Keith1010

While more ships visit Skagway than on our first visit the town is pretty much like we remember it. Keith

In our case we have three sea days although it depends how this is defined as two of the three could be defined as scenic cruising. I will try to remember to ask but my apologies if I forget to follow-up on this. Keith

If you ask your TA to contact Crystal they can have your e-tickets issued immediately. Often it is 30 days prior to the cruise but they can get it for you know if you are outside that window. Keith

Fruit is still available as is a knife, fork, etc. Just let your butler know the type of fruit you prefer. Keith

Today's Daily Reflections. August 18 Refectlions.pdf Today's Waterside Dinner Menu. August 18 Waterside Menu.pdf Keith

I wanted to start with some additional photos from yesterday afternoon. Last evening, we were invited to dine at Waterside with some very special people including Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, Bill Smith former SVP of Marketing at Crystal and Fernando Berosso de Oliveira, Crystal Ambassador, another couple we know and a couple of other people. We had an amazing time with wonderful conversations, great food and service in a beautiful dining venue. Below are the dinner menus. Food was amazing starting with the very tasty Grill Shrimp Prawn. We have had Sea Bass many times over the years, but this entree was the best we have had. Crystal Serenity arrived at Skagway by 8:00 am. Skagway is in the northern terminus of the inside passage. The town has kept much of its charm from the first time we saw it in the early 1990's. Several tours are offered many of which allow one to enjoy the landscape from different vantage points including train, helicopter, e-bike or by feet. Due to some rockslides, a port shuttle was provided to take guests over to the end of the pier as walking the pier is not permitted. From there the walk to the downtown area is about 10 to 15 minutes depending on how brisk someone walks. Having visited Skagway numerous times, we didn't take a tour and I went into town. Even though there were three ships in port the town was not busy as many people were likely on tour. The town hasn’t changed all that much other than a couple of jewelry stores that you see in the Caribbean and in several ports in Alaska. Only 800 people live in Skagway year-round, so the passenger and crew count are significantly greater than this figure. The weather was nice with no rain. We are enjoying the rest of the day on the ship. As they say there is no place like home and sailing on-board Serenity is like being at home with friends and family. Cheers, Keith

Thank you very much. I know it's still offered on cruises but hadn't gotten a chance to see if it is offered on this cruise. Keith

Photo from around 5:00 am local Alaska time as we are making our way to Skagway, Alaska. Keith

Scenic cruising yesterday. What a wonderful world. Keith

Related to this thread and consistent with Cruise-y's post I asked two different sets of friends who are in the newer Sapphire suite about the closet and they thought it was fine. They didn't have an issues of the closet layout. Over the years depending on the length of the sailing and the room we are in, we have also used our own wire and plastic hangers to maximize space to hang clothes. This was particularly important on the World Cruises. I don't see us needing to do that in any of the suites when we take the types of voyages we currently do. I do understand and have seen first hand the issue of closet space in the regular room type. Now, we do have our preferences when it comes to Aquarium and Sapphire suites, not only which type we like more but on which ship. As I've said over the years between a Sapphire and Aquarium we prefer the classic Aquarium on Serenity and for the money prefer it over the Sapphire but on Symphony we prefer the Sapphire over the Aquarium. With all that said, we prefer cruising Crystal versus not cruising Crystal so we can make do in any of those categories or suite types. Keith

A very good morning everyone. Cruise continues to be great. We were blessed with extraordinary weather yesterday and the opportunity to see so many whales at once. We have traveled to Alaska many times and have seen whales but not as many at once as we did. This was similar to sailing off Antarctica on World Cruise 2007 when one day we saw some whales at once but yesterday there were many more. For those interested in the this evenings Waterside Dinner menu and today's Daily Reflections program here they are. Waterside August 17 Waterside.pdf Refections August 17 Reflections.pdf Keith August 17 Reflections.pdf

