Writers John and Sally Macdonald based this independent review on their 7-night cruise around the boot of Italy, departing from Civitavecchia (near Rome).

Serenity, the newest ship in Crystal Cruises’ upper-crust fleet, was christened in 2003. Crystal is noted for floating the most luxurious of the large cruise ships, and Serenity is no exception. She was built to improve on the perceived shortcomings of other ships in the big-boy category. Her décor is understated, never flamboyant; fitness, dining, and entertainment spaces are uncrowded; attentive crew pay attention to even the smallest details; and lifeboats are tucked away on a deck used for public rooms leaving all cabins with unobstructed sea views.

Why Serenity?

• Indulgent service: Serenity’s crew seems at times downright clairvoyant. At dinner, the sommelier appears without being summoned; the wait staff has an uncanny knack for remembering names, likes, and dislikes; and ladies are escorted arm-in-arm to dinner by crisply clad waiters.
• Unexpected luxuries: Small things make a huge difference on this ship. Napkins are always cloth, never disposable. Public restrooms are stocked with terrycloth hand towels and spa-quality hand cream. And private baths come with full-size bottles (not samples) of rosemary-mint shampoo, conditioner, body cleanser, and lotion.
• Fabulous fare: Almost every meal is a gourmand’s adventure. Think barbecued duck quesadillas served poolside for lunch, crustless sandwiches and decadent sweets at tea, and iced caviar or truffled chicken liver parfait for appetizers at the captain’s gala dinner.

Who should go
Serenity attracts people who want a more cosmopolitan cruise experience and are willing to pay a little more for it. Because cruises tend to be 10-14 nights long, many passengers are retirees with more leisure time. That said, Serenity is a good choice for 40-something couples who like to be wined and dined and single women who find the ramped-down social scene less threatening.

Who shouldn’t go
People who expect to party from sunup to late-night karaoke may find Serenity’s activity program too low-key -- there are no rowdy pool games and the entertainment is more Broadway than Vegas. Most cruises attract only a few children, so playmates and scheduled activities for kids may be scarce.

Heard on the deck: “I really love this ship. It’s a nice size. I think this is my fifteenth time onboard and there’s still plenty to do.”

Hits and misses

• Don't miss: That’s Dancin’!, Serenity’s innovative new floor show, is a showcase for dancers who specialize in everything from belly to ballet, with a little Irish stomp thrown in for good measure. Get there early to see the dancers warming up, then sit back and watch some of the most original choreography at sea.
• Best part of the ship: The Palm Court serves as a romantic ballroom and gracious setting for high tea. Throughout the day, sunlight filters through skylights and onto palms, giving the room the feel of a tropical garden. In the evening it morphs into a cozy after-dinner club.
• Best experience: Afternoon tea -- sometimes it’s English-style, with scones and clotted cream. Sometimes it’s American-style, with hefty seafood sandwiches and iced tea. But once per cruise, waiters don brocade jackets and lace jabots and musicians play Mozart for a lovely trip back in time to 18th Century Vienna (try the “Hot Chocolate Amadeus,” cocoa dressed up with dark rum, whipped cream, and chocolate shavings).
• Best shipboard activities: On our cruise, lectures on ports of call by college professors who are experts in the region were well attended. And enrichment programs, featuring classes in foreign languages, computers, and musical keyboarding, are quality.
• Needs improvement: How can a plus also be a glitch? Well, occasionally (very occasionally), Serenity’s attentive service seems a tad claustrophobic. Such as when a glass of mango tea suddenly appears at your elbow before you’ve taken the last slurp of the one someone fetched for you minutes before. But that’s just being picky.
• Activities to skip: The Ionithermie demonstration is really a sales pitch for an expensive spa treatment that promises to detoxify you until you’re beautiful inside and out. Take the line-dance class instead.

How to meet the captain
You can have your photo taken with Serenity’s captain before the formal dinner he hosts. Or you can toast him with some free champagne at one of the cocktail parties thrown separately for first-time Crystal cruisers and passengers who’ve cruised the line before.

Heard on the deck: “I have half an hour to get to the captain’s cocktail reception. How fast do you think I can wiggle my way into that fancy dress?”

Crystal Dining Room
Cuisine in the dining room is billed as a fusion of French and American traditions with regional specialties inspired by the ports visited. On our cruise, the result was uniformly superb, although desserts were less complex than on some ships. Dinner is served in two seatings: 6:15 and 8:30 PM. Menus feature a break-out of choices: The chef’s picks, light selections, vegetarian dishes, and low-carb offerings.

Heard on the deck: “Do you remember which night is French night in the dining room? I looked at the list a few days ago and now everything I’ve read about what’s coming up is all mashed together in my head.”

Prego
Prego, the more popular of Serenity’s two specialty restaurants, serves classic Northern Italian cuisine (light on pasta entrées and heavy on herbed meats). The menu includes signature dishes devised by Piero Selvaggio, owner of the posh Valentino restaurants in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, with suggested wines for each course. Frescoes of Tuscany grace the walls. What could have been a good view of the sea is obscured by filmy curtains meant to hide lifeboat machinery on the deck. But who’d gripe when this is such a special experience?

Silk Road
Serenity’s other specialty restaurant serves a fusion of classic Japanese fare with Peruvian and European influences created by master chef Nobu Matsuhisa. It translates into wonderfully herbed meats, lightly sauced vegetables, and appetizers that are as lovely to look at as they are to eat. Sushi, sashimi, and inventive rolls (try the asparagus and tuna roll) are created behind the counter at the Sushi Bar.

Other dining options

• Lido Café: Early birds can find coffee at the Lido starting at 5 AM and stay on for the breakfast and lunch buffets. At least once during a cruise, the staff moves the tables outdoors near the pool for al fresco dining with a gourmet theme. Our “Cuisine of the Sun” buffet featured Mediterranean specialties (confit of duck from France, grilled sardines from Greece, a Moroccan chicken dish, French and Italian pastries, and Spanish sangria).
• Vintage Room: This well-appointed boardroom with wine cellar opens occasionally for up to 14 guests who are served eight courses carefully paired with fine wine. Think black bass with an Asian truffle sauce, or grilled Kobe beef with foie gras. And then think $150 per person.
• Tastes: Late risers can get breakfast cooked to order from this little counter near the pool. The counter crew also whips up soups, pizzas, noodles, and imaginative salads for swimmers and sun lovers. One of the best? Chinoise chicken salad, a Wolfgang Puck concoction topped with crisp wonton curls that is as light and lovely as a salad gets.
• The Trident Grill: The grillers at the Trident counter serve up hamburgers, hot dogs, wraps, and snacks.
• The Bistro: Serenity’s coffee house serves espresso drinks gratis from late morning to early evening. There’s usually a spread of cheeses, cold cuts, fruit, and pastries, too. One of the artiest rooms on the ship, the Bistro is decorated with original oil paintings by artist Guy Buffet of coffee scenes from all over the world.
• Late-night snacks: The sumptuous midnight buffet has been abandoned, but late-night snacks are served in the Avenue Saloon, Pulse, and Stardust nightclubs and, for star-gazers, at the stern on Deck 6, where the clubs are located.
• Room service: Order from a set menu or, during mealtimes, from the dining room offerings. Guests in the penthouses are served by their butler, and can order from the specialty restaurant galley.

Heard on the deck (outside the Vintage Room): “I dunno. Looks like a gimmick to me. They probably wait on you hand and foot in there. I just wish I could afford it.”

Best dining

• Dish: Prego’s silky mushroom soup served in its own little sourdough bread bowl is famous among Crystal regulars. It’s fabulous.
• Dessert: Don’t pass on the white-chocolate gateau that was served at dinner on our cruise and again (leftovers!) at afternoon tea. It’s made of layers of thin cake and white chocolate cream with a bit of almond crunch and topped with a luscious fudgy icing.
• Restaurant: Silk Road has a slightly more imaginative menu than its sister specialty restaurant, Prego. Order the Wagyu beef rib-eye steak -- so tender and so nicely sauced it would tempt a vegan.

How to…

• Get a table for two: Ask when you book, particularly if you want a small table at late seating. Otherwise, you can choose to spend your private moments in the specialty restaurants.
• Celebrate a birthday/anniversary: There’s a florist onboard to provide that dozen roses for the birthday girl (or boy) in your cabin. Let the head waiter know what you’re celebrating and you’ll get the full treatment: A congratulatory card signed by the captain, a notice in the daily cruise tip sheet, balloons at your table in the dining room, a special dessert for you and your tablemates, and a happy “whatever” song by the wait staff.
• Change seating: Early or late seating has been assigned by the time you board the ship, but on embarkation afternoon, the maître d’ meets with people who want to change and grants what wishes he can. On our cruise, though, he posted a sign saying the late seating was absolutely full. We got the message: Don’t ask.
• Dress for formal night: On Serenity, formal means just that -- long and sparkly for the women, tuxedos or dark business suits with ties for the men. The dress code is enforced in all restaurants.
• Dress for casual night: Women wear pantsuits or casual dresses, while men choose polo or open-collar shirts and slacks. On informal nights, women choose evening wear (cocktail dresses or nice pantsuits) while men choose suits or sport costs (ties options). You won’t be kicked out of the dining room if you wear jeans, but they’re a little too casual for this cruise. And shorts are never appropriate after 6 unless you’re still at the pool.

