KenzSailing

Since we're talking hooch, I'll have a brief update tomorrow. Stay tuned....

The one life maxim I have carved in stone is that everyone, and I mean everyone, thinks that their treatment of money is completely rational and everyone else is doing it wrong.

-Sigh- If you're going to reference the greatest movie ever made, let's show some respect: And to our new Miss Manners:

As long as I know there's one guy or gal behind the piano in the Avenue, I'm comfortable the rest will work out just fine.

I have heard of the "doughnut" translation. If I may impose, how would one say "I am a Berliner" in the appropriate language? I'm genuinely curious as to this.

Well, well, well, looks who still hangs around this backwater. I remember now: you guys financed your luxury cruising lifestyle with your canny video slots play. Well, your sharp action on the Super Bowl should tide you over for awhile. Unless you've already blown it at the track. And even if there's no casino, maybe Crystal will still host Bin-joe!

Agreed. Personally, I findthe Hotel Directors to be the most important hires in terms of establishing the customer-facing culture. And this speaks to the folks at the very top trying to re-create "Crystal," as opposed to sliding in any old product under the brand name. Most encouraging.

Ah, OK, I understand now we're talking about two different sets of reviewers. I'm talking specifically about folks posting their experiences to the Crystal board, not the general CC database of reviews. I never consult that resource simply because I have no idea the perspective, experiences, etc of the reviewer.

I take your point but, we're talking about a subset of Crystal cruisers: those who post here. I'll read all the early reviews, but thru a filter of who's going to come in capital-P-positive, who might be more critical than I am about things, and those contributors whose opinion will make me sit up and take notice.

Once again, I'll come down on the side of yes and no(hey, can't lose!) My point, and it's documented on this site; we have a budget that precludes us from surveying the lux lines in anything approximating a reasonable timeframe. Crystal, having punched all our important buttons, motivated us to stay with them. If they hadn't gone Tango Uniform, we probably never would have strayed(don't draw to an inside straight.) But things happened, and now we have a booking on Regent we are most keen on. May turn out to be genius, maybe disaster, maybe in between. TWT. Point is, the interregnum opened the door.

I dunno. It's always hazardous to get crosswise with your gimlet eye, but I would put my money on the Gentlemen Hosts back in full frequency and force, even if the program takes a while to ramp up. The other stuff, yeah, that might go the way of the language classes.

On this 14th of February, a little counter-programming from the golden age of music videos:

Designers are the marketing department of the physical world.😁 More seriously, I am one of those people who can look at a floor plan but can't really get a feel for a layout until I do a walk thru. I'm not alone. I've been looking a lot at Regent. There newest ships are Explorer and Splendor, same class of ship, almost identical. One change they made from Explorer to Splendor: they reversed the direction of the grand staircase that leads to the MDR on deck 4. In Explorer, the bottom of the stairs dead ended into the back of the elevator bank that everyone else was exiting to head to the MDR after an early show, so the folks coming off the stairs had to do a u-turn into that same flow to get going where they wanted to. On Splendor, they reversed the stairs so the bottom of the stairs flows directly toward the MDR. I'm sure someone eventually thought "what were we thinking?"

But never at Waffle House? Well, I just can't take you seriously then.

I almost forgot. OLoPP wants to pass along: The Chez is tranquil tonight.

Vince, Well, a tidbit about a new local purveyor of a cuisine that does interest me(we have a rez for next month, after the review crowd dies down.) Uuuuuummmm, sweetbreads.... https://wapo.st/3jUIgsR

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Agreed, to the extent that Nobu wasn't the one doing the fusing. He was popularizing a process that had happened organically. For more on this: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/packages/global-flavors/nikkei-peruvian-japanese-cuisine

Some timely advice:

I made a Venn diagram to visualize this: Venn Diagram Template (1).pdfVenn Diagram Template (1).pdf

I can't fault the logic of the Voice of Reason. I just took a flyer figuring my lure would still come back with the bait on it. Leap of faith I guess(former altar boy in me.) With that, I've mixed enough metaphors for one post.

Having no interest in any of the 2023 sailings, I got my $500 back. It cleared my Amex today. That actually happening is a step in the right direction for New Crystal.

Ha! 1) I remember that carpet. I think it was down for our first couple of Crystal Cruises. 2) I took teamwork, but I can't believe you all tracked down the subject of an obscure, random joke.

This thread sponsored by Lexmark Carpet Mills. "Lexmark, we've got you covered."

Life imitates art: