Crystal V Silversea

Sorry to start another Silversea V ??? cruise line but, we have only sailed with Silversea five times and love the cruise line. Last year we went to Monaco (grand prix) and really enjoyed it.

We are thinking of going in 2015, looking at other cruise lines, Crystal look like a good bet. A lot cheaper and more days on the cruise (12) as opposed to 9. I realise you get what you pay for but for such a short cruise is it good value?

Looking at reviews it looks like they have two evening dining times, not good!

I would appreciate the comments of you avid experienced cruisers, thank you in anticipation. :)

I would try Crystal you might like it

I tried it and I did not like it

They also do dining by reservation but this is not something that worked for me as you have to book in advance and I like to turn up for dinner when I want to and not be tied to a pre booked time.

The ships are too large for me and the feel is not the same as SS or Seabourn.

I would not consider it to be luxury but it depends on how you live life and what you are used to.

We have been on Crystal. It was very nice but it did have assigned seating and lots of people wherever I was. The Concierge level staterooms were great, the butler was very good and food was nothing to complain about. It was just too big and crowded for us. I am not suggesting you won't like it. I am only relating my experience, 12 years ago. You will never be able to speak of it if you don't go!

Thank you for your informative replies.

Because we have only sailed with Silversea we do fell we have been "spoiled" by the luxury and the intimacy of the cruises however, while we are apprehensive to go with another cruise line, I feel we are ready to take the leap to a different cruise line.

We have not sailed on Crystal for the reasons stated above. However, we find Silversea and Regent great cruise lines (and similar in many ways). While Regent ships are larger than Silversea, they are much smaller than Crystal and have significantly larger suites (in most categories). The only downside, IMO, to Regent is that they include excursions in the fare. We still find them competitive to Silversea pricewise (do not know about Crystal as we do not check their prices or itineraries:-)

We have not sailed on crystal-)

I told you yesterday that you could not answer with confidence and knowledge if you haven't sailed on all the luxury lines :D

I told you yesterday that you could not answer with confidence and knowledge if you haven't sailed on all the luxury lines :D

Feeling a bit picked on:o One reason we do not sail on Crystal is set seating -- the very thing described above. And, the size of the staterooms is on the Crystal website. Don't we all look at statistics and policies prior to sailing on a cruise line? As I once told my daughter, you do not have to touch an iron to know that it is hot. By the same token, in my opinion, I do not have to sail on a cruise line when know that the stateroom sizes are lacking and the policies relating to dining are not satisfactory.

Sorry that we do not seem to be communicating very well. BTW, did you ever book Oceania? If so, I would like your read your opinions. I find their upper suites magnificent, the food in the specialty restaurants better than either Silversea or Regent and the ship's décor lovely. Beyond that, I prefer Regent and Silversea. Sorry for getting off topic for a moment:)

Hi TC, ..... I think it's just dry British humour with a touch of affectionate teasing. No more!

:)

Hi TC, ..... I think it's just dry British humour with a touch of affectionate teasing. No more!

 

:)

Thanks ;)

We have been on all except Regent (included excursions are a deal breaker) and each is good in different ways. Unless you are obsessed with "size" of stateroom, Crystal has excellent food, wines, entertainment and service. You can choose the reserved dining option if the two dining times do not work for you. I would definitely give Crystal a try...

Crystal has a good product and is worth a try. How could anyone pass up an opportunity to become Crystalized? There is a lot to like, but it is not a good fit for reasons already mentioned. We found the client base quite a bit different than SS.

I chose Crystal over SS last year purely for the itinerary and I'm glad that I did because it gave me the opportunity to experience another cruise line.

As a solo cruiser, I didn't feel that Crystal looked after me like SS has in the past. I also didn't like the fixed dining times (like everyone else on this board).

However, the Symphony was a lovely ship and even though one of my sectors was fully booked, it never felt crowded. I also liked their 2 specialty restaurants and the evening entertainment was very good.

Plus of course the ice cream bar was to die for...Ben & Jerry's ice cream. :D We can get it in Australia but it's crazy expensive.

SS is my cruiseline of choice but if I found a Crystal itinerary that suited me, I would go again on Crystal.

Cheers

Jennifer

Thanks again everyone for your replies, very much appreciated.

We are apprehensive of joining another cruise line because we have only sailed with SS however, looking at the price for the Monte Carlo F1 its looking good. The ship has 1000 passengers so its not that large, not like those with over 3,000 and the rest.

