(I sailed with Crystal for free part of a press trip, however, all opinions are my own)

Here’s my full ship tour and review of the Crystal Symphony.

Known to be one of the world’s most luxurious cruise lines, Crystal Cruises has had a turbulent history in recent years. Founded in 1988, Crystal traded for more than 30 years before going bankrupt in 2022 due to the collapse of its parent company.

The cruise line was then purchased by A&K Travel Group, with the business relaunching in 2023 following an exciting multi-million dollar refit of both of the company’s ocean ships.

Today, the Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony sail with all new accommodation and dining venues, with further refits to come in due course.

As someone who has mostly sailed on newer ships, I was super excited to get onboard the Crystal Symphony to see how a 30 year old cruise ship fares in the modern cruise industry.

All About the Crystal Symphony

Built and launched in 1995, the Crystal Symphony is the smaller of the cruise line’s two ships and sails with a capacity of just 606 passengers and 530 crew. The ship weighs a total of 51044 gross tonnes and is 238m in length, with 310 guest cabins spread across 5 of the 12 decks.

The Crystal Symphony has itineraries that take her around the world, including Europe, Asia and the Americas. I joined the ship in summer 2025 for a seven day sailing around Greece and Turkey, starting and finishing at Athens Piraeus.

The very first thing I saw after stepping onboard the Crystal Symphony was her beautiful atrium. Also known as the Crystal Plaza, this is where their famous White Party takes place over one evening on each sailing.

Led by the Cruise Director, singing, dancing and music is provided by the Crystal Show Band and guests attend wearing white attire.

This light and airy atrium is spread over multiple floors with pretty stained glass decorating the ceiling, and a beautiful water fountain which serves as the focal point of the space. It feels luxurious, and walking in here made me even more excited to see what the rest of the ship had to offer.

The ground floor of the atrium is where you can find the main reception, shore excursions desk, concierge desk, future sales consultant and medical centre.

Restaurants and Dining

The Crystal Symphony may be a small ship, but she has no shortage of fabulous places to dine. Here’s a walkthrough of all the eateries she has to offer.

The Waterside Restaurant (Deck Five)

The main dining room onboard the Crystal Symphony, I enjoyed many delicious meals in the Waterside Restaurant. I mostly visited this venue for dinner on the days when I didn’t have a reservation for a speciality restaurant.

Dinner at the Waterside is always a lavish affair. We never had to wait for a table, make a reservation or stand in a queue, and simply turned up within opening hours to be seated immediately. The space has an elegant and classy feel, which feels more like an upscale restaurant than a large dining hall.

I quickly noticed that it was rare for us to be seated directly alongside another group; something that is distinctly different from other lines with larger, newer ships, where a high volume of guests means that the main dining room could be a tight squeeze.

The menu here changes daily, with two main sections: Modern Cuisine and Crystal Classics. I always found something delicious to eat, and I loved being seated directly by the large windows where I could watch us sail through the sea towards our next destination.

This restaurant boasts immaculate service from friendly and attentive waiting staff, with a wide range of food options available each and every night.

Umi Uma and the Sushi Bar (Deck Six)

My favourite of the two speciality restaurants, Umi Uma was designed for Crystal Cruises by Master Chef Nobuyuki (Nobu) Matsuhisa. With dishes inspired by cuisines from across the Orient, this restaurant is extremely popular and requires a reservation to be made in advance.

Guests are typically entitled to one included meal here during a seven day sailing, with additional bookings requiring a cover charge of $50 per person. The Sushi Bar is located in the same venue and does not need a reservation, operating on a first come first serve basis.

I found the food here to be excellent and very much to my taste. We were served by a friendly and knowledgable waiter who was able to advise us on the menu, which I found really helpful. It’s worth noting that an extensive sushi menu is available at Umi Uma, so sushi lovers don’t necessarily need to visit the Sushi Bar separately to enjoy what they have to offer.

Osteria d’Ovidio (Deck Six)

Named after the owner of Crystal Cruises, Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, this restaurant is the fleet’s Italian speciality restaurant, opening each evening for dinner. With a menu designed by the Alajmo brothers, guests can enjoy a variety of dishes from across Italy.

The menu is unique and split into three sections: Italia, which features Italian dishes, Le Calandre, which offers dishes from the Alajmo family’s signature restaurant, and Venezia, which includes traditional Venetian dishes redesigned by Chef Max Alajmo.

I really enjoyed dining here, and felt that the quality of the food and service was excellent.

As with the previous speciality restaurant, reservations here are limited to one per seven day sailing, with a cover charge for any additional visits.

Beefbar

Known to be the cruise line’s included speciality restaurant, this dining venue opens each day for lunch and dinner.

