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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Christine Martin
Email: trdmark@gateway.net
Age: 29
Occupation: Chiropractic Assistant
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Mercury
SailingDate: January 9, 2000
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: 9178
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 97
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 97
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 97
DeckService: 100
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 99
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 96
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 96
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs: 98
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 97
ShopsOnBoard: 97
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 97
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 26 Jan 2000
Time: 22:55:18
Remote Name: 1cust37.tnt1.delaware.oh.da.uu.net
Remote User:
Comments
With great anticipation I embarked on my very first cruise on January 9, 2000 with my two best
friends. Upon entering the crowded waiting area to board the cruise I wondered to myself just how
long it would take to get all those people on the ship but was pleasantly suprised as we embarked
easily and quickly. After having our welcome picture taken we were shown our room. We checked
out our room and headed out to take a look at the ship and had a bite to eat at the Palm Springs
Cafe'. Then we headed back to our room where our luggage was waiting for us outside our door. I
was (and still am!) impressed by how orderly things were done.
Our cabin had lots of closet and drawer space which we three women appreciated. I had heard how
small cabins were on a cruise ship but felt that our cabin was adequate for 3 people. Although, we
had room to sleep 4, it would have been too crammed to have 4 people in there. I am a heavy
sleeper and did not notice any noise in our room other than an occasional creaking but my other
two roommates are not as heavy sleepers and heard alot of noise from the area to the left of our
cabin as this area was a cleaning or laundry type room for the cabin stewards. We always had fresh
towels and a mint on our pillow!
The food and service was wonderful in the dining room. I thought the room was a little cool and on
some occasions quite cold. You may want to take a sweater. I enjoyed every single meal I had
except one pasta meal that lacked flavor. I felt that a couple of the salad dressings were weak
tasting but other than that everything was wonderful! We enjoyed our waiter Wilson and his
assistant Jose very much. They were very attentive. For some reason I really like lemon on alot of
my food and on the first night I asked for some lemon and never had to ask again as every evening I
had a beautiful display of cut lemons waiting for me. The wine steward in the dining room was
another story! He was so rude and snobbish that we decided after ordering a bottle of wine the first
evening that we would not order one more bottle from him as he would not make one more dime in
tip money from us!!! The cocktail steward, Anthony, was very nice so we ordered cocktails from him
instead.
The more mature age group seemed to make up the majority of the cruise. I was a little disappointed
that there wasn't more 20 something and 30 something people on board. Our group of 3 hooked up
with 5 other people in their 20's (who were complaining about the same thing) and had a good time
in the Disco. I enjoyed most of the shows very much. Jim McDonald, a comedian, was hysterical the
first night he performed. He did a slide show and I laughed so hard I cried. His second night was
good but not quite as funny as the first night. I found our cruise director, whom we nicknamed Wink
Martindale, very informative and funny. He seemed like he was having as much fun as all the
passengers. He definitely has a career in game show hosting waiting for him when he retires from
cruising!
My one and only complaint (if you would call it that) was the art work on the ship. I just couldn't
understand why such a beautiful ship had such hideous art work! The Navigator club, which was the
disco, had 2 American Indian pictures that just didn't fit the scene. I saw pictures of sandals/flip flops
and 2 pictures of fans sitting on a table. Also, on one of the floors, wrapped around the stairs were
pictures of goofy looking kids making faces not to mention another piece of art with cows. One of the
officers agreed with me that the art was unique but said there was millions of dollars of art work on
the ship.
I enjoyed the ports we stopped at very much. Although felt that the stops were a little too short.
Disembarkation was just as smooth as embarkation but that was in part because we somehow got
Captain's Club disembarkment. A mistake that was in our favor as we were the first off the ship!! All
in all I had a wonderful cruise that exceeded my expecatations. I would recommend a Celebrity
cruise to anyone interested in cruising. I hope to cruise with Celebrity Cruise line again very soon!!!
Name: Hilary
Email: OreDen@aol.com
Age: 35
Occupation: Educator
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Mercury
SailingDate: 1/16/00
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: 9141/cat 2
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: yes
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: yes
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: yes
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 27 Jan 2000
Time: 19:25:44
Remote Name: spider-to052.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
Last April my husband surprised me by asking if I wanted to take a cruise for our 10th anniversary.
This is like asking an elephant if he wants a peanut, and my answer was YES!!! I immediately set to
work reading reviews, researching itineraries, reviewing cruiselines, and narrowing my selections
down to 2-3 lines. My husband and I discussed the choices and decided on the Mercury on January
16, 2000. We also decided to splurge and get a veranda cabin since this was a special trip for us
and since my best friend lives in Ft. Lauderdale, we booked our own air and used our air miles to
upgrade to first class.
Flight and Embarkation:
Our flight from the Pacific Northwest on Saturday was long, but VERY comfortable due to our
upgrade. It was well worth it and my husband (6 foot 4 inches tall) insists he will never fly coach for
longer than 2 hours again! <LOL> Our friends picked us up at the airport and we had a lovely
dinner before crashing at their house. The next morning we hung out and visited before heading to
the ship around 3:00pm. I have to say that I will never hurry to embark a ship again. We literally
walked on the ship with NO lines when we arrived at Terminal 18.
The ship and staff:
The first thing that will strike you when you walk around the Mercury is how clean and well kept she
is. It was hard to believe that she has been in service for 2 years already with countless passengers
and is showing little to no sign of wear.
