Comparing Crystal to Abercrombie and Kent

[Pudgesmom]

We have traveled on both premium and luxury lines, but not Crystal. We have done numerous land trips with A & K, as well as a full ship charter with them on Ponant. Our experiences have been excellent overall. I'm aware that a trip with Crystal would not be as all-inclusive as an A & K voyage. My question is mostly about shore excursions as well as a few other things.

 

We would love some input from anyone who traveled both with A & K and with the new Crystal. We are particularly not into large buses and big groups onshore.(Poor experience on Regent)  Are the guides well selected? 

How does the medium size ship compare to a much smaller vessel?  I assume there would be very little waiting onboard, say for dining or other things like tender boarding.  Is that true?

What about onboard service? We prefer a low key approach. 

Are onboard lecturers giving sessions pertinent to the sailing at hand or are they more generalized topics based on the lecturer's area of expertise?

Any other comparisons would be most welcome.

Thank you. 🙂

Edited February 9 by Pudgesmom

[ChatKat in Ca.]

The Crystal Experience is superior to the Regent Experience. The crew is welcoming but will take cues from the passengers. The excursions are not bus loads full. We cruised Regent for years and tried a Regent Cruise last year and were sorely disappointed .  We cannot wait to be back on board later this year. 

[artbcpa]

PLEASE NOTE: We have done a lot of cruising including on the former Crystal ships, but our first cruise on New Crystal will not be until later this month.

 

Excursions: We have not found there to be much difference between the ships. We much prefer private excursions from outside companies. Having said that we have scheduled several excursions with Crystal on our upcoming voyage. Part of the reason is that we are interested in experiencing whether the influence of A&K will make a difference. We were also pleasantly surprised at the reasonable prices Crystal is charging for their excursions. The prices on old Crystal were exorbitant and the quality was hit or miss. We are hopeful that things will be different.

 

Size of the ship - We have traveled on everything from the mega ships (over 6,000) to the fairly small ones (250-300). We have enjoyed the most those between 700-1,000 passengers. We love the entertainment and variety of activities that ships of that size can offer. When he have traveled on smaller ships, there were just too many things we missed. The large ships are just not our cup of tea. They often do have great entertainment, but the long lines and the pettiness of charging for every little thing is a real turnoff. 

 

Service - For the most part, service on the luxury cruise lines is outstanding. We don't tend to use the butlers as much as those who are constantly entertaining in their cabins.  From top to bottom, Crystal's service was the best.

 

Onboard lectures.- Of all the luxury cruise lines we sailed, Crystal lecturers and daytime activities were the best - until Edie (former President). We are hoping that things will return to the pre Edie period. Crystal always had excellent port lecturers, but they also had the most interesting lecturers in unique topics.

 

Some of things that sets Crystal apart, that we hope A&K retains. Every couple of years when the Olympics were going on, Crystal hosted its own shipboard games and had former Olympians as speakers who also gave out the medals. Formal nights (now fully optional). We love to dress up, especially  in Asia. Some of the gowns the women wore were out of this world. Unlike other ships, Crystal always made sure a staff person was present to supervise the activities. We were surprised when some other luxury ships did not. 

[Pudgesmom]

On 2/12/2024 at 11:25 AM, ChatKat in Ca. said:

The Crystal Experience is superior to the Regent Experience. The crew is welcoming but will take cues from the passengers. The excursions are not bus loads full. We cruised Regent for years and tried a Regent Cruise last year and were sorely disappointed .  We cannot wait to be back on board later this year. 

Thanks for the reply, but not the comparison I was seeking.

[Pudgesmom]

On 2/12/2024 at 4:21 PM, artbcpa said:

PLEASE NOTE: We have done a lot of cruising including on the former Crystal ships, but our first cruise on New Crystal will not be until later this month.

 

Excursions: We have not found there to be much difference between the ships. We much prefer private excursions from outside companies. Having said that we have scheduled several excursions with Crystal on our upcoming voyage. Part of the reason is that we are interested in experiencing whether the influence of A&K will make a difference. We were also pleasantly surprised at the reasonable prices Crystal is charging for their excursions. The prices on old Crystal were exorbitant and the quality was hit or miss. We are hopeful that things will be different.

 

Size of the ship - We have traveled on everything from the mega ships (over 6,000) to the fairly small ones (250-300). We have enjoyed the most those between 700-1,000 passengers. We love the entertainment and variety of activities that ships of that size can offer. When he have traveled on smaller ships, there were just too many things we missed. The large ships are just not our cup of tea. They often do have great entertainment, but the long lines and the pettiness of charging for every little thing is a real turnoff. 

 

Service - For the most part, service on the luxury cruise lines is outstanding. We don't tend to use the butlers as much as those who are constantly entertaining in their cabins.  From top to bottom, Crystal's service was the best.

