celebrity-galaxy16

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Maryanne Roesler
Email: mroesler2@aol.com
Age: 43
Occupation: Computer Programmer
NumberOfCruises: 8
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Galaxy
SailingDate: 4/7/01
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
Cabin: Cat 2 - 9136
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 92
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 94
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 92
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 94
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 97
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 94
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 91
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 92
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 91
CruiseActivities: 92
Casino: 92
AirSeaProgram: 96
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 92
SpaceRatio: 97
OverallCruiseValue: 97
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 16 Apr 2001
Time: 10:51:52
Remote Name: ny-bas00.csfb.com
Remote User:

Comments

Embarkation: My friend Nancy and I flew to San Juan from LaGuardia in New York. Somehow we got first
class seats. Really a surprise and treat since I have never flown first class before. Highly recommend
booking the air with the cruise. If something goes wrong with the air, the cruiseline/airline is responsible
for getting you to the ship. Otherwise, you are responsible. Check-in at the pier is never fun and there is
always a line. Forms to fill out which weren’t included in our paperwork. Finally, that horrible photo op of
getting on the ship (after traveling for 12 hours, it’s not a pretty site).

Room: Had a Cat 2 with balcony - 172 sq ft. Small but big enough for two women. Balcony was real nice
for pictures and relaxing. Bathroom is small, but we’re used to that. Cabin had small sitting area and
desk. Cabin steward was hardly ever seen but the room was always ready for us. Keep in mind that you
need to keep the 'Do Not Disturb' on the door when you are in the cabin because if they don’t see that,
they assume you are gone for the day and enter to clean the room. Good idea to lock the door with the
bolt too. We had a couple of times were he entered the room, thinking we were gone. It was our fault for
not having the sign on the door so we just apologized and let him know when we were leaving.

Dining: The food was excellent. No complaints. No problem getting seconds and the service was good.
Our waiter appeared to be a little uninterested in doing the waiter thing. Mostly wanted to chat. Would
have made a better passenger. Was nice enough, just always behind everyone else.

Entertainment: The onboard shows were just OK. The person responsible for the costumes and
choreography must have had rocks in their heads. The only good stuff was the couple that did the solo
dancing – unbelievable moves and lifts. Then there was an exceptional pianist who was also a magician.
Pretty cool stuff. There were some great Chinese acrobats too. Otherwise, the shows were boring and
the costumes ugly. Bingo – No Kids would be a nice idea. Also, there was a casino that had a Slot
Machine tournament. We did not hear about this and the lady at our table won second prize. Was $20 to
enter and she won $240. I wish we had known – I would have definitely done that.

St. Croix: This was our first stop. We were ready for the beach. They have lots of tours but we decided
(against ship advice to go to Rainbow beach) to go to Carambola beach. This is a resort beach which
allows visitors from the ships. Really beautiful resort. We found a beach bar that had a grill and we had
one of the best hamburgers I ever had. Believe they also had a restaurant. The beach was nice and
deserted. We sat by the resort but swimming in the water here is risky since there are sea urchins on
the rocks. Swimming was available further down the beach. But, we just wet our feet and enjoyed the
quiet beach.

St. Lucia: Here we opted for the highly recommended 7 hour tour. We read reviews from previous
cruisers saying how nice this was. Well, it is nice if you do the tour in the right order. Let me explain. The
tour group gathered on the pier and half went on buses and half headed for the catamaran. We were on
the catamaran first. Unlucky for us. The catamaran was great and lots of fun. Bring lots of sunscreen
and water. They serve punch and sodas free and you can purchase beer. Well, at 9am this didn’t go
over so big until later around 11 when we were nearing the end of the ride. Catamaran stopped for
swimming at a beach and sailed through a beautiful bay area. Then, off the catamaran and onto
un-airconditioned buses (?????) This was not at all nice. They said it was a short drive but it was longer
than they said. Went up to the see the volcano. This was amazing but you should know that volcanoes
smell like rotten eggs (sulphor). They claim it’s good for the sinuses but not pleasant at all. Then, back
onto the hot buses and then a stop at the botanical gardens. Now by this time we are hot, tired and
HUNGRY. The lunch stop was AFTER the botanical gardens which ended up being around 2pm.
Definitely too late. Couldn’t eat – just had a beer. I was fuming that we had a hot bus ride and then had
to get on a hot buffet line to eat hot food. Finally, boarded airconditioned buses for one more stop in a
town and then back to the ship. This tour would have been MUCH better starting off in the buses. We
heard that this group had lunch around 12 noon and then the last thing they did was the catamaran ride
back to the pier which they said was loads of fun. So, if you do this tour, make sure you get on a bus,
not a catamaran to start off. Also, this tour is a little rough if you have early seating. You get back
around 4 with barely enough time to get some rest and get ready for dinner. Looked like a nice
shopping area right by the ship but we couldn’t stop – too tired and we had to rest and get ready for
dinner.

Barbados: Here we decided on a beach again. Needed to veg out a little. We chose Casumerina (on
advise of a Celebrity Tour Guide). Was a beautiful resort with lots of flowers and lush vegetation. Had
lunch in the restaurant – flying fish sandwich was really good. The beach was beautiful but a few things
were bothersome. First, the ship person said the chairs were free to cruise guests. However, we were
charged $5 per chair and the kid said the umbrella was free. Then, we saw another guy set up another
group and he said the chairs were free but the umbrella was $10. We didn’t question this though. Be
aware that since it is a public beach there are lots and lots of locals selling stuff, especially aloe. They
bother you all day long. Next time I’m bringing a sign that says ‘no soliciting’ or something like that. Was
in a little fender bender on the way back – nothing serious but we were a little shaken up. Don’t know
how they drive there anyway – roads are so narrow and cabs are zipping all over the place.