We were also extremely impressed at the friendliness of the staff on board. We simply couldn't walk
anywhere on the ship without a crew member saying 'hello' to us.
Ports of Call:
Key West- We struck out on our own mid-morning and went directly to Mel Fisher's museum. We
love Key West and although we've been there many times, we never seem to get to his museum, so
that was our first stop on this visit. If you know anything about the Atocha or are interested in ship
wrecks, this place is incredible! Both of us have seen the National Geographic special on Mel
Fisher's search for the Atocha, so we were very interested in the artifacts and bounty. After
wandering around the museum for awhile, we went to Kino's to look for sandals. Kino's hand makes
leather sandals that are very comfortable and incredibly inexpensive ($7-15). After Kino's we
headed to Duvall Street and browsed the stores. We couldn't leave Key West without key lime pie,
so we stopped and had some before going back to the ship.
Calica- We booked the ship's excursion to Xcaret, and didn't regret it for a second. We actually got
into Calica 2 hours late because the ship had to slow so a man could be airlifted off after having a
massive heart attack, but they extended our day by about an hour, so everything evened out.
Xcaret is a pretty incredible place to just wander around in. We floated down the underground river,
snorkeled in the lagoons, and laid on the beach. We saw the wild animal exhibits and enjoyed a very
relaxing day. This is one excursion that is cheaper to book through the ship than if you do it on your
own.
Cozumel- Neither of us are big fans of Cozumel, so we chose to do a snorkeling/beach day. We
boarded the Fury catamaran and snorkeled a short distance from the ship. This was pretty
disappointing as we had hoped to snorkel over a reef instead of just some coral formations. One
bad part was that the water was full of small jelly fish and I got stung twice in about a 30 min. period
and finally got out of the water early to avoid more stings. They gave me vinegar to put on the stings
when I got out so that stopped the stinging quickly. After about an hour for snorkeling, we sailed for
about 30 min. to a private beach. The beach was fabulous. There were lounge floats to lay on,
volleyball to play, sea kayaks, and food and drink. We stayed at the beach for about 1 1/2 hours
then headed back to the ship. The captain extended our stay in Cozumel by 2 hours that night since
we had lost time the day before, but we just spent the rest of the day enjoying the ship and pool on
deck. Nobody was around, so we had the place to ourselves!
Grand Cayman- We've been to Grand Cayman before and promised ourselves we would do the
Sting Ray City tour this time around. I can't even begin to describe how incredible that experience
was. There were literally hundreds of sting rays in the water with us and they would rub on you like a
cat if you had food in your hand! Feeding and holding them was an experience I will not soon forget.
I recommend this HIGHLY....it is really a MUST. One piece of valuable advice though: Go early!
When we arrived there were only a total of about 50 people in the water (tops), but as we were
leaving, 2 huge boats pulled up with at least 100 people on board each.
Our Cabin
I absolutely adored the veranda. I am an early riser, so it was nice for me to have a place to go read
while my husband slept and not have to worry about a light bothering him. We also used it before
dinner to relax in our robes, and watched us leave and arrive in ports.
Dining room/Food
The food was fabulous. Celebrity met my expectations for excellent cruise food. There was not one
bad meal in the bunch, including the buffet upstairs. My tray was carried to a table and the staff was
quick about clearing dirty dishes so there was always a clean place to sit. We never stood in line
and never felt rushed or crowded. Our table in the dining room was at the very back of the 2nd floor
right in front of the windows. It was amazing to sit there for meals and have the ocean right there the
entire time. Our waiter was great, bus boy was fabulous, and Maitre De was oustanding! We had
wonderful tablemates and would often talk until 11:00 and miss the shows.
Unreal!
One thing that was just unreal on our trip was that there was a total eclipse of the moon one night.
We stood on deck and watched the shadow of the earth slowly move over the surface of the moon,
darkening it until there was just a shadow left. They dimmed the lights on the ship and since we were
in the middle of the Caribbean, there were no lights on land to detract from the view. I have never
seen anything as amazing as this (and I've seen an eclipse from home before) and it added a
special highlight to this trip.
Disembarkation and final thoughts
Disembarkation was a breeze thanks to the Captain's Club and we were whisked away from the
terminal and our ship all too soon by our friends. I think the only negative I can point to about our
entire trip was the people in the cabin next door. There was a family next door who didn't seem to
think anyone else was on the ship, and they were the only people on earth. They were rude, they
shouted, slammed doors, and were generally discourteous the entire time. I wish I had realized
sooner how they were and I would have inquired about moving to another cabin, but it was 2 days
before we realized it was a chronic problem. We never heard any other neighbor (on the other side,
above, or below us) and for the most part all the other passengers were polite and courteous.
Entertainment was good, though I'm not a huge 'show' fan so I'm not a good critic of that. The
Ladder Guy was funny and the lounge acts were very good. A singing group called SPF4 was very
good too. Jim Cannon was the cruise director and although I thought he was very good at his job, he
reminded me of a cheesy game show host, so that thought was always in my head when I saw him.
<G>
I would recommend the Mercury HIGHLY and would be happy to answer any questions anyone has.
