BEAV

I believe adding gratuities to bar drinks is a standard feature within the cruise industry (all-inclusive lines the exception). I believe we paid $13-$14 for a decent martini on Crystal last year. We're sailing Celebrity in a few weeks and I know from recent experience their cocktail prices are roughly the same. The shipboard credit promotion on Crystal did, however, cover all the costs of our bar & wine consumption with $250 in unused credits refunded back to us at the end of the cruise. That was a first for us! As to bringing aboard liquor, we have never had any problem with that on Crystal before (6 cruises). We have openly brought aboard bottles of Crown Royal, etc, and placed them out in our stateroom with never a peep from anyone. On our last cruise, we bought a couple of bottles of wine in Portugal before we boarded and enjoyed them in the dining room for a $15 corkage fee.

As to Cruise Critic, we sail everything from NCL to Crystal, RCCL to Disney (and everything in between)! So we're literally 'all over the map' on the Cruise Critic boards and find the intense loyalty to be a common denominator no matter which forum you visit.

kerrison

I'd say you have been a bit lucky, as I've gotten a few bottles confiscated over time

BEAV

On Crystal?

We had a bottle of Crown Royal confiscated once on NCL. But to my knowledge (and personal experience), Crystal doesn't have these restrictions.

fathickory

We are going to take a Mediterannean cuise in October, the ship will pass thru several countries.

We are planning to stay one day before and one day after the cruise in Barcelona, Spain. I guess that I will only need Spain's visa, am I correct or not ? and does anyone know is there any website for me to check how to do the Spain's visa ?

Thank you very much for your kindly help.

cordelli

What country are you a citizen of? If it's US, you do not need a visa to visit Spain unless you are there 90 days or more.

tcook052

It depends on your citizenship. I find this website handy for checking my travels:

http://www.delta.com/planning_reserv...tion/index.jsp

fathickory

We are US citizens. Thank you very much for the very useful information.

oldpenny16

Cystal Ccruise lines prices for 2011 including Alaska are out and the CC cheer leaders are defending all. An Alaska cruise on Crystal in 2011 will run a couple about $10,000. The cheer is 'it is worth it'.

sbagal

How many days are you actually talking about for the Alaska $10,000 "Crystal experience"?

Does Crystal go to different ports or does it get in line with all the other crowds in Alaska.

How many days at sea is the real question where the passenger is allegedly getting the exclusive Crystal experience - what are those sea days actually worth for the extra money compared to a Celebrity, Holland America or Princess Alaska cruise where they pretty much all have the same port experience?

Are the few Crystal at sea days on these similar cruise days worth the thousands of dollars extra? Curious minds want to know.

sbagal

Here is my analysis comparing a HAL Alaska cruise with the Crystal Alaska cruise.

Essentially you are getting the standard 7 day HAL cruise Vancouver to Vancouver which HAL sells for a balcony for approximately $2000 a person.

Crystal adds 3 sea days going from San Francisco to Vancouver and back to San Francisco, but once in the Vancouver area, the routes are essentially the same.

Crystal costs $6000 for their 12 trip, HAL charges $2000 for their 7 day trip.
So deduct the HAL two thousand and you have $4000 for the extra sea days Crystal takes going and coming to San Francisco, which can be a rough passage.

That is the $4000 Crystal difference - a thousand dollars a day to sit on a Crystal on the high seas, ship, after seeing the same things on a $2000 HAL ship.

How much food can you eat for that $1000 a day extra because when you sleep, the Crystal rooms are not any better than HAL rooms. So does spending $300 each those extra breakfasts, lunches and dinners for those 4 days really make it worth choosing Crystal?

Please, someone report back and tell me what a $300 Eggs Benedict tastes like on Crystal because I sure don't remember them being any different that what we get on HAL?

