BWIVince

Sheer speculation, but that might be part of the migration to Beefbar. If I were them, I'd shut off reservations for the old concept as the timeline came into focus so there were fewer reservations to either (a) have to migrate or (b) have to communicate the change to, and then just open the new concept in its pace when it's ready to accept reservations and everything can be communicated. Just a thought... Vince

That's what my eye went to... You know I'm usually the one defending the typos since I know how quickly this stuff needs to be pulled together and I have my own epic fails in my career of crafting notices and comms stuff, but this is the ONE line of the whole letter that 100% of the recipients scan the letter to find, and the first thing everyone proofs and checks when they draft it. That one is really glaring. Vince

Speaking of consistency with Old Crystal traditions, it's great to see the inconsistent proofreading remains. 😄 Vince

It's great to have you back online Roy, and wishing you a speedy and complete recovery! Vince

I'm in complete agreement with everything Keith, Rob and Larry said. Just to add one more comment to summarize everything I posted about my cruise this summer to save you some reading of my ramblings, I think Crystal today is as close as it could possibly be to the ethos of old Crystal. Changes are minor, and IME almost all things required to adapt any brand to the cruise market of 2024. That said, I think A&K has done an amazing job of respecting all of Crystal's original pillars to ensure the product remains as recognizable to Crystal's legacy guests and partners as possible, and that it delivers what it's former guests (as much as new ones) are looking for from Crystal. Vince

That's especially concerning, Colin... We had two different canapés on the July 2nd cruise, but I didn't have any cocktails in the Cove on that cruise, so I can't directly compare the service. We had drinks every evening in either the Palm Court or the Avenue before dinner, and the server came around with the trays just like they did in the old days -- with one server making a pass of the room with one item, and then coming back 5-10 minutes after they complete the pass, with the next item, and repeating. We weren't usually there long enough after the pass of item #2 to the asked again on the revisit of item #1, but in the couple of cases that we were, we were always asked if we'd like a second serving of the original item. I saw Rob mentioned they were experimenting with new canapés, but I didn't realize they had slimmed them down to just 1. 😞 Vince

+1... And not just between the ships, but also between the chefs in many cases. Sometimes it's just something as inevitable as ingredient availability a certain week, but I've also had the same feature on the same menu set have a moderately tweaked preparation even using the same primary ingredients, from one chef to another even on Symphony. I've sometimes had to refer back to which chef led the team just to see whose "version" of that dish to help explain the picture I'm looking at. Vince

I LITERALLY did that when I read Rob's message! Worse yet, I feel like I jinxed their experience with my own personal bad luck just for calling out how amazingly cool it sounded. Also: It never fails that the things I think are cool, literally interest almost no one. This cancellation due to lack of interest totally tracks. 😞 Vince

My mother was one of those “soap” people and hated (what we call) cilantro with a passion, but she had no problem cooking with the seeds (coriander). She knew full well they were from the same plant, but she swore the seeds didn’t have the same unpleasant flavor. 🤷🏻‍♂️ So I think there is probably something to that… My mother was raised with her mother having that rule, and swore she wouldn’t do that to her kids…. So our house rule was you didn’t have to eat it if you didn’t like it, but they’re not cooking anything else (because there’s something else here you can make a meal out of). She knew she “hated” a lot of delicious ingredients (like beets) just because she was force-fed bad preparations too many times, and she didn’t want her kids to be raised with those long-term biases, or even punishing them if there really was something we structurally hated about a primary ingredient. Vince

I always struggle with the definitions in questions like this…. Like in the case of KFC, most of us know the backstory of Harland Sanders and Sanders Court and Cafe in Corbin, KY but the first actual KFC was in Utah (thanks to Pete Harman). 🧐 Vince

