vistaman

some of those TA usually are abusing the free drinks especially the bubbles !!

Well on Regent the special wines are very reasonable and the choice of complimentary wines is very elaborated - same on SS with reasonable prices especially for Champagnes and Italian white. After 2 days on Explora i refused to drink the complimentary wines and went to buy some extra bottles in Southampton aside those I brought already from home🤑

my cruise is only 7 days ... last time before covid on OC it was cancelled - only 3 pax were willing to assist

are they still doing a "Champagne lunch" ? many thanks already

thank you for all the information and pictures - really looking forward to join Symphony is Toulon on 3rd June !! I hope Sorrento will not be cancelled - what happened quite a few times in my cruise history but al least Symphony does have decent tenders

I never would be feeling sorry that Santorini is cancelled : ok beautiful but overcrowded and over touristic and those local tenders ...

I was in a bigger penthouse , it was just a big cabin with a rather small bathroom and no separate restroom . I did receive the Moet with a year - now already abolished and replaced by Mercier bubbles no other niceties granted to "penthouses" on other lines - was in PH on Hapag , SS and Crystal.

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