Emdee

11 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

Have a great time. It is a wonderful idea to recover from your knee surgery onboard the Serenity. I wish you a good recovery and a lovely cruise.

Ivi

Thank you so very much for your kind wishes.

I am adding a third R to the rest and relaxation the Serenity always provides….recuperation.

I decided that the best place to recuperate after knee surgery was on Crystal Serenity with the Crystal love. I have finished my intense physio and need to up my walking and what better place to walk than the lovely promenade. Crystal trekking poles are always available for us. Don’t know if they have leg weights…but may take my own. 
 

On board guest services has promised to provide the accoutrements to make this cruise possible. Not only that I am happy to note they already have my profile ready with my allergies etc. That is something I loved about old Crystal …the fact that your profile already showed your likes, dislikes and needs. Regent too has a similar file on passengers ..not Silversea, though. For me the bottles of Evian lined up in my suite make me feel welcomed. By day 2 every restaurant knows my preferred water. I don’t drink alcohol or virtually anything else so it is hugely welcomed by me. The new Crystal water isn’t bad but I found in varies day to day in taste. You can tell I am a water person! 
 

We leave Friday for an overnight in Miami before boarding our b2b so packing is in full earnest. Happy to say no formal nights so no suit needed for DH. I found the ship extremely cold in September so will be packing warmer clothing for inside. Hope to visit a couple of beaches at least but it will depend on my mobility. 
 

If there are any others on these cruises feel free to join this thread I may or may not post on a day to day basis so other comments and experiences are welcome.
 

Serenity in serene Newfoundland.

She has a real following on Silversea. Was also on Seabourn. Will she get crystallized is the question.

4 hours ago, History&Wine said:

How difficult is it to update an itinerary?  The Crystal website has had this description for many months in regard to the May 14 to May 25 Serenity cruise:

 

"A true Mediterranean immersion, this voyage starts in Athens and travels to an incredible array of islands and cities alike. Heading south, the first stop is the ancient walled town of Monemvasia. Next is the Island nation of Malta, followed by a tour of Italy's boot, visiting Palermo, Naples, and Civitavecchia, close to Rome. Glitzy Saint Tropez follows Ajaccio before disembarking in the heart of pretty Provence, La Seyne-sur-Mer."

 

Note the promise of "the island nation of Malta"...indeed the photo in the "photo view" for this cruise is the iconic photo from Malta.  Yet Malta is no where to be found on the day by day itinerary....

Our Serenity TA description mentioned transiting Prinz Christian Sund but this wasn’t in our itinerary. I think the people who wrote the description and those who compiled the itinerary were different. I was sad not to see the sound again but it wasn’t a deal breaker for me. It could have been for someone else. I think they need better proof readers. 

40 minutes ago, bitob said:

Shower seats available on every cruise line. Just have your ta ask. I cannot recall a cabin we have been in that did not have grab bars. Pretty standard, especially since the ship can rock at any moment. 

Some have smaller and less obvious grab bars. They were not so evident on the Cloud but everywhere on Endeavour. It could be I need the bars now so notice them more.

the crystal bars were well placed and of a good size. 

2 hours ago, May B said:

And that big deck plan is useful, too! I suggest everybody go by and pick one of those up, even if you aren’t booking now.

 

The deck five staterooms for Serenity don’t show up, so I guess they aren’t for sale for guests.

When walking by I saw a  room being cleaned. It had a single bed so I guess they are for staff. 

8 hours ago, May B said:

Paula Jean at future cruise desk seems to be pretty good at sorting out the options, Ibis. I think you should sit down with her and explain what you like and don’t like. Have fun!

Paula Jean is a sweetheart. So very pleasant to deal with.

17 minutes ago, May B said:

 

 

•  

Have you all used the QR code on the iPad to get the onboard Crystal app?

 

I learned an interesting functionality. Last night, I wanted to read yesterday’s Reflections, but it had already transitioned to today’s. Back at Itinerary on the home page of the app, click, then scroll down and click on the plus sign to the right of the port and you get an option to click for Weather or for Daily Reflections for that day and port.

Are you talking about the tablet they provide or your iPad?

On 11/5/2023 at 1:25 PM, ChatKat in Ca. said:

We sailed from Monte Carlo a few times on Regent.  The first time I booked the Hermitage. It was delightful until my husband got the bill.  Continental Breakfast to the room was 100 Euro.  Car to the Port another 100 Euro.  We could see the ship from our room.  We stayed in Nice the next time.

The trick is to book using AMEX so you get the brekkie included in that lovely stained glass covered cupola designed by Gustave Eiffel plus a food and beverage credit.

I noticed that the washrooms on Serenity both in the cabin and in public areas have bars by the toilets. I don’t remember them having these before so I think they may have been included post recent refurb. It could just be that I never noticed them before! 
 

Explorer had a long line of motor scooters outside Compass Rose.

5 hours ago, Guerncruising said:

We have sailed from Monte Carlo a few times and Regent have usually provided a black private hire Mercedes either just for the two of us or, when with friends, the four of us. It’s quite a pleasant journey and you are picked up directly outside the airport. 
I have considered the helicopter ride but then you’re still left with a journey from the heliport in Monte Carlo to the hotel. Anyway if helicopters were meant to fly they would have wings. 

