World Cruise 2024 Segment Papeete to Auckland aboard Serenity

[Roland4]

14 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

Come to think about it I think you’re right - it’s been too many coffee laces for me in the last year or two. But I’m pretty sure they actually gutted the bistros and did a complete rebuild (could be wrong though) 

I think on Serenity "gutted" might be too strong a description, but they definitely redecorated it and went to what seemed to us as smaller tables.

[ryndam]

44 minutes ago, Roland4 said:

I think they definitely redecorated it and went to what seemed to us as smaller tables.

We agree. Many more rectangular shaped 2-tops and 4-tops than before. Much better utilization of the available real estate to accommodate more singles and couples, rather than the previous, larger, round tables.

 

Rob

[Keith1010]

13 hours ago, May B said:

I was not sure about that part. Maybe it was just the casino area that was gutted? I think the shops stayed the same, except for the new one between the ex-casino space and the deck six exit area.

 

 

The Bistro was indeed gutted.  

 

And I like the birds on the wall that move.

For those who don't know it is a real wooden floor and a high end one. to boot.

 

Keith 

[Keith1010]

58 minutes ago, ryndam said:

We agree. Many more rectangular shaped 2-tops and 4-tops than before. Much better utilization of the available real estate to accommodate more singles and couples, rather than the previous, larger, round tables.

 

Rob

Agreed. Similar to when they redesigned the Lido Cafe to become Marketplace. I remember some asked why so many small tables and that was also to maximize occupancy and to accommodate more singles and couples.

 

Keith

[Stickman1990]

Sailing to Rarotonga, Cook Islands on Crystal Serenity 

 

Our first sea day, something that Crystal excels at with so many things to do, or not do and just relax

 

Pre breakfast activity was laundry which I do onboard - they have great facilities and it wasn’t busy so I spread out across a couple of machines. Even better our suite comes with free pressing so no ironing for me to do

 

First I enjoyed the Morning Show that Cruise Director Rick Spath puts together for the inhouse TV network and part of that are some trivia questions with Crystal merchandise giveaways - I started well with the correct answer for the first question of this segment. It was a gimme really - What’s the city outside Greece that has the largest Greek population? That’s easy for an Aussie - Melbourne of course 

 

I stopped by the front desk and was surprised to see Andreea who had been our room attendant back in 2020 behind the desk - she has been promoted to resception and it’s great to see crew moving up the chain. Both her and her new husband work on the ship 

 

Then it was time for Trivia which is very popular and draws a big crowd to the Palm Court - our team came in third with 11 points which will go to our cumulative score for the segment. The winning teams got 13 correct

 

I had lunch in Waterside and enjoyed a Niçoise salad and enjoyed chatting with some fellow guests about our cruising experiences 

 

My wife meanwhile had gone to the spa to have her toenails painted in the Aurora spa - she’s very happy with the result 

 

We hung out in Palm Court for much of the afternoon - I even caught a nap 💤 on one of the lovely big sofas but woke in time for afternoon tea fortunately 

 

After changing into my suit as it was formal night I returned to the Palm Court for the Captains reception where he presents his officers - these affairs are attended by fewer than they were - perhaps now that it’s all inclusive people aren’t wooed by the offer of a free drink 😉

 

We had dinner with friends in Umi Uma the Nobu restaurant onboard and devoured a wide range of dishes including copious quantities of sashimi and sushi - the service team who looked after us were excellent - thanks to Hanika and Jay - now I wasn’t sure on the spelling of Hanikas name so I just googled it and that tells me the meaning is “Swan, a graceful woman” - and that is spot on - it was great to have a Japanese server in a Japanese restaurant - although you were missed Sheila 

 

After dinner I went to the closing songs of the show which was Christina Andreas from Broadway and she and her husband put on a great show 

 

Then with great restraint and a little tiredness setting in I retired early

 

For those interested in tips I came across a few today: 

 

1 - Crystal Society Awards - I discovered that on achieving a milestone that has a dollar amount as the benefit you can opt to either take it as a On Board Credit, or apply it as a discount towards a future cruise or take it in the case of my award as a category upgrade on a 12 night or less cruise - so it’s not only great that Crystal recognises our previous sailing history but does offer alternates to use awards - thanks to Daniele Puma one of the onboard booking consultants for filling me in on that 

 

2 - Do Not Disturb - I certainly didn’t know but if that is on in your suite then the door bell won’t work - handy but a trap for young players if you think you’re going to ask your partner to let you in late at night and do not disturb is on

 

3 - Included wines - I’ve included an indicative list of the current included wines available in the photos today - there’s plenty to choose from

 

Once again photos won’t load - they’re loading fine on other social media - so you won’t get to enjoy them I’m afraid 

[Stickman1990]

24 February 

Waterside is closed for lunch 

 

Waterside Dinner menu

 

Waterside Dinner 24 February.pdf

[Stickman1990]

32 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

The Bistro was indeed gutted.  

