Crystal Explorer Fare

[TER777]

10 hours ago, TER777 said:

It is only certain cruises, not all cruises. I’m booked on one sold out cruise. It is not included. Note: I did not check all cruises. 

I withdraw my comment. I think I was looking at 2024 my mistake. I don’t know whether it is all or only some of the 2025 cruises. 

[USCAdventurer]

i lost my interest in this deal because of two reasons.  1. since i have four cruises booked for 2025, they require all the full payments by feb. 25th, not just a year before the sail date. and 2. they told me that i have to pay the new non refundable fare which is higher than a couple of my current fares, so why bother with non refundable fares and why give them so much money so far in advance?  not a deal for me.

[Midtowngal]

On 2/10/2024 at 2:53 PM, USCAdventurer said:

i lost my interest in this deal because of two reasons.  1. since i have four cruises booked for 2025, they require all the full payments by feb. 25th, not just a year before the sail date. and 2. they told me that i have to pay the new non refundable fare which is higher than a couple of my current fares, so why bother with non refundable fares and why give them so much money so far in advance?  not a deal for me.

My understanding is we have until February 23rd to make the decision which then allows us to make full payment by March 8th.  Does this sound accurate?

[USCAdventurer]

That could be accurate but there’s so many different answers depending on who you talk to but still pain for all of my 2025 Cruises by March of this year is ridiculous. I have no interest in doing that.

[Keith1010]

1 hour ago, Midtowngal said:

My understanding is we have until February 23rd to make the decision which then allows us to make full payment by March 8th.  Does this sound accurate?

You have until February 23 to pay all outstanding balances.  This is what it states  on the Crystal Website.

 

Keith

[travelberlin]

1 hour ago, USCAdventurer said:

That could be accurate but there’s so many different answers depending on who you talk to but still pain for all of my 2025 Cruises by March of this year is ridiculous. I have no interest in doing that.

I see your point. One would be paying in full more than 12 months in advance for cruises booked after April 2025. 

Edited February 12 by travelberlin

[ak1004]

I checked the website, the prices were up 10-15% compared to last time I checked, so they raised prices first and now the discounts are applied to the new elevated prices. 

 

So now the prices for European cruises are in the $650-700 USD range for a 210 sqft cabin with no veranda, and you get a whopping 10% discount, or 20% for a full payment. SB has many sailings under $500, SS under $600 including excursions. And their entry level cabins are 50% larger.

 

Just a slightly different perspective, I know I will be crucified by the cheerleaders..

[Texas Tillie]

10 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

I checked the website, the prices were up 10-15% compared to last time I checked, so they raised prices first and now the discounts are applied to the new elevated prices. 

 

So now the prices for European cruises are in the $650-700 USD range for a 210 sqft cabin with no veranda, and you get a whopping 10% discount, or 20% for a full payment. SB has many sailings under $500, SS under $600 including excursions. And their entry level cabins are 50% larger.

 

Just a slightly different perspective, I know I will be crucified by the cheerleaders..

 

The math speaks for itself. It's just a matter of deciding if the food, service and enrichment on Crystal is that much better to justify the price difference. My one experience with Silversea says, yes, Crystal is that much better. YMMV.

 

Patty

[ak1004]

28 minutes ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

The math speaks for itself. It's just a matter of deciding if the food, service and enrichment on Crystal is that much better to justify the price difference. My one experience with Silversea says, yes, Crystal is that much better. YMMV.

 

Patty

 

Enrichment and entertainment for sure. No argument. 

 

Food and service? Not sure. It has to be in a complete different league to justifythe price difference. Not to mention the cabins and the ships age.

[May B]

2 hours ago, ak1004 said:

I checked the website, the prices were up 10-15% compared to last time I checked, so they raised prices first and now the discounts are applied to the new elevated prices. 

 

So now the prices for European cruises are in the $650-700 USD range for a 210 sqft cabin with no veranda, and you get a whopping 10% discount, or 20% for a full payment. SB has many sailings under $500, SS under $600 including excursions. And their entry level cabins are 50% larger.

 

Just a slightly different perspective, I know I will be crucified by the cheerleaders..

Many of us don’t give a Flying Spaghetti Monster re other cruise lines. I’m sure we all know how to comparison shop, should it interest us. Thank you very much and have a nice day.

[May B]

23 minutes ago, May B said:

Many of us don’t give a Flying Spaghetti Monster re other cruise lines. I’m sure we all know how to comparison shop, should it interest us. Thank you very much and have a nice day.

Wait! I got here too late to edit.

 

I should have said, I for one don’t … many may have been a mild exaggeration.

 

🙃

[FlyerTalker]

2 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 Not to mention the cabins and the ships age.

 

Interesting comment from a fan of Oceania.

 

 

[ak1004]

36 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Interesting comment from a fan of Oceania.

 

 

 

Correction: a fan of mostly Oceania newer ships (2011, 2012 and 2023) where the cabins are 240 sqft. I mentioned many times that I don't think O older ships provide a good value, considering the pricing, the cabin size, the ship age and other factors.

