Mercury Review: July 8-15th Sailing (long!)

What wonderful voyage on a great ship! I just returned from the July 8-15th sailing of the Mercury to Alaska. It was my first Alaska trip, and while quite different from a Caribbean or Bermuda sailing, it was a voyage of breathtakingly beautiful scenery on a pristine ship. Combined with the opportunity to meet some wonderful new friends, this all resulted in a fantastic vacation!

I arrived a day early in Seattle to bright sunny weather in the low 70's. Clear skies and great views of Mt. St. Helen's and Mt. Rainier on the flight in, and the scenery just added to my excitement. So much for hearing that Seattle is always rainy ... it was one of the most beautiful days I have experienced this summer! Took a limo for 35 dollars from the airport to the Crowne Plaza in downtown Seattle. The Crowne Plaza was a great deal at $93.00 per night on a Hot-wire bid. It was centrally located, within walking distance to Pike's Market and the old downtown section, and shopping. A friend met me for dinner and drove me around Seattle to see the sights. We had dinner at Salty's across the sound; a great restaurant with a wondrous view of the city skyline. It was quite a sight to see the lights begin to flicker on in the city as dusk fell. Not to mention, the fresh salmon was to die for!

Awoke early on the morning of sailing to a chilly rain. At 6AM, I ventured outside to take a walk and found myself headed toward the waterfront to see if the ship had arrived back in port from the prior sailing. Not a bad walk... 4-5 blocks down to the water and about 10 blocks to the pier area. Much to my surprise, I was just in time to see the Mercury come into view just as I approached the pier area and I took a few pictures. What a gorgeous vessel! I stood in the rain and got soaked watching the ship come into view and sail right past me. It was the first occasion that I've had to see the ship come into dock from the pier, and I quite enjoyed waving to the passengers and crew on the decks watching the sail in despite the rain and wind.

From the pier I headed toward Pike's Market. Going early meant the walkways were virtually empty, so I had another good photo opportunity. I was enthralled with all of the beautiful flowers, the fresh veggies, and the variety of seafood. Color abounded, and it was a delight for the eyes and palate. I couldn't resist purchasing a big slice of German chocolate cake, and made a mental note to return to the Market to grab a few sweets to take back home on the return to Seattle! By this time, I had used nearly one of the four rolls of film I had brought, so I found a drug store and purchased three more rolls of film and a rain slicker ... by far, the best purchases of the trip!:D

By this time, I was soaked from the rain and began to get worried that I might need some warmer clothes for the trip since it was barely 50 degrees outside at 10 AM! Having left temps of 95 degrees with 90 percent humidity, I was shivering as if I was in the Arctic! I worried that if it was this cold and rainy in Seattle, Alaska might be even worse, so I sought out the local bargain shopping spots with thoughts of warm dry clothing. A local policeman directed me to Nordstrom's Outlet and the Ross store, where I promptly purchased another pair of jeans, black dress pants, and a pair of closed toe dress shoes, just in case! I had to laugh, because I had only packed athletic socks and when I went to purchase some socks at the Ross store, the only thing that I could find to fit me in black were in the boys department ... and they were printed with a Harley Davidson Motorcycle design! Thus, to the delight of my brother-in-law who is an avid cyclist, I became a "biker chick" for the week! LOL!:D

I arrived back to the Crowne Plaza and asked if I might have a slightly later check-out and they were quite accommodating to my request. I left for Pier 66 around 1:45 thinking I would avoid the lines at embarkation by going a bit later. There were lines, but I was on the ship within half an hour. The folks managing the intake of passengers were friendly and cheerful and it was a very smooth check-in.

I headed directly to my cabin (8007) in great anticipation, for I had heard that the corner cabins on deck 8 were among the largest and nicest on the ship. I was delighted to find it spacious with a large window overlooking the bow. What a treat the window turned out to be during the scenic voyage! Friends with a balcony declared that I had the best cabin on the ship and have vowed to book my space on the next sailing. Not if I get to it first, mind you!:) Cabin attendant Caitano and his assistant Nazareth introduced themselves promptly and were just superb!

The lifeboat drill and sailaway went by without a glitch and we were on our way to Alaska by 4:15 PM. I took the opportunity to tour the ship and check out my dinner seating location since I had late dining. I was quite impressed with the layout and cleanliness of the Mercury. The ship is in great shape.

During my adventures met many nice passengers and crew members that I continued to interact with during the course of the week, including the cruise director, Dru Pavlov, the Captain's Club Hostess, Melanie Burger, and the Future Cruise Consultant, Natalie Cavanaugh. All very charming and delightful, I might mention. Dru was probably one of the most interactive and personable cruise director's I've had on any sailing, and I was impressed with his ability to stay so on top of things and be everywhere on the ship during the sailing. He was quite funny, too! I found the hotel director, George Toumazatos, charming. David, in Guest Relations, proved to be a great resource during the voyage and I am thankful for the assistance he provided throughout the week! Kate Spencer, the naturalist, did a fine job highlighting items of interests throughout the voyage. Overall, everyone was friendly and I had delightful interactions with all on board. Each and every day there were invitations waiting on the door to a variety of activities on the ship, and the staff and crew did a wonderful job of making me feel welcomed aboard!

