Crystal Serenity, Nov 2-13

[PTIGIRL]

Sounds like everything is wonderful. 😊

[travelberlin]

The Old Crystal had a fantastic brunch on a sea day. Is it still taking place?

 

Ivi

[Emdee]

1 minute ago, travelberlin said:

The Old Crystal had a fantastic brunch on a sea day. Is it still taking place?

 

Ivi

We didn’t have one on the TA. But the ship was relatively empty. 

[Keith1010]

32 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

The Old Crystal had a fantastic brunch on a sea day. Is it still taking place?

 

Ivi

Ivi, this cruise is not longer enough nor enough sea days to meet the former criteria. 
 

Keith 

[Emdee]

18 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

Ivi, this cruise is not longer enough nor enough sea days to meet the former criteria. 
 

Keith 

But we had quite a few sea days and no brunch. Not that we minded. I love the marketplace lunch.

[Keith1010]

26 minutes ago, Emdee said:

But we had quite a few sea days and no brunch. Not that we minded. I love the marketplace lunch.

I hear you. I was just responding to Ivi's question about the present cruise. That one for sure doesn't meet the former criteria.

 

I will ask about this in terms of do they still do these.  It is very possible they don't for many reasons. but let's see.

 

Keith 

[PTIGIRL]

Did they have a brunch on the inaugural back to back cruises? I unfortunately had to leave in Barcelona after only 6 days on the first cruise, but I assumed if I had been able to remain onboard until Southampton, there might have been a brunch. 

[travelberlin]

42 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

I hear you. I was just responding to Ivi's question about the present cruise. That one for sure doesn't meet the former criteria.

 

I will ask about this in terms of do they still do these.  It is very possible they don't for many reasons. but let's see.

 

Keith 

Thanks Keith. It would be nice if you can ask. 
Ivi

[Keith1010]

21 minutes ago, PTIGIRL said:

Did they have a brunch on the inaugural back to back cruises? I unfortunately had to leave in Barcelona after only 6 days on the first cruise, but I assumed if I had been able to remain onboard until Southampton, there might have been a brunch. 

They did not. Only one sea day on each voyage along with one afternoon arrival on each cruise. 

 

Keith. 

[travelberlin]

My itinerary has 4 sea days…

Ivi

[BWIVince]

IME, the Sunday Jazz Brunch was the rarest of the theme buffets, at least for old Crystal…. Not only did the cruise have to have a lot of sea days (they had to run through the more popular concepts first), but one of the later sea days had to fall on a Sunday (at least IME).  In about 200 days of sailing Crystal over 30 years, it was only offered twice on my cruises.

 

Vince

[Feliz Navidude]

On 11/3/2023 at 7:32 AM, May B said:

Photo was at the port. Gorgeous flowers, many of them!

 

Now in first lecture, the Caribbean in WWII, with Dr. Michael Connie. Two more great ones today. 
 

🥂

 

I don't want to be that guy, but when I saw the first photo, I wondered if someone died. 😀

[May B]

5 minutes ago, Feliz Navidude said:

 

I don't want to be that guy, but when I saw the first photo, I wondered if someone died. 😀

Yep. And went to heaven.

[Ibis]

Suite Open House yesterday was very interesting. This of course, just represents our opinion and there are certainly other opinions:-) We are currently in a Classic Aquamarine and very pleased with it. We have had this room once before in 2019; prior to that we sailed in Ocean View and Veranda. The  Aquamarine refurbished 2018 is much less appealing in terms of decor than the Classic. I guess this was the former Seabreeze. Same square footage but much more modern decor. Likewise the Classic Sapphire was very well appointed, in our opinion, compared with the newly 2023 renovated Sapphire suites. There was no Sapphire 2018 renovated suite available for viewing. Unfortunately, the new carpet in the 2023 renovated suites is, well, I would say very unattractive, bathroom layout unappealing and a much smaller closet. Smaller than ours in the classic Aquamarine. I guess we just prefer Classic, whereas others may like the more modern decor and design of the newly renovated suites. There were no higher level suites open, unfortunately.

