​June 29 & 30
 
Before lunch we received notification that in preparation for our arrival to the United Kingdom to turn in our passports to the reception desk by 6:00 pm yesterday. When I turned them in, I said, “please tuck them in so they don’t go astray.” LOL.
 
We had another first since the 2020 World Cruise. We couldn’t sit outside at Marketplace since it was rather windy. We were going to have lunch in the suite but as we walked towards the Trident Grill, we spotted large tables and realized we could sit there as we felt there was a lot of distance to other tables, so we had lunch there with friends Andrea and David. We take precautions given Anne Marie’s compromised immune system, and this worked great. This is another benefit of a ship the size of Serenity originally sized for 1,000+ guests but with a much lower capacity when staterooms were removed and replaced with larger suites.

​Last evening was Formal Night and was the Captain’s Reception & Crystal Society Party hosted by Captain Vincent Taillart and Future Cruise & Loyalty Managers Maria Lopez & Andrew Triplow.

After about 30 minutes of dancing to live music and conversations, Captain Vincent gave a warm welcome to the guests, spoke about Crystal and the fleet, gave some background about himself, covered the upcoming ports and introduced the senior officers of Crystal Serenity
 
He then introduced Maria Lopez. She mentioned the number of first-time cruisers on this voyage and mentioned those who have significant milestones and those on the sailing that have the highest milestones which are based on the number of cruises and length of each one when the latter change was made around 10+ years ago.

 
We were recognized by Maria as we were celebrating yet another new Crystal Society Milestone on this sailing. Maria also shared a short biography about us including when we began cruising with Crystal, our favorite destinations and what we most like about sailing with Crystal.
 
Dinner was back in Waterside and is always special on a Formal Night. We were joined for dinner by Crystal & Loyalty Managers Maria Lopez & Andrew Triplow and enjoyed a lovely dinner.Maria and Andrew are such nice and caring people and do an exceptional job in their positions.

Another start of the morning with walks.
​Keith went first.

​It was windy but far less than yesterday so Keith was able to walk outside the entire time.
 

Today's Daily Refection Program.

​Today we arrived at Santander, Spain. Santander has been a port city since agent times, according to legend. It has a population today of close to 175,000 inhabitants. 
 
Its old town, beach and other attractions are popular with tourists and other visitors, and the driver of its economy is hospitality services. It has a very active port including a ferry service to the United Kingdom. Fish and seafood dominate local cuisine.
For beach lovers Santander has long golden beaches. Other might enjoy the Belle Epoque mansions, beautiful parks and the promenade along the waterfront called Paseo de Pereda.
 
Major attractions include:
 
Catedral De La Asuncion a cathedral comprised of two Gothic churches.
 
Museum of Prehistory & Archaeology which contains 1,200 ojbects.
 
Placio De La Magdalena a palace completed in 1912 as a summer residence for the royal family.
 
Museo Maritomo Del Cantabrico which is a maritime museum.
 
El Sardinero which is considered to be on of northern Spain’s most elegant resort destinations.
 
Centro Botin which is set on the waterfront which has various cultural activities and rotating art exhibits.
 
Crystal offered five shore excursions in the morning and one in the afternoon including a visit to Bilbao including the Guggenheim Museum, Wine Tasting, visits to Santillana, Santander Bay sailing and a walking tour of Santander including Tapas.
 
Downtown Santander is within walking distance of the ship and that is precisely what Keith did enjoying a stroll around town including the promenade. It was delightful. 
 

The weather changed very quickly yesterday afternoon. Before lunch, I played Paddle Tennis and by the time I finished it was warm with very little wind. About fifteen minutes later we go to Marketplace for lunch with friends Andrea and David and we sat outside. In just 15 minutes it was windy and cold. In fact, it was so cold one of the Head Waiters offered to get blankets so we bundled up in them and it was still cold.  
​

Waterside Dinner menus from last evening.

We returned to Waterside for the first time of this young cruise.

Once again, we were taken care of by Restaurant Manager Leo, Senior Head Waiter Jacques, Senior Waiter Enver, Waiter Arvin, Junior Waiter Brian and Sommelier Eldar. I think of them as the “dream team”.

