cruisecritic
#61
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: west of DFW airport
Programs: AA LT Gold 1.9 MM flying my way to LT PLAT
Posts: 11,074
For me: safety and sanitation, destination of cruise (ports), value for my US$ and general ambiance. We understand food on mass market cruise lines in not going to be wonderful, but as long as it is decent, we are OK.
Average age of passengers is an issue, but isn't a deal killer. My husband refuses to travel with a tux and will not book a ship that has assigned main dining and fixed dining times unless there are enough options to avoid the MDR.
I'm not kidding anyone when I say that with its price increases, Crystal has marched itself out of what we are willing to pay.
Average age of passengers is an issue, but isn't a deal killer. My husband refuses to travel with a tux and will not book a ship that has assigned main dining and fixed dining times unless there are enough options to avoid the MDR.
I'm not kidding anyone when I say that with its price increases, Crystal has marched itself out of what we are willing to pay.
#63
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SBA
Programs: Delta, United, HAL Mariners Society-3 star, Travel Century Club Member (102 countries visited)
Posts: 335
#65
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SBA
Programs: Delta, United, HAL Mariners Society-3 star, Travel Century Club Member (102 countries visited)
Posts: 335
If HAL oversells and over-hypes and over prices itself, let 'em have it. HAL has earned my loyalty, but am no blind apologist. Nor should the candid discussion of Crystal get silenced the way it does on Cruise Critic. You can't even say their perfectly awful breads are perfectly awful.
#66
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Manhattan NV
Programs: Hilton LTD, Hyatt Glob, Marriott LTTE, AA LTP, Avis PC, National EE, Seabourn DE
Posts: 3,030
The problem comes when you keep repeating yourself over and over and over.
So much of your own personality is exposed that you should feel a bit naked(uncomfortable). I'm happy you are happy with HAL. There are so many options in this industry, there is no reason to be stagnant. Within the Carnival family, they have a line ready after you tire of HAL....and you will.
So much of your own personality is exposed that you should feel a bit naked(uncomfortable). I'm happy you are happy with HAL. There are so many options in this industry, there is no reason to be stagnant. Within the Carnival family, they have a line ready after you tire of HAL....and you will.
#67
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SBA
Programs: Delta, United, HAL Mariners Society-3 star, Travel Century Club Member (102 countries visited)
Posts: 335
The problem comes when you keep repeating yourself over and over and over.
So much of your own personality is exposed that you should feel a bit naked(uncomfortable). I'm happy you are happy with HAL. There are so many options in this industry, there is no reason to be stagnant. Within the Carnival family, they have a line ready after you tire of HAL....and you will.
So much of your own personality is exposed that you should feel a bit naked(uncomfortable). I'm happy you are happy with HAL. There are so many options in this industry, there is no reason to be stagnant. Within the Carnival family, they have a line ready after you tire of HAL....and you will.
#68
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Manhattan NV
Programs: Hilton LTD, Hyatt Glob, Marriott LTTE, AA LTP, Avis PC, National EE, Seabourn DE
Posts: 3,030
Six years ago, light consideration was given to Crystal. Ten minutes of research and it clearly was not my bag. I've looked at HAL, but cannot pull the trigger. Tried a weekend on Celebrity two years ago and that was enough for this lifetime. Forty days spent on ships this year and another thirty+ booked, but I'm open to learning more from you. But please, let us know about your most recent trip and give it a rest on your first. Thanks!
#69
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SBA
Programs: Delta, United, HAL Mariners Society-3 star, Travel Century Club Member (102 countries visited)
Posts: 335
#70
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SBA
Programs: Delta, United, HAL Mariners Society-3 star, Travel Century Club Member (102 countries visited)
Posts: 335
I've read most of your posts on FT. You have taken four cruises. The first being Crystal, for which you hold great bitterness. Had you done your homework, you would have known you were setting yourself up for disappointment. Two on HAL and the recent 42 day Discovery voyage.
Now go to bed, and stop stalking me. Life exists before one starts posting on Flyertalk. I am now a Travel Century Club member (102 countries visited). I know of what I speak, when it comes to travel...... and cruising.
