Golden Passage

introduction

As we prepare for this upcoming adventure, an early update is in order. Those of you who follow our cruises will know that we elected to defer our 45th Milestone reward until this cruise. Basically, what that entails are two free private car transfers from the airport to the ship, among other things once onboard. That is intended to get you to the ship and back home again. When we decided to wait to use this amenity for this cruise, we spoke directly to the horse's mouth, so to speak, when we happened to meet the then-new head of Crystal Society, M.C. Wilkes. In our opinion, she is one of a few executives in the Los Angeles office who actually "gets it" (another being Thomas Mazloum). That said, she certainly does have her hands full trying to wake up some of her co-workers to the fact that they are working in a service industry. Thank goodness the ships aren't run in the same manner as the office! If you've had good luck in your dealings with the office, more power to you. We've encountered horrendous service and we're approaching the 50-cruise milestone. We can only imagine the response someone with two cruises gets (what response, perhaps?). We know how to get what we want, but what about guests who aren't as knowledgeable and/or pushy?

So, here's the deal so far. We asked if we could use both of our transfers in Costa Rica. One to get from the airport to the hotel (which is not one of Crystal's hotels, by the way), and the other from the hotel to the ship. The limitation is that the transfers have to be within a 100 mile limit, which is not an issue here. The hotel is 70 miles from the airport and 15 miles from the port. The response right away was, "Of course, we can do that, no problem." That's the answer we should get and we did. However, the next step was to tell our travel agent to call Land Programs to make the arrangements. That would be easy enough except they never answer the phone or return messages.

Hmmm, so you don't return calls to our travel agent, huh? We're on the phone to M.C. who by now probably rues the day she told us to call her directly and we're just getting started. So, we inform her that a certain person isn't returning calls and is generally making life difficult for our travel agent. No problem, she'll take care of it, which she does. Eventually, said missing person informs our travel agent that it is no problem to arrange this, but please call back in two months when it is closer to departure.

Skip ahead to last week, which is two months since the first "no problem" call. Days of phone calls and voice messages ensue with no response from the same phantom person to whom our travel agent must speak to arrange transfers. Another call/email to M.C. prompts a fax from this person to our travel agent asking her to call, AGAIN. She does, voice mail. She calls again, out of the office. She calls again...you get the picture. Messages are left with no response. Eventually, she actually does manage to catch the Land Programs woman in her office. She probably wishes she had caller I.D. about now.

Our travel agent goes through the song and dance she went through two months ago when it was "no problem". Land Programs woman says, "They are not on my list, call Crystal Society." Hmmm, could they get any more snotty? Talk about an attitude. We only wish she had treated one of us that way because we can assure you heads would be rolling.

Oh well, by now our travel agent, who is no pushover herself, has called M.C. directly who prompts Land Programs to fax (although she said she would call) a form to fill out for our transfers. See, she said it was "no problem"! Now we'll wait and see what actually transpires between now and our arrival in Costa Rica. By the way, this is the condensed version of what actually happened. Really, it was much more complicated than this! The only person who did what she should do, and with a friendly, helpful attitude, was M.C.

The thing is, if Crystal doesn't want to actually DO any of the things they promise in their rewards program, then don't offer it. If they do, then we expect it to be easy to redeem. We shouldn't have to jump through hoops to get what we deserve.

On a more pleasant note, we had a chance to visit Crystal Symphony during a stop in San Diego. Our good friends Marco (shore excursion manager) and Benji (salon) invited us for lunch. Both of them have resigned and will have left the ship by the time you read this. After nine years of shipboard life, they have decided it is time to move on and start their life together ashore. We'll miss them, that's for sure. We plan to catch up with them during our stay in Costa Rica. Who knows, we may make it to South Africa someday!

We had a pleasant conversation and lunch by the Neptune Pool. The deck guys were all asking when we are coming for real, but not to worry, it is coming right up!

www.villacaletas.com

Crowning a towering mountain skirted by luxuriant jungle, Villa Caletas commands a breathtaking view of sea and sky. It is an inspired fusion of design styles - tropical Victorian, neo-classical, French - but it is so much more… What would in most earthly places seem to be an impossible jumble of disparate elements is here at Villa Caletas magically metamorphosed to harmonious beauty.

Today's travel saga actually began last night at 8:00pm when the car arrived to transport us to LAX. The drive normally takes about two hours, but since it was raining we expected the worst. It was no problem as it turned out, the drive took less than two hours even though it did pour rain about half the time.

We arrived at the terminal at LAX at around 9:45pm for our 1:30am departure via LACSA flight 605. Just a tip if you are contemplating this same trip at some point, there is also a United code-share on this same flight. It costs roughly $200 more for the exact same seat, so book through the national carrier if you want to save some bucks like we did.

No offense to Peruvians, but the scene in the terminal can best be described as a chaotic bus terminal in Peru during rush hour. People standing around everywhere with no clue what to do or where to go, luggage and boxes in piles, etc. We half expected someone to wander in with a few goats and chickens at any moment. Another word to the wise, if you are looking for the LACSA counter forget it. Everything is run by TACA, so that's where you go. The friendly woman at the podium at the end of the line looked at our papers (printed at home, we have e-tickets for this flight) and opened up the business class line for us.

We waited at the front of the line for a while as the ticket agents dealt with the usual chaos of people not having a clue. By the way, we were two of maybe six Americans we saw the entire time in the airport lobby. This is just an observation, we're not complaining about it, but it helps to explain the air of hysteria that was taking place.

When the ticket agent saw us standing there after about ten minutes, she flipped over a sign above the counter that made it business class only and began the check-in process. Although it took way longer than necessary it wasn't ridiculous. The glitch was due to us having three pieces of luggage that were overweight, but wanting the fee ($25 per bag) charged to a single credit card. Once that was handled by a supervisor it wasn't an issue.

As you probably know, luggage isn't necessarily checked in at the ticket counter anymore. In the case of LAX Terminal 2, you have to go to the ticket counter with your luggage where it is tagged by the airline. Then you haul it back out into the lobby and turn it in to the TSA screeners with the big X-ray machine that's sitting in the lobby blocking traffic. That wouldn't be so terrible except there is no indication of where to form a line. Well, there is, but it says it is for Air France. Your tax dollars at work, but we digress. Once actually in the line, it moved relatively quickly (there were only ten people in it). The process involved handing the bags over to the TSA guy who puts them in a pile next to the machine until it starts working again. Once through the machine, a guy takes it back to the conveyer belt behind the same ticket counter where you were previously.

Whew, that's done, now all we have to do is work our way through the crowd in the lobby to the next security checkpoint and up to the departure lounge. Luckily, there was no line at the guard who checks your paperwork to allow you onto the escalator. He was also relatively pleasant, which is more than we'd be under the circumstances.

At the top of the escalator is the real security checkpoint for screening carry-on luggage and such. There were about six lines open and it should have been a fairly quick process. It would have been if the X-ray technician didn't have to call over a supervisor for every other thing that went though the machine. This is where you have to take off your shoes, empty your pockets and such. We knew what to do and had no problems in spite of Dave's carry-on being full of cables, extension cords, a camera and our menu scanner for the computer. Nothing was questioned and we even had an amusing conversation with the supervisor prompted by our eye rolling at someone giving her a hard time. A little sympathy for these people goes a long way sometimes.

The departure lounges were a sea of tranquility compared to the lobby area. There are several brand name eateries and shops along the way and the lounges are relatively comfortable for an airport. We had nearly two and a half hours to await boarding, so we just sat there with everyone else who was half asleep or more. Boarding did commence about ten minutes early and wasn't any problem. Business class and some other people board first and the waiting passengers actually were polite and waited until they were called. We observed only four other Americans on this flight, which appeared to be full.

Other than the fact that the flight and departure attendants looked to be 20 years old tops, there were no service issues. They were pleasant and did everything they were expected to do. After takeoff they asked if we wanted a snack consisting of a bowl of warm nuts and a small ham and cheese sandwich. It was adequate for a snack and we were hungry.

It was impossible to sleep because the leather seats were hard as rocks and the leg room was poor for business class. We ended up watching the in-flight movie, Ratatouille, which killed an hour or so. After the movie they turned off the lights and expected everyone to sleep for a short while before breakfast was served. There was a choice between waffles and eggs, or so he said. Another attendant said it was pancakes. We chose the eggs that had some green peppers and onions mixed in. It came with tater tots (literally) and black beans on the side, also a carton of a tasty fruit yogurt, some fresh fruit and a roll. It was edible, but that's about all we can say for it.

