TRAVELING HOMEWe enjoyed our final evening in Barcelona. Since it was raining we had dinner in hotel suite. We originally were going to utilize an airport concierge service to speed up getting to the airport lounge. Long story but we didn’t. Our experience was just the opposite when we landed in Barcelona in June of this year. With a concierge service we were through the biometrics and airport passport control in ten minutes. Without the service it would have likely been two and one-half hours. The process leaving Barcelona was easy peasy. A couple minute wait to check in at the airline counter and we had fast track since we were flying business class. This fast track was fast. We had no line and went through security in a breeze. We didn’t have to remove electronics or the 3-1-1 case from our carry on baggage. I was stopped for a few seconds for a random check. For passport control someone helped us at the kiosk but just like when we landed in Barcelona in June fingerprints didn’t work so she took us to the front and no line and we did the finger prints with the official person who took our photo and looked over our passport and we were in. We proceeded to the airline lounge which is used by twenty or so airlines which was quite nice. We then proceeded to our terminal and gate. Boarding was easy too. Ironically when flew to Barcelona in June Anne Marie’s seat faced backwards and this time mine did. Last time I was backwards was years ago on a BA flight and on corporate jets. Two flights One connecting after landing in the USA. Unfortunately, mechanical issue with the short haul flight after we boarded but thankfully they found a replacement aircraft. Got home a few hours late after midnight but things happen when you travel. Thoughts on our Crystal Cruises Adventure. Where do we begin? One word. Exceptional. I tried to rate major categories with 10 the highest. Itinerary 10 – 32 days, 26 unique ports, and 11 first time visits. This says it all. We have cruised for close to five years and four and one half years with Crystal. We have sailed the Mediterranean numerous times, yet 40+ percent of the ports were new to us. We enjoyed the ports both new and those we have been to before. Embarkation & Debarkation 10 – Both were very easy and orderly. We were on board for other embarkations and they all started early and guest rooms were available early too. The debarkation was smooth and a delight other than saying until next time. LOL. Pre & Post Cruise Transfers. 10 - Our suite includes Crystal provided transfers and this was perfect. The driver on embarkation day arrived to the hotel early and drove us safely from downtown Rome to the port. He spoke good English. When you debark Crystal Concierge waits until the driver is there before you leave the ship. The driver was there early, drove safely, spoke excellent english and was engaging on the way from the port to the hotel. Food 10 – Food was consistently exceptional across all venues we dined at. This included Waterside, Osteria, Umi Uma, Beefbar and Marketplace. We did not dine at The Trident Grill or The Bistro. Does this mean every item was great? I would say yes, other than two items. Service 10 – Service was better than ever and no exaggeration. Wait staff teams at all venues and Penthouse attendant and assistant were exceptional as was the butler. I want to add that we had several waiters from Waterside helping us at Marketplace after we were seated and they couldn’t have been any better. They all knew what we drank and cleared tables and were so very attentive. Also, everyone so very friendly inside Marketplace at each food station. I could go on for days about the service throughout the ship. Special Events. 10 I normally don’t rate this, but we had the Alajmo Brothers, creators of the cuisine at Osteria and we attended their exclusive dinner and their vintage room. The experience was wonderful. I do have to say there were two items at the vintage room dinner that I won’t be having again but that is true with other food items we have tried on land. The Alajamo Brother were also a delight plus the son/nephew. Internet. 9. I would have given it a 10 but for some reason we had to re-enter our username and password various times on those last couple of voyages. As has been the case the past couple of years it is reliable, stable with excellent speed. I upload a lot of photos, and they uploaded quickly as did downloads. Spa/Salon. 10 Between the two of us we had our hair done three times and I had four massages. We had the same hair stylist who we had in June, and he is the best we’ve had on board and one of the best we’ve ever had at sea and on land. I had two massage therapists working on all my sore muscles from sports related issues and one of them who gave three massages was exceptional and the other one was very good. Television. 8 Television is good. Very little freezing. I wish a more diverse set of stations can be provided, but then again we are on a cruise and watch very little TV other than news. Enrichment. 8 Watched several lectures on demand. These cruisers were port intensive with one sea day on each of the four cruises so it didn’t have the as much diversity as one might see on longer cruises with more sea days. My only pet peeve is those lecturers who come back year after year should update their talks. Entertainment. No Rating We didn’t make it to the entertainment as we avoid crowds in the Galaxy and Stardust lounges, so I am leaving this rating out for this category. We did go to one of the White Nights which had high energy with the tone set by Cruise Director Russ. Bravo. Also, guests we spoke with on each cruise told us about entertainment they enjoyed so I got a good sense that people were very happy. We did enjoy the entertainers at the Crystal Cove when we were nearby most nights. Ship Appearance. 10 I’ve never seen ships maintained any better than with Crystal. Being up early I see all the work that is done in the middle of the night. It is truly amazing. People on their hands and knees cleaning everywhere you can think of. Even some updates for the drydock were done when most guests were asleep so people wouldn’t be disturbed. Announcements. 8 My only issue is that while Crystal strives not to broadcast announcements in the room, I think there are cases when they should. For embarking guests, the one that is done 15 minutes prior to the lifeboat drill I believe should go to the room, so all newly embarking guests know to get to the drill by 5:30 PM. On Board Bookings. 10 I made one and it was very efficient as it was was in June. The on-board booking manager needed to double check on one item and that was confirmed the next day as it was a Sunday and we booked the cruise right away. Stores. 