But for those 4 extra $1000 a day Crystal at sea days, you get (1) bragging rights you can spend that kind of money, and (2) spend those sea days with others who also don't know the difference between value and price. Huzzah, and there you have the Crystal Difference.

wripro

I'm not here to defend Crystal. There are a lot of things I don't like about it. However, you cannot compare a premium cruise line with a luxury one. It is simply a completely different experience. Food and service are on a much higher level and the whole ambience reflects a more polished experience. By the previous logic you can stay in a Hilton in any city and have the same sights available as when you stay in a Four Seasons. It's not the same!

sbagal

Sure you can compare these two lines because most of the time you spend sleeping on the ship so there is no difference there between the two except costs. Nor is their any difference between the itineraries since they both go to basically the same places and share the same port excursion possibililities.

And when someone has travelled on both types of cruise lines, one very much can compare what you get for the costs --- what you call "extras" or premium services. ZERO difference between the two lines besides costs. And that HAL ships service is probably more consistently and genuinely friendly.

Which gets us down to comparing food which was the point of the entire comparison. Is Crystal food worth $300 a meal more? Not by a long shot.

Yes, you do get more high-end finishings in decor with Crystal. But a $1000 a day better when most of the time you are off the ship or sleeping? Oh well, if you live in a shabby environment, then high end finishings for a few hours a day might be worth paying Crystal that $1000 a day extra.

But coolers minds would say spend that $4000 extra for a new carpet and sofa for your own house or a bathroom remodel. Bonus is you get to keep it a lot longer at home for yourself, than you will enjoy a few hours a day enjoying Crystal's higher end finishings.

Crystal marketing creates snob appeal. And if you want that for your $4000 extra, then look deeply into your heart and wonder if a $4000 donation to a prestigious charity might garner you snob appeal to. Or send a kid to college for a year. Or something else that would reflect glory back on to yourself for $4000.

And there you have it. You pay more for Crystal but get nothing more in return. Such a deal, as they say.

DJ_Iceman

I've never cruised with Crystal, so am only speaking from a position of hypotheticals. And your analogy is certainly appropriate--I often think of cruise line positioning in terms of hotel chain positioning, as I have a LOT more experience in hotels than on cruise ships.

Where that argument breaks down is that there are some so-called "luxury" hotels that offer nothing truly luxurious except the aura. I put the entire W concept in that category--all flash, no substance, yet they've created a buzz through clever marketing that makes people think they're cool if they spend hundreds of dollars a night for tiny rooms and surly service. Some people here (sbagal among them) have made the case that Crystal does the same. It has convinced a segment of the population that they offer the best experience at sea, while that may simply be untrue.

I have stayed at Ritz-Carltons that were nice but unremarkable, and in "base" Marriotts that were phenomenal. In general the brands are positioned a certain way, but even so there are times when they don't quite fit the stereotype. I have found HAL to offer a very premium experience for a fair price. I honestly don't see how any cruise line could offer friendlier, more attentive service (which is the most important aspect of "luxury" to me). Their cabins are large and well-appointed. Their food, while not Michelin-star quality, is in line with nice, upscale land-based restaurants (which is really what I want anyway--who could live on rich French food for weeks at a time?).

But I don't necessarily look down on Crystal cheerleaders, either. They've found a product that works for them, so good for them! Maybe if I'd had the personally disappointing experience sbagal did then I'd be more vocal, or if I had a circle of friends who looked down their noses at me for preferring a "premium" line over their "luxury" one. Luckily my friends are less materialistic and shallow than that.

tcook052

+1

sbagal

Crystal cabins are quite small. Check out the comparable square footage with similar size HAL ships. You get a long sofa in HAL rooms besides the bed. In Crystal rooms you get one big chair and a stool. This has long been an acknowledged deficiency.

Crystal service ranges between cloying and intrusive to surly and indifferent. Particularly the Eastern European men Crystal hires who often have a chip on their shoulders and a sneering attitude towards the passengers. They more likely have had abetter education in their own countries (with fewer job opportunities), than the passengers they are now required to serve.

HAL service which is primarily Indonesian and Filipino is consistently smiling and professional. HAL ships have 100% been a delight for service and consitency. Crystal was less fortunate and inconsistent.