Waterside Dinner Menu

Last evening we enjoyed dinner in our suite as is our tradition on the final night of a cruise.
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Today's Reflections (shortened version)

​There's a saying that all good things must come to an end. But fear not, our cruising days and adventures with Crystal are far from over! This is merely the conclusion of yet another thrilling journey. Imagine this as the end of one captivating chapter, with an exciting new one just waiting on the horizon!

We've had an absolutely thrilling adventure both on and off the ship! We've revisited towns and cities we've loved before, and we've also explored some places for the very first time. What an amazing journey! 

We have created memories which will last a lifetime.

The on-board experience has been absolutely incredible! It all starts with the wonderful Crystal family, from fellow guests to the outstanding crew. The crew truly is the heart and soul of Crystal! We've had the pleasure of knowing some crew members since our very first voyage on Crystal Harmony, and others we've met while sailing on Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity. It's also been a delight meeting new members of the Crystal Serenity team. We are so grateful to the entire crew for their warm welcome, kindness, professionalism, exceptional service, and fantastic sense of humor. We always say, unlike some cruise lines where the crew can seem a bit robotic, on Crystal, they are genuinely human, and their warmth and kindness come straight from the heart!
 
We have enjoyed lots of good laughs, wonderful food and drink, along with superb service, enrichment, entertainment, the beauty of Crystal Serenity along with many interesting ports-of-call.

​Reviving Crystal: A Success Story of Ownership and Innovation:

Kudos to Crystal.  Bravo to the crew and to those on land and to the ownership and leaders of A&K and Crystal. We are reminded that if not for the ownership the Crystal brand would no longer exist. The owners not only brought Crystal back to life while keeping the brand Crystal. They took the best from old Crystal and added new enhancements to make Crystal better than ever. We believe this is a recipe for success.


A little more about yesterday.


Cards were delivered to each room notifying guests that there would be a delay and that a special session would be held in the Galaxy Showroom at 10:45 pm.


Prior to the session Front Office Managers Marco and Ariella were at the reception desk and asking questions.


Cruise Director Raphael made a couple of announcements about this and noted that the Captain and Hotel Director would be providing the details along with members of the team. It was also noted that the session would be broadcast on Channel 5.


The session included a Q&A.


It was noted that a table would be manned in the Crystal Plaza for guests with additional questions.


Keith was on Deck 5 a few times and it was orderly at the special desk and at the reception desk. 


Late afternoon an announcement was made by the Captain noting that a pilot would now be on board in the morning and that we should be along the dock later that morning. It was noted that new information would go out to all rooms with the updated information about times of debarkation, etc.


At the same time we know that our TA's received an e-mail about the delay announced in the morning and I am assuming the same was the case with the revision and I am assuming that newly embarking guests received information about their embarkations as did their TA's.


For those booked with Crystal Air Crystal would take care of the revised flights and transfers to the airport for those guest booked with Crystal air.


Crystal responded very well to all of this. We do live at a time when people want things taken care of instantly so that is also a challenge and as we all get older things become more stressful


Ironically, if we weren't gone for so long we would have stayed in New York City for a few days but not this time.

The great news is we were docked at around 10:30 AM and ship cleared quickly and announcement made that those guests who were self debarking (taking all their luggage with them) could debark and about 35 minutes after arrival all the luggage was off the ship and an announcement made that all guests could debark.  

Senior Head Butler Rao walked us downstairs and verified that the concierge would meet us. Before we departed Restaurant Manager Paolo came by to visit with us as did Crew Officer LeRoy. A few other members of the crew stopped by as well. 

We want to thank others including Front Office Managers Ariella and Marco and Concierge Thomas and Head Concierge Etienna.

By the way, we got off about 11:50 and most guests had gotten off. Kudos to Crystal for making adjustments not once but twice and working so hard to make it all work with the priority being the guests. They are brilliant.

In the end Mother Nature showed who is in charge but Crystal Cruises showed that they can do a lot responding to Mother Nature. We will take Crystal Cruises anytime.

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Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian friends.

​Waterside Dinner menu from last evening

​Last evening we dined at Waterside for the last dinner of this cruise. Coincidentally, Senior Waiter Enver will also be going on Holiday at the end of this cruise, so we’ve been kidding around for a few days about bags are packed. 
 
As we’ve mentioned several times since our first dinner in Waterside on the second day of this adventure, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed dining at Waterside. For us it is better than ever. The food is better than ever and that includes the overall taste and presentation and choices. At the same time, we love the beautify of Waterside and the waitstaff team has been remarkable. We love the passion of the waitstaff team, and it is “Crystal Clear” at each meal starting when we are seated by a waiter or senior waiter escorting us to the table, to when Senior Waiter Enver and Waiter arrive followed by Sommelier Rodolpho, Head Waiter Jacques and when time permits Restaurant Manager Paolo. This is truly a team working together and is another example that the sum of a team working together is far superior to individuals not working together. 

In case you wanted to know the special butter was porcini and chives.
 
Keith had the Beef Carpaccio and Anne Marie Onion Soup. Salads for each of us and Wiener Schnitzel for Anne Marie and  Schnitzel Holstein for Keith
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The evening entertainment included a spotlight show featuring Clara Alsonso Toff and My Life: The Music of Billy Joel.
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As to the evening….When we left Saint John, Canada the seas were calm and later into the evening we felt a good deal of movement from the wind. I believe the wind was pushing us from the stern which meant that you didn’t have the loud noises of wind from the bow resulting and associated sea swells. My early morning walk inside the ship after a workout in the Fitness Center meant walking carefully and a couple of times to momentarily stand in place. At times felt like you were walking uphill or downhill and other times the swaying was side-to-side.


Today is the last full day of this cruise and the last full day on-board Crystal Serenity for us. It’s been a wonderful adventure with so many interesting ports of call. We are at a stage in our lives that we appreciate sailing many places within Europe, and in North America. We still love Australia and New Zealand and realize their remoteness is one of the contributing factors that make them special while also making it challenging to visit them other than when we were on-board World Cruises and didn’t have to fly to and from these places.
 
We feel blessed to have sailed all seven continents and to have had the opportunity to sail places like Asia, Africa, The Middle East, Australia, New Zealand multiple times and sailed off Antarctica. 
 
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Today's daily Reflections program.

Lots of programs on today’s schedule including lectures on Canada, and the Titanic. A special Q&A is on the schedule with Gloria Gaynor. Several classes offered in the morning and afternoon as well.
 
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Photos of sunrise in Portland, Maine yesterday morning.

Waterside Dinner Menu

​We enjoyed dinner last evening with a special person in our suite. Senior Head Butler Rao organized the appetizer and the wine and served each course. We thank Butler Rao for all he does and wanted to give another shout out to Suite Attendant Marceline and to Junior Suite Attendant Christina. We appreciate their flexibility and attentiveness and how they thoroughly clean the room and change out towels and bed linens. Even when it has been cold outside there is Marceline outside on the verandah cleaning the outside sliding glass doors.
 

Last evening’s entertainment included two-time Grammy Winner and Global Music Legend Gloria Gaynor who performed in the Galaxy Lounge. 
 
We didn’t attend the performance for a couple of reasons mainly including avoiding large crowds due to Anne Marie’s compromised immune system. The forwarding the clocks one hour was a secondary factor. She will be having a Q&A on Monday so we will watch this live from our room on the Crystal Channel.

 

Photo Collage from today's sunrise in Saint John.

​Saint John is located on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Canada. One of the things it is noted for is the Reversing Rapids caused by bay tides colliding with the Sain John River.
 
It is Canada’s oldest incorporated city and was established in 1785.
 
The Saint John River was first discovered by Franc mapmaker Champlain in 1604. Because this discovery was made on Saint John the Baptist’s Day he gave the harbor the name Saint John. In 1785 two British settlements join to become the city of Saint John.  
 
Saint John had its ups and downs. In 1887, a fire destroyed a large portion of the city.  By the end of this century the city resumed its role as an important industrial center for Canada on the East Coast.  By the start of World War 1 the city was recognized for its ship building history.  
 
The city population is 63,000 residents.
 
Major attractions include:
 
Reversing Falls where you can view the tidal fluctuations reverse the river course twice daily.
 
Irving Nature Park which is a 600 acre wood areas with boardwalks and lookout points with lots of nature and marine ecosystems.
 
Jewish Historical Museum which includes tours led by members of the Jewish Community providing the history of the Saint John Jewish Community.
 
Uptown Saint John is an area of the city containing many historic buildings which were built of brick after the first of 1877.
 
Fundy National Park which runs along 8 miles of shoreline.

We docked at a different location from this time last week. Given the tides and where the gangway had to be placed it was still a quite a slope. The location was about ten minutes further from the town. I went out on my own as we know this city has several steep hills. It was a cool morning but I enjoyed another great walk and walked on some streets we hadn’t walked the last time around
 
Anne Marie did a good deed. Initially when we walked down to Deck 6 before I went into the city and Anne Marie started her walk we saw a lady who seemed confused where to go. We thought she was looking for Stardust as this is where tours meet up and often people are not sure where to find it. Anne Marie called out to her saying are you looking for Stardust and as she turned the lady was gone. About 15 minutes later as Anne Marie was walking, she saw the woman again who was wandering around Deck 6. Anne Marie asked are you on a tour? Woman said yes. Anne Marie said let me show you Stardust. Lady said no, I am supposed to meet the bus outside the ship.  We know this is incorrect but given a choice of letting the lady wander for another 15 minutes and possibly miss the tour, Anne Marie walked her to the gangway. We do hope she makes it back to the ship.
 
