Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Roberto Casillas
Email: casillas@hotmail.com
Age: 24
Occupation: Self Employed
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Galaxy
SailingDate: December 5,1998
Itinerary: Deep Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 70
CabinComfort: 96
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 99
CabinAmenities: 93
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 60
FoodMidnightBuffets: 98
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 60
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: n/a
GoodForFamilies: 98
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 99
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff: 100
EntertainmentLounges: 98
WheelchairAccess: n/a
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon: 100
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 100
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: n/a
MedicalFacilities: 100
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 100
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 99
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 18 Dec 1998
Time: 19:32:36
Remote Name: 206.99.218.240
Remote User:

Comments

This is my fifth cruise, the second one with my wife. This is the first time I travel with Celebrity Cruises and I should say that this
trip was by far the best cruising experience I have ever had. Yes, is true this cruise can cost you a couple of extra bucks
compared to the competition but once you experience what this vessel and cruise line had to offer probably you will realize as I
did that is really money well spend.

The embarkation process was very easy and fast but because we book the cruise for close from the date of sailing our
experience was a quite tense. The cruise line refuses to send the tickets to the travel agent or to me witch make me wonder the
night before the cruise if we would be able to enter to the vessel just with a fax of confirmation of payment in my hands. Anyway
there was personnel ready to assist us and there was no further problems.

The Galaxy is very beautiful and elegant. My wife and me found the vessel very adequate for our taste and lifestyles but I admit
that this ship is not for everyone, specially for those that spend the whole cruise just drinking and parting around the pool like a
bunch of college students...not here. The fun is all around and certainly there is a lot to drink but a more mature and intimate
perspective (if I can call it that way).

The cabins are very elegant. There is a lot of storage space and are equipped with a lot of amenities that make your life a lot
easier and happier (that by the way that’s what vacations are for right?). All rooms are equipped with a TV with a big selection of
new movies, hair drier and a mini-bar (but don’t let anyone fool you at the moment of booking…the mini-bar is equipped with
everything you may need but if you consume you pay for it…nothing complimentary here).

Now with the islands

We spend the first day on sea. It was a very good thing because gives you plenty of time to know the vessel better but we were
suppose to go to Catalina Island. Because of damage of hurricane Georges it was impossible to go there. The cruise lines never
inform us about that change during booking process…. a bad one for Celebrity.

St. Lucia: I remember that as soon as the ship docks in this island I went to upper decks to see the island. It was such a
disappointment that my wife and me decide not to go down. Anyway there is plenty of things to do in this ship during the day.

Barbados: As soon as you went down in Barbados there is a little shopping center next to the port. Is not only beautiful but I
have a suggestion…if you want to buy anything at all don’t wait to reach St. Thomas or any other island with the hope of a better
price. Even if St. Thomas can be cheaper in some products is just a matter of dollars and you are taking a big risk…that the
certain item that you desire is not available on the next island and by then you wont have the option to go back for it. Except that
interesting shopping center I didn’t see anything else that interest me or so beautiful that can’t wait for something comparable in
a cleaner and a bit friendlier island.

Martinique: The island is beautiful and very clean. My advise on this island is that if you don’t know the basics of French
language and you wish to take a guided tour then you should take one at the excursion desk inside the ship. C A U T I O N! If
you take a taxi ask first how they charge because of what I saw some of them charge excessively… even for the time on the
traffic jam. If you try to pay and leave the cab they take it as if you broke a contract and well the last thing you desire on your
vacations are problems right? I saw this problem in a couple were they had to pay over $30 for a 2-3 miles trip because of traffic
jams.

Antigua: a real paradise! Even if the place is not so clean people here are very friendly and I felt very secure when we walk on the
street of this island. My suggestion about this island….Party if you wish!!…Drink if you wish!!!…Dance if you wish!!!….but don’t
gamble on the local casinos. Maybe is just me but the slot machines in the island gave me the impression that they were not in
order…Hey! I’m just trying to save you a buck here.

St. Thomas: Beautiful island, any excursion you take will be fine because the entire island is very nice..no exeptions. About
shopping? Well every time I go to St. Thomas I get more convinced of one thing..even if people say that downtown is cheaper for
me is just a mater of more variety with vary rare exeptions. In front of the ships there is a mall complex that if you check it
carefully you can find anything that you may need or desire, simple or exclusive, at more or less comparable prices with
downtown.

Finally I would like to say that the personnel of this ship were without a doubt the responsible for such a great cruising
experience. Is the best crew I have ever seen. All of them try the very best to please you. Believe me when I tell you that when
the tipping time arrive you won’t have any problems giving them the appropriate compensation. Negative aspects, only two. First
the prices of the drinks are ridiculously expensive and second many of the clothes you find in the boutiques onboard look ammm
fake and cheap… but then maybe is just me. Any questions, feel free to ask casillas@hotmail.com

Name: Mark Sirull
Email: sirull@ibm.net
Age: 47
Occupation: software developer
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Galaxy
SailingDate: December 12, 1998
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 97
FoodVariety: 96
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 98
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 93
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace:
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 93
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 26 Dec 1998
Time: 09:07:48
Remote Name: 166.72.220.239
Remote User:

Comments

This was our second cruise. We chose Celebrity again since we had such a favorable experience with them last time. The
similarities between Century and Galaxy are quite noticable. Same cruise line, same shipbuilder, same overall layout. But there
were a few differences. I'll try to point them out along the way.

Before I begin, let me state a warning. No matter what time of the year you plan to book your Southern Caribbean cruise, you'd
better be ready for some intense, brutal heat. This review is being written in mid-December and I can tell you first hand, the heat
is blazing, stifling, and for some of you, maybe even life-threatening. If you're from the Great White North, International Falls, etc.,
and you're not accustomed to high temperatures with high humidity you've got two choices: plan on spending your entire cruise
indoors where state-of-the-art air-conditioning keeps it nice and cold, or pick another cruise destination.

With respect to the overall appearance of the ship, it's immaculate. They must've had a few spies hanging out at Disney World
because I never saw a speck of trash anywhere. Seemed like there was always someone with a broom and dustpan (or vacuum
cleaner) in the vicinity making sure the carpets were spotless.

Embarkation ===========

The boarding procedure Saturday afternoon turned out to be a pleasant experience. Which was quite different from the two-hour,
Grand Central Station-like fiasco we had encountered at Dock/Pier 18 in Fort Lauderdale. Not sure why Celebrity's San Juan
terminal was less congested. Even though Galaxy holds the same number of passengers as Century, we zipped thru check-in in
less than 15 minutes! Celebrity, whatever you're doing in SJU needs to be duplicated in FLL!!

Rooms =====

Since we went on-the-cheap, we opted for an inside cabin. Besides, I figured that if you had a veranda or a big picture window,
you'd be tempted to spend too much time in your room. (How's that for an inside-cabin rationalization? <grin>)

The rooms on board Galaxy give you MUCH more storage than you'll ever need. It's unbelievable. Don't be surprised if you only
use about 50-75% of all the closet and drawer space.

If you're like us, you'll probably sleep like a log aboard Galaxy. The cold, dark, gently-rocking environment worked wonders for us.
We had a great night's sleep every night.

Bathrooms are well-designed. Water pressure is good 'n strong. If you're thinking, "I'm on a ship, so it can't be as good as a
land-based hotel.", think again. Cruise ships are more like floating cities than floating hotels. Powerplants, water treatment,
telephone and fax communications, it's all there. Except for a pad and paper to jot down notes.

Another nice amenity is the safe. Each room has one. It's a 6-digit combination lock that you program yourself. Real easy to
program, real easy to use. A little added protection.

One last thing.... just want to re-emphasize a comment from my last review. Make SURE you bring along one of those $5 power
strips that you can buy at K-Mart or Wal-Mart. Remember, you only get ONE electrical outlet in your room. That's it. JUST ONE.
And it's not a double outlet. And there are ZERO outlets in the bathroom. Trust me, you'll thank me if you have anything at all,
i.e. camcorder battery recharger, one of those little $5 digital clocks with the red LED numerals, electric curlers, electric
toothbrush, etc, that needs AC power.

Interactive TV ==============

Celebrity really has this one down to a science. Besides the usual CNN, ESPN, Movie Channel and PPV movies, they've got five
music channels featuring classical, jazz, country, classic pop and contemporary pop. All five music channels show virtual reality,
computer-generated graphics in the background. It was pretty impressive.

In addition, shore excursions are now included. Not only can you view short video clips of the different day-trips, but you can also
book one right there over your TV (or phone). This is nice, because it keeps you out of the long lines down at the Shore
Excursions counter, which are mainly filled with computer-illiterate guests (mostly senior citizens).

Food ====

The cruise director warned us the first night at midnight, 'Folks, it's been nearly two hours since you've eaten, so please.... We
don't want you starving yourselves while on Galaxy. I could never forgive myself! So by all means, go check out the midnight
buffet!' It was hard for him to say it with a straight face. It was also hard to comprehend how incredibly easy it is to plump out, a
la Poppin' Fresh the Pillsbury Dough Boy on Galaxy. Naturally, the food on board is first class.

The waiter and busboy wait on you hand and foot. The menu selections are on par with any five-star hotel or restaurant. Keep in
mind, you can eat till you bust, so watch yourself. No kidding.

Overall, the desserts are excellent. We didn't try the swan puff. I remembered how dry it was last year, so I didn't bother. Lots of
guests often ordered more than one dessert, then shared. I thought that was a good idea, because it gave you chance to sample
the different selections.

Here's a hint: If you want an omlet prepared for your breakfast, make sure you get to Oasis Cafe good 'n early. I tried it at 9AM
and had a 20 MINUTE WAIT! 'Course, the next morning at 7AM, there was NO ONE in line.

Computer Room =============

Something new for Celebrity. They have a new facility called Sony Wonder located on Level 8. There are five Sony workstations
connected to a UNIX server. The workstations were all running Win98. They also had three laptops in the lab. It was actually a
nice little setup.

With all the computer training for sale in this world today, it's no wonder that Celebrity offers computer classes during the cruise.
They had several different classes available, including Basics, Word 97 and Excel 97. From what I saw, there are only two
students in a class, so it's pretty much a one-on-one.

