Various practical questions

[Alsun]

Hello,

 

We will be taking our first Crystal cruise soon, and I have already found a lot of information on this forum but still have a few practical questions that hopefully you could help us with. 

 

Random order!

• Embarkation: we understand that embarkation usually starts around midday and that rooms will be available sometime during the afternoon. We have sailed with lines where we were able to drop off hand luggage at the room, collect room card, muster information etc. Is this possible or not? And if not, where & when do we receive the room key?
• And we like to get muster out of the way as soon as possible, so where do we find this info if we don't have room access yet? (Or is it a full muster?)
• What are the lunch options during embarkation day? 
• What kind of sockets are available in the room (we have a standard verandah room) 
• Looking at the room facilities, there doesn't seem to be any tea/coffee equipment in the room. We love our early morning and late night cup of tea. Am aware that of course we can order this through room service, but it seems a bit of a hassle for just a cup of tea. Is it possible to request a kettle?
• Bottled water: are small bottles of water provided (for taking on excursions)? 
• Is it possible to order cocktails/wine to be enjoyed on our balcony through room service (without ordering food)? For example, I quite like a G&T whilst getting ready for dinner!
• Is it possible to watch the enrichment lectures on the tv in the room or only live by attending them?

 

Also any "do NOT miss" tips for Crystal newbies? 😊

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

[BWIVince]

I’m happy to take a stab at some of these…. Experiences may vary a little, so this is just IME…

 

• Embarkation: we understand that embarkation usually starts around midday and that rooms will be available sometime during the afternoon. We have sailed with lines where we were able to drop off hand luggage at the room, collect room card, muster information etc. Is this possible or not? And if not, where & when do we receive the room key?

Officially the rooms aren’t available until later, but after the attendants are done cleaning (usually before boarding), the rooms are accessible.  In order to keep the hallways clear they like to keep the doors open so baggage and other items can be delivered.  Your cards ARE left in your room, so if you want to pick them up and drop things off (provided the attendants are done) that’s possible, I would just recommend putting anything valuable in your safe and leaving the door open until your baggage is delivered.  If you have entire bags you need to secure, I’d recommend bringing them with you to lunch if they’re small (purse or backpack), or you can check them onboard for delivery to your room later so they’re not left unattended.

 

• And we like to get muster out of the way as soon as possible, so where do we find this info if we don't have room access yet? (Or is it a full muster?)

Your muster station is printed on the card and on your door, but the muster is a complete spiel done in-person at a designated time, with live demos and all…. Not just a virtual check-in.  I wouldn’t say it’s a “full muster” though since you don’t have to bring or put on life jackets like in the old days.

 

• What are the lunch options during embarkation day? 

Lunch options vary at this point, but on my last embarkation day lunch was available in Marketplace (buffet), Trident Grill (topside grill), Tastes (slightly later hours table service small plates) and Waterside (main restaurant).  Waterside has been variable based on capacity/need.

 

• What kind of sockets are available in the room (we have a standard verandah room) 

Double verandah rooms all have bedside and desk power, USB and USB-C ports, along with power at your bar unit counter.  Lots of places to charge things in the double verandas.  (Other categories differ depending on renovation eras.)

 

• Looking at the room facilities, there doesn't seem to be any tea/coffee equipment in the room. We love our early morning and late night cup of tea. Am aware that of course we can order this through room service, but it seems a bit of a hassle for just a cup of tea. Is it possible to request a kettle?

They’re not officially available upon request, but like everything with Crystal, you’re always welcome to ask.  This really is designed to be served 8n a proper service though.

 

• Bottled water: are small bottles of water provided (for taking on excursions)? 

Bottled water is available to take ashore at/near the gangway, and small bottles are available upon request if you’d like to keep them in your room or fridge as well.

 

• Is it possible to order cocktails/wine to be enjoyed on our balcony through room service (without ordering food)? For example, I quite like a G&T whilst getting ready for dinner!

