A Crystal Cruise

ABOARD CRYSTAL SERENITY — We look dashing in our tuxedo and ball gown sipping flutes of champagne here in the Palm Court. The band has offered a drum roll following its opening strains of “Anchors Away” as the spotlight turns to the Capt. Glenn Edvardsen, the master of the vessel.

After a few words of welcome to this formal night’s cocktail party, Capt. Edvardsen, looking distinguished in his dress uniform, makes an announcement: Crystal Cruises has been voted Best Large-Ship Cruise Line for a record 14th straight year by readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine.

There’s applause as the beaming captain adds, in his Norwegian accent, “This is not an accomplishment we can make alone. It is always the people around you who make you the way you are. We thank you.”

Back stateside, the company president also expresses his appreciation to the “discriminating travelers” he cites as the company’s supporters. “Receiving this recognition for so many years from the very people who purchase our vacations is a testament to the consistency and innovation of the Crystal product,” says Gregg Michel.

This cocktail party onboard is being held for those discriminating travelers, members of the Crystal Society — repeat voyagers on Crystal ships. The captain tells us, in all, they number 325,000 — a lot of votes.

Other accolades for Crystal include World’s Best Large-Ship Line, Travel and Leisure readers; Favorite Large-Ship Cruise Line and Most Environmentally Friendly, Conde Nast Traveler UK readers; and Best Cruise Line Spa, Conde Nast Traveler readers. That’s just the ’07 highlights.

During our 12-day, “Temples of the Gods & Pharaohs” cruise to Turkey, Egypt and Greece, we set out to discover firsthand why Crystal Cruises is so consistently highly rated. Answers come quickly starting when we check into Penthouse 10070 where we’re warmly welcomed by smiling butler Engin Elmans outfitted in tails and white gloves. During introductions, he explains, with a laugh, the meaning of his name — “Engin” is diamonds; “Elmans” is infinity. “So I am endless diamonds, and what do you think ladies like best? Me — diamonds.” We chuckle at his joke.

Mr. Elmans efficiently programs our bedside phone for direct-dial to him at the press of a button, and asks if we prefer our complimentary afternoon canapes be a surprise or prearranged favorites like caviar or shrimp (surprise us, we suggest). He shows us the complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks in the bar area and says he’ll deliver our favorite complimentary liquor, a liter each for the sailing.

“If you need clothes pressed, just leave them with me in the morning, and I will deliver them to you by the afternoon.” He demonstrates controls for the flat-screen TV and bathroom sound system. The entire suite is lush, including the bath’sJacuzzi tub and separate shower.

Next, Mr. Elmans produces a shiny, gold envelope.Inside is an invitation to the highest priced on-board Vintage Room dinner ever offered by Crystal. Special wine dinners are usually available each sailing for about $200; this one’s a record $1,250 to attend.

The menu of steamed scallops, mushroom risotto, beef filet and much more is the creation of London’s acclaimed master chef Anton Mosimann, but it is the pairing with seven exceptional wines that accounts for the price: A nearly impossible-to-get 1961 German Riesling and a 1959 Chateau Mouton Rothschild, for instance. Also attending will be Fred Dame, president of the Guild of Master Sommeliers.

Yes, the dinner is exclusive (we pass since we still have a mortgage), but all passengers on this sailing will have the opportunity to sample Mr. Mosimann’s dishes at a special guest-chef dinner in the main dining room one evening, plus attend a cooking class he’ll lead (kindly sharing recipes), and even wine seminars and tastings conducted by Mr. Dame. Of course, all of those are free.

Dining opportunities on Crystal Cruises’ two ships, the 940-guest Crystal Symphony and this 1,080-guest Crystal Serenity, contribute greatly to its high ratings.In addition to a first-class general dining room, Serenity has three specialty restaurants: Prego, for Italian, and Silk Road and its accompanying Sushi Bar for high-end Asian fare from chefs trained by Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa, renowned internationally for his innovative blending of classically styled Japanese foods with distinct Peruvian and European influences.

Mr. Matsuhisa has partnered with Crystal to add Silk Road and the Sushi Bar on the Symphony debuting during on its March 3 trans-Pacific cruise from Los Angeles to Hong Kong. He’ll join that sailing to oversee the launch.

Popular fare at the Sushi Bar includes yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno and tuna tataki with ponzu sauce; and at Silk Road, Nobu-style lobster with truffle-yuzu sauce, saikyo miso black cod, and beef with three distinctive sauces.

In fact, a frequent Crystal passenger from Florida opted to dine nightly at Silk Road instead of the main dining room. “The chefs are innovative, fun to have experiment for you, and the range of what they produce in a relatively small area is outstanding,” he said. “The flavors and colors as well as the rest of the presentation are mouth-watering. The food prep is scrumptious, the range of items and flavors amazing, and the whole experience is unlike any other place at sea. It’s even downright sexy with the right partner.”