The computer lab is a great place for kids to stop by and play games. Especially when you have to spend the day at sea. Each
workstation has several games loaded, so there are a few to choose from. BUT WHAT ABOUT SURFING THE NET??? Sorry, it
ain't happening. Not yet, anyway. While they do have an INTRAnet, they don't have INTERnet access. What torture to
double-click on the IE icon and not be able to get full-blown 'net access! Oh, and one more thing..... no email access either. The
only option available is C-Mail. For ten bucks, they'll scan your pix and email 'em for you at the next port to as many addresses
as you want. So if you're thinking about taking some digital pix with your Sony Mavica and emailing 'em yourself, FORGET IT. I
figure in another 10-20 years cruise ships will have full internet access. Too bad it has to be such a long and unnecessary wait.

Wine Tasting ============

Now I'm not a wine connoisseur by any means, and for that matter, not even a big wine drinker, but my wife wanted to go to the
wine tasting seminar on Sunday afternoon. We were at sea that day, so there's not that much to do, anyway. So for five bucks, I
figured why not.

The lecturer tells you right away, 'This is a wine tasting, not a wine party.' A few chuckles later, he passes out this terrific
hand-out which gives you GREAT information on how to sample wines. The eye, checking for clarity. The nose, smelling the
boquet. The mouth, swirling, actually 'chewing' the wine to obtain the full flavor. Etc, etc, etc. They also give you one of those
little wine cups (y'know, the ones that look like a mini frying pan) to sip the wine from. Like I said, it was something to do. :)

Entertainment =============

Las Vegas it's not, but it's adequate. The Celebrity singers and dancers are talented, but not great. My guess is, they're paying
their dues till they land a slot in Vegas or Hollywood.

Just as with Century, can't say enough about the band. Top notch. Really tight. Great sounds for the entire set. Just love the
floating band platforms. Really works well. You get to hear all the live music without missing any visuals from the show.

Noodles Levenstein, the comedian, had some good humor. About a fourth of his material really tickled my funnybone. The
remainder was the usual Jewish-comedian-from-NY schtick with lots of jokes about flatulence and other bathroom humor.

Here's something interesting.... Celebrity Theater is falling apart! Well, not really, but as I was sitting watching a show, someone
walked past me and brushed against the back of the row in front of me, when a panel from the upholstery fell on my feet! I just
leaned it up against the seats and left it there. But then, as we were walking out, I noticed an armrest (or was it a headrest?)
laying on another row's seat. Looks like the theater's maintenance staff has some work to do!

St. Croix =========

We were supposed to stop off at Catalina Island, a private Celebrity island. This is becoming more en vogue with cruise lines.
But, due to damage from Hurricane Georges, we were re-routed to St. Croix instead.

St. Croix is a pretty small island with not much to do. 'Course for some people, that's perfect. Be prepared to get roped in to a
mini-scam if your cruise ship docks at Fredericksted. I overheard others mention what a nice scheme the cab drivers have.
There's nothing, per se, in Fredericksted. All the stores/restaurants are in Christiansted, a 25 minute cab drive away. Naturally,
it's ONLY ten bucks for a round-trip ticket, but with 90% of the crowd opting for the cab ride, they really make out.

Since it was a Sunday when we arrived at Christiansted, it was pretty dead. Only a scant few businesses were open. The main
tourist attractions, like the Rum Factory and the Botanical Gardens, were all closed. The cab ride was the main center of focus.
The cabbie pointed out the many many spots where Hurricane Hugo knocked this island on its butt back in '89. Nearly ten years
later and storm damage is still evident. Which is the last thing this third world economy needed. Lemme tell ya, I was pretty
amazed to have witnessed such poverty. I guess it was just about the worst I'd ever seen. As bad, or even more impoverished
than slums in a big city.

Barbados ========

My one year-old cruise book really screwed me here. It mentioned that scooter rental was available in Bridgetown for $30/day.
Since we had such good luck on our last cruise renting a scooter in Cozumel, I thought it'd be fun if we rented a scooter and rode
to Harrison's Cave. And since Celebrity's price for this day trip was $50/pp, I figured we'd save about fifty bucks going on our own.
As it turned out, Barbados no longer has scooter rental. We asked one of the many cabbies how much they'd charge to take us
to Harrison's Cave and they responded, 'There's no cab service from Harrison's Cave back to the cruise ships. So if we take you,
we'll have to wait for you, which means we'll have to charge you DOUBLE.' That was all I had to hear. So much for the cave
adventure. This was the first time I'd ever been hosed for doing my own thing. Royally raped by my cruise book. Nuts!

So, instead, we took the $1 shuttle into town. More vultures here than Jamaica. Unbelievable. They're everywhere. When you get
off the shuttle bus, when you walk out of the larger department stores, even just walking around downtown. It was pretty annoying
at times. And of course, the heat was just unbearable. We were both beet red and dripping wet as we walked around downtown.
With virtually no breeze, because of all the buildings, and temperatures up around 100 (with heat index), all you could do was
bake.

To be objective, I talked to other people that went to Harrison's Cave and they said it was neat the way the trams took you all the
way down into the cave.

Martinique ==========

After what happened in Barbados, I wasn't taking any chances in Martinique. We booked two day-trips. The first one was St.
Pierre, the city that was wiped out in 1902 by the Mt. Pelee volcano. The eruption killed 30,000 residents.

The St. Pierre by Land and Sea trip is just that. It's about fifty bucks and lasts about 4.5 hours. They drive you one way, thru the
lush, humid, rain forest where you get to see cash crops like bananas, avacados, grapefruit, etc. The other leg is a delightful boat
ride where you sip rum punch while listening to Caribbean music. The boat hugs the coastline from Fort de France to St. Pierre,
which gives you a great view of all the little seaside towns along the way. Very quaint and very picturesque. My only complaint
was the ridiculously short time they give you to walk around in the volcano museum. Ten minutes just isn't long enough. You
really need about twenty.

The second shore excursion was the snorkeling adventure. It was about 35 bucks and was nearly three hours. The area they
take you to is across the bay, near the Hotel Meriden. It's not a bad area for snorkeling, just not great (I still think Oahu's
Hanauma Bay is the best snorkeling spot on earth). I was mildly disappointed. Not by the excursion itself, but by the time it was
scheduled. Learn from my mistake.... Unless it's summertime, and the days are real long, never go on a snorkeling excursion at
3pm. It's MUCH too late in the day. In December, the sun's already way down in the sky and you're snorkeling in really low light.
The view's not as good, the water's not as warm, and the pictures from your disposable underwater camera will come out
LOUSY.

Really enjoyed Martinique. It had lots and lots of charm. The French keep tight reins on this place, charging residents $7/gallon
for gasoline (85% of that is for taxes!). But the result is that the island, along with its infrastructure, seems to be kept up.

Antigua =======

One of the smaller islands in this part of the Caribbean. We took a walk downtown and it was noticably less congested than
Martinique. But the 'vulture factor' was way up there within a block or two of the cruise dock.

While strolling thru town, we stumbled into this place called Parcels Plus. They have four locations in the Caribbean. What a find!
It's sort of like a Mailboxes Etc., but with a twist: they have internet access available. Four bucks for 15 mins (we opted for the
$11/hour) to surf the net and/or send email. They use IE4 and Outlook Express. After five days of seclusion from cnn.com
(although you can watch CNN from your room) and the Wall Street Journal, you really get out of touch. An hour on the 'net gets
you right back up to speed.

Didn't really do too much in Antigua. The main shopping area is within 2-3 blocks of the cruise terminal. Lots of shops to choose
from.

St. Thomas ==========

I've always heard you're supposed to save the best for last, and Celebrity did just that, with respect to St. Thomas. A true
paradise. All these years, I've always thought that Hawaii was top dog, but that was before I visited St. Thomas. The
snorkeling/scuba is as good or better. And it seemed to me that the island was about as commercial as Oahu.

About the only negative I could come up with, regarding St. Thomas, was the driving on the wrong side of the road rule. An
unfortunate hold-out from it's former British roots.

We did the introductory scuba excursion at Coki Beach. It was fabulous. Magical. And no PADI certification required. I have no
idea why these intro dives aren't available for each of the islands. If your idea of a fun scuba dive is a one-tank, 30-minute dive,
then this is for you. After spending 20-30 mins for orientation, each instructor takes a small group (ours had five divers) out for a
shallow dive. I felt it was just right. Good depth (20-30 feet) and plenty of time (half hour). At the end of the dive, I was ready to
come out. Since I'm not a seasoned diver, all the bubble-blowing and exertion began to take it's toll right at the 30-min mark. Lots
and lots of friendly, colorful, tropical fish. Hint: Don't bother picking up one of those $15 disposable underwater cameras at
Wal-Mart before you leave home. They're only good down to 15 feet. Below that, they WON'T WORK. You're MUCH better off
buying one of the dive shop's underwater disposable cameras. They're only $20, and they're good down to THIRTY feet!

As far as St. Thomas is concerned, there's plenty to do there and it's a nice place. If you're thinking about renting a car, relax...
gas was only $1.25/gal. Good 'n cheap. :)

Old San Juan ============

A real tourist trap. But, this is not all bad. The Old/New San Juan excursion took us thru some upscale factory outlet stores.
Coach and Polo were a couple that came to mind. There were many many more. As an example, the Ralph Lauren store had
Polo t-shirts for ten bucks. They're normally $25 here in Atlanta. I bought four of 'em.

The tour bus stopped at the Cristobal fort. The driver claimed that they would normally stop at El Morro, but since the new
parking area at El Morro is so far from the fort itself, they no longer go there. Apparently it was too long a walk for many senior
citizens.

The view from the Cristobal fort is nothing less than spectacular. You're good 'n high up, so you can really see a lot. In fact, you
can take VERY good pix of the El Morro fort from there. Even a lousy camera will wind up with some truly picturesque shots if
you point them westward, towards El Morro.

Here's another tip: Take an excursion when you arrive back at San Juan. If you don't, you and your significant other will wind up
paying around twenty bucks to take a cab to the airport. If you take the excursion, it's only twenty bucks per person, so for ten
bucks more, you get a tour AND transportation back to the airport. It's a no-brainer.