This is the first time we have had Eldar as our Sommelier at Waterside. He has been in his role for around 18 months. Sommelier do rotate from station to station on each succeeding cruise. 


Food was fabulous. Several highlights including the fresh sea bass and the appetizers.  I had the Cured Fresh Salmon Mi-Cuit which was very tasty. Likewise, Anne Marie had the Roasted Portobello Mushrooms, and it had a slightly different look reflecting subtle changes in the pastry puff that they were in reflecting some subtle changes since Executive Chef Remy Vercelli has returned from Holiday while Executive Chef Savio Fernandes is on a well-deserved holiday. Both Executive Chefs are truly amazing as we have seen in Waterside and at the Vintage Rooms.

​The only sad note of the evening was having to set the clocks forward this evening as we are sailing into a new time zone. Rest assured we will get that hour back later in the cruise. LOL.
 

Overall there was some movement by the sea swells but not too much so the gentle rocking of the ship made it easy for us to sleep last evening.  

​Today's Daily Reflections.

Since today is a sea day, Waterside is open so we are including today's lunch menu.

There are lots of activities on today's program since today is a sea day.

There were close to forty activities on today's program since today is a sea day. This is the first of two sea days on this voyage and unlike the last voyage the first sea day comes towards the start of the cruise. The activities include fitness, bridge, paddle tennis/pickleball, three lectures, computer classes, golf, music listening, team trivia, poolside music, an afternoon movie, art class, blackjack tournament, and a few other ones. A few of the activities are related to sales of services and products but beyond that they do provide some education for guests as well.
 
Sea days are also a great time to sit back and relax and a wonderful opportunity to chat with members of the crew and fellow guests.
 
Over the years we have evolved in how we spend our time on a sea day and like to think there is pretty much something for everyone.
 
And let us not forget the food. LOL.

We walked together in the morning after breakfast including part of the time with friend Adrea. We also ran into World Cruise Hostess and Grand Voyage Hostess Sarah Hayes. The Grand Voyage started in Lisbon and spoke for a while and later we saw friend Victoria and spoke for a while. Keith then walked with Andrea while Anne Marie took care of some items. Between walk and talk I did this for two and one-half hours.
 
We will enjoy the rest of the day on-board Crystal Serenity
 ​
 
Cheers,

​Anne Marie & Keith
​

 
 
Let’s begin with our tour from yesterday.
 
We took a private tour to explore the enchanting village of Sintra. Sintra is in the foothills of Portugal’s Sintra Mountains. It has a long history and is well known for its many pastel-colored villas and palaces. The Moorish and Manueline style Sintra National Palace have dramatic twin chimneys and elaborate tilework. Sintra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
 
Our tour guides name was Andre. He was born in Lisbon and has a wife and young child. His English was easily understandable, and he provide lots of good information throughout the tour.
 
Some items about Portugal.
 
Unemployment is low at 2%.
 
Inflation is high for certain products. Gasoline is very high.
 
​
Drivers of the economy include wine, cork, tourism, olives and olive oil.

 
Some trivia about cork. It takes 50 years for a new Cork Tree to produce cork. When it is removed it takes another 10 year before the cork is ready and this 10 year cycle continue.
  
 
As you get closer to Sintra you have about a 15-minute drive up a very windy road and enjoy spectacular views. Once you start you walk to the castle and other area you walk up steep paths or you can take a bus. We went with the walk.

We started our visit with a walk around Sintra Park to discover caves and trails. Next was a visit to the National Pena Palace, listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The castle dates to the 19th century and is one of the most important examples of Portuguese architecture from the Romantic period. This palace is the most visited site in all of Portugal. 
 
Next, we visited the historical center of Sintra where we had free time to walk around and have lunch.  Tour guide Andre had told us that each area of Portugal is known for certain pastries such as Lisbon with the custard tart. He recommended we go to Casa Piriouita established in 1862 and have the Pillow Pastry and the Cheese & Cinnamon one. They each have official names, but we got what we wanted. LOL.

​The official names are: Travesseiros (flaky pillow pasteries filled with egg and almond cream) and Queijadas de Sintra (small, sweet tarts made of fresh chees, sugar, eggs and cinnamon) No calories. LOL. Both treats are tied to the villages history and baking.
 
