Cruising on Crystal across the Coral Sea

The Crystal Symphony, a 6-star rated ship.

After an amazing river cruise from Budapest to Munich in September of 2016, capped by another great Oktoberfest experience, the Boss and I vowed we would turn our attention to getting relocated to our new home in Wilmington, NC and throttle back on the travel for at least a few months.  We had to do an 8-night Caribbean cruise in December for our travel franchise national conference, but nothing else until March, at the earliest.

Alas, it was not to be.  An opportunity to sail from Sydney, Australia on the Crystal Symphony presented itself, due to our successful bid on a Crystal Cruise at a silent auction to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation during our conference cruise.  Crystal said we could go on a 21-day cruise across the Coral Sea, starting on January 20.   We had moved into the new house on December 14, but spent a week in Virginia for the Christmas holidays, so we had barely spent a month settling in. We agonized about whether we should pack our bags again so soon, but I’m sure you won’t be the least bit surprised to learn that we said “Oh, what the hell, we're going!” 

Crystal is all-inclusive and on the top end of the luxury scale for cruising, with a 6-star rating.  The other 6-star lines include Regent, Seabourn and Silversea, so this is pretty exclusive cruising.  Of course, these come with a hefty price tag – the price for our 21-day cruise was approximately $8,500 per person for an oceanview stateroom, or $17,000 total.  Our silent auction bid for Make-A-Wish was less than 1/3 of that, so you can see why it was an offer we couldn’t refuse. And so we took the longest cruise of our travel careers and enjoyed it very much.  

We flew to San Francisco, and spent a night and the next day there, before boarding the 15-hour flight to Sydney.  We highly recommend breaking this trip up at least a little bit. The flight was actually not bad, as we hit the jackpot when the middle seat between us in the center aisle remained unoccupied.  We watched 4 or 5 movies and were fed three times.  

Crystal representatives were at the airport to meet us when we arrived in Sydney at 7:30 AM.  The ensuing journey to the ship was not a luxury experience.  We stood around in the airport with fellow cruisers for about 45 minutes before we dragged all our own luggage to a large bus for loading.  Since it was too early to board the ship, we were dropped off at a downtown hotel and herded into a small conference room with a coffee machine and some tired-looking pastries.  More folding chairs had to be ordered so everyone could sit down, for our roughly 2-hour stay.  When it was time to board the bus, we had to stand in the rain to identify our luggage and make sure it made the trip with us.

Things improved substantially once we were on board.  Check-in was relatively quick and our staterooms were ready.  We headed up to sample the lunch buffet in the Lido Cafe, and our luggage was waiting when we returned to the room.  Crystal still does the outside muster drill, where we all stood in the heat with life jackets on for a long half hour.  We set sail at 5:00 PM and went up to the top deck to enjoy the sail-away under the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and past the iconic Sydney Opera House. 

The Sydney Harbour Bridge - a popular tourist activity is to climb to the top.

These hardy souls completed the climb.

The Sydney skyline, with a Royal Caribbean cruise ship in port.

The Sydney Opera House - stay tuned for more pictures from our return to Sydney at the end of the cruise.

Our first two days were at sea, which gave us time to get to know the ship and meet a few people.  We committed to using the gym every day and only taking the stairs – no elevators.  It would have been unrealistic to think we could lose weight, but we managed to avoid gaining extra pounds. 

After our gym visits, we usually did at least 2 miles around the ship on the Promenade Deck.

We cruised to Hamilton Island, a jumping off point for excursions to the Great Barrier Reef, followed by Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, and New Caledonia, before returning it Sydney.  The itinerary didn’t quite live up to our expectations, as we expected paradise-like tropical beaches at every turn.  And there were a couple of them, but there were also many dusty, dirty, mostly industrial or undeveloped ports. 

We bought the Crystal excursion to the Great Barrier Reef, which was underwhelming.  A nearly 2-hour boat ride with about 150 people took us to a platform anchored over the reef.  The platform had a semi-submersible ship, which glided around the reef with portholes on the lower deck to look out on the reef.  Unfortunately, the windows were not the clearest, visibility was not great, and the reef itself was pretty bleached out, with very little color.

On the left is the boat that brought us from Hamilton Island to the platform, on the right.

A view of the Great Barrier Reef from a semi-submersible.

Another view of the reef from the windows of the semi-submersible.

Esther and I did snorkel off the platform for about 20 minutes, but the snorkeling was pretty ordinary.  The cost of the excursion included a buffet lunch, which was less than ordinary.   Before departing the platform for the ride back to Hamilton Island, we were informed that seas would be very rough and sea sickness pills were recommended.  As if the cost of $319 per person for this excursion wasn’t enough, they charged us $3 per pill.  Beer and snacks on the boat also came with an additional charge.   Nothing about this excursion, except the cost, seemed like a 6-star experience.

