Serenity Sep 8/23 - Reykjavik to Quebec City

[travelberlin]

Thanks May B. I am afraid you are right that my opinion will not change anything. I wanted to give it nevertheless. I am not very sure what Tastes serves. Which restaurant from the former Crystal is it replacing?

 

Ivi

[Roland4]

1 hour ago, travelberlin said:

Thanks May B. I am afraid you are right that my opinion will not change anything. I wanted to give it nevertheless. I am not very sure what Tastes serves. Which restaurant from the former Crystal is it replacing?

 

Ivi

It is on the starboard side of the pool deck, under what used to be the retractable roof. On the port side is The Grill, on the starboard side is Tastes. Under the previous regime, it was called Silk. It is open for Late Risers Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and has a wide selection of offerings at both lunch and dinner. We had both lunch and dinner on our sailing a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed them both.

[travelberlin]

9 minutes ago, Roland4 said:

It is on the starboard side of the pool deck, under what used to be the retractable roof. On the port side is The Grill, on the starboard side is Tastes. Under the previous regime, it was called Silk. It is open for Late Risers Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and has a wide selection of offerings at both lunch and dinner. We had both lunch and dinner on our sailing a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed them both.

Ah Ok. I know where Tastes is now. I used to like Silk. Thanks.

Ivi

[AtA]

19 hours ago, travelberlin said:

Plus 1.

 

Since my main meal is at lunch time, I enjoy having a good meal in a nice environment. This on land, while cruising and at home. I have liked the Waterside very much for lunch. And yes, this was part of the luxury experience that Crystal offered. And no, hot dogs and hamburgers are not my idea of luxury. They do not go well with the champagne I like to drink bevor my meal. 
 

I have skipped dinner once in a while at Crystal, because I do not eat that much at dinner time. I understand all the reasons given in this thread why Waterside is being closed for lunch. No need to repeat them.  But that is not the point. We are expressing what we like. If others do not find it important good for them. I respect their opinions. Since we have different priorities, we will not agree on this. The same for having or not a casino. I do not care at all for a casino. But for other people seems to be important. I respect that. However, I am giving my opinion now about the closing of Waterside for lunch on port days, in case someone with power to decide at Crystal would like to take our opinions into account.

 

Ivi

 

Ivi it's one thing to give an opinion especially since you prefer your main meal to be lunch. And of course I respect that. However it's rude and might I say uncouth for anyone (not you) to imply that the rest of us need to be taught what luxury is just because we do not find the need to eat lunch in Waterside. (Note you of course did not imply that!)

Edited October 4, 2023 by AtA

[Keith1010]

I do want to highlight that you will find Waterside will be open when occupancy is high and when you have sea days and on some port days. It was open on some of our port intensive cruises on Serenity on the first two voyages.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

And I want to put this on a separate post.

 

I believe that most people (maybe all) who book a luxury cruise have an appreciation of luxury. But, we all have different interests and tastes.

 

Take embarkation day. Anne Marie and I go to Waterside for lunch but some people want to go to the Trident Grill.  That's great.  We all have different favorites and interests.

 

And that goes for everything.

 

Never put down someone else because they don't see things as you do.  Just know we are all different.

 

Keith 

[Ethereal Cruiser]

21 hours ago, May B said:

Nobody would want to make you eat a burger or a dog for your main meal.

 

"Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are."
-Brillat-Savarin

 

If memory serves me right, this quote was displayed at the start of each Iron Chef episode, the original Japanese version, that is.

 

I'm not making a point. I was a fan of the show, and May B's statement reminded me of the Brillat-Savarin quote.

 

[Hlitner]

Thanks for posting the onboard reviews.  We have not been on Crystal for many years, but have been thinking about the line for the near future.  Nothing in the onboard posts convinces me we would even want to consider Crystal.  Why?  We just came off 18 days on the new Explora 1 (Explora Journeys).  That ship is about the same tonnage as the Serenity, but only has a capacity of 930 with the same crew size as on the Serenity.  E1 has 4 normal sit-down restaurants (no charge), a lido (called the Emporium) and a small venue for Guest Chefs (this is expensive....about 530 Euros for dinner with wine pairing).  Despite only having 241 passengers on our first segment, all the restaurants were open (every night) and there were often 2 sit down restaurants (plus the Lido) open for lunch.  The ship was fully crewed (about 650) with no reductions due to being far below capacity.   Breakfast was also in the lido and one of the sit down venues.  Nobody used the fact that we were at 25% of capacity as an excuse to close anything!  

 

What I read in this blog are a lot of excuses.  If I am paying for a luxury product, I expect all the venues to be functioning.  That is called luxury.  The paying passengers should not be penalized because the cruise line cannot sell their berths!  

