Keith1010

Muriel, so you are saying you can now view it on the smart phone. I know that was the plan but wasn't sure they had it yet. Keith

Adding to Patty's post. On Serenity: New ones from 2023 are on Deck 9. 9001 and 9002. On Deck 10 they are a mix of Classics and former Seabreeze (2018) On Deck 11 they are all the Classics. This will take you to Deck 10. https://www.crystalcruises.com/ship/serenity?sm=undefined&d=10 From there you can go to Decks 11 and 9. Keith And the others classic. For

I agree. I think the key is getting it right and if that means taking longer that is fine but not going at too slow a pace to be wasting money. I believe they found a good balance. I also appreciated their website. Keith

I agree with Ibis. They wear them throughout the evening and my wife and I do as well. Keith

Not at this time. On the ship in each room/suite, they provide a tablet in each room. This has a lot of capabilities on it and does include reflections, newspapers, shore excursions ability to make reservations etc. They do plan to expand this so it could be loaded onto smart phones. Keith

For those who think everything was positive I would watch the video they did in the new Sapphire Suites. I have stayed in the Classic Sapphire many times and toured this one a couple of time in August. I thought he gave a very informative report and he did highlight some areas where it could be improved or things they needed followup on. He noted it would be good to have an App for the iPhone that mimics what is on the tablet. He said the nightlights were great but too bright. He said in the bathroom if you stood on the threshold it would rattle and might disturb the other person. He noted that there was a rattle the first night on the verandah and the AC was not working properly and it was too cold. He did note they corrected both after it was reported. He thought the square top toiletries were hard to handle in the shower. He noted there was no full length menu in the suite. He also noted that not every suite on Serenity has been refurbished such as the Sapphire suite he and his wife were in. Yes he really liked the Sapphire. And some of his suggestions others have made. If he promoted anything it was the Visa Company they used to get their passport renewed. Like most things you might not agree with it all including what he liked or even some of his suggestions. Keith

Someone who lives outside the USA posted this on another site: I received an email from them together with a form and a letter explaining how they will pay: Option 1: If you reside in Canada, the United States, or Mexico, a check will be issued as your payment method once we have your complete mailing address. Please assist us by responding to this email with your claim number and the correct mailing address. Option 2: If you currently reside outside of the United States, Canada, or Mexico, distributions will be made via wire transfer. To proceed, we require your wire transfer information. You can find the necessary form attached to this email. Kindly complete the form with all the requested details and return it to us via email.

I enjoyed the video. I would hope they wouldn't pay for the cruise. As to the length of the cruise it varies. Obviously the shake-down cruises were short and they were shake-down cruises so everything was not perfect. That is why they are called shake-down. As to other cruises it depends. They certainly aren't going to be on the longest of cruises Often it is something like 7 to 10 days. This is not something new. The only thing that is new is some call these people influencers. I am not sure if all of you have watched all three videos but it was not all accolades. By the way, on the shake-down cruises travel agents were on board. Some posted on social media. Others sent notes out to their clients and/or to their colleagues to send to their clients. Not everything was glowing. Same went for the media on board. Crystal or any company cannot control what is said. True if someone is completely negative they likely won't be asked to return but as I've watched this and similar videos, read articles, whether it is Crystal or some other line it's not 100% glowing. As to this not being new even back in the day if you would pick up magazines on cruising such as Porthole and another one whose name escapes me, they would cover one to three ships in each edition and the write-ups were pretty positive. In fact, I would argue more positive than some of the current videos and write-ups. Only difference is back then they weren't called influencers. But as I said I enjoyed the video so really could care less whether or not someone got a free cruise. And for those who have not yet sailed old Crystal or sailed old but not new Crystal it's a great way of seeing what things look like today IMHO. Keith

I did check. It is something being looked at in terms of what is involved to do this. Before someone says just turn on the cameras there is a lot more to this including how it plays with the new website. But it is something that is in queue to determine do ability. Keith

2008 marked our second visit to Monte Carlo and first with Crystal. Keith

Hopefully the third time will be a charm. $2,225.00 per person is the the maximum amount times 2 people equals $4,450.00. Keith

Ed, I saw Tracie's response and my apologies. It is 2,250.00 per person. In our case two people $4450.00 so I had 50.00 on the brain. Keith

I remember when we saw him last he was working on a project which was songs associated with the sea. His wife is lovely. I remember one one of the sailings when there was live music outside by the pool each time he passed by the band would play Turn Turn Turn. I had that LP. And probably wore it out playing it so much. Not as much as the Beatles but a lot. Keith

I want to clarify that if eligible then everyone received $2,2,50.00 per person. However, in some cases people received less than this. Examples included what they were owed was less than $2,50.00 or in several cases their Credit Card companies reimbursed them for most of what was owed and the remaining balance was less than $2,250.00. Keith

Ivi, I assisted a friend with this. Crystal has no assigned terminal at Miami as it doesn't sail there regularly. As you cruise nears, you can find the assignment using the Port website. But I found the information is not provided very far in advance. When you use the search click on cruise and put in the date before doing the search. https://wwwx.miamidade.gov/apps/seaport/dailydock/Default.aspx Even if you don't know which terminal when you enter the port it is really easy to find whatever ship you are looking for and your driver will not have a problem. With the exception of terminal J which often Crystal was assigned (not the other day though) the other ships are docked on the other side and are all lined up at the respective terminals. Keith

Along time ago I wrote this off but today brings closure. I git my wish. Crystal came back. As to the previous owners I hope they get my wish. Just saying. Keith

It is interesting that the letters are dated September 27, 2023. I am not blaming this on the USA Postal Service. Maybe they had thought they would be out by then. 😀 Keith

I had mentioned the other day that Crystal enhanced the search function for finding new cruises with filters for country and ports. The home page has been enhanced as of today and has an excellent look to it. Keith

Vince, agree with you 100% and usually it is almost literally a penny by the time it arrives. Keith

OH no stake thru that topic heart but would like to give the previous owner a piece of .............Well enough said. Keith

Check received and deposited. Keith

Vince, my informed delivery shows the same thing for today's mail. Keith

15 years ago. Hong Kong. Our first visit for pleasure (I had been there previously on business). Next visit would be a year later on Symphony. Keith

Yes. They were created new so I think of them more as new rather than being refurbished. On Deck 9 and former Seabreeze. No tubs. Keith

On Serenity I have always favored the Classic Aquamarine because of the two desks and how space is optimized. I don't feel the same way about Symphony. I do wan to to correct one minor item and that is the Aquamarine redesigned in 2018. The square footage is actually smaller than the classic and that is because they took some of the space to have the hallway between the two suites that sit side by side. On Symphony I have always preferred what is Sapphire over Classic. I did very much like the Sapphire rooms created in 2017 on Symphony. I do realize though we all have different tastes and needs. In our case we like the desks. In our case we don't need a bathtub. Someone else might have just the opposite view. Keith