vistaman

I hope you had a great cruise , sorry I was not there for the trivia was on another ship on another company - our team was able to win several times with some of my European contributions 😁 but was not aware that peace between the UK and the US was signed in Belgium Ghent 1812- despite i was aware in some mansion some treaty was signed ... but experience was of such a kind I will not go back to that company for sure !

reaching the center of valencia is a rather long and not so pleasant drive the shuttle will drop near the old town area -

actually it was the former representative of "old" Crystal for Europe who so strongly did recommend Explora to me " wonderful food , great Champagne , great wines a service to die for" , and she is aware that I am a gastro freak ... I met a friendly TA yesterday ( not my TA ) telling me a lot of complaints are issued on SS I will join new C on 3rd June , already aware of the closing down of the MDR and the onerous wine list ... ( will go and shop bubbles at Brussels airport , and in France Italy and Croatia 🤑 ) Friends of mine were on the SS Dawn for the crossing in a very expensive top degree -no more fruit the last days .... in Tenerife there is a great food market however ...obviously they had to wait to the containers in Lisbon - is that 5 starred ???

the construction of both ports are similar ? during my cruise same captain did cancel Marceille due to winds ?? The Dawn is not a sea monster - are SS ships not allowed to take asstance by tugs ? Yes they are expensive !!!

my Explora was a great disappointment - never again different tastes ???

I wrote several items about Hapag Lloyd

like you leaving the cabin and the ship so early was not a gift you are nearly whipped out the cabins and suites i was forced to take door to door to receive the upgrades and the 500 $ OBC SS did put me on a noon flight to Barcelona to reach the ship on Brussels Airlines a bad company especially in business - ( one must pay for second drink - yes in busi!!) some of the staff hired by SS at the airport did not speak English at all - so I had to eat some cakes in the Arts as lunch for the return flight at 5,40 pm a 4,30 bus excursion - so i did book my own transfer and a day room there were other and better and earlier possibilities over Munich or Zurich however those were somewhat more expensive another nuissance was the repeaters party - captain was busy ok but hotel manager did not show up neither - for all those "special guests" 😁 no Pommery Champagne available and poor canapes -had to use magnifying glass to see the caviar grains 🤑

I left SS Dawn 3 days ago and I decided not to go back

I left in Civitavecchia as well and I decided not to come back to SS The Arts cafe was indeed very good by Iulia and her friendly team Poor presentation of the lunch and breakfast buffets - poor cold cuts and cheeses cut in pieces the same every day poor breakfast pastries and croissants !!! It was a full house and when several tables were ordering special wines especially in La Terrazza the sommeliers were drowning 1 for 120 guests - my 265 $ bottle was served extremely bad no special glasses " tulip style " for top rated Champagnes - i informed the chief sommelier one cabin meal : 50 minutes waiting time and cold ( not lukewarm ) a lot of alcohol but poaring measures were too small - i did ask for several double GT - glasses too small for a real long drink SALT : local cuisine but no local purchase I went to food market in Sète , Monaco , St Tropez and Livorno - no sign of somebody from the ship to buy something poor fruits as well : white melon yellow melon water melon and caned fruits I went to buy strawberries , blood oranges those french red apples French cheese and a few slices of home made ham at a local butcher store Duck liver terrine by Rougié removed from Atlantide menu obviously to deviate guests to La Dame poor flower garnishments pots with green small plants ??? Invisible captain , lady hotel director not approachable , and very obnoxious cruise director - SS deviate the very good one to the Muse Endured a few bad cocktails as well - sent back 2 and took another 2 "to my cabin " otherwise said into the sink bed linnen was very ok but towels were overused thin and not soft anymore - cutlery also overused full of scratches Newly appointed CEO can continue with the economising ...😝 Back to "my "Europa 2 asap 😀

in Europe Med; I cannot resist to go and lunch in France and Italy , however In Scandinavia were a glass of wine is costing a fortune and for sure never in caribbean ports ! so in North Europe and Caribbean : compulsory buffet lunch 😝 not luxury in full...

