sights past and present with our keen guide. Next up was the boutique hideaway of
Newport, Rhode Island, the former summer retreat to the likes of the Vanderbilts and Astors and other of America’s glitterati of the 1920s and 30s. Also home to the International Tennis Hall of Fame and a charming History Museum, the place once described by Oscar Wilde as “where idleness ranks among the virtues” remains a bijou destination but was easily one of the surprise ‘discoveries’ of the itinerary.
F
inally, we sailed past Lady Liberty at 5.45am for our ultimate call of New York and the controlled chaos of Manhattan, the end of a 2,087-nautical mile jaunt through the heart of eastern Canada and New England, and a journey of superb enchantment. We had arrived typically stressed and
overwrought from the usual demands of work and daily life but departed wonder- fully decompressed thanks to the smooth ministrations of Igor, Chetan and Co. In fact, it was all we could do to prise ourselves from the stateroom-home we had come to know and love, so comfort- able and familiar had we become with ‘our’ corner of Symphony’s smooth operation. We had been royally dined, thoroughly cosseted and supremely entertained by Cruise Director Paul McFarland and his team. Special plaudits should go to an entertainment staff that featured the Crystal Ensemble and Galaxy Orchestra, who
failed not a jot by comparison with their big-ship brethren and their fancier features. Speciality acts Dale Gonyea, a witty comedy pianist, and the classical wizardry of concert pianist Avner Arad held us in thrall on several evenings, and the casual musical contributions of guitarist Joe Fos and the Crystal String Quartet added an elegant background frisson to the main atrium and lounges. We raised a slight eyebrow at some onboard prices – the Crystal Spa peaked at $446 for the 170-minute Ceremony of Paradise treatment, a simple HydraLift facial was $132, and a two-hour internet package was a hefty $50 for a connec- tion that could certainly not be termed ‘high-speed’ – but those minor quib- bles did not seriously detract from our enjoyment. This was my first full Crystal cruise for almost 15 years but it was clear the line’s
FACT FILE Crystal Symphony
Maiden voyage: 1995; refurbished 2004, 2006, 2009. Tonnage: 51,044
Length: 781ft Beam: 99ft Draft: 24.9ft Speed: 20 knots
Passengers: 922 Crew: 545
Passenger decks: 12 Registry: Bahamas
ITINERARIES: summer, Alaska and Canada; Panama Canal; autumn, New England and Canada (4 voyages of 10 and 11 nights); winter, Caribbean, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Hawaii, South America; spring 2012, Mediterranean; summer, Northern Europe; autumn, Canada and New England (5 voyages of 7, 10 and 11 nights).
MORE INFO: In the UK, call 020 7287 9040 or
www.crystalcruises.co.uk; in the US, call 1888 722 0021, or
www.crystalcruises.com.
onboard style has not diminished one iota, and their ability to provide a sumptuous, seamless experience remains among the very best – and possibly THE best in terms of their size. Ultimately, though, the ship is the star. A sleek, well-proportioned lady mariner that truly indulges and pampers her guests in surroundings that continue to evoke memories of cruising’s classic era, a proud heritage of luxury travel par excellence. Hard to beat – and even harder to leave
behind.
Spring 2011 I WORLD OF CRUISING
25
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