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Crystal Symphony |
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| The 50,000-ton Crystal Symphony is a luxurious vessel, and is the older and smaller of the two Crystal cruise ships. She's a very spacious ship, filled with beautiful lounges, a variety of bars, the Crystal Casino, a Feng-Shui-inspired spa, swimming pools, gourmet dining venues (including a couple of wonderful specialty restaurants) and much more. A thorough refurbishment was done to Crystal Symphony during 2006. This involved a $23 million drydock, during which she received a new nightclub, a redesign of her entertainment deck, a reconstructed casino and many updates to all of the staterooms onboard (including the addition of 20" LCD flat-screen TVs). This followed an updating process (in 2004) during which the Symphony received an expanded Computer University@sea, as well as a new Vintage Room and a new spa. |
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| Crystal Symphony will be featuring cruises in the following regions (subject to change, based on the cruise line's discretion): 2010: Australia & New Zealand, Canada & New England, Hawaii, India, Mediterranean, Mexican Riviera, Northern Europe, Panama Canal, Transpacific 2011: Alaska, Canada & New England, Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal, South America |
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| There is a nice variety of accommodations onboard Crystal Symphony. There are no interior staterooms onboard the Symphony, as her staterooms range from oceanview staterooms all the way up to 900+ square foot suites. All of the staterooms onboard the Symphony come with a private bathroom, refrigerator, security safe, complimentary soft drinks and bottled water (in room), flat-panel TV with DVD/CD player and a phone. Oceanview Staterooms: An ocean view stateroom onboard Crystal Symphony is called a Deluxe Stateroom with Large Picture Window (which is a category C, D or E stateroom). Such a room is 202 square feet, and features a seating area, full bathtub/shower combination, and Queen-size bed (or two twin beds). Category C and D staterooms have full views, while category E staterooms have limited or very limited views (also known as obstructed views). Balcony Staterooms: A non-suite stateroom with a balcony onboard Crystal Symphony is a Deluxe Stateroom with Verandah (categories A and B), which are 246 square feet (including their balconies). Besides its private verandah, such a stateroom features everything that an oceanview stateroom does. Suites: The most basic suite onboard Crystal Symphony is a (category PH) Penthouse with Verandah. These suites are 367 square feet, including their private verandah, and feature everything a balcony stateroom has, plus a sizeable living area, complimentary wine and choice of spirits from a set menu (upon embarkation), complimentary beer, personal butler service, a third berth, a walk-in closet, a separate shower and a full Jacuzzi bathtub. The next step up is a (category PS) Penthouse Suite with Verandah, which is 491 square feet (including a private verandah). These suites feature everything a PH suite has, plus a bidet. The most premium suite onboard Crystal Symphony is a category CP stateroom, called a Crystal Penthouse with Verandah. Such a suite is a very large 982 square feet (including its large private verandah). Such luxurious accommodations come with everything a PS suite does, plus a dining area, cordless phone, a data port for laptop computer hook-up, a guest bathroom, a large bedroom, and a Master bath with a Jacuzzi and ocean view. There are only two CP suites onboard the Symphony (both being located on the Penthouse deck), so they can get sold out quite quickly on each sailing. |
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| Crystal Symphony has a wonderful selection of gourmet dining options, whether it's day or night. In fact, Crystal Cruises is one of the cruising industry's award-winning leaders in quality of food and wine, even featuring select sailings that are specifically themed for food and wine lovers (called "Crystal Wine & Food Festival" cruises). Among the daytime dining options are the Lido Cafe, Crystal Symphony's large buffet (located aft on the Lido deck), with indoor and outdoor seating available. The Trident Bar & Grill (located mid-ship on the Lido deck and open from 11 am to 6 pm) offers snacks, a full bar, a lunchtime hamburger and hot dog grill and sandwiches. An ice cream bar is located nearby the grill and serves ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbets and freshly baked cookies. During the evening the Symphony's main dining venue is the elegant Crystal Dining Room. It's located on the Crystal deck (the fifth deck) and features a fabulous gourmet menu. For breakfast and dinner this venue has an open seating format, but there is a traditional assigned seating setup for dinner. When making your reservation be sure to indicated to the agent if you'd like the 6:15 pm or 8:30 pm seating. Please be aware that the seating you'd prefer may be on a waitlist. The Vintage Room (located on the Tiffany deck) offers a unique dining experience onboard the Symphony. This venue was created to promote wine appreciation and features gourmet meals prepared specifically to be paired with various fine wines. You may reserve a seat at this exclusive venue for $210 per person, which includes food, the reserve wines and gratuities. Private parties can be arranged. There are two specialty restaurants onboard Crystal Symphony, both of which are located aft on the Tiffany deck (the sixth deck). Silk Road and The Sushi Bar features contemporary Asian cuisine (created by famous Japanese master chef Nobu Matsuhisa), while the Italian restaurant Prego features an elegant atmosphere with an authentic and regional (Northern) Italian menu. There's no additional fee to dine at either specialty restaurant. However, Crystal does recommend that each person should give a (quite low, relative to the rest of the cruising industry) $7 gratuity to the wait staff after each meal. Don't forget that 24 hour room service is available for all passengers. There is a complimentary menu available that's an excellent option for a snack, or for when you're feeling a little lazy and would rather the food come to you. There are a few items on the menu that you can only order at an additional cost. |
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| Crystal will deliver their daily program to your stateroom on each evening of your cruise. It's called Reflections and is a great way to plan out your next day onboard the Symphony. You're sure to find a nice selection of entertainment venues onboard Crystal Symphony. Among them, one of the most popular is the are the Galaxy Lounge, the ship's main show lounge. A wide range of shows are performed there, including Broadway-style production shows, singers, comedians, musicians and acrobats. A popular place to go after a show is the (nearby) Crystal Casino, which features a nice selection of slot machines and gaming tables. Both of these venues are located on deck 6, the Tiffany deck. Complimentary dance lessons will be available, given by Crystal's professional dance instructors. Crystal Cruises says that their Odyssey Art at Sea program is the only creative arts program designed for luxury cruise ships guests. This program is only offered during days at sea. An example of one of the classes that may be offered in this varying program is watercolor painting. There is a variety of bars and lounges onboard Crystal Symphony. Among them is the Avenue Saloon (an intimate cocktail and piano bar), Bridge Lounge (for avid bridge players), The Bistro (a coffee and wine bar located mid-ship on the Tiffany deck), the Connoisseur Club (an elegant cigar lounge), Starlite Club (a 400-guest lounge featuring a dance floor and bar), Crystal Cove (a nice lounge located next to the Crystal Plaza), Palm Court (featuring an afternoon tea service, as well as cocktails in the evening), Luxe (a nightclub with a bar and dance floor, with dancing often lasting late into the night) and Trident Bar (located outdoors, on the Lido deck). Each of the bars and lounges has its own unique atmosphere and style. On the Lido deck you'll find the Neptune Pool and Seahorse Pool. The Neptune pool features a sliding glass roof over it, while Seahorse Pool is located mid-ship. Each pool has a Jacuzzi adjacent to it. There's also a bunch of outdoor lounge chairs and tables for those looking to relax in the sun, read a book or even grab a bite to eat. The library, located on the Tiffany deck (deck 6), is well stocked (with over 2,000 books, 1,000 movies and many board games that can be checked out for free during your cruise). Also on that deck is the photo shop (where you can purchase the photos that the staff takes of you during your cruise), and the duty-free shopping boutiques (selling a variety of items, such as liquor, jewelry, fashion apparel, souvenirs and perfume). The Hollywood Theatre is a cinema located mid-ship on the Tiffany deck. Although Crystal Cruises isn't very much of a family-favorite when it comes to cruises, they do have a children's playroom (called Fantasia) and a teen center (called Waves) on the Lido deck. Fantasia features tables and chairs for arts and crafts, Sony Playstation games, a large TV and board games. Waves is a video game arcade. The award-winning (Feng-Shui) Crystal Spa is located aft on the Sun deck (deck 12), which is the highest deck onboard he Crystal Symphony. The spa offers a variety of treatments, including aroma stone therapy, Japanese silk booster facials and well-being massages. Within the spa is the Crystal Salon (offering a wide range of services, such as hairstyling, coloring, facials, manicures and haircuts) and a fitness center (including a weight room). On most Crystal cruises there is a qualified PGA pro onboard, who gives golf classes and clinics. Also on the Sun deck is a golf putting green, golf driving nets and the Wimbledon Court, featuring a full-size, enclosed paddle tennis courts. Forward on this deck is a relaxing observation deck. Crystal's award-winning Computer University@Sea program is available on all of their cruises. This program provides e-mail services, 24-hour internet access, classes on PC use, and digital camera support. There will be at least 25 computers available for use onboard the ship. WiFi (wireless internet) access is also available throughout the ship, so feel free to bring your laptop. Rental PC laptops will be available as well. Fees apply for e-mail and internet usage (including for WiFi use) while onboard the Symphony. If you're looking for the Cruise Sales Consultant or Crystal Society Host/ess (who welcomes first-time cruisers into Crystal's past