Cruisecyp

Yes, absolutely correct. According to USA TODAY, MSC has cancelled sailings including Dubai to Southampton departing 30 March three days after Symphony should have departed Mumbai. I wonder whether there will now be available repositioning cruises from Mumbai and Singapore to Europe (not via the Red Sea !).

The only voyage that could be affected, if the situation remains the same, is Symphony Mumbai to Piraeus starting 27 March 2024. Symphony needs to be in Piraeus to start its summer sailing season. Crystal will have to make a decision fairly soon to redirect Symphony around the Cape and up the west coast of Africa, possibly starting from Singapore.

The cruise / nautical press are reporting that there will be no sailings through the Red Sea for the foreseeable future. If a cruise ship does attempt to sail through the Red Sea and is attacked resulting in casualties it would almost certainly face legal repercussions that could bankrupt the cruise line. We sailed through the Red Sea on Symphony in October and as Crystal thought it necessary not to risk passengers and crew to the threat of pirates that they employed specialist security staff to patrol the ship it’s highly unlikely they would now take a much greater risk having the ship being hit by drones and missiles.

On the assumption you will not be driving a hire car but using a taxi with a driver who knows the journey and driving conditions then you should assume it would be not less than 2 hours from Dover to Heathrow, possibly longer. If you disembark the Symphony between 7:00am and 8:00am on a weekday you will be on some of the most congested roads in Europe in the middle of the morning rush hour travelling in the same flow as everyone else. Expect congestion. At the moment Heathrow recommends getting there 3 hours before a flight. I reckon the earliest flight to the States would be mid to late afternoon. Better to be hanging around the airport than stuck in stationary traffic. Best of luck.

We are also on Symphony at the moment and totally agree with ‘Old Sea Dog’. The ship is ultra luxury primarily because of the immaculate service and attention to detail. ‘Missing reservations on board for restaurants and shore excursions. No record of transfers. Etc. Bring all your paperwork and back up on Board’ My tickets didn’t arrive so I contacted my TA and they popped up a few hours later. This didn’t put me off. Minor glitches happen all the time in every walk of life. You do something about them and carry on. Are your clients totally hopeless that they cannot sort out minor issues themselves?

Ray and Anne, We are currently on the Symphony sailing to Dubai and will be on the Athens to Rome voyage in April but continuing on to Lisbon. We have done 19 voyages and as previously said there is something special about Crystal. We haven’t sailed on any of the lines you have mentioned so we cannot compare. But from our very first voyage it satisfied all our requirements and so we remained with them and have never been disappointed. It could be said that we are unadventurous but if it ain’t bust don’t fix it comes to mind, which is possibly why so many of their cruising passengers return year after year. There are so many things to like about Crystal and the Symphony but what stands out is the service which is exemplary. The food is exceptional. We enjoy the talks which can be entertaining and informative. We like the the shows and go to the cinema. We like the promenade deck something which is fast disappearing from new ships. Symphony has a timeless understated elegance which is difficult to quantity. You have to try it. With regard to wine. We live in a Mediterranean wine village that doesn’t export its product. It is drunk locally so we cannot comment on the Crystal wines except to say that in our opinion our local wines are superior but of course we would say that! Rod & Linda

Colin, We are on the Symphony at the moment which has 170 passengers. Walking around at night is like visiting Scunthorpe or any other seaside town in February. The lights are off, sections are closed off and whole areas are deserted. This afternoon I ventured into the Palm Court as I heard a piano. Sitting alone was a pianist surrounded at Crystal staff waiting for someone or anyone to turn up. Granted it was a port day but whole areas are deserted. It may be different on sea days. But the answer your question about increased space ratio is yes a double-edged sword especially when nowhere near full capacity. It looks a bit sad. Perhaps all passenger ships are the same when there are so few passengers. Symphony being no different. However the service is still exemplary and the food outstanding. Crystal have made an excellent job of replacing and revitalising areas and should be commended. Our state room that was upgraded in 2023 is excellent. The crew are fabulous as always with lots of familiar faces and we being recognised after so long away from the ship. Put off? Certainly not. A BTB next year and a triple BTB the following year.

When should we expect to receive our tickets as our embarkation is three weeks today? Also where in our online account do they appear? Many thanks in advance. Rod & Linda

They have my favourite Gin, Martin Miller - well done Crystal But the beers are terrible, in particular American beer which is dishwater.

We have booked Symphony for October 2023 Athens to Dubai. Also Symphony from Athens to Rome in April 2024 and then (back to back) Rome to Lisbon. Can’t wait. Rod & Linda

We placed a booking with our TA this morning on Symphony’s first three voyages. By this evening the prices on all three voyages listed on Crystal’s website have increased. Has this happened on Serenity ?