ryndam

On Serenity Deck 11, ours were always delivered between 4-4:15pm. If this timing doesn't work for you, ask your butler for an alternative delivery time. Rob

I see that the "Cotton Candy" is on the dessert menu tonight. Even if you don't care for sweets, do order this dessert, if only for the presentation. You will not be disappointed! Rob

And its apt to change even once onboard and published! We just go with the flow and don't worry about things not in our control. Thank you for reaching out directly to Crystal, even though the response was nebulous. Rob

Only on cruises greater than 7 days in duration. From the FAQ section on the Crystal website: Formal Evening On sailings over seven days, there will be at least one optional ship-wide formal night (depending on the length of the segment), which will require more formal cocktail chic attire. These special events will be defined in your personal pre-sailing guide.

Yes they did on our 7-day "sampler" cruise this past December. We had 2 sea days after sailing Miami and before our first Caribbean port. That first sea day after Miami was offered the usual "formal night" menu in Waterside. Unfortunately, I did not download the menus from that cruise, so I can't recall if there was a second "farewell"-type Waterside dinner offered during the balance or toward the end of that port intensive 7-day cruise. Rob

It’s a c**p shoot trying to guess what may be on the Waterside menus in advance. Our only constant is that we never book the specialty restaurants on scheduled “formal” nights, because we enjoy the “formal” night menu selections in Waterside. We just pick dates in advance for the specialty restaurants, and just don’t worry about Waterside. If there’s some specific dish in Waterside that we may miss, we’ll just special order it for another evening instead. Rob

Update: we must be back on the email mailing list. Received this email just now. (There's more on the email; this is just the first paragraph excerpt.) Rob WELCOME TO CRYSTAL Join us on Crystal for the voyage of a lifetime, where days are spent immersed in the world’s most breathtaking destinations, and evenings are elegant affairs filled with fine-dining, entertainment, and captivating company. Step aboard and be warmly welcomed into a world of comfort and sophistication on our reimagined ships, where the crew know you by name and your every nuanced wish is taken care of. Together with Abercrombie & Kent, we get closer to the unseen side of each destination and create memories guaranteed to last a lifetime. Simply put, Crystal is Exceptional at Sea.

Just received this automated emailed response from Crystal Guest Relations. Thank you, Terry, for starting this thread. Glad someone at Crystal is watching. 🙂😉 Crystal Cruises Guest Relations From:guestrelations@crystalcruises.com Sun, Feb 25 at 11:45 AM Dear Valued Guest, Thank you for contacting Crystal Guest Relations. Please allow us up to 48 business hours to review and respond to your email. We will ensure your message is responded to with the highest urgency, kindly refrain from sending secondary emails as duplicates will increase our response time. Thank you for choosing Crystal and we look forward to connecting with you soon! Sincerely, Crystal Guest Relations

Not receiving any electronic communication nor any printed materials via US Mail.

We agree. Many more rectangular shaped 2-tops and 4-tops than before. Much better utilization of the available real estate to accommodate more singles and couples, rather than the previous, larger, round tables. Rob

Attached are the lunch and dinner menus from the original Beefbar location in Monte Carlo. The euro is almost on par with the US$ (actually 1 euro = US$1.08, as of this morning), so the prices noted on the menus can be easily converted to your preferred currency. Rob lunch.pdf lunch-desserts.pdf dinner.pdf

Yes.

Needs a bigger stick....

It's been pre-Covid since we visited these cities by ship, so the situation may have changed over the years. - Helsinki, depending on the terminal, it may be walking distance to the center of town. One terminal was about 1/2 mile; the other closer to a 1 mile walk. -Tallinn, when we were there, the port provided a complimentary shuttle. Not sure if that continues to be a valid option. -Visby, not sure. -Riga, walking distance. -Warnemunde, the terminal is adjacent to the train station. I'm guessing that you may be planning a trip to someplace outside of the actual port area. If the ship actually docks in Rostock, I do not know. -Malmo, not sure. -Copenhagen, when we were there, it was only an intermediate port call and the terminal was walking distance to the center. Since this is a turn-around port on this cruise, the cruise terminal is a decent distance away from the center. Not sure if Crystal will offer a shuttle; best to enquire as Keith suggested above. It's a great itinerary. Enjoy! Rob