 
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Cheers,

​Anne Marie & Keith

​As mentioned yesterday, we took the shuttle into Boston and enjoyed a delightful walk. It was a short walk over to the Quincy Market where we walked inside. They have lots of restaurants and if one can’t find something to eat, they must not like most foods. There seemed to be something for everyone.
 
We then walked other area and decided we should visit the Paul Revere House which we eventually found and prior to getting there we walked a portion of the Freedom Trail. In 2016 we walked most or all of it.  We went to a few other areas including a small park dedicated to the Holocaust.
 
Then when we were a couple of minutes from the Shuttle Bus location Anne Marie met Boston. She caught her foot on the lip of some type of utility or other cover that should have been flat to the sidewalk and was not. Unfortunately, she went face first onto the sidewalk but was fortunate to have her hands flat to break the fall. Thank goodness nothing broken but bruises on hands and eyebrow where glasses hit and scratched knee. Thankfully, she carries a first aid back, so we had lots of alcohol wipe, Neosporin and Band-Aids.  We know it could have been far worse, so someone was watching out for us. Anne Maris is a real trooper. She has several bruises, a few cuts and bumps. 
 
Photos are included from our walk.
 
Ironically, when we attended a cocktail party before dinner the wife and husband who hosted the event told us that in Provincetown she fell down and the shock the husband had when he look up and realized his wife had fallen.  
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Photos are included from our walk.

Waterside Dinner Menu from last evening.

​Last evening we returned to Waterside for a lovely dinner. Once again, we were taken care of by an extraordinary team of Head Waiter Jacques, Senior Waiter Enver, Waiter Edson and Sommelier Rodolpho under the direction of Restaurant Manager Paolo.
 
A little about each person. We’ve known Jacques for several years when he was in Waterside than Prego and we have been in his section of Waterside since 2020. Senior Waiter Enver was our Waiter on the 2023 Inaugural and on other sailings in 2023 assisting Senior Waiter Mancin and promoted to Senior Waiter and he was our Senior Waiter when we had lunch in Waterside on the 2024 Holiday Cruise on afternoon. Waiter Edson we have had throughout the cruise. We had Sommelier Rodolpho in prior years and on the second of these six cruises.
 
We do dine early, and the quiet time provides a great opportunity to speak with this team and also enjoy some good laughter.  
Senior Waiter welcomes us to Waterside, brings over the menus, knows each item inside and out and can offer wonderful recommendations, and knows us so well that between he and Edson they could likely order our selections before we do. We just get excited about what we will eat after Enver describes each course and he is very passionate and positive and deals with everything so well. And that added words “My Crystal Pleasure” resonates with us and says it all.
 
Often it is Waiter Edson who reminds us of the name of the special butter which I must write down or I will forget it seconds later.  By now I can get one right as almost every night I guess it is the seaweed special butter. 
 
Sommelier Rodolpho educates us about wine and there is always something new to learn from him and on nights when Head Sommelier Jiri stops by we learn from him as well. Sometimes it’s things we don’t think about.
 
Head Waiter Jacques comes by and we enjoy this time and his sense of humor and his professionalism and his development of the waitstaff team.
 
Restaurant Manage Paolo often comes over and works very hard to get people seated and like Jacques if the waitstaff is very busy they will clear tables and get them ready for the next set of guests and even help bring over the next course.  We have known Paolo for 22+ years.
 
We can’t say enough about the professionalism, attention to detail, kindness and that human touch of the waitstaff team. By the way it starts from the moment you enter Waterside or any of the other dining venues and in Waterside one or two waiters will escort us to our table, take a photo of us and sometimes pose for a photo, pull out chair out and placed the napkin on our lap. This just adds a level of class to the overall dining experience. 
 
How was dinner? It was fab thanks to the waitstaff team, and those incredible chefs, assistants and other personnel in the galley, the fantastic recipes, and let us not forget about the wine. 

The remedy for many things is Chicken Soup. Anne Marie came close to that with Chicken Broth and a Matzah Ball for her appetizer. We each had the Dover Sole and Head Waiter Jacque and Waiter Enver came to our table each with a plate in hand and each deboned the Dover Sole tableside.
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In case you wanted to know, the special butter was Peppery Lavendar & Herbs.
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​Last night’s entertainment included James Fox performing My Influences followed by the White Party.
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Today's Daily Reflections Program.

Once again, we returned to Portland, Maine today. This was a substitute port for Bar Harbor which was on the original itinerary. Bar Harbor now limits the number of total guests who can be in port at once between all ships and other ships that stop here more often had priority over us. Personally, since we are able to dock in Portland and Bar Harbor requires tender we think this is a great alternative. 

Portland, Maine has the largest population of any city in the state of Maine. While the city population totals 70,000 people another 575,000 people live in the metropolitan area. 
 
The port of Portland is the second largest tonnage seaport in New England.
 
The area where we are docked is considered the old port area and features lots of quaint shops and restaurants. 
 
Major attractions include:
 
Maine Jewish Museum within the restored Chaim Synagogue.
 
Old Port with cobblestone street and 18th street buildings.
 
Kennebunkport which years ago was known for shipbuilding and a fishing village.
 
Portland Freedom Trail Site which is two miles and passes through the city’s oldest and most historical sites.

Originally, Keith was going to go out by myself but Anne Marie was up to it. We held hands most of the time. Otherwise, Keith held Anne Marie’s arm. Like the Captain of a ship if Anne Marie was going down, Keith would go down with her.
 
With map in hand, we found the places we wanted to visit. This included the Maine Jewish Museum and Jewish Synagogue, The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, The Eastern Cemetery dating back to the 1700’s and we stumbled (not literally thank goodness) on a small Italian area and visited their grocery shop with several items that Anne Marie remembers from her younger years when her Italian Nana did the cooking.
 
Weather was typical of a Fall day in Maine and was lovely.
 

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Cheers,

Anne Marie & Keith

Before I took the tender over to Provincetown, Massachusetts yesterday afternoon I stopped by the Crystal Cove to pick up a map. A woman saw me and asked if I was Keith as I had a mask on. Please no questions about the mask and I am not sick. She was right. LOL. I spoke with her and her friend, and they were both delightful people. As it would turn out we would also sit on the tender together. She touched my heart when she mentioned that when Crystal was out of business and before the ships were bought that my posts about being hopeful and staying positive were very much appreciated. I have heard this from several people since the inaugural, and it brings tears to my eyes. Yes, I never gave up hope. There is something about being positive. I learned this in school, at work, and in sports. As former Crystal Cruises Captain Glen used to say if you want to have a good time you will. If you don’t you won’t. Seems simple but these words resonate with me.

It was nice to walk around Provincetown.  Anne Marie and I were last here in 1976. Actually, our once and only time when we spend a few days in Cape Town and each day visited on of the major towns. The Cape Cod visit was wonderful and ironically in one of the other towns we had looked in a jewelry store and found a ring and a month later I followed up with the jeweler and bought the ring and proposed to Anne Marie shortly after the ring arrived.
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From the tender pier you pass by places selling items plus places with signs up about whale watching and other tours and there were lots of vessels of all sizes.
 
The town has lots of stores, cafes and restaurants and with the wind I could smell wonderful aroma such as Lobster and Clam Chowder.
 
All of this took me back in time remember how beautiful Cape Cod is.  What a wonderful world we live in . 
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Waterside Dinner Menu from last evening.

The evening entertainment included a second show of this cruise featuring comedian Steve Caouette followed by the Production Show called Icons in Concert featuring the Crystal Ensemble of Dancers, Lead Vocalists and the Crystal Showband.
 
​Following is the daily Reflections Menu.

This is our third visit to Boston of this cruise. On the first visit friends joined us on board for the day. On our second visit we took the tour of Lexington and Concord. Today, we took the shuttle into Boston.  

We took the shuttle over to Boston and walked for quite a while. Anne Marie did hit Boston and that is a long story and we will mention that tomorrow. In the meantime, one photo from today included.

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​Marketplace
 
A dining venue which we have not discussed is Marketplace serving breakfast (continental followed by breakfast buffet) and a luncheon buffet.
 
Marketplace evolved over the years and so did we.
 
Before being named Marketplace for many years it was called the Lido Café. Guests would get online, take a tray and utensils and plate and would push their tray along cafeteria style. When you reached the end of the line a waiter would carry your tray over to a table.
 
The Café was staffed with personnel from the Specialty Restaurants, Crystal Dining Room (now called Waterside) and Lido Deck Stewards.  The team of Stewards would rotate between areas such as the pool deck every few cruises. They were the heart and soul of the café. They would do the set-up of the breakfast and run to get guests items after they were seated whether that was coffee or another beverage or many other items. 
 
The concept was changed first on Symphony and then on Serenity during respective dry docks. The venue went from Lido Café to Marketplace and the cafeteria like style was changed with trays removed and food stations set up.  With this change the waiters from the dining room played a major role helping guests with food and beverage items and clearing tables.
 
Today due to other changes including another dining venue on both ships now Beefbar and previously other dining venues and with more people going to the lounges before and after dinner, the team that used to be called the Lido Deck Stewards isn’t involved with Marketplace. Some Junior Waiters and others do the set up of breakfast and the former team of Lido Deck Stewards have a variety of roles with some helping in the lounges.
 
Like us guest evolved. On our first couple of Crystal sailings on Harmony and Symphony most of our breakfasts were in Waterside (formally called the Crystal Dining Room) and the same was true of lunch. We enjoyed the table service and the menus and were happy to enjoy a leisurely meal. For us this changed when we started to go to the Lido Café (now Marketplace) each day for breakfast with the exception of one or possibly two days. For lunch we would go to either venue depending on whether it was a sea day or what we had planned in port. On the 2007 World Cruise we played Team Trivia and often after those games the entire team would have lunch together in the dining room. However, in time, this stopped for us as we wanted to have a quicker lunch to do other things following lunch including going back into port, walking, a return to the Fitness Center and by 2010 Paddle Tennis for me.
 
