I Paid A Fortune to Cruise On “New” Crystal Cruises. Was It Worth It?
I have been intrigued as recent reviews of Crystal Cruises have been very positive, including it having the highest passenger ratings on Cruise Critic in the ultra-luxury category, better than Regent Seven Seas, Silversea and Seabourn. So, I decided to test Crystal Cruises out to see if they really are the best of the ultra-luxury lines. This is what I discovered
For bonus & exclusive content (including videos, articles, eBooks and more) become a channel member or patron:
—————————————————
* Patreon Patron: https://www.patreon.com/tipsfortravellers
* YouTube Channel Member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_qE-Obs2ocdmPXY0TIU-cw/join
Check out my cruise-themed T-shirts and products:
—————————————————
* TeePublic Store: https://tipsfortravellers.dashery.com
* Teespring Store: https://tips-for-travellers-youtube.creator-spring.com
* Fourthwall: https://gary-bembridge-1-shop.fourthwall.com
Book Cruise Port Excursions
* Venture Ashore: https://www.tipsfortravellers.com/excursions
* Shore Excursions Group: https://www.tipsfortravellers.com/shoreexcursions
My social media:
—————————————————
* Blog: https://www.tipsfortravellers.com
* Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/garybembridge
* Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tipsfortravellers
* Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/garybembridge
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bembridge
ABOUT TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS: If you want to get cruising right, Tips For Travellers makes it easy to plan and have the incredible cruise experiences you dream of every time. All my Tips For Travellers advice, tips and tricks tips draw on everything that I have learnt on the 120 cruises I have done to date.
#cruisetips #CruisingTips #cruisetipsandtricks
00:00 Start
01:00 Crystal Ship
02:38 Crystal Food
09:38 Crystal Enrichment
11:00 Crystal Live Music
11:40 Crystal Crew
12:53 Crystal Solo Travellers
13:15 Crystal Deals
14:20 Crystal Cabins
16:24 Crystal Shows
37 Comments
We love Crystal too and so glad they’re back! We’re also booked Lisbon – Ft. Lauderdale in November ‘26
Why is this video not in your channel feed / listing ?
As with your other video concerning this itinerary, you are transparent and in this one unequivocally so, quoting the fare, that you pay, using your own money. Great for transparency.
It is disappointing to note that whilst you reference a current suite upgrade promotion ( from Aquamarine to Sapphire ) you do not actually state that you benefited from such on this sailing. You do reference that you took up this promotion for a subsequent transatlantic positioning cruise.
i'm glad Crystal focuses on pre-1980s music. i am in my 60s like Gary. I find more contemporary music well, ugly. I would not attend shows that focus on current popular music. I have no interest in that. I love the standards from the early 2oth century through 1960's and 1970s. I hope Crystal never changes their music.
Thank you for interesting and intelligent videos. You make my online experience rich and interesting.🤹🏋️♂️
Hi Gary
Thanks Gary, great video.
Great review as always Gary.
I AM LOOKING FOR A [GAY] BOYFRIEND WHO WOULD TAKE ME ALL OVER THE WORLD IN SUCH PASSENGER LINERS… ME AND MY DOG, EVA !!! XOXOXXO PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ALONG !!! JUST LOVE LOVE LOVE ALL THE VIDEOS !!!!
Gary: You guys please stay safe in the UK…
I’ve been on 22 Crystal Cruises out of the 64 cruises I have sailed on. I’m going on Crystal Serenity next month and again in August. I always have said and will always say they are the best cruise line. The food alone is worth the cruise. Far, far, far better than any of my cruises with Regent Seven Seas.
I'm 42 and would be first in line for the Sinatra show.
I came back to Crystal after the bankruptcy and found the refit on Serenity to be fine. My favorite ship is the Symphony and agree that the food and service aboard Crystal is superior to that on Silversea. However, I'm wondering if Crystal has lost access or priority to ports because their Alaska cruise went nowhere of interest to me so I went on HAL.
I take exception to your comment about pricing … I've found Crystal to be significantly less expensive than Silversea for the same itinerary, albeit in dissimilar accommodations. Like you, I'm a solo traveler and I appreciate the single guest staterooms on deck 7. While I find a balcony usable in some locales, it's not a must for me any more. I spent 20 days in a single room on deck 7 (in the Caribbean) and found it comfortable for one. However, my issue with the staterooms on deck 7 on Serenity is that the promenade deck is right outside and the staterooms on Serenity aren't located higher like they are on Symphony (and Harmony). Those extra couple of feet provides a greater level of privacy and allows better views as well.
One advantage of booking one of the 14 solo staterooms on deck 7 is the closer proximity to the laundry room. I found the self-service laundry on Silversea Muse problematic … there was a single washer and dryer on my deck and I ended up having to do laundry at 4 or 5am.
