Celebrity Mercury

[Frankie Sue]

I have posted on Mercury, but I am sure that you can also help me.

I am looking at a Carribean cruise on the Mercury for the Fall of 2010. We have never sailed on Celebrity before and I don`t want to choose the wrong cabin.

I am looking at the SV, but I read on the Celebrity board that the bed in that category is pushed against the wall plus the cabins that I am looking at are either just above or just below the children's pool? Would that be a problem. How about the CC cabin?? Has anyone sailed in one?

How do Celebrity balcony cabins compare to Hal?

I really look forward to your comments.

[kakalina]

You might want to post this on the Celebrity board. I am sure someone there can answer your questions. I've only sailed HAL.

[bepsf]

All I can say is that my one and only Celebrity cruise aboard Mercury was among the worst experiences of my life.

I've heard that the newer X ships are better, but I could never recommend Mercury to anyone.

[CRUZBUDS]

You'll get better results on the Celebrity board. We love the Mercury and would sail on her again in a heartbeat.

We've spent 61 days on her and everyday was wonderful

We wish they would bring her back to San Diego.

[dam1050]

You'll get better results on the Celebrity board. We love the Mercury and would sail on her again in a heartbeat. We've spent 61 days on her and everyday was wonderful

We wish they would bring her back to San Diego.

Couldn't agree with you more! We had a fantastic cruise to Alaska on her last month ... wonderful service, excellent food, ship is still in beautiful condition, a most enjoyable cruise overall.

We were in a Sky Suite on the deck 12 with a huge balcony and a butler. The new no-smoking policy of Celebrity is so nice as one can really now enjoy their balconies so much more so than before. It was also enjoyable having a huge balcony at Hubbard Glacier to share with some guests and have breakfasts outside.

Must say though that HAL's beds are more comfy than X's .... :)

[Ichiban Nekko]

We were on Mercury in Jan. 2009 for our Panama Canal cruise. We loved the ship, despite a Noro outbreak and enduring all that a Code Red involves.:eek:

Sorry, we can't comment on SV accommodations, since we were in a more "modest" category ;) (read: inside). However, our steward and waitstaff were fabulous, as were the activities staff.

We particularly liked the new smoking policy and having a sommelier in the Main Dining Room. On the other hand, we find that we prefer HAL's bathrooms, beds, Wajang Theatre/Culinary Arts, and a real library.

Whatever you decide, have a great cruise!

[SandyMc]

I'm solidly with Brian here - Mercury, and Celebrity itself, provided us with the cruise from hell and as a result we will never consider them again! :p

I realize many people like Celebrity but the company itself lies and cheats their customers - impossible to accept. You could get lucky and have a nice cruise (apparently many have) but we will never take that chance with them again.

[taxmantoo]

I realize many people like Celebrity but the company itself lies and cheats their customers - impossible to accept.

That is a very strong statement. Care to elaborate?

[bepsf]

That is a very strong statement. Care to elaborate?

Well, in my case I left the ship after 2 days because the onboard conditions were downright horrible -

(Concave bed, showers that went from scalding to freezing and back, leftovers being served in the Palm Springs Cafe, nothing to do on sea days that didn't involve spending money, lukewarm jacuzzis, burnt out lightbulbs in the public rooms, threadbare linens and curtains in the stateroom, opaque windows in the Observation Lounge, surly servers, lying bartenders, not a single comfortable chair in any of the public rooms, staff who "Forgot" to have a CC Meet & Greet, an acupuncturist giving a talk in the Observation Lounge who got annoyed at pax who had the gall to step away from her monotone speech to observe a real live whale just off the starboard bow...)

When we reached San Francisco on the 2nd day of an 11 day cruise, I signed off with a $99 onboard bill (The folk at the front desk couldn't care less)...
...after the end of the cruise (when the captain was arrested/fired/deported for being drunk) I was charged over $1500! It took me @ two weeks and several phonecalls, broken promises and threats in order to get my money back.

