KenzSailing

Guy opens 50+ restaurants and a hotel or two and he forgets his friends. 🙁

I ordered a hi-ball, I got a fastball: https://dc.eater.com/2024/4/24/24139066/celebrity-chef-nobu-matsuhisa-shohei-ohtani-wingos-dukes-grocery-dc-am-intel?ueid=4eba6b281d9f0c8ecfc26836a0d720b7

Over on Facebook, back when this was a hotter topic and Crystal's position was still "no how, no way" I remember Cristina Levis jumping in to state unequivocally that casinos don't make money for cruise lines, they make money for the concessionaire. Also, hi Vince!

You should take classes next to me. You can have my barely touched wine. I take the cooking classes to pick up a pointer on two and to have a bit of fun, for which I want a clear head. Regent is an AI line, plenty of time to get pleasantly foggy in the evening.

Yeah, could be. IIIRC, the current CEO(or whatever) stated on FB that casinos are not money makers for cruise lines, they mostly make a profit for the casino vendor. That, coupled with NC's obvious ambivalence(at best) about casinos, has to make you wonder. Assuming their initial about face was driven by negative reaction on social media, interesting they're polling folks they know to be established Crystal cruisers. They're not trolling for new casino clients. Essentially, "OK, Crystal cruisers, time to turn your cards over." Me, I'm standing on 19. (And yeah, I just mixed a Poker and Blackjack metaphor.)

Based on the survey wording that started with words to the effect that "Crystal has announced it will bring back casinos in 2024" I got the feeling that what they're trying to figure out is what size the re-introduced casinos should be. Interesting they didn't drill down on preference for slots vs table games(and what sorts of table games.) Determining that mix is probably left to whatever vendor they hire, I suppose.

Interesting. I watch a lot of Youtube videos about cruising(yeah, I gotta get a life...) There's a US TA know for their many, many cruise line in-depth videos, mostly on mass market lines, but certainly across the market segments. They just posted a short featuring Crystal's 2026 WC. That's got to help.

No, we don't. Now, let's beat this dead horse some more. Hey, anybody want to discuss dress codes?

I have one rock solid belief about human nature, based on experience: everyone, and I mean everyone, is convinced that the way they handle their finances is rational, and everyone else is doing it wrong.

My gosh, I love this thread. I started out reading about a recent RSS cruise experience, and also got advice on breathable fabrics and how to mulch my garden. Now that's full service! And yes, it's the Cruise Critic way.

I respectfully disagree, but every cruise(and cruise experience) is different.

The repetition of conjecture is not synonymous with fact. If social media has taught us anything, it's that sometimes where there's smoke...there's a smoke machine.

Wow, this thread should be titled "The X-Files at Sea."

We were on Regent recently. They do grand buffets, but only on Sundays that are also sea days and then, only once per cruise. We attended a cooking demo hosted by the head chef. A question was asked about food waste. He said the only waste incurred was from the grand buffet. Standards are such that the left over food could not even be served to the crew, but had to be disposed of. I agree it's an anachronism best left to a mention in a lecture about the history of passenger cruising.

I'm with the Senior Flamingo on this one. We were on Grandeur in December, never heard the cabin occupants on one side, spirited conversation did filter in from the love seat side. Honestly, I don't know if my antennae would have been so active had I not already read about the issue on this board(the good and ills of social media.) Anyway, after a 16 day cruise, it was so minor for us that we've booked a BtB on Grandeur for next December. Even if an issue the potential remedies are many: ear plugs, a white noise machine, one(more) last one in the Meridian Lounge(my preference.)

That would be helpful. We were on Grandeur in December and indulged in wine off the specialty list (whatever Regent calls it) twice(both times in Prime 7.) Don't remember a gratuity line, but by that time evening merriment had been had.

Well, we were on the Dec 21 Canal cruise in a Superior F1. Never knew if the folks on one side of us were in their cabin on not. On the other side, we always knew when they were talking. I don't know what to say about that other than YMMV.

OK, for you, we'll suspend the usual formal-optional dress code for the sup celebrating the big winter batch of French onion soup I made today. Good use of a day not fit to go outdoors anyway. But no board shorts. Gotta have some standards.

We were on the Grandeur Dec 21 MIA-LA cruise, 16 nights. Experienced Crystal cruisers, first time on Regent. I'm too lazy to write a review(and frankly I find them of little value as I have no idea the perspective of the reviewer.) We were pretty much over the moon. The ship was of course bright and shiny, but the service was much smoother than I had been expecting on a ship so recently put into service. Food(important to us) was also just fine to excellent, with the few misses easily corrected and not worth further comment. Also, luuuved the Culinary Arts Kitchen experience. My proof? We've booked Grandeur BtB this December over the holidays. Sorry to say, but the eternal verities of cruising still apply: 1) You won't know until you've tried it 2) The only opinion that matters is yours

24F at 1 PM here, about 8 inches of fresh snow on the ground, so I'm fighting back by wielding a hot stove. Hot chocolate this morning, grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch. It's Saturday, so steak tonight according to her majesty's wishes. Life is good.

I remember that sojourn. At the time, I called it "the Royest thing Roy has ever Royed." Still true!

Welp, my apologies. And I wish that we had, the experience would undoubtedly have been better. The rest of the story: we spent an additional two nights in LA specifically to dine at a restaurant I've been jonesing in go to for years. I snagged a rezzie there, even scored one of their limited servings of pressed duck. After all of that, we would have been better off with Mom's leftovers. I even know how to burp Tupperware, and I promise we'd return it clean.

No delay at all. It's my land lubber understanding that cruise ships pay a premium for a fairly specific slot, while cargo ships are more flexible(those Ralph Lauren knock-off polos can wait a few days.) We've been thru three times before, overall transit time was per the usual. Our canal guide (not that great, BTW) said the cargo pre-entry wait time was up to six days. But I wouldn't rely on that. Any way, we had smooth sailing.

The following is not meant to be, nor imply, a comparison of any sort: Just back from 16 nights on the brand-spanking-new Regent Seven Seas Grandeur, MIA-LA via the Canal(duh). We had a fabulous time. As the cliche goes: "gotta go home to rest up."

Ooops, sorry, meant to post the above to the off-topic thread. Didn't intend to step on someone else's topic.