One last item regarding San Juan.....the airport. Now I've been to lots of airports in my day. All around the U.S. and a number in
Europe. But San Juan's airport wins the prize HANDS DOWN for having the dirtiest, dingiest, foul-smelling airport of all. They'll
tell you that they're currently in the process of renovation, but IMHO, it's 10-15 years too late. With all the humongous crowds
coming/going to San Juan (put another way: mind-boggeling income/revenue), they're WAY overdue. I've never seen such long
lines at the x-ray machines in my entire life. The main queue line was over 100-deep! No joke. A staggering 30-45 minute wait
just to get to concourse B. Incredible. Add to that the poor condition of the stained, dirty carpets and foul smell, and you've got
an experience you'll wish you could avoid.

Summary =======

Overall, we had a good time. It was pretty reminiscent of our Century cruise from Dec '97. Not much difference. The service was
pretty good most of the time. The cabin steward was definitely attentive. I guess this must be Celebrity's SOP. Whenever you
leave your room for breakfast or dinner, you're pretty much assured that your bed will be made (or turned down) while you're
gone.

I thought the ports were a little better this time than last. Not that the Western Caribbean is a bad place to cruise, mind you. For
some reason, it seemed a little more, well, adventurous cruising the Southern Caribbean.

In closing, if you're considering going on a cruise, especially a Caribbean cruise, then make sure Galaxy is one of your options.
You won't be sorry.

Name: Jeff Coudriet
Email: JeffCoud@aol.com
Age: 36
Occupation: Government Employee
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Galaxy
SailingDate: 12/12/98
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff:
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 50
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 26 Dec 1998
Time: 11:56:40
Remote Name: 152.171.241.169
Remote User:

Comments

12/12/98 Galaxy Review

We booked our airfare separately from Celebrity since we had a nice coupon from American for a free companion ticket--so we
splurged and bought one business class ticket and got one free! That was a very nice way to start our vacation. Our flight left
from Baltimore at 7:30 am on Saturday and we arrived in San Juan a little bit ahead of schedule! We hailed a cab from the airport
to the Pan-American terminal to board the Galaxy. Being the control freak that I am, it was nice to know where our bags were at
all times! This terminal is across the bay from old town San Juan--in other words, you can't walk there! Our first view of the
Galaxy was a big WOW!

Boarding was completely uneventful--no lines at 1:15 pm at all. We got our docs and our little Galaxy card (room key, charge
card) and hit the duty free shop in the terminal before boarding. Our bags were carried to our cabin at the same time as we
walked there, which was nice. Since we were staying another night in San Juan at the end of the trip we decided to unpack and
explore the boat today and hit the lunch buffet in the Oasis Cafe. We had a Cat 2 cabin with the outside veranda which was
midship/port side on the Penthouse deck, deck 10. It was nicely decorated and good enough size. Good storage with 2 closets
and lots of drawers. The bathroom was small but well engineered with good storage space. The shower was large. Reminded me
of a sleek bathroom in a well designed European hotel. The veranda made all the difference in the world--I don't know that I'd sail
without one now! Extremely relaxing place to hang out, read a book, and have a drink. The people next door to us on the left were
very nice and we enjoyed talking to them all week. My parents had sent us a bon voyage gift of a bottle of wine which was in an
ice bucket all ready to go when we opened the cabin door--that was nice! We're not big drinkers so it took us days to drink the
whole thing!

The buffet in the Oasis Cafe was nice enough--nothing too spectacular but not too ordinary either. We often ate on shore or
ordered room service salads for lunch. I must say the room service menu (except for in the suites, where you can have full meals)
was kind of skimpy and that's something I would improve if I were Celebrity, but for coffee and danish in the morning or pizza
during the pizza hours it was more than tasty and adequate. The interactive TV room service ordering was easy enough to use
and they brought things pretty quickly.

The meals in the beautiful Orion restaurant ranged from merely good to outstanding. I can't imagine how they do such a good job
feeding so many people. There were some wonderful cold soups like rhubarb and apple and some great appetizers like a roasted
vegetable terrine (kind of a veggie pate) that were out of this world. Other things were just ok. I like fancy food and am somewhat
of a food snob at heart and found that the Chef's Selections on the menu were often the best things going on that particular night
so give that a try if you sail on Galaxy! Our tablemates at table 516 were two other couples who we had a great time with! We
have each other's e-mail addresses and are going to stay in touch! They made dining a pleasure and fun every night! One of we
couples bought wine for the whole table nearly every night--such a pleasant way to share! Our table was on the lower floor
towards the back windows of the boat, right next to the Captain's Table (an overrated experience if there ever was one....) The
breakfasts and lunches in Orion were very good and wish we had motivated more to go there for them--but hey, you get lazy on
vacation!

We rented tuxes for the formal nights and were glad we did. I ordinarily am loathe to dress up outside of work but we had fun with
it. Go gamble at the roulette table with a tux on and you'll feel like James Bond! Shaken not stirred please! It was quite
something to see everyone looking so nice--we were our better selves for 2 nights! Speaking of roulette--I won $210 one night on
a $20 investment in chips! And I came out ahead for the cruise itself, although I would say the slots seemed rather stingy to me
compared to Vegas!

The main pool area was sometimes crowded but I found a secret spot that I will share with you kind readers--go to the very back
of the ship on penthouse deck 10 and there is a narrow deck there with lounge chairs. You will virtually be alone there! Depending
on what way the ship is pointing in relation to the sun it can be shady or sunny--read there on the shady times and sun there on
the sunny times. I found it a most peaceful place with classical music softly piping out the speakers there. If you get sick of the
busy-ness of the main pool you can get away there! The small ocean pool is one deck up if you need to get wet and cool off and
there are drinks available, and a grill there in the afternoon.

The gym and workout areas of the ship were nice and well equipped. Didn't take any of the aerobic classes so can't tell you
about that. The thassalotherapy pool is a must for $10 a day! Go try it out. It's like having a massage with power jets of water!
Just the ticket if you're lazing around the boat some afternoon when everyone's on shore. Good if you're sore from too much
working out or walking around the islands! Totally relaxing.

The shows--only went to see Cirque du Galaxy which we thought was very good. All sorts of Chinese acrobats and pretty good
production values. I tend to think these things are pretty cheesy so sometimes its fun to go to the shows just to laugh at how
tacky they are, but this show was actually pretty good. Now the king of cheese was the cruise director Don Fluke himself. He
was a scream. But hey, we're 30-something cynics so what can I say?? Speaking of ages onboard--there seemed to be a very
good diversity of age ranges from young or not so young families, couples of all ages, and people just there to have a good time.
Not too much of any one thing--it was nice.

I loved the fact that there were virtually no on board announcements. That makes for a very peaceful day indeed. The last thing I
want to hear is Kathy Lee singing about the fun ships if you know what I mean....

Shore excursions--

We are basically lazy! :) But we did get off the boat every day we were in port if nothing else to look around a bit.

St. Croix--For one time only Galaxy went to St. Croix for the first day. It was basically nice and fairly unspoiled. Fredericksted,
the port, was a small town in decent shape with nice looking colonial era buildings but not really much to do. There is a beach
right at the dock. The people were nice there and in Christiansted, where we took a taxi to. Roundtrip on the taxi was $10.
Christiansted had a quaint quality to it and some decent shops. The Cruzan rum was extremely cheap there! Buy several bottles!
There was a nice beach in the harbor on what is called 'Hotel on Cay'. We didn't take a boat over there but it looked like a nice
relaxing place. One of the big attractions of St. Croix is the Whim Plantation but we didn't go there or hear of anyone who did!

At Sea--The next day was our 'at sea' day and that was magnificent. We availed ourselves of everything the ship has to offer and
saw some beautiful scenery from our veranda--the port side was facing the islands of Guadalupe, Martinique and St. Lucia on our
way to Barbados. When we saw both Martinique and St. Lucia we went WOW! We would get to Martinique on this itinerary but
were immediately sad that we went to St. Croix instead of St. Lucia! St. Lucia looked like something out of South Pacific with the
2 big mountains jutting out of the water! In any case, after experiencing an 'at sea' day we'll be looking for cruises that have more
than one! What a great experience watching the world sail by!

Barbados--We went into Bridgetown for the morning and found it rather dirty and not particularly attractive. One guy tried to sell
us drugs and hook us up with prostitutes! Too bad he couldn't figure out we were gay! So we had a good laugh about that one.
They had some decent shops on the main drag (can't remember the street name) and so we amused ourselves a bit with that.
Don't know where they're hiding all these fine British products we're supposed to find there! I guess you could say we were
unimpressed. So back to the ship it was for us for more reading books, suntanning, going to the gym and vegetating!

Martinique--Downtown Fort de France has some genuine historical attractions (some churches and squares and that kind of
thing) so we explored that in the morning and looked in the shops. Contrary to the popular anti-French opinion we found people to
be rather nice. A peppy 'bonjour' said with a smile goes a long way! It rained heavily a bit so we ducked under an awning and had
a nice conversation with a native (in French) who was very nice, so learn a few words and be nice and you'll be treated well. We
decided to be ambitious and book a shore excursion to take a tour of the rain forest in the afternoon and see the town (St. Pierre)
that was wiped out by a volcano in 1902 and see the Butterfly farm. Our taxi driver was very nice, but then again, my partner is
fluent in French! The tour people were genuinely surprised that we liked our driver! I guess they don't get that much. Most of them
seem to make an effort to communicate in English to the best of their ability though. You drive from Fort de France to Balata,
where the small church which is based on Sacre Coeur in Paris is located. That was nice enough. Then your driver takes you
through winding mountain roads through the rain forest, which is just spectacular, even if you can't communicate with them. It
was dreamy. Then you end up in St. Pierre where you see the Butterfly farm, which was nice enough, but small, and then board
a bus to see the ruins of the town and the museum. They don't take you there, but about 50 feet from the museum is this
magnificent ruined staircase/amphitheater which is quite interesting--so ditch the group for a couple minutes at the museum and
walk down the road and see that! Then you take a good hour bus ride back to Fort de France along the western shore of the
island, which was pretty enough. All and all worth the $46/head for the rain forest alone in my opinion! The people in the cabin
next to us (they really were nice people) told us an ironic story--they said they thought the people of Martinique were rude but
then went on to tell us how a teenage girl helped them find their way back to the ship, going several blocks out of her way, even
though she was on her way to meet her parents! That doesn't sound rude to me! Go figure.