(I had never had problems paying w/ a debit card before: I'll never make that mistake, or sail Celebrity, again!)

Not to mention that my cruise was the one after the "Bleach Cruises" - When I returned to my apartment, dropped luggage, took a nap (in a comfy bed - Finally!) and awoke w/ Noro!

[taxmantoo]

Well, in my case I left the ship after 2 days because the onboard conditions were downright horrible -

(Concave bed, showers that went from scalding to freezing and back, leftovers being served in the Palm Springs Cafe, nothing to do on sea days that didn't involve spending money, lukewarm jacuzzis, burnt out lightbulbs in the public rooms, threadbare linens and curtains in the stateroom, opaque windows in the Observation Lounge, surly servers, lying bartenders, not a single comfortable chair in any of the public rooms, staff who "Forgot" to have a CC Meet & Greet, an acupuncturist giving a talk in the Observation Lounge who got annoyed at pax who had the gall to step away from her monotone speech to observe a real live whale just off the starboard bow...)

When we reached San Francisco on the 2nd day of an 11 day cruise, I signed off with a $99 onboard bill (The folk at the front desk couldn't care less)...
...after the end of the cruise (when the captain was arrested/fired/deported for being drunk) I was charged over $1500! It took me @ two weeks and several phonecalls, broken promises and threats in order to get my money back.

(I had never had problems paying w/ a debit card before: I'll never make that mistake, or sail Celebrity, again!)

Not to mention that my cruise was the one after the "Bleach Cruises" - When I returned to my apartment, dropped luggage, took a nap (in a comfy bed - Finally!) and awoke w/ Noro!

WOW !!! We certainly would not have been far behind you in getting off the ship...

P.S. Note that my comment was not aimed at your original post. You clearly expressed that you had a bad experience and that is good enough for me!

The other person's post accusing them of being liars and cheats without any explanation is however something I can never understand.

[bepsf]

WOW !!! We certainly would not have been far behind you in getting off the ship...

P.S. Note that my comment was not aimed at your original post. You clearly expressed that you had a bad experience and that is good enough for me!

The other person's post accusing them of being liars and cheats without any explanation is however something I can never understand.

No worries L&L - It's just that when the other person stated that X were liars and cheats, it brought back memories of my own multiple broken promises from RCI/X callcenters and Miami in regards to refunding my money - or even simple callbacks.

[lstrong]

Wow, I was not going to comment, but this thread certainly demonstrates the different experiences/impressions of the Mercury. Personally, the Mercury is my all-time favorite ship. I love the decor - light wood and blues - and the food was excellent. The only negative would be that the cabins (oceanview) are very SMALL. Did like the layout though in that the loveseat and chair and table were next to the window.

We've been on all the major cruiselines, except NCL, and would book the Mercury in a heartbeat - if only she were back on the West Coast. Laurie

[usha]

On all 21 cruises I've taken on Celebrity, I've evidently been incredibly "lucky",
because I've had nothing but wonderful experiences on their ships.
I love the food, I LOVE the service, and I love the ships.
That said, Mercury is my least favorite ship in the X fleet.
It's a very nice ship, IMO, but I do prefer the layout of their Millennium class ships.
As far as the aft balcony cabins, my main concern would be getting blasted by cigar smoke.
The outside aft bar (on the resort deck) is the only area on the ship where cigar smoking is allowed,
and I would not want to "enjoy" all of those cigars.:rolleyes:

[Frankie Sue]

Thank you very much to all of you....... I can see that there are some VERY strong feelings about this ship; good and bad...... It helps me in some ways but I still have not learned much about which cabins are best or worse and how they compare to Hall.......

Not much more luck on the Celebrity board where I also posted this message..... Not a single reply....... I am almost tempted to think that the Celebrity Board snubbed me.

Ah well........ I'll search the posts where the answers have probably been posted many times.