At Sea: As you veteran cruisers know, sea days make for crowded pool days. You MUST get pool chairs
by 8am. Otherwise, you have to sit on the upper deck. People saved them from 7am (which technically
you are not allowed to do but no one does anything). This is the day they do the fun pool antics –
volleyball against the cruise staff, battle of the sexes, etc.

Antigua: This island was supposed to have beautiful beaches but by now we wanted to shop and go
back to the ship. Beware here – as soon as you get off the ship you will be accosted by numerous men
asking if you want a taxi, if you are going to the beach, or if you want a tour. I lost count of how many
asked us. It got to the point that when I saw one of them approaching I just said NO really loudly. I said
‘I’m not going to the beach and I’m not going on a tour. Period’. Definitely annoying but something that
will be easier to deal with if you know it ahead of time. Our tablemates did the catamaran and snorkeling
and said it was fantastic. Oh well, live and learn.

St. Thomas: We held back shopping till this port. Best shopping in the Caribbean. Bought a Tanzanite
ring in Cardow Jewelers. My friend bought a Tanzanite bracelet at Tanzanite International. Unbelievable
selection. You can also buy the stone and have it set. Diamond International/Tanzanite International
even have a credit program where you don’t pay anything for a couple of months. They make it so easy
to buy…. One other note for those traveling this week in the future – Good Friday means no hard liquor
sold on St. Thomas till 4pm, only beer and wine. There are lots of tours here too, and lots include
Megan’s Bay. This beach is where we headed after shopping. Gets kinda crowded and there is not a lot
of shade but we found a tree and relaxed for a couple of hours. Had lunch at the bar and it was really
something I wanted to store in memory and bring out again when I got back home and back to work –
really seemed to sum up all the fun on vacation – sitting at a beach bar, eating lunch and having an ice
cold beer (no liquor), looking at the ocean and palm trees. Ahhhhhh. Our tablemates went to St John by
boat for beaching and snorkeling and loved it. They said St. John was gorgeous. Most of it is a preserve
so it is not so built up. Also, in St. Thomas (Charlotte Amalie), the cabbies will try to get you for a tour. I
think these are really nice to go on since they drive you around the island and the views of the harbor
with the cruise ships are breathtaking.

San Juan: Well, last day. If you have a late flight, a tour is a great way to spend the time rather than
sitting at an airport. They get you off the ship early, through customs, and onto buses. This procedure is
the worst part of the cruise. First, you have to find your luggage and then find a baggage handler. We
couldn’t find one so had to lug our own stuff through customs. The customs part was quick but then we
had to lug the stuff outside to the tent where the major airlines were situated and check in our luggage. I
was really hot and aggravated by the time I made my way to the tour bus (which thankfully was nice and
cool). We did the tour of Old and New San Juan. We were originally booked for this tour plus the
Distillery but found out the Distillery was closed due to Easter. So, we took the shorter tour which was
OK. Old San Juan is quaint and the tour guide very knowledgeable. Went to a fort, did some shopping
and then the bus brought us to the airport. The airport was mobbed but we found a Sports Bar and had
a nice lunch at the bar and a couple of beers. Then, to our surprise while walking to our gate we met a
couple we had as tablemates on our Panama Canal cruise last April. It was the same week – the one
right before Easter and I guess they like taking that week too. What a thrill to see them again. They were
coming off a Royal Caribbean cruise of the Southern Caribbean too. Small world, huh? We exchanged
emails and who knows, maybe we’ll see them next year. The flights home are never easy and we had a
layover in Atlanta. Arrived back in LaGuardia at 12 midnight and our luggage looked like it had been
there for hours. Oh to be a suitcase…..

Overall, I feel cruising is one of the best vacations you can do. Cannot think of any negatives to mention
overall, except for those mentioned above. The Cruise Lines I recommend are Celebrity, Royal
Caribbean or Princess. Then, pick the itinerary which you think you’ll like. The newer ships, as you
would expect, are nicer and more luxurious. However, we heard that the newest bigger ships are not
really all that nice. Most are too big for some ports and you have to tender in. Tendering is a real pain.
Also, they are so big you never get your bearings and there’s just too many people. We usually look for
a ship build between 1995 and 2000 for about 2000 passengers. We loved the pool on RCCL’s Vision
of the Seas, but the Celebrity Century was a gorgeous ship with a beautiful 2 level dining room. The
Galaxy was similar but just couldn’t compare to the Century.

Happy Cruising!!!

Name: David Rosenberg
Email: stompper3@aol.com
Age: 36
Occupation: physician
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Galaxy
SailingDate: March 24-31 2001
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
Cabin: A737
FoodDiningRoom: 70
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 70
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 70
CabinQuietness: 65
FoodMidnightBuffets: 70
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 70
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 85
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 70
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 27 Apr 2001
Time: 15:52:22
Remote Name: 164.58.10.124
Remote User:

Comments

I'll begin by saying that this was one of the worst vacations I have taken. I may have been expecting too
much from Celebrity, but I really was not. I complained to my travel agent at Vacations to Go.Com after the
trip. He contacted the Key Account Manager - Midwest Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises and this is
what he was told:

Please note that all past sailings with client comment's --be it good or bad have to be submitted in writing to
our Passenger Relations Department, in Miami. A booking number, ship and sailing date have to be
included. After review from the Passenger Relations department, they will make any offer back to the client
IF they deem it. Sadly, I don't have any pull with extending offers to clients.