Antigua--The port area in St. John's was very well designed and welcoming. The nicest of anywhere we went, and it was right in
town. Nice steel drum band playing and all that. We explored the town and there is a very nice old Anglican church there which
is beautiful (and which has been destroyed by catastrophes many times over the years.) It is stone on the outside and wooden
inside and quite nice--worth a visit. Give them some money for the restoration fund if you go! We found people in St. John's to be
very friendly and nice. It was a classy place. We also went to the small museum of the history of Antigua and Barbuda. It was
interesting and the woman in the gift shop was very nice. I got some local pottery for xmas gifts! All and all a very good
experience in St. John's.

St. Thomas--Yes, the duty free shopper's paradise. There is a huge number of shops right at the docks and downtown Charlotte
Amalie is a cheap cab ride away. You could spend many hours looking at everything, but at this point in the trip you've seen all
of these stores before, so don't get too excited! But the downtown is well preserved even if t-shirt shops are inhabiting centuries
old buildings. At least they haven't ripped everything down! We climbed some of the stairways leading up the hill and just saw so
many nice little gardens and buildings. Worth exploring! If you can't find something to buy here then you can't find it anywhere.
People were nice too. I got some good buys on prints and of course got my mom another piece for her Waterford Nativity set--no
way I could forget that! I took the cable car near the port up to Paradise Point for a spectacular view of the bay and the Galaxy!
Good photo op but pricey at $12. We picked up real estate info for there (and several other places.) Hey, it doesn't hurt to dream.
Like most other days, we eventually ended up back at the boat to soak up some rays!

As you can see--we're not too ambitious on vacation. Our dining mates Liz and Jon told us they found some great beaches and
snorkeling virtually everywhere, so you shouldn't have a problem if that's your thing. They winged it and just rented a cab for
cheaper than the shore excursions every day! Just set out early in the day and give yourself plenty of time to get back on ship
because they really do leave on time! Some people in St. John's had to take a fast motor boat to get back on board!

So that's about it--I know I am running on and on here! Disembarkation was a breeze. We had # 6 and were in no rush to get off
the boat since we were staying in San Juan another day. So we hung out in the stunning Stratosphere Lounge on deck 12 and
looked at old San Juan and cooled our jets until we could leave. Other than the breakfast buffet and one or two places on ship
everything else closes down--can't get a soda to wet your whistle. We found our bags in the terminal with no problem and hailed
a cab to our hotel, the El Caribe Hilton near Fort Geronimo. Customs were no problemo. We were off the ship and in a cab in 15
minutes or less at 9:15 am. We are not morning people in any sense of the word so this was a minor miracle!

The Hilton left some things to be desired. I think San Juan got a good wallop from Hurricane Georges! We had another coupon,
for an "executive class" room in the tower. We were not impressed! Hate to see how they treat the regular folks. We had mold
spores growing on the ceiling of the room and everything felt damp! So that was a downer, but they had a cute little beach with a
cove and nice music playing so we weren't all that unhappy. We went over to old San Juan to visit El Morro, the magnificent old
fort there and walk around the very quaint streets. That was a treat. I found an excellent complex of shops that were filled with
native crafts of Puerto Rico from carnival masks from the city of Ponce (quite expensive too!) to hand carved Santos which are
little wooden saints that are quite the collectors' items. The antique Santos that they had were worth hundreds of dollars! So I
bought two new ones--one of the three kings for my parents and one of some unknown Saint for myself. They are beautiful and
unique. Affordable art! I'd much rather spend my bucks on something unique like that rather than tacky t-shirts! Not to be too big
a snob! :)

In any case, on Sunday we hung out at the hotel beach and then changed our clothes to get to the airport and fly home! It was
so sad seeing the Galaxy pull out without us on Saturday night, which we could see from our hotel balcony! We couldn't imagine
'our' ship leaving without us! The flight home was uneventful and we had our lucky seats in business class to ease that nasty
transition back to reality!!!

If anyone has any Galaxy questions--feel free to e-mail!

Jeff Coudriet JeffCoud@aol.com

Name: D. Rogers
Email: peedylegs@aol.com
Age: 32
Occupation: Professional
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Galaxy
SailingDate: 12/5/98-12/12/98
Itinerary: Southern Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 96
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 71
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 88
FoodVariety: 92
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 81
GoodForHoneymoon: 80
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 78
LoungeService: 84
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 92
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 82
WheelchairAccess: 92
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 81
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 82
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 83
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 74
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 84
ShopsOnBoard: 81
SpaceRatio: 84
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 29 Dec 1998
Time: 15:29:49
Remote Name: 208.246.207.2
Remote User:

Comments

This was my (age 32) second cruise and my wife’s (age 28) first. We chose Celebrity’s Galaxy based upon the
recommendations from our travel agent. We were looking for a ship that was newer and well-appointed. Also, we desired a ship
with fewer young passengers, fine cuisine, and decent ports of call. Overall, are expectations were met. The following
summarizes my opinions on various aspects of the cruise:

1) FOOD: Food in the main dining room was very good as was the selection. It wasn’t five star caliber, but relative to the other
cruise line I’ve sailed (Norwegian) is was far superior. The breakfast buffet was also good and very convenient; however, the
servers were always very frugal when serving french toast – I always had to ask for more. The pizza, burgers, hot-dogs and fries
served every afternoon were great. The midnight buffets were also nice, but, after eating a late dinner, there wasn’t much room
left. My biggest complaint are the scrambled eggs which were excessively runny every day and the size of the glasses given for
use at the breakfast and lunch buffets which were minuscule. Also, don’t bother going to breakfast in the main dining room –
90% of the selection is the same as the buffet, only you don’t get to chose the amount of syrup you’d like. In the dining room,
they’re stingy with syrup and won’t leave it on the table.

2) SERVICE: Service was mixed. The cabin service was exceptional. We never saw the guy, and he always left the room very
neat and clean. Our waiter was decent, but the guy who filled our water and brought us coffee was terrible. We had to always ask
for water refills, and coffee always came long after we had ordered it and well after deserts had been served.

3) ETERTAINMENT: Entertainment was mixed as well. The comedian was exceptional and the magician was entertaining. The
other shows were OK. The ‘Cirque…Galaxy’ show the first night was kind of silly. The acapella singers in the lobby consisted of
four individuals, two of which were poor singers. The bands in the lounges were good. Finally, there was something about the
cruise director. I could never quite figure him out.

4) CABIN: The cabin was laid out very well (significantly better than Norweigan). It was an outside state room on level 8. I highly
recommend any room with a window. If makes the room feel more spacious and it’s much easier to wake up in the morning. The
bathroom was laid out very well also. The entire room was impeccably clean. We never used the mini bar or the VCR. The TV
had movies running all day/night long, and you could gamble from your TV (though we didn’t). Beware, however, there’s only one
outlet in the entire room. Biggest scam going – the ship doesn’t have irons for passenger use. They’ll iron your clothes for you at
a hefty price. I’m sure there’s safety reasons for this, but I’m sure people who knew this in advance brought there own travel
irons.

5) PORTS OF CALL/EXCURSIONS: St. Lucia – Beautiful island. We did the land/sea tour which was nice but too long. Also, the
staff on the catamaran were overzealous, almost forcing people to dance. The merchants on the island were very aggressive
(though not as bad as Jamaica). The island has a very ‘third-world’ feel to it. Barbados – We did another tour to some caves and
a flower forest. The cave is nice, but nothing compared to Luray in Virginia. The flower forest is beautiful, but you must sneak
ahead of the long-crowed line or wait back. Otherwise, you can’t truly appreciate it, nor can you get any decent pictures. We
picked up a diamond tennis bracelet in Barbados (Diamonds International) for about 40% less than we’ve seen it in the states but
only after a lot of bargaining. This was an incredible buy, especially since we saw the same item of jewelry at the DI store in St.
Thomas for twice the price! Biggest scam – I kept hearing that there were over 6,000 monkies on this island, but I didn’t see any.
They need to recount. Martinuque – Another lovely island in which we did another sea/land tour that ended in a long cab ride
back to the ship. Nothing outstanding about it though – a good day to stay on the ship. Antigua – we did our own thing in
Antigua…we went to Miller’s beach which was better than doing it as a shore excursion through the ship. It was cheaper that
way and we got there before everyone else, thus we were able to get a more choice spot on the beach. Afterwards, we went back
to the port and did some shopping. The vendors on this island (esp. on the beach) are also very aggressive. St. Thomas – all we
did here was shop and shop we did. I’ve never seen so many jewelry stores confined to once small town. I got my Raymond Weil
fixed at Little Switzerland in just two hours. In the states, everywhere I went said they’d have to send it away for 6-8 weeks. We
also bought some liquor. The prices are about half of what they are in the Washington, DC area. They also delivered to the ship
for us in a carryon box. A big plus – you can sample any liquor you want and as much as you want free. One final note – Again,
very aggressive vendors downtown.

6) EMBARK/DISEMBARK: Getting on the ship was horrific. At the airport, we had to get into a very long (and wide) line that had
no semblance of order. You felt like cattle being herded. It also took a while to finally get to the ship (via bus). Then there were
more lines. We were very fortunate that we ended up being some of the first people on the ship. Getting off the ship was a little
better, but the gangway got very crowded, as were the lines to check in your luggage. TIP – try to get an early flight. They let you
off the boat before anyone else and you’re not stuck trying to kill time on some excursion or at the airport (a very rundown
airport).

7) PASSENGERS: I would put most passengers between 35-65 and married. We were definitely some of the younger people on
the ship. This was fine, because we didn’t want a rowdy, floating frat-party atmosphere. Also, there were few children which was
a big plus. The last thing you want on vacation is obnoxious, screaming kids running around (unless you have some). Despite the
higher maturity level, there was still a fair degree of puerile-like behavior, particularly with people cutting in line.

8) SHIP: Overall, the ship was nice. It was exceptionally clean. The Grand Foyer could have bit a little grander, but the ship was
laid out well. The theatre was nice with few bad seats. Be sure you request a table in the dining room away from the entrances or
kitchen-access doors if you want to see and hear any entertainment. Finally, the ship might as well not have a pool as it is so
small.

9) DRINKS: If you order one of the ships specialty drinks, it’ll be OK. However, don’t bother ordering anything else because the
bartenders will find it too challenging. The gin & tonics were some of worst I’ve ever had. Fortunately, the wine selections are
decent.

