May B

And we don’t even have any at-sea days! Thank you so much for that great description. I really appreciate it, OneSixtyToOne. We leave in two months. So very much looking forward to it. And next year on June 24th, we cruise out of your home port! Eight nights, to Vancouver, not on Viking.

CB, I don’t understand how “this probably explains” about Serenity vs Symphony. Which part explains it? I feel like I must be missing something obvious.

Thank you for this info, especially as it’s so very current. If I understand correctly, an enrichment talk is given at 6:45 pm, to be concluded by 8 pm. I know you were in the Mediterranean, but I’m guessing the Baltic may be similar. Is this pretty much every evening? Are they also recorded, to watch at a later time on our stateroom t.v.? Is the only “entertainment” the musical groups, in the bar areas?

I love it!

The funniest part to me is that the singles are called “cozy” while the doubles, which to the best of my knowledge are the exact same size, are called classic. I’m guessing I’ll be in a cozier situation, with Mr B in my classic stateroom, than my friend will be, by herself in her cozy stateroom. I prodded her to book quickly, so she got the very first stateroom forward of the elevators. On a previous cruise, she was a bit further forward and she DID complain about the theatre noise … when she was napping in the afternoon and a rehearsal was taking place!

Do you run a program for this or do it manually? I look forward to the answer to this 😉.

While our resident nay-sayer isn’t impressed with this news, the LACK of it could be perceived as a cause for concern. Mr B’s boss used to say “money first in case of fire”. You wouldn’t leave $100 in the cash register, to go up in smoke. Just my way of saying, while these agreements have not been instantaneous, upon NC opening up for business, any time a new one is announced is another small piece of good news, imho. I hope the UK will get included soon, too.

But not “my” Phil! 😎 I was in awe of how grown-up your daughter was (and of your DH’s socks).

Ours was in June, so evidently they did do it twice! It was called West Coast Wayfarer! Voyage 6311, per the Big Dog web site. I can find that, but not my Crystal invoice, for some reason. I remember I was so excited to find a short cruise on Serenity, after loving Symphony in June of 2015. That must’ve been when we visited Pike’s Market, the only time I ever saw that fish-throwing extravaganza. It was a Distinctive Voyage, but we missed the shore excursion, b/c we spent the day in Victoria with a friend of our travel companion.

Yes, I remember the four of us visited together in Palm Court!

I think we were all on the six-day, SFO to YVR in 2016! That was my first time on Serenity.

Yes! And a little tower, from which to view the mouth of the river. Columbia? I think so. And perhaps we started with a visit to a fort, plus the guide was knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Blessed with great weather. So happy I got to do that. a really nice experience.

Perhaps 3-5 pm, but that’s just a guess.

And such a fun vibe. But we also love the Beignet Cafe on Bourbon for an outdoor breakfast. Maybe lunch, too, but for lunch we love the Acme or the Gumbo Shop. And had a wonderful upscale lunch at Emeril’s, near the Convention Center and cruise dock and WWII Museum. Mr B loves New Orleans so much we’re planning to go there for his next birthday. Thx for this great thread, Terry. And to BreadLover to alerting me to it.

Reading Keith’s last paragraph reminds me of individual differences. I’m happy that I myself feel the same way as Keith does. Whoever doesn’t, has a hard time imagining that somebody does. Well, so be it. I’ll continue to do me; some of you would never even consider it. It’s ok. I don’t mind.

I’m excited about visiting Portland again. I hadn’t paid very much attention to the itinerary when I booked this cruise. I just knew it was short enough to be affordable and stopped in the incomparable San Francisco, as well as Astoria and Victoria. Great places to walk around and just plain old enjoy the scenery. Actually, in Astoria I did a Crystal Voluntourism event. I’d do it again if it’s offered! This cruise is the only thing I have booked for 2024!

I think the quick reactions from Crystal are a very good sign. Thank you to those who posted.

Oh nooooo. So sorry to hear this!

I hope you feel comfortable naming the bridge instructor. I am always excited to hear that the bridge person is well-received.

I could picture both casinos but couldn’t sort out which was which. I should’ve been able to, by remembering my last Crystal cruise. It was a four-day, and I vividly remember where we sat in Umi Uma on our first night, and also how packed the casino was. In fact, it’s perhaps the only time I ever asked to be reseated in a restaurant. I was so glad! My instincts were correct, and the experience was enhanced by sitting across from the sushi bar.

I think the two ships were a bit different. On Serenity, it would mean somebody actually enticing you to step inside. On Symphony, it would mean a dealer making eye contact with you as you had to walk by the table to get to the theatre. Neither of those situations happened to me, but evidently History & Wine had a different experience.

I can 100% guarantee to you that I’ve eaten Ben & Jerry’s numerous times on Crystal, AND the web site now tells us that’s the brand they’re planning to serve us at Scoops. I believe Royal has severed its relationship with Ben & Jerry’s. Mr B and I had the distinct pleasure of cruising in one of the Ben & Jerry’s Sweets (one per ship on the Freedom Class, with access to the suite lounge, plus one serving of B & Jo’s pp each day. And all the kitschy decor. And the cows’ derrières outside our window. Loved it!

Well done, Patty!

You mean she appeared in somebody’s tree?