Crystal Ski

Have to say, I'm pretty happy with them.
" cupra" wrote in message
...
Sue wrote:
In message , Rob White
writes
Mind you it could be worse. We had a week with 1st Choice and the
food was so poor that one night comprised chicken drummers, followed
by 2 scoops of ice cream. AND the wine was so poor that everybody in
our group (40+) bought their own, only to be asked for 5e corkage!!
Three guesses as to where they were told to stick the corks!


We had a good week with Crystal a few years ago.
There was transfer chaos on the way out, but Crystal didn't contribute
to it.
I'd rate Total Ski lower.

Really? I've got nothing but praise for them (travelled with them 4
times).

Glad to hear it, we're going to Soll with Total the weekend after next.
I'll post any moans and a snow report when I get back.

Rob
"ash" wrote in message
...
Have to say, I'm pretty happy with them.
" cupra" wrote in message
...
Sue wrote:
In message , Rob White
writes
Mind you it could be worse. We had a week with 1st Choice and the
food was so poor that one night comprised chicken drummers, followed
by 2 scoops of ice cream. AND the wine was so poor that everybody in
our group (40+) bought their own, only to be asked for 5e corkage!!
Three guesses as to where they were told to stick the corks!


We had a good week with Crystal a few years ago.
There was transfer chaos on the way out, but Crystal didn't contribute
to it.
I'd rate Total Ski lower.

Really? I've got nothing but praise for them (travelled with them 4
times).

"robert jones" wrote in message
...


Crystal are dreadful. Never met anyone who worked for them who says
otherwise. Not that I'm bitter about the two holidays of mine that they
screwed up before I wised up and went elsewhere!

All these companies are no better than the staff they hire which has to be a
bit of a hit and miss affair.
Of course they can make matters worse if they give worse conditions than the
others (I don't know) or give them a smaller budget (again - I can't say).

I've only been once with them to Le Totem in Flaine for the second week of
the season and was amazed that despite running the place for years they had
transferred none of their experience from one season to the next - they were
learning everything the hard way and at our expense (mainly they seemed to
have no idea when guests would show up for dinner or breakfast and there was
resulting delay and chaos plus they never made enough 4 O'Clock cake) . I
don't think I will go catered in early season again with anyone but
certainly not Crystal.

Contraiwise I went to Courchevel at the end of the season with THomson (I
think) and despite the fact that we had a competition to spot the latest
staff injury every morning at breakfast they always did well for us -
probably because it had all become automatic by then.

Rob White wrote:
Glad to hear it, we're going to Soll with Total the weekend after
next. I'll post any moans and a snow report when I get back.

Rob

As I say, I've used them a few times and have had few complaints.

To contrast - last year in Sauze we travelled with Panorama and two of the
reps did a bunk mid week causing a great deal of chaos with booked
activities being messed up etc... This year our Total chalet cook and rep
did a bunk 4hrs before dinner was due without informing anyone (we saw them
leaving). Once on the case, the resort manager got into gear and had our
meal served only one hour late - good response IMO!

I also went to the Totem with Crystal and the breakfasts for the first few
days were a fiasco but then got it sorted.
The evening meals ,though, were among the best food I have ever had on a
skiing holiday and overall was very happy with the place. Yes, there was
rarely enough afternoon cake to go around but that was more to do with the
greedy brits who seem totally ignorant of the fact that there were other
people than themselves staying there(why shouldn't I have 5 pieces for
myself attitude).
"Nick Hounsome" wrote in message
. uk...

"robert jones" wrote in message
...


Crystal are dreadful. Never met anyone who worked for them who says
otherwise. Not that I'm bitter about the two holidays of mine that they
screwed up before I wised up and went elsewhere!

All these companies are no better than the staff they hire which has to be
a bit of a hit and miss affair.
Of course they can make matters worse if they give worse conditions than
the others (I don't know) or give them a smaller budget (again - I can't
say).

I've only been once with them to Le Totem in Flaine for the second week of
the season and was amazed that despite running the place for years they
had transferred none of their experience from one season to the next -
they were learning everything the hard way and at our expense (mainly they
seemed to have no idea when guests would show up for dinner or breakfast
and there was resulting delay and chaos plus they never made enough 4
O'Clock cake) . I don't think I will go catered in early season again with
anyone but certainly not Crystal.

Contraiwise I went to Courchevel at the end of the season with THomson (I
think) and despite the fact that we had a competition to spot the latest
staff injury every morning at breakfast they always did well for us -
probably because it had all become automatic by then.

In message , cupra
writes

To contrast - last year in Sauze we travelled with Panorama and two of the
reps did a bunk mid week causing a great deal of chaos with booked
activities being messed up etc... This year our Total chalet cook and rep
did a bunk 4hrs before dinner was due without informing anyone (we saw them
leaving). Once on the case, the resort manager got into gear and had our
meal served only one hour late - good response IMO!


I can't top that, but a friend was in Val d'I with a tour operator whose
staff took a trip to La Plagne on their day off.
The staff skied, they apres-skied, they became drunk.

They decided to continue drinking in the next Plagne down the valley.
They didn't want to wait for the bus, they were too drunk to walk, so
they took a large sheet of padding off a lift pylon and sledged down.
On arrival they found that immediately in front of them were the plate
glass windows of a large shop.
Unable to stop, and too drunk to think of rolling off their improvised
sledge, all of them went through the plate glass window and eventually
to hospital with severe lacerations.
My friend heard this next morning from the only survivor, who hadn't
been on the sledge because she was actually too drunk to reach it as it
set off.