PS....... I will most certainly give a lot of thought to all your comments

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I didn't see your request on the Celebrity board, but I will respond here. We absolutely loved our cruise on the Mercury. The service was exceptional.

As to your cabin recommendation request, I would not recommend those aft cabins. The bed is indeed sideways against the wall which I would think would be awful if you have two people.

Concierge class cabins are fine--we had one midships on deck 11. There are a couple on deck 12 which have much larger balconies, but those go first. Can't remember the numbers offhand, but 1200 & 1201 spring to mind. Check a deck plan--I think those are the only CC cabins on that deck, the others all being sky suites.

Just a note--I don't know if it is the itinerary or what that is having you look at the Mercury, but if you choose one of the M class ships, your CC cabin will be larger than a regular balcony cabin and larger than the ones on the Mercury. And the aft CC cabins on the M class ships have balconies to die for--absolutely huge--and the bed is not sideways against the wall.

As to comparing cabins on Celebrity to those on HAL, I haven't yet had the pleasure of cruising on HAL. Am trying to get information on the grand cruise next fall, but that famous travel agency in Seattle hasn't sent me a brochure yet. From what I've read on both boards, people seem to give the edge to cabins on HAL.

Good luck and have a wonderful cruise, whatever you decide!

[SandyMc]

I did make strong statements and do stand by them. Understand that we are not hard to please - have cruised many lines and the Celebrity cruise was the only one that rendered any harsh feelings.

Sadly, we were on one of their famous "bleach cruises" referenced by Brian. They had noro the cruise before ours but never told any of the passengers on our cruise of that - ever! Imagine getting on a ship swimming in bleach and never being told why. :p We spent 10 days with bleach running down the walls of the elevators, pooling on the tables and bars - staff running around with sprayers of bleach, spraying everything (including chairs and clothing!) All wore gloves and masks - what a sight! :eek:

Realizing how irate the cruisers were on our cruise, Celebrity freely admitted noro on the next cruise and gave everyone credits/discounts. Even tho hundreds of people on our cruise complained during and after, the cruise line never admitted any problem with that cruise - it was as though it never happened! So, you see, they do lie and cheat their customers.........:mad:

[Frankie Sue]

My Post on Celebrity is titled: New to Celebrity..... We are looking at the Mercury because we have been wanting to try a different cruiseline and Celebrity appears to be similar in style and quality. We are also attracted to the Mercury because of its size (under 2,000 passengers) and the departure Port of Baltimore is a huge plus to us since we can drive to it and not have to worry about luggage, flight schedule, and so on......

Your information is very helpful..... On Holland we have always travelled in SA or SY size cabins and although the CC on the Mercury get good reviews, they appear rather small to me and the SKY suite is quite a bit more expensive than what I would expect to pay for an SY on Noordam. After seeing pictures posted of the SV cabin, we could not travel in one of those either.........

We will give it serious thought and we'll have to decide whether we will be swayed by the cabin or the departure and ship size.

Thanks again.

[sammiedawg]

I'm solidly with Brian here - Mercury, and Celebrity itself, provided us with the cruise from hell and as a result we will never consider them again! :p

I realize many people like Celebrity but the company itself lies and cheats their customers - impossible to accept. You could get lucky and have a nice cruise (apparently many have) but we will never take that chance with them again.


We did one Celebrity cruise 5 years ago, the Century, and our cabin and bath were just disgusting. Plus the ship had just flunked its CDC health inspection. Our TA tried to get us rebooked on something else in the fleet but we were stonewalled by Celebrity.
I have not booked with them since. I would have to think long and hard.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

My Post on Celebrity is titled: New to Celebrity..... We are looking at the Mercury because we have been wanting to try a different cruiseline and Celebrity appears to be similar in style and quality. We are also attracted to the Mercury because of its size (under 2,000 passengers) and the departure Port of Baltimore is a huge plus to us since we can drive to it and not have to worry about luggage, flight schedule, and so on......