 

Cabins and ship age are just one of the factors, but they are a factor. We sailed on the Symphony and had a great time, but I would still prefer newer ships, all other factors equal (and of course we know other factors are never 100% equal, but cabin size and ship age are still part of the equation).

Edited February 17 by ak1004

[krb1000]

5 hours ago, ak1004 said:

I checked the website, the prices were up 10-15% compared to last time I checked, so they raised prices first and now the discounts are applied to the new elevated prices. 

 

So now the prices for European cruises are in the $650-700 USD range for a 210 sqft cabin with no veranda, and you get a whopping 10% discount, or 20% for a full payment. SB has many sailings under $500, SS under $600 including excursions. And their entry level cabins are 50% larger.

 

Just a slightly different perspective, I know I will be crucified by the cheerleaders..

 

Your perspective is purely quantitative … mine is qualitative in the sense that I take into account (and weigh heavily) the outstanding service provided by the crew. The way I “feel” when on board a Crystal ship is priceless, intangible and well worth any premium that Crystal charges over her competitors. 
 

[ak1004]

3 minutes ago, krb1000 said:

 

Your perspective is purely quantitative … mine is qualitative in the sense that I take into account (and weigh heavily) the outstanding service provided by the crew. The way I “feel” when on board a Crystal ship is priceless, intangible and well worth any premium that Crystal charges over her competitors. 
 

The main difference is that for you, the ship is the destination. For me, it’s just a floating hotel that allows me to see the world. I couldn’t care less if the crew remembers my name. I don’t see them as my family. I see them as service providers. To me the service on other small ships is on the same level. I sailed on Crystal, Silversea, Oceania and Azamara in the premium and luxury category. Didn’t see much difference in service.

 

Not saying that my perspective is the right one. It is the right one for me, yours is the right one for you. But based on the fact that Crystal ships sail half empty many times, looks like many people do agree with my perspective.

[BEAV]

7 hours ago, ak1004 said:

I checked the website, the prices were up 10-15% compared to last time I checked, so they raised prices first and now the discounts are applied to the new elevated prices. 

 

So now the prices for European cruises are in the $650-700 USD range for a 210 sqft cabin with no veranda, and you get a whopping 10% discount, or 20% for a full payment. SB has many sailings under $500, SS under $600 including excursions. And their entry level cabins are 50% larger.

 

Just a slightly different perspective, I know I will be crucified by the cheerleaders..

I’ve never subscribed to brand loyalty, so I flunk cheerleader 101! I just like what I like and I do enjoy variety. My one cruise on Silversea was wonderful. I almost got lost in the entry level stateroom, it was so spacious!  I never once used the veranda on my port-intensive itinerary. 

 

While I totally understand there’s a segment of folks who like real estate (aka square footage), the smaller size staterooms and older ships of Crystal simply “work” for me. 
 

 

[ak1004]

21 minutes ago, BEAV said:

I’ve never subscribed to brand loyalty, so I flunk cheerleader 101! I just like what I like and I do enjoy variety. My one cruise on Silversea was wonderful. I almost got lost in the entry level stateroom, it was so spacious!  I never once used the veranda on my port-intensive itinerary. 

 

While I totally understand there’s a segment of folks who like real estate (aka square footage), the smaller size staterooms and older ships of Crystal simply “work” for me. 
 

 

 

I'm not buying real estate, and we were perfectly fine in the 210 sqft on Crystal - but you have to admit that SS cabins are in a different league. It's nice to have a walking closet. It's nice to have a real suite with a curtain separating the bed and the seating area (and if my wife wakes up 2 hours before me, she can go and read in the seating area without waking me up). To me those small details matter more than the crew remembering my name. And you have to admit that it's much nicer to be on a new ship than a 25 old ship. And yes, we didn't use the veranda either..

 

So to me, it's a tradeoff. If the prices were similar, I would definitely put Crystal on my list. 30-40% more expensive? No way.

[Keith1010]

Just my 2 cents and it's not about cheerleading.  Never understand how that fits into most discussions other than one involving sports teams.  😂

 

We all don't use the same criteria when we make our purchasing decisions and that includes our choice when it comes to cruising.  For example, for some they prefer not only one cruise line but the same ship. Others could care less.  Yes, a reminder that choice is good and this applies to pretty much all products including which mayonnaise, mustard or ketchup you use.

 

And the devil is in the details and that applies to each and every promotion whether that is one offered by Crystal or one in your grocery store. As to the current one, we looked at it for each of our bookings considering savings and balancing this with other factors including the cost of cancel for any reasons insurance for the 20% promotion, tying up money that could be used for investments and risks. 

 

So my only advice when a promotion comes along is not to jump to a conclusion but rather to look evaluate each one. And as we often see some promotions will work for some and not for others.

 

Keith

[travelberlin]

3 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

Just my 2 cents and it's not about cheerleading.  Never understand how that fits into most discussions other than one involving sports teams.  😂

 

We all don't use the same criteria when we make our purchasing decisions and that includes our choice when it comes to cruising.  For example, for some they prefer not only one cruise line but the same ship. Others could care less.  Yes, a reminder that choice is good and this applies to pretty much all products including which mayonnaise, mustard or ketchup you use.

