Roland4

1 hour ago, Stickman1990 said:

interesting to note that the terms and conditions are clear on some referrals that are ineligible 

 

Soliciting bookings on social media websites or otherwise making general solicitations to strangers such as to a wide, unknown audience, is prohibited. Any Crystal Society Members or travel advisors found to be engaging in such conduct will not be permitted to participate in the Crystal Referral Program and all Credits will be forfeited; furthermore, they may see some of the benefits from the Crystal Society program revoked

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.

55 minutes ago, May B said:

My cruise was 2016 or ‘17. I didn’t hear any rude words from the captain!

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

1 hour ago, nancygp said:

No

 

Nancy

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! ❤️

3 hours ago, ctjon said:

Today I got a survey - do I want casino on the ships and would I not sail, etc. if there weren't one.

 

Thought ti casino issue was settled but I guess not

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.

1 hour ago, travelberlin said:

Thanks for letting us know. One question, you got US 4450 for one claim? This will be US 2225 per person. Are others also getting this amount? How much shall we expect from Moecker? US 2225 per person?

 

Ivi

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.

3 hours ago, basenji56 said:

What does it mean???

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! 

14 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

Come to think about it I think you’re right - it’s been too many coffee laces for me in the last year or two. But I’m pretty sure they actually gutted the bistros and did a complete rebuild (could be wrong though) 

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.

2 hours ago, travelberlin said:

I agree that Warnemünde is nice to spend the day. Berlin is too far away and it is very little to see in the short stay there during a shore excursion. 

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.

3 hours ago, ryndam said:

It's been pre-Covid since we visited these cities by ship, so the situation may have changed over the years.

 

- Helsinki, depending on the terminal, it may be walking distance to the center of town. One terminal was about 1/2 mile; the other closer to a 1 mile walk.

-Tallinn, when we were there, the port provided a complimentary shuttle. Not sure if that continues to be a valid option.

-Visby, not sure.

-Riga, walking distance.

-Warnemunde, the terminal is adjacent to the train station. I'm guessing that you may be planning a trip to someplace outside of the actual port area. If the ship actually docks in Rostock, I do not know.

-Malmo, not sure.

-Copenhagen, when we were there, it was only an intermediate port call and the terminal was walking distance to the center. Since this is a turn-around port on this cruise, the cruise terminal is a decent distance away from the center. Not sure if Crystal will offer a shuttle; best to enquire as Keith suggested above.

 

It's a great itinerary. Enjoy!

 

Rob

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!!

1 hour ago, John Cruise said:

I forgot to mention, I saw people on Regent’s Gala Sunday Brunch 

actually touching the food to see if it was real, and then walked

away.

 

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!

1 hour ago, Mrs. Claypool said:

We recently came off Serenity’s 17-day voyage through the Panama Canal. We had 9 sea days during that time.
 

A few days before the end of the cruise, and still no sign of the Grand Buffet, either on the Cove or in the Marketplace. So I asked the Hotel Director when it was scheduled to be held?

 

”The Grand Buffet is history,” he replied. “The present owners have no intention of reviving it.”

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. 

5 hours ago, historylivestoday said:

Love the kittens! They are precious and innocent and adorable. 

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.

12 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

In a discussion with some folks, we tossed out another way of looking at things.

 

Rather than starting with a base of prices being refundable, how about thinking of base prices as non-refundable or long-term, with the ability to cancel for refunds being a fare for an additional premium.

 

I note that Delta will sell you a ticket that is refundable to a flight credit for X dollars.  But then, they offer you a buy-up of X+Y to get a ticket that is refundable to your original form of payment. 

 

When you think about it, it's two sides of the same coin - depending on if you view as a discount or a premium.  Hmmm.

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!!! 😮 😮 

8 hours ago, History&Wine said:

Land Ho!  It’s a beautiful day in Honolulu!

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"??? 😄 😄 😄 

55 minutes ago, Whipsnade said:

Of bigger concern is yesterday announcement you can get a 20% discount on 25 cruises if you pay in full now non refundable. Means they need cash. Not a good sign. 

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!

3 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

Yes you have to wonder how another guest can know whether someone else is a “long term Crystal cruiser” or not - seems a little presumptuous to me

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!

12 hours ago, Whipsnade said:

I was on that cruise. No way it was 23 kn for eight days round the clock. Perhaps a few hours at night but 24 hours a day for eight days? No. M

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.

8 minutes ago, Whipsnade said:

Over 20 kn in Pacufic swells for five days??? Hope you enjoy it. 

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.

3 hours ago, travelberlin said:

I think that in this case Crystal can learn from other cruise lines placing one crew member at the entrance of the buffet to remind guests kindly but firmly, to wash wash their hands and sanitize before entering the buffet. This is done by other cruise lines for example Mein Schiff. Not only COVID is the problem. There are some funny respiratory diseases going around and the well known Noro is always a risk. 
 

Ivi

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.

1 hour ago, crickette said:

Many times our bottles, glasses and other breakables went into the bathtub, wrapped and padded with towels.  Now that NC has removed the tubs in many rooms, in rough weather we will have to be creative and use some of these ideas.

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! 😮😮