This is the Title Part 3

nowhere special, i always wanted to go there
User avatar
drib
dribnut
dribnut
Posts: 1592
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 4:03 pm

Re: This is the Title Part 3

Post: # 3176Post drib »

The ones that we know about, that reincarnated as a new user, did not piss them off as much as drib. Have you ever seen a banned user where they deleted 1600+ posts? Even iamheisenberg still has his posts, and he suggested that he was going on the Crystal sex cruise with his mother. (He said she was fit.)

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/profile ... eisenberg/

Not everyone has a dedicated IP address. Some are shared, some are reallocated from time to time by their ISP, and some use a VPN where it's like a box of chocolates. The moderator can see what IP a person used on each post, and what that member has used before - I can do that on drib critic, which is not all that sophisticated. I won't post your IPs here, Fezzik, but I can see that you've used ten different ones. So my guess is you use a VPN service.

I did notice that on Cruise Fucking Critic, a member can see which devices they used when logged in (by mac address) and a general location. I don't know if the moderators can see that too. The Google does that too in case someone else is spoofing you.

Some idiot may have already exposed one of my new identities on Cruise Fucking Critic by making a thinly veiled reference to my clock ticking. I actually went one step farther, though, and I posted on a thread where two of the hosts that participated in my banning had posted.

User avatar
drib
dribnut
dribnut
Posts: 1592
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 4:03 pm

Re: This is the Title Part 3

Post: # 3177Post drib »

bitsnerd was the user I referenced above, and he's already been banned. bitsnerd, by the way, was an anagram.

So I created four more user names for the future, to add to my existing stock. They will be flying under the radar, though, until I need them.

The next time I pull a Thelma and Louise, I will have an army of user names, and I will keep posting - maybe about Keith1010 being a secret moderator - all day long until my army is gone. It will be like playing Risk.

And then I will create a new army.

User avatar
fezzik
greenlandic garden weasel
greenlandic garden weasel
Posts: 1000030
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2020 5:52 am

Re: This is the Title Part 3

Post: # 3178Post fezzik »

So just because some clueless asshole made a joke warning a new user about the possibility of getting banned, the Gestapo read that post and said, “aha! This new user must be drib!”

In defense of the poor dullard who did this, was he really supposed to suspect that the storm troopers read each and every f-ing post, even on the f-ing Test Forum, searching for possible sinners and their enablers? And even if they did, that they would be able to sniff out that this was drib? Do you think that they greet each and every new user as a potential scoundrel and monitor their activity until they are deemed to be clean? Or at least deemed to be not-drib? I imagine that the bumpkin that made this reference never dreamed of such a thing. Only guessing.

Of course I use a VPN, what do you take me for, an amateur? But I have to disable my VPN in order to access this fakakta message board since I can’t access it with VPN enabled. I am able to access Cruise F-ing Critic with my VPN enabled.

Is it your intention to ever return to CC as an actual user, or do you just intend to make busting their chops your life’s work?

User avatar
drib
dribnut
dribnut
Posts: 1592
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 4:03 pm

Re: This is the Title Part 3

Post: # 3179Post drib »

Fezzik displaying a command of Greenlandic Yiddish (GY) in addition to correctly assessing the current situation!

User avatar
fezzik
greenlandic garden weasel
greenlandic garden weasel
Posts: 1000030
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2020 5:52 am

Re: This is the Title Part 3

Post: # 3181Post fezzik »

drib wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:03 am Fezzik displaying a command of Greenlandic Yiddish (GY) in addition to correctly assessing the current situation!
To the CFC host that banned you, I say:
Shteyner zol zi hobn, nit kayn kinder.

User avatar
drib
dribnut
dribnut
Posts: 1592
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 4:03 pm

Re: This is the Title Part 3

Post: # 3182Post drib »


User avatar
drib
dribnut
dribnut
Posts: 1592
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 4:03 pm

Re: This is the Title Part 3

Post: # 3186Post drib »

Today, I noticed that the Endeavor itinerary, referenced below, had fare decreases of about 6% on an S2.


drib wrote: Fri Aug 13, 2021 10:46 pm Crystal Endeavor Makes its US Debut with New October 2021 Voyage from Miami
drib wrote:It's not just that this new Caribbean Endeavor itinerary is more expensive than a Caribbean Serenity itinerary. This new Caribbean Endeavor itinerary is more expensive per day than an Antarctica Endeavor itinerary!