Thank you Nancy. We are having picture perfect weather. Keith

A glorious day sailing Alaska on the best Cruise Line. We dined at Tastes with Hotel Director Scott Peterson and his wife Cindy. The concept is ordering tapas that could be shared between everyone at the table. When we dine with others, our preference is to order what the two of us would like to share and let others order what they prefer. We prefer a couple of items to be brought out at the same time and let the wait staff determine what would pair well with one another. This avoids everything being placed on the table at the same time whereby some items cool off and it slows down the overall dining experience making it more enjoyable. Items we had included: Roasted Butternut Squash-Frissee Salad, Ahi Tuna Poke, Crispy Prawn Dumplings, Laphroaig Cured Salmon, Oven Roasted Cauliflower, Gambas Al Ajillo, and Chimichurri Steak. The tapas represent food from around the world. The dining venue is beautiful offering lovely views, with outstanding service and very tasty cuisine. Last night also featured White Night and we also had a special event to attend. It was indeed a late night for us. We wore something white to keep with the theme of the evening. Before the function began the White Party was starting to wind down. Guests were dancing to DJ Emotion. Afterwards, we stopped by to visit with someone at the Crystal Cove where at that hour they serve some late night gourmet snacks. It was a soft drink for each of us with no snacks but they looked great. Today we enjoyed scenic cruising of Tracy Arm & Endicott Arm. There were 45 programs on the schedule so lots to do and choose from. This included three talks. The first one was given by John Webley the Sales Ambassador of A&K. Destination Lecturer Kevin Miller spoke about the Klondike Gold Rush and Retired Major General Craig Wheldon spoke about the troubled world and how best to respond to worldwide tensions and issues. We both are early risers, and I am up first. I attribute being an early riser to my internal clock and that is what I have done since childhood. One of the many attributes we love about each Crystal ship is that it allows for early exercise no matter what time we begin. If the weather is nice, there is the promenade deck to walk and/or run. There is also the pool deck which can cut down on wind. However, if the weather is not conducive to being outdoors there are indoor options available. One of the is the Fitness Center which unlike most cruise lines is open 7x24. Another option is Deck 6 or 7 inside the ship although we prefer Deck 6 allowing for a longer walk circumnavigating the entire deck. Late morning as we were making our way towards Tracy Arm & Endicott Arm Captain Birger spoke from the bridge to say several whales were spotted off the bow of the ship so I went outside and saw several whale. Today has been a great day. As often as we have been to Alaska, we enjoy its scenery and that includes the opportunity for scenic cruising. We have sailed Alaska when it has been rainy, chilly, warm, sunny, overcast or a combination of all of these on the same day or during the cruise. We always say flexibility is key and bring clothing for all possibilities. Yes, layering clothing is key. We look forward to a great evening on-board Crystal Serenity. IMG_4588.mov Cheers,

This announcement was made on August 12. Keith Monaco (Aug. 12, 2024) — Crystal, the leader in exceptional cruise experiences, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mario Parodi as Vice President of Itinerary Planning and Port & Fuel Operations, effective Sept. 1st. He will be an instrumental addition to the team bringing a wealth of experience and expertise that will greatly benefit the operations and strategic planning for the brand. Originally from Genova, Italy, Parodi brings an extensive maritime background, including graduating from the Nautical Institute in Genova in 1985. He began his career in the Italian Navy before becoming a Deck Officer on cargo and cruise ships. Following his time at sea, Parodi managed Port Operations for Evergreen in the port of Genova Voltri before moving to the United States. He spent eight years as a Port Agent before transitioning to Prestige Cruise Holdings in 2008. In March 2015, he was appointed Vice President, Port Operations & Itinerary Planning for Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings where he was responsible for port operations and preparation of worldwide itineraries for all three brands (Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises). Most recently, Mario served at Atlas Ocean Voyages, gaining valuable experience in Expedition cruising that will be influential as Crystal looks to establish its own Expedition fleet. "We are so pleased to welcome Mario to the Crystal family,” said Roberto Fazi, SVP Marine Operations at Crystal. “His impressive track record and deep understanding of both traditional and expedition cruising will be pivotal as we continue to innovate and expand our offerings." Parodi expressed his enthusiasm adding, "I am honored to join Crystal and look forward to collaborating with such a talented team. Together, we will create unforgettable experiences for our guests and chart new courses in the cruising industry."