Name: Liz Kearley
Email: kmkearley@worldnet.att.net
Age: 47
Occupation: Medical Transcriptionist
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Mercury
SailingDate: 2/6/2000
Itinerary: Western Carribean
Cabin: 4139/7
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 99
CruiseStaff:
CabinAmenities: 97
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 97
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService: 99
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 99
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 98
TenderService: 98
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 98
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 98
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 97
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 97
OverallCruiseValue: 97
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 14 Feb 2000
Time: 20:55:17
Remote Name: 252.charlotte-03-04rs.nc.dial-access.att.net
Remote User:
Comments
We drove from Charlotte NC so cannot go into details about airplane arrivals. However, from a car
point of view, it was a bit confusing at the beginning - probably more on nervousness on our part
than anything else. Upon arrival, we parked and moved our luggage to the outside attendants. Had
to leave the area to park the car in a garage and its distance from the ship was "far". Thus, we took
the shuttle from the garage to the ship. It was confusing to get oriented in the garage, and we ended
up walking to one end to the other, as the shuttle was located at back side on bottom floor. But, the
shuttle was promptly there and we had a minimal wait. Arrived back, and entered, and was given a
number to await our turn. We had #12, and it took about 45 minutes for our number to be called.
Fun time watching others. There is a snack shop if you get hungry. After our wait, you go to a larger
room and get signed in. Be sure you fill out ALL forms before you get to this point as if you have not
done so, you will be sent to the side to fill them out while others are being helped. After this, a short
walk to the ship. But, before final entry, your first photo opportunity! Smile!
On ship, you are given a guide who leads you to your room. Immediately we were amazed at
cleanliness of ship, plus the attractiveness of our room. Luved it! Many many many areas to unpack
your things. Lots of space. We had brought aboard 12 cans of coke which easily fit into storage
area behind mirror. In room safe easy to figure out. Hangers are at a minimum - but we did not ask
for, and I am sure we could have got more if needed. Brought an extension cord to use in room for
iron, but upon learning iron was not welcome, we did not have use for the cord. Another couple
used theirs, however. The wife had a back problem and needed it for her hot pad.
Located Palm springs buffet for luncheon. Very nice way to spend the hours before ship departs.
Did not know of ship tour at 4:00 p.m. (saw this in another review), and would have taken it!!! One
thing I have noted later in ship - if something is advertised as happening, and you dont see it - you
might never see it. Some things are only offered once.
That night had dinner at late seating in Manhattan Restaurant. A bit confusing because it is located
on two levels, but after minimal relocation, i.e. we were on 6th floor and needed to be on 5th, no
problemo.
Next morning breakfast at Palm Springs buffet. Very nice. Coffee is instant, I believe, so never had a
real kick to it, but other things offered here make up for it!! (After all you can go to a gas station and
get "real" coffee so I am not complaining.). Excursion to Key West. Suggestion: If you hurry off the
boat to get to Key West you might face the problem we faced. If you attempt to get into the shops
beyond the immediate area near the ships, you will find that a lot of them do not open up until 10:00
a.m.
Back to ship and exploration. All in all, my husband could find his way better than me. Maps located
at each level. Multiple elevators. Distinctive art work at each BUT I never could get fully oriented.
With the exception that I could find the casino with no problem.
Excursions we took: My husband took Fury catamaran in Cozemel. I walked to downtown. (Hint: After
you leave shop area near boat, downtown is located to the LEFT.) My mistake was to walk. In heat,
it was a bit too much. Cab only costs $5.00. I took that back to ship to wait for husband. The
catamaran did not go out very far due to strong currents. However, there was a free flow of beer
and that made up for it. Our return trip to downtown was enjoyable, and more relaxed on my part - I
walked with a Canadian couple down the road, but was alone in shop area, and wished that I had
gone on catamaran with my husband. Felt uneasy with the somewhat persistent sales people at
various shops, but honestly did not have any reason to be that way. They were aggressive to a
point, and if you kept walking, they would back off.
Evening meals on board were great. Each one was fantastic, and if you think that they could not get
any better, well THEN THEY DID! I would highly recommend for all to take part in the evening meals,
whether you are hungry or not. And, if you are not hungry, you will be after you see the food. Hint:
Be sure to order your drink at time you get menu (me - I got ice tea), and avoid ordering the menu
right off the bat. Once you order your drink, your bus boy will remember and after the first night you
will get your drink automatically. Also, there is a wine steward who lurks around every night. There is
a $6.00 cork charge if you bring your own bottle in. About desserts - dont order them at first
because after main course is over, they will show you menu again and THEN they take your dessert
order.
Next day - THE ROCK QUARRY! Well, not quite. At calica a freight boat had docked and was still
unloading cargo. We were put on tenders to get to Calica. (This is unusual circumstance and an
officer later told us this had had happened only one other time.) The problem with freight boat was a
biggggg problem for crew, but not for us. By time it was time for us (the paying clientele) to leave
boat that morning, all problems had been taken care of. On bus ride to Tulum, we had excellent
guide. Down points: Did not enjoy calendar sales job on bus, and/or stop at souvenir shop to rest.
But, let me tell you, if you bus takes you to this stop, USE THE RESTROOM. When you get to
Tulum, that bathroom is an experience. You have to get your toilet paper before you get into the
stall. Oh, yes, there is a sign about this. But I did not see it. Had to ask someone to give me some.
Tulum - hot hot hot. Crowded. But beautiful. Take your bathing suit. Great place to swim, without
any facilities other than above- mentioned bathroom located far far far from the swimming area. Hint:
Older people with walking difficulties need to be careful. Heck, anyone with walking difficulties needs
to be careful. MANY MANY rocks that make walking a hazard. Some areas that are popular to walk
to are crowded and dangerous if you dont watch yourself and watch others as well.