Since this was a 21-day cruise with 10 ports in addition to Sydney, I’ll keep this mostly to a few representative pictures, rather than describe each stop in detail. 

Papua New Guinea – stops in Alotau, Kiriwina, and Rabaul.

These islands have some interesting World War II history, as did the entire itinerary, but the ports themselves had little to offer, and the Boss and I made a quick visit into each port to look around, bought our souvenir magnets if they were available, then returned to the ship.

World War II monument in Alotau.

The island looked pretty, but the town was just hot, crowded, dusty and poverty-stricken.

The most interesting thing about Kiriwina was the total lack of development.....

...and the guantlet of vendors you had to walk through.  It seemed like the entire village lined the path and they were all selling the same stuff.  

This was one excursion I think we missed out on.  I mean, where else in the world could you see dead human bones with skulls?  Especially bones that were killed in WWII. 

There was certainly an unspoiled feel to Kiriwina.  They have not arrived in the 21st century here.

Rabaul had a very large market in the center of town.  We found a magnet and I bought a Papua New Guinea ball cap.  I am guessing very few people in Wilmington  will have one.

This was the public transportation, with a stop at the market.

Lots of fresh fish available at the market.

This guy is baiting his hook on his fishing pole - his boat looked like a giant green bean.

Solomon Islands – our port was Honiara on the island of Guadalcanal.

Guadalcanal was the site of a major battle in World War II between the Allies and the Japanese, and the Allied victory was a turning point in the war.   Not much to see in Honiara. 

Vanuatu – stops in Port Vila and Champagne Bay

Vanuatu was previously known as the New Hebrides and consists of about 80 islands located southeast of the Solomon Islands and west of Fiji.  We enjoyed a snorkeling excursion in Port Vila, and Champagne Bay was that idyllic beach setting.

Our glass-bottom boat used for the snorkeling trip - the snorkeling was fabulous; saw a bunch of clownfish (Nemos).  Much better than at the Great Barrier Reef. 

The harbor at Port Vila was much nicer than the first few destinations.

Sailing away from Port Vila - because it was the rainy season, sunsets were usually obscured by cloud cover.

Champagne Beach, on the island of Espiritu Santo, lived up to its billing as one of the world's most beautiful beaches, and we enjoyed a relaxing day there.

Beautiful water, powdery white sand.....

....uncrowded....

....well, OK, there were a few people......

...and they had the local beer!

Fiji – stops in Yasawa-I-Rara and Lautoka

Fiji may have been the only destination that we would consider going back to for a longer visit.   We enjoyed another beach day at Yasawa-I-Rara (not as nice as Champagne Beach, but still pretty) and took an excursion to Bounty Island from Lautoka.  

The beach at Yasawa-I-Rara.  We did a little snorkeling off the beach here.

The beach at Yasawa-I-Rara, with the dock for the tender boats. Crystal offered an excursion here to visit the Blue Lagoon where the movie of the same name was filmed.  

Approaching Bounty Island, where we had a guided snorkeling tour.  Excellent snorkeling!

Bounty Island has a small no-frills resort - their brochure described it as "Paradise on a Shoestring."

That building is the main dining room for the resort.

Drinking the local beer, Fiji Bitter.

The Excitor became the Unexciting when one of the engines broke down and the 20-minute journey from the boat took an hour and 15 minutes to get back.

New Caledonia – stopped in Noumea.

This is a French territory, and Noumea allegedly has a reputation as “the Paris of the South Pacific.”  While the town is a little more developed than most we saw, I have to say we didn’t see a huge resemblance to Paris.

Noumea has a pretty park in the middle of town.

This was the only building in town taller than about two or three stories.   Pretty sure the real Paris has a lot more.

Sydney – We returned to Sydney 21 days after departing from there, and we had a full day in port, and an overnight on the ship.  Our friends David and Susan live in Sydney and picked us up at the ship on the morning we arrived.   They gave us a marvelous tour of the city; we saw Bondi Beach, the harbor, the coastline, Mrs Macquarie's Chair, several parks, the bridge and the Opera House.  We also rode the ferries across the harbor, took a train ride, and walked through downtown.  Sydney is a beautiful and vibrant city, and we know we want to go back - but not in January!!  It was nearly 100 degrees F with high humidity and we were wiped out by the end of the day.

The view of Sydney Harbour from David and Susan's house.

The world famous Bondi Beach.