At Prego, we wisely heed another passenger’s advice and order the beautifully presented and equally delicious carpaccio di manzo, thinly sliced raw beef with mustard sauce and capers, plus the cream soup of selected Italian mushrooms served in a cup made from a round of homemade oregano bread.

Another area where Crystal excels: shore excursions.

Admittedly, the ports of call on our cruise afford some unbelievable opportunities. One passenger calls it, “several trips of a lifetime rolled into one.” Guests may choose from a dozen excursions just in Istanbul, home to the famed Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, plus the Grand Bazaar (normally more active than during our visit because it coincides with Ramadan) plus Topkapi Palace and the Basilica Cistern. There was even an evening performance of the Whirling Dervishes.

Kusadasi’s seven excursions include a trip to what may have been the last home of the Virgin Mary and the nearby ruins at Ephesus, or a day trip to the resort city of Bodrum.

Among five different outings on the Greek island of Rhodes is a visit to the ancient acropolis at Lindos, plus tours of the medieval, walled part of the city.

Serenity’s overnight anchor at Alexandria gives cruisers 10 choices, including a stay at the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo with extensive touring. Nearly everyone heads to Giza to see the Pyramids and to Cairo’s Egyptian Museum to visit the Mummy Room and King Tut’s treasures. The overnight also means there is more time to explore Alexandria, including the architecturally stunning modern library where once stood the largest library in the ancient world.

Santorini is a highlight for many passengers, from hiking a volcano to visiting the panoramic city of Oia to viewing the ship docked in the massive caldera now filled with stunning blue water. A Greek-style fiesta with dancing and the breaking of plates gets the camcorders whirring. Opa.

Athens, our final city, features Constitution Square, the Royal Palace, Hadrian’s Gate and the Olympic Stadium plus a walking tour of the sacred rock — the Parthenon and the rest of the Acropolis. Some opt for a day trip to the ruins at Delphi or an excursion to Poseidon’s Temple at Cape Sounion.

Speaking of ways Crystal Cruises stands out, guests are impressed when the slow service at one lunch stop results in the cruise line refunding half of that day’s excursion cost to participants.

Crystal also does a great job of helping passengers get the most from the shore experiences through its on-board lectures. This sailing’s lectures were expertly delivered by former ambassador Andrew L. Steigman, assistant dean of Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, and former ambassador Edward Peck, who advised the Reagan administration on terrorism. “The Shock of Foreign Cultures — Especially Yours” was one of Mr. Peck’s lectures.

There’s no shortage of on-board activities on Crystal ships, either. We chose among exercise classes or working out on our own; extensive spa treatments; a galley tour: Computer University at Sea classes such as keyboard lessons and art workshops; art auctions; casino action; an extensive library of books, DVDs and CDs; Dixieland jazz and classical concerts plus lavishly produced shows. Guests rave over violinist Ian Cooper and concert pianist Jonathan Plowright.

About a thousand lucky cruisers departed Jan. 19 aboard Crystal Serenity’s 108-day, World Cruise, taking them to Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, India, northern Africa and Mediterranean ports. The 45-port, 22-country tour ends May 7 in Southampton, England.

If you missed that one, don’t worry, the line has released its 2008 Europe Crystal Collection brochure outlining 29 European itineraries to 84 ports and 30 countries from late April through November.

European cruise highlights include:

• Seven new ports of call including Sarande, Albania; Valencia, Spain; and Olden, Norway.

• Eleven theme cruises like Arts & Antiquities and Classical Music.

• Former White House press secretary Marlin Fitzwater as celebrity lecturer on Serenity’s July 7 voyage from Venice to Athens.

• Five Value Collection cruises providing up to 51 percent off.

• Shore excursions such as a volcano and glacier flightseeing adventure in Reykjavik, Iceland; a master class for instruction on how to paint a piece of porcelain at the Imperial Porcelain Factory in St. Petersburg; or a three-island yacht cruise in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Most itineraries feature shipboard overnight stays in some of Europe’s most fascinating cities such as Monte Carlo, Bordeaux, Sorrento, Venice, Istanbul, Athens, Barcelona, Lisbon, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Edinburgh.

For 2009, Crystal Cruises is venturing to all seven continents, circling the Pacific, and featuring new itineraries in South America, Europe and the Middle East.

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To experience Crystal’s Turkey, Egypt, Greece itinerary, Turkish Airlines offers direct flights from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Istanbul, and returns from Greece. For more information, visit www.thy.com. Business and Elite Class passengers get fast-track cards for quicker routing through Istanbul customs.

To book a Crystal cruise, contact a travel agent, call 888/799-4625 or visit www.crystalcruises.com.