Ibis

Yes, I totally agree with Keith. We have taken a sea view on Deck 7 several times in the past and one big plus is you definitely have very easy access to the promenade deck. Windows are also large and the room is basically identical to the Deck 7 Veranda room; just a window instead of a sliding door if my memory is correct. Check out 7071 it has a tiny obstruction which was no problem for us and it is almost next to the door out to the promenade. Enjoy!

By the way, I didn’t mean to highjack May B’s thread ! Just in a rush to share news and thoughts from our boarding and didn’t think it necessarily to start another one. Apologies if that is considered rude or not correct ☺️

Yes, dreams to come true! We also boarded yesterday! Back on Crystal… it was emotional walking aboard amidst many crew members calling out “welcome aboard” and “welcome home” and it really did have the feeling of being home again. On the down side, that was just after we had waited from 12 to 1:15 in the terminal for our number to be called. However, once on board and in The Lounge, former Casino, our check in went very smoothly and very quickly, so we were able to hustle straight down to Waterside just at the stroke of 1:30! In a flash Poalo appeared from nowhere to give us an incredibly warm welcome. 🥰. Enjoyed a super lunch, Cobb salad and Champagne, what else?? Our classic Aquamarine suite is basically as we remember it. Met our butler, who has been great so far, as well as our two housekeeping ladies. We knew of the changes for our level concerning extra specialty restaurant reservations so although being a negative, it was not a surprise. It was however a very disappointing surprise that Charles Heidsieck is no longer given as the welcome bottle in our suite. Instead, we found the ordinary Jacquard. Our butler very kindly researched and said he was told that CH had been discontinued as our welcome gift, although it is available for purchase in the dining room:-(. He said most definitely the only Champagne that is offered to this level of suite is Jacquard. Guess we’ll learn to love it😜 On the positive side, dinner was delicious, after a short wait for a table. Service, head over heels super and truly very good food! We feel so fortunate to be here and look forward to today, as the first afternoon is always a push to settle in. Louis sang at approximately 6:20 with winds around 20. Sorry to rush away to enjoy more of this day. Hope to meet up with others tomorrow evening as planned.

Roy, thank you so much for sharing your adventure with us! I have enjoyed following your travels for some years now. You have inspired us to combine cruise lines and itineraries and even Amtrak from Florida to New York to join Queen Mary! In spite of experiencing many different cruise lines, like you I believe, Crystal has always been our preferred destination, so we were thrilled to see you back on board Serenity. In one of your early posts about this trip you mentioned, with the exception of a few differences in the culture this was the Crystal you had always loved. Would you share with us some the differences you saw? We appreciate your point of view. Hopefully, the future will bring more travels and we look forward to hearing about them. Have a great time on Rotterdam! Thank you once again for sharing your special moment on Serenity with all of us😊

That experience is so typical of Crystal.

Crystal Serenity?? Are you kidding?

Thanks so much for responses and will plan to let Head Sommelier know our thoughts when we board! Thanks again😊

Keith, did you reserve your Vintage Room before boarding or after? We are not interested in reserving a private dinner but joining a group that might be organized by the sommelier as we have done on past voyages. Checked our roll call, Miami to Miami November 2, but nothing happening there regarding Vintage Room. Thanks again for your help!

You are right, crickette! Fond memories of sitting in the Bistro, perusing the wine list, then arriving at the table for dinner to find your choice on ice and waiting!

Thanks for your response. And yes, we have been known to take a couple bottles on board and/or pick up something interesting along the way! Do you know if there is currently a corkage fee in the dining venues for wine brought on? The one thing we had hoped would change with NC was the Jacquart as the offered champagne 😣. However, not going to let this be a big worry in the overall scheme of things! Also, wondering if anyone has had the pleasure of attending a Vintage Room dinner with NC? Thanks again!

Roy, thanks so much for your efforts! Plenty of contrast and could read it quite well. On the other hand, it seems we may have to decide to be happy with the included options 😔. Good to know this in advance and we really appreciate your help. It is a bit surprising the wine list for purchase isn’t a little more extensive but I’m sure we’ll make out just fine! Looking forward to hearing more about your continuing adventures! Enjoy and thank you again.