When we took the Helicopter to Monte Carlo the taxi to the hotel was included in the cost. We have stayed at the Port Palace and at the Hermitage. 

18 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

Ivi, this cruise is not longer enough nor enough sea days to meet the former criteria. 
 

Keith 

But we had quite a few sea days and no brunch. Not that we minded. I love the marketplace lunch.

1 minute ago, travelberlin said:

The Old Crystal had a fantastic brunch on a sea day. Is it still taking place?

 

Ivi

We didn’t have one on the TA. But the ship was relatively empty. 

Have a wonderful cruise.

14 minutes ago, May B said:

I love it, Keith! The last two sentences gave me great big smiles!

 

 

Me too!

19 hours ago, Txcotn said:

Many people of a certain age have major foot issues and sneakers are all they can wear, so just don't look down.🤣

So true. Last cruise my DH stubbed his toe and wore his walking sandals for the last night of the cruise. Not a formal night, though. 

Once on the Symphony going down to dinner for formal night  a gentleman complimented me on my very ornate gold embroidered Indian top. I returned the compliment as he was wearing dark socks in his black walking sandals. He had forgotten his dress shoes so the dining room manager…I think it was Slavko told him to wear black socks so his lack of dress shoes would be less visible. Crystal always finds a solution at a pinch. 

1 hour ago, ak1004 said:

 

What is rarely mentioned on this board is the cost. For some people it might not be an issue, but for many it's an important part of the equation.

 

Regent is almost double price compared to O (yes I accounted for air credit). While I would love to try Regent, their prices just don't make sense to me. I could sail 4 times a year with O or 2 times a year with Regent. To me it's an obvious choice. Same with Explora and Crystal. But we will be sailing on SS and SB because we found good itineraries at prices only slightly higher than O.

 

Whoever gives us the best combination of itinerary and price gets our business. It's that simple. Zero loyalty to any brand.

Most of us have budgets and money is always part of the equation. Both of us worked and kept money aside for our retirement travels. 

We very seldom go in large suites as it has no value for us. We choose what we consider to be the value proposition. This value is very personal and money is only part of the equation. So we often stay in very nice hotels and resorts, Belmond, Aman, Fairmont for example however I stay in a 60 year old house and don’t need anything fancier or larger.

We stay with certain brands because we feel comfortable with them. Loyalty we feel to staff not the brand. 

Money is the value you ascribe to it…otherwise it is paper. 
 

Yup my two cents which after last two weeks beating in the market is just 1.5 cent! 

5 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

We must have very different friends.. all friends that we have love O food and the line in general. We did not see any difference between our first sailing on O in 2018 and our last few sailings. But people like to complaint.

 

O has 7 ships and the ships sail at 80-100% capacity most of the time, so they must be doing something right..

I too have friends who disliked Oceania ….so there are a few of us out there.

However some friends like you love it. 
Between the two my choice is Regent as I feel more comfortable with the Regent passengers in general. Now that Regent has expanded their itineraries and excursions it meets our needs. Crystal for us is pure luxury knowing we will have exceptional service and exceptional food. 
 

As someone on this board regularly says : choice is good. I don’t dis anyone else’s choice because it suits them. 

16 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

 

As Keith said, we are all unique. For me, SS and Crystal were only a small step up compared to O, and not always worth the extra cost. I'm pretty sure that an "average" cruiser won't notice much difference (except for the all inclusive part). I know that some people sailed on SS, then tried Regent and went back to SS, and vice versa.

 

The main difference is that to me, the itinerary is king. The ship is not the destination, it's a floating hotel. And as a floating hotel, any of the premium/luxury lines is good enough because we spend most of the time in ports anyway.

 

Our last cruise in June was on O and we loved it! What's not to love? Excellent food, excellent service, spacious cabin, a lot of dining options etc. In the next 2 years we are booked on O, SS and SB. I'm sure we will enjoy all of them, and we would enjoy Crystal too if we could find a good itinerary at reasonable price. Right now Crystal prices are a fantasy land (for me), but I understand that they work for others.

 

This is just a different point of view, that's all. I don't expect everyone to agree. 

Absolutely. We are lucky to be in the sweet spot of a foot on itinerary driven trips and a foot on purely relaxing trips like our Serenity TA with a visit to Newfoundland. 

I would highly recommend the expedition cruises if you are itinerary driven they have very unique and special itineraries. 

 

On 9/23/2023 at 10:46 AM, PaulaJK said:

The port articulates its rules. A cruise line company decides whether the port rules are conducive to their visit/ itinerary. Not crying over Casablanca per se, I was just pointing to the challenges for older citizens or those w. mobility/ medical  issues when very long walks and a dearth of shuttles combine.

I went on the rejuvenated Crystal Serenity and noticed that they had grab bars in the washrooms, showers and even in the public washrooms. Seats are available for those who need a shower seat. These are definitely in recognition of the aging population. I noticed a lot of grab bars in the toilets, showers etc on the SSea endeavour but thought that was due to it’s expedition ship status. 
 