Next day - all day on board. Casino day for me (not the first). Personnel in casino are very friendly.
Friendlier than fellow players (at times). By end of cruise, I had my own little "blackjack" buddies I
knew by sight. HINT: I have heard, afterwards, and cannot verify it that slots are the loosest on the
first day. This is impossible to know for sure. There is a slots tourniment, and a blackjack
tourniment. I thought of joining blackjack tourniment the "next" time it was offered - but it was not. So
get involved in these when you see them being offered. No second chance for me.
Next day grand cayman island. Took shuttle bus to go on stingray city tour. BEST THING OF
WHOLE TRIP!!! Try it, you will really like it! Take earliest tour if you can as the rays are the most
active then as they are the hungriest. Went to ship (via tender) and changed clothes then walked
around town. Very nice area to snorkel within walking distance of the ship - located on right. It is a
state park. I guess it is about a six block walk (on right). Very nice, and no transportation needed to
get there. Bar and restaurant there as well to enjoy afterwards. DEFINITELY some of these stores in
this town are, well, tourist-trade oriented, and their prices reflect this. BEST PLACE TO BUY A
T-SHIRT: Bye-Bye, located to the right after you get off tender. THIS IS A GREAT PLACE. I highly
highly recommend it. (My #1 souvenir are T-shirts).
One night there was a newlywed and not so newlywed game. WELL, THEY FILM THIS, and replay it
the next day, so all of your fellow travelers will see it. Fun to watch, but not fun to be the players
ONCE you find out that you have become Celebrity "celebrities." The "big" dinner is on Friday, the
second of 2 formal nights. Lobster is on the menu, as is baked Alaska. Midnight buffet on this might
is out of this world.
I noted people were wearing their finest clothes on Friday night - there was a formal night before this
(Tues) but more tuxedos and such were out on Friday.
Overall age of people on ship - 55. 95% married couples.
Last dinner on Saturday is the tips night. You are expected to give tips to dinner personnel, and
cabin steward, etc. THEY ARE WORTH IT! These people, including casino dealers, work only for
tips. DO NOT avoid last dinner to "avoid" tips. This is very rude but apparently it does happen.
Disembarked on Sunday a.m. ABSOLUTELY A BREEZE. Again, we were only having to get to the
packing garage, and not to a taxi to get to airport. There were definitely a lot more of them than
there was of us car people. From time to leave ship to get to car for us was only 30 minutes.
We thoroughly enjoyed this trip Osman was our cabin steward and was a doll! Ice in five minutes...
or less. (We always timed him unknown to him). Rafael was our main waiter, and was a hard worker,
as was the bus boy. Evreyone works real hard on the ship to keep it clean, and to please the
customer, and they did it in great fashion. The rudest people I saw, were not crew members, but
fellow travelers.
HELLO EVELYN. HELLO GENE-0. LUVED YOUR COMPANY AT DINNER!
Name: Mike Mastellar
Email: MMastell@aol.com
Age: 40
Occupation: Data Communications Manager
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Mercury
SailingDate: 02/06/00
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: Cat 1 1048
FoodDiningRoom: 99
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 96
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 98
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 96
OverallCruiseValue: 96
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 15 Feb 2000
Time: 16:56:07
Remote Name: spider-we011.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
Celebrity Mercury: Western Caribbean, February 6th ,2000.
Let me start off by saying that my wife and I are first time cruisers, 40 and 53 years old, and do not
have anything to compare this trip to. But that's o.k. I can't imagine anything that could have been
more perfect than this cruise. The following review is quite long. So for those of you who would
prefer to cut to the chase here is my overall scorecard.
Pre-Embarkation: B - Due to confusion on Celebrity on which ship we were on. Embarkation: A
Cabin: 1048: A Cabin Steward: A Butler: A Waiter: A Asst. Waiter: A Dining Room Food: A+ Buffet
Food: B Ship's Decor: A Theater Shows: A Activities: A Ship's Shore Excursion: B Personal Shore
Excursion: Grand Cayman A++ Bar Staff: A Wine Stewardess: A Maitre D: A Debarkation: A
Pre-Cruise Research: We booked the cruise in September after ALOT of research into what we
were looking for in terms of a cruise. We are a professional couple who were looking for some quiet
time, with the chance to meet new people. We also wanted a nice ship with pleasant surroundings,
somewhat elegant but not stuffy. We also wanted to see Chichen Itza. I used the internet for most of
my research. There is a wealth of information out here in cyberland. Sometimes too much.
After digesting this information , with quite a bit of mental heartburn, we decided on Celebrity
Cruises, Mercury, Western Caribbean. We booked a Cat 1 Suite with a balcony. We made the right
choice.
Pre-embarkation: We used Celebrity's air package with an air deviation. The air deviation allowed us
to fly in a day early. The cost was $225 per person with deviation. We could not come close to this
on our own.
Once we arrived in Fort Lauderdale we went to retrieve our luggage. We did not put our luggage
tags on the luggage, due to the fact that we were going out on Sunday, on the Mercury and not
Saturday, on the Century. While we were waiting for our luggage to come on the carousel, the PA
system paged us to report to the Celebrity representative on the upper level. I went up to see why
Celebrity was looking for us. I reported to the Celebrity rep. and she introduced herself and said
they were waiting for us to go to the Century. I told her that we were going the next day on Mercury.
