Mercury Aft Cabin noise question

Hello,

I have read several posts regarding the noise in the aft cabins on Mercury. We booked an OV guarantee cabin for December and, much to my surprise, we have already been assigned a cabin (with 5 months to go). It is on Deck 4 (Continental) near the aft elevators.

My question is this: Is the noise that people spoke of mainly a problem in the cabins furthest aft? Or will we have a problem in cabin 4134, which is directly to the side of the aft elevators?

Thank you!

We have been on Mercury and her sisterships a total of 3 times. Twice in the rearward facing cabins at the stern (i.e. all the way in the back) and once in a midship cabin. All I can tell you is that we felt very strong vibrations and noise for limited periods of time in our aft cabin (and in the formal dining room) when the ship pulled in and out of port. We felt virtually nothing in our midship cabin.

I can only surmise that the vibration mentioned is not confined to just the aft cabins although it obviously must decrease in intensity as you move away from the stern. On the other hand I don't ever recall reading complaints posted on this board regarding cabins located in the aft area (but not directly at the back) such as yours.

Bumping this up in hopes of getting additional responses...

We also have been on the Mercury 4 times, and will again sail with her in October. We always have an aft cabin, and rarely have felt the aft vibration. Once you're aware that this particular ship has a vibration when entering and departing a port, you get used to it, and ignore it, almost like a grandfather clock with it's gongs on the hour. My analogy may not be correct, but the gist of it is....it's there, and part of the ship. Not a big concern. The ship is beautiful and well kept. Enjoy your cruise!

Karyn

If the vibrations are only when docking manuvers, I think this is standard fare caused by the thrusters used to move the ship sideways at the dock. I've been in a fore cabin and a mid cabin on other lines and always felt serious shaking (ala anti-lock brakes) when docking. It only lasts 10 mins while docking. I always treated this as an alarm clock to get up and get to port!

...that is if the thrusters are the cause, which seems reasonable if it is not reported at sea.

We were in 4112 which is under the galley. We had some noise, usually around 11PM and ended around 12:30. Sounded like they were bowling up there - not too bad though. Didn't feel any vibration (or slept through it). Your stateroom would be under the Manhattan Dining Room - I don't think it would be too noisy there. We enjoyed our trip.

I just disembarked Mercury 7/8 to Alaska. I had previously posted on this thread that the vibrations were likely thrusters. ...wrong!

I will now state that there is something physically wrong with this ship. I had three staterooms 8237-8245 approx 5 rooms from the stern. There were very serious vibrations throughout the cruise. At one time at lunch in the main dining room we could barely hear over the chattering of silverware on the empty set tables.

I would think there is a propeller out of balance or something to cause such constant violent vibrations. Difficult to sit and read as the reading material kept jumping around. I would liken our stateroom experience to 7 days in a 7.2 earthquake!

My goodness we are in #8198 next week and now I'm worried not for the noise, because we have cruised alot, but do you seriously think there is something wrong with the ship???:confused:

This was our third cruise. One on a bit smaller ship and one about the same size as Mercury. All three cruises on different lines. I have never experienced consistent violent vibrations as on the Mercury. Thrusters used in/out of ports yes, but this ship has them in open calm seas. We will never sail on her again.

After disembarking in ports, I felt as if I had been riding a lawnmower for 2 days.

From experience on both Mercury and Galaxy I think there are two distinct vibrations. The first is the thrusters they use in port as others have attested to. These are short lived but are felt at the forward and aft locations on the ship. We were forward on Deck 10 and felt the thrusters, but it was never that bad and just made the glasses on the tray tinkle a bit.

The other is the vibration from the engines/propeller shafts. This is there whenever the ship is at sea and is VERY local. For instance, we heard it rumble big time when we were at our table in the dining room. We were on the lower level well aft and I could move 30 feet away and it was much quieter. It was more pronounced the slower the ship was going. It was loud, but it didn't detract from our dining experience. The conversation was just too good:)

In terms of where your cabin is Melissa, I don't think you will have a problem. The inside aftmost cabins must get some of the vibration we felt in the dining room, but you'll probably feel the port thrusters as a wake up call and that's it. As an aside, we stayed more midships on deck 10 on our last couple of cruises and never heard a thing:cool:

themanagement, I would be interested to hear what cabin you were in. I suspect quite near the back of the ship lowdown.

Phil

When we were on the Mercury, the first night as we left San Fransisco, it was when the ship had to back out from the dock. I couldn't believe the vibration and sound. Definatly something out of balance there. However, that was just about the only time we really noticed it.

I will concur with "themanagement". We were on Mercury May 27 to Alaska and there was some serious rattling of glasses and silverware in the dining room. I spent a good chunk of my time aft (granted our cabin was midships, and we felt nothing there) on the observation decks/promenade and I could feel significant vibrating the entire time we were at sea. Some days were more pronounced than others. But also, as was stated earlier, it is constant and you may become used to it eventually.... just like the rocking of the ship.

Enjoy your cruise

-bb123

My goodness we are in #8198 next week and now I'm worried not for the noise, because we have cruised alot, but do you seriously think there is something wrong with the ship???:confused:

We were on the Mercury in May, #8170, and this was our 4th cruise on this ship. In the cabin we felt absolutely nothing...once in awhile at dinner, if we were leaving a port there was some vibration. As far as we are concerned...it's just an inherent part of the ship. We don't even notice it anymore. There's nothing wrong with the ship...

