Crystal Serenity, Nov 2-13

[Keith1010]

11 minutes ago, jssabs said:

Keith, is this a typo or should it read $100 per room which is what OC required for an open booking?

Good question since I do make a good number of typos.

 

But it is $1,000.00 per room for the open booking and it is good for 90 days from the time you make the booking.

 

NC does it differently than old Crystal. The changes are:

 

Open bookings are $1,000 per booking and are good for 90 days from the time you book it rather than six months after the cruise ends.

 

Voyage specific bookings require a full deposit as oppose to a partial deposit.

 

And rather than this being charged against your shipboard account you have them charge it directly to your credit card. 

 

Keith

[BWIVince]

9 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

And rather than this being charged against your shipboard account you have them charge it directly to your credit card. 

 

This is a small detail, but this is a big win for customers from a risk perspective.  It's one of many reasons for the amount of the deposit changed, but I'd gladly make a larger commitment and have it processed this way than the way it used to work with a shipboard account charge.

 

Vince

[jssabs]

If you pay the $1000  and don't make a specific voyage booking within the 90 days is the $1000 refunded or is there an administrative fee applied.

[Keith1010]

2 hours ago, jssabs said:

If you pay the $1000  and don't make a specific voyage booking within the 90 days is the $1000 refunded or is there an administrative fee applied.

You will get the full $1,000.00 back. It is automatic and no administrative fee.

 

Keith

[May B]

12 hours ago, Txcotn said:

Nice to know you can reserve now, on our last cruise they wouldn't let us reserve, Paolo was adamant it was first come first served.

I had forgotten that!

 

After lunch on embarkation day, I went to Osteria d’Ovideo to give my Supper Club request to Mario. I believe that was the mention in the Day One Reflections. A day or two later, we received written confirmation. Then this a.m., I realized there were so many great things on Waterside’s menu, we wanted to change our plans, so that’s what we did. Our friends kept their Supper Club reservations and were seated with a couple they enjoyed meeting very much.

[May B]

Ten couples in the dance floor in Stardust. Tripacian and his SO, Mr B snd I are just sitting, drinking, enjoying the music.

[PaulaJK]

I hope that you caught JFox’s show tonite…nothing less than fabulous….What an energetic, talented, dynamic performer. He showcased the talented artists who had influenced him.The band was quite animated accompanying him and the audience was with him. Terrific!

 

I found myself thinking that Crystal should do away w the productions/ cast shows and simply present two talented performers. It seems that many productions are overwrought (this cruise’s Broadway show) and the casts often seem generic. Just my thoughts.

[May B]

We left with a rainbow and are welcomed back with one!

 

Couldn't post photo.

 

 

Edited November 13, 2023 by May B

[Keith1010]

We see you all. Just pulled up the webcam and what do I see first? Yes, Crystal Serenity at the Port Of Miami at Terminal J I believe.

 

Keith 

 

[May B]

[PaulaJK]

Yes, disembarked Serenity today. Kudos to Crystal for the easiest disembarkation we’ve

ever experienced. If you weren’t on a airport transfer “go directly to the gangplank” at

very fair pre selected time. (8:30-9:30)

[May B]

21 hours ago, PaulaJK said:

I hope that you caught JFox’s show tonite…nothing less than fabulous….What an energetic, talented, dynamic performer. He showcased the talented artists who had influenced him.The band was quite animated accompanying him and the audience was with him. Terrific!

 

I found myself thinking that Crystal should do away w the productions/ cast shows and simply present two talented performers. It seems that many productions are overwrought (this cruise’s Broadway show) and the casts often seem generic. Just my thoughts.

Hi Paula,

 

Great to meet you! And Mr Paula 😉😘.
 

I like the production shows, too, though. The dancers are sooooo good! Love the choreography.

 

It was very loud in the Galaxy. Last night, Mr B went to our stateroom, got under the covers and watched it live (but without getting to enjoy the audience great reaction). I stayed in Galaxy but turned my hearing aids down to the lowest they could go.

 

We found disembarkation frustrating, not from anything Crystal did, but from the port employees who had us all waiting for one elevator, until we asked for stairs or escalator. Then we were misdirected, so got some extra steps in, in the process. We were following a whole bus load of transfer folks.

 

One of my favorite things on this cruise was that we had two different shows most nights, one at 6 pm and one at 9:30. Sometimes in Galaxy, sometimes in Stardust.

 

Also loved Bob Ray and Roger McGuinn.

 

Loved most of the food, loved most of the service. Truly thrilled to be back on Crystal.

