in Central and South America. The list goes on. To
a person, their credentials and knowledge are impressive.

Continuing on this theme, I must note the production shows. They were
excellent. Unlike shows we’ve seen on other lines, the entertainment
was provided by the entertainers, not the stage or shtick. The company
consists of two lead vocalists and an ensemble of eight singers and
dancers. Yes, like Broadway, the chorus is multitalented – they sing
too. *There were a couple of other notable facets to the shows. One
show, “My favorite Things” exclusively features the music of Rogers
and Hammerstein. R&H Theatricals is notorious for keeping VERY tight
control of the catalogue. (Think about it – have you EVER seen a R&H
song in a showtune revue?). *Finally, check the shoes! *The two ladies
in LA who create the shows for Crystal must like shoes. Unlike other
lines, each of the many costume changes includes its own footwear.
(This was pointed out during a backstage tour I attended)

There were many other luxury touches included. Defying the fee-crazy
trend of recent years, there is no charge for non-alcoholic beverages
or ice cream (happily provided by the ever-available staff). In the
well-designed cabins, there are full-size bottles of premium
toiletries. The soft drinks, water and fresh fruit was replenished
daily at no charge. Going ashore? Be sure to grab a complimentary
bottle of water or beach towel inside the gangway. When you return,
there’s a chest of cold towels to refresh you.

I must mention the seamstress. We noticed that a couple of buttons on
our formal wear needed replacing. *The solution? *Five minutes after a
call to the front desk, the ship’s seamstress appeared at our cabin. A
half hour later, the buttons were attached – no charge.

Last, but certainly NOT least, I’ve got to mention my cruise critic
posting and its aftermath. During the first dinner, things were a bit
bumpy. No major problems, but the experience was not what I had been
led to expect by the rave reviews and postings on Cruise Critic. *(No
significant issues at all - the experience would have been totally
expected on a mainstream line) Unsure exactly how to calibrate my
expectations, I posted a question on Cruise Critic before I decided if
I should talk to the appropriate crew members.

Talk about responsible service and going above-and-beyond! *Hours
later, on the next night, we had new dining room staff, and the maitre
d’ and dining room manager checked in repeatedly to ask if things were
OK. (They were) Also the next day, I received a message from Victor,
the Food and Beverage Manager, inviting me to discuss any concerns I
might have. I sent him a note to thank him and reply that indeed,
everything was wonderful. Later that day, a nice bottle of wine was
delivered with a note from him. What had the potential for a small
negative experience was quickly turned into an impressive display of
proactive customer service and truly exceeding expectations.

Again, I must mention a comment that illustrates how this attitude
permeates the Crystal experience. *A few nights later, during an
amazing 4th of July deck party on our Istanbul overnight, I saw
Victor, introduced myself, and complimented the great event put on by
the people who work for him. He corrected me, crediting the people who
work WITH him.

PORTS AND EXCURSIONS

I always recommend doing some research before leaving, in order to
maximize the experience and help decide when it makes sense to spend
extra for a ships tour or to do it on your own. One of the best
starting places is always Cruise Critic (http://www.cruisecritic.com)

Venice

We departed from Venice. What can I say? We had heard Venice would be
stinky (not true) crowded (not if you just walk a couple of blocks
away from San Marco and the other tourists) and expensive (yeah, that
one's accurate) -- but we were enchanted by this unique city of
islands and canals.

We stayed at the Hotel Al Codega. It's located on a little courtyard
about midway between the Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge - yet
surprisingly, there's only one little bridge to either destination. It
was charming, quiet, and reasonably priced.

