ryndam

You have confirmed my message in post #2 above. Thank you for validating that the protocol remains valid. Rob

Apparently not. There was no way the Crystal personnel were going to apply a milestone award to any type of cruise fare reduction. Onboard credit only.

Our TA continues to pursue further clarification. But it was “Crystal clear” this afternoon. No fare reduction. Onboard credits only. If anyone reading this thread has a different experience when achieving a designated milestone level, please post here to share your experience if it differs from ours. Rob

And the operative words here, and in the past, have always been “subject to change at our discretion”, or some such legalese. Sloppy proofreading and/or marketing not vetting this appropriately. Rob

Update: we have two cruises booked later this year. Final payments are due over the next few weeks. There remain inconsistencies in the milestone award descriptions in the attachment that was provided to Keith and posted here on 4/22. We will achieve milestone levels on both cruises that award us with per-person "as-you-wish-credit" OR "cruise fare savings". We instructed our TA to request the "cruise fare savings" to our final invoices applicable to the two cruises that we will achieve corresponding our milestone award levels. Our TA and her consortium had a lengthy conference call with the appropriate decision-makers at NC this morning. Our TA was informed, and this is a more-or-less accurate transcript of the call, that "at this time, Crystal can only offer the noted milestone as-you-wish-credit as onboard credits and cannot apply these milestone benefits as cruise fare savings." Our TA was informed that a subsequent Crystal Society Benefits brochure will be distributed that clarifies this "apparent confusing milestone benefit description". The onboard, milestone as-you-wish-credits cannot be redeemed for cash nor can be refunded/transferred to another future cruise once applied, even if the total amount is not utilized on the sailing to which it is applied. We would have preferred our accrued milestone awards be deducted as cruise fare savings, but that does not appear to be an option at this time. We have accepted the onboard as-you-wish-credits. Rob

We found it nigh impossible to get reservations in either Umi Uma or the Italian specialty restaurant for our "included" second reservations (it was longer cruise where the 2nd reservation must be booked onboard), as well as any additional reservations as part of our 50+ milestone perk. Reservations in Tastes was never a problem. The Serenity was a nearly full-up sailing. Perhaps the situation has improved since January. For our next sailing, we will enjoy our pre-booked first reservations and really not expect to be able to dine again for a 2nd (or 3rd...) time in either specialty restaurant. Our expectations have been lowered. Fortunately, every meal in Waterside was excellent, so we certainly never felt deprived of a fine dining experience. Rob

Yes. We can attest to this 50 cruise perk. However, the operative word is “if available”. We found it challenging, if not downright impossible to get additional reservations beyond our pre-reserved online reservations on close-to-capacity sailings. Rob

If you change your mind once onboard, you can always rebook onboard if there are still open spots on your selected tour. And waitlists generally clear if your tour shows sold out once onboard.

You cannot find this information until you are onboard. It is not available in advance. Once onboard, there will be a printed copy of all available excursions in your cabin. On that printed copy, it will list the cancellation terms. Printed vouchers of your booked excursions should also be in your cabin once you board; the cancellation terms will also be printed on the vouchers. As a general rule, but it varies, excursions are usually cancellable without penalty 48-72 hours +/- prior. Some excursions have lengthier cancellation dates, but those are generally indicated when they are initially booked. I printed a copy of a sample excursion form from our January cruises on CC a while back, but I can't seem to remember/find what post I attached it to. If I find it, I will post it again. Rob

Thank you, Terry. The "current" PDF is rife with typos and outdated references. It's obvious that it's just the old society brochure from 2019 with some, but not all, references to the pre-A&K ownership updated and edited. Appreciate the PDF version; thank you for posting it here. Rob

Examples for contemplation: 1. Once you have completed your 25th cruise on OC or NC, you would be eligible for the $5000 credit upon booking your 26th cruise with NC. 2. Once you have completed your 50th cruise on OC or NC, you would be eligible for the $5000 credit upon booking your 51st cruise with NC. 3. This $5000 credit also applies at the 70th cruise milestone level. Once you have completed your 70th cruise, whether with OC, or a combination of OC and NC, the $5000 credit would be applied to your 71st cruise with NC. Milestone benefits are not retroactive if you have already passed these milestone levels on OC. This is our understanding from our TA who has been in contact with Crystal. Rob