I also take exception to your comment about dining surcharges; I had to pay a surcharge to dine in La Dame and Kaiseki aboard the Muse. I'm booked on the Moon in April and the surcharges remain in place. You should try The Vintage Room on your next cruise … It's amongst the best dining experiences I've had on a ship or on land. $300pp for what you receive costs me $500 or more in a good restaurant in Honolulu (and in other cities). It was even better when it was $200 (pre-bankruptcy). Also, the availability of food in The Bistro was curtailed significantly. In the "good old days", one could find treats to eat throughout the day.
As to the entertainment, I'm in agreement. I'm 72, and I like the music from the 40's onward but a freshening would be great.
Thank you for your reviews … they're always interesting and informative.
Do you have an opinion regarding Emerald Kaia? I am interested in their 2027 Africa cruise.
No way would I spend 17000 USD on that cruise. Does that include flights from the UK?
Wow, I had not realised just how superior Crystal was until your review, thank you Gary, I think you've covered everything important. As an aside, I don't think I can sing along with any song post 1990, – well maybe one or two, I just don't know the words anymore! So the shows sound ideal to me.
Hi Gary, very informative video, off topic I know, but I presume you would consider Explora Journey ships, luxury rather than ultra luxury? Sorry, but I would rather be guided by your thoughts than elsewhere ! Is Explora a line you might consider using ? Thanks.
17,000 converts to just under 28,000 Australian. It's astonishing that you are expected to pay extra for anything.
I thoroughly enjoy watching your travels. Especially as a solo traveller!
Looks like a nice ship, the food looked really good, except the shrimp that you showed looked like the lower quality than fresh shrimp. Also, Frank Sinatra doesn’t really get old like all the rest of those people you mentioned. I do like the idea of a washing machine dryer in the room. It would make a lot easier to pack, knowing that you could wash clothes probably could get by with a carry-on.
Thanks!
Hi, eh, it seems to be a video without sound..
No problem with my speakers, other videos have sound. Is this a dubbing-problem-thing? Normaly there is no dubbing in Norway. And there was no dubbing on YouTube 10 seconds before this video.
Sorry about any misspellings 🇧🇻
All the best people were born in 1959 😊
How is it possible that Gary spends his life as a cruise ship critic yet only weighs 130 lbs?
Honestly, your criticism of the shows is a plus in my book. I'm a fan of old school entertainment and everything you described made me like the ship even more.
My dream cruise was Crystal and when I found out about the Endeavour I knew that going to them with Antarctica was how I wanted to experience them. It's a shame that they no longer have that ship, but they once again top my list for dream cruises. I just need a new dream trip.
Thanks! I’ve learned so much from you.
Always love your videos Gary but the shows being dated well I like the older stuff to be honest and I'm younger than you are not everything has to be from Gen X'er era why not go back to Boomer or earlier, heck I'd love to see a bit of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B or Dad's Army type era(as in the 40's not when the show was filmed in early 70's). Maybe they need to mix it up so not every night is a 'not so good' in your book and could even do some Taylor Swift for you. 🙂
Apart from anything else, the style of the ship would win for me every time. It is very beautiful, classic, not unlike the 'P&O Style' which lasted into the 1950s. I am not keen on modern ships at all. Thank you for the video!
Excellent review, Gary.
The most expensive Carehome at sea
I’m thinking about what will be the entertainment for me at an age of 60 when I retire and start cruising. Will it be entertainers from the late 70’s or early 80’s as the go to?
For those of us Gary's age . . . the music of our youth (and which I LOVE) is/was the English Beat, Blondie, Talking Heads, Cars, Joy Division/New Order, etc.
Sinatra and Bobby Darrin were what my parents listened to.
Love your comments about the music. We had the same thing on Viking. The continual classical music on the floors in the atrium did my head in! The archaic shows in the theatre ( old old musical theatre ) made me leave immediately.. I too am 66 and grew up listening to led zeppelin, david bowie, elton john etc etc. still enjoy listening to all types of music except for stuff from the 40’s, 50’s etc ..
this would definitely turn me off from cruising with Crystal.
We can't reconcile the price Gary paid with prices we see on their website for other similar length cruises. The $17,000 almost double the price for other cruises. Did you stay in an upper priced cabin!
All of the cabins look beautiful. Love the washer in the bathroom!
I suppose a valid question remains: would you still have re-booked on Crystal if the price wasn't discounted and there were no free suite upgrades?
Thank you for this excellent and interesting video and especially the beautiful pictures of the food. It was good to hear you describe them and to show them but not to have to watch you eat it that way I could Listen to what you are saying instead of spending time watching a person chewing.