An Excellent Ship For Cruising Alaska
Written: Nov 04 '99
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The ship, the food, the staff...overall a great package!
Cons: Having to make reservations at the Oasis Cafe for dinner...there cut off time is 2pm. Plus, the Room Service Menu is very limited.
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| Denise_CA's Full Review: Celebrity Galaxy |
I travelled on the Galaxy September 10th, 1999. It was a 7 night Inside Passage Cruise to and from Vancouver, BC. The itinerary included cruising the Inside Passage, cruising Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan.
Cruising to Alaska in September is surprisingly one of the better months for weather. In the past three years the weather in Vancouver and Alaska has been sunny. The last two years I have cruised to Alaska in August or September the weather has been great.
Cruising thru the Inside Passage I was actually out on deck in my bathing suit and I wasn't cold! It was sunny and many people were out enjoying it...The pools and hot tubs were occupied.
When we stopped in Skagway and Juneau it was cloudy and part of the day it rained. (Rain for one or two days on a 7 day cruise to Alaska is typical) These two ports I decided to sightseeing on my own, instead of taking a shore excursion. I walked around the town shopping and visiting with my friends I met on board the ship.
When we arrived in Ketchikan it was foggy in the morning. This burnt off and the day was gorgeous. Almost, everyone on board told us this was the best weather they've seen in Ketchikan all season.
The ship itself is gorgeous. There are many areas/lounges (inside) where you can sit and look at the views outside. The Main Dining Room has huge floor to ceiling glass windows because its at the back of the ship. This offers a great view.
One of the evenings when we were eating dinner a pod of killer whales swam by the ship. We had a great view from the dining room!
Plus, there was lots of deck space to walk around and look around. This was great when we were cruising Glacier Bay and everyone was outside watching.
The food on board was great. However, I didn't think it was 'Five Star', as they say in their brochures. I thought it was very similar to Princess Cruises, however on the formal nights the food was excellent! I had the best dinner on board the Galaxy than anyother cruise ship one formal evening. I had roast duck...I highly recommend it!
The food in the Oasis Grill was good. It offered Pizza and burgers, etc. The pizza was excellent...the best I've ever had.
The Oasis Cafe offered casual dining for any meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner) which was great. However, the have dinner there you had to make reservations by 2pm that day. One day my friends and I were out sightseeing all day, got back to the ship and were very tried. We didn't feel like dressing up to go to the main dining room. We tried to get into the Oasis Cafe, but couldn't because it was after 2pm (we were told by friends that went that night that the restaurants wasn't even full). So then we looked at the Room Service Menu. There wasn't much selection and the pizza had just ended. So, we ordered something that included Ham, Bread and Cheese...I can't say I enjoyed it...we went to the midnight buffet that night!
The staff on board was great. We went to most of the events (ie. 50's/60's Sock Hop, Country Western Night, etc.) and the Entertainment Staff was great at getting everyone going! The Stratosphere nightclub was very popular. There was a large group of Mexican's on board celebrating their Independence Day so the party lasted all week long. There were some excellent dancers!
The Spa was fabulous. I treated myself to a full body massage which also included a facial. It was so relaxing that I wanted to take a nap afterwards...I don't recommend this just before dinner. The only thing I did not like about it was when she massaged my shoulder blades. That was the first time that anyone had massaged that area on me. It was painful. I would highly recommend taking the tour of the spa area the first day you board. You go through the whole area and they show you what treatments/packages they offer. Its a great way to help you decide on which treatment/package to buy. The women on board who did nails was excellent. I wanted to get my done, but didn't have enough time...Everyone who did loved their nails, they looked great. One of the girls I was travelling needed a new look and decided to let her hairstylist's on board do whatever she thought would look the best. After she was done she looked fabulous!!
Another one of the girls I was travelling with sat in at the children's center one full day to see what the kids could do. At dinner that night she raved about the program. There were some many activities and the supervisors were great.
My overall experience was wonderful. I missed the ship the same day I got off it and I still want to go back now. I will definitely cruise Celebrity again, and if possible the Galaxy too!!!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Denise_CA
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Member: Denise Blackmore
Location: Vancouver, BC
Reviews written: 11
Trusted by: 7 members
About Me:
I am the owner of Expedia CruiseShipCenters Point Grey. Travel agency specializing in cruises.
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