Personal experience on Crystal Symphony

I was lucky enough to experience 3 nights on board Crystal Symphony. The ship only re-entered service last year after an extensive refurbishment. This included lowering the passenger capacity to 606 guests (previously around 900)

How have they managed this? They have redesigned a good amount of cabins and transformed them into suites. We stayed in a Sapphire Ocean View Suite. You can clearly tell from the layout this was most likely 2 cabins converted into 1 suite. This offered a large living area with a sofa and a small dining table perfect for in suite dining. There was an incredible walk In wardrobe a large bathroom with a double vanity alongside a huge walk in shower. The bedroom area was a perfect size and felt like a home away from home, however there was no door to separate the bedroom from the living area, although there was a curtain you could close should you wish.

Our suite was ready on arrival and to our surprise we found an amazing bottle of champagne on ice to welcome us aboard. The minibar was also included and offered a bottle of red and white wine, which is was a beautiful touch. Nothing was too much trouble for our butler Remil, he would often check how we were getting on and was happy to assist with anything we needed. After a long day at the pool he even arranged for a bottle of champagne on ice in the suite for us to enjoy whilst getting ready for dinner! The service was unrivaled.

Evening meal time aboard Crystal Symphony offers 10 dining options on board.
Waterside Restaurant - This is the main dining room offering open seating for breakfast, lunch & dinner
Marketplace - Offered a buffet-style dining venue
Trident Grill - A snack bar offering a late breakfast and lunch offering of wraps, burgers and a lovely steak sandwich
Tastes Kitchen & Bar - Offering lunch and evening dining, this offers something more casual experience perfect for dining with new friends
The Bistro - Beautiful cafe and coffee bar offering a small light bite buffet with different snacks offered depending on the time of the day.
Scoops Gelato Bar - Serving traditional and authentic Italian gelato, frozen yogurt and a great chocolate milkshake
The Vintage Room - This is a small intimate dining venue, offers a pairing menu, however this may come at an extra cost.
Osteria D’Ovidio - Italian specialty restaurant. You get to dine in here at lease once during your sailing (more depending on the length of cruise and suite type)
Umi Uma - Legendary Master chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, the only Nobu dining concept at sea. This meal was my absolute favourite on board and it deserves its own review so please look out for that!

On board facilities include the main pool and large hot tub on deck 11, which is perfect for relaxing and unwinding aboard the ship whilst soaking up the views. Just above on deck 12 you will find the golf driving nets, a small putting green and a full size paddle tennis and pickle ball court. The ship really did cater to everyones needs and would be perfect for children as it would keep them entertained throughout days at sea.

The gym has been revamped with all modern equipment on offer, creating an amazing space to keep active during your stay. If the  gym doesn't appeal to you then the Aurora spa has plenty to offer including a plethora of treatment rooms, a hair and nail salon with a separate male and female steam room and sauna. I loved the spa, as it was the perfect opportunity to unwind and channel my inner peace after a busy day exploring.

Main Entertainment is held in the incredible Galaxy Lounge, you have the opportunity to see Broadway style performances and headline entertainers, which is a great way to end your evening onboard. We saw Tom Ball who was runner up in Britains got talent in 2022. He put on a great show that was enjoyed by everyone!

Connoisseur club is a small intimate lounge bar, perfect for pre dinner cocktails and canapés, which we definitely made the most of. As well as the main entertainment you could also enjoy your evening in the Starlite Club which is an entertainment lounge with cabaret performances on selected nights.

Crystal cove located in the atrium a good spot for pre dinner cocktails. We saw a great singer here pre dinner one evening.
Palm Court with floor to ceiling windows, a nice quiet spot for reading during the day and social gatherings and dancing in the evenings.
We experienced white night, held in the atrium with live music and a really fun atmosphere.

If you love great service, good sized suites, great food then certainly give Crystal Cruises a try.