Stickman1990

You might be surprised but we found the costs weren’t that different between Viking and Crystal (at least in the category we sail in) by the time you factor things like drinks packages in - I doubt it would come down to budget in terms of choosing between them and some other luxury lines Interestingly the numbers discussion has only recently changed as they’ve reduced first numbers on Crystal - I don’t think Viking public areas could be considered crowded by any measure although there were a couple of times we couldn’t get seats in some locations like the afternoon tea in Wintergarden. We certainly loved upstairs in the Explorers lounge though - great spot on sea days Bags are out and ready to pack - time to cruise again

I did recently (they had an itinerary that worked for us) - certainly plenty of nice aspects but also things that didn’t work for us so it’s one and done for us - there are certainly better options out there at a similar price Interestingly we had two other lots of friends who also sailed Viking Ocean recently - one are of the same opinion as us while the other couple have booked another Viking cruise while onboard Choice is good 😉

The self service laundry is open 24 hours Here’s where I got that info from (off one of the 12 Explora Journeys FB groups I’ve seen) and it includes the operating hours of many of the facilities There’s a ton of info out there right now on social media - I think most are quite capable of judging the validity and independence of material - personally I just look at the pictures from around the ship and pictures of menus etc as they are factual with editorial commentary

I came across this video posted in the last couple of days on You Tube which includes an interview with the Head Chef which is very interesting - he covers off the approach and each of the dining venues

Why is that? If your not sure how to upload photos to the forum let me know and I’m happy to help facilitate that

Anthology (There’s an up charge for this one) The menu will change as the Michelin rated chefs change

Fil Rouge menus

Here’s the menu for Marble

I came across these menus for Sakura that might get the taste buds tingling @TER777 - you know I’m going to ask for your thoughts vis a vis Umi Uma by Nobu on our favourite line (I’m not expecting them to be like for like of course) EXI_SAKURA_Dinner_Menu.pdf EXI_SAKURA_Dinner_Menu 2.pdf

Yes I’d heard that to - no longer any retrospective application of the on board booking discount to exisiting bookings made before sailing I’m afraid - it’s a shame but probably in line with industry practice I suspect I’ll just wait til I’m onboard to book future cruises, it’s Crystals loss at not locking me in - if I’m not locked in then I’m easily tempted to book other things before I board and thus tie up that slot in our cruise diary. That’s the risk they take

Thanks - that’s where I fail - at Step 1 - my reservation isn’t attached to my profile and I can’t work out his to link it using my booking number (although we did manage eventually to complete the online checkin process and generate tickets and documentation I’ll ring Explora Journeys today and get them to associate it then it should open up the options for me Early days issues I suspect…

We sail next month and I still haven’t worked out his to access Tours on the portal let alone booking them. Managed to get ourselves checked in but can’t find anything about booking restaurants or tours online (not saying if isn’t there and happy if someone can tell me hod to access it) I’d talk to your TA or direct with Explora Journeys by phone and they San send you the list of excursions and the pricing - they did that instantly when I rang them I’ve got to ask - do you really have 14 cruises booked with Explora as per your signature? - now that’s commitment!

Yes that’s the minimum cost it would be - if you want even higher quality wines you can pay more

For Australians Dubai (from Emirates website) Visa Exemptions: Nationals of Australia with a normal passport for a maximum stay of 30 days. Information: Extension of stay possible for an additional 30 days. Oman Oman Tourist e-Visa (30 days valid, single entry) https://evisa.rop.gov.om/visa-eligibility US$51.90 each Egypt Australians require an eVisa Tourism Visa: Issued for single or multiple entries to persons whose nationalities require visas to enter Egypt. Visa type Visa fees Single entry visa (Tourism) 25$ Multiple entries visa (Tourism) 60$ https://www.visa2egypt.gov.eg/eVisa/Home;jsessionid=Zh-DTv67XALZyEUZVkAn9Sff8d-mnvCiYEx1eJl3.pp-ui-01?VISTK=QQJN-HM9W-H05L-ZMAX-8EHN-XVQ2-B32J-24JC-RP3D-7DV3-O4C4-EI32-GEOQ-SQYK-103Y-WBCR

@tryber You asked about the cost of the Vintage Room in another thread - interestingly the Points Guy covered it off in his review For a private room you can pay pretty much from the minimum for 12 guests (I’m pretty sure it’s that from the last time we did one) - so $3600 - and up as you can pay for even better wines if you want If you only have say 6 guests rather then 12 you will get better wines included as they don’t have to pour the volume required for a 12 person room - and if that’s not appropriate you can pay more and get better quality wines The choice is yours From his review: “Finally, Crystal Serenity has a special 14-seat dining room called the Vintage Room that guests can book for exclusive private dinners that combine an elegant set menu of five to seven dishes with wine pairings for each course. Seven-course meals in the room including wines, are presented over about three hours in the room and cost $300 per person. The Vintage Room. GENE SLOAN/THE POINTS GUY A shorter five-course food and wine pairing in the Vintage Room is available for $220 per person. Occasional seven-course meals overseen by celebrity chefs that sail on the ship cost $1,100 per person, including wine pairings”

I just wanted to say that it is so nice to see new members posting about their experiences - it's great to get some fresh perspective on the new Crystal experience Thanks for taking the time to post I'm sure Crystal will be listening to all guests feedback and if deemed appropriate they will fine tune their offerings

I'll be certain to let you know how we go - we will be sailing Explora 1 next month from Reykjavik to New York. I'll post about our experiences on the Explora forum Interestingly we'll be catching up with some of our Crystal friends in Reykjavik before they board Crystal Serenity. It will be nice to see them - and Serenity again

What countries require Visas? I appreciate it will depend on what country you’re a citizen of but usually if they want them for US citizens they’ll want them for others

Great chart! It’s added to my essential travel documents now - as important as my Passport 😂 I believe that Explora do have some variety of Fevertree onboard so I’ll check that out

Yes! They have some interesting Gins on the all inclusive menu - I’ll take one for the team and sample them all 😉😂 More chance of that happening than me going to the Spa

I've just posted a separate thread with the list and pricing

I received this list of services and pricing from Explora Jouneys yesterday EJ Ocean Wellness Menu Pricelist.pdf EJ_Ocean Wellness_Menu.pdf

Crystal have just posted this video on You Tube - I have a feeling I’ve seen it before but as I say it’s just been posted in the last hour

Crystal have released details of the WC 2025 itinerary Here they are (I don’t have pricing yet) World Cruise benefits Crystal Society members receive 2.5% savings Complimentary Business Class airfare* $1,500 ‘As You Wish’ credit** Private transfers*** Luggage Valet**** Unlimited dining at Osteria d’Ovidio and Umi Uma (reservations required) Themed onboard events Exclusive onshore events for full World Cruise guests Exclusive gala dinner Complimentary laundry 2nd day service Complimentary initial onboard medical visit ***** Send-off celebration Reservations open up as follows Reservations will be available to book on the following schedule: 2024 World Cruise Guests: Wednesday, August 16, 2023 Your clients will have until Monday, August 21, 2023 to secure their currently booked 2024 World Cruise suite or guest room Crystal Society 15 cruises or more: Tuesday, August 22, 2023 Your clients will have until Thursday, August 24, 2023 to guarantee their suite preference Crystal Society 14 cruises or less: Friday, August 25, 2023 Your clients will have until Tuesday, August 29, 2023 to guarantee their suite preference General Public: Wednesday, August 30, 2023 CRYSTAL_2025WC_Flyer_NOCTA.pdf

I board on 9 September in Reykjavik