Roy, so glad you are finally back on Crystal! It’s been with great pleasure we have followed you each day on QM2 during your “approach” to Serenity! Had a good chuckle over your comparison of the ham and cheese in Princess Grill with The Trident Grill. Having been fortunate enough to have experienced both of those venues for lunch, I’m with you, I give that one to The Trident:-) In anticipation of our upcoming time on Serenity, would it be possible for you to share a photo of the revenue wine list for Champagne and sparkling wine? It would be greatly appreciated and also add to the fun of planning our return to Crystal! It’s been a long time since September 2019 and the occasion merits celebrating. Thanks in advance, but don’t worry if not possible. Just slow down and love every minute you are there. Thank you for taking many of us along with you👍

Very interesting… thanks for posting!

Thanks so much!

Those wines sound wonderful but for us it would be very helpful to see a list with prices 🙂 Thanks so much for any help possible! Also, we are wondering how important is it to honor assigned boarding times. We have been assigned 2:00 PM and had hoped to board a bit earlier. Is this related to room assignment? We are in a PH on deck 8. We will certainly adhere to assigned time if that is important on Seabourn but in our past experience on other lines it was normally of little consequence. Perhaps that is due to level in loyalty programs.

Could someone currently on board possibly help by sharing the revenue wine list for Champagne and sparkling wines available on Pursuit? Looking forward to boarding in Barcelona, September 10. Thanks in advance!

Keith, Thanks so much for all your reports; positive but at the same time well balanced and honest about the inaugural cruise and second segment. We realize nothing in this world is perfect and change is not only often a good thing but also inevitable. With that approach, we are eagerly looking forward to November 2 and boarding Serenity for the first time since October 2019. Your photos are super and we can’t wait to try Osteria d’Ovidio, gelato at Scoops, and return to Umi Uma! And just be on board Crystal again❣️ Thank you again for your time and effort to share your super journey. It is greatly appreciated. Looking forward to your next report on your next cruise, whenever that may be. Hope you both have a safe and comfortable trip home.

Glad to hear the initial good news from Pursuit. We board in Barcelona for transatlantic to Miami. Just wondering if a doctor or anyone else on board might give us an update since Pursuit has been underway for about 10 days now. Thanks in advance for any additional information!

So thrilled to hear the news about Osteria d’Ovidio! This definitely sounds like a great enhancement and dining there will be a “very Crystal” experience. Thanks for sharing!

So glad to hear about your wonderful evening in the new Italian restaurant and greatly appreciate your thoughts. We too enjoyed Prego, especially with Paolo, but for us it was definitely American Italian, which is good but in a different way, and we only wanted to go there very occasionally. Authentic Northern Italian cuisine is one of our very favorites and judging from your report, the new osteria falls well within this category! This is very good news and seems that Crystal has made a great improvement to something that was already good. Bravo! Can’t wait, but just wondering, will Paolo still be around November 2 in Miami? Thanks for your report on what sounds like a super evening!

Thanks so much for the responses. Montaudon will be quite acceptable. Not necessarily our favorite, but as someone mentioned, serviceable and better than most included still whites. Many thanks to all who replied.

Thank you so much for this post! This is the day we have all been anticipating❣️ We so appreciate all the updates and positivity you have posted during uncertain times. Please, enjoy everything moment. Many of us are traveling with you. Happy Anniversary!

Can anyone tell us what the current included Champagne is? Looking forward to our September crossing on Pursuit, our first time on Seabourn.

So excited for all of you traveling to Marseille to join Serenity! Our dream is now almost a reality…Crystal sailing again…enjoy every moment. Just can’t wait for our turn in November:-) Bon Voyage to all!!

Keith, Thanks so much for posting these guidelines as well as your comments. As you pointed out, these are only “guidelines” and you are very correct to suggest there is no need to panic if bags are already packed or shipped and definitely no need to start a debate about proper attire. Knowing what you have learned from Crystal and shared here, we look forward to at least one if not two Optional Formal evenings on our 11 night cruise on Serenity in November. Knowing, of course, there will likely be others who will choose not to go Formal and perhaps they will dine in more casual venues. Choice is, indeed, a good thing. We hope our choice to dress more formally will be respected by others as we respect their choice to follow the Evening Resort suggestions. We are just so excited Crystal will soon be a reality again! Thanks for your help and smooth sailing!