The service was very thin on the ground for the rest of the week.

--
Sue ];(

Sue wrote:
In message , cupra
writes

To contrast - last year in Sauze we travelled with Panorama and two
of the reps did a bunk mid week causing a great deal of chaos with
booked activities being messed up etc... This year our Total chalet
cook and rep did a bunk 4hrs before dinner was due without informing
anyone (we saw them leaving). Once on the case, the resort manager
got into gear and had our meal served only one hour late - good
response IMO!


I can't top that, but a friend was in Val d'I with a tour operator
whose staff took a trip to La Plagne on their day off.
The staff skied, they apres-skied, they became drunk.

They decided to continue drinking in the next Plagne down the valley.
They didn't want to wait for the bus, they were too drunk to walk, so
they took a large sheet of padding off a lift pylon and sledged down.
On arrival they found that immediately in front of them were the plate
glass windows of a large shop.
Unable to stop, and too drunk to think of rolling off their improvised
sledge, all of them went through the plate glass window and eventually
to hospital with severe lacerations.
My friend heard this next morning from the only survivor, who hadn't
been on the sledge because she was actually too drunk to reach it as
it set off.

The service was very thin on the ground for the rest of the week.

That reminds me of the rep in St Anton - I think, from memory, she used her
snowboard as a sledge and hurt herself quite badly by going over a drop off
onto a road.

"ash" wrote in message
...
I also went to the Totem with Crystal and the breakfasts for the first few
days were a fiasco but then got it sorted.
The evening meals ,though, were among the best food I have ever had on a
skiing holiday and overall was very happy with the place. Yes, there was
rarely enough afternoon cake to go around but that was more to do with the
greedy brits who seem totally ignorant of the fact that there were other
people than themselves staying there(why shouldn't I have 5 pieces for
myself attitude).

I know what you are saying but it is still Crystal's problem - The brochure
says I paid for tea and cake so they must provide me with tea and cake.
Either they can make more cake or they can ration what they do make but they
can't just blame it on the other guests - They wouldn't let another guest
take your room as well as their own would they.

I think we had the same problem with the food - It wasn't the quality. It
was the timing.

On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 08:48:28 GMT, "Nick Hounsome"
wrote:


"robert jones" wrote in message
...


Crystal are dreadful.

snip

I've only been once with them to Le Totem in Flaine for the second week of
the season and was amazed that despite running the place for years

They only took it over in 2002, IIRC...

they had transferred none of their experience from one season to the next -

....but even one year should be enough, I agree.

they were learning everything the hard way and at our expense

Sadly, this is likely to be the case more often than not. There's
seldom much continuity of staff with the larger operators from one
season to the next so they start with largely untrained and
inexperienced people each year.

I don't think I will go catered in early season again with anyone but
certainly not Crystal.

I gave up on 'package' ski holidays a long time ago. The freedom, and
two extra ski days, to be gained from driving and doing it yourself
became a much greater factor than the presumably cheaper prices of
package deals.

Contraiwise I went to Courchevel at the end of the season with THomson (I
think) and despite the fact that we had a competition to spot the latest
staff injury every morning at breakfast they always did well for us -
probably because it had all become automatic by then.

You are aware, I suppose, that Thompson and Crystal are the same
company? To the extent of sharing resort-level management. I'm
surprised you didn't suss this from the number of Thompson guets and
reps you must have seen in the Totem.


--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

"Ace" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 08:48:28 GMT, "Nick Hounsome"
wrote:


"robert jones" wrote in message
...


Crystal are dreadful.

snip

I've only been once with them to Le Totem in Flaine for the second week of
the season and was amazed that despite running the place for years

They only took it over in 2002, IIRC...

they had transferred none of their experience from one season to the
next -

...but even one year should be enough, I agree.

they were learning everything the hard way and at our expense

Sadly, this is likely to be the case more often than not. There's
seldom much continuity of staff with the larger operators from one
season to the next so they start with largely untrained and
inexperienced people each year.

I don't think I will go catered in early season again with anyone but
certainly not Crystal.

I gave up on 'package' ski holidays a long time ago. The freedom, and
two extra ski days, to be gained from driving and doing it yourself
became a much greater factor than the presumably cheaper prices of
package deals.

If you can handle the driving and are happy to cater for yourself after a
hard day's skiing then fine or are made of money then that's great.

Contraiwise I went to Courchevel at the end of the season with THomson (I
think) and despite the fact that we had a competition to spot the latest
staff injury every morning at breakfast they always did well for us -
probably because it had all become automatic by then.

You are aware, I suppose, that Thompson and Crystal are the same
company? To the extent of sharing resort-level management. I'm
surprised you didn't suss this from the number of Thompson guets and
reps you must have seen in the Totem.

I think that there are basically only 2 companies in the mass market and I
can never remember who is part of which.

My point was that by the end of the season the chalet/club hotel staff
seemed to have it sussed even though they were obviously not an
exceptionally bright/conscientuous/sober bunch.

Presumably they do try to differentiate Crystal/Thomson somehow or why keep
them separate?