Crystal Cruises - Istanbul to Barcelona - Grand Prix Special

Crystal Cruises - Istanbul to Barcelona - Monte Carlo Grand Prix Sailing

Day 1  - Istanbul

Our arrival into Istanbul was met with the heavy scents of the spice markets and the calling to prayer from the mosques. There was nothing like the experience of arriving somewhere new, seeing a different way of life and knowing you were ready to start a new adventure. We arrived at what was to be our home for the next 12 days - Crystal Serenity. Stepping onboard really did feel like home, with the warmest of greetings and the crew there to tend to your every need you automatically felt relaxed. Our stateroom was beautiful and well presented, and really did encompass everything that Crystal Cruises was about; world class luxury. I could tell already this was going to be a wonderful trip.

Day 2 - Istanbul

After a late night in the Avenue Salon enjoying the ambiance and music of Colin Salter, and of course the all-inclusive drinks, we ventured off again into the hustle and bustle of the Grand Bazaar seeking out the essential 'genuine fake'. We wondered at the blue tiles in The Blue Mosque and finished our tour with a stroll through the breathtaking gardens of the Topkapi Palace. We returned to the ship and struck up news friendships with people from far and wide and met a very unassuming film producer who entertained us with tales of actors who he had worked with from old and new, not dropping any names but... Paul Hogan & Denzil Washington may have cropped up! 




Day 3 - At Sea
The weather today was bliss, perfectly warm. The hardest decision I'd have to make today would be how I should fill my day, however the problem wasn't the lack of choice, the problem was there was too much choice! A lecture? Join the Trivia team? A dance class maybe? I settled on the Digital Film making class, I think I was inspired by the friend I made last night. After just two hours I am now fully convinced that I am on the cusp of being the next Martin Scorsese! I spent the afternoon soaking up the sun in what was quite possibly the most comfortable sun lounger I've ever sat on. Nothing can beat the feeling of sitting back, relaxing and having the sun-rays catch your skin whilst sipping on a icy-cool cocktail.

Day 4 - Mykonos
Simply stunning, such a quaint sea side town, those white washed buildings, so typical when you think of what a Greek island would be like. I did find it a bit like a maze though, tiny little streets filled with souvenir shops, I could have got lost in them for hours - I almost did! Now, there's one thing that everyone onboard will agree on, the All Inclusive part really was simply incredible. The fact that I didn't need to take my purse our of my staterooms apart from my trips onto land made my entire trip so effortless. There was no worrying about the bill, no thinking ahead about what I could and couldn't afford. I knew whatever I wanted, I could have and please don't think that in any way the crew 'held back' or tried to be sparing with anything they did because they didn't. The night before I simply couldn't decided between three deserts, they all sounded incredible, so instead our waiter insisted on bringing me all three, simply because they could. Now that really is service to the max. Of course, let's not skip over the fact there is a Nobu restaurant onboard, Silk Road, with no additional supplements, this restaurant makes the All Inclusive worthwhile just by itself!

Day 5 - Santorini 
Wow. Santorini; famous for its tomatoes and blue dome churches that are often featured in those enticing TV adverts and magazines. Seeing it in 'real life' really didn't disappoint, simply beautiful. There was something quite exciting about waking up in your stateroom knowing that outside there was another adventure to be made. Shop after shop of gems, twinkling in the bright sunshine and calling me into buy..... it was hard to resist... so i didn't!

Day 6 - Sea Day 

Well, it was a bit of a bumpy night however the ship is magnificent in how she handles these conditions. Yet again, on a sea day I was totally spoiled for choice. Should I choose another lecture? Maybe Ken Rees (from ITN News), his talk today is about the Grand Prix. There was of course the dance class option where I could brush up on my Cha Cha Cha? No, I  think I will stop by for the team trivia, test my general knowledge! However, although these decisions were hard to pick between, there was one decision made very easy, the cocktail of the day "Melon Ball" which was absolutely wonderful. I love 'testing' out the cocktails of the day, again it's just a nice little extra that Crystal do, something a bit different, just an extra little touch. It's more than just a ship, more than just a cruise line, it's an experience and an incredible one at that.

Day 7 - Sorrento or is it? 
Unfortunately the rough seas have followed us and we wake up not in Sorrento but Naples. We had experienced another night of unseasonal rough seas and a decision had been taken by the captain to ensure we reached firm ground. Although it may have been slightly disappointing to not have docked in the scheduled port you really had to commend the crew and Captain for their swift actions. Amazingly all the tours and excursions have been rebooked and guests are whisked away on luxury motor coaches to Pompeii, Amalfi  and similar destinations on this beautiful coast. Rough seas and bad storms were something that simply couldn't be helped however it's how the Crystal dealt with it that really set them apart, we were all very impressed and grateful.

Day 8 - Corsica maybe? 
We should have been in Bonifacio but we are today in Ajaccio, it was becoming a bit of a mystery cruise due to the unforeseen weather circumstances yet everyone was still in great spirits. I think the fact we were onboard such a luxurious vessel made it hard to be disappointed when everything else around us was simply perfect. Plus we really were so fortunate that Captain Birger secured the last landing point on the island today, from what I understand other cruise lines in the area were no so astute and were left with no other options than to endure a sea days in choppy conditions, phew! Bravo Captain Birger. Despite the rain we wandered around this pretty town and made the most of this unexpected stop. The world is there to be traveled so why not make the most of it, Ajaccio was somewhere that I'd never visited and now I had, I couldn't complain. Later that evening we went to Crystals new show iLuminate,  this was not to be missed and like nothing I have seen before, very intense and entertaining and just like everything else onboard Crystal Cruises - World Class.

Day 9 - Monaco 
I am so excited . I feel like a child at Christmas. I actually have butterflies. This incredible feeling intensifies as we walk through the glitzy streets of Monaco  towards our seats for the 71st Monaco Grand Prix. We were not to be disappointed, the buzz was phenomenal, it really was an incredible feeling as we were part of this once in a lifetime experience. Already we could hear the cars as they screamed around the course in the preliminary races. A sound I will never forget and a day I will always remember. I simply don't think I can put into words the fact I was part of this moment in history, I genuinely felt lucky. If you read this blog, I simply have to remind you that you too can be here in 2014 and experience this race in the same luxury that I have. As cheesy as it may sound I think it's something really not to be missed.  Thank you Crystal Cruises for helping me create some fantastic experiences and memories to cherish forever. 

I simply cannot praise Crystal Cruises enough. Genuinely fantastic in every single way. Smooth perfection with that touch of elegance and class.