Whipsnade

The customer that Explora is chasing are the ones that are in their 40s-50a and might spend $15K every other year on a cruise and they might be around for another 30 years. I spend $100K+ a year and expect to be around for 20years. Hmmm. Which customer would you choose to chase?? This argument has been going around in the cruise industry for at least 50 years. And as most of the decisions are made by 30year olds who have a slight disdain for old folks with money many mistakes are often made. TAs are one thing and if course you want yours to know what is out there. “influencers” are quite another, often snotty and superior even though not a single one could pay for one night on their own. Ban them all!!

Cricket is right. Forgot that one. TAs and “influencers” are everywhere and in the best accommodations for free. It is offensive and makes me feel like a chump. And some if them have never booked a cruise. Others have never been on a cruise. The “influencers” are the worst. Prancing and posing. Yikes!!

I actually agree for the most part with all Stick’s comments. Perhaps they ditched the player pianos since I was on board. Yes, Rachel York seems to live in ships. And we have seen so many of the same production shows we no longer attend. Menus in Osteria, Tastes and Umi do not change. So we visit them sparingly. Waterside however changes frequently and every item is well prepared and beautifully presented. In Fils Rouge after five days you have pretty much had it all. But there are the little things. Maple syrup is real on Crystal. Butter comes in actual pieces on bed of ice and not in plastic containers or foil wrappers. You only need to ask once for heavy cream on Crystal. Explora is trying to figure out what that is. Crystal gives you fruit knives not butter knives. And so on. This stuff may not be important to some but it is to us. I agree with Stick 100% about Emporium vs Marketplace. Emporium is one of a kind for everything. And then there is bread. Explora has the best bread on the ocean. They have it milled in France from non enriched wheat. Crystal’s bread, like most is “feh”. And new ships that Crystal keeps promising? Still promising but no contracts announced so we are years away. And as much as we love Symphony it is 29 years old and that is pretty much the end of useful life at sea no matter how many refurbishments are made. All cabins on Explora are larger than similar cabins on Crystal even those that have doubled in size. The thing that turned me off completely was not the race to the bottom pricing that most ships have one way or another it was their outright refusal to gave us the same discount. So we were penalized for our booking on board and being among first longer term cruisers, the very passenger every company salivates over. And so it goes. It is good to be all of us here and not in some of the ports we visit We can debate over lots of silliness and degrees of pampering and qualities of food and wine. Aren’t we lucky bears!!?

Never had a survey.

We spent the month of Sept on the ship. And part of August. what do you mean by “evolved”?

We spent the month of Sept on the ship. And part of August. what do you mean by “evolved”?

Entertainment on Explora lackluster at best. A few tired singers no one heard of reading lyrics from a computer screen. Yes, Explora DOES have player pianos which on occasion are played by a human. I was being kind about Crystal “being a little dressier”. What I meant was you will not see jeans or baseball caps in Waterside in the evening which is not the case on Explora. Got it? Since you have never been on Crystal you wouldn’t know that they doubled the size of most cabins. They did retain a few small outside small cabins which are offered to single travelers at very reasonable prices and they usually get snapped up. BTW there are not and never have been inside cabins on Crystal. Who goes to movies? Theatres are frequently quarter full for matinees and half full in the evening. Glad to hear Explora is “constantly evolving”. Perhaps they could move a little quicker if they got their noses out of the clouds. In the meantime they are overpriced and under passengered. That’s why this supposed “luxury” venture has been forced to offer 40% discounts within six months of inaugural.

I spent 30 days on Explora in Sept and am now on board Symphony for 60 days. So perhaps I have some credibility on this. if you are under 55 you might prefer Explora. Younger crowd. Incredible gym and spa and biggest pool on the ocean. If you are over 60 Crystal would be a choice. More sedate. A little dressier crowd. Those are general comments. Now some specifics. Cuisine. No ship can compare with Crystal. Waterside continually changes menu. Presentation is magnificent. Service cannot be beat. Explora has same menus every day. Service can be spotty as you may have six waiters and none know what the last has done. They are nice enough but no ship experience. Most hired from hotels in Dubai. Many Crystal waitstaff have been with them for 20 years. Entertainment on Explora pretty much non existent. Crystal has mostly good stock production shows and an occasional singer or comedian. Explora has player pianos. Crystal has live pianists. Crystal has actual movie theaters. Explora shows movies every now and then around the pool. Then there is price. If both were equal I would choose Crystal. If Explora is more expensive I would and did walk. We had three Explora cruises booked and canceled in favor of Crystal st 35% less. As far as losing $$ from old Crystal and blaming new Crystal I just don’t get it. The companies are in no way related. And through the EI program and credit card companies and bankruptcy trustee no one needed to lose a dime. We didn’t. And we had $120K on the line. Very happy with Crystal and have ten more cruises booked over the next year.

To reiterate. If you have received an initial payment from Moecker do not expect any more. We were preferred creditors so received those funds. The remainder of what we claimed goes to the bottom if the pile. If we ultimately receive any more $$ it will be pennies in the dollar.

Highly unlikely that there will be further distributions to any of us. I believe we will now be far down the pecking order for what scraps may remain. Those of us who took advantage of New Crystal’s generous offer via Exceotional Initiative are more than “whole” and have nothing to complain about. Certainly I do not. Very happy on board Symphony and have booked out all my EI cruises over the next year. Only downside would be if I croak before I use them up!!!

As soon as I hear anything I will report.

Our onboard cruise consultant tells me the rest of 26 will likeky be “dropped” before we leave in Mumbai 3/27.

We agree. Explora a mess. MSC should stick to the three star business which they do well and sell their beautiful shops to Crystal.

Symphony will be going through Red Sea with crew only. The rest of us are being kicked off in Mumbai March 27. It is reported that D’Ovidio and Kent will be on board. Symphony will arrive in Piraeus in time for a bang up season in the Med.

It was tough for us to ask for wheelchairs. Still reluctant. But it adds a lot to our lives and find folks everywhere more than willing to help. No “home” for us. We find ship best place for us. Spending about 100 days a year now on ships and planning to increase that to 120 next year. Actually cheaper than a good “home”.

Don’t even think it, Tillie. Every airport has wheelchairs and Symphony bell boys will happily wheel you from ship to shore in every port. We did it today in Singapore. Gets easier as you get older as long as you accept it.

You will find new Crystal even better than old Crystal. Waterside best restaurant at sea by far. New cabins quite nice. We have been on board for two months and not bored yet. Have booked a half dozen Crystal cruises over next 18 months. Bye bye Silversea, Seabourn and Explora.

Sounds good.

Like to know what lecturers. Thanks for the update.

They have been playing this game right along. We had booked three btb cruises in PH. When they cut prices by 40% and refused the same to us we said bye bye Explora.

And they still have no loyalty program. One would have thought this would have been the backbone of any marketing plan.

If you can only fill half a brand new ship in March in the Caribbean it is surely not a good sign for the future.

About time Ungerer left for “personal reasons”. It shouldn’t be more than six months to find a competent replacement, another year for that person to organize a new team and probably another year to organize changes. So by early 27 perhaps there might be a revitalized Explora brand. Better yet sell the whole lot to D’Ovidio and Kent at Crystal as they surely know how to run a luxury operation and let MSC stick to mega cruises and freight at which they do quite well.

Usually all other cruises come out a month later. Probably in April would be my guess.