I agree. I do not subscribe to Facebook either. Rhetorical question: why is this not on Crystal's website? That was the first place I searched. (Maybe it will show up there eventually....🤣🤔😆 Rob

Terry, thank you for the cut-and-paste of the benefits. Where did you download the information from? I cannot find this on Crystal's website, nor have I received an email directly from Crystal. Do you mind posting the weblink? Much thanks! Rob

Another design feature of the 2018 version vs. the classic version: the bathroom door in the 2018 version opens directly into the cabin area. In the classic version, the bathroom door is around the corner in a recess. This made a big difference for us when one gets up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and the light shines into the whole room. Not the case in the classic design. Rob

You are correct. I should have dug a little deeper before posting. This is her bio from the Crystal website. Sorry for creating any type of confusion here. Still sounds like she may have some interesting stories to tell. "Melinda Bates is the first person in history to be a Special Assistant to the President and Director, White House Visitors Office for all eight years of any administration. From her elegant East Wing office she organized events both large (the annual Easter Egg Roll) and small (Presidential birthday parties.) Her day might begin with breakfast with Tom Hanks, a State Visit, lunch with Michael Douglas, tea with the Queen of Sweden or Dr. Ruth, and dinner seated next to the President of the United States. She welcomed many thousands of visitors to the White House, including all the most interesting celebrities, royals, politicians. In the morning the beautiful former Queen of Greece and in the afternoon the Grateful Dead. On the same day. No problem! Thanks to her historic years there Melinda is a leading authority on White House social history and the author of a popular memoir, White House Story."

Slightly off-topic, but FWIW, guest lecturers and entertainers have been populated on pretty much all itineraries through the end of the year on the Crystal website. Just follow Vince's guide for the particular voyage you might be interested in following. (Not his Barcelona cruise specific link above.) I was curious if there were any "star" speakers or entertainers scheduled on the current world cruise. I was surprised to see Melinda Gates as a speaker on the Cape Town-Tema segment next month. https://www.crystalcruises.com/cruises/none-cse-011-240505?menu=ship_overview Rob

Unless the protocol has recently changed, luggage tags are distributed on the pier by the shoreside porters. The only information that gets written on the tags is your cabin number, in a big, black (or red) marker. Easy peasy. Takes less than 60 seconds (unless you're traveling with an overabundance of luggage!). Rob

Bon Voyage Larry & Monica. Have a safe and stress-free journey! 🚢🛳️ Rob

On a semi-related subject, Seatrade Cruise News reports that HAL has re-routed its 2025 WC to avoid the Red Sea. https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/ship-operations/holland-america-revises-2025-world-cruise-avoid-red-sea

On a semi-related subject, Seatrade Cruise News also reports that HAL has re-routed its 2025 WC to avoid the Red Sea. https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/ship-operations/holland-america-revises-2025-world-cruise-avoid-red-sea

From Seatrade Cruise News: https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/safety-security/crystal-strongly-refutes-any-incident-red-sea-deadhead-transit

Vince, re: cuisine. On our 30+ days onboard this past January, on the sea days that Waterside was serving lunch, every single item that was offered in Waterside was also available in Marketplace, albeit in a self-serve mode, rather than served tableside by a staff member. In addition, there were way more selections and varieties available in Marketplace that were not offered on the served lunch menu in Waterside. Re: ambiance. Casual self-service is a different atmosphere than a more formal restaurant. Rob

Welcome back, Vince. We've been missing your observations! Rob

And the last time we were in Alaska, during the first two weeks in July, the temps barely hit 50-55 deg during the day, with a wind chill in the 30’s when the ship was moving. Just shows the unpredictable temp swings possible in Alaska. Rob

I beg your pardon. I spent considerable time and effort during 30+ days on Serenity in January-February 2024 and consistently posted my observations almost daily on a "live from" thread. My comments were certainly not all rose-colored, 5-star. I recall reading some of your observations that were also posted on that thread. Terry (sn Stickman) also did a very nice "live-from" Serenity on his most recent journey Tahiti-Aukland. I do not duplicate my efforts by repeating comments on the secondary CC "review board". I post my observations live, get home, unpack, start planning our next adventure and then move on. I also complete Crystal's emailed survey, which gives a greater opportunity to address issues directly to Crystal management, without posting potentially controversial comments on a public forum. There are so many available outlets for one to post their impressions, the specific/dedicated "cruise review" section of the CC message boards is probably my least visited forum of any available online cruise sites. Rob