We observed similar changes in other guests with a far greater number of guests having breakfast and lunch at the Lido Café/Marketplace as well as other venues such as The Trident Grill. Just like on land where people prefer meals that require less time the same is true at sea. We are reminded that often cruise lines used to have assigned seating not only for dinner but even for breakfast and for some lunch. Same was true at certain hotel resorts with assigned seating and meals included for Breakfast and Dinner and sometime Lunch. Crystal evolved lunch and several years ago started to close Waterside in certain ports, particularly in the Mediterranean, when many people were out on tours and now closes Waterside for lunch unless it is a sea day as fewer people desired to be seated there for lunch.
 
Back in the day there used to be indoor pools on both ships and no certain days there was a themed buffet including an American Buffet and an Asian Buffet. This was an enormous effort to set-up plus a challenge to keep food at safe conditions and was eventually stopped but today on certain days you will find a themed luncheon in Marketplace. The grand gala buffet which used to be held in the Crystal Plaza stopped after the shutdown for Covid-19 and on certain cruises such as the Holiday Cruises on Christmas Day and New Years Day some of those food items from the Grand Gala Buffet are featured in Marketplace.
 
Even today often it is the same people who go for Breakfast at Waterside and in Marketplace on a long cruise although it is open seating, you’ll find that people try to sit at the same table or one nearby. After all, to a large degree we are creatures (humans) of habit.

Marketplace brings back many fond memories for ourselves including a place Keith would stop by for early morning coffee with my computer and a place where we enjoyed many breakfasts and lunches by ourselves and with others. In time, we started to have breakfast in our room and after 2020 lunch in our room. 
 
We would often speak with the waitstaff behind the counters, and the cooks, and the waitstaff at the tables and we enjoyed lots of great conversations with them and many good laughs.
 
Bon Appetit.

 

Cheers,

Anne Marie & Keith

It was funny on this being the third consecutive voyage we have had to fill out a Canadian Declaration Card in preparation for our arrival to Canada. Coincidentally Keith  was organizing paperwork and saw that he had a blank form from the last cruise as we were given an extra one. If filled it out and when he opened the door guess what?  Yes, there was the new form in the slot outside the door. Crystal does provide a great set of instructions to use in filling out the form. When he turned it into reception they looked over the form and I said I hope by the third time I got it right. LOL.  He did and even the first two times. LOL.
 
 

Dinner menu from Waterside

We returned to Waterside last evening and once again had a fab time between outstanding service, cuisine and the beautiful dining venue. There is no formal night on this cruise since it is seven days in length, but the evening menu was what one would enjoy on a formal night.

Dinner included Caviar and Lobster and a great salad and of course the wine. Our waitstaff team include Head Waiter Jacque, Senior Waiter Enver, Waiter Edson and we now have as our Sommelier Rodolpho once again. Head Sommelier Jiri came by as did Restaurant Manager Paolo.

And in case you wanted to know the special butter was Nori (Seaweed) and Toasted Sesame.
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Today's Daily Reflections Program.

Today Serenity anchored off Provincetown at 10:00 AM. 
 
Provincetown is in the extreme tip of Cape Cod. We visited Provincetown on a prior trip of Cape Cod. 
 
Like all of Cape Cod its tourist season is very strong during the summer months when each town is very busy with people visiting for a day, a weekend, or even a week.
 
It was the harbor that the Mayflower pilgrims sought shelter from challenging seas on the way to the Colony of Virginia. Before settling in Plymouth, the pilgrims wrote and signed the Mayflower Compact which some refer to as America’s constitution.
 
It is a small coastal resort town with a population of under 4,000 residents. During the summer the population grows to 60,000 people.
 
Throughout much of the 20th Century, Provincetown attracted many writers and artist and is also regarded as the nation’s oldest continuous art colony.
 
Major attractions include:
 
Pilgrim Monument which was finished in 1910 and commemorates the pilgrims first landfall in 1620. 
 
Pilgrim Landing National Site commemorating the pilgrims landing at the harbor at Provincetown five weeks before they would get to Plymouth.
 
Province Land Trails which is comprised of 5.5 miles of trail providing lovely views of nature and access to Herring Cove and Race Point beaches.
 
Commerce Street which is three miles of street that trace the shore of the bay and is home to restaurants and cafes, art galleries and other local shops.
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Entertainment and Enrichment

Today we wanted to give a shoutout to the Entertainment team on land and at sea.

The team is led on land by the VP of Entertainment which includes entertainment and enrichment.
 
On board each ship it is the Cruise Director who oversees all this including the schedules of all of the entertainment and enrichment and works closely with other departments such as Food & Beverage when scheduling the time of evening including the evening entertainers. And as we’ve seen on some of the cruises, if a port is missed due to weather the Cruise Director and the rest of the team put together a schedule of events as if this was a planned day at sea.
 
The onboard entertainment team at Crystal is amazing and they are such talents. This includes the Crystal Showband, the Crystal Ensemble of Singers and Entertainers, the Lead Vocalists.  Add to this the pianist, guitarist and violinists who perform in the various lounges. 
 
Doing a show on land is challenging enough but at sea there are other factors including the movements of the ship in all sorts of sea conditions. While on occasion a show has to be rescheduled due to sea conditions and also sometimes, they are scheduled on other evenings as the cruise director in consultation with the navigation department considers potential weather conditions based on where the ship is sailing the reality is there is ship movement and on occasion it just happens. These musicians and singers and dancers do not miss a beat even in these conditions.
 
When a land-based vocalist or musician comes on board including those who have never entertained with Crystal often there is one practice with the Showband yet when they perform the show one would think they’ve been doing this for years. This is an example of the talent of these professionals’ musicians.
 
Let’s also not forget the Flair Duo who play music and sing and are joined by the Ambassador Hosts two times each evening and the DJ how plays hits late at night and also at some other functions.
 
Entertainment under the Cruise Director includes all of the enrichment such as the Library Golf Pro, Bridge, the Odyssey Art At Sea, the Catholic Clergy and on certain voyages the Rabbi and the Protestant Minister, the Magician on selected voyages, Team Trivia, other get together’s and a slew of other items. 
 
I am sorry if I have forgotten or failed to mention other items. All of this is why we find Crystal to be very special.
 
Bravo. Bravo, Bravo

Cheers,

Anne Marie & Keith

​Last evening the celebration of Keith's birthday continued with dinner at Osteria D’Ovidio. We enjoy dining at this venue on the first night of the cruise and thought it was ideal for the Birthday Celebration.  

Everything was fantastic and many thanks to the entire Osteria Team including Specialty Restaurant Maitre d' Mario, Senior Waiter Praveen, and Sommelier Maurizio.

​Anne Marie had made arrangements with Specialty Restaurant Maitre di for a Birthday Cake, and Mario and some of the waiters arrived to the table with cake and sang Happy Birthday. 
 
It was a wonderful day.
 

Last evening also included a Sail-Away event around the Seahorse Pool on the Pool Deck between 5:45 P and 6:30 PM and later in the evening the shows were the Welcome Variety Showtime. It was a great opportunity to see the talent of the Crystal Ensemble of Singers and Dancers, the Showband, Dance Duo Levy and Mona, Violinist Clara Alonso Tofe and Crystal Showband Vocalist Karin Kovacova.
 

​This is today's Daily Reflections.

We often speak about Paddle Tennis and sometimes Pickleball, so we are including a couple of photos of the courts. Crystal Serenity features two courts which allow players to play either game. The blue lines are for Pickleball including the kitchen and the white lines are for Paddle Tennis other than the blue lines towards the back of the court which are key when someone serves to the other side. Crystal provides racquets and balls for each respective sport.  Crystal Symphony has one court.
 
Keith first began playing Paddle Tennis with our children and their spouses when they joined us for one cruise before we began World Cruise 2010 and have continued ever since. I stared playing Pickleball at home seven months ago and have played a couple of times since we boarded on August 14.
 
Aside from the exercise it has provided a wonderful opportunity to get to know fellow players who we might not have met if not for playing. It also provides a lot of laughs as well. I always tell people just enjoy the game and have fun because most of us can’t remember who won the game a few minutes after it ends.  
 

As the last cruise ended yesterday and the next one started  we wanted to begin by mentioning that for us every cruise has similarities and differences. Unlike the past few cruises since we boarded on August 14 this was a seven-day cruise. The next one will be seven days too. Both start and end in New York City making it easy for those who live locally to cruise without needing to fly. 
 
We know that on each cruise with Crystal on either Symphony or Serenity we are going to be taken care of by the extraordinary crew, dine at beautiful dining venues with outstanding cuisine, service and beauty, experience terrific entertainment and enrichment and sail on beautiful ships with special amenities.
 
We have also found that the length of the cruise, the itinerary including number of days at sea and number of days in port, the overall passenger count, the passenger demographics and even the weather can make each cruise somewhat different from one another. Other factors could simply involve being on-board with some guests who are cruising friends or even making new cruising friends. 
 
Even seven-day cruises have differences if the itinerary is all ports or a mix of ports and sea days. For example, with many people off the ship there are less enrichment programs while on sea days there are many offered. 

Each itinerary does offer the opportunity to meet new guests. On sea days there is opportunity to converse with other on-board the ship and on port intensive cruises there is the opportunity to meet fellow guests on shore excursions, in the daytime at breakfast or before and after dinner.
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On a seven-day cruise with high occupancy it is wise to make your dining reservations for specialty restaurants when the reservation system open six months prior to the start of the cruise.
 
