Seeing the world, at sea: notes from the crystal symphony's world cruise - Cruise of the Month - Cover Story

In 1935, Cole Porter did a five-world cruise aboard the Franconia. Somewhere at sea, he reportedly summoned his cabin steward and bid the good fellow to put an upright piano in his stateroom. Before the Franconia got Cole to Fiji, he had written "Begin The Beguine." Why should my world cruise expectations be any less ambitious?

You understand that I am not booked to do the entire world cruise of Crystal Cruises' 940-passenger Crystal Symphony--her sixth such annual odyssey--for that would take 104 days and at least $39,000, in return for which this charismatic ship would deliver me to 38 ports in 31 countries. Lucky enough to land one of four segments--lasting 25 days--I join the ship in Hong Kong bound for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. En route sailing on waters that resonate with exotica--Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Gulf of Oman--my wanderlust will savor Vietnam, Singapore, Myanmar (once Burma), Sri Lanka, the Republic of the Maldives, and India. Not bad for a guy who, as a youngster, regarded Atlantic City as the ultimate in esoteric destinations.

My cruise-mates are equal parts adventurous, curious, privileged, and accustomed to luxury; aboard this ship they will have no cause for disappointment. If, as Flaubert suggested, "God is in the details," then the Crystal Symphony is a very spiritual place. Notice how, on Lido Deck, aquamarine towels are precisely folded over turquoise chaise lounges; in public restrooms, potpourri and fresh plants perch and provide a fresh scent; in the cafe, buffet waiters scurry to assist passengers with trays and will not rest until they are guided to table; in cabins, stewardesses place a mat at bedside and turn on a nightlight at turndown service; and as the equatorial sun steams on Sun Deck, stewards circulate dispensing ice-cold water and chilled towels.

Meanwhile, on posh Penthouse Deck, butlers arrange for complimentary pressing of clothes, stock the suite's bar with guests' preferred beverages, and bring canapes at cocktail hour. The crew throughout the ship is appropriately familiar, a collection of pampering professionals motivated to please passengers; it's surely a reason why the 523 repeat guests on our sailing keep coming back to Crystal.

Lucille Cayton--who, along with her husband Jim has sailed on 60 Crystal cruises, including every world cruise the line has offered--is unabashedly attracted to the personalized attention onboard: "We love the staff and the crew--everyone onboard knows us and greets us warmly--and that goes all the way from a young Filipino deck steward to the president of the cruise company."

In the best of both worlds, astute, seasoned cruisers agree that they have selected a ship that will carry them safely (a not-insignificant consideration) to unique, off-the-beaten-path ports. In Vietnam, where we are reminded viscerally and visibly that we are visiting a country rather than a war, the road from Hai Long Bay to Hanoi provides a vista of endless rice paddies, lakes of unexpected beauty in the morning mist, and a cacophony of sounds that suggest horn-honking may be this country's national pastime. In Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) pedal cabs carry anxious cruisers through careening traffic to local markets where vendors sell firecrackers in bundles, live fish in tin bins, and spiraling stacks of mushrooms. Soon we move on to the grand, yet strangely severe, Presidential Palace (Reunification Hall) and past the former United States Embassy and insistent memories of another sobering era.

Some shipmates opt for an ambitious one-day journey from Vietnam to Cambodia's revered (and, by all accounts, magically mystical) temples at Angkor Wat. They return to the ship 20 hours later, tired yet bursting with vivid memories, and anxious for a good long shower, the joy of air-conditioning, and terrific food.

The Crystal Symphony's maiden port-call in Yangon, Myanmar, signals an event that congenial Captain Reidulf Maalen describes as "an adventure truly in uncharted waters." (Our ship is easily twice the size of any vessel that has previously called here.) Then, too, Myanmar has--only recently and apparently quite selectively--become more receptive to tourism. The undisputed highlight of our visit is the Shwe Dagon Pagoda, a gold-gilt stupa built (according to legend) 2,500 years ago. We slowly circle this astonishingly ornate enclave, which glows all golden in the relentlessly steamy afternoon sun.

Around us, the faithful--bearing incense, fruit, and fresh flowers--pray silently before one of the countless statues of Buddha.

Our two ports in India--Cochin, the southern tip, and Mumbai (formerly Bombay), northward up the west coast--provide time enough for senses to be impacted by this extraordinarily visual, aromatic, and--for some--claustrophobia-inducing country (there are people everywhere). In Cochin's 16th century synagogue, local teens in vibrant saris pose prettily beneath the sanctuary's vintage chandeliers while, at water's edge, fishermen lower nets, suspended from high wooden cantilevers in the ancient style, hopeful for a hearty catch.

Finally, in Dubai--a city whose entrepreneurial landscape of skyscrapers somehow mirrors Hong Kong's--the glittery Gold Souk beckons with rainbow rows of gemstones and ropes of gold that seem to stretch as long as our segment's 8,100 mile voyage.

Maiden port calls are venerated by world cruisers. To anticipate their wanderlust and lure them to new adventures, Crystal's 2002 "Grand Pacific Circle" cruise promises a 100-day/four-continent odyssey that will link lucky passengers with 33 ports in 20 countries. Nine maiden ports (Are you listening, Caytons?) include Beijing and Shanghai in China; Seoul in South Korea; and Osaka and Hiroshima in Japan.