 

Onboard lectures.- Of all the luxury cruise lines we sailed, Crystal lecturers and daytime activities were the best - until Edie (former President). We are hoping that things will return to the pre Edie period. Crystal always had excellent port lecturers, but they also had the most interesting lecturers in unique topics.

 

Some of things that sets Crystal apart, that we hope A&K retains. Every couple of years when the Olympics were going on, Crystal hosted its own shipboard games and had former Olympians as speakers who also gave out the medals. Formal nights (now fully optional). We love to dress up, especially  in Asia. Some of the gowns the women wore were out of this world. Unlike other ships, Crystal always made sure a staff person was present to supervise the activities. We were surprised when some other luxury ships did not. 

Thanks for the reply. I hope you’ll come back to share your experience after your “new” Crystal cruise.

[Embowaf]

I have not been on new crystal yet, but in terms of your question about waiting. That was one of my favorite things about old crystal; no waiting for just about anything. You'll rarely stand in a line of any sort.

 

In many cases, I effectively walked straight onto the ship on embarkation day. In some ports there's a bus or something to move you around that causes there to be some sort of a wait, but its never been egregious. Maybe there will be a few groups in front of you if you arrive at the dining room at the busiest time for dinner, but you're waiting for them to take each group ahead to a table, not for space to clear. The grill at lunch can have a line of a few people waiting to place an order if you're there at a specific time. You of course must wait for a tender from time to time as they usually are launching them from one place, but it's very rare that you're in much of a line there. When you get back from a tender, you might have to wait for a few elevators to arrive before everyone clears, but that's about it.

[KenzSailing]

On 2/12/2024 at 2:25 PM, ChatKat in Ca. said:

The Crystal Experience is superior to the Regent Experience. The crew is welcoming but will take cues from the passengers. The excursions are not bus loads full. We cruised Regent for years and tried a Regent Cruise last year and were sorely disappointed .  We cannot wait to be back on board later this year. 

 

I respectfully disagree, but every cruise(and cruise experience) is different.

[artbcpa]

On 2/15/2024 at 11:47 AM, Pudgesmom said:

Thanks for the reply. I hope you’ll come back to share your experience after your “new” Crystal cruise.

Just completed our New Crystal cruise Hong Kong to Singapore. Overall Crystal is FAR superior to Explora Journeys. Comparing it to old Crystal, I believe there is not much difference with these exceptions:

 

Bad: The ship is much too old. Even with the renovation, the internet does not compare with other newer ships.
 

Good: They are much more flexible with regard to pricing. That may be due to their eagerness to have previous passengers return. Their staff, service, welcoming feeling, speakers, and entertainment are all equal to or better than old Crystal. 
 

Mixed: Food - some better, some worse but overall equal. New Italian restaurant not anywhere near as good as Prego. Waterside main dining room better.

 

Avenue Saloon is still the hit of the late evening. We did miss the casino. We understand they are bringing it back.

 

If you have any specific questions, please ask.

[Pudgesmom]

Thanks so much for posting. How did you find the shore excursions? Do they have onboard lecturers?

[artbcpa]

Just now, Pudgesmom said:

Thanks so much for posting. How did you find the shore excursions? Do they have onboard lecturers?

Their speakers are the best on the seas. They also have so many that they are available on your in cabin TVs in case you missed one. The shore excursions are of mixed quality, but WAY cheaper than old Crystal. We still prefer booking private, but in some locations, that may not be practical.

[skybluewaters]

1 hour ago, artbcpa said:

They are much more flexible with regard to pricing.

 

Thanks for your review!

Could you explain what you mean by Crystal being more flexible with regard to pricing.

[360Guy]

22 hours ago, artbcpa said:

Just completed our New Crystal cruise Hong Kong to Singapore. Overall Crystal is FAR superior to Explora Journeys. Comparing it to old Crystal, I believe there is not much difference with these exceptions:

 

Bad: The ship is much too old. Even with the renovation, the internet does not compare with other newer ships.
 

Good: They are much more flexible with regard to pricing. That may be due to their eagerness to have previous passengers return. Their staff, service, welcoming feeling, speakers, and entertainment are all equal to or better than old Crystal. 
 

Mixed: Food - some better, some worse but overall equal. New Italian restaurant not anywhere near as good as Prego. Waterside main dining room better.

 

Avenue Saloon is still the hit of the late evening. We did miss the casino. We understand they are bringing it back.

 

If you have any specific questions, please ask.

We are sailing first time on Serenity 7/2 Vancouver RT.  If you wouldn’t mind elaborating further with respect to your thoughts on the “mixed” food.   Reviews on this board for Waterside have been very positive.  Thanks!

Edited March 15 by 360Guy

[artbcpa]

Just now, 360Guy said:

We are sailing first time on Serenity 7/2 Vancouver RT.  If you wouldn’t mind elaborating further with respect to your thoughts on the “mixed” food.   Reviews on this board for Waterside have been very positive.  Thanks!

