The Bistro- Off topic and fun posts!

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my 2015 Allure of the Seas transatlantic.  I was in a "Boardwalk Balcony" cabin, facing inward but with just a bit of a slice of the outside.  Our course had us on exactly the right heading for the sunrise.

 

 

Roy

[Keith1010]

A photo of Crystal Serenity 15+ years ago on our first visit to Auckland, New Zealand. 

 

Keith

 

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my 2017 Amsterdam Grand Asia segment.  On October 30 we were in Shanghai:

 

 

Roy

[Keith1010]

15+ years ago on our first visit to Sydney, Australia. I remember the day as if it was yesterday.

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

[BWIVince]

Kind of a local note, but a Crystal-adjacent one…. I was saddened to learn of the passing of local DC-area artist Avis Collins Robinson, wife of Crystal speaker and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Eugene Robinson.  Avis passed away over the weekend after a battle with cancer, at the age of 70 — her and Gene were married 45 years.

 

I’ve always been a huge fan of Avis’s paintings and quilts…. I believe her and Gene lived across the river more recently, but Avis was born in a historic African American settlement very near where I grew up outside Sandy Spring, Maryland, and I loved her representation of that perspective through her work.  She will be very missed.

 

Vince

[Keith1010]

Vince I am so sorry to hear about her passing. We met Avis and Eugene Robinson on one of the segments of the World Cruise and chatted a few times with both of them. We learned about her paintings in one of our conversations. I am sorry I don't have a photo of her. She insisted on taking one (well three) of Eugene with the two of us. A very nice person with a great talent.  Actually two very nice and talented people.

 

Keith

 

[rafinmd]

I have a sunset today rather than a sunrise, and it's from my 2017 MS Rotterdam cruise.  October 31 was a sea day from Shanghai to Hong Kong.

 

 

Roy

[Keith1010]

From 2008, photo of Asuka II while on-board Serenity and were together for a couple of hours.  For some of us, the first Crystal vessel we sailed when it was Crystal Harmony.

 

I'll add additional photos of her over the coming days.

Keith

 

 

 

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is another from my 2015 Allure of the Seas transatlantic.

 

 

Roy

[oakridger]

Look what I found in the bottom drawer of my guest bathroom vanity! I have no idea why it was there with the Christmas Guest Towels but it's a nice pen and brings back the memories for sure. 🙂

[Keith1010]

Another view of Asuka II (former Crystal Harmony) taken in 2007.  It was a special day.

 

Keith

 

 

 

[rafinmd]

Asuku2 in Baltimore, 5/31/18:

 

 

Rpy

[rafinmd]

Not all mornings at sea turn out perfectly.  This is from a 2014 round trip transatlantic, eastbound on Queen Mary 2 and westbound on Wind Star.  On November 2 QM2 was near the midpoint of the voyage, and there was not a true sunrise but a first appearance of the sun:

 

 

Roy

[Keith1010]

Another view of Asuka II (former Crystal Harmony) taken in 2007.  It was a special day.  We had the best weather that day with a lot of sun and that added to spending a lot of time on the open deck as we  met up with Asuka II.

 

Keith

 

[ctjon]

These pictures of Harmony remind me of the great trips we took on that ship.  However, when we did our first Symphony cruise we were amazed at how much better Symphony was as a ship with decor etc.  Harmony was great - Symphony better.  I wonder what the new ships will be like and all the improvements.

Speaking of the new ships - when do we have to start providing Crystal with ideas for the names of these ships - I assume it will be this board's responsibility.

[rafinmd]

 Today's sunrise is from my 2017 Prinsendam transatlantic.  November 3 was a sea day from Rome to Cartagena.

 

 

Roy

[BEAV]

I THINK this is still an off-topic thread, so here goes! 🤔😉👍

 

Roy, I have no doubt your creative rail/cruise itineraries were the brainchild behind developing this tour. 😉
 

This is the perfect little getaway to “tide over” the ‘24/‘25 World cruisers with nothing to do from September to November! 😉 🚢🚂

 

https://www.railbookers.com/around-the-world-by-luxury-train (Vancouver to Singapore) 

[cruise_loverinlaval]

On 10/21/2023 at 11:24 AM, rafinmd said:

I've seen the 2 ships together a few times and visited the other ship occasionally.  The last time was in Grand Turk about 4 years ago.  I was on Symphony at the time.  Their dock holds only 2 ships and Carnival owns the port so their subsidiary HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam had priority for one of the berths.  Since Serenity has azipods and can do dynamic positioning Symphony got the dock.  First an overview:

 

 

And closer a view of just the 2 Crystal ships:

 

 

Roy

Hello, my husband and I were on the Serenity and we went on the Symphony to have lunch.  Good memories. Thank you.

[cruise_loverinlaval]

14 minutes ago, cruise_loverinlaval said:

Hello, my husband and I were on the Serenity and we went on the Symphony to have lunch.  Good memories. Thank you.

II just added the photo I took that day in 2019.  Here is the Crystal Symphony taken from the Crystal Serenity!

[TheKingD]

I am following @BEAV with a totally off-topic tidbit.  I think you were the person who raved about a train trip between Denver and California earlier this year, and that, plus Roy's train adventures, motivated me to look into a train vacation.  We just got back last week from a Red Rocks to Denver train trip that was great.  We were not in a private train car like you were, but we still had a very luxurious trip with great food and libations and interesting people.

 

I wanted to give Crystal a bit of time before I booked a cruise, so I'm considering that for next year!

View from train.pdf

[BEAV]

9 minutes ago, TheKingD said:

I am following @BEAV with a totally off-topic tidbit.  I think you were the person who raved about a train trip between Denver and California earlier this year, and that, plus Roy's train adventures, motivated me to look into a train vacation.  We just got back last week from a Red Rocks to Denver train trip that was great.  We were not in a private train car like you were, but we still had a very luxurious trip with great food and libations and interesting people.

 

I wanted to give Crystal a bit of time before I booked a cruise, so I'm considering that for next year!

View from train.pdf 132.35 kB · 5 downloads

I assume this was the train you were on (it’s on my bucket list!)? If so, it’s the sister train to the first rail journey (Vancouver to Banff) I linked in my earlier post. 👍

 

https://www.rockymountaineer.com/train-routes/rockies-red-rocks

[TheKingD]

@BEAV, you are correct.  I didn't mean to attach my picture as a pdf, but here it is again - sideways - sorry!  The US route is fairly new, and the trips are less expensive than the Canadian routes.  We started in Salt Lake City, and they flew us in a 10-person plane to Moab so we saw a lot of the Utah landscape from that plane.  We did our own excursion into Arches National Park with a hired driver, but everything else was arranged by RM.  It was top-notch all the way, and I highly recommend it.

[Keith1010]

A couple of additional photos of Asuka II. Tomorrow some final photos.

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

[Keith1010]

Have I ever said that I love the music of The Beatles.  I never would have dreamed that in 2023 another new song would be released.  

 

Here is a video on the making of the last song Now and Then.

 

And here is the actual song.

 

 

Keith

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is another from my 2015 Allure of the Seas Transatlantic.  On November 4 we were nearing the end of the crossing.

 

 

Roy