It’s A Crystal Family Affair – Return To Crystal & Crystal Serenity

[AtA]

10 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

 

 

The butler will stock your refrigerator with water, soft drinks, wine and spirit and fruit so if you want that you will at least need your butter to do that for you.

 

 

And you need butter for your bread. 😉

[Keith1010]

5 minutes ago, AtA said:

And you need butter for your bread. 😉

Oops.

 

I should start a TV show with all my blunders. 

 

If it's butter it must be the butler. LOL.

 

Keith

[braxx20]

1 hour ago, Keith1010 said:

Oops.

 

I should start a TV show with all my blunders. 

 

If it's butter it must be the butler. LOL.

 

Keith

Is it "sweet" butter or salt?

[Keith1010]

I'll post this in other areas but wanted to note that today we received the Crystal Survey for our cruise. I am not sure if this was available for this on the first cruise only.

 

Keith 

[USCAdventurer]

Keith was this survey for the first cruise you were on for the second cruise you were on?

[Keith1010]

1 hour ago, USC Adventurer said:

Keith was this survey for the first cruise you were on for the second cruise you were on?

My suspicion based on timing is it was the second but I answered it for both cruise combined.

 

Keith

[Boatie 1]

My husband and I are home and missing having ENGIN deliver our breakfast with his endearing smile and witty remarks. Yes, being back on the Crystal was wonderful. Thomas Wolfe said,"You Can't go Home Again", but he never traveled on the Crystal Serenity!! On boarding in Lisbon we were met by many familiar faces and some new, but all so welcoming and happy to be back on board.

We had Crystal Penthouse 11023 and there were no physical changes in the furnishings, except for a new carpet, which I felt was a very poor choice(color and design). My first negative comment would be the choice of carpeting throughout the ship(I am an Interior Designer and very surprised at the selections).But getting back to our suite the bedding and mattress were all new and perfect as were the bath towels. Our Housekeeper was delightful and kept our space sparkling and comfortable. We did have air conditioning issues (freezing and the thermostat wasn't working) but after 2 attempts of working in the ceiling it worked properly. The TV, WiFi 's and phones had a few glitzes  but we expected this.

We dined(there was three of us as my sister was with us in 11021) 4 nights at Osteria d'Ovidio and the food was very good. Yes, Prego was different. My comment here is that they need to have at least one daily special as the menu is small and can be repetitive. I was amazed that the room was so empty. The last night they only did 16 covers!! Mario, Maurizio, Hisliene were great. A different story at Umi Uma it was much busier but still many empty tables... Ziggie, Alberto and other familiar smiles greeted us. We ate there 3 times and each time was perfect. Tastes was a fun change especially with Jiri delivering some great wines. We were disappointed in our meal at Waterside. 

The entertainment was good but seemed 9:45 a wee late to start. Steve Stevens the comedian was so funny and talented glad he was back. In the past we would have our cocktails on deck 5. Wow this space needs upgrading  The furniture is the old uncomfortable chairs and sofas and they are VERY TIRED. We are not gamblers but the Casino space has no imagination. I feel they weren't sure what to do so little thought went into its design. 

The Captain Vincent Taillard(sp?)arrived on board in Lisbon. His sail away invitation leaving Bordeaux was so appreciated and a great experience.

For us, Crystal is back and we look forward to returning with her in the near future. 

[Keith1010]

23 minutes ago, Boatie 1 said:

My husband and I are home and missing having ENGIN deliver our breakfast with his endearing smile and witty remarks.

It was great meeting you during the sail away in Bordeaux.

 

That was the most casual I have been in the evening as we dined in our room due to my ankle issue. Otherwise it was sports jacked or tuxedo other than our two meals in Tastes.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

On our flight back home.

 

Internet reminds me of old Crystal when it took ages to load on certain voyages.

 

LHR was very crowded. Reminded us of JFK when we flew to and from Iceland in 2021.

 

And we had to take a bus to the flight and walk up the stairs. We've done this a few times at either LHR or Gatwick and in South Africa and I would do this in private planes when I worked but this one was unexpected. Think of it. You have a bad ankle and Anne Marie has an issue too and we each have a carry on and a back pack. And there was no butler to assist us and we were like sardines in the but to the aircraft.

 

You know what.  Life is short.  It could be worse and this leads me to my view.

 

Can I find some faults with our first two cruises? Yes.  Can I find fault at home? Yes. Can I find fault with almost everything?  Yes.

 

But in the end of the day who cares.

 

For those of you who have traveled the world you should know that 95%+ of the world will never cruise on a luxury line and have issues much more monumental than ours. Yes, I know this is cruise critic so we just criticize.

