Jayayeff

it’s a 17 night itinerary… although as a solo traveller it’s the total cost that matters to me….those fares are all for one person… Anne…

I'm pleased you picked that one as a comparison because I looked at the 2023 Athens to Dubai itinerary and was shocked when I saw the fare as I have done that trip previously (albeit in reverse) Designated Solo Occupancy Cabin $9,100 Deck 7 Lowest Fare Double + 50%SS) $12,150 My Previous trip (Dubai to Athens) $6,250 (including port fees & taxes) I think my days of enjoying Crystal Cruises is now past!!! A 50% increase for one of those dreadful location forward cabins, or at least 80% increase if I select the same cabin I occupied on the same itinerary previously!!!... Not to mention that my previous fare also came with a $500 As You Wish Credit which almost paid for my overnight excursion to Luxor!!!! Anne...

You’re not the only one, and sadly this isn’t the only thread to which that applies!!!

British citizens do not need pre-arranged visas they are part of the visa waiver scheme which grants tourist visa on arrival to nationals of a whole list of countries, the UK being one of them… Anne..

If it is the MSC World Europa then it will be Port Rashid as it’s too big for the new Dubai Harbour terminal.. I was over that side of the city on Saturday and it was docked at the Port Rashid Cruise Terminal… Anne

You are assuming all those solo faithful cruisers paid only the entry level cruise fare, and whilst I can’t speak for them all I for sure spent a lot more on add-ons than many of the couples I met during my travels, and know others who paid not insignificant SS% for higher category staterooms than the entry level ones!!! Anne…

Just a quick comment if you were interested, the floating hotel moored beside the cruise terminal in Port Rashid is actually the QE2 not the Queen Mary (I believe that is in a port in California). Also when checking for pre or post cruise hotel accommodation in Dubai it's good to know which terminal your cruise ship will dock at as there are now two here and there is quite a distance between them. The original Cruise Terminal in Port Rashid which is in the old part of Dubai and the new one which is called Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal which is right beside the Palm Jumeirah and close to Dubai Marina. I've met up with friends arriving here on cruise ships twice recently and one arrived in Port Rashid (with Oceania) and the other at Dubai Harbour (with Cunard on the QM2). As others have rightly noted traffic is dreadful here for the most part so finding somewhere that has easy access to the Metro would be a good idea... It's easy to use, very clean and for the most part above ground so you can sightsee as you go!! Anne...

Of course it was - you got to meet me in person for the first time!!!! I remember having dinner with Anne Marie and yourself in Silk Road during your port call in Dubai on that voyage....😀😀😀 Anne..

One can only hope as the present approach is little short of insulting, especially, if like me, the Symphony itineraries are the ones that usually attract your attention... There's not a chance I will be handing over the amount of money they are asking for those Deck7 Single Occupancy Cabins on the Symphony. I don't sleep well at the best of times, but that far forward and right above the Galaxy Lounge doesn't bear thinking about!!! I guess that, and/or the imposition of a 50% SS if you want to move a little further back to the staterooms we previously occupied, was one way to discourage the return of the faithful solo cruisers who were so loyal to Crystal in the past....Mission Accomplished... Anne...

He has one in mine too - in fact it just relocated to a larger more prestigious location within the Atlantis Hotel but it's as much a celebrity 'must be seen in and post on Instagram hotspot' as a 'local' eatery as the majority of us can barely afford to walk through the door!!!! Much as I loved dining in them when onboard the Symphony & Serenity, I think two small restaurants on two ageing cruise ships would be of little significance to Nobu these days as he seems to be going much bigger than that. In addition to the newer and bigger Nobu restaurant in the original Atlantis Hotel here in Dubai, there is now a Nobu Beach Club within the newly opened Atlantis The Royal Hotel complex, a Nobu Abu Dhabi Resort (Restaurant, Hotel and Residences) under construction in Abu Dhabi and another Nobu Marjan Island Resort on the drawing board as part of a new development in the northern emirate of Ras Al Khaimah....Nobu seems to have branched out a bit these days!!!! Anne...

The world moves on and it is even less restrictive now - you can get a 1 year multi-entry tourist visa issued online in minutes, no longer is there the need for abayas or hijabs, unless visiting religious sites, just a dress modestly code as is the case in most other Islamic countries. Other than visiting historical sites, Saudi Arabia now plays host to countless international sports events during the course of each year, both men's and women's. I'm not lifting the 'political' box lid but for tourists, other than still not being able to get a cocktail, a beer or a glass of wine publicly, it's pretty much like visiting any other Arabian Peninsula country in 2023 - some have more to offer than others!!! Anne..

As is often the case on this board when certain members get the bit between their teeth!!!!. A shame as it was a great idea, and it was going along so well until, as you say, it got hijacked and is now dominated by a back and forth about other cruise lines food!!!! As the OP you could try reporting ‘the diversion’ and request the irrelevant posts be trimmed out as your original intent is way more interesting that the route it’s now gone down.. Anne..

Good for me is that the Crystal Symphony is still 'alive and well' - I first sailed on her back in 2006 and have always preferred her over the Serenity, but as my cruises are usually itinerary driven it depends which ship is going where and whether it fits my budget!! Secondly, the demise of that silly little bathtub in the standard staterooms and the arrival of a spacious walk-in shower - what a long overdue and welcome sight that is!!! Bad for me are the Single Occupancy Staterooms. Strange you may think for someone who travels solo, but if you are going to introduce something then at least do it properly. Considering the number of regular solo passengers who have historically cruised with Crystal, across all categories of staterooms or suites, why on earth would you simply just rename a block of double occupancy staterooms located in the least favourable location on the ship for them!!! Even paying the lowest fare on a guarantee basis in the past I've never been assigned a stateroom that far forward on Deck 7 of the Symphony. In fact the only time I was even close my neighbours were either guest entertainers, dance hosts, dance instructors or enrichment lecturers. Single Occupancy Cabins should have been designed for solo use not just be regular double staterooms with a change of label on the deck plan key, and be scattered around the ship not just lumped into one small area of a single deck - what were we, an afterthought!!! What a wasted opportunity for the new Crystal to benefit from the number of solo travelers - past, present and future in the market for solo travel opportunities these days... Indifferent: The itineraries released so far are a bit ho hum, same old same old, but they may have been limited in options for these early voyages. I'm not overly concerned about the other internal changes - restaurants, bars, gym, spa, casino or no casino etc. Although I think the phasing out of the Computer University at Sea and the introduction of something like an Arts Studio or a Cookery Skills Academy would be far more relevant to todays world....However, the ship is not the destination for me, but the means of getting to those places on my chosen itinerary so it will be interesting to see what shore excursion choices/prices are like when they are released.. I won't be rushing to have my travel agent make a booking for me, I'm happy to sit back and wait for the full story to be published for now!!!... Once bitten, twice shy....😀 Anne..

oops...posted in error