All in all, the flight was fine, not great, but fine. If the seats had been more comfortable we'd rate it higher, but that was lacking for business class. Otherwise, the service was good and the airplane was clean and in good condition. We'd fly LACSA again. By the way, the TACA logo was on everything, including the crew uniforms, so we have no idea why this was classified as a LACSA flight.

Our arrival in San Jose was about fifteen minutes early (the total flight time was announced as 5.5 hours on board, which it was). The rain had no effect on the take off or the flight itself. A Crystal Cruises representative was holding up a Crystal sign when we arrived in the terminal and she pegged us as the guests she was waiting for before we even said anything. We didn't expect someone from Crystal to be waiting for us, so this was a nice surprise. She was extremely friendly, fetching a porter and guiding us through everything. Immigration took maybe 2 minutes if that. They had about ten stations open and there was no line at all. Even the immigration officer was pleasant. The airport in general was very nice.

We were taken outside to our driver, who was holding up a sign for us outside the terminal. Taxis are readily available as soon as you step out of the terminal. This isn't the kind of place where vendors and taxi drivers grab at you, so no worries about anything like that here.

Our driver introduced himself as Julio and took us to the adjacent parking garage to find his car. There was a bit of consternation over whether our luggage would fit in his car, but we managed. Most people aren't going off on a month of cruises, so the amount of luggage we have is a bit unusual even for us.

The drive to Villa Caletas, which is located on Punta Leona just north of Jaco, takes about two hours. The drive is on a winding road, but it is in very good shape and the scenery is attractive. Julio pointed out sights along the way and we enjoyed his company. The time flew by mostly because of the enjoyable conversation we had with him. Crystal uses TAM Tours for their ground services and excursions. They were very professional and we'd recommend choosing this company if you are visiting Costa Rica on your own. There's no need to worry about driving in this part of the country. The roads are good and signs pointed to the major cities. Traffic wasn't an issue at all.

We arrived at the gates of Villa Caletas at around 10:45am, so we didn't expect our room to be ready. At the gate we were a bit unnerved when the guard couldn't find our name on his list, but that was straightened out before we reached the reception building because someone came out and called us by name. Well, sort of, but close enough.

We were ushered into the reception lobby where they have two desks for check-in formalities. In the meantime, Julio unloaded our luggage and it was brought in for storage until our room was ready. We were checked in by Luis, who was friendly and informative, although we had no idea what he was talking about half the time. When we asked about the internet access in the rooms that is plainly advertised on the hotel's website, we were told we would have to upgrade to the Zephyr Palace rooms (for an additional $25 per night) to get that. We said we didn't care that much, we'd keep what we reserved. Because we keep up on the reviews via www.tripadvisor.com we already knew we wouldn't want to be in the Palace section. It is new and probably lives up to the luxury claim more than the regular part of the hotel, but we preferred to keep the private villa and pool rather than share it with six other couples. However, be aware if you book a room here of this gimmick to upgrade for an extra fee because it appears to be a regular occurrence.

We were told that the room would be ready at around 2:00pm, which is the normal check-in time, and that we were welcome to start charging drinks and food to the room now. We took a walk around the hotel to take pictures of whatever seemed interesting. For anyone reading Tripadvisor you know that some people have an issue with huge spiders all over the place. What you don't know is that they aren't ON you, they are just in the jungle along the trails. We saw several maintenance men going around knocking the webs down, so it isn't as though they don't try. However, this hotel is in the rain forest, so what do you expect? The only thing they could possibly do about it is to douse the grounds with insecticide, but who wants that in such a pristine place?

Let's be frank about this property, it is in no way shape or form as luxurious as they (and the price) lead you to believe. The atmosphere is decidedly casual and the amenities are a hodge-podge of high end and budget. For example, there are cheap plastic chairs at the pool and the seating areas around the hotel are a bit disheveled. Not dirty, just in disarray as though nobody rearranges the chairs, ever. We're just reporting this, not complaining. The hotel is clean and the service is friendly, although it seems like the extremely young staff all started working here yesterday. We'd swear some of these guys are barely 16. There are a lot of them, no doubt about it, but every one of them seems to be doing their job with no training whatsoever. If the overall price was about half what it is, there wouldn't be any reason to complain, but at luxury prices the points should be sharper.

It was very hot and humid today, so we weren't at all enthusiastic about doing anything besides surviving long enough to get to bed. While we were waiting for our room we had frozen drinks by the pool in a covered area that was furnished with very incongruous (ugly may better describe them) modern sofas under a Victorian awning. Again, the service was adequate and we got what we asked for, except the waiter didn't ask if we wanted another when we were finished.

The pool area is very attractive, as is the large infinity pool (which is not heated, by the way). We saw a very tame anteater sort of creature outside of one of the spa cabanas. We're not sure if it is a pet or wild because one of the spa girls spoke to it on the way past and the animal looked at her endearingly. They had left a cup of water out for it. We saw it eating the huge ants off the sidewalk while we were there. Hmmmm, can we get one of those things to eat our ants? Poor thing would probably explode from overeating.

Eventually we were having problems staying awake, so we went for lunch in the Amphitheatre casual restaurant. We figured it would kill the hour we had remaining. No problem with killing an hour because the service is so relaxed that it took almost two hours for the meal. We both had entrees rather than sandwiches because we knew we wouldn't last until dinnertime. Also, we were told at reception that reservations are necessary for the restaurants at night even if you are a hotel guest. We can see that for the fancier Mirador restaurant, but we find that odd for a casual eatery in a hotel with only 45 rooms. Anyway, back to the subject of lunch.

The restaurant's outdoor terrace affords a spectacular view down the steep hills to the ocean below the hotel. Tourists came in droves just to gasp at the view, but we thought that was a bit over the top. The view is nice, no doubt about it, but unless you are from Kansas in the middle of winter it isn't awe inspiring. There are views like this all over Costa Rica, in fact, we saw a stunning valley on the drive to the hotel that was well worth looking at.

We had one entree salad, a Caesar with baby shrimp, Chicken Satay skewers, and Coconut Fried Shrimp. We thought all of the food was above average to very good, but it was in no way shape or form worth the prices charged even for a high-end hotel. We also had two fruit smoothies and a large bottle of water, and one cheesecake dessert. The total bill was $84 including service charge. Again speaking of the service, it is friendly and plentiful, but very haphazard. None of this is a big deal to us, but some people would really be put off by it, especially at these prices. Everyone speaks English at an acceptable level.

By the time we wandered back to reception it was after 2:30pm and the regular check-in people were gone. The man who helped us check in was nice, but didn't seem to know what to do. It took a while to find out whether the room was ready (it was), where our luggage was (in the store room), and how to give us keys. Apparently the Master Suites don't have electronic locks, so we were given a key ring with four regular keys on it. After wandering around the hotel grounds earlier, we were happy to find that our room is just a few steps away with no stairs on the walkway to get to it. The Master Suites are the largest accommodations here and have a private plunge pool. Some of the other villas are up and down a lot of stairs.

We were assigned to villa 19 which is at the end of a short walkway near the reception building. There is an iron gate that is locked, leading to a private courtyard, through another locked gate, and onto the patio with the small infinity pool and waterfall. Access to the room is through sliding glass doors, which are the only windows in the room besides the bathroom. The pool was full of leaves, but only because they are continuously falling from the trees, not due to lack of attention by maintenance. As mentioned before, our key ring held four keys. One is for the gates, one for the safe, a small one that opens the sliding door AND the mini bar, and one that went to none of the locks we found.

Probably the best way to describe these accommodations is to say that they are like staying at someone's grandmother's house if said grandmother happens to be a French Colonial Costa Rican Gothic Victorian. They are, to say the least, eclectic. They have everything necessary, especially central air conditioning that works. Most of the rooms here are in detached villas surrounded by jungle, so you get the impression you are staying in a private cottage all by yourself. Come to think of it, you are. You can't see or hear anyone else from your room.

