PHOTO: The redesigned Crystal Penthouse on the renovated Crystal Serenity. (Courtesy Crystal Cruises)

Crystal Cruises’ 1,070-passenger Crystal Serenity completed a $17 million redesign that upgraded the penthouse accommodations, transformed the casual eateries, and added new features such as hypoallergenic staterooms and a chef’s herb garden.

The regular upgrades and renovations are a major part of the reason Crystal continues to rank so highly in consumer surveys.

The line was named “Best Cruise Line (Midsize)" for the 20th year in last month’s "Condé Nast Traveler" magazine reader survey. In the past two years alone,

Crystal has invested $52 million on the “extreme makeover” of Crystal Serenity. Another $68 million has gone into Crystal Symphony.

“Fine design is an integral part of our guests’ lifestyles, whether at home or away,” said Crystal President Edie Bornstein.

From the top deck to its hull, Crystal Serenity underwent deep cleaning, mechanical updates and environmental upgrades.

The Lido Café was demolished and extended forward to add space for new service and seating areas. It now has food islands instead of long buffet lines, more tables for two, and an open kitchen with a bakery. The space has denim blue and ochre fabrics, bronze and cream-colored tile floors, and pale blue glass-tiled walls.

The room also features custom-made ceramics, gold leaf-speckled mosaic tile from Italy, bronze pendant lights and timber-framed Morgan furniture. The Lido also received new WMF coffee machines, Citrocasa orange juicers, EuroCave wine refrigerators, and two Sveba Dahlen ovens (there’s another one in Tastes for pizzas).  

The indoor pool and the surrounding galleys and eating areas were removed to create indoor/outdoor casual dining and lounging spaces in a courtyard with a retractable glass roof.

This space features white granite tabletops, natural stones, white wicker and tan sofas. Several “living walls” of plants add greenery to the area and include an herb garden for the chefs, live olive trees and lavender.

The Trident Grill and Scoops ice cream bar area now have groups of sofas and armchairs, new counters and digital signage. Tastes restaurant now has an open kitchen so guests can watch the food being prepared. While Tastes is open for a late-risers breakfast and lunch, after 6:00 p.m. it is transformed into a casual evening eatery with lighting that showcases the trees, plants, and decorative screens.

Its new global-inspired menu offers small plates inspired by foods from around the globe, such as an Alsatian tarte, Tunisian crab warka, California street tacos, and North African lamb dumplings. Also, Palm Court got a new cherrywood dance floor.

The four butler-serviced, 1,345-square-foot Crystal Penthouses also were gutted. The dining area was moved closer to the floor-to-ceiling windows and the private outdoor deck, while the former dining room now holds a den/library/media room with a sleeper sofa and closet.

The space can function as a second bedroom since a shower was added to the powder room. The décor was inspired by the classic flats of London and the upscale style of Manhattan. The master bath now features hand-crafted Italian marble mosaics on the floor and walls, a heated floor, dual vanity with glass vessel Kohler sinks, a walk-in glass shower with a heated marble bench, a Duravit spa flotation tub with ocean views, and a television embedded in the vanity mirror.

Seventy deluxe verandah staterooms were transformed into hypoallergenic accommodations with a chemical- and odor-free indoor environment. A medical grade air purifier filters out 99.9 percent of all airborne impurities on an ongoing basis.