Keith1010

SERENITY JULY 31, 2023 Cruise Director Rick Spath Enrichment Lecturers Stephen Cole (World Affairs) Bruce McGill (Celebrity Film Actor) George Emerson Munro (Destinations Lecturer) Enrichment Instructors CU@Sea (computer classes) – Tim Grey Creative Media Fundamentals (iPhone/iPad classes) - Erin Manning Bridge – Sheryl McEwan/Brenda Egeland Golf Pro – Roberto Borgatti Art – Linda Perlmutter Ambassador Hosts: Richard Douglas Adrian Olteanu George Lau Paul Ho Catholic Clergy: Michael Peter O'Sullivan Entertainment & Entertainers Production Cast & Production Shows Crystal Showband Billy Joel Tribute Show: Featuring James Fox Headliner Entertainment: Marco Romano Comedians: Jonathan Joseph Martin Beaumont Guest Vocalist: Bruce Hammond Crystal Magic at Sea: Rich Bloc Featured Showband Singer: Karin Kovacova Violinist: Nadya Mathiutuna Crystal Cove Pianist: Steven Roberts Avenue Saloon Paino Bar Entertainer: Joel Spire Music Duo: Keys & Melody Duo Ballroom Dance Duo: Luca Soos & Balint Szoke Featured Musician: Charlie Ryan SERENITY AUGUST 12, 2023 Cruise Director Rick Spath Enrichment Lecturers Dr. Jeffrey Hoffman (Astronaut) Gregg Sherman (Entertainment Lecturer) Kenneth Pearl (Destinations Lecturer) Enrichment Instructors CU@Sea (computer classes) – Tim Grey Creative Media Fundamentals (iPhone/iPad classes) - Erin Manning Bridge – Sheryl McEwan/Brenda Egeland Golf Pro – Joe Herbert Art – Linda Perlmutter Ambassador Hosts: Richard Douglas Adrian Olteanu George Lau Paul Ho Catholic Clergy: Frans Joseph Berkhout Entertainment & Entertainers Production Cast & Production Shows Crystal Showband Billy Joel Tribute Show: Featuring James Fox Headliner Entertainment: Tom Ball Comedians: Mick Miller Steve Stevens Guest Vocalist: Bruce Hammond Crystal Magic at Sea: Rich Bloc Featured Showband Singer: Karin Kovacova Violinist: Nadya Mathiutuna Crystal Cove Pianist: Steven Roberts Avenue Saloon Paino Bar Entertainer: Joel Spire Music Duo: Keys & Melody Duo Ballroom Dance Duo: Luca Soos & Balint Szoke SERENITY AUGUST 22, 2023 Cruise Director Rick Spath Enrichment Lecturers Jon Wiant (World Affairs) Dr. Jeffrey Hoffman (Astronaut) Bob Aalberts (Destinations Lecturer) Enrichment Instructors CU@Sea (computer classes) – Tim Grey Creative Media Fundamentals (iPhone/iPad classes) - Jack Reznicki Bridge – Sheryl McEwan/Brenda Egeland Golf Pro – Joe Herbert Art – Kathleen (Kitty) Donato Ambassador Hosts: Richard Douglas Adrian Olteanu George Lau Paul Ho Catholic Clergy: Stuart MacDonald Entertainment & Entertainers Production Cast & Production Shows Crystal Showband Billy Joel Tribute Show: Featuring James Fox Comedians: Martin Beaumont Guest Vocalist: Bruce Hammond Crystal Magic at Sea: Rich Bloc Featured Showband Singer: Karin Kovacova Violinist: Nadya Mathiutuna Crystal Cove Pianist: Steven Roberts Avenue Saloon Paino Bar Entertainer: Joel Spire Music Duo: Keys & Melody Duo Ballroom Dance Duo: Luca Soos & Balint Szoke

