vistaman

IMHO a lot of changes must be done - obviously mr Anderson is not or was not aware or very unwilling at all what was going wrong on both the ships ! hotel directors : one is close to retirement one is completelly incompetent for his function they are going for the easiest way :us knows us ! what is next : reappoint all the restaurant managers ??? and then all the future cruise sales ??? and then all the singers lecturers and entertainers being there for at least 10 years or more??? so far new Crystal is missing the chance of "new fresh air" and thinking all the pax will come back just because they like cruise director x , cruise sales y and resto manager z and being pampered in the past by headwaiter a no single courage to clean up the mess of the past!!😝

IMHO for 75 procent one should not be reappointed at all but cannot mention his name

so far I must make the conclusion new Crystal is not single minded at all ...

what an amount of money for a Caribbean cruise ... usually before the holidays in December there a specials even on the luxury lines

I an aware the company did spend a lot of money to attract top people from other lines and Moet as complimentary bubbles Fares are going up : my cruise booked for late august went up with 25 %

You deviated me to SS after many years and also to Regent LOL🤑

mrs catlover - new Crystal shall not happen in 2023 - even 2024 is doubtful - also angry new C is going to that port of Bruges Zeebrugge instead of to🤔 my hometown I will be on Regent Splendor 21 March ( 25 % s sup ), Europa 2 on 10 th June and on Silver Dawn 23rd April and 4th November 2023 the door for SB is still closed - permanently I have a medical disease so I cannot guarantee for sure to be on board also I decided not to do longer cruises ( + 7 days ) to N Europe anymore HL is aware of my identity on CC but will not communicate and I do not think I am that famous at all , only crazy of gastronomy or said by somebody the guy speaking several languages 😁

I made 2 bookings as well caused by the fact nothing was done by actual "new" Crystal to faithful ( and damaged ) pax I expect another approach - more continental gastronomy on Explora and a cheaper wine list as on C Complimentary Champagne shall be Moet - despite not my favourite still very nice to offer .

Unfortuntely last year in summer - heathwave - it was terrible to find decent transportation to Steinwerder - taxi drivers were not very happy or willing as usually they could not catch somebody back to the center it was a long drive due to traffic some 35 e

if you do not want to spend a lot but willing to stay near the center : the Radisson if you do want pay more : Fraser suites but be careful - limited space for breakfast

on SS the casino was alwys staffed by eastern europeans

IMHO a cruise line depending heavily on US pax cannot risk to sail without a casino aside of expedition ships Hapag lloyd , Ponant and Saga do not have a casino.

that is the same on SS , where I booked several cruises - being single at reduced single fare also on Regent and even on Hapag Lloyd - you never can book one of the 2 owners or the 2 grand PH unless you book 2 and more years in advance and for a single cabin you must point those as soon as the preview is out

Thanks again for the comments despite i do like the ship and the team on board extremely high , i do have problems with Serenissima for quite some time I am very acquainted with Italian food and i cannot qualify some dishes as Italian at all IMHO the corporate ex chef does not know anything about italian cooking - i can give the most italian posh names to typical belgian dishes 😁 also some dishes are downgraded by adding unnecessary vegetables esp spinach maybe i am too severe but we are on the highest rated cruise ship ...

The Queens Grill ( and Princess ) is only a premium dining venue together with a lounge . I am just back from the Retreat on Celebrity Beyond - I cannot qualify it as luxury : the room was spacious as was the bathroom however dispensers for amenities i had an Aqua sky suite - the butler was great - free mini bar beer and soft drinks drinks free up to 15 $ - i had once a 18 $ martini so i had to pay 3 $ + 60 c gratuity for the Champagne lovers basic brand Cattier was 15 $ the Retreat lounge bar was very good , friendly staff as was the sundeck I found the menu in the Luminae not so great but service was very good - I was one of the few ordering a special bottle wine list not so great speciality restaurants are expensive indeed : from 30 $ (lunch at the Bistro ) up to 75 $ - + 20% service - i did not go to the "carpet" maybe we must qualify it as "value for money " I will not go back , as I am a cruise passenger on luxury ships however sometimes i do a one week on a lower rated level

but i do not love the prices on the highest level - LOL 🤑

There is no real terminal , only a small office and they put crush barriers and 2 guards to pass those

I hope - i am a single - that single sup will not be 100 % if you want something better as the "single cabins i do not need a PH but i would like at least a verandah

Bordeaux is together with my hometown and the oldest docking places in that city St P in that country R 😝 one of the only places where a ship can dock right in the middle of the town. Unfortunately a ship in Bordeaux is linked in full by the tides - what in Antwerp is only for the swing. Personnaly I find that the security had to be improved in Bordeaux I like to go and shop in Bordeaux and have a look to the most expensive wines in a store built around a spiral staircase - the higher the most expensive ... also some great eateries "brasseries " for a lunch ashore - not too expensive

and some annoying overnights as well Rouen on a Sunday : everything is closed only the churches and some eateries

Yes Rostock and Warnemunde is the same Suez usually is a technical stop - not the safest place at all ...I was told

I am in YC and I am Diamond , however I did receive an embarkation time for Dubai at 5 pm ??? I thought embarkation for YC started at am ?

When seeing your pics I am homesick to her ( the Europa 2 ) I am boarding on 10 th June for Athens to Venice ( or somewhere in the area ) I decided no more long cruises to North Europe anymore and in the summer the Medit is far too hot for me I am dancing from one company to another providing low sup for singles are offered

Thank you for sharing the above I was supposed to do the cruise before the Christmas one - but my health did oppose it Yes the time is gone all the people on board - the team - were from a German speaking country , I even was speaking French with a few originally from Tunisia and working on Mein Schiff before. Enjoy your cruise!

Many Thanks for the kind wishes ! I hope in 2023 you can go on a Crystal cruise , I am waiting for "something" from the new owners ranging from a discount or an upgrade - well something like that. When the Manfredi group was still owning SS , unfortunately the last years they were not kind at all to singles ...so wait and see on new C I am dancing from one company to another when low single sup are offered I hope a lot of the nice people will come back - but my naughty side i also wish some 5 people will not come back ...