Keith1010

Yes to all.

I wouldn't know. 😄 Keith

You are very welcome. Not sure how long they will be on board but tonight we have a celebration for everyone hosted by Cristina Levis. Keith

You are welcome. What I learned from speaking with a fellow guest who is in one of the rooms the single rooms look the same as the other double occupancy rooms. They have both beds and the only thing different is their location. Keith

It was delicious. Keith

I will be sure to take a look when we do a tour. Keith

There will be a casino on each ship but again details and timing have to be worked out. Keith

The new double rooms and solo rooms are exquisite but there is less closet space and draws for those who have asked about this. Keith

I will try to post menus of some of the meals including the Osteria d’Ovidio menu. Menus are not on line so harder to post.

Fire Works from last night. Keith IMG_2317.mov IMG_2317.mov

Mario will be the Maitre d' for the next cruise. Keith

Greetings. We are having a wonderful time and everything about this voyage is the Crystal we know and have come to love. I believe when you return to Crystal you will be equally pleased. Some highlights from the last 24 hours. More time in the afternoon to visit with guests and crew. Muster Drill was at 5:15 pm which for us was at the Hollywood Theatre. We got to visit with some guests we have not seen in years plus see Senior Head Waiter Jacques and Raphael who is helping out now and when Cruise Director Rick goes on holiday will be the Cruise Dirctor. Afterwards, we went to a welcome celebration featuring Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, Executive Director of A&K Travel and Crystal's CEO, Christina Levis. Each of their talks was great. Christina mentioned that when she first visited Crystal Serenity in 2013, she could feel the soul of the ship. This resonated with all of us. For dinner we went to Osteria D'Ovidio where we were joined by the CEO of the Travel Company we use and our Travel Specialist. To our surprise hosting us was Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, Executive Director of A&K Travel Group & Christina Levis Crystal CEO. They are gracious, great conversationalist, passionate about the crew, Crystal, the guests, travel and cruising. The conversation was amazing as was dinner. The food is clearly Michelin and the as is the ambience. It is different than Prego which is more typical of American Italian. This venue is clearly a blend of Northern and Southern Italian. We then went to the top outdoor deck and watched a special fireworks celebration which Crystal arranged. This was an amazing end to the day which included the celebration of the return of Crystal but our wedding anniversary. Everyone we spoke with talked about how magical the day was. This is the special relationship with the crew and with fellow guests. And I stayed up until early the following morning which says how wonderful the day, afternoon and night was. Crystal Serenity anchored off Cannes, France. We decided to make the ship our destination today which we will do tomorrow. We tendered off Cannes, France. We decided to make the ship our destination today which we will do tomorrow. What did we do? Morning and afternoon walks for Anne Marie, morning and afternoon Paddle Tennis for me and the opportunity to play with some members from this group and others I have known for many years. We also caught up with the crew and so many guests. This is a true family affair. We are having an outstanding time. Crystal is back and better than ever. Cheers. IMG_2317.mov

You are very welcome. We loved it. Keith

Rod and Linda, Many thanks for your kind comments. There are guest speakers but they haven't spoken but I will let you know the topics they cover and if they are the same as I posted a month or two ago. Keith

I will try to ask but can't remember. Not so easy to post menus as they are not on line. Keith

Paul goes home at the end of this cruise. So he would be back when you sail. We were very happy with the cuisine. Keith

Touch pads installed for the rooms including laundry room. So you just tap your key card and it unlocks door and you can do it while key card is in the holder. Keith

I said the dining experience at the new Italian Restaurant was amazing. Why you ask? The venue is beautiful from its design, colors, chandeliers, tables and flooring. It is bright and evidently when they dim the lights they flicker so this item will be corrected. Food is Michelin quality. We dined with people who could guide us with what to order and the waiter gave us great recommendations. There is a tasting menu or you can order what you want. I tried two starters, a pasta and the main item. The food was delicious. One starter was lobster. The main dish was lamb and I was told it would melt in your mouth and that description was spot-on. While we enjoyed Prego its menu is American Italian. This menu is Northern/Italian cuisine. To me this was special. I know some people who would dine in Prego often. This food was rich and to me a place you would dine in occasionally. IMHO this restaurant raises the bar for the dining experience. As to the waitstaff team. Paolo was there. Both sommeliers from before. Morne the Head Waiter was there. Many familiar waiters. Chef Alfred was there and brought out the birthday cake. Crystal at its finest. In short, Crystal enhanced. Will everyone like it? No. Did everyone like Prego? No. We did end with Anniversary cake and just had a little bit of it. The dessert was the entire evening and the people we dined with. I will also post this on my other thread. Keith

I said the dining experience at the new Italian Restaurant was amazing. Why you ask? The venue is beautiful from its design, colors, chandeliers, tables and flooring. It is bright and evidently when they dim the lights they flicker so this item will be corrected. Food is Michelin quality. We dined with people who could guide us with what to order and the waiter gave us great recommendations. There is a tasting menu or you can order what you want. I tried two starters, a pasta and the main item. The food was delicious. One starter was lobster. The main dish was lamb and I was told it would melt in your mouth and that description was spot-on. While we enjoyed Prego its menu is American Italian. This menu is Northern/Italian cuisine. To me this was special. I know some people who would dine in Prego often. This food was rich and to me a place you would dine in occasionally. IMHO this restaurant raises the bar for the dining experience. As to the waitstaff team. Paolo was there. Both sommeliers from before. Morne the Head Waiter was there. Many familiar waiters. Chef Alfred was there and brought out the birthday cake. Crystal at its finest. In short, Crystal enhanced. Will everyone like it? No. Did everyone like Prego? No. We did end with Anniversary cake and just had a little bit of it. The dessert was the entire evening and the people we dined with. I will also post this on my other thread. Keith

Some thoughts. When you sail with over 1,000 people the odds are you may encounter a few that bother you in some way. Personally, I have never felt pressured from a photographer. If I did I would just say not interested and if it I found the person rude or it bothered me enough I would speak with the manager. Each ship has a manager on-board. Keith

Bonnie, thank you for the good wishes. At this time no App yet so we get a hard copy of Reflections and no menus on line. The iPads are not in each room yet. I suspect that is where they will have this information on line. Maybe to put some kind of app on our phones but not sure. I will try to find out but please understand I might forget. I will tell you from experience there was always a shuttle to Bilbao so I am sure there will be one again. Keith

They definitely do the traditional Lous Armstrong. We heard it last night as we departed Marseille. Keith

I think closer to 11:00 PM. We stayed for fireworks, conversation and then for Louis and went back to the room but I didn't look at the clock. Keith

Thank you Bill and Diane. This is the best embarkation day we have ever experienced in all our years of cruising. Keith

Thank you. I am very impressed with the ownership. They know what they are doing. Crystal could not be in better hands. Keith