SYMPHONY SEPTEMBER 1, 2023 Cruise Director Russ Grieve Enrichment Lecturers Roman Pryjomko (World Affairs) Michael Bishay (Law) Bridget Buxton (Destinations Lecturer) Enrichment Instructors CU@Sea (computer classes) – Chip Adam Creative Media Fundamentals (iPhone/iPad classes) – Wes Malkin Golf Pro – Mike Smith Ambassador Hosts: Mark Rahman Eliot Malamud Michael Kelleher Al Padua Catholic Clergy: Robert W. Nalley Entertainment & Entertainers Production Cast & Production Shows Crystal Showband Elton John Tribute Show: Featuring C.J. Marvin Comedians: Paul Adams Featured Showband Singer: Anna Paula Alonso Violinist: Anna Shumal Crystal Cove Pianist: Gordon Porth Avenue Saloon Paino Bar Entertainer: Dan Davies Music Duo: Heartbeat Duo Ballroom Dance Duo: Bianka Hancz & Ferenc Bandi Featured Musician: Charlie Ryan SYMPHONY SEPTEMBER 8, 2023 Cruise Director Russ Grieve Enrichment Lecturers Robert Smolik (World Affairs) Dennis Curran (Special Interest - Trials) Adrian Kerr (Destinations Lecturer) Enrichment Instructors CU@Sea (computer classes) – Chip Adam Creative Media Fundamentals (iPhone/iPad classes) – Wes Malkin Golf Pro – Mike Smith Ambassador Hosts: Mark Rahman Eliot Malamud Michael Kelleher Al Padua Catholic Clergy: Robert W. Nalley Entertainment & Entertainers Production Cast & Production Shows Crystal Showband Elton John Tribute Show: Featuring C.J. Marvin Comedians: Nick Page Featured Showband Singer: Anna Paula Alonso Violinist: Anna Shumal Crystal Cove Pianist: Gordon Porth Avenue Saloon Paino Bar Entertainer: Dan Davies Music Duo: Heartbeat Duo Ballroom Dance Duo: Bianka Hancz & Ferenc Bandi Featured Musician: Charlie Ryan SYMPHONY SEPTEMBER 18, 2023 Cruise Director Russ Grieve Enrichment Lecturers Robert Smolik (World Affairs) TBD (Special Interest) Charlotte Shalgosky (Destinations Lecturer) Enrichment Instructors CU@Sea (computer classes) – Chip Adam Creative Media Fundamentals (iPhone/iPad classes) – Justin Resnick Golf Pro – Mike Smith Ambassador Hosts: Mark Rahman Eliot Malamud Michael Kelleher Al Padua Catholic Clergy: Thomas Francis Petrillo Jewish Rabbi: Sharon Elizabeth Morton Entertainment & Entertainers Production Cast & Production Shows Crystal Showband Elton John Tribute Show: Featuring C.J. Marvin Headliner Entertainment: Marco Romano Comedians: Paul Adams Featured Showband Singer: Anna Paula Alonso Violinist: Anna Shumal Crystal Cove Pianist: Gordon Porth Avenue Saloon Paino Bar Entertainer: Dan Davies Music Duo: Heartbeat Duo Ballroom Dance Duo: Bianka Hancz & Ferenc Bandi Featured Musician: Charlie Ryan

This one is $95.00 Keith

Anne Marie and I just had dinner at Waterside. The food is better than ever. As is the service. I can't think of any cruise line we have sailed that has food this good with such a high service level. If you love Crystal before you will love the Crystal of today. Keith

Yes, there is an charge for these wine. Thank you so much for you very nice comments. Keith

I expect pricing to stay the same. I expect that the first few cruises being major successes will increase bookings. I expect advertising will step up. Please remember they need to make money. And please remember the ship is mainly suites now. Keith

I have posted the first three for each cruise on CC. Right now not on the Crystal web sits Keith

This month Word Cruise 2025. I posted about this a few weeks back. I believe late August for the rest and if not very close to this. Keith

From often refers to changing prices based dynamic pricing. At least this has been my experience and the experience of friends. Keith

Dwight No higher salaries or bonuses. Some came back at less than they were making at other cruise lines. Also surprisingly a fair amount of first time Crystal Cruisers. The key is for more people to hear about Crystal and what the experience is like IMHO. Keith.

You are very welcome. 6:30 to 7:30 and 9:30 to 11:30 pm. Keith

Thank you for your very nice comments. On our first visit to Barcelona we also stayed at the Hotel Arts and loved the hotel and also walked to Las Rambles and enjoyed the local restaurants too. Best to you. Keith

