OCEANIA - CRYSTAL

[Paulchili]

1 hour ago, Petoonya said:

I missed this first time around but maybe it was because I hadn't considered Crystal. Now that I have you made the decision for me. On the items that count to me O wins hands down, but again it's just the items that count to me. For someone else can see why Crystal might be a no brainer. We can only afford one cruise a year and that makes taking a "taste" of another line a considerable risk. Thanks for the well stated and beautifully organized comparison.

Thank you Petoonya.

We will be taking another cruise on Crystal but for a couple of very specific reasons;

1) it’s from LA to Brisbane with MANY sea days when Crystal is at its best with their enrichment programs.

2) It visits Kiribati which has been on M’s bucket list and I know of no other line that does that.

For most other itineraries I would choose O in a PH over Crystal in a small cabin and still save money..

Edited December 28, 2019 by Paulchili

[Petoonya]

14 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

Thank you Petoonya.

We will be taking another cruise on Crystal but for a couple of very specific reasons;

1) it’s from LA to Brisbane with MANY sea days when Crystal is at its best with their enrichment programs.

2) It visits Kiribati which has been on M’s bucket list and I know of no other line that does that.

For most other itineraries I would choose O in a PH over Crystal in a small cabin and still save money..

Thanks for the ideas Paul.

We're stuck on O's Tahiti-Hawaii-West coast cruises as we love lazy days, warm weather and snorkeling. Doing for 3rd time in April. Saw a well priced Crystal cruise LA-Hawaii-LA, and considered, but we'd have to give up a Tahiti cruise. You made the decision for me.

Just one last thing...I haven't seen gym facilities mentioned here or maybe I've missed. We use the gym daily- can you or anyone compare Crystal's and O's?

[Paulchili]

2 minutes ago, Petoonya said:

Just one last thing...I haven't seen gym facilities mentioned here or maybe I've missed. We use the gym daily- can you or anyone compare Crystal's and O's?

Unfortunately I cannot help you with this.

Perhaps in the future as my New Year’s resolution is to get a stationary bike at home and thus I just might use the ships’ gyms in the future 😀

[LHT28]

37 minutes ago, Petoonya said:

Thanks for the ideas Paul.

We're stuck on O's Tahiti-Hawaii-West coast cruises as we love lazy days, warm weather and snorkeling. Doing for 3rd time in April. Saw a well priced Crystal cruise LA-Hawaii-LA, and considered, but we'd have to give up a Tahiti cruise. You made the decision for me.

Just one last thing...I haven't seen gym facilities mentioned here or maybe I've missed. We use the gym daily- can you or anyone compare Crystal's and O's?

Serenity has a gym  but cannot comment on it

We did walk the promenade deck which goes all around the ship

some did a better job than others  😉

 

[LHT28]

35 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

Perhaps in the future as my New Year’s resolution is to get a stationary bike at home and thus I just might use the ships’ gyms in the future 😀

 I have a recumbent bike  ..it holds my shoes  nicely  😉

Part of my New Years plan  to use the bike

time will tell  LOL

[Paulchili]

5 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

 I have a recumbent bike  ..it holds my shoes  nicely  😉

Part of my New Years plan  to use the bike

time will tell  LOL

Here is hoping for breaking the odds and keeping our NY’s resolutions for both of us. 😀

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, Paulchili said:

Thank you Petoonya.

We will be taking another cruise on Crystal but for a couple of very specific reasons;

1) it’s from LA to Brisbane with MANY sea days when Crystal is at its best with their enrichment programs.

2) It visits Kiribati which has been on M’s bucket list and I know of no other line that does that.

For most other itineraries I would choose O in a PH over Crystal in a small cabin and still save money..

 

@PaulchiliI enjoy reading your comments, and we share a lot of your sentiment.

 

I'm surprised that PH on O can cost less than a small cabin on Crystal - can you give some examples please?

[AtA]

2 hours ago, Paulchili said:

Thank you Petoonya.

We will be taking another cruise on Crystal but for a couple of very specific reasons;

1) it’s from LA to Brisbane with MANY sea days when Crystal is at its best with their enrichment programs.

2) It visits Kiribati which has been on M’s bucket list and I know of no other line that does that.

For most other itineraries I would choose O in a PH over Crystal in a small cabin and still save money..

We will also be on that cruise next year.

You might be very pleasantly surprised with the changes from when you originally posted your review. 

[AtA]

2 hours ago, Petoonya said:

Thanks for the ideas Paul.

We're stuck on O's Tahiti-Hawaii-West coast cruises as we love lazy days, warm weather and snorkeling. Doing for 3rd time in April. Saw a well priced Crystal cruise LA-Hawaii-LA, and considered, but we'd have to give up a Tahiti cruise. You made the decision for me.

Just one last thing...I haven't seen gym facilities mentioned here or maybe I've missed. We use the gym daily- can you or anyone compare Crystal's and O's?

Yes there is a well equipped gym on Crystal on all ships

[Paulchili]

25 minutes ago, AtA said:

We will also be on that cruise next year.

You might be very pleasantly surprised with the changes from when you originally posted your review. 