Yes I knew my memory wasn’t failing me - I’ve seen or posted pictures of it during the refurbishment that confirm that 

[Stickman1990]

2 hours ago, Roland4 said:

I think on Serenity "gutted" might be too strong a description, but they definitely redecorated it and went to what seemed to us as smaller tables.

It was definitely gutted back to bare metal - phew I thought I was losing it for a minute 

[Stickman1990]

25 February 

 

Reflections

Reflections 25 February 2024.pdf

 

Waterside Lunch

 

Waterside Lunch 25 February.pdf

 

Waterside Dinner

 

Waterside Dinner 25 February.pdf

[Stickman1990]

Day 8 - Rarotonga, Cook Islands then sailing to Tonga

 

Today was our first visit to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. Of course as New Zealanders we’ve met many Cook Islanders as both nations have close links even to the extent that they use NZ currency 

 

Unfortunately a storm decided to descend on the island in the morning as we went ashore for a look around - we wanted to do early as everything closes at noon on Saturdays. Although we had our trusty Crystal umbrellas we got wet and the ground at the local market turned into mini rivers in many parts. Nevertheless Kerry scored a new bag which she is very chuffed about

 

We returned to the ship by tender, dried out and went to Tastes for lunch. I designed a pizza with my favourite toppings and Kerry had potsticker dumplings - David our friend had a huge Reuben sandwich and Ricki the ever popular Chicken Chinois salad - the area we sat in is served by two restaurants - Tastes and the Trident grill so there’s plenty of dining options

 

During the afternoon we commenced the global Rumikub tournament with Ricki and David who I’m sure are Rumikub sharks as after we taught them the rules quickly proceeded to beat us regularly 😂

 

We had thought of attending a movie, but after a minute or two in the theatre we realised we’d seen the Liam Neeson movie before 

 

We dined in Waterside and were looked after by Leo, Barbara, Narola and Mila - what a great team they have in this restaurant and the chefs are turning out great dishes. I think on many lines this restaurant would be billed as a specialty restaurant with limited availability and potentially even an up charge - neither of which apply on Crystal. I’ve attached the photos of dishes and the menu 

 

I then went to the show which was a comedian - John Wing - he was ok but not as much to my tastes as some we’ve enjoyed in the past 

 

Then it was time for the White Night party where most guests chose to dress in white (it’s optional) and three acts from Crystal performed before the dancing began - the dance pair of Luca & Balint - boy can they move, Nadia on Violin who played a stirring rendition of the Pirates of the Caribbean theme song and then Karin Kovacova who is the resident singer onboard 

 

One thing we did enjoy during the day was chatting to some of the crew, they are a great asset and part of the secret sauce that makes this cruise line special. We were delighted to learn Maria our cabin attendant is to get married to her fiancée who also works on board this year - she is lovely and has a very wise head. Coincidentally our last cabin attendant was from the same country, Romania, as Maria and had also married her fiancé during the shutdown - they both continue to work on Serenity. They both love being at sea and manage to secure roles which let them spent sometime together. We enjoyed hearing that Roland our butler had discovered a great curry house ashore on Rarotonga and enjoyed a meal there - I was able to give him a recommendation that Santosh one of the waiters had given me for an Indian restaurant in Auckland - there’s a wealth of knowledge around

 

So another great day enjoying all the many and varied activities - tomorrows a sea day and we get an extras hour with clocks turned back

 

Once again only limited photos as it’s just not accepting a lot of the uploads Ben though they’re normal photo files - and yet it’s uploaded a large videos today 

 

 

Tendering in

 

Scallops 

Crab cake

 

Luca & Balint

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stickman1990]

On 2/20/2024 at 3:50 PM, History&Wine said:

I suggest a meet and greet.  Say February 25.  A sea day and a Sunday.  Say 4:30 at Palm Court?

Dwight - are we still on for 4.30pm today in Palm Court?

 

Just so you are aware Rick, the Cruise Director, has also organised a meetup for Crystal FB members at 5pm in Palm Court Port side this evening so I dare say both groups will probably merge 

 

[History&Wine]

7 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

Dwight - are we still on for 4.30pm today in Palm Court?

 

Just so you are aware Rick, the Cruise Director, has also organised a meetup for Crystal FB members at 5pm in Palm Court Port side this evening so I dare say both groups will probably merge 

 

I just realized I forgot about ….the meeting that I set up!!  Sorry!  Got caught up in pickle ball…not that that is a good excuse.