On seven-day cruises there are no formal nights whereas on most eight-day Crystal Cruises there will be one formal night and on the one we just completed with the thirteen nights there was two formal nights. 
 
I have found that it takes a couple of days for things to settle down on a cruise with new guests getting acquainted with the ship and its amenities and all guests getting over traveling to the ship and unpacking and unwinding. On a shorter cruise these two days make up a greater percentage of the cruise than a longer cruise. 
 
Seven day cruises are a great opportunity for guests new to Crystal to try out Crystal to see what they think and many people we meet who are on their first Crystal Cruise end up booking another one, sometimes even longer.
 
Of course, seven day cruises are perfect for those who work full-time or have other commitments at home.
 
For us, we have enjoyed each of our Crystal Cruises making memories which will last a lifetime along with many friendships along the way. We have sailed Crystal on a cruise as short as five days and have sailed on cruises totaling close to six months.
 
Each voyage has been special in its own way and unique for some of the reasons we have mentioned.

Today we anchored off Newport, Rhode Island at 8:00 am. As a reminder this itinerary is the same as the prior one. Whereas the weather was partly sunny last week, today’s weather is warmer but with rain forecasted throughout the day, so we decided to make today a sea day.
 
We covered this last week but will give some highlights about Newport and am including a few photos we took.
 
Newport is a seaside city which has a rich sailing history. For some it was and is a summer resort and is known for its historic mansions including the Breakers. City population is 25,000 residents.
 
In addition to the summer “cottages” the colonial area of Newport also has several historical buildings dating back to the 1600s.
 
Newport’s history dates to its founding in 1639. Because of its harbor, the town quickly became a major seaport of colonial North America.
 
Newport hosted the first U.S. Opens Tournament in both tennis and golf. It also hosted every challenge for the America’s Cup between 1930 and 1983.
 
Newport was also the location for the Summer White Houses for former Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. Its population is 25,000 residents.
 
Major attractions include:
 
The Bellevue Avenue Mansions
 
Touro Synagogue which is the oldest surviving Jewish synagogue building in North America.
 
The Breakers which was the summer “cottage” of Cornelius Vanderbilt II. It was constructed at a cost of $12 million which today is roughly $355 million. This is one very expensive “cottage” with 70 rooms within 138,000 square feet.
 
Cliff Walk whose public access walkway borders the shoreline and allows for views of several estates. 
 
The city includes several museums including one about the history of this city.

Cheers,

​Anne Marie & Keith

Emily thank you for your comments about Butlers. We have seen all from the backgrounds you mentioned and believe that the best ones come within. This involves going directly from Waterside to the position of Butler or going from Waterside to one or more of the three additional restaurants and then to Butler. This allows them to come into the position knowing the Crystal culture, how food and beverage works which is key to the position and to learn first-hand from the Senior Head Butler, Head Butler and their colleagues. When Crystal restarted there was a need to hire some from the outside as they grew the number of butlers with the conversion of regular rooms to Suites and with providing a butler for each suite/room.
 


Yesterday the weather changes were quite interesting when I arrived to the Paddle Tennis Court. We began with fog, clouds, strong wind and it felt cool. Fog lifted, windy and cloudy and still cool. Sun came out, less wind and warm.  Made for a great couple of hours of non-stop Paddle Tennis with some people I’ve played with for years and a couple just on this sailing and one for the first time today. Lots of great execise along with some good laughs.

​Waterside Dinner Menu from last evening.

For the second cruise in a row, we made an exception. What could it be? We dined in Waterside.
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Entertainment included a Comedy Club followed by Icons in Concert. If you are debarking today the finale was getting your luggage packed and put outside.

During yesterday’s noon talk from the bridge Captain Vincent said we should pass the Statue of Liberty around 6:15 PM and he was spot on. Unlike last voyage when we arrived in the morning during daylight and the following day departed as the sun was starting to set, this time it was dark but lit up between the Statue of Liberty and the moon above. It felt like some type of symbol that the torch from the statue was reaching towards the moon. At the moment we thought about it that we would not be here if not for our family members who took a chance to come to America for a better life.
 

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We added photos of the Galaxy Lounge and The Lounge. Galaxy with two screens up front and set on a television station was ready for those guests leaving the ship today who wanted to wait in the lounge for their debarkation number to be called to depart the ship. As public announcements are not made in suites and staterooms and around the ship this is a perfect place to wait unless someone wants to wait in their rooms. The Lounge was all set as this is where those embarking the ship will be checked in with a photo take if a fairly recent one is not on file.
 

 
Well today Keith officially hit the big 7-0! That's right, I’ve joined the exclusive club of 70-year-olds who were born in the same year I was. Who would've thought we'd both get here without a map or a GPS?

It's amazing how much has changed since then! Back in our day, we had rotary phones just for local calls. Making a long-distance call? That would definitely get you in big trouble with your parents!

Back in the day, your TV lineup was a whopping ten to twelve channels, and some local stations decided to take a go to sleep in the middle of the night. Televisions featured that classic black-and-white look, and if you missed your favorite show, well, tough luck! There was no magical recording gadget available to us.

Picture the excitement of having a TV with a record player in some homes.
 
Remember when TVs had tubes? It was so exciting to take them in for a replacement when they went bad! Do you remember going to the local store to do that?

Back then, when folks hit the road for vacation they did so in their cars. Forget air-conditioning. Our version of cool air was cranking down the windows. No seat belts.

We could give many more examples. Today’s younger generation would look like us as if we were born when dinosaurs were on the move. 

It is fitting to be in New York City today. Keith a Long Island native would occasionally escape to the city with his parents, brother and Nana to visit family or catch a Yankees game in the Bronx. The twist? When Keith attended his first few Yankees games, Anne Marie was just a stone's throw away from the stadium. Her gad was an assistant district attorney at the Bronx Courthouse so living nearby was kind of a big deal. Who knew baseball and legal matters could be neighbors?  


Picture this: almost twenty years to the date after Keith made his grand entrance to the world, he invited Anne Marie to a party. Little did they know, this was their first "friend date". Back then, we were in the same class, forming a study group with one other brave soul. Her name was Dawn. Funny how life has a way of throwing a party when you least expect it. Even though we were dorm neighbors the year before and that year, it took a class to kickstart our friendship. Fast forward to 2025, we're still going strong, visiting New York City and cruising the high seas on our favorite cruise line, doing what we love most—sailing the world by cruise ship.  

We were off the ship very early. Before going through USA immigration one of the local people who represents Crystal asked us if we had our luggage and I said this is what we wore the entire time. LOL. We felt bad because when we left immigration and exited a woman was yelling into her phone that she left luggage and that she was not allowed to return which is correct. We hope that it all worked out for her, and she is not the first time in our history of cruising that this has happened to.
 
 We enjoyed a very long walk stopping in several iconic sites including St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Rockefeller Studio, NBC Studio, Central Park and we went back for another slice of Pizza.  Fun just reminiscing about New York and even the first time we met in the city over December holiday break of our Junior Year in 1975 before we started to date and as they say the rest is history.
 
Cheers
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Cheers, 

Anne Marie & Keith

We’ve included photo from being recognized at the Crystal Society Party on October 4. In addition to us the photo includes Captain Vincent, Cruise Director Russ, and Future Cruise & Loyalty Managers Beate Zaderer and Maria Lopez. Beate recognized guest with milestones of 20 or more and then spoke about us including when we began sailing with Crystal, where we have sailed, having sailed with our own family on several cruises and what makes Crystal special to us.  
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This is the Waterside menu from last evening.

We always enjoy dining at Waterside and for us it is very special between the outstanding service and cuisine and the beautiful dining venue. 
 
We enjoyed a three-course meal including the Wiener Schnitzel. Once again, Keith had his prepared Schnitzel a la Holstein. While Wiener Schnitzel originated in Austria, the specific preparation with a fried egg on top was named after German diplomat Friedrich August Kar von Holstein and the dish is not tied to a particular country.

In case you want to know the special butter last evening was Porcini and Chives which we were told seems to be the most popular one of the special butter offerings.  
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This does not happen often but last night we moved the clocks back one hour only one night after moving them forward.

This is today's daily reflections program.

Today is the one and only sea day of this seven nigh cruise.

Lots on the program including three lectures. They covered Whales and Dolphins of North Atlantic, Leadership in the White House during crisis and a Q&A conducted with Cruise Director Russ and Golf Legends Bernard Gallacher and Larry Nelson.
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Today we would like to give a shoutout to the Butlers. 
 
Junior Butlers are assigned to the rooms on Deck 7 and others who are on duty when the butlers are off such as delivering after hour room service.
 
Butlers are on Decks 8, 9, 10 and 11.
 
There are two Senior Butlers (one on board at a time) who not only perform the butler functions but also oversees some of the decks and the butlers. One of the two Senior Butlers will be on board when the Senior Head Butler is on holiday and will swing up to their position.
 
The Senior Head Butler who not only is assigned specific suites and also has a couple of decks to oversee but oversees all of the butlers and the junior butlers and has other expanded responsibilities.  
 
 
There are several responsibilities performed by the butlers regardless of accommodation. This includes providing water, soda, wine, beer, spirits and fruit for each room/suite
 
The butlers place a welcome champagne in each room for embarkation day, take care of shoeshine service, can help with packing and unpacking, shine shoes and serve meals from Waterside or from the room service menu.  

They also will collect items you place in a bag for laundry, dry cleaning or pressing. Whether or not there is a fee will vary based on accommodation booked. You can find this information by going to the web site, finding the accommodation you are in and clicking on details and then on features.
 
