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We have a
bit of news regarding this cruise that might be of interest to a few of our
readers. Long-time Crystal cruisers may be under the impression that
it is possible to book segments that differ from the published itinerary.
In other words, embark or disembark from a port other than what is offered
to the public. It may be theoretically possible since we were told on
board that it is, but trying to arrange it through the ridiculously inept
Los Angeles office is another story entirely. Here is our story
of just such an attempt.
Six months prior to the beginning of this cruise,
we decided that it might be simpler to book an extra four days onto this
segment to end up in Japan rather than flying from Hong Kong with piles of
luggage. Sounds simple enough, especially since the following cruise
is far from sold out and was already offering several promotional discounts.
We instructed our travel agent to find out if we could purchase the extra
days so we could finally disembark in either Kobe or Hiroshima (didn't
matter to us which one). The first offer from Crystal was to book us
on the Serenity from Hong Kong to Yokohama for the full cruise and at a fare
so outlandish that we wouldn't even consider it. So, back to the
drawing board to reiterate that we want to stay on board the Symphony
for four extra days, we're willing to change staterooms, if necessary, etc.
Our travel agent manages to get in touch with someone at Crystal who appears
at first glance to know what we're talking about, but he still has to get
"permission" from someone else to allow us to stay on board. No
problem, we think.
After waiting a week or so, we received a response that
they will "allow" us to disembark in either Kobe or Hiroshima, but we have
to pay the full fare (over $20,000) for those four days. The entire
17-day crossing in a penthouse was less than that! However, they will
let us stay in the same room. Gee thanks for doing us a favor...not.
Oh, they did offer to deduct $500 from the published fare because we
wouldn't be taking the Beijing overland portion of the cruise.
Needless to say, we're not quite there yet!
While we certainly do understand that this is a special request, we
wouldn't even be asking if it hadn't been presented to us as an alternative
in the first place. Plus, we know other guests who have done this, so
it isn't as though we invented the idea. Who in their right mind would
pay the full fare for a 14-day cruise and get off after four days? If
Crystal doesn't want to offer this anymore, "just say no." To come
back with an outrageous fare instead is really shortsighted especially with
a less than full cruise. Isn't a paid up four days better than a
totally unsold penthouse? We'd certainly be willing to pay some sort
of fee for their trouble. Oh well, back to the drawing board.
We didn't have to wait long for the next official response to our request,
which is that we have to pay the full fare. Needless to say, that's
not going to happen, so we've dropped that idea completely. This
development also played a part in our decision to cancel our cruise on the
Serenity from Yokohama to Los Angeles (not to mention the outrageous price).
We will likely replace it later in the year with something else on a
different cruise line.
That said, we anticipate that our next cruise will
be with Silversea, so stay tuned. Our simple request for information
from them resulted in a personal response from the office and several
follow-up emails to be sure we got what we needed. This is in stark
contrast to our never receiving as much as an acknowledgement from Crystal's
office on the few occasions we have asked for anything. We're still
stunned by the recommendations on several cruise forums to contact Crystal's
office to ask questions. Good luck! Unless you know someone
personally (which thankfully we now do), you'll be lucky if they even answer
the phone. Thank goodness the service on board the ships is so
flawless or they'd really be in trouble.
Spectacular natural surroundings combined with the vitality of a creative
and artistic community make Los Angeles one-of-a-kind. Sunshine, majestic
palm trees and the sandy beaches of the Pacific share the spotlight with
L.A.'s glamorous movie industry and its world-famous celebrities.
Formally founded in 1781, it is now one of the world's largest metropolitan
centers. Although there will not be any shore excursions offered in Los
Angeles due to our limited time in port, you may contact our onboard Shore
Excursion staff for helpful hints or suggestions on things to do while you
are ashore.
"Aloha" and welcome to Oahu, Hawaii's great "gathering
place." Asian- and American-influenced cultures combine to create a lifestyle
where the tropical tempos of Polynesia prevail and the aloha spirit pervades
every aspect of the culture.
Honolulu and Oahu are the center of island life and boast sandy beaches,
endearing smiles and exotic tropical flowers. Nearby, elegant resorts and
towering high-rises line the gentle curve of Waikiki Beach. In the distance,
majestic Diamond Head Crater lies on the horizon beyond your Crystal ship.
The choices are many. Relive the historic events of Pearl Harbor, explore
tropical rainforests or witness the creation of island culinary magic.
Shore Excursions in Honolulu,
Hawaii
HON-C
$146
Evening Honolulu Instroduction & Home of the Brave Museum
Visit
