Louis Cristal - just returned!

[blindrid]

Not sure about the whole passport thing - when my husband and I were in Izmir last year on the MSC Magnifica we weren't required to leave our passports with anyone, nor do I remember the subject even coming up...maybe it's different with Louis Cruises or maybe it's because we are British?

 

It is. Here is a quote from their website regarding Brits:

 

"British nationals require a visa to enter Turkey, except cruise ship passengers entering the country for a day trip and returning to the ship the same day."

 

In our case, I traveled with a buddy that was on his Canadian PP. They held his as well.

[Solan]

My partner and I were onboard the Louis Crystal on 7th July, our experience was so memorable that we plan to do the cruise again this year 2013.

 

The drinks package on the Louis Crystal was either an Alcohol or non Alcohol package. It was 160Eurodollars for the 8 day duration, you can however buy the package anytime and the price is reduced accordingly. The price is per person and when you are given your drinks card you are not allowed to share it, you have to have a card each whether it be alcohol or non alcohol and you are told that if you abuse the card it will be terminated.

 

It is not necessary when aboard the Louis Crystal for neither men or women to have to wear any aspect of formal wear whilst dining. However men do have to wear shoes, not saddles with the toes showing, in the formal dining room and slacks, jeans seem to be excepted.

 

If you wish to do any excursions they can all be booked on lard at concierge. Each daily shore excursion has an English speaking tour guide, or tour guide in your preferred language, includes all entrance fees, pickup and drop offs etc, people have said that they can be expensive but I personally thought that all the excursions were well worth the money!!!

[Solan]

Hi everyone, thank you for your posts - they are all very, very helpful as we have a group of 6 of us doing a similar itinerary in September. I do have a couple of questions:

1. How formal are the formal nights - should we bring long dresses & ties for the men?

2. How much does the all-inclusive drink package cost? Do both in the cabin need to buy it? We have used them on cruises in the past and it has been well worth it.

3. How do you privately arrange the excursions. We have done quite a bit of research and know what we want to see/do at each port & we do plan on taking an excursion at every one of them. I just didn't know how you would go about finding a private tour guide.

Thanks for your help.

Read my review posted 26 th August 2012 at 09.40pm

[Solan]

Read my review posted 26 th August 2012 at 09.40pm

 

160eurodollars each for Alcohol drinks card for 7 day cruise

No formal wear required, men have to wear shoes and slacks can be jeans

All excursions can be booked at concierge, includes English speaking guide, all entrance fees etc

[blindrid]

Mine was 154E with the discount of buying early. An excerpt from their email to me regarding the package. Obviously, double check to make sure any pricing is current:

 

If you prepay the All Inclusive Package, they may get it in a lower price:

 

• Alcoholic All Inclusive Package: 22 instead of 27,95 per person per day
  

Νοn Alcoholic All Inclusive Package: 12 instead of 14,95 per person per day

[Railwaylass]

We just got notification that our 12th October cruise on the Cristal has been changed to the Orient Queen. Looks like the other sailings for this itinerary in October will now be on the Orient Queen as well...

 

Anyone out there that has sailed on this ship?

 

Lesley

[ikesyd]

We sailed on the Cristal at the end of July and had a great trip.:)

 

Joined the ship in Istanbul on Sunday afternoon, friends had joined in Lavrion on the Friday They caught the shuttle provided by Louis from Pireaus. Our cabin was an outside deluxe on deck 6(6205) - plenty of room and kept very clean & tidy by our stewards. Only 570 passengers on the cruise, total capacity I think is around 1200. Very smooth sailing except for prior to arrival in Mykonos when there was a slight sway due to the winds and swell, but nothing that would make anyone sick. Majority of the time didn't notice any movement.

 

Purchased the all inclusive drinks package before the cruise and was well worth it. Otherwise would have had to pay for bottled water, soft drinks, tea/coffee and the numerous cocktails (counted over 75 between hubby & I)we had in the Star lounge and outside cafe area.

 

Did the tour of the bridge which was very interesting - not many people take up this offer.

 

In Izmir we had organised a private tour of Ephesus.