For Endeavor, I start with Cat S2 because S1 and S2 are 68% of the ship. (There's only one S7 cabin so it's bogus to even advertise that as an entry fare for Endeavor.) This new itinerary is $1,833 per day for an S2. The first Antarctica itinerary, November 18, is only $1,532 per day for an S2.

I'm sure there are some advantages to sailing on an expedition ship in the Caribbean - I can't think of any, but I'm sure there are - but that per day is exorbitant no matter how you look at it.

======

Also of note, there is one 16 day gap before the new itinerary, and one 15 day gap after. So be on the lookout for Crystal to fill in those gaps.
keith1010 wrote:Interesting comments.

I just want to remind everyone that some people say the same thing about taking a cruise on Symphony or Serenity because they normally spend less when the sail say Viking or Princess or whatever.

Yes it is a different experience sailing Symphony and Serenity versus say Viking or Princess.

Same goes for Endeavor. Yes, there is certainly several things in common because after all it is the Crystal product but there are many differences since it is an expedition ship and let's not forget it is a new ship. For many years the pricing on Serenity was considerably more than Symphony as it was considered new.

Some of the difference include more public space for guests, more space in the suites, a much higher ratio of crew (including expedition) members to guests, many excursions included, and a vessel carrying not more than 200 guests. There are other differences rated to size and ratio of crew to guests which you will see in the quality of the meals (same ingredients mainly but cooking for less makes a difference).

For some this will provide a possible opportunity to try out Endeavor without long flights as the vast majority of Endeavor Itineraries for the moment involve long flights for those in the USA/Canada/Mexico. I know things could change but in 2022 there are a few itineraries such as the Montreal to West Palm Beach one which I believe is 14 days and I think some Alaska ones which are closer for those in North America but I believe for now there are no itineraries like these for Endeavor in 2023.

Anyway, it's not for everyone and the price per diem is certainly higher compared to ocean but remember even within a ship such as Serenity and Symphony the price is certainly higher for those in a CP, PS, PH, Seabreeze Categories compare to various of the standard rooms yet you are on the same sailing and most things are the same.

I suspect the itinerary will indeed appeal to many who would like to try it and being closer to home will matter.

Keith
Hey, who was the asshole that like that post?

drib wrote:The average fare for an S2, West Palm Beach to Panama City, is $978 per day.

So this new itinerary strikes me as price gouging, taking advantage of the fact that cruisers are so frustrated by the pandemic that they may pay these preposterous fares.

They are creating new itineraries by the seat of their pants - I should probably applaud them for being so proactive - but maybe there is a kind of irrational exuberance, made from haste. Maybe this itinerary is priced in error. That's the only explanation I can think of as to why a Caribbean itinerary is more than an Antarctic itinerary.

In any event, for anyone really wanting to board this new ship, with an eye on their wallet, there are actually 16 existing itineraries where an S2 would cost you between $900 and $1100 per day.
drib wrote:Here's another way to look at how absurd the fares on this new itinerary are, for you bean counters out there ....

Suppose they succeed in putting 2 fannies in every cabin on board, that amounts to $3,513,800 in gross revenue. Compare that to a typical Antarctica cruise where 11 days is around $4 million gross revenue - divided by 11, times 9 (days in the overpriced cruise), that's around 3.3 million. How much more difficult is it, you suppose, to sail and provision from Ushuaia? Ridiculous, or possibly, Riduckulous.
Actually, the meaning of Riduckulous is misplaced above.
keith1010 wrote:People will determine if it is price gouging. If the price is way too high and they don't sell it then everyone loses.

I don't see the pricing as taking advantage of anything. I don't see any arm twisting to book. If it is outlandish no one would book it. This is when I'll say time will tell and if prices too high and sales not going well they will be adjusted downward which is not the first time that has happened but if they sell then prices will stay the same.

Right now I can't see how they are making money on Serenity and Symphony and that is an unsustainable model.