Our room is large, but not outrageous. There is a separate sitting room with a leather sofa and black wicker coffee table. Sliding glass doors look onto the pool terrace and the ocean below from both rooms. The bedroom, which is where you enter through the sliding doors, has an armoire for clothing, a small desk, a very uncomfortable wicker sofa, and a king sized bed in an alcove. There is also a table with a coffee maker and a closet with a mini-bar. The bathroom looks very institutional with all while tile walls and very slippery slate floors. The bath fixtures are very cheap, more akin to a Motel 6 than a luxury hotel, but they work properly. The sink counter is made of exposed aggregate concrete which is impossible to clean and always wet, so that may creep out some neat freaks, which we most definitely are not. However, we'd be reluctant to lay a toothbrush on it.

The bathroom amenities are not of high enough quality for the price, but they are there. Plenty of white towels are available, but there are no hooks or towel bars on which to hang them. There is also a Jacuzzi tub and a large tiled shower. The soap, conditioner, and shampoo for these is dispensed from push-button things on the wall, which would be fine except none are labeled. Oh well, if we wash with shampoo at least we'll be nice and shiny.

There are some maintenance issues with the room, none of which we'll bother mentioning until we check out, just so they can address them if they want to. The lights in the little entry area don't work, the bathroom fan doesn't work, and the blanket on the bed is a bit dirty. We didn't use it, but we wouldn't want to touch it necessarily. The sheets are clean though. Overall the room smells a bit of mildew, although none is visible. Like we said, it's like staying in an old private house. However, your grandmother probably doesn't charge you $425 a night. On the other hand, if you had a room like this in the U.S. or Europe with the private pool, you'd surely pay three times that.

By 3:00pm we were simply not able to stay awake any longer. So, after braving the weird bathroom and taking a shower, we promptly crashed. We had no comfort issues with the bed that so many have complained about on Tripadvisor, but it isn't plush by any means. We did not find it uncomfortable either, so to each his own. We woke up only briefly when our friends called to talk about meeting up later in the week. We immediately went back to sleep and didn't wake up until 9:30am the next day.

By the way, although the private pool looks nice and seems like a good idea, it isn't heated at all. Since it is in the shade all day, it is freezing. It may be room temperature at best, but since the air temperature and humidity is so high it feels almost sub-zero. The patio is quite nice though, with a table and three chairs, plus a pair of mismatched wooden loungers and a hammock that can be strung up. We judge the condition of the exterior to be somewhat rundown and the landscaping needs some attention, but it isn't terrible. We have seen men doing touch-up painting, so it is probably a never ending battle to keep it looking as good as it does. The patio overlooks a very steep jungle hillside that tumbles down to the ocean.

As mentioned yesterday, we didn't even begin to think about waking up until 9:30am this morning. It was extremely windy overnight, but we only heard it when we happened to wake up for a few minutes. Eighteen hours of sleep was enough to overcome the lack of sleep yesterday, so we are refreshed today and ready to go. Well, ready to go to breakfast anyway.

We wandered up to the Amphitheater restaurant at around 10:00am and were the only guests in the place most of the time. One other couple arrived after us in a frantic rush to get out of there. We think they were trying to be nice and get out by the end of the breakfast hours at 11:00am, but the restaurant is open all day, so there was no need for it.

The service was the same as yesterday, friendly, but unpolished. We had waffles and pancakes topped with fresh fruit, a fruit plate and two smoothies. We don't recall the price exactly, but we believe it was about $25 before tip, which was reasonable for what we got. The food was very good and we were happy with everything. Our table was adjacent to the famous amphitheater where you are supposed to gather for the sunset.

The amphitheater looks like an accident waiting to happen to us. There is no way you could have a facility like this in the U.S. or you'd be sued out of business. It is steeper than a 45-degree angle down the hill with hardly any railings to hold onto. If our waiter had taken a step backward he'd have tumbled down the steps, tray in hand. Apparently the day trippers start to arrive about lunchtime. Several of them arrived to take photos from the top of the amphitheater which isn't a big deal unless you are sitting there eating. There is also an outdoor bar you walk through to get to the restaurant, which seems nice for a sunset drink.

After breakfast we stopped by the concierge to ask about using the internet to check email. She directed us to a laptop sitting on a nearby coffee table. While it worked it really isn't adequate for a high-end property like this. We also inquired about dinner reservations and were told the the Mirador Restaurant is closed tonight, so the only option is the casual restaurant, which also needs reservations. We were given a choice of 6 or 8:00pm, we chose 6:00. The concierge women were giggly and friendly, but the lackadaisical trend continued.

Back at the room there was a guy servicing our pool. Well, his equipment was there anyway. Eventually he appeared and was friendly, waving to us through the window. He fished the leaves out of the pool twice and cleaned up the patio furniture. All that is a losing proposition because the leaves rain down with the slightest breeze. After he left, some beautiful yellow birds arrived in the trees and began dive-bombing into the pool. There are other birds around, but we haven't seen any close enough to describe them yet.

Rather than wait and forget everything that has happened the past couple days, we stayed in and updated this diary and processed the pictures we took yesterday. Someone came by to replenish the mini-bar, but no maid service so far after 2:00pm even with the sign outside. We saw "Please clean the room" signs on doors after 5:00pm yesterday. By the way, we'd sure hate to be a maid around here. Our room location isn't bad, but there are literally hundreds of steep steps down to most of the villas and suites. There may be service trails or something, but we didn't see any during our explorations yesterday.

We wandered off for lunch around 3:00pm even though we have dinner reservations for 6:00pm. As with breakfast, we were the only customers in the restaurant. Our waiter was very friendly and the service was fine. It occurred to us that being here on a busy weekend compared to the slower weekdays probably plays a big part in the overall impression one gets of this hotel. Although the pool area was full, there aren't many lounges to begin with, so almost any amount of guests there and it would look busy. The pool itself is an adequate size for the property.

The only issue with lunch was that we didn't get one of the items we ordered, but we weren't charged for it, so no big loss. We're in no danger of starving to death. The Sea Bass entree was offered cooked on a grill at the table or from the kitchen. We chose the kitchen because the grill consists of nothing more than an electric griddle that is dragged over to your table. We saw no point in making a show of it. The version from the kitchen was very good. The other meal was an Italian Panini sandwich that was good, but nothing special. It came with a tossed salad. The total bill for those two items was about $42.00, but the fish was definitely something we would consider a "fancy" meal and the portion was generous.

We chatted with the waiter and found out that the menus are new, so they are always asking how the food is. That may be the reason we find the food better than expected based on the reviews we have read. The selection is eclectic for sure, but still a bit limited for a stay longer than a few days. There is something for everyone though. Our waiter also said that it gets very busy around sunset when people arrive who are not hotel guests. The staff has to constantly prevent them from overtaking the restaurant terrace. The reason for the requirement of dinner reservations is that they save all of the terrace tables for hotel guests first. Non-guests are seated indoors. We really wouldn't mind sitting inside as long as it is air conditioned, so it wouldn't be a big deal to us. We asked to change our reservation for 8:00pm tonight when we might actually be hungry again.

After lunch we wandered around a bit, then went back to the room and sat on our terrace by the pool for a few hours. The same type of animal we saw yesterday outside the spa was wandering along the top of the retaining wall along the pool for a few minutes. Otherwise, the only wildlife we saw were hummingbirds, although we could hear squawks of a larger bird in the bushes.

Just after sunset we went to the bar to see how busy it was and found a reasonable amount of people in the amphitheater watching the sunset. We saw the tail end of it and it was nice, but that's about all we have to say about it. We wouldn't push anyone out of the way to get here to see it, but we'd look at it if we were already here. We realize that sounds jaded, but we used to live on a hillside facing the ocean, so we've pretty much seen the sunsets. However, if you'd like to stop and have a nice drink with your sunset, this is as good a place as any to do that.

Our dinner hour rolled around, so we pulled ourselves together and changed out of t-shirts and shorts. The dress code around here is very casual, but most people made an effort to dress properly for dinner, meaning they put on long pants and a shirt. The restaurant terrace was about half full and we were told by our waiter that it was fairly slow tonight. Last night he said they were beyond busy and every table was full.

