Crystal Debussy Suggestions and Tips

[kmtoner]

We just returned from a week on the Rhine on Crystal's new Debussy. Thanks to all on Cruise Critics for the great advice and suggestions in advance of our trip. Here are some of our own suggestions:

 

(1) Power converter. While there is 110-volt power in each cabin, there is only a single U.S. outlet located above the mini bar near the coffee machine. The built-in USB ports are not set up for quick charging. It was handy to have at least one 220v to 110v adapter in order to make use of the outlets on each side of the bed.

 

(2) Don't over pack. Really. The cabin space and closet space is adequate but small. Likewise, there is hardly any extra room in the cabin bathroom for cosmetics bags, shaving kits, etc. You will see very few sportcoats or fancy outfits during the cruise. Crystal's riverboats really are business casual, not fancy dress. To make the cabin closet space more useful, we removed the large terry robes and half of the provided wood hangers and put them in one of our suitcases beneath the bed. Also, the laundry options are very good. Pressing is free. Next-day laundry delivery is affordable. And self-service laundry is convenient.

 

(3) Take a swimsuit. We seemed to be the only passengers using the small swimming pool. It has a marvelous system to swim against jet currents. The skylight, comfortable furniture, thick towels, etc. made this a very nice area of the boat.

 

(4) Unused cabin credits can be used to tip individuals who make your week extra special. We only used half our credits for our dinner at the Vintage Room and we saw little reason to spend on premium wines and liquors given the high quality of the included beverages. We were very happy to learn that we could use our extra funds to reward three members of the staff that made our week special.

 

(5) The included group tours were a good value, but we enjoyed touring on our own just as much. You might want to build in a break from group tours and resist the urge to take tours every day.

[gnome12]

(1) Power converter. While there is 110-volt power in each cabin, there is only a single U.S. outlet located above the mini bar near the coffee machine. The built-in USB ports are not set up for quick charging. It was handy to have at least one 220v to 110v adapter in order to make use of the outlets on each side of the bed.

 

Please don't confuse plug adapters with converters. Virtually anything you have now will be dual voltage, and will accept either 110 or 220 V. All you need for the non U.S. outlets then is a plug adapter.

[kmtoner]

Excellent point. I purchased a plug adapter for about 8 euros in Koblenz and it worked perfectly with everything we brought from the U.S.

[gnome12]

Excellent point. I purchased a plug adapter for about 8 euros in Koblenz and it worked perfectly with everything we brought from the U.S.

8 euros seems very expensive to me, but not a big deal. I bought a couple in Israel for about the equivalent of US$1 each. I keep them in my travel box, and before every trip I throw a few into my bag.

[caripoo]

Thanks for the tips, as we have the Rhine booked for the fall!!