 

I do think that A&K is a terrific company, and hope they get it all together before it is too late.  The industry needs Crystal (and the other luxury lines), but they should be cognizant of increasing competition from lines with newer ships.  Consider that EJ will have 6 ships by 2028 with the oldest only 5 years old (at that time).  Silverseas has added new ships and most of SB's ships are less than 10 years old.  On our recent Seabourn Quest cruise (August) the Restaurant was open for lunch on most days although nearly everyone dined in Colonnade or at the pool.  Since Colonnade is a hybrid lido (you can use the buffet or order at the table) it does satisfy most folks.  I do believe that guests on luxury lines should always have a sit-down restaurant option!

 

Hank

[Keith1010]

Hank, maybe you would be best to wait until the new Crystal Vessels come out.  They plan to add two new Ocean Vessels and two new expedition vessels. We should know a lot more sometime during the first half of next year about deployment plans for the first two (one ocean and one expedition).

 

In my case I  found our two voyages on Serenity July 31 and August 12 back to back voyages to exceed "my" definition" of luxury.   And I do have high standards as to what I expect from a luxury product.

 

Keith

[Stickman1990]

1 hour ago, Keith1010 said:

Hank, maybe you would be best to wait until the new Crystal Vessels come out

 

That’s a very long time to wait 

 

I can’t imagine Crystal being keen on not attracting new or returning guests until new ships are sailing 

 

Easier just to fix issues and make them attractive now for guests to return - or try Crystal as new guests 

[Keith1010]

Just now, Stickman1990 said:

 

That’s a very long time to wait 

 

I can’t imagine Crystal being keen on not attracting new or returning guests until new ships are sailing 

 

Easier just to fix issues and make them attractive now for guests to return - or try Crystal as new guests 

Well given that Hank has not sailed with Crystal for a very long time and given what he posted that is important to him it seems to make the most sense for him to wait for a new vessel. Certainly, if he wants to sail earlier it's his choice.  But he is certainly capable of making that decision on his own.

 

Having sailed Crystal this year with both first time Crystal Cruisers and Crystal Society Members the overall response from the people who we spoke with was terrific. And since that time the issues which bothered people have been addressed.  

 

Keith

[History&Wine]

I haven't visited this thread in a long time, but figured I would find out why there was so much interest in a single cruise.

 

I should have known it was due to off topic drift.

 

But hey, my two cents:  I agree that Waterside should be open for lunch whenever the ship is at sea.  I dislike buffets, even the so called grand or theme buffets.  Like others, a sit down lunch is part of my definition of a luxury experience. 

I have no problem with Waterside being closed when the ship is at port. In most if not all cases, I'll be in port.  I'll sample the port cuisine.   And Vince said it best:

"It’s demoralizing for the crew to be denied shore leave (or even just a break shift) to be standing around staring at the carpet day after day."

 

Boarding Serenity in less than three months!

 

Dwight

[seaworthy98]

6 hours ago, Hlitner said:

That ship is about the same tonnage as the Serenity, but only has a capacity of 930 with the same crew size as on the Serenity.  

 

 

 

Hank

 

The new owners reduced the Serenity's capacity to 740 during the prelaunch drydock.

 

[Hlitner]

7 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

Hank, maybe you would be best to wait until the new Crystal Vessels come out.  They plan to add two new Ocean Vessels and two new expedition vessels. We should know a lot more sometime during the first half of next year about deployment plans for the first two (one ocean and one expedition).

 

In my case I  found our two voyages on Serenity July 31 and August 12 back to back voyages to exceed "my" definition" of luxury.   And I do have high standards as to what I expect from a luxury product.

 

Keith

Personally, we are fine with older vessels (the Prinsendam was a longtime favorite).  But others, with whom we have talked on the Seabourn Quest and Explora 1 indicated that this was a concern. Many "Crystal refugees" have flocked to Seabourn, and we would hear comparisons (good and bad) on a routine basis.   We also met quite a few travel/cruise agents on the Explora 1, who told us that they would push that product to their luxury cruise clients.  

 

 My big issue, reading the thread, are the comments about closed restaurants, lack of sit-down dining options in some cases (we think that there should always be a sit-down option on any luxury line), etc. 

 

Our recent (March-May) cruise on HAL's Westerdam, really soured us on the current state of mass market lines (we have one remaining future mass market booking with Princess).  DW and I have decided that, given the current situation with cruising, we should stick with premium and luxury lines.  We do have future bookings with O, SB, and SS, and will keep looking at Crystal (and following onboard posts) to see what happens as their ships approach capacity.  Viking and Regent are also on our radar.  It is a very competitive market and there is no room for lines that truncate their services because of a lag in bookings.

