Crystal Serenity
The Crystal Serenity has got to be the most beautiful vessel afloat. Picture "art deco meets feng shui" and you can begin to understand why the ship is called Serenity.
The ship layout is superb and one of the best I have seen during my 20-year career. It is so easy to find your way around. It all just makes sense from top to bottom. The colors are delicious - rich burgundy coupled with soft copper and platinum. In other areas mint and silver or rich coffee and shimmery taupe. Whoever designed this vessel should be given a medal for creativity and visualization. In a word, she is spectacular and well worth consideration for a top tier incentive program.
The lovely Crystal dining room accommodates 566 passengers, as does the show lounge. With a capacity of 1080 guests, you can see why the ship has two-seating dining. However..if you utilize all of the alternative restaurants and add a casual option under the covered pool deck, you can easily facilitate open seating dining for a charter. This is a key point, as it will give you the opportunity to clearly put this vessel in a league with Radisson, Silversea, Seabourn and any other single-seating product.
The alternative venues: Silk Road (Asian) and Prego (Italian) are intimate and inviting. There is no surcharge to dine in either one, and the cuisine is elegant and delicious. Savor Oriental delicacies and sushi under the direction of master chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa (Nobu), or upbeat Northern Italian specialties created by the Best Young Chefs of Italy, as often as you'd like. Just make a reservation. And one exclusive option that bears mention is the 14-seat Vintage Room where you can pay upwards of $100 pp for a unique wine pairing dinner. A great option for your VIPs! The executive chef and head sommelier will come up with a menu designed especially for you and your guests.
The staterooms and suites are spacious and elegantly appointed. From the four 1,345 square-foot Crystal Penthouses (which are to die for) to the 226 square-foot standard outside "cabins", absolutely no one will be disappointed on the Serenity. Deck 7 is the lowest deck to offer guest accommodations - so everyone feels special. The Penthouse Suites come complete with butler service - yet even without it, passengers on Crystal are completely pampered! Eighty-six percent of the staterooms have verandas.
Here is one that you won't believe..Crystal has dedicated two rooms to be used as hospitality suites. No other cruise line has done this and the concept is fantastic. They are complete with a glass door, desk, chair, couch and full size television. You will never have to fight for a hospitality suite again.and you won't have to pay extra for it!
The public rooms are beautiful and inviting. The Galaxy Lounge, which serves as the main showroom was designed for each guest to have a perfect view. Each evening, the room comes alive with lavish Broadway-caliber entertainment. The Stardust Club is perhaps the most beautiful room on the vessel. This romantic nightclub features dancing and cabaret performances. The Hollywood Theater is the perfect place to catch a movie or host a meeting. Pulse is an adorable South Beach style disco. The exquisitely appointed Connoisseur Club is the perfect venue to sip on a glass of port wine or try a delicious martini. This room is drop dead gorgeous, with lots of rich wood and leather. It reminded me of an upscale safari lodge. Just next door is the warm and inviting Avenue Saloon. The inlaid wood floor is spectacular. The piano bar creates the perfect setting for any social gathering. And the Palm Court is a light and bright room with a huge dance floor and full service bar. This makes for the perfect observation lounge day or night - and an elegant place for afternoon tea.
One of the most unique venues onboard is The Studio. This new television studio also serves as an innovative learning and demonstration center for special classes. Here, you can learn to cook the gourmet specialties served onboard a Crystal ship. Or, take a piano lesson. The ship is equipped with a multitude of table top keyboards and headphones so that you can learn along with the group, or at your own pace.
The Spa and fitness center are first class all the way. Done in the style of a Japanese rock garden, you can't help but find peace and relaxation here. If you want to work off the calories, take a ride on one of many treadmills, all equipped with their own flat screen TV, music system and personal headphones. This is a first on any cruise ship!
The Lido Deck is one of the best I have seen. Complete with several food and beverage outlets, two pools (one covered), a gorgeous teak deck and comfortable cushioned furniture - you would be happy to never leave! At night, your group can dine out on deck by prior arrangement. If you can dream it, Crystal can do it. The deck space goes on and on and on.
The Crystal Serenity has all of the ingredients to make for the perfect vessel. Everything just fits into place in the most wonderful way. Forget what you know about Crystal in the past. They want incentive business. They are flexible. Their rates are competitive. They are easy to work with.and the product is first class!
Visit their website at www.crystalcruises.com for ship and itinerary information - but remember, for charters we can custom design a voyage of any length. So don't be shy.and give us a chance to put your next incentive program on a Crystal cruise ship.