 

Well speaking for myself that is not in my vocabulary.You say why?  My parents were part of the greatest generation and my nana who lived with us was born before then. They all had a right to  . They didn't have much, lived through the depression, supported WWII (my father enlisted before the war) and yet they never complained.

 

So for me I remind myself of what things could be and how good we have it. If you think that is cheerleading that is your problem.

 

And for those of you who thought the majority of the crew would not come back, and Crystal would be very different from what it was and feel the need to continually complain you got it wrong.  I am ecstatic that Crystal returned. It was never perfect but what is? I just focus on what is good and as I mentioned when I kicked off this thread I have no patience for those who complain. Why?  Because if you can cruise on a luxury line you are truly blessed.

 

Can't wait for our next Crystal cruise and bags are packed, ready to go, can't wait.

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

[lovet2travel]

5 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

On our flight back home.

 

Internet reminds me of old Crystal when it took ages to load on certain voyages.

 

LHR was very crowded. Reminded us of JFK when we flew to and from Iceland in 2021.

 

And we had to take a bus to the flight and walk up the stairs. We've done this a few times at either LHR or Gatwick and in South Africa and I would do this in private planes when I worked but this one was unexpected. Think of it. You have a bad ankle and Anne Marie has an issue too and we each have a carry on and a back pack. And there was no butler to assist us and we were like sardines in the but to the aircraft.

 

You know what.  Life is short.  It could be worse and this leads me to my view.

 

Can I find some faults with our first two cruises? Yes.  Can I find fault at home? Yes. Can I find fault with almost everything?  Yes.

 

But in the end of the day who cares.

 

For those of you who have traveled the world you should know that 95%+ of the world will never cruise on a luxury line and have issues much more monumental than ours. Yes, I know this is cruise critic so we just criticize.

 

Well speaking for myself that is not in my vocabulary.You say why?  My parents were part of the greatest generation and my nana who lived with us was born before then. They all had a right to  . They didn't have much, lived through the depression, supported WWII (my father enlisted before the war) and yet they never complained.

 

So for me I remind myself of what things could be and how good we have it. If you think that is cheerleading that is your problem.

 

And for those of you who thought the majority of the crew would not come back, and Crystal would be very different from what it was and feel the need to continually complain you got it wrong.  I am ecstatic that Crystal returned. It was never perfect but what is? I just focus on what is good and as I mentioned when I kicked off this thread I have no patience for those who complain. Why?  Because if you can cruise on a luxury line you are truly blessed.

 

Can't wait for our next Crystal cruise and bags are packed, ready to go, can't wait.

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

Thank you for sharing your informative and enlightening posts, Keith. You have a wonderfully positive attitude. Agreed whole-heartedly that the members of this group are all very blessed. Hope our paths cross one of these days _ if nothing else, for a game of paddle tennis or pickle ball! Enjoy life at home!

[USCAdventurer]

keith,

thanks for your inciteful eomments on this post.  your are 100% correct!  just being on a luxury cruise is a gift and if one has to complain about something, complain about the weather.

 

how is your ankle?  you neve mentioned what problem anne maire is having but i hope she's doing better too.  by the way, when and shere is your next crystal cruise and on which ship?

 

turly grateful for your posts.  i feel like i've been on the cruise with you.

[FlyerTalker]

11 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

Can I find fault with almost everything?  Yes.

 

Anne Marie had better be that "almost" exception.

 

😀

 

 

[May B]

7 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Anne Marie had better be that "almost" exception.

 

😀

 

 

That’s beautiful! 

[AtA]

9 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

My suspicion based on timing is it was the second but I answered it for both cruise combined.

 

Keith

No it was for the first because we received it yesterday and we were only on the first cruise.

Like in the past, they need to confirm on the survey what cruise it was for. I think as stated in another thread that the survey needs work.

[AtA]

1 hour ago, Keith1010 said:

Because if you can cruise on a luxury line you are truly blessed.

 

Can't wait for our next Crystal cruise and bags are packed, ready to go, can't wait.

 

 

That's it in a nutshell! How very blessed we all are.

Edited August 23, 2023 by AtA

[Keith1010]

3 hours ago, lovet2travel said:

Thank you for sharing your informative and enlightening posts, Keith. You have a wonderfully positive attitude. Agreed whole-heartedly that the members of this group are all very blessed. Hope our paths cross one of these days _ if nothing else, for a game of paddle tennis or pickle ball! Enjoy life at home!

Many thanks for your kind words.  And a game of paddle tennis or pickle ball sounds great.

Keith

[Keith1010]

3 hours ago, USC Adventurer said:

keith,

thanks for your inciteful eomments on this post.  your are 100% correct!  just being on a luxury cruise is a gift and if one has to complain about something, complain about the weather.

 

how is your ankle?  you neve mentioned what problem anne maire is having but i hope she's doing better too.  by the way, when and shere is your next crystal cruise and on which ship?

