New to Crystal Just Booked for May

[suzannecruisecritic]

Hi Friends. We haven’t cruised in quite a while and just booked our first Crystal cruise for this May on the Symphony (Barcelona to Toulon). 
 

Anything you recommend to do in advance that might be unique to Crystal? We booked spa and specialty dining as soon as we booked and are currently reviewing excursion options both from Crystal and outside options.

 

Would love any recommendations or suggestions   
 

Thank you!

[Keith1010]

Welcome to Crystal and I hope you have a great time.

 

You've done the right things getting those booking in.

 

While some cruise lines who do not include excursions have you pay as soon as you book them with Crystal payment will be taken on the ship.  When you get the cards the first day look carefully on how far in advance you have to cancel them to avoid a charge.

 

In your account under documentation you will see a before you sail guide. I would take a close look at it. It provides lots of useful information.

 

Keith

[Midtowngal]

We will also be on this one week cruise.  Sounds like you have started off well making your dining reservations.  Keith is right about taking a look a before you sail guide.  I'm sure you will be "Crystalized" with this first experience with Crystal!

[suzannecruisecritic]

4 hours ago, Midtowngal said:

We will also be on this one week cruise.  Sounds like you have started off well making your dining reservations.  Keith is right about taking a look a before you sail guide.  I'm sure you will be "Crystalized" with this first experience with Crystal!

That is terrific! Looks like you’ve sailed ALOT on Crystal! I hope you don’t mind sharing some tips 🙂

 

I looked for the roll call and unless I’m looking at the wrong spot it seems like there’s not many people or much conversation on there. 

[Texas Tillie]

3 minutes ago, suzannecruisecritic said:

That is terrific! Looks like you’ve sailed ALOT on Crystal! I hope you don’t mind sharing some tips 🙂

 

I looked for the roll call and unless I’m looking at the wrong spot it seems like there’s not many people or much conversation on there. 

 

Very few people post these days on the Crystal roll calls. There is no indication as to how many are booked based on activity there.

 

Patty

[suzannecruisecritic]

19 minutes ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

Very few people post these days on the Crystal roll calls. There is no indication as to how many are booked based on activity there.

 

Patty

Hi Patty, thank you for letting me know. I was looking forward to connecting with other guests before sailing but that’s ok.  There are few cabins still available so I anticipate a fairly full ship. 

[suzannecruisecritic]

Hi again friends. A few questions as we get further along with our planning. Apologies if these have already been answered many times; I searched the forum and read the before you sail guide but may have missed something.

 

1- Do you have any general thoughts on Crystal shore excursions? This is our first time sailing Crystal. We've sailed larger cruise lines before and usually booked private excursions at most ports because the ship excursions were mostly huge group trips. Is there any way to know the max size of the excursions offered by Crystal?

 

2- Any recommendations for boarding? We've been told to show up between 1-3pm because that's when the porters are there at the port (boarding in Barcelona; sailing time 7pm). Any tips on what time to arrive and anything to do first upon boarding in addition to having a nice lunch?

 

3- Any experience with having laundry and dry cleaning done on board? Do they do a good job and turn it around quickly? We love to pack light on other cruises when this is the case.

 

Thank you so much 🙂

 

 

[May B]

If it were I, I’d arrive at 1 pm, have a nice lunch, as you already are planning, then go to the location for the maitre d (it’ll be listed in Reflections) and reconfirm the specialty restaurant reservations you have already made. Then go to the library and get magic show tickets. Then go to the computer lounge, if your stateroom isn’t available, and get your devices into the Crystal app.

 

Then wander the ship, or go to the pool deck and have a drink and chill out! If you like looking at menus, this will be a good time to do that!

 

Have a blast!

Edited February 24 by May B

[Keith1010]

3 hours ago, suzannecruisecritic said:

Hi again friends. A few questions as we get further along with our planning. Apologies if these have already been answered many times; I searched the forum and read the before you sail guide but may have missed something.

 

1- Do you have any general thoughts on Crystal shore excursions? This is our first time sailing Crystal. We've sailed larger cruise lines before and usually booked private excursions at most ports because the ship excursions were mostly huge group trips. Is there any way to know the max size of the excursions offered by Crystal?

 

2- Any recommendations for boarding? We've been told to show up between 1-3pm because that's when the porters are there at the port (boarding in Barcelona; sailing time 7pm). Any tips on what time to arrive and anything to do first upon boarding in addition to having a nice lunch?

 

3- Any experience with having laundry and dry cleaning done on board? Do they do a good job and turn it around quickly? We love to pack light on other cruises when this is the case.