They can also make specialty restaurant reservations for you or cancel existing ones.
 
If you have a wine you have brought on board they can send it down to the dining venue want to enjoy the wine at. Need to order a floral arrangement you can do this on your own or ask the butler for assistance. Have some kind of maintenance issue in the room you can report it by calling reception, letting the attendant know or letting the Butler know.
 
They are a great source of information and a go to person for questions.
 
Other services provided will range by suite.
 
They bring around afternoon canapes for all suites and snacks for the regular rooms.
 
Want a glass of champagne in your room you can ask the butler. Decide to have breakfast, lunch or dinner in your room you can ask the butler and dinner can be served course by course.
 
If one is booked in the Penthouse Suite or a Junior Penthouse Suite you can order in-suite dining from the specialty restaurants and you can also have in-suite cocktail parties and there is a canapes menu you can select from.
 
For all accommodations for after hour room service there are Junior Butlers who will assist you with this, as mentioned earlier.
 
Butlers and Junior Butlers help in other areas. This includes the Vintage Room, Milestone Dinners at the Captain’s Quarters, sometimes helping in other dining venues on very busy nights if they had been a head waiter in one or more of the dining venues. On Formal nights when there is a Supper Club a few of them assist carrying each course from the Galley on Deck 5 up to the Supper Club food stations on Deck 6 in the Stardust Lounge.
 
 
We are sure we’ve left out some of what they do but tried to give several examples of all they do.
 
Our own experience is that the butlers on Crystal are the best of any cruise line we have sailed with. They are well trained and most began in the dining venues. This background is important because food is large component of their job. Others worked as butlers in hotels, cruise lines and even for individuals.
 
We have found the butlers to be exceptional with key attributes including their professionalism, knowledge, guest focus, humor, and doing their best to make the guest experience very special.
 
We only wish we could take them home with us.
 
Bravo to the Butler team on-board Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony.

Cheers,

​Anne Marie & Keith
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

​We wanted to mention that including Serenity three ships were docked in Portland, Maine yesterday. We understand Serenity will be the only ship in town when we return on the next voyage.
 
Yesterday afternoon we had the best weather since we boarded, and this meant a nice walk on the Promenade Deck for Anne Marie and two and one-half hours of Paddle Tennis and Pickle Ball for me. It was nice to see both courts in use. This additional exercise turned out perfectly along with early morning workout and long walk as later in the evening those calories which came off would somewhat offset the amazing dinner.
 

Last evenings Waterside Dinner Menu.

​Last evening was very special.
 
It began with the Captain’s Reception and Crystal Society Party. The reception included Captain Vincent recognizing the employee of the month.


As part of the Crystal Society Reception, we were honored for a major milestone recognizing the number of cruises we have sailed with Crystal Cruise. A couple of people told us you are not as old as we would expect with a couple with that many sailings. Hearing that we are not old made our day. LOL. 
 
Time sure goes fast when you (we) are having fun. Sometimes too fast. I remember being on-board Crystal Symphony in 2004 for our third Crystal Cruise and someone at our dinner table saying it was their 15thcruise, and we were like wow. The nice thing is that we always have thought sailing with Crystal is very special starting with our first cruise on the Crystal Harmony in 2002 and continuing with each successive cruise.
 
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The fun continued with a private Vintage Room dinner organized by Anne Marie, Head Sommelier Jiri and Executive Chef David George. Although my milestone birthday is not for two more days since that is turn-around day we enjoyed a very special celebration with a few special members of our extended Crystal Family. The good news is on my actual birthday the two of us will enjoy dinner at Osteria, so this is a few days of celebration. Although some might say why celebrate getting older, it is far better than the alternative.
 
 
The Vintage Room Dinner was truly amazing. A beautiful dining venue, outstanding champagne and wine and cuisine, superb service, wonderful conversation with lots of laughs and an opportunity to continue learning about wine.

​Many thanks to Head Sommelier Jiri, Executive Chef Jiri, Executive Chef Johannes for organizing this special Vintage Room Dinner, to the Junior Butlers and Butlers who served each course and to the many members of the crew who came by to sing Happy Birthday . The good news for Keith is he still has a couple of days to go before his actual birthday.

The only bummer about the evening was returning to the suite and knowing we needed to forward the clocks by one hour as we sailed into a new time zone. Good news is we will set them back again. 
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Today's Daily Reflections.

​Today we are docked in Saint John, Canada which Keith remembers visiting on a family trip in the 1960’s.
 
Saint John is located on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Canada. One of the things it is noted for is the Reversing Rapids caused by bay tides colliding with the Sain John River.
 
It is Canada’s oldest incorporated city and was established in 1785.
 
The Saint John River was first discovered by Franc mapmaker Champlain in 1604. Because this discovery was made on Saint John the Baptist’s Day he gave the harbor the name Saint John. In 1785 two British settlements join to become the city of Saint John.  
 
Saint John had its ups and downs. In 1887, a fire destroyed a large portion of the city.  By the end of this century the city resumed its role as an important industrial center for Canada on the East Coast.  By the start of World War 1 the city was recognized for its ship building history.  
 
The city population is 63,000 residents.
 
Major attractions include:
 
Reversing Falls where you can view the tidal fluctuations reverse the river course twice daily.
 
Irving Nature Park which is a 600 acre wood areas with boardwalks and lookout points with lots of nature and marine ecosystems.
 
Jewish Historical Museum which includes tours led by members of the Jewish Community providing the history of the Saint John Jewish Community.
 
Uptown Saint John is an area of the city containing many historic buildings which were built of brick after the first of 1877.
 
Fundy National Park which runs along 8 miles of shoreline.
 
We were docked in downtown Saint John which is a short walk to restaurants, stores and other businesses. Since today is a Sunday, we knew that many businesses would be closed but we still enjoyed a lovely walk, although some are open or will open later in the day.
 
The weather was wonderful for a day in early October. Since this was a Sunday, the streets were relatively quiet. We admired many of the brick buildings dating back many years. There are also the typical high rise buildings but it is the brick buildings and pockets where there are lots of trees that give the city its character.
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Cheers,

​Anne Marie & Keith

We wanted to digress to yesterday’s tour. Something that we learned about is all the reclaimed land that comprises Boston. We learned about several a mountain taken down and used to expand the size of the city. We also learned that when there was nothing more to use how they brought in dirt and would run trains continuously every thirty minutes to bring in the dirt. The Irish were very involved in this and we learned how the Italians moved to another area and the Irish settled where they had lived.
 
As we drove through the city and to other areas it was so nice to see so many places that still exist that date back many years to the 1800’s and 1700’s.  


Waterside menu from last evening.

​What a small world. Before dinner last evening as we walked down the stairs from Deck 11 to Deck 5 and reached the landing we looked up, and Anne Marie recognized a woman who we met when we sailed Crystal Symphony in 2004. She and her husband were part of an eleven-person dining room table we were assigned to for dinner. Anne Marie shares a bond with her as they are Sorority sisters. Anne Marie saw her one time since 2004 at a sorority function in Ohio. It was nice to catch up with her and her husband and to meet their grandchildren.

 
Last evening we returned to Waterside for another wonderful dinner for the first time in three nights. It was great to be back. There is no place like home, oops Waterside. LOL.
 
It was less busy than the last cruise although more people are on-board. This is not only because people were spread out in other dining venues, but many guests are spending more time in lounges enjoying music and drink and arriving to Waterside later. More Senior Waiters and Waiters are now on-board since there are more guests on these sailings.
 
There was a nice amount of time to catch up with the amazing waitstaff team which we always enjoy doing.
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Originally, we were to visit Bar Habour, Maine today but this was changed to Portland, Maine due to local regulations which prohibit the number of passengers who can visit simultaneously. We lost our slot to another cruise ship on this voyage and on the one the following week.
 
The good news is instead of anchoring which is the case in Bar Harbor we can dock in Portland and also visit this area for our first time.
 
Portland, Maine has the largest population of any city in the state of Maine. While the city population totals 70,000 people another 575,000 people live in the metropolitan area. 
 
The port of Portland is the second largest tonnage seaport in New England.
 
The area where we are docked is considered the old port area and features lots of quaint shops and restaurants. 

Major attractions include:
 
Maine Jewish Museum.
 
Old Port with cobblestone street and 18th street buildings.
 
Kennebunkport which years ago was known for shipbuilding and a fishing village.
 
Portland Freedom Trail Site which is two miles and passes through the city’s oldest and most historical sites.

We enjoyed a beautiful sunrise shortly before arriving to Portland. What a wonderful world.
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​The Avenue Saloon is one of the lounges found on Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony. The two are similar but their layouts are different with Symphony being more open and Serenity less so with the column and bar at the front as you enter. 
 
Both operate in the same manner. They open at 5:00 PM and stay open late. Late can vary based on the time in which the last guests leave. The early evening hours will feature a pianist who will play dinner music allowing those who get together for a pre-dinner drink to chat amongst themselves and/or with the bar team. Later in the evening the pianist will sing while playing the piano and it becomes livelier.
 
For many years we would go there for a pre-dinner drink and early on we might stop by after dinner.  
 
If it was just the two of us, we might sit at the bar to engage with the bar team and when we would meet with others we would sit at a table and chairs.
 
Underneath the bar there is a plaque with the letters K and A.  While this is a coincidence it does make a discussion item when we are asked if it was named for us.

On various cruises over the years, we had attended Rap with The Rabbi in the Avenue Saloon which was held on selected Sea Days. It was started by the late Rabbi Morrie and the tradition continued with certain Rabbis having their own Rap. 
 
