KenzSailing

Um, me from yesterday: The old casino and Umi Uma spaces show up unaltered, so I'm going to guess that they're being left blank while branding deals are being worked out. Also, I was right about the bathtubs. Agree with you on photos. Those ships are construction sites, and anyone who's been responsible for a construction site knows the magic that occurs in the last 24 hours(and sometimes after.)

Guess it depends on how you look at things. I'm buying a cruise vacation, not renting office space.

We already know there will be sushi restaurants on both ships. The poles in the Serenity Avenue are structural, preferable to the deck above caving in on a performance. Little premature to make conclusions about the soft goods. In other words:

First blush: Solo cruises who don't need a veranda should be most pleased. I'd take a hard look. For couples, the step-up from veranda balcony to Aquamarine(old PH) is tempting. I can't tell if Crystal is now bundling port & taxes. Further analysis in the morning required. And yes, a lot of cruises on the "cheat sheets" are not on the website yet.

Oh, thank Neptune. Now we can return to complaining about concrete specifics, rather than our conjectures about them. It's the CC way!

Can't help if it's logoed, but in general: https://www.movaglobes.com/

Recommend you arrive Marseille no later than July 30.

Well, we've moved on from a verandah vs window cabin discussion to that oldie-but goodie: how much cabin is enough cabin? To which I say: toe-MAY-toe, toe-MAH-toe. We all have different wants and needs, and those can even vary by cruise. We've always said that two people who get along can do just fine in a Crystal standard cabin. Then, I recall that years ago there was a drop-in from the Regent board who concluded that she and her spouse could not possibly cruise Crystal again without being in CP. She's definitely a toe-MAH-toe. Fine, feel free to subsidize my cruise fare. This discussion is also why I'm completely comfortable that Crystal is going to preserve plenty of cabins at the old dimensions(note I said "plenty" not "as many as before.") Crystal, IMO, has a loyal set of customers who are more price sensitive than the folks on deck 10 and are traveling solo. In fact, while they may be underrepresented on this board, it's reasonable to argue that this is Crystal's most loyal passenger cohort. These folks are willing, anxious even, to trade sq footage and knowledge that they're stepping onto a 25 year old(impeccably maintained and updated) ship for a lower tariff and a genuinely lux experience once they step out their cabin door. I'd even argue that the category of cruise line Crystal fits into could be called "luxury where it counts." Of course, this all hinges on them delivering with the new product. As always, YMMV. TWT. XYZ, ETC.

That's logical, but I'm going to be the contrarian and predict Serenity sees paying pax first. Hey, I haven't been wrong yet!

Agreed. Have the various contributors to this thread read Ian Toll's trilogy on WWII in the Pacific? Highly recommended.

I'll put my money on some window cabins surviving the transition. On Serenity in fact, I'll SWAG 42 of them.

Actually, we're booked on this same cruise, cleared thru the waitlist. First thing, put down the $500/pp deposit, it is fully refundable and gives you priority over the no-deposit WL(apparently there are two WLs, standard practice in the industry.) We listed in three categories, as others have said, costs no more, increases your odds of clearing. We WLed in July 2022, confirmed a couple weeks ago. Good luck!

Our first RSSC cruise is upcoming(we've cruised before), and I figured I would be in the singular minority applauding this decision. In the unlikely event our cruise went Tango Uniform, a few minutes inconvenience that acclimated all of us as to what to do in a life threatening situation is fine by me. Better safe than...

United? Lemme guess, they still assigned you a middle seat! 😁

Feeling better. OLoPP still on the down slope(send thoughts and Robitussin). Just got an email from our TA about a question regarding our upcoming RSSC cruise. Feel they(RSSC) have dealt with us in a most under-handed fashion. Will have to sleep on this, but wondering if these are people I want to do biz with(please spare the Crystal comments, as some conflate that brand with Genting.) Will update as appropriate.

This was good advice. Day four was yesterday for me and I'm still a double striper. Laurel however, was in the clear, but feeling a little draggy. Tested her again today, and yep, now she's positive. We're double masking, the whole bit. Tough bug, this one. I may be coming around to Vince's perspective about being on the boat and having room and board provided.

Amen to that, the two of us dodging each while masked, me unable to see her sunshine bright smile, pierces my heart. Never knew I was such a softie. Although trays left at the front door would have helped...

So here I am on day four of "Ridin' with Rona." Can't say what I was thinking when I called this mild(must have been the brain fog.) I may put together a post on another thread about OTC meds I've used to address it, but I'll just leave a cursory update here. Around noon today is the first time I haven't felt like hammered scallopine, but I'm still moving mighty slowly. I cannot imagine going thru this on a cruise, confined to cabin, hearing my vacation dollars going down the (pressure operated) drain. Yeah, we may be thru with Rona. Rona ain't thru with us.

Oh, enough.

An anecdote: a few years ago we celebrated my birthday at a rather fancy restaurant in DC. We had a wonderful time, full of laughter, levity and innocence. They left a small stationery card at my place setting(I'm looking at it right now.) It read "Happy Birthday! May this be your best year yet!" It was dated February 15, 2020. Two, maybe three weeks later the bottom fell out of the world.

Well shoot. Going to have to hang the Closed sign on the Chez's front door for a bit, as, after almost three years of run and hide, the evil 'Rona has caught the proprietor. OLoPP remains in the clear. Symptoms are thankfully mild. Congestion, runny nose, mild headache, occasional light chills. Consulted with my doc and he recommends not starting Paxlovid unless my symptoms worsen. Hope to be right as rain in three-four days. Will admit our masking regimen has gotten pretty relaxed, however we are max vaxed and boosted, and glad for that. Heard at the Chez this morning: OLoPP to Chef: "Do you think you have brain fog?" Chef: "No more than usual."

Oh my, that's a rather harsh judgment of that fine product of Prince Edward Island. Our neighbors to the north would like a word. A polite word mind you, but still...

It was sometime in July of '22. We did the $500/pp deposit to improve our chances. Talking to my TA about this last week, she told me her Regent contact said there are "100 names" on the WL. Don't know if that means 50 cabins or 100, but I assume the latter.

Welp, the fishmonger's scallop delivery did not come in. So I'm steaming some mussels tonight. Have never done it, but it doesn't look like it could be any easier. Just wish I had a baguette to accompany.

I have some Celebrity questions. Am I in the right place?