The Points Guy review of Crystal Serenity

[Keith1010]

32 minutes ago, HappyInVan said:

 

That's a consideration!

 

BTW, I was looking at the September cruises to New England and Canada. Are there actually so few excursions on offer? In Sydney (NS), there's only a golf excursion. In Quebec City, there's only a gourmet excursion. In Halifax, there's only 2 food excursions. In Boston, there are actually zero excursions?

 

I cruise for the destination. Does not look good for me.

I'm looking at the Crystal Website and see the following in terms of number of excursions.

 

Boston 6

 

Halifax 8

 

Sydney 9

 

Quebec CIty 5

 

This is for the first New England/Canada Cruise in September.

 

Keith

[HappyInVan]

26 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

 

Which sailing are you referring to?

 

Sorry. Looking at the Oct 2024 itinerary...

 

https://www.crystalcruises.com/cruises/none-cse-008-241018

 

Yes, the Sept 2023 has multiple excursions. To be honest, these aren't a lot of options. Do the majority of pax stay onboard? Was the Old Crystal like this?

 

https://www.crystalcruises.com/cruises/none-cse-008-230927

 

 

[ak1004]

9 minutes ago, HappyInVan said:

 

Sorry. Looking at the Oct 2024 itinerary...

 

https://www.crystalcruises.com/cruises/none-cse-008-241018

 

Yes, the Sept 2023 has multiple excursions. To be honest, these aren't a lot of options. Do the majority of pax stay onboard? Was the Old Crystal like this?

 

https://www.crystalcruises.com/cruises/none-cse-008-230927

 

 

 

Maybe it's too early? The old Crystal had at least 4-6 excursions in each port if I remember correctly. I don't see a reason 2024 sailings will have less excursions than 2023 sailings, they will probably add as we get closer to the sailing date.

[Keith1010]

31 minutes ago, HappyInVan said:

 

Sorry. Looking at the Oct 2024 itinerary...

 

https://www.crystalcruises.com/cruises/none-cse-008-241018

 

Yes, the Sept 2023 has multiple excursions. To be honest, these aren't a lot of options. Do the majority of pax stay onboard? Was the Old Crystal like this?

 

https://www.crystalcruises.com/cruises/none-cse-008-230927

 

 

In some of these ports it is easy to do things on your own plus many people do private excursions.

 

Boston and Quebec City are perfect examples of this. Boston you can do Freedom Trail on your own, or walk around the downtown area, or take a taxi out to the JFK library. So much more you can do on your own.

 

If you offer too many things you run the risk of having to cancel them because not enough people sign up for them.

 

Also, overall bookings is a factor.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

22 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

 

Maybe it's too early? The old Crystal had at least 4-6 excursions in each port if I remember correctly. I don't see a reason 2024 sailings will have less excursions than 2023 sailings, they will probably add as we get closer to the sailing date.

These are 2023 sailings or at least the ones I looked at but there were quite a few of them listed.

Keith

[Keith1010]

Here's an example of another difference and this is in the area of wine.

 

On most cruise lines you don't have trained Sommeliers as we find with Crystal.  You have a waiter pouring the wine or a wine steward which is essentially a waiter pouring wine but in a different uniform.

 

Whether you order an inclusive wine or a connoisseur wine you can if you ask (or other times you don't even ask) a full explanation of the wine.

 

I also find the inclusive wines to be terrific options but realize this one is subjective.

 

Bartenders are equally amazing and many returned who worked on other cruise lines. In fact, that is true of most of the crew.

 

Keith

[saminina]

30 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

On most cruise lines you don't have trained Sommeliers as we find with Crystal.  You have a waiter pouring the wine or a wine steward which is essentially a waiter pouring wine but in a different uniform.

True, the self described ultra luxury lines.....SS and SB, still use that title for the lead wine person which is put in the awkward position of pretending to know something about the subject.

[texanaust]

6 hours ago, saminina said:

True, the self described ultra luxury lines.....SS and SB, still use that title for the lead wine person which is put in the awkward position of pretending to know something about the subject.

 

If you don't purchase a premium wine on SB, you don't get the sommelier period.  You get the waiter and his knowledge or lack thereof.   On SS you do get a 'sommelier.'

 

However that still doesn't make up for the difference in NC fares and I did like OC.  I almost feel the steerage cabins on Crystal are subsidizing the suites at the current prices.  

[ak1004]

8 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

These are 2023 sailings or at least the ones I looked at but there were quite a few of them listed.

Keith

He was referring to 2024 sailing when he said only 1-2 excursions - https://www.crystalcruises.com/cruises/none-cse-008-241018

 

Similar sailing in 2023 has 5-8 in each port, this why I assumed that 2024 might have more as we get closer to the sailing date.

[USCAdventurer]

keith,

i'll take the chocolate cake off your hands right now.  wonderful picdtures as always, thanks.