I will not deny an evolution ... Same on airplanes : on my first business intercontinental BA flight there was half a lobster with mango dressing, trolley with cheese and another with sweets and fruits , Chablis and Napoleon Cognac. Last February to Barbados , 3 shrimps stew and cheap wines no cognac. At least market place was better as on other companies however the best lunch buffet is on Hapag Lloyd.

i cannot qualify the arrogance as slight rather "extremely high" 😝

he was already gone for many years - your cruise ws on the Symphony !

doing very different items in the cruise business is not working: remember Cunard pre Carnival : the QE2, the 2 old NAC ships Vista and Saga, 2 Goddess , Cunard Princess and Countess and they took over Royal Viking Sun and add very bad management as well ...

I do not like that - on every day - on old C it was not on every day ... One of the several reasons I left SB , however the lunch buffets on SB were far inferior on those on C. On SS and Regent some non - buffet restaurants are open for lunch !

i can fill in the names 😁 L and V are manager on Regent ( I met them both ), and I stayed on the Endeavour the Dutch hotel manager on that ship moved to SB it seems the - imho - best bartender A came back to the Serenity I am really curious for the Symphony! Is it true new C is closing the main dining room for lunch on every day in port?

I will be on the Symphony 3rd June so wait and see - the senior headwaiter R on the S did not come back ...

i was told when cruising on another luxury company at least 7 headwaiters are not going back aware 3 in higher functions on other lines and one F&B manager is now hotel director on that particular company and i remain of my opinion new C never had to take back one HD

i am not aware now, but before Covid those ships " ro ro" were taking up to 12 passengers! as from 13 a medical doctor is compulsory !

Last year they promissed me 250 $ obc as old C damaged pax and 150 $ as Diamond ex Black MSC pax - both confirmed on paper and email on board : 150 $ nothing around the 250 so i went to one of the " hosts" 😝 and said 250 was missing - i had a paper that mentionned the past crystal pax dammage- so he changed the 150 into 250 - you cannot have them both we have to earn some money as well ...a receptionist ( that was his function) going over such an item ?? hotel director was "occupied" and "not free" - otherwise said too busy with the + 100 TA i am still waiting - 7 months later - for a reaction and i clearly made the notification i wanted to be contacted after the questionnaire meanwhile the sales responsable for my country resigned and his supervisor - the person who promissed EJ to be the ultimate in luxury - is ignoring me very aware i am not a novice but one of the most experienced cruise pax in Belgium. Who will fill up those 2 ships and what with the further 2 ???

see the enclosed pic : Crystal Serenity reaching the old cruise terminal - new terminal is in front of the old castle the call was in 2006 - i was on board - horrible captain said a lot of unpleasant items about my hometown : he was afraid of the swing and did not like the 4 hours bridge in 2004 he tried to avoid Antwerp as well on the Symphony!! pretending it was not deep enough

same in my hometown but we - so Antwerp - is having a real terminal 😁

and the Tanqueray 10 as well !!!😝 and extra for VSOP Cognac !!!🤑

I forgot to mention tickets for trams are not sold on the tram or bus anymore pay by bank card of CC in the whithe small automat

yes i do recommend that excursion ! the small street is Vlaeykensgang with a very good restaurant the " red light " district is reduced to 2 streets and there is window prostitution as well I will not deny the beauties of Bruges - but it is always extremely crowded - if you have the bad luck 2 sea monsters are in the port of Zeebrugge ( so + 3000 pax ships ) ...not fun ! if you are looking for a drink after the tour there are plenty occasions on the market place the Town hall is a flemish Renaissance building ( see the contrast with the gothic cathedral ) and in summer with plenty of flags - all the flags of the European Union + all the flags of the countries with a consul in Antwerp ...