New Ships

[Texas Tillie]

4 hours ago, Whipsnade said:

Don’t even think it, Tillie. Every airport has wheelchairs and Symphony bell boys will happily wheel you from ship to shore in every port. We did it today in Singapore. Gets easier as you get older as long as you accept it. 

 

Thanks for your thoughts, Whipsnade. "As long as you accept it" is the key. I've been too independent for too long, lived alone for 55 years this month, to be that dependent on others, at least not until maybe I have to move to "the home"! 

 

Patty

[Txcotn]

Re new ships - typical Crystal (that we LOVE) but never in  our lifetime, which is getting shorter! We'll never see the new ships but would be happy to sail on the "old ships"!

[Whipsnade]

It was tough for us to ask for wheelchairs. Still reluctant. But it adds a lot to our lives and find folks everywhere more than willing  to help. 
No “home” for us. We find ship best place for us. Spending about 100 days a year now on ships and planning to increase that to 120 next year. Actually cheaper than a good “home”. 

[Texas Tillie]

14 hours ago, skybluewaters said:

 

I, too, love the old Crystal ships, but can Crystal survive without new ships?

 

Given the extended time it takes from conception to delivery of a new ship, I think Crystal's best hope is to purchase existing luxury ships from another cruise line...or merge with Seabourn.

 

Carnival, which owns Seabourn, has immense debt and has already sold off one of Seabourn's ships.  Perhaps it would be in both Crystal's and Carnival's best interests for A&K to acquire Seabourn.

 

 

I'm not sure Seabourn's ships would be a good fit with Crystal as most are too small. Only 2 are 600 passengers and those two are now 6 and 8 years old. Crystal would not be Crystal unless they have ships at least 600 passengers. 

 

Patty

[Stickman1990]

1 hour ago, Texas Tillie said:

Crystal would not be Crystal unless they have ships at least 600 passengers. 

There’s capacity - and then there’s actual number of guests….

 

Sure 600 would be nice but Crystal is Crystal with significantly lower guest numbers than 600 

[PaulMCO]

2 hours ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

I'm not sure Seabourn's ships would be a good fit with Crystal as most are too small. Only 2 are 600 passengers and those two are now 6 and 8 years old. Crystal would not be Crystal unless they have ships at least 600 passengers. 

 

Patty

Yes but they have two new modern Expedition ships and who knows what Carnival will do with the small ships which are $$$ to operate (Odyssey is the first to go)

[Texas Tillie]

57 minutes ago, Stickman1990 said:

There’s capacity - and then there’s actual number of guests….

 

Sure 600 would be nice but Crystal is Crystal with significantly lower guest numbers than 600 

 My point was with a much lower capacity, Crystal would not be able to offer the same level of entertainment or enrichment and the ships would not have the same number of venues that offer the variety Crystal cruisers expect. This has nothing to do with the passenger load from cruise to cruise. And, no, I'm not under the illusion that if the passenger load doesn't average around 75% capacity down the line, Crystal's long term viability might be in question.

 

Patty

Edited March 14 by Texas Tillie

[Keith1010]

Another interesting topic but given that Crystal announced that it is their intent to build two types of ships (hopefully two of each) makes no sense to buy existing ships.  

So it's nice the someone offered the opinion that given lead times they should buy existing ships but I hope that will not be the case. I would rather it take longer but that Crystal can come out with ships built with current technology and planned from the start to be ones that have the Crystal look and feel.  

 

In the meantime, we are very happy to sail on both Symphony and Serenity and that is our plan until we have new ships to look forward to. And remember, it's not all ocean vessels but it was mentioned two of the four they hope to build would be expedition.  

 

Keith