5 We don’t do much shopping anymore. I did purchase one Crystal hat. I wish more logo clothing was available including a wider range of colors for polo shirts but I’ve felt the way since the time that old Crystal stopped doing the merchandise themselves and outsourced this and we are talking many years ago. The non-logo clothing options in Facets don’t work for us but given ships are not department stores like you find on land, I get it and I realize they don’t have the room to keep a lot of inventory. I have no idea whether or not there is any profit in basic clothing or in logo merchandise. Reflections. 9 Always delivered to our suite by 6:00 PM and available online. I give it a 9 rather than a ten because I think where we are required to carry a passport or a copy of a passport such as in Italy, I think highlighting that on the front page is a good idea. I realize that when the ship is cleared the clearance officer mentions this in the announcement but if people are inside their rooms they wouldn’t hear that. Another option is to put it on the TV like they do with a time change. The Crew 10++++++ They are truly exceptional and that includes all members of the crew. They are professional, experienced, friendly, and caring people and they are the best of any cruise line we have sailed. That Crystal Feeling 10+++++ Crystal has launched a new global campaign, “That Crystal Feeling”. I think many can relate to this, and I know Anne Marie and I do sailing with Crystal is very special and this is why many people say the destination is the ship and the on-board experience as it is very special. At the end of the day, we made many memories which will last a lifetime and had an exceptional time. Also in the end the only opinion that truly matters is our own. We hope you have enjoyed following along and we look forward to sharing our next adventure with you later this year. Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith 
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Barcelona Debark Part 2 Plus First Full Day Barcelona Day After We Debarked Crystal Serenity10/2/2026 We’ve already been on one walk and more to go. One of the streets we walked is a pedestrian street up the middle with lots of places to eat outside. Also stopped outside of the La Penrera – Casa Mila, an iconic building in Barcelona featuring the work of Gaudi      Barcelona Debarkation – Day 33 – October 1 This is the second part from yesterday. The Crew As our time on Crystal Serenity comes to an end, I wanted to give a shout out to the crew. We adore the Crystal Crew and so appreciate all they do. We have cruised with 12 different cruise lines, first experiencing Crystal in 2002 on-board Crystal Harmony. We were immediately Crystalized on the very first day. We chose Crystal for its itineraries, personalized service, cuisine, enrichment, entertainment, ship size and amenities, but what truly stood out where the people, fellow guests and especially the crew. The crew is the number one reason we sail Crystal The crew is professional, warm, caring, friendly, has an unbelievable memory, and most importantly they are genuine. I say genuine because I have sailed other lines and certainly some displayed some of these traits, but they are very robotic and they do know the word “no”. I continue to believe it takes a special person to be a successful Crystal Crew member. I often say some of the crew know more about us than we do remembering things we enjoyed from past cruises from the food we eat to what we enjoy doing on board. They do all those little things that add up. Enter a dining venue and you are welcomed and escorted to your table. They pull out your chair assisting you as you sit down and place a napkin on your lap. As you get to know your server over one cruise or more there is a strong connection. When you arrive on embarkation day or return from being ashore a member of the Security Team says, “welcome home” and have a nice day. Walk around the ship and you are greeted warmly. Every member of the crew contributes greatly to our overall experience from food to safety to the ships maintenance and cleanliness who you may or may never meet. One of the main reasons we travel is discovery including visits to places around the world. Discovery also takes place right on the ship. With each passing year the number of nationalities working on board has expanded since our first cruise in 2002. Years ago, Waterside (formally call Crystal Dining Room) was mainly comprised of waitstaff from Western Europe, and many of the suite attendants were from Sweden. Today, 50+ nationalities are represented by crew members, and this continues to grow. As to discovery, we always love hearing from crew about life at home including conversation about similarities and differences to where we live. We enjoy hearing about life at home and their families. Just as they see us as individuals, we see them as individuals too. Some crew members have spouses, significant others, parents, children, or siblings working on board. This only adds to the sense of family. We’ve learned so much from the crew. Back in 2005, I even learned the true way to pronounce my surname name which is German from a Maître d’ from Austria who is now retired. We've included some photos of the crew that we took along the way. But before we end. We wanted to give another shoutout to Carmelo who after thirty years of service with Crystal is retiring. He will be missed by so many people; crew and guests alike, and we will miss this special man who we have known for twenty-three of those years. Finally, a big shout out to Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio and to Cristina Levis. If not for them, the Crystal we all knew and loved would not have returned after operations ceased in early 2022. Symphony and Serenity may have been separated under different cruise lines and there likely would not be a new Crystal. They not only kept the name Crystal, but they kept so much of the Crystal Product. Not all is the same as it was, but I am reminded that from our very first cruise with Crystal in 2002 Crystal evolved with each passing year. We hope future generations of cruisers will have the opportunity to sail with Crystal and have as much fun as we have and we do today. Cheers to the Crew, to the Crystal/A&K land-based team and to the leadership team whose collective contributions make our experience sailing Crystal very special. We look forward to seeing you very soon. We took more walks in Barcelona yesterday. Some rain was in the forecast, but we were fortunate that the forecast was wrong other than a short time when it rained and we were in between walks back at the Hotel. Near our hotel are two buildings designed by Gaudi so including photos from both buildings. Barcelona is a vibrant city. Tourism continues to increase with each passing year, and we have seen many changes since our first visit. I first visited Barcelona for business in the early 1990’s and our first visit was in 1998. While we love Barcelona you have to be vigilant and street smart. By this I mean that pickpocketing is still an issue in this city so it’s important to secure you purse/wallet. Leave valuable on the ship if on a cruise or in a hotel if staying on land. We had dinner at one of three restaurants that we dined at in June. Our prerequisite is dining outside and there are plenty to choose from. After so many wonderful dinners on-board Crystal Serenity we didn’t feel a need to dine anywhere fancy. It was very relaxing and food quite good.     