vaitape Posted May 4, 2013 #76 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Crystal was never formal every night (only one or two was usual per cruise) and now they have gone "formal optional" meaning a sport jacket suggested on a couple of nights, with the balance similar to O's country club casual. They are moving towards casual like all the other luxury lines. Crystal restricted the indoor smoking this year, removing it from the casino and Avenue Saloon piano bar, and starting in 2014 will restrict it further, only allowing indoor smoking in the cigar bar. Some old timers are not happy that they are chopping cruises into 9, or 7 or 5 day segments and becoming more port intensive, with fewer sea days, but the "Explorer Packages" allow one to combine a couple of these to 14 or 16 days or more at very attractive prices. Worth a look! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oceans&Rivers Posted May 4, 2013 #77 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Crystal was never formal every night (only one or two was usual per cruise) and now they have gone "formal optional" meaning a sport jacket suggested on a couple of nights, with the balance similar to O's country club casual. They are moving towards casual like all the other luxury lines. Crystal restricted the indoor smoking this year, removing it from the casino and Avenue Saloon piano bar, and starting in 2014 will restrict it further, only allowing indoor smoking in the cigar bar. Some old timers are not happy that they are chopping cruises into 9, or 7 or 5 day segments and becoming more port intensive, with fewer sea days, but the "Explorer Packages" allow one to combine a couple of these to 14 or 16 days or more at very attractive prices. I think Crystal was very formal when we took our first 7-night cruise. There were two formal nights (most men in tuxedos, but my husband and a number of others wore black suits, with ties), two informal nights (jacket required, tie optional but strongly suggested) and only one casual night during the cruise, with the first and last night also being casual, as with all lines we have cruised. Most evenings on Crystal are going to be elegant casual (even the "black tie optional nights), with some resort casual thrown in, the difference being that polo shirts without jackets are likely to be seen only when resort casual is suggested. I would expect, based on many comments and the pictures shown on Crystal's own website, to see men's arms covered (long shirt or a jacket) at dinner most nights aboard. My husband never wore a short-sleeved shirt or polo shirt on Oceania, either, so he's good to go on either line now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oceans&Rivers Posted May 4, 2013 #78 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Crystal restricted the indoor smoking this year, removing it from the casino and Avenue Saloon piano bar, and starting in 2014 will restrict it further, only allowing indoor smoking in the cigar bar. This is the most amazing change on Crystal. The one and only place where indoor smoking will be allowed is the cigar lounge. Cigarette smokers will have to share that same space. The best part is that lounge is 100% enclosed, with a door, so the smoke does not escape into other spaces. All of the entertainment venues and lounges will be 100% smoke free starting January 2014. I have said it before, but I it bears repeating: the Horizon Lounges should be 100% smoke free on Oceania, too, and if a smoking room is essential to the success of Oceania (why???), then completely close off a small cigarette smoking area with a door make it impossible for smoke to escape. We couldn't even enjoy a single afternoon tea in Horizons on Regatta due to the extreme smokiness throughout that lounge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CintiPam Posted May 4, 2013 #79 Share Posted May 4, 2013 The new Crystal smoking policy now provides us with a third option to consider when cruising. So far, we really have enjoyed Oceania and Azamara (and Azamara's Mosaics Cafe really cannot be beat). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted May 4, 2013 #80 Share Posted May 4, 2013 I just spent some time on the crystal site. Those prices are surprisingly less than I would have expected. I emailed my ta to see what kind of obc etc he can give me Another option. Good Also they have 2015 itineraries out. There is one Asian cruise with 3 nights in shanghai that is attractive to us Dh has a tux. Good to get a few more wearings out of it. Not much call for it in Tucson. Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaitape Posted May 4, 2013 #81 Share Posted May 4, 2013 I just spent some time on the crystal site. Those prices are surprisingly less than I would have expected. I emailed my ta to see what kind of obc etc he can give me Another option. Good Also they have 2015 itineraries out. There is one Asian cruise with 3 nights in shanghai that is attractive to us Dh has a tux. Good to get a few more wearings out of it. Not much call for it in Tucson. Lol Darn, was excited til Formal Wear/Tuxes...won't work for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted May 4, 2013 #82 Share Posted May 4, 2013 The formal wear is optional now. Though men will need a jacket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloha 1 Posted May 4, 2013 #83 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Not sure how you worked the price on an X cruise?We are booked on Millie fall of 2013, Hawaii to Singapore a 35 day cruise booked into a rear 11th deck Aqua Class A1 cabin. I just ran the price and we are at 410.00 a day for 2 people that includes our air from Toronto to Honolulu and air back from Thailand. We have rented a house in Hawaii for 8 days pre cruise and after a few days in Singapore we are flying to Thailand for a week thus return air from there. We were given prepaid gratuities and a $600.00 SBC that we can cash out at the casino if we like. If we applied it to the cost of the cruise we would be close to $195.00 a day per person. We don't need a drink package as we are Elite and complementary cocktails pre dinner every day is more then we are accustomed to and AC includes bottled water to the cabin. We don't do group tours as we prefer to tour unhindered by fixed formats and crowds. We likely will eat at the buffet as we are cruising "mass market" but we enjoyed the buffet on O as well. Aqua Class includes breakfast and dinner at the private dinning room Blue which caters to only AC and Suites. There will be the added cost of laundry being sent out as the "mass market lines" don't allow you to do your own laundry while vacationing like the higher end cruise lines. I did compare to O which did not do a complete Trans Pacific before booking and it seemed a simple decision to me but I might be wrong. Cheers Baldercash; Slightly off topic but are you on the 11/20 sailing from Sydney to Singapore? if so, we are also. Agree with your assessment of X. We only sail them if able to eat in Blu (Aqua Class). For us, it is about the itinerary and departure date, then the ship and amenities. We leave in a few days for Regent's Rome to London 15 night because of the itinerary in the western Med. Next year we have 2 O cruises booked, one to the Baltic and the other Barcelona to Istanbul. Again, the itinerary sold us... OK, and the food :D Point is, if the destinations are what you want and the price isn't outrageous, then the price is right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloha 1 Posted May 4, 2013 #84 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Wow, baldercash. I have never tried Az or X, but I should look into them. We are over 65 cruises and for some reason, we haven't sailed these. I'm going to look into them. I know when we are in port, we have often asked their passengers what they thought of the line, and never have we heard a negative comment. I guess we get caught up in the "benefits" available to us as "loyal" passengers. Shame on us. ;) I reread your post, and realize that maybe the benefits you are mentioning is because you have sailed them multiple times as we have with other lines. Comments for a "newbie" on X? Spindrift; We're coming at this from the other side of the equation. We've sailed Celebrity a few times and also on their newer S class ships. We have primarily been Princess loyalists. We are now venturing into the next level starting with Regent and next year with O. I have had excellent service and meals on O but only in Aqua Class which has a separate dining room with no set reservation time required. The MDR is nothing to write home about but that is my own opinion. The specialty restaurants are very good although they do have a small cover charge. The X ships are very nice and even on the S class (2800 passengers) not once have we felt crowded. Being a couple who enjoy great food, we want to see what all the kudos are about regarding all-inclusive and "luxury". But for us the bottom line is "what is the itinerary and cabin set up?". We could have done an X Baltic cruise next year for 2 days longer and less money but the 10 day O cruise gave us 3 days in St. Petersburg which meant we could go see Moscow. X had more sea days which we preferred to skip to see more ports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digtexas Posted May 5, 2013 #85 Share Posted May 5, 2013 I just spent some time on the crystal site. Those prices are surprisingly less than I would have expected. I emailed my ta to see what kind of obc etc he can give me Another option. Good Also they have 2015 itineraries out. There is one Asian cruise with 3 nights in shanghai that is attractive to us Dh has a tux. Good to get a few more wearings out of it. Not much call for it in Tucson. Lol Laraine, In the past I have taken a tux on several Crystal cruises and even gotten by with a dark blazer with charcoal slacks on a shorter cruise during the formal night era. I did not mind taking and wearing the tux, but now that Crystal is "formal optional" I will never take a tux on a cruise again on that or any other line. It was fun to dress up, but I no longer see the point, especially with inter-European airlines being so restrictive and costly as to weight. In this practical, modern world, it no longer makes sense to me or to the vast majority of cruisers, thus the changes on all of the higher end lines. We enjoyed the informality on our Caribbean cruise on the Riviera in January, although a few folks took the casual a little too far for my taste, wearing shorts and tee shirts around the ship at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shedevil Posted May 6, 2013 #86 Share Posted May 6, 2013 We have been Oceania fans from the beginning. Our favorite cruise line was Renaissance cruises and have followed the R-Ships as they were renamed within the industry. The niche