Cocktails are available through room service, but you can also request a couple of full-sized bottles of liquor in your stateroom, and your butler will stock your fridge with any mixers you’d like.  (It also comes socked with red and white wine plus champagne.)  I just requested a bottle of Hendricks, and I was happy with the tonics already provided.  (Fever Tree is also used onboard in bars, but I’ve never asked for them in my room.). Separately, I always ask them to remove the things I don’t use to make space and ask for a container of something else I like to drink — on the last cruise it was cranberry juice.
 

• Is it possible to watch the enrichment lectures on the tv in the room or only live by attending them?

I’ll have to defer to others on this one…. They were doing this for a while but I’m not sure if they’ve continued this.  There are a selection of pre-recorded lectures in the video system though.

 

Hope this helps, please feel free to ask more, and hopefully people will add to my thoughts with theirs as well.

 

Vince

Edited September 2 by BWIVince

[loriva]

8 minutes ago, BWIVince said:

I’m happy to take a stab at some of these…. Experiences may vary a little, so this is just IME…

 

• Embarkation: we understand that embarkation usually starts around midday and that rooms will be available sometime during the afternoon. We have sailed with lines where we were able to drop off hand luggage at the room, collect room card, muster information etc. Is this possible or not? And if not, where & when do we receive the room key?

Officially the rooms aren’t available until later, but after the attendants are done cleaning (usually before boarding), the rooms are accessible.  In order to keep the hallways clear they like to keep the doors open so baggage and other items can be delivered.  Your cards ARE left in your room, so if you want to pick them up and drop things off (provided the attendants are done) that’s possible, I would just recommend putting anything valuable in your safe and leaving the door open until your baggage is delivered.  If you have entire bags you need to secure, I’d recommend bringing them with you to lunch if they’re small (purse or backpack), or you can check them onboard for delivery to your room later so they’re not left unattended.

• Bottled water: are small bottles of water provided (for taking on excursions)? 

Bottled water is available to take ashore at/near the gangway, and small bottles are available upon request if you’d like to keep them in your room or fridge as well.

 

 

As another first-time Crystal Ocean cruiser, thank you for your responses @BWIVince!

 

Two brought up other questions for me:

     --Where do you go to check something you'd carry-on rather than checking at the pier (a roller board, for example)?  I like this idea rather than potentially leaving something that might interfere with the steward's cleaning.

     --We usually carry our own refillable water bottles.  Are there filling stations for these?  (For example, on Regent they have these in the theater where you gather for shore excursions as well as the gym.  Or you can fill from the large bottles in the cabins that are filled from the ship's water filtration system.)

 

Many thanks,

[BWIVince]

26 minutes ago, loriva said:

 

As another first-time Crystal Ocean cruiser, thank you for your responses @BWIVince!

 

Two brought up other questions for me:

     --Where do you go to check something you'd carry-on rather than checking at the pier (a roller board, for example)?  I like this idea rather than potentially leaving something that might interfere with the steward's cleaning.

     --We usually carry our own refillable water bottles.  Are there filling stations for these?  (For example, on Regent they have these in the theater where you gather for shore excursions as well as the gym.  Or you can fill from the large bottles in the cabins that are filled from the ship's water filtration system.)

 

Many thanks,

Glad to help!

 

Regarding the carry on luggage check, this varies a little based on where the gangway needs to be located and which ship you’re on, but IME is always along the short path between the gangway and the check-in area onboard.  Right after you scan-in at the gangway there will be crew members to assist, and if you simply tell them you’d like to check your carry on bags, they will instruct you where the drop is.  IME, they hold them there before delivering, but at some point they will just be left in your room with your checked bags though, so if you’re planning on spending the entire afternoon out of your cabin and not just go have lunch somewhere, you might need to ask for more specific assistance.

 

I’ll defer to others on whether there’s a customer-facing filtered water dispenser (I didn’t look for one on my last cruise), however filtered water is provided in your room and you can always fill bottles from the containers there.  Filtered water is available in bars and restaurants as well, but I don’t know if they always have access to a dispenser that can be used with guest bottles, and the ships don’t have dispensers located everywhere like the water and ice dispensers in hotels these days.  Crystal’s crew are exceptionally accommodating though — if there isn’t a dispenser, and you can’t back to your room to fill it with the filtered water, you can always explain what you’re trying to do at any bar and they will discuss the options that come closest to what you’re asking.  