The service tonight was slightly more coherent than it has been, meaning there weren't any lengthy lulls in the process. However, a word to the wise is do not order anything that says it is "from the grill". What that means precisely is that they will bring whatever meat or fish you ordered out to the terrace and throw it on an electric griddle near your table. And we do mean griddle, as in pancakes, not a grill. In theory that may not sound too bad, but what happens is that they bring your plate full of side dishes out, any other entrees the other party has ordered, and leave them in front of you while they heat the griddle and cook then cook the shrimps for fifteen minutes and then the meat for less than three minutes, no exaggeration. Needless to say, that leaves everything else ice cold. Besides that, we'd judge everything cooked on the grill to be nearly inedible and the baked potatoes were literally refrigerator cold. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

We did have some tasty drinks and the lobster bisque and the tomato-mozzarella salad were both very good. The waiter brought a condiment server with four sauces in it and a plate with some fried onions topped with cream cheese right after he took our order. We weren't the only diners baffled by these items because we heard another party asking what they were and why they were there. The answer was, "They are for your main course." OK, then why not bring them with the main course instead of with the drinks? Very odd.

One of our entrees, a beef filet with béarnaise sauce was very good, with the meat being of very high quality and a generous size. The Surf and Turf from the grill was God-awful. It consisted of three thin slices of beef that probably wouldn't be too bad cooked in a normal fashion, plus three jumbo shrimp that were way overcooked. Both of them tasted like grease more than anything else. The menu says the grilled items are only available on the terrace. If we were to order those items again, which is highly unlikely, we'd ask them to cook it in the kitchen like they did during lunch.

By the way, the dinner menu is the same one from lunch, so if you were to stay here for any length of time the choices would get rather repetitive. We both had dessert also, one a "house special" chocolate cake that was way too dry and an average crème brulee. We chatted with our waiter trying to find out how many hours he works a day. He was our waiter at breakfast this morning also. He didn't understand the question, and just said that the pay is good, so he likes to work here. He tried to convince us to go party in Jaco, which is the farthest thing from our mind. He didn't mean party with him, by the way, he just thinks we are party animals. Why, we have no clue.

There really isn't anything to do here after dinner except sit in the bar adjacent to the restaurant terrace in the same uncomfortable iron chairs. We decided to pass on that idea although the weather was pleasant enough. The pool area was pitch dark, but the gate was wide open. That didn't seem like the best idea to us. Like we said before, an accident waiting to happen.

Back at the room we had left the outside lights on. Talk about bugs! There was every kind of flying insect one could possibly imagine gathered around the lights. Thank goodness we had the door closed. They were also plastered all over the outside of the glass doors. As long as they are outside, no problem. So far there haven't been any problems with insects actually getting inside, but we think that's fairly inevitable at some point.

Nothing else significant happened after we returned from dinner and with nothing else to do we cleaned up and went to bed.

Neither of us woke up until 11am, so we missed breakfast and went for lunch instead. As usual we were one of only a handful of other couples in the restaurant. The service continues to be earnest, but dysfunctional. One really has to have a sense of humor and a lot of patience to stay here. We'd probably stay here again, but anyone who is the slightest bit high maintenance should avoid it like the plague.

Lunch was satisfactory today. The Spanish Omelet was an individual quiche filled with potatoes and cabbage. It was filling, but not very interesting. It would have been good topped with salsa though. It came with a green salad that was very fresh and tasty. One thing we can say about the food is that it is fresh. The other entree was Chicken Fajitas that was very good. We had a dessert that was diced tropical fruit with mint and ginger. It was surprisingly spicy from the ginger, but was also very good. We'd order it again.

On the way out we made our dinner reservations for tonight. The waiter tried to talk us into going to the "gourmet" dinner on the terrace at Mirador tonight, but we prefer the casual food at the Amphitheater. We saw the Mirador menu and it is all snails and smoked salmon. We'll have plenty of that on Crystal Symphony, no need to pay $57.00 for it here. By the way, that really is the price. There is a $35, $57, and $75 menu option for Mirador. Luckily we haven't run out of options from the Amphitheater restaurant yet. We looked at the reservation book and there was only one reservation for Mirador and two for Amphitheater.

After eating we decided we'd wait for the next shuttle to the private beach to check it out. Supposedly the shuttles leave the hotel on the hour and return on the half hour. We waited for the 2pm shuttle until 2:15pm, then decided we must have missed it. How, we had no idea since we were sitting in front of reception the whole time, but who knows? Oh well, we'll wait for the 3pm instead. Off we went to wander around and kill some time.

We came back before 3pm to wait, but this time we sat directly in front of the lobby where they couldn't possibly miss us. We even asked the greeter, he radioed someone, and then said, yes, this is where we wait and it will be here at 3pm. OK fine. 3pm comes, nothing. We wait a few more minutes and a guy comes out of reception and tells us that the shuttles aren't running today because the road is "very bad" and is being repaired. We swear this place is as amusing as Fawlty Towers. Everyone means well, but they don't have any training at all apparently. He said he'd call us when the road was fixed, but we'll believe that when we see it. None of this was a big deal, but shouldn't someone have known an hour ago that there were no shuttles today? By the way, we don't buy the "bad road" excuse. The weather has been about as pleasant as it can get. No rain, no clouds, not too hot, nothing to mess up the road. We'd guess that this is a slow day and they just didn't want to staff the beach bar.

Oh well, at least that killed most of the afternoon. We figured we'd go sit somewhere cool and have a drink, which we did by the pool. The service there is rather comical. The poor guy who took the order (we went to him, he didn't come over to us) didn't know how to carry a tray with two drinks on it. Watching him try to get all the way across the pool deck was worth the price of admission. The poor guy was sweating bullets by the time he made it over to us. As is the norm around here, he brought the bill quite a while later and never asked if we wanted another drink. Seems like a missed opportunity for the hotel to make more money, but nobody ever asks if you want another. That seems like a clear sign of a lack of training because every hotel trains employees to maximize profits whenever possible. Come to think of it, nobody ever asks if everything is OK either. We really do believe it is a lack of proper training because all of the staff members appear to care and they couldn't be any more pleasant.

Once we tired of wallowing by the pool, we moved to our own private pool area and hung out there for the rest of the afternoon. The weather has been clear and beautiful since we arrived. Our deck area is always in the shade, so even if it is hot it isn't unbearable. We debated briefly about actually going in the pool, but the water is just too cold. It does look nice though and the sound of the waterfall is pleasant. The pool guy has been working on fixing the pool pumps since we arrived. We didn't notice anything wrong with it, but he told us he is now finished with it. The only difference we notice is that the water is going over the infinity edge. It would really be nice if they provided rafts or something for the pool. Even if the water is cool, you could at least float around in it.

A flock, well OK, three, toucans visited the tree next to our patio while we were sitting there. It was like the Enchanted Tiki Room live and in person. There is a large tree by our pool that has small clusters of pink flowers all over it that the hummingbirds and butterflies frequent all day.

Our bed had been decorated with towels covered with hibiscus flowers by housekeeping. We have no idea if this is the way it should always be done or if it is a once in a stay kind of thing.

Our friend Benji called tonight to confirm that she and Marco will arrive around lunchtime tomorrow to take us for a drive and/or for lunch somewhere. We will to do almost anything they suggest. Shortly after Benji called a maid arrived with a pitcher of ice, announcing herself by tapping on the side window and calling out, "Hola, hola". We've never had ice brought to us before tonight.

Next stop, dinner as usual at the Amphitheater Restaurant. Since this afternoon, the reservation list had filled up, but the only occupied tables were on the terrace where the hotel guests are seated. There are ten tables on the terrace at the most, so it isn't at all crowded even if they were all filled.

We were very pleased with our food tonight...a Pasta with Seafood entree and the Chicken Satay. We finally figured out that the fried onions topped with cream cheese are to put on the bread. It was very tasty, odd, but tasty. The waiter really ought to say what it is for because nobody seems to figure it out that we have seen. The bread is always very fresh, so we assume it is made here. The Chocolate Profiteroles dessert was outstanding. It consisted of two balls of puff pastry filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with milk chocolate sauce. We'd gladly order anything we had tonight again.

