bizinsider

Hi all,

Does anybody have insight into whether the premium Internet access is any more stable/reliable than the free? I'm in the camp that must stay as connected as possible for work so I was curious if the higher level is a benefit. I've seen various comments on these threads. We will be on the Voyager Barcelona to Dubai later this year. I realize Regent has been boosting quality, and that there are plenty of factors involved, but thought some of you might have an opinion or two. 

This will be our first time on Regent in years. We have more experience on Crystal (spotty) and Seabourn (pretty good, especially if you know which stairwell works best in a pinch). For the record, some of the best speed was on the Seabourn Quest a few years go crossing The Drake and in Antarctica. 

Thanks,

Herb

We were on the September 10 sailing of the Mozart. This was our first river cruise. Our quick observations:

What we liked:

• The ship is first class in design/décor.
  
• The crew is fantastic – from the front desk and concierge tothe dining room, housekeeper and butler.
  
• The food is exceptional and lives up to its billing.
  

What we didn’t like:

Our cabin, 235. We would advise against booking it or any cabin near the rear, especially (based on this cruise) the port side. We cannot say this strongly enough. It is a two-star room in a 5-star hotel, therefore bringing down the entire experience.

Our primary complaint: The size, the noises, the bed and … the smell.

The size: We knew this would be small – this was a deluxe with a French balcony – but knowing and experiencing are two different things. Although It is new, beautifully decorated and technologically ahead of many ships and hotels, it’s a very tight space – especially between the closet and the bed and the foot of the bed and the wall. The bathroom has no storage, other than one shallow drawer and virtually nowhere to place anything at the sink. While the vessel sink looks nice it is impractical. We also didn’t like being blocked in night-after-night by another ship.

The noises: We were directly under the kitchen *–specifically, under the pastry/baking section. That meant every night, ataround 10 or 11 the bakers would start preparing the next day’s bread and goodies.That meant the mixer would start roaring just above our heads, from slow to high. And the food carts would roll. And for those who think that’s what we get for going to bed early – surprise: The carts would start rolling around at around 4 a.m., as well – loud enough to wake us up. Back and forth, back and forth. There was also the tick, tick, tick or drip,drip, drip (all night long when docked overnight) of – and I’m guessing – the sound of the motor from one of the ships, amplified because we were tethered to the other ship. We also had a terrible vibration noise in the room when the ship was moving. We tracked it down to the bottom hinge of the cabin door. When engineering arrived, the maintenance guy seemed unenthused about fixing it (he was the only negative person we encountered on the ship) and reluctantly thought about it and realized he could fix a gasket in the hinge. It actually resolved the situation for two nights. Then the rattle resumed, and we fixed it by getting up multiples times at night kicking the door!

The bed: This reminded us of the old beds on the Symphony. Even with a topper, it wasn’t very comfortable.

The smell – and (unfortunately) we’re not talking about the smell of fresh-baked bread or deserts: Starting our first night we were often docked alongside the A-Rosa Stella. The kitchen vents of these ships are at the rear –very close to our cabin. Imagine a tight wall next to another wall with kitchen fumes belching out and bouncing into a narrow alley. Somehow those fumes wound up in our cabin – and I suspect the cabins of others. It was like our room was in a deep fryer, with frying oil odors so intense they made our eyes burn. The mornings would be bacon or some other greasy smell. One night, all night, our best guess is that it was pot roast. It made it tough to sleep. We complained the first night, but there was nothing that could be done. Based on the body language of multiple crew members we mentioned this to – none coming right out and saying it – we suspect we were not the first people to ever mention this. I’m surprised nobody has mentioned this on Cruise Critic.

Also, there was the issue with the river levels – something out of Crystal’s control. Crystal did a great job of trying to get us to Budapest but could only go as far as Bratislava because of low water levels on the Danube. The destinations department gets high marks for juggling more than 100 passengers (and smiling through the process) and getting them into hotels. Wefeel Crystal corporate, however, could have done a better job with compensation for the reduced time in Budapest.

Finally, this is a nitpick, but: We also didn’t like the music in the dining room at breakfast and lunch. It seemed like Crystal was targeting the cruise to the generation before ours, rather than a mix of ages. (We are in our mid-60s.) It made us feel old – or older than we are;).

