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Name: Rod Hoots
Email: rhoots@erols.com
Age: 69
Occupation: Retired
NumberOfCruises: 28
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Crystal-Symphony
SailingDate: June 9, 1998
Itinerary: London, Oslo, Stockholm, St. Petersburg, Helsinki
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon: 100
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 60
AirSeaProgram: 100
MedicalFacilities: 100
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace:
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 Jul 1998
Time: 17:03:33
Remote Name: 207.172.57.155
Remote User:
Comments
This was our second cruise on the Crystal Symphony and it reaffirmed our opinion that
Crystal is the best major cruise line. We took the "Crystal
Classic Plus" package for three days in London and it was as advertised. When we
exited customs at Heathrow a charming young lady escorted
us to our car, a large Mercedes sedan, and a very knowledgeable and friendly driver took
us to the Landmark Hotel near Regency Park. The
driver recommended a neighborhood seafood restaurant near the hotel called the
"Seashell" which was so good that we ate there two nights.
Upon arrival at the hotel we were met by a Crystal representative who escorted us to
the desk and a desk clerk then escorted us to our room.
The room was excellent - very large with a big marble bath. The package also included a
seven hour tour from London to the ship at Dover
which was wonderful. It took us through the countryside of Kent, including visits to
Canterbury cathedral and Leeds Castle, with a great pub
lunch in a real country tavern along the way. Boarding in Dover was very efficient and, as
members of the Crystal Society, we were escorted to
our cabin.
We were in Category A/9, a cabin with veranda on the Seabreeze deck, same as our last
Crystal cruise, and it was excellent. The
cabin attendants are now Scandinavian girls who spoke perfect English and were very
friendly and efficient. A good feature on Crystal is that
your cabin attendant handles room service rather some disinterested room service waiter.
Dining room food was the best we have ever had on
a cruise - for the first time we did not send back one dish. Dining room stewards and
assistants are almost all from the Slovak countries and very
good. If you want second seating, be sure to have your travel agent confirm it in writing.
The alternate restaurants Prego (Italian) and Jade
(Japanese) were excellent - make reservations as soon as you get on board. Casual food on
the Lido deck was also very good and the service
excellent.
Although the ship was fully booked, we never felt crowded in the food service areas. If
you want to use the beauty salon make
reservations immediately on boarding. There was an excellent bridge program, with Life
Master Dave Siebert and his wife Susan in charge. It
included beginner and intermediate instruction and, during the four days at sea, duplicate
bridge with 12 to 16 tables participating. We took most
of the Crystal sponsored tours and they were all good. They apparently have a policy of
hiring enough tour busses so that they were only about
three quarters full - you don't feel crowded and if someone doesn't feel well they can lie
on the back bench seat.
The only thing we were mildly
disappointed in was the entertainment - the ship's troupe of dancers and singers were
excellent but there were no headliner acts. Repeating a
comment on other recent cruises, we strongly object to Caeser's Palace taking over the
gambling operations. With no competition and a captive
audience, the odds on the slot machines are so bad that most passengers just quit playing.
A few years ago, when the ships ran their own
casinos, the profits went into a seaman's fund, and the odds were set to give the
passengers a good time rather than set solely for profit.
The
passengers were the classiest we have seen - never observed a case of misconduct,
drunkedness, etc. On the three formal nights, about 90
percent of the men wore tuxedos. Two of the passengers at our dining room table had
medical problems and were very pleased with the
services of the ship's doctor and medical staff. The ship was immaculate aand perfectly
maintained. Disembarkment in Copenhagen was well
organized and efficient. All in all, our best cruise.
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