Poll - How will “no Casinos” impact your decision on sailing new Crystal?

[ctjon]

18 minutes ago, gmarsh said:

I bet there will be art sales and gold chain by the foot in the ex-casino space.

Poker playing dogs and Elvis on black felt.

Maybe even t-shirts, 5 for a dollar!

 

🎉🥃🎰

Way back Crystal had art sales -  it was dropped thank goodness.  An indication, to me, of a non-luxury cruise line

 

[Txcotn]

39 minutes ago, gmarsh said:

I bet there will be art sales and gold chain by the foot in the ex-casino space.

Poker playing dogs and Elvis on black felt.

Maybe even t-shirts, 5 for a dollar!

 

🎉🥃🎰

 

Very funny but I seriously doubt it.

[HappyInVan]

I applaud NC's courage to forgo a casino.

[Jimmycruiser]

1 hour ago, HappyInVan said:

I applaud NC's courage to forgo a casino.

They are forgoing the Casino because they have not been able to lease the space to a Casino operator. I believe they would prefer to earn additional income for that space and would prefer a Casino if the economics made sense. With reduced capacity they do not need any more non income producing space. IMHO.

[Texas Tillie]

9 hours ago, CryptOkicker5 said:

I don't think the economics for a new luxury line based on an old failed luxury line make sense with or without the casino!

 

Time will tell

[ctjon]

It was the luxury lines parent company that failed - not Crystal  From what I've heard and read before COVID Crystal was actually doing well but their parent failed and this Crystal couldn't continue.

 

As said time will tell

[Keith1010]

5 hours ago, CryptOkicker5 said:

The -1 owner, trying to stay relevant in the luxury segment while sailing older ships, renovated the ships with reduced capacity. And there were some oos and ahs at first, but in the end, they were still old ships. 

 

The current owner, trying to stay relevant in the luxury segment while sailing older ships, are renovating the ships with even more reduced capacity. And there will probably be some oos and ahs, but in the end, they are still old ships. Except now the ships are a mishmash of styles, especially in the cabins where you don't really know what you're going to get. It reminds me of shopping for older homes that have five different kinds of flooring, too much olive carpeting, and popcorn ceilings. And some of them even have rooms of unsuitable purpose. (Maybe they used to be casinos?)

 

The big difference between the -1 owner, and the current owner, is the depth of their pockets.

We don't know the depth of the pockets.  -1 owner wasted a lot of money, leveraged themselves, didn't take action when the pandemic hit as other lines did such as getting a cash infusion and possibly milked the assets of Crystal.

 

+1 owner has already mentioned new ships.

 

+1 owner is taking lots of steps to renovated the ships and for the time bring focused on Crystal Society members.

 

New attracts some but older ships can provide features not found on many of the newer ships including the promenade deck and the cozy spots on the back of most guest decks and a lot of public space.

 

When I was on several sailings in 2021 which did attract many first time cruises the first timers were wowed and I didn't hear any complaints about the age of the ships.

 

Yes, I get it about new versus older ships and for some that is a deal breaker particularly those new to the market.  

 

Let's see what the ships look like after dry dock. There is a lot not known about what is being redone.  And let's see what the guests have to say.

 

 

[HappyInVan]

40 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

Let's see what the ships look like after dry dock. There is a lot not known about what is being redone.  And let's see what the guests have to say.

 

 

 

+1

[Mr Luxury]

4 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

We don't know the depth of the pockets.  -1 owner wasted a lot of money, leveraged themselves, didn't take action when the pandemic hit as other lines did such as getting a cash infusion and possibly milked the assets of Crystal.

 

+1 owner has already mentioned new ships.

 

+1 owner is taking lots of steps to renovated the ships and for the time bring focused on Crystal Society members.

 

New attracts some but older ships can provide features not found on many of the newer ships including the promenade deck and the cozy spots on the back of most guest decks and a lot of public space.

 

When I was on several sailings in 2021 which did attract many first time cruises the first timers were wowed and I didn't hear any complaints about the age of the ships.

 

Yes, I get it about new versus older ships and for some that is a deal breaker particularly those new to the market.  

 

Let's see what the ships look like after dry dock. There is a lot not known about what is being redone.  And let's see what the guests have to say.

 

 

The +1 owner has already mentioned new ships.

Talk is cheap and you would say that when you have bought old ships.

Let's see NC walk before they can run.

[Keith1010]

8 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

The +1 owner has already mentioned new ships.

Talk is cheap and you would say that when you have bought old ships.

Let's see NC walk before they can run.

When you over talk it is cheap. When you say what your intend to do it is not.

