Casino Details Announced

[Keith1010]

Today Crystal provided details about the casino.

 

November 14th on Symphony for the Chairman's Cruise and December Serenity.

 

Keith

 

https://www.crystalcruises.com/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=cta&utm_campaign=MonteCarloCasino_25Jun24_SMUS&utm_individual=4710023769419c

 

 

CRYSTAL ANNOUNCES EXCLUSIVE COLLABORATION WITH CASINO DE MONTECARLO

Anticipated Return of Gaming Onboard Crystal Symphony’s Chairmen’s Cruise in November and 
Crystal Serenity this December

Monaco (June 25, 2024) — Crystal, renowned for its exceptional voyages and outstanding entertainment, is pleased to announce it has secured a collaboration with Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer (SBM), a leader in the world of entertainment and gaming to host the first and only Casino de Monte-Carlo at sea. This marks an exciting new chapter for the brand promising guests an elevated level of entertainment and gaming experiences debuting onboard Crystal Symphony during the Chairmen’s Cruise departing from Venice on Nov. 14, and on Crystal Serenity this December. The casino will also be featured on the two future oceangoing ships, and in all the new vessels of Crystal, with the exclusion of Expedition vessels.

The alliance between Crystal and Monte-Carlo SBM brings forth a fusion of expertise and innovation, aiming to redefine onboard entertainment for cruisers worldwide. Guests can now anticipate an array of gaming activities including slot machines, blackjack, roulette and more, that will elevate their experience to unprecedented heights.

"We are delighted to welcome Casino de Monte-Carlo into the Crystal family as our newest collaborator,” said Executive Chairman of A&K Travel Group Manfredi Lefebvre on the groundbreaking relationship. “This affiliation symbolizes our commitment to offering our guests the finest entertainment and gaming experiences available at sea. Together, we aim to create unforgettable moments and continue to set new standards of excellence in the cruise industry."

Stephane Valeri, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Monte-Carlo SBM shares the same sentiment. "We are excited to join forces with Crystal to deliver the unique Casino de Monte-Carlo experience at sea. With our combined expertise, we are confident that we will provide a gaming moment unlike any other in the cruise industry.”

The 1,000+ square-foot Casino de Monte-Carlo will be positioned where the current Bridge Lounges are located on both Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony. The Bridge Lounge will then move to the Library on Crystal Serenity and The Lounge (location of the previous casino) on Crystal Symphony.

"We have listened attentively to the feedback from our loyal guests regarding their desire to have casinos back onboard, and we are proud to announce that we will deliver on our promise,” said Cristina Levis, CEO of A&K Travel Group. “At Crystal, like at Monte-Carlo SBM, guest satisfaction and enjoyment are paramount, and this alliance with Casino de Monte-Carlo underscores our dedication to fulfilling their wishes and exceeding their expectations. We are confident the reintroduction of casinos will further enhance the overall cruise experience, providing our guests with the entertainment options they crave while sailing with us."

 

[BWIVince]

I saw the email this morning, and I think this sounds promising.  For all the reasons I've already covered, I wasn't surprised in the least that it wasn't one of the existing cruise casino operators that they went with.  Having a "local" specialty operator should work out better here overall.

 

[Edited to add: It's also a good sign that we've almost made it to July and they're still tracking to have the casinos live later this year.]

 

Vince

Edited June 25 by BWIVince

[daleandrews]

I fear construction on board when we cruise on Serenity, October 26 through November 18.  Also -- no indication what will happen to the library on Serenity.

[BWIVince]

2 minutes ago, daleandrews said:

I fear construction on board when we cruise on Serenity, October 26 through November 18.  Also -- no indication what will happen to the library on Serenity.

 

What's wrong with/happened to the library on Serenity?  😳 

 

Vince

[bluestocking7]

It says the Bridge Lounge will move to the Library on Serenity--so where does the Library go?  Or is it a merged space?  Confused....

[Keith1010]

19 minutes ago, daleandrews said:

I fear construction on board when we cruise on Serenity, October 26 through November 18.  Also -- no indication what will happen to the library on Serenity.

 

Remember they have had a lot of time to plan this.

 

I am reminded that the lounge is very large so think there would be opportunities for the library in a portion of the room.  

 

Time will tell.

 

Keith

[History&Wine]

1 minute ago, Keith1010 said:

Library stays. I suspect will start a while before  your time on board. 

 

Remember they have had a lot of time to plan this.

