Cruise ship renaissance: Owners of the Crystal Serenity went bankrupt – but she's back and shining brighter than ever
Neil Darbyshire is on board for the Crystal Serenity's first outing since its rebuild. The capacity has been reduced from 1,040 passengers to 740, he reveals. READ MORE: Inside Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's luxury superyacht
As Steffan the Welsh tenor sings Con Te Partiro (It's time to tell the review), Crystal Serenity leaves Venice. There's cheers on the pool deck, anticipation in the air.
Painters are putting the finishing touches on the back, the hardwood planks of the promenade deck are being patched. and polished, and on the green below me, the synthetic turf receives one last aspiration.
It's a raise in every sense of the word. Eighteen months ago, the Chinese owners of the Crystal company went bankrupt. Their ships were impounded in the Bahamas for unpaid bills and US offices were closed.
Many thought this was the end of Crystal, until which bespoke tour operator Abercrombie & Kent retired their name and rose from the abyss.
I'm on board for Serenity's first outing since a rebuild complete and in the interest of full disclosure, I have never been on a cruise before, being put off by the teasing of 'floating nursing homes' and the prospect of being surrounded by many people I don't know not. But the moment Roland, our Serenity butler, welcomes us to our veranda suite with an offer of champagne and canapes, I'm ready to rethink.
As Steffan the Welsh tenor sings Con Te Partiro (It's time to tell the review), Crystal Serenity leaves Venice. There's cheers on the pool deck, anticipation in the air.
Painters are putting the finishing touches on the back, the hardwood planks of the promenade deck are being patched. and polished, and on the green below me, the synthetic turf receives one last aspiration.
It's a raise in every sense of the word. Eighteen months ago, the Chinese owners of the Crystal company went bankrupt. Their ships were impounded in the Bahamas for unpaid bills and US offices were closed.
Many thought this was the end of Crystal, until which bespoke tour operator Abercrombie & Kent retired their name and rose from the abyss.
I'm on board for Serenity's first outing since a rebuild complete and in the interest of full disclosure, I have never been on a cruise before, being put off by the teasing of 'floating nursing homes' and the prospect of being surrounded by many people I don't know not. But the moment Roland, our Serenity butler, welcomes us to our veranda suite with an offer of champagne and canapes, I'm ready to rethink.
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