Anyway like most things this is not for everyone but hopefully for those who want to try out Endeavor and are willing to pay more money it offers an opportunity.

Speaking of price gauging many months ago I booked a Hotel in Hawaii for October. I checked the pricing a few months ago and the price doubled. And the starting price was not cheap as this is a village at a Hotel. I went to book a rental car with another company given the issues with rental cars so I wanted a backup and the price was close to double. In Nassau, I booked early and the prices for flights went up significantly if you tried to book the same flights a month later and the same goes for the hotels.

So I would call it supply and demand and in this case the haven't seen the demand yet but they will get to see what the demand is in the coming weeks.

Finally, for many people the ease of the itinerary is a factor and in this time of COVID-19 something easy is better for most with things changing by the minute and for many the price of flying will likely be better on this itinerary than on others where a much longer flight is needed. In fact, for some they might not have a drive on one half the itinerary.

And there is probably more certainty about this itinerary not changing than some of the others. It might not have been on your list but I know people either booked on the Antarctica itinerary or considering it and they would love to do it but the unknown is where it will be leaving from and I suspect even now this is not certain.

Like most things we are all adults and we all will make the choice which works for us.

I've been on this board for years and I remember very well when there were three ships (Harmony, Symphony and Serenity) some saying they would not consider Serenity because of its pricing when they could sail the same itinerary for less money choosing Harmony or Symphony.

And finally, I wouldn't call it creating them by the seat of their pants as often they are working on them for much longer than one thinks but have to work out the details. But in this world of COVID-19 for the cruise lines too choices; revise itineraries or shut it down. Even though it looks at times to be crazy with changes I vote for the former and not the latter because you can only shut down so many times.

Keith
Hey, who was the asshole (or very sardonic person) that laughed there?
drib wrote: [responding to Keith's paragraph starting speaking of] Keith, you are practically making my case for me.

Even in supply and demand situations, gouging is generally frowned upon.

Maybe saminina is on to something ... maybe there's some kind of tie-in with Foxy's that we don't know about.
keith1010 wrote:I did some thinking of this today and the experience on this ship is highly unique and thus the much higher price than an Ocean Vessel?

Why because you get the combined experience of a luxurious vessel combined with a high end expedition experience. In short, it is two experience wrapped into one.

This is why the price is much different than booking an Ocean Vessel doing a similar itinerary because the experience will be quite a lot different.

It is not for everyone both in terms of not only the affordability but in terms of enjoying the expedition experience. Some people who can afford this experience would not be able or interested in doing some of the expedition activities which are offered while others who would enjoy the expedition activities sailing on a vessel as luxurious as Endeavor would not be in their budget.

This is no different than many things in life in the air, on land or in the sea.

It's not for everyone but nothing is and it doesn't have to be. In time and without COVID hanging over most things it can be very successful as there are few products out there IMHO which compare to it.

I haven't analyzed the per diems. I did take a quick look at the total price for two in the category we are sailing now and on other voyages we have booked and while not the lowest it is not the highest either.

What I can say is the experience is truly amazing. Is it worth the cost? Well that is a personal opinion and please remember that some people we all know question why any of us would spend the money to sail on Crystal or any of the luxury lines where you could spend much less to sail on a mainstream line and see many of the same places. As many of us know there is a difference but not everyone see it that way nor thinks it is worth it.

So it goes.
drib wrote:I never compared Endeavor to Crystal's ocean ships. What I compared was Endeavor to itself, an outrageously-priced Caribbean itinerary to an Antarctica itinerary , which I believe is priced in line with other Antarctica expedition cruises. I will stipulate that Endeavor is a beautiful, luxurious, expedition ship, albeit one where you can't order a chicken salad sandwich, hold the chicken, from room service whenever you want.

I greatly enjoyed Catlover54's account, both words and photographs, of her recent Endeavor cruise. And that's from me, a well-known cat hater. (Cats!) It's probably not the experience I would look for in a cruise simply because there are so many luxuries that I would miss from an ocean ship - including the much older Crystal ocean ships. But I'm sure Endeavor will be at the top of its class ... once they finish building it.