I will not do this as I do not have plans to travel this line again and would be disappointed with any offer to
be used on an upcoming cruise, unless it was with another line. If the people from Celebrity read this post
and actually give a darn, they can contact me. Anyway…

I was stupid and left several things including my Tiffany cuff links and some jewelry, cash and a checkbook
in our safe when I finished the cruise. Celebrity has still not found these items and I am not surprised. This
is a lesson I wish anyone reading this won't have to learn. Make sure you and everyone in the room
double-checks everything before you leave. If you bring valuables, get insurance and make sure you
photograph these things in your possession and make sure you have documentation of the costs before
you leave for the cruise. You may want to take a picture on the cruise with those valuables in your
possession. The insurance I bought only pays $1000 of 'lost luggage.'

For my write up I'll try to include examples of positive and negative experiences. You must decide how
important these things are to you by trying to see how you would react in a similar situation. Check out my
post on my recent trip on the Grand Princess to get a better feel for my write up. We flew out of Dallas @
7:30 AM. We spent the night at the Hyatt at the airport. The hotel was a standard room and bed at the
airport, nothing special. The front desk person placed my parking card in the hotel machine to credit the
parking for the night and the machine ate it. It did not matter as the parking lots there take a picture of your
license, so there was a record of when I parked when I left. Only thing was that I had to pay for parking the
night I stayed at the hotel, which was actually and should have been complimentary.

If you don't mind taking the chance of getting the last flight out of San Juan the day the cruise ends
(Saturday), make your own arrangements. Celebrity said about 90% of the people cruising this trip took
their air sea package. I bet it was the same for the other boats sailing out of San Juan as the airport was
packed like Ellis Island. There are a limited number of seats leaving per day out of this small airport and
someone has to get the last ones. Some folks paid an extra $50 when they booked initially with Celebrity to
get the flights they wanted. We did not. We were unlucky enough to get the last flight out of San Juan close
to 6 PM. Please note that you are off the boat by about 9 AM.) There were people at the airport from 9 AM
until 6 PM Saturday after their cruise, just sitting. Some folks paid a lot of money to take their family on
tours for the day instead of sitting at the airport. Think about arranging a night at a local hotel the Saturday
you come back and leave Sunday when I assume the airport is less crowded (check with your TA to make
sure). May I suggest the El San Juan Hotel? You can see it from the airport. I caution against the Ritz
Carlton as I had stuff stolen from my bags from there on a past trip and staff there was quite unhelpful. This
is not your usual 'US' Ritz and remember that whatever you do, this is still Puerto Rico. You could also do
what I did and attempt to get stand-by. We found this to be impossible unless you had a priority ticket or a
ton of Delta Sky Miles, because it does not work first come first serve. So we gave up on the stand-by, and
by 12 PM we headed over to the El San Juan Hotel. We took a $0.25 bus ride from the airport and used the
$16 we saved on a taxi for the 2-mile trip, towards lunch. (Ask one of the people waiting for the bus at the
airport which one of the two 'Isle de Verde' busses you should get on and when you should get off. You get
back on the same bus on the other side of the street at the bus stand where you initially got off.) Do not
bring a heavy carry on as there is no where to store it at the airport and carrying it around is limiting. Trust
me as I schlepped around a 50-pound bag all day. Also, be aware that the El San Juan Staff treats those
visitors not staying at the hotel like dirt except if you are paying $12 for a roast beef sandwich at their patio
bistro. Even then you may still feel second class, as they won't hold your carry-on at the bell stand while
you eat. Anyway, it is worth the $50 you will pay for two for lunch. You quickly appreciate service head over
heels above what you had experienced on your cruise on the Galaxy. There is a casino right there in the
hotel.

We are 36 and 26 respectively. I'm a physician and she is an aerobics instructor. When we vacation we go
mainly for the food and service. I have cruised several times including Carnival (a mistake several years
ago) and Princess. She has cruised only once before, last month on Princess' Grande (see my write-up on
the Princess pages). My travel agent suggested Celebrity for their reputation of excellent food and service.
From everything I had read and from what my agent had told me, I was expecting a step up from Princess. I
should have known better when I asked the travel agent if he had ever cruised before and the answer was,
no.

My girlfriend and I were drained upon our arrival in San Juan the day of the cruise. We had gotten up at
5:30 for our 7am flight on Continental. The flight had included a free movie unlike our future return flight on
Delta, which charged for the same movie. We were met outside the gate in San Juan after getting off the
plane. It was a pleasant ride to the port. The bus had the ubiquitous sign asking for tips so make sure you
have some change on hand if you are so inclined. Embarkation was virtually flawless without lines. We were
tired, hungry and not smiling. This is when life suddenly changed for the better. However this would be
short lived and the rest of our experience would be down hill from here.

We walked aboard and were personally greeted. A pleasant lady personally escorted us to our room and
introduced us to the cabin. She was dressed in a black and white maid's outfit. The ship was simply
decorated, elegant and reserved. Stress seemed to be dissipating.

Our room showed ware. However we were pleasantly excited to find we had been upgraded from our
guaranteed inside cabin to one with a large window. As I expected, not only were we upgraded to a room
with a view, but one with a problem. When the ship was moving it sounded like a clothes dryer with
unbuttoned jeans inside, inside the cabin at all times. I could not get through to the operator or guest
relations to let them know about this on the phone, a perpetual problem. The next day I went to guest
relations and told them of the annoying but not life threatening noise. Costas, the director told me it was the
waves causing the noise (and then he tried to sell me the Brooklyn Bridge). His assistant offered us
another room, but we declined not looking forward to packing and unpacking again. The move was not
worth the chance of getting a room with worse problems than a 'noise.' By the way, this room had been a
problem for past passengers even though Celebrity seemed ignorant of this fact. For us, an inside cabin on
a Caribbean cruise would have been fine as we spend little time in the room. I also prefer an inside cabin
as they are free of sunlight which helps when I am trying to sleep in the mornings, until it is absolutely
necessary to get up. The light wood appointments were simple and relaxing, but seemed plain as the cruise
went on. Our room differed from the one on the Grand Princess as it had double the closet space giving
the room a larger feel. My girlfriend said she was glad her first cruise was on the Princess, as she would
have over-packed on Princess had she taken the Celebrity cruise first. I liked the Grohe brand faucets in
the Galaxy's bathrooms, as they were the ones with the corded removable showerhead. They lacked the
temperature control found on Princess, and from what I remember Carnival. The absence of temperature
control would prove to be an annoyance in the shower as time went on. In a small shower if you turn and
accidentally hit the knob the wrong way, you could burn or for that matter freeze something, if you know
what I mean. There was always plenty of hot water, but my Girlfriend commented that the water often
smelled and tasted bad on the Galaxy. Toiletries were nothing special, the same as other ships so bring
your own soaps and shampoo. The Galaxy had full dispensers of shampoo in the shower and a lotion
dispenser on the wall near the toilet like you see at a health club. Other cruises used packets of shampoo
and lotion. The toilet was much less loud on the Galaxy than other ships. However it seemed to lack the 'Al
Bundy' oomph and suction I have come to expect from cruise toilets. However, my girlfriend certainly felt
safer when sitting on these.