We may just take the plunge, we need to experience other cruise lines just to compare. :D

Fudge, we are longtime Regent and occasional SS cruisers deciding to switch ships. Though this might not be available to you, we are taking one of Crystal's 5 night Getaway Voyages this October. ..... to test the waters!:D

Thank you, you must let us know your experience please.

We are already booked for the Amazon cruise with SS in November, so thats us for this year. Can you have too much cruising? :):rolleyes:

Thank you, you must let us know your experience please.

 

We are already booked for the Amazon cruise with SS in November, so thats us for this year. Can you have too much cruising? :):rolleyes:

I wonder that too re: a world cruise!

I really would be tempted but, and this is a big but, my lovely better half would not leave our 5 cats for so long plus, think of the weight gain!! Nothing would fit surely after all that food and drink! :p

I hope this never happens, but if anything happened where I only had a short life span then I would go in a heart beat. :confused:

I really would be tempted but, and this is a big but, my lovely better half would not leave our 5 cats for so long plus, think of the weight gain!! Nothing would fit surely after all that food and drink! :p

 

I hope this never happens, but if anything happened where I only had a short life span then I would go in a heart beat. :confused:

Fudgekins,

May I just remind you that the reason why you emigrated to North Of The Line, is that you have already worked out that "Life Is Too Short".

Personally, I think we have too short a life span and I also believe that the only sensible approach is to proceed on that basis. You never know when the traffic lights are about to change ... ;)

Get stuck in, and do everything now as though you have a short life span. :)

UK Cruise Jeff,

I completely concur, life really is too short, there are no pockets in shrouds, I really am a glass half full type, except when I have a bad day on the golf course, then I do curse.

But as I tell my mate who plays, there are millions of golfers "down there" who wish they had just played that crap shot! :eek:

Sorry to start another Silversea V ??? cruise line but, we have only sailed with Silversea five times and love the cruise line. Last year we went to Monaco (grand prix) and really enjoyed it.

 

We are thinking of going in 2015, looking at other cruise lines, Crystal look like a good bet. A lot cheaper and more days on the cruise (12) as opposed to 9. I realise you get what you pay for but for such a short cruise is it good value?

 

Looking at reviews it looks like they have two evening dining times, not good!

 

I would appreciate the comments of you avid experienced cruisers, thank you in anticipation. :)

I have just returned from my first trip on Crystal Serentity after three consecutive cruises on Silversea - 2 on the Cloud and 1 on the Spirit.

I must say we really enjoyed it but it is different from SS for a number of reasons. Please note I am conveying that it is different, not better, not worse. Given the chance, I would jump at another trip on either.

So, let's look at some of these differences:

Cabins: Crystal regular verandah cabins are smaller, and not quite as well laid-out as SS. However, decor is a bit more up to date and we had no AC / plumbing issues: something we had on the Cloud on both cruises.

Dining: Several times on Crystal we looked at one another and proclaimed that what we were eating was the best we ever tasted. However, fixed dining IS a bug-bear. It causes crowding, especially on the first night as nobody knows where they are going or what they should be doing. However we are happy to eat late 8.30. By arriving to the dining room at 8.40-8.45 we missed the thronging masses. Crystal's menus are more imaginative and adventurous than SS however we missed the 'always available' menu and found the food a little too rich. Speciality restaurants on Crystal were out of this world, and the concept is a bit more up to date than Champagne on SS.

Pool area / outside space: Yes, Crystal has bigger ships, and circa 1000 passengers, but it never felt cramped. There were no issues finding a lounger in the sun or in the shade. The grill, ice cream bar and general service around the pool were excellent. The larger ship meant that you could relax by the pool without the noise / aromas from the deck grill, or feel that you had to tidy up and retreat to your cabin when they start setting up for Hot Rocks on Silversea.

I LOVED having a promenade deck. Not being able to do full laps round Silver Spirit really bugged me! I was fully expecting to prefer the smaller size of SS ships, but actually quite liked the additional facilities and public spaces which a ship of Crystal's size can offer. Incidentally we are considering a world cruise, and I am now swaying towards Crystal. That said, we have agreed that a standard verandah cabin on Crystal would be too cramped for 100+ days and we would book a Penthouse. On the flipside, I know a standard verandah on SS would be more than adequate: we enjoy the size, the fact you can literally divide the cabin in two and of course, the walk-in closet!

Entertainment: I feel Crystal has the edge on this - purely because the larger ship allows for events to run concurrently and therefore gives you more choice.

Service: Silversea has regularly blown me away with the wonderful service. However, it has also left me sorely disappointed on occasion. Consistency seems to be a challenge and this is something SS needs to address.

