Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Susan and Kevin McArdle
Email: kmcardle@northnet.org
Age: 40
Occupation: Teacher
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Mercury
SailingDate: 12/27/98
Itinerary: Western Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 94
CabinAmenities: 94
FoodLidoDeck: 93
DiningRoomService: 96
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 92
CabinSteward: 91
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 93
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 92
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 92
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 92
EntertShowLounge: 92
OverallPortsofCall: 94
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 93
CruiseActivities: 94
Casino: 88
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 92
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 91
Stabilization: 93
ShopsOnBoard: 94
SpaceRatio: 91
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 14 Jan 1999
Time: 22:40:14
Remote Name: 209.2.242.39
Remote User:

Comments

This was our first cruise and our ability to compare is limited. As advertised, Celebrity exceeded our expectations
in nearly ever way. Our cabin, while small, was exceedingly well designed. There was plenty of closet and
storage space, even for over-packers. The staff was uniformly friendly, informative, and helpful. Our entire family
felt pampered. It has been tough since we returned to convince my daughter that she will not be treated like a
princess every minute. We traveled with an eight year old and a twelve year old. The youth group for the eight year
old kept her entertained for part of nearly everyday. Her counselors were excellent. The shore excursions were
adventures. Don't miss snorkeling with Stingrays off Grand Caiman. Truly, a once in a lifetime experience.
Beware of the Jeep Safari on Cozumel. Our jeep broke down, and many other jeeps got stuck in the sand and
had to be pulled out. There was not much to see on the Safari, even if your jeep was running. On a brighter note,
the ecological park, Xcaret, was great. I just wish we had more time to explore this amazing place. The food was
amazing. Every night! And there was sufficient variety to keep all of us enthralled. We loved it.

Name: Lisa Shaw
Email: lshaw@kemper.com
Age: 32
Occupation: Telecommunications Analyst
NumberOfCruises: 8
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Mercury
SailingDate: 1/24/99
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 94
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 94
FoodLidoDeck: 94
DiningRoomService:
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 92
ShoreExcVariety: 92
FoodVariety: 88
DeckService: 92
ShoreExcValue: 88
GoodForHoneymoon: 80
CasinoStaff: 88
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 92
TenderService: 94
GoodForSeniors: 98
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 96
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 96
EntertShowLounge: 96
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 86
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 92
DeckSpace: 92
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 01 Feb 1999
Time: 14:58:01
Remote Name: 204.115.109.30
Remote User:

Comments

This was my 8th cruise and it just keeps getting better and better!

The ship itself was spotless and beautiful. Not one tiny stain on any carpet or anything anywhere. The cabins
were on the smaller side, but had pretty much everything you needed, and very tastefully decorated. One wall in
the cabin was a full-length mirror (we were in category 2 with a balcony), so be forewarned that while it made the
room look bigger, I saw myself looking bigger and bigger with every meal I ate! If I could change anything, I would
try to get more closet space. I got a little spoiled on a few of the Princess ships with the 'walk-in' closets. But in
the end, we found a place to store everything.

The inter-active TV was the best. Even though we never ordered room service, it was so nice to order your shore
excursions on-line and avoid any lines. You also got to see a brief (probably too-brief) video showing you what
the excurion was like. Some of the excursions didn't have a video, however. It was also very nice to be able to
look at your room bill periodically so you don't have the sticker-shock on the last day of the cruise.

The balcony was very nice to have and well worth it, but I found we weren't able to leave the door open and just
listen to the waves all night like others have written about on this web site. It was a little too loud for us (I do think
we had some rougth seas, though). Also, when our neighbors went out on their balcony, you could hear their
conversations loud and clear. They would also open and close their balcony door which if you didn't ask your
room steward to fix it so it remains open, would slam shut very loudly! But other than that, the rooms seemed
very quiet.

Speaking of rough seas, we seemed to have some rough water the first few days, and I have never been on a
smoother ship. It seems every cruise you have at least one day where you are really rocking, and we were quite
smooth the whole time.

The show room was very nice, and while true that there isn't a bad seat, it is highly recommended to get there
early as approximately 5 minutes before showtime there will be no seats left. The entertainment was very very
good for a cruise, though. We didn't go to all of the shows, and don't care too much for the 'review' type shows,
but theirs were pretty enjoyable. We've been on other cruises where you usually have 1 male and 1 female
vocalist and then the dancers, but they had about 5-6 vocalists, and all with excellent voices. The Cruise Director
was very good as well, not too 'cheezy'.