We walked around for a while and found a restaurant to eat outside, and each had a sandwich.
 
Our tour ended with a drive through the natural wonders of the Sintra National Park. We passed several impressive palaces such as Quinta da Regaleira, Seteais, and Monserrate.
 
On our way back we drove by the coastline. It is beautiful. It was 

Dinner Menu from Waterside last evening.

We dined at Osteria with friends Andrea and David. It was a wonderful evening, and we ended up dining for three hours between the amazing cuisine, service, wine and non-stop conversation. We were taken great care of by Waiter Jose and Sommelier Maurizio and Specialty Restaurant Maitre d’ Paolo. Buon Appetito!
 
We also had wonderful views of the beautiful scenery when we departed Lisbon at 7:00 PM.
 

Today's Daily Reflections.

​

​Today we arrived at Operto, Portugal. Oporto is a coastal city in the northwest of Portugal. It is known for its colorful tile-decorated buildings, its iconic bridges by the Douro River, wine production and narrow cobbled streets surrounded by houses and cafes.

Porto is the second most populated city in Portugal trailing only Lisbon.
 
Major attractions include: 
 
Palacio Da Bolsa which is a monumental building housing the Porto Stock Exchange.
 
St Catedral constructed between the late 12th century and the 16th century.
 
Ponte Dom Luis 1 which is the iconic two tier metal arched bridge
 
Jardins do Palacio De Cristal which are the gardens of the Crystal Palace.
 
Torre Dos Clerigos which is a stunning 246-foot-high Baroque tower.
 
​

Keith also got in Pickleball for the first time in several days and played with three other people including Victoria and Elizabeth

​We continue to enjoy every minute sailing Crystal Serenity.

Cheers,

​Anne Marie & Keith

We enjoyed lunch at Marketplace yesterday afternoon with friends Andrea and David. It was the Asian Buffet which is the most popular buffet. I had the salmon and tuna Sushi and made it Sashimi by removing the rice. I also enjoyed the eggplant. We both also enjoyed the salad. There was a cute pig and I never thought I would refer to a Pig as being cute.
​.

​Before dinner we met with Jackie Barney. Jackie joined Crystal Cruises when the company was restarted as Senior Vice President of Global Marketing & Guest Relations in November of 2022 and that is when I first got to know Jackie and we sailed with Jackie on the July 31, 2023, restart and inaugural cruise on-board Crystal Serenity and again for portions of a holiday cruise. She left Crystal in January of 2025. She is on holiday with her husband and daughter. We didn’t realize that Jackie was on board nor did she know we were on board until we learned about this on Thursday and were fortunate to be able to see her before she departed Serenity.  
 

We returned to Waterside for dinner last evening and these are the dinner menus.

Dinner was wonderful thanks to Restaurant Manager Leo, Senior Head Waiter Jacque, Senior Waiter Enver, Water Arvin, Waiter Brian and Sommelier Isabel.
​

Keith was able to get in another nice long walk in the morning. 
​

​Today is turn-around day meaning the cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon ends while the cruise from Lisbon to Southampton begins in a few hours.
  
 
Let’s begin with some information about Lisbon.
 
Lisbon is another city we have visited numerous times, starting in 2007. We have walked lots of areas of the city. Often we would walk up some of the steep streets which took us into smaller villages where people live.

Lisbon, known as Lisboa is the capital and most populous area of Portugal. It is one of the oldest cities of the world and is the second oldest capital city behind Athens, Greece.

It has a nice mix of tourist attractions.

Jeronimos Monastery which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Belem Tower, a 16th century fortification on the Tagus River.

St. George Castle which is a Moorish castle.

Aflame District which contains the oldest neighborhoods of Lisbon.

Carmo Convent which has ruins of a gothic church destroyed in the 1755 earthquake.

We have a lengthy tour planned for today, so we are posting now. Tomorrow we will post all about the tour.
 