market of having the smaller, more intimate ships came at a reasonable price and Oceania was a great value for a great opportunity. As Oceania gained popularity - dammit, :o why couldn't they just be happy with those of us that knew the line and cruised every other year - the prices went up some but it felt reasonable and still great value. Then the market focus of Oceania changed - enter the Marina and the larger ships in her fleet. As the debt obligation for these larger ships increased.....so did the rates on all cruises. I believe that there has been a considerable change the primary focus of Oceania. For better or worse, it seems Oceania is building and embracing the larger ships. The larger ships can pack more bodies on board and thus more revenue generation for the company. I understand that the industry trend is to build larger. :( But I wish Oceania would continue to buck the trend and focus on smaller, more intimate ships. I strongly feel the size of the Insignia and the Regatta made a huge impact - a positive one - on the quality of each cruise we have taken. As a business owner, I understand the cost drivers increasing but I firmly believe that the tremendous jump in prices just over the last 24 month period is due to more than market cost drivers. I believe the cost is largely the corporate focus on expanding the cruise line and the debt of building the larger ships. I am hoping that Oceania does not lose it's desire to fulfill that niche that got them started - smaller cruise ships with intimate service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted May 7, 2013 #87 Share Posted May 7, 2013 The cost increase in the past year or so has more to do with the economy recovering than anything else. Three or four years ago all cruise lines had to lower fares, add benefits etc in order to attract passengers. Now the market is starting to bear prices increases so the cruise lines are adjusting to that change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shedevil Posted May 7, 2013 #88 Share Posted May 7, 2013 The cost increase in the past year or so has more to do with the economy recovering than anything else. Three or four years ago all cruise lines had to lower fares, add benefits etc in order to attract passengers. Now the market is starting to bear prices increases so the cruise lines are adjusting to that change. :) Generally I agree that this is true in the industry. But Oceania did not really lower fares over the past 8 years. They are in a different customer niche than Carnival, Holland America and some of the other cruise lines. Much like Regent, they seem to have survived the tough economy of the past 5-6 years. Speaking specifically to the price increases on recent Oceania cruises....from the research I have done on Oceania, it seems to be driven more from the internal growth of the company and the purchase of new ships rather than the bad economy. They have offered some nice deals but the base fares have consistently gone up at a fairly aggressive rate since 2010. I have watched O because I love the smaller ships and was crushed when Renaissance went under and the R ships got sold to multiple companies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spindrift Posted May 7, 2013 #89 Share Posted May 7, 2013 Well said - Shedevil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted May 7, 2013 #90 Share Posted May 7, 2013 Shedevil, We had the same love for Renaissance. It was heartbreaking to see all the ships lined up in Gibraltar right after the bankruptcy ... (I didn't see it myself but a fellow Ren lover was in Gibraltar at the time and sent me her photo.) Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted May 8, 2013 #91 Share Posted May 8, 2013 Shedevil, We had the same love for Renaissance. It was heartbreaking to see all the ships lined up in Gibraltar right after the bankruptcy ... (I didn't see it myself but a fellow Ren lover was in Gibraltar at the time and sent me her photo.) Mura If you send me the photo, Mura, I'll post it here :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted May 8, 2013 #92 Share Posted May 8, 2013 I would if I could Jim ... I didn't keep it. I should have. And the person who sent it is long gone from my email ... But I remember seeing them all lined up. Tell you what, I'll try a google to see if I can find it on the net. Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfyachtie Posted May 8, 2013 #93 Share Posted May 8, 2013 I would if I could Jim ... I didn't keep it. I should have. And the person who sent it is long gone from my email ... But I remember seeing them all lined up. Tell you what, I'll try a google to see if I can find it on the net. Mura Not particularly good photos but there is a link here http://www.cruiseshipodyssey.com/laidup.