Party of 3 took the Harmony from Acapulco to LA, part of a repositioning cruise before drydock in Portland. The full cruise would have been 11 days, Acapulco to Vancouver. It was one of several "value collection" cruises offered by Crystal, with normal fares discounted up to 50%. Fares started at about $200/day. We lucked out and found a great TA, Debbie Schroeder, of http://www.daysofftravel.com/ --what a gem. No-hassle price quote, asked all the right questions, stayed in constant communication 'til cruise day, nice follow up note after the cruise. Thanks Debbie!
This is a ship lover's ship: a real promenade deck all around the ship, every public room had huge windows, the sea could be seen everywhere. The Harmony's 10 years old and still looks brand new. Lots of blues, greens, coral, marble, wood, and brass; beautiful.

Staterooms nicely furnished, about 200 sq.ft. No wait for luggage delivery, it was waiting for us, garment bags neatly unrolled on the beds. Fantastic amenities: basketful of Neutrogena soaps, shampoos, lotions, etc. which were replenished daily, lint cloths, shoe polishing cloths, sewing kits, the whole nine yards. Built-in hair dryer and another in the closet, mohair blankets in the closets, and down quilts on the beds, down pillows, fully stocked honor bars, tons of writing paper, envelopes, postcards, pens... you get the picture. Copies of the next day's dinner menus were left in the staterooms every night. Extensive 24-hour room service menu. Complimentary Time and Newsweek magazines delivered to cabins first day, a four-page summary of the New York Times was delivered every day. Cabins on Penthouse deck also offered butler service, free minibar throughout the cruise (all the liquor, Champagne, beer, wine, Gatorade, etc. you could drink!), hors d'oeuvres delivered to your cabin every afternoon, and free pressing service from the ship's laundry. Laundry rooms on each deck for pax use, no charge--even the soap and softener were free.

Food was varied, plentiful, and faultlessly prepared. Lido Buffet was open for breakfast and lunch only. The "Bistro" on the entertainment deck was a French style cafe offering complimentary pastries, cheeses, charcuterie, breads, etc. open from mid-morning into the evening. Burger stand on pool deck and ice cream bar open all day. Two alternative dining restaurants, Kyoto (Japanese) and Prego (Italian) were outstanding. One thing I really liked was the omission of the nightly midnight buffet. Instead, waiters went through the public rooms from 11:30 PM to 1:00 AM offering small sandwiches, hot appetizers, seafood, pastries, etc. on silver trays. No lining up, and no indigestion in the morning... Mid-morning bouillon and afternoon tea (real clotted cream, no redi-whip) were nice touches.

Dining room menus were themed every night, and a seperate Spa Cuisine menu was offered. There was also a small menu offering a different broiled steak or chicken available every night. Service was awesome. Wine stewards, waiter, and busboy remembered our preferences after the first day, made helpful suggestions, and never rushed us through the meal. Maitre D' and Captain were at our table every night.

Service throughout the ship was incredible. Staff was uniformly attentive, with a friendly greeting for all. Professional people, but very warm and welcoming. At the Lido Buffet, a smiling girl handed you your tray in the buffet, all made up with plate, linen napkin, and silver. Waiters carried your tray to your table, or out to the pool area, offered to get you water, coffee, juice, anything you forgot from the buffet. Waiters followed the more elderly guests through the line, to be sure they got what they needed. And so it was everywhere on ship.

Great entertainment--production shows, comics, dance bands, and a great pianist in the Avenue Saloon. Daily program filled with interesting events, not a single one of which involved a fee or sales pitch. Bridge lessons, dance lessons, computer classes, lectures from a NASA space photographer, aerobics classes, fitness classes, etc. Only event we paid for was the inevitable bingo, but you could charge it to your account, and it was very inexpensive. Real movie theater showed top hits, well stocked library offered several hundred videos as well. Cruise director made it a point to meet and talk to every passenger on board, amazing. Casino was operated and staffed by Caesar's Palace; the only thing less than perfect on board. Nice casino, but surly staff. (Not to me, but they had no patience with some of the more elderly guests, some dealers said they'd rather be back in Vegas). Traditional Captain's party, shook every hand and he and the officers actually mingled with the guests.

Guests were about 2/3 North American, 1/3 European and Asian, 90% were over 60. Fine with me, older folks have better manners than my own generation, and they have better stories to tell. Two great retired couples at our dinner table, from Australia and Germany. Lots of $$$ aboard (present company excepted), but no snobbery or attitudes.

All in all, a great traditional cruise experience, the way I imagine it must have been 40 or 50 years ago. Passengers followed the suggested dress codes all evening, it was nice to see everyone dressed up without making a mad dash to change back into jeans. Many thoughtful traditional touches like wool steamer blankets rolled up on the deck chairs during a cool day, being personally escorted to our cabins, staff members escorting single ladies into dinner, etc. made the trip special.

Would I do it again? In a New York minute! It was more expensive than other cruises I've taken, but I received full value. Given a choice of two cruises a year on some of the discount lines, or just one cruise on Crystal, I'd do Crystal. Sorry this was so long, folks, and thanks again for a super job Debbie!

HB