She apologized and said that we should go down and get our luggage, bring them upstairs and they
would arrange to have them put on the ship. We did so. Once we were back upstairs with our
Mercury luggage tags affixed. She again told us that we needed to take the bags back downstairs
and put them back on the carousel and they would be taken care of. We did this. We reported back
to her again. She then said to follow her and she would take us to the shuttle that was going to the
ship. I told her again, that we were not on the Century and that we were sailing tomorrow. She
apologized again and asked if we wanted her to arrange transportation to our hotel. We declined.
Just before she walked off she said. "Don't worry. Your bags will be in your cabin this afternoon."
With that remark my wife and I looked at each other and simultaneously said: "Get the bags" We
went downstairs grabbed the bags, and hailed a taxi. We did not want our luggage sailing on the
Century. It probably would have gotten on the Mercury, but with the representative's one track mind,
we felt that it was better safe than sorry.
We stayed at the Amerisuites Hotel in Fort Lauderdale. The Amerisuites was a good choice. Quiet,
clean room, small kitchenette, close to restaurant's, shopping, and the pier. The taxi ride was $6.40.
After checking in we went for about a 4 mile walk all around the canals and the shopping mall. We
wound up at the "Raw Bar" and had a couple of beers and some of the best oysters that this land
locked Minnesotan had ever eaten. We went back to the hotel and decided to get Chinese from a
take out place, Chin Lui, about a block from the hotel. Very good food. The next morning we took a
cab to the pier. The Amerisuites has a shuttle, but there were a number of large groups ahead of
us. I was so anxious to get to the ship, that I didn't feel like waiting. The cab ride is just a few minutes
and the cost is around $4 plus tip.
Embarkation: The cab pulled up to the pier, the driver unloaded our bags, took his fare and tip and
off he went. Simultaneously, a baggage handler stepped up, asked if we were sailing on the
Mercury. I said yes and gave him $5 to assure that I would see my bags again. He pointed us
towards the waiting area and off we went. Total time: 30 seconds. It was about 12:30 p.m. and there
was a small line outside the main doors to the embarkation area. We stood in line about 2 minutes
to get up to the first table. There we were assigned our number 0 for priority embarkation and a
questionnaire about our post cruise transportation. We then proceeded to the green door for Suite
and Captains Club passengers. There was no one waiting at the door. I discovered that in all my
extensive pre preparation, I had not filled out the form for the sign and sail card. We sat down for a
moment by the embarkation door and filled this out. We then went to the door, showed our number
0 and went right in. Through the door there was an area that looked like an empty convention check
in area. We proceeded through the metal detector and to the area marked Captains Club and Suite
check in. The social hostess Amanda came by while we were checking in and introduced herself.
We then proceeded to what I thought was the ship, but was another waiting area. But my
disappointment didn't last long. About five minutes later they announced that passengers with
number 0 could begin boarding. We walked up showed our precious little 0 and down the hall to the
first of many photo opportunities. My wife and I had our picture taken, then proceeded across the
gangway and on to the ship. Upon entering the ship we immediately were greeted by an officer who
directed a steward to take our carryon luggage and proceed to our cabin. I told the steward our
cabin number and away we went. He delivered us to our cabin and our journey was underway. Total
time from taxi to room was 25 minutes.
The Cabin: We had cabin 1048. This was selected by us because my wife was afraid of being
seasick. She never was. 1048 is right amidships. Between a penthouse and royal suite. This choice
proved correct. There was little or no movement. Only once in awhile did you ever hear any noise
overhead from the pool deck and there was never any noise from the adjoining suites. The only time
I noticed any movement was when I was having a quiet moment in the bathroom. You could see the
hose on the hair dryer swaying a bit and you could feel the commode move under you. The room
had more than adequate storage space for our too many clothes. We had a nice sized verandah.
The only negative was that the entire balcony is covered, so you do not get any sun. The king size
bed, two singles put together, was very comfortable and the pillows were also very comfortable. My
wife brought one pillow from home, but it was not needed. Upon our arrival, we saw there was a
bottle of champagne, fresh flowers, personalized stationary and personalized cards for us. I will say
that the suite had enough room for the two of us to be comfortable but it was basically one room.
The bathroom was very good sized. It was marble throughout, a nice sized tub for a cruise ship, with
whirlpool jets. All amenities such as loofa sponge, individual shampoo and conditioner, shower cap,
mouthwash, sewing kit, Q-tips were provided. The comments made about the water pressure were
not exaggerated. You could set the flow from gentle to sandblast. The controls on the shower were
great. Once you set your preferred temperature you never had to reset it each time you took a
shower. I have heard from people that the cabin is not important, because you are hardly ever in
there. I disagree. You are in your cabin more than you think and if you have extra room and a
verandah for morning coffee or just to sit and watch the world or water go by, it greatly increases the
joy of the voyage.
Cabin Steward and Butler: Our cabin steward, Cipriano, and our butler, Carlton, were both great.
Friendly, helpful and always at your service. They accomplished this without being intrusive, pushy
or overly nice. The room was always clean, I mean clean. There was no dust, even on the top of the
picture frames. My wife thinks this sounds a little obsessive, but I just had to check. Cipriano and his
assistant always had the extra towels we asked for the first day. They magically straightened up the
cabin each time we were out. The butler service is a nice option, but one that you could live without
on a cruise. It was very nice to have afternoon tea service, with pastries and coffee. It was also nice
to have evening hors d’oeuvre’s. But these could be obtained in other areas of the ship if you chose
to go to the Tastings bar. The one thing that was very nice with the butler is that you could have
dinner in your suite, served by course, right from the main dining room. We did this one night and it
made for a romantic and relaxing evening. Having breakfast in the suite was nice also. I planned on
having it more than once, but we opted for the buffet or dining room most mornings.