 

turly grateful for your posts.  i feel like i've been on the cruise with you.

Thank you David for following along and your kind words.

 

We both have been the walking wounded.  I do want to give a shoutout to the ships doctor. We were in very capable hands.  I was a bit concerned about flying for each of us the other day but we are both making progress. I looked like hop along and my attire of slippers was a bit unique.  Hopefully in a week I'll be back to normal and hopefully Anne Marie will continue to make progress too.

 

As the time nears I'll post about the next cruise. We do have several cruises booked which include both Serenity and Symphony.

 

Keith 

[mariners]

Keith, thank you so much for taking the time to post your experiences both onboard the ship and in ports. It's somewhat bittersweet as we have yet to book a future cruise on Crystal, but Crystal is now back on our radar and I'm sure we will be back onboard when the timing is right.

 

Hopefully, both Anne Marie and you heal quickly.  May your flights home be as good (okay, almost as good, as the cruise).  All the best.

[Keith1010]

3 hours ago, mariners said:

Keith, thank you so much for taking the time to post your experiences both onboard the ship and in ports. It's somewhat bittersweet as we have yet to book a future cruise on Crystal, but Crystal is now back on our radar and I'm sure we will be back onboard when the timing is right.

 

Hopefully, both Anne Marie and you heal quickly.  May your flights home be as good (okay, almost as good, as the cruise).  All the best.

Thank you so much for your kind words.  With new itineraries for 2025 coming out soon maybe you will find something to book. 

[Keith1010]

We’re being driven home as I write this. 
 

Global Entry has certainly come along way sine it began.  Just go up to the kiosk and stand there while you ate photographed and in a few seconds you are ready to proceed to meet the agent who photographs you again and you are hone free.  No questions 

 

spraking of questions and I know they do this as part of security was our five minute discussion at check in for our BA flight. We told him we sailed. Rystal and that led to around ten questions.  I asked if we would have to go through security a second time as they used to for flights back to the USA and he said sone get pulled over but we are not on that list.  
 

It is hot here. .  By the way we had terrific weather this entire cruise. A few weeks ago it was not so nice in the IK and a couple of weeks before arriving to Marseilke it was super hot.  
 

if there are any typo it is due to me writing this on an iPhone without my reading glasses.  
 

Bags are packed for the next. Ruiz’s. Ready to go. Can’t wait.  And Crystal is back and better than before. 
 

I won’t say I told you but you know I did.  
 

Cheers,
 

Keith

[ryndam]

Welcome home, Keith & Anne Marie, albeit to record breaking hot and dry weather. (It's been hotter in Austin all summer than here in Houston.) Wishing a rapid healing to you both. Thank you for sharing your time with us the past 3+ weeks.

 

Rob & Jim

[Roland4]

4 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

We’re being driven home as I write this. 
 

Global Entry has certainly come along way sine it began.  Just go up to the kiosk and stand there while you ate photographed and in a few seconds you are ready to proceed to meet the agent who photographs you again and you are hone free.  No questions 

 

spraking of questions and I know they do this as part of security was our five minute discussion at check in for our BA flight. We told him we sailed. Rystal and that led to around ten questions.  I asked if we would have to go through security a second time as they used to for flights back to the USA and he said sone get pulled over but we are not on that list.  
 

It is hot here. .  By the way we had terrific weather this entire cruise. A few weeks ago it was not so nice in the IK and a couple of weeks before arriving to Marseilke it was super hot.  
 

if there are any typo it is due to me writing this on an iPhone without my reading glasses.  
 

Bags are packed for the next. Ruiz’s. Ready to go. Can’t wait.  And Crystal is back and better than before. 
 

I won’t say I told you but you know I did.  
 

Cheers,
 

Keith

Hi Keith.

 

AutoCorrect "done you wrong" on this post!!! 😮 😮 

[Keith1010]

Thank you Rob and Jim.....After we were met at the airport by the driver and walked outside that heat was stunning. Not the hottest day around here but after a few weeks where the highs were relatively mild it was hot for sure.

 

Larry, maybe I will just eat the photo. LOL.

 

The story of my life; typos and autocorrect.

 

Keith

[TLCOhio]

10 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

After we were met at the airport by the driver and walked outside that heat was stunning. Not the hottest day around here but after a few weeks where the highs were relatively mild it was hot for sure.

 

Great to read, Keith, that you are home, safe, somewhat physically sound, recovering with your leg, etc.  Glad to hear that things went well.  Look forward to learning more in the future.  Excellent reporting, even with the auto-correct challenges.  Yes, parts of the USA have been very HOT!  It's summer.  Especially in Texas.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

[Linda VH]

I understand that they did away with the casino - is this true?