We slept well and Keith in particular caught up on some missed sleep. We enjoyed breakfast in the hotel which is included and they are very accommodating. There was food that is more in line for lunch that we left for lunch and picked up fresh bread while we were out. More rain is in the forecast for today, so we wore waterproof rain jackets and took an umbrella for good look and it worked. No rain. Our destination was Mercat St Josep La Boqueria which is the famous meat and vegetable market with many other items. It is just under 1.5 miles from the hotel. We walked the street that our hotel resides on eventually making a right and a left to get onto Las Rambles until we reached the Market. This name was used at other locations until it was moved to its permanent location. Construction began in 1840 and it opened that year, but plans continued to be modified and it was inaugurated in 1853. On our first visit in 1998 this was the first time we saw as many parts as possible of meat being sold including heads and eyes. Since that time between all the cruises we have taken with Crystal we have seen similar body parts in many meat markets around the world. This market contains many different vendors selling meat, poultry, seafood, nuts, fruit, vegetables, olives, figs, candy and chocolates, empanadas, cookies, eggs, cheese, cured meat, dried fruits, tapas, grab-and-go-meals, fried seafood cones, along with other items. In June we visited on a Friday as we did today. The difference is it was wall to wall people in June and far less today. This is likely to do with far less tourists this time of year versus today you could tell it was mainly locals based on what people were shopping for. We enjoyed a leisurely couple miles walk on a different route back to the hotel.          After lunch, we went back out but it was drizzling before we left and since that was the outlook for most of the day with raincoats and one umbrella we went on a nice long walk. No photos since it was drizzling. Lots of people outside. We will post a wrap up in the next few days including final thoughts about Barcelona and thoughts on our cruising adventure. Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith 
Barcelona, Spain – Disembarkation – Day 33 This is the first of two posts for today. It's sort of ironic that our cruise ends in Barcelona, Spain where our June 15 cruise began and we spent four glorious pre-cruise days. With challenges of flight connections, we decided to end this cruise with two nights in this beautiful city at the same hotel we stayed at in June. We enjoyed our final evening on Serenity and had a quiet dinner in our suite as we have done on the final night of cruises for around the past ten years. Before dinner we had canapes. They are available in the suites every afternoon with a different one served each day. This is the first time we’ve had them since boarding on August 30. We normally have fresh fruit as an afternoon snack. Suite Attendant Mary Jean and her assistant Angel came by the room. They are a wonderful team and we will miss them. They are true gems working diligently each day and it has been a pleasure having them take care of our room these past 33 days. Butler Rao organized a wonderful dinner for us serving it course by course. Rao is very kind and a consummate professional and oversees all the butlers. In all suites you can order dinner from Waterside during its operating hours and in certain suites you can order from the Specialty Restaurants. We enjoyed dinner from Osteria and from Waterside. We shared Lasagna from Osteria, each had salads from Waterside, a half portion of eggplant for Anne Marie’s entrée and Bronzini for my entrée both from Osteria. Dessert from Waterside. Final morning on board Serenity and a final fast walk for me before we had breakfast on the ship. As usual, I exchanged greetings to a member of the crew getting the pool deck and sports deck ready for today and with a member of the Food & Beverage Team. Waterside Dinner Menu from last evening. We enjoyed our final night on Serenity and had a quiet room in our suite as we have done on the final night of cruises for around ten years. Before dinner we had canapes. They are available in the suites every afternoon with a different one served each day. This is the first time we’ve had it since we boarded. We normally have fruit as an afternoon snack.  Suite Attendant Mary Jean and her assistant Angel came by the room. They have been impeccable and we will miss them. They are true gems working diligently each day.  Rao organized a wonderful dinner for us serving it course by course. Rao is very kind and a consummate professional and oversees all of the butlers. We enjoyed food from Osteria and Waterside.   Final morning on board Serenity and a final fast walk for me before we had breakfast on the ship. We debarked at 8:30 AM. Rao escorted us to the Crystal Plaza where we met the Concierge.  We enjoyed our final breakfast of the cruise in our suite thanks to Rao and we got ready to leave Serenity. We debarked at 815 AM. Rao escorted us to the Crystal Plaza where we met the Concierge. The vehicle was ready early so we said our goodbye to Rao. We were supposed to see Dr. Soto who just boarded this morning so we look forward to see him next time but we didn't want to keep everyone waiting. Part 2 Later.  Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith  Hi Emily, we had responded to your comment the other day but don’t think the post took. We are glad to hear that you and Dick will be on the christening cruise of Grace in 2028 and we look forward to seeing you both. When we think of Grace sometimes Keith slips and says Princess Grace rather than Crystal Grace. When the name was announced it was said the name was selected because of the gracefulness of the new ship. It’s a beautiful name for sure.  