Inaugural Sailing Observations

[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 

[ctjon]

The area that used to be ( and maybe in the future) as the Casino - how was it set up and was it used?

[Keith1010]

46 minutes ago, ctjon said:

The area that used to be ( and maybe in the future) as the Casino - how was it set up and was it used?

It is the lounge.  Lots of tables and chairs. Not used much.  It won't be the new casino though. There are many options as to how it can be used. Let's see what Crystal comes up with. In the meantime, if the gangway is located on Deck 6 it will be used for check in.

 

Keith

[BWIVince]

1 hour ago, Keith1010 said:

It is the lounge.  Lots of tables and chairs. Not used much.  It won't be the new casino though. There are many options as to how it can be used. Let's see what Crystal comes up with. In the meantime, if the gangway is located on Deck 6 it will be used for check in.

 

Keith

 

This is one of the few spaces that gives me a visceral response...

 

I'm really glad they didn't rush to a final deployment of this room given the incredibly short timeline they had and everything they had to accomplish, and I think what they did with it is about the best placeholder you can implement so the space doesn't look abandoned or worse...  

 

...But that said, the same things that make the space PERFECT for a casino (no windows, no daylight, relatively low ceilings, etc.) kind of gives me the creeps as as a place to chill.  I'd rather be locked in my cabin bathroom than spend 5 minutes in that space.

 

Given Serenity's design with its higher ratio of "indoor" public spaces, I'd be kind of sad if windowed areas don't get repurposed for other window-friendly uses, so I'm kind of nervous about the new casino location, but I'm holding out hope that I'll be really happy with what they land on for the old casino space.

 

Vince

[Keith1010]

Vince I think they have a plan in mind for casino and for all or part of the lounge space but knowing that things can change we'll wait for them to announce it.  I suspect they are working through the logistics of what they have in mind to be sure it will work out.  

Keith 

[FLcruiser2011]

That lounge space really does look forlorn at the moment.  Must have been decorated by the same person that chose the bizarre rust-stained carpeting for the otherwise excellent new Sapphire Veranda suites:)

[BWIVince]

I'm used to being in the minority on most things, but I have to admit I'm a little surprised at the nearly universal hatred of the new carpets.  🙂 I know I spend way too much time in US hotels and hospitality venues that have gone all-in on these large organic patterns the past few years, so my perspective has become quite skewed by that...  But I actually love the new pattern and colors!  😄  I like it far better than the old geometric suite/stateroom patterns on Serenity, which were interesting in the early 2010's, but are very dated now, and is less busy than the 2018 version.  I just had to share that for some reason.  haha

 

Vince

[Keith1010]

Vince I feel the same way. By the way when Serenity came out a lot of people including on this board didn't like the color scheme.  I think the last several dry docks they have improved the look with the new carpeting and the changes to the rooms.

 

As to the lounge. I think it looks a lot better in person than with photos.

 

But I have viewed it as a place holder. They made the decision to remove the casino and they couldn't leave it as is and this was a quick solution because they had an incredible amount of work to get done in very short order.  As it turned out leaving it the way they did might have turned out well as they plan for the future. Let's see what happens.

 

In the end the things most important to me are not the lounge or the color scheme of the carpet.  It is the crew, cuisine service, enrichment, entertainment, and a few other things.  I am reminded that for 17 months Crystal didn't sail so I so very much appreciate that Crystal is back and when it comes to furniture etc it's not like I am buying the place. The suites we've sailed in recently is wonderful. Would I design it the way it is?  No. But to be sailing with Crystal again is a blessing and puts things into perspective IMHO.

 

Keith

[FLcruiser2011]

Well, I don't agree with paragraph one.  But I am 110 percent with you, Keith, on Paragraph 3.

 

And again, thanks for your many postings from the first two cruises.  It heightened our anticipation of the current cruise, which we are very thankful to be on.

 

Now, it's off to Umi Uma!  What a wonderful world.

[Keith1010]

14 minutes ago, FLcruiser2011 said:

Well, I don't agree with paragraph one.  But I am 110 percent with you, Keith, on Paragraph 3.

 

And again, thanks for your many postings from the first two cruises.  It heightened our anticipation of the current cruise, which we are very thankful to be on.

 

Now, it's off to Umi Uma!  What a wonderful world.

Have a great time and Bon Voyage. 

Enjoy Umi Uma.  

 

Best to you.

Keith

[Keith1010]

6 hours ago, ctjon said:

The area that used to be ( and maybe in the future) as the Casino - how was it set up and was it used?

I am not sure which area you are asking about.

 

The Casino became the lounge.

 

It is not certain where the casino goes. There are thoughts on it but it needs to be finalized.

 

Which area were you thinking of?