It was neat running into crew that I'd met on different ships and was quite surprised when a server at the grill approached me and said he remembered me from Bermuda! In disbelief, I asked if he was on the Bermuda sailing I'd taken a few weeks ago, but he remembered me from Bermuda last year! LOL! And I was absolutely sure the young man who served me a drink in the Navigator club was the same young man who had served me a drink on the Panama Canal sailing in March, but it turned out it was his cousin who could be his twin brother! :D

Day one at sea was relaxing, despite the slightly rough seas. Many passengers seemed to be affected by the rockiness and I ended up putting on my patch as a precaution when I started to feel a bit weasy myself. Funny, but I found that as long as I ate something every two or three hours the motion didn't seem to bother me too much! Perhaps just an excuse to partake of all the wonderful delights on the buffet??? LOL! I guess that it is just another way to justify gaining a few pounds ... the dress I wore on the second Alaskan sailing formal night that had been loose in Bermuda three weeks before fit so snugly that I had to take it off right after dinner! Ahhhhh, the downside to cruising! Smile! We pent the afternoon leisurely whale watching and were rewarded with the sight of many a fluke!

We arrived in Juneau on schedule on Monday around 1:30 PM. The third largest city in Juneau with 30 thousand inhabitants, it was quite charming. I was told that since it was Sunday, it was quieter than usual. Shops were open and the passengers from 3 ships filled the streets, but it was quite comfortable touring the downtown area. I resisted a ride up the tram that is at the pier since it was overcast and opted for shopping the first few hours since the lines for a bus to Mendenhall Glacier were long and the pier area was congested due to shore excursion activity. My list of things to do included finding the Harley Davidson shop to purchase a shirt for the bike loving brother-in-law and a visit to the Red Dog Saloon, both of which were easy to find in the main shopping district. Shopping bag in hand, I went back to the ship to drop off my purchases and ventured out again to head toward the glacier since the fog had lifted a bit. Much to my surprise, I found that the bus to Mendenhall Glacier had all but disappeared, but luckily, I ran into a nice family who was headed that way and willingly shared a taxi with me! As we drove over the hill and I got my first glimpse of the glacier, a gasp escaped my lips ... for it was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever encountered! We walked down the trail and took numerous pictures. I was astounded by the way the light played upon the blue and white of the water and ice and just could not get enough of the view. The rest of the group struck off for the waterfall while I visited the information center and chatted with the rangers to gather information that might be helpful in my classroom. I was fortunate enough to be given some very nice flyers and information that will be helpful with my instruction, and for those of you who might be interested, given the head-up to a webcam link that allows one to view hourly changes at the glacier. The link is: http://www.redtailcanyon.com/items/20085.aspx

What a scenic view! On the way back into town, our taxi driver took us to a spot near a hatchery where dozens of eagles soared as fisherman threw their lures in the early evening. It was amazing to have these enormous creatures in the air and on the ground a stone's throw away from us.

In Scagway on Monday, the delight of the day was the White Pass Scenic Rail excursion. This narrow gauge railroad is an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, and is a must do adventure! In addition to the nostalgic charm of riding in the old fashioned parlor cars of train, the views of the waterfalls, trestles, gorges, tunnels, and trails are phenomenal! Seeing the terrain that the miner's tackled as they sought riches in the Gold Rush of '98 and the trestle bridge emerge through the mist brought chills down my spine! Here is a link to additional information regarding the railroad: http://www.whitepassrailroad.com/

For those of you who pack or shop too much, you might want to seek out the post office in Scagway to send a a souvenir package home! For $7.50 you can mail a package to anywhere in the United States regardless of the weight (included in the price is a box about the size of two cinderblocks)! The package that I sent to Virginia on Tuesday was waiting for me when I returned home on Saturday morning, so for me it was well worth it to avoid baggage overage charges on the way home! LOL! I even mailed home my coat and heavy sweatshirts from Ketchican ... it made the trip back home much easier with a much lighter load! Smile!

Tuesday AM meant rising early to see the Hubbard Glacier. Pictures and words don't even begin to do justice to the beauty of the sight, and seeing the Glacier as it encompasses the landscape of Disenchantment Bay really makes time stand still as you reflect upon the silence of the wilderness. It surely makes one put the hectic reality of our world into perspective, and makes one thankful for the beauty that still exists on earth! Nearly two thousand people on our ship and two ships nearby, but you could have heard a pin drop as ears strained to hear the cracks and groans of the ice as it broke and caved into the water below. The Glacier is a sight you really have to see in person to understand the enormity of it all!

