How the New Crystal is treating Old Crystal loyalists

[FLcruiser2011]

Last week, when Crystal first began accepting bookings for the 2024 World Cruise, I immediately asked my TA to book an Aqua suite.

The price was high, but I liked the itinerary.  I put up my $27K deposit, and thought I was all set.

Over the weekend, I discovered that my Aqua suite was one of the old Seabreeze Penthouses -- which I do not particularly like.  The available deck plans, BTW, did not show this.

On Monday, I asked my TA to switch me to one of the "classic" Aqua suites -- which was the older Penthouse.

When she contacted Crystal, they told her a "classic" Aqua suite would be an additional $22K!

That pushes the price of an Aqua suite to well over $200K -- which I think is more than a bit much for a relatively small suite that has not been significantly remodeled in some years.  I will miss Crystal, but I reckon I can find another way to spend what is a considerable amount of money.  Do I sound unhappy?

 

 

[oakridger]

I would seriously like to know what Crystal's justification for the huge price difference between the two suites.  Aren't they approximately the same size.  Is the New Aqua suite (Seabreeze Penthouse) location very inferior to the Classic Aqua Suite (Old Penthouse Suite)?  Some people previously preferred one over the other but there didn't seem to be a consensus in the past.

 

Any ideas?

 

~Nancy

 

 

Edited February 15, 2023 by oakridger

[BWIVince]

4 hours ago, FLcruiser2011 said:

Last week, when Crystal first began accepting bookings for the 2024 World Cruise, I immediately asked my TA to book an Aqua suite.

The price was high, but I liked the itinerary.  I put up my $27K deposit, and thought I was all set.

Over the weekend, I discovered that my Aqua suite was one of the old Seabreeze Penthouses -- which I do not particularly like.  The available deck plans, BTW, did not show this.

On Monday, I asked my TA to switch me to one of the "classic" Aqua suites -- which was the older Penthouse.

When she contacted Crystal, they told her a "classic" Aqua suite would be an additional $22K!

That pushes the price of an Aqua suite to well over $200K -- which I think is more than a bit much for a relatively small suite that has not been significantly remodeled in some years.  I will miss Crystal, but I reckon I can find another way to spend what is a considerable amount of money.  Do I sound unhappy?

 

 

I think the complaint about the deck plans not reflecting the pricing schema when bookings open due to the plans still being in flux is perfectly valid and would frustrate me just as much if I were in your shoes, but I’m not sure how I understand this is a complaint about how Crystal treats legacy passengers?  You don’t seem like you were discriminated against in any way, nor should you have received any kind of favor for your status based on that request.  If you were expecting them to waive the location-based pricing just for you because you were a CS member, I don’t think that’s fair or reasonable.  (Maybe if they had misquoted the fares, but they didn’t in this case — no error was made on the agent’s part.)

 

Whether the difference in suites is worth the premium, OTOH, is a different subject than the header, but worthy of discussion.

 

Vince

[Mr Luxury]

5 hours ago, FLcruiser2011 said:

Last week, when Crystal first began accepting bookings for the 2024 World Cruise, I immediately asked my TA to book an Aqua suite.

The price was high, but I liked the itinerary.  I put up my $27K deposit, and thought I was all set.

Over the weekend, I discovered that my Aqua suite was one of the old Seabreeze Penthouses -- which I do not particularly like.  The available deck plans, BTW, did not show this.

On Monday, I asked my TA to switch me to one of the "classic" Aqua suites -- which was the older Penthouse.

When she contacted Crystal, they told her a "classic" Aqua suite would be an additional $22K!

That pushes the price of an Aqua suite to well over $200K -- which I think is more than a bit much for a relatively small suite that has not been significantly remodeled in some years.  I will miss Crystal, but I reckon I can find another way to spend what is a considerable amount of money.  Do I sound unhappy?

 

 

Very wise.

There are plenty of other options on other lines if the money is burning a hole in your pocket.

[Keith1010]

I agree with Vince. This is not an issue of how Crystal treats past Crystal Cruisers.

 

The problem is not showing pricing by specific room on the deck plan.

 

Before Crystal stopped sailing there was a price differential between the Seabreeze suites and what back then were called PH and PS.  They charged less for the Sea Breeze because they found less people liked them compared to what is now the classic.

 

What has changed with the new Crystal is that because they have added so many new suites they are pricing them based on location which is something they didn't do before other than standard staterooms.

 

This is why they say pricing is from x dollars.

 

They do understand the need to reflect all of this on the deck plans. They also need to clearly note on the deck plan which rooms are classic and which are the newer ones and for suites which are the former Sea Breeze.  They know this but in the meantime, I understand how one will be upset in your situation.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

3 hours ago, oakridger said:

I would seriously like to know what Crystal's justification for the huge price difference between the two suites.  Aren't they approximately the same size.  Is the New Aqua suite (Seabreeze Penthouse) location very inferior to the Classic Aqua Suite (Old Penthouse Suite)?  Some people previously preferred one over the other but there didn't seem to be a consensus in the past.