 

Patmos - caught a private taxi to the grotto & monastry - the local drivers have this trip well worked out. Only 2 of us went ashore here and didn't go straight after docking, most people had already caught their taxis etc a tip for others - get a group together 4/5 and you can split the taxi cost. View from monastry was great.

 

Mykonos - caught the ships shuttle into town walked around the town, wandered through the narrow streets to the windmills, then sat at a waterfront restaurant for a wine & beer.

 

Rhodes - walked around the old town, up the clock tower. Had lunch back on board ship around 2pm and had swim in pool and lazed on sun deck reading.

 

Crete - not much open as the boat docks early. Walked to archaeological museum, back on board around 10am.

 

Santorini - loved the place, would have liked longer. Did the ship excursion to Oia well worth it. Back on board around 8.

 

Meals - had buffet breakfast each day, times vary depending on port etc advised in newsletter delivered to room each night. Had dinner in a la carte restaurant each night -open sittings except for 'elegant/theme night' when we had 2nd seating, around 9pm.

 

Good variety of food in buffet, but some people take way too much and leave, they also try to jump the queue, didn't succeed near us though! Food in a la carte great - good sizes and well cooked.

 

All crew were friendly and helpful.

 

Formal nights are called elegant. Hubby wore nice shirt and trousers (we had been travelling through Europe for 6 weeks so hadn't packed a jacket) he wasn't out of place. Us girls wore 'little black dress', others wore dressy pants and tops. Had taken a blue & white top for Greek night.

 

Disembarkation for shore excursions/own tours were not a problem. Ships excursions disembarked first then remainder of passengers but this didn't take long at all - basically walked off ship.

 

Didn't go to any shows or the casino as we just liked sitting around having a quiet drink or two. The Olympics were also on, so watched a bit of that in the star lounge.

 

The Cristal is a small ship compared to some of the others we saw, which is what we wanted. It doesn't have the facilities of the bigger ships but we just wanted to be able to relax, have a good meal, swim or relax in the sun, sleep in a clean spacious room and see some great ports. Which is exactly what we were able to do.

 

If the Cristal ever did a different trip and different ports I wouldn't hesitate to book again.

 

If anyone wants some more information I'm happy to try and answer.

[Railwaylass]

We sailed on the Cristal at the end of July and had a great trip.:)

 

friends had joined in Lavrion on the Friday They caught the shuttle provided by Louis from Piraeus.

 

Purchased the all inclusive drinks package before the cruise and was well worth it. Otherwise would have had to pay for bottled water, soft drinks, tea/coffee and the numerous cocktails (counted over 75 between hubby & I)we had in the Star lounge and outside cafe area.

 

Did the tour of the bridge which was very interesting - not many people take up this offer.

 

Patmos - caught a private taxi to the grotto & monastry

 

 

If anyone wants some more information I'm happy to try and answer.

 

Thanks for the great review! I do several questions for you...

 

Were any of the ports tender ports?

 

Was there a charge for the bridge tour?

 

When your friends returned on the shuttle from Lavrion to Piraeus what time did they arrive? We have a mid-day flight to Rome and need to work out how much time we will have to get to the airport.

 

How much was the taxi in Patmos and did you have them wait for you while you looked around or if not, was it easy to find a taxi to get you back to port?

 

And about the drinks package - the info from Louis says "a selection of cocktails marked on bar menu". Does this mean that only certain cocktails are included in the package?

 

Did you happen to notice the average price for cocktails? We are going to get the non-alcoholic package at the very least but will probably have a couple of cocktails a day. I want to work out if it will be cheaper to buy those cocktails separately or to just buy the alcoholic package.

 

I saw that the packages don't take effect until 10:00 am - does this mean that coffee and tea at breakfast needs to be paid for?

 

Thanks very much! I am sorry that they changed ships on us as I was geared up for the Cristal, but at least the itinerary hasn't changed!

 

Lesley

[ikesyd]

Were any of the ports tender ports?

 

Santorini was the only port we had tenders, we were lucky in Mykonos to berth at the wharf.We paid for the shuttle bus to take us closer to the town. I think there were 3 ships tendered at Mykonos.

