Crystal Serenity

Crystal Serenity now features seven categories of accommodation, plus two ADA-compliant categories, all designed in soft neutrals accented by soothing aquamarine and sapphire hues. All guest rooms and suites are serviced by butlers who have been promoted and trained from within the Crystal crew ranks to deliver service that’s highly personalized but never intrusive.

While all Ocean View and Veranda guest room categories were refurbished in 2023, some suite categories were purposely not renovated, given their good condition. This means that guests booking the Aquamarine Veranda Suite and Sapphire Veranda Suite categories have a choice of 2023 design, 2018 design, and Classic design.

The majority of Crystal Serenity’s guest rooms and suites have a veranda, but the two lowest-priced categories, each offering 215 square feet of space, are solely ocean-view. These are the Double Guest Rooms with Ocean View (42 are available) and the new Single Guest Rooms with Ocean View (14 are available to solo travelers).

Guests seeking private outdoor space can book one of the 46 Double Guest Rooms with Veranda, which offer 215 square feet of indoor space and feature a 54-square-foot balcony.

The majority of accommodations on Crystal Serenity are suites, which offer added space, more luxurious bathrooms, walk-in closets and exclusive amenities such as welcome Champagne, afternoon canapés and free pressing. There are four suite categories, beginning with the 323-square-foot Aquamarine Veranda Suite featuring an 86-square-foot balcony. There are 106 of them, available in both a 2018 and Classic design. The next largest option is the 430-square-foot Sapphire Veranda Suite, which features a separate living and sleeping space with a 107-square-foot balcony. There are 151 of these, available in 2023, 2018, and Classic designs.

The refurbishment also added an entirely new suite category: the 645-square-foot Junior Crystal Penthouse Suites featuring a 161-square-foot balcony; there are six of these.

 Crystal Serenity’s top accommodations are its four 1,265-square-foot Crystal Penthouse Suites. These feature a spectacular bathroom with a tub offering an ocean view and a 107-square-foot balcony.

All accommodations feature Sicily-sourced Ortigia toiletries and all suite guests (Aquamarine category and above) enjoy a comfy sleep atop incredibly soft Jesurum 1870 bed linens.

There are eight accessible accommodations onboard Crystal Serenity. Four are specially designed Double Guest Rooms with Ocean View and four are Aquamarine Veranda Suites. Elevators are available to all public areas of the ship, from deck 5 to deck 13.

Crystal has always had a reputation for offering some of the best dining at sea and its culinary program is now even more impressive. Guests sailing aboard Crystal Serenity can enjoy everything from fine-dining menus in two beautifully re-imagined specialty restaurants, one Japanese and the other Italian, to casual options ranging from flavorful salads and globally-inspired tapas to grilled burgers and sandwiches.

For dinner, there are four stellar options. Serving as the main dining room, elegant Waterside Restaurant offers a la carte breakfast, lunch, and dinner and features open seating with no reservations required. For dinner, the modern American menu features a blend of contemporary cuisine and Crystal classics, with appetizers and entrees such as citrus-cured hamachi, wild mushroom tart, creamed orzo with sautéed tiger prawns, and pan-seared duck magret.

Smaller in scale and featuring a menu focused on Italian fine dining is 94-seat Osteria d’Ovidio. This venue, formerly known as Prego but re-imagined with chic, minimalist décor and renamed for Crystal owner Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, has a completely new menu. Don’t miss the melanzana (an eggplant confit with smoked tomato sauce), tortello di stracotto di manzo (tortello pasta filled with braised beef, fig vincotto, and gorgonzola) and agnello (lamb with sweet onion, balsamic vinegar, and sea asparagus).

The second fine-dining specialty restaurant is Umi Uma, which serves impeccable seafood created for Crystal by Michelin-starred, globally renowned Chef Nobu Matsuhisa. In this 60-seat restaurant, the focus is on fresh sashimi and sushi, Nobu-style black cod (marinated in miso, peach and ginger) and a selection of flavorful Japanese-Peruvian fusion dishes.

Guests enjoy one complimentary reservation at both Umi Uma and Osteria d’Ovidio on sailings up to 11 days (two reservations on sailings of 12-to-22 days and three on sailings of 23 days or more) and can book additional reservations at both restaurants for $50 per person.

Another fine-dining experience available at an additional cost is The Vintage Room. Designed to offer personalized wine-tasting menus for families or a small group of friends (up to 14 people), The Vintage Room is an ideal spot for an intimate special celebration.

