Crystal Serenity
Some where in the Caribbean Sea—How do you describe “the best”?
Does it linger fondly in your mind because of the service you received—the quality of the product you purchased, or the warmth of the smiles you saw around you every day?
You will experience this and so much more when you step on board Crystal Cruise’s Crystal Serenity … without question the finest cruise ship in the world … and there is a direct connection to the Philippines on every sailing!
My wife Cris Evert and I had the utmost pleasure of experiencing Crystal Cruises onboard the line’s flagship, The Crystal Serenity, during a 14-day odyssey that departed from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal in New York City, sailing south to Baltimore (Maryland), Charleston (South Carolina) and then deep here into the heart of the mysterious Caribbean with stops in Grand Turk, the Dominican Republic, Curaçao (a tiny island nation close to Venezuela) and neighboring Aruba, before heading north to anchor at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
We were presented with a 40-square-meter penthouse, complete with private veranda as well as our own 24/7 private butler, Mr. Neil Fordham from England. Neil was at our constant beck and call, anticipating every whim before you could ask.
A more consummate professional you will never find.
Captain Egil Giske invited us for a reception at his cabin
Ice-cold seedless grapes awaited us every morning and evening with a complete room service menu to select from—even at 4:23 a.m.
And you would expect nothing less on board the Crystal Serenity. All glasses are from pure cut crystal … the tableware during dinner service made of heavy steel.
The attention to detail was second to none.
Yes, there is a direct connection between Crystal Cruises and the Philippines, specifically Cebu, which serves as a major recruiting terminus that generates more than 50 percent of the staff on board the Crystal Serenity; certainly a hearty and welcome honor to the people of the Philippines as the individual warmth and hospitality they offer to people worldwide is so genuine. Manila has also consistently become part of the Crystal Cruises ports of call as a 23-day adventure ends there in mid-March.
This includes Avner Bernardo, Sous Chef Gardemanger who hails from Zamboanga, Philippines, and Mark Mulder, who currently serves as Head Chef for the main Crystal Dining Room.
During a private escorted tour, Mulder showed more than a bit of pride in presenting the “back of the house” central kitchen with nary a speck of dust anywhere, and this was just before a major lunch service. Mulder held senior culinary positions with Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa, Cebu, as well as serving as Corporate Executive Chef at theWaterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino.
The culinary experience on the Crystal Serenity is akin to an exotic dance where you, the guest, sit at centerstage and every member of the culinary team circles around you, having a special role to play, from the maître d’hôtel who greets you every time by name, to your waiters and servers who hail from the farthest reaches of Europe and South Africa.
A typical dinner service in the Crystal Dining Room might include: Black Ink Spaghetti “Pescatore” with calamari, shrimps, scallops and lobster in a light marinara sauce; Vegan Roasted Vegetable Ravioli with tomato sauce, fresh basil, toasted pine nuts and arugula; or Roasted Cauliflower Mushroom and Goat Cheese Quiche.
A complete wine selection as well as after-dinner desert and cheese selections also await your palate.
A real culinary gem is the Crystal Serenity’s signature Italian restaurant—Prego. Directed by senior chef David George, Grego presents Italy that only this Italian-American could cherish as if Mama herself was in the kitchen cooking away.
Cris had a special affinity to the carpaccio appetizer presented with a dramatic flair from waiter Jarryd Fonseca, who hails from South Africa. This wafer-thin beef was offered with capers and ultra-light olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
It was a work of art, seriously too good to eat and Cris relished each and every bite.
Even a simple meal of angel hair pasta with a light meat sauce and roasted Italian sausage for myself was presented with equal dramatic panache.
And then the wines presented by Adrian Hilario from Bataan, Philippines, who himself gives great honor to his nation. This father of four young boys worked his way up from the bowels of the ship’s cargo hold to today serving as one of Prego’s renown wine stewards.
Prego is a Michelin-star culinary experience waiting to be discovered. If you were not at sea, you would expect to be dining in the best restaurant in New York City, somewhere along the famed Park Avenue. It is THAT good.
The average staff have been with Crystal Cruises between 10 to 25 years as the cruise line does everything possible to take care of each employee.
There is no tipping staff on board, no mariachi bands or staff hawking souvenirs made in China … everything (except for the very vintage wines) is included in the cost of the sailing.
Your hand only comes out of your pocket to shake the hand of each staff member who by the end of your voyage become part of your extended family.
You won’t find any children or teenagers on board the Crystal Serenity—although not discouraged by the cruise line—Crystal Cruises is strictly for adults only.
With a passenger capacity of a little more than 1,000, our cruise “mates” included captains of industry from across America who during each evening joined Cris and myself in the performances of the Crystal Serenity dancers, with a special night featuring the music of Billy Joel by the incomparable Broadway star James Foxx.
He rocks!With information available on the Internet at www.crystalcruises.com, Filipinos will feel right at home with the hundreds of
Cebuano staff, the finest service on the Seven Seas (great job, Neil!) and amenities that all other cruise lines look at in green-eyed envy.
If you are a long-time cruiser or looking for your first time on the high seas, simply do not miss the experience of sailing with Crystal Cruises.
Truly the finest cruise line in the world!
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Questions, comments or travel suggestions, write me at readingruffolos@gmail.com.