Just returned from Galaxy - first Celebrity cruise

[jgrkld]

Carol: Thanks for your review and information! We're very familar with Galaxy, having been on her 5 times. 6th time will be in May 2005.

 

I agree with Phil's assessment of the Galaxy vibration although I have never been in an aft cabin.

 

Carol or anyone else who has done this itinerary: I have itinerary questions that you might be able to help us with. My husband and I be on the same cruise (including Turkey hopefully) as kayakfam in May 2005.

 

Any suggestions or comments (how difficult to get to or to tour in limited time we have? worthwhile? good use of time? Celebrity or do on our own? which tour company do you recommend) on any of the following, if you did any of these places on your cruise?

 

- tour company you used for Tivoli tour? Hadrian's Villa too? How long is tour to give one or both adequate time?

- touring Tarquinia & Etruscan Ruins on way from Rome to Civitavecchia? which tour company?

- getting to Delos from Mykonos on our own without doing a Celebrity excursion?

- when they are saying the Akrotiri ruins will reopen on Santorini?

- getting a tour boat from Naples to Capri on our own?

- getting to Herculaneum or Pompeii on own from Naples (have been to Pompeii but more time there would be certainly nice)?

- the hop-on hop-off bus that Naples is supposed to be getting (should have by now - does it stop near Archaeological Museum in Naples)?

- best ancient sites to see in Rhodes? tour company recommendations?

- Celebrity's Mycanae/Corinth Canal shore excursion from Athens? Or tour company to use to see on own?

- any other shore excursions or sites we should consider (we are interested in Etruscan, Roman, Minoan, and Greek ruins although we are considering trip to Capri from Naples)?

 

Any suggestions or comments are appreciated!

 

Kathy

 

[This message was edited by jgrkld on 06-18-04 at 10:28 PM.]

[brian_uk]

Are there noise problems in RS and SS after midnight. We found that crew did clean up on deck above late at night and this frequently disturbed us. Some of the SS are below gym...could this be a problem with early morning keep fitters

[merapi]

That's why we were so disappointed in Messina. There is really nothing to explore (with the exception of a unique clock) in Messina and the drive to Taormina was apparently lovely. I will write another post about some excursion experiences.

Carol

 

Hi Carol,

 

We were on your cruise (have just returned after a week in Thailand following the cruise). Thanks for your fine review and sorry that you missed out on seeing Taormina.

 

We were also disappointed with the itinerary change from Taormina to Messina, especially with no prior warning. We had intended to walk through Taormina but with Messina being just a large town with few places of interest, we made a late decision to take the ship's tour to Mt Etna. It was a long drive from Messina (we had a nice view of Taormina as we drove by) but we really enjoyed it - no glowing lava, but still a very strange and interesting place. Others we spoke to took the tour into Taormina and loved the town.

 

As you mentioned, the embarkation was a bit of a shambles. We arrived about 1pm and were allowed to check our luggage but were then bussed back into Civitavecchia and asked to wait at a local hotel until they were cleared to take us back for embarkation. It really messed up our planned meeting of cruise critic people that afternoon.

 

These were relatively minor problems though and we thoroughly enjoyed our first cruise and would recommend Celebrity to anyone. :)

[Boreus]

Carol or anyone else who has done this itinerary: I have itinerary questions that you might be able to help us with. My husband and I be on the same cruise (including Turkey hopefully) as kayakfam in May 2005.

 

Any suggestions or comments (how difficult to get to or to tour in limited time we have? worthwhile? good use of time? Celebrity or do on our own? which tour company do you recommend) on any of the following, if you did any of these places on your cruise?

 

- getting to Delos from Mykonos on our own without doing a Celebrity excursion?

- getting a tour boat from Naples to Capri on our own?

- getting to Herculaneum or Pompeii on own from Naples (have been to Pompeii but more time there would be certainly nice)?

- best ancient sites to see in Rhodes? tour company recommendations?

 

Kathy

 

My review of the May 31-June 11 cruise of the Galaxy was just posted on the Community board at http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=5274. I think I can help you with your above specific questions. You can easily do on your own the tours you ask about. To get from Mykonos to Delos you have only to walk to the eastern part of the port and on a strip of land between the port and the sea are the docks of two ferry lines that run people out to Delos in Just under an hour as I recall. By all means read up on Delos before you go. The boats from Naples to Capri leave a dock that is to your left as you walk out of the cruise terminal where the Galaxy will tie up. Getting to Herculaneum or Pompei from the Naples cruise terminal is a little trickier. There is a snack shop/cafe/news stand between the terminal and the Capri boats. At this shop buy tickets for "fascia 3." This will let you on the No. 1 streetcar going to the right on the near tracks along the dock area. They come along every 15-20 minutes. Take the streetcar (validating your ticket when we get aboard) for about a mile or a little more and it will turn left and run inland. You can't miss it. In another six or eight blocks you will see a bus and train station on your right. It is the Napoli Centrale, Ferrovie dello Stato Station, on Piazza Garibaldi. Take the escalators on the right side of the station to the Circumvesuviana train. It stops at Herculaneum and Pompei Scavi a little further on. Pompei Scavi is about 40 minutes from the Napoli Centrale. Your ticket is valid for both the streetcar and the train, and to return (your ticket will probably have expired) just buy a new ticket at the Herculaneum or Pompei train station and reverse the process. In the old town in Rhodes I thought the only sites worthwhile were the Street of the Knights and the Palace of the Grand Master. Past that there are just too many tourist shops selling the usual junk. You can walk around the old town without being on a tour, and there is a small fee to see the Palace. I hope you have a great time.

 

Macjaney: There are plenty of ATM, usually near the docks.

[N&B]

We are considering the Gaxey for 2004 in the Med. Have sail on this ship twice before and have 4 crises on Celebrity. Has anyone departed from Texas? We would be leaving from D/F and wondered what air transporation would be provided by Celebrity.

 

Any input on your cruise would be appreciated.

[Bookit]

My thanks to the original poster for the interesting review. Although we are not scheduled for the Med cruise, Galaxy will be our first Celebrity cruise (11/04, Panama Canal 12-day cruise).

 

I remain concerned about the reports of rug stains and worn upholstery in the RS cabins. (Our only other cruise that provided similar amenities was on a relatively new ship, and our suite was in excellent shape).

 

Any other comments from those in RS as to condition?

 

Thanks.

 

Bookit

[lauren_macsporren]

We were on the Galaxy in April 1998. Did anyone in your party stay in a Family Oceanview cabin or other cabin in the back (aft) of the ship? We have booked this cabin for the extra room (and m-i-l has the verandah, so we can use hers). I'm just wondering if there is still a problem with "pod" vibrations? I know Celebrity/RCCL sued the manufacturers several years ago. I hope it is a "bit" better now - ha!

 

I came home from the Galaxy med cruise last week where I had an aft room (9214). We noticed occasional vibrations when the ship was tipping from side to side slightly in the night (only on really windy nights and not too noticeable), but you will find the vibrations coming into port quite strong, and frustrating when it's at 5.45am! You soon get used to it though. I don't know anything about pods but that's just what we felt. Hope it helps. x

[jgrkld]

Thanks, Boreus, for all your information! I really appreciate it.

 

Sorry my thanks is late in coming - I just re-found this thread after Cruise Critic changed to the new system and I changed my username, since they dropped most of my posts with the conversion (had around 765 posts!). I logged in under my old username to see if I could find your post. We don't go on the Mediterranean cruise until next year, but I will be printing off your information to take with me and it will be put to good use!