The pace of the service was slightly better tonight, but it's still a very strange procedure. The waiter just comes up and wants to take your order, no offer of cocktails even though he brings a cocktail and wine list with the menus. If you order drinks it throws him off. It seems like a strange oversight for a hotel not to at least ask if you want drinks when they are such a huge profit maker. By the way, the drinks we have had have been very tasty, but light on the alcohol content. We're lightweights, so that's fine with us, but they are about $7.00 and should be stronger. We can't imagine how many drinks the party at the next table must have had in order to reach their level of happiness during the meal. We've never even begun to get a buzz off the drinks we've had so far.

We got out of bed around 9am and went to breakfast, which was good, as usual. The restaurant was busier this morning than it has been so far, but still had plenty of seats left. After breakfast we basically waited around for the arrival of Marco and Benji to take us on whatever outing they have planned for us today.

We hung out by our pool watching the pool man cleaning it for over an hour. The poor guy just gets all the leaves out and a slight breeze has them raining down again. We feel guilty not swimming in it after all the daily trouble he goes to keeping it sparkling clean. One of us did sit and dangle our feet in the water to cool off at one point though.

Benji and Marco arrived around 1pm. Benji had vaguely made fun of us for thinking our pool water was too cold, but as soon as she set foot in it she agreed it was too cold to get in it.

Marco's plan was to drive us through Jaco to Manuel Arenas Park, so we set off for that destination. After reading all of the horrible reviews of Jaco, we didn't think it looked all that bad. It is a little hodge podge, but it isn't scary or anything. There is a big Marriott resort nearby and there are many tracts of expensive houses being built in the area. Marco said that this area used to be a very sleepy place until foreigners started buying up the land and building houses here.

Along the way we drove past several coconut oil farms, rice fields, and the like. We never made it to the national park though because a bridge was out. We were sitting in a long line of cars waiting for the traffic to move until Marco asked a kid walking along what was going on. He informed us that the bridge is closed for several hours, so we turned around and went back toward Villa Caletas.

We continued beyond the entrance to Villa Caletas for a few miles until we arrived at Steve & Lisa's Restaurant, a place Marco declared was good to eat. He was right, we both loved our meals and the price was more in line with what one expects in these parts. The view was spectacular, right on the beach with a dead on view of the sunset. Frankly, this angle on the sunset is way more spectacular than from Villa Caletas, so if you're ever in this area looking for a sunset, stop at Steve & Lisa's for a bite to eat. There were only four other people in the place, so it didn't have the touristy feeling Villa Caletas gets at sunset.

We had a very pleasant conversation about a variety of things related and not to the ships. Marco and Benji will be arriving in South Africa the same day we return from our cruise in Los Angeles. They brought us a bottle of champagne today, which was very thoughtful. Maybe someday we'll make it to South Africa for a visit, although it is way more likely they will come to California before we get the nerve to embark on the 24-hour flight to get to them.

Back at Villa Caletas, we sat with Marco and Benji on the edge of the Amphitheater for some drinks and more conversation. They decided they had to head back at around 7pm, so we saw them off, then went to the room to change for dinner. Not that we're at all hungry having just stuffed ourselves an hour before, but we can't miss a meal can we? Villa Caletas' parking area was packed with cars and tour busses when we arrived. Many people were in the bar, but it seemed that most were here for an event in the Mirador Restaurant. The point is that they had no impact on us at all. We only saw them when they were leaving.

Our dinner reservation was for 8pm in the Amphitheater Restaurant. When we arrived the horrified waiter didn't have any tables on the terrace available, so he asked us to wait a few minutes in the bar, which we did. We would have been happy to sit inside, but he didn't ask us. The wait was short and was welcome since neither of us is the slightest bit hungry.

Every table in the restaurant was filled until shortly after we were seated. Only two parties arrived when we did, so everyone else was just dawdling from the 6pm seating. The poor fools next to us ordered from the ridiculous grill selections, so we had to watch and smell their pork and fish items be incinerated on the electric griddle. We were smart and had repeats of a very good fish entree that is comparable to anything you'd get in a top-quality restaurant. We also had the Chicken Fajitas that were outstanding. Stuffed as we were to begin with, we also had salads and then sorbet for dessert. By the time we left, we were the next to last people to leave the restaurant. Apparently they have no idea when it will be busy or not because we were told they didn't expect so many guests tonight. It must make it difficult to schedule workers efficiently.

Back at the room we found an official turndown service complete with towel swans and hibiscus petals on the bed. I guess they expect anyone in a master suite to be into the romantic thing. Benji said they did the same thing for them when they stayed here, so it seems they should have been doing this kind of thing all along. Also, they fixed the lights in our foyer without us asking, so someone did check them and report it.

Both of us agree we would rather stay here longer than move to the formalities of the ship, but such is life. After these relaxed days we almost dread putting on tuxedos and being properly groomed every day for the next three weeks. However, if it hadn't been for starting a cruise here we probably would never have come at all, so there is some benefit to it.

Superlatives abound when describing Costa Rica, one of Latin America's most peaceful countries. Often called the "Switzerland of Central America," it does not possess an army and boasts a stable democratic government as well as a high literacy rate.

Strategically located between two great continents, it has been the benefactor of great cultural contributions from each. In addition to discovering its fascinating traditions, visitors to Costa Rica will be welcomed by friendly people and will enjoy superb scenery and an ideal climate.

We received an early wake-up call when something clambered on our roof. At first we thought someone was trying to open the sliding glass door, but nothing was visible. It must have been a monkey or something on the roof or in the attic. Either way, we weren't thrilled to wake up at 6:30am, but such is life.

Breakfast was very good as usual. It is also a reasonably good value and the fruit is very fresh with an exotic variety that was a bit different every day. We were visited by one of those anteater/raccoon animals, but he didn't beg or bother anyone. We were back in the room getting packed up by 10:30am. We had a short chat with the extremely friendly pool man who seems to have decided we're pretty good guys. We proved it by giving him $10.00.

Our car and driver arrived at 11:00am, so we had to scramble a bit to finish up. We were happy to see that it was Julio again since he had been such a good time on the way here. While Bill helped load up the car with our piles of luggage, Dave went to Reception to check out. They forced him to fill out a lengthy questionnaire about our experience. There are questionnaires everywhere, so they must be aware that some people are not happy here. A manager type woman standing near the desk asked if we were happy and when told we were, she looked so shocked that Dave said, "Shouldn't we have been?" Then she said that while most people are happy, "Some people are never happy, you know?" Yeah, we know, but we do think there is some validity to the complaints about this place mostly because of the price point. If it was about $100 less per night it would be fine, but the price is more like you'd expect at a 5-star hotel, but it is really a high 3-star based on service and amenities. We'd definitely stay again because we actually liked it once we got used to it.

The drive to the port was short and easy, only about 30 minutes, if that. The busloads of guests hadn't yet arrived from San Jose, so the check-in line was fairly short. We had to pass by a table with immigration officers checking passports and then to the ship's check-in. There were so many agents checking guests in that there was almost no wait for that part. We were surprised that they took our credit card at check-in. That has never been done in the past and quite frankly it is a bit Carnival-esque for Crystal.

From the check-in we had to walk the length of the pier, which was about 100 feet or so. Some taxis were dropping people off right at the gangway, forcing those guests to walk back to the terminal to check in. Our driver did it correctly, so no complaints from us.

Shore Excursions in Caldera, Costa Rica
CLD-A	$88	Sightseeing Transfer from Hotel to Ship for Guests Embarking in Caldera on the Crystal Classic or Classic-Plus Pre-Cruise Hotel Program

Boarding the ship was the same as usual. Walk on and have your ID card scanned, put your stuff through the X-ray machine, and then check in your hand luggage at a table in the lobby. From there it was straight to the dining room for lunch. We were told the rooms would be ready at 3:00pm.

Our lunch waiter was Alexander, he seemed like he'd be a good time. The menu was different from the past embarkation luncheons, which was nice. Everything we ordered was very good: Cream of Vegetable Soup, Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Roasted Chicken. We didn't have dessert because the last thing we need at this point is more food. Gianlucca rushed over to the table and exclaimed, "I know you!" We've known him forever, so it's very nice to see him whenever we cruise. What was going on around us was so ridiculous that all we can say is OH MY GOD! We know the staff has the patience of a saint, but how they can get through months of this crap we have no idea.

