The Travel Connection: Luxury at Sea

The Travel Connection: Luxury at Sea

Turks and Caicos

Luxury at Sea

by Nancy Kivlen

I just returned from the most amazing cruise aboard the Crystal Serenity. We boarded the ship in Miami and disembarked in Caldera, Costa Rica. It was Luxury at it's best.

The Serenity is a medium sized ship, perfect if you don't want to keep running into the same people or get lost in a maze of decks.

What made our trip especially nice was the upgrade to a Penthouse with a Verandah! This generously sized room (for a cruise) came with a separate jacuzzi bathtub, walk-in closet, make up area, sitting area and a nice sized verandah to enjoy the beautiful sunsets.

But the best part of the room was our Butler, Daniel!!! He was wonderful and available 24 hours with a quick phone call! Every afternoon at about 4pm, he had mouth-watering hor dourves that consisted of fresh shrimp or caviar. Our bar was always stocked and he surprised us with "treats", like buttered popcorn when he heard we were staying in our room for the night watching a movie.

I had the best meal of my life at Silk Roads. Their cod seafood specialty and rock shrimp is to die for, not to mention the chocolate souffle. We also enjoyed eating in the main dining room. Our table mates were from Canada and Ireland, each night we enjoyed a vigorous conversation of travel, politics, food and our daily excursions.

The highlight of the culinary feasts was the "Grand Gala Buffet" - this lavish array of food is put together by all the chefs on board and displayed in the grand court. There are sculptures made of ice, chocolate, cheese, gingerbread and a host of other tasty treats.

But the highlight for me was not the food, it was the ports, the people we met and the ambiance of the ship.

Our first stop was Turks & Caicos.












The beaches are magnificent, the color of the water is picture postcard clear.

We snorkeled and swam with the sting rays,

and even let them kiss us!!






There is nothing to do here but swim and snorkle.





If you're stressed out from work life in general, hanging out on a turquoise colored bay is a great way to relax.

Next, the shipped docked in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. The day started out wet and rainy as we swam with the Dolphins.





But it ended up glorious and sunny as so often happens in the Caribbean.



Having a Dolphin "jet" you across a small lake is a memorable experience for sure!

We met a nice taxi driver, Ed and his wife Georgia - they took us to a beautiful beach called Brewer's Bay. There was not another another person anywhere to be seen. A truly memorable day.

Our next stop was the trendy, hip island of St. Bart's. What more could you ask for from a small Caribbean island?

It's French, so needless to say the food and wine were great, the yachts were abundant, the town - adorable, and the atmosphere chic. We went for a 3 hour catamaran sail exploring the island and enjoying the scenery.

After this we went to Aruba. I've been to Aruba before, but always enjoy coming back. What Aruba lacks in tropical vegetation, it gains in beautiful white-sand beaches dotted with cactus and great snorkeling spots.



Particularly the north part of the island where the lighthouse is located. There is a great shipwreck off the coast which provides awesome snorkeling.










We took a tour of the Hyatt Hotel in Aruba, this is very nice, I was already calculating where my next trip might be!!

Of course the town of Oranjestad is very quaint and very Dutch.

Our days at sea were anything but boring. After a couple trips to the Spa, Computer room and Library to rent movies, we had a great time listening to some of Crystal's guest speakers. Their talks ranged from CSI/Espionage to Wine Tasting and Cooking tips. Then there was the Casino and for the non-gamblers like myself bingo and Trivial Pursuit. In the evening we enjoyed the wonderful musical shows that Crystal put on, or the comedy acts. And we had fun at the Pulse Lounge listening to karaoke.

Heading through the Panama Canal was the highlight of the whole trip. This took a full 8 hours as we were "dropped" several feet in each of the locks along the way (there are 3). The locks lower you from the Caribbean to the Pacific ocean (or raise you if your are heading in the other direction).

The canal is hot and humid, because the ship travels at such a slow speed, you can enjoy the surroundings: rain forests, birds, listen to the monkeys in the trees. I also enjoyed the movie and information that Crystal put together about how the Canal was built. Here's a look at what it was like, check out my video by clicking on this picture.












My favorite place on the Serenity is The Bistro. Each morning and afternoon, I would stop by for a double espresso mocha or cappuccino. This is a great place to sit and watch the Panama Canal go by.

On our last day before we docked in Caldera, Costa Rica - I sat in the Bistro reflecting on this great trip and wondered what more could anyone ask for? I could have done without the 5 extra lbs I put on, but the Service, the Ports, the Spa, the Room, the Butler and Yes, The Food on Crystal! were all PERFECT!

Ahhhhh - Nothing like a full moon from our Verandah and a nice glass of Chardonnay to finish off this wonderful trip. A Beautiful finish to a Beautiful Cruise.






The next day we landed in Costa Rica & A Whole New Adventure began. But I'll save that for a different Blog!

If you want more information about the Cruise I took aboard the Crystal Serenity, read about it here. Visit our website at http://www.carefreevacations.com/ or Call 1-800-CONFIRM.

We have many Crystal Cruise Specialists at Carefree Vacations: Linda Rigg, Bob Pavon, Yen Flynn, Pam Paterson, Kim Rosen, Trudy Klein, and Cathy Hale.

Just click on any of their names and send them an email! Tell them you read this blog and want more information about Crystal Cruises. Ask about special upgrades and shipboard credit. And don't forget to ask about the Penthouse with a Verandah!!