Crystal Cruises has uniquely positioned itself by operating the largest ships that fall into the top end of the cruise market. Yet the trio--Crystal Harmony (48,621-gross-register-tons/940-passengers), Crystal Symphony (51,044-grt/940-pax), and Crystal Serenity (68,000-grt/1,080-pax)--are not mega-massive by today's standards. In fact, on the size list of current cruise liners, the Crystal Harmony ranks way down at about No. 85, with the new Crystal Serenity a bit higher at No. 75.

Crystal passengers look for food and service on par with the other top lines--Seabourn, Silversea, Radisson--while also desirous of big-ship choices, amenities, activities, and entertainment. The Crystal Serenity, making her first cruise last July, was designed to offer just that within a newer, larger, and roomier version of the previous pair, completed back in 1990 and 1995. The Crystal Serenity is an evolutionary ship for the line, and the recent refurbishment of the line's initial vessel, the Crystal Harmony (Ship of the Month, Cruise Travel April 2002) reflects the new ship's lead.

Spaciousness is evident throughout--in the public-room corridors, under heightened ceilings, in the oval atrium, and out on the widest open promenade I have ever tread, a veritable teak boulevard. (I did more constitutional miles here than aboard any other ship, and with no lifeboats to block the sky, one full-moon night en route to Oslo was about as romantic as any stroll could be.) The roominess is confirmed by a passenger/space ratio of 63 compared to 52.6 and 54.3 for the earlier pair, and the additional space allows for expansion where the line excels.

Strolling into the Palm Court high up on Deck 12, I instantly take to this expansive blue-gray room with natural light flooding in through 270-degree floor to ceiling windows. Six hexagonal skylights provide additional light and sunlit settings for healthy-looking pairs of potted palms. The rattan furnishings arranged in cozy groupings on two levels atop a fern-pattern carpet nicely define the observation room's setting, one that offers an ideal location for the captain's welcome party, dancing after dark, and for the best served afternoon tea I have experienced in my nearly half-century of cruising.

The menu includes a dozen selections of regular and herbal teas--make mine Darjeeling please--followed by a procession of stewards bringing hors d'oeuvres, sandwiches, and pastries, while guests enjoy an unobstructed seaview forward and down to the glass-enclosed bridge wings.

The Crystal Serenity set sail from Southampton, England, amid a hail of colorful confetti, a couple of days following a glittering naming ceremony by English stage and screen star Dame Julie Andrews. We had three nights and two days ahead of us to settle in and get to know the ship. Once underway, I noted straightaway that the Mermaid pod propulsion system produced no discernible vibration aft or anywhere else.

It may sound trite, but the crew--two-thirds veterans from the other two ships--seemed genuinely happy, and past passengers greeted familiar staff as if it were a love test. The 635 crew-members are 40 percent European, 40 percent Asian, and 20 percent North American; the captain is Norwegian, and the top officers are Scandinavian and Japanese. Crystal Cruises is owned by the Japanese shipping firm NYK.

Most Crystal Serenity cabin accommodations are larger than on her fleetmates, with the 286 A & B categories measuring 269 square feet versus 246 sq. ft. for the earlier pair. Also measuring 269 sq. ft. are the 82 cabins in a new category, AA penthouse staterooms with veranda, which offer butler service plus a complimentary wine and spirit selection upon embarkation. All accommodations are outside (as with the Crystal Symphony), and 85 percent of the 548 cabins have private verandas. No cabin has a lifeboat-obstructed view, as they have been stowed below cabin levels.

We occupied the PH category, one of the 64 penthouses with veranda, measuring 403 square feet vs. 360 and 367 square feet on the earlier pair. The entertainment center, housed in a built-in mahogany cabinet, includes a remote-controlled flat-screen TV and DVD player, and the bathroom has a full Jacuzzi bath, separate shower, and twin sinks. The walk-in closet has a deep safe, plenty of hanging space, and with additional drawers in the bedroom, totaled up to ample storage. For bedtime reading the lighting is less satisfactory table lamps, and the puffy bedspreads balloon out to make tightly squeezed night drawers hard to open. Out on the teak deck veranda, we had two typical white plastic chairs with green cushions and a white table, but one could ask and find room for chaise lounges if desired.

