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Today is another relaxing day at sea aboard Crystal Serenity. After going through all of my photos and writing the daily cruise blog (from the previous day’s activities), Rickee joins me in The Bistro to proof the blog, and make her additions before the blog is posted to our website.

*Rickee Proofs The Daily Cruise Blog at The Bistro*

After having a light breakfast at The Bistro, we head back to our suite to watch one of the onboard lectures that we missed the other day. We love that Crystal makes all of the lectures available through their closed circuit television system. They even offer lectures from previous cruise segments. This could be because so many guests book multiple cruises back-to-back.

*Enrichment Lectures Are Broadcast In Stateroom*

The en suite television is very easy to understand and navigate. The 50-inch flat screen hi-definition televisions offer a great image. Crystal also offers a good selection of live television programming, movies and music programming, and all are complimentary.

Rickee has a spa appointment for a facial treatment at 12:30, so I am on my own for lunch today. I decide to try Tastes Kitchen and Bar which is open for lunch from 1:00pm till 3:00pm. We had dinner at Tastes last night and the meal was so good, I wanted to see what the lunch service was like.

Whether you dine at Tastes for lunch or dinner, the menus are the same every day. The lunch menu offers a variety of dishes from various regions. While the menu is not huge, it offers an interesting mix and you can order as few or as many dishes as you like. If you are dining with someone that has simpler tastes, Trident Grill is right next to Tastes and they can enjoy a burger, sandwich, wrap or hot dog.

Tastes Bar is also nearby to take care of any liquid refreshments you might desire. Rickee and I both love the Dr. Loosen Riesling. We learned on a recent cruise that there are three varieties of Dr. Loosen Riesling: one dry, one extra dry and one is sweet. We prefer the sweet version. I ordered a glass to enjoy with my lunch and the waiter promptly delivered.

By the way, if you want pizza, Tastes is the only restaurant that offers it and only during their lunch service. While I think you can order pizza through room service, I find it interesting that, with an Italian owner, there is no pizza restaurant, or at least pizza offered at Marketplace buffet.

One thing that does change daily at Tastes is the soup. Today they offered a Cream of Broccoli, which was delicious and perfectly seasoned. This is the second cream soup I have had on Serenity and both have been excellent. The same goes for the seasoning. I don’t think I have had to reach for the salt grinder more than once or twice the entire cruise.

For my main course, I ordered a selection of the pot stickers and Asian dumplings. The waiter brought me two of each to try. One was a shrimp dumpling, another was a chicken and shrimp potsticker, and the third was a vegetable and mushroom potsticker. All were delicious. Small pitchers of dark vinegar, soy sauce and Sambal hot sauce are on each table.

*Pot Stickers and Dumplings Served In Small Pots*

For afternoon tea today, Crystal Serenity is featuring their Chocolate Afternoon Tea service. Unlike traditional tea service, this one is set up buffet style, even though waiters are on hand to place the items on your plate for you. The selection of chocolate delights seemed endless and everything we tried was delicious. The pastries and desserts on this ship have been excellent.

We were joined at tea by our friends and fellow journalists, John and Sandra Nowlan. The chocolate feast was enjoyed by all.

I left Afternoon Tea a little early for a spa appointment and had just enough time to grab a few photos of various suite categories which were part of an open house. Guests were offered the opportunity to view a variety of suite categories this afternoon.

We discovered that not all suites have undergone refurbishment in 2023. Some suites were refurbished in 2018 and some, referred to as “classic,” suites have remained unchanged for many years.

Of special interest to us was the Aquamarine Veranda Classic suite which is what we occupied in 2013 and 2015 aboard Serenity. It brought back a lot of wonderful memories. We spent 15 days in this category of suite in 2015 and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Back then, it was referred to as a Penthouse Veranda Suite, but the name has been changed to Aquamarine Veranda Suite. However, we much prefer the new Sapphire Veranda Suite (2023) that we occupy on this sailing. It is larger, more modern and extremely comfortable.

After quickly touring the suites, I had just enough time to race up to Deck 13 aft to Aurora Spa for my 4:15 manicure/pedicure appointment. Originally, I had planned to have a massage treatment, but decided to change a few days ago. My fingernails were in desperate need of trimming and I did not bring any clippers with me (thank you TSA).

My treatment lasted nearly two hours and started with a relaxing warm bath for my feet.

My Nail Technician, Imali, is from Kenya and she did an excellent job on both my hands and feet. I enjoyed talking to her about Kenya, a country we visited on safari many years ago, and about her desire to start her own blog. As a cruise ship spa technician, she has traveled the world and I am sure has many stories to tell.

After my spa treatment, Rickee and I decided to enjoy a cocktail at Avenue Saloon, aft on Deck 6. This was one of our favorite locations back in 2013 and 2015 when we sailed on Serenity. The bar is very dark and cozy, but honestly, is in need of a refresh. The furnishings are beginning to look dated and tired. This would be the perfect location for a sports-themed bar (hint, hint).

The bar service, however, was excellent. Rickee had the best Lemon Drop Martini so far! A waiter came by offering canapés to enjoy with our cocktails. There is live piano music here at 7pm, but we left before it began. A return trip to Avenue Saloon may be in order.

For dinner this evening, we decide to walk up one deck from Avenue Saloon and visit the sushi bar at Umi Uma. Reservations are not required to dine at the sushi bar, but seating is limited. A sushi bar menu displays all of the varieties of sashimi, sushi and rolls. I asked the chef if he could make a Spicy Tuna Roll with avocado, and Rickee ordered a Shrimp Tempura Roll.

Rickee’s Shrimp Tempura roll consisted of 6 pieces and it was delicious.

My customized Spicy Tuna Roll, covered with thin slices of fresh Avocado, was difficult to eat with chop sticks (the avocado is slippery), but it was one of the best rolls I have ever had.

I was still a little hungry so I ordered a second Spicy Tuna Roll, sans Avocado. The sushi bar at Umi Uma is one of our favorite spots on Crystal Serenity.

After our dinner, we decided to skip this evenings entertainment in Galaxy Lounge and finish watching some of the excellent lectures back in our comfortable Sapphire Veranda Suite.

Tomorrow, Crystal Serenity will be in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Crystal Serenity

Day 5 - At Sea

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