SnoBirdCruiser

5 minutes ago, fudge said:

Why would you want to wear either in a dining venue? Are you serious?

Perhaps a little bit. I grew up in a home where males(boys or their friends) had to remove any caps, etc when entering and at the dining room table and to this day, I do not allow this in our home.

I have witnessed men wearing them in ships dining rooms,especially Stetsons. This ranks up there with persons chewing gum at a table.

P.S. I don't mind Denims at all for informal nights,but not on formal nights,yes my husband wears a tux and I evening clothes but only when we are on another cruise line. On RSSC it will be dinner jackets for him and country club for me.

If you are on the Grandeur on Feb.23,2025 perhaps we will meet.

Question: Does Regent allow men to wear baseball caps or cowboy hats while dining in the restaurants? I know they do not allow Denim Jeans after 6:00pm.

Sorry, I can't make it either due to the fact that this is a Red Area and I am a Bluenoser.

For those who don't know, that means I am from Nova Scotia.

21 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

Yesterday I heard from a friend about the passing away of a World Cruiser. We haven't sailed with them since 2015 but I keep up with them and they keep up with things through my posts and travel log. Another couple we know can't make the 2024 WC  due to unexpected surgery. And another person I know just learned he can't go on the World Cruise either. He was going solo having lost his wife who we have sailed with so many times starting with WC 2007.

 

All of this reaffirms my view to not sweat the little things, to travel while you can, and to stay positive.  This is why we are positive and have traveled while we could having lost a sister-in-law way way way too young.

 

Keith

Keith, this is so true. After loosing our dearest friends,who introduced us to cruising in 1991, I felt it was time to "stop and smell the roses"every day... to try and think only positive thoughts, not negative ones.

This coming year we will be celebrating our 60th anniversary and we are so thankful( like you and AnneMarie) that we have been able to travel around the globe, meeting such wonderful people and seeing the wonders of the world.

I am no longer able to do whole W.C. but, thinking positive thoughts, have booked the 2025 Grand Cruise from South Africa to Barcelona and hopefully will be able to do even more.

So, like you, to "reaffirm my view to not sweat the little things,"

Cheers, Pat and Ray

3 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

It is possible you will have luggage tags for the cruise Pat.

 

The last time I checked the status they were hoping to have tags for the world cruise.

 

If not, as Rob notes it will be easy to do them at the terminal in Miami.

 

Keith

Thanks Keith, I sure hope so, but time will tell.

Will you and Anne Marie be on board?

Haven't seen you since the Inaugural except for the "Trivia" on Zoom.

Pat

53 minutes ago, ryndam said:

Do not be concerned about filling out luggage tags on the pier. There are many representatives there. They merely fill in your cabin number on the tag with a big, thick marker and you’re done. Literally takes seconds. Or maybe minutes, depending upon the quantity of luggage you’re checking. 😄😄😄

 

As long as you have your “airline required address tags” on your bags, you’re all set.

 

Rob

Thank you Rob .

Since we are only on for the 31 days all we are taking are 2 pieces of luggage to be tagged ..

Yes we do have address tags on the bags.

Pat

53 minutes ago, History&Wine said:

Hi Pat!

 

I'm not sure New Crystal recommends hotels.  The one we had before the 2015 world cruise was excellent both in terms of amenities and location...but I cannot recall the name??  I do recall it was easy walking distance to South Beach....

Good Morning Dwight,

The Pre-WC in 2015 we stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel on Brickell Ave.

Looking forward to seeing you again.Lets get together for a drink or a meal.

We are only on from Miami on the 5th to Feb.3rd in San Diego.

Pat

Does anyone know the answer to this?

The reason I am asking is that I have been told that there are NO Luggage Tags being sent to us.

We will just have to fill them out at the terminal....

Since the bags are usually taken from us OUTSIDE the terminal, let us all hope it is not raining on the 5th.as we stand there and fill them out.

Any suggestions on how to make the tags or where we can purchase similar ones at Staples?

Pat

We only sailed on the Harmony once and that was in 1999, Barbados to Buenos Aires. 

First cruise was on the Symphony in1995, Sydney to Auckland.The rest is history.

See you all on January 5th, Miami to San Diego.

Pat and Ray 

Just to let you know, Ray and I are now booked on the 2025 Grand cruise CapeTown to Barcelona.

They are having Three Overland Experiences  for the passengers.

We have done two of these over the years,..

The first was in 1997-Crystal Symphony-Hong Kong to Mumbai, India+(Palaces of Rajasthan ) with Crystal and it was unbelievable...we actually did stay in the Palaces. However we did not get to the area to see the Bengal Tigers. This tour would be totally awesome  to take.

