ak1004

No, not Nova. But the process should be the same for all ships.

Haha!! No, one prior (May 6th)

I had exactly the same experience about our cruise on Riviera last May. And then read some reviews after we came back, and wondered if we were on the same cruise..

Personally I can appreciate the incrementally elevated level of service and willing to pay for it (to some degree). But the question is - is this really the case? We sailed on old Crystal, SS, O and Azamara, and I cannot honestly say that the level of service was that different. Yes, it was nice to have a butler on SS - but SB doesn't have butlers. does it make SB less luxury than SS? Maybe someone who cruises extensively (like 3-4 months a year) and sails say 3-4 weeks on SS and then a few weeks later 3-4 weeks on O can really feel those nuances. We sail around 3 cruises a year, each one around 10-12 nights, and truly enjoy all of them - maybe it's just not frequent enough to truly compare them and see the difference? But to me, when I see the current prices of SS and Crystal, I just don't see the value.

The problem with airlines is that the only two choices are to accept higher prices or not to fly. Of course it's different with cruising, but don't forget that everything is more expensive now. I checked a few hotels in Europe that we booked pre Covid, prices are now 50-70% higher. Same for restaurants and pretty much everything. So while in theory you have many choices, practically this is not the case.

Just sent an email to our TA. We sail before you, so will tell you 😁

Do you do it in advance or while on board? If in advance, is it possible to do it online or you have to contact the TA to put a request?

Everything is our opinions and our priorities and preferences. If someone mentions that a line doesn't have enough premium wines and it's unacceptable, and their opinion. I couldn't care less because I don't drink. Same for premium sparkling water. Does it have a major effect on my sailings? No. I will manage. But I think it's matter of principle. Same as a line calling itself all inclusive but charging extra for 2 out of 8 restaurants, "premium" internet etc. Are those things a deal breaker to me? No, but they are part of the overall experience. Anyway, we will be sailing on the Spirit soon, and unless the prices change, this will be probably our last SS cruise for a while. Just cannot justify those prices for what you get. Lack of premium sparkling water is just a symptom.

It's not about sparkly. It's about the taste. Not having premium sparkling water on a luxury line is unacceptable and speaks volume.

Agree, but this is directly related to the service. Also, if they have clear instructions and guidelines from the corporate that dictate cutbacks, sometimes the best crew cannot save the day. Also, age and condition of the ship. Crystal fans will always point out to the crew, but just read some of the reviews. The best crew will have a hard time to resolve some of the issues on a 25 years old ship.

Exactly. On our recent cruise on the Dawn it took them forever to get Perrier or Pellegrino, and around mid cruise our butler informed us that they ran out of both, and also most diet drinks. For some people having good wine is a big issue. For others it’s sparkling water.

Agree 100% with your assessment of entertainment and activities. Except for those areas, what is not the same as 5 years ago?

And yet the future cruise office was always packed with long lines. The only crowded place on the whole ship. Btw this was not the case on our recent SS cruise..

Completely agree. Looks like 99% of the whiners are on CC. We rarely met unhappy guests on board O.

Lets see: 1. Food (quality, variety). 2. Service. 3. Crowds (or lack of them). We sailed on SS, Old Crystal, Oceania and Azamara in non mass market categories. Except for cabins that were too small on Azamara, didn't see a lot of differences in those areas. And in any case, even if there are differences, I believe that lines like O are much closer to "luxury" lines than to mass market lines, and definitely represent a better value for money.