Emerging from an almost four-week dry dock in Bremerhaven, Germany, Crystal Serenity is again welcoming travelers aboard after an extensive refurbishment. Mirroring the changes implemented aboard Crystal Symphony in fall of 2017, Crystal Serenity now offers new dining options and open-seating dining; new butler-serviced Seabreeze Penthouse and Seabreeze Penthouse Suite accommodations; redesigned lounge and entertainment venues; a new production show called Crystal on Broadway, The Show; and new interactive technological amenities.
Crystal Serenity set sail from Lisbon November 10 on her first voyage since the completion of her redesign.
The dry dock, which began in Lisbon on October 14 as Crystal Serenity made her way to the Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven, marks the latest milestone for the Crystal portfolio. Details of the new spaces and experiences guests will find on board include:
New Dining Options
As open-seating dining debuts aboard Crystal Serenity, guests can more easily dine where, when and with whom they choose. New venues are also debuting, offering a refreshed selection of globally inspired cuisine with reimagined décor, including:
Waterside
Taking the place of the Crystal Dining Room, this centrally located restaurant continues to serve daily changing menus of international classic and modern cuisine, paired with unlimited fine wines, spirits and beers. The restaurant now has more intimate seating with tables for two and four, as well as contemporary finishes, integrated lighting, a new ceiling feature and “tile” treatment.
Breakfast and lunch service times continue as they were previously, while guests have the freedom to dine in Waterside for dinner any time they choose. The dinner menu continues to be offered for room service dining during dinner hours.
The Marketplace and Churrascaria
These are the new daytime and evening identities of the former Lido Café, respectively. Both venues offer an open-kitchen concept with dishes made to order. The Marketplace serves a menu of buffet-style breakfast and lunch options and transforms into Churrascaria during the dinner hours. This Brazilian-style bar-be-que welcomes guests with a traditional Caipirinha cocktail, then offers a selection of tapas and ceviche, salads and soups, vegetables and freshly grilled meat and seafood brochettes. Crystal gauchos take meats directly from the grill to carve them tableside from sword-like skewers. Churrascaria offers open seating and does not require reservations.
Silk Kitchen & Bar
In the Trident area of the ship that was formerly Tastes, this Asian-inspired venue serves traditional Chinese comfort food in an al fresco atmosphere. Family-style favorites are on the menu for dinner, while lunch options include cuisine from the noodle bar, wok dishes, traditional dumplings, Chinois soup and a small selection of menu items from Tastes. Silk also serves Crystal’s late risers breakfast service. Silk offers open seating for breakfast and lunch and requires reservations for dinner.
Umi Uma
The rebranded Silk Road & The Sushi Bar continues to serve the Japanese-Peruvian specialties of Master Chef Nobu Matsuhisa by his personally trained chefs. Dinner reservations are required for Crystal’s specialty restaurants, including Prego.
Stardust Supper Club
A brand new dining experience reminiscent of the era of the Rat Pack debuts on black-tie-optional evenings in the Stardust Club, offering a four-course menu, live musical performances from Crystal’s Ensemble and string quartet. Cuisine reflects specialties served in Waterside, with wine pairings and desserts as well as a vegetarian menu.
Prego
The specialty restaurant continues to serve regional specialties of Italy.
Public spaces
Palm Court, a spot on board for gatherings of all sorts, has been reimagined with an intimate atmosphere. The stage has been relocated to an “in-the-round” concept, with a new modernized bar. More tables for two and intimate seating areas, new finishes, lighting, carpeting and furniture reflect the Palm Court on Crystal Symphony.
New touches include a combination of cocktail tables and chairs, wingback chairs with footstools, sofas and coffee tables. As Palm Court has long been a destination on board for traditional afternoon teatime and refreshments, the previous stage area has become a dedicated culinary space to offer pastries and snacks as guests enjoy the views from the venue’s floor-to-ceiling windows.
The Stardust Club – a nighttime spot for drinks and dancing – has a new dance floor, new bar finishes and a refreshed décor, with new lighting and technological upgrades as well. New seating configurations allows the room to be transformed into a multi-functional space to host the Stardust Supper Club and large gatherings from bridge tournaments to live evening entertainment.
In the Galaxy Lounge, the Crystal entertainment team is installing a new Broadway-style production show called Crystal on Broadway, The Show with songs from the musicals Rent, Something Rotten! and West Side Story. The show, which debuts on the December 7 “Pacific Coast Panorama” cruise, is a result of the partnership with Kevin McCollum, the multi Tony Award-winning producer of Rent, Something Rotten! and the most recent Broadway revival of West Side Story.
Pulse and the Resorts World Casino at Sea have also been updated with new modern and warm-toned colored carpet and furnishings.
New Seabreeze Penthouses
On Deck 10, 36 new Seabreeze Penthouses and two Seabreeze Penthouse Suites now occupy the space of former Deluxe Staterooms with Verandah. The new accommodations offer the same personal butler service, specialty services, walk-in closets, spa-like bathrooms and square footage as the other Penthouses on board (367 square feet and 491 square feet, respectively, including the verandah).
Customized, contemporary design and décor are showcased throughout, with gemstone-colored velvets, natural materials and brushed brass touches with marble details. The Seabreeze Penthouses also have unique entries, which are shared between two suites and recessed from the hallway. This enables a design for connecting two suites for larger families upon request. In-room specialty dining and unlimited reservations at specialty restaurants are among the enhanced services enjoyed by Penthouse guests.
Technological Enhancements
In all rooms – public and guest suites – new HD flat-panel TVs have been added, with technology that allows guests to access a variety of information on their TVs including onboard folios, Crystal Life Spa & Salon menus, the Connoisseur Wine menu and daily restaurant menus. The new on-demand system also offers a library of films and entertainment, as well as live views from the ship, broadcasts of ship lectures, presentations and destination info. Upgraded Wi-Fi coverage throughout the ship is delivered via dedicated antennae in every suite and all public areas and open decks.
A new guest portal – Crystal Connect – is also now live, found on the landing page of onboard internet service. Guests can access it from their smartphones, tablets or computers and instantly find shipboard and itinerary info, daily menus, shore excursions and port maps, daily issues of Reflections and an array of complimentary global newspapers and entertainment library.
Crystal Serenity’s enrichment facilities were also redesigned. The Computer University@Sea has received new carpeting, seating and computer equipment, along with 70-inch TVs. The multifunctional enrichment room, The Studio, has been divided to offer a classroom for language, art and other instruction and a separate dance studio for private lessons.
Crystal’s worldwide itineraries aboard the newly redesigned Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony are now available for booking for 2019, 2020 and 2021. Crystal also incentivizes guests who book early with its Book Now Savings program.
This article originally appeared on www.travelagentcentral.com.
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