We wanted to begin by repeating something mentioned in our first post. There are 26 distinct ports on these four cruises of which 11 are first time ports for us. To me this is amazing when I think of all the times, we sailed the Mediterranean. Sometimes people say it’s the same old ports. For us there are always new places to see and we love returning to places we have seen one or more times because we always find new areas to explore while there are times, we want to revisit those areas. Last evening we attended the Captain’s and Crystal Society Party. The party incudes dancing and live music. It gives the Captain the opportunity to greet everyone and to also introduce the Senior Officers including Vice Captain, Chief Engineer, Hotel Director, Ship’s Doctor and the Cruise Director. It has been a pleasure to meet and talk to Captain Placido Libro on these four voyages. As Crystal previously announced Captain Placido will continue to support the development of the Crystal Grace newbuild. His experience in this area is extensive having overseen the construction of ten passenger ships as a newbuild superintendent at European shipyards. Future Cruise & Loyalty Manager, Maria Lopez, was also on hand to recognize and thank the members of Crystal Society. Maria mentioned that there were 200 first time Crystal Cruisers on board this voyage. She also recognized guests with various levels of Crystal Society milestones. We were recognized for celebrating a special milestone. Maria shared a little about our first cruise with Crystal favorite ports, and what we like about Crystal. Our first cruise was July of 2002 with our family with us to celebrate a milestone wedding anniversary. Some destinations were mentioned as favorites with the number one favorite destination a Crystal Ocean vessel. Favorite things we enjoy about Cystal were mentioned but and the number one reason we crew is our love of the crew followed by the guests we have gotten to know. On our way out of the reception, a couple congratulated us. They noted they were on their first Crystal Cruise. Anne Marie asked are you Crystalized and the answer was a resounding “yes”.   Waterside Dinner Menus Last evening was also the one and only formal of this cruise. The Waterside menu had many special items that are typically served on a formal night. Also, the Supper Club was another nice option with dancing and a shorter version of the Waterside Dinner menu. Waterside is where we dined. We had such a wonderful time. Yes, great food, service, ambiance and we enjoyed lots of laughs with the Waterside Team throughout the evening.     Keith was up early for another early morning workout. Since this is the last full day of the cruise before we debark tomorrow morning, Keith decided to visit several areas of the ship over a two-hour span where he walks, speedwalks, runs (although he is holding off just to give the muscle, he strained more time to heal) and where he works out on the Elliptical Machine and Indoor Spin Bike. The areas included the outdoor areas of Deck 12 Sun Deck, Deck 11 Pool Deck, Deck 7 Promenade Deck and indoor areas including Deck 13 Fitness Center, Deck 6 with all public areas and long areas to walk, and the stairs from Deck 13 down to 5 and then from Deck 5 up to Deck 13.   Today's Daily Reflections Porto Mahon, Spain Most recently, we visited Porto Mahon a few months ago when we sailed on Crystal Serenity from mid-June to early July of this year. Porto Mahon is the largest natural harbor in the Mediterranean Sea. It is also one of the deepest deep-water harbors globally. Because of its size it was sought after by Phoenicians, Romans, Carthaginians and Moors. Porto Mahon is the capital of the Spanish Island of Menorca. It is known for is mix of Spanish, British and Mediterranean influences. It is known for its British-style Georgian houses and sheltered harbor. The Santa Maria church is located on central Placa de la Constitucio. The city hall with its Renaissance façade with a clock donated by the first Governor of this island. Crystal offered several port excursions including: Archaeological Menorca, E-Bike Tour of Binibeca, Taste of Menorca in Subaida, Megalithic & Modern Mahon, Menorca's Beach Escape, Menorca's Island Exploration and Kayaking Menorca. In June of this year upon arrival, it was sunny and hot with a cruise ship in port with us and the area was very crowded. I walked the lower level but didn’t attempt to go further. Today was a different story. Moderate temperature with clouds and no ship in port with us. Keith got out early determined to go to the upper levels and he did just that. As he was leaving the terminal Keith confirmed with a very helpful person from the local port authority my options for getting to the upper level. When he got to the area, he saw the elevator and Keith ruled that out since I could walk up steps all the way to the top. First, he selected an exterior staircase but just at the point where he was concerned about the heights, he saw it ended so he went back down to where he started. It was there that Keith spotted the “yellow brick road”. It was there that he spotted several sets of stairways each with white banisters. As you climbed a staircase you reached street with a cross walk and after crossing the street you shortly came to the next staircase. Keith then walked all around. Many beautiful buildings housing apartments, cafes, stores, restaurants, hotels and then I saw a couple of churches and other government buildings. Everything was very clean. He passed by a couple of bakeries and the aroma was amazing. Keith felt like he was having breakfast. When Keith returned back to the terminal, he thanked the man from the local authority. He said most stores open at 10:00 AM. Keith said the time he was there was perfect as very few people were there other than people at a couple of outdoor cafes, so it makes it easy to take photos. He said he does the same thing as I do. Today was also a reminder not to judge a book by its cover While the lower level of Porto Manon is OK the upper level is lovely as are many of the charming towns in Spain.         This is the last full day of this cruising adventure. We had our final lunch at Marketplace where we once again enjoyed lunch outside. We spoke to some fellow guests and a lot of the crew some of whom we will see again later this year and others we will see next year. We had done most of our packing the last couple of days and will finish it up later today. We will spend a couple of nights in Barcelona where we debark tomorrow morning. We plan to enjoy the rest of the day at our Happy Place. Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith Wanted to digress for a moment. This was written by Keith so he will use I in lieu of we. On my walk this morning I passed by an area of the ship who has a new look in preparation for the upcoming drydock. This was a catalyst as my mind shifted to many memories from sailing Crystal and Crystal Serenity. We were on board in September in October of 2018 ending in Lisbon when the ship was taken to Germany for its dry dock. We returned two months later for the 2018 Holiday Cruise and saw these changes including Crystal Dining Room becoming Waterside and going from assigned seating and times to open dining. The makeover of Stardust also allowing for the Supper Club. A new look for the restaurant on Deck 12 and the makeover of some suites on Deck 10. When we depart Serenity in a few days two cruises later the ship will have its dry dock in Lisbon and we will return two months later to see the new enhancements. I thought about all the other changes since 2005 when we first sailed Serenity. Crystal Cove Bar opened up, shops remodeled, new look for the Bistro, new looks for the specialty restaurants, Lido Café becomes Marketplace, Indoor pool removed, guest rooms made over more than once, new artwork and carpeting and much more. At one point passing the world map outside The Bistro that is one that hasn’t changed. I can remember the excitement of booking future cruises on board and then looking at the world map to see the new places we would visit. Then I thought of spending the equivalent of four years on board Serenity, ten world cruises and sailing all seven continents. I thought of several other items and memories we have made and then my mind drifted to people. So many crew members we have come to know and some who are on board now who we not only knew from 2005 but from sailing Crystal Harmony and/or Symphony. Sadly, a few have passed away. Same for those in other areas including lecturers; some who still give talks and some who don’t and some who sadly passed. Then my mind drifted to the guests. My memory starts with the 2007 World Cruise including some who still cruise, some who don’t but we keep up with, some who have passed. We have so many wonderful memories sailing on Serenity, Harmony and Symphony, and we look forward to our next set of booked cruises with excitement and welcome the changes from the upcoming dry dock, sharing the adventures with members of the crew and fellow guests and continuing to see areas of the world first hand that we never in our wildest dreams thought possible.  Waterside Dinner Menus Last evening we returned to Waterside for dinner. Dinner was wonderful. As you can see from the photos, we had some visitors to the table and just enjoyed lots of laughs with our Crystal extended family. Food was great and hopefully you get a sense from the photos what we had. OK some highlights. Appetizers of salmon for Keith and crab for Anne Marie, Caesar Salad for each of us, Tiger Prawns for Anne Marie and Fish for Keith and we'll keep dessert a secret. LOL. From our table we saw a couple of tenders arriving back from the tender port and they waited till it was their time to be lifted in the air to the ship. They were being pushed quite a bit. Senior Waiter Gustav pointed out how the adjusted the rudders and the engines and it’s positioning to calm the waters for each of the tenders. It was fascinating to watch.      Keith was up early for another morning workout. Started slightly later than normal. LOL.  A late sunrise at 7:30 AM.  Today is the one and only sea day of this sailing and the fourth sea day since we boarded on August 30. Sea days mean lot of enrichment on the schedule. This included lectures about spying, destination lecturer about Barcelona and a talk about the British Crown. Training classes for Fitness, Computers, Golf, Creative Media and Bridge. Art Class, Dance Class, Fitness Classes and let’s not forget about Team Trivia. As we always say, something for everyone. We enjoyed lunch outside a Marketplace. It was the Asian Buffet always a guest favorite. Today's Daily Reflections Waterside was open for lunch today since it is a sea day and these are the lunch menus. We are enjoying the rest of the day at our Happy Place. Cheers These are the Waterside Dinner Menus Last evening, we decided to dine in our suite. Senior Head Butler Rao organized everything for us. We enjoyed food from Umi Uma     We wanted to give a shoutout to Crystal Butlers. There are Junior Butlers and Butlers. A key role that Junior Butlers play is providing room service when the Butlers are off-duty. They provide other support as well including assisting with the Vintage Room Dinners, possibly at the Captain’s Quarters for a Milestone Dinner, or even at the Supper Club on Serenity. There are several responsibilities performed by the butlers regardless of accommodation including providing water, soda, wine, beer, spirits and fruit for each room/suite Butlers place a welcome champagne bottle in each room for embarkation day, take care of shoeshine service, can help with packing and unpacking, 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. They can also make specialty restaurant reservations for you or cancel existing ones. If you have wine, you have brought on board they can send it down to the dining venue so it is ready for you to enjoy. Need to order a floral arrangement you can do this on your own or ask the butler for assistance. They are a great resource 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. The ships also have a Head Butler and a Senior Head Butler. Head Butler oversees some of the decks and assists the Senior Head Butler. Senior Head Butlers oversees all of the Butlers. including scheduling. Each of them is also assigned suites to perform Butler services. We are sure we’ve left out some of what they do but I tried to give several examples of all they do. Our own experience is that Butlers on Crystal are the best of any cruise line we have sailed with. They are well trained and many began in one or more of 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, and sense of humor. We realize some say they haven’t request help from their butler, but I often see them very busy so it’s apparent many do. A big thank you to the Butler Team. After dinner we saw the light of the moon from our room. In other words, moonlight. Although not an original song by the Beatles, it was one of the songs that was part of their 1964 album, Beatles for Sale and when we looked up and saw the moon last evening the song popped into Keith's head.  Another early morning and another early morning workout.  