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TRIPACIAN

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Everything posted by TRIPACIAN

  1. Onboard Symphony now and there is no grumbling just speculation. I think everyone understands the situation. Once the decision has been made then we can expect criticism by a few but not many.
  2. The word on the ship is that they WILL be in Athens for the April 13th cruise even if they have to go around Africa.
  3. Actually this works better for us. We haven’t been to Darwin and Alotau wasn’t really a port worth visiting (except to check off another country on our bucket list)
  4. A well done answer to the question. When you consider the problems with logistics, crew deployment, port availability and of course passenger transportation etc it makes you realize how difficult the situation becomes. Safety overrides everything.
  5. The general feeling aboard the Symphony (from the officers) is that it is too early for a decision. Planning for a change in itinerary is complicated and I understand that alternative plans are being discussed. World events can change rapidly and I think all passengers would vote on taking the safe course of action even if it involved c cruise cancellation.
  6. Mayb we have a new bridge instructor for our second cruise, her name is Brenda Montague.
  7. We are onboard now and we asked this question and the answer is “it is being discussed and possible plans are being made.” The logical date and departure date is March 12, departing from Singapore non stop to Athens. More than likely the nonessential crew will be sent home and no passengers will be on the ship.
  8. Someone asked me about the condition of the Symphony and to be honest I am amazed at how it looks. Everything is in almost “like new” order. We had a group of travel agents on board and one commented that the ship was only a couple years old… ha ha…I didn’t correct her, that would have been rude! If you consider that A & K only paid $25 million for the ship and small super yachts sell for much more you can see that this ship was quite a bargain.
  9. Walking in Auckland and saw this shop. They sell Crystal and porcelain !
  10. I don’t know and don’t think it would be proper to ask. We were told that they paid for only one person and did not pay a supplement. This came up in discussing how much they loved Crystal. By the way this was her first time cruising on Crystal.
  11. TRIPACIAN

    White Night

    We have recently attended a white night party on the Serenity and Symphony and they were both highly successful and well attended. If it isn’t your thing don’t attend!
  12. We have a single cruiser on board in an Aquamarine suite with no supplement. I guess this indicates theft pricing is flexible.
  13. Trust me we will have a great time on this cruise!
  14. Yes and right after the holidays when people are returning to their normal activities. Also let’s remember that the Symphony has only been back a very few months.
  15. The hotel director, Joseph, said between 350 and 400.
  16. I will try to find out. We have 250 ++ on this cruise and only 89 Sydney to Bali. We were told that they were expecting 250 to 300 from Singapore on until they reach the Mediterranean. They are pretty full for the summer months in the Mediterranean.
  17. So far the cruise has been very nice and we have been lucky to meet several great guests. The food, service and entertainment has been excellent. Everything has been comparable to our October/November cruise on the Serenity. A common question we have been asked is whether we like the Symphony better than the Serenity. To be honest there is so little difference that while on the ships we really find it difficult to tell them apart. Of course they are different but the feeling is the same. The main difference to us is the Supper Club on the Serenity, which we love. Jade (late night disco) on the Symphony is really much nicer than Pulse on the Serenity. Another slight difference that we like better on the Symphony is the Avenue Saloon. I am sure different people will have different “likes” on one ship versus the other but really they are both great. Decor varies but the Crystal feeling is the same. By the way we did get a bridge instructor today in Dunedin. Apparently the visa problem has been solved. We have been surprised to meet several guests sailing Crystal for the first time and they are being Crystallized as we speak! So far no negative comments. One couple was disappointed in the lack of things to do on sea days and we asked them if they had looked at the Reflection. We went over the guest speakers and other activities with them and they are now very happy! This is day 7 of thirty so more to come as we enjoy New Zealand.
  18. We are now onboard and we understand that the 2026 itineraries will be out soon.
  19. Speaking of new builds, the “rumors” are that the first ship will be an expedition ship.
  20. Day five of the cruise and we are enjoying the great food, entertainment and service. Tasmania was everything we expected and we had great weather for that portion of our cruise. We are experiencing wet and dreary conditions as we cross the Tasman sea heading to New Zealand but hopefully it will improve. We have heard “rumors” that the Symphony will be upgraded so that it will meet the environmental standards necessary to enter US and other international ports. This is going to be necessary for the ship to be economically viable over the next few years until the new builds arrive. The Symphony is in fantastic condition and will have a great future with these improvements. Last night in Waterside, we enjoyed one of our favorite Prego appetizers “beef carpaccio” and it was fantastic. Overall, the food has been very good and as I reported on our Serenity cruise “better than ever.” The hotel director reported that over 80% of the crew had returned and this is reflected in both the service and happy mood on the ship.
  21. Day five of the cruise and we are enjoying the great food, entertainment and service. Tasmania was everything we expected and we had great weather for that portion of our cruise. We are experiencing wet and dreary conditions as we cross the Tasman sea heading to New Zealand but hopefully it will improve. We have heard “rumors” that the Symphony will be upgraded so that it will meet the environmental standards necessary to enter US and other international ports. This is going to be necessary for the ship to be economically viable over the next few years until the new builds arrive. The Symphony is in fantastic condition and will have a great future with these improvements. Last night in Waterside, we enjoyed one of our favorite Prego appetizers “beef carpaccio” and it was fantastic. Overall, the food has been very good and as I reported on our Serenity cruise “better than ever.” The hotel director reported that over 80% of the crew had returned and this is reflected in both the service and happy mood on the ship.
  22. Ian said to tell you hello. He showed us some videos of you dancing.
  23. So far no bridge instructor on this cruise. We heard there was a visa issue that prevented the instructor from joining the cruise
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