It might have been a very different experience if we had been in a different cabin. We will never know.

Herb

The latest: We made it to Bratislava and will be bussed to Budapest in the morning for the overnight. The ship is split into two hotels: The Intercontinental and the Kempinski. We and many others have arranged to stay an additional night in Budapest; we will take a train back later in the day on the day before departure.

Because of the change, Crystal is compensating passengers $50 for an additional meal in Budapest plus $250 per person toward a future cruise.

Our only quibble is that we would have liked Crystal to allow us to use our shipboard credit for travel back to the ship – and/or even to pay for part of our hotel room. But it is a mere quibble.

The destinations staff and the tireless concierge Andreea have had a ton to juggle and have gone out of their way to help (including helping us with train reservations, if we asked) and yet somehow managed to keep their sanity and smiles.

We learned first hand that this is sometimes an hour-by-hour decision process, based on water levels – not even day-by-day. Crystal did its best in a difficult situation.

The crew has been nothing short of exceptional.

This was our first river cruise; not sure we'll do another. But not because of anything Crystal didn't do right; just because we prefer an ocean cruise. This was an efficient way to hit a bunch of places we wouldn't have ordinarily seen: Prague (pre-cruise), Vienna (don't miss the fine art museum (Crystal provided a great guide, small group - I can't stress how spectacular this was), the summer palace (the gardens are a must see plus we went late enough in the day to have much of the palace to ourselves) and now onward to Budapest.

Enjoy your trip. You can't control or predict the weather (on any trip) or water levels (on this one.) You just have to roll with it.

Herb

bizinsider, have you decided what to do, cruise or cancel?

 

Fyi, (love it when someone still has a sense of humour even under such trying circumstances), it raining alone the Danube (rain expected for the next 5 days) and the Vienna - Budapest should improve in a couple of days.

 

Have a great cruise.

Thanks, GMT. Life's too short NOT to have a sense of humor! We were not given the option to cancel; it seems the only issue will be bus vs boat to Budapest and Bratislava. Our bags aren't yet packed but by the end of this weekend they will be. We fly out Monday from LAX to Prague, which we are doing on our own. Then on the train down to Vienna for a few days. Then, hopefully on the Danube for 10!

Herb

Crystal is getting ahead of the curve. We received this today. (Thanks, Crystal!) We figure it will be a bus to those two ports, with an overnight in Budapest. Not ideal, but a great option.

<<Dear xxxxx,

We look forward to welcoming you aboard Crystal Mozart’s "Treasures of the Danube" river cruise departing on September 10, 2018.

Due to unseasonably dry conditions in central Europe, and a record heat wave, the Danube River, specifically the stretch of river between Bratislava and Budapest, is experiencing extremely low water levels.

Even though water levels may improve with just one hearty rainfall, at this time we are erring on the side of caution to prepare our guests for a possible change of itinerary on this upcoming cruise. We have well thought-out contingency plans prepared to ensure you enjoy a fabulous vacation with us.

The safety and comfort of our guests are of the utmost importance to Crystal, and current forecasts for water levels along the route are being monitored continuously. Any necessary updates to the itinerary will be provided as they are confirmed.

While this act of nature is beyond our control, all of us at Crystal apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We are all committed to providing our guests with a memorable vacation experience.

Sincerely,

Crystal

Guest Services>>

Just curious if anyone is currently sailing on the Mozart from Vienna - have you had any itinerary changes and if so how where they handled? Was the cruise shortened, rerouted, done by bus (which defeats the purpose of a river cruise)? I am curious as we are scheduled to sail on the boat in mid September. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

M&M, my guess is that we are on your cruise. Ours leaves the 10th. What we have heard and read is that the ship under conditions of the impacted cruises in recent weeks round-tripped Vienna without going to Bratislava or Budapest. However they did a day trip to Bratislava (about an hour away by coach) and an overnight to Budapest (about 2 hours), staying at the Ritz and doing the pre-planned special evening. We will all find out soon enough. Of course, it is unclear if the water conditions will get worse or better – either way impacting the cruise further.

