Crystal Cruises
Crystal Penthouse

Crystal's strengths have always been in the "soft goods," like attentive service and the superlative quality of the food—those small things that have a big impact on your experience. And sometimes just feeling that somebody is looking out for you can be the best thing of all. Guests in the Penthouses get limousine transfers to and from the airport, thus eliminating the most unpleasant act of most cruise vacations: crowding onto the shuttle bus and waiting with the other passengers until everyone is ready. When you do arrive, you'll find bathrooms decked out with Swarovski crystal faucets, custom-etched glass sinks, and bidets. Living rooms have DVD players with a library of selections, and stereos are Bang & Olufsen. As for the food and drink: Not only can you can order room service from the celeb chef restaurants aboard, courtesy of Valentino chef Piero Selvaggio and Nobu Matsuhisa (how about sashimi on your balcony as you sail out of Venice?), but the room is also outfitted with free wine, beer, and liquor.

Best detail: Your suite also comes with a personal gym—including a treadmill or stationary bicycle—in which to work off those Valentino King Crab Cakes and cocktails.

Set sail: Crystal Symphony: summer, northern Europe; winter, the Caribbean. Crystal Serenity: summer, the Mediterranean; winter, South and Central America

Crystal Cruises
Tel: 888 722 0021
Crystal Penthouse from $1,398 per person per night, based on double occupancy

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