Roland4

Personally I am pleased to see them take a hard line on this as I am sure there would be "individuals" already thinking along those lines!

The E-Tickets for our April 13 cruise on Symphony were sent to my office e-mail as the booking TA.

"Rudeness" is in the ear of the beholder if one is easily offended! 😁

There were reports earlier that Mesrs D'Ovidio and Kent planned to be onboard.

Our planned boarding on April 13 is far less important than our hope that she, and all aboard, arrive safely in Athens! ❤️

Crystal has said a number of times that a smaller casino will be added to both ships. The problem, I suspect, and at a guess, is it will have to wait until the next drydock.

That is correct. We received a cheque a few months ago for US$4450.00, or $2225.00/person, which is the maximum amount under Florida law. As I understand it, the balance you are owed becomes part of the Unsecured Creditors claim amount.

I suspect it means they have not released the pricing to the General Public yet as it is still in pre-booking for "select" past guests ie - previous World Cruise guests..

The only thing Royal Caribbean and Crystal have in common is they both sail ships!

I think on Serenity "gutted" might be too strong a description, but they definitely redecorated it and went to what seemed to us as smaller tables.

I stand corrected about Warnemunde, but I disagree about Berlin. We did this with Crystal in 2011 and we saw pretty much all of the major sites, and a few unscheduled ones, even with a significant lunch break. Our local guide was excellent. It was enough that we knew we would be coming back, and we have twice since then.

We disembarked Seabourn Ovation last may in Copenhagen and the new cruise terminal is a good 15 minute cab ride, maybe more, from the city centre. It was most of 30 minutes to the airport. There is not a lot to see in Warnemunde, but the trip to Berlin is the attraction here. It is, as I understand it, about 40 minutes to Rostock city centre.

Just posted to the Crystal Society Family site; "Thank you for your continued patience as we finalize the details around the Red Sea situation. We will be making an announcement in the coming days and will be notifying all affected guests and our valued travel advisors accordingly."

Of note, on Formal evenings a sport coat, with or without tie, is also perfectly acceptable. And unlike our multiple segment cruise on Silver Moon last year, you will never see an Informal dress requirement on the last night of the cruise!!

We did a TA on Splendor in November 2022. We went to the Gala Brunch, and while it was okay for the most part, the Eggs Benedict were stone cold. It was like they were prepared ahead (as I am sure they were) and stuck in the refrigerator, then served under heat lamps, that did nothing for them. My guess is all of them, and it was huge display, went uneaten!

To be honest, like the "Midnight Buffet" of cruising years past, the Grand Buffett was an anachronism that was due to be dropped. Yes, it was an incredible feast to look at, but we, like many we talked to, rarely participated, and more often than not watched vast volumes of uneaten food be taken back into the MDR at the end. While some of it MAY have made its way to the crew dining room, I suspect most of it went into the waste disposal system. In the last two years we have sailed on Regent, Seabourn and Silversea, and with the exception of one of those lines, which one escapes me, and which only does it when Sunday is a sea day, Grand Buffets are a thing of the past.

We adopted two rescue kittens, well really more like teenagers, back in October, and they are a handful. Except, of course, when they settle down and are looking for a cuddle! Been Cat Parents for almost 30 years now.

Royal Caribbean/Celebrity have been doing this for a year or so now. The base fare is non-refundable, but if you want a refundable fare, there is a sometimes very significant premium. When they also start adding in various promotions, you almost need a cryptologist to decipher the fare table!!! 😮 😮

And then there was the earthquake off the Big Island!!! The news reports said it was felt in Honolulu!! Are you beginning to feel "snake bit"??? 😄 😄 😄

If they "need cash", they would not have also offered a 10% refundable option. Virtually every cruise line is now offering some variation of refundable/nonrefundable deposit options, with the nonrefundable offering significant discounts. And let's not even talk about Viking Ocean, which requires payment in full a year in advance! It is subject to normal cancellation fees, but it is still a year in advance!

Just had a look, and while not sure about "a long time", is someone we know, who has been around a while, and been very opinionated, and somewhat negative, about New Crystal. So yes, the grass is not always greener!

I can only tell you what the Captain told us. Was it a constant 23 knots? Probably not, but it was a constant high speed, aided by the fact the seas stayed relatively moderate.

Actually, the 2020 World Cruise, after being diverted to Cabo for a medical emergency, Serenity maintained 23 knots/hr for eight full days. According to Captain Vorland, it was the longest full speed run since they took delivery in 2003. So yes, it is possible.

They may do it on Mein Schiff, but other than Silver Moon last winter, none of the half dozen ships we have sailed in the last 18 months have done it. They all have sanitizer stands/stations, but no staff present.

A northbound crossing of the Drake in 2011 on Le Boreal, the Captain strongly suggested putting everything, including the plastic bottles, in the top drawer with a towel or two on top. After 36 hours of 40+ foot waves, and 70 MPH winds, he was right! 😮😮