After lunch we wandered up to the Lido Deck, but it was way too hot to sit outside. We decided to go down to see if our room was ready, expecting it not to be. However, our butler was standing in the hallway practically waiting for us. He recognized us because a guest on a previous cruise had shown him our picture from the site and told him about us, etc. By the way, whoever you are, PLEASE don't do that in the future. It stresses out the staff and they fret over it until they meet us in person. The anticipation of serving guests who have a high number of cruises racked up is stressful enough without adding the element of internet reporting to the mix. Please think before you speak next time.

Anyway, our butler is Teodor, who is very friendly. We didn't know him before arrival, but we're sure he'll be a lot of fun. We chatted with him for a while, the usual room intro plus general chit chat and "getting to know you" kind of things. They had prepared the room with all of our logged preferences from the past. He even knew we had requested a certain butler long ago who hasn't been with Crystal in probably 10 years now.

We had just stepped out the door to take the laptop to be configured when our stewardess, Lenka, popped in. She seems very pleasant and friendly. Her assistant was busy assisting someone in their stateroom, so we haven't met her yet. Lenka checked to be sure she had covered all of our regular preferences, which she had to the letter.

With the introductory procedures out of the way, we wandered down to the computer lab to get set up for internet access. We'll probably use half of it just by uploading the Costa Rica portion of the trip so far (it took 1.5 hours to upload, by the way). The price is $300 for 25 hours of internet use, but there are shorter times for less money also. The computer was already set up from the last trip, so that part was easy and there was no charge. It was just a matter of changing a password and we were all set.

On the way to the elevator we ran into Remi, the dining room maitre d', who came over to greet us. We've known Remi forever and he's always fun and interesting. He confirmed that Benji had indeed made sure we got the right table. That was unnecessary, but very thoughtful of her to do all that. What's more amazing is that headwaiter Albert had remembered exactly where we usually sit on this ship when we haven't seen him in years.

Back at the room we unpacked and rested up until the lifeboat drill that is scheduled for 8:00pm. We are scheduled to sail at 9:00pm, but we have been told by several crew members that we are most likely leaving at 8:00pm instead.

The lifeboat drill was as usual except it was very hot and humid. We ran across Gene, a sommelier we've known since he was a deck steward. He's always happy to see us and vice versa. This batch of passengers seems to be an older group than usual, even for Crystal, so standing in the heat for any length of time wasn't the best idea. Other than a longer than normal lull between the roll call and the speeches, the drill was the same as always.

When we returned to the room we found it already turned down and ready for the evening. How efficient is that? One change we noted was that instead of chocolates on the pillow there was a small box of Crystal Cruises chocolates "to enjoy during your cruise." This seems like a nice change to us since we just threw the chocolates in a drawer anyway. This way we night actually eat them. People who don't eat them can take them home as a nice little gift for someone. The Pillow Menu was on the bed. This has been around for a while, but we haven't received one the past couple of cruises. This assortment has always been readily available. The menu is just pointing it out.

We received an invitation to a Crystal Society dinner in Jade Garden for later in the cruise. We're not sure we will attend or not. Group dinners are not really our "thing", but sometimes we'll go anyway. We'll see.

There was only time to change our shirts into something less wet before going down to the dining room. We arrived about five minutes after it opened and there was still a short line. Nobody seems to realize there are two doors and if you enter on the left side there is rarely a line. There were some screaming children ahead of us that annoyed the man in front of us. We don't like it, but as long as they aren't near us we really don't care. However, we think it is completely inappropriate for small children to be at the late seating.

The dining room was jam packed tonight. There were a few people missing from the large tables, but not many we could see. The noise level was deafening. It took a lot of concentration for us to have a conversation. The Crystal Dining Room has never been a sea of tranquility, but we thought the new design had helped with the noise level. Apparently not, but at least it looks really nice.

Tonight's dress code is Casual. Click here to view the Dinner Menu (You will need Adobe Reader to view menus. It can be downloaded free HERE.) We ordered a Sautéed Shrimp with Vegetable Salad appetizer, the Fruit Cup, the Chilled Strawberry Soup, a Spinach Salad, the pasta course, the Fried Chicken Breast Stuffed with Coconut Dressing, and the Snapper fish entree.

The shrimp appetizer was satisfactory, nothing special. The chilled soup was watery and very disappointing since it is usually a favorite. Honestly, they could have served strawberry milk from a carton and we wouldn't have known the difference. Our waiter said that the spinach salad wasn't spinach, but a mixed green salad. He didn't say why. Turned out it was spinach after all. He said they just got a new supply. Between seatings? Hmmm. The pasta was good, not exceptional. Both of the entrees were outstanding with one caveat. You may recall a few years back we complained that the portions were microscopic. If those were microscopic, these were sub-atomic. For example, the chicken breast was no more that one-fourth of a breast. On the plate were five, count 'em five, snow peas, and a 1" x 2" cube of white rice. The fish was no more than four bites assuming it was cut up into the tiniest possible pieces. Oh, and that came with four tiny chunks of potato and a slice of something that looked like a potato chip. Both of the dishes were outstanding flavor-wise and beautifully presented, but who are they kidding with these tiny portions? We're not exaggerating to say that they were both smaller than the appetizers.

Now, let's talk dessert. At first we were thrilled to see several brand new selections on the menu in a box at the top specially chosen by the pastry chef. We wisely choose one of those, the South Beach-Art Deco (described as Liquid Chocolate something or other), and a safe stand by of the red orange sherbet. Thank goodness the sherbet was good because the other item was God-awful. It looked really beautiful, but it tasted like nothing and had a weird wet grainy texture that was unpleasant. The "liquid" part was white chocolate syrup, we think. Basically it just wasn't worth eating, so we didn't. Our waiter was horrified that we didn't like it. As we always say, we're in no danger of starving, so don't worry about it.

Our senior waiter is Dusko and the waiter is Marius. Both of them were very nice and friendly in spite of the dining room being fairly chaotic. Dusko needs to learn really quickly not to recommend menu items unless we ask. God knows we've seen this stuff almost as much as he has. We'll never comprehend the logic of pushing entrees when they have no clue what we like. For example, he strongly suggested several times that we choose the veal or the fish. We're not offended by any of this, it's just tedious if it continues (which it won't). We've both been waiters, so we know where we're coming from on this subject. The proper way to make a suggestion is to say something like, "The veal looks very good tonight," or "The chef recommends the fish," and leave it at that.

Several long-time crew members came by to chat during the meal. Albert is the headwaiter to whom Benji first spoke about our table. He appeared to be genuinely overjoyed to see us, which was nice. He said we are so familiar that we are like part of the furniture. We haven't seen him since the 2003 world cruise. It turned out that Gianlucca is our sommelier, another pleasant surprise. Our headwaiter is Martin. We've had him in the past and he's always very nice also. Come to think of it, who isn't around here? The Filipino guys always fawn over us in the extreme and that certainly continued tonight. Remi also stopped briefly at the table. He's always a good time.

There was a change in the way the "homemade cookies" are served with dessert. In the past the waiter would bring a plate of cookies to each table, most of which were never touched (not to mention that they were pretty bad). Tonight he carried around a silver tray and handed them out to guests who wanted them. That's a big improvement in our book and saves a lot of wasted food. However, the waiters need to be sure to offer it to every table rather than picking and choosing.

The Evening Entertainment is the usual Welcome Aboard show featuring the "Applause Applause" opening number and closing with selections from "Grand Hotel". There will also be a performance the the Acapella Quartet "The Castaways". All of that sounds appealing enough except the opening number which we know from past experience is nearly unbearable. One of us went to the show just so we could report on it. The ensemble parts are what they are and you already know how we feel about them. The cast was fine tonight and they do the best they can with what they're given. The a capella group was very good and we look forward to hearing more from them during the cruise.

By the way, the decor in the penthouses has been updated since we were here last. In our opinion it is an enormous improvement. Gone are the pastel pink and blue color schemes and in are earth tones and new, comfortable upholstered chairs and a sofa bed. The new acrylic table lamps are quite nice also. You will find new photos to compare in the Symphony Photo Gallery. The glass door to replace the shower curtain is nice, but decor-wise the penthouse bathrooms are ready for an overhaul.

There was a voice mail message asking us to come to the front desk because they forgot to get our signature for the credit card at check-in. That's what they get for doing it the Carnival way. We also received a letter from the Crystal Society Hostess informing us of our 45th Milestone rewards: Private transfer to and from the ship (which we've already used) and $100 in free laundry service per person (which we will use!). These are extras for being in a Penthouse.