 

Keith

"Library stays"

 

While I'm sure serenity will have a library...the question is where??

[Keith1010]

Let's see how this plays out.

 

Keith

[ryndam]

Should be a classy, albeit expensive/higher-roller operation, if the betting criteria/protocol mimics or follows the betting minimums in the original Casino de Monte-Carlo. 

 

Rob

[Texas Tillie]

Let me get this straight, on Symphony the casino will be in the former bridge lounge and the bridge lounge will be in the location of the old casino. On Serenity the casino will be in the location of the bridge lounge and the bridge lounge will share space with the library. On the Serenity are they going to knock out the wall between the library and what was called the studio to combine the library and the bridge lounge? All to be revealed, I guess.

 

Patty

Edited June 25 by Texas Tillie

[BWIVince]

22 minutes ago, Texas Tillie said:

Let me get this straight, on Symphony the casino will be in the former bridge lounge and the bridge lounge will be in the location of the old casino. On Serenity the casino will be in the location of the bridge lounge and the bridge lounge will share space with the library. On the Serenity are they going to knock out the wall between the library and what was called the studio to combine the library and the bridge lounge? All to be revealed, I guess.

 

Patty

 

I don't get Symphony's swap at all...  The point (on a ship this size at least) is to locate the casino inside a traffic flow pattern triangulated from the main dining room/restaurant (Waterside), the show lounge (Galaxy), and the secondary evening cabaret venue (Starlite).  

 

Now I get why Luxe may be too small even though they wanted to downscale, but the bridge lounge is more than 2/3 the size of the old casino, so the space is extremely similar.  While I think the old Casino is a great space for the bridge lounge, if they're going for a similarly sized space it seems like the diminished traffic flow from deck 6 aft seems counterproductive for a minor space efficiency savings.  🤷‍♂️ At least it will not be that far from the Avenue, so although the foot traffic is less overall, it will stretch later.

 

Serenity....  Uhh, Deck 7??  In the designated "quiet buffer" between the restaurants and the cabins?  Ummm, ok.  All y'all window cabin people that were making fun of the location of the solo cabins are going to be begging to be further forward now.  😄  If only they had space just aft of the show lounge, on the same deck as all the evening activities, not on the same hallway as passenger cabins, that's currently 99% unused and they could carve out as much/little space as they wished or needed.  Oh, wait...  

 

I'm sure you're right though, this will probably make more sense when we see the whole plan in its entirety.  

 

Vince

 

[BEAV]

https://thepointsguy.com/news/luxury-cruise-line-adding-casinos/
 

 

The casino news is making its way to the travel blogs…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Txcotn]

So much unnecessary shuffling! Put the casinos in the old casino spaces and don't ruin Serenity's wonderful library. If they put the bridge lounge in the casino space, bridge people will not be happy with the foot traffic going through.

[Cruise Critic Chris]

28 minutes ago, BEAV said:

https://thepointsguy.com/news/luxury-cruise-line-adding-casinos/
 

 

The casino news is making its way to the travel blogs…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had the story too. 🙂

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/crystal-cruises-news

[Keith1010]

50 minutes ago, Txcotn said:

So much unnecessary shuffling! Put the casinos in the old casino spaces and don't ruin Serenity's wonderful library. If they put the bridge lounge in the casino space, bridge people will not be happy with the foot traffic going through.

They have said from the get go and said it over and over. The space is way too large to put a casino back where it was.  So they are not going to rip out what they put in there.  From the beginning when they said they would bring it back they said it would be in a smaller footprint.

 

They said it was a money loser.  Let's see how this all plays out. 

Keith

[ctjon]

I'm sure the new casino owner had some say in location/size of the new casinos

 

It is great to see Crystal which keeps aiming to stay the best has chosen the best of casino groups - adds to the quality and reputation of Crystal

[Keith1010]

Well, we have an answer which was posted by the CEO about Serenity.

 

I will summarize.

 

"The Library will be moved to the Lounge which is a very quiet place, perfect for relaxation with a book. And we will ensure it is not freezing cold like some have mentioned."

 

This has been analyzed in depth. This is the decision is the only possible.

 

Allocating space on a cruise ship is quite different than in a hose or hotel. 

 

The only area for the casino was the bridge room and it cannot go where it was.

 

"Please also note that prior to the refurbishment, the very big casino on the Serenity had public areas below and 24 rooms above.

