Keith1010

We’re ready to go. We have a lot of friends who feel the same way and are in the same boat. Can’t wait. Keith

I hopefully get an early opportunity to book the Cruises we want to sail on with increased odds of getting the room and room category we prefer. That’s enough for me but on top of that we get an on board credit. this is good enough for me.

Stay tuned.

All I can say is my bags are packed, we want to return to Crystal, it’s a new company with new ownership and we’re ready to go. Keith.

I think (just my opinion) if there were any additional benefits of doing an open booking deposit it would have been noted when they rolled this out. As to a Crystal Society or Crystal Society like program this is something that we will all learn about together. Keith

The old Crystal provided some savings off cruise fare for Crystal Society Members and for on-board bookings. When Cruise Fare roll out we will learn if there are Crystal Society savings off cruise fare in the future whether or not there are cruise savings for on board bookings. Time will tell. Keith

Thank you again for sharing this. Best to you. Keith

You are very welcome. I didn't realize you were in the UK when I responded. Otherwise I wouldn't have said Amex is accepted. I only assumed you were from the USA when you mentioned Amex as I and some other people I know initially had to figure out that Amex wanted each of us to verify this was a legitimate transaction. I hadn't seen the information until your earlier post about the no protection. May I ask where you found that. Good luck with whatever you decide. Speaking for myself, we are looking forward to the itineraries, and additional details including cruise fare and deposit information and booking some of the cruises. Again, this is a personal decision and I expect people to book, while others might book closer to startup or wait till people who are on the earlier voyages share their experience or decide not to book. Keith

Yes I have made multiple open bookings. Many of our friends have done the same. Your agent is wrong. American Express could have been used. However, initially for those booking American Express asked for the card holder to confirm this was a legitimate purchase since this was a new company for them. Your agent could have contacted you so you could approve it with Amex as they were processing your deposit. By the way, this has happened with at least one other new cruise company (even though their parent company is not new) with American Express. Decision as to whether or not to do open booking(s) and ultimately convert them to a real booking. I wouldn't tell anyone what to do. Then again I wouldn't tell anyone what they should do when spending money. Keith

This is from the Crystal Website about the credits: he as you wish credits are $250.00 per person up to $500.00 per suite for Crystal Society Guests and $125.00 per person up to $250.00 per suite for new to Crystal guests. As you wish credits are not refundable and not exchangeable for case. As you wish credits can be used in all ships venues except for Casino play. Keith

The key take-away is: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. I believe in that. Always have backup plans and assume things won't go right at least for certain things which involve planes, trains and automobiles and even once in a while a cruise ship. Keith

I agree 100%. When I worked we would travel one day before but since I retired we travel in two or more days before the cruise and make adjustments to add more days if flying to places like Europe. I believe in Murphy's Law. Keith

As they say, don't leave home without it. Or was that the American Express Traveler's Cheques. I do think we've learned a lot from this experience as we do with other items. For example, from business I learned never to fly in for a cruise the day of the cruise but that was a hard lesson that many people learned on CC including years ago some from this board who used to fly in the day of the cruise. Keith

As they say, "now you tell me". Another good lesson in addition to all of the other lessons. Keith

Thanks for sharing. Another lesson learned. Keith

Yes, thank you. I was able to change it to edit the post to get the correct ship name. Right now a cruise to nowhere or might be a cruise to wherever. Keith

When I heard from friends on board Regent Explorer it sounded like the Crystal Symphony voyage which some of you labeled the trip to nowhere. The challenges of getting the hull clean is why I remember they put the Symphony and Serenity in short dry docks after all of that time anchored in Asia before the restart of 2021. One of my friends on that cruise said the flight from Mainland USA over there hit the most turbulence he's ever experienced and I suspect several passengers on that flight said a prayer. So with New Zealand in mind.a few photos from our last visit to New Zealand in February of 2020 on-board Serenity follow. Keith

While I don't know anyone who has 10 open bookings but if they do good for them if that is what they want, I do know many people who have one to five open bookings. No one was forced to make an open booking. I know there are lots of conspiracy theories here that somehow this was all done to generate cash but I think Flyer Talker comments were spot on. I would add there is a cost to do this from the amount of money that they have to put up with the credit card companies to transaction fees. I will also add it allowed them to test out their ability to process transactions and to work through any issues which they did as we saw adjustments made. It was a way to start to move things along and to stimulate interest and stay engaged. And when it comes to making a deposit people will decide if they want to book the cruise as they do with any cruise line including new ones and either book or not book. If they have an open booking they can cancel it. At the same time I know others who didn't do an open booking because they do want to wait for the itineraries or they want to wait for the line to sail and see what people think, All of this is good IMHO because choice is good. For us, I was glad to have the opportunity to do an open booking and our driver was not the on-board credit but rather to hopefully get the category of room and even location we prefer on the itinerary/itineraries we prefer. Many of us have totally different approaches to booking travel plans. Some people like to book cruises years in advance while other wait until much closer. Best strategy??? None. It's all what each person thinks works best for them. Keith

All of this was considered when they decided to bring the ship over to Italy. Keith

I hear you. What they did say in the items I printed off when I did my open deposit is you get priority access to book once our itineraries are released in early 2023. I know it's semantics but if it comes out in a few weeks that's till early 2023 but I know it could have been taken as early January. Hopefully it will be soon. Keith

What you say is correct about the challenges. I do think though we all need to step back. Crystal was only bought at the end of June. A little over six months ago. They bought assets. Not a company. No people. No itineraries. No nothing beyond ships. I just can't imagine. They have to start from scratch. Decide what to do on ships at a high level, then detailed designs, then all the details which goes into this including cost and schedules and everything else. Start hiring people executives and then some people. Even the itineraries. They have to be developed but then they have to determine if the ports are available The list goes on and on. And when they do publish them and everything that goes with them they have to do it right and that includes not cancelling cruises because ships not ready and not cancelling ports because it turned out they were locked in or that the planned itinerary won't work. I guess what I am getting at is this is a massive undertaking because they didn't buy a company. I agree. The longer it takes the more people have locked in plans but.............It's only been six months plus two weeks. Keith

And my Paddle Tennis Racquet should be OK too. Glad not at the airport this moment though. Keith

Three years ago today, a transit of the Panama Canal. Always a wonderful experience. Keith

Which is why many "speculate" late Summer.. We'll know soon enough. Keith

I know it's frustrating but until dates are locked down I do not see us receiving any communications. TA's are asking on behalf of clients so they are trying to provide what they can to them. I expect when things are ready to go that's when we hear whether that is through one or more of the following: the TA first, e-mail(s) to Crystal Society Members, the Crystal website, PR announcements. No inside information but logic tells me this is how it goes. I do think we are inching towards the start date and yes it is testing our patience but in the scheme of things I believe it won't be that much longer. Keith