 

Dwight

[Jinn]

We missed you. Just glad you’re not sick. Julia

[Stickman1990]

27 February (there was no 26th!)

 

Waterside lunch

 

Waterside Lunch 27 February.pdf

Waterside dinner

Waterside Dinner 27 February.pdf

 

Reflections - the download is broken at the moment so I’ll post it later) 

 

 

[Stickman1990]

Day 9 - Cruising the Pacific to Tonga 

 

Just a quick update today as I realised I really didn’t take too many photos yesterday as we relaxed around the ship

 

I should report it was a tough trivia session yesterday and we were well done the pack with 9 correct - the top score was 13

 

While there were many lectures and activities on board we just relaxed in the Palm Court 

I did attend a meet up for the Crystal Society Family FB and Cruise Critic groups and met some fellow cruisers and some discussion on how they were finding being back onboard 

 

We dined in Waterside and had another lovely meal then it was off to the show - Icons in Concert which is a fast moving rock and pop show highlighting artists like Elvis, The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and features some great guitar solos. We’ve enjoyed the show since it debuted back in 2018 and it’s evolved with content - we like the heavy rock content which has been reduced over the years 

 

Tonight is interesting - we go to sleep on Sunday night and wake on Tuesday morning - for us there is no 26 February as we cross the International Date Line - no time change - just the change of day

 

And the good news is it’s another sea day for us to enjoy on Tuesday

 

Some of the photos uploaded today 

 

Fish tacos in Waterside and Icons Concert 

[Stickman1990]

27 February 

 

Reflections

 

Reflections 27 February 2024.pdf

[Stickman1990]

28 February 

 

Waterside lunch - closed 

Waterside Lunch 28 February - Closed.pdf

Waterside dinner 

Waterside Dinner 28 February.pdf

Reflections - to come

 

[Stickman1990]

Day 10 - Cruising the Pacific to Tonga 

 

Another sea day for us but so much to do around the ship. I enjoyed visiting  many areas I hadn’t got to and chatting with the crew and fellow guests 

The morning started with the Morning Show with guest Liezl the librarian and it was fascinating to hear all the additional things she does in addition to maintaining the excellent library on board - after many years with Crystal she’s clearly a go to person who has a lot of knowledge how to get things done around the ship and I know she is loved by many. I also answered one of the quiz questions so that’s a prize for me on each day of the show when they ask questions. What’s the capital of Haiti was my success story yesterday 

 

We started off with breakfast in Waterside which is a la carte - I particularly like going there as it’s the only place I can get poached eggs and I added smashed avocado on toast as well (the Avocado wasn’t on the menu but they were happy to prepare it for me) - my wife had her first donut of the cruise also - a lovely Berliner with lots of jam filling 

 

We caught up with Roland our Butler who is ever present making sure we are comfortable and our suite well stocked - we are amazed how he preempts our requests with an appearance at our door awaiting our request - it’s that sixth sense butlers must develop 

 

I got to a lecture which was on Nuclear Testing in the Pacific - it bought back memories of growing up in New Zealand and hearing of regular French testing above ground at Muraroa - those were sad times with the impact on many Pacific Islands 

We had a better day at Trivia with 13 out of 15 - only good enough for joint second place but a major improvement for us 

 

We visited one of the shops and bought Kerry a new knitting bag, ok they think it’s a beach bag but she knows better, and I got a Crystal logo tshirt then coffee in the Bistro

 

I checked out the Pearl fashion show in the Cove and Viennese afternoon tea with lots of cakes

 

Then we went to the Magicians at Sea performance by Paul Stone, and thoroughly enjoyed the show - Kerry and Ricki helped him out in his act as well 

 

Dinner was once again in Waterside where we love the changing menu each day and the excellent service (we actually at all three meals there today)

 

Another great day on Crystal for us

 

and the occasional photo included - many are still not loading I’m afraid 

Edited February 27 by Stickman1990

[Txcotn]

Waterside closed for lunch on a sea day? Hmmm

[Stickman1990]

14 minutes ago, Txcotn said:

Waterside closed for lunch on a sea day? Hmmm

No we’re in Tonga today - so a port day 

[Txcotn]

Ooops, guess I was focused on your sea day!

[Texas Tillie]

3 minutes ago, Txcotn said:

Ooops, guess I was focused on your sea day!

They crossed the International Date Line. Think they are about 19 hours ahead of us, give or take a time zone. 
 

Patty

[Stickman1990]

28 February 

 

Reflections

 

Reflections 28 February 2024.pdf

[Stickman1990]

29 February 

 

Waterside lunch 

 

Waterside Lunch 29 February.pdf

 

Waterside Dinner

 

Waterside Dinner 29 February.pdf

[ryndam]

1 hour ago, Stickman1990 said:

29 February 

Waterside Dinner

 

Waterside Dinner 29 February.pdf 67.34 kB · 17 downloads

I see that the "Cotton Candy" is on the dessert menu tonight. Even if you don't care for sweets, do order this dessert, if only for the presentation. You will not be disappointed!

 

Rob