Trip Report: September 22 to October 19, 2003
by Ted & Sylvia Blishak
Fall Colors Coast to Coast - by Land and Sea
ABOARD THE "CRYSTAL SYMPHONY"
Sunday, September 28, Martha's Vineyard.
We are anchored off the island this morning, outside our windows is nothing but gray. There are shore excursions available, and our tenders are busy carrying passengers out into the fog and back. The swells are high, and we observe people getting into the small covered boats with lots of help from the crew.
"Some people just come aboard to the enjoy the amenities of the ship, and don't go ashore very often," one of our waiters tells us at breakfast. We are feeling indolent and decide to include ourselves in that category today.
"We were here last week at the same time with of the Norwegian Caribbean Line ships and the weather was clear in the morning, but the fog came in at noon," our waiter continued. "So the NCL passengers were stuck on shore for awhile. Their tenders had to stop as they aren't equipped with radar, but ours do so ours kept running."
This is just one of many extra safety features that the Crystal Symphony offers. Each time we board, we cleanse our hands with a soapless liquid from an automatic "don't touch" dispenser. In the gym, we were expected to cleanse any equipment we touched with antiseptic wipes. Crew members frequently clean the brass and mahogany stair banisters. We appreciate this, as viruses can spread quickly aboard a ship, and we've not experienced this level of preventive cleanliness on other ships.
Today, like other days when most guests were ashore, the crew went through two safety drills. One involved an imaginary scenario in which the ship had suffered damage and was taking on water due to a collision. The captain invited passengers to observe from an upper deck, and the "leak" was secured within a few minutes.
The ship's library is well stocked with books, audio tapes, and videos. Ted selects a book about the "Lusitania" while Sylvia settles in with an Agatha Christie audio tape. For others who choose to stay aboard, there are paddle and table tennis, "From Here to Eternity" at the Hollywood Theater, bingo and bridge options, and afternoon white-gloved high tea with live music in the forward lounge, the Palm Court.
Before dinner, at the Starlite Club, the three member Repertory Theatre at Sea perform excerpts from the classic comedies of Neil Simon. After dinner, award-winning classical Pianist Avner Arad, an Israeli who has studied at both the Curtis Institute and Julliard, treats us to a solo concert this evening at the Galaxy Lounge. Giving new vitality to Mozart, Schubert and Chopin, he is a great success with the ship's passengers. Meanwhile, other guests are enjoying dancing pre-dinner dancing to the melodies of Music Vision in the Palm Court, after dinner dancing at the Starlite Club, or listening to Scott Mitchell at the piano in the Crystal Cove, or Simon Casciano at the piano of the Avenue Saloon.
Continue to Next Page
