tryber

We used a company called Twelve Transfers for transfers from London to Dover and back for a cruise in 2022. They were reliable and very reasonably priced. It was a little over 200 pounds each way for a minivan.

That doesn't really seem like a veranda. It's just a really big window. I'd rather have a real veranda.

Yes, we got a midship cabin, but we had booked midship from the start for a higher price. So, if you had booked a forward or guarantee room previously, the upcharge would probably be higher. Also, someone mentioned that Crystal has gone to dynamic pricing, so it might just be that the pricing for some rooms has gone up. My cruise seems not to be too full, so the price was the same as when I booked it, so in my case the upcharge I think just includes the admin fee and perhaps some other fees. I don't think it's the case that people are getting different deals. The issue is that you need to cancel and rebook at current rates (plus pay the admin fees), and that is different for each cruise.

Actually, it turned out that the initial quote to my travel agent of $900 did not include the Crystal Guest discount, so the upgrade was actually $550 each to go from Aquamarine to Sapphire. So, it was even nicer. 🙂

Just heard from my travel agent. We can upgrade and pick our cabin. We were booked in Aquamarine and can upgrade to Sapphire for $900 each (could have stayed in Aquamarine for a reduction of $500 each, but decided to go for the upgrade). My parents are upgrading from verandah to Aquamarine for $380 each.

How does the guarantee work? They have different prices for the mid/aft and forward. So, if you book mid/aft in the lower category, would you be guaranteed a cabin in the same category? My wife gets seasick, so a forward cabin does not work for us, but the specific cabin doesn't matter so much. The price for our cruise in late September hasn't changed, so it seems like a no-brainer to cancel and rebook, apart from the guarantee issue.

Wow. Nachos at a $169 wine-pairing dinner is like something you would see in a parody. I am, however, dying to know how Italian wine pairs with nachos. 🙂

I would agree if you are talking about the main dining room that serves hundreds of people. I don't agree that a specialty restaurant on a ship cannot be as good as one on land. I thought TK Grill was pretty close, though it didn't have the consistency of a Thomas Keller restaurant on land, particularly if you made the mistake of ordering a special not on the regular menu. The Nobu Matsuhisa restaurant on Crystal was as good as the ones on land (I live in L.A. and have been to every incarnation of Matsuhisa/Nobu restaurants since the beginning, so I have a basis for comparison). In any event, even if you shouldn't expect a ship-based restaurant to keep the same level of service and consistency as a land-based restaurant, the quality of the ingredients should be as good if you use the right sources and spend the necessary money. The quality of the steakhouse on Regent that has been described here is 2-3 star, which isn't even in the ballpark of 6 star. On the positive side, my friend did say he thought the ship itself was the nicest he has ever been on. And he thought some of the food was very good. But he said he wouldn't return because the food was far too inconsistent, and some if downright bad.

I have some good friends who just tried their first Regent cruise. We were both Crystal fans, and both tried Seabourn last year for the first time. I didn't find the food on Seabourn to be particularly good overall, but the steak in the TK Grill was on par with any top tier steakhouse. My friend described the steak in the Regent specialty restaurant as Denny's quality, and that his description was probably an insult to Denny's. Whether it's Outback quality, Denny's quality, or worse, that's not what you expect from a luxury cruise line.

It was a constant struggle to get real sparkling water in the dining venues on my first (and probably last) Seabourne cruise last year. I wouldn't even have had a problem drinking the homemade sparkling water if it were any good. I've had no problem drinking the homemade stuff at many restaurants. But the Seabourne sparkling water was flat, and that's worse than just drinking regular water.

I don't find reviews that lack details to be particularly useful. If someone gives details about their experiences (positive or negative), I can judge to what extent I would agree or disagree with the assessment. I didn't find this review to be particularly illuminating, but what was there seemed overwhelmingly positive to me. So, it's strange that it was framed as a negative review. I would much rather have a cruise with that has good food, nice cabins and good entertainment than worry about whether I'm being treated as warmly as the regulars.

I think the answer is yes and no. You have to pay for a second visit, but they don't take reservations for the sushi bar (at least that's how it always used to work). So, my advice is to make a reservation before the cruise, but then also go to the sushi bar if you can't get a second reservation on the ship. That's what we always did in the past.

Selveggio was a great restauranteur, but not really a chef. Valentino went through many changes over the years, and it was only great when it had a great chef. At times, it was quite mediocre for the food. By the end, it was really only worth going there for the wine list, which was one of the best (if not the best) in the world.

Affogoto is just vanilla gelato and espresso. I can't imagine you will have a problem ordering it at some point on the cruise, even if not on the menu.

The plane, jeep and helicopter tours on Regent are included in the fare price?