[Keith1010]

1 hour ago, ak1004 said:

He was referring to 2024 sailing when he said only 1-2 excursions - https://www.crystalcruises.com/cruises/none-cse-008-241018

 

Similar sailing in 2023 has 5-8 in each port, this why I assumed that 2024 might have more as we get closer to the sailing date.

Got it.

 

If it is 2024 it is way way too early for a complete list of excursions.

Keith

[nancygp]

5 hours ago, texanaust said:

If you don't purchase a premium wine on SB, you don't get the sommelier period.  You get the waiter and his knowledge or lack thereof.

That has not been our experience.  The sommeliers on SB have been very helpful whether we have questions about the included and/or premium wines 

 

Nancy

[sullaRaffaello]

 

18 hours ago, saminina said:

True, the self described ultra luxury lines.....SS and SB, still use that title for the lead wine person which is put in the awkward position of pretending to know something about the subject.

.

I had very knowledgeable sommeliers on Silversea when I was on them 2 years ago.

[Keith1010]

Before a new observation my point on Sommelier's is that Crystal has Sommeliers who have completed their certification and I have yet to sail on a cruise line where all of the people pouring wine are certified in this profession.  Some at Crystal have gone on beyond the certification. 

 

New observation.

 

The new Tastes is very close to the original one. A few items have changed and that is nothing new as every few months they would.  The subtle difference is the left side of the menu reflects what they refer to as appetizers and the right side entrees. It has more to do with the organization of the menu. For example, salad on the left side and steak on the right side and the menu is printed on card stock rather than on paper.

 

Keith

[saminina]

15 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

Before a new observation my point on Sommelier's is that Crystal has Sommeliers who have completed their certification and I have yet to sail on a cruise line where all of the people pouring wine are certified in this profession.  Some at Crystal have gone on beyond the certification. 

 

Keith

Exactly.....that's my point.  SB has not had one in years.  SS might have one somewhere, but not within my eyesight.  

[ivyleaguegent]

On 8/5/2023 at 10:33 PM, ak1004 said:

And  I get it, every line has its loyalists. But their opinion is kind of predictable. I'm looking more for opinions from people like us who select a cruise based on itinerary and price. Personally there are things I couldn't care less about (like the track - there is a similar one on SS, or covered pools etc). But I do care about good itinerary and competitive prices. Right now Crystal doesn't have a competitive pricing and no exciting itineraries.

 

If one selects cruise lines based on itinerary and price why sail on an ultra premium cruise line at all?  Why not sail on Oceana, Azmara, or even Celebrity?  To me, the cruise ship IS the destination.  I have sailed on SS, SB, and Regent post Covid and and, of course, OC pre-pandemic.  Crystal is certainly no more expensive than Regent and Regent's entry level balcony cabins are tiny.  SB's smallest cabin is 300 sq ft (not including the balcony).  Why then do passengers pay substantially more to sail on Regent than on SB?  It's because the food, service, enrichment programs, and overall experience on Regent is FAR superior.  If Crystal is as good or better than its previous incarnation any fare disparity between it and SS and/or SB will be well worth it. As the old adage states "you get what you pay for."

[ak1004]

34 minutes ago, ivyleaguegent said:

If one selects cruise lines based on itinerary and price why sail on an ultra premium cruise line at all?  Why not sail on Oceana, Azmara, or even Celebrity?  To me, the cruise ship IS the destination.  I have sailed on SS, SB, and Regent post Covid and and, of course, OC pre-pandemic.  Crystal is certainly no more expensive than Regent and Regent's entry level balcony cabins are tiny.  SB's smallest cabin is 300 sq ft (not including the balcony).  Why then do passengers pay substantially more to sail on Regent than on SB?  It's because the food, service, enrichment programs, and overall experience on Regent is FAR superior.  If Crystal is as good or better than its previous incarnation any fare disparity between it and SS and/or SB will be well worth it. As the old adage states "you get what you pay for."

 

Well, Celebrity is out of the question for me because of the size of the ship. We do sail on Oceania and find it comparable to SS or Crystal in terms of food and service. It's just less inclusive, and for many people this is a deal breaker. They consider all inclusive lines luxury and lines like Oceania "ultra premium", while to me they are comparable, and less inclusive might be actually an advantage for some people. We sail for destinations, but still want a premium experience in terms of food, service, no crowds, no lines etc.

 

Based on reviews, I don't think that regent is FAR superior to other lines. Many people who sailed on Regent, SS and SB find them comparable. It's matter of personal preference. Based on our limited experience with SS and old Crystal, we found them comparable. Crystal was much better in terms of entertainment and enrichment (which is less important for port intensive itineraries), SS has much better cabins, unlimited black caviar and more dining options.

 

To me, all four luxury lines are comparable and should be priced similarly. Of course every line has its loyalists who will pay any price, but for most people, it's value for money and itinerary.

[Critically Cruising]

1 hour ago, ak1004 said:

We do sail on Oceania and find it comparable to SS or Crystal in terms of food and service.

 

Having sailed both, I have yet to have either the food or service on Oceania come anywhere close to being the level of OC.