Today's weather is overcast and not as hot as it has been. The sea is calm. We were awake by 9:00am, but didn't bother to emerge until lunchtime. Another thing that is ready for a makeover is the bedding. It isn't uncomfortable particularly, but the mattresses need to be upgraded to compete with other cruise lines that have installed plush hotel-like beds. The linens are top quality though.

There is an Asia Cafe buffet by the pool for lunch, so the Lido isn't open today. We went to the dining room where there are always selections consistent with whatever the theme is at the deck buffet. Click for the Luncheon Menu. On the way to eat we stopped by the front desk to sign the credit card form that was overlooked at check-in.

The dining room was relatively full which means the pool deck must be packed. Albert told the waiter at the door to seat us at our regular table. We don't have many rules about where we sit at lunch, but it was still nice of him to do that. We were served by our regular waiters and they were friendly as usual. He made a recommendation, but it was what we would have ordered anyway.

We ordered the Vegetable Spring Roll appetizer, the Vegetable Broth from the Lighter Side selections, the Spicy Thai Soup, and the Spicy Orange Chicken. The spring roll was about the size of your thumb cut in half, but it was very tasty with a spicy sauce on the side. The soups were satisfactory and the spicy soup actually was spicy, which was nice. The orange chicken portion was so tiny that we both laughed out loud when the plates were placed before us. We immediately asked for another serving, so we ended up with enough. The first serving was so small that we were completely finished eating it by the time he came back with the seconds, which was maybe 5 minutes tops. The presentation was very attractive and the dish itself was very tasty, but when the food is this good we want more than three bites of it. The apple sherbet for dessert was less successful, but it wasn't bad. It had a weird fluffy/grainy texture and didn't taste like much.

After lunch we went up to survey the pool area and found all of the tables inside and out full. The weather is very pleasant today, not too hot at all. It is overcast, but it didn't rain. We ended up lounging around in the room and on our verandah for the afternoon. By evening the sky was clear again.

Teodor brought crudités and bleu cheese dip, plus a bowl of almonds as the snack for today. The dip was at the most two tablespoons, but that was plenty for us since we're not huge fans. However, they used to bring a regular sized bowl. He fixed our TV that had turned to black and white only. It was a loose wire in the back. He's a nice guy who's fun to talk to. If you are nice to your butler they can really add a lot of enjoyment to the cruise. Come to think of it, pretty much any crew member will respond in kind if you take the time to get to know them. Make the effort and it will reward you many times over.

Tonight's dress code is Formal for the Captain's Welcome Cocktail Party and Gala Dinner.

Lenka said we had to wait for her so she could see us dressed up. Once we passed her inspection we wandered down to the Starlite Club for the Captain's party. One nice thing about the open plan of the new Starlite is that you can easily bypass the reception line, which is what we did by arriving from the aft elevators. Nonetheless, we ended up chatting with almost everyone we know, Paula Jean the Cruise Consultant, Herbert the Hotel Director, and Remi, along with a parade of Filipino deck stewards.

Herbert ran over saying he had been looking all over for us. We wanted to meet his secretary Denise, so he brought her over later. Her husband David works in Shore Excursions. We had met him when he was on Crystal Harmony as a bar waiter. We'd been acquainted via Marco for a while, but we hadn't officially met until tonight. Denise was amused because she had pointed us out to Herbert to be sure we are who she thinks we are, but he ran over to us instead. We've known him forever and we always have nice conversations with him.

The party was as usual with the Captain reciting the same statistics he always announces. Most people seemed fascinated by it, so it's probably an acceptable thing to say, although we've heard it 46 times. We waited until most guests had left before making our way down to the dining room, but there was still a long line in the elevator lobby. Um, folks, there are two doors. Just go on the left side and there is no line.

Click for the Dinner Menu. Take a look at the dessert menu in particular. Only the two desserts in the box at the top are different each night. All of the "Classic Desserts" are the same. In the past all of the desserts changed for every menu. This is not a wise trend. It screams cost cutting and mass market.

The dining room was considerably less chaotic tonight, but still noisy. We chatted with Gianlucca and Remi again tonight. Remi was reminiscing about headwaiter Augusto and how much he misses working with him. We miss him also, but not enough to go on the Serenity unless we absolutely have no other options. Sorry Augusto, we love you, but you need to transfer back to the Symphony.

The food tonight was outstanding for the most part. The fruit appetizer was less than half the amount it used to be, which is ridiculous. Come on, it's fruit, not caviar. The Captain's Salad was also much smaller than it has been, although it was very good. There has always been a sherbet course, but there was none on the menu tonight, so we assume that has gone the way of the dinosaurs also. The Pasta Special was tasty, but the noodles were slightly undercooked. We both ordered the Chateaubriand with a side of the Sea Bass. Thanks to Dusko, the meat portion was a good size, so with the added fish it was plenty of food for a change. Both the beef and the fish were delicious, as was everything on the plate with it. The Sugar Mill dessert (who comes up with these names?) was boring, but good enough. It was a thin layer of fairly bland pudding with a bit of whipped cream plopped in the middle and a stick of stale shortbread stuck in it. It would be OK ordinarily but it was too simple for a formal dinner. With only two options for dessert besides the "classics" that never change, the dessert menu really smacks of cost cutting gone wild.

Tonight's entertainment is the production show "Cole!" that has been playing on this ship since at least 1995 and maybe longer. It features some beautiful and tasteful costumes without being over the top. It holds up well against most of the newer, more lavish productions, but it is getting a bit tired. Tonight's performance lacked energy and was just a bit off for some reason. There was one female dancer missing, but that didn't seem to be the main problem with it. If you had never seen it before you might not know the difference. Most people seemed to like it, but it didn't get quite the ovation it has in the past. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either, something we know it can be.

On the elevator on the way to the room two women asked us if we had seen the show and if we thought it was fabulous. We said it was, but we've seen it over 40 times. They responded, "That's what everyone says who we talked to about it." They are new, so they liked it just fine, which is great.

The Panama Canal transit begins at the crack of dawn tomorrow. Well, OK, maybe not the crack, but early enough that we won't see it. No matter, we'll see this end of it on the way back.

By the way, the boxed chocolates that replaced the nightly turn-down candy are absolutely incredible. Nice choice Crystal. It was tough not to gobble them all down at once, they're that good.

Spend an unforgettable day cruising the Panama Canal, a fifty-one-mile waterway through the rainforest that is one of the world's engineering masterpieces. The ship glides down the canal with inches to spare, through locks that raise and lower it like a toy. Along the way it crosses enormous Gatun Lake, and the amazing Gaillard Cut, blasted out of a solid mountainside.

Don't expect a lengthy report about transiting the canal today. We've done this probably ten times, so while it is still fascinating to look at we won't spend a lot of time out in the heat watching it. We'll have some photos now and then that we'll link in the text so you can get an idea of the view.

We were awake around 9:00am, but didn't bother going outside except to take a few photos from the vicinity of the Pedro Miguel locks. That was around 10:30am. They are in the process of widening the canal and adding a larger set of locks to accommodate bigger ships, so there are tractors working on the hills preparing for that process. There is evidence of construction all along the canal.

After chatting with Lenka in the hallway for a few minutes, we went up to the Lido for lunch. While chatting we noticed that there are no trolleys in the hallway for the stewardesses, so we asked Lenka about it. They are no longer allowed to use them on the Penthouse deck, but they are still used on the others. The ship isn't designed to accommodate a system without the trolleys, but it is probably more luxurious not to have them in the halls all day. To us it really doesn't make any difference one way or the other. What's the difference of having trolleys in the hallway when there are vacuums, buckets, and bags of trash still strewn about?

There was a line for the buffet in the Lido, but it moved quickly enough. The selection of entrees was about the same as always with the Asian selection being the main thing different from the dining room. We always load up on it and it's usually a good choice. Everything we selected was above average to very good. The Swedish Meatballs were a bit too salty, but they were still edible. There was an extra table set up with pre-made sandwiches that were quite good. They were serving the same sandwiches and soup in Palm Court for the people viewing the canal crossing. By the time we finished eating, the entire Lido was full and people were searching for empty tables.