 

Vince

[FlyerTalker]

2 hours ago, BWIVince said:

What kind of sockets are available in the room (we have a standard verandah room) 

Double verandah rooms all have bedside and desk power, USB and USB-C ports, along with power at your bar unit counter.  Lots of places to charge things in the double verandas.  (Other categories differ depending on renovation eras.)

 

More specifically, you will find both Type B (North American) and Type C/F (European) sockets.  I do not believe you will find any Type G (UK) sockets, though I might be in error.  Best to have adapters for your UK plugs.

 

 

[Keith1010]

I would just add to what Vince and Flyertalker mentioned about the outlets is you can e-mail on board guest services at obgs@crystalcruises.com should you have further questions about your specific room category. I say this because when we sailed Symphony in 2018 which at the time was a new room type the outlets were two prong versus three prong so there can be subtle differences between not only category but between category based on the ship.

 

Keith

[BWIVince]

19 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

I would just add to what Vince and Flyertalker mentioned about the outlets is you can e-mail on board guest services at obgs@crystalcruises.com should you have further questions about your specific room category. I say this because when we sailed Symphony in 2018 which at the time was a new room type the outlets were two prong versus three prong so there can be subtle differences between not only category but between category based on the ship.

 

Keith

100%…. As I mentioned, my message was specifically in response to the verandah doubles, which are one of the few categories that has a consistent outlet setup across all rooms on all ships, but it doesn’t hurt to call out again that the other categories can be so inconsistent.

 

Vince

[Keith1010]

3 hours ago, Alsun said:

Hello,

 

We will be taking our first Crystal cruise soon, and I have already found a lot of information on this forum but still have a few practical questions that hopefully you could help us with. 

 

Random order!

 

• Is it possible to watch the enrichment lectures on the tv in the room or only live by attending them?

 

Also any "do NOT miss" tips for Crystal newbies? 😊

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

I'll assist Vince with this one. Yes, you can find lectures from your cruise on the TV and you can watch them in their entirety and you can pause, rewind or forward them.

 

Keith

[PaulaJK]

-At check- in there is a staff member who will  collect, secure and deliver any hand luggage you wish to submit.

-There is a safety video to watch in your cabin, pre muster. 
 

- No problems late night room service. We are requested to not have heating elements in cabin due to fire risk.

- Worry not, filtered water is very available.

 

 

 

[DrTee]

About muster, do we have to stand at our muster station for the demonstration? I am mobility impaired and can’t stand long, even with my cane. I can walk better than stand still.

[Keith1010]

6 minutes ago, DrTee said:

About muster, do we have to stand at our muster station for the demonstration? I am mobility impaired and can’t stand long, even with my cane. I can walk better than stand still.

I can only comment on Serenity and you are seated regardless of the location of the muster station which is in the Galaxy Lounge or the Theatre.

 

I am sure someone will tell you about Symphony.

 

And you no longer bring your life jacket with you.

Keith

[Alsun]

Thank you to everyone with your very helpful and informative answers! I especially like the idea of a full size bottle of gin in our room fridge... 😆...

 

We are really looking forward to trying out Crystal, and I will post about our thoughts/experience afterwards on this forum. 

 

 

Edited September 2 by Alsun

[Roland4]

35 minutes ago, DrTee said:

About muster, do we have to stand at our muster station for the demonstration? I am mobility impaired and can’t stand long, even with my cane. I can walk better than stand still.

We were on Symphony in April, and yes you have to stand at your lifeboat station out on the Promenade Deck. And it took about 20 minutes.

[May B]

1 minute ago, Roland4 said:

We were on Symphony in April, and yes you have to stand at your lifeboat station out on the Promenade Deck. And it took about 20 minutes.

Big difference between Serenity and Symphony.

 

Crew/staff will always bring a chair for you, methinks, if needed, on Symphony. Wear a sun hat!