Crystal service was consistently excellent, and despite the size of the ship, we were able to build relationships with the staff that I enjoyed on SS: we were regularly addressed by name and staff would remember your favourite drinks, etc. Crystal's staff were truly international, coming from all corners of the world - where as it struck me that SS's crew seems to come largely from the Philippines. Again, I am not trying to say one is better than the other, just different and that is reflected in the two lines' service style.

Fellow guests: we are not big socialisers, but I got the impression that Crystal guests were marginally younger, and slightly more easy going than on Silversea. I have been truly shocked by how fellow passengers have treated staff on SS (barking orders, lack of please and thank you etc). I saw less of this on Crystal.

I hope that gives you an idea of my first impressions of Crystal vs. Silversea. I loved both and would not hesitate to book a trip on either line. Itinerary and cost would be our primary driving factors for a regular cruise, but we will really need to weigh up the pros and cons if and when we take plunge and book a world cruise.

If you have any specific questions, just let me know.

Thanks Scott1sh, that is interesting,

Forgive a direct question ... trying to nub things out.

Is your summary, that with Crystal, you expected less but you got exactly what you were expecting, and sometimes a bit more, but with Silversea, you expected more but sometimes got what you were expecting but sometimes a bit less?

Is that it?

Jeff

Scott1sh,

Thank you for that very informative post and for going into so much detail. I note that you have sailed with SS so you are indeed well qualified to comment.

It would appear from the posts so far that Crystal are not a bad cruise line to be with. like most people of course the itinerary is important, very closely followed by price, the size of the ship and comforts therein.

Like most posters I find it is very subjective on matters of food, entertainment, quality of suites Etc, but your overall description of your cruise V SS has given me more to think about, I would certainly consider it now.

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I guess we have to book it and make our own mind up. You did mention the size of the suite, but quite honestly we didn't spend a lot of time in the suite.

As for SS one real bug bear for us is they nickel and dime you for the internet, my better half is also annoyed that the on board credit has disappeared certainly on the last cruises we have booked.

Thank you once again. ;)

Thanks Scott1sh, that is interesting,

 

Forgive a direct question ... trying to nub things out.

 

Is your summary, that with Crystal, you expected less but you got exactly what you were expecting, and sometimes a bit more, but with Silversea, you expected more but sometimes got what you were expecting but sometimes a bit less?

 

Is that it?

 

Jeff

Jeff - as far as the soft product goes (i.e. service, entertainment, etc), the service on both lines was outstanding. However on Crystal I suspect that they may have imposed stricter service delivery standards due to number of employees and passengers. This may mean that the staff have less of an opportunity to excel by adding their own style, personality and ideas to their job. I suspect that SS staff may have more flexibility, which can lead to truly excellent service but (on occasion) may mean that individual crew members are not quite up to scratch.

Does that make sense?

Scott1sh,

 

 

 

As for SS one real bug bear for us is they nickel and dime you for the internet, my better half is also annoyed that the on board credit has disappeared certainly on the last cruises we have booked.

 

Thank you once again. ;)

We didn't use the internet on board either line. That said, you can use your wireless device (ipad, android etc.) on Crystal to access movies on demand, replays of shipboard lectures and also to download local newspapers. All of this is at no cost and the system worked well.

I can't recall what the cost of internet was on Crystal, but 2nd time cruisers are now being offered 1 hour each per segment.

Regarding OBC, if you are a first time cruiser on Crystal, you can search for a sponsor on Crystal's forum under Share The Experience thread (STEX). We did this and ended up with $200 OBC which used for one excursion and some laundry. We met our sponsors onboard - they also get $200 - and gave them a box of chocolates for their trouble. I'm glad we arrived prepared as they also had a small gift for us!

Incidentally, the last time we used the laundry service on SS they actually lost a few of our items. The reason we had to use it was because our balcony was filthy and we sat on the chairs without checking! We were offered compensation for the two cashmere jumpers which they had lost, but it took the purser a very long time to work out how to actually get the money to us. Very very frustrating...

Jeff - as far as the soft product goes (i.e. service, entertainment, etc), the service on both lines was outstanding. However on Crystal I suspect that they may have imposed stricter service delivery standards due to number of employees and passengers. This may mean that the staff have less of an opportunity to excel by adding their own style, personality and ideas to their job. I suspect that SS staff may have more flexibility, which can lead to truly excellent service but (on occasion) may mean that individual crew members are not quite up to scratch.

 

Does that make sense?

Yes it does ... thanks for taking trouble!

If you had exactly the same budget, and if the itineraries were identical, so that you could presumably upgrade the suite on Crystal and spend on other things ... which would you choose?

Thanks.

Jeff