The ship was small compared to the Grand. Having been on the larger ship it was a relief to come back to
something more manageable. Nevertheless, in defense of the large ship, they did a great job of giving it a
smaller feel. We walked around the Galaxy and began to learn the layout quickly our first day. There were
many areas showing ware, particularly some of the deck chairs.

First real Problem: An hour after boarding, 1-2 PM, after only eating an airplane pseudobreakfast at 8 AM
on the Celebrity arranged travel, there was no food to be found anywhere on board. I could only imagine
traveling with children. We were starved and developing headaches. We were told there would be an open
seating dinner and that if we wanted food it would have to be ordered as room service. So we ordered from
a very limited menu and waited. The menu included three soups, four sandwiches and no burgers, three
salads and chili con carne. Pizza was served during the hours of 3-7PM and 10 PM to 1 AM. They had
cheeses and some cakes also. The room service menu NEVER changed. The food was OK, but my pita
bread seemed stale. We got two eight-ounce glasses of iced tea with the meal. We ate our meal in the
room (not set up for dining) and tried to relax a bit. You can look at 'in room dining' on the first day as a
positive, particularly if you hate the first day sideshows and scrimmages at the buffets on other boats. We
felt this absence of food was not an oversight but just a poor and deliberate way to increase profit margins
for the line. At the beginning of a trip you try to blow these 'little' things off (like no food until dinner…) and
hope for better.

We were thirsty and following lunch went out on a search of iced tea. My girlfriend is from the South, and if
you know anyone from the South you will know how important iced tea is to her. I'm from Maryland originally
and also like iced tea. Iced tea is something I enjoy hydrating myself with and from what I have experienced
on other lines there are many more like us out there. I saw several cases of dehydration sickness and
people passing out during this trip where I had not experienced this on other cruises. I attribute this to
Celebrity's failure to responsibly provide adequate and accessible non-alcoholic beverages to their
passengers. There was rarely iced tea to be found, but it seemed that there were always people willing to
sell you a cocktail or beer. I remember water fountains near the hot tubs and saunas on the Grand, but
can't remember seeing one on the Galaxy. One positive thing I did notice was that for about $4.50 a day
children got unlimited soft drinks. We tried to borrow someone's child so we could also take advantage of
sharing the kids drinks, but were unsuccessful. You would think people would jump at the chance to get rid
of the kids? That is how thirsty people were on board.

Our bags were on board within an hour of arriving on ship and this seemed to be the standard on this boat.

My initial impression was that there were a better class of passengers overall when compared to some of
my past cruises on of course Carnival, but also on the Grand. This was confirmed throughout the trip.
People were more polite and relaxed aboard the Galaxy. I am sure the size of the ship had something to do
with this or it could have been the alcohol or dehydration. I particularly liked the labeling around the ship. It
was easy to tell what floor you were on. Not only did the Galaxy labels at the steps and elevators show you
where you were on a lateral cross section of the ship from the stern to aft, but for each floor a floor plan
drawing was also posted. This helped to eliminate the problem of the long walks down a hall to find you
have walked to the complete opposite end of the ship when all you had to do was turn around and you
were there.

The best thing about the Galaxy was the splitting of the ship into smoking and nonsmoking sides. I really
appreciated this effort and most smokers seemed to abide by this separation, but smokers will be
smokers… Other ships should follow this lead and I believe the whole industry should follow the lead of the
airline industry. Fortunately things are heading in this direction.

I found the wait staff to be obtrusive and utterly unprofessional at most times. Example: A complaint (they
told us they did not serve iced tea at breakfast) about service at breakfast was attempted to be resolved by
the maitre d'i at dinner, in the middle of our meal, in front of strangers sitting with us. To my embarrassment
we were interrupted by two different maitre d'is during the meal and were chased down after the meal to
help point out the perpetrator of the iced tea incident. I was afraid they were going to make me take part in
a line-up. I should not have let this bother me as much as it did, but it ruined the rest of that evening for me
and I unfortunately, in turn, did the same for my girlfriend, as she was concerned about me. Over the years
I have become aware of people who could care less about me, in the face of being overly nice to my face.
The maitre d'is were in your face at all times asking how things were going. At the beginning of the cruise I
was honest. After experiencing the way they dealt with problems I quickly learned to lie and tell them what
they wanted to hear. The key word is 'excellent'. I felt as if they cared less about me and my complaints
then they cared about the fact that a complaint had been generated. The maitre d'is seemed fake to the
point of annoyance, even more than one would expect.