This has been on my mind as well, as I still haven’t made a transaction with any travel supplier that’s outside of my chargeback window since February of 2020…. But I’m pretty sure I’m ok with making an A&K deposit for 2026 anyway for the same reason you mentioned. That said, there are other ways to mitigate the risk…. I wouldn’t book it as nonrefundable no matter what, and as long as one is ok with the cancellation terms, staying proactive with cancellation requests during risky times can offset the booking date with some card issuers…. With AmEx, for example, you have 120 days to do a dispute on a missing credit (from the cancellation processing) even if the original charge was outside the 540 day window, as long as you get the supplier to accept the cancellation per the refund policy. The missing credit then becomes the infraction, and not services not delivered. Vince

Your pic has me drooling, Bill! My version of that late one afternoon was a bao from Tastes, and a cup of gelato from Scoops... 😋 If it hadn't have been for the gout, I would probably have also stopped off at the Tastes Bar for a to-go cocktail too. 😁 Vince

Patty's plan is the best, but I would also add that even in lower category rooms that don't get the afternoon snack tray, your butler is still happy to keep your room stocked with dry snacks like chips and nuts, or deliver anything "snacky" off the room service menu or pantry stock, like a fruit plate or a cheese plate. All you have to do is ask. The Bistro run is still the best plan though... I love the afternoon selection. Vince

I run closer to Keith's clock, and I've never seen it because it's in the middle of my day. 😀 If I'm not ashore, I'm usually in the dining room having what others call breakfast. 😀 Vince

As much as I would love to think that the trio at dinner was cut because of all the complaints about how horrible they were, I don't believe for a second that "complainers always win." Sure, sometimes they do, but in this case I think there is a much simpler explanation. The strolling trio was not an original Crystal feature... They were added because they were a fad (again), and they were eliminated when the fad was over. That's it, at its core. The low scores just helped quantify when it was over (or maybe how poorly implemented it was). Which leads me to my next point... I think the bigger theme here is that tastes change, to @KenzSailing's point... As as you alluded to, they go in cycles, it's not linear. Crystal didn't have music in the dining room for years, then they did, then they didn't, and who knows what the future will bring. The different is that the styles change to suit the trends and tastes, which do frequently recycle. I would argue the modern iteration of live music & dinner is the supper club offering. Not a new concept, but more in favor at the moment, and a THOUSAND times better executed than the strolling trios. Everyone in that room is there for the same experience, and the performance is on a much higher level with a more focused concept. Those that don't want a performance with their dinner don't have to go. Easy Peasy. Re: the violinist, IIRC they were added years and years ago so there wouldn't be dead silence when the pianists took their contractual 45-60 minute breaks... In the early 90's the lucite pianos had CD-based players on them, and the auto-players would fill the gaps, but a subsequent management team preferred silence and ordered the use discontinued in the early/mid '00's. Not defending poor performances, as you can tell from my last few messages, but there is a functional purpose behind the long-standing use of the violinists at least. Vince

Keith hit the nail on the head, but I’ll expand on it a little…. There are multiple modules to the reservation system, and the main components almost always launch sequentially if the situation doesn’t require a cutover/conversion. Most lines are blessed that this happens before the line starts taking reservations at all, so it doesn’t seem sequential, but in other cases “lines” (brands) are lucky to inherit their own similar instance of an existing sister brand’s system, which only needs minor changes. Crystal benefitted from both scenarios in the past, but in its current iteration, their luck ran out and they needed to do this the hard way AND they were doing it on an extremely compressed timeline. That sucks. The prioritization IS correct though, and the customer is DEFINITELY not the most important for sales tools… First priority is launching the back-end module for the reservationists and staff to use. No one can fix or book anything without it. Second priority in this segment is agents and intermediaries — they are the largest consolidated sales channel. This is where the money is that pays for all this. Last priority in this segment, like it or not, is direct sales, which are the vast minority of luxury cruise sales. Maybe someday that will change, but while still an important piece, for now this is why it importantly comes after internal and agent sales. Vince