Created by exclusively by Riccardo Giraudi, who has Beefbar restaurants around the world, Crystal Cruises are the only place where you will find Beefbar at sea. Here you’ll find a wide range of dishes featuring the finest meats. As a vegetarian, I was delighted to find a number of delicious meat-free options that worked seamlessly with their menu.

Reservations are required to eat here for dinner, although guests can walk in during their lunchtime opening. Their menu is different for each meal, so is worth visiting at least twice during a week long cruise.

The Marketplace

As the Crystal Symphony’s answer to a traditional buffet, the Marketplace is a relaxed dining venue that opens daily for breakfast and lunch.

This quickly became my favourite place to eat breakfast as I love being able to help myself to what I fancy, and I enjoyed the fresh eggs and omelettes that were prepared at a live cooking station.

There’s always loads of fresh food in here, with a good mix between healthy foods and sweet treats.

Unlike the buffets served by many cruise lines, this venue didn’t feel particularly busy. I was able to grab my food quickly and easily, and the service by the waiting staff was quick and attentive. My only wish was that they would open the Marketplace for dinner as it would make a great casual dining option.

The Bistro (Deck Six)

Open exclusively for breakfast and lunch, the Bistro is inspired by the bars and bistros of Paris, and offers a relaxed place for guests to enjoy a light meal. Simply turn up, grab a plate and help yourself from the self serve buffet in the centre of the cafe.

Food options here include fruit and patisseries, and I would highly recommend trying the delicious pastel de nata!

Scoops Gelato Bar and the Trident Grill (Deck Eleven)

Located next to each other on the pool deck, Scoops Gelato Bar and the Trident Grill are daytime eateries that close just before dinner

The Trident Grill is Crystal Cruises’ pool bar, serving a variety of lunchtime bites including burgers and hotdogs. They also serve a late riser’s breakfast in the late morning, after the other restaurants serving breakfast have closed, and before they reopen for lunch.

I enjoyed a delicious plate of french toast and I’ve never been quite so happy to oversleep and miss the breakfast buffet!

A small amount of seating is available at the Trident Grill itself, if guests don’t want to take their meal out onto the pool deck.

In contrast, Scoops Gelato is a great place to visit for a mid-afternoon snack. There’s more than twenty ice cream flavours to choose from that rotate each day, as well as a variety of sauces and toppings.

I love that this is included in the cruise fare, meaning that guests can eat as much ice cream as they desire!

Palm Court (Deck Eleven)

A cross between a dining venue and a bar, this is where Crystal serves their daily afternoon tea. During my seven day cruise I tried my best to sample as much food as I possibly could, but unfortunately, I didn’t get time to try the afternoon tea.

With its pearly white interiors, I think that Palm Court is one of the prettiest venues on the ship and I wish that they had some evening entertainment in here. It looks like a lovely place to relax with a drink and a good book, with excellent views from high up on the ship.

The Vintage Room (Deck Six)

Available to guests for an additional fee, the Vintage Room offers wine tasting and pairing experiences. Special lunches and dinners for private groups can be arranged upon request.

Bars and Entertainment Venues

The Crystal Symphony might be a small ship, but she certainly has no shortage of places to relax and be entertained. Whether you prefer a broadway style show, a moody piano lounge or a spot of karaoke, there really is something here to suit all tastes.

Avenue Saloon and the Connoisseur Club (Deck Six)

One of my favourite places on the ship, the Avenue Saloon is a lively, intimate piano bar with nightly performances. The dark wood and low lighting is cosy, with armchairs and sofas scattered around the space.

The Connoisseur Club is right next door and decorated in a similar style. Instead of the piano, the focus here is on the cigars and cognacs. There’s a smokey smell in the air, and the chess set style tables invite an intellectual vibe.

As I don’t smoke, I personally preferred the Avenue Saloon but love the style of both venues.

Starlite Club (Deck Six)

This entertainment lounge offers live performances on selected nights including dance and cabaret shows. It’s a large space with plenty of comfortable seating, a bar, and a good sized stage.

This venue didn’t get much use during my cruise, but it looks like a great alternative to the main theatre for some after dinner entertainment.

Crystal Cove (Deck Five)

Another relaxed venue onboard the Crystal Symphony, Crystal Cove is located in the same space as the main atrium.

This bar is lovely, with windows that look out onto the sea and nightly evening entertainment. It’s a small venue with a smattering of armchairs and a rotating cast of musicians, including the resident violinist and guitarist, making it the perfect spot for a quiet after dinner drink.

Le Casino de Monte-Carlo (Deck Six)

The casino onboard the Crystal Symphony is small yet sophisticated. Created in partnership with Le Casino de Monte-Carlo, this space has tables for Blackjack, American Roulette and Ultimate Texas Hold’em, as well as a range of slot machines.

The casino is open every day while at sea, and opens one hour after sail away on port days.

Jade Nightclub (Deck Six)

Karaoke lovers need to head to the Jade Nightclub for a late night singalong.