Today's Daily Reflections Sete, France We anchored off Sete, France on schedule this morning. Sete is a vibrant port city in Southern France or as some say a sun-drenched city. Some refer to it as the Venice of Languedoc. It sits on a narrow strip of land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Thau Lagoon. The Canal du Midi is considered one of the greatest construction marvels of the 17th century and was completed in 1789. It lined the Garonna River to the Etang de Thau, allowing boat traffic to have a round through France from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. The last part of the journey ends in Sete via its own network of canals and this allowed Sete to benefit in many ways. This included import/export opportunities and allowed fisheries and the oyster industry to find new markets in other parts of France. Key sites include: Monta Saint-Clair which is a hill offering beautiful panoramic views. Canal Royal which is the main canal and is sued for historic water jousting tournaments. Musee Paul Valery a museum known for its art and history. Phare Saint-Louis which is a historic lighthouse La Pointe Courte which is a charming fishing neighborhood.   Another wonderful lunch at Marketplace sitting outside with impeccable service, great food and lovely views. Once again, we are enjoying a wonderful time on-board Crystal Serenity at our Happy Place. Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith Last evening's Waterside Dinner Menus. We dined with one other person last evening. We had a wonderful evening. We were having such a great time Keith took the night off, so we have no photos of the food from Waterside.  Last night was White Night. A White Night is held once on each cruise. Guests are encouraged to wear something white and some wear one white item as we did last night, while others wear all white. Think of it as a mixer where there is music, dancing and a party atmosphere. It is held on Deck 5 in the Crystal Plaza. We attended the party and the plaza was very full, and most people were in all white. Lots of energy. We would characterize it as a mixer on steroids with so much energy in the room. White Night began on the 2018 World Cruise when both Serenity and Symphony who were each doing a World Cruise were in Sydney on the same night. There was a shoreside event for all the full World Cruisers in Sydney where guests were encouraged to wear smart evening white clothing and when the returned to their respective ships the first White Night party was held for all guests. Coincidentally we were on board that day as visitors visiting friends Bob and Glo and saw the White Night decorations. It has evolved since then with Cruise Director’s adding extra touches to the event such as singing by Cruise Director Russ last evening while he also lit up the dance floor with so much energy.  It was a late night but Keith pushed himself to start the day on time. LOL.  Seeing sunrise this morning we thought oh what a beautiful morning and we started to sing: Oh, what a beautiful mornin' Oh, what a beautiful day I've got a beautiful feelin' Everything's goin' my way   We wanted to give another shout out to the many members of the crew from housekeeping and from the operations team who keep the ships looking clean and in tip-top shape inside and outside the ship. During the early morning hours Keith sees all of the care that goes into this. Personnel from housekeeping thoroughly clean all of the public areas including those used for dining, the lounges, the carpeting and floors, the exterior and interior of the elevators, public bathrooms, the banisters and stairwells, fixtures, chairs, couches and light fixtures, artwork and ceilings. You name it they clean it. It is not superficial. It is thorough. During the daytime you see other members of housekeeping cleaning public restrooms and other areas. The nighttime supervisor on these sailings is Laria. When walking early in the morning Keith sees the pool deck and sun deck being cleaned along with the pool and spa area. During the days this expands to other exterior areas and they not only clean but work on keeping things looking in excellent order. The past couple of weeks they have been varnishing the outdoor handrails such as those on the Promenade Deck, varnishing all the wooden boxes that hold things such as towels. Often this involves removing the items, letting them dry and then placing each one in their original location. Likewise, they paint they paint exterior areas after removing any build up of rust. All of this never ends but in the end that is what keeps the ships looking as beautiful as they are and much younger than their actual age.  Today's Daily Reflections We were anchored off Monte Carlo again and took the tender over there. The tender over was a local provided tender. We strolled around the area with no major plans. Lots of Yachts as always of various sizes. Since it was Sunday morning it was relatively quiet plus the boat show ended yesterday. On the way back, we took the Crystal tender. We think of it as a private tender as it was just the two of us with two crew members. Once near the ship we waited for about fifteen minutes as they were loading another tender. Sea swells became significant anytime a yacht passed nearby creating the sea swells, so we did experience quite a bit of side to side swaying. Don’t ask why but Keith started to think and about and sang to himself the song step by step originally sung by New Kids On The Block as it kept him from thinking about the swaying. We guess you could also think Rockabye Baby On The Treetop. LOL.      Crew member Ed.  Back on Serenity we enjoyed Lunch At Marketplace We are enjoying the rest of the day at our Happy Place. Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith On yesterday’s afternoon walk we watched a tender making its way to Serenity and the sea swells were strong and the tender was moving around quite a lot. Since it had turned windy, we decided to move our walk indoors and a few minutes later Captain Placido spoke from the bridge saying that tender operations had been suspended. Keith went back for a second walk about an hour later and thankfully a tender was making its way back to the ship. It as being pushed around but a bit better than an hour before. The best news is everyone made it back to the ship safe and sound and we left early for our next port of call. At one point Crystal moved the tender operations to a different location on land and provided a shuttle bus to get everyone over to the new location. Waterside Dinner Menu from last evening. We returned to Waterside last evening. Before talking about dinner, we wanted to mention something that put a smile on our faces. A gentleman came up to us and said he had become familiar with Crystal because of our posts. He is traveling with his parents, and we met them a couple of minutes later. This is their first cruise and