 

Any ideas?

 

~Nancy

 

 

Nancy, before Crystal ceased operations they priced the Sea Breeze lower than Classic and on a full World Cruise versus one cruise there is a large variance since the total price is quite high.  

 

Why?  Room is smaller because of the door for the two rooms which ate into space. Some do not like the furniture finding the sofa too hard and the table in the PH equivalent does not raise up.  

 

I know people who on the first world cruise after this work was completed and who booked their Sea Breeze rooms wanted to be moved.

 

At the same time some people do like them but more people than not preferred the classic.

 

The other factor is the location. The new ones on Serenity on Deck 10 are not mid-ship which has the higher pricing now.

 

Again, if all of this was on the deck plan it would make things clearer before rooms are booked.

 

Keith

[oakridger]

Thanks Keith.  Now I'm remembering the discussion about the more cramped feeling in the Seabreeze Penthouse.  As I recall, you didn't like them, but you did like the Seabreeze Penthouse Suite on Serenity with the washer and dryer.  Since I'm solo, I won't be in either one, but I was just curious.  Still a lot to work out on their end.

 

~Nancy

[BWIVince]

I haven’t been in Serenity’s Seabreezes yet, but for me I’m Team Classic when it comes to Symphony’s.  The loss of the jetted tub is measurable to me (I know others don’t care), and the decor in the Seabreezes being newer isn’t a plus to me..  For the most part I like the look of the classic rooms and the appointments better.  I don’t find the Seabreezes to feel that much more cramped, but to the extent that they do I don’t mind the loss of the few feet for the shared entry — I actually really like that feature…. To me the way the bathroom and bigger closet (which seems mostly like more shoe racks??) compress the living space more, and more evenly, closes in the room more.  The classic PH’s (now Aquamarine) cleverly used the angled bathroom to steal space from the room but still open it up a little visually, to the desk area where the room was deeper.  The effect in the 2017 design is flatter and compressed.

 

Just my preference…

 

Vince

[Keith1010]

1 hour ago, oakridger said:

Thanks Keith.  Now I'm remembering the discussion about the more cramped feeling in the Seabreeze Penthouse.  As I recall, you didn't like them, but you did like the Seabreeze Penthouse Suite on Serenity with the washer and dryer.  Since I'm solo, I won't be in either one, but I was just curious.  Still a lot to work out on their end.

 

~Nancy

Nancy, you are welcome.

 

On Serenity, I prefer the Traditional suites over the Sea Breeze for sure and my preference are the classic PH's followed by the classic PS.  Unlike Symphony the Sea Breeze equivalent of the PS does not have the washer/dryer combo.  Also we prefer being mid-ship and the Sea Breeze Suites are not mid-ship on Serenity .  

 

On Symphony I have always preferred the PS over the PH until Sea Breeze came along. We enjoyed the Sea Breeze equivalent to the PS as it does have the washer/dryer combo, the rooms were added to Deck 9 and we were able to get one pretty close to mid-ship and we did like the rain shower (it does have another option other than rain shower). We don't use a bath tub other than hanging wash that doesn't go in the dryer. We liked how you could set up the toilet to have access from the main room or as a guest toilet and little features such as a closet near the entrance way.

 

Keith

[PaulMCO]

We actually preferred the SH.  If I remember on our last two cruises booked the difference was in order of 7 to 10%

[Txcotn]

7 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

I agree with Vince. This is not an issue of how Crystal treats past Crystal Cruisers.

 

The problem is not showing pricing by specific room on the deck plan.

 

Before Crystal stopped sailing there was a price differential between the Seabreeze suites and what back then were called PH and PS.  They charged less for the Sea Breeze because they found less people liked them compared to what is now the classic.

 

What has changed with the new Crystal is that because they have added so many new suites they are pricing them based on location which is something they didn't do before other than standard staterooms.

 

This is why they say pricing is from x dollars.

 

They do understand the need to reflect all of this on the deck plans. They also need to clearly note on the deck plan which rooms are classic and which are the newer ones and for suites which are the former Sea Breeze.  They know this but in the meantime, I understand how one will be upset in your situation.

 

Keith

I looked at a few itineraries last night and found that now they do indeed show a price difference within categories. Maybe not for all itins, but they do show prices for mid ship, forward, and aft, the mid and aft being higher than forward. Just FYI. Still a work in progress that should have been ready to go on day one.🙄

Edited February 15, 2023 by suzeluvscruz

[Keith1010]

7 minutes ago, suzeluvscruz said:

I looked at a few itineraries last night and found that now they do indeed show a price difference within categories. Maybe not for all itins, but they do show prices for mid ship, forward, and aft, the mid and aft being higher than forward. Just FYI. Still a work in progress that should have been ready to go on day one.🙄

Fantastic.  A reminder to keep looking at the website as they add new information. Thank you for mentioning this.