Tips:

• Have breakfast and lunch in the Crystal Dining Room at least once, where the menu is more varied and ambitious than at the Lido.
• Take the galley tour for a back-stage look at how the chefs perform their culinary magic. How else could you learn what time the cooks start preparing your dinner roast (7:30 AM) or how many potatoes they’ll be peeling tomorrow (500 pounds)?
• Dining at Prego and Silk Road is free, but reservations are required and there’s a $6 per person suggested gratuity. Make reservations early before the restaurants fill up. No reservations are required for the Sushi Bar in Silk Road.
• Bottled water, soft drinks, tea, and espresso coffees are free. Wine, beer, and mixed drinks are not.
• Order a bottle of Crystal Cruises’ signature “C” wines. They come in your choice of cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, or merlot in premium or reserve vintages.
• If you want a chance to dine with one of the officers on formal evenings, ask at booking for a large table. An officer may be seated with you.

With Serenity, Crystal Cruises did away with the claustrophobic inside cabin. The smallest rooms are 226 square feet of well-planned space with either a large unobstructed picture window or a private balcony. Every cabin comes with a TV equipped with DVD player, data port for laptop computer hook-up, safe, bowl of fruit, plush spa robes and slippers, and refrigerator stocked with complimentary bottled water and soft drinks. Smaller cabins have a shower/tub combo, so the space is a little cramped. But closets are adequate and there are more drawers than most cruisers would need. Room service junkies will appreciate the fact that the coffee table raises via a foot pedal to dining height.

Penthouses take up most of the space on two decks. Four are 1,345 square feet; the smallest are 1/3 that size. All come with personal butlers who make your dinner reservations, fetch your complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, plan your parties, and see that your clothes are pressed. The largest penthouses come with an impressive feng shui-inspired entry, state-of-the-art sound system, guest powder room, closet-sized cranny equipped with a treadmill, and small library. There’s even a drawer in the butler’s pantry that serves no other purpose than to heat your coffee cup.

Heard on the deck: “I just went on the tour and saw the penthouse. We could live like that. Just sell everything we own now and will own forever after and we could manage it.”

Cabins for guests with disabilities
Eight cabins, including two penthouses with 403 square feet of space, have wide doors, fully accessible bathrooms, and wheel-in closets with low rods. Some of the larger suites and penthouses would also be suitable for wheelchair users. For the hearing impaired, there’s closed-captioning on the TV and the theater is equipped with a special audio system. Elevators accommodate standard-size wheelchairs, and several of the ship’s public restrooms are equipped with larger stalls for guests in wheelchairs.

Tips:

• Laundries on each passenger deck are free. There’s also an iron and ironing board in each one.
• Room stewards will pick up laundry, dry cleaning, or pressing to be done for you. Prices range from $1,50 to wash your undershorts to $11.50 to dry-clean a suit.
• A gratuity of $10.50 per person, per day is commonly added to your bill to tip your room steward, waiter, and assistant waiter. If you’re a single, the room steward gets another $1 a day. If you’re in a penthouse, $4 per day is added for the butler.
• If the cruise isn’t full, there may be an open house where you can tour a few cabins. It’s a great opportunity to check out the fancy digs on the penthouse decks.
• Digested versions of articles from The New York Times are delivered to the door every day.
• CNN, ESPN, and CNBC are transmitted to the ship by satellite 24 hours a day, signal permitting. The cruise line has plans to add Fox News.
• Passengers who are dependent on oxygen may be limited to itineraries where medical help and equipment can be easily arranged.

Heard on the deck: “I just went on the tour and I want an upgrade.”

Serenity’s centerpiece gathering spot is the two-story Crystal Plaza, splashed with subtle lighting from a large stained-glass ceiling and accented by a crystal waterfall and gilt sculpture. Downstairs is reception, a lounge, a dance floor, and the Crystal Cove Bar with the cruise line’s signature crystal-clear piano. Upstairs are shops and the Bistro coffee bar. By evening the plaza takes on a different persona, becoming the place to pause and watch elegant couples dance before dinner.