 

We wanted to digress for a moment since it was almost one week ago in the same city of Boston that two inspections of Serenity occurred.
 
There is a saying that the sum of the team is far greater than the sum of individuals not working together. We believe this to be true. This is why we often refer to the crew on each ship as Team Serenity and Team Symphony.
 
This teamwork was “Crystal Clear” in Boston last week when both the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Services conducted the Health Inspection each conducted inspections. This is highly unusual for both inspections to take place on the same day. 
 
Likewise, it is unusual to achieve a score of 100% on the Health Inspection as Serenity and the Coast Guard inspection was also a major success.
 
Each cruise member impacts the results no matter what your position is and how long they have worked for Crystal. The impact is two-fold. First ensuring that everything is done correctly and in is proper working order. Second, being able to answer each question posted to them during the inspection including demonstrating what to do in an emergency.
 
The health and the safety of all guests and crew is the number one priority and these results reflect how seriously this is taken.
 
Often, we are asked by those who have not sailed Crystal why do you sail with them so often and. For us the answer “Crystal Clear”. When you go beyond the food, entertainment, enrichment, itineraries, other on-board amenities and each ship, the major reason we sail with Crystal is the people, including guests and the crew. For us it is the crew who as individuals and as one cohesive team each caring, professional, human (not robotic), passionate, and humorous who see us as individuals is the number one reason we sail with Crystal. When back home we can’t wait until we return to our happy place.
 
Congratulations Team Crystal.
 


​Waterside dinner menu from last evening

We dined with one of the Crystal Serenity Officers last evening.

The entertainment included Sweet Soul Music featuring the amazing Lead Vocalists, Crystal Ensemble and the Crystal Showband. This was followed by Comedian Tom Drake performing in the Galaxy Lounge. 

Often I don’t mention other entertainment but there is also Colin Salter singing and playing the piano from 9:00 PM until late at night in the Avenue Saloon, The Flair Duo providing listening and dance music with Ambassador Hosts on hand in the Palm Court from 8:45 to 11:oo PM, DJ Emotion playing music hits from 9:00  to 9:45 PM followed by Violinist Clara Alonso Tofee in the Crystal Cove. At 10:00 PM Dj Motion moves over to the Pulse Nightclub for Karaoke Night from 10:00PM to late at night. 
 
If this is not enough there is the Le Casino De Monte-Carlo where you can gamble or a visit to the Hollywood Theatre to see the 2025 movies Las Tres Sisters which played at 8:00 and 10:30 PM.

​Todays' Daily Reflections follows.
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“The British Are Coming”. No not the British Invasion featuring the Beatles, but the other invasion.  LOL.


As part of today we had a tour, reflecting on the American Revolution. Its significance goes beyond mere battles and military strategies. It was a transformative period characterized by a quest for liberty, equality, and justice. The courage and determination of those who fought for independence paved the way for the birth of the United States of America. We can honor their legacy as we continue to learn from this pivotal chapter in history.

We were met by the tour guide outside the cruise terminal, and our tour included visits to Lexington and Concord. On our way we drove through parts of Boston and we also stopped and walked inside one the buildings at Harvard. This was our first visit to these areas. The battles of Lexington and Concord were significant as they were the spark that ignited the American Revolution. This marked the famous “shot heard” round the world phrase. The battles showed how the colonists could unite for one common cause.

As we walked the bridge we realized it was 250 years ago when the battle took place. Amazing.
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Waterside Dinner Menu from last evening.

We enjoyed dinner with one other person last evening.

​We enjoyed dinner with another person last evening.
 
Although there is no formal night on this cruise the Waterside menu featured items that you will find on the first formal or only formal on cruises which have them. This included appetizers such as Fresh Oysters and Caviar entrees such as Fresh Lobster, and Wagyu Beef Tenderloin, along with other appetizers, salads, and entrees. Many dessert offerings including a Traditional Souffle Grand Marnier.
 

These are additional photos of Newport, Rhode Island 

Today's Daily Reflections

Before we sailed last evening, Captain Vincent spoke from the bridge and said that we would have choppy seas in the evening and into the early morning hours. By around 8:30 pm you could feel the ships movement. We are located fairly mid-ship so we knew the movement we felt was far less than those whose rooms are far forward. From time to time in the late evening and early morning one could hear some vibration while feeling the movement of the ship. 

At times it was like being on a roller coaster on land but the difference is it was not as if you were going around curves and it was inclusive.
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​Serenity anchored off Provincetown, Massachusetts late this morning.
 
Provincetown is in the extreme tip of Cape Cod. We visited Provincetown on a prior trip of Cape Cod. 
 
It was the harbor that the Mayflower pilgrims sought shelter from challenging seas on the way to the Colony of Virginia. Before settling in Plymouth, the pilgrims wrote and signed the Mayflower Compact which some refer to as America’s constitution.
 
It is a small coastal resort town with a population of under 4,000 residents. During the summer the population grows to 60,000 people.
 
Throughout much of the 20th Century, Provincetown attracted many writers and artist and is also regarded as the nation’s oldest continuous art colony.
 
Major attractions include:
 
Pilgrim Monument which was finished in 1910 and commemorates the pilgrims first landfall in 1620.
 
Pilgrim Landing National Site commemorating the pilgrims landing at the harbor at Provincetown five weeks before they would get to Plymouth.
 
Province Land Trails which is comprised of 5.5 miles of trail providing lovely views of nature and access to Herring Cove and Race Point beaches.
 
Commerce Street which is three miles of street that trace the shore of the bay and is home to restaurants and cafes, art galleries and other local shops.
 
We visited this town over 50 years ago. We didn’t take the tender over today, but plan to do so when we return next week on the next cruise.
 

Cheers,

​Anne Marie & Keith

This is the Waterside dinner menu from last evening.

Timing is everything in life. As we were walking around the ship, we could hear What A Wonderful World playing which always touches our heart.  

We were welcomed to Osteria by Head Waiter Mario and we had an opportunity to take a group picture of the Osteria Waitstaff.
 
We also wanted to acknowledge the team that works behind the scenes and that is the Osteria Head Chef Alfred and his extraordinary team. We also wanted to recognize the runners who bring each course from the kitchen to the waiter stations and ensure that all orders for a table for each course come out at the same time.
 
Once seated we enjoyed a front row view as we sailed out of the harbor and passed the Statue of Liberty. The sky was beautiful between the clouds and the sunset. The views continued as we sailed under the Verrazzano Bridge.

Afterwards we enjoyed a wonderful meal at the Osteria Italian Specialty Restaurant. Dinner was fabulous. We have thoroughly enjoyed the new dining menu and overall concept of Osteria since we boarded on August 14. There are three menus, and you can order from one, two or all three menus. We appreciate that we can share items or order smaller portions.  
 
Our Senior Waiter was Praveen and the Sommelier was Marizio. This was the first time we have had Praveen and it was wonderful to get to know him and we appreciated his attentive and professional service.
 
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​Today's Daily Reflections

This morning, we anchored off Newport Rhode Island.
 
Newport is a seaside city which has a rich sailing history. For some it was and is a summer resort and is also known for its historic mansions including the Breakers. City population is 25,000 residents.
 
In addition to the summer “cottages” the colonial area of Newport also has several historical buildings dating back to the 1600s.
 
Newport’s history dates to its founding in 1639. Because of its harbor, the town quickly became a major seaport of colonial North America.
 
Newport hosted the first U.S. Opens Tournament in both tennis and golf. It also hosted every challenge for the America’s Cup between 1930 and 1983.
 
Newport was also the location for the Summer White Houses for former Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. 
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Our first visit to Newport was in 2004 when we crossed the Northern Atlantic from Dover, England to New York City on the Crystal Symphony. We took a tour of the Breaker and the iconic Cliff Walk. In many ways, we remember this tour and cruise as if it was yesterday. Since that time, we have enjoyed several visits to this charming city.
 
Major attractions include:
 
The Bellevue Avenue Mansions
 
Touro Synagogue which is the oldest surviving Jewish synagogue building in North America.
 
The Breakers which was the summer “cottage” of Cornelius Vanderbilt II. It was constructed at a cost of $12 million which today is roughly $355 million. This is one very expensive “cottage” with 70 rooms within 138,000 square feet.
 
Cliff Walk whose public access walkway borders the shoreline and allows for views of several estates. 
 
The city includes several museums including one about the history of this city.

We would like to close with a shout out to the team that performs maintenance of the ship. This includes the engineering department, those who deal with electrical, plumbing, carpentry, carpeting, painting inside and outside the ship, cleaning of the decks and many other items that keep the ship in good order and looking great. 
 
A ship requires lots of daily upkeep given the impact of outside temperature and salt on the ship exterior. 

There are daily maintenance items like what you might find at a hotel, or a commercial or residentially building or one’s house.
 
Unlike on land, there is the added complexity of having the replacement items on board to make a repair or putting in place a stopgap solution until the permanent repair can be made.
 
On top of this is the routine things that are done behind the scenes to monitor equipment and keep the ship in top tip shape.
 
Some of the people performing these items you might see for a second or around the ship while other working behind the scenes you might rarely or ever see. If it’s an item in your room, then you may or may not see them as often they try to accomplish the work when the guest is not in their room. And on a related note, if it is an item in the room often the guest might not even be aware of it such as a lightbulb not working and it is the attendant(s) from housekeeping, or their supervisor or the butler who identifies it and reports it before we even pick up on it.
 
It takes a team to accomplish all of this and I am often reminded that Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity do not show their respective ages because of all the work performed by these teams plus in addition to the work performed in dry dock.
 