We wandered out to the pool area to see if there was anywhere to sit, but all of the tables were occupied. The weather today is very pleasant, so we expected to find a lot of people out and about. We decided to settle back in the room to watch the view from our verandah. Here are a few random canal sailing photos from this afternoon: Canal 1, Canal 2, Canal 3, Canal 4, Passing Ship.

After wandering up to the Sun Deck to check out the view, we went down to meet Jane Self, the Crystal Society Hostess. She told us her information said we were in the room, but not on board, so she didn't know quite what was going on. We informed her we would attend the dinner in a few days, then chatted with her for a few minutes. We always have to establish that we aren't terribly demanding even though everyone reading this probably assumes we are.

With everyone out watching the canal crossing, we had no problem moving over to see Paula Jean, the Cruise Sales Consultant, to book next year's cruises. We took care of that business and chatted with Paula Jean for a few minutes before going back up on deck for more sightseeing. There has been an NYK container ship sailing along next to us all day. Crystal Cruises is owned by NYK, so while we were taking pictures of them, they were out taking pictures of us.

An interesting tidbit we learned today is that there are about 25 kids on board who are, to say the least, unruly. We wondered why there was a notice in Reflections about time limits for the spa and no unsupervised children in the Seahorse Pool. The notice also said no babies in diapers allowed in any pool or spa. From what we were told there are many in this group of kids who are completely out of control. Much to Crystal's credit, they are flying in Children's Activity Directors specifically to take care of this menace. They are supposed to arrive today. We'd charge it to the kid's parents, but obviously Crystal won't do that. We haven't been bothered by any children, but we aren't out by the pool either. We've heard them a couple of times running down the hallway screaming, but it doesn't last long enough to be an issue for us.

Teodor brought guacamole and chips for our snack tonight and wanted to know what we want for tomorrow. For a short time there was a set menu for the canapés, but apparently that has fallen by the wayside (as it should). The procedure is the same as a special order in the dining room...ask the day before and you can get almost anything you want.

Tonight's dress code is Casual. We were ready early, so we went down to the Starlite Club for drinks. Teodor's girlfriend Paula waited on us. She's very entertaining, by the way. There was a singles party going on in the bar area we weren't aware of until it started. We weren't in that section, so it didn't affect us at all. There were probably 30 staff members there and maybe 20 guests, so the staff just stood around the bar doing nothing. That's pretty much the norm at all of the parties. At least they are out and about if someone does want to talk to them. If we were in charge of these events we'd make them mingle, but it doesn't affect us one way or the other.

The Photo Shop was finally open during hours when someone might actually be passing by, so we were able to purchase our boarding picture. It's pretty good for a change.

We passed the group of rowdy children in the lobby. We had only seen a handful of them before tonight, but there were about fifteen of them on and around the fountain. One of the staff referred to them as "The Destroyers" when we asked about them. As mentioned previously, we haven't seen them do anything outrageous except perhaps be a little too noisy. This kind of thing is what Crystal gets for advertising specifically to families.

Click for the Dinner Menu. The dining room was sparsely populated tonight, so it was relatively quiet.

Well, let's talk about the food. Tonight's meal overall was the most mediocre we have had so far. The "tower" of chicken appetizer was bland, the fruit cup was about the same as always...no complaints about that, the pasta was undercooked again and had an off odor to it. The salad entree was beyond boring. It was edible, but that's about all we have to say about it. However, the "always available" red snapper entree was very good as was everything on the plate with it. The portion was reasonable for a fish selection, as well.

We asked when the new reduced dessert menu was introduced and were told it started about ten days ago. The excuse was that it is to satisfy guests who are always asking for their favorite items. This way they are always on the menu. That's all well and good, but only one of them, the Chocolate Ooze Cake, is really something we know people ask for. The others are basic desserts, but certainly not something people request as a special order. Besides being an obvious cut-back, we also believe making only two new desserts per night leaves the chef more time to make fancier presentations. The special desserts look very nice, but every one of them has fallen flat as far as the flavors go. We had the "Crystal Dome" tonight and it was better than the past two, but not nearly as good as some of the regular selections we have had in the past. It seems a bit like they are trying too hard to make something innovative and missing the mark.

Martin was amused when he offered us Cherries Jubilee and we declined saying, "You just open a can and light it on fire." That's pretty much all there is to it in case you didn't know. Not that it isn't good, but anyone can make it at home. We were chatting with Gianlucca who was a headwaiter for a while. He said he was always afraid someone would ask for the recipe.

Speaking of Gianlucca, we had a very nice conversation with him about his family vineyard. He also has a small olive orchard and he makes specialty olive oils. He said that his entire family gets together to pick the grapes and make the vine, which was very nice to hear. He also told us about the recent certification of all of the sommeliers and how difficult the test was to pass after two weeks of studying. He's grateful for the extra training since it will be very helpful in the future as well. Kudos to Crystal for providing this extra training for them.

The Evening Entertainment is "Violin Showman" Martin Lass. We did not attend the show.

The weather continues to be nearly perfect with clear skies and pleasantly warm temperatures. The sea looks choppy, but there is little movement on the ship. We received the Guest List today. In case you are interested in that kind of thing, be aware that you must request a copy of the Guest List now as it is not provided automatically anymore.

We were up by 10:00am, but as usual we didn't emerge until noon when it was time for lunch. An interesting tidbit from today's Morning Show was about taking pictures in the L.A. Cruise Terminal. A group of the staff members was taking pictures of a colleague's new baby who had come for a visit. The pictures were confiscated by security. How ridiculous is that? We've never heard you aren't allowed to take pictures in the terminal. Have you? Seems a bit excessive to us.

After doing some laundry late last night we discovered two shirts had been ruined by the washing machine. They are full of huge blue stains. Bummer. We'll turn them over to the butler and see what happens. We do laundry in the self-service laundry rooms all the time and this is the first time we've had that happen.

There is a Nuevo Latino theme buffet around the Neptune Pool today. We will skip it because the ship is full and it will be very crowded. Besides that, we've been told that over 600 passengers are first-timers, so they'll be attending everything to try it out. For anyone who cares about the group issue, there are several on board, but they haven't caused any problems we are aware of. No public rooms have been off limits at any time we have wandered by. We'd assume they are using the Palm Court for gatherings, but even that hasn't been completely closed at any time. The only way we know they are groups is that one group walks around wearing name tags and the other has big I.D. badges hanging on lanyards around their neck...MOO.

Click for the Luncheon Menu. Lunch in the dining room was fine, not great, but OK. The crab croquettes were not plural, and sort of resembled corn dog batter with pink flavorless goo in the center. The only flavor it had was the sauce on the plate with it. The avocado gazpacho was the regular chilled cream of avocado soup, which we know is terrible. Since when is gazpacho a puree? The chicken enchiladas were good, as was the watermelon sherbet for dessert.

Introduction

Sunday, January 27 – Fly from Los Angeles, CA, USA to San Jose, Costa Rica - Transfer to Villa Caletas

Monday, January 28 – Jaco, Costa Rica - Villa Caletas

Tuesday, January 29 - Jaco, Costa Rica - Villa Caletas

Wednesday, January 30 - Jaco, Costa Rica - Villa Caletas

Thursday, January 31 – Caldera, Costa Rica - Embark Crystal Symphony - Depart 9:00 PM

Friday, February 1 - Cruising the Pacific Ocean

Saturday, February 2 - Transit the Panama Canal

Sunday, February 3 – Cruising the Caribbean Sea

Monday, February 4 – Aruba/Oranjestad, Dutch West Indies - Arrive 8:00 am - Depart 6:00 PM

Tuesday, February 5 – Cruising the Caribbean Sea - Dave's Birthday

Wednesday, February 6 – Antigua/St. Johns, West Indies - Arrive 8:00 AM - Depart 6:00 PM

Thursday, February 7 – St. Maarten/Philipsburg, Netherlands Antilles - Arrive 8:00 AM - Depart 6:00 PM

Friday, February 8 - St. Thomas/Charlotte Amalie, USVI - Arrive 8:00 AM - Depart 6:00 PM

Saturday, February 9 – Cruising the Atlantic Ocean

Sunday, February 10 – Cruising the Atlantic Ocean

Monday, February 11 – Miami, FL, USA – Arrive 5:00 AM - Depart 9:00 PM

summary