History&Wine

402 passengers currently on board.  550 scheduled out of Miami.  Nearly full ship to Alaska.

@TRIPACIAN.  @Ibis

Welcome aboard!  

Yes, Mike is leaving tomorrow. Captain is leaving and will be replaced by Captain of early world cruise segments.  Number I hear is a little over 200 passengers will be added for the transatlantic crossing.   Thinking very few will be disembarking.

Mike Reiss, writer for TV show The Simpsons and Ice Age movies just finished his last presentation in the Galaxy.  Truly hilarious, funnier than most comedians.  A must see if he is on your voyage!

15 hours ago, ccbee said:

Does anyone know what Rums are on the latest list. My husband likes Bacardi Gold but the older list only had Bacardi White.

At the Cove there are Bacardi coconut and Bacardi raspberry. The Avenue has Bacardi Gold. Ask and they can get the gold at other bars.  

Draft at the bar at Tastes is currently choice of Heineken or Newcastle.  
 

Since Mr. And Mrs. Molson are on board, Molson Ice is also available. 
 

Also available are a couple of non alcoholic beers.  I find Heineken Zero surprisingly decent ..
 

In my opinion your 2025 cruise will be cancelled.   Please post what alternatives Crystal offers you.

8 minutes ago, TRIPACIAN said:

This is confusing.  The 2025 WC is in Rio from March 5th thru March 7th, and the is scheduled to go across the Atlantic to Africa.  This revision starts on April 22nd. What happens between those dates?

There are three posted pages of revisions which cover all the dates. 

1 hour ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

I am going to assume that after Rio, the ship will make a few other Brazil stops before Ilheus.  Are they talking Buzios and Vitoria?  Both are delightful stops IMO.  (Nothing on the pics for March 6-8)

 

Thanks.

 

 

March 6 is another day in Rio.  March 7 and 8 are both sea days.  These three days are the same on the original itinerary and all four of the proposed changes.  

Dwight

Here are the proposed changes…

On 4/29/2024 at 8:48 AM, ryndam said:

If it is not an imposition, is there a way that you can cut-and-paste and post the survey options?

 

We looked at this WC and the current itinerary did not hold much interest for us. A modified itinerary may sway our decision. Thank you!

 

Rob

Hi Rob!

I will post the survey options on a new thread I have started.

Cheers,

Dwight

The 2025 World Cruise will almost certainly have many itinerary changes due to the continued unrest in the Middle East.  It looks like the plan is to stick with the initial schedule through Carnival in Rio.  After that…Crystal has presented four options to those booked on the 2025 WC. All options are heavy in Europe, with two options emphasizing Northern Europe and two options emphasizing the Mediterranean. Deadline on return of the surveys is May 5.  It looks like results will not be published.

In my opinion all four options are better than the original itinerary. In any case, I give Crystal credit for asking for feedback…something that was not done for those of us on the 2024 World Cruise. 

I realize this thread is about Symphony.  I wonder where the Australian reviews of Serenity are.  We picked up a bunch…I counted 25…TAs in Sydney for a multi day stay, a similar number in Melbourne and a lesser number in Adelaide. 

I’m well.  Not a lot to report as I have spent time in ports walking.  The fruits at the market in Adelaide are huge as the Australian harvest has just come in. Calm and sunny today, our last sea day as we cross the Great Australian Bight.

Seasack is doing a great job posting Reflections and menus!

3 hours ago, magnus1977 said:

Anyone have any thoughts of Explora vs Crystal? I will do a 7 night solo cruise in november/december on either Explora 2 or Crystal Serenity in the Caribbean. Solo outside cabin on Crystal and ocean terrace suite on Explora. $3500 Crystal and $5.000 Explora, including $400 on board credit for Explora. Any recommendations? 

Why not compare more similar rooms?  The ocean terrace suite is much nicer than the solo outside cabin on Crystal.  