Now, let's get back to this:

12 hours ago, drib said:
They are creating new itineraries by the seat of their pants - I should probably applaud them for being so proactive - but maybe there is a kind of irrational exuberance, made from haste. Maybe this itinerary is priced in error. That's the only explanation I can think of as to why a Caribbean itinerary is more than an Antarctic itinerary.

I stand by that statement.

Let's see ... Crystal tried restarting their cruise business with round-trip itineraries from Antigua. That didn't work out. And then - the sequence is hard to remember, so just jump and correct me when I have it wrong - they tried sailing out of Nassau instead. And then Bimini, in addition to. And then Miami, putting on a brave face for the unvaccinated? So it became like a three ring circus - except the rings, instead of being side-by-side, were more like a Venn diagram, overlapping with embarkations and debarkations every other day! And then, in Bimini, bobbety-boo, their parent company resort tried to charge Crystal passengers for the use of their property. How is that not a detail that they work out in advance?

Okay, so then they are Bermuda itineraries, from both Beantown and New York City. And the ship has to dock at King's Wharf, which has scant-little charm, instead of Hamilton, which allows for beautiful sail-ins, sail-outs, is in the center of everything, and has oodles of charm. Sure, you can spend several hours of your vacation going back and forth from King's Wharf to Hamilton - by ferry or bus because it's not safe to walk Bermuda's narrow roads - I tried! But if you spent all your time getting to where all that charm is, in Hamilton, then you've wasted your {pause} shot. {pause} {rimshot}

Meanwhile, back in the North Atlantic, Endeavor has to scramble to get to Lisbon because they can't sail to Tromso, Norway. And kudos to Crystal for figuring this part out - those ports in Scotland are worthy replacements. They get to the one itinerary to Lisbon intact, but then we still don't know how they get from Lisbon to Miami in time for the bank-busting Caribbean cruise to San Juan. That's 16 days. Will there be passengers anywhere to Miami? And if so, isn't that the Endeavor US debut? And following San Juan, that's 15 days to Ushuaia. I'd sure want to know how they intend to do that if I was booked on one of the (now relatively inexpensive) Antarctica cruises.

There are still web pages for Serenity for the 2022 World Cruise. Why are those still up? Are they still selling those hoping for a miracle? And Symphony has the converse problem - it took down the web pages that Crystal has no intention of sailing, and in its place is what? (That was rhetorical - the answer is a 141 day gap from New York City to Athens.

Now, if that's not planning by the seat of your pants, then what is?

I'll end this long rant on a positive note. I really do think it's admirable that Crystal is being so proactive - I've faulted them in the past for not being that way. And another good thing: they're wearing pants.

======

I'm a bourbon man, KenzSailings - make that an Old Fashioned, and serve it in a dirty glass.
keith1010 wrote:Although we have a spike in Covid-19 cases so we are far from normal this thread is taking me back to the days before Covid-19 hit so I guess at least on this board we are back to normal.

In the end demand for the product at the price it is being sold at will help to drive the pricing. I believe this is called Capitalism.

Is the Four Seasons prices in Nassau worth it where a room there is a few times the price of one even at Baha Mar and where I saw the price literally double with two months for the same date????? For me it was not, but obviously for others it was.

Anyway glad to see with each passing day there is more and more normalcy here including although at times we would be better off without the sarcasm.

Oh well. This is what makes the world go around.

Keith

User avatar
drib
dribnut
dribnut
Posts: 1592
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 4:03 pm

Crystal Casual?

Post: # 3196Post drib »

Keith1010 wrote:
Mapu wrote:New to Crystal sailing on a four day Bahama cruise. The address code for the evenings is Crystal Casual. Is that any different from Country Club casual? Please define.
In actuality it is likely the same but best to read post number 2 which gives examples of what is recommended.

I say this because years ago when business casual started everyone had a different interpretation of that so when we rolled it out we found examples were the way to go.
Eight_Paws wrote:Keith, do you work for/with Crystal?
Two cats. Yuck!
Keith1010 wrote:I am just a guest who loves sailing Crystal. And retired too from a different industry.
Keith made the same mistake as the Dude, in the Big Lebowski, when he answered the kidnappers phone call in the car.


