I feel like crew is singular, so it would be correct to say "The crew was..." but I feel like it sounds better to say "The crew were..." As in "The crew were making the final preparations." Would it be better to say "The crew was making the final preparations."
Collective nouns can be treated as singular or plural, depending on the context. Typically, if the context is for the collective as a unit, use the singular. If the context involves the members of the collective, use the plural. Google collective nouns singular or plural for more info.
