Crystal Cruise Line

I would like to hear what the Crystal experience is like. Is the service, food, and quality a good value? Are LGBT cruisers treated well by the crew?

Thanks in advance.;)

I would like to hear what the Crystal experience is like. Is the service, food, and quality a good value? Are LGBT cruisers treated well by the crew?

Thanks in advance.;)

Seeing that you're sailing on the Grand Princess, all I can say is that it is totally different. The food & service is much better on Crystal. Princess is a "standard" line Crystal is considered luxury. The price is probably 3-5 times the cost. If you book a Princess suite, the price difference is somewhat less. You still are expected to dress more formally than on Princess, which has been getting lax in this department. We do Cunard,as we like to dress formally, but Crystal is pricey by even those standards. If money is no object then give Crystal a try. You don't always get the chance to pamper yourself this way. As to treatment..ALL lines treat GLBT pax very well. Our money is as good(and better,as we spend more)as anyone else.

I agree with keithm. The biggest difference between Crystal and other lines is the service--it is hard to describe, but there is more a feeling that everyone will really go out of their way to get you what you want. It has also recently gone all-inclusive, which is nice. You just ask for a drink and don't worry about paying (you already have). It is more formal than other lines (except Cunard). People are just as friendly as other cruise lines, but the demographic is a little older; children are few. Excursions were less crowded (they never try to fill the busses to capacity) and entertainment was very good. Food is excellent (but I've enjoyed the food on all the ships I've been on). LGBT are treated fine; no differently than anyone else. I was worried about a "snob factor", but people were very down-to-earth. A very nice experience. (For solos Crystal is particularly good, it has low solo supplements that make it more affordable than other luxurty lines.)

We haven't sailed on Crystal yet but will be in 23 days :)

I have been looking through the Crystal threads on here for a few weeks and there are several posts from gay male couples who seem to love Crystal. One couple responded to a question I asked and pointed me to their recent review of a cruise, which they really enjoyed - in that they said they were completed accepted and even danced together on-board.

RE the 'All-inclusive' - this actually hasn't happened yet. It starts either in January or March next year but virtually all sailings at present include on-board credit of $1000 per person (max $2000 per cabin).

I will do a review on my return.

Just have to respond, my mom loves Crystal. But she also loves to cruise often so tends to go Princess. Crystal is formal and has some celebrities on board. They met the Rock etc on trips. As far as being gay? Mom and dad pay no mind to that. You are always a person first. Our last cruise together dad and I went on a tour with a gay man travelling alone. He was also a Trekkie triva person. Oh we had fun with Trek trivia.

I think Crystal has as many homosexual people as other cruise lines. You will have a wonderful time on Crystal and do not worry about other gay people I am sure they are there.

With 8 Crystal cruises under our belt, I can tell you from experience we've been treated wonderfully. On most sailings, the Cruise Director will schedule a Friends of Dorothy party with complimentary drinks/cocktails, etc. If you don't see it listed in the ship's paper, then just ask for it, and they'll usually schedule.

The staff and service is incredible and is just one thing that keeps you coming back for more.

Every cruise line can have its good and bad days and, yikes, did I hit the worst day on Crystal Harmony. It was the cruise from Hell. To such an extent that I will not sail on Crystal again. There were good features including entertainment, handsome ship interiors and some segments of service but they were offset by unbelievably bad experiences. This was quite a few years ago on the Harmony and the "worst" of the bad times was when the cabin attendant started cleaning my room and rearranging my closet on the night before disembarkation to get the room ready for the next cruise! Additionally he threw out all the very important business papers that were on my desk. The cruise line tried to recover them from the incinerator but it was too late. A few of the other unfortunate problems included the dining room food and service, a chaotic grand luncheon where we waited on line for an hour and then were unable to find a table without many dirty dishes, a foul smell in the aft section of the ship for almost the whole cruise which they would not acknowledge and very a chaotic disembarkation without any ship supervision for those passengers that had airport transfers and were trying to find the correct bus. I also decided after the cruise that for the prices charged I would always prefer a one-seating or open dining experience. The Crystal had two set seating times. I think this hopefully has changed by now.

