May B

Funny. That’s what Keith always tells us to do.

So what did they say? Is your cruise still going through the Panama Canal?

If Keith, who’s taken well over 100 cruises on Crystal, isn’t one of their most cherished guests, I don’t know who would be! The fact that he loves helping us all navigate the Crystal waters, in such a gentle way, enhances the booking and cruising experience for many of us. Other members of CC also are helpful and generous with their time. They don’t seem to generate the negative reactions, though. It’s a mystery to me, but I will stop there, so I won’t stoop to anybody’s level. I will say it’s wonderful to have LeeAnne and Vince back, and many others. I like that ATA embraces the attribute that some think is not a compliment. I agree, ATA. I am, too! I can’t get it to say AtA. Whew, got it.

I hope this question is appropriate here. You seem like a helpful and knowledgeable group of CC members! if I book a cruise but take the credit for air (int’l.), but then later, before final pymt., decide to do my air with Regent, will it ALWAYS be at exactly the amount the credit was for, as long as I take what Regent offers me? I would’ve searched for this question, but I can’t find the Search This Forum button any more.

All front-line res agents are not created equal. If the supervisor had been briefed, the res agents had also probably been briefed … but did they actually take the time to read the email? Has the Crystal web site been updated? I tried to refresh, but still find the old cruises. Perhaps this will be the case until all the currently-booked (and fully paid!) guests have made their decisions.

Yes! I had forgotten that. The tender ride was long!

Oh! Thx for that info, Keith (and Anne Marie). It’s good to know Anne Marie liked it enough to have it again. I do recall enjoying it at Waterside, so I’m looking forward to it again.

That’s beautiful!

Vince, your posts are such a treat for me. Full of knowledge, gentle opinion, and your English teachers would be proud! 😃😃😃

What would prevent Crystal from doing that is the nature of a guarantee booking. When you reserve with a guarantee booking, it guarantees you the category you booked, or higher. B/c the singles are forward of the forward elevators on deck seven, that makes them a tad less desirable than any other location on the ship, and therefore than the locations of the double window staterooms.

Vince! It’s great to see you!

What you describe is what Mr B calls being on “dial-up”, which of course is something we never could’ve fathomed, 35 years ago. And now we barely remember. Bon voyage! Thx for taking us along. Next best thing to actually being there.

I stand corrected! Thx for the info.

Actually, I believe the math favors the eCheck. I prefer the added layer of protection a CC affords.

I don’t know how sciatica relates to a disc problem, but Mr B got much more relief with EXPERT physical therapy than with meds.

So do I think that.

It was a dark and stormy night. Ok, maybe not stormy.

Thx, Keith. Since it didn’t bother me, I didn’t think of reporting it. It happened at least a month ago. I noticed it when friends decided to join us. They’ve never been to St Barts. Coincidentally, with these same friends, we took the island bus from St Maarten over to Marigot, to look for a friend their brother hadn’t heard from after the pandemic … and to get euros out of the ATM. Mr B loves taking public transit.

Mr B likes to go to airports. Of course Maho Beach is his favorite, but he did also walk to SBH. Thx for supplying the three-letter code! I like your idea of flying over there from SXM, for anybody who wants to visit. Best if you have a sense of adventure. It’s not without a small amount of risk, to get back to the ship, of course. Marigot will be a tender port for us.

TAs were not notified. St Barts isn’t a place known for its private tours, I don’t think.

I meant there’s not really an opening from one deck to the next, so you don’t really overlook the lower deck from the upper. On the newer ships, I think, there are staterooms on deck eight. They have a very easy entry to the upper level.

No notice for my Nov. 2nd cruise. I noticed it on a random glance at the itinerary. Our friends were looking forward to St Barts, so they’re disappointed. We’ve been to St Barts on a previous Crystal, so I didn’t care. Surprised not to receive notification.

Two little changes. The Atrium is three stories high. There are chairs along the rails on two and three, for enjoying the music from deck one. Or the peace and quiet, depending on the time. While the explorer lounge is two decks, the only opening is the stairway. The forward view is really nice, but the room isn’t as large as Palm Court.

We need to buy you a t-shirt that says I’m staying out of the sun!

One advantage of using a small independent TA is they probably have the patience and experience to answer your questions, as well as to problem-solve anything that comes up. They will probably give you OBC, but they may not mention it in advance. Then it would be a pleasant surprise when you board. Your benefits of paying by CC or by echeck wouldn’t be any different than booking with a big box TA or booking direct with Viking.