Cheers,

​Anne Marie & Keith

June 25 & 26

We enjoyed lunch at Marketplace yesterday afternoon with friends Andrea and David. The weather was gorgeous with temperature in the low 70’s Fahrenheit. The sky was blue with just a few clouds. It’s funny how we change things up over the years. First few Crystal Cruises including World Cruise 2007 many lunches at Waterside. On that World Cruise we had a few in Tastes now called Beefbar. Overtime we would dine at what was called the Lido Café and is now called Marketplace. Some of those lunches were outdoors. Eventually those lunches were indoors in Marketplace and from there Keith would go to play Paddle Tennis. On those Nassau Cruises in 2021 following the shutdown due to Covid-19, we had lunch in our suite, and this continued until this cruise. Last year the voyages we were on weather was not conducive to dining outside and that was true on Symphony and Serenity cruises in 2024.  With this great weather we are enjoying fabulous lunches outdoors at Marketplace and it’s been great.
 

 
Keith gave his muscles a break and skipped Paddle Tennis and walked instead and Anne Marie and Andrea did the same.
​

​Last evening we had dinner in our suite for the first time of this cruise withHotel Director Hubert.
​
Butler Ayhan took care of organizing appetizers, wine and dinner for us.
 

This is the Waterside Dinner Menu which we ordered from.

Do you remember the movie Groundhog Day? Two days ago, we turn the clock back one hour. Next day we turn the clock forward one hour. The next day (last night) we turn the clock back one hour as we are sailing to our next port-of-call of Lisbon, Portugal. Mama Mia.
​

Today's Daily Reflections

Today's Waterside Lunch Menu.

This cruise some might refer to as a port intensive cruise. To date, we have visited a different port each day. Today, is a day at sea which is always special. 

A map of the world is included. This map is located near The Bistro on Deck 6 and one we looked at many times over the years. In our early years sailing with Crystal before or after we decided on our next cruise, we would refer to this map to see where we would be sailing. Other times we would refer to this map while sailing a current cruise including world cruises to refer where we had sailed and what was coming up next. 
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​

Today is the first and only sea day of this cruise. Sea days are always special on Crystal vessels. As we often say, you can be as busy as you would like or just relax. We would like to think there is something for everyone. There are classes including golf, bridge, computer, photography using your iPhone, Fitness, and Dance. There are things to do on your own including shuffleboard, table tennis, pickleball, paddle tennis and fitness center equipment. There are movies to watch in the afternoon and evening, team trivia, and bridge. Maybe a walk or a run on the wraparound Promenade Deck, a swim in the pool, a dip in the hot tub, or lounging by the pool or on the sun deck. Then the most important items await. Yes, food. On sea days Waterside is open for lunch and every day for breakfast. There is marketplace for breakfast and lunch, the Bistro for a light breakfast, snack and or lunch. Late risers breakfast, lunch at the Trident Grill or at Beefbar. Plus there is always room service. It’s a day to continue reading a book, playing a board game, or enjoying conversations.
​

Waterside Dinner Menu.

 
Before leaving for dinner, we received a letter indicating that we would arrive to Lisbon this Friday at 8:00 PM rather than Saturday morning. Due to maritime and port authority regulations we were asked to follow the guidance provided.
 
While guests can go ashore to visit the city of Lisbon they must return to the ship. No guest can debark that evening and must went to debark until Saturday.
 
Also, guests willing to debark as early as 6:00 AM on Saturday can do so but must carry all their luggage as the offloading of checked luggage will begin at 6:30 AM. Standard debarkation is to begin for all guests at 8:00 AM.
 
Last evening we dined at Beefbar with fellow guest Yvonne. We met Yvonne and her husband on the full 2019 World Cruise. This time Yvonne is by herself.
 
A little about this dining venue which is located on deck 12. Originally, this dining venue was a casual alternative without reservations and staffed entirely by the personnel known back then as Lido Deck Stewards. It had a set menu with a couple of appetizers, salad, and entrées of salmon, steak and chicken and ended with dessert.
 
Many years later following a dry dock when the area was transformed with the removal of the indoor pool, new furniture, a living wall and other enhanced features it became Tastes. Most of the staff came from Waterside with a few members of the Lido team assisting along with a Head Waiter. Reservations were recommended. The cuisine was Tapas representing different areas of the world which more than one person could share.
 