The second tour we did in 2005-Crystal Serenity-Suez Canal-Singapore to Athens, Greece We went on the overnight tour to Luxor We did the night tour of the Palaces(bring your flashlights). The Valley of the Kings was hot as Hades, but they did have cooling stations...take lots of water.

The next stop(fromAlexandre was to the Cairio for a day. tour followed at night to the most unbelievable experience I ever had...dinner in front of the Great Pyramids and light show.

Again if you have never been to Egypt you should book this.

We also did a land tour of Cairo, the Nile and a side trip to Jordan and to Aqaba and Petra....another do not miss event if you have the chance to experience it.

We are so excited to be  returning to these countries once again in 2025 with Crystal.

It arrived by email this morning. Guess they do send out to Canadians.

Happy Camper now,

Pat

Thanks Keith.

Cheers Pat

19 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

They’re Crystal’s press releases which are published on Crystal's website @ https://www.crystalcruises.com/press

 

I suspect you’ll receive a customer focussed email within the next day or two 

Yes But how do you register to have these notices  sent out with out having to chase them ?

Perhaps they do not send this out to Canadian clients.

2 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

Received the hard copy catalog in today's snail mail.  It's a slimmed down version of a Cruise Atlas as it doesn't list all 2024 voyages. I know some people have been receiving the past several days. 

 

It is nice to get a hard copy catalog and also this week when we got our Travel & Leisure Magazine it has a one page advertisement for Crystal.

 

Keith 

Keith, do only those chosen cruisers booked in the Crystal suites are the ones who receive this 2024 voyages catalogue? We are booked for the Jan.5 and 18 Cruises but no notices.

Guess that means we will not get the 2025 info OR Catalogue for the Grand Cruises either.

Oh well, C'est la vie!!

On 10/17/2023 at 4:51 PM, Summer Time said:

Interesting that some of you get Crystal offer emails. Me…..nada on my primary email addy, the one Crystal has along with three booked cruises.  I have subscribed so many times to no avail. 

 

Guess what, my throw away emai addy (same domain as the primary) and my work email addy, I get Crystal offer emails!!!!! I guess Crystal is in love with my other email addys.

 

Kate

I am in the same boat....Nada!! Even though I also have 2 Serenity Cruises in Jan-Feb./24.

I'm beginning to feel like 2nd or 3rd class passenger,even after over 500 nights.LOL,

Pat

On 9/24/2023 at 4:19 PM, Noggins said:

That was quite a lunch. Did you really have two courses of the pasta dish.....?

On 9/24/2023 at 4:19 PM, Noggins said:

This is my lunch today at the Splendido Hotel Portofino.

This is what Italian food should look like.

We celebrated our 40th Anniversary on the Terrace with my Maid of Honer and her husband.

Our 60th will e in 2024...who knows where we will be on that date.

Does Crystal allow passengers to give a cash contribution to the crew to use in their bar or other recreational areas towards a party.

The entire staff, crew,etc. are all the greatest and we would like to say thank you to them.

However you cannot do it for them all. I know that giving them an excellent service letter to the Captain is one way.

I do know what we did on the World Cruises was doing it in several segments

Does anyone else say, Thank you, to the crew in different ways.

I am sorry to see that Crystal Symphony will not be in North or South American waters in 2025.

No Caribbean ports,😪😪 for us.

Pat

I want to thank everyone who responded to my request. Now all I have to do is check the  vacancies.

I love the way it went from hotels to hot dogs to pizzas....keep it up as it has become a fun read .

I must agree with ChatKat in Ca. I love those hot dogs at Costco.

I only put yellow mustard and Ketchup on my hot dog.

If you are ever in Toronto in the summer, the street hot dogs are very good as well.

Talking about favourite foods, Carpaccio as we know it today was invented in the 1950s by a restauranteur in Venice named Giuseppe Cipriani. At his restaurant, Harry's Bar, Cipriani created carpaccio of beef for the Countess Amalia Nani Mocenigo, whose doctor recommended she avoid cooked meats. Therefore i suggest that Crystal put it back on the menu in Osteria d'Ovidio.

I have never been in Harry's Bar but I can highly recommend the Restaurant, next door at the:

Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal Restaurant. We spent 3 hours there one Sunday afternoon ...we ordered

Fritto di Pesce Grand Canal
con Salsa Tartara and a bottle (or two)of wine

Here is the menu:

https://www.hotelmonaco.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cartaMENU-ESTIVA.pdf

We have had three memorable meals so far,:this was number 1.