they have become Crystalized and prefer Crystal over the other lines they have sailed. One of the examples mentioned is the personalized service including the person helping them already knowing what drink they prefer. They were right in front of us as they were greeted by Restaurant Manager Leo who knew their names and there was laughter and this too put a smile on both our faces. Now, I realize not every person feels this way after a few days or even their first cruise. But many that we have met over the years including since restart have shared similar experiences with us. It was Wiener Schnitzel night. LOL. But before we got to the main course we enjoyed appetizers of Wild Mushroom Tart. There were three salads to choose from plus a Caesar Salad, not listed, which is always available. We went with Crunchy Field Greens for Anne Marie and Greek Salad for Keith. Now it’s back to Wiener Schnitzel which is what Anne Marie had and I had Schnitzel a la Holstein which has an egg on top. The Holstein was created in the late 19th century at the Borchardt Restaurant in Berlin. It was named after Friedrich von Holstein, a 19th century German diplomat who supposedly requested a fast meal that combined meat and eggs. The original version was much more elaborate than today since it included side garnishes of caviar, crawfish tails, smoked salmon, and truffles. While the current version comes with a sunny-side egg on top some people ask for a fried egg. We always enjoy dining at Waterside and we find the dinner menu to be very special. Another morning and another early morning workout. .      Another morning and another early morning workout. It was too windy to walk on the Promenade Deck so Keith walked on the pool deck and inside on Deck 6 which is all public area. After checking the Promenade Deck located on Deck 7 he walked up to Deck 12 and out to the Pool Area. The Deck Hand who Keith has come to know over the past few years said good morning and Keith said I am late and they both laughed as it was 4:05 AM. LOL.  Today's Daily Reflections Monte Carlo, Monaco We were anchored off Monte Carlo by 8:00 AM per the schedule. Our first visit was in the late 1990’s and since that time we have visited here numerous times. We were there in 2005 on our first sailing on Crystal Serenity. Next time was in 2008 when we were on the full World Cruise and our daughter and son-in-law joined us for the last segment of the World Cruise. Over the years we were there when they were setting up for the Grand Prix and in was in 2015 when we were there and attended the Grand Prix. We were there a couple more times including August of 2023. It is a gateway to other locations including Eze and Nice, France. It is a famous district in the tiny country of Monaco. It sits on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It is home to several iconic sites including: Casino de Monte-Carlo Circuit de Monaco which is the street where the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix races each year. Larvotto Beach which is a beach which we visited with our daughter and son-in-law when they joined while we were on the 2008 World Cruise on one of its segments. Japanese Garden which is a beautiful area to walk. Prince’s Palace of Monaco which sits on a large rock in the old town area.     Lunch was at Marketplace where we had a visitor.  We are enjoying the rest of the day at our Happy Place. Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith
Last nights dinner menus from Waterside Last evening we hosted a private Vintage Room Dinner. On Serenity you can host up to 14 people and on Symphony 12. We had six in attendance including ourselves. The price is the same regardless of 1 or 14 people but with fewer people less bottles are served so even finer wines can be served. We also find with less people you can mainly have one conversation rather than multiple conversations. We planned the dinner with Head Sommelier Jiri and discussed thoughts ahead of time and then Jeri developed recommendations on what to pair with each course. We even had a blind tasting test with Jiri asking all of us questions about the wine including topics such as new world/old world, taste, aroma and even the year of the wine. The wine was thirty-seven years old dating back to 1989. In the past there were three menus to choose from, and you could select all from one menu or mix and match. Recently, a new menu was developed so we decided to take the plunge and try something new. The presentations are quite interesting as is the combination of ingredients. Since this is a relatively new menu we provided feedback on each course. Like most things food is subjective, but I would say there was quite a bit of agreement about each course. All rated each of the courses very highly except for one course. Jiri very eloquently and occasionally adding in some humor described each wine, and why it was selected. A new Champagne was also used. The Vintage Room is a team effort between departments that are part of Food & Beverage. This includes the culinary team, butlers, and the Head Sommelier plus the land-based team who selects wine for each ship and develops the Vintage Room menus. We thank the butlers who served each course removing them after each course was finished and Jiri who poured the wine and for all the detailed planning that went into the dinner, for the selection of wine and champagne and for all his explanations. We have learned so much from Jiri over the years and from the Sommelier as a whole. One of the Chefs instrumental in this meal came in twice including adding an ingredient to one of the courses right after it was served to each person and to the pastry chef who was instrumental in preparing the dessert. For those familiar with the Vintage Room menu, we would say that portions were a little smaller for some items such as the Wagyu Striploin and we thought that was terrific. The Wagyu Striploin was interesting because although it looks to be rare it cut and tasted like a beef cooked to medium or slightly below medium. For those of you who pick up on subtle changes new chairs were added to the Vintage Room, and they were used last evening. As I mentioned a few weeks ago the ceiling tile in the Crystal Plaza has been changed out and very recently new coffee tables have been added to the Stardust lounge ahead of the upcoming dry dock. Well after all that food and drink it was time to do an all-out early morning workout to burn some calories. Or should we say lots of calories. LOL.       Well after all that food and drink it was time to do an all-out early morning workout to burn some calories. Or should we say lots of calories. LOL. Yes, at 4:00 AM Keith would see the crew member working to prepare the pool for today and other areas of the pool deck and the sun deck.  