So a big thank you for keeping the ships looking great and for the work done that adds to everyone’s safety
 
 

Cheers,

​Anne Marie & Keith

Thank you Deborah. Good news is we are on until October 14.

​We remember back in those years after we booked a cruise(s) on-board stopping by to look at the map to find the cities and countries we would be visiting on each of the cruises booked. These days we can just look at a map on the Crystal website or in many cases visualize them based on our own travel experiences but there was something very special about this map. On our walks around the ship when it is too cold or rainy to walk outside, we think back to all the times we would stop by and stand looking at this map.
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Before dinner we chatted with two very nice couples who we speak with on most evenings who sit in an area of the Crystal Plaza we used to sit in on voyages through the first part of 2020. While waiting for the dining venue to open, we spoke with one lovely couple who we met on this cruise along with another Ida and one other lovely couple who we met on previous cruises. We will miss them since they debark today. One of the aspects of cruising we enjoy are the people who one meet while cruising. This is something very unique about traveling and cruising.
 

Waterside Dinner Menu from last evening.

We normally don’t go to Waterside the last evening of the cruise, but we did last night. On the next cruise we won’t be there as often as usual, so we wanted to spend more time dining there.

Dinner was great. This included the delicious cuisine, professional and personal service, along with the beautiful dining venue. We thank the wonderful waitstaff for making last night another outstanding dining experience.
 
In case you wanted to know the special butter was Roasted Pepper.
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Once again, with milder weather Keith was able to enjoy an early morning walk after a visit to the Fitness Center. This included walking outdoors on the Promenade Deck, the Pool Deck, and the top outdoor deck. Some say New York City never sleeps and as Keith was walking he was thinking the same.

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We decided to walk over to the High Line a place we have not visited before. It is about one mile from the port and is a former elevated railway line on Manhattan’s west side that has been transformed into a popular public park and tourist destination. 
 
This railway was constructed in the 1930s. After it was decommissioned in the 1980s it fell into disrepair. In the early 2000s a plan was developed to convert this area to a park and by 2009 some sections of the High Line were opened.
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Today is the end of the Reykjavik to New York City Cruise and the start of the next cruise.
 
Since we are in a USA port this very quickly this is how the process works for those of us staying on-board and continuing to the next cruise. We are in-transit guests. Before new guests can embark the ship must get to a zero count. This means that in addition to those guests whose cruise ended today who must be off the ship by 10:00 AM, those guests staying on-board who do not have plans for the day must be off the ship by 10:00AM as well. After the zero count is achieved and local authorities clear the ship than in-transit guests may reboard. We are given a card per person which says in-transit so the port authorities know we are not newly embarking guests, and we were asked to bring our passports with us. 
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Today, we wanted to give a big shoutout to Captain Vincent and to those who are part of the deck department. This voyage included many stops and of special note is for five consecutive ports we anchored. One of those five was unplanned as a cargo ship was docked where we should have been. All of this adds complexity. This includes being able to put the ship in a position where it can stay in place which can be very tricky given weather conditions such as wind and the sea swells. This also involves running tender service to and from the ship and getting guests on and off the ship.  On a related note others are key to this as well including security who has a presence at the tender landing, shore excursions who has to be sure the get the group tours on the tenders at the appropriate time and Food & Beverage who has a couple of people at the tender landing with water for guests. All of this involves an operation that starts well before we are anchored, continues with the first tender taking some personnel over to the tender landing, and continues until the last tender is back and in its rightful place. In short, this is very different from being docked. We thank each and every member of the crew for all of this including keeping us all safe as we tendered to and from each tender landing.
 
 

Today we embark on the first of two back-to-back New York City round trips aboard the Crystal Serenity, wrapping up our journey on October 14.  These segments are like twins, so you might think we're stuck in a Groundhog Day loop. Fear not, dear friends! While the ports are identical, the experiences will keep us on our toes!  

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Cheers,

​Anne Marie & Keith

Yesterday afternoon brought on Paddle Tennis for two and one-half hours and other then one game it was non-stop playing. Last series was amazing but one of the teams had to win. LOL
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Waterside menu from last evening

We returned to Waterside for another lovely dinner last evening.

 
We have enjoyed Waterside more than ever since the restart of new Crystal. We do enjoy the specialty restaurants but as mentioned for us they are special, so we prefer dining at each one once per cruise unless we receive an invitation. 
 
 
We appreciate the diversity in the appetizers, salads and entrées and between the food, the lovely dining venue and the exceptional waitstaff we have a great time.
 
We thank the extraordinary team led by Restaurant Manager Paolo, with a supporting cast of Senior Head Waiter Jacques, Senior Waiter Enver, Waiter Edson, Sommelier Dusan and Junior Waiter Silvio. 

Senior Head Waiter Jacques did the honors of the Dover Sole.
 
And in case you wanted to know, the special butter was horseradish butter.
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We landed in the Big Apple this morning, where we'll be crashing until tomorrow evening. When it comes to cruising, some arrivals and departures are unforgettable and sailing in and out of Manhattan is one of them. There's something truly unique about spotting the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan Skyline and thinking of all the immigrants who made their grand entrance to the United States of America. 
 
Many of us were born in the U.S., thanks to our ancestors who hopped over here seeking happiness and a better spot to raise their families.  Arrivals and departures are unforgettable and sailing in and out of Manhattan is definitely one of them. There's something truly unique about spotting the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan Skyline and thinking of all the immigrants who made their grand entrance to the United States of America. Many of us were born in the U.S., thanks to our ancestors who hopped over here seeking happiness and a better spot to raise their families.  


 
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Today is the last full day of this cruise. Some guests will depart today rather than tomorrow due to commitments and to do this they have to debark this morning. 
 
One of the things we decided to do and yesterday just made the appointment for today was to get our influenza and Covid-19 vaccines. They were not available when we began this adventure, and we know it will be a busy time when we arrive home, so we thought let’s just do this today. We picked a location that was near other points of interest including Rockefeller Center, the Museum of Modern Art and Radio City Music Hall. Also nearby is a pizzeria which we wanted to check out. We find the best way to get around the city is by foot or by subway but for this trek foot is what we did.

After the mission was accomplished, we went for New York Pizza, then over to Rockefeller Center and the adjoining area and then picked up some items.
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Today's Daily Reflections.

Cheers,

​Anne Marie & Keith

We wanted to say a few things about Boston, Massachusetts.
 
Boston was founded in 1630. It went from a fishing village to a lively port. In addition to fishing, shipping was a major driver of activity.
In terms of history, several key events that were a catalyst to the Revolutionary War occurred here. This included the Boston Massacre of 1770, the Boston Tea Party of 1773, Paul Rever’s Midnight Ride (The British Are Coming) of 1775 and the Battle of Bunker Hill and Sige of Boston of 1775.
 
Boston has a long history of immigrants. While we often think of the Irish who settled in Boston, many people arrived from Russia and Italy including those of the Jewish Faith who were fleeing from persecution.  Others would come from Eastern and Southern Europe, and Chinese, Portuguese and people from the West Indian Communities. This continued in the 2000s with many arriving from Latin America. All of this has added to the diversity of this city.
 
On past trips we have walked the Freedom Trail a few times and, on this trail, you pass by the Paul Revere House. We have also visited Beacon Hill and Quincy Market. There is Boson Common which might be the oldest public park in the USA.
 
Similar to some cities around the USA Boston is known as a sports city between Baseball, Basketball, Football and Hockey.
 
As someone who grew up in New York Keith remembers many of the rivalries that existed. Although he enjoyed the Knicks of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s as far back as he can remember Keith loved the Boston Celtics.
 
On one of our visits to Boston on Crystal Symphony we toured the TD Garden and Fenway Park and, on another day, we visited the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library.
 
There is so much to this historic city.
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We wanted to digress about yesterday. I don’t think we’ve ever been on-board for either a US Coast-Guard visit to the ship nor for the US Public Health Services Inspection of the ship and both took place yesterday. It was expected that sometime soon this would take place with Serenity returning to the USA, but no advance warning is provided. Similar inspections take place in other countries such as Canada and Australia.
 
On top of this the morning also began with an immigration inspection of all guests as part of arriving to our first port-of-call in the USA with immigration officials arriving as soon as we docked.
 
Add to this that some guests were ending their cruise in Boston rather than New York City.
 
Add to this that like us some guests had visitors on-board.
 
 
The USA Coast Guard inspection is very thorough evaluating safety equipment, operational procedure, crew training for emergencies such as fires and evacuations along with hull and machinery integrity. As part of the Coast Guard review a drill was held and very extensive such as crew raft(s) opened. Questions are asked to crew members to test their knowledge of what to do in case of an emergency and this can include any crew member including those on first contracts.
 
At the same time the Health Services inspection was conducted and this is extremely thorough. Just like an inspection on land or a home inspection it is not unusual to find something not in compliance. Remember, it’s not like an inspection is taking place with the ship not in operation. They are inspecting when food operations are on-going such as guests having breakfast and/or lunch. 

All of this takes a team effort. You could see smiles on many faces when members of the crew learned later in the day that Serenity received a perfect score on the Public Health Inspection and that the Safety related inspections went very well.
 
Congratulations to team Serenity and to team Crystal.
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Waterside dinner menu

Last evening we returned to Waterside and were joined with friends Dave and Gary who visited the ship. 

Food was great and in case you wanted to know the special butter was Sun Dried Butter. Many thanks to Senior Head Waiter Jacque for arranging for special orders of Veal Parmigiana and Kosher Chicken.
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Crystal is one of the cruise lines that allow visitors. It is capacity controlled in each port and Crystal has a visitor program where you can submit a visitor request to obtain approval.
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The evening entertainment was The Liar's Club.

