After a spectacularly public bankruptcy in 2022, complete with horror stories of stranded passengers, Crystal Cruises was purchased by Abercrombie & Kent and relaunched last summer. Curious to see how A&K was handling the line, which had always been popular with Harper members, I booked a seven-day Mediterranean itinerary aboard the Crystal Symphony, the older of Crystal’s two ships. Immediately I was encouraged to learn that during a 2023 refurbishment, A&K had reduced the number of staterooms from 461 to 295.

That feeling was vindicated when we entered our supremely comfortable 430-square-foot Sapphire Veranda Suite. Its main living area had space for a small walk-in closet, a built-in desk/dressing table, a dinette and a full-size couch and coffee table. The compact bedroom was just big enough for us to walk around the twin beds (configurable as a king), and the bath had a double-sink vanity and a large shower. A private deck with lounge chairs extended the length of our cabin.

As my traveling companion and I settled in, the ship set sail from La Seyne-sur-Mer, France, to Rome. We had decided to turn in early, but somewhere between Waterside Restaurant and the Galaxy Lounge, our plans went awry, and we ended up at the Jade Night Club’s Studio 54-themed dance party until the wee hours of the morning. That first evening set the tone for a fun-filled trip.