We were on the Mercury in May, #8170, and this was our 4th cruise on this ship. In the cabin we felt absolutely nothing...once in awhile at dinner, if we were leaving a port there was some vibration. As far as we are concerned...it's just an inherent part of the ship. We don't even notice it anymore. There's nothing wrong with the ship...

any problems with 8227? we're heading to the Mex. Riv. next week and want to be prepared for 'magic fingers' (j.k.) if the cabin vibrates...

We are holding a FO guarantee for December -- Penthouse deck all the way aft. Does the deck make a difference in the vibrations? other sources of noise? How about seasickness? We usually stay midship but the size of the FO is very attractive.

Have sailed Mercury, Galaxy and Century a total of eleven times, in a family cabin or close to aft cabin five or six of those times. The vibration problem on C-class ships occurs mainly when coming into or leaving port, but can also occur when the ship is turning. As it was explained to us, it's not related to use of thrusters (that vibration can be felt on all ships) but rather it is the result of reversal of the propeller/propeller shaft. Exactly how "bad" the vibration/noise is, is a very subjective call. If you're a light sleeper, it may or may not serve as an early morning wake up call, but it's rarely an issue later in the day if you're up and about. Sometimes it makes a racket in the dining room but it rarely last for more than perhaps a minute, if that long.

We were in #8247 last Nov, on the Mercury. There is a definate rumbling and vibration at the back of the ship. Days at sea were smooth as glass, but port days were a very early wake up call. Also several nights at dinner the resturant would rattle and shake. Didn't ruin our cruise, and we'd do it again anytime. Ship is a bit small for us, but great crew and ship. My only real complaint was that the pools closed at 8pm and the hot tubs at ppm:confused: You'll have a great cruise.

We are holding a FO guarantee for December -- Penthouse deck all the way aft. Does the deck make a difference in the vibrations?

These vibrations affect pretty much all the decks. At least there is not any significant difference between the two decks that the FOs are located (Penthouse and Panorama).

Hi 1st time cruise here.

Any problems with room 4140 continental deck or room 8116 midship panorama deck we are sailing Nov 10/06

We've been on Mercury twice, once in the Caribbean in 1998, and Around the Horn (westbound) in 2002. Don't recall any vibrations in '98, when we were in an oceanview cabin, but we had a late night wave roll teh ship a good bit to the extent that dishes crashed to the deck in the dishwashing facility. We were in SS 1236 near aft in '02, and there was a slight rattle from time to time in the ceiling or perhaps in the wall panel near the ceiling.

But that was nothing compared to the serious shuddering and vibration experienced when sailing the Mar del Plata. This is a very shallow waterbody and the ships must maneuver through a narrow channel at slow speed, but the thrusters are just too close to the bottom, so you get a bounceback from the bottom. When you look at a map, you think it just takes 4 to 6 hours to navigate from the Atlantic to Buenos Aires, but it takes 12 hours. And the shaking in the dining room gave many folks a start. But this is normal. I just wonder about the wear and tear after awhile.

Love the ship though, just the right size and at the time was pretty classy. Hope she's OK.

Cabo

Thanks, we are going no matter what. We sailed the Galaxy at Christmas, our cabin was 9000 all the way forward and we bobbed like a cork in water.... it was fabulous. There was some vibration leaving ports but it didn't even phase our table, we just ordered a martini and toasted the day.:)

We're booked into 9000 for the Coastal 8 day in April, and I'm wondering about noise level. Cheap rascal that I am, I usually book us into inside cabins. Which usually works out just fine. But last August, I booked us into a cabin under the Horizon Court Buffet kitchen on the Coral! Hoo boy! I still haven't lived that one down yet! It's left my husband skittish, and he's saying that I really shouldn't book anymore inside cabins. Will 9000 on the Mercury add to my disgrace?

We just returned from the Mercury June 15. We were in an aft cabin 8263. The first night was fine until about 2 a.m. when the vibrations started. They went on and grew louder/stronger until the sliding doors and barware rattled. On a scale from 1-10, about an 8. We would go on to notice that each time the ship slowed this shaking would occur. It was pretty bad and I really don't recommend staying on the aft. Our daughter was in a side cabin a few doors down and didn't experience half the vibrations we did. We were unable to switch cabins because they were full up. The next few nights were better, still shaky, but better, more like a 5 or 6. We got used to being up by 6:30 a.m. The final night however was the absolute worst, a 10++++! It started at 4 a.m. and was so bad I could only laugh and make believe I was on Candid Camera or in an "I Love Lucy" episode. Book an aft if you must, but bring earplugs, mouthguard, and order plenty of after dinner nightcaps just in case it turns out to be a "bumpy night".

We've been in 8259 and the vibrations were definitely noticeable, similar to an apartment I once stayed in that was next to a major train route. However, it wasn't as irritating to us as was the disco on the 7th floor. There were some convention type groups on that particular cruise that partied long and hard on that cruise; I know it's not always that way.

We've booked the same aft FO's for September but on deck 11. Closer to the food and further from the disco sounds perfect. As for the vibrations - well, we love those aft FO's.

Looks like this thread was originally started 3 years ago.:eek:

dj, sorry you had so much noise:(

I will be up on Deck 12 in September. I had the same

cabin on Galaxy and had no noise problems. This will be

my 6th time on Mercury (love this ship:) ) It is 1242 inside,

which is aft right around the corner from the stairs down

to the Palm Springs buffet area.

Hoping it is quieter than what you experienced.