vistaman

i saw him last year on de Silver Dawn

very sorry to hear that sad news - the first time I met Slavko he was headwaiter in the speciality restaurants - unfortuntely the last time was a few months ago on the Symphony

it was very windy in belgium and the netherlands as well feeling sorry that you are docked in Ijmuiden - if a cruise ships will dock in Amsterdam and not a regular , they are unkind ...

sorry to hear that due to a very serious medical condition I had to cancel my upcoming cruise on her dep 19th September 2024 - ship is sold out - immediately my cabin could be sold to somebody on waiting list even after + 40 cruises : the full cancellation procedure so 80% is covered by the complimentary insurance ( for Europeans ) and 20% by my own insurance - lots of paperwork in German - for my doctor and myself i do have another cancellation on ms Europa as well - same procedure and sorry to say it : rather long waiting times for refunds by HL HLC backoffice does not know flexibillity and the compensations for the cruises cancelled by covid were " meagre" - I got a compensation however because I proved its regulation of only taking pax from Germany , Switserland and Austria starting up post covid was illegal ( confirmed by offices of the European Union in written) as a non German citizen it is very difficult to go to the law as well said all this : i got my cancellation by BA , the confirmation and the money in 5 days also on those "impossible" cruises reposition - only sea days HLC is imposing silly single supp. well the next 6 months no cruises for me at all and then it is wait and see

the cruise fares on Ponant did increase so heavily that those are not appropriate anymore for the product definitely Regent for me !

the Regent Grandeur is a beautiful ship !!! I had 3 great cruises on the Silver Dawn , the 4 th was rather bad - SS is going down : quality of food was not ok - service was poor upmarket Champagnes and wines destroyed by poor wine service My first cruise after the bankrupcy on new Crystal was not a success in full , mostly caused by the unpleasant single room. No SB for me anymore since 2016 - and Explora was a disaster wines were very poor The choice of drinks is more elaborated on Crystal and maybe the team of bartenders are also somewhat better but the wine list on Crystal is extremely expensive On Regent you do have more choices for lunch if the ship is in port on Crystal only buffet and hamburgers I have have to chose between the basic room on regent Grandeur or the Crystal sisters , I ' ll go for Regent The Regent Grandeur is one year old , the Symphony 29 .... the choice is yours ! Both lines do have "acceptable" complimentary wines - but choice is better on Regent.

all prices in EUR - Smith haut Lafitte 2011 158 Batailley 2017 270 Pontet Canet 216 cocktails : 7,90 Glenmorangie 10 : 8,6 Glenfiddich 8,6 JW red 6,30 JW Black 8,7 Grouse 12 years 10,4 Wild Turkey 5,9 Jim Beam 5,9 Jack n 7 8,6 carafes wine : 25 cl Weisburgunder 16 sauvignon Blanc 17,5 Riesling 14 Cote du Rhone 12,5 italian Merlot 12,5 Champagne Jacquart 15 cl glass 9,9 rosé 11 Ruinart Rosé 109 Veuve C 76 Beer 20cl 2,9 30cl 3,9 half liter 5,8 DomPérignon 2013 210 Krug 395 Ruinart Bl de Blancs 120 Rosé Veuve C 2015 100 Grande Année Bollinger 2014 245 austrian riesling Singerriedel 126 imho very special i hope the above is helpful for eventual passengers ...

sorry for the delay - i was in hospital as a single you must book very well in advance on Europa 2 - a few suites are reserved for singles at 50% however those cabins are in various degrees ... so also a grand suite and a PH are in that system not all lower degrees sometimes they are opening more suites when bookings are weak a grand suite is the same size as a PH on a lower floor without the butler service try to book a double and pay double is maybe the cheapest i think a single on your cruise is 32,000€ not for my wallet... i am afraid i had to cancel my cruise in September caused by my condition. but maybe i will visit her in my hometown next week. i will have a look to the wine list ...and pass some €€€

i am always in a standard ocean stateroom being single🤑 on board Europa 2 in September , I will report back - aware there is a small group of Belgians

in a PH - i think - you do receive a full bottle of Moet and luxus canapes and 5 half liters of different drinks I think the wodka is Absolut - you better play safe and take a Grey Goose from duty free airport if you like the caviar "plain" the best serving is in the Yacht Club with free wodka there is also a daily free apero for dinner in the Yacht Club - main entrance probably Hapag Lloyd will do something for the Philippine crew on the ship as well in the morning the butler will bring you a plate of sliced tropical fruits, ( if you want more just ask) something sweet after lunch and some taster before dinner the best German Rieslings are from area Rheingau and Rheinhessen , a good producer is Weill, Schneider is not so bad - Baden and Franken are easy to drink wines however announced as "dry" "trocken" the Mosel area is the sweetest but the Austrians are superb Wachau and Kamptal area - the best is a wine "Singerrieder" in Germany better wines are "grossen Gewachs " in Austria "Smaragd " if the Austrian sommelier ( Manfred ? ) is still on board he would be delighted to give information if you are mentionning " a Belgian repeater " both the general manager ( 4 stripes ) as the hotel director 3,5 stripes will know me 😄 if Lisa is there as international hostess , she will take good care of you !