Today's Daily Reflections

As it turned out we departed around 5:45 am and Keith went back outside and walked the promenade deck. Like clockwork as we had made our way out of the port, Keith saw another cruise ship on the way into port. 
 
It reminded him of the flights at Logan Airport yesterday as he observed from the aft (back) of the ship. There was the constant landing of aircraft. Sometimes you would see one aircraft landing while other times two arriving at the same time landing on two different runways. 
 

Today we wanted to recognize the members of IT on the ship and on land. When Crystal restarted it required IT on land to build entirely new systems for so many areas including reservations, the Crystal website, billing, on board billing and so many other tools used on land and at sea to manage the operations of Crystal.  This is why enhancements continue to be made because it is all new.
 
IT systems on the ship require collaboration between IT on land, IT on the vessels and with outside vendors including Satellite.  
 
Crystal staffs the Computer University with members of the IT department. The Computer University is open 24 hours every day and staffed with technology concierges between 8:00 am and 9:00 pm. Some cruise lines including some luxury cruise lines do not staff similar facilities or if they do they provide less hours.
 
These are the go to people for guests to seek help with their devices including smart phones, tables and computer devices and even smart watches. They do their utmost best to educate the guests on how to utilize the internet for their communication needs and also how to access on line items such as daily reflections programs, folio and menus. 
 
Just like at home sometimes an issue comes up that is device specific that can’t be solved. I am reminded that as someone who used apple products sometimes if I can’t figure out a resolution at home and I contact Apple technical support that on occasion they can’t solve the problem even when speaking with a supervisor. Sometimes they have to refer it to their own systems people looking for trends of a similar problem.
 
Then there are the two IT officers on the ship who deal with an array of technical items and if there is a technical issue with the on board IT systems they would either resolve them, or refer the item and/or work with the land based IT group for its resolution. Aside from the on board systems that we might think of relating to the internet, there are the other communication systems that they are involved with and also other devices including restarting the various screens found around the ship that show the position of the ship or the daily reflections program or other items plus they are involved with other items such as addressing television issues in guest rooms including the remote control or router issues throughout the ship.
 
We all have become much more dependent on a variety of devices at home and when we travel. At home there can be challenges with one’s internet provider, cable provider, streaming provider but at sea the challenges can be far greater as the ship doesn’t stay in one position and sometimes the challenges can be with the satellite provider or even the weather and where the ship is sailing.
 
Many thanks to the professionals from IT and on land for all they do.
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Cheers,

​Anne Marie & Keith

Before dinner we attended the Captain Reception and Crystal Society Party. 
 

Following this event, we were off to Waterside for dinner Once again, we had a lovely dinner.

​Once again, we had a lovely dinner. We were taken care of by the outstanding Waterside Food and Beverage Team. We so very much appreciate their attention to detail, professionalism and warmth. The warmth always comes through along with caring and it shows throughout the ship. Unlike some places whether it is on another cruise line or at a hotel or restaurants on land the service is human coming from the heart rather than robotic. We prefer the former. As we do every evening we enjoy conversing with this wonderful team along with lots of laughs
 
It was a formal night, and the food was in step of the evening.
 
In case you wanted to know, the special butter was a new one. It was Red Beets and Shallots.  ​

Serenity touched down in Boston this morning, right on time at 7:00 AM! We went through a mandatory immigration since this is our first time in a USA port. We were assigned group numbers and those on tours in the morning were in the earlier groups along with those who were debarking early today. Although the cruise ends in New York City some guests left today either because they live in Boston or were staying over to visit friends and/or family.
 
Our last adventure in Boston was back in September 2016, as our Northwest Passage Epic Voyage was wrapping up. Our love for American history is just one of the many reasons we're thrilled to be back in Boston. During our 2016 visit, we had an amazing time exploring the Freedom Trail on a self-guided tour. Later that morning, we were delighted to meet up with our friends Dave and Gary, who picked us up downtown. We will dine with them this evening at Waterside and are meeting them this morning to run a few errands. We last caught up with Dave and Gary earlier this year during the 2024 Holiday Cruise, and we're so excited they could join us again today!

Over the next few weeks, we'll be returning to Boston for the final two cruises, and we've got an exciting tour lined up for the first visit. Can't wait! 


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We included a video of Logan Airport as we were making our way to our docking position.

Today's Daily Reflections.

​Reflections Editor & Contributors

​We  want to give a shout-out to the Reflections Editor. Each day we receive a daily Reflections Program which we read cover to cover. It comes hard copy the night before the date of the edition and it is also available soft copy to read while on board on a tablet in each suite/stateroom or to read while on board on one’s computer or a smart device.
 
It contains lots of valuable information including:
 
Daytime and Evening activities.
Evening entertainment including shows, parties, names and times of movies, performers at the Crystal Cove, Palm Court, Avenue Saloon and Pulse including the times of the entertainment along with operating times for the Le Casino De Monte-Carlo 
Port information including times of a shuttle if one is provided, distance from the downtown area, local currency, a brief writeup about the port, times for each of the Crystal Destination Excursions and the local port representative contact and phone number in the event of an emergency while ashore.
 
Names of guests celebrating a birthday or a wedding anniversary.
 
Dining hour times for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the respective dining venues and times of operation for other areas including reception, concierge, shore excursion desk, fitness center, library, medical center, photo shop, computer university, stores and future cruise & loyalty managers.
 
Other items are highlighted such as face-to-face meetings with local authorities in selected ports, and change of time.
 
Arrival and departure time, dress code for the evening, arrival time and departure time for each port and the weather forecast.
 

Cheers,

​Anne Marie & Keith

Waterside Dinner from last evening.

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Last evening we returned to Waterside for another fabulous dinner. Have we mentioned how much we enjoy Waterside?
 
We are in such wonderful hands between Restaurant Manager Paolo, Head Waiter Jacque, Senior Waiter Enver, Waiter Edson, Junior Waiter Silvio, and Sommelier Dusan.
 
They are warm and friendly, professional and experienced and they do not miss a beat. We enjoy lots of laughs with them. 
 
The food and the wine are not bad either. LOL. Actually the food and wine is superb.
 


​Last evening’s entertainment included vocalist Tenna Torres who was accompanied by the Crystal showband.  
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The good news is before we went to sleep we turned the time back. Yea.

Today's Daily Reflections and Waterside Lunch Menu

Today is the final sea day of this voyage but we still have more days to go on this voyage plus more to come. It’s funny when people first cruise they just want port days and think they will be bored on sea days. Guess what. Port days are great, but sea days are very special too. Sea days provide lots of time to enjoy the ship and lots of opportunity to learn including from the lectures.
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For those who like to shop several shops can be found  on-board Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony.

This includes Facets which features jewelry from Jeweler Hubert, Apropos featuring women's and men's clothing as well as Cosmetics and Sundries, another shop featuring watches, 

We are enjoying another wonderful day at sea.

Cheers,

​Anne Marie & Keith

Last evening we dined at Beefbar with friend Patty. We had a wonderful time enjoying great conversation and food, the lovely venue and outstanding service.
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Today's Daily Reflection Program.

​This morning, we anchored off Halifax. On past visits we have always docked.
 
Halifax is the capital of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia with a population over a half million residents.
 
It was originally inhabited by the Mi’kmaq People. By the early 1600s, the French established the colony of Acadia. 
 
In the early 18th century, it was a French fishing station. By 1713 Halifax became a British settlement and was settled by 2,500 settlers mostly from England and it was incorporated as a city in 1842.
 
After the American Revolution Halifax became a military anchor for the remaining British North American colonies following the establishment of the United States. It was one of the most fortified places outside of Europe for the British army. It’s dockyard and defenses were taken over by the Canadian government in 1906.  

During World War I and World War II, Halifax was Canada’s largest and most important naval base.
 
Some of the attractions within the city include walking the Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk, visiting the Maritime Museum, the Halifax Citadel and the Halifax Public Gardens. Peggy’s Cove is outside the city and a popular place to visit.

Today was the best weather day since boarding on August 14. It was sunny. No wind. Nice temperature.
 
I took the tender with three other cruising friends. Next to me was the pilot so we enjoyed a very nice conversation with him on the tender, and I walked next to him until we got to the terminal area. Very nice man and he explained why he had us anchor where we did.
 
It was nice to revisit Halifax and to enjoy a very long walk.
 
Upon arrival to the tender pier for the return there were two three Canadian local port security personnel.  I think there was confusion as he asked me for my passport.  Then he said he wasn’t sure I could take the tender where Crystal guests were debarking. I was very polite but in my head I was saying between the passport question and the maybe you’ll have to wait until later to go back to the ship “are you kidding me”? LOL.
 
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Today we want to give a shout out to the Housekeeping Laundry Department

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On most of the full World Cruises we were on, the guests had an opportunity to get a behind the look at areas of the ship that one normally does not see. One of the areas were some of the members of housekeeping perform very important jobs including, washing and drying of towels, bed linen, table cloths, guest clothes that are send for cleaning; pressing of a range of items from guest clothing and I assume crew uniforms and other linens and dry cleaning.
 
This is done in institutional washers and dryer and other equipment. The quantity of items is amazing and then there is the need to keep track of all of the clothing, so it is properly returned to the correct person.  
 
I think about all of the bath towels we use throughout the day and multiply it by the number of guest rooms.  Then add in the bed linens when they are changed. Truly amazing.
 
There is also one tailor whose primary job is to take care of the tailoring of the crew uniforms although on occasion they might assist with tailoring/alterations for a guest.
 
Bravo to this team who works tirelessly on all of this.
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Cheers,

​Anne Marie & Keith