Final analysis: If you want a big, clean ship with decent food and you’re in the market for jewelry, then I’d highly recommend this
cruise. They (the ship) called this the ‘shopping’ cruise once on-board, though our travel agent didn’t sell it as that.

WARNING: I’d suggest anyone taking this cruise to loose some weight before going. There is a lot of food (and you can order 3
deserts as I did one night) and, despite the guilt, you feel obligated to eat like a pig (afterall, you’ve paid a lot of $$). I’m still
trying to lose the 5 pounds I gained.

Name: Bethanne Warrack
Email: warrackb@bms.com
Age: 35
Occupation: chemist
NumberOfCruises: 15
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Galaxy
SailingDate: 12/26/98
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 88
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 88
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 92
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 88
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 79
DeckService: 88
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 92
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 92
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 92
BeautySalonStaff: 92
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 95
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 88
OverallPortsofCall: 88
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 88
Casino: 88
AirSeaProgram: 75
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 88
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 88
Stabilization: 75
ShopsOnBoard: 92
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 88
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 26 Jan 1999
Time: 07:07:47
Remote Name: 216.0.66.12
Remote User:

Comments

The New Years cruise on Galaxy was my 15th cruise, my husband’s 8th and our second on Celebrity. I agree with
most of the recent reviews written about Galaxy, so I won’t repeat the obvious. We enjoyed our cruise. The food and
service were excellent and Galaxy is a beautiful, modern ship with lots of space in the cabin and bathroom, around
the pool, and in the lounges. The high ceiling in the two level dining room seems to help reduce the overall noise
level, but it does have a substantial vibration when the port thrusters are engaged. The New Years Eve celebration
was wonderful, held poolside with a beautiful pyrotechnic display. The production shows were about what we
expected. The guest entertainers--Jordan Bennett, Doug Cameron, and Karen Davis were really quite good. A novel
concept was the addition of a ‘roaming’ acapella doo wop group called Double Play. You never knew when or
where you would find them, but they were always enjoyable.

Nice features: The luggage arrived promptly. Due to the itinerary change, we didn’t have to tender. Waiters were
available at the end of the buffet lines to carry your trays to a table and also refilled coffee at the table. The pizza was
always hot, fresh, and tasty. There was never a long line to get some. There was an abundance of pool towels even
on the days when rain storms interrupted the sunshine and you needed to change a wet towel for a dry one several
times. The lifeguard enforced the spa rules and kept young, unaccompanied children out of the hot tubs all day,
every day. Your room key was also your cruise ID and cruise charge card so there was less of keep track of when
leaving the cabin and going ashore. The in-cabin TV had a nice selection of channels, including CNN-International
and two movie channels. Public announcements were kept to the minimum. Daily activities went on as scheduled,
but there were no annoying announcements every 15 minutes. The lifeboat drill was well organized and short. The
fitness center was well equipped; however, it seemed a bit small given the size of Galaxy and the number of
passengers.

Areas where there could be some improvement: We struggled with the in-room safe. Better instructions are
needed. As always, air-sea arrangements left a lot to be desired. Our flight home was a good one, leaving San
Juan at 11 AM; however, our flight to San Juan arrived at 8 PM, so it was really only a 6 day cruise. The photo gallery
was disorganized. Photos from the Main Seating were frequently found under Second Seating headers and
generally seemed slow to appear (often 2-3 days after the photo was taken.)

We felt that little attention was paid to dining room seating requests. We had asked for a large table and found
ourselves seated at a table for four. We had little in common with these people (they were about 30 years our
senior) and struggled to have dinner conversations. We should have requested an alternate assignment, and now
wish that we had done so. We will never sail again without a confirmed second dining seating. We booked this
cruise 11 months in advance and were told that we were wait listed for second seating and ‘that it would probably
clear.’ This was cruise ship marketing and nothing else. Even one week prior to sailing, phones calls to Celebrity
told us that it would clear, but it didn’t. What was worse was the blatant bribing of the Maitre Ds (one woman in
particular was loudly shouting ‘we take care of those people who take care of us’ and making a scene outside the
dining room) which successfully procured tables at the second seating. My husband refused to make a scene, as
did many others, so we resigned ourselves to dinner at 6:15.

Our tickets were issued at the end of November. Upon arriving on board, we were notified of an itinerary change--St.
Lucia instead of Catalina Island. Apparently Catalina was devastated by Hurricane George. Celebrity obviously
knew that we weren’t calling there, but didn’t bother to print the change on the cruise documents. I also noticed that
the airfare which I was charged by Celebrity was over $50 more (per person) than the price shown on the airline
tickets. I have sent a letter to Celebrity requesting a refund of the difference, but haven’t received a response.

I wish that the ship and the shore could agree on cruise dress for packing purposes. Our documents said 2 formal
evenings, 2 informal, and 3 casual. On board the first night, we were told to expect 2 formal, 1 informal, and 4
casual; however, in reality, it was 2 formal, 3 informal, and 2 casual. Who decides these things and when are they
decided? And why to they change when the ship does the same itinerary every week?

We also have come to wonder whether vegetable oil for a vinaigrette salad dressing is considered a hazard to
ships at sea. Why does every salad dressing (including vinaigrette) look and taste like mayonnaise?

Finally, some general notes. We don't take shore excursions. We go to the beach. Having gone to the Caribbean
many times, we know the beaches. The hurricanes have severely eroded the beaches on St. Lucia, Antigua
(Runaway Bay and Dickinson Bay), and St. Thomas (Morningstar). Finding a dry stretch of sand that wasn’t hotel
property was difficult. The beach at the Barbados Hilton still has plenty of white sand available for the sun
worshipers from the ships.

Overall, we wouldn’t hesitate to sail Galaxy again or to recommend it highly.

Name: Jim & Nora Lonneville
Email: James.P.Lonneville@usa.dupont.com
Age: 40
Occupation: Microscopist
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Galaxy
SailingDate: 2/6/99
Itinerary: Southern Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 96
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 96
DiningRoomService: 96
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 94
CabinSteward: 96
ShoreExcVariety: 88
FoodVariety: 94
DeckService: 88
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 78
LoungeService: 88
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 76
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 88
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 86
CruiseActivities: 78
Casino: 88
AirSeaProgram: 92
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 96
EmbarkDisembark: 94
DiscoNightclubs: 79
DeckSpace: 88
Stabilization: 92
ShopsOnBoard: 82
SpaceRatio: 94
OverallCruiseValue: 94
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 21 Feb 1999
Time: 10:49:49
Remote Name: 206.241.18.4
Remote User:

Comments

Since we received so much information from this site to assist in our previous cruise on the Celebrity Galaxy we
thought it only fair that we that we submit our review to help other cruise passengers that will be cruising on this
ship in the upcoming months. We hope this review will be helpful to upcoming cruisers. We used the air/sea
program of Celebrity to obtain our flights to and from San Juan. We decided to pay the additional $35 deviation
fee to specify the carrier and flight #s that we would prefer to use. We believe this worked out to our advantage
since we used Delta (our specified carrier) and received a decent flight itinerary which got us into San Juan at
4:20 PM on the day of embarkation and had us departing San Juan at 3:40 PM on the day of our
disembarkation. While these flights were not our specified flights since we preferred to arrive and depart earlier
than the flights that were assigned they worked out OK and at least there were no large connection layovers.
Our total flight time each way was about 6 hours which is a very reasonable time frame from North Carolina to
San Juan. We met a lot of nice people on this flight that were also on the Galaxy so it has us wondering if these
would have been our scheduled flights anyway, but we figured better safe than sorry. With the American airlines
fiasco that was going on this weekend we were sure glad that we opted for a Delta deviation. American airlines
was the topic of discussion on our cruise for the last half of our sailing and many passengers were constantly
checking with guest relations for updates on the situation. The guest relations people were assuring passengers
that everything would be handled correctly, but when you see everyday on the CNN channel the stories coming
out of San Juan regarding people sleeping in the airport for days it does tend to raise the anxiety levels slightly.
The night prior to disembarkation most people that we met that had American flights were booked on a special
charter set up by Celebrity with Northwest to fly most passengers to Newark NJ and then on to their final
destinations. While we have not been in contact with any of these passengers it seems like Celebrity handled the
situation as well as can be expected considering the circumstances involved. Celebrity also has the process
down to a tee for departing passengers on Delta with representatives from the airlines boarding the ship at 6:00
AM on disembarkation day to hand out boarding passes and luggage tags. The embarkation process was almost
as smooth and will be discussed later. Let me get into some of the cruise details before I start into the daily
descriptions of the cruise. This was our 4th cruise (the others being Carnival, Royal Majesty, and RCL) and its
was hands down the best experience we have had at sea. The layout of the ship is easy to navigate with very
little wait at any of the 3 sets of elevators. This is not a glittery type of ship like the Carnival or RCL lines offers
but is upscale in in its own decor of brass and wood. The main atrium area and shops are nice but lack the luster
of some of the other new ships and the pricing in the shops is not a great value except for the last few days when
they mark down their clearance items. The drinks are on the steep side regarding price, but some good deals
can be found in the daily drink specials and a must try is the jumbo drinks at the Interlude bar prior to dinner.
The alcohol policy is fairly liberal and I saw no one having their bags checked for purchases when returning from
the islands. We even purchased a bottle at the shop on board and while its Celebrity’s policy not to allow liquor
purchases to return to the room until the end of the cruise the sales person stated that they had no problem
allowing us to take the bottle to our room at the time of purchase. There are so amenities on this ship that it is
hard to mention all of them. The interactive TV is a great addition to the newer cruise vessels. With the help of
this feature you can virtually see all the cruise excursion and port shopping talks, and disembarkation talks
without being there. You can also purchase all your shore excursions via this amenity and can even gamble in
the room if you so choose. The best thing it can be used for is to order your dinner wines ahead of time and to
review your on board cruise account to make sure its up to snuff. The in room movie selections were decent and
the CNN channel allows you to keep in contact with the outside world as to what is happening. There is also a
daily newsletter delivered nightly that details the next days itinerary, dining attire, and includes a insert with the
map of the island that you will be visiting and the highlighted shopping areas. If you misplace this paper do not
fret since you can pick up another copy at the guest relations area (deck 5). The ship also prints up a daily
newspaper briefing with the news going on in the world that is available at noon each day in this area. Also
located in this area is the shore excursions desk and shopping excursions desk if you have any questions you
need to have answered. The last area to mention in the guest relations area is the bank which is open in the
early mornings and late afternoons for those that require change or cashing of travelers checks. There is also a
ATM machine located in the casino for those requiring cash advances but be forewarned that a $5 fee is
charged for each transaction.