 

Keith

[Texas Tillie]

No one has mentioned the new wall paper in Serenity's Bistro. I'm for a more subtle palette, but the new Bistro is just boring.🤪

 

Patty

[BWIVince]

38 minutes ago, Texas Tillie said:

No one has mentioned the new wall paper in Serenity's Bistro. I'm for a more subtle palette, but the new Bistro is just boring.🤪

 

Patty

 

I don't think I've seen any clear pictures of it yet (just the renderings, or other angles of the room -- I'm still catching up on posts)...  But comparing the renderings between the two ships, Symphony's Bistro looks just as subtle color-wise, but at the same time the wallpaper looks even louder, somehow?  

 

Of course YMMV with renderings anyway, so who knows.

 

Vince

[AtA]

2 hours ago, FLcruiser2011 said:

That lounge space really does look forlorn at the moment.  Must have been decorated by the same person that chose the bizarre rust-stained carpeting for the otherwise excellent new Sapphire Veranda suites:)

If it was rust colored it wouldn't have been so bad. It was way too yellow to be rust colored. :0

[AtA]

1 hour ago, BWIVince said:

I'm used to being in the minority on most things, but I have to admit I'm a little surprised at the nearly universal hatred of the new carpets.  🙂 

 

Vince

The carpet in the new Sapphire suites looks like someone or some dog had an accident. It's that color yellow.

[Roland4]

14 minutes ago, BWIVince said:

 

I don't think I've seen any clear pictures of it yet (just the renderings, or other angles of the room -- I'm still catching up on posts)...  But comparing the renderings between the two ships, Symphony's Bistro looks just as subtle color-wise, but at the same time the wallpaper looks even louder, somehow?  

 

Of course YMMV with renderings anyway, so who knows.

 

Vince

Vince.

 

There are lots of pictures of The Lounge, and also a video clip Keith posted of The Bistro at about Post # 113 on the thread from the TA sailing;

 

 

[AtA]

1 hour ago, Texas Tillie said:

No one has mentioned the new wall paper in Serenity's Bistro. I'm for a more subtle palette, but the new Bistro is just boring.🤪

 

Patty

I liked it.

[FlyerTalker]

"I was all set to take a vacation on XYZ Cruises, but I don't like their carpeting and wallpaper.  So I'm taking a different cruiseline"

 

Said by no one, ever.

 

 

[BWIVince]

19 minutes ago, Roland4 said:

Vince.

 

There are lots of pictures of The Lounge, and also a video clip Keith posted of The Bistro at about Post # 113 on the thread from the TA sailing;

 

 

 

Thanks Larry -- I missed the pics Terry posted of the wallpaper, but I see them now!  I think that's a lot better than the renderings.  

 

The lounge, OTOH, I've seen TONS of pics of and have a very strong opinion of.  😞 Thank heavens it's a placeholder.

 

Vince

[KenzSailing]

I've only had one reaction to every bit of carpeting I've ever seen: "well, that won't show dirt."

 

[Roland4]

1 minute ago, BWIVince said:

 

Thanks Larry -- I missed the pics Terry posted of the wallpaper, but I see them now!  I think that's a lot better than the renderings.  

 

The lounge, OTOH, I've seen TONS of pics of and have a very strong opinion of.  😞 Thank heavens it's a placeholder.

 

Vince

We board in Reykjavik two weeks from tomorrow and are really looking forward to it!! It will be interesting to see what everything looks like "up close and personal"!!

 

Now all we have to hope is that all/most of these tropical storms buzzing around don't all go the North Atlantic to die at the same time! We do not need a repeat of the 2012 Symphony TA!!!!😮😁

[BWIVince]

23 minutes ago, AtA said:

The carpet in the new Sapphire suites looks like someone or some dog had an accident. It's that color yellow.

 

I don't generally decorate with yellow, but I kind of like the accent because it's more vibrant than what Crystal has traditionally used in the carpets.  That said, if we had to rule out accent colors in carpets based on what someone might say that color reminds them of being spilled on or done to the carpet, we'd only have black.  I'm not saying you're wrong though!  😁 

 

Vince

[BWIVince]

Another question that I'm sure has come up, but I haven't found in all the thread (yet)...

 

Did they take the loveseats in the regular window and veranda staterooms from Symphony because the Serenity's new loveseats weren't going to be delivered in time, or do they just need so few of them now that they didn't need to order new ones at all, and just decided to split them?

 

Vince

[Keith1010]

I remember this process was in place for the Bahama Cruises.

 

During your cruise your might receive charges posted to the card by Crystal rather than it all taking place on the day you debark. This is because there have been times the credit card company reject them. So be aware. I check my accounts daily so when I saw it the first time I asked forgetting that it worked this way before.

 

Keith 

[BWIVince]

18 hours ago, BWIVince said:

Another question that I'm sure has come up, but I haven't found in all the thread (yet)...

 

Did they take the loveseats in the regular window and veranda staterooms from Symphony because the Serenity's new loveseats weren't going to be delivered in time, or do they just need so few of them now that they didn't need to order new ones at all, and just decided to split them?

 

Vince

 

...Or maybe I'm the first person to bring up Symphony's modest contribution to Serenity here, based on the quiet?

 

Vince