Love the signage. Keith

We docked in Barcelona at around 6:30 PM last evening. There were several evening tours offered for guests including dinner in the Gothic Quarter, an opera performance, a Flamenco show with tapas dinner and a tour of Barcelona. Fantastic dinner with two special people organized by our wonderful butler Rao. Appetizers alone could have been the dinner. We had pre-ordered the chateaubriand and vegetables and the guests ordered appetizer and salad. As it turned out everyone had Caesar salad and the two of us had the prawn appetizer. And then there was the wine. The featured entertainment was a performance by The Crystal Showband & Friends. Our first visit to Barcelona was during a pre-cruise stay in 1997. Since that time, we have visited many times and most recently in 2018 and 2019. It’s a vibrant city with lots to do and see. We appreciate the architecture of the buildings, its people, history and walking Las Rambles and adjacent streets in the downtown area. Although not in the forecast the morning had on and off rain and at one point downtown it was pouring. Highs of only high 70's which is much different than back home. We are enjoying the afternoon on-board Serenity. Life could not be finer than sailing Crystal and being with the wonderful crew and so many wonderful guests. We are back home where we belong. Cheers Keith

Roy that is correct. Symphony will go through the same process as Serenity and that will eventually include soft opening, TA/Media Cruise before the inaugural cruise. Lots to do. Keith

From yesterday's Vintage Room Lunch. I didn't go (we're doing a dinner next cruise) but a friend did. Keith

I followed up about port maps and work is in progress to create paper port maps for the guests including a map and places to visit. In the meantime, they will have older maps as a contingency and hope this will be available by the time we are in Cartagena on August 8. Keith

Some have asked about start times for shows. Because of the reduced guest count expect one versus two showings of a particular show. On some nights you might have two different shows with a single performance of each show. As to time if it is a one show night start time either 9:30 or 10:00 pm. You ask why? Many people are going to the restaurants 7:00, 7:30 or 8:00 pm and far fewer before that time so this allows most everyone to be able to get to a show if the would like to see the show. Keith

The write-ups for the Butlers show the guest rooms with the butlers and suites saying attentive butler service. So you say what is that? Most of the services performed are the same. Differences are the suites have the daily pressing and the daily canapés whereas the guest rooms do not and there are some additional amenities that vary by suite such as ordering from the specialty restaurants in the CP and Jr CP. We've gotten the opportunity to meet most of the butlers. We know many of them from previous voyages where they were in other positions and some are new to Crystal but with butler experience. Keith

As in the past, while on board you can sign up for transfer service for debarking. Complimentary transfers are offered to those guests on the air/sea program flying out on the end of the cruise to the Huberto Delgado/Lisbon International Airport and others who wish to utilize the program can sign up with the concierge at a cost of $50.00 per person. Keith

One thing for sure, over the years Crystal has increased time in port including overnights and has less time at sea. A quick look at the new itineraries while both ships are in Europe shows some itineraries with no sea days and others with one day. I add two more items IMHO. Service and the experienced crew. I have never experienced anything like this on any line we have sailed. From our first cruise with Crystal I have found that they see me as a person and that their actions and even response are not what I call "robot" like. They are very human. This is one of the benefits of a line with few ships. The other one is cuisine which I realize is subjective. Well everything is I guess. But in the end, the only opinion that counts is our own. Keith

In spite of the weather we arrive to Barcelona on time yesterday afternoon. In his noon talk the Captain explained that the verandahs would be cleaned with fresh water to get the salt off them. WIth such high waves our verandah on Deck 11 was soaked and when I first looked outside it looked like it was raining. It was the waves. Rope was on all of the doors on passenger decks in the aft of the ship and on Deck 7 for quite awhile. After it calmed down it became calm and sunny outside. Once the MSC and two Celebrity ships left we proceeded into port where we were docked close to the arrival time of 6:30 PM. Keith

Thank you. My wife is half Italian. Her grandmother who lived with her was born in the USA but her siblings in Italy. Anne Marie learned a lot about cooking Italian from her grandmother and our children make some of the recipes that were handed down. Her family came over from Italy and live in the Sicily region too. Keith

All of this is coming. Yes, on board at their computer they can tell you the price, which room is available and book it for you. As a reminder there is a change to the process. For a booking before you would put down a deposit regardless of cruise except higher for the world cruise and you had a certain period of time after you debarked to pay the different to create a full deposit. This has changed. At the time you make your on-board booking you bring your credit card and you make a 25% deposit with the on board consultant and it is not charged to your room account. If you make an open booking it is good for three months and you pay $500.00 per person and at the time you make your booking you are charged. With that said they are working on the credit card portion as I made some open bookings in preparation for the release of 2025 itineraries and they couldn't complete them yet as they are waiting for final changes to be able to charge this. I believe the open booking is now good for three months. Give you 2.5% off cruise fare. Keith

The capability to book cruises directly from the website has not been rolled out yet even for TA's. It will come. All of the systems had to be built from scratch and this takes time. They are all new including systems used on the ship by each department. It is still a work in progress. Keith