Keith1010

LeeAnne, There is no clear cut answer on when a waitlist clears. Factors do include the number of rooms/suites in a category, the number of people waitlisted and how afar out the cruise is. We were waitlisted for a category on our last cruise and we were waitlisted all the way until the day of embarkation. Keith

Sandy, I am in the camp who loves the Classic Aquamarine on Serenity. As Rob said outlets not updated but between the outlets on both desks we manage this very nicely with all our devices. Keith

I would do the same but there are some people who have them take care of this just like there are some people who have them unpack and/or pack for them. While we've never had them do packing/unpacking I know some people who ask the butler to do this. Keith

Just received an e-mail today from Crystal about Alaska. Give it 24 hours to see if you get it as with bulk e-mails they don't all go out simultaneoiusly. Keith

Ivi a good reminder. I have found that the butlers we have had over the years are a good go to person to get something resolved including those not in their area of responsibility. Keith

Roy and Ann 1. Similar to other ports. Probably Noon.. 4. Rhodes. Walkable. Great walking area. Keith

I just want to note that the butlers all have a lot of suites to take care of including those who take care of CP's. I've always been amazed how many rooms they can take care of. They do have teams and they do help each other out. If more people wanted room service at a particular time they would help one another out. Overall it usually works out but in the case of your food it obviously didn't. We try to provide the butler long lead times. For example, if we know on x night we want to have dinner in the room we let them know one or more days ahead of time and usually provide a list of what we would like that morning. I realize some people call that very moment asking if they can have x meal in a few minutes. 😀 But as you note things can happen. They do have personnel (I can't remember the name but it is an unusual name) who actually get the food from the cold galley where the room service food is prepared up to the respective floors. But just like any type of service if everyone wants something at the same moment you can't staff for that. Same goes for our own highways. If everyone tries to use it all at once it doesn't work or in the days of land lines if everyone picked up their telephone at the same time it would crash the local telephone switches. Overall, my experience with the butlers is they are the best I've experienced on any line. But certainly some are strong than others which is true of every position on and off ships. Keith

If you were in an Aquamarine you should have. Very strange. Maybe your husband told the butler not to bring them. 😀 Otherwise unless you had your do not disturb up you really should have gotten them. Keith

The butler does not iron clothes. they can unpack and pack though. Keith

Below is some information for the new date of the Crystal Chairmen's Cruise. On a related note, I noticed the other day that on the August 13, 2024 Vancouver R/T Cruise that they list Manfredi Lefebvre as the Featured Guest on that voyage. Keith CRYSTAL ANNOUNCES NEW DATE FOR 2024 CHAIRMEN’S CRUISE Voyage Offers Guests an Exceptional Opportunity to Sail with Industry Legends MIAMI (Feb. 26, 2024) - Crystal has announced a new date for the Crystal Chairmen's Cruise, now sailing Nov. 14-24, 2024, aboard Crystal Symphony from Venice to Athens. Guests will have the rare opportunity to sail alongside travel industry titans, A&K Travel Group Executive Chairman, Manfredi Lefebvre, and Geoffrey Kent, Founder & Chairman Emeritus of Abercrombie & Kent. The unparalleled voyage promises an immersive journey, combining unique travel experiences and opportunities to engage with Mr. Lefebvre and Mr. Kent. Through a series of special lectures, interactive discussions and exclusive meet & greets, the Chairmen’s cruise is an exciting first for the brand. The Crystal Chairmen's Cruise will feature a carefully curated program of onboard activities, including a special lecture from Geoffrey Kent, who will share stories of his tenure in the travel industry, spanning more than 60 years. A leader in educational and entertainment-driven experiences, Crystal will also offer guests the best of the arts with award-winning productions such as Icons In Concert, Crystal on Broadway, the Elton John Tribute show Rocket Man and cabaret shows throughout the voyage. Guests can also sign up for enrichment and technology classes, golf instruction, led by a PGA professional and ballroom dance classes. “I’m excited to be aboard Crystal Symphony and share my passion for exploration and adventure with fellow travelers on this remarkable journey,” said Lefebvre. “Geoffrey Kent is a true pioneer in the travel industry and, since our partnership began last year with the purchase of Crystal and returning to the water this summer, we are continuing to see tremendous growth for both brands.” "The Crystal Chairmen's Cruise epitomizes our commitment to redefining exceptional travel,” said CEO of A&K Travel Group Cristina Levis. “This voyage reflects our dedication to providing our guests with unique and enriching experiences, especially iconic land adventures, that elevate the Crystal brand." Guests will enjoy the exceptional amenities and world-class service that Crystal is renowned for. From lavish accommodations to exquisite dining options and immersive shore excursions, the Chairmen's Cruise promises to deliver a unique and unrivaled travel experience.