 

Oceania is a premium line.  But it is quanta levels below luxury standards.

 

 

[ak1004]

1 minute ago, Critically Cruising said:

 

Having sailed both, I have yet to have either the food or service on Oceania come anywhere close to being the level of OC.

 

Oceania is a premium line.  But it is quanta levels below luxury standards.

 

 

 

We actually like the food better on Oceania. In fact, we find it the best at sea. Matter of personal choice I guess. Service was slightly better on OC, maybe slightly more personal, but no complaints on Oceania service at all. Excursions not as good as luxury lines.

 

To us, Oceania offers the best value for money, but yes, it is slightly below luxury lines as an overall package.

[tryber]

6 hours ago, saminina said:

Exactly.....that's my point.  SB has not had one in years.  SS might have one somewhere, but not within my eyesight.  

 

On my only SB cruise, the sommelier in the TK Grill was fantastic.  The rest were useless, if you could even get one's attention.  The included wines were mostly terrible.  But there were some great wines at good prices on the reserve menu, and the discounts they provided meant I would mostly order from the reserve list.

 

My experience on OC was mixed with regard to sommeliers, especially after Crystal went all-inclusive on alcohol.  But I was always able to find included wines I enjoyed on Crystal; Seabourn was a real challenge on Seabourn (I really only found one that I thought was drinkable the entire cruise).

[sullaRaffaello]

4 hours ago, ivyleaguegent said:

....Why then do passengers pay substantially more to sail on Regent than on SB?  It's because the food, service, enrichment programs, and overall experience on Regent is FAR superior. ....

I sailed both Regent and SB within the past year and found them virtually identical.

[FLcruiser2011]

For years, I have heard Oceania cheerleaders insisting their ships have the best food at sea.  Having now spent close to three months on Oceania ships, we find these claims absolutely incredible.  The food in Oceania restaurants does not come even close to Crystal, Seabourn or Silversea, and in our view is quite some distance behind Regent and Viking.  And it's not just the dining room.  Jacques, in our view, may actually be the most overrated specialty restaurant at sea.

[ak1004]

1 minute ago, FLcruiser2011 said:

For years, I have heard Oceania cheerleaders insisting their ships have the best food at sea.  Having now spent close to three months on Oceania ships, we find these claims absolutely incredible.  The food in Oceania restaurants does not come even close to Crystal, Seabourn or Silversea, and in our view is quite some distance behind Regent and Viking.  And it's not just the dining room.  Jacques, in our view, may actually be the most overrated specialty restaurant at sea.

 

I'm not a cheerleader of any line. We sailed on 11 different lines and will continues sailing on lines that will offer the best combination of itinerary, price, food, service and the overall package.

 

Oceania is very weak in entertainment and activities, but their food in my opinion is the best, with SS and Crystal coming very close. But then again, food is very subjective. I'm very specific with my food preferences, and O fits them the best.

[Keith1010]

3 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

We actually like the food better on Oceania. In fact, we find it the best at sea. Matter of personal choice I guess. Service was slightly better on OC, maybe slightly more personal, but no complaints on Oceania service at all. Excursions not as good as luxury lines.

 

To us, Oceania offers the best value for money, but yes, it is slightly below luxury lines as an overall package.

And so it is.

 

Neighbors came back from Oceania who used to like it and told us food quality had been cut back (their opinion).

 

Friends on board the ship right now booked two voyages on Oceania and while on the first of the two contacted their TA asking if she could get them on the first two cruises of Serenity so they left Oceania after first sailing, losing money on the second one, spent five days on land in Europe waiting for Serenity to arrive.  They said they could't take the nickel and diming (their words not mine) on Oceania.

 

In the end, I really don't think anyone has to justify their choices and the only opinion that matters is their own. Just want to say what one thinks is value another person might see it totally the opposite.

 

Keith

 

 

[ak1004]

21 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

And so it is.

 

Neighbors came back from Oceania who used to like it and told us food quality had been cut back (their opinion).

 

Friends on board the ship right now booked two voyages on Oceania and while on the first of the two contacted their TA asking if she could get them on the first two cruises of Serenity so they left Oceania after first sailing, losing money on the second one, spent five days on land in Europe waiting for Serenity to arrive.  They said they could't take the nickel and diming (their words not mine) on Oceania.

 

In the end, I really don't think anyone has to justify their choices and the only opinion that matters is their own. Just want to say what one thinks is value another person might see it totally the opposite.

 

Keith

 

 

 

Absolutely! And we all have to respect other people's choices and preferences. 

 

At the end of the day, most people that I know, consider a ship just a floating hotel that helps them to see the world. Nothing more, nothing less. Except for the inclusions and the cabin size, most people won't probably even see much difference between SS, NC, SB, O, Viking etc.

 

P.S. Not sure what they meant by nickel and diming on Oceania. The only thing not included on Oceania is the alcohol. Even SS charges for 2 out of 8 dining venues while on O all specialty restaurants are free.