We took a water taxi from the airport. Following 20+ hours of travel,
this was money well spent. Standing up in the back of the luxurious
boat as we sped across the lagoon to Venice was a spectacular
experience. We didn't blow our money on a gondola ride - and we think
this was a better use for those roughly 100 euros. (By the way, we DID
ride in a gondola -- the next day we used a tronchetto to cross the
Grand Canal for 1 euro)

I mentioned that our hotel was located on a small courtyard. I was
glad that I had checked it out using the street-view cams at Venice
Connected, or I may have bypassed the little alley to the courtyard
entirely. (http://www.veniceconnected.com) This site is a compendium
of information and the best source for advance purchase of passes for
museums and vaporetti (boats used for public transit)

Venice Tours
We took a number of tours - primarily not provided by the ship:
Venice Backstreets Tour (http://www.theveniceexperience.com) - we took
this walking tour an hour or two after arriving. Mike, the owner of
the company took us around spots that most tourists would likely miss.
Most importantly, he exposed us to the two key aspects to enjoying
Venice. First - go down that little alley. Get lost. Be brave (there's
no crime to speak of in the city) - if you think something interesting
might be down that little street, go there! Second - take a break and
have a spritz. Venetians' favorite cocktail, appropriate any time of
day, a spritz, is a refreshing blend of prosecco, soda and Campari
(bitter) or Aperol (orange) with a garnish of citrus and olive. All
cafes serve them, and you'll get a knowing smile if you order one -
especially with Campari.

Another highly-recommended tour is the ...

read more »

Mark,

I have to echo your comments about the Crystal cruise experience.
They'll go to almost any length to please a passenger.

Some years ago my SO and I were having breakfast in the buffet and I
mentioned to her the I wished that they served "sticky buns". One of
the buffet waiters overheard me and minutes later the pastry chef came
to our table and asked me to describe a sticky bun. I described them
as best I could and the next morning at breakfast he brought me a
plate of buns. He inquired if they were what I wanted and I told him
that my description must have been faulty because they were not what I
had in mind. The next morning he brought me another version. They
were OK but not exactly what I had in mind but I told him that they
were great because I didn't want him to spend so much time for such a
minor matter. They served them to me every morning for the rest of
the cruise.This is just an example of the lengths that the Crystal
staff will go to to please a passenger.

I have to echo your comments about the Crystal cruise experience.
They'll go to almost any length to please a passenger.

Some years ago my SO and I were having breakfast in the buffet and I
mentioned to her the I wished that they served "sticky buns". One of
the buffet waiters overheard me and minutes later the pastry chef came
to our table and asked me to describe a sticky bun. I described them
as best I could and the next morning at breakfast he brought me a
plate of buns. He inquired if they were what I wanted and I told him
that my description must have been faulty because they were not what I
had in mind. The next morning he brought me another version. They
were OK but not exactly what I had in mind but I told him that they
were great because I didn't want him to spend so much time for such a
minor matter. They served them to me every morning for the rest of
the cruise.This is just an example of the lengths that the Crystal
staff will go to to please a passenger.


What a great story--thanks for sharing it.

Diana

It was an amazing vacation. We adored the ship and many of the cities
we visited. We learned a lot, had some amazing food, and drank a lot
of local culture. Life is good!

WOW one of the most comprehensive Beautifully written reviews I have
read in a LONG time. ENjoyed reading your travels, and Wishing i was
back in Venice. I loed that city and the slogan "Get lost in Venice"
is so true here in many parts of the uSA we would not walk down a
"Alley" but there YEs a must ANd you never said you had Gelti SHAME
SHAME if you did not LOL JK!
thank you for a great Read this morning......

Susette
Cruise outlets and travel
www.cruiseoutlets.com
800 853 9515
Join the VIKINGs on the Allure of the Seas December 52011

On Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:23:50 -0700 (PDT), Susette wrote:

WOW one of the most comprehensive Beautifully written reviews I have
read in a LONG time. ENjoyed reading your travels, and Wishing i was
back in Venice. I loed that city and the slogan "Get lost in Venice"
is so true here in many parts of the uSA we would not walk down a
"Alley" but there YEs a must ANd you never said you had Gelti SHAME
SHAME if you did not LOL JK!
thank you for a great Read this morning......

Susette "Nothing Wrong With A Few Toddies Before Breakfast"
Cruise outlets and travel

WeLl, leMmE sEZ thIs abOT thAT! hiccup

NoW WhAt WAS i SezING?