And finally, Crystal took us to places we wanted to see. The ship was safe and clean. The food was okay. It was a good cruise on these specific points and those qualities are ones we look for in any cruise. HAL cruises have been in the same category, as was Voyages of Discovery.
If you had read my posts closely (read them again) my primary gripe about Crystal is its price and its hype and lack of value for the price it charges.
Crystal does a lot of things poorly, like shore excursions, baked goods, cabin size, claustrophobic dining room, intrusive and cloying staff, their specialty restaurants and onboard lectures and enrichment activities. There is nothing special about its service or its clientele that adds value.
The only thing Crystal has that sets it apart is lavish marketing and better interior public room decor but outside decks are totally lacking in comfort or amenities.
But hey, you have already heard me say this.
Last edited by sbagal; Apr 10, 2010 at 11:47 pm
#71
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: west of DFW airport
Programs: AA LT Gold 1.9 MM flying my way to LT PLAT
Posts: 11,074
Crystal has raised its prices on land tours and excursions (according to those posting on Cruise Critic about this) in order to eat up the free cruise credits it gives passengers when they book at the new sky high prices for the cruises.
Crystal has now priced itself out of the upper end of the main stream market for people in North America. Even with all the 'As you Wish' cruise credits, the costs are so far out of reasonable for us, that as far as I'm concerned Crystal is no longer an option for this family.
It doesn't matter what Crystal offers or does, we are no longer considering this company for future bookings. We will travel with other companies both by sea and at land resorts.
Crystal has now priced itself out of the upper end of the main stream market for people in North America. Even with all the 'As you Wish' cruise credits, the costs are so far out of reasonable for us, that as far as I'm concerned Crystal is no longer an option for this family.
It doesn't matter what Crystal offers or does, we are no longer considering this company for future bookings. We will travel with other companies both by sea and at land resorts.
#72
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SBA
Programs: Delta, United, HAL Mariners Society-3 star, Travel Century Club Member (102 countries visited)
Posts: 335
Interesting to see they con passengers with onboard credits only to suck it back with higher excursion prices. Why should this surprise me. Crystal was too large to get into many of the downtown docks, which was an advantage for the much smaller Discovery, which made one dependent on some sort of pricey port arrangements on your own or the ships now even pricier shore excursions.
Crystal promised free "shuttles" which never happened in most ports allegedly due to taxi driver complaints, except Dubai which took one only to a remote shopping mall.
And in the interests of full disclosure, this also happened on the Discovery when it was not close to a town or a safe area as in some of the South African cities like Port Elizabeth and Durban - and the shuttles cost five pounds sterling RT.
All of this is illustrative showing the brochure price for a trip ..... is only the beginning. It is the credit card you pay off once you get home that is the real cost of a cruise line.
#73
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Arizona
Posts: 5,689
I am the OP (orignal poster) of the thread and if you read my first post you will see I had questions on cruisecritic since someone claimed a negative post on Crystal was deleted. I heard that Cruisecritic was owned by a travel agency thus biased. The fact that it is owned by Travelocity makes me believe it is NOT on the level of "consumer reports magazine" etc. Welcome to the world of a hijacked thread.
#74
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SBA
Programs: Delta, United, HAL Mariners Society-3 star, Travel Century Club Member (102 countries visited)
Posts: 335
I am the OP (orignal poster) of the thread and if you read my first post you will see I had questions on cruisecritic since someone claimed a negative post on Crystal was deleted. I heard that Cruisecritic was owned by a travel agency thus biased. The fact that it is owned by Travelocity makes me believe it is NOT on the level of "consumer reports magazine" etc. Welcome to the world of a hijacked thread.
The memory of these tragic events was apparently too painful for the powers that be that run CC. So they leave their customers uninformed and unaware so that nothing dampens future sales. Caveat Emptor.
#75
Join Date: Apr 2008
Programs: amex platinum, american advantage, united, ANA, JAP. SPG, marriott
Posts: 1,257
No matter how tragic any circumstance may be if it has nothing to do with the original post it should be removed. If one wants to warn others about something start a new post with the salient information in the title of the thread so it will attract those interested. Otherwise, like in this instance where people might be interested in Cruise Critic all they find find out about is peoples' dissatisfaction with Crystal. This thread, as Centurion mentioned, was well and truly highjacked.