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Just FYI... We are booked on the April 9-19, 2025, cruise on Symphony, which is post-Red Sea and is scheduled to visit Israel. Crystal just sent a similar email saying they are working on changes and will be in touch by June 28.

Crystal actually did, at least in the past, offer babysitting services in your room. We used it. Whether they still offer it, I don't know. One night we left the group of kids (all under age 10) in the suite while the adults went to dinner. Learned the next day from our butler that the kids ordered plenty of room service sushi, were polite and respectful, and finished it all. They apparently also spilled a drink on the carpet, freaked out about it, and the butler helped them with the cleanup. 😆

We have brought our kids on two Crystal cruises, largely because there was a kids program available. I don't think you need to worry, however. First, there aren't a lot of kids in total on these cruises -- some more than others. The kids that are on board, in my experience, tend to be well behaved. It's a similar demographic to a Four Seasons Resort, IME.

Good catch. Seems to be the case for both Suez transit sailings (December and March).

Likewise, Symphony has a Suez transit, followed by a sailing that visits Israel, next Spring. We are booked on the latter. Been wondering when they might make an adjustment -- hopefully it's well in advance, and before the cancellation deadline (if we don't prefer the new itinerary).

The 2026 WC is officially linked from the Crystal website now: https://www.crystalcruises.com/cruises/none-cse-w135-260111?menu=itinerary Thoughts on when they will start selling individual segments?

One thing to maybe watch out for on CFAR -- consider if the policy has exceptions if you get credit back to use on another cruise. With Crystal, the 20% (non-refundable) version may allow you apply the funds to a later cruise in some cases. One should consider if that renders CFAR unusable. Would want to look at the policy language.

We pre-paid for a 2025 cruise (the refundable option) to get the 10% discount. Figured it was worth the savings. I'm not too worried about insolvency, but will get trip insurance to cover that just in case.

Thank you, Keith. Are you able to confirm that the Seabreeze rooms have been kept such that if you have two adjoining Seabreezes, you can make them "connecting" by using the first exterior door? This was our assumption, but I haven't seen if this was confirmed anywhere (to be fair I haven't been keeping up, so it may have been mentioned). Thank you.

Wow...that would be quite an accomplishment!

Unless the bankruptcy trustee is on your next sailing, I don't think you have much to worry about.

And here I thought ownership was the most important part when it came to money...

Any experiences with Joel Spire or Dan Davies at the Avenue Saloon?

Even if the rule remains worded this way, I have to think they'll take a common sense approach to enforcement. I can't imagine they'll tell someone at lunch on the lido deck to remove a baseball cap.

Except you haven't been fooled even once yet by NC. I am truly puzzled how so many folks seem to think this is the same company, simply because they took the name. If they had called themselves any other name, would we see the same comments?

Did they consider two adjoining Seabreeze rooms, which have the external connectors? We are going with family and compared the cost of 2 x Seabreeze forward with 1 x PH connecting to 1 x Standard (since that option was still available on our sailing) and the price difference was negligible. It was a no-brainer to get two connecting suites out of it. Also -- good to know that NC will indeed allow three to an Aquamarine. That would be common sense.

Seems a bit silly not to allow third berth at least in Aquamarine, especially given that those rooms were equipped with third berth originally. I doubt allowing a third in Aquamarine will cause a huge dent in anyone's experience.

Never had any desire to gamble on the ship. Seems a bit depressing to me (just my opinion). I'll save my gambling for Vegas, though I'll admit gambling has lost most of its fun for me anyway. In my view, Crystal would be smart to convert that area into a "fun" space. Ping pong, arcade games, etc. Maybe keep around a casino felt or two for people to sit down and play poker. The kids' club is great for the youngest guests, but it's a little babyish as the kids get older.

Agree. It could be just a case of the room types having different pricing and the agent not explaining properly. For one cruise next year, I booked a forward Seabreeze for less than the price of a Classic PH or an aft Seabreeze.

Not too many people, no.

Dear Mr. Nobu, Please join our cruise to Alaska July 9, 2024. I'll happily pay $1,000 again for a re-creation of the dinner & sake you served us at the sushi bar in 2018. 😆

Gotcha, so I'm not losing it (yet). 😁

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!

Serenity Deck 10 cabins with bathtubs should be the "Classic" design - i.e., those not renovated in 2018 into what were known then as "Seabreeze." We assume that equates to the old PH designation on the deck plan (midship cabins), although Crystal hasn't confirmed it: https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/deckplans/deckbydeck.php?ship=Crystal-Serenity&deck=10

Is there a confirmed listing of what the segments are?