The ship, itinerary and date(s) of your cruise would be helpful, in order to provide a more specific answer to your query. Rob

Back in the day, they used to print menus for the grand buffet. I uncovered this little gem during a recent cleaning purge. Rob

I found this one. Rob

From the Crystal Cruises website: WHAT IS THE DRESS CODE ONBOARD? At Crystal, we want guests to feel confident and relaxed throughout their stay, so we have compiled the following guide to the different dress codes on board. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us by calling 1.888.611.0318 or +1.786.464.4420. Day Casual A less formal look allows guests to feel comfortable during the day; Day Casual attire may be worn everywhere, including our restaurants, until 18:00. Suggestions for a Day Casual look: Women Sundresses Elegant shorts Jeans T-shirts or blouses Linen clothing Swimsuits with cover-ups (when not poolside) Men Shorts Jeans T-shirts or polo shirts Linen clothing Swim shorts with a T-shirt or polo (when not poolside) NOTE: Swimwear on its own, wet swimwear, revealing clothing, bathrobes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps, and clothes bearing any offensive messaging are not permitted. Covered swimsuits may only be worn at Trident Grill, Tastes, and Marketplace. Evening Resort A step up from Day Casual, after 18:00, we ask that guests adopt the more refined Evening Resort dress code. Suggestions for an Evening Resort look: Women Dress Skirts Pants Blouses or sweaters Dark-wash jeans with no rips Tailored dress shorts Men Shirts Collared polo shirt Sweaters or smart designer sweatshirts Dark-wash jeans with no rips (only when accompanied with a jacket) Chinos Sports jacket or blazer (optional) Tailored shorts (these may only be worn in the Tastes restaurant) NOTE: Please avoid flip-flops/sliders, swimwear, and hats. Formal Evening On sailings over seven days, there will be at least one optional ship-wide formal night (depending on the length of the segment), which will require more formal cocktail chic attire. These special events will be defined in your personal pre-sailing guide. Suggestions for a Formal Evening look: Women Cocktail dresses or gowns Suits Evening skirts or pants with an elegant top Evening shoes Men Suits or tuxedos Shirts Dress shoes Ties (optional)

I stand corrected. Thank you for the update.

He is now 90 years old, residing in Naples, FL. I do not believe that he lectures on cruise ships anymore. This is his website, but it does not provide any additional guidance or information. Rob http://drjaywolff.com/

FWIW, this message was just posted on the Regent WC thread. It may (or may not) be a guide to what Crystal may (or may not) have in mind, whenever a final decision is made. Check post #259 on the referenced thread above.

After experiencing the ongoing pandemic debacle of 2020, we do not purchase any non-refundable tours, hotels, airfares, cruises, tickets, restaurant reservations, et.al., etc. from any supplier or vendor. And certainly not a year in advance. These two offers do not appeal to us (even the refundable option), but it I suspect that they would not be offered if the actuaries, investment and marketing strategists did not believe there was an audience and a benefit involved. Rob

Ashley, I totally agree with your observation about the drapery pockets in the classic version vs. the 2018 version. However, I will gently correct your observation about the width of the balcony sliding doors. They are wider in the original classic versions. In the first photo, check out the difference between the deck 10 & deck 11 doors when compared to the deck 8 & 9 doors. Also on deck 10, immediately below the person on the deck 11 balcony, going aft, these are the 2018 conversions with the smaller doors. The three rooms all the way to the left of the photo on deck 10 are the original classic versions. In the second photo, the deck 11 rooms are the original classic version. The rooms below on deck 10 are the 2018 renovations, and the rooms on decks 8 & 9 are the 2023 Sapphire renovations, all with the original door openings from the ship's original balcony configurations. Rob

They are addicting...especially with the lingonberry topping. Glad you're enjoying. 😊 Rob

Interesting observation. We found the upholstery and sofa & chair cushions in the 2018 version on our December 2023 cruise to be sagged-out and showing significantly more wear than the classic suite we occupied last month. I agree that the carpet in the suite needs some love, but nothing was worn, soiled, torn or in obvious need of repair. Even the loose bed and sofa pillows were pristine. The sofa on the classic version was way more comfortable than the sofa in the 2018 version. Everyone views decor differently. The classic suite we occupied was certainly not worn out or shabby. Rob