For the world cruise, staffing in almost every department is supplemented and the standards throughout the ship (if this is possible with Crystal) seem measurably higher. The "Food & Wine Festival," a staple lure on many of this line's lengthier voyages, brought us legendary Lutece chef/owner Andre Soltner, who packed the 450-seat Galaxy Lounge as he put his sea bass with vin rouge in the spotlight.

World cruise passengers are treated to eight lavish and immensely likable professionally produced musical productions. Repeat passengers obviously have seen most of the shows (which have a ship-life of three years), so it is a challenge to get them to return to the Galaxy Lounge. One splendid solution, on world cruises, is to present stellar celebrity entertainment. We are charmed as vivacious Petula Clark once again takes us on a musical journey "Downtown"; or when astronaut Buzz Aldrin mesmerizes a transfixed audience with his personalized video and lecture highlighting his distinguished career as an astronaut; or when unpredictable and relentlessly riotous Jonathan Winters free-associates on subjects as diverse as sex, politics, life, and our cruise.

Tempted to come along in 2002? Good, you'll have the opportunity to applaud celebrity guests, booked for various segments, who include Marvin Hamlisch, Maureen McGovern, CNN's Larry King and Garrick Utley, and, in a salute to the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, inspirational athletes such as Nadia Comaneci, Bart Conner, and Rafer Johnson.

Absent from this seagoing scenario are long lines (frankly, this is a crowd accustomed to being served, so the ambiance and attention lavished in the elegant Dining Room is a stronger lure than deckside buffets); multiple and/or intrusive announcements (popular Captain Reidulf Maalen makes his trademark, "Hello, well it's me again" ship's position announcement from the bridge at 9 a.m.); midnight buffets (sandwiches are placed at discreet locations at 11:30 p.m.); "disco fever" (cruise director David DeHavilland pleads with the crowd, "What can I do to get you to stay up late?"); or, for that matter, camcorders, cameras, or T-shirts proclaiming visits to previous ports. Been there, done that, bought it.

The tempo of a world cruise is quiet, relaxed, unforced. There is absolutely no need to rush to today's buffet when, likely, 10 more will follow in the course of the cruise. There is no anxious assault on maitre d's to secure reservations at the two alternative dining restaurants, Jade Garden (Asian) and Prego (Italian)--there is both the time and the tables for all guests to be accommodated as often as they like.

Activities abound: on one sample sea day, I count 41, with the anticipated client-specific emphasis on bridge, enrichment lectures, golf clinics, and paddle tennis. And even the technologically challenged, for whom the word computer is cause for catharsis, are likely (sooner or later) to retreat to Crystal's innovative (and wildly successful) Computer University@Sea.

My theory has always been that a truly first-rate ship will offer both exceptional service and cuisine; welcome to the Crystal Symphony. Despite this ship's traditional two seatings--die-hard, vintage Royal Viking Line aficionados venerate, and miss, single seating--dining is leisurely and never rushed. If you crave a particular pasta or caesar salad, obliging dining-room captains await word of your whim, and welcome it.

An additional dining option--recently introduced by Crystal--provides guests with an opportunity to dine, on selected evenings, on Lido Deck at the Trident Grill. Under the stars (if the Magradome roof is open), enjoy the California pizza, or a delicious grilled minute steak, or (my favorite) marinated tandoori chicken breast served on freshly baked nan bread.

The Crystal Spa is nearby. Why not make a detour, in your casual clothes (even shorts and T-shirts are permitted for dining at the Trident Grill), and have a Shiatsu massage, active algae wrap, or reflexology before you stage a frontal assault on the Trident Ice Cream Bar where 11 flavors of ice cream and six varieties of toppings are likely to clobber the complexion you just had perfected by a facial?

As in any group where there is a core of "old timers" (in this case, full world cruise passengers), coupled with periodic appearances by "new kids on the block" (segment cruisers), there is bound to be speculation about the extent to which the two constituencies mix and mingle. Regular world cruiser Lucille Cayton acknowledges, "We've got a lot of very good friends doing the full world cruise, and we enjoy spending time with them. I guess we don't try very hard to meet new people. And, too, we particularly enjoy the Crystal family of officers, staff, and crew." The challenge, according to Captain Maalen, is "to encourage integration" facilitated, surely, by the fact that there are four lengthy segments so most folks are onboard for at least 25 days. Roy and Sue Black--first-time full-world cruisers--have made a conscious effort to meet, mix, and mingle. In Roy's words, "We want to be outgoing, open, and approachable and to meet folks who are sailing for the full 104 days, as well as those on for a segment or two. We just made up our minds to be friendly and available."

My own large table in the dining room (seating 11) comprises several full world cruise passengers, as well as others doing one or more segments. The mix is effortless, easy, and amiable with not a hint of snobbery or condescension. While onboard, all of them have already booked this ship's 2002 world cruise. "Come back next year, Marty," one smiles, "and join us for that voyage."

I should only be so lucky.

For more information regarding the Crystal Symphony's "Grand Pacific Circle" 2002 world cruise, or other itineraries of either the Crystal Symphony or her "sister" Crystal Harmony, contact your travel agent or Crystal Cruises (Cruise Travel Magazine), 2049 Century Park E., Los Angeles, CA 90067; or log on to www.crystalcruises.com.

COPYRIGHT 2001 World Publishing, Co. (Illinois)
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group