Our butler, Dieter, a Flemish Belgian, would invariably appear at the end of each day to see if we would like something such as hors d'oeuvres; and at other times, he left a tempting plate of pate de foie gras, smoked ham, or finger sandwiches. Dressing for the first formal night, my red bow tie lost its clasp, and in the space of 10 minutes, Dieter had gone to the tailor and brought it back repaired. On the three mornings requested, breakfast appeared right on time, rolling in on a cart, then attractively set up on the pop-up coffee table. In the penthouse accommodations, one can order a full meal from any of the restaurants during normal dinner hours. The other cabin categories can order from the Crystal Dining Room and from a 24-hour room-service menu.

Evening dining choices include the traditional Crystal Dining Room with two seatings, unique to such a high-end ship; but this did not seem to be a problem as most people like to eat at a specified time anyway, as they do at home. The room is nicely divided by overhead panels and by a railing rimming a raised center section set under a starlit dome. The room buzzed with activity but was never noisy. Memorable selections were Alaska crab soup with brie cheese, ricotta and sun-dried tomato stuffed chicken breast, sesame crusted seared ahi tuna steak, and chocolate hazelnut pudding souffle.

Prego, the Italian specialty restaurant, is entirely different in style on this ship--a long room located aft on the starboard side, executed in white and gold with bas relief urns filled with fruit on the bulkhead pilasters. Creative decorative panels showed Florentine scenes using two-dimensional depictions--the front panel low in height and the rear at full height with indirect lighting in-between to brighten the settings and accentuate the depth. Two Italian favorites were pumpkin ravioli flavored with apricot and gorgonzola topped filet of Angus beef.

On this ship the Asian restaurant, called the Silk Road, had Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa as the consultant for a pan-Asian menu that offers such signature dishes as lobster with truffle yuzu sauce, black cod with miso, and chicken with teriyaki balsamic. The airy portside setting is executed in lime green and soft blue lighting with the Sushi Bar at the entrance, a new offering for Crystal. None of these alternative restaurants carry a surcharge, but reservations are required (except at the Sushi Bar).

For casual poolside dinners, Tastes has attractive table settings next to the Trident Pool and under the Magrodome. Lunchtime lido buffets proved very popular and one, Asian-themed, had an outstanding selection of hot and cold dishes with the cold, creamed litchi-nut soup and the peanut satay especially good. Several others serving stations offered grilled lunches, salads, desserts, and ice cream plus lots of toppings. There is ample seating outside, under the Magrodome, inside, and aft under cover. On some ships, I dread the lido lunch line, but no such queues form here, with a half-dozen stations to patronize and ample staff to assist.

The Galaxy Show Lounge, where every seat has good sightlines, put on major big-ship productions shows such as "Million Dollar Musicals," "Fascinatin' Rhythm," "Curtain Call," and "Forever Plaid"--the last-named a barber shop quartet singing and bantering about the 1950s and 1960s. Other entertainment venues are the Stardust Club for cabaret acts and dancing; Pulse, the late-night disco; Hollywood Theater for films and lectures; and Caesars Palace At Sea casino.

For the mind, the innovative Crystal Learning Institute offers more than a dozen sign up courses such as Yamaha piano instruction, drawing workshops, Spanish lessons, Cleveland Clinic health talks, and tai-chi; and on my cruise all were fully subscribed. As one passenger said, "The Crystal Learning Institute is like an Elderhostel at sea, good for the mind and my social life."

The Computer University@Sea has 16 stations that allow one to keep in touch via email, at a price, and all cabins are wired for personal laptops. The staffed library of books and DVDs has three cozy bays for curling up in a comfy chair with footstool. Nearby, the Bridge Lounge has 16 well-patronized tables with instruction.