Food The food was out of this world and since I travel quite a bit and have had the chance to experience 5 star
restaurants I would rate the food and dining experience at par with any of these establishments. We ate all our
breakfasts and lunches in the Oasis café (buffet style) and dinners in the Orion restaurant. The Oasis café was
great and the food quality and selection was some of the best we have experienced via buffet style, From
conversations with others the food offerings were identical to the Orion restaurant with the only difference being
the catered to service that the Orion offers. For breakfast and lunch its open seating in the Orion but does
request no shorts although I did see some enter in this attire for breakfast and lunch as we were passing by. The
Oasis café is managed well and has plenty of staff to assist in the carrying of trays to tables and the clean up
detail. The food was always hot and well presented and the omelet stations are something you must try. The
scrambled eggs did tend to be a bit runny so many were opting for the omelets. You could get scrambled or fried
eggs done at this location if you requested and there was never more than a 5 minute wait. The one complaint I
will mention is the small glass size that is used for juices, ice tea and milk. I guess they feel that by using these
size glasses that there will be less waste. We avoided this issue by using the large insulated carry mugs that we
brought along with us. I did see more and more of these appearing as the cruise progressed as people
purchased them at the different ports. They also serve an additional purpose as a carry around for water and
drinks while by the pool. The pizza station near the rear Oasis pool area serves great pizza (although it’s not up
to NY style pizzeria pizza) and the hot dogs, hamburgers and sausage served at the main pool grill were great.
The tea and mini sandwiches were also good along with the frozen custard served from 4 - 6 everyday. We did
not try the room service so we can not go into detail about it. The midnight buffets were well presented and while
we tried very little of this food ( after having late seating and finishing dinner at 10:30 there is a limit to how much
you can stuff yourself) the items we did have were great. The only other area I will cover in the food category
regards the alternative dining at night. Celebrity is just starting their alternative dining selections and the food
offering is good. The complaint that I have and I did express it to them was the location of the alternative dining
area. They located the alternative dining at the Oasis pool magrodome which is a beautiful area but only a few
feet away sat the idle Oasis café which would have been a much better site for this type of set up.

Activities & Excursions We tend to go on cruises for the purpose of relaxation. Therefore we were happy with the
scheduled activities, but we heard many complain that the amount of activities were small and tended to be
boring. This is one area where there is much differentiation in opinions because of the fact that not everyone
sees things in the same light. There are not many activities going on during the day except for the occasional
wine tasting party or the galley tour which we highly recommend. They also have a TV trivia game going on at
1015 PM that is a lot of fun. If you are looking for pool games do not go on this cruise because there are none to
be found. The exercise area, outdoor recreation area and spa areas are about the only places that have
activities going on during the daytime. These were all nicely appointed areas but since we did not partake in any
of the offerings at these locations I can not really comment on them. There is a nice children’s area at the aft
area on deck 9 but with the negligible amount of children on this cruise (no more than 20) this area was also
deserted. We took 2 excursions via Celebrity and did a beach excursion on our own at Antigua. All of the
excursions met our expectations with the Antigua beach excursion being the best. According to other friends on
board the St. Lucia Piton tour is OK but about 2 hours too long and if you do opt for this make sure you schedule
the land portion for the morning because rum punch at 9:30 AM is a little early for most and do beware because
the potency of the native rum is much higher than most of us our used to. The Jolly Roger excursion is no more
than a big party and lots of music so if this fits your requirements then give it a try, we were told is was worth it
and from what we saw of the returning participants I would tend to agree. If snorkeling and beach excursions are
your game then the excursions are decent with the Buck Island and Trunk Bay tours being the best for
snorkeling and the Meagens Bay and Trunk Bay excursions be in the best for the beach lovers. In these areas
you may be better of opting for a group get together and doing it on your own with the help of the locals on the
island. We did this at Antigua with the help of a local taxi driver who took us to Turner Beach and it was great at
half the price of Celebrity’s beach excursion. Other friends of ours did a beach excursion of their own on each
island and it worked out well for them dollar wise and enjoyment wise. Being that my wife intended to shop at
each island and dragged me along we can give first hand knowledge on this subject and will do so in the daily
itinerary write-ups.

Entertainment The entertainment was of decent quality although our standards are lower due to the fact that we
realize there is no way that the entertainment quality can compare to a Vegas or NY revue. If you go into the
shows with that mentality then you are setting yourself up for a letdown. The comedian (Jeff Nease) and magician
(Chip Beleros) provided great entertainment value and the other shows were a good offering. The bands that
played (Onyx, Fire and Rain) were very good but they need to add more song variety to their repertoire. After
hearing Hot Hot Hot and Red Red Wine 10 times it starts to get old. The late night entertainment such as dancing
and discoing were also quite lame but then again after being up 18 hours our senses and energy levels were in
dire need of energizing anyway. Embarkation Day We took off from NC at 9:40 AM and arrived in Atlanta for our
connection 10:50 AM. After getting off in Atlanta we found out that the plane we were on continued on to San
Juan. Some of the people we had met on the plane who were on the Galaxy with us talked to Delta about
possibly slipping on to that flight rather than waiting for the next one but to no ones surprise the answer was a
resounding No. Makes you wonder what was going on and why we were not booked on that flight but life goes
on. The connecting flight left Atlanta at 12:40 PM and arrived in San Juan at 4:25 PM. After getting off the plane
we found the Celebrity transfer person and were all escorted (several 100 of us) through the airport to the
transfer bus location. Be forewarned that this is a lengthy walk and I do not know how some of the older
passengers made it. I had a garment carry on and another shoulder strap bag on my shoulders and I know I was
beat by the time I reached the transfer buses. This situation was probably due to the airport construction going
on but you would of thought that Celebrity could have set up some golf type transfer carts for at least the older
passengers who had I difficult time walking. After getting everyone on the transfer buses we were off to the pier
which we arrived at within 20 minutes. The embarkation process was painless and took all of 10 minutes to
complete. Before we knew it we were being escorted to our room with someone other than me finally carrying our
luggage. The room as with most on this ship was good size (172 sq. ft) and had more than enough storage
space and the bath and shower area was more than adequate. Thanks to the other reviews of this ship we were
prepared for only one electrical outlet and did bring a 3 outlet multiplier, extension cord and illuminated clock
since this was a inside cabin. We unpacked our carry on luggage and headed out to explore the ship.

1st Night After exploring the ship we went back to the room which was an inside cabin on deck #8 in the mid ship
area. The rest of our luggage arrived so we unpacked and got dressed for our first dining experience. We met
up with a couple we had met on our plane flight down and since the night is open seating we had dinner
together. We then assembled at the pool deck with the rest of the group that we had met on the plane and
settled in with a drink and waited for the sail away. It was about 11:30 PM before we noticed any movement and
later we found out it was because we had to wait for some late arrivals. One of these couples we met later in the
cruise and found out their luggage did not arrive until Weds. They however made the best of it and were taken
care of by Celebrity with monetary reimbursements and free tux rentals. After the sail away we listened to the
band for awhile and then decided to hit the sack.

1st Day The first day was a day at sea since Catalina Island was destroyed by hurricane Georges last fall. This
worked out good in my opinion since it gave everyone a chance to learn the ship and get into the festive mood.
The pool deck was crowded and barely a lounge chair could be located by noon. This was not to my surprise
since I was at the walking track around 7:00 AM and saw the vultures already positioning their towels on the
lounges. I wonder when people will realize that they are not the only ones on these cruise ships and show some
courtesy for others. Needless to say that afternoon we decided to head up to the pool deck. We circled the deck
for nearly 30 minutes and I continued to see the same lounges vacant so at that point I procured 2 of them for
us. About an hour later sure enough here comes a south american women (whom while I could not quite
understand what she was saying, surely it was not anything nice) was motioning toward me and spouting off.
Finally I looked up and tried to explain to her that it is Celebrity’s policy that lounges can not be saved for
extended periods using towels and that if she had a problem to go and see the guest relations people.
Thankfully this was the only day at sea so there would be no more occurances of this nature. Besides we found
that the aft area of the ship where the Oasis pool is located is much quieter and for more privacy there are about
30 lounge chairs on the aft end of decks 8 & 10 that hardly ever get any use.

2nd Day This is the day we visited the first port on our itinerary which was St. Lucia. It was a replacement for
Catalina island and hopefully Celebrity will keep it on the itinerary. The shopping area for this island is in Port
Seraphine and requires a ferry ride to get to. This shopping area was quaint and not very spectacular but good
enough to fing a few odds and ends and return to the ship. We did no excursion at this island and heard that the
Pitons tour was the best but the 7 hour tour was way to long. This was a land/sea tour and the people that got
the sea portion in the afternoon seemed to be the most pleased although they still felt it was to lengthy. The Jolly
Roger as usual supplied all the party atmosphere anyone could desire. The people that opted for the beaches
on their own were also pleased with their choice.

3rd Day Barbados was the island of choice for this day. The shopping areas in Barbados are much better than at
St. Lucia. My wife had a field day and found that our plasic cards worked well. She even coercised me into a
black pearl necklace puchase for valentines day. After shopping we chose to sit down and try one the local
brews (Banks beer) and it hit the spot. We again opted for a afternoon of relaxation at our new found paradise at
the rear of deck #8 on two lounge chairs I think have are names now scribed in them. We watched the excursions
of Jolly Roger again return in robust fashion. According to friends the Jolly Roger and snorkeling/beach
excursions were a bargain at the price paid. This evening was the Tropical midnight buffet so to get ourselves in
the spirit we purchased island type attire and decided to don it at dinner. To our surprise several others had the
same idea.

4th Day Martinique was on the schedule for today. This is a port where the natives do not welcome tourist with
open arms. Since my wife has 9 years of French language background I was sure that she would want to try her
hand at speaking the language again but she suggested we opt for the calypso tour so we did. We would rate it
a 7 out of 10 with the highlight being the rum punch and drinks. Be forewarned again that the native rum is very
potent and can catch up to you quickly. We both spent a couple hours napping to recover from its effects. If you
are into the nude scene then this is your island. There were some stories circulating among the male gender that
made more than one or two eyebrows rise. Forget the shopping since as I stated this is an island that does not
cater to tourism.