 

Right now they are preparing the ships as they said they would.

 

If you want the brand and want to get started sooner rather than later then you begin with the ships and then overtime add new ones.

 

You keep saying old as if that is a sin.  Since when is old bad particularly if the ships are given a new facelift and well maintained and have some characteristics not found with the newer ships. Don't get me wrong. I want to see new ships but that doesn't mean the current ships are getting ready to pass. 

 

It's funny in the States some people think homes are old when they have been around 20 years. I reming them go to places like England and Scotland or other places in Europe and there are many homes hundreds of years "old".  

 

Yes it will be only a few months till the ships sail. But don't expect the ships to walk in the ocean.

 

 

 

[Mr Luxury]

2 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

When you over talk it is cheap. When you say what your intend to do it is not.

 

Right now they are preparing the ships as they said they would.

 

If you want the brand and want to get started sooner rather than later then you begin with the ships and then overtime add new ones.

 

You keep saying old as if that is a sin.  Since when is old bad particularly if the ships are given a new facelift and well maintained and have some characteristics not found with the newer ships. Don't get me wrong. I want to see new ships but that doesn't mean the current ships are getting ready to pass. 

 

Yes it will be only a few months till the ships sail. But don't expect the ships to walk in the ocean.

 

 

 

We are not far off now Keith to see what is on offer and how NC fair at sea.

I have plenty of other cruises booked and had a lovely tour of the Regent Splendor while I was in Funchal Madeira for a week at Reids over Easter.

Splendor is very impressive.

Yes it's fairly new and no promenade deck but I'll just have to live with that when I get on board.

NC has got a difficult task ahead but has some really great people working for Manfredi.

Personally I would love to sail with Fernando again as he is an excellent ambassador.

Serenity is still on the radar if they get it right.

[ctjon]

I'd bet you if you didn't know the ships were old you'd think brand new - from a passenger stand-point.  If all the passenger areas have been redone and resized what is old about them - sure maybe engineering .   From a passenger view a comparison between the Crystal ships and a brand new other line would show no difference.

If you aren't interested why get on this board - just go where you are interested

[Keith1010]

2 minutes ago, CryptOkicker5 said:

 

This is perhaps the most important thing passengers need to know before plopping down six figures on a world cruise.

 

It would also be good for the crew to know before leaving their current positions.

I doubt many people know how deep pockets are of most companies large, medium or small.  For some, Insurance is the key along with the credit card company they use.

 

 

[Keith1010]

1 hour ago, ctjon said:

I'd bet you if you didn't know the ships were old you'd think brand new - from a passenger stand-point.  If all the passenger areas have been redone and resized what is old about them - sure maybe engineering .   From a passenger view a comparison between the Crystal ships and a brand new other line would show no difference.

If you aren't interested why get on this board - just go where you are interested

Very well said.

 

It's funny when we sailed Symphony in 2018 since they had pretty much redone every area on the ship in so many ways it looked new and pristine.  

 

If you maintain the ships well and update them they can look great.

 

I have been on some ships that after three years they look worn.

 

Yes the difference is technology.

 

For me the same goes for hotels. There are several hotels that have been around along time but I find them better maintained than some of the newer hotels plus they have character and charm.

 

Keith

[rafinmd]

I voted that it didn't matter to me, although it's most unlikely I will sail new Crystal.  Not for any animosity but strictly due to changes in my life my cruising days are very limited.  I've seen  a number of recent posts of people who have had to be medically disembarked in far away places and as a solo am very concerned about having to do with that or be an excessive burden on those left behind.  I do hope to carry through on the 2 open bookings  currently have, a New England/Canada cruise on QM2 (that is in Pirncess Grill and funded with credits from the 2020 shutdown) and a November Panama Canal cruise through the new locks.  I am more open to cancelling that one but it can also be combined with a family visit.

 

For the most part though most of my cruise enjoyment will be memories and through the eyes of others, and Crystal will always be a big part of that.

 

Roy

[inside straight]

I'm not following a lot of this topic. That said, I would prefer there be a casino.

[Embowaf]

FWIW, there's a lot of discussion about Crystal needing to do something to appeal to a demographic that will be supporting them in a few decades... well me and my friends that I finally got on Crystal right before the pandemic (younger millennials for the most part) are definitely discouraged from resuming with Crystal due to the lack of the casino. There was often not a huge amount for us to do after dinner and the casino filled that gap for at least an hour or two most nights.

[Leejnd4]

On 4/14/2023 at 5:28 AM, Keith1010 said:

You keep saying old as if that is a sin.  Since when is old bad particularly if the ships are given a new facelift and well maintained and have some characteristics not found with the newer ships. Don't get me wrong. I want to see new ships but that doesn't mean the current ships are getting ready to pass. 

 

It's funny in the States some people think homes are old when they have been around 20 years. I reming them go to places like England and Scotland or other places in Europe and there are many homes hundreds of years "old".  

 

Yes it will be only a few months till the ships sail. But don't expect the ships to walk in the ocean.

 

 

 

Well said! I have never chosen to go/not go on a ship due to its age. An old ship can be made to be just as beautiful and enjoyable as a new one, and some older ships have attractive features that you won't find on the new ships. 

 

And Keith I love your analogy of houses. We bought a new-construction house back when our kids were small; then, once they grew up, we sold that one, bought a 50-yr-old house and fixed it up. I can honestly say I love my current house way more than my prior house, for innumerable reasons (which I won't bore you with). 

 

I'm currently booked on the Paul Gauguin in November, and that is a pretty old ship! But they do a great job of maintaining it, and on both of my prior PG cruises it was sparkly and gorgeous. Sure you can see some age and wear-and-tear, but then, I could say the same thing about most of us! 😉 Just like I don't need to see taut skin and unlined faces to see the beauty in people, I don't need a ship to be brand spanking new to appreciate its beauty and enjoy my cruise. So many other aspects are way more important to me.

 

Oh, and back to the topic - I just learned that the PG removed its casino in its last remodel. So this appears to be a theme. I'm very curious why! I assumed the extra income was needed, but I guess not or these cruise lines wouldn't be removing them, right?

 

I'm in the neutral category myself. I've had a few romps in ship casinos after dinner with fun people, but it's not a big deal to me.

Edited April 21, 2023 by Leejnd4

[tryber]

I enjoyed playing in the casino, but it will not affect my decision to cruise.  I can go to Vegas if I want to gamble.  But I do hope they continue to do the poker tournaments on sea days.  I really did enjoy playing in those.  Not sure if they will still do that without a casino, though they could easily use other spaces for that.

[CwazeAndCwaze]

[Oy vey Maria]

1 hour ago, CwazeAndCwaze said:

 

I don't know who that is, but he looks angry, as if he knows that someday he will be living on the surface of the sun.

[NancyNM]

I voted "Will not be cruising with no casino".  As a solo traveler, I really enjoyed the Casino on Crystal because it was very friendly, I got to know the dealers, etc.  I never witnessed them trying to lure people in to gamble -- I don't think that was ever a thing, unless maybe they were just greeting a previous gambler who they recognized.  It was one of my main nighttime entertainment activities.  I am able to budget my gambling money so that if I was losing I limited it to what was acceptable to me for the entertainment derived.  And sometimes I won.  So the expense wasn't a factor.

 

So I am very disappointed to learn that the casino will be gone.  

 

I also have changes in my life that make it uncertain when I might go on another cruise, Crystal or otherwise, so my vote doesn't mean much right now anyway.  I will keep an eye on things and could change my mind in the future and give them a try.

 

[johng75370]

2 hours ago, Oy vey Maria said:

he looks angry, as if he knows that someday he will be living on the surface of the sun.

Or stymied on his plans to pay for the cruise from his casino winnings. 🙂

Edited April 22, 2023 by johng75370

[Cruiseswithfamilyornot]

Crystal was my favorite luxury cruise line.  When the news of no casinos was announced, I cancelled my pre bookings and am taking a more wait and see attitude as I like some others I really enjoy gambling as a night time activity.   There is no doubt I am not in the majority not just from this poll, but anyone that has taken a luxury cruise can tell you their casinos are not crowded.  I get the decision, and I don't like it, but combined with itineraries I didn't find very exciting I decided to back out and instead try out  Explora and others.  That said, I am positive that as long as reviews are good I will give Crystal a try at some point, but the removal of a casino all together is a negative for me.

[Mr Luxury]

5 minutes ago, Cruiseswithfamilyornot said:

Crystal was my favorite luxury cruise line.  When the news of no casinos was announced, I cancelled my pre bookings and am taking a more wait and see attitude as I like some others I really enjoy gambling as a night time activity.   There is no doubt I am not in the majority not just from this poll, but anyone that has taken a luxury cruise can tell you their casinos are not crowded.  I get the decision, and I don't like it, but combined with itineraries I didn't find very exciting I decided to back out and instead try out  Explora and others.  That said, I am positive that as long as reviews are good I will give Crystal a try at some point, but the removal of a casino all together is a negative for me.

Very wise decision for you.