This is an intimate sized venue that I didn’t use during my trip as we needed to be up early each day to explore the port.

Galaxy Lounge (Deck Six)

The main theatre onboard the ship, the Galaxy Lounge is where you’ll find all of the headline performances including special guests and broadway style shows. All of the performers here are fantastic and I felt that the quality of the show band and ensemble was exceptionally high.

The space is large with plenty of plush seating, which enabled it to be popular without ever feeling full. Reservations are not required, simply turn up, grab a seat and enjoy the show.

Hollywood Theatre (Deck Six)

Cinema fans will love the Hollywood Theatre, which shows a range of movies throughout each cruise.

They actually showed the new Bridget Jones movie here during my trip, which I unfortunately missed as we had such a busy itinerary, but it’s always nice to have a choice of things to do.

The Library (Deck Six)

Anyone who knows me will not be surprised that I absolutely adored the library onboard the Crystal Symphony. Staffed by a dedicated librarian, these shelves hold more than 2000 books across a range of genres.

Guests are able to check out books and read them in their stateroom or around the ship - just make sure that you return them before the end of your voyage or risk paying a penalty fee.

I found lots of titles here that interested me, and I was impressed at how up to date their selection was. Comfy seating offered a place to sit and read or listen to an audiobook, with large windows boasting views of the ocean.

Board games are also available to borrow here, and a book exchange gives guests a place to leave and acquire reading material.

The Seahorse Pool (Deck Eleven)

It’s easy to forget that the Crystal Symphony is in fact thirty years old, but there’s something charmingly retro about the pool deck that serves as a reminder of when she was built.

This large space houses a saltwater swimming pool and large hot tub, with plenty of sun beds and places to lounge. The ship’s exceptional service continues outdoors, and the bar staff regularly walk through to greet guests and offer drinks.

Fresh towels are laid out by ship staff daily, and replenished as time goes by. There’s no music or entertainment out here (unless that’s different on sea days - we didn’t have any on our itinerary) and makes for an inviting, chilled out atmosphere.

Sporting Facilities

Spread out across the upper decks, the Crystal Symphony has a range of high quality sporting facilities available to guests. This includes a full promenade with deck games (deck seven), table tennis (deck eight), and a paddle tennis/pickleball court (deck twelve).

Golf fans will enjoy the putting green and driving range on deck twelve, and a golfing expert is available on most voyages. There’s no need to bring your own equipment - everything you need to get started is provided for free, with alternative clubs available for an additional fee.

Wellness Facilties

Aurora Spa (Deck Twelve)

Located up on deck twelve, the Aurora Spa offers a range of treatments for both men and women. I treated myself to a fantastic massage in here, but guests can also book hairdressing and beauty treatments too.

Both the men and women’s changing rooms include a sauna and steam room, which are available to use free of charge.

Fitness Centre (Deck Twelve)

Also located on the top deck, the Crystal Symphony features a 3,000+ square-foot fitness centre that is free to use and equipped with a weights room and aerobics studio.

Workout and stretching classes are scheduled throughout the itinerary and can be found in the daily programme ‘Reflections’.

Other Amenities

Wave’s and Fantasia (Deck Eleven)

These two designated areas offer space for young children (Fantasia) and teenagers (Wave’s) to hang out, play games, and take part in age-appropriate activities.

From movie nights to bridge tours, scavenger hunts and group games, there’s plenty to do in the Crystal Cruises kids clubs.

Shopping (Deck Six)

The Crystal Symphony has three main shops onboard selling a range of boutique and duty free items. Apropos and Facets stock a range of jewellery, watches, clothing and accessories while the Crystal Collection offers perfume and cologne, cosmetics, purses, sun glasses, and jewellery.

Computer University @ Sea (Deck Six)

The ship’s designated computer lab, this room offers a number of computers for guest use free of charge. This space is staffed daily by a crew member who is on hand to provide assistance and answer any queries.

The Studio (Deck Six)

Located next door to the Computer University, the Studio is a classroom setting that offers lectures and classes.

Laundrette (All Cabin Decks)

Washing and drying machines are available for guest use on each deck and are free to use.

Accommodation

The Crystal Symphony offers a range of high quality accommodation to suit all tastes. I stayed in one of the beautiful Sapphire Veranda Suites, which were renovated in 2023.

To find out all about my suite, read my review here.

My Suite (Deck Nine)

I was able to explore lots of Symphony’s accommodation during my stay, from the reimagined double guest rooms to the largest, most luxurious suites.

Click here for a full rundown and tour of the cabins available onboard the Crystal Symphony (to come).

I had an absolutely fantastic week sailing around Greece and Turkey and definitely want to join Crystal Cruises again soon.

To book your own sailing, take a look at their website here.

What’s your favourite spot onboard the Crystal Symphony? Leave a comment and let me know.