There were four of us (all men) and we did not feel that we were treated either better or worse than any other passengers. Perhaps it was the cruise director who seemed quite formal which I guess was appropriate for this cruise line. I much preferred Silversea for about the same cost where a spirit of friendliness was evident everywhere on the ship. Crystal has only two ships and has not had a new-build in a long time and I think their product is priced on the high side for the value received. Good service is available on several high-end lines so I don't understand what they offer that makes them stand out from Seabourn, Silversea, Regent and even Oceania - all of which I have sailed and enjoyed. It looks like they are now trying to change their image and that seems to indicate that perhaps their success in attracting new customers has not been as successful as they would have wished. If they offer a really unique itinerary I might be tempted to try them again at some time in the future but it is hard to erase a really bad experience.

Hello. I'd first like to respond to RMS Olympic's question concerning value. I think that in most categories, the answer would be a definite yes, but in the PHS level, maybe not so much. As you are a Regent fan, you know that the cabins on Regent are larger then those on Crystal, but the service can't compare. At least in the restaurant department. On the Mariner the butler and attendant were excellent. Just finished 20 wonderful days on the Her, but the level of service in general left much to be desired. That's not to say that everyone didn't work hard and although they tried, the elegance was lacking. Also, the number and diversity of the lecturers on Crystal is excellent. We've sailed 499 days on Crystal and never had a major problem. To Amusea I'd like to just say that when we first meet our cabin attendant, we set the rules. If there are things we don't want touched or moved we tell them immediately. The Head of Housekeeping often does a spot check and that could be a problem for the attendant. Unless he/she can tell the boss that they are following our instructions. I've had things thrown out also, like wire hangers with plastic covers that we use to pack. I don't know when you were on the Harmony ( she's been sailing as the Asuka II since 2005 in the Japanese market ), but you might want to consider another cruise with Crystal. You have an interesting cruise background and I think you would be quite happy onboard the Serenity.

Having sailed everything from rust buckets to the top of the heap.......Try Odysseus to the Seabourn Sun, the Celebration to the Royal Viking Star and the Deutchsland....I have enjoyed almost all of my cruises. I have also experienced some really bad moments on lines previously wonderful in every way. The last cruise on Celebrity's Summit to bermuda has me questioning whether I will ever sail Celebrity again.

I will admit I loved regent 7 Seas but have not been on them since they were bought out by the Apollo group.

I have booked Crystal in the past but cancelled....just didnt think it was for me. But now I think its time to give them a try....and will do it in 2013.

2012 will actually be a cruise free year as it stands now; instead its a 13 day tour of Peru hitting Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu and the Lake Titicaca.

2013 prioriy is the inaugural of the Royal Princess as welll as the inaugural of the NCL Breakaway. Personnally I dont care for NCL......but have tentatively booked the inaugural as it is a 7 day crossing.

Perhaps Crystal in September 2013 for my B day.

How fancy a ship is, is not as important as its cleanliness. Service first, food second, ship elegance third.

The bigger these ships get the poorer the service and food is. Lines have cut back way too much on crew and food quality to save money. Me, Id rather pay more to get what I want. After the new Princess ship I intend to sail only small ships......better service, you get to know passengers and crew better.

So maybe Crystal is a good inbetween...not too small, not too big. As I am not a size queen...I dont need a floating city...shoot...I like Star Clippers....but Crystal I guess needs to be tried.

Thanks.

In the meantime I anxiously await the Grand Princess in Dec. She will be my 74th cruise to date.......and to think it all started with the Southward.

Tom

Crystal is an incomparable experience. I have sailed them MANY times and it is like returning home during each voyage. They are very gay-friendly. There are not many gay passengers (from my experience), but there are a lot of gay crew and a cultured, accepting clientele. The food is great and the ships are elegant. But for me, it's really the service that sets them apart from any other line. No request is too much. The staff are friendly and accommodating and take great pride in their reputation.

However, after sailing with Crystal for many years, I have recently switched loyalties to Celebrity. The Solstice-class ships are the closet thing I have found to Crystal, but at a much more reasonable price point. Celebrity's food is very similar to Crystal, the service provided by European staff is very close to what you find on Crystal and the decor and elegance of the ships is similar to Crystal. For my money, Celebrity is a better deal for me these days, as it shares the elegant feel of Crystal, but with a much hipper, "boutique"-hotel feel.

While, I don't have a Crystal cruise planned at this time, it is absolutely worth every cent and I highly suggest everyone try it at least once.

Michael