Stunning coastline scenery at Gap Park.

David and I sitting on Mrs. Macquarie's Chair.

A view of the bridge, the Opera House and the skyline from Luna Park across the harbour.

The ferries are a great source of transportation all around the city.

The Sidney skyline, with Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas in port.

Another view of the Opera House - it's hard not to keep taking pictures of this amazing structure from all angles.

Cruising on Crystal was a great experience – we thoroughly enjoyed it, and the 21 days sailed by (pun intended).   The Crystal Symphony is a beautiful ship, although a little dated and in need of some upgrades.  We understand it is going into dry dock in September of 2017 for refurbishment.   The Symphony was completed in 1995 and holds 922 passengers, but for our sailing, there were only about 700 passengers.

The main atrium at the center of the ship, with the Crystal Cove bar to the right on the lower deck, and the Bistro to the right on the deck above.  The Bistro had specialty coffees and casual dining choices, if you didn't make it to the dining room or Lido Cafe.

Our Deck 7 hallway.

The Palm Court, where Afternoon Tea Time was held every day from 3:00 to 4:00 PM.  We never made it.

The Seahorse Pool with the jacuzzi behind it.  A nice thing about smaller ships is that you never have trouble finding a lounger.  And on Crystal, they have comfortable cushions and you don't have to go sign out towels.

The food was outstanding, probably the best we have had on any cruise line.  The Lido Café is the buffet restaurant, typically open only for breakfast and lunch.  The Lido deck also has the Trident Bar and Grill, which in addition to burgers, sandwiches and wraps, also has Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.  The only issue with the grill is that the tables are not in an air-conditioned area and during our cruise, it was almost always too hot and steamy to eat there.  We took our orders from the grill into the Lido Café a couple of times to get out of the heat. 

Two specialty restaurants are available – the Silk Road, an Asian restaurant, and Prego, an Italian restaurant.  Both were excellent.  Silk Road is a Nobu restaurant, which has locations in Las Vegas, New York and Los Angeles.  You can get amazing sushi and sashimi here in addition to the Asian fusion entrees – the black cod is his signature dish and was amazing.   Prego was also outstanding – a to-die-for poached lobster appetizer, an osso bucco (veal shank) too large to finish, and great pasta and desserts.  For voyages longer than 14 days, all passengers get two complimentary dinners at each restaurant. 

I had the Nobu sampler at Silk Road - the rock shrimp tempura, black cod, and Wagyu beef.

The main dining room was a cut above anything we have seen on other ships (except maybe the Paul Gaugin), and the staff was unbelievable.  They went above and beyond to make sure we enjoyed the dining experience in every way – including making us special dishes and desserts that weren’t even on the menu.   The impeccable service was not exclusive to the dining room – it was amazing all over the ship.  The staff typically ask your name on the first day or two, and all of them address you by name the rest of the trip, which is a very nice touch.

The chef prepared Salzburger Nockerl, a traditional Austrian dessert, and the head waiter served it at our table in the main dining room as a special treat for the Swiss couple at our table.

We also signed up for the special wine dinner in the Vintage Room, the Crystal Version of a Chef’s Table, for small groups of 12.  It was fabulous!  We had a King crab salad, lobster Thermidor, roasted duck breast, filet mignon with a gorgonzola crust, and a dessert sampler highlighted by a warm ricotta cheese strudel and homemade chocolate pralines.  Each course was paired with a specially selected wine, which were several cuts above what we usually get at Harris Teeter.  The last red was amazing, a cabernet sauvignon from Australia, Penfolds Bin 707, 2010.  I looked it up when we got home, and it runs about $300 a bottle.  As much as we enjoyed it, we can buy a case of our normal stuff for that price.

The Vintage Room - not much different than how we set our table at home.

Lobster thermidor.

Gorgonzola crusted filet mignon.

Warm ricotta cheese strudel, drizzled with white truffle honey.  Yum!  Believe it or not, those three wine glasses were Esther's..... why are they not empty?

During our 21-day voyage, two special brunch buffets were offered.  We missed the first one, but went to the second one, which was the more grand event, and it was pretty incredible.
  

The introduction of the chefs and kitchen staff at the gala buffet.

This is typical of the amazing food presentation - if you look closely in the top left corner, you can see the tower of lobster tails to the right of the plates.

Hot dishes, a carving station and a pasta bar were part of the buffet.

Entertainment was very good – the Symphony has the usual ensemble of singers and dancers, but the talent level was clearly higher than what you would find on Carnival, for example.  We also saw the usual assortment of guest artists, including an electric violinist, piano player, magician, comedienne, and ventriloquist.
  