[FlyerTalker]

The muster locations are due to the vastly different placement of the lifeboats between the two ships.

 

Serenity has them "tucked away" on deck 6, which Symphony has them on exterior mounts outside rooms on deck 8.  So the muster stations on Symphony is the promenade deck (7) near each lifeboat, while Serenity has you mustering in interior rooms to then be led out to the boats.

 

So, since you don't mention which ship you will be on, know that you can request a spot to sit for Symphony.  Just talk with the staff.

 

 

[LoveBora]

We are currently on the Symphony for several b2bs. The muster drills have been held on Deck 7 under the lifeboats. However, this last muster drill in Reykjavik took place in the various lounges because of VERY inclement weather. It was announced over the ship’s PA system which lounges passengers should go to. 

[DrTee]

We’ll be on Serenity this time. 

[loriva]

One of the things I've noticed in the Reflections so kindly posted by @Keith1010 and @ryndam from their recent cruises on Serenity is that the Morning Update show is listed as starting only at 0800 hours.  Does each day's version really appear that late?  We're used to watching it on other cruise lines while enjoying our first cup of coffee in the day around 0600 hours.  Just trying to be prepared.

 

Many thanks,

[Keith1010]

8 minutes ago, loriva said:

One of the things I've noticed in the Reflections so kindly posted by @Keith1010 and @ryndam from their recent cruises on Serenity is that the Morning Update show is listed as starting only at 0800 hours.  Does each day's version really appear that late?  We're used to watching it on other cruise lines while enjoying our first cup of coffee in the day around 0600 hours.  Just trying to be prepared.

 

Many thanks,

It does show at 8:00 AM.

 

With that said I know it is recorded (they are made the night  before) and are available on demand, so you could see if it is available earlier and if not possibly watch it at another time.

 

Keith

[Texas Tillie]

10 minutes ago, loriva said:

One of the things I've noticed in the Reflections so kindly posted by @Keith1010 and @ryndam from their recent cruises on Serenity is that the Morning Update show is listed as starting only at 0800 hours.  Does each day's version really appear that late?  We're used to watching it on other cruise lines while enjoying our first cup of coffee in the day around 0600 hours.  Just trying to be prepared.

 

Many thanks,

 

Didn't they used to tape it last thing in the evening before? Maybe it's now live at 8 am? Other than Keith and a few others, 8 AM isn't "that late" to most Crystal cruisers.😮😉😏

 

Patty

 

P.S. Keith and I were posting at the same time.

Edited September 3 by Texas Tillie

[Txcotn]

I'm never up at 8:00 so I've never seen it in 30 years on Crystal🤣

[loriva]

Another random question after Reflections review.  The descriptions of the computer courses sound really basic--and I'm far from a techie.  Has anyone who has experienced them comment, please?  If there is an instructor or topic you have found interesting and useful, would also love suggestions.

[Keith1010]

35 minutes ago, loriva said:

Another random question after Reflections review.  The descriptions of the computer courses sound really basic--and I'm far from a techie.  Has anyone who has experienced them comment, please?  If there is an instructor or topic you have found interesting and useful, would also love suggestions.

Depending on your interests and knowledge a good one to consider is:

 

Creative Media Fun—damentals: Landscape Photography

 

If you are booked on any of the World Cruise segments they have more time to do more advanced topics.

 

Keith

[ryndam]

2 hours ago, loriva said:

One of the things I've noticed in the Reflections so kindly posted by @Keith1010 and @ryndam from their recent cruises on Serenity is that the Morning Update show is listed as starting only at 0800 hours.  Does each day's version really appear that late?  We're used to watching it on other cruise lines while enjoying our first cup of coffee in the day around 0600 hours.  Just trying to be prepared.

 

Many thanks,

We’re only up by 8am on debarkation day. Have never watched the program. Sorry. 😞 

 

Rob

[BWIVince]

I run closer to Keith's clock, and I've never seen it because it's in the middle of my day.  😀 If I'm not ashore, I'm usually in the dining room having what others call breakfast.  😀 

 

Vince