Txcotn

5 minutes ago, nnn said:

 

Thanks for sharing that.  I'm actually surprised they didn't have what I think is the most Nobu of all Nobu dishes, the Yellowtail Sashimi Jalapeno.  I could have sworn I had that dish onboard, but maybe not!

5 minutes ago, nnn said:

 

Thanks for sharing that.  I'm actually surprised they didn't have what I think is the most Nobu of all Nobu dishes, the Yellowtail Sashimi Jalapeno.  I could have sworn I had that dish onboard, but maybe not!

They did have that, it was on a special menu.

1 hour ago, happy cruising said:

If the photo is accurate, it looks like Umi Uma has already been refurbished.

Yes it does, and very nicely too, lovely colors.

It's also on the official web site! 😁

https://www.crystalcruises.com/press/crystal-and-nobu-announce-return-of-umi-uma-by-master-chef-nobu-matsuhisa

1 hour ago, ChatKat in Ca. said:

Could it be that the other dining venue is an Asian influenced restaurant and not Room Service?

Not on the web site.

Is that really a restaurant or dining venue? The term implies there are multiple places for dinner when in fact there aren't so many as some are limited or come with a hefty price tag (Vintage Room).

1 hour ago, May B said:

I was thinking there was a movie in the Hollywood Theatre at 10:30.

There is but not exactly a social venue and most of the movies really sucked. 

True but calling Scoops and Room Service “restaurant” or even “dining venue” is quite a stretch. 

https://www.crystalcruises.com/press/crystal-exceptional-at-sea

Those 9 restaurants would be Waterside, Bistro, Tastes, Market Place, Osteria, Vintage Room, Grill, Scoops, Room service. Anyone see a bit of misleading here?

If I were a first time Crystal guest, expecting such a variety of places for dinner, NINE restaurants, I would be sorely disappointed!

Avenida Palaç is wonderful and the BEST breakfast buffet on the planet! Rooms are charming!

7 minutes ago, RD64 said:

Nor should you receive zip. NC is not responsible for the problems of OC.

We signed up on the web site for updates, have received zero. Not blaming OC, surely NC can do better than ignore people who sign up for their newsletters and updates - unless there are none!

55 minutes ago, TER777 said:

Ballroom dancing to live music! And live music in the Palm Court till?

55 minutes ago, TER777 said:

Ballroom dancing to live music! And live music in the Palm Court till?

Ballroom dancing - fine but not our thing - DH can't dance🤯

Palm Court? Lovely but a real snooze.

We were on WC 2020 and never saw such a thing!

We've received zip.

54 minutes ago, ggo85 said:

 

....

Surprised about no casino.  I always thought that was one of the bigger money-makers on a cruise ship.  I don't like gambling enough for that to be a deal-breaker, but I will miss the opportunity to play a roll of quarters on occasion.  So a minor negative for me.

 

Also surprised re no ATM.  I rarely used one (hated the $6 fee on principle) but it was handy if I was headed into port and didn't want to start my visit searching for an ATM.  Also handy if I ran low on cash and wanted extra for tipping.  Again, not a huge negative but not a plus.

 

 

To comment on your second issue first - there never were any ATMs on Crystal - you could cash a check at the front desk or you could withdraw $200 or $300 per day in cash at the casino and it would be charged to your onboard account. Since there doesn't seem to be a casino in the plan, that shoots that opportunity. Will they still cash a personal check? Dunno.

On your first point - we aren't big gamblers but do enjoy the casino after a late show. As it looks now, all there is to do after a show is to go somewhere and drink. Unless there is entertainment of some sort (other than the lone piano in the Cove), that leaves the Avenue. Might it be so crowded that no one else can squeeze in? Oh yeah, there's the disco, but we're way too old for that! Dinner, a show (maybe) then off to the suite to read....heck, we can do that at home for a lot less $$$!

To me it’s beginning to sound a lot NOT like old Crystal, which is puzzling since the new owner bought it because he loved it. 

9 minutes ago, gwesq said:

I wonder if there was either a misunderstanding or someone misspoke, and they meant 100 nights, not 100 cruises?  100 cruises is ridiculous - how many people are there who currently cruise that have that many?   