It’s really hard to read sarcasm online, sometimes. 😁 I liked the IDEA of the strolling trio…. In practice though, on almost every cruise we always seemed to end up with the three most tone-deaf, out of sync, out of tune musicians ever to get their hands on musical instruments. They were SO bad, our whole table would frequently bust out laughing randomly as they screeched their way through the dining room. I was always afraid we’d either choke on our food from the sudden laughing reflexes, or get kicked out of the dining room for our uncontrollable reactions to the unnatural (and frequently inhumane) sounds. (Thankfully Josef was the maitre d’ on most of these cruises, and he knew most of us since the mid 80’s from his former employer.) These cruises were mainly on Symphony, so maybe they were just stuck with the worst trio for any given season, but somehow it seems like a mathematical impossibility that they were the only bad trio in the rotation. There are very few moments in Crystal Cruises history that made me as happy as when they banished the strolling dining room trio to the great bedside linen in the sky. 😊 No offense to all the fans… Vince

100%…. As I mentioned, my message was specifically in response to the verandah doubles, which are one of the few categories that has a consistent outlet setup across all rooms on all ships, but it doesn’t hurt to call out again that the other categories can be so inconsistent. Vince

Glad to help! Regarding the carry on luggage check, this varies a little based on where the gangway needs to be located and which ship you’re on, but IME is always along the short path between the gangway and the check-in area onboard. Right after you scan-in at the gangway there will be crew members to assist, and if you simply tell them you’d like to check your carry on bags, they will instruct you where the drop is. IME, they hold them there before delivering, but at some point they will just be left in your room with your checked bags though, so if you’re planning on spending the entire afternoon out of your cabin and not just go have lunch somewhere, you might need to ask for more specific assistance. I’ll defer to others on whether there’s a customer-facing filtered water dispenser (I didn’t look for one on my last cruise), however filtered water is provided in your room and you can always fill bottles from the containers there. Filtered water is available in bars and restaurants as well, but I don’t know if they always have access to a dispenser that can be used with guest bottles, and the ships don’t have dispensers located everywhere like the water and ice dispensers in hotels these days. Crystal’s crew are exceptionally accommodating though — if there isn’t a dispenser, and you can’t back to your room to fill it with the filtered water, you can always explain what you’re trying to do at any bar and they will discuss the options that come closest to what you’re asking. Vince

This is only going to be available through the customer-facing web booking engine. They know it’s a step backwards right now, but rolling out the reservation system is a multi-year process, just the same way it was at Old Crystal (more than once). Vince

I’m happy to take a stab at some of these…. Experiences may vary a little, so this is just IME… Embarkation: we understand that embarkation usually starts around midday and that rooms will be available sometime during the afternoon. We have sailed with lines where we were able to drop off hand luggage at the room, collect room card, muster information etc. Is this possible or not? And if not, where & when do we receive the room key? Officially the rooms aren’t available until later, but after the attendants are done cleaning (usually before boarding), the rooms are accessible. In order to keep the hallways clear they like to keep the doors open so baggage and other items can be delivered. Your cards ARE left in your room, so if you want to pick them up and drop things off (provided the attendants are done) that’s possible, I would just recommend putting anything valuable in your safe and leaving the door open until your baggage is delivered. If you have entire bags you need to secure, I’d recommend bringing them with you to lunch if they’re small (purse or backpack), or you can check them onboard for delivery to your room later so they’re not left unattended. And we like to get muster out of the way as soon as possible, so where do we find this info if we don't have room access yet? (Or is it a full muster?) Your muster station is printed on the card and on your door, but the muster is a complete spiel done in-person at a designated time, with live demos and all…. Not just a virtual check-in. I wouldn’t say it’s a “full muster” though since you don’t have to bring or put on life jackets like in the old days. What are the lunch options during embarkation day? Lunch options vary at this point, but on my last embarkation day lunch was available in Marketplace (buffet), Trident Grill (topside grill), Tastes (slightly later hours table service small plates) and Waterside (main restaurant). Waterside has been variable based on capacity/need. What kind of sockets are available in the room (we have a standard verandah room) Double verandah rooms all have bedside and desk power, USB and USB-C ports, along with power at your bar unit counter. Lots of places to charge things in the double verandas. (Other categories differ depending on renovation eras.) Looking at the room facilities, there doesn't seem to be any tea/coffee equipment in the room. We love our early morning and late night cup of tea. Am aware that of course we can order this through room service, but it seems a bit of a hassle for just a cup of tea. Is it possible to request a kettle? They’re not officially available upon request, but like everything with Crystal, you’re always welcome to ask. This really is designed to be served 8n a proper service though. Bottled water: are small bottles of water provided (for taking on excursions)? Bottled water is available to take ashore at/near the gangway, and small bottles are available upon request if you’d like to keep them in your room or fridge as well. Is it possible to order cocktails/wine to be enjoyed on our balcony through room service (without ordering food)? For example, I quite like a G&T whilst getting ready for dinner! Cocktails are available through room service, but you can also request a couple of full-sized bottles of liquor in your stateroom, and your butler will stock your fridge with any mixers you’d like. (It also comes socked with red and white wine plus champagne.) I just requested a bottle of Hendricks, and I was happy with the tonics already provided. (Fever Tree is also used onboard in bars, but I’ve never asked for them in my room.). Separately, I always ask them to remove the things I don’t use to make space and ask for a container of something else I like to drink — on the last cruise it was cranberry juice. Is it possible to watch the enrichment lectures on the tv in the room or only live by attending them? I’ll have to defer to others on this one…. They were doing this for a while but I’m not sure if they’ve continued this. There are a selection of pre-recorded lectures in the video system though. Hope this helps, please feel free to ask more, and hopefully people will add to my thoughts with theirs as well. Vince