That would be nice and welcome.

[Paulchili]

1 hour ago, ak1004 said:

 

@PaulchiliI enjoy reading your comments, and we share a lot of your sentiment.

 

I'm surprised that PH on O can cost less than a small cabin on Crystal - can you give some examples please?

Here is a quote from my review re:cost. Obviously this is a variable, depending on itineraries, promos, benefits from TA, etc but I can only quote my experiences (from the same TA):

 

Cost – we stayed in a B1 balcony cabin that was 269 sq. ft. for $495 per diem cost. Later this Fall we have a B2B on Marina (booked as 2 separate voyages) in a PH2 with 420 sq. ft. 

Both of our Marina voyages cost less per diem than the Crystal did ($437 & $406 per diem respectively). The only cost difference between the two is included alcohol on Crystal; as we don’t drink, this is of no added value to us.

Not only does the PH, which is almost double the size, cost less per diem but each of our Oceania cruises includes 2 free excursions/pp (about $750 value), 3 bags of laundry, $600 OBC on one and $900 on the other cruise, 2 spa sessions each cruise, a butler and ensuite dining from 4 specialty restaurants (as well as unlimited visits to specialties at no fee). In addition, we will receive loyalty refunds from our TA after each Oceania cruise – thus further lowering the per diem cost of Oceania cruises

Conversely, our Crystal cruise cost us an addition $1200 for shore excursion – and that was with 10 sea days and 4 ports where we didn’t take any excursions (pus one port where the excursion was cancelled due to weather).

So there is absolutely NO comparison at all as to the monetary value for the cruise on Crystal vs Oceania. Of course, if it were only that we get a much larger cabin (with all sorts of benefits) for less money but nothing else, then it may not be a bargain. Such may be a case on Princess (and some others) where we may get a huge cabin for less money but not much else. However, on Oceania it’s not just the lower cost but we do NOT have to sacrifice anything that we value – we get great food, good service and friendly staff & fellow passengers.

 

PS The per diem cost does not seem that large but of course it has to be multiplied by the number of cruise days and for EACH passenger  - in case of Crystal that was a 20 day cruise

Edited December 28, 2019 by Paulchili

[edgee]

2 hours ago, Petoonya said:

Thanks for the ideas Paul.

We're stuck on O's Tahiti-Hawaii-West coast cruises as we love lazy days, warm weather and snorkeling. Doing for 3rd time in April. Saw a well priced Crystal cruise LA-Hawaii-LA, and considered, but we'd have to give up a Tahiti cruise. You made the decision for me.

Just one last thing...I haven't seen gym facilities mentioned here or maybe I've missed. We use the gym daily- can you or anyone compare Crystal's and O's?

Crystal's gym is just fine. We use the elliptical machines a lot and Crystal's, while the same brand, are more substantial and far better than the first generation Technogym models on Oceania, and there are more of them. Weight machines and free weights on Crystal are certainly available and fine. I will say that the space and general openness  in the gym on O class ships is greater than Crystal, but the R class, I would say is similar.

[Petoonya]

1 hour ago, edgee said:

Crystal's gym is just fine. We use the elliptical machines a lot and Crystal's, while the same brand, are more substantial and far better than the first generation Technogym models on Oceania, and there are more of them. Weight machines and free weights on Crystal are certainly available and fine. I will say that the space and general openness  in the gym on O class ships is greater than Crystal, but the R class, I would say is similar.

Good to know Crystal is on par with R. The R class equipment is first rate and the classes are right up my alley. Windstar is our second go to line, but give up an adequate gym on their small sailing vessels, even bang head on ceiling using treadmill. The sports platform does offset that.

Might have to give the Crystal sailing another gander.

[KS&JW]

5 hours ago, Paulchili said:

Thank you Petoonya.

We will be taking another cruise on Crystal but for a couple of very specific reasons;

1) it’s from LA to Brisbane with MANY sea days when Crystal is at its best with their enrichment programs.

2) It visits Kiribati which has been on M’s bucket list and I know of no other line that does that.

For most other itineraries I would choose O in a PH over Crystal in a small cabin and still save money..

 

That is a very interesting itinerary.  

[Paulchili]

19 minutes ago, KS&JW said:

 

That is a very interesting itinerary.  

Yes it is 😊

What makes it even better is that we are sailing with several friends - both old and new.

Edited December 29, 2019 by Paulchili

[LHT28]

My review  has been posted  for those interested

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=673432&et_cid=3302946&et_rid=24290569&et_referrer=NULL

[cruisemom42]

On 12/24/2019 at 11:05 PM, LHT28 said:

I did not find the daily activities any better than O

most of the lectures were spa driven for the purpose of selling you something & we had gone to the same lectures on O 

 

 

On 12/26/2019 at 4:40 PM, LHT28 said:

ED

Maybe being Americans  you would like the political speaker

here is what you missed

Topics :Putin's Russia/ End of the American dream/ How Tyrants survive The Case of North Korea/ Did ISIS die with Baghdadi/What is Brexit?/The future of the US-Cuban relations

 

The other speaker was on Broadway shows several topics based on the entertainment of Broadway

 

One on Geography in the Caribbean   which may have been interesting but  it was a lot of data based  slide show  which put me  to sleep 😉

topics: Hurricanes in the Caribbean/Location Matters/Of Empires and States/Land & life in the Caribbean/Caribbean and the making of The the Modern world

 

 

On 12/26/2019 at 6:19 PM, LHT28 said:

 

WE care not one hoot about Broadway  so Mr McCollum  lectures did not interest us 

YMMV

Everyone has different  things they like & dislike  

Good thing we all have choices 😉

JMO

 

 

My goodness. It is one thing to say, as you did initially, that MOST of the lectures were spa-driven and quite another to say there were a variety of lectures but they did not appeal to YOU personally. 