No funny stuff.

User avatar
fezzik
greenlandic garden weasel
greenlandic garden weasel
Posts: 1000030
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2020 5:52 am

Re: This is the Title Part 3

Post: # 3197Post fezzik »

I say this because years ago when Ebusiness casual started everyone had a different interpretation of that so when we rolled it out We found examples were the way to go.
You may be taking too narrow a view of the use of the word "we".
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nosism

Here is a real world example-
Let's say someone was inquiring about this forum, and I said something like,
Here at Drib Fucking Critic, WE allow any asshole to post any bullshit they would like without fear of being censored"*, should I be called out for the usage of "we", as in, "I consider myself a member of the DFC family", even though I am a lowly user and not a member of the ruling class?

*although we do reserve the right to capriciously change a user's identity when we see that we are losing an argument.

User avatar
drib
dribnut
dribnut
Posts: 1592
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 4:03 pm

We are not amused

Post: # 3198Post drib »

Find me just one other post where he used "We" to mean Crystal and I or me.

As I write, you have a sampling of 110,118 posts. (110,119-1)

User avatar
fezzik
greenlandic garden weasel
greenlandic garden weasel
Posts: 1000030
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2020 5:52 am

Re: We are not amused

Post: # 3199Post fezzik »

drib wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 11:17 am Find me just one other post where he used "We" to mean Crystal and I or me.

As I write, you have a sampling of 110,118 posts. (110,119-1)
We do not have the foggiest idea as to what the F you are talking about.

User avatar
drib
dribnut
dribnut
Posts: 1592
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 4:03 pm

9/24 Symphony NYC-Bermuda - Initial Random Thoughts

Post: # 3206Post drib »

If this is removed, I think it will be for hijacking a thread, rather than "Crystal could give a crap."
-Smiling_Cruiser wrote:UPDATE:

After trying to contact and work with Crystal's Guest Relations with our issues and our complaint was "well received" and "escalated", the final outcome after all this ... <drumroll please>... was a BIG NOTHING from Crystal!!!

Essentially, the fantastic & sympathetic onboard crew member refunded whatever they could, namely our room upgrade that we purchased on Day 1, but Guest Relations after the fact was a giant JOKE and complete waste of time.

Yes, we have travel insurance but the principle of the matter was it was the error of miscommunication of the local Crystal representative that led us to book a flight back to NY and miss the remainder of our cruise. Therefore, on principle, Crystal should refund the prorated amount of our unused cruise days. NOPE ... nothing. After the results, I wrote back to request they reconsider and do the right thing ... Ha! Never even a final response of "Sorry, no change" or any acknowledgement. And that is Crystal's Guest Relations.

MORAL of the STORY: 1) Crystal could give a crap once you are off the boat or it cuts remotely into their costs. They won't do the right thing ... and 2) Get good TRAVEL INSURANCE! bcs in the end, you gotta take care of yourself ... nobody else will.
Cruise-y wrote:I think Smiling_Cruser acknowledged the risks associated with Covid travel and the associated purchase of travel insurance. The issue, I think, is that they were led to believe they were facing 2 weeks isolated in a hotel room so chose to fly home instead. Had they known they could return to the ship they would have waited it out.
-Smiling_Cruiser wrote:EXACTLY!!! Our decision was based on the information given to us by the Crystal representative and when an employee makes a mistake, it is not uncommon to expect a good company to rectify that error or make a good faith effort towards acknowledging the error ... but as I said ZERO. No offers of credit towards another cruise or even a coupon towards any future cruise. Not even a final reply email to say "our final answer stands". LOL!

{blah, blah, blah}

For the record, I still would cruise with Crystal. In fact, I have another cruise scheduled over Thanksgiving. The fantastic crew members & awesome food during our very truncated cruise was wonderful. I can separate the crew members easily from the useless Guest Relations. 😝😝😝

I am not going to cut off my nose to spite my face ...

User avatar
drib
dribnut
dribnut
Posts: 1592
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 4:03 pm

BEWARE of Crystal

Post: # 3209Post drib »

Punkys dilemma wrote:I'm not sure the reviews I read here are unbiased.