 

Thank you so much 🙂

 

 

The number of people on a Crystal excursion will vary based on the excursion that is offered. If it is one involving a large bus it is often not jam-packed and in some cases might be half full but there will be other cases where it is closer to being full. It just depends. There will be an escort from the ship along with driver and tour guide.  What you do really depends on yourself and situation. In our case for many years we took ships tours but as we started to do private excursions we mainly went private unless there was something we felt was offered on a group excursion that we couldn't do on our own.  I always think of all of this being like a tool box and would recommend looking at both options.  As to knowing the max size you really can't know that but often from each writeup you can get a feel for the type of transportation.

 

Unless you've been told something I am not aware of on our many stops to Barcelona when the port was the embarkation port porters are there early enough that you can arrive earlier.  I would arrive sometime between 11:00 and 11:30 AM and expect boarding to begin around 12:00 PM.  Once on board a few of the lunch venues will be open. We enjoy having lunch in Waterside with table service while some like something more casual such as the Trident Grill.  You will either board on Deck 5 or 6 and Waterside is right on Deck 5.

 

Even in cases where we get complimentary laundry we prefer doing it our own. The washing machines and detergent are included in the cost of the fare and on the Crystal ships are very nice sizes and you use your key card to enter and they are normally open 7x24.  We have had dry cleaning and pressing done often and the quality is terrific and they offer turn around either the next day or the day after based on what you request with next day service being a higher price than two day turnaround.

 

Keith

[RLK33853]

11 hours ago, May B said:

If it were I, I’d arrive at 1 pm, have a nice lunch, as you already are planning, then go to the location for the maitre d (it’ll be listed in Reflections) and reconfirm the specialty restaurant reservations you have already made. Then go to the library and get magic show tickets. Then go to the computer lounge, if your stateroom isn’t available, and get your devices into the Crystal app.

 

Then wander the ship, or go to the pool deck and have a drink and chill out! If you like looking at menus, this will be a good time to do that!

 

Have a blast!

 

What are the Magic Show tickets???  Didn't realize that shows required tickets.

 

thanks

 

Ray

[Keith1010]

38 minutes ago, RLK33853 said:

 

What are the Magic Show tickets???  Didn't realize that shows required tickets.

 

thanks

 

Ray

Very intimate shows with around 20 or so people in attendance so you pick up tickets from them in the library from the librarian.  Often] members from the audience get to participate.

 

Keith

[Midtowngal]

17 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

Very intimate shows with around 20 or so people in attendance so you pick up tickets from them in the library from the librarian.  Often] members from the audience get to participate.

 

Keith

On my recent cruises on Symphony (September 1-15 and January 4-February 3) there was no magic show tickets/show.

[Texas Tillie]

5 minutes ago, Midtowngal said:

On my recent cruises on Symphony (September 1-15 and January 4-February 3) there was no magic show tickets/show.

 

There certainly was for the Jan 18 - Feb 3 segment, Rich Bloch, who used to introduce the show when Crystal had the relationship with the Magic Castle. He was great, as I've found all the magicians to be.

 

Patty

Edited February 24 by Texas Tillie

[Midtowngal]

On 2/24/2024 at 9:58 AM, Texas Tillie said:

 

There certainly was for the Jan 18 - Feb 3 segment, Rich Bloch, who used to introduce the show when Crystal had the relationship with the Magic Castle. He was great, as I've found all the magicians to be.

 

Patty

Ooo.  I stand corrected!😲

[Stickman1990]

On 2/24/2024 at 3:55 AM, RLK33853 said:

What are the Magic Show tickets???  Didn't realize that shows required tickets.

While ticketed there is no additional charge for them - it’s purely to manage the limited number of seats at each show 

Once in the show you can sit in any seat - they’re not pre-assigned 

[skybluewaters]

7 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

Once in the show you can sit in any seat

 

Feel free to sit in the front row center if you want to be picked on...🤭

[Texas Tillie]

3 hours ago, skybluewaters said:

 

Feel free to sit in the front row center if you want to be picked on...🤭

And then you will be totally baffled on how he got your wedding ring in a snapped coin purse inside his interior suit jacket pocket! 🤪

[FlyerTalker]

On 2/24/2024 at 7:58 AM, Texas Tillie said:

 

There certainly was for the Jan 18 - Feb 3 segment, Rich Bloch, who used to introduce the show when Crystal had the relationship with the Magic Castle.

 

"Hello.  I'm Rich Bloch, and welcome to Crystal's Magic Castle at Sea".

 

I miss the old black and white videos of old magic tricks.