Crystal Refugee needs your help

[MightyQuinn]

2 hours ago, nancygp said:

I’m wondering if it’s combinable with the shipboard credit I’ll be receiving from the Amex cruise privileges program?  I did ask the question on the thread but no responses.

per seabourns website, it’s not combinable with shipboard credits from 3rd parties.  The Amex obc is slightly more.

 

Nancy, I'll respond on the Referral Thread.

[frantic36]

2 hours ago, nancygp said:

per seabourns website, it’s not combinable with shipboard credits from 3rd parties.  The Amex obc is slightly more.

 

Nancy, I am not sure but I would check with your TA. I know my TA quite often can get Virtuoso OBC which I take rather than the tour and it has been combinable in the past with the referral OBC. I am not sure of anything at the moment with so much changing.

 

Julie

[sfvoyage]

Nancy, just to add, it's best for you or your TA to check directly with SB on this.

 

The relatively new ($250) OBCs are supposed to be much more combinable than the older ($400) ones.  While that is generally true, I've run into one or two instances where the $250 OBCs were not combinable with my existing OBC.

[Thecat123]

When I asked my TA about this referral credit he was very cagey and as he never heard of this Referral Coupon for first time cruisers with Seabourn, as anything on CC was not to be believed. I said what  have I have to loose?

I think I would be going with MightyQuinn through the Seabourn Club as I found them very helpful in the past just in case your TA is like my TA and not understanding the system  I think MightyQuinn would know the correct questions to ask

I have done very well getting Referrals  from my TA as he puts the new passengers my way. He learnt😀

Edited February 5, 2022 by Thecat123

[travelwell]

Welcome Crystal folks. I do hope you enjoy your Seabourn cruise. We have sailed on both Seabourn and Crystal.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised. This may be especially true for those who have only compared Crystal to mainstream lines such as Celebrity or only cruise Crystal.
We love room service breakfast. It helps us control our weight, no impulse breakfast eating. We write in items like fresh squeezed oj or a bowl of blueberries. We have found if you choose the drop off time of say 6-6:30 the delivery is spot on at 6. 
Enrichment hit or miss on both lines. On Seabourn we had a wonderful destination speaker in Asia and terrible speaker on a 7 day Caribbean. With Crystal we had a terrible speaker, most likely not a regular one, as huge group on board with their own speakers. 
A big difference that we noticed was the casino on Seabourn small and rarely used. We are not gamblers so this does not impact us. We have only been on the smaller Seabourn ships so larger ships may be different. Other Seabourn sailors can chime in with their perceptions, maybe on their cruises the casinos were busy. For Our Crystal cruise we were actually lead thru the large casino when embarking. The casino is obviously an important activity.
As a person who is primarily booking Seabourn and Regent I would say we really try to enjoy and focus on cruise we are on. With Regent there are hall parties and country fairs. On Seabourn “Caviar in the Surf” and Seabourn Square. Both are full of kind, well traveled, educated, non- pretentious people. Many people go back and forth between the two lines along with Silver-seas. We embrace the cruise we are on. 

I do think it could challenge at first for those who have traveled exclusively on Crystal, especially with a large number of days and cruises in PH suites or above. You know the staff, the ship and the routines. Friends may be on board. You are bound to see differences and staff on Seabourn may take a few days to know your preferences. That being said,  I think you will be blown away. I hope you have a wonderful experience.

Edited February 5, 2022 by travelwell

[calliopecruiser]

1 hour ago, travelwell said:

Both are full of kind, well traveled, educated, non- pretentious people.

So, pretty much like the people on Crystal then.  Good. 

 

Is it true the Endeavor doesn't have any self-serve laundry facilities?

[2SailingNomads]

1 hour ago, calliopecruiser said:

So, pretty much like the people on Crystal then.  Good. 

 

Is it true the Endeavor doesn't have any self-serve laundry facilities?

Endeavor is a Crystal ship.  I assume you meant the Encore.   All Seabourn ships have self-serve laundry.  And offer a bag of as much as you can fit in it for $50 if you prefer to not spend your time doing laundry.

[cruiseej]

1 hour ago, calliopecruiser said:

Is it true the Endeavor doesn't have any self-serve laundry facilities?

 

At this point, the Crystal Endeavor doesn't have any facilities, since the cruise line is shut down. 😉 (But there is a guest laundry on the deck plan, on Deck 3.) 

 

As noted above, the Seabourn Encore does have a guest laundry room. there wasn't one when the ship debuted, but the company got enough complaints that they quickly did a retrofit to install one back in 2017.

 

Inexplicably, it still isn't shown on the deck plans! But it definitely exists, on Deck 5. 

 

 

[calliopecruiser]

12 minutes ago, 2SailingNomads said:

Endeavor is a Crystal ship.  I assume you meant the Encore

Yes, that's what I meant; sorry about that. 

I usually use both self-serve and ship's laundry, depending on the objects themselves. 