Ivi, Some thoughts on the Butlers. How you want your refrigerator stocked as well as the type of fruit you want in your room. Specialty Restaurant Reservations. Cancellation of Shore Excursions. Sending a bottle of wine or champagne that you bought ashore to the dining venue. Suggestions on what to do in a port. Many of the butlers have been around and can offer tips such as what to do in a port or maybe even where to go to eat. We do eat breakfast in our room, some lunches and an occasional dinner and the butler arranges this for us. If you want a Crystal transfer at the port of debarkation the Concierge will take care of this. This includes group or private Crystal Transfer. If you want advice for a port many of them can help you with that. They can assist with restaurant reservations. I have seen them assist guests with printing out boarding passes (I do this myself in the computer university and there have been times where I have seen them call an airline for a guest. They can assist with use luggage forward to send luggage home. In general it would be similar to a hotel. For a taxi at debarkation they can tell you if taxis are plentiful. For a private transfer I've never had them do this because we do this way before the trip begins if we are not using a Crystal transfer and either I do this on my own or my TA's assistant does. Keith

Rob is correct. While in generall those dates have a good chance of happening I would not go to the bank on them. When they do the layout for the cruise on the preceding one which is the time they lay out the major events related to things such as formal, receptions, white night, and other things taking place sometimes things change. Keith

Canapes are delivered to all suites. The chips, etc are delivered daily to the guest rooms. If you are in a suite and needed them later than the time the butler is making the rounds just let the butler know your time preference. Keith

LeeAnne: The Crystal Society discount will only apply to your fare. For Number 2 I read what they say as that it would have to be used on another cruise the same calendar year which to me is 2025. I am not sure if you can call Crystal from where you are right now to verify this. Normally I would say have your TA contact them but I see you noted why that is a challenge right now. Keith

Agree with Rob. They have created many menus to avoid repeats. A few years ago I found they were repeating menus on back to back cruises but on the ones we were on last summer they avoided that. While there are items you will see from cruise to cruise the order they appear can easily vary. And as you note, they do bring on some local time such as certain types of fish and sometimes have recipes which reflect where you are sailing. You can usually see the menu for the next day on line the night before and should you see a menu on a day you were not dining there you could see if your butler can rearrange your specialty restaurant reservation to another evening. You could also see if you can special order items from a menu for the day after by seeing the head waiter or restaurant manage the day before. Keith

There are lots of good choices for private transfers. I have used the following two in additional to Crystal private transfer but last time was 2018. They both still exist and the reviews continue to be positive like my own review of each. https://www.romecabs.com (not a taxi service) https://www.romeinlimo.com Getting off at 9:00 AM is fine as fastest is around 9:45 AM. FCO is one of those airports that I like a lot of time to get to the gate. You just never know. Keith

Up until recently it was about once a week for e-mails. Only exception is the last week,. We got e-maisl on 2/23, 2/22, 2/20, and 2/19. I haven't gotten knocked off the e-mail list but I did get knocked off the getting catalog at home list which Crystal verified. They are trying to figure out how I was unsubscribed for that. Keith

Not yet other than the new brochure has a teaser: 2026 World Cruise starts on January 11, 2026, from Los Angeles, ending of May 26, 2026, at Rome. Keith

