travelberlin

If your hotel is the Hampton in Brickell, you can take the shuttle from hotel to the port for Us 8.

I have paid US 38 from the airport to Brickell by taxi.. This did not include gratuities. You can also take the Metrorail orange line until Brickell for US 2.25. in order to take the metrorail, you have to take the mover from the terminal first. This is free. If your hotel is the Hampton inn, then the station Brickell is very convenient. You can search in internet, there are videos that describe how to take the Metrorail from the airport.

19 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

 

Plus there are plenty of GI things that aren't noro that people can get on board (and that may not even be contagious)

Like which ones? And if those GI things are not contagious, how do people get it on board?

7 minutes ago, teddie said:

We paid $700 total to upgrade from a JS to a GS with Large Balcony, and it was absolutely worth it, but it's definitely a gamble.  If you are satisfied with your cabin, then stick with it.  Happy sailing!

 

Teddie

Thanks. I would also be happy if my US 700 would give me a GS. Unfortunately my bid was just for a regular balcony cabin. Not really that exciting if besides that, the available cabins are connecting cabins. Yes I am satisfied with my currently booked cabin. 

3 hours ago, Roland4 said:

We did the V-E-R-Y L-O-N-G all day Legacy of The Ottomans yesterday that went to the Sulieman Mosque (Blue Mosque was closed), Top Kapi Palace, lunch at a Michelin Star restaurant, and the  Grand Bazaar. Today was Asian Istanbul and Bosphorous Cruise, which had us back on board by 1:30.

 

There is new cruise port facility in Istanbul that makes getting in and out for tours very easy! We depart Istanbul at 8:00 this evening.

Would you recommend those excursions? 

I was looking at those companies mentioned here like LuggageForward. I have never used them but it looks convenient. How far in advance do you have to send the luggage? What happens if there are flight cancellations? Could it happen that your luggage does not arrive at the port in time for your embarkation? Do you have it delivered to you at the ship or where?

Ivi

Few days before my cruise there are only 2 cabins left in the category I would like to be upgraded. None of those cabins where to my liking. To upgrade to that category I would have to pay more than US 700. I have decided to cancel my bid. Too much to pay for an upgrade in which the ods where high of becoming a cabin I do not like.  

Have you ever been upgraded to a cabin that you did not like? For example because of the location? Would you bid for an upgrade if there are only few cabins available in the upgraded category and the location of those cabins are not necessarily the best locations?

For my cruise, I am happy that all nights with exception of the formal nights, the suggested attire is “casual”. For the formal nights it says “black tie (optional”. This is a trend in almost all cruiselines we are using now. Since we always have to fly to the port, it makes it easier for us not to take too many clothes. It is somehow modern this way. We like this trend. 
 

There might be others who would like to dress up more on the so called “casual” nights. I think that would not be a problem either. 😉

After check in online, I realized that there is still a health form, which has to be filled from 24 hours before embarkation. We will not have internet connection on those 24 hours, since we are traveling. It is possible to fill this health form at the port the day of embarkation?

Does anybody have the menús for lunch on sea days? 

16 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Anything can go wrong with any flight at any time. Just like the time JetBlue cancelled my 2 PM flight home at 1:30 PM. I should have booked a 10 AM flight.

Maybe that flight would have been also cancelled 😁. Flying is not pleasant anymore. Cancellations, delays, lost luggage…This is why we prefer not to make it more stressful trying to catch our plane early in the morning.

Once on a Celebrity ship, we arrived late at the port of debarkation because of bad weather and we could only debark at 10.00. We have a cruise booked this year to arrive in Bayonne and the cruise line strongly discourages to book flights in the morning because apparently it takes a long time to clear the ship.  

18 hours ago, Pepperoni0120 said:

Thanks!  I changed to a 2:30 flight so how long can you stay on ship before they kick you off?  Traveling with a baby and 7 yo so don't know what is walkable to do near port!

Good decision. Anything can go wrong with a flight at 10.00. Specially since you are traveling with kids, it would be good for you to have a relaxed disembarkation. I never take a flight before noon.

You would have to leave the ship at around 10.00. I understand there is the possibility of a late checkout if you pay some additional amount. Not sure if that is worth it since you have to be at the airport at 12.30. 
 

6 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

I see that the description of the suite says “ an attentive butler is included who will make dining reservations and excursion reservations for you.”  But if they are all gone at 120 days before the cruise…..?

I would go to see the Maitre on the first day of the cruise after lunch if you are not able to book online before. It is a very short line of people wanting to book directly with the maitre. If you go yourself, and your preferred dining time is not available, you can decide on the spot which other time slot you will take. I would not use the butler for this.