5th Day Antigua was the port of call for the 5th day. This is an island that states that there is a beach for every
day of the year. We opted for the shopping tour in the morning and again the wife was very happy to oblige
testing the plastic. The afternoon we chose to head out on our own as many did and find a private secluded
beach. We procured one of the local taxi cab drivers and he recommended Turner Beach. Needless to say this
was one that we would visit again in a heartbeat. They had private bungalows and there were no more than 40
people on this 2 mile stretch of white sand and crystal blue 85 degree waters. There was a small restaurant and
changing area for those that required them and we did partake in a couple of Wadali brews which I might add
were great. Tonight was the Grand buffet which was set up in the Orion dining room. I guess the days activities
got the best of us because we basically went to take some pictures of the presentation and then hit the sack.

6th Day The last port of call was the best for those interested in shopping. St. Thomas it was. We hit the streets
early and procured our liquor and cigarette purchases so as to have them delivered back to the ship in time for
departure. Every time we visit here we say the same thing and that is that we are not going to buy all that liquor
to lug back to the states and then we see the prices and we get the maximum allowed. It’s just hard to pass up
prices that are a third the cost of what we would pay back home. We purchased 12 bottles of assorted liquors
and walked out of the store only $90 lighter in the pocket. Cigarettes at $12 / carton are also a steal. The
gemstones were also good buys here if you knew what you were looking for and that is the key. If you do not you
can get taken. As for the excursions we again opted to relax at our deck #8 paradise and then ready ourselves
for our journey back home. Our shipmate friends said the snorkeling excursion to Buck Island was great. Also the
beach excursions to Meagens Bay and Trunk Bay were worthwhile. I would still opt to do it my own if I were to do
it since its cheaper and you can spend more time there if you choose than the 3 hours the ship excursion allots
you. It always amazes me how fast these types of vacations go. Depression is starting to set in.

7th Day Day of disembarkation is now here. I got up early and headed to the lounge that had the airline reps
readying passengers for departure. As stated previously this is a great set up where you basically can get your
boarding passes, and luggage tags so that when you disembark all you have to do is find your luggage tag it and
get a porter to wheel it down to the collection area for you, passing through customs on your way to the baggage
collection areas of the airlines. Since our flight did not depart until 3:40 PM we opted to take the Old/New San
Juan tour which included the old fort tour and city tour and a brief stop to make those last minute purchases to fill
up any vacant space that you have on the carry on luggage. I would recommend if you have time to take one of
the tours since the airport in San Juan has basically nothing to do and the prices for food and drink our
outrageous. If you are worried about your carry on luggage worry not because it can stay on the air-conditioned
bus which at all times has a driver watching them. Suggestions Make sure that you take that extra electrical
multiplier along with the extension cord. If you have an inside room take along an illuminated clock to help keep
track of time. If you want to have your entire vacation planned out for you and announcements made as to what
activities are going on each day then do not cruise on this ship because the only announcements made are
when the ship has been cleared for disembarking at ports of call. Make sure you use your sunscreen protection
because it’s very easy to get sunburn. If you require more ice than the average person then ask your room
steward for a larger bucket than the one that is supplied. Lose ten pounds prior to boarding this ship since so
you will not be forced to do without all the extras after the first day. Do not worry about the water quality since the
water is probably better than what you drink out of your tap at home. If you want a table at the midnight buffets
on the pool deck make sure and get there early since its nearly impossible to get 2000 people on the same deck
of a cruise ship. Do not choose a room location behind the rear set of elevators if noise and vibration are a
concern. If noise is a concern to you in the main dining room then make sure you get a late seating and its on
the first floor of the dining room. There is no need to rush into booking excursions on the islands. I checked the
shore excursion desk everyday and up until 24 hrs prior to all excursions none were sold out and most of them
could be booked right up until the time they departed. Final Thoughts We would not hesitate to cruise on
Celebrity again and as I write this review we already have our TA searching for a deal for us for next spring
although my wife has stated that she would now like to try out a room with a veranda so we will see what the price
tag for that is before we make a commitment. The room size and amenities on this ship are better than any cruise
lines we have sailed previously. The in room safe and mini bar are great additions and make you feel just like
you are home. We met so many nice people on this ship and it was also nice to meet the people that we had
been conversing with prior to our cruise on the Internet. As in previous reviews I will again verify that there is a
vibration problem in the rear of the ship especially when arriving and departing a port. We noticed it since we
were on the aft end of the ship during most port departures. We asked several cruisers that had rooms in the
rear of the ship and they also stated that there was significant vibration while entering and exiting port. I even
asked some crew members and they stated that the vibration problems were more eminent in shallow water
ports. Regarding the tipping procedures if there was ever a cruise line where it would be difficult to not tip the
recommended amounts then this one would be it. We even had the Matre’D come over to our table every night
and speak for several minutes with us which is a first for us. If we can answer any other questions please feel
free to E-mail us.

Name: Elaina Groves
Email: guardian@sympatico.ca
Age: 40
Occupation: social worker
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Galaxy
SailingDate: February 6, 1999
Itinerary: Deep Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 27 Feb 1999
Time: 16:00:16
Remote Name: 206.172.131.156
Remote User:

Comments

This cruise was our first experience and we were not sure of what to expect. We read past reviews and found this
to be quite helpful in obtaining some tips. For those looking for the same kind of help that we were looking for, I
will repeat some of the tips that we learned elsewhere and found helpful.

What to bring? powerful binoculars: the ones in the Stratosphere Lounge are big but not powerful. As the ship
passes by Monserrat, with proper viewing glasses you can see the results of the recent volcano. power bar: only
one outlet in washroom for shavers only and only one plug in stateroom. If you want to plug in cell phone,
camera battery, curling iron, something has to go. hairblower: one is provided but it is very, very weak. It was
inadequate for shoulder length hair. cell phone: we were successful on some Islands in getting service on our
cell phone. On St. Lucia this was at $5.00 per day and about $3.00 per minute. As phone calls on the ship are
$10.00 per minute, cell phones were a lot easier on our pocketbooks. insulated drinking cups - although we
bought all our drinks on deck, we saw a lot of people who were mixing their own in their staterooms. We kept
bottles of liqueurs in our stateroom as we like nightcaps and sometimes shots (and then some!!!) before dinner.
We used the glasses provided in our stateroom and brought this up on deck for our sailaway. As well, the drinks
in your mini-bar are reasonable. You may also want to bring beer to your room from the ports (we really enjoyed
beer from Barbados and San Juan).

Ships newsletters; television; Every evening, a newsletter is delivered under your door. This is an extensive
newsletter outlining the next days events. It will tell you what dress the dinner is for the following day; what port;
what time it docks and what time it sails; information about the port such as currency, language, history,
shopping tips; a map; activities on the ship for those staying on board; excursions; sales taking place in the
ship's stores.

The Galaxy newspaper is also available at the front desk for those who can't survive without some news from the
rest of the world.

The television you will soon discover has one channel with a taped show that is steadily repeated describing all
the excursions for each island. Another channel is dedicated to shopping tips.

What to wear? We really enjoyed the opportunity to dress-up. For all the complaining my husband did about
wearing a suit or tuxedo, he really enjoyed dressing up. It was also a good opportunity to get photos taken by
ship's photographer (professional portraits) for only $25.00 each while we were dressed-up in our duds.

Renting the tux was as simple as a phone call and it was sitting in the stateroom waiting for him. It was very
reasonably priced ($75.00 u.s.)and beats having to rent one locally and transport it. Any sizing problems and
they can correct them immediately. Cufflinks and two shirts come with the outfit. For extra you can even rent the
shoes.

However, if you don't want to dress up in tuxedo, we saw a lot of men in suits and a lot of them were not dark
suits.

Women wore a variety of types of dresses. Some were extremely flashy, some beautiful gowns, sequins, but
there was such a variety that all styles fit in. No need to run out and spend a fortune on a dress that you may
never wear again in your hometowns.

Breakfast in the dining room- mostly everyone wore shorts to breakfast but you can also just go to the buffet for
breakfast. We prefer to be waited on so we had breakfast in the dining room most mornings and we all wore
shorts and felt comfortable doing so.

During the day at sea, we wore bathing suits and cover-ups. This was also acceptable when we went to the
Savoy Lounge for the winetasting class they had. We wore shorts when in port but once back on deck we
immediately wore swimsuits and stayed on deck until they closed the hottubs at 7:00. Late seating was at 8:30 so
this worked out just right.

Laundry was priced reasonably and convenient. This included ironing etc.

Staterooms: We had made the decision not to take a room with a balcony when we saw the difference in price.
When we first got there, we were disappointed in our decision and considered in trying to upgrade. We talked
ourselves out of it and actually were quite glad that we did. We were in a catagory 5, deck 8, panorama deck.
The window was quite large. For the little time that we spent in the room, the extra $1,200. that a balcony would
have cost us went to good wine, and jewellry without the guilt. We had a king-size bed, love seat, desk, chair,
table, end tables. There was more than enough storage space (we had empty drawers and space in the closets
to spare). Luggage fit perfectly under the bed. Bathrobes were supplied and the fresh water and ice replenished
during a couple of times during the day was a nice touch.

Meals: As I already indicated, we had breakfast in the dining room most mornings. We did not have room-service
as we like to get out and see people and don't like eating in our rooms.

We rarely had lunch on board as we were off doing things while in port. However, the afternoon tea was
wonderful and just the thing to tide us over until late seating dinner. Pizza was also available durjng these hours
so you never go without food.

We chose late seating as firstly we prefer dining late but we were also quite pleased with our choice when we saw
people dressed in suits etc. when we were still up on deck for the sail-away party; we had more time in port
without having to rush back to be ready for dinner; more time to sit in the hottub.

The late night buffets were fantastic although we could not eat more. This may be the one negative thing about
late-seating but then again, less to work off after the cruise.

Remember, that still after dinner, waiters walk around the lounges with trays of very delicious looking snacks.
Everytime we looked at these trays, we were reminded of a scene from a Monty Python movie where the results
of taking just one more piece of food ends with undesireable results. You Monty Python fans will know what I am
talking about.

The food was very, very good. We made a point of ordering different dishes, items that we would normally not try
at home. We enjoyed the experimenting. Be prepared to be pampered. We enjoyed the ducling a l'orange, quail,
rack of lamb.