Today's Daily Reflections L'ILE Rousse Corsica, France We anchored off L’ile Rouse Corsica, France per on schedule. It is a lively beach town on the Northwest coast of Corsica. L’lle-Rousse is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica. It is known for its red porphyry rock islands, white-sand beaches and 28th century grid-plan architecture. It gets its name for its red-hued rocks that glow at sunset. In 1759, Pasquale Paoli founder of L’IIe Rouse decided to provide Corsica with a defensible port on the northwest side of the island to curtail sea traffic between Genoa and Calvi. This was done because at the time the Genoese held the coastal cities while the Corsican Republic controlled the rest of the island. This transformed L’lle Rouse from a small fishing village to a defensive stronghold. It is special because of its distinct identity defined by vibrant orange-red porphyry rocks that contrast sharply with crystal-clear turquoise water. Crystal offered nine different tours with a few of these being repeated in the afternoon. This included a walking tour in L’ile-Rousse and one in Calvi, visit to a Corsican Vineyard, snorkeling, a scenic drive, a 4x4 adventure, and views of ancient Corsica.         Back on Serenity we enjoyed lunch at Marketplace. We enjoyed the rest of the day at our Happy Place. Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith Waterside dinner menus from last evening. Last evening we returned to Waterside for the first time of this new voyage. We were once again taken care of by the amazing Food and Beverage Team. We were welcomed by Restaurant Manager Leo. Senior Head Waiter Jacques returned from a well-deserved holiday back home. The waitstaff trio of Senior Waiter Gustav, Waiters Bryan and Austin were there and Sommelier Akash rotated to our section. On each succeeding cruise the five Sommelier rotate to a different section so that by the end of five voyages they have performed their duties in each of the five sections of Waterside. Akash is relatively new to Crystal and a great addition and is a certified Sommelier. We enjoyed the appetizers. I had the Cured Fresh Salmon Mi-Cuit and all I can say is it was magnificent. Anne mare had the Tortelli which was another winner. Caesar Salad and then…….Turkey. Didn’t get a photo of it. I love turkey. First time we had it on Crystal was on our first holiday cruise and not good. It was dry. Next few times ranged from good to very good. Tonight was wonderful. Very moist. Ended with some cheese which Gustav picked out and they were all winners.    Keith got in several fast walks in the early morning before we had breakfast and as we made our way to the next port of call; Portofino Italy  Today's Daily Reflections Portofino Italy Back to today’s port of call. Our first visit to this charming fishing village of Portofino was the first time we were on Serenity in September of 2005. We tendered to Portofino with our tablemates; two other couples and one couple suggested that we take a local private water taxi over to Santa Margherita Ligure and negotiated the fee for a two-way trip. Being twenty-one years older I doubt we would have done this today thinking to ourselves what could go wrong but we did. Returning from there we went on our own to explore Portofino as the other two couples wanted to have lunch and we wanted to explore. Portofino is a beautiful Italian fishing village to walk around including its main waterfront. There is Castello Brown, a 16th-century fortress, the Church of San Giorgio, and Portofino Regional Park. It is very quiet there and some go there for a refined escape from the busy city to enjoy the tranquility of this village. It is very well known for its gourmet cuisine, boutique, and provides beautiful views should you wish to hike. You can also visit Santa Margherita Ligure as we did and enjoy the beautiful beaches and other amenities found there. Our most memorable visit to this special village was in 2015. We boarded Serenity in December of 2014 for the Holiday Cruises and one other cruise, stayed on-board for the 2015 World Cruise and remained on-board few a few more cruises and on this visit, Anne Marie celebrated a milestone birthday. Since she is half Italian, it was fitting to be in Italy for this special day and we were fortunate to be in Portofino. Our last visit was in August of 2023 as part of the Crystal Serenity Inaugural Cruise. What makes Portofino very special is that it is a picturesque, half-moon shaped village on the Italian Riviera. It has an iconic row of multi-colored pastel houses, a glamourous jet-set heritage and a dramatic backdrop of lush Mediterranean nature. Photos from that first visit in 2005  Photo of Anne Marie on her birthday in May of 2015 and from today.  We took the first tender over with six other guests and two members of the photo studio. It was nice to walk around the village with mainly locals and tourists staying there at cafes and getting ready for the day. We walked along the water passing all sizes of vessels and took in the beauty all around us. We then walked to the other side of the village and then we walked towards a much higher elevation where the church and cemetery are located. We walked on a sharp incline and then several sets of stairs. Unfortunately, access was blocked and there was scaffolding all around it. We then proceeded towards the light house walking up lots of steps and other inclines. All of this brought back many memories. Anne Marie was a real trooper doing so much walking and a lot of it is on cobblestone. We walked back down and stopped off at a few places and picked up sweets for Mary Jean and Angel who keep our suite looking great. It was a wonderful visit as have been all the others to the special village of Portofino. Speaking of stairs and steps as we were waiting for the tender I realized I brought the passports since this was a requirement but forgot money and Anne Marie did as well. So I walked up from Deck 4 to Deck 11, got the money, and headed back down and we were the last two to board the tender. On the way back we had a private tender with just the two of us and the photo studio manager. The deck hand crew member is the one I see every day taking care of the pool deck and the sun deck. As we left the tender, I said see you tomorrow morning and he said yes at 4:00 AM. I’ve seen him at this hour on the Pool Deck for a few years now.        We enjoyed another wonderful lunch sitting outside at Marketplace and are enjoying the rest of the day at our Happy Place. Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith |
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