This venue was eventually converted to Silk by new owners which served Chinese cuisine.
 
Following the restart of new Crystal by the new owners the restaurant returned to the cuisine it served when it was Tastes until a longer-term dining concept could be implemented and when that happened it became Beefbar.
 
Beefbar is an upscale global steakhouse which was developed by Riccardo Giraudi. Think of it as combining meats with street food. All portions can be shared or eaten by one person. It is not all about beef serving other items including vegetable such as a cauliflower entrée.
 

​We enjoyed a lovely dinner with non-stop conversation, excellent service along with tasty food and great wine.
 
Anne Marie and Kieth shared the Ribeye ham which is prosciutto with panettone salato. The combination makes for a very tasty start of the meal. Anne Marie had the Tacos which include Angus beef, tender wheat galette, avocado,with Kobe beef butter and habanero. Another very tasty appetizer. Keith had the Tuna Ceviche which was also very tasty. Anne Marie had an appetizer while Ivi and I had our main course. She had the Bao Buns which is Wagu beef on a Korean Buns served with jasmine tea. It is smoked so when it comes out they lift the cover making for a wonderful presentation. Keith had the Filet Mignon without any of the sauces accompanies with Parmesan cheese & summer truffle French fries. Both of us have very little beef and on this cruise other than the Vintage Room this is the only time we have the beef. Keith made two other exceptions. He usually have beef cook medium but will often defer to the chef and this was recommended medium rare, so he went with the recommendation which turned out to be a great decision. The other exception was having French fries.
 

Before retiring to bed last evening, we forwarded the clocks by one hour to the time ​

Despite turning forward the clocks by one hour Keith was up early and enjoyed a visit to the Fitness Center followed by a fast walk on the Promenade Deck. Unlike the day before, there were no wind gusts only a nice breeze with moderate temperature.
​

Second walk while docking at Cadiz. This is RCI's newest ship whose maiden voyage was June 11 of this year.

We arrived at Cadiz by 7:00 AM. One of the nice things about the port is being right across the street from this lovely city. A variety of tours were offered including a walking tour of Cadiz, a couple of walking tours with tapas tasting, a Andalusian Culinary workshop, A Royal  Andalusian School of Equestrian Art and Wine tasting, an exclusive Flamenco performance and a visit to the Andalusia White Villages. A tour of beautiful Seville was offered. The drive is 75 miles each way and drive time of about 90 to 120 minutes. Another alternative transport method is the train.
 
Our first visit to Cadiz was in 2007 on board the full World Cruise. Since then we have visited many times.

It was substituted in liue of Casablanca because of security concerns.  A few months earlier there was a terrorist attack on tourists.
 
Cadiz is considered to be the oldest inhabited cities of the Western World and is estimated to be 3,000 years old.  It has a long history of being ruled by various forces.  The Phoenicians ruled this area in 1100 BC and by 500 BC the Carthaginians ruled until the Romans occupied the city. Eventually this city became part of  Spain.  Many years later Christopher Columbus set sail for the New World from Cadiz.

Cadiz has a population of 120,000 residents.  Major highlights include:

Catedral Nueva built between 1722 and 1832 and is a Roman Catholic Church.

Plaza Topete is a triangular plaza located close to the Catedral and is popular with the locals.

Museu de Cadiz is resident to Spanish, Italian and Flemish paintings from the 16th century.

Museo de las Cortes Cadiz was opened in 1912 and is a local history museum.

Torre Tavira was built in 1717 and was the official watchtower of Cadiz given its proximity to the city centre.

Keith went ashore and walked around the city while today was Anne Marie’s turn to visit the salon for her haircut. He revisited lots of places from prior visits and covered new ground. Lovely weather and just fun to explore this city by foot. The good news is the city is right across the street from where we are docked.
​

We are enjoying the rest of the day on-board Crystal Serenity.

​Cheers,

We returned back to Waterside for dinner last evening. Dinner Menu.

The other evening when we dined at Umi Uma Wiener Schnitzel was on the menu. We decided to special order it last evening. Anne Marie asked for a half portion. Keith asked for Schnitzel with an egg on top known as Schnitzel a la Holstein. A la Holstein is a traditional German variation of Wiener Schnitzel. Often the egg is sunny-side-up.