The meals were very very good also. The buffet lunch was my favorite as every day they had a pasta with
various sauces that was wonderful. The dinners were very good, nothing to complain about. I think I would rate
Princess (in Alaska) a little higher, although my husband disagrees.

The itinerary was nice, however there were a few people we met who didn't care for the stop in Calica. The
problem is that if you don't do an excursion there is absolutely nothing to do off the ship. But I do think they offer
some of the best excursions there. We went to Xcaret, which I think we had too many friends rave about, so we
left a little bit disappointed. It is very nice and definitely something to see, but I think it looks like a neat place to
spend the evening as I hear there are shows, and it looks like it gets very lit up at night, but obviously, being on
the ship, we left before we could enjoy it. It also seems like most of the scheduled shows there are later in the
day around 4:00 or 5:00 when you need to get back on the ship. The best thing we did was the snorkeling with
the stingrays in Grand Cayman. Very unique experience, even though I was a little squirmish when they touched
me. I found that if I just floated on the top of the surface that the stingrays wouldn't really touch you, and they
would swim under you and you really got to get a good look at them that way. Cozumel was nice (we'd been there
before a few times). I can't understand why they tell you on the ship to take a taxi into town (about $4 each way
per taxi) and ask to be let off at Van Cleef and Arpels. It is about in the middle of the shopping strip. I would just
ask for 'downtown' and they will let you off at the end. This way you can walk to the other end and see it all. They
must get some kind of kick-back from Van Cleef and Arpels, but if you do this you are missing many nice shops.
Also, in Key West, if you are a cat-lover like myself--definitely tour the Hemingway House. I am not a big fan of
Hemingway, but being our 4th time in Key West, we were looking to do something we hadn't done before. It was
an interesting little house, but what I liked the most were the 60-70 cats that were roaming around that are
supposed to be direct descendents of the 60-70 cats that Hemingway kept there when he lived there.

Embarkation is not that great. I have been on several other cruises where we pretty much walk on, or get in a
line, where you maybe wait 1/2 hour or an hour tops. We got there at least 45 minutes before embarkation
began, and ended up waiting probably close to 2 hours to get on. It's not that big of a deal in the end, but you
always just seem to be so anxious to get on and get your dining arrangements squared away, etc. etc., but they
just want you to sit around in one room, then they move you to another room. I guess I would rather just wait in
line because a line moves and you can see how much progress you are making. Just before we got let into
another room, some poor man with a high numbered boarding number asked how much longer and was told 1-1
1/2 hours, and he was really upset, and I guess I don't blame him. I just think it could be done better/differently.
Disembarkation was pretty standard.

Well, here are the highlights and the lowlights (not too many lowlights) as I remember them. I hope this helps you
in choosing and preparing for your cruise as reading all of your reviews on various ships has helped me!

Name: Rich Poyfair
Email: poyfair1@eznet.net
Age: 44
Occupation: Systems Analyst
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Mercury
SailingDate: 2/7-2/14/99
Itinerary: Key West,Cozumel,Calica,Grand Cayman
FoodDiningRoom: 96
CruiseDirector: 98
CabinComfort: 97
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 91
CabinAmenities: 96
FoodLidoDeck: 96
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 92
FoodMidnightBuffets: 91
CabinSteward: 97
ShoreExcVariety: 97
FoodVariety: 87
DeckService: 87
ShoreExcValue: 94
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 97
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 96
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 88
CruiseActivities: 94
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 92
MedicalFacilities: 91
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 92
Stabilization: 93
ShopsOnBoard: 93
SpaceRatio: 94
OverallCruiseValue: 92
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 17 Feb 1999
Time: 08:40:35
Remote Name: 208.140.33.3
Remote User:

Comments

Celebrity Cruise Lines is truly trying to attract an elite group. The beautiful Grand Foyer and impressive art work
throughout the ship, create a relaxing and appealing environment. Our first surprise came when we were
wandering through the entertainment deck and happened upon an art auction. We were truly amazed at this so
we stayed and were able to purchase a couple of works that appelaed to us. The theme for this show was
animation and there were some outstanding signed works from Disney and Hanna Barbera. Had we known in
advance there were art auctions on board, we would have budgeted for them and investigated art values
beforehand. Our cabin on deck 8 was roomy enough for two without seeming crowded and the in room ability to
book excursions and review account balances were extremely helpful. The cabin steward (Thomas) was
knowledgable and helpful. My wife was on a mission to collect as many of those silly drink umbrellas as possible,
and Thomas surprised us on our last evening by leaving a good supply of them in our room. The Dining Room is
on two levels and we were seated on the lower level at the rear. We were dirctly in front of a window and this
provided some gorgeous skyline views while leaving ports. Our waiter Mushtaq, was extemely entertaining and
professional. His recommendations were always right on and the service was exceptional. Our shore excursions
were wonderful, at our first stop(Key West) we chose to go on our own and explore the homes and shops. The
Audobon House was especially interesting. Disappointing was the attitudes of the sales people in the shops we
visited. We were treated rudely and vulgar language seemed to be a popular form of communication. In Cozumel,
we again chose to explore on our own and it was thoroughly enjoyable. We didn't feel pressured in shops and
the streets a plethora of sight and sounds. In Calica, we visited Xcaret and enjoyed such sites as Myan Ruins,
the Butterfly Gardens and an aviary. We spent about 6 hours there and still didn't see all there was to see. One
highlight we did enjoy was when we returned to the dock, there was a tent set up by the locals. They were selling
silver jewelry and rugs, but our favorite was the $1.00 Corona's. They were refreshing after a six hour hike
through the park at Xcaret. In Cozumel, we chose the early morning Sting Ray City excursion and it proved to be
a unique adventure. From the witty comments of the local ships captain who ferried us, to the sting rays and the
actual swimming and feeding of the sting rays, we were truly in awe. My wife was terrified on the way out, but
once in the water she acted as if it was her idea to visit. She frolicked with the Sting Rays as if she was born to it.
It was the most gratifying excursion we had. Overall the cruise was excellent, however a couple of things could be
improved. My wife and I enjoy our coffee, and the cups on the ship were small by our standards and if you dined
at the breakfast and lunch buffets as we did, you had to constantly go get back in line to refill them. I would
advise taking your own coffee mug with you or order a pot of coffee for your room one morning and then take it
with you to the buffet breakfast and lunch. Also, if you are a smoker, ashtrays are like gold on any of the outdoor
seating areas. The waiters claim to have put out boxes of them, however they always seemed to disappear.
Another annoyance was the 2-3 hour wait in order to board the ship. To avoid this in the future we invested the
$35.00 for the Captains Club and this greatly improved the embarkation process for us. We were given priority
baggage tickets and were the first group to leave the ship.

Name: Donald G. Somerville
Email: DustyS7@aol.com
Age: 37
Occupation: Pilot
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Mercury
SailingDate: 1/3/99
Itinerary: Western Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 96
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 92
FoodLidoDeck: 86
DiningRoomService: 96
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 93
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 96
DeckService: 75
ShoreExcValue: 86
GoodForHoneymoon: 92
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 86
TenderService: 92
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 91
EntertainmentLounges: 84
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 97
EntertShowLounge: 96
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 60
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 82
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 94
ShopsOnBoard: 94
SpaceRatio: 92
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Mar 1999
Time: 01:01:57
Remote Name: 152.163.205.77
Remote User:

Comments

On the Mercury you get what you pay for, and pay for what you get. Celebrity's motto is 'Let us exceed your
expectations.' Unfortunately, they never exceeded our expectations. In most areas, they met them-in others they
fell short. Don't expect to feel pampered by the staff. I'll give some specific examples later, but for those of you
trying to decide whether to take a cruise on the Mercury, here are the strong and weak points.

Strengths: Ship design -- Beautiful, well-maintained The Mercury has beautiful graceful lines on the outside. It
stands in contrast with the white box on a keel design of many other large ships. As mentioned in other reviews,
somebody was always cleaning something. (It was sometimes difficult to find a quiet place away from vacuum
cleaners during the day, and the blast of water against our veranda door from the window washer occasionally
made for a rude wakeup.) The interior décor is contemporary and may not meet some people's tastes. Public
spaces were nice, and the Navigator Club was breathtaking!

Cabin - Beautiful, well designed, excellent storage We had a Category 2 cabin with veranda on Deck 10
(Penthouse). We were at the base of the stairs to the spa. We were near the elevators and just one deck away
from the restaurants and pools on Deck 11. It was a very convenient location. Some of our neighbors complained
about the noise above them, so be careful to determine what public spaces, storage rooms, kitchens, etc. may
be above or below your cabin. Storage was excellent. Just bring luggage that can go under the bed and you'll
have no problems. The safe was convenient and easy to use. The shower was good sized and the retractable
clothesline was a nice touch. The 110/220V plugs (one of each) were next to the desk, which doubled as a vanity
for my wife. It was a perfect place for curlers, hair dryer, makeup, etc. We took an extension cord and multi-plug
but did not use them.