Waiter, Asst. Waiter and Maitre 'D Our waiter, Alberto, was very good. He was a little reserved the
first couple of nights but opened up by the end of the week. He was prompt, professional and very
accommodating to our wishes. We had breakfast and lunch in the dining room on number of
occasions and during these less busy times we were able to have some very good conversations
with him. We found out that he had been with Celebrity for many years. He started as a cleaner on
the Meridian, then was a dishwasher and Asst. Waiter on the Horizon and has been a Waiter on the
Mercury since it came out of the shipyard in Germany. He was from Honduras and was married with
four children that he only gets to see every seven months. The dining room manager, whose name
escapes me, told us that Alberto is one of their best waiters and that they want to have him on the
Millenium, but he wants to stay on Mercury for the South American schedule.
Our Assistant Waiter, Andre, was quiet but always had a smile and was very nice. One night at
dinner, I had a muscle spasm in my back and had to leave the table. He kept checking on me the
rest of the evening to make sure I was o.k. and if I wanted him to see about getting the doctor. The
spasm passed soon and I assured him that everything was fine.
The Maitre 'D, Hakan was very nice. He remembered our names and greeted us each evening and
whenever we saw him on the ship or in the buffet. Even though he did nothing special for us, he
always found time to have a polite conversation and a very friendly smile.
The Ship: The Mercury is a beautiful vessel. From the brochures and some other reviews, I was a bit
concerned that the decor would be a little too much. My concerns were unfounded. The decor was
very upscale. The pictures of the carpeting in the atrium areas made me think that someone had a
Smurf fetish. Very blue with yellow spirals. Once you see it in person it is not obtrusive. The art on
the ship was interesting. Most of it was simple and fairly modern. The photographs were the most
enjoyable to view. Many old pictures and interesting faces.
The Theatre was excellent. A very good layout. The only bad seat we had was upper level stage
right. We were late getting to the show that night. The sideways view detracted from the show. The
show was a production show called "Bond Voyage". It was our least favorite.
Pool Area: There was always ample space available for laying in the sun or in the shade. You may
have had to go to an upper level but you could always find a deck chair that met your needs. The
thing I found interesting was that other than the volley ball or pool games, there was never anyone
in the pool. The whirlpools were always full but the pool itself was always empty.
Deck Areas: There was always places where you could get away and find privacy. The stern of deck
10 and deck 8 were very private. The uppermost deck on the front of the ship had some
communication towers but provided a great view and was quite private. The radiation warning on
one of the communication pods got me a little worried but I am not glowing so it must not have been
too bad. Once again we were amazed at how clean the ship was. Railings were constantly being
wiped down, people were picking up any scraps of paper that were left on the deck or on the carpet.
They did this without being in your way invading your space. On one day they were doing
maintenance on the life boats and the smell of oil and chemicals was a little much on the Promenade
deck. We went back a few hours later and there was no sign that they were ever there.
Stability: The ship was very stable and most of the time you never knew you were moving. One night
in the theatre I did notice a pretty good side to side movement, but it passed within a few minutes.
Between Calica and Grand Cayman a passenger had a heart attack and the ship proceeded full
speed to Grand Cayman. During this time you did feel some vibration on deck and in the stern of
the ship. The passenger was tendered off in Grand Cayman and taken to the local hospital. I hope
everything came out o.k.
Food: The food in the dining room was excellent. I worked for Radisson and institutional cooking as
a chef for a few years and know how hard it is to do 800 meals at a time. I expected good banquet
style food. Celebrity exceeded my expectations. The meats were done beautifully. Our table mate
did get overcooked meat on two nights, they were picking on him, but this was corrected immediately
by Alberto, our waiter. The desserts were very good to excellent. I did try the famous Swan Puff and
have to admit that it is about eighth on my list of favorites. The Viennese chocolate pudding was the
standout.
The food in the Buffet was a different story. My wife was the smart one here. On the two mornings
we ate breakfast in the Palm Springs Cafe she had the made to order omelets. I chose not to stand
in the long line and proceeded to the buffet. The eggs on the buffet were runny. The pancakes and
French toast were room temperature. The hash browns were greasy and limp. The corn beef hash
was good. Hard to screw up something from a can. Lunch was much better. A good variety of meats
and fish. Very good lamb and ham. Lasagna was excellent. Most of the desserts were good, but not
the same as the dining room. The panna cotta had the consistency of rubber. There was one whip
cream torte that was excellent.
The Tex/Mex and Caribbean buffets were good, but I think they were more of an event than a buffet.
The ribs on Caribbean night were delicious.
The Grand Buffet was just that, Grand. It was visually stunning. We were dead tired that night, but
decided to at least walk through for the picture taking session before hand. We did and took quite a
few pictures. After that we had to go back and try it. It was very good. Great desserts, lots of hors
d’oeuvres and many excellent hot and cold items. Beautiful ice carvings and the most interesting
food sculptures I had seen. It was a visual, if not gastronomical, event that you should not miss.