Surely you’ve seen the plaque of 100+ society members on each ship? On Symphony it’s just across from A Propos next to the railing. I don’t remember where it is on Serenity. There were more and more names added each year, sadly many have gone to that perfect cruise ship in the sky. 

45 minutes ago, History&Wine said:

Back to the topic of smoking:  (You might want to read all of this post before jumping to conclusions)

 

I decided to call Crystal  and ask about the policy.  Talked to a Rep.  Voiced my concerns about indoor smoking.  She asked if I wanted to flag  my booking to read that I was allergic to cigarette smoke.  I said no need; if Crystal allows indoor smoking I will be cancelling.  She read me the FAQ. I asked for more specifics.  She then read a statement that indicated smoking would be allowed in the Crystal Cove, the Avenue Saloon, and possibly other indoor areas.  I asked for that to be emailed to me.

 

Nothing Received.  I emailed Crystal that if this was the new smoking policy Crystal should prepare for mass cancellations. 

Later, received an email from the same rep:

 

"The information given was outdated.

 

Great news, we have confirmed with the ship, and they have advised us there will be no smoking allowed indoors only in the Connoisseur Club smoking lounge."

 

I responded this was not good enough, please make the FAQ clear.

Response:

We have updated the Cruise Contract   https://www.crystalcruises.com/legal/contract

 

Section 14:

 

(D)Smoking.Guests shall observe the nonsmoking areas on board the Ship. Indoor smoking is permitted only in the Connoisseur Club smoking lounge. Smoking is prohibited in all other indoor areas of the ship including all other public rooms, lounges, corridors and restaurants, as well as all staterooms, suites and verandahs. If smoke is detected in a stateroom or suite, Guest acknowledges and agrees that a cleaning fee of $250 per occurrence will be billed to Guest's account. Outdoor smoking is allowed in designated spaces posted on the Ships. If there is any ongoing violation of the non-smoking policy, Carrier reserves the right and Guest acknowledges that he or she may incur additional fines up to and including disembarkation without refund.

 

I believe this to be the same language used by old Crystal .  Too bad I didn't save an old contract so I could verify.

 

I still believe Crystal should update the FAQ to Make the policy clear, but this sounds good. 

 

 

This is what happens when you are so lazy that you just cut and paste from an old outdated information sheet/document. Happened all the time on old Crystal with respect to Reflections. And other printed matter.🙄

21 minutes ago, TER777 said:

Ah, but what if half the Avenue Saloon for example was occupied by smokers?

That would definitely be a problem for us!

3 minutes ago, nancygp said:

There’s windows in the symphony casino area

 

nancy

Thanks for reminding me, I was thinking Serenity.

If the old $30 charge for extras put a damper on attendance, the new $50 charge certainly will keep extra bookings sparse!

25 minutes ago, Stickman1990 said:

Yes they’re gone

 

From the FAQ - there will NOT be casinos onboard

 

WHAT’S GOING TO TAKE THE PLACE OF THE CASINO?

 

These spaces are being turned into lounge areas where guests can read, enjoy a game of bridge with friends or just relax with fellow passengers.Our exceptional teams in Marketing, Hotel Operations and Destination Management are building unique experiences that will take place in these lounges.

Wasted space with no windows IMO. There are already many public areas for reading or visiting with other guests- the vastly underused Palm Court comes to mind, and there is a designated bridge lounge already.

Sounds a bit more formal for daytime than old Crystal, also formal nights don't allow for sport jackets. I wonder who decides if a message on a T shirt is or is nor offensive? 🤣

Maybe some marketing emails with progress reports could help.

1 hour ago, TER777 said:

Oops. Another "typo" on the last world cruise segment: 

16.

LOS ANGELES

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

SUN, JUN 23

OVERNIGHT

17.

SAN DIEGO

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

MON, JUN 24

08:00 - 10:30

🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

2 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

The best approach is to have your TA check with Crystal to see what the configuration is for each room. 

 

Keith

Actually the best approach would be to color code the rooms on the deck plan and save themselves thousands or at least hundreds of calls from TAs!