daleandrews

We are on Serenity at least partially overlapping. We are on from October 26 (Quebec City) through November 18 (Barbados).

Every single maritime-related labor union. The laws are supposed to promote build-American and crew-American. Costs are so high for U.S. built and crewed ships that there still aren't many of them. Actually, many countries have similar cabotage laws -- the difference is that the U.S. has such a large number of coastal ports that the public is much more aware of the restrictions here.

We are on the October 26 23 day cruise from Quebec City to Barbados, so we overlap with your first segment, Ft. Lauderdale to Bridgeton. Strangely, Tastes shows as available for reservations on those days on our schedule. (You may be correct and this may be a glitch in the system since our schedule does not show formal nights, which show up on the schedules for the individual segments)

That is precisely what I did to check out the suggested dress code. On our cruise, even though some days overlap with yours, every night shows up as casual. So there must be a glitch on Crystal's part.

We are departing on a 23 day cruise -- Quebec City to Barbados -- on October 26. It's sold as one cruise but is actually 2 back to backs. Interestingly, the itinerary posted by Crystal shows no formal nights. This is fine with me -- haven't put on a tux in decades -- but it seems a bit inconsistent with the formal night scheduling reported by others. I'm wondering if this is an indication of Crystal stepping back from formal nights on its itineraries.

Hmm. . . Maybe Crystal should start program where they will do your laundry but, in return, after each meal you have to do your own dishes.

I fear construction on board when we cruise on Serenity, October 26 through November 18. Also -- no indication what will happen to the library on Serenity.

Yeah, I mean if we ended up going to war what would we do if we could not control the Staten Island Ferry???

This is the general rule in most countries. Restricting coastal trades to vessels (or aircraft) that are registered in that country is commonly referred to as "cabotage" restrictions. Historically these rules have been around a long time and are premised on not only providing an economic incentive to citizens of the host country but also (hopefully) assuring an available fleet of vessels and aircraft in case they are needed in times of military crisis. The restrictions are particularly difficult in the context of the United States -- where there is a huge market for transportation between cities that are often far apart -- particularly so in the airport context. On the ocean front, the requirement that U.S. built, registered, and crewed vessels are the only ones that can ply the domestic intercostal trades is particularly difficult given the economic reality that U.S. vessels are markedly more expensive to build and operate than are foreign vessels. Nonetheless, the laws persist. Ahh well, there we have it!

This does not show up on our page. I suspect that perhaps you need to be within 120 days of embarkation for the information to be loaded. We hit that mark next Friday . . . so I will try again then!

I have had the same thought (worry!). We are on for 23 days, Quebec City on the 26th of October through Barbados on the 18th of November. Hoping there will not be construction of the new restaurant and/or the casino during that time period!

I spent quite a few years practicing maritime law (first in private practice, then with the government). I'm happily retired now and try not to wade into these issues but I will at least put my foot a little into the water on this one. 🙂 The Passenger Vessel Services Act generally precludes transportation between points in the U.S. unless a "distant" foreign port is served on the route. A round trip leaving and returning to the same U.S. port and visiting one or more foreign ports on its itinerary is not deemed transportation since you leave and return from the same city. Similarly transportation from a foreign port (e.g. Quebec City) and terminating in a U.S. port (e.g. Fort Lauderdale) is okay because the transportation is not between U.S. ports. BUT combining two back-to-back cruises so that the passenger leaves from one U.S. port and returns to another presents a PVSA problem. Cruise Critic has a pretty good article on all of this (including the problems presented by back-to-backs) at the following site: https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles/jones-act-and-pvsa-whats-the-difference-and-how-do-they-affect-my-cruise#how-does-the-pvsa-affect-cruise-itineraries-and-ships? BTW -- we will be on portions of this cruise as well -- but we are departing from Quebec City on October 26 and disembarking on the 18th of November in Barbados.

Has anyone heard whether this is still going to happen? I note that the page with the original press release by Crystal now returns a "can't find" message.

Some of this seems to still be a "work in progress." We are booked for the 23 day Quebec City to Barbados cruise leaving Quebec City on October 26. If you pull up that cruise the description does not include any entertainers or speakers and does not mention that Gloria Gaynor will be on board and performing. However, if you pull up the shorter Quebec City to Ft. Lauderdale portion of that cruise (which can also be booked) all entertainers (including Gaynor) and the lecturers are listed. (The summary of the full cruise also references that it will include Phillipsburg even though St. Marten is not a scheduled stop.)

Regardless of whether we are a part . . . we will be on board. Quebec City and all the way to Barbados 23 days later.

That was also the practice when we were on Azamara a few years back.

Some years back we did the island tour with eventual drop off at the airport. It worked out well. As I remember we bargained for the tour with a driver who was lined up at the terminal. Sometimes cruise companies will offer a transfer to the airport that includes some form of island tour. I don't know if Crystal plans to do this but would not be surprised. Incidentally, we are booked on that Quebec City to Barbados cruise next fall.

Don't know if this has already been covered -- on board now and falling behind on reading messages -- but another interesting restroom innovation -- the sinks have what appears to be three identical brass spigots. At first I thought "huh??" But if you hold your hand under the first one on the right it dispenses soap. Move on to the middle one and it turns on with water. Then place your hand under the third one on the left and it shoots out hot air to dry your hands. (There are also rolled up cloth towels for anyone not interested in an "air dry"!}

Just a little possible reality check here. The vast majority of the comments on other media sites are overwhelmingly positive. I get the problems (very real) relating to cancelled cruises and withheld reimbursement -- but the product currently being delivered is being praised by on board customers on websites other than this one. Anyway, I board on September 2. So I will see for myself.

Just for the sake of clarity, there is no restaurant listed in post #17 that opens for dinner at 9:00. All of the restaurants listed according to that post open at either 6:30 or 7:00 p.m. (For me, the only way I can decipher 24 hour clocks is by counting on my fingers!) 🙂

It's the second day out -- the Isle of Lewis. It's been listed on the itinerary correctly for quite a while but back when we first booked and tours were first available the second day out was a port on the Isle of Skye. I had booked a tour there but then cancelled it when they changed the itinerary and booked the new tour for Isle of Lewis.

I added a tour the other week for a substituted port on our Glasgow to NYC trip and also found that there was absolutely no payment button that would "click" to enter payment information. I sent Explora an email asking about this and they sent back an email letter with a link at the bottom for payment. When I clicked the link to pay, however, and after selecting "credit card" and providing my card information, the site returned a page asking if I wanted to proceed to payment BUT the amount shown on that page was the total price of the whole cruise (which I had long since paid), not the cost of just the newly added excursion. I wasn't going to click that (!!) so I emailed Explora again and was told that I had to delete the erroneous total cruise price on the page and insert the amount for the newly added excursion. That worked but . . . the experience indicates that all of this is still pretty much a work in progress. 🙂

Oops. Left the 70 bouy in the wake a few years back. They will have to take me as I am when we board on September 2! 🙂

We will watch you from the deck. 🙂 (Boarding in Glasgow on the 2nd.)

I have no idea. Just quoting someone who is on the ship. Ask me in 3 weeks when I am on the ship! 🙂