Ketchican, while smaller, seemed to be a more active spot than Juneau, probably because we visited Juneau on a Sunday. I truly enjoyed our two hour taxi tour in which we visited a salmon hatchery to view eagles, traipsed up a waterfall, and visited Totem Bight State Park to view totem poles and the Clan House. The firebush in bloom made for gorgeous pictures at the state park, and I was amazed to hear that when the firebush bloom reaches the top, it signals that the Alaskan summer is over and the long cold nights will soon come again. We followed up the tour with a walk around the charming town, and our time there ended much too quickly.

Sailing the inside passage on Thursday provided great views of the scenery and opportunity for more whale watching. This time, we even got to see a whale surface! We felt the ship make its technical stop in Prince Rupert, but did not get to view much of the stop as the curtains in the dining room were lowered during late seating. The curtains coming down set the tone for the journey's end, but we still managed to have a laughter filled last dinner with a wonderful group of dinner companions! By the last night, we were all sharing desserts...... all of the food was scrumptious, especially the entrees, salads, breadsticks, and pastries. What's left to mention? Smile! And the service everywhere on board was top-notched!

Friday brought us back to Seattle and a nice summer day. Disembarking the ship was a breeze and we were off of the ship by 9AM, and since we had a late flight we opted to check our luggage for $3 a bag at a place right at the terminal and see more of the sights of Seattle. A block up and over from the pier we found a colorful urban garden that is well worth the walk if you find yourself with the time to spare. A trip back to the Market for sweet treats to bring home was followed by lunch at Etta's, then we were once again in the limo headed toward the airport for our late afternoon flight. I've already been searching for next year's cruises.... Alaska on the Mercury might very well be on the itinerary again! Overall, this was one of my best vacations ever!:)

Welcome back! Terrific review--glad to see that you had such an enjoyable time! Was there much discussion on board regarding the announcement of the new Celebrity ship(s)?

Gina,

Glad you had such a great time! Did you have snail mail from me when you got home?

HI Gail.... just sent you an email! The package arrived and it's great! Thanks bunches! :)

HI David! The new ship was not even mentioned on board.... I was quite suprised to come home and read the press release and discussions on the boards. Did you see the pictures?

Hi Gina:) welcome home and I am glad you had such a good time.

I see you are on Zenith in Dec 2006. I am on Millie Dec 2006. Maybe

our ships will pass in the night;)

Did you see the pictures?

Yes, I forgot to mention it--terrific photos! Good job with the cabin--I will add it to the cabin photo index when I get around to it--there is a lot of pruning of dead links and some other updating that I have to do.....

Hey there, Lois! Good to hear from you! I am trying the Zenith in December of this year... nothing booked yet for 2006. I REALLY want to do the Galaxy next summer, but you know what it' like trying to plan that trip solo. After seeing my pictures, my mom wants to do Alaska next year. If I want to do all of this, it will mean no 2006 spring break voyage for me... and I don't know if I can go that long without a taste of cruising! LOL! I have become addicted! :D

David.. oops, you already answered the question I asked so I have edited this.

The pics just don't do the beauty of Alaska justice......! I was enthralled most of the voyage!

Oh Gina, sorry:eek: I got your date wrong.

I am looking for something in the summer of 2006 too:confused: not sure what I am going to do yet.

One day I want to do Alaska too...so many places, so little time and so little

you know what $....

David.. were you able to do anything with the cabin pics? I can try to put them in a word file and see if they will go thru that way if you want.

No need to do that. I was simply going to put a link to your photo album which had the cabin pictures. If you do not want me to do that, I can pull the cabin pictures off your webshots site and put them on a separate site to link to....

By the way, your window view of Hubbard photo was great.

So, what do you think of Mercury vs Horizon vs M-class?

Have fun on tomorrow's trip should you decide to take it. Your schedule is incredible. You are certainly getting your money's worth from your luggage.

David, the link will work fine! I loved the pic of Hubbard through the window, too! :) And I think I am staying home tomorrow..... Myrtle Beach will have to wait. I need a rest! LOL

I really enjoyed the Mercury, but you know how I love the Horizon. It's hard to say though.... I could probably learn to love the mid sized ships as much with a few more voyages under my hat! Maybe I should just apply for a job! LOL! :D

Lois, I know what you mean! With the December sailing booked, I have depleted the cruise fund jar for this year! Time to start filling it again!:) And if I even think about doing Europe in 2006, I will need to get going on it! Maybe we should organize a group!

glad you enjoyed our city ... we love having Mercury here in the summers ... I've been enjoying watching her arrive and depart on Fridays when my schedule allows ... we're sailing in late August so I've got a question for you: who are the entertainers on board right now? (comedian, headline musician etc., just in the showroom, not that into the other rooms)

thanks! -- TR

Great cabin shots! We are in that very cabin (8007) on Friday this week. My husband, an old girlfriend, and I. Does the room seem adequate for three people?? Sounds like they make up a sofabed for them?? I am hoping that the long walk to the dining room will help burn some calories. That window looks great.