Congratulations ! and I hope you will like her I was invited on board her sister ( the old Europa ) in my hometown 10 days ago and I had a brief look to the bar and wine lists. A cocktail is now 7,8€ and house Champagne 12 € A bottle of Dom Pérignon was 220 ( and not 500 dollar as on crystal😝) - the US wines are not the cheapest ( so no Far Niente for me on Hapag ) If you want your mineral water "cold" order ice with it they bring you a tall glass with ice and a spoon aside make the reservations for the speciality restaurants asap - especially for the French Tarragon and Italian Serenissima for lunch you do not need table reservations - in the Tarragon the famous steak tartare is prepared tableside during dinner ( there are some other carvings done as well ) , for lunch it is prepared in the galley the gin tasting is free, the wine or champagne tasting is worth the extra money the girls ( there are men as well ) doing your suite will like you as English speaking guests😄 - most are from Philippines - i do give extra something in the beginning of the cruise as well despite the buffet breakfast is extrememly elaborated ( egg dishes must be ordered at the table ), on the menu of the MDR Weltmeere there are specialities ranging from a small steak tartare to goose liver wit orange sauce and go for a late breakfast in Sansibar once ... If you are a wodka drinker : that is not a speciality by Hapag Lloyd ! wodka cocktails are made with Moskowskaia , and there is Absolut and Grey Goose , however they do charge 11,5 € for a shot of Grey Goose . I suggest you bring a bottle on board - duty free? or a Ketel 1 - martini's are not the speciality by HL , imho with 4 cl you cannot make a decent martini ...one of the differences with other more US ships . I never drink a martini on Hapag. If there is a problem go to see the hotel director . I am on Europa 2 in september : Rome Dubrovnik : full house . sold out

i am not an architect same size as basic suites on Regent , SS and Hapag and separate restrooms as done by Ponant and Hapag

a few days after my arrival I was invited on the ms Europa ( the old one ) as past pax in my hometown Dom P 220€ , Pol Roger Bl de Blancs 145 and Churchill some 230 € Baron de L by Ladoucette a superb Pouilly Fumé : 120€ I really cannot decide what to drink on Hapag Lloyd .... 🙃

I am a wine snob - so Regent has a far friendlier choice - I never eat Asian so Nobu is adding no single value for me on Crystal. I also was disappointed about the buffet on Symphony . IMHO the Encore is a SB ship...

that was the same on the defunct Royal Viking Line , bought by Cunard in 1994 and Cunard itself was also in trouble you started with 2 aquavit glasses , then wine glasses, a silver plated beaker, a decanter ... all sent to your home address with a bill by the customs😄

i started in 2002 on Crystal , doing one cruise every year on C i remember after a fifth there used to be a small credit for every cruise in those days - times are changing I was still doing Cunard and SB ( i did receive a one week free cruise ) in those days before i moved to Hapag in 2007 there was also something as some upgrades - by booking a "better" balcony one could reach the cheapest 🤑 PH on old C - what i also missed I know 21 C cruises is not a lot in the US - in Europe it is something else SS is having a poor reward system - I got a match on MSC - diamond you do receive cheap bottles fruits candies and chocolates and a souvenir ( in Yacht Club )

I was not entirely happy on my first "new" Crystal Symphony cruise i am a single and the single cabins are small comparing to the entrance level on the new Regent ships bar service is maybe superior during daytime on Crystal - and choice of spirits as well non complimentary wines are very expensive on Crystal especially the special Champagnes daily closure of the MDR for lunch when a ship is in port , on Regent there are other possibilities as a buffet the Bistro is of course a plus on Crystal on Regent there is a menu "always available classics" for dinner - so if you are in the mood you can go for a Dover sole every evening

those "lower" milestones are not the problem ... but suppose you did finish your 25 th ??? i did my 20th on the Esprit in 2019 and that was the highest level during that cruise- nearly all the other pax were first timers exception made for a couple in the owner's

i hope the single cabins are somewhat larger - i am not searching for a PH like but some more space should be appropriate

I remember it very well - and before all in some pax were "hanging around" in the casino as the basic drinks were free -

i will join the Voyager in my hometown Antwerp on 12 th July . I am said to be a very strict guy concerning F&B operations : so far my 3 Splendor and my one and only Grandeur were very good. it is off the tread however last week 2 youngsters climbed up to the 123 meter high tower of the Cathedral and even were hanging on the top cross just go to youtube : antwerp cathedral - the police is looking for those 2

I liked the martini's in that place....🙃

you easily can do that on your own : take the circumvesuviana train : calling both at herculaneum and pompei but mind the heat !!!

i also have greaat memories on the 3 seabourn triplets and then the Odyssey came together with the cutbacks that Radisson Diamond was once in Antwerp - everybody found it "weird"

sorry to hear you were enable to cruise in 2021 I was diagnosed with a medical condition and I prefer to do 7 days cruises and unfortunately some HL cruises are too long or in the full summer - i can stand + 30° C at all I got 5 vouchers " special initiative" for Crystal after the bankrupcy - I did execute one - my experience onboard the Symphony was of such a kind i simply cannot do all the other 4 next year. 2 will be enough I did 4 cruises on the Silver Dawn , 3 were very good the last one was a disaster and last year I was on new Explora - one of my greatest cruise disillusionment ever. Concerning new Crystalcruises :the history does repeat itself : the slightest critic you are making here you are countered ...