5 hours ago, BWIVince said:

I probably should have been more specific and broke out ambiance for Marketplace and cuisine for Tastes and Trident…. Although ambiance is all kind of homogeneous between the three too, now that I think of it.  Marketplace’s food and variety are fine, no complaints there, but as someone who spends much of his work travels eating from staff buffets, one of the privileges of spending luxury cruising fares is to get away from that.  Not to mention the stuff that passengers do on buffets sometimes (in all segments of cruising) is completely disgusting… But that’s out of everyone’s control, so I don’t fault that.  Marketplace does what it does about as well as I could expect — I have no fault there…. It is, however, a buffet.

 

Trident…. All I can say is, to each their own.  It’s popular, it does what it does well, and people like it.  I’d rather have a root canal than pay those kinds of fares to eat a burger and fries when (using my next cruise as an example) I’m only on for 7 days.  I get that this is different for folks that are on for months at a time, but to Keith’s point about NC, the itineraries are shorter and more port intensive now, so this is increasingly the norm.

 

Tastes…. Again, no harm, no foul.  The current lunch menu is like a room service menu from a 3 star hotel, back when 3 star hotels still had room service…. Or a nice college cafeteria menu, just with table service.  Again it’s great to have crowd pleaser favorites that wont offend anyone, but at some point there’s a gap between the “food for the masses” lunches Crystal is offering and my expectations for luxury travel.  [Edited to add: While these are AMONG the items you’d see on a Four Seasons or Rosewood resort lunch menu, they wouldn’t be ALL you’d have to pick from at a Four Seasons or Rosewood resort, normally.]

 

I know I’ve spoken out in defense of closing Waterside on port days — as much as that would be my preferred option, I see firsthand how that’s not sustainable at these loads or scale…. But as others have noted, other lines have figured out how to offer interesting culinary options in a nice atmosphere at a small (participant) scale for lunch, and I would love to challenge Crystal to put their thinking cap back on for this one, because the current offering is really missing something…. Unless you love self service, burgers or chicken quesadillas.

 

Vince

 

Thanks Vince! I agree with you.  Happy to ser you back on this board.

Ivi

I guess the repositioning cruise was not free of an incident. But thanks God, the crew is safe now in the Mediterranean. This is what it counts for me. And the ship with exception of that cracked port hole seems to have made it well. 
 

Looking forward to our cruises this year with the Symphony.

Ivi

1 hour ago, cruisegirl1 said:

What is an approximate price?  
thx. 

About US 47.00 plus tips

8 hours ago, DandDM said:

Did it last month on Oasis. Had a lot of fun, three tastes, plus a bonus. We had a small plate with cheese, strawberry, and chocolate to pair with the wine. Surprised I didn’t take a photo, but got this one of the flutes. I will probably do it again.  
 

Was this the amount of champagne they were serving for the tasting in each glass?

Has anyone participated on the Moet champagne tasting offered by Royal? Would you recommend it? Do they serve also canapés with the champagne?

On 3/26/2024 at 9:14 PM, mafig said:

My cruise is April 28   and my cruise docs (and luggage tags) are not available.  

 

When should I expect them?

 

 

Did you get already your cruise documents?

Are the cruise documents necessary to board the ship or is the set sail pass enough?

1 hour ago, cruisingwhenwecan said:

I just spoke to a Crystal reservations agent who also said that onboard credit cannot be used for excursions and cannot be used in the shops onboard.  He said onboard credit can only be used for the spa, premium liquor/drinks beyond what is already included in the cruise, and specialty dining beyond what is already complimentary.  
This makes no sense.  You all agree and have experience that onboard credit can be used for all of the above items including excursions and in the shops on board?
 

You are right, this makes no sense. If this were true, Crystal would be the only cruise line in which OBC cannot be used for excursions or shops onboard. I guess the person you talked is misinformed. 

1 hour ago, Mikamarii said:

I apologize if I start a tipping thread here....not my intention

We will hit diamond on the first leg of a b2b this summer (already plan on going to the loyalty desk to have it set up for the second leg)

When we order a drink does it include a gratuity for the bartender/server or is that charged separately?

Although this is controversial, if you use the vouchers for your drinks, there is no need to tip. Tip seems to be included as part of your benefit as others have posted. If you want to tip in addition, feel free to do so. However it is not obligatory.

2 hours ago, Biker19 said:

C&A members get an unspecified number of water bottles in their cabin. For D it's usually about 4.

Thank you are this bottles already in our cabin when we arrive or do we have to request them? I am Diamond member.

12 hours ago, sgmn said:

Cheaper I guess.

 If its a long cruise with long days ashore I buy the Evian in the planner.  12 litres waiting in our cabin, along with the Diamond water.  Great for excursions and at night .  But the ships water is fine too

One question please. What is the Diamond water?