Entertainment:
The entertainment in the theatre ranged from good to excellent. The comedienne Janine Gardner
was very funny. Though I did hear a few comments from people that did not appreciate her humor
directed towards Mormon's and kids. The blues/jazz singer, Roberta Holloway was good, but not the
type of music I care for. The Celebrity dancers were very good in their production shows of "On
Broadway" and "The Winner Is". The "Bond Voyage" show was not as good, but that could have
been because of the seating we had. The best entertainer was Michael James "The Ladder Guy".
He combined juggling, comedy and a ladder routine that left you in stitches. The band Onyx that
played in the pool area and in the lounges were excellent. They could play anything from pop to
reggae well. The acapella group SPF4 were good, but I have heard better. One thing I did notice
was that the Pavilion nightclub was deserted most of the time. There was a combo called "Lunar
Motion" that were good club entertainers but failed to draw any crowds. The only night the Pavilion
was full was when the Celebrity Orchestra did a night of Big Band tunes. The Orchestra was very
good. "Fun and Joy" played the Rendezvous Square on many nights and always seemed to have a
steady crowd of people there to listen and dance.
Itinerary/Shore Excursions:
The itinerary was fine. I got excited before the cruise when I looked at the Celebrity website and
found that the Chichen Itza By Plane shore excursion was offered from Calica as well as Cozumel.
We really did not want to do any of the excursions in Calica, but wanted to snorkel in Cozumel, so
being able to see Chichen Itza from Calica would have been perfect. Well once we boarded we
found out that there was no excursion to Chichen Itza from Calica. We had to take the one from
Cozumel. This left no time to explore Cozumel.
Key West: On Key West we took the Conch Train into town and just wandered around. Stopped in a
couple of shops and a pawn shop. Had a drink at Sloppy Joe's. We then just walked around the
residential area. We saw Harry Truman's "Little White House" and the beautiful homes around it. By
the time we were at the end of the residential district we decided to walk across the old navy base to
the ship. It was a nice, if not too scenic walk to the ship. We were able to get some great pictures of
the Mercury and the Costa Romantica from this area.
Cozumel: As I said, we took the Chichen Itza By Plane excursion: It is the only way to see Chichen
Itza that guarantees that you will make it back to the ship on time. We booked this the first day in our
cabin, using the interactive TV menu. That night our confirmation was slid under our door. I opened
it to discover that there was only a confirmation for one. I checked our account on the interactive TV
and verified that we had been charged for both. I then called the Shore Excursion desk to let them
know there had been an error. The rep. at the desk informed me that the excursion was sold out. I
pushed back and told him that we had been charged for two and that it was very important for both
of us to go on this excursion. He called back in five minutes and all was taken care of. Our second
confirmation appeared under our door a couple of hours later. The excursion itself was great. It is
pricey. $220 per person. The planes are Czechoslovakian made. Russian A-Frames and Avionics.
They are 20 passenger commuter craft and are a little rough but not bad. Lunch was provided by
the ship and we ate it on the plane. Luckily I had my Leatherman tool. If I had not had it we would
have had to open the beer with our teeth. The ruins are magnificent. I will not go into detail, (like I
already haven't) but I learned many interesting things about the Mayans and their culture. The
negative side to our excursion was our guide, Ruben. He was a very nice man of Mayan heritage.
He was extremely knowledgeable about Mayan culture. But he was a little to verbose and really
could have used a course in public speaking. If you listened you could pick up some very interesting
information, but the problem was that he jumped from one subject to another, said the same things
over and over and by the time something of interest did come up he had lost half of his audience.
Even with this, I would still recommend this to anyone who is interested in Mayan culture or
architecture.
Calica: We stayed on the ship in Calica. The most interesting part of this for me was listening to
people's reactions to our schedule change in Calica. When we arrived at Calica there was a
freighter still in the port that the Mercury would have docked at. The freighter would not be able to
leave until 11:00 a.m.. Because of this Celebrity decided to tender people into Playa Del Carmen. If
you returned to the ship after 11:00 a.m. you would need to take a $10 cab ride to Calica and board
the ship there. I could not believe the reactions from people to this. There was a group of five near
the embarkation area on deck 5 that was just tearing into an officer about this. They were
demanding that Celebrity compensate them for ruining their vacation and that they wanted the $10
cab fare in advance before they left the ship and that they had never had been treated this badly on
any other cruise line. The officer politely informed them that their choices were to stay on the ship
until it docked in Calica or take the tender to Playa Del Carmen. There would be no compensation
or no cab fare. They were told they could register a formal complaint with Guest Relations. Good for
him. If the fact that having to take a tender and pay a $10 cab fare ruins your vacation. Stay at
home.
Grand Cayman: We booked our own excursion with Captain Crosby. I had read about him on
another review and checked out his web page and decided to book it. This was the highlight of our
trip. Even better than Chichen Itza. We tendered into Grand Cayman and caught a cab to Coconut
Place. When we arrived at Captain Crosby's he was working on his car out front. We let him know
who we were and that we were there for the excursion. He looked at us and said: "I thought you were
coming yesterday." I said “No, we booked for the 11th”. I had a copy of the confirmation in my
backpack, but never had to get it out. He called a friend of his and she and her sister came down to
go with us. They acted as his crew. Within a half hour we were off on one of the best experiences I
have ever had. It was our own private excursion. We sailed out of the harbor on the catamaran for
four hour's of sailing and snorkeling. We first went out to a reef in about 14 feet of water. We
snorkeled there for about a half hour. We saw some beautiful fish and coral. My wife is not a very
good swimmer, but Captain Crosby gave her a floatation device and she was able to see everything.