In late January, Crystal sent out an e-mail that some of you received who are getting e-mails from Crystal about the new Crystal Cruise Collection Worldwide Voyages brochure. It is filled with lots of great information including, interviews, itineraries for many of the voyages, and a wealth of other information. In fact, it has a teaser about the 2026 World Cruise stating it starts on January 11, 2026, from Los Angeles, ending of May 26, 2026, at Rome. If you received the e-mail and haven’t received the brochure, I would recommend signing up again to receive information from Crystal and if you are unsure if your home address is on file, you could have your TA verify your home address with Crystal. And if you are not receiving e-mails, as Terry posted be sure to register once again to receive them as Crystal has discovered a glitch resulting in some people not receiving them. This is a wonderful brochure and IMHO a real keeper. In the meantime, it is also available for viewing online at: https://e.issuu.com/embed.html?d=final_file_from_pci_314213_cc_cat_text_1_hr_&hideIssuuLogo=true&hideShareButton=true&u=crystal_cruises Happy Cruising Keith

Agreed. Similar to when they redesigned the Lido Cafe to become Marketplace. I remember some asked why so many small tables and that was also to maximize occupancy and to accommodate more singles and couples. Keith

The Bistro was indeed gutted. And I like the birds on the wall that move. For those who don't know it is a real wooden floor and a high end one. to boot. Keith

Very intimate shows with around 20 or so people in attendance so you pick up tickets from them in the library from the librarian. Often] members from the audience get to participate. Keith

The number of people on a Crystal excursion will vary based on the excursion that is offered. If it is one involving a large bus it is often not jam-packed and in some cases might be half full but there will be other cases where it is closer to being full. It just depends. There will be an escort from the ship along with driver and tour guide. What you do really depends on yourself and situation. In our case for many years we took ships tours but as we started to do private excursions we mainly went private unless there was something we felt was offered on a group excursion that we couldn't do on our own. I always think of all of this being like a tool box and would recommend looking at both options. As to knowing the max size you really can't know that but often from each writeup you can get a feel for the type of transportation. Unless you've been told something I am not aware of on our many stops to Barcelona when the port was the embarkation port porters are there early enough that you can arrive earlier. I would arrive sometime between 11:00 and 11:30 AM and expect boarding to begin around 12:00 PM. Once on board a few of the lunch venues will be open. We enjoy having lunch in Waterside with table service while some like something more casual such as the Trident Grill. You will either board on Deck 5 or 6 and Waterside is right on Deck 5. Even in cases where we get complimentary laundry we prefer doing it our own. The washing machines and detergent are included in the cost of the fare and on the Crystal ships are very nice sizes and you use your key card to enter and they are normally open 7x24. We have had dry cleaning and pressing done often and the quality is terrific and they offer turn around either the next day or the day after based on what you request with next day service being a higher price than two day turnaround. Keith

I always thought that the on board credit is a pass through from the cruise line to the CC company so I am thinking this has nothing to do with Amex being burned. I learned a big lesson and that is to use Amex for big purchases. Of all our CC companies they were the easiest to deal with. They actually keep records when you call them. They actually have customer service people who understand what you are saying without explaining it over and over and they actually come through. I am not saying they are the only one but all I know is out of the companies I used they are the only one who got it right and came through. There is one that was a complete horror to work with. And that was when I was trying to get refunds during the shutdown due to Covid and that was an absolute nightmare. Amex was not. Keith

Like most things availability for dinner at Tastes will vary by evening and by cruise. If the cruise has high occupancy it will be more challenging without a reservation and if you are not flexible. On cruises with lower occupancy less than an issue. With that said, making reservations are easy ahead of time using My Account and once on board the ship either doing it yourself or asking the Butler to do this for you. Personally , I prefer having a reservation so I know for sure we can be seated and because it makes it far easier for the Food & Beverage team to plan evening resources. There are times when resources have to be reallocated from Waterside to Tastes or from other dining venues to Waterside. Yes, I realize sometimes there is a need for spontanaety if one is returning from a late tour, had planned say to go to Waterside but decided at the last minute to dine at Tastes. All of this is a reminder that no two cruises are precisely the same and that incudes whether or not it is easy to seat at the Sushi Bar in Umi Uma. Just saying. Keith