Dinner was great. Anne Marie had Matzah Ball soup and Keith Scallop Ceviche as the appetizer and for the next course Keith had Salad Nicoise while Anne Marie had the Caesar Salad.

And then there was the wine. LOL.

Last night was White Night which began on the World Cruise in Sydney in 2018. We happened to be on the ship that day as a visitor as we were in Sydney when family was living there at the time. This was the year when Serenity and Symphony were both doing World Cruises and that night they were together and there was a special shoreside event for the full World Cruisers and once back on board there was a White Night event for everyone. We think of it as a mixer and guests are encouraged to wear all or something white. Over the years it’s grown in participation and popularity. The officers have an advantage wit their white uniforms. LOL. 
​

We ended the night by turning back the clocks back one hour. Unfortunately, we know the clocks are destined to move forward again.  
 

Today's Daily Reflections.

We began the morning as we normally do with an early morning speed walk for Keith and a walk for Anne Marie on the promenade deck after breakfast. 


There were two differences.
 
While walking on the Promenade Deck it was windy on both sides and the wind made it seem cool. The good news is there are two other options for walking outside plus one can also walk inside the ship. After 15 minutes on the Promenade Deck Keith walked up to Deck 12 and walked on the pool deck where he didn’t feel any wind.
 
The second difference was Keith had my hair cut at the salon. The nice thing about the salon is we can get an early appointment and no need to park the car. LOL.

Another walk at 7:15 AM.

​

This morning we arrived at Tangier, Morocco. It is a Moroccan port on the Strait of Gibraltar and is a strategic gateway between African and Europe since Phoenician times. It began as a trading center. By the twentieth century it became a destination for both American and European diplomats, spies, bohemians, and writers.
 
A few miles from the city are the caves of Hercules. According to mythology Hercules supposedly rested in the caves before attempting one of his twelve labors.
 
Major attractions include:
 
Medina – The Old City

American Legation Museum – A Cultural Museum
 
St. Andrews Church – It was the first Anglican Church constructed in 1880.
 
Petit Socco – It means little square and at one time it was once one of the greatest souks in all of Morocco.
 
Kasbah Museum – It is home to a wide range of relics from the stone ages to the 20th century.
 
Cap Spartel – It  is located just west of Tangier and is a scenic cape tower nearly 1,000 feet above sea level.
 
Lot of tours were offered including:
 
Walking tour of the city.
 
 Visit to the Botanica Gardens.
 
Learning about the Religions of Morocco
 
Drive to Cap Spartel where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean.
 
A drive to the Blue City of Chefchaouen
 
 

We're enjoying the rest of the day on-board Crystal Serenity.

Cheers,

Anne Marie & Keith

Before lunch, I made an onboard-booking for us for the new Crystal Grace with Future Cruise and Loyalty Manager, Andrew Triplow. The reservation engine they use for booking makes the process very efficient, especially in my case knowing precisely what cruise and category we wanted. 


After lunch it was Paddle Tennis for me and a long walk for Anne Marie and friend Andrea. Thank goodness for the breeze.
 
At 2:00 PM fireworks went off from the City Center. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen fireworks in the daytime. It is part of the holiday celebration.  Back to the Promenade Deck for me after that. Got to work off calories from the incredible on-board food.  
​

Before dinner we went to the Captain’s Reception and Crystal Society Party. It was very well attended. We went on the receiving line where we were welcomed by Future Cruise & Loyalty Managers Andrew and Maria, Captain Vincent, Hotel Director Hubert, and Cruise Director Raphael. As we continued our walk, we saw Head Sommelier Boris and Chief Engineer Nenad. 
 
The evening was the first and only formal evening of the cruise. There was a nice range of formal attire including women in long gowns, cocktail dresses, dressy dresses and dressy pants and tops, and men in tuxedoes, suits, and sports jackets and dress pants.
 

​Waterside menu from last evening.

On formal night the Waterside Waiters, Head Waiters and Restaurant Manager Leo were also in formal attire adding to the ambience in this dining venue.

Keith enjoyed Caviar and we each had a Lobster Cobb Salad and it was Lobster for our entree. We both certainly had our fill of Lobster between the salad and entree. 