Your information is very helpful..... On Holland we have always travelled in SA or SY size cabins and although the CC on the Mercury get good reviews, they appear rather small to me and the SKY suite is quite a bit more expensive than what I would expect to pay for an SY on Noordam. After seeing pictures posted of the SV cabin, we could not travel in one of those either.........

We will give it serious thought and we'll have to decide whether we will be swayed by the cabin or the departure and ship size.

Thanks again.

Well the CC on Mercury would definitely be smaller than an SA or SY on HAL. I've noticed that prices on the Mercury seem to be higher, don't know if that's because it's a smaller (for Celebrity) ship or what the deal is. Was comparing two West Coast repos, one on the Mercury and one on the Millennium and the Millennium was much cheaper. Who knows about pricing? One thing about those sky suites on the Mercury, they have enormous verandas. Our friends stayed in one. I can send you pictures if you would like. lajessen at yahoo dot com

[MKMC]

We did the wine cruise form Vancouver the fall of 2008. Our concierge class cabin had a noise like a herd of elephants overhead much of the time. We didn't get many of the CC perks. The library had hardly any books. Michael's Club was U shaped and strange. The list of faults we found with this ship is veery long. We would not recommend it to our worst enemy. On the other hand we have had three wonderful cruises on the Infinity.
Kathleen

[helenp2]

We had a horrible experience on the Summit (much like Brian's) and never went on another X cruise. We found their overall housekeeping to really be lacking. Everywhere we looked we saw a need for serious cleaning. We rec'd this cruise as a gift but I can assure you if I had paid thousands for this experience I would have been calling X with a few choice comments. I'm always surprised when I hear folks say they like X. You would have to have blinders on not to see the condition and lack of maintainence on their ships.

[Frankie Sue]

Well, I have to say that all your comments are not inciting us to go ahead and book the Mercury with Celebrity. Our aim is to have a 10 to 12 days Carribean cruise from a port that we can sail from. My next choice would be sailing from New York on the Queen Mary 2...... The cabin may be a little more expensive but maybe it is worth it. Wha do you guys think?

[sammiedawg]

Frankie Sue, I presume you are interested in a cruise out of baltimore? I have been getting emails from various TA's advertising fire sale prices for 9 or 10 days on Mercury out of Baltimore. It was a steal of a price.

We did not book concierge class on Century which cost a lot extra. Our cabin reminded me of an aging airport Holiday Inn. I posted details on the X threads and nearly got thrown off the boards. Loyalists were not open to any dissent. I was called a liar and worse.

48 hours before we sailed it was announced Century had flunked CDC inspection. I called my TA immediately and he agreed a transfer should be pursued. Out of Miami Fort Lauderdale, there were several other options that weekend. I was totally stonewalled by customer service who told me I would be subject to 100 % penalty.
In my city restaurants that fail inspections get shut down for at least 3 days but no penalty for a cruise ship.
So we went on the cruise reluctantly.
Cabin- stained carpet, I'm not talking a couple of spots but we had huge blotchy stains more than 1 place. Carpet worn and frayed, you cannot clean worn frayed carpet. Upholstered chair very stained and the desk chair legs were broken. The telephone did not work. Stained bedspread. The TV was out of the 50's and we had the worst reception. The bathroom was just disgusting.
The public areas were not in great shape either.
We sail maintstream lines and I do not expect perfection but have never experienced anything remotely this bad elsewhere.
I am a firm believer in voting with my feet.
I think the brand new X ships would be fine.
I also read one of the X ships just flunked CDC, I don't remember which one this time but it was not Mercury or Century.

[takemewithyou]

Sammidawg-
I can not find an X ship that flunked a CDC inspection on the CDC web site - can you provide a source or a link?
Thanks

[bepsf]

Well, I have to say that all your comments are not inciting us to go ahead and book the Mercury with Celebrity. Our aim is to have a 10 to 12 days Carribean cruise from a port that we can sail from. My next choice would be sailing from New York on the Queen Mary 2...... The cabin may be a little more expensive but maybe it is worth it. Wha do you guys think?