You know which ones I mistrust the most? It's the ones that try to sound unbiased by raising some trivial issue where the cruise line failed just so that they would sound unbiased. And then I just read an otherwise good review, where the reviwer said "Crystal doesn't give a c..." but further along said they would cruise Crystal again.

And then there's all the refund issues. I thought they would be done with that, but I just read two more today.

Hence, my dilemma!

I want to complement Cruise Critic for allowing both sides. But that means that sometimes we get too much information. I kind of wish they would cut out the c...

Thank you Keith1010 for taking the time to respond.
FlyerTalker wrote:Pretty hard to find any kind of "unbiased" review on travel options. Everyone comes in with their own set of priorities and expectations. Best we can do is to try to explain upfront what each of us views as the most important considerations. For example, if you view stateroom size as a critical consideration, then the standard staterooms on Crystal are small compared to what you will find as standard on Silversea or Regent. If you value enrichment, then Crystal really shines. So readers need to somehow have a yardstick to decipher review comments.

One note for you....I don't think I have ever seen Boysenberry Jam on Crystal. (I know you are a fan).

I often get questions about what's the best cruise line. What's the best airline. Best hotel chain. And the like. And I almost always say "well, what's your priority? What do you need the most?" And that helps to define the parameters of the discussion.

I will state upfront - Crystal is my preferred cruiseline. Is it my only choice - no. I also enjoy sailing on Regent, Silversea and Seabourn, when those options are the best choice for my particular wants at the time. I have also ventured into Viking Ocean, and am impressed with some of their product choices. Does Crystal have some flaws and drawbacks - yep. Are they tolerable - IMO, quite manageable.

So...I suggest you just pose the questions about your concerns. You'll find the folks that will give it to you straight and those who will sugar coat and brag about the unicorns. And you'll find that on any public forum.

Final thought -- I think that if you go into a Crystal cruise with eyes open and with good knowledge of what you will find (and not find), you will not be disappointed. Especially at current price points, it's a great time to try this line
Ata wrote:What are your concerns?

What do you find important for a cruise?

For me Crystal shines on the issues important to me. Food. Entertainment. Enrichment. And probably the best staff on the 7 seas.
BWIVince wrote:I don’t understand, how is CC supposed to censor some people and not others, and what is the criteria?

No one is unbiased, we all bring our own biases to our writings, and I think the reviews that I can relate to the most are the ones whose perspectives I share the closest…. BUT that just means I connect to them closer, that doesn’t mean that other members don’t share that connection with other posters, or that their posts are any less valid than the ones I connect with more.

It takes that variety to build a wealth of information.

Vince
barryboatman wrote:I don't think Punky said that CC should censor their members. To me, that statement reads like a compliment, that CC does not censor - well, not a lot. But as Punky also noted, the consequence of CC not intervening, for example on the subject of this topic, is that we have to take the time to figure that out ourselves. The subject here really needs to be changed. And also the newer topic with the subject "Caution," even though that is obviously meant to be humorous.

I have no idea what Punky considers "c..." That was a reference to some other topic, fraught with contradictions of its own.

I also think it's insensitive to beat up on a newbie, which happens on this forum all the time. That's not directed at BWIVince necessarily, but at this thing where members are peppered with questions, as if they were a witness in a trial.
audrey iii wrote:Did you consider that perhaps you're the one being a condescending a.. right now?
barryboatman certainly looks like an a..
SusieQft wrote:@Host Dan, I would respectfully request that you close this thread to any additional replies. The OP's original concern has been resolved by Crystal to his satisfaction, and now all the posts on this thread are from people who feel that the name of the thread is misleading. (With which I agree.)

Each reply to this thread just inflames the issue further, and IMO is really non-productive. All the replies do is bump the thread back up to the top of the list. If additional replies were blocked, that would not happen and it would go back down the list into history where it would not be so noticeable.

I have been waiting for a new post to pop it to the top again before I made this post so that I would not be contributing to the problem, and I did not have to wait very long.
Cruise-y wrote:For anyone coming to this board to make decisions about a cruise line, there are several things you need to consider.

1) A minimal amount of cruisers post on Cruise Critic. You are getting a very small sampling of actual cruisers here.