Part of the problem is training. Another problem is country of origin of the staff. Some of the staffs cultures
are so unlike mine that this resulted in etiquette differences that both parties felt uncomfortable from.
Another problem is overcrowded butler's pantries in the dining rooms, which resulted in having a busy noisy
large feel to an otherwise relatively small ship. The final problem is larger ships with their better
accommodations for staff is siphoning off the better staff. I found far better service on the Grande without
optional tipping (they automatically charged everyone the tips on their final bill) than I did on the Galaxy
with the carat dangling approach. Believe it or not, I got better service at the airport from the airline people
than I did the Galaxy people. The motto of the service people on board the Galaxy should be 'no'. My
girlfriend asked for iced tea at breakfast and was told they did not serve iced tea at breakfast. She did not
like the precooked cardboard-like pancakes and when asked if they could bring her something else she
said she would like a croissant. This never came. My eggs benedict consistently came overdone even in
the face of mention of this problem to the maitre d'i. For those who believe I am being picky, my eggs were
always perfect on the Grand, which served many more passengers. Also, for gosh sakes, if I order eggs
benedict, shouldn't I expect they be cooked the way they are supposed to be cooked? Nevertheless, it was
not only my eggs that did not come cooked properly. I will mention my rack of lamb, which came well done
when ordered medium rare. It is against my religion to kill a piece of meat twice, especially a good piece of
meat. My pork chops came well done and tough in the face of the pork industry's insistence that pork no
longer needs to be cooked to shoe leather doneness. You may be saying that I should have sent back the
food if it was not cooked as I had asked. I will tell you two things. First is that the cook, waiter and maitre d'i
should have seen these errors prior to me noticing things were not as I requested or as they should be.
The problem should have been corrected so that I would never have known there was a problem in the first
place. The second thing is that sometimes it is just better not to say anything. I did not want to disturb the
dinner of those strangers eating at my table and I did not want to delay the pace of the dinner consistently.
You will read posts describing stories about people who sat at a table with someone who always
complained. I am not that kind of person and was not going to let Celebrity make me look like one. I also did
not want to continue to piss off the staff and the kitchen by complaining about them. I knew they had control
of my food prior to it arriving at my table (I grew up in the restaurant business.) You may say I'm being too
picky and I will tell you that this is why I did not take a Carnival cruise. I heard similar complaints to the ones
I have made while schmoozing in the hot tubs on board so I imagine the problem was not just me. On the
Galaxy they have several sales pitches and pitchers at every step of the cruise. At dinner, you are
immediately presented with bottled water to purchase to have with your meal. This probably explains the
quality of the tap water on board? This pathetic ploy to increase profit margins disgusts me and this sort of
ridiculousness did not occur on our Princess cruise. Don't feel uncomfortable or cheap by not getting the
bottled water. The next pitch at dinner came from a cocktail person who seemed put off that we did not
order a drink. After the second meal of not ordering from this person, we never saw them again. The third
pitch came from a Sommelier (wine boy). I really look forward to having a bottle of wine with my meals while
on vacation, especially on a cruise when I wont have to drive home. The first problem was that the meals
were neither deserving nor complimentary to a nice bottle of wine. The second problem came with bad
wine. I expect that a wine list is represented by quality bottles of various wines and prices. Most Americans
including myself are not good at choosing wines on their own. We were not raised on the stuff. No matter
what price wine I order, I expect the cruise line to be presenting a quality wine. A bad wine should be
excluded from the list or discouraged by the Sommelier prior to my order. I ordered a $28 Spanish red
based on the description on the menu (something like lush tropical flavors richly decorated with vanillas
and chocolate with a hint of raspberry accented with woodsy oak blah blah blah). Spanish reds can be a
wonderful selection and at $28 should be amazing. When the Sommelier presented himself after the meal I
told him the wine had lost it's life in mid meal. I was also surprised a '91 vintage was not decanted prior to
service. The sommelier told me he agreed that the vintage was nearing the end of its life. He then
suggested I should have stayed with the California red wines. Duh, where were you when I ordered the
Spanish bottle of '91 Muerte? The Sommelier received his cruise included 15% gratuity based on this
service and nothing else was said. The next night I went with an Alsacian Gewürztraminer. I have about 20
different bottles of the stuff at home and had a good idea of what to expect. The wine seemed skunked. In
fact it was skunked. I learned my lesson on complaints and said nothing that night, but later told the head of
the Hotel, Costas, this story about the wines; another waste of good breath. Every night the sommelier, a
very pleasant gentleman with a nice smile, stopped by with questioned look when we no longer ordered
wine from him. I imagine ignorance is truly bliss based on his reactions. Some people will read this and say I
should have done this or that. I chose Celebrity so that I wouldn't have to do this or that. If I wanted stress, I
would have stayed at work. If I wanted to complain I would have gone on Carnival or went to an early bird in
Boca. The food was not good on the Galaxy. The food was uninspired at best. The food was as tired as the
used slightly worn menus. This drove home the fact that the menu never changes and the kitchen is in a rut
doing the same poor routine week after week. Anyone who has not realized this doesn't understand food
beyond a good steak and potatoes and certainly is not a regular watcher of the Food Network (I'm not
saying my taste is food is better than others, just different.) Several times during the cruise the same things
popped up on the dinner menu, something I was not accustomed to on Princess. The breakfast menu was
the same everyday in the dining room. Costas, the head hotel guy told me that I had many choices for
breakfast. Not only could I chose to have my eggs cooked differently everyday, but I could basically eat the
same nasty food in the dining room or at the buffet or even in my room. Costas saw so much variety where I
could only see the same old boring things. For those meat and potatoes people out there, this kind of food
would be perfect and that is OK if food isn't your 'thing'. I was at the point of giving up on something I really
looked forward to (dining) by the second day. On past cruises I had never been known to miss a meal. I
was barely done with one before I couldn't stop thinking about the next. On this boat I began to eat for
nourishment purposes only. I actually gave up going to breakfast and lunch in the dining room, as I did not
want to deal with the service, the pitiful food, or one more overdone eggs benedict. This resulted in my
attempt at dining at the buffet. Buffets are something that goes against my nature and everything I believe
true when it comes to 'dining'. However, I had assumed I would be able to get something I wanted at the
buffet or even something different. Maybe I'd be able to pick through and find a nicely cooked egg
somewhere in a bucket piled high with others. The buffet breakfast included the same cafeteria style line
food you get at any institutional setting. My girlfriend said IHOP would make a killing on board this ship. I
said that I agreed and that at least IHOP knew how to make eggs benedict. There was a vat of scrambled
eggs floating in butter, sausage, bacon, potatoes and the same old nasty sausage in a baguette every
single morning. It was like the movie Ground Hog Day. They had the same plain pastries everyday. The
bagels were not what you would be used to. There were fruits, but they were not very sweet and did not
include the exotic types I was used to on Princess. They did have stewed figs where Princess only had
dried. One day I wanted lox with my bagel at the buffet and went through four service people before Mario
went the extra mile to get some for me (Mario missed the Princess boat he was working on and was actually
an imposter on this boat. He was planning on jumping back on board the Dawn Princess at the next port
before they started missing him. This is something the cruise industry has not caught onto, but I hear it
happens a lot. If you get a good waiter on the Galaxy, ask him which boat he actually works on and when
he plans to join up with his boat.) Lox was not a daily presentation in the buffet on the Galaxy. The food
was plated by staff behind the counter as you walked by, like at Morrison's Cafeteria. This resulted in lines
everywhere. Lines, Lines, Lines, Lines, Lines. This service method caused a problem for those of us who
like to have our foods 'not touching.' Don't attempt the buffet if you have kids anything like me. It also
created waste as there are times when just a taste would have done if you served yourself. Here you were
slopped a whole serving whether you wanted it or not. They had two men making individualized omelets for
the whole buffet area, one on each side of the ship. One day I wanted sunny side up eggs on top of my
corned beef hash. This is how it is customarily served where I am from. I had to stand in line to get my eggs
and then watch them get cold by the time I stood in line to get the hash and rest of my tray filled in the other
lines. One of the eggs broke as I tried to put it in on the hash. I was devastated.

