Cruise-y

A couple of the Serenity January cruises are nearly sold out. The Panama Canal transit has only a few cabins left. Is it better/worse to be on a full ship (crowds) or a nearly empty one (some venues not always open)?

On my past Caribe sailings men were perfectly fine in jackets and no ties. Women dressed up a bit more but no hosiery in the tropics!

Thank you for posting. On OC one had a choice of nouveau canapés or traditional. Is this true on NC? I liked the modern twists but I missed the pigs in blankets of the traditional offering.

Thanks for posting these. Can you get a paper copy? Yay! I thought they were ipad only.

Agree. Good call. Cooking classes, regional cuisine and French cuisine would all be super. Just keep the promenade and Nobu. And while we’re expounding, cycle in some new speakers. It would be good to have some new educational experiences.

I love Crystal. I love champagne on embarkation. Not a big fan of the chopped iceberg Cobb salad. Plenty of other great things to eat. Sorry, I guess you'll have to call me a glass half-empty kind of guy.

Assuming all else is the same (cuisine, enrichment, entertainment, itinerary and staff): Promenade deck without a doubt. It's unique and a draw. Nabu. The cozy Avenue Saloon of Symphony.

Which is your favorite and why? Details!

Kauai is truly beautiful and I'm sure that Crystal made this decision with the best interests of everyone, including the local community.

I have future morning excursions booked that range from 9:00 to 11:00. Some are at 10:00 or 10:30. But I've taken excursions in the past that started at 7:00 am. It just totally depends on what you are doing, how far you are going, if lunch is included, etc. You can't generalize because they are all different. The excursion will state a start time and how long it is, so you will know before you book. Hope this was helpful.

One of the reasons I first chose Crystal, many years ago (besides the itinerary and cuisine), is precisely because they DID show the lecturers and entertainment on their website. As I recall, there were several lectures I wanted to hear. It pushed me from one line (with a similar itinerary) to theirs. I can't emphasize enough how important this is to decision-making when people are deciding between brands, especially with new clients. I want a full and exciting itinerary, but I also want good enrichment on sea days.* Crystal needs to get this old amenity back on their new website ASAP. * Not the same guys over and over

Ha ha! Yes a golf cart. That’s what I get for thumbing on my phone.

Oh my yes! We just walk down the beach for a while or ask a local and almost always find wonderful little places with fresh grilled fish, plantains, peas and rice, oxtail, grilled chicken, stews with island veggies, lovely tropical fruits, etc. All delicious. Perhaps not to your liking but we love local Caribbean food. Sometimes we rent a golf course and drive. I also pick excursions that might include lunch.

I love to eat local food when in port. Some of my best meals ever.

I enjoy sauces and garnishes of all kinds. I think they enhance food, when added creatively and with a measured hand. Osteria only has 4 main choices. The breaded veal chop and baked sea bass just seem plain and uninspired to me. And I am a very adventuresome eater. I’d like to see a few other options. I will give it a go but expect to be eating mostly starters, which all look very good. I’m not expecting old Prego, just a little more zing to the mains. JMO

Well I have to admit, in full disclosure, that when I first read it in the guide and posted here, I was mistakenly thinking shoe trees, not shoe horns. Complimentary shoe horns I kinda get. Trees not so much. But I suppose those of you with nice Italian shoes probably use trees too. So mea culpa. However, I have no recollection of seeing either horns or clothing brushes on any previous Crystal cruises, so they must not have made an impression on me or my traveling companion and got tossed on the top closet shelf.

Thanks to all for the photos. The starters look really good, especially the lobster. I've looked at the menu and I'm struggling a bit with the mains.

In looking through the “Before You Sail Guide” for the nth time, but the first with NC…. Who still uses shoehorns and clothes brushes as amenities? Aren’t these early 1900s artifacts? If you do use them, I really want to know. And why. Are you stretching your shoes? Brushing lint from your morning jacket? And why is Crystal providing them?? I’m befuddled. Thanks.

Thank you!

Could I see some Osteria food photos?thanks!

They are listed in order of price and I’m surprised at the large percentage of Sapphire rooms. I would have assumed Aquamarine.

Does anyone know the cabin category percentages on the refurbed ships? Percentage wise, how many Sapphire to how many Aquamarine to how many singles, etc. etc. Thanks

I am frequently out of the country for months at a time and I can tell you that this is a real problem. 1) I love my neighbors and they love me, but I don't like to ask them to get my mail every day for months. 2) You can forward to a P.O. Box, but the advertising junk mail and "to any resident" stuff will still be delivered to your street address. It can accumulate fast. And yes, we have applied for all the "no advertising mail" options. It doesn't stop everything. 3) You can stop mail for 30 days but then the bulk for that period is delivered. My best option has been to stop for 30 days, then have a neighbor pick up the delivered bulk on my front porch, then stop again for 30 days, etc. It takes some maintenance while away. But beware, often a fill-in/weekend carrier won't stop delivery. I've officially stopped mail days in advance (and even put a sign inside my mailbox reminding that the mail has been stopped) and returned home to a stuffed, overflowing box.

Roy, thanks for mentioning the clotted cream in your review. I’m sure those who appreciate a warm scone with tea agree. As for Reflections, I consider myself tech-savy, coming from a career that required it, reading books on my Kindle app, getting all my other newsletters via email, etc. But I really do like a paper Reflections. It’s so much easier to access quickly whenever I want, carry to the pool, put in my pocket and such. Having it surreptitiously slid beneath my door to look forward to every morning was somehow appealing. I could peruse it with coffee on my veranda. I’m on vacay to avoid my computer, after all. I totally understand if it’s six pages that’s a lot of effort to print off every night for hundreds of pax. I wouldn’t want to be the employee stuck doing it. But does it need to be that big? Alas.

“Over the Rainbow” rendition by Israel (IZ) is truly beautiful and truly original and we have all been inspired by it. Like many of us, the first time I heard it in Hawaii, many, many years ago. it brought me to tears. Unfortunately, it is now an overused replay at weddings, funerals, bachelor selection TV shows, talent fests and anything else maudlin. I don’t think it does justice to IZ’s honest and humble creativity to join the commercial masses in playing it at sail away. But that’s JMO.