FS--

I've heard nothing but good things coming from folks who have sailed QM2 recently, and that itinerary from NYC is fabulous - Noordam used to take that route.

Were I in your position, I'd book that one in a heartbeat...
...just be certain to get a balcony above the Promenade Deck.

[bepsf]

Our cabin reminded me of an aging airport Holiday Inn. I posted details on the X threads and nearly got thrown off the boards. Loyalists were not open to any dissent. I was called a liar and worse...
...I also read one of the X ships just flunked CDC, I don't remember which one this time but it was not Mercury or Century.

Indeed - I received the same virol in response from retelling my experience on the X boards. Very few folks there were at all respectful of me sharing my experience - it was as if I were posting on a message board directly linked to the RCI/X PR department...

...and Yes, Infinity failed their inspection this past December.

From the recent CC News posting:

"Highlights from the list of point deductions included a food employee who was observed tasting food with his finger. The inspector's response? "He was instructed to stop work and wash his hands." Another find was a can of insecticide (565 Plus XLO) was stored in a box with paper towels, and three bags of Max Force bait stations were stored on the top shelf with chlorine powder. Storing roach spray in places with food-related items is frowned upon by the CDC. "
http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3308

[sammiedawg]

CDC failed inspection was Infinity December 2008.
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/InspectionQueryTool/Forms/InspectionSummaryView.aspx?Inspection=10717677

Century flunked in 2004.
I belive both ships passed with the next inspection.

[sammiedawg]

Regarding the conditions on Century, my TA took the issues afterward to his sales contact at Celebrity. I did not hear a word from Celebrity.
I also talked to my TA friend in another state. I do not book with her, her prices at a brick mortar agency are too high. She told me she heard more negative feedback about X than average. And she hears negative comments about all lines.

[sammiedawg]

I stopped reading the X board until just now and this negative thread about the conditions on summit is on page 1.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1028443

[usha]

The only ship I've ever seen really noticeable gross-me-out huge stains was on Westerdam.
Our little sofa looked as though someone had either given birth or been brutally murdered there.:eek:
I grabbed an extra blanket and covered the sofa with it.
Voila; no more CSI couch!:)

[jer_l]

Well, I have to say that all your comments are not inciting us to go ahead and book the Mercury with Celebrity. Our aim is to have a 10 to 12 days Carribean cruise from a port that we can sail from. My next choice would be sailing from New York on the Queen Mary 2...... The cabin may be a little more expensive but maybe it is worth it. Wha do you guys think?
We've sailed both X and HAL. The two lines are quite similar. We've been on the Mercury three times and it is our favorite ship. I'd say go ahead and book the Mercury. If she were sailing her old itinerary from San Diego to the Mexican Riviera we would certainly be sailing on her. Keep in mind that this is not a brand new ship. There might be some wear and tear similar to what you find on HAL's older ships, but you will find it is minor. The crew was better than any we've had on a HAL ship; although the Ryndam crew came close.

[takemewithyou]

Just an apples to apples comparison from the CDC Cruise Ship Inspections:
The most recent inspections from both lines.

HAL 2/09 - 6/09: Scores ranged from 89 (Statendam)-100.
Celebrity 2/09 - 4/09: Scores ranged from 94-100.

[Marion B]

Frankie Sue,
I agree completely with everything Brian and Sammie have posted; have never been in a cabin like the verandah (with butler) on the Mercury; concave bed, bathroom mold, tattered sofa and curtains...
You asked about the QM2... spent a landmark 10 day birthday cruise - NY to Caribbean on her a year ago and would return in a heartbeat. Had a verandah cabin on deck 11 that was equal to HAL's quality. There are people who love and those that hate her, but I am firmly in the first category. Would be glad to answer any questions you might have about the Queen.
Marion

[sammiedawg]

I'm going to start to read X boards again. Family reunion planners are considering a cruise and they want something that sails from the East Coast. I'm sure the Balimore X will come up.
I was not happy with the health and cleanliness issues on the Century but what really galled me was their attitude. Take it or leave it. We recently were at a major upscale chain hotel and there was a reservation mix up. They could not have been more apologetic trying to make things right, they comped our room for the first night. We got followup phone calls and email.
If someone wants to try X, consider one of the brand new ships. 2 new ones rolled out, first new ones in quite a few years.