 

Are only Americans allowed to care about "political" topics?  (Not sure I'd categorize most that you listed as "political" but rather current events and history....)

[Paulchili]

4 hours ago, LHT28 said:

My review  has been posted  for those interested

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=673432&et_cid=3302946&et_rid=24290569&et_referrer=NULL

Lyn - thanks for sharing your experiences. I agree with most things you have said although I have not experienced the Brazilian churascaria.

We are not Crystalized either but for a unique itinerary we will sail on Crystal again.

[Txcotn]

On 12/26/2019 at 11:03 PM, LHT28 said:

yes incredible  lunch buffet !! NOT

Yes Meatloaf  ..unbelievable  that this was on a luxury line

 

We do not cruise to watch movies 

but for those that enjoy that I am sure it was wonderful

 

YMMV

Was Meatloaf the only choice?

[TrulyBlonde]

44 minutes ago, suzeluvscruz said:

Was Meatloaf the only choice?

Obviously, not. She stated her husband ordered it and he happened to like it. Lynn wrote a good review and is entitled to her opinions of her Crystal cruise. This is CC and you have to be able to read about the good, the bad, and the ugly. She won't be returning to Crystal and that is her choice. I welcome all opinions.

[Txcotn]

Then why would someone criticize a cruise line for an item for just being on the menu? I don't care for some offerings so I just don't order them. It's not fair to diss the cruise line because of a menu option you don't like.

[TrulyBlonde]

2 minutes ago, suzeluvscruz said:

Then why would someone criticize a cruise line for an item for just being on the menu? I don't care for some offerings so I just don't order them. It's not fair to diss the cruise line because of a menu option you don't like.

Her opinion was not about liking the item. She stated that she did not think meatloaf and cabbage rolls belonged on a luxury line. Again, this was her opinion and most of us value all opinions when choosing a cruise line. There was more to her review than the "meatloaf"

[kitty9]

I’ve been on Crystal 17 times and we will do our 10th on O next month (this info is for perspective).   Each line has their strengths and weaknesses, and a lot of these things  are based on personal expectations.  For me, the main dining room on Crystal, Waterside, is superior to Oceania both in terms of food quality, service and attention to detail.  We really don’t care for most of the dinner offerings in the GDR as they focus on quite a number of vegetarian and vegan items (sorry, we aren’t into that kind of food, but respect others that do, but it’s just not for us).  The service in the GDR is really lacking—-it took them 50 minutes to serve our basic breakfast of eggs and sausage—-not a good thing—-so we never go there for breakfast.  I feel the buffet in both Waves and Terrace is far superior to Crystal’s, and the O casual dining areas are kept open longer, which is great for those coming back from 4 hour excursions.  

 

Entertainment on Crystal is fantastic and very professional in terms of talent.  Crystal brings on name guest entertainers for their evening shows.  And their guest speakers are amazing.  I have seen Marvin Hamlisch, Buzz Aldrin, Stephen King and many other well known authors, politicians and entertainers.  And I have to agree that daytime activities on Crystal are more numerous.  

 

But, we prefer the O class ships to the two Crystal ships for many reasons I can’t fully explain, but just put it to personal preference.  

 

I will cruise both both lines again, and enjoy the positives of each line.  

[Mura]

And we have always preferred the GDR for breakfast on O -- assuming it was not a port day, or at least not a day when we needed to leave the ship early!  But we've never had extreme waits for foods at breakfast.  (Sometimes at dinner, yes, especially if we were 6-8 people at the table.)  Now perhaps what we consider a leisurely breakfast is what Kitty considers terrible ... but even I have to admit that 50 minutes for breakfast to arrive is not what I would consider acceptable!

 

But we definitely prefer the GDR for breakfast when time is not of the essence ... we can thank my mother for that.  When we took her on a cruise way back when that's what she wanted to do, so we did ... and we decided we preferred it as well.

 

On port days (as I've often said) we will order into the room rather than go to a crowded Terrace.

 

On Marina/Riviera we have loved those super-brunch days ... which haven't happened often but are spectacular when they do.

 

Mura

[clo]

On 12/31/2019 at 11:03 AM, Paulchili said:

I have not experienced the Brazilian churascaria.

I didn't read the link but a churrascaria is a 'been there, done that' kinda meal in my opinion. If that's that why someone has been urged to go to, I'd say 'oh please.' There's really authentic and GREAT Brazilian food. Eating one meat after another over and over again isn't my definition.