 

Was there a charge for the bridge tour?

 

We received the tour as a complimentary tour, I think it was 10 euro each. Very informative, great views.

 

When your friends returned on the shuttle from Lavrion to Piraeus what time did they arrive? We have a mid-day flight to Rome and need to work out how much time we will have to get to the airport.

 

Our friends had a flight from Athens so they got off the ship before us and caught a taxi direct to airport(organised by Louis but they had to pay for taxi), that said we were off the ship at 7.30am(docked around 6, started disembarkation around 7) bus left at 7.45 and we were at Pireaus around 9am in time to do a walking tour with Athens walking tour at 9.30!

 

How much was the taxi in Patmos and did you have them wait for you while you looked around or if not, was it easy to find a taxi to get you back to port?

 

The taxi cost us 30 euro, so if you can form a group you could split the cost. The taxis drive you to the grotto first, agree on a time for the driver to pick you up, then they take you to the monastry, again decide on a time for pick up , then they return you to the ship. It is a good lurk as while you are at the grotto the driver is picking up someone he dropped earlier & drives to the monastry etc, so he could have 4 groups at 30euro each!

And about the drinks package - the info from Louis says "a selection of cocktails marked on bar menu". Does this mean that only certain cocktails are included in the package?

 

There is a wide selection of cocktails to choose from (including non alcoholic)for the drinks package, plus cocktail of the day. I think the price was around 5.65 euro. Hubby didn't like the beer that was on offer with the package, premium beers not included, would have been a surcharge of around 1.50, so he stuck to cocktails - long island tea was a favourite!

 

Did you happen to notice the average price for cocktails? We are going to get the non-alcoholic package at the very least but will probably have a couple of cocktails a day. I want to work out if it will be cheaper to buy those cocktails separately or to just buy the alcoholic package.

 

We also like to have an iced coffee mid morning and this was included in the package. Glasses of wine with lunch/dinner or cocktail are included. Also bottled water for use on excursions or in your cabin. So if you take all this in to account the package worked out a lot better option, also if you pre purchase before the cruise it is cheaper.

 

I saw that the packages don't take effect until 10:00 am - does this mean that coffee and tea at breakfast needs to be paid for?

 

Tea & coffee are provided with breakfast/lunch & dinner.

 

Thanks very much! I am sorry that they changed ships on us as I was geared up for the Cristal, but at least the itinerary hasn't changed!

 

I really liked the Cristal as it was a good size ship, so I hope the other one works out Ok for you. If you have any other questions, ask away!

[The Sea Bear]

We just got notification that our 12th October cruise on the Cristal has been changed to the Orient Queen. Looks like the other sailings for this itinerary in October will now be on the Orient Queen as well...

 

Hi Lesley

 

I am due to sail a week before you (5th October), and I see we have been changed to the Orient Queen as well.

 

We will be disembarking on the morning of the 12th, so unfortunately will not be able to give you any feedback in time.:)

 

I would expect that it should be pretty similar as far as service, food, etc.

 

Paul

[Railwaylass]

Were any of the ports tender ports?

 

Santorini was the only port we had tenders, we were lucky in Mykonos to berth at the wharf.We paid for the shuttle bus to take us closer to the town. I think there were 3 ships tendered at Mykonos.

 

Was there a charge for the bridge tour?

 

We received the tour as a complimentary tour, I think it was 10 euro each. Very informative, great views.

 

When your friends returned on the shuttle from Lavrion to Piraeus what time did they arrive? We have a mid-day flight to Rome and need to work out how much time we will have to get to the airport.

 

Our friends had a flight from Athens so they got off the ship before us and caught a taxi direct to airport(organised by Louis but they had to pay for taxi), that said we were off the ship at 7.30am(docked around 6, started disembarkation around 7) bus left at 7.45 and we were at Pireaus around 9am in time to do a walking tour with Athens walking tour at 9.30!

 

How much was the taxi in Patmos and did you have them wait for you while you looked around or if not, was it easy to find a taxi to get you back to port?

