Cruise News: Crystal Cruises Extensive Redesign of Crystal Serenity
Cruise News: Crystal Cruises Extensive Redesign of Crystal Serenity
Cruise News: Crystal Cruises Extensive Redesign of Crystal Serenity
What’s in the future for Crystal Serenity? Reduced guest count, more choices for dining, and technical upgrades are the focus of refurbishment plans for the award-winning ship!
WAVEJourney was excited to attend the recent announcement at Seatrade Cruise Global in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, by Crystal Cruises of the details and extensive redesign of Crystal Serenity.
Read on for all the details…
This October, Crystal Serenity will enter dry dock for a three-week refurbishment that mirrors the dramatic changes that debuted last year aboard Crystal Symphony – and then some. With an aim to elevate the onboard guest experience by expanding the space and choices that have been part of the company’s credo since its inception, the award-winning ship will see a transformation of accommodations, dining options, technological advancements and public spaces.
“Our ocean vessels are the heart of the Crystal brand and represent the pillars of our company that our guests have embraced for more than 27 years,” Crystal president and CEO, Tom Wolber said. “We will continue to invest in their success and with an eye to innovation and a design aesthetic that is pleasing to our guests of today and tomorrow.”
New Penthouses
Crystal Serenity will receive 36 new Penthouses and two new Penthouse Suites in place of verandah staterooms on Penthouse Deck 10, which will offer Crystal’s acclaimed personal butler service, walk-in closets, spa-like bathrooms and spacious square footage as the current Penthouses on board (403 sq. ft. and 538 sq. ft,
respectively). The transformation will effectively reduce the ship’s capacity from 1,070 guests to 980 guests, while the number of crew on board will remain the same.
Crystal Serenity Penthouse Suite
Crystal Serenity Penthouse Suite
A hallmark of Crystal’s onboard experience has long been a focus on copious amounts of space throughout its ships and one of the highest crew-to-guest ratios in the industry. The decreased guest count will only enhance the personalized service and atmosphere for guests.
New Dining Options
Open seating dining will debut aboard Crystal Serenity, allowing guests to dine at their leisure with whom and where they choose affording more flexibility for evening activities and entertainment.
While the dining concept has evolved, the Michelin-style cuisine and exceptional service remain. New venues will also debut, offering a refreshed selection of globally inspired cuisine with reimagined décor, including:
Waterside
– Taking the place of the Crystal Dining Room and reflecting the chic elegance of the main dining venues aboard Crystal River Cruises and Crystal Symphony, this centrally located restaurant will continue to serve daily changing menus of international classic and modern cuisine, paired with unlimited fine wines, spirits and beers. More intimate seating with tables for two and four will be added, slightly increasing the overall capacity to 500 guests, while retaining the overall infrastructure of the restaurant.
Crystal Serenity Waterside
The Marketplace and Churrascaria
– The new daytime and evening restaurants of the current Lido Café, respectively. Both venues will feature an open-kitchen concept with dishes made to order. The Marketplace will continue to serve an expansive menu of buffet-style breakfast and lunch options and will transform into Churrascaria during the dinner hours. This Brazilian-style bar-be-que will welcome guests with a traditional Caipirinha cocktail, then offer a wide variety of tapas, ceviche, salads, and grilled meats carved and served tableside by Crystal “gauchos” on sword-like skewers.
Silk Kitchen & Bar
– This Asian-inspired venue will be located in what is now Tastes and will feature Chinese comfort food, served family-style. An array of dim sum and seafood will be featured on the dinner menu, while lunch options include favorites from the noodle bar, traditional dumplings and Chinois soup. The space will be completely refitted with new fabrics, lighting and decorative features like illuminated columns and screens to create an elegant al fresco ambiance.
Crystal Serenity Silk Kitchen & Bar
Public Spaces
Palm Court, a favorite spot on board for gatherings of all sorts, will see a dramatic transformation with more intimate seating. The lounge will receive new finishes, carpeting and more tables for two including a combination of cocktail tables and chairs, dramatic
wingback chairs with footstools, sofas and coffee tables. The stage will be removed and relocated in an “in-the round” concept along with a new modernized bar area.
The Stardust Club will receive new finishes, seating & tables, a new dance floor and dynamic lighting to support a more multi-purpose use of the space from bridge tournaments to exciting evening entertainment.
Crystal Serenity’s spacious enrichment facilities will also undergo a redesign. The Computer University@Sea and adjoining classroom, as well as the multi-purpose Studio will receive new carpeting; seating and equipment, along with 70-inch TVs further enhancing the robust programming offered through Crystal’s Creative Learning Institute and Crystal Visions Lecture Series.
Crystal Serenity Computer University@Sea
Crystal Serenity will emerge from her three-week dry dock on November 10, 2018, embarking from Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale.
About Crystal
The world-renowned Crystal Experience – featuring global journeys with Crystal Cruises, Crystal River Cruises, Crystal Yacht Expedition Cruises, Crystal AirCruises and Crystal Luxury Air – continues to entice the world’s most discerning travelers with incomparable luxury and unparalleled personal service. Crystal will expand its fleet with the upcoming Crystal Debussy and Crystal Ravel river ships, the Crystal Endeavor expedition yacht and an entirely new class of ocean ships over the next five years.
Celebrating 27 years of excellence, Crystal Cruises is the World’s Most Awarded Luxury Cruise Line, having earned “World’s Best Cruise Ship” in Condé Nast Traveler’s Reader Choice Awards for 24 years; been voted “World’s Best Large Ship Cruise Line” by Travel + Leisure readers for 20 years; and the “Best Luxury Cruise Line” by
travel professional organization Virtuoso for three consecutive years (2014, 2015 & 2016). The readers of Travel + Leisure also voted Crystal River Cruises the “World’s Best River Cruise Line” and Crystal Yacht Expedition Cruises the “World’s Best Small-Ship Cruise Line” in 2017. Crystal is proud to be a platinum partner of ASTA.
For more information and Crystal reservations, contact a travel professional, call 888.799.2437, or visit www.crystalcruises.com.
