We are going at the end of May 08 on Serenity to Greek isles, Turkey , ending in Athens for a couple of extra days. It is our 1st cruise(25th ann.). Please, any comments or suggestions will be helpful! Any suggestions on making arrangements beforehand for land excursions either thru the cruise line or otherwise or any info on dress, especially for formal or semi- formal wear. Does my husband need anything more than a navy jacket such as a dark suit? How early time- wise, do we need to check in to insure that we get reservations for the alternate restaurants or to reserve popular land excursions if we do not do it ahead of time? How cool is it in evenings in May on the ship deck or on land- do we need a light coat or do I need a dressy jacket or sweater when dressed up?? Thank you very much.aszot@embarqmail.com

Hi kandy53 and welcome to Cruise Chat.

Congratulations on your 25th anniversary, and on your first cruise! I can't decide about which you should be more excited.

I sailed the Serenity in December 2006, and I will tell you you're in for an exceptional time. The staff is fantastic. Every Crystal person you encounter anywhere will smile and say hello. There is an incredible wealth of things to do onboard. When we sailed, there were classes each sea day in keyboarding, computers, art, and much more.

For the formal nights (this was a Caribbean cruise) we saw men in suits, tuxedos and white dinner jackets. Women were in cocktail attire. We saw more navy jackets on men during the other nights.

Make your reservations in the specialty restaurants as soon as you can, as they do fill up quickly. The meal/evening we spent at Prego was fantastic. There was a small surcharge for gratuity, something like $6 per person at the time, and well worth it.

Definitely take a sweater or jacket or wrap for the evening. Some rooms can be over air-conditioned, plus you're going to want to walk outside under the moonlight.

We did the ship's excursions in the Caribbean and were not disappointed.

Sandy