Unfortunately the problems they had were due to not doing mock ups like they normally would do for a new ship or a major dry dock. Because of the speed in which they wanted to complete this major dry dock to meet the in-service date for each ship they could not do mock ups and thus these problems weren't discovered until the rooms were all completed. Keith

Correct. We passed on the gourmet snacks. 🤣 Keith

I think the list being referred to was my post number 68. But after that a pdf was provided. Back to the program now. Keith

Ironically after the discussions about gourmet snacks, Anne Marie and I were offered some during a rare late night visit for us to the Crystal Cove. And let the record show that we closed down the Crystal Cove. Keith

Before we attended a function last evening we stopped by White Night as it was getting ready to wind down. After we left the function we stopped by the Crystal Cove to chat with a friend and ironically the gourmet snacks which we were discussing were still being served later than advertised. We didn't have any but they looked good. And let the record show that we closed down the Crystal Cove. Keith

Waterside Dinner Menu for this evening. August 16 Waterside Menu.pdf Today's Daily Refections. August 16 Reflections.pdf Keith

We enjoyed another a wonderful evening on board Crystal Serenity last night. It was ironic that as we left our room to walk towards the stairwell, we saw a familiar face. It was Franz Weiss who was the former executive chef on-board Crystal Serenity and who has returned to Crystal as Corporate Executive Chef. I knew he had returned to Crystal, and it was great to catch up with him. One of the aspects we always enjoy about cruising is meeting new people. Cruising provides this opportunity as you are together with the same guests for the entire cruise. At the same time, with two ships and a very loyal following we know whenever we sail with Crystal, we are going to know guests from prior sailings and of course the amazing crew. This cruise has been no exception. We have met some very nice guests who we never sailed with before. Last evening, we were touched while waiting in the Crystal Plaza. A widow of about one year recognized us and shared some nice words that her late husband had said. Our hearts melted. The good news she and the couple she is traveling with will be on these two cruises and also on board a couple of cruises we have booked for a future date. We also spoke with another couple we have known since 2007 who we have been on sailings with, and I caught up yesterday with a woman who we have sailed with several times. Yes, this is why we refer to sailing with guests and crew as part of our Crystal extended family. Dinner was at Waterside last evening. Everything was perfect. Food was amazing including the entree of Halibut served with a very tasty sauce and accompanied by a ravioli. It was a wow!! We were taken care of by the outstanding waitstaff team of Senior Waiter Marcin, Waiter Nitish, Head Waiter Jacques and Sommelier Marli. This was the first time we met Marli. She is from South Africa and was very familiar with the wine we had sent down to the dining venue. Waterside was busy but the pace of the meal was perfect. For us the dining experience at Waterside is like a Specialty Restaurant with outstanding service and cuisine and an exquisite dining room. It was windy outside so rather than starting the day by walking and running on the Promenade Deck, I changed it up. There are plenty of options so between the fitness center, walking indoors and a walk on the pool deck I got in a great workout. When we first sailed Alaska in the 1990's far less cruise ships sailed this area. Often, we would arrive to port and including our vessel there would be one or two ships in port. With the popularity of cruising and this destination more and more ships cruise Alaska during the Alaskan cruising season. At the same time, with the startup of new Crystal this made scheduling of itineraries more challenging since they had to be put together with far less lead time than normal. In the case of today, we were docked approximately 7.5 miles from Ketchikan instead of being in walking length of this city. While a shuttle was offered, we decided given an arrival time of 1:00 PM, we would enjoy the ship rather than going into port. We have visited Ketchikan many times and toured the area and even have gone salmon fishing a couple of times. On other visits we have enjoyed additional tours as well as enjoyed walking around the downtown area. The good news is Crystal Serenity served as our destination. The morning featured two lectures: one on mastering your memory and the other one about the implications of a rising China. We also enjoyed walks together and talks with crew and guests. There was great food to enjoy as well. LOL. We have enjoyed a great time on-board today and we have a terrific evening to look forward to. This includes dinner at Tastes, White Night and another event and this will be a late night for us. Cheers

This is from June of this year. There are also other wines that are in Umi Uma, Osteria, and Tastes plus the list will change based on availability and where ships are sailing. If you write to on board guest services you could also get a list sent to you. Keith Keith

Rob, I checked on this and the answer makes perfect sense to me. Times will vary based on the cruise. For example, cruises with more sea days it will be later and same for cruises like the holiday cruise. Cruises which are more port intensive and tour intensive they are serving at 10:00 to 11:00 pm as they are doing now. Keith

Rob I'll try to remember. Too bad they don't make it 10 to 11 AM. Just kidding. Keith

Photo from this morning about an hour ago from Crystal Serenity as we are sailing towards Ketchikan with an arrival less than seven hours from now. Keith