 

Hank

[Keith1010]

5 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Personally, we are fine with older vessels (the Prinsendam was a longtime favorite).  But others, with whom we have talked on the Seabourn Quest and Explora 1 indicated that this was a concern. Many "Crystal refugees" have flocked to Seabourn, and we would hear comparisons (good and bad) on a routine basis.   We also met quite a few travel/cruise agents on the Explora 1, who told us that they would push that product to their luxury cruise clients.  

 

 My big issue, reading the thread, are the comments about closed restaurants, lack of sit-down dining options in some cases (we think that there should always be a sit-down option on any luxury line), etc. 

 

Our recent (March-May) cruise on HAL's Westerdam, really soured us on the current state of mass market lines (we have one remaining future mass market booking with Princess).  DW and I have decided that, given the current situation with cruising, we should stick with premium and luxury lines.  We do have future bookings with O, SB, and SS, and will keep looking at Crystal (and following onboard posts) to see what happens as their ships approach capacity.  Viking and Regent are also on our radar.  It is a very competitive market and there is no room for lines that truncate their services because of a lag in bookings.

 

Hank

Larry was on a cruise of an extraordinarily low guest count.  It is the lowest of any of the Serenity voyages from what I was told.  If you are looking to book in 2024 or beyond I don't see that happening again on Serenity.  The exception could at times be Waterside for lunch but that will depend on how many guests are off the ship and overall occupancy.

 

We were on Serenity for its first 22 days and the Specialty Restaurants were open each night for dinner with no closures.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide Hank.

 

Keith

[TER777]

I was on Symphony first 3 in September.  Waterside was open for lunch on sea days and partial sea days, closed on port days. There was table service lunch daily at Tastes. 

[Keith1010]

Our experience on Serenity was the same as Tracie's.

 

Keith

[Roland4]

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

  We also met quite a few travel/cruise agents on the Explora 1, who told us that they would push that product to their luxury cruise clients.  

 

Hank

I have been following the Explora board since the ship started sailing, and it would seem that once you "back out" the numbers of "freebies" (TAs and "influencers') it would appear the actual number of paying guests was right around the 150 we had on Serenity!!🙂

 

We will at some point try Explora, but not until we see what happens once the ship is sailing closer to capacity. I remember all the negative comments during the first sailing(s) about crowding and the unavailability of restaurant reservations in certain venues, and that was with maybe 300 guests?? What is going to happen when that number gets up to 750 - 900?? I asked that same question of an Explora rep at an industry event, and the response was "It is going to be interesting"!!

 

I wish them success, as we do need additional options in the "luxury" end of the market.

[Stickman1990]

1 hour ago, Roland4 said:

I have been following the Explora board since the ship started sailing, and it would seem that once you "back out" the numbers of "freebies" (TAs and "influencers') it would appear the actual number of paying guests was right around the 150 we had on Serenity!!🙂

 

Based on our recent cruise with Explora when I believe we had around 500 onboard I think you’re over estimating the number of TAs and influencers - there certainly weren’t 350 of them on our cruise 

 

Having TAs and Influencers on cruise ships especially those launching a new brand/ship or relaunching a brand as Crystal did with its initial sailings is not at all unusual. In my mind the debate is how you value their opinions - for me I trust my TA to give a fair assessment based on their wide knowledge and their knowledge of what we like from cruising - so that’s 100% valid

 

But do I trust the views of a young person on their first ever luxury cruise who likes to dress up and pose (I’m going to get in trouble now matter how I choose to describe their traits but I’m sure you get the picture) or an ”influencer”who only ever cruises that line - no I don't

 

Easiest way is to judge for oneself - then you can make your own decision based on facets versus here-say

 

Edited October 19, 2023 by Stickman1990

[BWIVince]

This isn’t specifically directed at Terry’s comment, but I’ve read several comments on the board about influencers lately that really make me think people are stuck on some kind of stereotype and really don’t understand their bigger role in the travel industry.

 

First, unless you catch one of them recording an editorial segment (which is rare because that is hard to do with people around), it’s not obvious who is an influencer and who isn’t.  Many of us regular passengers take the same photos and videos that influencers do, Similarly they don’t fit into an age demographic or visual stereotype — I follow roughly 90-100 different influencers across the spectrum of the travel industry, and many of them are senior citizens.

 

Second, I’m sure there are teenagers out there who go out and buy a product at Target because they saw an influencer that they want to be just like rave about something on TikTok, but that’s not generally the role of influencers in the travel industry.  Most travelers use influencers coverage of a hotel, airline or cruise as a deep dive into the product, not as a critically balanced review.  Sure, influencers give opinions, but most of us that follow particular influencers either learn quickly how to align our preferences with theirs, or completely ignore that part.  Many of the influencers I follow have completely opposite tastes and preferences from mine v= I don’t follow them because I need someone to tell me what to buy, I follow them because they can document every aspect of a product and I can then process that for what I need.

 

Vince