I was joking around at dinner in the dining room asking what it takes to get your tray carried to the table at
the buffet as I always saw waiters carrying trays to tables. My girlfriend said, 'You have to be blonde.' The
tall Blonde we were eating with reluctantly agreed. I only had my tray carried for me once. The maitre d'i
grabbed it from me, but I was not ready to go find where my girlfriend had sat and was preparing to get
something else. I can now laugh at our battle for my tray. Two guys politely tugging at tray insistently. 'Let
me get that for you.' 'No thank you, I'm fine.' 'NO, let ME get that for you sir, I want to.' 'No, I want to.' 'No I
want to…' The buffet was mostly closed and never available when I wanted to eat. Iced tea could
sometimes be found at the buffet, but only 8 oz cups were available if any cups were available. I would have
to go out to a bar at the pool to get a decent sized cup and often would have to make my own iced tea with
tea bags and ice. Milk was not always available. I had forgotten how bad it was to be on a bad cruise (my
Carnival trip). I think by my third day the only thing Celebrity could have done to make my cruise enjoyable
was to have transferred me to the Dawn Princess with Mario, which at the time seemed like a spectacular
idea on my part. The Dawn Princess seemed to always be docking with us. That was one move I would
have gladly packed and unpacked for. I felt captive in a bad dream. I tried so hard to make the best of
things, but when your idea of a vacation centers around food and care free relaxing, it was difficult to enjoy
everything else. The passengers and the entertainment staff at the pool did an excellent job. Of the 500 to
2000 or so children and teenagers on board, I don't think I saw an unhappy sole. The Caribbean music was
nearly nonstop and never was overburdening. Alcoholic drinks flowed like the sea around the boat. I would
rarely get the answer I wanted from any of the staff on board. One time I was going to ask Guest Relations
if I could shoot myself to see if the word 'yes' was in their vocabulary. Anyway, here are some examples:
'Can I get an iced tea please?' The answer most often heard was 'We don't serve iced tea at breakfast.'
The next was 'The machines are turned off in the evening.' What I wanted to hear was 'You want iced tea? I
will be happy to get you one. What about your lovely girlfriend? Would she like one also?'

The next question was one asked after boarding the boat around after 4:30 PM several times following long
days on excursions. We had late seating at 8:30 PM and wanted some decent food to carry us over the
next four hours. We went to the buffet where they served the same tired 'tea' everyday from 4-5 PM. This
included several nasty finger sandwiches and some desserts. However, we just wanted something else and
on somedays we got back after 5 PM when tea was over. We headed over to the 'Pizza Burger Bar' and I
asked for a burger. Their answer was, 'We are not serving burgers now. Burgers closed at 2 PM. We have
Pizza.' The second answer we received was 'You can order from room service.' It felt as if we were stuck in
a bad Saturday Night Live routine. The answer I wanted to hear was 'Sir, we stop serving burgers at 2 PM,
but for you, I would be happy to get you a burger. Where will you be sitting? I will have one right out for you.
Can I also bring you an iced tea with that?'

The next question was why the same finger sandwiches were served everyday at the buffet from 4-5 PM.
My answer was basically that this was the way they do things. 'Sir, we feed so many people that it would be
difficult to add variety…'

One night I wanted change for a $20 bill to help with getting the tips together. By the way, Galaxy is totally
cashless cruising… except for tips and stamps. I was told that the bank was closed at guest relations and
that I must go to the Casino. Of course this was not what I wanted to hear as I had just showered and was
planning on going to sleep soon. I had to stand in the smoky casino for 10 minutes on line, just enough
time to reek of smoke. I had to go back to the room and re-shower. I burnt my butt.

