Sea Day

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.  
​

This is the Waterside menu from last evening.

Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.

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.  
​
​

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.

Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.

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.
​

 
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