The MOOGS Band, a talented and versatile group of Filipinos, played all over the ship in the different venues.  The Crystal Showband that played in the main theater was also top-notch.

One thing that was especially impressive was the Super Bowl Party, which due to time changes started at 9:00 in the morning.  Crystal held it in the show theater, with football decorations including cut outs of each team’s helmet, and a great buffet of football food – wings, hot dogs, nachos, etc.   The theater was packed and the game turned out to be historic.

The Super Bowl buffet outside the theater, where they showed the game on three large screens.

Of course, the Boss and I spent some time in the casino, which was about the size you would expect for a small ship.  Like everywhere on the Symphony, the casino staff were great, but usually bored.  We did not have a big gambling crowd on our sailing.  They struggled to rustle up enough people to have a blackjack tournament, and couldn’t find enough to have the scheduled Texas Holdem tournament. Esther learned to shoot craps on our last night after multiple glasses of wine, and apparently was the hot shooter for a long run. 
  

The Crystal Casino - we added their chip to our collection, and after 21 days we were about even , so that's a win.  Unfortunately, Esther's run of luck at craps may have gotten her hooked on a new game.

The ship has a movie theater and we went to 3 or 4 movies.  It was interesting to be on a luxury ship with so many extremely well-to-do passengers, and watch the stampede in the theater for the tubs of popcorn that the crew brought in as the movies started.  Since we are about 10 to 15 years younger than the average passenger, we moved a little more quickly and could usually snag our tubs. 

Which brings us to the demographics on Crystal.   There is no question that this was the oldest crowd we have ever cruised with, and by far the wealthiest.  (One of the bartenders confided to us one evening “There are some pretty famous names on this ship.”)  But they were also an active bunch, at least in the day time.  They were snorkeling and hiking and taking full advantage of the excursions.  And a surprising number of them were out there walking the promenade deck every day.
 

At night, it was a little different.  The 6:00 PM seating in the main dining room was far more popular than the 8:30 PM seating (which we had).   And many of the evening activities after the show were sparsely attended at best.  One day the program listed a DJ in the Starlite Club from 11:30 PM until “late.”   We strolled through after leaving the casino at about midnight and the place was completely empty – we didn’t even see the DJ.

One of the most popular features of a Crystal cruise is the Crystal Visions Enrichment Program, which is a lecture series on every voyage.  Our cruise had a retired US Marine Corps General, two journalists – one from the UK and one from the US, a retired Air Force Colonel who was a consultant to NASA, and a zoologist who had lived and worked in a variety of interesting places, including Papua New Guinea.  The Starlite Club and/or theater were always packed for these lectures – each lecturer gave numerous different talks throughout the voyage.  Although we didn’t attend in person, we watched most of them as they were taped and played on the stateroom TV.  We enjoyed having dinner and talking with the UK journalist, Stephen Cole, on one of our last nights on board.

Another thing we had not seen on other ships was the presence of Ambassador Hosts – these are dance instructors that are available to dance with ladies without a partner, and we watched a number of women take advantage of this amenity every night of the trip. 

Our favorite feature was the presence of a PGA Teaching Professional, Joe Herbert, who gave two golf lectures/lessons every sea day of the cruise.  Since our new community in North Carolina has its own golf course, and a lot of the social life includes golf, we attended nearly every lesson.  Esther bought three private lessons from Joe and is ready to hit the links when her new golf clubs are delivered!

Esther at her golf lesson with Joe Herbert - great looking form!

Joe was one of a number of instructors that cruises for free – they also had instructors for knitting, bridge, and art classes.  When you include the lecturers and dance Ambassadors, Crystal puts a lot of people on the ship to enhance the experience for their cruisers.  We kept trying to think of something we could teach or lecture on, but all we came up with was travel.

In summary, we had a wonderful time cruising with Crystal.  On the plus side, the food, the service, and the entertainment were all excellent.  And the lectures, free golf lessons, and the small ship size were great features.  Crystal has an extremely loyal clientele – we met many people who had been on a dozen or more cruises, and who would not think of cruising on any other line. 

For many of our typical clients, the cost of a Crystal cruise could be an obstacle, and the differentiators between Crystal and Celebrity (one of our top choices) may not be enough to justify the significant price premium.  For example, the shore excursions offered by Crystal, at least on this itinerary, were average in all ways except price. The atmosphere is also a little more formal and sedate compared to ships with a slightly younger crowd.  But if you don’t have to worry about what you pay, you enjoy listening to some first-rate speakers, and you need a dance partner at night, you can’t go wrong on a Crystal cruise!

I would love feedback on the blog - please leave comments or ask questions!