 

And the devil is in the details and that applies to each and every promotion whether that is one offered by Crystal or one in your grocery store. As to the current one, we looked at it for each of our bookings considering savings and balancing this with other factors including the cost of cancel for any reasons insurance for the 20% promotion, tying up money that could be used for investments and risks. 

 

So my only advice when a promotion comes along is not to jump to a conclusion but rather to look evaluate each one. And as we often see some promotions will work for some and not for others.

 

Keith

Wise words Keith. After looking at your different bookings and evaluating your options, have you decided to apply the non refundable 20% promotion to any of your bookings? Or at least the 10% promotion, which is refundable?

 

Ivi

[Keith1010]

13 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

Wise words Keith. After looking at your different bookings and evaluating your options, have you decided to apply the non refundable 20% promotion to any of your bookings? Or at least the 10% promotion, which is refundable?

 

Ivi

Thank you Ivi.  In our situation we didn't go with the promotion after carefully looking at each of our 2025 bookings.

 

Keith

[USCAdventurer]

keith,

i prefer Heinz Ketchup, Best Foods Mayonnaise, and Grey Poupon Mustard!  Your advice is always spot on, thank you.  I didn't go for the promotion either.

[ctjon]

Keep reading about old ships - I"d bet that if you told a bunch of cruisers that the Crystal ships were new a huge percent would think they are - after all the refits.  Sure the crew and mechanics would know but would passengers.  I guess people would stay at the Ritz or Waldorf because they are old.

Sure I'd like new ships but not because I have a problem with the age of the current ships.

 

[ak1004]

18 minutes ago, ctjon said:

Keep reading about old ships - I"d bet that if you told a bunch of cruisers that the Crystal ships were new a huge percent would think they are - after all the refits.  Sure the crew and mechanics would know but would passengers.  I guess people would stay at the Ritz or Waldorf because they are old.

Sure I'd like new ships but not because I have a problem with the age of the current ships.

 

 

We had absolutely no issues with the ship age when we sailed on the Symphony in 2019. But still prefer newer ships. It's always a combination of many factors.

[ak1004]

9 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

Just my 2 cents and it's not about cheerleading.  Never understand how that fits into most discussions other than one involving sports teams.  😂

 

We all don't use the same criteria when we make our purchasing decisions and that includes our choice when it comes to cruising.  For example, for some they prefer not only one cruise line but the same ship. Others could care less.  Yes, a reminder that choice is good and this applies to pretty much all products including which mayonnaise, mustard or ketchup you use.

 

And the devil is in the details and that applies to each and every promotion whether that is one offered by Crystal or one in your grocery store. As to the current one, we looked at it for each of our bookings considering savings and balancing this with other factors including the cost of cancel for any reasons insurance for the 20% promotion, tying up money that could be used for investments and risks. 

 

So my only advice when a promotion comes along is not to jump to a conclusion but rather to look evaluate each one. And as we often see some promotions will work for some and not for others.

 

Keith

 

I don't disagree with you. The term cheerleaders applies to people who will defend their favorite cruise line (or any product) no matter what, even when the shortcomings are obvious. Not enough storage space? No problem, bring a clothes rack..

 

I like my Mercedes, have been driving it for the last 11 years (now fourth one). But I know exactly its strengths and weaknesses, and when someone says that Lexus offers a better value for money, I completely agree and not trying to argue on the obvious.

 

btw, personally I have no issues with 20% non refundable discount, we did it with SS when the price was right. But the current promotion just brings the prices back to where they were 4-6 months ago.. No wonder you didn't use it..

[Keith1010]

16 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

 

I don't disagree with you. The term cheerleaders applies to people who will defend their favorite cruise line (or any product) no matter what, even when the shortcomings are obvious. Not enough storage space? No problem, bring a clothes rack..

 

I like my Mercedes, have been driving it for the last 11 years (now fourth one). But I know exactly its strengths and weaknesses, and when someone says that Lexus offers a better value for money, I completely agree and not trying to argue on the obvious.

 

btw, personally I have no issues with 20% non refundable discount, we did it with SS when the price was right. But the current promotion just brings the prices back to where they were 4-6 months ago.. No wonder you didn't use it..

Maybe semantics but I think of someone who likes a product a fan of the product.  

 

I am a fan of Crystal. I feel I have a good sense of strengths and weaknesses.

 

Full disclosure. I am a fan of Lexus since my first one around 1993.  And no plans to change.

 

I am a sports fan but I am not a cheerleader. When I think of cheerleaders I think of the girls who would cheer whenI I played on the JV and Varsity Basketball Games. I am a fan of sports but I don't do cheers. Only cheer I do is when we toast with a flute of champagne.

 

Also I feel that most things are not perfect so I suspect most people know what it is they like about a product and those things that they don't. 

Cheers,

 

Keith