KenzSailing

We do not know this as fact. All that is known is that Crystal has not announced a casino on either ship. Keep hopes up and remember, always split aces and eights.

I've cruised long enough I remember when our cruise line left an ash tray in every cabin because smoking was permitted in every cabin. Let's see, what cruise line was that? Oh yeah, Crystal Cruises(back in the two-words-in-the-name days.) I find the current accommodation, which has been around for quite a few years, reasonable. And to save others the effort I'll add: they need to address smoke leakage from the Connie Club on Symphony.

Spring? We're coming off the third warmest "winter" in the DC area. Daffodils are open, lots of trees are budding. Officially so far we've received 0.5in of snow. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining.

About the crag legs, this has been well covered: https://alaskabeacon.com/2023/02/06/crab-crisis-in-bering-sea-a-sign-of-borealization-and-big-changes-in-the-future-scientists-warn/

Roy, As you are well aware pneumonia is nothing to trifle with. Get your rest(although I don't think it's giving you much of a choice.)

My two chips: Crystal wants casinos on their ships as they are 1)revenue producing and 2)there is a segment of the established clientele that more than slightly desires this amenity. I think the hold-up on an announcement comes down to working out a deal with a franchisee/operator that works for both parties and that may be a little more complicated than I initially thought. From Crystal's POV however, they don't have to have this nailed down in time for the inaugurals. Those spaces on the ships are just sitting empty now. Throw a little furniture in there in the meantime and roll the slots and tables in when the deal gets inked(no, not the easiest way to do it, but just another on a long list of items new management is working thru.)

Yeah, but I think this is the Catch 22 most of, if not all, the lux lines are caught in. I've been watching a lot of video of the other lines in this bracket, and I've been struck by the similarity and datedness of their main stage entertainment offerings. I feel for any entertainment director reviewing the customer satisfaction surveys after debuting a main stage show that's something other than the "Rat Pack 2023 Revue." And don't get me started on the Four Lads shows.....I mean, enough already.

Oh my gosh, this exactly. Anyone who thinks casino employees running a table game could also double dip as, say, a server in a dining room has never come within 10 feet of a table at a casino. Once word got out every sharp in the world would be cruising Crystal and making a very handsome rate of return.

Saturday night is steak night at the Chez. So yesterday I got around to expanding my repertoire with that steak house standard, creamed spinach. Turned out quite nicely:

More fun with numbers: I got to thinking about how a truism about OC was "yeah, you give ups sqft in the standard cabins, but the tradeoff is a lot more public space." Well, the ships are still the same size, now with fewer pax, that must mean a lotta lotta public space/pp. How much? I did a quick comparo, again using the other ship I compared to in my first post, RSSC Grandeur(no one complains that these new RSSC ships are cramped, so I thought that would be reasonable.) Crystal Serenity: 740 pax(I pulled all these numbers off the internet, should be very close if not on the nose) 68,870 gross tons 93 gross tons/pp RSSC Grandeur: 750 pax 55,254 gross tons 73.6 gross tons/pp Now I'm not saying anyone chooses a cruise based on gross tonnage per passenger, but the size of that delta did surprise me. It's quite possible Crystal could claim to be "the most spacious ships at sea." I'd market that hard.

Oh, so you wanna dance? Over here, we've got those local boys 5 Guys and up the northeast that little behemoth called Shake Shack started. And any moment now Patty will be along to throw Whataburger into the mix, now expanding to Kansas City at the request of that Texas boy and two time Super Bowl winning quarterback, Patrick Mahomes(OLoPP insists I mention that part.) So there.

Had to search on that one, but I see your point. Also, I think you're on to something. The answer of course is: Ray Kroc!

Drat, so close! A name on the SoCal dining scene in the 80s who isn't Puck or Selvaggio..... Man, that's mighty slim pickings. (Sorry Bryan.) All the names that come to mind, and there are more than a few, are Bay area chefs. Ken Hom maybe?

I must update my "Evil Corporate Overlords" org chart.

Well, it's not Gordon Ramsey(seriously, can you believe his new DC place is booked solid 90 days out? Talk about selling the sizzle.) Anyway, my shot in the dark is Andre Soltner.

To anyone who even remotely believes that Crystal will expand the designated smoking areas, please explain the business logic behind such a decision. And "they worked for Silversea" doesn't cut it. They came over from a cruise line, not RJ Reynolds(Altria these days.)

I'll stick to the kitchen and leave that to FOH.

Well, of course. The folks booking CP aren't springing for verandah cabins for their servants.😁

Ah, you're right, I was thinking of Concierge grade for which we are WLed. For completeness sake, the Regent quote includes a bonus credit of $500pp, an air credit of $500pp, and an FCC of $100pp that my great and good TA turned into a credit on this booking. And OLoPP is, as always, patient.

So this topic was suggested, and I think it useful to compare NC pricing to the current pricing of other lux lines(at least more useful than Crystal prices today vs how things used to be.) I have one hard data point to contribute: Crystal Serenity LA-NYC, 8/27/24 18 nights Aquamarine Suite Total: $22,230(with prior passenger discount of $970) $617.50 pp/pn RSSC Grandeur MIA-LA, 12/21/23 16 nights Superior F1 Suite Total: $24,198(1st time cruisers, no prior pax discount) $756 pp/pn Delta: Regent is $138.50 pp/pn more expensive Notes: For the size matters crowd, those cabins are mighty similar(IIRC the Regent cabin is 9 sq ft larger.) Both Panama Canal cruises, of similar length. Regent bundles airfare and one night hotel with this grade cabin, but we declined those for credits built into the above pricing. Divergence: The big one of course is that Regent bundles in shorex and there's no way to extract that.(And please, let's not turn this into a referendum on whether that is good or ill. That one has been done to death.) No butler with this grade cabin on Regent. The other thing is the Regent cruise spans both Christmas and New Years. OC, as I recall, used to have a pretty significant uplift for those cruises. Make of this what you will, but it is a data point.

You are such a quant!

Well, since we're talking booze(my kind of place, this is) It's Tuesday(here anyway.) And what Tuesday is it? It's the Tuesday that is fat. Fat Tuesday! \Laissez les bons temps rouler! At the Chez, that means one thing. No not gumbo, not beads, but the Prince of cocktails, the Sazerac. The primary cast: note the Absinthe is labeled "contains wormwood" so if this is my last post ever.... No, I don't know how to rotate images. Or maybe that's the Sazerac talking. The glorious result: Now we're talking. And here's a little Norleans this crowd can get behind:

We're cruising Regent for the first time later this year. While our cruise won't be offering upgrades(it's sold out,) this is the first I've heard of upgrades on Regent(which I assume are rare), so I have a question. The OP seems to imply that when Regent does make an upgrade offer, it's for a class of accommodation and not for a specific cabin number. Do I have that right?

Ummmm.....mayo-based condiment....Ummmmmmm

About four months ago our local county liquor stores had no Makers Mark for eight, maybe ten weeks. I drank some suspect hooch during that period.