Crystal Serenity: The jewel at sea

Full luxury ahead!

"Serenity", translated from English, means something like "serene calmness". A quality that is complemented by a good dose of luxury and a touch of nostalgia on the Crystal Cruises ship of the same name. The result: a classic cruise experience that was thought to be a thing of the past, but is surprisingly contemporary and wonderfully relaxed.

Eyafjödur in the north of Iceland: behind us lie Reykavik, Isafjordur and Akureryri, the first stops on our two-week journey. Ahead of us lies the open Atlantic and, almost at the top end of the old-fashioned nautical chart on which we read the ship's current position every morning in the lobby crowned by a Tiffany-colored glass roof, the next destination: Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen. Our Norwegian captain Birger J. Vorland has planned two days and two nights for the approximately 1,000 nautical miles. Soon after the last bit of mainland has disappeared on the horizon, the sea resembles a wildly whirling machine of boiling laundry. Inside the Crystal Serenity, however, there is virtually no sign of the meter-high wave crests. We glide through the first gala evening on board with astonishing calm, enjoy caviar and lobster foam soup in the Waterside Restaurant, then have a quick dance in the Palm Court and end, as we do every night from then on, in the Avenue Saloon, a bar as it should be - dark, elegant, with first-class cocktails, comfortable sofas and Colin Salter, perhaps the best piano man between the North Sea and the South Sea. It almost goes without saying that you can quickly strike up a conversation with your fellow travelers in such an ambience - especially when most of them are Americans who are not at all embarrassed by small talk. So may we introduce: Eizabeth from New York, usually to be found playing paddle tennis on deck 12 during the day and on board for almost two months at a time "because it's so convenient to be able to get off in your own home town at the end". Or Eugene and Esther from Florida, who were honored at the Captain's Reception the evening before for their 200th voyage with Crystal Cruises.

No shipping company has more loyal regular guests than Crystal Cruises

There are many people like Elizabeth, Eugene and Esther on board, because no other luxury cruise line has such a loyal (and wealthy) regular clientele as Crystal Cruises. This made it all the more shocking when the company had to file for insolvency in early 2022 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. However, two new and financially strong owners were quickly found in the form of British tour operator Abercrombie & Kent and Manfredi Lefebve d'Ovidio, the former CEO of Silversea. Following extensive refurbishment work, the two ships in the fleet have been sailing again since 2023 - with a more contemporary look and even more luxury.

Modern comfort and luxury meets old-fashioned charm

For example, the maximum number of passengers has been reduced from over 1,200 to under 750 by merging cabins - a measure to which we owe our beautiful 40 m2 Sapphire Verandah Suite with separate living/sleeping areas, walk-in closet, elegant marble bathroom, floor-to-ceiling window fronts and XL balcony. Two culinary outlets are also new: the unfortunately mediocre Osteria d'Ovidio, run by the three Michelin-starred brothers Raffaele and Massimilano Alajmo, and the casual and legendary Beefbar, which has conquered the world's hotspots from Monaco with fine Wagyu cuts or a tartare served with salty panetone. A real classic on board, on the other hand, is the equally outstanding Umi Uma by star chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Nowhere else have we eaten better lobster tacos or shrimp tempura rolls and received more courteous and cordial service.

But back to the icy North Sea, which has calmed down enough overnight for us to power-walk around the circular promenade deck (2.08 laps are 1 km) and fight off the extra pounds. It's just a shame that we have to give up the battle just a little later after an étagère full of salmon and cucumber sandwiches and a bowl of strawberries with whipped cream for afternoon tea on the sauna scales ...

How else can you spend a day at sea on the Crystal Serenity? With top-class lectures, for example, in which former diplomats explain the crazy world out there, biologists report on the love life of polar bears or a financial expert gives an entertaining and competent lecture on blockchains and bitcoins. Instead, you could take a bridge course, work on your golf swing, watch Bridget Jones Part IV at the cinema, browse through the 2,000 books in the library or have a quiet game of roulette at the casino. Not a mile of boredom is the motto, even if there is no land in sight for the second day in a row.

We finally reach Longyearbyen, one of the highlights of our trip along with the North Cape and the Lofoten Islands, in the sleet. The "capital" of Spitsbergen has 2,500 inhabitants and the entire archipelago has up to 3,500 polar bears. The fact that we don't get to see some of them at all and others only from the bus - we bear it with "cheerful composure". How does that work? We learned on the Crystal Serenity.

Crystal Serenity

■ Cabins & suites
377 in total in 7 categories from 20 to 117 m2

■ CCircle tip
one of the Verandah Sapphire Suites with a classic or modern look

■ Style & ambience
Classic cruise atmosphere, elegant and relaxed at the same time

Facilities
8 restaurants + in-suite dining, 6 bars & lounges, cinema, 4 stores, library, office space, kids club

Sports & Spa
Gym, paddle tennis courts, pool, jacuzzi, golf pro, surrounding promenade, small spa with panoramic sauna and steam bath

■ Service
Outstanding, currently probably the best at sea

■ Contact
www.crystalcruises.com





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