[Frankie Sue]

I really appreciate your comments..... Marion B: anything you can tell us about the Queen Mary 2 would be greatly appreciated. We are looking at a Brittania B1 or B2 veranda cabin..... I have always been a little bit concerned about the class system that Cunard seem to adopt with their different passengers class. Did you find that to be a problem? Also does Cunard sometimes lower prices or offer promotions? Can we expect prices to drop for Fall 2010? or if we book now will they honour lower prices if prices drop later in the year? Also do they have a policy about bringing wine on board. We have been used to Hal and been used to bring wine to our cabin.

Any pictures of Queen Mary 2 cabins would also be greatly appreciated.

PS............ I hope that the Cruiseline people read these boards and pay attention to what their clients have to say........

Thanks you guys

[shandryl]

When I went to Hawaii I was in Cabin 1201 Concierge class. The cabin was okay the deck was really nice. My only complaint was the bed!! It was awful!! I had the matress flipped, that didn't even help. Overall the ship itself was okay. Staff were friendly and I made many friends.

Would I sail Mercury again? I'm not sure maybe.........

[bepsf]

We've sailed both X and HAL. The two lines are quite similar. We've been on the Mercury three times and it is our favorite ship...
...There might be some wear and tear similar to what you find on HAL's older ships, but you will find it is minor. The crew was better than any we've had on a HAL ship; although the Ryndam crew came close.

I must disagree @ shipboard conditions.
Mercury is roughly the same age as Amsterdam and Volendam - and yet I never found the abysmal conditions aboard those two lovely ships that I experienced aboard Mercury. In addition, the guest accommodations - staterooms and bathrooms alike - are far larger aboard HAL.

I've also never been aboard a ship other than Mercury where entire shop windows were covered over in paper because the interior was abandoned, never been aboard any other ship where the staff would prefer to talk amongst themselves (if at all) than talk to guests, never been aboard another ship where one was refused entry through the upper dining room because one's table was in the lower dining room, and never been aboard any other ship where the Maitre'd refused to speak w/ passengers: All these I experienced within those two days aboard Mercury.

I've also never had a bartender lie to me anywhere except aboard X:
While aboard Mercury at the Martini Bar, I ordered an Appletini - When it arrived it had no apple wedge garnish. I asked where the apple was and was told "There are no more apples aboard ship" - Fine, I'll drink it anyway. Next night after a day at sea, I ordered an Appletini again and it had a wedge of apple on it. I asked the bartender, "Did you grow these apples aboard ship today or have them flown in, because last night you told me that you didn't have any more apples". Of course he pretended not to hear me...

...I guess that's what you get for a $10 cocktail aboard X.

[Marion B]

You're welcome, Frankie Sue. Again, I agree completely with what Brian just posted about Mercury's condition compared to HAL ships.
Thoughts re QM2:
B category verandahs are different than A category; Bs are built into the hull of the ship; I personally wouldn't book one, but others would.
There were 4 of us on QM2; 2 of us felt food better than HAL, 1 same and 1 worse (she usually sails Seabourn or Sea Dream Yachts). All of us loved fixed seating in Britannia Grill and all of us agreed entertainment better than HAL, Princess or Celebrity.
3 of us didn't feel a class distinction, but again, the Seabourn friend did. Each of the 3 categories has its own dining room; the Princess and Queen levels had some private lounges too. (it reminds me of the Concierge Lounge being limited to suites concept).
Not sure if Cunard will refund if drop in price; we did book directly with them because they offered a deal that our TA couldn't touch .
Price we paid for QM2 balcony exactly equal to what we paid for 10 day HAL Ryndam balcony in November.
I would book this same itinerary in a NY minute if we didn't already have other travel plans. Sailaway out of NY was magical, gliding past the Statue of Liberty and scooting under the Verazano Bridge.
What month are you considering? 10 day Caribbean?
Marion