Scenes from Hobbiton.  Note the scale of the furnishings

My journal entry from the last two stops in New Zealand:
 

Tauranga is the largest city on the Bay of Plenty and the fifth largest city in New Zealand.   It is the largest port in all of New Zealand.  I did a quick tour of the docking area and decided to hike the peak of the nearby peninsula, Mauro.  This was a strenuous hike of about 95 minutes but yielded great views of the bay, beach and city.  I stopped several times to view sheep as they crossed the trail.  

I know of three world cruisers who plan to leave the ship and return home from Singapore.  They do not want to participate in the new itinerary to Africa. No compensation from Crystal.

I would think Crystal would at least be required to refund port charges.

I am currently onboard Serenity.  Perfectly happy with the “basic” Internet.  
 

If someone wants to make zoom calls or play Fortnight or whatever…I have no problem with Crystal charging more.

interesting that no one has mentioned charges for laundry, Vintage Room, spa massages, shore excursions, etc.   No line is ALL inclusive….

I like to visit a supermarket in new cities to see how the locals live.   One can tell based on the space allocated to each item.  I also look at prices.  I can always find a supermarket or grocery, but not always a McDonalds.  But I remember Forbes used to have a Big Mac index to show a different take on the cost of living around the world.

@ijkh  No, I wasn’t on the Mt. Cook adventure.  As of now, no overland planned on this cruise.

Thanks to all for the kind comments!

Dwight

World Cruise continues! 

We were favored with calm seas and a clear sky as Serenity approached New Zealand.  The captain turned off most of the ship lights so we could see the Milky Way from deck 13.  Of course, there was also the Southern Cross…so iconic that it is featured on the flags of both New Zealand and Australia. And it is the inspiration for the hit song from Crosby Stills and Nash.

 

The Auckland Hilton hotel has spacious verandahs that overlook the harbor at Auckland.  I mention this because the Serenity docked adjacent to that hotel.  So if one has a starboard veranda room, the view here is of a veranda room at the hotel, and vice versa.

 

New Zealand is one of my favorite countries, and Auckland one of my favorite cities.  So friendly, safe, diverse and beautiful!  There is just a great Vibe here.  The pedestrian friendly walkways are ultra wide.  The weather was perfect with low humidity. I walked walked walked and bused all over the city.  A fellow traveler told me that she logged over 28,000 steps on her smart watch.  I’m guessing I achieved a mere 25,000 steps.  😎  I dashed into a McDonald’s to price a Big Mac…8.5 NZ$.  Then I realized I had no idea what the price would be in the States.   I had lunch at a great Vietnamese restaurant.   Many Asian restaurants here.

 

On the second day I got out early to catch the ferry to Waiheke (say wai-heh-kee) Island.  The ferry was packed with people seeking a taste of the slower paced island life and beaches.   I elected to walk the one or two km into town.  This is a tourist town with the usual island shops and restaurants.  I then took the local bus to two wineries and a quick lunch before viewing the beautiful beach.   I also happened upon an open house for a small cottage.  100 square meters, two small bedrooms, one bath.   Expected to sell at auction for 1 to 1.5 million NZ$.  Life is expensive here.  

 

Tonight the Serenity sails for Tauranga.

 

Dwight

Vanuatu…. I did later hear from an Aussie who said she had a great time snorkeling and swimming on a private tour.

Vanuatu.  Booked a ship tour and it was once again a disappointment.  Scheduled for four hours, it was less than two.  We were shown a cacao bean pod and various finished chocolate products.  Tasting followed.  No explanation of what happens in between, no demonstration.  Factory  (which appeared to be just a few tanks) was not operating.  Of course, the shop offering products was open.   Driver was more interested in selling side trips than giving a tour.  
 

Dwight

The 2026 world cruise is out.  I started a new thread.

The left column of benefits reads:

Business class airfare allowance or credit.

$1500 as you wish shipboard credit 

Private transfers

Luggage Valet