Closer Look: Crystal Symphony

A few months ago, I returned to Crystal Symphony with the husband, this time in the Mediterranean. It was our first Crystal cruise since Abercrombie & Kent resurrected the luxury line last year after that notorious fall from grace a year prior. Crystal has long been my favorite cruise company, and Symphony my preferred ship. Dining on Crystal has always been phenomenal — and all-inclusive.

When Serenity and Symphony set sail again following major interior redesigns, A&K introduced two new dining concepts: Beefbar, an offshoot of the see-and-be-seen steakhouse brand from Monte Carlo, and Osteria d’Ovidio, a posh Italian dining room from the Alajmo family, whose Veneto-based restaurant empire includes the Michelin three-star Le Calandre. So, how are these new restaurants? And is the ship’s main dining room still as special as it used to be?

My latest feature for OLTRE, “The Feast of Seventy Dishes,” answers these questions — and contemplates the absurdity of bringing a swimsuit on an all-inclusive cruise — as we sail from Civitavecchia to Monte Carlo. Read all about it in OLTRE’s winter issue, out today. It’s always hard to show the full picture in print, so here’s a closer look around.

First, the main dining room. It was completely remodeled and renamed Waterside:

Here’s a closer look at the new Beefbar:

Crystal Symphony Beefbar — Beefbar on Crystal Symphony (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)

My favorite bar, Avenue Saloon, remains untouched — like a classic luxury hotel bar:

Here’s the new Italian restaurant, Osteria d’Ovidio, which replaced Prego:

Osteria d'Ovidio on Crystal Symphony — Osteria d’Ovidio on Crystal Symphony (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)

Nobu Matsuhisa’s restaurant and sushi bar has a new name, Umi Uma, but nothing else changed:

And here’s a quick look around Symphony, plus a few Mediterranean views:

Read the full story here. To book a cruise with Crystal, contact your Internova-affiliated travel advisor for the best rates and for pre- and post-cruise hotels and itineraries with bonus perks. For more travel inspiration, photos and random commentary, I invite you to follow me and join the conversation on Instagram, Facebook and Threads. (I’m no longer active on Twitter/X.)

Closer Look: Crystal Symphony

The OLTRE Sound/Bar archives

Quick Look: the Mayfair Suite at The Dorchester, London

You May Also Like