Bars, lounges, and casino
Visit the Sunset Bar in the morning for a wide-angle view of water, sun, and Serenity’s worldly destinations. It adjoins the Palm Court, which doubles as a sedate tea room afternoons and sophisticated dance club after dinner. The evening lasts a little longer at Pulse Disco, where the music is hot and the karaoke plays as long as there’s someone left to sing along. If intimate piano music is your thing, head for Avenue Saloon, where the lighting seems to come from candle glow and the music is mellow too. The bridge room, like most of Serenity’s public areas, is larger than many at sea, with room for 15 tables. The library is small but well stocked, with two disc players with headphones in one corner and a good supply of videos and games to check out. Caesar’s Palace at Sea casino (it’s run by Caesar’s in Las Vegas) is more spacious than most shipboard gambling dens, with plenty of room to gather around a gaming table and kibitz. The room is less jarring to the eyes and ears than most casinos, thanks to indirect lighting and toned-down volume on the slots. There’s a full complement of games: Slots, blackjack, craps, baccarat, roulette, and poker. Most voyages have slot tournaments and blackjack competitions.

Heard on the deck: “I gave up on blackjack and went over to the slots. I couldn’t win at a game of skill, so I tried a game of chance and did okay. Figures.”

Swimming pools
Most passengers head for one of two warm salt-water pools on sea days and after long afternoons sightseeing in port. Sun lovers settle down around the open-air Seahorse Pool and its two whirlpools overlooking the action, while those who seek light without the burn spread their beach towels under the sliding glass ceiling at Neptune Pool. A smooth-music combo provides a relaxing beat for early afternoon sunning. Don’t wait around for the silly pool games to begin. That’s another cruise on a different ship.

Shows
Serenity’s ensemble includes some of the most versatile singers and dancers at sea, with a repertoire that romps through Hollywood, up Broadway, and back to rock ‘n’ roll’s favorite haunts. Curtain Call, the main production, begins with a spicy hot dance number from Chicago and doesn’t cool down until the kids have performed show stoppers from Les Miserables, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Evita, and Mama Mia!, to name a few. But the floor show pièce de résistance is That’s Dancin’!, a jaw-dropping showcase for the dancers. Major productions are held in the Galaxy Show Lounge, with not a bad seat in the house. The more intimate Stardust Club is the showroom for variety acts, and the Hollywood Theatre, with its full theater sound system, seats movie-goers and lecture audiences in plush comfort.

Shore excursions
Crystal ships aren’t known for offering lots of high-adventure excursions. Tours are often educational in nature or simply narrated bus rides into town. You won’t be inundated with fliers about where to buy jewelry, T-shirts, and duty-free booze ashore, but you will be given a sheet for each port describing sights of interest and museums, along with a map showing where they are and where the ship is docked in relation to town.

Looking for…

• Quietest spot: Serenity isn’t as large as most of the big cruise ships and doesn’t have undesignated nooks and crannies to duck into with a book. That said, the Sunset Bar, with a view topped only by the captain’s in the bridge above, is a place to contemplate the good life or settle in with a best seller.
• Liveliest spot: Pulse Disco rocks from today ‘til tomorrow with recorded music and throbbing lights.
• Most popular activity: If you love to dance, you’ll be the star when folks gather before dinner to watch the couples swing and sway in the Crystal Plaza.
• Best view: The most Titanic view is from the bow pulpit on the crew deck. Guests settle for the outdoor observation deck on the topmost deck or the Sunset Bar one deck down.
• Best show: That’s Dancin’! is an innovative multimedia production that allows members of the ensemble to show off individual talents. You don’t think dancers in hard hats and coveralls can be sexy? Then you haven’t seen anything like this version of Steam Heat.
• Best drink: Campari Orange, a simple layered concoction (Campari and O.J., naturally), puts a chill on a sunny afternoon at the pool.

Tips:

• Pipes and cigars are permitted indoors only in the Connoisseur Club, a dark leather-bound room that’s set aside for that purpose. Small smoking areas are designated in lounges and bars, but there’s no smoking at all in eateries or showrooms.
• Serenity’s Internet room, with 25 computers, is the place for its Computer University @ Sea instructional program and for daily use by plugged-in passengers. Internet access has a $5 setup fee, after which you pay by the half hour ($15 for 30 minutes) or the kilobyte ($5 for the first 250 kilobytes of data received and $2 for each 100 kilobytes after that). The staff can help you pick out the best plan for your needs. If you’d rather surf from your cabin, you can rent a laptop for $5 a day and sign on in privacy for $30 a day.
• There’s a $50 fine for library books or videos that aren’t returned at the end of the cruise.
• Serenity’s low-key approach to tours means excursions aren’t announced over the ship’s intercom. It’s up to guests to meet at the designated place on time, tickets in hand.
• Complimentary bottles of cold water are handed out as tour groups leave the ship.
• Saving seats in the theater and lounge chairs by the pool is a no-no.
• Interdenominational services are held every Sunday, and a Catholic priest is onboard most cruises to say Mass. Jewish and Christian religious holidays are observed.

