Contrary to the Logo, NOT Simply the Best
Written: Jun 06 '00 (Updated Jun 06 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: cuisine, ship's decor
Cons: port stops too short
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| 1-2many's Full Review: Celebrity Mercury |
This was my second cruise, taken a year after cruising on Celebrity's Galaxy. While it was still a nice time, it really didn't compare to our experience on Galaxy, in terms of the ship or the ports.
The Ports:
Two of the ports were really too short to be called "ports", for example, Key West. We docked at 9, had to be back on the ship by 2 to depart. This is no really long enough to claim this as a port, and we were very disappointed as this was a stop I was really looking forward to. We also went to Cozumel, and really enjoyed this, due largely to a great little "on-beach" bar that so many of the anti-civilization Corona ads remind me of, at Chankanaab (spelling? sorry) National Park.
Our favorite port was Grand Cayman, where I highly recommend you swim with the rays. A friend of ours had taken this cruise before and told us to be sure to do this, and to do it first thing in the morning. Not being early risers, we had a hard time getting up but once we were out there with the rays it really was breathtaking, and one of the most unique experiences of my life. I will always remember this. It's worth the cost (approx. $50) and worth getting up early for. With 4 ports, you have 2 days at sea. This is nice if your ship is not too crowded, but for us, the ship was overbooked with children, so although we were looking forward to 2 days to just enjoy the ship, it was a little difficult to do with children running around, yelling, bouncing basketballs overhead, etc.
The Ship:
In many parts of the ship, I felt I could have just as easily been in nice parts of Manhattan. This ship is a little nicer than the Galaxy, due to being a little newer, but is not quite as service-oriented. Our cabin stewards did not refill our mini-bar, for example. And while we really liked our waiter and busboy, our waiter almost seemed to have a political agenda about Americans or something. At times, he almost seemed to have a chip on his shoulder about working so hard to serve people simply so they could enjoy themselves. By and large, we really liked him, but this chip seemed to faintly creep in every now and again. As on the Galaxy, the food was truly exceptional. Tip: when the serve the truffles, grab as many as you want right then and there. They only serve them once, and they are DIVINE. Get them while you can.
One other dining tip: other cruisers taught us that you can order as much of any food as you want. This means as many appetizers, entrees, desserts, whatever, that you want. Some nights, we had 2 entrees when we couldn't choose, for example, between the steak or lobster. On our prior cruise, a lot of people did this and everyone seemed to enjoy it and be supportive. But on this cruise, our waiter seemed to dislike it. Not that this stopped us!!
I agree with other reviews that the shops are pretty boring. But my advice: when bored, hit the casinos!! The tables have no minimums, and they are pretty good with beginners (as I was). This is some of the best entertainment on the ship, and hands down beats their singers, who they showcase almost every night on this cruise. This was surprising to me, since on our prior Celebrity cruise, we were treated to a real variety of quality entertainment, with a new, very different act most nights. On the Mercury, they must spend a lot on these vocalists, because they sure are getting their money's worth by working them every night! To me, this grew quickly to be a pretty boring entertainment option. If you really enjoy vocalists, though, it should excite you to learn that this is the focus of the ship's entertainment agenda.
We cruised during President's Week, without our child. Mistake, as the cruise was PACKED with children. The ship is supposed to hold 1860 passengers, but, HERE IS SOME NEWS: they will actually book up to 2300, with the extras being kids! If you are bringing your kids with you, this is great news, and you should book now for President's Week. There will be tons of kids for your children to meet, play and hang out with. If, however, you are seeking a break from children, mark this week in red as one to miss. 440 extra passengers is a LOT of extra people, especially when they are all people who want to be in the pool, cafeteria, hot tub, etc at the same times as you do. The Spa is the one place the kids don't go -- I recommend it for this reason, and because it is a really nice, relaxing experience. I especially recommend the Aqua Spa. Costs $15/day or $60/week. Go to this. It is a 6-station water massage facility, and is SO relaxing. Next time I cruise I will buy a week's pass so I can do this every day. One patron told me it was far superior to the massage she had booked. Also, there is a steam bath attached which I loved.
I too recommend the late seating for dinner, but would point out that you will not be done eating until about 10:30 to 11:00 in the evening. This is not for early risers, unless you like to sleep on a very full stomach.
And as with our prior cruise, being on a lower floor (deck 5) meant a lot of engine noise when docking, and a lot of other (disruptive) noise when out on rougher waters. I have to conclude that it is worth the money to pay more in order to be higher up on this ship.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
1-2many
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Member: WenD
Location: Northern NJ, USA
Reviews written: 38
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
stop welfare to Wal Mart! support legislation forcing disclosure of WM reliance on medicaid
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