 

Edited to add thanks for confirming they're not on the deck plans, which is where I couldn't find them (it?)

Edited February 5, 2022 by calliopecruiser

[SLSD]

About casinos on Seabourn ships--  We are NOT casino people at all, so I have always been pleased that the casinos on Seabourn do not appear to be a particularly important activity.  They are located right next to The Club and appear to be open only at certain times. They are quite small and I have never seen very many people in them.  If gambling is a major activity for you, Seabourn may not be your cruise line.  At the same time, I would not go on a cruise line where gambling was a major activity. 

Edited February 5, 2022 by SLSD

[marazul]

3 hours ago, calliopecruiser said:

 I usually use both self-serve and ship's laundry, depending on the objects themselves. 

 

Edited to add thanks for confirming they're not on the deck plans, which is where I couldn't find them (it?)

 

And to answer your next question....

The laundry and detergent are provided free of charge.  Softener or dryer sheets are not provided, so bring some sheets if you want to.

Edited February 5, 2022 by marazul

[travelwell]

I love the self serve laundry on Seabourn. The laundry rooms are not as large as Crystal’s laundry rooms but the passenger load less. Of course all the detergents etc are free. I usually wash first thing in the am and I am often alone. Both Seabourn and Crystal have good laundry manners.

[2SailingNomads]

8 hours ago, travelwell said:

I love the self serve laundry on Seabourn. The laundry rooms are not as large as Crystal’s laundry rooms but the passenger load less. Of course all the detergents etc are free. I usually wash first thing in the am and I am often alone. Both Seabourn and Crystal have good laundry manners.

1/2 or 1/3 of Crystal pax O or E class ships.  900 no need for that size of ship. A real advantage of Seabourn IMO. 

[Jimmycruiser]

12 hours ago, 2SailingNomads said:

1/2 or 1/3 of Crystal pax O or E class ships.  900 no need for that size of ship. A real advantage of Seabourn IMO. 

Have you sailed on crystal? For us the Crystal ships with 900 pax which almost never sailed full offered lots of advantages versus the smaller ships that we have sailed on IMHO. We have selected Seabourn to try for our next cruise since Crystal is no longer an option. I am sure we will like Seabourn from the extensive research I have done but it will be a different experience and feel than Crystal. All the luxury brands have their loyal fans. Variety and change is good.

[2SailingNomads]

2 hours ago, Jimmycruiser said:

Have you sailed on crystal? For us the Crystal ships with 900 pax which almost never sailed full offered lots of advantages versus the smaller ships that we have sailed on IMHO. We have selected Seabourn to try for our next cruise since Crystal is no longer an option. I am sure we will like Seabourn from the extensive research I have done but it will be a different experience and feel than Crystal. All the luxury brands have their loyal fans. Variety and change is good.

Yes we sailed Crystal, river and ocean.  

[SLSD]

I have not sailed Crystal, but have friends who have.  They told us that we would need to have a penthouse on Crystal to have the same kind of suite we have on Seabourn.  That idea did not appeal to me.  From what I have heard, the entertainment on Crystal was more robust.  i can understand why that would be enjoyable.  What I don't know (or don't remember) is if large suites on Crystal also meant more amenities for guests.  If so, I would not have enjoyed that either.  I really like the fact that on Seabourn every guest is treated the same.  

[mikewomb]

Everyone is treated equally. No caste system. People are friendly and welcoming. We have no reason to be feel special. We would normally book a balcony guarantee as there are no bad cabins on Seabourn.

 

it is a totally refreshing experience. We don’t go for any special treatment..everyone is special.  They also have great guacamole during cocktails in the forward lounge. I will miss it. 

Edited February 7, 2022 by mikewomb

[2SailingNomads]

2 hours ago, SLSD said:

I have not sailed Crystal, but have friends who have.  They told us that we would need to have a penthouse on Crystal to have the same kind of suite we have on Seabourn.  That idea did not appeal to me.  From what I have heard, the entertainment on Crystal was more robust.  i can understand why that would be enjoyable.  What I don't know (or don't remember) is if large suites on Crystal also meant more amenities for guests.  If so, I would not have enjoyed that either.  I really like the fact that on Seabourn every guest is treated the same.  

Yes after being on Crystal Symphony and used to Seabourn the Crystal Veranda is IMO way too SMALL.  (Gladly take the old Pride or Legend suites over Crystal). And bathroom very narrow, hard for 2 people to be in at the same time and no walk in closet.  I know a lot of people love Crystal and are fine with the small suite size.  The only way I would have ever sailed on one of those ships again would be in a PH.  And you do get treated differently on Crystal based on suite type.  PH and above can have additional reservations at the speciality restaurants w/ out having to pay - another thing I totally did not like a caste system as "mikewomb" said above.