We agree that Waterside's food and service are excellent. On many ships, we prefer their speciality restaurants, but we felt Waterside was the best on this cruise. We particularly loved their menus, not only for dinner, but for lunch as well. We only ate breakfast there one day, but it too was outstanding. My only complaint would be that sometimes the food did not have as much flavor/spices as I would like, but that is a personal preference. 

My favorite surprise was when Waterside served the famous "Prego" mushroom soup. I have the original Crystal recipe book as well as the later one from Nobu. I have made the Prego soup myself, but it was not as good as having it on Crystal.

We understand that Crystal may be considering replacing Tastes. We love Tastes both for lunch and dinner. If they do decide to that, my choice would to return the Brazilian Churrascaría. I know the trend is to reduce the amount of meats being served, but I am still a carnivore. Speaking to that Eleanor is much more into vegetables, but she simply loved the filets at Waterside and even ordered them two nights in a row. 

 

Edited March 16 by artbcpa
Added info

[artbcpa]

13 hours ago, skybluewaters said:

 

Thanks for your review!

Could you explain what you mean by Crystal being more flexible with regard to pricing.

Crystal offers many more specials then they did in the past. Their excursions are also much more reasonably priced. The only negative change I have noticed is on their single supplements. Old Crystal used to have the best single supplement on the seas. Other lines now offer equal or better choices.

[skybluewaters]

Thank you @artbcpa

But I can’t agree with you regarding the reasonableness of the pricing of their excursions. The price on quite a few of them on my upcoming June 24 - July 9 cruise on Serenity can best be described as outrageous or absurd (that varies by specific excursion). But Crystal must know what it’s doing, because we signed up for four excursions nonetheless.

 

 

[artbcpa]

16 hours ago, skybluewaters said:

Thank you @artbcpa

But I can’t agree with you regarding the reasonableness of the pricing of their excursions. The price on quite a few of them on my upcoming June 24 - July 9 cruise on Serenity can best be described as outrageous or absurd (that varies by specific excursion). But Crystal must know what it’s doing, because we signed up for four excursions nonetheless.

 

 

Perhaps your cruise has a higher occupancy or alternative excursions are more limited. Whatever the reason, why don’t you investigate private tours from companies like Tours by Locals and Viator. There are others if you browse online for the location. The quality will be better, you can decide how long to stay at each place you visit and the price may not be much higher. You should be able to cancel your Crystal excursion if you find something better.

 

One more suggestion. You can hire a guide at most ports yourself, BUT it is critical that you do some vetting first. This is how I do it; others may have additional suggestions. Ask the guide what they would suggest seeing. Based on his/her answer, you can decide:

 

1). if you can understand their accent and

 

2). if they know their city.

 

I NEVER hire someone who says I can take you wherever you want or asks what you want to see. To me that indicates that they don’t really know their city.

 

Enjoy.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Internet is constantly being upgraded on all ships – even those built last year need the latest Starlink to be competitive.  So Crystal should be able to match the best, despite the age of their ships.

 

Shore Excursions are getting pricey everywhere and on every cruise line – because the providers are fewer and are passing on their higher costs.  The A&K shore excursions may help if Crystal adopts a two-tier approach with reasonably priced regular excursions and expensive 'A&K-curated' choices.  But not if the A&K approach becomes the norm and all shore excursions go through the roof!

[Keith1010]

5 hours ago, artbcpa said:

We understand that Crystal may be considering replacing Tastes. We love Tastes both for lunch and dinner. If they do decide to that, my choice would to return the Brazilian Churrascaría. I know the trend is to reduce the amount of meats being served, but I am still a carnivore. Speaking to that Eleanor is much more into vegetables, but she simply loved the filets at Waterside and even ordered them two nights in a row. 

 

It's already been announced.  This will take you to that thread. 

 

Keith

 

 

[May B]

19 hours ago, skybluewaters said:

Thank you @artbcpa

But I can’t agree with you regarding the reasonableness of the pricing of their excursions. The price on quite a few of them on my upcoming June 24 - July 9 cruise on Serenity can best be described as outrageous or absurd (that varies by specific excursion). But Crystal must know what it’s doing, because we signed up for four excursions nonetheless.

 

 

Are you going to the lavender farm? 
 

And British tea at Butchart really appeals to me, too. We could rent a car and book separately, to save money. But a year later, I certainly won’t miss the extra dollars. I’m more into ease and avoiding hassles/worries.

[skybluewaters]

3 hours ago, May B said:

Are you going to the lavender farm? 
 

And British tea at Butchart really appeals to me, too. We could rent a car and book separately, to save money. But a year later, I certainly won’t miss the extra dollars. I’m more into ease and avoiding hassles/worries.

 

No, we're not going to the lavender farm or to the tea at Butchart Gardens.

 

But an interesting note, two of the excursions I signed up for have dropped their prices since I booked.  Dynamic pricing?  I hadn't heard of that for excursions before.

 

And you are entirely correct, avoiding hassles/worries is worth a million in prizes.