Crystal Debussy Review
Basel to Amsterdam - Great Cruise on a Beautiful New Boat
Rating by category
Additional details
My wife and I chose this cruise for two reasons: (1) Our experience on the Crystal Symphony last year was excellent and we were able to obtain great pricing for this river cruise; and (2) the itinerary gave us a chance to visit our son who is studying abroad at a university in Germany.
Our journey was just seven days. We had no time to explore Switzerland or the Netherlands on either end of the trip. We felt this was plenty of time and did not regret the schedule at all.
Crystal's high quality was evident throughout our trip. The food and drinks were excellent. The staff was always cheerful and eager to assist. The boat was spotless and the itinerary and excursions were very well planned. We had a wonderful time.
Cabin Review
Suite
We reserved Cabin 330 but the a/c was malfunctioning. We were moved to Cabin 228, but we immediately discovered that the view was blocked when we docked. Since we had paid for a room on the higher deck, we asked to be moved and our request was granted. The trouble was that the a/c went out in Cabin 321 soon after we moved. Worse, exhaust fumes from an AMA ship docked next to us, gave us headaches and nausea. Crysal let us spend the night back in Cabin 228 while they replaced the thermostat the next morning. Thereafter, Cabin 321 was chilly and perfect.
I don't think I ever slept better on vacation than I did on the beds on the Debussy. Really comfortable.
The cabins are small but very well appointed. The large flat screen TV is impressive as are the other tech features and furniture onboard. (A 220v to 110v converter is handy since the cabin has only a single U.S. power outlet.)
The bathroom is a tad too small, but it has wonderful features. The walk-in shower is nicely done. The heated bathroom floor is great. But it is still an extremely small space with too little room to maneuver.
Port Reviews
Basel
We embarked on Sunday afternoon. All shops are closed on Sundays. ALL shop, including drug stores and t-shirt shops. There are nice cafes to visit, but little else other than organized tours.
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is beautiful and a great city for walking around. We arrived on Whit's Monday, a bank holiday, so there was no shopping to be done except for souvenir stands. The cafes were great and the springtime crowds were modest. We highly recommend this port.
Cologne
We toured the Dom (Cologne Cathedral) on our own and loved it. We did a little shopping and had a wonderful lunch at Cafe Fruh near the cathedral.
Amsterdam
We walked to the horticultural garden near the Amsterdam Zoo. The gardens were beautiful and so was the walk. We enjoyed the Saturday afternoon markets in the Neustadt area. During the evening, we took a candlelight wine and cheese cruise through the canals. But this season is not the season. It was barely dark enough due to 9:40 p.m. sunset. Also, Amsterdam is very crazy on a Saturday night. Lots of partying, especially bachelor and bachelorette parties.