Crystal Symphony
Class: Luxury
Number of Passengers: 940
Number of Staff: 545
Launched: 1995 Refurbished: 2006

http://www.crystalcruises.com/ships.aspx?SH=Symphony&SDL=12

The Crystal Symphony is one of two ships operated by Crystal Cruises, a Japanese owned and U.S. based cruise company. The Symphony travels throughout the world, and cruises are broken into 12-24 day segments which can be purchased separately or clustered into longer voyages.

When I visited the Symphony I was amazed to see how much was available on a relatively small ship. There is no lack of venues for all types of entertainment, from the tiny LUXE Nightclub, which opens at 10 p.m. and is the late evening spot for after-dinner drinks and dancing, to the Galaxy Lounge, the ship’s showroom and the Starlight Club, the ship’s second live music venue. There is also a theater used for showing movies during the cruise and several intimate gathering spots for reading, game playing and enjoying your day or evening at sea. Most public venues, including an ample casino, are on one deck, making it easy to navigate from place to place.

The Symphony offers a number of on-board classes during a cruise, from Spanish to piano lessons to napkin folding. The popular Computer University@Sea even has its own classroom; classes are reportedly in such demand that most of them are wait-list after the first day.

For those looking for outdoor activities, the Symphony offers two swimming pools, one of which has a retractable cover for changes in weather, two golf cages, a teak jogging/walking track and a paddle tennis court. The Symphony has a full spa/salon and fitness center as well.

Dinner on the Symphony is arranged into two seatings in the dining room. However, if you prefer to dine at a different time or with different tablemates, there are also two alternative restaurants - Silk Road and the Sushi Bar under the direction of famous chef Nobu Matsuhisa, and Prego, featuring Italian fare. The dining room is also open for breakfast and lunch, as are the Lido Café on the pool deck, the Bistro and the Trident Grill.

There are no inside staterooms on the Symphony. Cabins are newly decorated and attractive, offering enough space to move around comfortably in the outside view and outside veranda staterooms. The Crystal Penthouse Suite with verandah, the Penthouse Suite with verandah and the Penthouse with verandah are deluxe accommodations in every way.

Crystal prides itself on its service, and from what I am told by their guests, they have every right to brag. As one of my clients remarked after his recent cruise on the Symphony, “The bottom line is that they do a tremendous job convincing their passengers that the passenger is important and they want to serve us.”