Welcome to our guide where we are going to examine Crystal Cruises two luxurious ships and some of their most popular destinations.
You may know by now that Crystal Cruises is a top tier choice for an ultra luxury cruise around the world, known for its excellent service, incredible guest to space ratio and some of the best food at sea. Their ships are considered mid-sized, carrying less than 700 passengers, and they offer more entertainment options than other ships in the same price range.
This guide will examine both the Crystal Serenity and the Crystal Symphony in detail, and then we are going to explore itineraries and prices in some of their main destinations like the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.
Before we move on, keep in mind that you can click the Request a Quote button and contact us anytime! Reaching out is free, and even better, booking through Famvia does not cost you anything extra. In fact, our travel advisors often have access to special deals that can help you save money. We can also provide tips on the best restaurants onboard, explain what is not included in your fare, assist with itineraries and much more.
Crystal Cruises Ships
Crystal Cruises currently has two ships in its fleet, with a third arriving in 2028. Their ships are considered mid-sized, accommodate fewer than 1,000 guests, and have an old school feel. These ships were actually built more than twenty years ago and received extensive updates, including a major refurbishment in 2023, before being reintroduced to the world.
Their fleet consists of:
- Crystal Symphony (built in 1995, refurbished in 2023)
- Crystal Serenity (built in 2003, refurbished in 2023)
- Crystal Grace (2028)
Their ships are known for an amazing guest to space ratio, excellent service, great restaurants and a strong number of entertainment options compared to other similar ultra luxury lines. As you may know, ultra luxury cruise lines usually do not invest heavily in live shows or areas for kids, but Crystal Cruises does things differently. The theater on both ships welcomes small scale Broadway style shows, and each one has an area for kids and teens, a pickleball court and a space for practicing your golf swings.
Guest to space ratio is a measurement used in the cruise industry that shows how much space each guest gets on a ship. Crystal Cruises has a guest to space ratio of 1 to 84.2 cu ft on Crystal Symphony and 1 to 93.1 cu ft on Crystal Serenity, which is considered very spacious and ranks among the highest in the entire industry. To put things in perspective, a ratio of 1 to 40 or 1 to 50 is considered average, and Crystal basically doubles that number.
There is not a lot of information about Crystal Grace for now, so let us examine their two active ships.
Crystal Symphony
- Year: 1995, completely refurbished in 2023.
- Rooms: Oceanview, Veranda and Suites. No inside staterooms. Entry level rooms start at 215 ft², while suites start at 323 ft². Single guest rooms are also 215 ft².
- Main features: Casino; cigar & cognac club; small swimming pool; pickleball court; golf driving net; fitness center; spa.
- Main Destinations: Caribbean (30); Mediterranean (23); Africa (15); Asia (15)
- Starting Price: 3-Nights San Juan to Bridgetown Cruise at $1,600; 7-Nights San Juan to Fort Lauderdale Cruise at $3,700; 7-Nights Barcelona to Rome at $4,400.
Crystal Symphony is the ship you choose if you want a very intimate vessel with very few passengers onboard. This ship is originally from 1995 and carries up to 606 guests, with a large guest to space ratio of 1 to 84.2 cu ft. Entry level staterooms are 215 ft², with suites starting at 430 ft².
It has the same restaurants that you find on Crystal Serenity, including amazing choices like Umi Uma and Osteria d'Ovidio. This ship also has a small shopping area, a computer lab, a cigar and cognac club, a library and an area for kids and teens.
All in all, this is a great option for those who want a small and cozy ship where you can get to know your fellow passengers and do not mind if some public areas feel a bit old school.
Crystal Serenity
- Year: 2003, completely refurbished in 2023.
- Rooms: Oceanview, Veranda and Suites. No inside staterooms. Entry level rooms start at 215 ft², while suites start at 323 ft². Single guest rooms are also 215 ft².
- Main features: Extra lecture rooms; Casino; cigar & cognac club; small swimming pool; pickleball court; golf driving net; fitness center; spa.
- Main Destinations: Caribbean (28); Mediterranean (16); Northern Europe (13); Alaska (10); South America (10).
- Starting Price: 4-Nights Fort Lauderdale to San Juan at $2,200; 5-Nights Southampton to Hamburg at $3,500; 7-Nights Alaska Cruise at $4,100.
Crystal Serenity is often considered the crown jewel of Crystal Cruises, a ship that started sailing in 2003 and was completely overhauled and relaunched in 2023. It has what many consider to be the largest guest to space ratio in the entire industry at 1 to 93.1 cu ft, along with a very wide promenade that circles the entire ship and many enjoyable lounges, entertainment options and shows.
Dining options are the same as those on Crystal Symphony, with great choices like Umi Uma, Osteria d'Ovidio and The Vintage Room. It also features a small swimming pool, a pickleball court, a golf driving net and two areas dedicated to children and teens.
Crystal Serenity is in theory eight years younger than Crystal Symphony, and that shows in some design aspects, as some public spaces tend to feel less outdated when compared to its older sister. It is also a slightly larger ship that accommodates 740 guests, compared to Crystal Symphony which carries up to 606 guests.
Crystal Cruises Destinations
Crystal Cruises traverses some of the most popular regions in the world. They offer a large number of different itineraries for a company that has only two cruise ships, with 228 itineraries available at the time of this writing.