Safety equipment - Top notch, all the latest capabilities As a new ship, it is built to exceed all the latest Safety of
Life at Sea (SOLAS) standards. I was impressed with the crew lifeboat drill I watched from our veranda in Calica.
The boats were in the water quickly and featured covers, reflective markings, radios, radars, and
provisions-features not found on lifeboats of some other ships I saw. I felt very comfortable that this ship was well
equipped to handle any emergency.

Spa and fitness facilities - Excellent, probably the best afloat We took the spa tour on Sunday afternoon and it
was well worth the time to see all the facilities. The Thalasotherapy pool is nice, but overrated. At $10 a visit, you
may be happier with the spas next to the pools. Thalasotherapy is included as part of a massage, so plan to do it
beforehand. We did the Rasul on Saturday afternoon and really enjoyed our time at the spa, even if it cost us
time on deck during our best weather day. We rode high-tech exercise bicycle simulators that were fun. If spa
facilities are important to you, Mercury is a good choice. Be advised that the massage slots fill up fast, so book
early.

Itinerary -- Excellent One of the primary reasons we chose this cruise was the itinerary, and we were
disappointed only because we did not have enough time to spend in each of the ports. One overall
observation/recommendation to maximize your time in port-DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME SHOPPING! The prices
aren't that great and it is easy to get caught up in the shopping frenzy and lose valuable time needed to see the
beaches and other interesting sites these ports have to offer. Key West was cold and rainy. The conch train tour
was a good value and gave a great overview of the sites. We wandered around Duvall Street, which was mostly a
waste of time. Fortunately, the ship departs about 1:00 PM so we were back on board for lunch and had the
afternoon at sea. Calica. Based on previous reviews, I was ready for obnoxious Mexican tenders. Fortunately,
you can now go directly ashore to busses. We visited Xcaret, which is a great match for cruise ship passengers-it
has something for everybody-swimming, botanical gardens, ruins, butterfly garden, shows, and more. You can
come and go on your own timing. It has lots of nice facilities and looks like it is being continually improved. I
brought my own snorkeling gear and enjoyed the underground river. One interesting note: you get to keep the
snorkel with the $7 rental fee. You can pay $6 and skip the fins, but don't go cheap here. I saw several people
struggling to swim the river without fins and most got out somewhere along the way. Our dinner table mates went
to Tulum and enjoyed visiting the ruins. Cozumel. Many of the shore excursions were cancelled the night before
because of questionable weather. Fortunately, the day was beautiful. After wasting part of the day shopping, the
real treat was a trip to Chankanab Bay. We got a great tip about this from the Shore Excursion Manager. It was a
$7 taxi fare and $7 per person entrance fee to this national park. It was very nice and reminded me of a smaller
scale Xcaret. My wife relaxed on the beach while I went snorkeling. We both wished we had more time to spend
here. Grand Cayman. My wife slept in as I took the early trip to Stingray City. We were the first boat there in
several days. With prior day's trips cancelled due to weather, the stingrays were hungry and swarmed us when
we got off the catamaran. It was unnerving at first, but before long most people were trying to hold and pet them.
We returned ashore after lunch but didn't get to the beach because we lost too much time shopping. Again,
DON'T WASTE TIME SHOPPING here. You can find better prices on most things at home. Bye Bye T-shirts is
next to the tender pier and the only reasonably priced T-shirt shop we saw. They have a lot of good deals and
give and extra 10% off for cash or traveler's checks. This is a good place to get those last souvenirs, if you feel
so compelled.

Food - Excellent (ranging from very good to outstanding) Everything was good and a few things were
outstanding. Our waiter, busboy, and wine steward were all excellent. The Maitre d' was very accommodating for
two special requests. We asked for a table for two one night for our anniversary and made some arrangements
to have new friends join us on another night. Our friends commented that our waiter was better than theirs was.
We got much better service at dinner than at lunch or breakfast. The buffet servers were rude and the lunch
waiters were terrible. (More on that later under weaknesses.)

Entertainment - Excellent (ranging from very good to outstanding) The production shows were all outstanding.
On Broadway was our favorite but Bond Voyage was also fun. The solo entertainers will vary by cruise, but we
enjoyed all the theater shows.