 

Keith

[nnn]

As a data point, for a 7-day Alaska cruise on Serenity in July 2024, the pricing for Deck 10 (including Crystal Society discount) was quoted as follows (total for both pax):

 

• Seabreeze forward $9,940
• Classic PH midship $10,890
• Seabreeze aft $10,890
• Veranda room connecting to Classic PH $7,800

 

Thus, Seabreeze aft is priced the same as Classic PH midship, but Seabreeze forward is significantly cheaper.  We went for Seabreeze forward to save the money.

[ggo85]

The prices seem high to me. We were anxious to book but now reconsidering.  We’ve recently paid less on SS for similar length cruise in Silver Suite with included excursions in every port.  And less on X for huge suite and most everything included. I realize I’m comparing apples to oranges, but I’m not signing up for Crystal just out of loyalty. Might hold off until 2024 — and until we hear from those on the early cruises re how things are going. 

[bitob]

9 hours ago, ggo85 said:

The prices seem high to me. We were anxious to book but now reconsidering.  We’ve recently paid less on SS for similar length cruise in Silver Suite with included excursions in every port.  And less on X for huge suite and most everything included. I realize I’m comparing apples to oranges, but I’m not signing up for Crystal just out of loyalty. Might hold off until 2024 — and until we hear from those on the early cruises re how things are going. 

And with free laundry and unlimited caviar. Lol

[Mr Luxury]

10 hours ago, ggo85 said:

The prices seem high to me. We were anxious to book but now reconsidering.  We’ve recently paid less on SS for similar length cruise in Silver Suite with included excursions in every port.  And less on X for huge suite and most everything included. I realize I’m comparing apples to oranges, but I’m not signing up for Crystal just out of loyalty. Might hold off until 2024 — and until we hear from those on the early cruises re how things are going. 

Very wise indeed

[Mr Luxury]

54 minutes ago, bitob said:

And with free laundry and unlimited caviar. Lol

Yes,it's hard to see a comparison at the moment.

Perhaps we need some of those spectacles.

[Keith1010]

58 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Yes,it's hard to see a comparison at the moment.

Perhaps we need some of those spectacles.

Nothing is free.

 

You pay for it all.

 

Also remember the saying quality over quantity.

 

Translation.

 

Some items in large quantity are not as good as those in smaller quantity.

 

Also, everyone brings their own view as to value.

 

Some value entertainment and enrichment over included shore excursions or unlimited caviar.[

Some put more value to extrusion and caviar.

 

Some prefer a higher level of service

 

Some larger rooms. Some don't care.

 

Thank goodness all of the lines have their differences because as we know from this board we all do not think the same.

 

And thank goodness.  Trust me.  Thank goodness for that.

 

Oh well.  This is what makes the world go round.

[AtA]

On 2/17/2023 at 4:15 AM, bitob said:

And with free laundry and unlimited caviar. Lol

If i recall SS only has free laundry in the suites, not the regular cabins.

[Texas Tillie]

7 minutes ago, AtA said:

If i recall SS only has free laundry in the suites, not the regular cabins.

Silversea has free laundry for all passengers who have sailed over 100 days with them. That’s good because the “laundry room” is one stacked washer and dryer in a closet per floor. 
 

Patty

[AtA]

43 minutes ago, Texas Tillie said:

Silversea has free laundry for all passengers who have sailed over 100 days with them. That’s good because the “laundry room” is one stacked washer and dryer in a closet per floor. 
 

Patty

Well we only sailed the one time for 21 days and have no intention of sailing them again. If Crystal turns out to be a dud, which i don’t expect, then we would choose SB or Regent over SS. Or maybe the new Explorer Journey. 

But considering that so much of the original staff of C is coming back, I’m guessing we will be very happy on C.

[bitob]

1 hour ago, Texas Tillie said:

Silversea has free laundry for all passengers who have sailed over 100 days with them. That’s good because the “laundry room” is one stacked washer and dryer in a closet per floor. 
 

Patty

Also free laundry for top suites, even if your first sailing.

[bitob]

1 hour ago, AtA said:

Well we only sailed the one time for 21 days and have no intention of sailing them again. If Crystal turns out to be a dud, which i don’t expect, then we would choose SB or Regent over SS. Or maybe the new Explorer Journey. 

But considering that so much of the original staff of C is coming back, I’m guessing we will be very happy on C.

And we would choose Silversea over Seabourn in a heartbeat.  We are sailing on Seabourn with friends in May but it has never been my first choice among the luxury lines.

[hypercafe]

If someone is happy to pay $1000+ a day for a vacation it's really hard to believe free laundry would be a big deal. I also wonder who goes on a vacation just because they can attend a few hour talks about cruise ships, space or the civil war. It's all fun but my goal is to see something different, meet different people and just relax. I enjoy trips from NY at least one way and the Crystal trips so far are inferior IMO. If better ones come up, time will tell.

[heather feathers]

The best things in life are all inclusive. 😗