Txcotn

1 hour ago, LoveBora said:

That last one looks like my husband🤣. 

DH will always be the one in khakis and a polo shirt. He only bought a pair of jeans (Levi's 526) a couple of years ago for hanging around the house. But he's 85 and when he was a kid, they were called dungarees and only worn on Saturdays.😎

Vince, I think you hit the nail on the head! Thanks, I was ready to be surprised or disappointed!

On 7/12/2024 at 10:50 AM, claudiaYVR said:

Yes, but I think only from about three or four months out. From the search results:

 

1. click on Details on the cruise you're interested in

2. click on Ship Overview

3. scroll down past the ship stats, restaurants and spa info

4. you'll get to Entertainment on this Ship

 

Interesting note on this - I did the above and reached the entertainment page and saw several lecturers and entertainers listed. When I clicked on the individual entertainers, it shows the cruises they will be on, and they are not the same as the cruise I'm looking at. So how can one determine who will be on the selected cruise?

1 minute ago, oakridger said:

 

Again, note that you are responding to a post from last December.  Most likely the poster has already sailed.  It's good general info though.

 

 

🤣🤣🤣

7 minutes ago, oakridger said:

 

Did you realize you are responding to a year old post?  

Better late than never 🤯🤯🤯

On 12/3/2023 at 9:46 PM, canadianINtexas said:

Am eagerly looking forward to our first cruise with NC next summer so, for fun, logged into my account and was surprised to see a room/suite number already assigned to our Guaranteed booking.   Problem is, it is a 3 digit number so doesn't align with any of the suite numbers one sees when looking at the Symphony deck plans (all are 4 digits such as 7040, 8042...).    Any thoughts?  Should I be looking at the last 2 digits to determine location (with floor TBD) or is this merely a code/placeholder that only means something to NC and I truly will have to wait til we're a couple of weeks away from sailing?   

7040 and 8042 sound like room numbers, decent locations. 8042 has the tip of the lifeboat in the way, so I would choose 7040 if I could.

On 7/18/2023 at 3:18 AM, comas said:

 Thanks for your explanation.  By opting for a Guarantee, we could end up with a Sapphire suite, but on Deck 8  which doesn’t appeal to us. 

Why eschew deck 8? It's the best for a rough sea and the Sapphires are the same as deck 9.

10 minutes ago, LNugent said:

It sounds like Crystal may need to rethink ballroom dancing or at least the venue. 

On another topic, thoughts on face-timing and talking on speaker phone in restaurants and lounges on the ship. On my last two Crystal cruises it was out of control. It seems as though Crystal should create a policy and train staff on enforcement of the policy.  Is this just the world we live in now?  Would love to hear from others. 

Oh yes, please enforce those phone guidelines! On OC, there were to be "blackout" areas such as the main dining room but that never happened. Listening to other people screaming into their phones at the pool or anywhere else is just plain uncivilized.

DH takes a load to the machine on his way to the fitness center, puts in the dryer on his way back, showers and dresses and goes and gets it, and I have the pleasure of folding, takes five minutes. If it needs ironing, we send out, so all we're washing ourselves is underthings.

If you hate laundry so much, pack why not more clothes so you don't have to laundry, you can do it all when you get home.😎 Yes that might mean more luggage, but that's what porters are for.

That's funny, Vince. When I think of dishes I see all the pots and pans and serving pieces plus plates etc on Christmas day with just 6 people! First you have to take care of the leftovers, then scrape the  plates, load the dishwasher, scrub the sink, do the good silver and the crystal by hand, then hope your husband will volunteer to do the pans...and then you have to put all that stuff away!... vs throw the underwear in the machine, push a button and it's done. I guess I'd rather handle clean clothes (you can sort and fold while sitting!) than dirty dishes. As you correctly point out, it depends on your personality. As for the ironing part, I send them out. I ironed large shirts with 37" sleeves when we were young and poor so now that we're better off, I take them to the laundry.😁

13 hours ago, May B said:

Paying a mere pittance % of your cruise fare to have your laundry done by Crystal is drudgery?

 

Those of us who do our own laundry do not consider it drudgery. 

Drudgery? Now I would consider doing dishes as drudgery, but in the realm of drudgery, I would consider laundry the least. Open the lid, drop in the clothes, close the lid, push the button  and you're done. How hard is that?

16 hours ago, sullaRaffaello said:

It's not just clean laundry. It's the lack of drudgery on the part of the passenger to get it.

In my mind, laundry may not be free but it still doesn't cost me anything, I use shipboard credit. 

