This will be the final post of our cruise and I am profoundly thankful for all of you being a part of our incredible journey. As of this writing, you have viewed this site more than 13,000 times. Impressive.

The following images are in no particular order, just flashbacks to all those who made this cruise so wonderful. Thank you A&K for resurrecting Crystal and to the loyalty of staff and customers for whom without, this brand will forever remain a breakaway leader of its industry.

I want to send a special shout out to my IT guys for their support in setting me up with my own terminal and maintaining the Internet aboard Serenity. Crystal. This is by far the absolute, hands-down, best Internet service of any other cruise line.

During our sea days, at noon, just after the Captain’s announcement, we have Trivia. Some days we are terrific, other days not, but during these 40 minutes we are superstars!

What separates Crystal from other lines we have sailed is the staff. When Crystal was resurrected, 80% of the staff returned to these two ships (Serenity & Symphony). I would like to take this opportunity to thank a few, which seems so unfair not to mention everyone, but please know we feel this way about every Crystal employee.

When we boarded Crystal Serenity in January, after four years, it was like returning home. The feeling we had back in 2020 has continued on this trip, from day one to day 90. You remembering our names as if it were yesterday. You are the best of the best in the industry and family to all of us. It will be a tearful day as we step off the ship, but we know your smiles will still be there for us when we return. God bless you all.

Thank you Leo (right) and Mario (left). For those who will be joining this ship in the future, Leo is the Restaurant Manager aboard Serenity and you will not find a more caring, friendly, accommodating professional in the hospitality industry than he.

It would be easy to ask the question: “How could he remember us, by name, after four years?” but both Meredith & I did not expect he wouldn’t. Just don’t play paddle-tennis with him. All that stuff I mentioned goes out the door. He is an assasin.

Sigi. What can I say about Sigi. We will miss him tremendously. This picture of Sigi is so disarming (LOL), sort of like seeing a smile on a Great White. Sigi is there to make sure everything runs smoothly. Not through fear but through respect and pride. These guys would give SpaceX a run for their money if given the chance to launch rockets.

Shiv. What you need to realize about the staff aboard Crystal is that no one has a single responsibility. I am convinced the staff are all experts in quantum Physics, because you will see them at breakfast, lunch dinner, special events–– each and every day–– without time loss.

Shiv, you have made our time aboard Serenity a pleasure, each morning with a smile, each afternoon in passing with a wave, each and every evening making sure we are well cared for, attended to and happy. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Michael, Michael, Michael–wait a minute, I have a few more Michaels…. I dare anyone who is having a bad day, then running into Michael, to come away without feeling happy, for he has mastered the art of smiling with his eyes. Thank you Michael.

And Raquel. Thank you so much for everything. We have petitioned to have your likeness carved and placed as the figurehead on the Serenity, for it is your sweet personality and smile that seems to bless everyone onboard.

Four years ago we met Sebastian on the 2020 World Cruise and we were immediately drawn to him by his sincerity and kindness. During that time we were so excited to be stopping in Mumbi to meet his family and have a genuine Indian experience; but COVID came along and we never got there.

So you can imagine how we felt, knowing that 80% of the 2020 staff had returned–– except Sebastian was nowhere to be found. When we reached Las Palmas, the second to the last stop of our trip, we decided to chill out from the usual festivities and have dinner at Taste, which is one of the most beautiful and underrated venues aboard Serenity. We had come to the realization that we had made the final turn of this journey and would never see Sebastian again. So when he approached our table and said, “Do you remember me?”, our mouths dropped open with a resounding yes and a disbelieving nod, then we jumped up to hug him. This was the icing on a cake .

I am convinced that John is truly the devil; yet perhaps the most well known and important person aboard Serenity, for he runs the Scoops Ice Cream Bar. His smile and laugh are infectious and his draw is greater than that of any black hole in space; he is inescapable. Whenever a picture of John is splashed on a screen during an event, he brings everyone to their feet in a standing ovation.

And then there is Raymond, who has one of the most dry and witty senses of humor. He is unforgiving in trying to seat us at his stations, knowing we are on our way to somewhere else. He makes us crack up every time we are with him. Raymond, like everyone else aboard Serenity , look out for each other and no one has the mindset of vocabulary that says, “not my job.” All those years I spent in Corporate America, attending seminars on Service Excellence–– well all they had to do was observe any Crystal Employee to know what service excellence is and Raymond would be the poster child for it.

Anastasia, who is always there and never seen. I swear she just appears when you are thinking about a cocktail, but are either too lazy to get up or not sure you really want one.. and she appears. You could be in the Saloon, where you will find her at nights until the last passenger is swept out , or in the morning at breakfast craving a Mimosa, as we did this morning, or at Trivia at noon for a ginger ale or at the Cove around cocktail hour.

And then there are the officers, where we got a private tour of the bridge one afternoon. As a techie, I was fascinated and asked questions about every single button and switch, my fingers itching to toggle the forward thrusters or spin the pod drives––

“We’re heading into the pier too quickly!”

“Let me in there,” I say and nudge the Captain aside, bringing the Serenity in for a perfect maneuver.

“Are you a Captain?” they ask. No… but I did sleep in a Crystal Serenity bed last night!

But the one person who truly made our journey a treat was Engin–The Head Butler aboard the Serenity and our personal Butler. We couldn’t wait to see him every day, listen to his beatboxing and just catch up on the day’s events. Engin, you are amazing in both what you do and who you are. You have spoiled us beyond repair.

There are so many Crystal personnel to name, but here are a few images of those who make everyone’s day a lot better

There is not enough time to name everyone aboard, so I will end it with a few individuals. First and foremost, our Cruise Director Rafael, who is the pied piper, the Wizard of Oz, the Danny Kaye of the Cruise Industry, and Leonard Bernstein. Not only is he the Cruise Director, he was once the Crystal Band Director who plays the trumpet, piano and other instruments. He conducts during special events. He announces Trivia, he hosts the morning show on TV, he is the MC for all enrichment lectures… he is exhausting!

And our Captain of course, Captain Birger Vorland, who always made us feel safe, was always involved in the events, center stage, and it was a pleasure watching him make decisions during times when it seemed no one else could, such as a tendering one day with high seas, making it nearly impossible to get guests aboard safely. Captain Borland was summoned and after getting on the radios to both the tenders and bridge, maneuvering both, he magically found the sweet spot and everyone was able to go ashore for their excursions.

I would like to end this post with someone special, an artist at sea. Afzal Hussain Khan. The flaoting Mixologist known to the Internet (follow him) and bar manager, where you will find him at his craft in the Saloon.

If you get a chance, ask him about how he makes his own bitters and perfumes that dust your martini glass with the scent of orange or rose water, igniting your senses. And then there is his creation, Head In The Clouds. which could be auctioned at Christies.

Yes… It’s true… The final Dress