You should apply to go on America Got Talent as a comedian.

 

 

 

How are Californians doing in predicting earthquakes?

Nice one!!! As a Californian I can say with certainty we will tell you after the next big one hits![emoji33]

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Walter,

Thanks very much for that update and explanation. Fingers crossed for rain BEFORE we board the Mozart on September 10.

Herb

PS: I appreciated the helpful tone of Mark, in your river support group, when I called today. He was sympathetic and offered good insight.

FunTurtle, did they give you options on canceling; refund part of your trip expense? Any more detail, by chance. As longtime Crystal customers I'm surprised how poorly their communication on this currently is. You would think they (and all of the river cruise providers) could consult with meteorologists who could help consult on what things may be weeks out.

FunTurtle, thank you very much. This is very helpful!

Hi all,

We are scheduled to be on the Mozart September 10. Like everybody, we are watching the situation very closely. We have been reading the various low-water threads, which include some comments from passengers currently on the Mozart and other Crystal vessels - regarding cancelled ports.

Given the number of low-water discussions it is hard to figure which one may have info on the Mozart. We thought maybe starting a Crystal low-water board would help focus the discussion to Crystal passengers.

That said, our interest obviously is the Mozart. Any and all current insight into how the situation is being handled would be greatly appreciated.

Obviously, significant rain in the next few weeks could change this. Or so we hope!

We will pay it forward once we travel, assuming the trip is still on by the time we get there! A lot can happen over the course of several weeks.

Thanks,

Herb

Whoa! Just stumbled on this. The original Bahama Star was my first cruise in 1964 - a 3-day trip to Nassau from Miami. I can still see the guys diving pennies off the top of the ship. And at home I still have an S.S. Bahama Star wooden hanger. (Okay, I confess - I took it. I was 12!)

My wife actually included a picture of my older brother and me on the gangway in one of her blogs posts: https://www.themodernpostcard.com/notes-home-cruising/

My brother reminds me that it was a floating "tub." ;-) But it started me on my love of cruising!

--Herb

I'm Mary's husband and I can't stress enough the Internet - how well it worked on this cruise. In a Q/A with the staff the response to the Internet's quality was that they had switched satellite providers - something like this. What I know is this: I realize Internet quality on ships can be spotty, but if it can work well in The Drake and in Antarctica, it should be able to work well off the coast of Europe. Didn't for us on the Crystal Symphony and review of the Symphony and Serenity seem to suggest that issue persists regardless of where they cruise. Yes, it was expensive to go unlimited ($399) but for some of us a good, somewhat fast and somewhat reliable connection is essential. I hope our next trip on Seabourn, whenever that will be, has an equally good Internet connection. The quality on this trip set a high bar.

This was the best cruise I have ever taken..."

Linda, Mary and I really enjoyed meeting you. Hope your camera was fixable! Moral of the story: Always travel with two!

Herb

Frankly, I'm surprised to hear there was a bunch of grumbling on that cruise. We were on that trip and it was one of the best we have ever had; in fact, I have no idea how we can ever top it. The medical emergency was what it was. Of all of the places in the world, Antarctica is one of the toughest to get rescued from. It's not like there is any country's coast guard nearby that can send in a helicopter to save the day. Most of the people we spoke with, while disappointed, would have appreciated the same if it were one of us. As it turns out, one of the expedition crew told us they average four landings on these trips because of weather, etc. As it turns out, we got to see Cape Horn and the remarkably memorable Lumiere Channel on a night so still and clear that it will always be an unexpected highlight of that trip or any trip. And Seabourn also offered a shipboard credit and a discount on a future cruise. What more can you ask? My wife, Mary, has a full review of the cruise in another thread. Needless to say, we loved the trip.

My wife and I are on this cruise. Even with the missed landings this trip has been nothing short of spectacular. The expedition crew is beyond outstanding. This was our first Seabourn cruise, with most of our previous cruises on Crystal. Our take: We love the ship, the size of the staterooms, the food and the crew. We wish nothing but the best for the ill passengers, and we suspect most of those on the ship do, as well. Their fate could have been any of ours. Over and out.