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shedevil Posted May 8, 2013 #94 Share Posted May 8, 2013 Shedevil, We had the same love for Renaissance. It was heartbreaking to see all the ships lined up in Gibraltar right after the bankruptcy ... (I didn't see it myself but a fellow Ren lover was in Gibraltar at the time and sent me her photo.) Mura What a sad photo. I am so glad the R ships are still in operation. I just love the smaller ships. Sharon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G&G Posted May 8, 2013 #95 Share Posted May 8, 2013 Back to the thread topic. I just received yesterday a brochure from Oceania for select cruises in Europe; 3-5 months from now. Several of the cruise prices were reduced up to $1200 per category compared to the prices in a Oceania magazine I received six months ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shedevil Posted May 8, 2013 #96 Share Posted May 8, 2013 Back to the thread topic. I just received yesterday a brochure from Oceania for select cruises in Europe; 3-5 months from now. Several of the cruise prices were reduced up to $1200 per category compared to the prices in a Oceania magazine I received six months ago. The offer incentives to book but the rates for a cruise we took just 6 years ago has almost tripled. Hope they stop raising rates so aggressively, or my every other year cruising will become every fourth year or so..... Or I better win the darn lottery. :p Sharon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted May 8, 2013 #97 Share Posted May 8, 2013 Shedevil It is precisely lines like Regent, Silversea and Crystal which had to offer lower prices and different amenities to keep their customer base. And Oceania was offering one sale after another during those years. It was like a bus. If you missed one sale another would come along in fifteen minutes. No one was immune to the downturn in sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted May 8, 2013 #98 Share Posted May 8, 2013 Back to the thread topic. I just received yesterday a brochure from Oceania for select cruises in Europe; 3-5 months from now. Several of the cruise prices were reduced up to $1200 per category compared to the prices in a Oceania magazine I received six months ago. The thing is ... If you don't have a preference for a particular cabin level (especially the very top and the lower ones), it can be worth it to wait for a last minute offer on a cruise. You can also track bookings roughly by going to the website, choosing a cruise and seeing what is available. You will see what categories are available, not necessarily how MANY cabins are available in a category. And, it goes without saying, you need to be able to book a cruise relatively last minute. Many of us, especially those of us who want a particular cabin or cabin level will book WAY in advance. But sometimes we have to cancel ... Oceania has made it a bit more difficult to do that with requiring larger deposits, longer cancellation times, etc. But still, you can book on spec and wait to decide. You just have a longer time frame in which you can decide. So if you want to take the risk of a lower price by booking last minute, that can work well. We did that when Ren went belly-up and we lost our January '02 Far East cruise. We ended up booking an NCL South America cruise exactly a month in advance from departure and got a great deal. You just can never be sure. Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shedevil Posted May 9, 2013 #99 Share Posted May 9, 2013 Shedevil It is precisely lines like Regent, Silversea and Crystal which had to offer lower prices and different amenities to keep their customer base. And Oceania was offering one sale after another during those years. It was like a bus. If you missed one sale another would come along in fifteen minutes. No one was immune to the downturn in sales. I can't speak to Regent or SilverSea - yes, Oceania has offered sale prices but those prices are on aggressively increased rack rates. When the rack rate goes from $5,000 to $15,000 per passenger for a cabin over an 18 month period. The company can offer deals like 2 for one sales and still make $5,000 more for the booked cabin than they did 18 months ago. (the numbers are only for discussion sake - no calculators were harmed in this example). And I agree with Mura - the booking policies of Oceania causes some of the close to sailing vacancies. Until recently, you could reserve a cruise for next to nothing. I will admit I am the reason there was a cabin cancellation in 2009 and 2011. Life got in the way of travel and we had to back out of our reservations but it was painless because of the existing Oceania booking policy. We made plans in 2012 to cruise O to Alaska in 2013. We booked our cabins 5 days after the reservation bookings opened in 2012 because I wanted a cabin on Deck 7 at the back of the ship. When the pricing came out it was a little steep for an owners suite again but the A2 rooms on the back of the ship have very deep verandas and give you a 180 degree view....the better for seeing glaciers. I like Deck 7 more than Deck 8 for those cabins because you aren't bothered by the noise of scraping chair legs from the dining deck above. :D We just put down our deposit on a cruise in October 2014 because the cabin - not the type but the specific cabin number - I want is available. If we have to cancel, you will be getting a sales brochure to fill that room - probably showing a discount. :cool: But that discount will be on a per person rack rate/base charge that is much higher than it was 48 or even 24 months ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted May 9, 2013 #100 Share Posted May 9, 2013 I believe that your entire premise is faulty, because the Alaska pricing which you are using as your basis was in no way representative. It is also untrue that the verandas of the aft A2 cabins on the R ships offer a 180 degree view, unless one is hanging over the railing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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