Keith1010

Part of this discussion we had with Old Crystal, particularly in the summer months when fairly often Waterside was closed during port days. Over the years old Crystal was had moved to fewer sea days and that has continued with new Crystal. It's not just a matter of giving people off. The number of crew members on-board is less than it was because of fewer guests. On top of this some crew positions have been reallocated. For example, less waitstaff in Waterside due to increase in the number of butlers and runners. There are also regulations that govern how many hours crew can work. And as we've discussed over the years and on numerous threads part of the evolution of cruising is that there is less demand for lunch at Waterside versus other areas including The Trident Grill, Tastes and Marketplace on port days. Just like on land not everyone agrees with the evolution of a product or the evolution of trends. Remember when one got dressed up to go to a Broadway show? How about baseball games when fans would arrive all dressed up? Forma nights without the word optional. Semi-Formal nights? Land based restaurants requiring men in a tie and jacket? Assigned dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner on cruise lines? Life moves on. Keith

Pam, in almost all cases they come to your account. There are a few exceptions where they come via e-mail. Keith

We arrived to Bordeaux August 2023 on Serenity in the early evening Some views from the ship. Next morning we walked to many nearby sites. n Beautiful Park within a nice walk from the pier. And there was lots of time to visit chateau's as we have done several times. I never like to say the best because to me there are some other very nice places we have docked allowing us to walk right into cities. Sydney, San Francisco, Cape Town (the time we were docked in a location no longer used for the medium and larger ships, Barcelona when we've been there on the smaller ships rather than where the larger ships dock. And several more. And the sail away from Bordeaux. Keith

The two I am thinking of who didn't come back first initial is not an R. Of the two Senior Head Waiters on Serenity back in 2021 one retired and the one who swung into his position did come back and now is the Senior one with someone else swinging when he is on vacation. Several others whose first initial is A, F and C retired. The good news is it has opened up opportunities for others. And another Head Waiter from Serenity went over to Symphony as soon as new Crystal started up for a promotion which is great. We miss them all though. Keith

Vince and Flyertalker, I hear you both. I guess my read on it is they plan to have the casinos meeting that it the intent. Like anything else it's never done till it's done. Ummm. I am now thinking what Yogi Berra would say. OK. This is where we say time will tell. Keith

Nice to know that they are now being detected and in a safer place. I've been thinking of the brave people who were on-board, and hoping and praying that there would not be any incidents. Keith

Interesting. For Serenity I am aware of two who didn't come back due to higher positions. Most others who didn't come back retired. Not sure about Symphony. The ones I am aware of on Serenity had the opportunity to return and it is understandable that they didn't. But as they say you never know. New ships. New opportunities. Keith

Welcome back Vince. All, Crystal has just updated their Q&A's on the Crystal website and that includes the casinos. This is what it says. WHEN WILL THE CASINO BE ADDED ONBOARD ? We are pleased to confirm that we are planning to have casinos back onboard this year. The key words in the answer: casinos (as in more than one) and this year as in by CYE24. Keith

Engin returned to Crystal. Crunch is no longer with Crystal. If this is your first cruise with new Crystal you will see that there re many more butlers than before as every suite and every room has a butler. Several former butlers returned, some members from other areas were promoted to butler and new to Crystal butlers were hired. Keith

I am bad. Today is April 1. I so wish it was true though. Keith

April fools but a nice wish. Keith

I was thrilled to read about a themed Crystal Cruise for next year with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr on board. I bet that will be a sell out. Keith

A recommendation for llovebreakfast. Like Patty I have seen it all. Been there the same time or similar times and it has ranged from sunny to warm, cold to colder rainy, cloudy, windy, etc. This is what makes Alaska what it is. My advice is to finalize your packing list a week before your cruise by looking at weather reports for the places you will visit. Like all weather forecasts they are not perfect but it will help for sure. And it is wise to bring clothing that you can layer. Keith

Thank you. I was able to just now edit what I posted. Keith

Pat, you are very welcome. I just wanted to add a couple of other comments. There are a couple of other differences in how this is handled compared to the past in addition to ones Tracie and I have already mentioned. When on-board bookings are done you make the full deposit at the time of the booking rather than in the past when it was a smaller amount and you had time when you got back home to decide if you wanted to go forward with the full booking. If one does an open booking on-board it is $500.00 per person (eg. $1,000 for double occupancy) and good for three months rather than six months and the amount is higher than it was in the past. It is fully refundable as it was in the past. I had made open bookings while on board last summer and this past January. Keith

Yes, They currently do on board bookings. 2.5% discount. You can book the specific cruise while on board or do an open booking. At the time you do this you need to bring your credit card as they don't charge it to your on board account. Keith

I have no idea why a couple of you were told that you could not use on-board credit for excursions. I have confirmed with Crystal that there have not been any changes to how on board non-cash credits can be used. They can be used for items from the shops, spa/salon, shore excursion, food and beverage items such as the connoisseur wines, spirits, and items such as caviar, the connoisseur items at Umi Uma. For those of you who asked reservations were you clear that you were not talking about pre-paid excursions (there are some) or customized excursions? Either the reservations agent didn't fully understand the question or their answer was wrong. Keith

Patty, you are correct. It is actually one of the Q&A's on the Crystal website. Keith Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony have just been relaunched after an extensive year-long refit program. As we review opportunities to further enhance the ships from a technical perspective, both will undergo dry docking in 2025 (i.e., May 2025 for Crystal Serenity, and November 2025 for Crystal Symphony).

This will give you a feel of where you will be docked. You get off the ship and across the street is the downtown area. Keith

Nancy is correct. There will not be a Supper Club on your sailing as there will not be a formal night since this is a 7 night cruise. The number of shows and the times vary not only by evening but by sailing based on occupancy and also can vary based on sailing times. There is no way to predict what the times will be on your sailing. Keith

Magic shows, yes. You cannot booked the supper club in advance. As to one or two shows it will depend on the overall occupancy of the voyage. Keith

My guess and I think I am right is there was a system problem so just keep checking and I suspect you will be able to book excursions. Keith

You are right downtown so no shuttle needed. Keith

Vicki, you are very welcome. I am not sure when they will be released. I saw a post either here or somewhere else where someone said they were told they were coming sometime soon I haven't seen or heard any additional specifics. When they are released I am not sure if they will all be released at once or if we will see the first half of 2026 released followed by the second half. I would just keep checking the Crystal website and you might also want to sign up for their e-mails. Keith

Vicki, you are correct. They are not included in the price. 120 days prior to the cruise you may book them. The cost is not charged to your Credit Card. It will be charged to your on board account. They allow for cancellations and the tickets you receive on board will reflect when the excursion must be cancelled by in order to avoid a charge. There is no silly or dumb question. The only one that fits that category is when someone does not ask. I hope you give Crystal a try. We enjoy it greatly. Keith