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Crystal Symphony set for $25m upgrade

In a more than $25m upgrade this autumn, the 1995-built Crystal Symphony will emerge with updated penthouses, pool areas, Prego Italian restaurant and Lido Café. Improvements to passenger elevators and numerous behind-the-scenes areas are also planned for the Sept. 17-Oct. 1 drydock at Boston’s Atlantic Marine shipyard.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

August 3, 2009

2 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

Crystal Cruises said the pair of 982sq ft Crystal Penthouses will be stripped and transformed with luxurious fabrics, details and finishes. The living areas and bedroom will be enlarged, and both the master and guest bathrooms will gain rare marbles and designer fittings. The master baths will add a sunken Philippe Stark Duravit Jacuzzi tub with 90-degree ocean views, glass mosaics and recessed televisions.

The 61 butler-serviced Penthouses and Penthouse Suites will be redesigned in taupe and sand tones, accented by citrus or icy blue. New custom cabinetry will sport stone countertops and flat-screen televisions, while new bedding, stone-topped end tables and bedside reading lights will be framed by new headboards, carpeting and window treatments. Bathrooms will get new tile with mosaic accents, glass showers, contemporary hardware and lighting, and a white and neutral color palette.

All the staterooms, redecorated in late 2007, will receive new sofas to provide more seating and add third berths. This year, all accommodations on Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity received new Simmons’ mattresses with sanitary protectors.

The Lido Café will be transformed into an upscale dining spot designed to showcase freshly cooked fare while adding intimate seating and improving flow. New food and drink service islands, each with different choices, will be added, along with a new bread oven, grill, woks and other culinary equipment.

The room will be infused with light via a new glazed indoor/outdoor extension and floor-to-ceiling windows. Natural tones of seashell, sand and weathered timber provide a backdrop for polished metal accents and sea grass screens.

The pool areas will be redefined with new spaces, water features and furniture providing more indoor and al fresco dining, conversational seating and varied sunbathing options. Limestone tile will offset the pool and the new, larger whirlpool, and new deck furniture will combine antique white and taupe accented with warm, tropical colors.

In the Lido Deck’s retractable roof-covered, midship area, the Neptune Pool will be removed and replaced with teak decking and al fresco dining and lounging options around the Trident Bar.

Italian specialty restaurant Prego will get a new design Crystal describes as ‘moody and dramatic,’ while retaining elements of traditional Venetian architecture and portraiture. Padded, dark chocolate fabric walls will set off the chandeliers, art and richly upholstered seating.

During the September drydock, Crystal is also investing in upgraded elevators, a new crew restaurant, new lighting systems and other behind-the-scenes projects. Medical center improvements include digital x-ray equipment, and a major upgrade of the broadcast production studio will enhance television programming.

Adfecto will design the Crystal Penthouses, Lido Café, Seahorse Pool and Neptune Deck areas, guest elevators and crew mess. Kurt Nix will design Prego and II X IV will design the Penthouses and Penthouse Suites.

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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