[Juanita462]

Our one sailing with X was on the mercury and we have never sailed with
them again. Poor beds, very small room, poor waiter who got orders wrong, complained about bringing a cup of tea etc, grubby carpets and upholstery, no place to sit quietly to read a book - like Grand Central Station and, at that time, smoking down one side of the ship that drifted over to the other side - heavy smokers on each side of our cabin that turned the air blue in the corridor and seeped under the door.

The final problem was a charge on our credit card for a bottle of wine that was bought 2 days after we left the ship. Celebrity never responded to our email about the charge so we just denied the charge to visa.

Must say though, that the food was good and there were lots of activities - wonder if that is still true.

[Frankie Sue]

Thanks Marion B, I appreciate your comments about the B cabin being built in the hull of the ship.......... I did not know that. Since the price difference is very minimal with the A cabin, I guess that I would be better booking an A cabin then........

Built in the hull of the ship, does it mean that it would fee like being in sardine can??

Thanks again for sharing your experience and knowledge. Yes we are looking at the 11 days in Nov. 2010. I know that it is a long time away, but better book early for the right cabin and price, right?

[bigbenboys]

Well,

Mercury is not their best ship. I do like the CC rooms very much. And yes they are about the same as high end balcony rooms on HAL. But if Mercury is going where you want to go then go for it. It is a small ship, I've done it 3 or 4 times. I'm going again in the fall out of Seattle for 4 days.

Bigbenboys

[jer_l]

I must disagree @ shipboard conditions.
Mercury is roughly the same age as Amsterdam and Volendam - and yet I never found the abysmal conditions aboard those two lovely ships that I experienced aboard Mercury. In addition, the guest accommodations - staterooms and bathrooms alike - are far larger aboard HAL.

I've also never been aboard a ship other than Mercury where entire shop windows were covered over in paper because the interior was abandoned, never been aboard any other ship where the staff would prefer to talk amongst themselves (if at all) than talk to guests, never been aboard another ship where one was refused entry through the upper dining room because one's table was in the lower dining room, and never been aboard any other ship where the Maitre'd refused to speak w/ passengers: All these I experienced within those two days aboard Mercury.

I've also never had a bartender lie to me anywhere except aboard X:
While aboard Mercury at the Martini Bar, I ordered an Appletini - When it arrived it had no apple wedge garnish. I asked where the apple was and was told "There are no more apples aboard ship" - Fine, I'll drink it anyway. Next night after a day at sea, I ordered an Appletini again and it had a wedge of apple on it. I asked the bartender, "Did you grow these apples aboard ship today or have them flown in, because last night you told me that you didn't have any more apples". Of course he pretended not to hear me...

...I guess that's what you get for a $10 cocktail aboard X.
Obviously your experience on Mercury is far different than the three times we've sailed on her. We've never had any of the problems that you encountered. I still stand by my assessment based on the three sailing we've taken. It's too bad your sailing was not up to the Celebrity standards we've experienced.

[sammiedawg]

Our one sailing with X was on the mercury and we have never sailed with
them again. Poor beds, very small room, poor waiter who got orders wrong, complained about bringing a cup of tea etc, grubby carpets and upholstery, no place to sit quietly to read a book - like Grand Central Station and, at that time, smoking down one side of the ship that drifted over to the other side - heavy smokers on each side of our cabin that turned the air blue in the corridor and seeped under the door.

The final problem was a charge on our credit card for a bottle of wine that was bought 2 days after we left the ship. Celebrity never responded to our email about the charge so we just denied the charge to visa.

