For both of us this was a new ship and we were looking forward to exploring every deck, but before we could do this we had to wait on the Lido deck sipping Japanese beers while waiting for our rooms to ready. Right away we met the Crystal Cult. These are the people for whom Crystal is the ONLY way to cruise. They kept telling us that after the next 16 days we'd never go on another liner - ever. The service was impeccable, the staff engaging and the food amazing. And of course the free alcohol, and lack of tacked-on gratuities added to the splendor of it all. People were acknowledging each other, and bragging to each other as they proudly said how many Crystal cruises they had been on. It was like notches on the belt and we felt like the new kids on the block with no notches to speak of.
Here's what I'll say now, having been on board for two weeks: it is true the staff are engaging and their ability to know all our names after only a few interactions is a sign of good training; the food in the main dining room is good, and in the two specialty restaurants (Prego and Silk Road) it is terrific; the almost non-existent need to sign a chit for wine, beer, any cocktail of your choice, specialty coffees, or other amenities is delightful; the cabaret singer-pianist, Mark Farris, who plays in the intimate and dark lounge is delightful; the well-thought-out storage in our cabin is excellent (the bathroom design is the best of any ship we have been on),and the attentiveness of our room stewardess (Eldie) and our breakfast butler (Marvin) - is delightful.
But here's what I'll also say: our fellow passengers - all Crystal Aficionados are a distinctly aging population, with entirely too many walkers and oxygen issues; the entertainment (like Oceania) is well hyped but not great in execution; the stores as on all cruise ships are too expensive; the lecturers (most with a Fox News slant) are somewhat ho-hum; the ship's decor is early Italian rococo and boring; and the freedom of dining at will ("by reservation", as the liner proudly advertises) has not yet been successfully implemented.
Considering that this is a luxury level cruise line with a clientele who are not worried about the next recession, the whole thing somehow lacks real "class". The surface of elegant dress, and plenty of white linen is there, but it just doesn't compare to the QM2 where the decor, the lectures, the clientele and the ambience reek of true class.
We may be jaded, or we may simply be ready to be home, but we have not yet joined the Crystal Cult. Long and leisurely days at sea are delightful as we stare at endlessly blue waters uninterrupted by other ships; late morning coffee in our cabin is relaxing as we once more advance our clocks and cross the International Date Line and watch CNN on our TV; stopping by The Bistro for a cappuccino, or eating sushi in Silk Road is appealing; and the pure pleasure of having someone serve whatever food whim comes into your head does have its charms (not to mention no cooking duties) but I think we will return to this cruise line based purely on itinerary - and NOT because it is the ONLY way to cruise.
But having completed my rant, I will acknowledge that our one port of call - Honolulu - after ten days at sea was a pure delight. None of the tours caught our interest since we both know this city fairly well, and have visited the Arizona Memorial site more than a few times. But in this city lives a fellow alumni of University High School in Ann Arbor, class of 1962. His name is David Bailey and he is the owner of the Aloha Shirt Store - an amazing emporium of over 15,000 new and used, historic and colorful, Hawaiian shirts. David himself has led a most storied life with which he is only too ready to regale you. From getting arrested in Russia during the Fisher/Spasky chess match; hitch-hiking across Afghanistan and Iran; selling forged student passes to fellow travelers; teaching English in small villages while living in Buddhist temples; almost winning gliding competitions in Switzerland and almost losing his life when his glider crashed....it was one tale after the other. Somewhere along the road of adventures, having dropped out of numerous institutions of higher learning, David found himself starting this crazy shirt business. And now, 25 years later, he has clientele like Anthony Bourdain, Jimmy Buffett and Nicholas Cage, to mention a few who are walking advertisements for his unique product. His shirts can range from $5000.00 to $ 5.00 and it is hard for us novices to know exactly what makes this range possible. But Bob and I were totally engaged by our two+ hour visit to this wacky place where we purchased some wonderful shirts for summertime wear. And I would tell anyone to stop by - not only because the owner is a wonderful long white-haired, pony-tailed gentle raconteur, but because no where else will the eyes be so wonderfully assaulted by color and design in a store where shirts were crammed into racks, piled in three foot towers on the floor, hanging from the rafters (the high priced goods) and stuck in every nook and cranny. David has cornered this market and while organization seemed lacking, and on-line marketing seemed impossible, it was a pure delight to catch up with someone whom I hadn't seen since 1962 and whose life certainly took a unique and different path.
This visit made our day and to top it off before returning to our ship we sat, for old times sake at the outside bar of the Royal Hawaiian (aka the Pink Palace) and had pina coladas and hamburgers as we watched an infinite variety of people strolling the beaches in front of Waikiki enjoying warm water, sunshine and the laid back world of Honolulu.
And now, as the days count down and the hours advance nightly, our minds turn towards home both with happy anticipation and only a little bit of sadness that this last leg of our Journey is coming to an end.