2) Like any brand-specific board (and this one is no different), most of the board posters are very loyal to the cruise line. They sail multiple, multiple times a year, regardless of itinerary, and would never say anything bad even if they were at the bottom of the ocean in a sunken ship. They'll even tell you how you should re-word your postings to be more positive.

3) Disgruntled customers come here to vent. Maybe they are upset about something, maybe they are just trying to combat all the apologists out of spite, but they, too, are a very small minority.

4) Travel Agency reps are a big part of any brand-specific board.

With all that said, I can say (and this is only my opinion) that Crystal is my brand of choice. It has smaller rooms but better food and better onboard entertainment and enrichment. The ships are older, but classy, and I like being able to exercise on the promenade deck.

I hope this is helpful, because I know a lot of lurkers are just trying to make research decisions.
freddyflounder wrote:I agree with SusieQft but this has mostly to do with that I like her name.

And if this topic is to be closed, I would appreciate if mine was the last post.

Baseball season is over and silly season has begun.

Thank you.
Cruise-y wrote:Absolutely! Dan! Let’s censor all with which we don’t agree.
freddyflounder wrote:If you're going to quote me, please get my name right.

It's flounder; freddyflounder.
Cruise-y wrote:Dan is the host. SuzieQft asked him to delete the posts and you agreed.
freddyflounder wrote:And leafy, green vegetable are good for you, but I'm not buying those either.
And, as expected, it's all gone now. Dunno if freddyflounder got the last word or not.

User avatar
drib
dribnut
dribnut
Posts: 1592
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 4:03 pm

Crystal Endeavor Makes its US Debut with New October 2021 Voyage from Miami

Post: # 3210Post drib »

This was one of the hot threads that CFC drib was working on before he self-destructed. None of his posts remain, but a lot of posts where others quoted drib are still there. If you want full context, you just have to go back to here:

viewtopic.php?p=3186#p3186
martiniking wrote:I was curious to know if anyone here either sailed on the US debut, or knows anyone who did. It looked pretty available based on drib's site, but there would be no way to know how many passengers actually did sail. I don't suppose there are other sites that keep track of cabins sold?
naplessailor wrote:I was on the Endeavor sailing from Miami. There were 40 passengers on that trip. The ship was quite empty but the ship was phenomenal and even though it is not built for Southern weather the expedition team and crew did a wonderful job. There was snorkeling, zodiac cruises, and kayaking in every port. And the stop in Saba was excellent. A truly unspoiled port as it does not have the infrastructure to accommodate any ships larger than the Endeavor.
barryboatman wrote:Very interesting, and I'm glad you had such a fabulous time.

I found two future opportunities to stop at Saba, but both of those were Regent.

This was the span over Halloween right? Did they do anything special or was it spooky enough being only 20% full?

My last question might be a tad rude, so if you don't respond, or if you press the "don't like" button, then good for you! But do you have any idea if your fellow passengers on this itinerary were paying guests? And then also, did the September decrease in fare, $1000 in all categories, make a difference?
That is rude. Barry is skirting around calling naplessailor an idiot for paying over $1500 per day for a Caribbean cruise.
naplessailor wrote:The only Halloween activity was a pumpkin carving contest for the crew and passengers were asked to vote for their favorite pumpkin. Never even heard which pumpkin won. Not a big event but the carved pumpkins were extremely creative and fun to look at.

The 40 were probably all paying guests although there were a few vendors on board working on some projects. Hard to tell if a few were guests of Crystal. I never heard anyone talk about the cruise fare so I have no idea if the price incentives increased overall passenger counts. I think this itinerary was designed to entice people (like myself) to try out the ship while it was sailing close to home. However, while I live in Florida, most of the guests I met were from the Midwest or West Coast so maybe my thoughts are incorrect.
martiniking wrote:@naplessailor, thank you!

@drib, miss you!
I don't know how to make those @ links either.
nicemarmot wrote:His website is still there, but it lacks any of the old enthusiasm.
Fuck you, nicemarmot!

Stickman gave a like. I suspect there are others who still use Fare Compare, but are afraid to even give drib a like.