After that we went to see the stingray's. The area we went to was not "Stingray City" it was a deeper
area just on the inside of the reef. It was about a mile from "Stingray City". We were not
disappointed. Within a few minutes about 20 stingray's were swimming around us. It took a little while
before they came up to the surface to take the bits of conch we were offering. Once they did it was
spectacular. They brushed up against us and took the food right out of our hands. My wife was a
little nervous when they touched her, but they were very soft and never scratched or stung us. I
would touch them as they went by and it felt so weird to feel them take the food from your hand.
Their mouth's are like suction cups. When the first ray took the food from my hand I gasped with
excitement. This was a mistake due to the fact I was under water. After going to the surface and
expelling the saltwater from my lungs I returned to continue feeding. One time I was treading water
next to my wife and told her to quit hitting me in the back with her fin. She said “That isn't me”. It was
a ray getting very friendly with me. Before I could turn around the ray had given me a hug around
my back and then swam away. After that the rays went down to the bottom and buried themselves in
the sand. It was time to go.
Captain Crosby then set the jib and we began sailing back into port. His friend Mary Beth and her
sister Cheryl were acting as his crew. Mary Beth is a local woman who divides her time between Fort
Lauderdale, Grand Cayman and Chicago. She helps out Captain Crosby because she loves to sail.
Cheryl is her sister who was visiting for the week. They prepared a fantastic lunch that consisted of
Mahi Mahi stew, rice, coconut bread and a Conch dip that you put on crackers. It was delicious.
Captain Crosby got out his guitar and serenaded us while we sailed. One thing we saw that was very
disturbing was a line of garbage going across the bay. It consisted of plastic bottles and cartons and
other debris. The line of trash went as far as you could see. Captain Crosby called the local port
authority to report it. His guess was that it came from a cruise ship. If it did I hope they can identify
which one and fine the hell out of them. It was very ugly amid the beauty of the water. Other than
that it was a perfect day. By the way. The total cost for both of us was $80. I had to give him $20
extra. Mary Beth also gave us a ride back to the dock. That was very nice of her.
Debarkation: This went so smooth, I could not believe it. We awoke at 06:00 to make the very early
breakfast of 06:30. We had put our luggage out the night before and had packed our carry on with
valuables and a change of clothes. (Smart move on our part). We had breakfast returned to the
cabin. Had a last cigar on the balcony and proceeded to the Rendezvous Square to await our
number being called. On the way I noticed that Delta airlines had representatives on board. I had
seen it mentioned that you could do your airline check in on board but this was never explained on
any documentation we say. Anyway we stopped and got pre checked in for our 2:40 flight. They
gave us the baggage tags we would need to attach to our luggage once we had retrieved them from
the customs area. We would then give them to the Delta baggage handler and not see them until we
arrived in Minneapolis. We had number 3 for debarkation this was one of the first numbers called.
They have colors after the numbers. At about 8:45 our number was called and we proceeded to
Deck 5 for debarkation. We handed the customs forms to one of the Cruise Directors staff after we
crossed the gangway. We then proceeded to the escalator. Going down the escalator I saw a sea of
baggage. I looked at my wife and said. "Do the words needle in a hay stack ring a bell". Well it was
not. The luggage was grouped by number and we found all four pieces within two minutes. We
grabbed the luggage and went through some double doors to what I thought was the customs area.
Wrong. It was to the outside. We walked through the doors and that was it, we were done. Just a few
feet to the left of us was the Delta baggage truck. We gave them our luggage and proceeded
another few feet to the shuttle bus to the airport. We were at the airport by 9:30. This gave us 5
hours to kill before flight time.
Post-Debarkation: Due to weather problems in Atlanta our flight was delayed until 5:40. This was
after our connecting flight was scheduled to depart. It was already 4:00 so we decided to have them
book us on a flight the next day. We got rebooked and proceeded to find a hotel for the night. Our
first choice was motivated by price. Ramada had a rate of $89 for one night. We took a cab there
and checked in. We promptly checked out. The room was a pit. It felt dirty. The windows were filthy.
The bedspread was dingy. I looked at my wife and said: “I don’t want to end our vacation like this.”
We went back to airport called Amerisuites and there shuttle picked us up in about 15 minutes.
Much better way to end the vacation. We had dinner in a Sushi restaurant just a block from the
hotel. Great sushi and good stir fry.
Final Thoughts: (thank God; you say)
As I said this is was our first cruise, but it will not be our last. I have never had a vacation that I
enjoyed more than this. No unpacking, great service, beautiful surroundings and so many activities
that you could never do all of them on one cruise. We met some wonderful people who we enjoyed
being with. Neil and Elaine who taught us how to play Triominos. John and Rose who I had
corresponded with via e-mail before the cruise. Keith and Beth who went with us to Carlos and
Charlie’s after our excursion to Chichen Itza. Our table mates Carey, Karen, Linda and Walter who
provided us with great conversation and some good fun during dinner. All of these people enhanced
our cruise experience.
I was excited about the cruise but also skeptical. I have read reviews from different people on the
same cruise that were totally opposite. I also knew that there are some people who will not be happy
no matter how nice something is. I also knew that some people would say everything was wonderful
even if the food was inedible, the cabin smelled like a wet chicken and the entertainment was a hula
hoop. Now I have my own opinion and a perspective of my own to measure my future cruises.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me at:
MMastell@aol.com I promise not to be as verbose as I was in this review.
Mike
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