1 minute ago, Texas Tillie said:

Thank you!! Actually I’m coming to you from the United Club at terminal E, IAH. I was supposed to be on the flight tomorrow morning to Vancouver to meet Serenity at Vancouver. Early this morning I decided that was not a good idea and that flight (with everything else) has been canceled. I’m on the evening flight that is now an hour late, but as long as it takes off, I’m happy. The airport is a zoo with everyone trying to get out of Dodge. Serenity, here I come!!

Well thank goodness you'll be out of the line of fire! Enjoy your cruise!

Off topic - just want to wish Patty safety when Beryl hits Texas!

3 hours ago, loriva said:

 

The Crystal Society party is listed as "Captain's Reception AND CS party."  Does that mean everyone on board is invited?  Not just previous Crystal cruisers?  If so, how crowded was it since you are sailing at near full capacity?  Or does the availability of free drinks all the time limit the scrum the captain's receptions are on ships not offering included drinks?

Just go and enjoy, nobody is going to check your status.

4 hours ago, loriva said:

 

Very surprising.  We put in a special order for caffeine-free Coke Zero and sugar-free ginger beer a minimum of 30 days before a Regent cruise.  Some has always been waiting for us in our cabin--at no charge.  I would have thought Crystal would be at the same level of service.  We are sailing on our first Crystal ocean out of NYC, so no problem bringing a six-pack of each but somewhat disappointing that we'll need to do so.

Crystal does the same, see my post above.

If there is a specific drink you want and it's not on the "menu", talk to your TA an ask that a specific quantity of said drink is put in your stateroom. We were even able to do this with baby food and diapers and other needs. They are very accommodating and you won't have to lug those 6 or 8 packs of drinks!

5 hours ago, KenzSailing said:

 

Now this would be a fun cruise to be on, lots of local color, both onboard and off.  If only I didn't have a Mediocre Bistro to run...

 

@BWIVincehere's a research project for you.  At breakfast in W/side, order the Eggs Benny.  Leave it at that, don't specify anything else.  See what happens.  You know, for science. 😁

I love Eggs Benny, but last cruises on OC the were putting the hollandaise on an running it under the broiler😱, voila curdled hollandaise. I began asking for hollandaise on the side, which solved the problem for me.

2 hours ago, ivyleaguegent said:

Special thanks to Benjamin who went out of his way to supply anything we requested and who has been on Crystal ships for 18 years.

 

 

The band should have been playing on the pool deck at least several hours in the afternoon on sea days. 

 

We met Benjamin in 1999, which makes his tenure at least 25 years!

Why  on earth would you want the band all afternoon????? That's my place of refuge and most people are reading or napping. Live music during lunch, great, but all afternoon? Deliver me!

And why complain about bath amenities? Can one not put up with the provided soap and shampoo for a couple of weeks? Or bring your own if you're that fussy! The ship soap and other is probably miles above the grocery store soap you use at home.🙄

"A standout feature will be a promenade extending through the whole ships’ perimeter, similar to those loved by guests on Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, for leisurely strolls with stunning ocean views."

What do they mean by "similar"? It's either like the one we all love, 360 degrees, or it's not.

So much unnecessary shuffling! Put the casinos in the old casino spaces and don't ruin Serenity's wonderful library. If they put the bridge lounge in the casino space, bridge people will not be happy with the foot traffic going through.

Yes there’s a nice dance floor. Since we aren’t dancers I don’t know about every night but there is dancing when they have the Supper Club. There is always dancing in Palm Court. 

16 hours ago, TBfrPH said:

@RLK33853  Thanks again for posting your experience.

 

Regarding Crystal's pool, how does the size compare to mass-market ships' pools?  Is one able to actually swim, or just wade around with a drink?

 

What about live music outside of the production showroom/theater?  Does Crystal offer much live music entertainment throughout the day in venues conducive to dancing?  Did you see many people dancing?

Yes you can actually swim!

20 minutes ago, loriva said:

 

We will try!  Given the presence of Umi Uma onboard, the ship should have a supply of ahi tuna.  Might have to ask the day before so they can fetch from ship's stores.  At least that has been the rule of thumb for special requests on other lines.

Oh yes, 24 hour notice will enhance the possibility! In over 50 cruises and 30 years, I've never been told "no".😎

16 hours ago, loriva said:

 

Does Crystal offer an ahi tuna steak sandwich at the pool grill for lunch?  

Ask and you shall receive!

16 hours ago, loriva said: