Great Times on the Mercury - June '05
Written: Jun 11 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Magnificent food, great crew, scenery, drinks, ALASKA, shuffleboard
Cons: price (sometimes), small room, TOO SHORT OF A TIME!!!
The Bottom Line: Go on Celebrity for your cruise! Great experience, extremely good food and courteous staff!
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| cszulc's Full Review: Celebrity Mercury |
We began looking for a vacation to take with our family to celebrate me and my wife's 25th Anniversary. We wanted something special and something we could remember. I was consulting with a woman in our Corporate Travel office at work and she said when she owned her own travel agency, it was the best vacation one could take. She mentioned that they can cost anywhere from $300 to $5000 per person. I was intrigued. A lot of people say all you do on cruises is eat and get sick, which rarely can be true. After a couple of meetings at Starbucks with her, I finally got on to the idea of a cruise. I discovered a site called CruiseCritic which became very helpful in choosing the best location to go to, and the best cruise company and ship to use. I really liked Celebrity's product and their luxury style. Their price wasn't bad either compared to luxury lines like Radisson and Holland America.
I had two locations in mind at first, Hawaii and Alaska. I immediately ruled out Hawaii because scheduling would make that cruise difficult and there was too much time at sea (which we later discovered we needed more of!).
I was beginning to book the cruise on their website but couldn't because I needed five people in the room, and they only accepted four, which was a mistake that I will mention later on. I called Celebrity's 800-number and booked it for five people in a oceanview room. Total cost: $5,600 approximately.
We then booked our air travel and hotel for the night before. A tip: Always travel ahead one day before your cruise starts just in case your baggage gets lost or your plane is delayed. You CANNOT afford to miss the ship!
Finally, it was 9 am! Time to leave for the ship! We got everything in order and got on a free shuttle that was provided by Wyndham. We discovered then that checkin wouldn't start until 11am and were forced to wait in line until then. But, we were the fourth party in line which meant we'd be one of the first people on the ship!!! We checked in and got our "charge cards" that let us get into our room, board the ship, and charge up stuff to our bill. We were welcomed onboard with champange for the adults and orange juice for the kids or adults who don't drink. Every ship crewmember was dressed in a very nice uniform and were very respectful and helpful to families and other travelers. Announced on the general address system, we were told we couldn't go to the room until 2 pm but were welcome to go to the buffet and eat. We expected a mad rush of people to be going to the buffet and there was. My family stood in line while I wandered off looking around.
It was a magnificent ship. Used for about 10 years and more, it still was in great shape. Everything in great and working order, beautiful flooring, paintings, and wall coverings. Completely spotless everywhere you look. It was still 1 pm, but I still went down to the room, "breaking the rules". I was disappointed when I entered the room. Two beds on the floor and two in the air. Where was my littlest going to sleep? The person that booked our room on the telephone promised us that there'll be room for five people. Someone knocked at the door, and it was Brazinho, our cabin attendant. I asked him if I had the right room and he checked his list to match the names and said yes. I just said thank you and went straight upstairs to the management desk and asked why this had happened and asked for another room if available. She said everything was booked but we would lookout just in case there is a no-show. She took down my name and room and said she'd call me after we set sail. This was a disappointment at first, but I began to realize that most of the time wouldn't be spent in the room.
As I was eating my lunch at the buffet, we set sail. As we were exiting Seattle, the drifting city looked wonderful and we began to cruise north. I went downstairs to discover my wife sleeping (already?) and my kids were wandering off somewhere. There was a blinking red light that meant there was a message on the machine. I listened and was told that there was another room available for $900 on the same floor only a couple of doors down. I went upstairs and accepted the charges. Our family then met upstairs and planned out what was going to happen. My wife and I stayed in the new room, the inside room with two beds and the kids got the oceanview. Everything was fine.
The first day at sea was great. We loved the food and all the staff were great. We were travelling at a swift 23 knots and enjoyed the fantistic scenery as we were passing by. Dinner the first night was great too, being casual the first night. The attire changes between every night. Casual means a sport or dress shirt with khakis for men, a blouse and casual pants for women. Informal means a sportcoat, shirt and tie for men, and a nice dress for women. Formal means a tux or dark suit for men and a gown or very formal dress for women. Normally in cruises, you will have tablemates at your table that includes up to five different parties if sitting at a table of ten. We noticed on the first couple of nights we didn't have tablemates and were left alone for the rest of the cruise. While this was a disappointment at first, it was fine considering we're a family and should be talking to each other more. Our waiters, who I don't remember their names, also kept up with our conversation.
I cannot comment on the excursions offered by Celebrity as I did not use them and I booked them myself online as suggested by CruiseCritic so I could save some money.
We needed more time at sea! Everything on land was great, but time at sea was beneficial so we could enjoy everything on the cruise!
Everything on the cruise was great! I will comment on each specific thing of the ship (of which I used):
The Manhattan Restaurant: This was the restaurant where dinner was served. It had a very elegant atmosphere and had superior food.
Rendez-Vous Square: This bar offered live dancing and music, which I didn't get to enjoy (thank goodness).
Cova Cafe: This bar offered a very nice place to sit and get a nice cup of coffee or other superior offerings such as a latte or espresso. The bar's staff was EXTREMELY helpful and courteous. In the morning, a table with croissants and other delectable items are offered.
Celebrity Theatre: This is where the main shows are held as well as the ship's comedian, who (Jeff Nease at the time) was hilarious.
Pavilion Night Club: I didn't get a chance to go to the Pavilion Night Club because none of their offerings excited me.
Fortunes Casino: Plain casino, won at least $50 on the cruise here. Nice staff too.
The Shops: The shops were nice, offering duty free items for purchase. I purchased a couple of Celebrity polos and some cards that were on sale.
AquaSpa: Although I didn't use the spa, my wife says that it was very nice and the steam room and pool were helpful.
Fitness Room: The fitness room was very helpful in order to work off those pounds put on by the excessive eating!!! A lot of people were in there every time I went in.
Palm Springs Cafe: Served buffet at lunch and sit down casual dinner if you didn't want to go to formal dinner downstairs on formal nights. Pretty good food there at all times of day.
Palm Springs Grill: Served great pancakes, french toast, and waffles at breakfast. MAGNIFICENT pasta bar during the day, which I must've used over 20 times throughout the 7 day cruise because it was so good!
Navigator Club: The Navigator Club offered great drinks and a fantasic view of what you're heading towards. The floor to ceiling windows offered a magnificent view of where you're going and an overview of the scenery ahead.
I also got hooked on shuffleboard on the cruise when I discovered my old colleague was on the same cruise! The ship was so big and there were so many people that I discovered he was on our cruise on the 3rd day!!! We played shuffleboard for hours each day and won the tournament hosted by Celebrity.
Our cabin attendant, Brazinho, was the most helpful and courteous person I have EVER MET IN MY LIFE! He is soooooooooo helpful. I ordered room service a lot and he brought it within 15 minutes. He cleaned our room beautifully and was extremely nice. One tip: Those chocolate chip cookies are really great! Order a ton the night before (I think the max is 6 on the TV order form, but just ask for more) so you can enjoy them on the plane home and at home. Everything else is great too, the pizza, sandwiches, fruit and cheese plate, etc...
Overall, I think our cruise on the Mercury was well worth it but had a few disappointments along the way. Next vacation we may have to consider another cruise, as long as it's on Celebrity!!!
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
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Epinions.com ID:
cszulc
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Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 0 members
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