Herb

Thanks, TheCat. That's our plan - exactly on spending. I'm less hopeful on phone access, even via wi-fi, other than the half-dozen or os days we're near cities.

And one correction to avoid confusion: The trip on the Quest starts January 12; we leave for BA on the 9th.

Hi Chairsin --

Enjoying your preview of what we will be experiencing starting January 9 in Buenos Aires. It's our first cruise on Seabourn, after mostly Crystal, and can't wait! Unfortunately, I've got to keep connected to a business, even in Antarctica. That's the upside and downside of small business: The upside is that I can do a cruise like this; the downside, I have to stay connected. So the big question: How has has the internet been so far? Since you're posting, I suspect...it's OK!

Thanks, and keep posting.

Herb

Hi Herb

 

We are on that cruise as well. Are you interested in sharing any private tours? Please go to the Quest roll call page and become a part of [the still very limited] conversation. Thanks.

 

Linda

Hi Linda,

Either I or my wife, MaryoGreen, will get back to you on rollcalls. No private tours but we have stumbled on something you may find of interest.

Herb

Great insight all, thanks. And, yes Oregon, I'm planning on purchasing the all-in Internet. On our last Crystal trip I was saved by the amount of port time we had. I had purchased the new all-in Verizon plan for $10 a day - and it worked even off the coast pretty well for a few miles. I just need certain levels of access. Sounds like the Internet will be fine, within reason. Verizon will supplement in port in South America.

And for those wondering: Yes, it's still possible to have a terrific vacation even if you must be connected. That, in fact, is the beauty of it, especially if it's YOUR business. Some of us simply can't leave home without it. :(:D

Hi all,

We'll be on the Quest's January trip to Antarctica. Two questions:

Does Seabourn typically offer courtesy shuttles from ports to town - the way Crystal does?

How is the Quest's Internet? I have a small business and need to be as connected as possible. As many of you know, the Symphony - our favorite ship - is lacking on that score.

Thanks,

Herb

I agree w/you on complainers. Poor choice of words.

I hope you can report some great things on Seabourn. We have friends who have sailed it (a year or two ago) who LOVED it.

We are skittish after Regent. Our biggest issue there was, quite frankly, the staff (our stewardess, excluded, because she was one of the best we ever had!) wasn't that friendly and didn't seem trained. The dining room was intolerably slow and unmemorable, though the steak restaurant was superb!) That's the one thing Crystal does very well and it is a consistency we have noticed and have come to expect.

Took no chances, found a room on Crystal, cancelled Seabourn. After the Regent experience, I didn't want to take another chance. But I do hear you on the complainers. Can never please everybody!

This is a disturbing threat. We just booked the Quest for a Baltic cruise. Crystal, our preferred cruise line, was booked solid. The Quest, for some reason, had plenty of rooms.

Now, perhaps, we know why! I'm thinking we may now seek to find any cancellations on Crystal and cancel this cruise if we can find rooms on Crystal (which is next to impossible, though our agent did find one two days ago which we let pass by.)

With Crystal, we've always had great cruises. Yes, the ships are bigger but the crew, in general, is hard to beat. I always assumed it was because it is owned by a Japanese company, which has high standards.

I'm leery of anything Carnival-owned, and based on the comments on this board, so are some of those on the WC!

Reminds us of the time, a few years ago, we veered to Regent b/c of the itinerary, we noticed two differences: Crew friendliness and food. Based on what I'm reading here, the food, which was once great (except the pizza) is now not so much; and the crew isn't what it once was.

When you pay top dollar, you expect smiles, warmth and a well-trained, well-oiled crew.

Just my 2 cents....

GREAT pictures, Baychilla. As much as we love Crystal, that may be the tipping point. We remember how great it was to be able to dock IN Shanghai on the Symphony, when other ships (including the Serenity) would have to dock way outside town. The jewel of this trip is clearly St. Petersburg.

Do you recall if any people on your ship got their own visas so they could walk around on their own? When you're docked that close it would appear to be tempting. I do note that on the Seabourn site it does say "VX VISA REQUIRED," which may be the difference between ships that dock at the far port and in town.

Thanks!!!