Let's see if all these new posts make it until tomorrow. or will some douchebag go whining to the moderators again. However, I don't see any rules broken there, so maybe it will stay put and slowly fall off page one.
wrote:
wrote:

User avatar
bodogbodog
dribnut
dribnut
Posts: 57154
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 1:08 am
Location: Sydney

Re: This is the Title Part 3

Post: # 3211Post bodogbodog »

I resisted commenting on it on CC - although I don't think it breaks any CC rule to mention Drib - although we all know they make their moderation decisions on the fly and inconsistently
Email - bodogodog@gmail.com

Future Cruises - who knows if cruising ever resumes? But maybe they’ll include these ones
May 2022 - Silversea Silver Muse - Tokyo to Vancouver - 21 days - nope Japan was closed
Dec 2022 - RSSC Explorer - Singapore to Sydney
Feb 2023 - Silver Muse - Cairns to Singapore
September 2023 - RSSC Explorer - Vancouver to Tokyo
December 2023 - RSSC Explorer - Sydney to Auckland
Dec 2023 - Crystal Symphony - Auckland to Melbourne - 16 days - nope Crystal went belly up

User avatar
drib
dribnut
dribnut
Posts: 1592
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 4:03 pm

Re: This is the Title Part 3

Post: # 3212Post drib »

Anyway, thanks for the like, Bodog.

I have a suspicion that critic bird is ghosting me by suggesting that he is drib reincarnated, cleverly (NOT!) using the reverse spelling of drib.

I am not critic bird, and anyone suggesting that I am is a dirty rotten dread pirate!

User avatar
drib
dribnut
dribnut
Posts: 1592
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 4:03 pm

the funniest one sentence i ever read on cruise critic

Post: # 3214Post drib »

Keith1010: Did you all notice of late that we have all sorts of new posters on the board with funny member names as part of the name they are using (pig, horse, bird, gin.....etc.etc.) No a few years ago we got a stick on the board but it's been funny of late.

Any idea why? I find it funny though because someone puts down a pig and all of a sudden a pig shows up from nowhere.

======

There was a Muppet movie where Kermit and Miss Piggy are talking with Steve Martin. Miss Piggy exits, and Steve Martin deadpans "Cute pig."

======

Addendum to K1010s post about the pig suddenly showing up. Eight posts south nicemarmot, which is a Big Lebowski reference, posts a link to the TCM thread in the special interest cruising forum.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2 ... t=62153820

Note that clearly visible in the link is the OP of that thread, which is coincidentally HappyPig!

User avatar
bodogbodog
dribnut
dribnut
Posts: 57154
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 1:08 am
Location: Sydney

Re: This is the Title Part 3

Post: # 3215Post bodogbodog »

Seems to me there's mischief afoot

Lots of new profiles appearing and some quirky comments

Now who could that be?
Email - bodogodog@gmail.com

Future Cruises - who knows if cruising ever resumes? But maybe they’ll include these ones
May 2022 - Silversea Silver Muse - Tokyo to Vancouver - 21 days - nope Japan was closed
Dec 2022 - RSSC Explorer - Singapore to Sydney
Feb 2023 - Silver Muse - Cairns to Singapore
September 2023 - RSSC Explorer - Vancouver to Tokyo
December 2023 - RSSC Explorer - Sydney to Auckland
Dec 2023 - Crystal Symphony - Auckland to Melbourne - 16 days - nope Crystal went belly up

User avatar
drib
dribnut
dribnut
Posts: 1592
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 4:03 pm

Re: This is the Title Part 3

Post: # 3216Post drib »

bodogbodog wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 5:54 pm Seems to me there's mischief afoot

Lots of new profiles appearing and some quirky comments

Now who could that be?
I'm sure I don't know what you mean.

Were you "the stick?"

SuziQ
overlord
overlord
Posts: 41
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2018 2:05 am

Re: This is the Title Part 3

Post: # 3217Post SuziQ »

IMO the entire Crystal Forum of "that" site has turned into the Muppets ... 'Statler' & 'Waldorf' spring instantly to mind. Don't like change and don't like innovation! Familiar?

And so many other cashed up Bogans on there. I rarely go there these days. Got better things to do. Ciao baby.

Locked