Number Two Dinner: on the lawn at the Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Zambia.

https://www.anantara.com/en/royal-livingstone/restaurants/dining-by-design

Number three: an afternoon on Mount Lemon ,Tucson, Arizona on Bread, cheese and wine

.

Maybe we should start a new  forum on memorable meals we have had over the years in places we have travelled.

What do you think?

Looking into a possible Reykjavik cruise and we are interested in what hotels anyone have stayed pr-cruise.

52 minutes ago, History&Wine said:

With reports of cancelled and delayed cruises by other lines I find it notable that Crystal was able to start on time with Serenity and looks to be on time with Symphony. 

Like your photo.

Patand Ray

58 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

A certain travel agency is doing a webinar from the new Explora ship.  Interestingly, they touted how their coffee lounge had "Portuguese pastries".  Hmmm.

 

 

I don't know about the info from the Explora Ship as I am on the Serenity,LOL.

Having said this ,I can only comment on the new menus here.

Just to let you know, I love appetizers and I am trying as many as I can from the Main dining room   every night I eat there....I am an eclectic eater, I'll try anything to see if I like it(except cod fish, eels and sorry to say Lamb)

We have been using both sides of the menu and so far excellent. The main course fish each night has been excellent with amazing sauces that complement the dish...desserts have been different but delicious.

We ate at the Italian restaurant and as Keith has said,it is a completely new set menu (for now)

We started with an appetizer of lobster and very different light but perfect tomato sauce

second couse Ray had the Minnistrone  soup, unlike any we had ever tasted, it was fresh vegetables in white soup base, do not know what it was but it was delicious (I'll order it the next time) and I had Scampi with risottorice topped with a caramel type onion sauce.(I found it a trifle bland)

Main course: Ray had a Veal Scallapini (spelled x)again delicious. I has salt baked Sea bassand witha green veitabble( can't remember its name, to me I again asked for their best balsamic and applied it to it...tasted better but I might have served it with Asparagus.

The gentleman beside me ordered the lamb Chop which looked delicious (he said it was "fantastic)

Dessert Ray had vanills ice cream slightly drizzled with the expensive Balsamic(we have always ordered this)  The two of the three desserts were great(last two)

Next tome I will try what I didn't eat this time.

Cheers,

Pat

On 8/3/2023 at 10:39 AM, Keith1010 said:

You are not going to see Lasagne, Beef Carpaccio, or the Mushroom Soup on this menu. You cannot special order it. It is a completely new concept.  The mushroom soup from time to time will be on the Waterside menu.

 

Again this is new and personally I am glad they have rolled out a new menu.

 

Keith

This is along the line of food...I checked for the Portuguese Tarts in the Bistro...YES! YES!! every morning they are brought out and are gone before 11:00AM..

Love the new decor and all the food,especially the fresh berries and fruits, are excellent as well.

Cheers Pat

3 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

Many were in Suits and Tuxedos.  I have to say I didn't look.  A few people didn't realize there was a formal night as they are new to Crystal.

 

Keith

Believe it  or not there was a very large number in Tuxedos and if I say so myself, they really looked handsome.!Oh and the women as well wore beautiful evening gowns, evening suits and cocktail dresses.

There were quite a few men who wore suits and also those who wore blazers and dress slacks.

there was one gentleman who sat at the crystal Cove bar during the entertainment who wore his baseball cap and a white tee shirt but he did depart at six pm ....never saw him again.

Everyone was just a having a wonderful time and we never heard of anyone complaining.

We had dinner in the main dining room. The new menus were superb. I decided that I was going to try food s that I seldom ordered for this cruise.My first untried order was the the night before an it was sauteed spinach,however i ordered balsamic vinegar and added a few drops to it...I loved it!

To be honest ,I am enjoying the new chefs preparation f the food surpasses the OC chefs(my private opinion.)

Tonight we will be at the Italian Restaurant. I wasn't aware that it is from Northern district.I actually went to a cooking school in Sienna way back and still enjoy cooking Italian foods at home.

No, I am not of Italian heritage.

Thank you Keith for keeping everyone here up to date on this wonderful cruise.

Cheere from Pat and Ray

1 hour ago, Keith1010 said:

Pat, the person at the Lounge desk knew the gate location for the flight out of LHR to Marseille about 15 minutes before it was put-on the flight monitor.  That was about 1 hour before flight time.  We walked about 10 minutes to the gate. This will vary based on the gate they use.

 

Safe travels to you and Ray.

 

Keith

Thank you Keith, I just finished doing our Boarding Passes for London as well as Marseille.

We are at the Sofitel Hotel, we usually stay at the Intercontinental.

Time to get some sleep, it is going to be a long day/

Pat