goldengatecruisers

Not to be contentious but I am not convinced the sliders are of different size? Maybe they are and I am happy to be corrected. Having recently sailed two weeks in a 2018 decor Aquamarine followed by two weeks in a classic decor Aquamarine suite I can confirm the light in the classic is far superior. At first I could not figure it out but then I started to pay attention to the design. I believe if it is the positioning of the curtains. If you look at the photos provided by Rob (ryndam) you will note the classic provides for a more pronounced recessed area to store the curtains. The recessed area extends beyond the width of the sliding glass doors in a more extreme design when compared to how they are situated in the 2018 'Seabreeze' renovation. By doing so, it reveals more of the glass and provides more light into the room. I might be wrong entirely but that was my take away. While I absolutely love the bathrooms in the 2018 renovation I agree with most in that the classic suite is far superior in so many ways. Ashley

Rob, thank you for posting photos of supplies. I, for one, am always interested in the behind the scenes work that makes our time on board to wonderful. Sometimes my mind boggles at the amount of supplies that arrive at the most remote destinations. I realize Cartagena is a major port for onboarding supplies. Remember a couple of weeks ago Serenity took delivery of furniture and it appeared we were off-loading some outdoor furniture (?). Do you know what furniture was taken on and where on board it is heading? I think it was mainly seating but not entirely sure. Anyway, I was just curious. Don't go out of your way to find the answer, I just thought perhaps you know and I forgot to follow up when I was on board. Interesting the gin promotion has now expired. I was told the husband of Cristina Levis is connected with the distribution company that represented those gin brands. Not sure if that was an accurate piece of information. Glad you have all stopped bouncing around to catch your breath. Nothing worse than feeling sea sick and it happens to the best of us once in a while. Dwight, we all feel your pain. Hang in there 🙂

I wonder why the carpaccio was removed again. Glad we enjoyed it last week and it was as good as we recall from previous. We enjoyed the table side preparation of this delicious first course. I am sure the menu will keep evolving until they feel like they have it 'right'. In saying that we also enjoyed the tartare presentation so its return to the menu is just as welcome as the carpaccio.

We hope you both enjoy this next segment. Glad we had some cocktail time the other evening together in Palm Court. We will be following along so keep up with the great commentary and thank you for taking time out of your days to do so. Ashley

Gmarsh, thank you for starting a thread for this cruise. It is lovely to read about other’s appreciation of Mark Farris. I would love to chime in and add to the comments above. With Mark tickling the ivories, we know Crystal is back! This segment has only just begun and Mark already has his audience in his hands and took time to highlight amazing milestone anniversaries of our fellow guests. Other Avenue entertainers are very good but, in our opinion, Mark Farris sets the bar. I believe he is only performing on this one cruise but hopefully we will see him more often now Crystal is back in service. He is definitely a crowd pleaser and it is clear everyone has missed him. Welcome back, Mark! Looking forward to following along as you write about the cruise from your perspective. Enjoy the day in Grand Turk. Ashley

The next time someone complains about the new carpets in the 2023 renovated suites I’ll direct them to the Four Seasons in Miami. Suddenly I’m not too bothered with the carpet selections for the newly renovated accommodations on both Serenity and Symphony! Welcome to Miami, Keith and Anne Marie. Counting days!!

I believe the talented bartender you refer to is Afzal. He has created some wonderful cocktails over the years. I’ll be sure to try his new creation.

What a great “get” for Crystal!

Wishing you all a fabulous crossing. We board Nova in New York at the conclusion of your Transatlantic and will be following the comments on this thread. Enjoy Nova and the relaxing sea days.

It was over all too quickly. Thank you for taking us along with you in the Queens Grill on the first cruise and describing your experiences as you made a return to Serenity on your second. I wish you continued good health to allow you to travel more frequently because we all enjoy your travel writing. Be well and hope our paths cross again on a ship somewhere.

Dolcevita Diva - I am thoroughly enjoying your report. I appreciate your style of writing and please continue the elaborate descriptions of your time on board Nova. We will board in a month and to say we are excited is an understatement! I don't have any questions or requests, simply wanted to poke my head in to say 'thank you' for taking the time. I hope there are more posts to come from your voyage.

Roy - I have enjoyed your journey thus far and glad you are ready to board Serenity, with cane in hand 🙂. Continued safe travels and thank you for taking the time out of your day to bring us along with you.

The fares listing from highest to lowest is how they have been displayed on Silversea for some time. Perhaps Crystal have borrowed from the Silversea marketing approach on how to sell the upper suites.

I have not sailed since the refurbishment and creation of Sapphire suites. Am I correct in assuming the newly created suites have two sets of sliding doors, whereas the Classic decor and former Seabreeze decor, by virtue of their location, retain the large picture window in the bedroom?

Tuscon Guy - thank you for your commentary. It has been very helpful. I know many are appreciative of the time you have spent answering questions during your personal vacation. Perhaps I will meet you in November! Continued safe travels. Ashley

So far, the Hawai'i cruise in April/May 2024 is not affected by the changes to Explora 1 itineraries. I do wonder, in light of recent Panama Canal issues and several cruise lines altering their schedules to avoid the transits, whether Explora will do the same. The cost of a full transit is rather expensive and currently Explora travels to the Pacific and then back again just prior to the newly announced itineraries. That is a lot to pay for a series of Pacific cruises which, I am told, are not selling well. Will MSC calculate it is not worth paying for two full transits and then redeploy Explora 1 in the Caribbean Sea? I am not holding my breath that they will leave the voyages on the Pacific side intact. Curious as to what others are feeling about the Hawaii cruise. I am currently booked on the 18 night itinerary and considering options.

I was not expecting muzak to be played around the ship. Do you mean in passenger corridors, elevator banks, walking from venue to venue? Can you please be more specific about where this is played. Also your comment about giant screens showing Explora commercials. Would this be in the Conservatory? From watching a few videos on line I think there may be large screens in the Astern Lounge and possibly one more elsewhere, but I can't place it at the moment. Are these commercials played with volume so it interrupts enjoyment of the venue? I am thinking relaxing by the indoor pool would be marred by a promotional video being played over loudspeakers and dominating the atmosphere on the screen. I would appreciate more specifics to help understand where and when we would encounter this. Thank you very much for your ongoing observations during your time on board.

I just took a look around on the Explora website. I am seeing the Hawaii rotations on the website still for April/May but nothing after May 12th. Next cruise showing for me is Sept 2nd Scottish Highlands.

Indeed, I agree the hanging space is critical especially if double occupied. I haven't been in one of these new rooms so not sure of the exact reduction in space. I was just going by a comment posted by Vince. It is sad the design of these rooms is so inadequate because they look really quite lovely. I have no idea what the designer was thinking but I do wonder if they have ever stayed in a cruise ship cabin before! My suggestion of adding drawers under the bed was just that, a suggestion! I am happy to leave it to a future designer to make the necessary modifications to those rooms to satisfy the storage dilemma.

All of this discussion on the reduced storage got me thinking of some work-around ideas. I do like the look of the new bar area in the 'hallway' of the standard guest rooms but as has been pointed out it reduced hanging space by 6-9", per a comment by Vince. It is an elegant design element and really adds to the stateroom but I know that some don't care for it. The redesign of the cabinetry closest to the window (or in some cases the balcony slider) has greatly reduced drawer space and removed that tall shelving unit, which I really loved. So what can be done without having to dismantle the expensive work that has already taken place? How about a redesign of the bed frames, whether in twin format or combined queen format? If the bed that is nearest to the closet is left with an open area beneath the mattress one can still store suitcases and other items there. But for the bed that is closest to the living area this could be modified to provide deep drawers that open from the side and toward the living area. You could easily fit two large drawers that would not interfere with the nightstand. These drawers would be very useful for folded items and would provide much needed storage space. As you are not 'adding' furniture, this design modification would not encroach on the square footage thereby leaving the look and feel exactly as it presents now. I am sure this modification could be easily installed during the regular cycle of cruises without the need to be accomplished in a scheduled dry dock. I do believe it could be a great solution to the storage issue especially for the longer segments or for longer cruises in general. Anyway, just a thought. Ashley

I am not privy to the goings on with the other social media sites but I hear comments are coming in fast and furious and not always positive or encouraging. For those of you onboard can you share if guests are still lining up to dine at Med Yacht and Fil Rouge? I have also heard the dining experience in some venues is not exactly open and spacious, with tables being very closely packed together. While it is understandable these early voyages may have some growing pains I am a little worried the overall ambience and experience may not be the luxury that is marketed. Curious to hear from past Crystal and Silversea guests who are sailing Explora now. I have full payment due for a long voyage in the early months of 2024 and I am trying to gather as much info as I can so I can make an informed decision as to whether to stick with the Explora sailing. Thank you to all who are contributing on this thread and others. Your comments are appreciated. Thank you to those who have posted daily programs, menus, wine lists etc. All of this information is helping form a picture of what a day on board will look like.

Very interesting thread. I had no idea there were issues with delays at the Panama Canal. I’ll be following this conversation. Thank you for bringing it to everyone’s attention.

Steamboats... thank you very much for all that you have published. It has only heightened my excitement to board in a few months. May I identify a needed correction to your latest entry: You have mis-labelled the Silver Suite and Signature Suite. 7095 is the Signature and 6020 is the Silver. You have them the other way around 🙂

Vince, thank you for posting the photo of the 2021 refreshed Symphony Aquamarine Classic suite. In my opinion the subtle changes made such a difference. I agree with you in so much as the lighting does not highlight how stunning these cabins actually look in person. I have always been frustrated with the architects of the Crystal website for using out-dated images that do not accurately reflect current decor. They do themselves a disservice. Experienced Crystal clientele pretty much know what they are getting when they book a Classic or Seabreeze decor, whether it be Aquamarine or the larger Sapphire, especially if they were fortunate to sail after the pandemic with Old Crystal. What strikes me as a missed opportunity is the focus to attract new clients to New Crystal while at the same time not providing accurate information to help people make informed decisions. The refresh to Symphony suites are a far cry from the images shown on the website. Hopefully they will have professional photographers take new photographs of the suites to include in marketing materials and on the website.

I believe The Shelter is a champagne bar. Presumably other beverages can be enjoyed at this spot but it certainly is a decent sized lounge to enjoy a cocktail before dinner at either Atlantide or Salt Kitchen.