ClefsDor

1 hour ago, crusin7 said:

There are only 2 functioning Poker machines in the Casino.  The third one should be repaired in San Diego.  If you play slots you know this is crazy!!  Poker machines are the most popular.

Wow, that is crazy. I take it you don't mean though that there are only 3 slot machines in total? 

52 minutes ago, Hambagahle said:

That is what she does - has things already done and just explains them.  For me that is not a cooking class.

I agree. We have booked two cooking classes on our Splendor cruise and I would be disappointed if some of the major components of the dish were already made.

We have 11 months to go before our first cruise with Regent and on the Splendor. Thank you to all for taking the time to post on your vacation and whetting our appetites for what we can expect!

Thanks 2012 Alaska Bound - found it and enjoyed seeing all the areas that were featured. Looking forward to seeing it for ourselves in December - by then I'm hoping for many more live blogs 🙂

Can someone post a link to the Facebook page that has the pictures of Splendor - I can't seem to find it? Thanks in advance.

We use the spa on Crystal frequently and they are run by One World/ Steiner. The 18% gratuity is added on top of the bill and it is called a service charge and it includes the tip to the technician. No extra tip is required. 

To those of you who wish to disregard the policy on tipping - I'm curious to know if you also disregard other policies such as dress code? Somehow I doubt it. so why is it ok to disregard one policy over another? A policy or rule is just that and should be adhered to - if you don't like a policy (such as dress code or tipping) then choose another line. Simple!

I think this is a good move and it will be interesting to hear of anyone's experience's on board who have tried to tip.

When we have stayed in hotels that have no tipping policies the staff just politely thank you and refuse the tip and say that it is against their hotel policy. I think it is much nicer to donate money to the crew welfare fund so as even the crew behind the scenes can benefit, not just customer facing personnel. I also like this policy as it will eliminate passengers being given better treatment if they are known to be big tippers. 

I'm assuming gratuities on board the ship are included on Regent?

It has not been a problem for us or others I know. Not sure how this all works and what restrictions are on the TA's regarding booking cruises for non US passengers but with the agent we use it has never been an issue.

No Australian based TA's give OBC. You need to book with a USA based TA to get any OBC.

I have tried the Steiner salons on Crystal and the service charge is always 18% and not included in the price. But even with the 18% gratuity a shampoo and style dry for medium hair would be $53 once the service charge has been added - significantly less than the prices when it was operated by Canyon Ranch.

Would be interested to know if the prices are the same as when Canyon Ranch was managing the spa?

One other reason for the difference in food quality apart from preparing food for significantly less people is that on the ocean ships 99% of the kitchen crew are Asian- they do an awesome job but on the river ships they can only employ people from the EU and thus the kitchen crew all have European culinary training and this can make a huge difference. This was explained to us by the GM on the Crystal Mozart when we sailed her a couple of years ago.

19 hours ago, MightyQuinn said:

Hope you love your Vienna-Vienna sailing as much as we did!  Kate

Thank you, Kate! I've done this itinerary before on the Mozart and loved it but it will be a first for my sister. It's a great itinerary - only thing I would change is I would love a 10 day cruise that started in Vienna and ended in Budapest or vice versa. On our last cruise we were in Budapest overnight but it was freezing and there was even some snow and this was in April. No one had packed for that kind of weather so it was really hard to see as much as we would have liked in beautiful Budapest. Hoping that an October cruise won't be as cold but we will at least be better prepared.

14 hours ago, MightyQuinn said:

We've sailed both Bach and Ravel and actually spotted a minor difference between them!  It's the location of the public washroom on Deck 2. 

Thanks MightyQuinn, does that mean that things like colour palette and soft furnishings are also identical in the public spaces such as Waterside?

I agree with you Patti and Coral - I can only cross fingers that Mozart and river cruising might not appeal as much as Genting think it will to the Asian and mainly Chinese market and that it reverts back to what it was, but somehow I don't think that will happen. 

I'm pleased though that the other Crystal river ships are also getting very good reviews. Plus one for a Crystal river cruise in France!

I have booked my first cruise on the Ravel with my sister for next October - Vienna Return. My husband and I did this exact itinerary a couple of years ago on Crystal Mozart and loved it. If Mozart was still available we would have chosen her but alas that's not the case. Ravel is the only Crystal river ship to offer a 10 day itinerary at that time. Can anyone tell me if the Ravel is identical to the Bach? I've never cruised on the Bach but my sister and I did go on board for a visit when it was docked in Amsterdam in July. We thought the Bach was lovely and it actually didn't feel as small as I was expecting it to, even compared to the Mozart although of course it is much much narrower.

I know on Crystal since their dry docks the internet has been vastly improved and there's been barely a glitch in service or speed on the cruises I've been on (except for some fjords in Norway) and that includes when we are in our stateroom. I maintain a live blog and post pictures daily and am able to do so quickly. My husband works and needs to be in contact with his office even when he's away and it's never been an issue. 

I believe that the drying machines used in commercial laundries are not the same as domestic dryers in that they simulate air drying and don't run as hot. They are also very very large and this helps in not ruining clothes that are not meant to be tumble dried. I normally don't take the risk and wash these items in the laundry room and then hang it to dry in our room. I find that clothes I hang up to dry in the  bathroom usually dry overnight.

We'll be on Splendor in Dec 2020 and the "all inclusive wifi" of one device per suite is going to take some getting used to and from Flossie's post it doesn't sound like we can even pay for more devices. If the internet is as woeful as it appears to be at the moment this could be a deal breaker for us and Regent, but crossing fingers that by then things will have improved.

Is it possible to pay extra to be able to log in more than one device per room and if so how much does it cost?  TIA

If I'm not mistaken the included internet on Regent is one device per person? I can't imagine what the internet speed would be like if it was truly unlimited, as in multiple devices per person!

I'm really surprised by this! I've only cruised on Crystal to date with a cruise on Splendor booked for 2020 and Crystal always, no questions asked, honour price reductions, even when one has paid in full. I would be very put off cruising regularly with a company who didn't honour a price reduction.

Thanks for the interesting comparison. It's good to see that Regent's extra charge excursions are so well priced which makes sense given that most excursions are inclusive and if you choose one that isn't you're still being compensated.