Crystal cruises really don’t cater to kids, although there is a playroom and a space with half a dozen Sony PlayStations. During holiday and summer cruises when more families book, there are supervised activities for all ages. This being a ship for more affluent cruisers, instruction for the younger set on holiday may include dance and etiquette. Or you can do as some parents did on our cruise: Take the kids to grownups’ dance classes in the morning and tea in the Palm Court in the afternoon.

Tip: Cribs are available at no charge and babysitters can be hired for a nominal fee.

Spa and salon
Soothing feng shui design elements set the relaxing tone at the reception desk in Serenity’s spa. Water babbles over a huge ball in the corner, silky wood furnishings sport smooth metal trim, and earthen pots and squat candles decorate a wall of shelves. You’ll be offered green tea or orange juice while you wait to be called for your appointment. There are plenty of exotic rituals to indulge in. On our cruise, a mother and daughter bonded during the “exotic lime and ginger salt glow,” a three-hour session that includes a facial and massage for $368. A training session in massage therapy for partners costs $242 and includes a bottle of massage oil you can use later in your cabin. The experts in the hair salon will give you a dramatic new do, with a cut and foil color for short hair costing about $150 plus tip; it includes a pampering scalp massage and the chance to try some of the lotions and potions the hairdresser thinks you need. The pitch to buy what you try is soft and you can say no. Gender-separated saunas have glass walls so you can look out over the sea while you bake.

Heard on the deck: “I always go to the $10 walk-in salon for a cut at home, but when I cruise, I splurge and pay them to fix up the mess. It works for me.”

Fitness areas
The fitness area isn’t particularly large, but there’s a bank of treadmills (each with its own TV and view of the water), a complement of weights, circuit-training equipment, and space for classes. Most classes are free, but individual Pilates instruction or personal training costs $83 an hour. On deck there’s an open jogging promenade, shuffleboard courts, ping-pong tables, netted areas for practicing your golf swing, and two courts for paddle tennis, which is played with a wooden paddle and punctured balls that won’t bounce over and out to sea.

Tips:

• Some spa treatments earn Lucky Karma Coins valued at $10 to use toward spa products you might want to purchase. But you don’t need to rely on that gimmick -- the therapists and beauty experts often knock a few dollars off products you buy in the spa.
• The best specials are offered on days the ship is in port. Watch the daily newsletter for bargains.
• Serenity has two low-tech driving nets and a putting green which were put heavy use during our cruise. Golfers also lined up for one-on-one instruction offered by a seasoned golf pro and said they appreciated the human touch over the high-tech video golf found on other ships.
• The sports area at the stern of the ship, where the golf greens and ping-pong tables are located, isn’t easy to find at first. You can either take the stairs leading from the deck above or sneak through the door next to the stage in the Stardust Club.
• There’s a regularly scheduled walking fitness program that features special weighted vests and music tapes to make the time pass.

Heard on the deck (at the reception desk in the spa): “I want to sign up for a ginger and salt scrub this morning, but I need to tell my husband where I am, and he’s still in the men’s sauna and I don’t think he’s ever going to come out. Do you suppose someone could run in there and get him for me?”

Serenity’s three mezzanine shops sell glittery evening bags, designer clothing, crystal replicas of the ship, china like that found in the Crystal Dining Room (featuring old-world maps of seas Serenity sails), and coffee cups and plates imprinted with paintings from the Bistro. There’s a boutique that specializes in upscale cruise-logo items, a jewelry store, and a ready-to-wear salon that stocks casual and formal wear for men and women at about the same prices you’d expect to find in a nice department store. What you won’t see is schlocky souvenirs, a duty-free liquor store, or a sidewalk sale featuring cheap watches, amber by the pound, and gold by the inch.

Tip: If you see something you like at Apropos, the clothing boutique, buy it quickly. They change the clothing on the racks frequently when they’re open, saving items that aren’t selling well for another cruise.

Serenity roams the globe, with a world cruise that takes her to exotic destinations like Rarotonga and Dubai from late winter to spring. In summer, she cruises European and Baltic seaports. And for the holidays, she can be found in the sun-drenched Caribbean.

• Year entered service - 2003
• Passenger capacity - 1080
• Ship name - Crystal Serenity
• Decks - 9
• Total cabins - 550
• Officers nationality - Norwegian/Japanese
• Private balcony cabins - 466
• Total crew - 635
• Tonnage - 68,000
• Registry - Bahamas