It was a lovely dinner. The only surprise was typically Waterside is very busy on formal night and that would not be the case last evening. Maybe because the formal night was later in the cruise and when people booked specialty restaurant from home formal night was shown on another night earlier in the cruise. Also on this who are on this sailing who have less than fifty cruises with Crystal had the opportunity to visit each specialty restaurant two times each rather than one time at each (based on availability) with no additional specialty restaurant fee. Add to this that Supper Club was offered and fully booked for last evening with over 100 guests dining in the Stardust lounge. We enjoyed a leisurely dinner with such wonderful service, cuisine and the beauty of this dining venue. Bon Appetit.

The morning would not be complete without all of our walks. A very early morning walk for Keith plus the Fitness Center and a walk after breakfast for Anne Marie.

It was too windy on the starboard side for Keith so he walked back and forth on the port side which worked like a charm.
​
​

Today's Daily Reflections.

We arrived at Malaga, Spain on-schedule.
 
Our first visit was in 2007 and our last visit was on the 2023 inaugural/relaunch of Crystal Cruises/Crystal Serenity.
 
Malaga lies along the beautiful Costa del Sol, and is located seventy miles inside the Strait of Gibraltar. It has a wealth of historical sites, including a 16thcentury cathedral and the Morrish Alcazaba Fortress
​
Malaga has a population of 600,00 people.  It has a wealth of historical sites.

Highlights include:

Museo Picasso Malaga a museum which opened in 2003 and has 285 works donated by the Picasso family.  

Gibralfaro; the castle was built in 929 CE by And-al-Rahman III.  

Alcazaba Fortress which was build by the Hammundid dynasty in the early 11th century.

Catedral de la Encarnacion which is a Roman Catholic Church built in Renaissance Architecture.  It was constructed over a long period between 1528  and 1782.

Centro de Arte Contemporanco is a modern art museum.

We visited Malaga in April of 2007 as part of World Cruise 2007.  We took the shuttle into town but it was raining.  Although we had our rain coats on and umbrellas with us we decided that given how hard it was pouring (with some thunder and lightening) that we would be best to just stay one the shuttle and return back to the ship.

Waterside dinner menu from last evening

Last evening we hosted a Vintage Room Dinner.
 
You can have up to fourteen people attend and the price is the same whether there is one or fourteen people in your party.  Less people means less wine consumed which means you can have better wines served although no matter what size of the group the wine is memorable.   

You can select the dinner from several menus and mix and match items.  There are three regular menus. We selected items from each of these menus.  We never select the wine and leave that up to the Head Sommelier who is Boris. Boris swings between both Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony.

We did discuss with Boris a couple of ideas we had.
 
The wine, cuisine, service, conversations and the explanations provided by Head Sommelier Boris for each wine served were wonderful. Special thanks to the Executive Chef and Executive Pastry Chef and their culinary teams for preparing such an extraordinary meal.
 

After a meal like the one we had it was a good idea to get out for another morning work to burn off those calories and that is exactly what Keith did following a workout at the Fitness Center. Anne Marie got her walk-in shortly after we had breakfast.

Today's Daily Reflections Program.

Today's Daily Reflections

Today we arrived to Alcante, Spain which is located in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula.

It is known for its stunning coastline, historic hilltop castles and for its cuisine. 

Major attractions include:

Castillo de Santa Barbara which is a massive 9th century fortress atop Mount Benacantil.

Playa del Postiguet which is located near the city center of the old town and is their famous golden-sand beach.

Explanada de Espana which is a beautiful palm-lined promenade featuring distinctive wavy mosaic made marble tiles.

Barrio de Santa Cruz which is the charming old town with narrow winding lanes, whitewashed houses and colorful flower pots.

Unlike on a previous visit, rather than taking the shuttle bus into the city center Keith was able to walk to the city. They say it is a 20 minute walk but for many guests it will be about 30 minutes. 
 
He revisited areas that we have both visited before. We were warned that today is a festival day and as he walked to the city, he sees that they were partying last night with empty bottles of spirits, cups and other items on many sidewalks. The good news is people were already cleaning them up. 
 