[Jimmycruiser]

33 minutes ago, 2SailingNomads said:

Yes after being on Crystal Symphony and used to Seabourn the Crystal Veranda is IMO way too SMALL.  (Gladly take the old Pride or Legend suites over Crystal). And bathroom very narrow, hard for 2 people to be in at the same time and no walk in closet.  I know a lot of people love Crystal and are fine with the small suite size.  The only way I would have ever sailed on one of those ships again would be in a PH.  And you do get treated differently on Crystal based on suite type.  PH and above can have additional reservations at the speciality restaurants w/ out having to pay - another thing I totally did not like a caste system as "mikewomb" said above.

There is definitely no “caste” system on Crystal. All pax are treated the same and receive the exact same level of service and quality and staff have no idea of what suite you are in. You do not pay extra for the 2 high end specialty restaurants per 7 days but if available and you want to go more times it is $30 pp but waived for penthouse guests. So that little perk is considered a caste system! Crystal also has two other specialty restaurants that do not have a charge.
Yes the standard suites on Crystal are much smaller but also less expensive on average than Seabourn standard. Staying in a Crystal PH is comparably priced to Seabourn standard but 100 + sq.ft. Larger than Seabourn standard. Let’s at least be objective regarding the differences in amenities and respective cruise costs. 
Options and variety are good and looking forward to cruising with Seabourn.

[Utopia1]

The Crystal vs. Seabourn discussion has become a debate. 

   

I am VERY familiar with Crystal-- having sailed on the Crystal Harmony,Symphony, and Serenity for many years. I have wonderful memories. People's needs and preferences sometimes change- and now I prefer Seabourn.

 

It isn't which cruise line is better- but which cruise line is a better fit for you.

 

 

 

 

[CwazeAndCwaze]

Thank you for all of the helpful comments.

The MY LINE IS BETTER THAN YOUR LINE stuff is just annoying and childish.

Please don't let this devolve any further.

And once again, thank you so much for the helpful answers to my original post.

Scott

[SLSD]

7 hours ago, CwazeAndCwaze said:

Thank you for all of the helpful comments.

The MY LINE IS BETTER THAN YOUR LINE stuff is just annoying and childish.

Please don't let this devolve any further.

And once again, thank you so much for the helpful answers to my original post.

Scott

No one has said one line is better than another.  Let's be clear about that.  This is a discussion comparing and contrasting--explaining differences .  It's as simple as that.    Let's not have thin skins when talking about corporations. 

Edited February 7, 2022 by SLSD

[mikewomb]

11 hours ago, Jimmycruiser said:

There is definitely no “caste” system on Crystal. All pax are treated the same and receive the exact same level of service and quality and staff have no idea of what suite you are in. You do not pay extra for the 2 high end specialty restaurants per 7 days but if available and you want to go more times it is $30 pp but waived for penthouse guests. So that little perk is considered a caste system! Crystal also has two other specialty restaurants that do not have a charge.
Yes the standard suites on Crystal are much smaller but also less expensive on average than Seabourn standard. Staying in a Crystal PH is comparably priced to Seabourn standard but 100 + sq.ft. Larger than Seabourn standard. Let’s at least be objective regarding the differences in amenities and respective cruise costs. 
Options and variety are good and looking forward to cruising with Seabourn.

I noticed many differences. For example, where were the chocolates on the pillow at night on Crystal. They were always on SB. Also had to ask for a bottle of wine for the room…never happened on SB. I realize on Crystal we were just in a cat B..deluxe balcony, …I think those things I mentioned should be SOP. Also those standard “suites” are 200 sq ft, and impossible to move around it. On SB the least expensive was a decent size, walk in closet, decent bathroom (shower was cozy). Much more for the money. 

Edited February 7, 2022 by mikewomb

[Jimmycruiser]

2 hours ago, mikewomb said:

I noticed many differences. For example, where were the chocolates on the pillow at night on Crystal. They were always on SB. Also had to ask for a bottle of wine for the room…never happened on SB. I realize on Crystal we were just in a cat B..deluxe balcony, …I think those things I mentioned should be SOP. Also those standard “suites” are 200 sq ft, and impossible to move around it. On SB the least expensive was a decent size, walk in closet, decent bathroom (shower was cozy). Much more for the money. 

You are entitled to your opinion which differs greatly from mine on Crystal. I experienced none of what you did on Crystal. Just trying to set expectations. You claim SB standard much more for the money but a PH penthouse cost me same as what a standard room on SB. We will agree to disagree.

 

This thread is about Crystal refugees so we know what we like and do not with Crystal. Let’s get back to what newbies can expect on Seabourn.

[SLSD]

7 minutes ago, Jimmycruiser said:

 

 

This thread is about Crystal refugees so we know what we like and do not with Crystal. Let’s get back to what newbies can expect on Seabourn.

And this is a Seabourn board, so you have to expect a bit of bias for our favored cruise line.  Ask any questions and I am sure you will get well informed answers.  And welcome.  I'm sure Seabourn will be very welcoming as well.