Babs

glad you enjoyed our city ... we love having Mercury here in the summers ... I've been enjoying watching her arrive and depart on Fridays when my schedule allows ... we're sailing in late August so I've got a question for you: who are the entertainers on board right now? (comedian, headline musician etc., just in the showroom, not that into the other rooms)

 

thanks! -- TR

Entertainers:

Sustained, a Capella singing group (they were great)

Diane Anderson (pianist)

Jeff Neese (comedian)

Ping Xin (hammer dulcimer)

Max Winfrey (physical comedy.. stunts and juggling)

Arpeggione Quartet

The Celebrity Singers and Dancers

The Black and White Duo(played dance music in the Rendez-vous Lounge)

Top Secret (the party band)

Great cabin shots! We are in that very cabin (8007) on Friday this week. My husband, an old girlfriend, and I. Does the room seem adequate for three people?? Sounds like they make up a sofabed for them?? I am hoping that the long walk to the dining room will help burn some calories. That window looks great.

Babs

The cabin would be great for 3 people. The sofa bed pulls out, but there is room to add a rollaway near the entryway if you'd prefer. I rather enjoyed sitting on the sofa and looking out the window at the view. :)

for the entertainment lowdown. Enjoyed Ping Xin on one of our last couple cruises and I know we've shared a ship with the B/W Duo at least once before. My husband was hoping, though, to see the fabled comedian "Noodles" again ... he's gotta be out there sailing the seven seas somewhere ... TR

Thank you so much for posting the pics of the cabin. We have that cabin booked for Sept. Can you tell me if you noticed if they allow children in the pool with the dome over it? I only ask because on our Coral Princess cruise the only pool warm enough to use was the covered pool and it was for grown ups only. I don't have a problem following the rules, but my son takes disappointment better when prepared in advance. Thanks so much.

Which limo company did you use and do you reserve the limo in advance?? Thanks again.

where do I find the web shots of cabin 8007?

Thanks!

Di

I am booked in 8004 (8007's twin) with my family of four this Christmas. I have been trying to get an idea of where the bed and sofa are located in the cabin and really appreciate your pictures of the cabin.

My question is regarding the sofa. Is it large enough to sleep two girls? We would rather not have a roll-away bed in the room and our daughters are used to sleeping together on past cruises so our hope is that they will be able to share the sofa bed.

Thank you for sharing your pictures and the wonderful review. I live in Seattle and you made me want to rush down to the Market and pretend I was on vacation. :) We watch the Mercury sail past our home every Friday and I still get a thrill every time I see it.

I am having trouble finding the photos of this cabin also. Would love to see.

Here is a link to patrioticgirl's photos:

http://community.webshots.com/album/398490748TMFmmm

Hi

Thanks for sharing your review and the photos! We are excited.......just 3 more weeks and we'll be on the Mercury! What types of activities were there during the day (especially the day a sea)? Did you have a naturalist on board?

:)

Amy

Doris, your son will not be disappointed; he will indeed be able to swim in the aft pool.

I did not reserve the limo in advance. Right outside of the luggage pick up area at the airport, there are phones that link to ground transportation information. When I arrived I simply picked up the phone and iquired about transportation options to the downtown area. The gentelman I spoke with suggested the limo (at $35.00) and stated that it would be there in two minutes. The dispatch number for the guy who drove me is (206) 919-1173.

Seagal, the sofabed in a loveseat type. I did not pull it out, but it appeared to be a twin size. If your girls are older, it may be a problem for them to both sleep there. We had a room once without a sofa bed and rather than bring in a cot, we had the room attendant bring in just the mattress that could be slid under the bed during the day. This might be an option if you find that you need the additional bedding.

Amy, there was naturalist onboard and she did a talk just about every morning. The day we wer at Hubbard Glacier, she did a talk that was broadcast in all of the public areas of the ship as well. There were all kinds of activites going on each day.. bingo, trivia, shore activity overviews, musical entertainment, book highlights in the library, spa and computer related semimars, etc. There is plenty to do, especially on the sea days, but I think one of the best parts of the sea days is just taking in the scenery and whale watching. For the kids, there is the children's program. Most of the kids seem to love it.

To view the cabin pictures, click on the link Mandac mentions in his post or click on the link to the pictures in my signature. In my photos, the cabin shots are in part one of the Mercury sailing shots.

One downside that I might mention regarding the cabin is that there is only one double door closet for hanging clothes so it might be tight if you pack lots of hanging things.