Having sailed in the OV and Veranda we have always felt Crystal rooms at that level were the very best across all lines we have sailed, in terms of storage particularly. Sadly that storage is gone, as has been previously reported. The new carpet is the same that we found unattractive in the new Sapphire suites. Very happy with our choice, plus Sandeep continues to give us the great butler service every day that is very exemplary of what has made Crystal service legendary.

[bayonejoe]

47 minutes ago, Ibis said:

Suite Open House yesterday was very interesting. This of course, just represents our opinion and there are certainly other opinions:-) We are currently in a Classic Aquamarine and very pleased with it. We have had this room once before in 2019; prior to that we sailed in Ocean View and Veranda. The  Aquamarine refurbished 2018 is much less appealing in terms of decor than the Classic. I guess this was the former Seabreeze. Same square footage but much more modern decor. Likewise the Classic Sapphire was very well appointed, in our opinion, compared with the newly 2023 renovated Sapphire suites. There was no Sapphire 2018 renovated suite available for viewing. Unfortunately, the new carpet in the 2023 renovated suites is, well, I would say very unattractive, bathroom layout unappealing and a much smaller closet. Smaller than ours in the classic Aquamarine. I guess we just prefer Classic, whereas others may like the more modern decor and design of the newly renovated suites. There were no higher level suites open, unfortunately.

Having sailed in the OV and Veranda we have always felt Crystal rooms at that level were the very best across all lines we have sailed, in terms of storage particularly. Sadly that storage is gone, as has been previously reported. The new carpet is the same that we found unattractive in the new Sapphire suites. Very happy with our choice, plus Sandeep continues to give us the great butler service every day that is very exemplary of what has made Crystal service legendary.

I am in  total agreement with you on the classic Aquamarine suite . We spent several back to back cruises in one recently and there was ample storage space.

we will return to the same suite for the 24WC. I also liked the classic Sapphire over the 2023 renovation.  Again the above is just my opinion.

 

 

 

[Keith1010]

On Serenity I have always favored the Classic Aquamarine because of the two desks and how space is  optimized. I don't feel the same way about Symphony.  I do wan to to correct one minor item and that is the Aquamarine redesigned in 2018. The square footage is actually smaller than the classic and that is because they took some of the space to have the hallway between the two suites that sit side by side.

 

On Symphony I have always preferred what is Sapphire over Classic. I did very much like the Sapphire rooms created in 2017 on Symphony.

 

I do realize though we all have different tastes and needs. In our case we like the desks. In our case we don't need a bathtub. Someone else might have just the opposite view.

 

Keith

 

 

[Ibis]

Thanks so much for that correction about the size.. I forgot about the hallway between the two !

Agreed, we like those two desks and have no need for the tub. 
You mention on Symphony preferring Sapphire over Classic. Help me with that, please. Do you mean on Symphony there is only one designation? Sapphire, and none have been renovated? So no worries choosing which Sapphire? And when you say over the Classic you mean what was just the Classic Penthouse before on Symphony? And Sapphire is the next larger category?

Sorry for the confusion but we have only been in Veranda on Symphony but with the changes to Veranda category we will want to want a better category.

Once again, Keith, thank you for your help.

[Cruisemonty]

Keith, are you referring to the 2017 refurbished Aquamarine suites on Symphony? I am looking forward to occupying one of those suites in May. My understanding is that it has no tub, unlike the classic Aquamarine. 

[May B]

 

[May B]

That was last night’s octopus appetizer in Waterside, one of my all-time favorite dishes, anyplace. I ate one taste and loved it so much, I had to take a photo.

 

Now we’ve just left Umi Uma after an outstanding meal.

[May B]

Sitting in the Cove for White Night. So many different lively white outfits on the ladies. 

[May B]

[PTIGIRL]

Glad they still have white nights. Thanks for the photo. 

[May B]

1 hour ago, May B said:

Sitting in the Cove for White Night. So many different lively white outfits on the ladies. 

That was supposed to say lovely. Tried to edit, but the energy level in the Cove made my connection to wifi kind of iffy, lol.

[May B]

I guess now we know I haven’t mastered posting two photos at once.

 

Tomorrow we have the tender port of Marigot. For anyone who’s sad to be missing St Barts, there’s a ferry between the two. I don’t know the schedule.