Some of the ports are wonderful providing WC assistance while others just do not. 

On 10/27/2023 at 6:43 PM, ak1004 said:

 

Good plan.

 

After sailing on mainstream lines for years, we tried Oceania 5 years ago and never looked back. We sailed since then on Oceania, Crystal, Silversea, Azamara and will try Seabourn next year. We don't have a new home - we have few new homes and find all of them excellent. Itinerary and pricing are the main factors for us. Variety is good. 

 

All premium/luxury lines have their hardcore fans, but they have more common things that people think. Personally I don't believe that Oceania is better than Azamara, Crystal is better than Silversea or Silversea is better than Seabourn. To me they are all comparable, and it's a matter of personal preference.

 

Of course someone who spend hundreds of nights on one specific line would disagree - to me, it would be boring, but that's just me.

Unlike you we tried Oceania in 2008 and hated it. It was a far cry from Regent. So stuck to Regent and tried Azamara until we booked Crystal. During the pandemic and after the demise of old Crystal we tried SSea, SB and Regent. Regent is the only one who performed consistently and delivered what they promised.  SSea Expeditions have amazing itineraries and that lovely Crystal ship. 
Unfortunately given one thing and another we have land trips and more Regent trips booked for next year but really enjoyed our return to Crystal Serenity in September so much so that  two weeks post knee surgery am hoping to do part of my recuperation on the Serenity.in December. The dr has given the Ok now I must just feel able to walk a straight line and up the gangplank with a cane. What better place to recuperate than on a Crystal ship where we feel the love of the staff and enjoy the fine dining. My DH thinks it is a win win incentive for me to work hard at my physio. I can even continue my recovery on board with the personal trainer. 

4 hours ago, vistaman said:

I will be on Symphony late May 2024  sailing   from Toulon , actually La Seyne   a smaller village aside Toulon 

I could not book an earlier cruise as I was "fully booked"   for 2023 including a recent disaster on Explora. 

The included wines on C are indeed better as on other luxury companies , maybe an exeption for som French white wines on Regent but the Champagne is better on C 

said that, the wine list is not cheap on C ,  the wine list on SS is far cheaper !

 

The reserve wine on SSea is definitely cheaper. They had some very good years as well.

On 10/18/2023 at 2:01 PM, AtA said:

We too will be on the Athens to Rome cruise so hope to see you then. You picked a great itinerary.

I will tell you we did 21 days on Whisper last September with 3 friends and none of us will do SS and Whisper again based on that cruise. There was a huge lack of service, etc. I have heard that the newer SS ships are better

 

For example, I mentioned to our butler one day that there was no place to get a chocolate chip cookie after 2 PM. His response? On the other ships you can get it at the cafe. (There is no cafe on Whisper) He didn't offer to go find one for me and just walked out of the room. Note that if I had mentioned about not being able to get something on Crystal, they would have gone out of their way to get it for me, even if they had to bake it for me!

 

Another example is another time at lunch time, I went upstairs to get a cookie. They had none out so I asked if they had any. The waiter outside found the platter, opened it and reached in with his bare hand to hand me a cookie. Obviously I refused.

 

Additionally now SS is all-inclusive and their tours, unless you pay for the upgraded ones, are no better than mass market tours. The upgraded ones are very good.

 

I have not been on Viking but hear wonderful things about them.

We used to be Regent cruisers until they went all inclusive. Then their tours went downhill, so in 2014 we decided to try Crystal. We never looked back. The difference was obvious from day one. And as good as Crystal was back in 2014, the NC is even better with better food.

 

See you in 

We too had a similar trajectory Regent until 2014 then Crystal. After the demise of OC tried the other lines. Regent was the only consistent product. We managed to squeeze in the TA Serenity sailing in September and wallowed in Crystal TLC and luxury. Now recovering from knee surgery but given myself a recovery goal of two Crystal cruises in December…something to work towards.

Regent itineraries have improved over the years so we will be on their ships next year. SSea has good itineraries but lacks food quality, execution and service. We do enjoy the Silversea expedition product especially the Endeavour. Cannot wait for the Crystal Expedition ships to be built.

You will love Paul Gauguin…old ship but the location is fabulous and great service.

Crystal has it all…two elegant ladies , exceptional cuisine and outstanding service. 
Crystal has music in several locations each evening, great lectures, a movie theatre and a Nobu restaurant. Waterside serves exceptional meals every day with wonderful service and staff with a warm and friendly manner. I only requested white asparagus instead of green and white in my meal but for the state of aesthetics they gave me both plus a serving of white asparagus. I requested an early morning breakfast when we were leaving and though not on the menu the staff went out of their way to make it special. 

My three SSea cruises did improve on each other.

The first included the waitress’s fingers touching my lettuce leaves, the second had hockey pucks for bagels and donuts and the third had a friendly staff and a wonderful ship which was incidentally built by Crystal. If you are itinerary driven then I have to say SSea has some amazing itineraries especially on their expedition ships.