guest society and can help all guests with information regarding past guest benefits and rewards), you can reach either mid-ship on the Crystal deck. Also on this deck is the main reception (front desk), with the concierge and shore excursions desk. In the case of a medical emergency there is a medical staff onboard the Symphony 24-hours a day. Medical attention is available to guests at an additional cost. That's why it's highly recommended that you purchase traveler's insurance, as medical bills can be quite expensive. The medical center is located on the Crystal deck. Crystal offers Ambassador Hosts on each of their sailings. This is a program with carefully screened gentlemen that have interests and backgrounds similar to the typical guests onboard a Crystal cruise. Each of these men is a well traveled person that's an accomplished ballroom dancer. They serve as optional company for women that are traveling onboard the Crystal ships. Pre-reservations are available for Crystal Adventures (their shore excursions), spa & salon services, specialty dining and Creative Learning Institute classes for all guests that are paid in full 180 days prior to their departure date (and to Penthouse guests once they're paid in full). Pre-reservations are only available until 7 days prior to the departure date. Pre-reservations are not a guarantee, as they're only a request. |
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| During the day guests wear active resort wear. Dining room attire is casual during the day, but swimsuits, robes and baseball hats are not permitted. Each evening on a Crystal cruise has a certain dress code, which applies to all dining areas and public spaces of the ship after 6 pm (except for the alfresco dining area, when available out on deck). There are three main types of evening dress onboard a Crystal cruise: formal, informal and casual. A 10 to 14-night cruise usually has three formal nights. Your cruise ticket will list the number of each type of evening dress code. Crystal defines formal evening attire as: dresses and gowns for ladies, and a tuxedo, dinner jacket or dark suit and tie for gentlemen. On formal evenings, jeans, shorts, casual slacks, sport shirts and caps or baseball hats are not allowed in the dining room or specialty restaurants after 6 pm. Crystal defines informal evening attire as: an evening cocktail dress or pantsuit for ladies, or suits or sport coats and slacks for gentlemen (ties being optional). On such nights jeans, shorts, sport shirts and caps or baseball hats are not allowed in the dining room or specialty restaurants after 6 pm. Crystal defines casual evening attire as: casual dresses and pantsuits for ladies, or sport shirts and slacks for gentlemen. Ties and jackets aren't required during such evenings. Shorts and baseball caps aren't allowed after 6 pm. Casual daytime attire isn't permitted after 6 pm during such evenings. |
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| Crystal does not have an extensive youth program. However, on select sailings (such as some Holiday sailings) they may have junior activities available. Such activities include interactive games, and arts and crafts for small children, as well as video game tournaments and social events for teens. All such activities would be under the supervision of Junior Activities Directors. When in place, Crystal's Junior Activities Program is made up of three age-based tiers: » 3 to 7 year olds » 8 to 12 year olds » 13 to 17 year olds Crystal has a special Junior Cruiser's menu available for kids. Crystal's executive chefs and other culinary staff can prepare custom dishes, if you so request. The Trident Grill serves complimentary hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza and more. Baby food, high chairs and booster seats are available upon request. For a small fee, all Crystal ships offer in-stateroom baby-sitting. Guests should contact the concierge onboard for this service, at least 24 hours in advance. |
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| Crystal Cruises suggests the following guidelines for gratuities: Stewardess: $4 per guest, per day (single travelers, $5 per day) Senior Waiter: $4 per guest, per day Waiter: $3 per guest, per day Butler (only applies to Penthouse categories PH, PS and CP): $4 per guest, per day Tips for the maitre d', headwaiter, assistance stewardess, Lido Deck staff and night Room Service personnel are at your discretion. Any gratuities you'd like to give can be charged to your shipboard account. A 15% gratuity will be automatically charged to your check for all bar drinks and wines. Crystal suggests a 15% gratuity for Crystal Spa & Salon services, which can be added to your bill. Crystal suggests a $7 per guest, per dinner gratuity for their specialty restaurants. |
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| Guests onboard a Crystal cruise must be at least 18 years old to be served beer and wine. Guests must be at least 21 years old to be served spirits. However, when the ship is docked or anchored within 3 miles of a US port, guests must be at least 21 years old to be served any alcoholic beverages. |
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| The official minimum gambling age on all Crystal cruise ships is 21. The casino is always closed in port and operates under the gaming rules of Nevada. |
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