Service, space, choices and quality – these are the luxuries provided to guests by Crystal Cruises. Service aboard Crystal's cruise ships is attentive, thanks to one of the highest staff-to-passenger ratios in the cruise industry. The European staff is trained to remember all of your preferences, from how you take your coffee to how you like your pillows arranged.

           

Crystal Cruises also has a luxurious space-to-passenger ratio. The 50,000-ton Crystal Symphony carries just 940 guests, and the 68,000-ton Crystal Serenity carries 1,080 guests. Both ships allocate considerable space to their spas, learning centers, theaters and other public areas. Staterooms and suites are roomy by cruise industry standards: even minimum category staterooms have separate sitting areas.

 

Choices and quality abound in Crystal's on-board dining and activities. The main dining room never presents the same menu twice, even on Crystal's 106-day world cruise. Both ships also have specialty restaurants, including Prego, a romantic Italian restaurant; and Silk Road, which offers the cuisine of Nobu Matsuhisa, the chef who redefined sushi.

 

Crystal Cruises provides lots of activities for guests who wish to expand their skills and their minds. The Crystal Visions Enrichment Program brings in fascinating speakers, including authors, diplomats, historians and business experts. You can learn new computer skills, such as digital video editing and Web page design. In addition, Crystal's Creative Learning Institute offers interactive classes with partners that are leaders in their fields: for example, Berlitz provides language immersion classes.

 

With so much to do on board, you may not want to leave the ship. However, you'll be tempted by a wonderful array shore excursions. Would you like to pedal a bike through the European countryside, ride a hot air balloon in Turkey, or fly in a MiG fighter jet in Russia? Based on Crystal's itineraries and ports of call, these exciting opportunities are possible. Taking care of those additional details is just one of the many things your cruise expert can arrange.

 

Crystal Cruises sails the world, including some delightful European itineraries. Examples include a 12-day Mediterranean Majesty cruise departing from Rome; and a 12-day Spanish Serenade cruise departing from Barcelona. Crystal sails in Northern Europe, too, from June through August.