Must say though, that the food was good and there were lots of activities - wonder if that is still true.

Juanita, I had forgotten about the smoking issues on Celebrity Century but there were obnoxious smokers on board and apparently you were allowed to smoke on 1 side of the ship. Therefore, everyone gathered in the Ren De Voux area outside the dining room had to put up with smokers smoke. That really bothered me. The only restricted area was the dining room. Lots of Europeans on board and someone told me Europeans book Celebrity because it had the least restrictions on smoking.
The day we were tendered outside of Grand Cayman profuse foul black smoke spewed all day long from the smokestacks. You could smell it down in the atrium because I went to the front desk to complain about the smoke that was in my cabin. The purser said it was bothering her as well. I never ever experienced anything like that.
I am just thankful we did not have anyone with us on this cruise, no kids, relatives or friends. I would have been so embarassed to have recommended the trip and the Celebrity line.
The dining room beef was excellent a cut above, Service was very fussy and formal, overall dining room experience was good. We did not have a lot of activities, they did have a very good pool band. But the hot tubs were broken and I did not get into the pool because the pool had been cited by the CDC for an incorrect mix of chemicals.
They had the lousiest TV selection, they kept showing the CD Allan giving a guided tour of the gift shops. Very few channels but not sure it mattered because our TV was very old with lousy reception.
I loved the bread sticks in the dining room, they had great breads.

[Marion B]

Frankie Sue,
With a minimum price difference, I would definitely go with the A balcony; we saw the B balcony when our tablemates invited us to see their cabin. The best way I can describe it is that you don't get the natural light of an A cabin and the unobstructed view out to the sea.
If you are picking your cabin, as opposed to a guarantee, I would go with starboard. When you board the ship in Brooklyn and sailaway, you will have the killer view of the Statue of Liberty. We lucked out with a guarantee and had cabin 11101 midship - wonderful.
You are whetting my appetite for a return trip on the Queen.
Have you checked out the Cunard boards? I learned a lot from them.
Also, if you need a hotel recommendation pre-cruise, have one .

Marion

[jer_l]

Juanita, I had forgotten about the smoking issues on Celebrity Century but there were obnoxious smokers on board and apparently you were allowed to smoke on 1 side of the ship. Therefore, everyone gathered in the Ren De Voux area outside the dining room had to put up with smokers smoke. That really bothered me. The only restricted area was the dining room. Lots of Europeans on board and someone told me Europeans book Celebrity because it had the least restrictions on smoking.


This has changed dramatically. Celebrity is now one of the most restrictive lines when it comes to smoking. Here is their new smoking policy:

For all Celebrity ships, smoking is not permitted inside any stateroom or on any stateroom veranda. Cigarette smoking will only be permitted in designated indoor and outdoor areas of the ship, while cigar and pipe smoking will only be permitted in designated outdoor areas. Smoking will not be permitted in any dining venue, casino, theater, hallway, elevator or corridor. Violations to this smoking policy will result in a $250 cleaning fee being charged to the guest's onboard account and may also be addressed through Celebrity Cruises' Guest Conduct Policy. Cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco must be properly disposed of and never thrown overboard. A guest must be at least 18 years of age to purchase, possess or use tobacco onboard.

Celebrity is now far less "smoking friendly" than HAL (Perhaps that is one of the reasons that HAL now has a smoking survey that is given to passengers at the end of their cruises.)

[Frankie Sue]

Thanks again, I will look at that cabin choice........ And yes, that itinerary is great and prices, OBC and minimum deposit are a great deal right now for the Nov 2010 sailing. You know I had never noticed that the B cabin had the solid railing until you pointed it out, you may very well have saved us from making a mistake. So I am really thankful to you for that.

I will probably see how prices go over the next few weeks and then decide.

Thanks a lot and great sailing to you.

[Marion B]

Frankie Sue,
Wishing you a fabulous cruise whatever you decide. Let us know what you chose.
Marion