But the dinner options don’t stop there. Guests can also reserve a table in Tastes Kitchen & Bar, a more casual, atrium-style eatery offering an eclectic global menu of sharable dishes such as ricotta gnocchi, chimichurri Steak and Greek octopus salad. Tastes is also open for lunch and a menu highlight is the flavorful chinois chicken salad.

Crystal Serenity’s other dining options are: Marketplace, offering indoor and outdoor seating and an ambience that’s chicer and more relaxed than buffet-style venues on similarly-sized ships; Trident Grill, located adjacent to Tastes and serving burgers, sandwiches and terrific sweet potato fries; Scoops Ice Cream Bar, located adjacent to Trident Grill; and Parisian-inspired The Bistro for coffees, teas, pastries, and light bites. Crystal Afternoon Tea is also served on sea days in Palm Court, a spacious and airy lounge, and there’s a 24-hour in-room dining menu for those who prefer to enjoy a private meal on their veranda.

 A favorite after-dinner cocktail spot on Crystal Serenity is the atmospheric Avenue Saloon, a cozy space with a circular bar, dark wood columns, and upholstered armchairs and sofas that evoke a traditional men’s club. But when it comes to spirits, the vibe is anything but old-school. Talented bartenders create an array of modern craft cocktails and Negroni and Manhattan aficionados can peruse special menus offering more than a dozen variations of each. Add in live piano music nightly, and it makes for a fun evening.

Crystal Cove, located in the heart of the ship within its central atrium, is another popular gathering spot. Again, the bar is circular and the bartenders welcoming and efficient. Guests who prefer to sit in groups can settle into an array of comfortable chairs and sofas as pre- and post-dinner entertainment keeps the vibe convivial.

For pre-dinner cocktails as the sun is setting, it’s hard to beat Palm Court, an expansive lounge with elegant champagne-and-celadon-hued décor, 270-degree panoramic ocean views and real palm trees. The space also features a dance floor where couples can swing, salsa, and samba to retro-classic favorites by a musical duo.

Pulse Nightclub, which doesn’t open until 11:00 p.m. features a dance floor and a DJ booth. Depending on the cruise, there’s often a small crowd of late-night music lovers eager to show off their moves. Meanwhile, guests who want to enjoy an evening cigar and a glass of cognac can do so in the Connoisseur Club.

Crystal Serenity offers plenty of variety in terms of nighttime entertainment — and while most falls into the classic milieu geared to Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, production values are quite high and several venues feature live entertainment each evening.

The Galaxy Lounge hosts production shows by the Crystal Ensemble, who belt out rock classics in “Icons in Concert” and award-winning show tunes in “Crystal on Broadway.” Other highlights here during the ship’s inaugural were by guest performers: “My Life – The Music of Billy Joel” by Broadway veteran James Fox and a witty retro stand-up act by Brooklyn-born comedian John Joseph.

The Stardust Club is the setting for cabaret-style performances, while Palm Court often hosts more intimate musical numbers, such as “A Salute to Sinatra” by vocalist Bruce Hammond.

Those who prefer to enjoy music in the background as they socialize with other passengers can head to Crystal Cove, while movie buffs can take a seat in the Hollywood Theatre for screenings of both recently released and classic films.

Crystal is also known for its enrichment program, which brings aboard guest lecturers—everyone from sports stars and TV personalities to political figures and scientists—to speak about topics ranging from modern culture to space exploration.

The 2023 refurbishment included a complete renovation of Crystal Serenity’s spa and fitness spaces. The new Aurōra Spa is named for the Goddess of the Dawn and offers sunrise-inspired treatments and therapies. These include massages, body treatments, and facials such as the 75-minute Chariot of Light massage and the Gold and Caviar Body Polish. There are also tech-enhanced options by Elemis designed to treat aging skin. Medi-Spa treatments are available as well and range from microneedling and fillers to acupuncture and IV Therapies designed to revive, re-energize, and flush out body toxins.

Guests are greeted by décor that features soft neutral colors, a fiber-optic starlight ceiling and organic materials such as Selenite, a natural salt crystal, and silk-brushed slate designed to evoke the emerging energy of dawn.

The ship’s 3,000-square-foot Fitness Center is open 24/7 and features panoramic views as guests utilize an extensive line-up of Technogym® exercise equipment as well as a weight room and aerobics studio. There’s a full-time Fitness Director and a Wellness Program featuring yoga, mat Pilates, and spin classes.

Guests who prefer outdoor fitness can head to deck 13’s Wimbledon Court, a full-sized Paddle Tennis and Pickleball court.