AtA

Also early December is also slow in terms of bookings.

Before Symphony shut down, the 2017 PS, now Sapphire had a washer/dryer. I'm not sure if they kept them or not.

Most would consider me a cheerleader. I agree 100% with you. This is not just a port change.

Both.

I wonder how that will affect the WC since it's first leg is MIA to San Diego.

We would almost always get in. What we'd do is go around 7:30 or 8 PM and ask if they had room or if the sushi bar was available. We were only turned away a couple of times.

Yes we also got ironing for 5 items a day and dry cleaning for 5 items. And flowers in the rooms. Apparently in the lower suites they supposedly no longer have flowers? Or so we were told by the head of housekeeping. Oh and afternoon canapés. And of course the Sapphire is a little larger.

I liked it.

The carpet in the new Sapphire suites looks like someone or some dog had an accident. It's that color yellow.

If it was rust colored it wouldn't have been so bad. It was way too yellow to be rust colored. :0

Yes I realize that's the issue. My suggestion was that those in a Sapphire should at least have a second night in the specialties for every 8-10 days of sailing if space is available. I realize that this would no longer be able to be an option in the Aquamarine suites as they now are being considered the "standard suites", but with the price jump from Aquamarine to Sapphire, there needs to be something other than just 1 free bag of laundry every 11 days. (In fact we're in a Sapphire for our next cruise which is only 8 days. The difference in cost for the Sapphire is an additional $2000 pp, yet we don't even get the one bag of laundry free.) Heck we didn't even get early boarding on our inaugural cruise! (And yes, still first world problems! LOL) Going forward, unless something more is offered in a Sapphire, we will be very happy in a classic Aquamarine and pay for laundry (or do it ourselves) and extra nights in the specialty restaurants.

No it speaks to the fact I have ADHD and can't remember squat. LOL

That's it in a nutshell! How very blessed we all are.

No it was for the first because we received it yesterday and we were only on the first cruise. Like in the past, they need to confirm on the survey what cruise it was for. I think as stated in another thread that the survey needs work.

The survey was for the first cruise as I was not on the second one and received it yesterday. I do not feel it was as comprehensive as the old ones. It did have the numbering system but was too open ended by asking which shows you liked, which ports you liked, which tours you liked? As someone who doesn't keep a running list of every show, every port and every tour, I found it difficult to recall what I did and when and which tour I did where. In the past, the survey would list the port, and the tours, list the shows, list the lecturers, list the entertainment and you'd give a NA (not applicable) or a number and would give you a space to fill in any additional info. This way we didn't have to rack our brains trying to remember what we saw and/or did. They need to take the time to create the survey so it's more defined for those of us with aging brains. 😉

And you need butter for your bread. 😉

I did like the bench and the size of the shower. I personally prefer my stuff at the sink in drawers, but that of course is a personal opinion. And yes it is a comfortable space, and I like it much better than the classic Sapphire, but is it worth that much more per person than for a classic Aquamarine?

That is exactly how we felt.

We have done private snorkel tours on St Barts.

We absolutely enjoyed both, but don't go thinking New Prego is Old Prego.

So basically no activities. Not even trivia! For those prices I'd expect more than what they're showing!

Are these all shipboard people? Not entertainers brought on? Comedians? What are the daytime activities on sea days?

Is this the schedule for a port day or a sea day?

I'm starting this because us Crystal regulars truly love certain things. For me the two most important things are 1. The walking track on deck 7. Yes I realize it takes up valuable space that could be used for cabins, but couldn't a ship be designed so that there's a walking track on deck 5 or 6? 2. The central cove area. The newer ships on other lines have eliminated the central 2 story core and it makes the ships feel compartmentalized. There are lots of "rooms" on these new ships but no one place to have impromptu music such as when the band does jazz or the white night. Shoving everyone into a 1 story room at the rear or front of the ship just isn't the same. Having certain events in the central core is like when family gathers together.

Tough question. I think despite the shower and shelves, I might still choose the newly redesigned one over the classic. It feels just a bit more spacious than the classic one although the classic does have 2 desks if I recall. Now having said that, if I recall the classic vanity desk doesn't even have a drawer to store anything. I'll take a too narrow drawer over no drawer. Plus the new one had sliders out to the balcony from both the living room and the bedroom area. However, if a very good shower is important to you, choose the classic. Also as I recall all the classic ones were up on deck 11 which is under the pool/marketplace. We prefer not to be under the pool as we're not early morning risers. In reality, on our next Serenity cruise we chose to go with an Aquamarine classic PH. On Serenity, that truly is our favorite. Great storage. Great shower, etc. Now having said that, either way you can't go wrong.