 

"In the new location the casino will have public spaces below and 4 rooms above. So no real change other than less rooms will be above the casino."

 

Keith

[ryndam]

Thank you Keith, for the message from the CEO. It will be interesting to see how this lays out on Serenity. Unless some of the "Studio" space adjacent to the current library is incorporated as part of the new bridge room, the size of the current library is not as large as the current bridge room, assuming it is the intent not to reduce the number of bridge tables in the relocated soon-to-be former library.

 

This decision also partly explains why there all those empty bookcases that are currently in the "lounge". The bookshelves have already been installed during the refurbishment last year.

 

Rob

Edited June 25 by ryndam
Added photos

[BWIVince]

I respect the answers -- they are certainly free to run their company however they like...  Just the same way their customers are free to share feedback on their decisions.

 

In fairness though, I don't think most people are as concerned about the noise that travels through a sound-dampened ceiling as much as what travels down an open hallway.  All of the cabins on deck 7 are above public areas on deck 6, on both ships, and the rooms were constructed accordingly.  IMHO that's apples and oranges to having a casino down the same hall without any sound barriers separating the cabins.

 

I will say though, Serenity's "Lounge" _IS_ a very quiet place, that part is true.  It's quiet because it has the warmth and charm of a government permitting office, due to the lack of daylight.  I'm curious to see how they renovate it to compensate for that, but the windowed libraries on Crystal were a very deliberate design decision, and seeing Serenity's Lounge in its current state just reminds me WHY that was a deliberate design decision. 

 

Vince

Edited June 25 by BWIVince

[crickette]

Hope someone takes the initiative to photo the libraries and bridge rooms on both Symphony and Serenity.

 

I read somewhere else that on Symphony, the casino was going into the library.  Glad that rumour has been dispelled!

[Cruise-y]

I’m flummoxed as well. I’m not a gambler so don’t care about a casino. But, as Vince pointed out, having a casino on the same hallway as rooms doesn’t seem very pleasing for Deck 7 guests.

 

I AM a lover of the quiet library on Serenity with the ocean views. I know a lot of people on this board play bridge, but I’ll be willing to bet that, overall, more people enjoy the library. Bridge players aren’t there to gaze out the window. That whole lounge area concept just keeps domino-ing into cramming square pegs into round holes. 

[Keith1010]

While I was surprised at first that the library was moving it makes a lot of sense and I get it now.

 

In fact, the last time we were on-board my darling wife said the lounge would be a great place for the library.  It already has lots of shelving. There is room for the board games kept in the library. It is spacious. One could go there to read while other could sit in another area and talk or play a game.  Personally, I think the lighting is fine. It also would allow a lot more people to sit and read books. Remember, the existing library didn't have many seats so the number of people who could use the room concurrently was not many.

 

I've used the Lounge quite a bit on our three cruises after it was put in place and really like it.  There are cozy spots and other spots for larger groups to enjoy. I have sat there by myself, with Anne Marie, with friends and it has worked out well.  It is bright enough that I can see which is always good and at the same time I don't have to be sitting on top of people in a small space such as the existing library.  

 

The advantage of using the Library for Bridge is that it provides a location where people can play or intend instruction with less distraction.

 

In the end, while we can all chime in with our opinion the decision has been made and in the end the owner makes the decision as they do with the layout of most things.

 

I give a lot of credit to New Crystal for listening. That doesn't mean they can do everything that everyone wants. They can't. It's a business. However, they are bringing back a casino based on feedback. They will provide a partial promenade deck after receiving input.

 

Personally, I think those who wanted a casino, a library, and bridge should be happy that it remains.  It might not be in the location each person wants but as the CEO said this was the only solution that they could come up with given what they were working with.

 

Keith

[ijkh]

I have a question for the group.   Is the computer university room used as much as it was in the "old days"?   Maybe they can reconfigure the computer center to grab back some space?   Unused/rarely used space on a ship is a terrible waste right?  So WCers was that computer area where classed used to be taught still used?

[Keith1010]

41 minutes ago, ijkh said:

I have a question for the group.   Is the computer university room used as much as it was in the "old days"?   Maybe they can reconfigure the computer center to grab back some space?   Unused/rarely used space on a ship is a terrible waste right?  So WCers was that computer area where classed used to be taught still used?

The Computer Room is used as much now as before.

 

Keith

[Mrs. Claypool]

If the Serenity’s library is moving to the open space in the Lounge and the books are placed on the existing shelves there, what happens to the librarian?