One day I had an excursion which included snorkeling at 1 PM. I wanted to eat lunch around 11 or 11:30
PM so that my food had time to digest. They don't start serving anything until 12 PM. I ended up waiting on
line to get some hamburgers and hotdogs. These happened to be excellent save for the slightly stale
cheap bagged buns they were served on. The hot dogs were the closest to a Kosher NY hot dog I have
had. The french fries were awesome. After getting my burgers I had to go into the buffet area to stand on
line for an iced tea. The whole process was about 20 minutes. I stuffed my face and then we ran to catch
the excursion. I was so troubled by the experience I covered every inch of my body with sun tan lotion and
forgot my back, right before going snorkeling. The only thing I was grateful for was that it wasn't the nude
snorkeling trip we took. We had some kind of canned tuna on white bread on the excursion provided by the
excursion locals. I must have devoured four sandwiches, as they tasted so much better than the food I was
getting on board the Galaxy. The excursion also had plenty of non-alcoholic drinks and punch so that
everyone was well hydrated. Anything we asked these guys was answered with the same phrase, 'No
problem man, every ting gonna be aright.' I was taken aback when one of the guys offered me a drink, got
it for me and then didn't charge me for it. I was unaccustomed to such service after sailing the Galaxy a few
days.

Towards the end of the cruise we walked into the cabin at 11:30 PM to find a bucket of 'Galaxy
Chardonnay' and some fresh fruit. There was no note. Our tablemates had signed for some champagne
sent to them by their travel agent that night at dinner and we wondered if the card they signed was actually
meant for us. With our travel agent, I should have known better. We couldn't figure it out and it was killing
me. We called guest relations and when finally getting through, Sarah says to me, 'It could have been sent
by anyone.' She says she can't find out tonight as everyone is sleeping, but she will tell us tomorrow. It was
a miracle when she called back 15 minutes later to wake and tell us Costas had sent the wine to help make
up for all the problems we were having. It was a nice gesture served without a note and without a
corkscrew. It seemed in line with the philosophy of keeping passengers full of alcohol, as an intoxicated
passenger is a happy one.

To recap, I had stopped ordering wine with my meals, which was a big disappointment. I'm not a big
gambler and was not about to throw away another $30 on a bad bottle of wine. I just did not trust the wine
steward or the wine. I was no longer ordering my usual multiple courses at every meal, as the food was one
disappointment after another. I enjoyed the company of the people I was eating with and really looked
forward to their company at night. The frequent interruptions to our conversations by the waitstaff and the
maitre di's got old real soon. We got good at telling them everything was wonderful just to get rid of them.
The buffets were always closed when we wanted to use them. Some nights finger food was passed as late
evening nourishment only in the casino and in the disco. It seemed just another ploy to get people to
gamble and buy drinks. I hated being forced to get my food in a smoky environment and did not enjoy
fighting others for the food being passed. One night I asked if I could get food anywhere else and got my
standard room service answer. I figured I could get a small platter of hors d'oeuvres brought to my room.
The person at room service kept hearing 'orders' instead of hors d'oeuvres and patiently waited for me to
give them to her. Fifteen minutes later someone knocked at the door of my room. I expected my hors
d'oeuvres, but there was a guy asking me what was the 'order' I wanted to place. I just gave up.

Comparisons of my most recent cruises, Celebrity Galaxy and Princess Grand.

Children: Galaxy: saw them everywhere, but overall a good bunch of kids. There were always a bunch of
staff members keeping them busy and I never saw an unhappy kid. Overall parents did a good job of
making sure their kids behaved. The only real problem was kids in the hot tubs and in those marked adults
only. No one got too bent out of shape. I enjoyed occasionally dunking them when they were not looking.
Grand: Didn't realize kids were on board.

Coffee: Galaxy: coffee not great. Cappuccino and espresso for sale at high prices.

Grand: coffee not great. Cappuccino and espresso free at every meal. The quality of these drinks was
amazing. They have someone hired full time just to make cappuccino and espresso for the passengers.

Do Tips Help Early in Cruise?

Galaxy: Nothing seemed to help. My early $10 to the Maitre d'i here may have made things worse.

Grand: Improved already excellent service. However did not seem necessary, but made me feel better
rewarding exceptional service.

Smoking: Galaxy: Very good for non smokers and smokers alike. The only thing they could have done
better was make the boat smokeless. They split the ship down the middle lengthwise and have smoking and
nonsmoking sides.

Grand: Great for smokers. Be as rude as you like.

Beds: Galaxy: Uncomfortable, really uncomfortable. Had a sore back every night. Lower beds, making
placement of luggage a bit more difficult. Grand: Comfortable as could be. Possibly because a newer ship.
Higher beds make putting luggage under easier.

Phones: Galaxy: high tech does nothing for getting through to the operator or guest relations. Has a clock
built in. Program yourself wake-up calls. Grand: Basic

Room Closet space: Galaxy: excellent. Two full sized closets. Theft proof hangers. Grand: almost poor.
One full size closet and small shelves closet. May be a blessing in disguise, as you will realize you should
not have packed as much as you did in the first place. Real hangers.

Room bathroom: Galaxy: larger shower with removable faucet and lack of temperature safe controls.
Quieter friendlier toilets. Slightly better toiletries without packets of shampoo. Six digit safe above desk.
Worn furnishings.

Grande: smaller room and shower. Temperature control faucet without removable showerhead. 'Al Bundy'
toilet tempts your machismo to flush while sitting there. Four digit safe taking up space in shelf closet.
Packets of shampoo and lotion. Furnishings slightly less worn. They hide room accessories behind TV's on
last day in case you want to steal anything or in case you are wondering where they went.