As far as destinations go, Crystal Cruises has a strong presence in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, but also sails to Alaska, Asia and Northern Europe. Here is a list of their destinations and the number of itineraries they had at the time of this writing. This number changes over time, but it helps illustrate where Crystal focuses most of their attention:
- The Americas and The Caribbean (58)
- The Mediterranean (39)
- Asia (23)
- Northern Europe (23)
- Africa & Indian ocean (19)
- Alaska (18)
- South America (13)
- Transoceanic (9)
- Oceania (4)
- World Cruise (4)
Crystal Cruises Main Ports of Call
Crystal Cruises visits more than 100 ports worldwide. Here are some of their most popular ones:
- Fort Lauderdale (49)
- San Juan (45)
- Barcelona (30)
- Lisbon (27)
- Rome (26)
- Vancouver (24)
- St John’s (23)
- Cartagena (23)
- Singapore (20)
- New York City (18)
- Hong Kong (15)
Crystal Cruises Main Destinations
The Caribbean
- Starting Price: 3-Nights San Juan to Bridgetown at $1,600; 7-Nights San Juan to Fort Lauderdale at $3,700; 9-Nights Fort Lauderdale roundtrip at $4,900.
- Main Departure Ports: Fort Lauderdale; San Juan
The Caribbean is one of the most popular cruise destinations in the world, and also one region where Crystal Cruises has a strong presence. In fact, Crystal Cruises uses “The Americas and the Caribbean” as one of their destination highlights, meaning they also offer cruises from Vancouver to San Diego and San Diego round trips that explore the west coast. The Caribbean itineraries focused on Turks and Caicos, George Town and Santo Domingo are, however, the stars of the show.
Many Caribbean itineraries with Crystal Cruises are one-way trips departing from Fort Lauderdale, San Juan or New York City. The initial roundtrip Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale is a 9-night cruise with a starting price of $4,900, visiting Nassau, Grand Turk, Punta Cana, San Juan and Gustavia.
Other interesting itineraries depart from Vancouver or Fort Lauderdale and cross the Panama Canal while visiting the main islands in the Caribbean. One example is the 28-night Fort Lauderdale to San Diego cruise, which costs $14,300 and visits beautiful beaches, Central America, crosses the Panama Canal and arrives in San Diego.
The Mediterranean
- Starting Price: 3-Nights Valletta to Rome at $2,600; 6-Nights Barcelona to Mallorca at $4,300; 24-Nights Rome roundtrip at $15,400.
- Main Departure Ports: Barcelona; Rome; Lisbon
The Mediterranean is one of the premier destinations for ultra-luxury cruise lines, so it is no surprise that Crystal Cruises has a strong presence in the region. As with their Caribbean itineraries, most of their Mediterranean cruises are one-way trips that connect some of Europe’s most popular cities, such as Barcelona, Athens and Venice. Some of our recommended itineraries in the region include:
- 4-night Athens to Valletta: starting at $3,400, with stops at Santorini and Bodrum.
- 7-night Lisbon to Barcelona: starting at $4,400, exploring the Iberian Peninsula in detail.
- 7-night Barcelona to Rome: starting at $4,400, with stops at Monte Carlo, Portofino and Livorno.
- 14-night Lisbon to Rome: starting at $8,300, exploring both Spain and Italy.
Alaska
- Starting Price: 6-Nights Seward to Vancouver at $3,900; 7-Nights Vancouver to Seward at $4,100; 7-Nights Vancouver roundtrip at $4,500.
- Main Departure Ports: Vancouver; Seward
Alaska is receiving more attention from cruise lines lately, and there is nothing better than visiting The Last Frontier on an ultra-luxury cruise ship. Most Crystal Cruises itineraries are six- or seven-night one-way cruises departing from either Vancouver or Seward, with stops at Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan and the Hubbard Glacier.
Some of the week-long cruises also include stops at Skagway and Juneau. Keep in mind that one-way cruises visit more cities and glaciers, while the seven-night roundtrip cruise focuses more on the sailing experience in Alaska, even though it includes stops at Ketchikan and Wrangell.
There are, however, several roundtrip cruises from Vancouver that last 10 or 11 nights and include stops at multiple glaciers and cities. One example is the 11-night Vancouver roundtrip cruise, which starts at $6,100 and stops at glaciers and destinations such as Ketchikan, Wrangell, Sitka and Haines.
Why book Crystal Cruises with us?
At Famvia, we are luxury cruise specialists. We proudly partner with some of the world’s most prestigious cruise lines, including Seabourn, Silversea, Explora Journeys and, of course, Crystal Cruises.
Crystal Cruises is still a relatively new cruise line following the major relaunch of their two ships in 2023, so navigating their itineraries and offerings can be a bit challenging. That is where we come in. Our dedicated travel advisors specialize in Crystal Cruises and can help you find the perfect voyage tailored to your preferences. In addition, we often have access to exclusive offers and pricing not available to the general public.
With deep expertise in Crystal Cruises’ all inclusive fares and two luxurious ships, we are here to guide you every step of the way. Simply click the Request a Quote button to get in touch. Our personalized planning services are complimentary, and we look forward to crafting an unforgettable journey just for you.