When they launched, they were using verbiage and titles of Butlers and Junior Butlers. All reference to those titles have been removed from marketing, tags and the documentation in my room and materials. Not that the positions have disappeared, to Keith and Patty’s point below, but they aren’t are formal marketed tier by category as they were originally intended. I think there is more of a functional distinction now, and an unspoken thing about certain isolated room locations. Just curious, did your room have more than one designated, like with the attendants? My non-suite just had an assigned “Butler”, and he was the same butler as the Sapphires and other doubles around me. I totally agree about the off-hours coverage (I had a disastrous experience with one of those), but I suspect the evolution in the marketing happened as the logistical realization set in. It’s really hard to tell an entire category that they’ll have a Junior Butler when the staterooms are sprinkled around the ship (Symphony), or the staffing challenges of those locations vary by ship. They can use Junior Butlers at different hours, and they can use them in areas of exclusive non-suites (like Serenity Deck 7 or Symphony’s solo staterooms), but they can’t have the Junior Butlers crossing sections of suites served by Butlers to get to non-suites. Realistically, many (Serenity) or most (Symphony) butlers are going to be shared by suites and non-suites, for better or worse. Vince

Some of mine made it till morning many days, which in fairness still beats Vegas odds for open food in my cabin by a couple of hours. 😏 A package of any kind of chocolates or truffles in my house lasts for months, but there is something about them just sitting there open in plain sight that dramatically changes their life expectancy. 😁 There were some areas where I thought it was a win to extend the butlers to all the cabins, and this was one of them. This enabled a leveling of amenities and services a little more between the cabin grades, without completely undermining some of the value-adds for the suites, IMHO. Vince

All great observations... I had a question about #2... Did you see that new color from the napkins printed anywhere else? I loved it on the napkins, but I didn't see the new color used on anything else, so I couldn't tell if it was something in transition, or just a specific use case for it? Complete agreement on #4 re: the amenity bottles. The square bottles are not designed for "permanent use" like the heavy duty bottles you see with the metal nozzles that are attached to the wall in most hotels these days. The bottles in my bathroom were clearly not designed for guest room reuse over and over, and the pumps were worn, leaking from/through the valve or not working smoothly. I didn't mind the new toiletries, but they really need to either invest in proper dispensers or revert back to the metal tubes. Vince

It's the diet version... They just give you a reflection of the courses, projected in front of you to admire. 😄 J/K.... Hopefully. The menu didn't radically change, but it did evolve over time... You could always be remembering a different moment in the timeline too. Vince