If you enjoy wine with your meal, the wine stewards are very helpful in making recommendations. We had heard
about the wine-corking fee. You can bring in your own wine and for $6.00 per bottle, they will uncork this and
serve it for you. My brother brought his gift bottle of sparkling wine to the wine steward and there was no
problem. The wine list has a good variety.

Tipping: The envelopes are left in your stateroom on your last evening. We followed the recommended amounts
and felt that the tips were more than deserved. The amounts recommended to us in February 99 were
$3.50/person/day for waiter; $2.00/person/day for bus boy; $3.50/per person/day for cabin stewart and about
$10.00 total for headwaiter and I believe same amount for head housekeeper.

What to do on the ship? The cocktail waiters work the pool decks. They do not push drinks at all but one is never
too far away when you need that pina colada. The service was very good. My husband kept going to the bar
directly to get his own drink and it wasn't until the last couple of days that it dawned on him that we should have
been ensuring that our favourite cocktail waiter, Carlo from Honduras got our orders so that he could benefit
from the 15% gratuity automatically added on. Keep this in mind. Drinks

We did not utilize the spa at all. Our philosphy is that anything that we can do at home we'll do there and we
dedicate our vacation for sun, surf, sightseeing.

We loved the sail away parties. The band on our cruise was Onyx and we thought that they were fabulous. We
learned some Caribbean line dancing, burned off a few calories (making room for dinner).

The Caribbean party on deck was loads of fun. This really was one of the highlights of the cruise in the sense of
an outdoor party, under the stars, middle of the caribbean, great music, dancing, coco-loco drinks...who could
ask for more????

My husband and I are reformed smokers of about 16 years and yet we both went to Michael's Club for a cigar
and sherry. We spoke at length to Karina from Peru who told us about her country and countrymen. We really
enjoyed this quiet diversion. Being non-smokers (excepting this one retreat) we appreaciated the ships policy of
smoking on one side of the ship only. I don't remember which side now but it is clearly marked.

The Savoy Lounge is very comfortable. The band that played nightly was Fire and Rain. They were entertaining
and got everyone up dancing.

We are not gamblers so cannot offer much in the way of comments about the casino. We made our obligatory
deposits to the slot machine (the money just jumps out of your pocket when you walk by).

We didn't not realize it until our last evening, but our deck had a separate sitting area at the back of the ship
where we could have retreated nightly or my husband could have sat and had a drink and enjoyed the view while
I was getting ready. We were on deck 8. Check out the map of the ship more closely than we did.

We didn't bother going to the trivia meets but one evening we were walking through and stopped to watch. It was
a lot of fun and the cruise director Dennis was quite entertaining.

We did not go to all the shows. However, what we did see was far better than what we were led to expect. We
enjoyed the comedian Jeff Nease but we skipped the illusionist. We've been to Vegas and the big productions
that they put on were not up our alley and there were other things to do that we preferred.

Ports of Call: St. Lucia: many, including staff warned us off the shopping there. We took a taxi to St. Lucia Beach
where we could use the facilities at a resort there, rented beach chairs and umbrellas and ordered drinks
through the waitress right on the beach. Not a bad way to spend the day.

Barbados: right off the pier, the other side of the mall, you can catch a bus to the downtown for $1.00 each.
Once you are off the bus, be prepared to be bombarded by tour guides etc. We walked a bit into the downtown
but were not enthused by the heat trapped by the taller buildings, and by the persistence of the guides. We
finally told a group that we wanted an airconditioned car and a tour of the Island. We lucked out and got Patrick.
He took us to St. John's Church, a spectacular view and history, showed us slave housing, plantation houses,
farming, etc. We enjoyed this. We then went horseback riding with Brighton Stables. They can be booked right
outside the mall at the pier. The ride was one hour long and mostly along the beach past the rum factory.

We did not go on the rum factory tour but the overwhelming odor of rum on the beach convinced us that perhaps
that was a good thing. We heard from others that the tour was very interesting and the staff very helpful and
friendly.

We enjoyed Barbados beer in the outdoor bar at the mall.

Martinique: We were told to expect rain but did not get any. We did some shopping just off the ship. We walked
over to the fort and for five dollars were taken on a walking tour of the fort. If you bring your beach wear with you
or wear it, you can then hop right onto the ferry and take this to the beach. This beach we were directed to was
crowded. The only redeeming factor, the guys would say was that the beach was topless. The guys particularly
enjoyed the models selling bathing suits on the beach and changing right there. They were beautiful women.

Antigua: beautiful beaches. My husband booked his own dive excursion and really enjoyed this. Lots of shopping
right off the pier if you're looking for usual souveniers. We definitely want to go back there and just explore the
beaches. (everything you read tells you that Antigua is pronounced Anti-ga not Anti-gwa. However, our tour
guide in St. Thomas, Roy was born and raised on Antigua and he corrected me and told me that is was
pronounced Antig-wa. I'll take his word for it.)

St. Thomas: take a taxi to downtown. Look for Roy, a great tour guide. We took a tour around the Island.
Breathtaking. He took us to Mountain Top, Drake's Seat. He was very informative. He dropped us off at Magen's
Bay for a couple of hours of beach rest. The bay is beautiful but crowded. I would be tempted next time (and
there will be a next time) to find another beach that was on the tour. The shopping is out of this world if you are
looking for jewelry, watches, crystal, leather. Prices can be bartered.

San Juan: the guided tour we booked was $20.00 each. This ended at the airport. We could have taken the
transfers directly to the airport, grabbed a taxi for $20.00 total one way for four of us to old San Juan and had
the day to explore on our own. What we ended up doing was booking the tour through the ship for $20.00 each,
it ended early at the airport and we still had over four hours to kill so we took a cab back to Old San Juan, and
arranged for the same driver to pick us up at a predetermined time. We then had lots of time to explore without
having to race to catch up with our tour guide. The cab driver pointed out sites to us as well just as the tour
guide did. The only other item included was admission into the fort.

While in Old San Juan, if you're hungry and fussy like, try the Butterfly Gallery and Restaurant. I don't remember
the streetname but I'm sure any store clerk or taxi driver would direct you. It was clean, the gallery was pretty, the
restaurant was relaxing with good music playing and the food was great. We tried some traditional Puerto Rican
food and beer and enjoyed it immensely.

Lot so gifts stores in the airport once you've checked in. They close about 5:00 p.m.

in closing: We enjoyed the Celebrity Cruise Line. People we met who had cruised lots of times said that the
Galaxy was a definite cut above the other lines. My husband did not want to go on this cruise. He did not want to
wear a suit or a tie. He thought that he would be too tied down and thought that he might be bored. During his
first day at sea, he was already convinced that this cruise idea was a good one (so it must have been his, right?)
He has been thanking me for it since. We were home only about three days and he went out and picked up
another cruise book.

We have always preferred to travel with other people. After being married almost a quarter of a century (ouch
that sounds like a long time) holidays are romantic getaways but mostly we are looking for fun diversions from
everyday life. However, we've agreed, because of the variety of activities, the varied ports, etc. we would have no
problem going on a cruise with just the two of us. The ports were of the kind that I would explore on my own while
my husband scuba dives. Lot of nice people, lots of partying. Enjoy.

Name: Bob Hudson
Email: lifeline@sentex.net
Age: 45
Occupation: Management Consultant
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Galaxy
SailingDate: January 16, 1999
Itinerary: Southern Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 92
FoodLidoDeck: 92
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 87
FoodMidnightBuffets: 92
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 94
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 85
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 87
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities: 95
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 88
SpaceRatio: 93
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 01 Mar 1999
Time: 17:37:51
Remote Name: 159.199.101.1
Remote User:

Comments

To celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary (and after my 20 years of coaxing), my wife, Theresa, and I decided
to take our first cruise. To allay my wife's fear of seasickness, we did plenty of homework - including validation of
travel agent recommendations on criuseopinion.com. This included choice of cabin (low deck, mid-ship) and
choice of dinner seating (late).

The net result of our preparation was a thoroughly enjoyable trip.

Ports of Call:

St. Lucia - shopping was nothing special. Barbados - town was crowded and we were ripped off by taxi drivers
who took advantage of our currency mistakes, including the paying of U.S. dollars instead of Barbados dollars
when told the fare in 'dollars'. Martinique - lovely town, enjoyed French language; beach excursion via local water
taxi was very worthwhile. Antigua - excursion by van to beach at Club Antigua; the most beautiful beach we saw
on the entire trip with stunning blue water and white sand backed by a stand of swaying palms; sailing and
windsurfing rentals were reasonably priced. St. Thomas - shipside shopping was very convenient; tram ride up
the hill provided a spectacular view of the harbour; the Kon Tiki rum/limbo/beach excursion was entertaining and
took us to another lovely beach with crystal clear water (Honeymoon Beach) San Juan - took a local tour with
Rico Suntours, booked on arrival at the start of the week; the tour was nothing much but the important aspect
was that the luggage was taken care of for the day (there are no shipside lockers, we did not want to drag our
bags around for the full day in San Juan, and we didn't want to sit in the airport all day).

On-board Sports & Entertainment There are more activities on board than you can possibly attend. We went for
the volleyball, golf simulator, exercise club, morning walks, casino (lost money), nightly trivia contests, shows,
swimming and hot tubbing.

Cruise Staff The serving staff were very good - except for the Maitre d' who was serious need of a personality
implant. The Captain and his senior crew were quite unapproachable and/or unseen. We were also told that
some of the staff had not met the Captain and that there were morale problems on the ship.

Other

The food on board was exceptional. I only gained one pound (.... per day).

It turned out to be a great idea to book a tuxedo through Cruise Rentals in Miami. When I arrived in my
stateroom, my tux was hanging there with two shirts. After the last formal meal, it was removed by the cabin crew.

Photo opportunities were somewhat overdone but worth it for the souvenir.

Embarking and disembarking went very smoothly.

The early dinner seating would have been better for us. With the late seating, it was impossible to enjoy the
midnight buffets.

The flight on Royal Airlines was horrible. The plane south was dirty, cramped, and late. No information on the
delays or gate changes could be found in the San Juan airport (no television monitors) nor from ground staff.

Summary

There is something on the Galaxy for everyone. My wife and I will definitely cruise again.

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