Photography: Galaxy: Made us look better. Same long lines. Same high prices $7 a 5x7. Try asking the
photographer to snap one of the table with your camera. Grande: Probably more realistic pictures. Same
long lines. Same high prices $7 a 5x7. Try asking the photographer to snap one of the table with your
camera.

Activities: Galaxy: Aerobics included a walk in the morning and maybe one class a day. I was discouraged
by the first day. They charged $10 to do yoga. The pool activities were real fun and I participated in most of
them. I won the belly flop contest! I competed in the best looking guy contest and the battle of the sexes
contest. We beat the cruise staff in water volleyball. Grand: Awesome aerobics classes. Cruisercise dollars.
I exercised my way through the cruise. Always something going on.

Wait Staff: Galaxy: Poorly trained. Did not pull out chairs consistently. Knew how to say 'No' very well.
Rushed. Loud. Obtrusive. My waiter was semi professional and really tried hard to make me happy. Things
were set up to make him fail at every attempt. It is a team effort and most of the team sucked. Grande: If I
were of better means I would hire these people to work for me personally. My waiter and his assistant were
impeccable and nearly perfect. My waiter served as a sommelier and cocktail person. Some of the other
waiters were less polished but the maitre di's made up for this. Overall the team was a well-oiled machine.
Service was relaxing and not rushed. Nothing was pushed and that included alcohol. 'No' was not in their
vocabulary.

Food: Galaxy: lacked inspiration. No variety. Questionable quality. Not served 24 hours a day. Not
consistent. There were a total of three or four memorable meals including a chicken terrene, the baked
lobster, pasta with snails and something else I don't remember. Poor attempt at sushi was not edible.
Remember Michael Roux rhymes with poo, goo, and doo doo. Grand: Excellent. Everyday there was an
excellent soup and appetizer. The kind you close your eyes and enjoy the tastes on your tongue. You
could really enjoy some good wines with these meals. The snails and frog's legs were very good if you
would only try them. The shrimp cocktails included very large shrimp. The pastas were perfectly cooked.
Very inspired meals. Tremendous variety. Except for one fish meal everything was perfectly cooked.
Different breakfast lunch and dinner menu everyday. Perfect pastries and a wide variety, which changed
everyday. Could always get bagel lox and cream cheese on a decent bagel. Bangers sausages at
breakfast. Perfectly cooked eggs. I would liken the quality to any trendy upscale bistro that is not a chain
restaurant, or a high-class resort restaurant. It was not 5 star, but no five star restaurant could put out
2500 meals at a sitting and be as good and as consistent as the Grand.

Pizza: Galaxy: edible probably because it was the only thing to eat. Grand: Kids loved it. So many other
choices I never ate any.

Ice Cream: Galaxy: soft serve yogurt everyday. Grand: Charged for Hagen Daz during the day and if you
wanted ice cream you had to pay for it. Most amazing homemade icecreams and sorbets served during the
meals for free.

Taxis: Both lines quoted wrong prices for the cost of taxis on excursions. Take the local busses if you can
or find a group of people to hang out with to share the costs of getting places.

Getting on and off boat: Galaxy: you need your cruise card and a picture ID, a real pain. If you were not
back they wouldn't know. Grand: excellent. Your coming and going was recorded and all you needed was
your cruise card. If you were not on the boat upon sailing, they knew it. They would probably still leave you,
but at least they knew it.

Ability to appropriately respond To passenger's concerns: Galaxy: unable Grand: no real concerns, but my
minor concerns were handled appropriately and to MY satisfaction.

Upgrades: Galaxy: upgraded to a bad room. Grand: I was a past passenger but no such thing. This was
one reason I decided to take a chance on Celebrity.

Shops: Galaxy: More shops and slightly better quality. Guaranteed better prices on liqueur, but you had to
prove it. I found better prices by a buck or two on some things in St. Thomas. Grand: Sold a lot of
reasonably priced stuff.

Hot Tubs: Galaxy: Not hot and only 4 on board. Plenty of kids. Grand: Not hot but plenty to be found. I think
they keep the tubs cool to prevent heat stroke in those passengers that are dehydrated and possibly
drinking. With the amount of people in these things the water gets pretty nasty as you could imagine. I just
tried not do drink too much of it.

Pools: Galaxy: Three salt water. Grand: One hundred fresh water.

Jogging: Galaxy: around pool 50 times for a mile. Grand: one time around boat takes you up and down
stairs but you travel a mile after three laps.

Pool dining: Galaxy: limited. Great burgers dogs and fries when available. Lines Lines Lines… Grand:
basically the same stuff but available at the times you would want to eat this stuff. No lines.

Afternoon Tea: Galaxy: Same tired lousy finger sandwiches and desserts served at the buffet. Grand:
Fancy service only in the dining room. More traditional. Better food, better variety.

Room refrigerator: Galaxy: Never figure out how to open the darn thing, but it was filled with stuff for sale.
Grand: Empty and available for you to place things in.

Entertainment: Galaxy: The two shows we saw were excellent. For some reason we could never get to the
shows like we were able to on the Grand. Grand: Went to them all and they were all nearly Broadway
quality. Yes, I have been to 'Broadway.'

Beverages: Galaxy: Couldn't get an iced tea if your life depended on it. Juices and teas turned off most of
the time. Alcohol ran freely for a price. $4 gets you drinks all day for your child, so bring a kid. Grand:
Plenty of everything. I drank more alcohol here because I always felt hydrated with other fluids. Iced tea 24
hours a day. Milk 24 hours a day. You could get a plastic cup larger than 8oz.

Repeat Cruise?: Galaxy: I'd rather have an enema. Grand: I'll deal with the rude passengers, smokers and
large ship for the wonderful food and service any day.

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