 

The taxi cost us 30 euro, so if you can form a group you could split the cost. The taxis drive you to the grotto first, agree on a time for the driver to pick you up, then they take you to the monastry, again decide on a time for pick up , then they return you to the ship. It is a good lurk as while you are at the grotto the driver is picking up someone he dropped earlier & drives to the monastry etc, so he could have 4 groups at 30euro each!

And about the drinks package - the info from Louis says "a selection of cocktails marked on bar menu". Does this mean that only certain cocktails are included in the package?

 

There is a wide selection of cocktails to choose from (including non alcoholic)for the drinks package, plus cocktail of the day. I think the price was around 5.65 euro. Hubby didn't like the beer that was on offer with the package, premium beers not included, would have been a surcharge of around 1.50, so he stuck to cocktails - long island tea was a favourite!

 

Did you happen to notice the average price for cocktails? We are going to get the non-alcoholic package at the very least but will probably have a couple of cocktails a day. I want to work out if it will be cheaper to buy those cocktails separately or to just buy the alcoholic package.

 

We also like to have an iced coffee mid morning and this was included in the package. Glasses of wine with lunch/dinner or cocktail are included. Also bottled water for use on excursions or in your cabin. So if you take all this in to account the package worked out a lot better option, also if you pre purchase before the cruise it is cheaper.

 

I saw that the packages don't take effect until 10:00 am - does this mean that coffee and tea at breakfast needs to be paid for?

 

Tea & coffee are provided with breakfast/lunch & dinner.

 

Thanks very much! I am sorry that they changed ships on us as I was geared up for the Cristal, but at least the itinerary hasn't changed!

 

I really liked the Cristal as it was a good size ship, so I hope the other one works out Ok for you. If you have any other questions, ask away!

 

Thanks very much for your detailed answers! Really helpful! I can't believe that we will be off to Athens in less than a month now! :D

 

Lesley

[blindrid]

Thanks for the great review! I do several questions for you...

 

Were any of the ports tender ports?

 

In our case, you are sure to have tender in Santorini, the rest are not.

 

When your friends returned on the shuttle from Lavrion to Piraeus what time did they arrive? We have a mid-day flight to Rome and need to work out how much time we will have to get to the airport.

 

How much was the taxi in Patmos and did you have them wait for you while you looked around or if not, was it easy to find a taxi to get you back to port?

Taxis are easy to find. However, since we had more than a couple we hired a local guide. I would think a taxi would be a bit pricey as I found in some locations but maybe not.

 

And about the drinks package - the info from Louis says "a selection of cocktails marked on bar menu". Does this mean that only certain cocktails are included in the package?

Yes certain cocktails but there are a lot of them

 

Did you happen to notice the average price for cocktails? We are going to get the non-alcoholic package at the very least but will probably have a couple of cocktails a day. I want to work out if it will be cheaper to buy those cocktails separately or to just buy the alcoholic package.

Price ran around 5-6 Euros apiece. I was going to buy a non-alcohol for DW and decided a couple glasses of wine would take care of the difference so I went total package. That and you get two scoops of ice cream as well!

 

I saw that the packages don't take effect until 10:00 am - does this mean that coffee and tea at breakfast needs to be paid for?

Coffee and tea in the buffet area is included. If you go to the pool bar for a cup of coffee (or anywhere else), you'll get charged.

 

Thanks very much! I am sorry that they changed ships on us as I was geared up for the Cristal, but at least the itinerary hasn't changed!

 

Lesley

 

Hope this held and enjoy yourself. I also note that drinks other than coffee and tea are not included with dinner.

[Railwaylass]

Many thanks to everyone who responded to all of my questions here! We fly to Athens on Sunday and set sail on the 12th!

 

Lesley

[blindrid]

. . . .

Purchased the all inclusive drinks package before the cruise and was well worth it. Otherwise would have had to pay for bottled water, soft drinks, tea/coffee and the numerous cocktails (counted over 75 between hubby & I)we had in the Star lounge and outside cafe area.

 

Our final count was exactly 400 transactions (including bottled water, of course :) )