Edited November 14, 2023 by May B

[travelberlin]

8 hours ago, May B said:

Hi Paula,

 

Great to meet you! And Mr Paula 😉😘.
 

I like the production shows, too, though. The dancers are sooooo good! Love the choreography.

 

It was very loud in the Galaxy. Last night, Mr B went to our stateroom, got under the covers and watched it live (but without getting to enjoy the audience great reaction). I stayed in Galaxy but turned my hearing aids down to the lowest they could go.

 

We found disembarkation frustrating, not from anything Crystal did, but from the port employees who had us all waiting for one elevator, until we asked for stairs or escalator. Then we were misdirected, so got some extra steps in, in the process. We were following a whole bus load of transfer folks.

 

One of my favorite things on this cruise was that we had two different shows most nights, one at 6 pm and one at 9:30. Sometimes in Galaxy, sometimes in Stardust.

 

Also loved Bob Ray and Roger McGuinn.

 

Loved most of the food, loved most of the service. Truly thrilled to be back on Crystal.

It sounds like you had a very nice time. I am very glad you enjoyed your return to Crystal. Thanks for sharing your experience and have a safe trip home.

 

Ivi

[PaulaJK]

We have received the post cruise survey…which puzzlingly does not

ask about cuisine, food services, specialty restaurants, enrichment/ lecturers, or

entertainment nor does it have space to give special mention to staff members.

[NWX]

So what does it ask? Just overall thumbs up or down?

[PaulaJK]

No, it has a rating scale 1-10. It had pages of questions, some seeming vague or repetitive.

topics included embarkation/disembarkation, cabin maintenance, ship appearance, reception service, shops, price points and similar.

[NWX]

Hmmm not  very inclusive of the whole experience!

[happy cruising]

There were several questions about the lifeboat drill. 

[seaworthy98]

There are a lot of questions about food quality and service in every venue, enrichment and entertainment.

[May B]

17 hours ago, PaulaJK said:

No, it has a rating scale 1-10. It had pages of questions, some seeming vague or repetitive.

topics included embarkation/disembarkation, cabin maintenance, ship appearance, reception service, shops, price points and similar.

I think you had to answer Yes to the question, Do you want to help us decide details of future cruises? I may be paraphrasing.

 

I found it a bit hard to navigate, until I realized I could hit tab to go to the next line.

 

I gave quite a bit of feedback on food in several venues. I gave a ton of 10s, all over the place. I described the four enrichment speakers, from my and Mr B’s viewpoint. 

 

I had not realized it didn’t ask for specific shout-outs. 

[May B]

Btw, we should report to you that the iPad/iPhone Tips class (I went to both of them) was taught by a gentleman who worked in IT at the Los Angeles office for 15 years! In fact, he may have been the head. I liked him a lot. Ironically, neither he nor another guy from the dept. could get one of his two screens working, at his second talk.

 

I never noticed a place in the survey to comment on this. His wife was the Great cruise line escort on one of my shore excursions. 
 

Sandy, who taught photography with your phone, was the escort on my other one. 
 

So good to have those escorts!

 

And the speakers were often in the first or second row at the other speakers’ presentations. 
 

I had a conflict for music trivia, but the rumor is that Roger McGuinn and his teammates won it!

 

The other four trivias, I believe, were all won by the same team. We tied them on the last one but lost the tie-breaker. 

Edited November 18, 2023 by May B

[PaulaJK]

i also had trouble navigating…moi…and from your comments, I think that I

May have missed items as I didn’t find areas to comment on food or enrichment.

Will just have to sail again to warrant another survey!

[NWX]

48 minutes ago, May B said:

 

 

And the speakers were often in the first or second row at the other speakers’ presentations. 
 

 

On OC they were required to sit in the back.

[PaulaJK]

9 hours ago, seaworthy98 said:

There are a lot of questions about food quality and service in every venue, enrichment and entertainment.

Do not know how I did this but missed it…and had tons of positive things to say. It really was a very good cruise…and how nice to be able to report that.

[May B]

I have forgotten to mention the religious component of our cruise.

 

A priest was on board who held many services or offered Mass, not just on Sunday. He also did non-denominational Protestant services on both Sundays. He assisted Raphael in planning and leading the Veterans Day observance, which was so important. The Cove piano player participated as well.

 

Crystal does a wonderful job with Friday night Shabbat services. We had a nice turnout. The second week conflicted with music trivia, but we still had a better turnout than the first week.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all who observe. I bet it’ll be truly wonderful, onboard Crystal Serenity!