It is a fun city to walk with was on one side and mountains on the other side and those famous sidewalks.

We are enjoying the rest of the day on board Crystal Serenity.

Cheers,

​Anne Marie & Keith

Also reposting photo of Suite Attendant Rose and Suite Attendant Belen. Rose is on the right side and Belan on the left side.
​

Lunch at Marketplace while we watched the sailboat competition.  

In the afternoon Keith played Paddle Tennis and Anne Marie walked outside on the Promenade Deck and we enjoyed the ship the rest of the afternoon.


Last evening we returned to Waterside after being away for a couple of nights. Waterside Dinner Menu.

​We were taken excellent care by Restaurant Manager Leo, Senior Head Waiter Jacque, Senior Waiter Enver, Waiter, Arvin, Junior Waiter Brian and Sommelier Isabel.
 

Today's Daily Reflections

Keith enjoyed another early morning fast walk after a visit to the Fitness Center.

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In terms of the Promenade Deck people ask about the sign that says, “todays direction”. The direction is the same each day. While many go in that direction others do not. While I’ve been able to stick to the direction at the hour I am walking and because it is not too windy at the bow of the ship there are other times I will not go completely in this direction. For example, during the daytime hours it can be hot one side and shady on the other side. If it is too hot and/or sunny Anne Marie and I will stay on the shady side walking back and forth. If this is not the case but it is too windy at the bow, we might walk in the direction of the sign and as we near the bow turn around and walk the other way towards the bow on the port side before turning around again. The Promenade Deck is wide enough so two people can walk side-by-side in opposite directions and not cause a walking head-on collision. LOL.
 
While on the topic of direction it’s funny how we get used to things. For several years starting with World Cruise 2008 we usually stayed on the port side of the ship. For Northwest Passage we purposely selected the starboard side because we thought the views would be better and they were. This is where the confusion began. On the port side we were used to turning right when we left our room to get to the mid-ship stairwell, laundry room, stern of the ship to make our way to what is now Marketplace. Turn left and we were heading towards the bow of the ship towards Palm Court. For the first several days of Northwest Passage we often went the wrong direction.  For the last few years, we’ve been on either side of the ship on Deck 11. Which side we are located on depends on what is open in the category we desire. When we were on board for two months last year, we were on the starboard side. After adjusting to this we are now back on the port side and sometimes early on this voyage ended up on the starboard side when walking up the steps and sometimes we ended up going in the wrong direction when leaving our suite.  If we think this is a challenge wait for Crystal Grace where it will take a few days to remember what deck and where on a deck certain public areas are located.

After Keith finished his outdoor walk he stopped by Deck 5 to pick up the port information for today’s port and took photos of what I think is the renditions associated with Deck 5 of the upcoming Crystal Serenity Dry-Dock and then went up to Deck 6 where in The Lounge there are more renderings.
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This morning we arrived to Palma De Mallorca, Spain which was founded by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago. The area is known for its steep mountain, serene valleys, and wide plains forming its unique landscape.

We took a private tour called Villages of Mallorca.

 
The tour was outstanding with Tour Guide Pavel and Driver Quico. The island is located about 130 miles from Barcelona and 175 miles from Africa. It has a population of 1 million residents with about 60% involved with tourism. The do have agriculture including vineyards, olive trees and almonds with so many other items including lemon and oranges. Ninety percent of the olive trees are over 500 years old.


As part of the tour we traveled the beautiful coastline of Mallorca and visited charming villages of Dei, Soller and Port de Soller. 

Dei is a beautiful town known as Costa Norte. We viewed the historic Majorcan houses which sit atop the hills overlooking the Mediterranean. This village has been home to many painters and artists.

After arriving to our next stop in Soller we saw several monuments and buildings of historic interest including the 14th century parish church of Saint Bartomeu, the modernist building that houses the bank of Central Hispano, the monument dedicated to the Sacred heart of Jesus, and Sa Capelleta, a local monastery.

Next, we boarded a historic tram which took us from the town Soller to the Port de Soller 

At the end of the tour we returned to Palma.

We are enjoying the rest of the afternoon on-board Crystal Serenity.

Cheers,

Anne Marie & Keith