Weaknesses: Customer relations/service. This was our biggest disappointment. Here's an example that clearly
illustrates how some of the staff treated the passengers. This is how we were met upon arrival at the airport when
we approached the lady carrying the Celebrity notebook: 'Are you the Somerville's?' 'Yes.' 'What took you so
long?' 'We were at the back of the plane which was slow to unload and we had to stop at the restroom.' (A man
with a hip injury slowed everybody's exit from the plane and caused about a 15-minute delay.) 'Well you've
missed your bus. Now you'll have to wait 25 minutes for the next bus. You should have come here first. Don't
stop at the restroom! Stand over there in the corner and wait.' This was our first contact with anybody from
Celebrity. What a horrible first impression this lady made on us. We were scolded and sent to the corner like
misbehaving children for circumstances beyond our control. We only had to wait about 15 minutes for the next
bus, but who cares when we were going to have to wait another hour at the pier? This lady was rude and
mean--not the kind of first impression you want for a vacation. The next example was during the buffet that
afternoon. The drink waiters were pushing bon voyage drinks like beer vendors at a ballgame. The only way to
fend off the constant attacks was to buy a drink. That only slowed them down a bit. Since we only had one drink
they still wanted to sell us a second one. The combination of these two events on the first day left such a bad
impression with us that it took the next few days to overcome. Another recurring problem was the rudeness of the
servers at the lunch and breakfast buffets. My wife observed them intentionally overload people's plates who
only asked for small portions, then joke with each other and scoff at the passengers. Service during lunch in the
dining room was terrible. We had to ask for iced tea four times, including asking the restaurant manager, before
we were served. The service during dinner was great, so I'm not sure if it was because they were spread too thin
during lunch, or because the tips only come from their dinner tables, but the lunch service was atrocious.

Drinks: It is obvious that drinks of all types are a big money maker on this cruise, because they are difficult to
come by unless you constantly pay for them. The only 'free' drinks during lunches are iced tea, lemonade, and
Hi-C. You'll pay $2 for a soda. At most of the grills and any time during the off-hours the drink dispensers were
turned off, so you were compelled to pay for soda or water if you wanted something to drink. That comes across
to me as being very cheap and really detracts from the enjoyability of the cruise if you have to put your charge
card down every time you are thirsty. I don't know how they do it, but in the lounges and at the show theater the
waiters will always ask you for your drink order when you don't want anything, but won't be anywhere to be found
when you want a drink.

Lounge acts/dancing opportunities Four Score (the barber shop quartet) and the Partita String Quartet were
always enjoyable to listen to when you could catch them. We enjoyed listening to the Celebrity Orchestra at the
shows and in the Pavilion Lounge for their Big Band show. The After Glow Duo was the standard Holiday Inn
lounge lizard act. The band Shout played more listening, than dancing music, but the DJ in the Navigator Club
was terrible. On several nights we had a difficult time finding good dance music. There seemed to be options for
the under 25 and over 65 crowd, but nothing for those of us in the middle. With the number of couples in that
age group on this cruise, you would think they would provide better options.

Organized Activities We enjoyed the wine tasting and got to try five very good wines for $5 per person, although
the haughty French sommelier was difficult to understand. The dance instructors were awful. It seemed they were
more interested in demonstrating their own ability than in teaching anybody how to dance. There were several
activities that were offered only once (e.g. scarf tying). With so many other conflicts in the schedule, it would
have been nice to have them offered at least twice. We enjoyed watching the movie X-Files in the large theater,
but here's a tip for Celebrity: If you want to exceed our expectations, try having popcorn and drinks available at
the movies!

Rules One last burr in our saddle was the enforcement of rules. Celebrity seems to be strict about enforcing
some rules and time schedules while ignoring others. We saw a little girl (probably about 8) playing slots in the
casino in full view of casino staff. Despite the published rules in every daily 'As per Company's Policy and ship's
rules, children under 18 years can remain in the Navigator Club Disco until 11:00 PM only,' and the request to
'Please maintain Formal dress code throughout the evening,' we usually saw kids in jeans and sweat suits in the
Navigator Club around midnight. Combine that with a bad DJ playing rap music and the Navigator Club lost the
elegant appeal it promised by day.

Other trip specifics We had bad weather in Key West (cold and rainy) and rough seas that night. Dinner was not
well attended that night. The weather was cool and breezy for much of the trip, which limited opportunities to
enjoy the pool or our cabin veranda. It was difficult to find an open deck chair during the days at sea. The last
day had the best weather, but we had already planned a day at the spa, so we didn't get much chance to enjoy
it. We met some great people (other passengers) who really made the cruise special for us.

Bottom line There were some very nice things about this cruise, and it may be a good value for those who want
the itinerary and luxury of this ship. If you want excellent service and pampering, look somewhere else. We plan
to try a different cruise line next time.

Name: Linda Johnson
Email: lallak1@aol.com
Age: 36
Occupation: Insurance Vice President
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Mercury
SailingDate: 2/21/99
Itinerary: Western Carribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 88
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 84
FoodVariety: 88
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 88
TenderService: 92
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 92
CruiseActivities: 88
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 78
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 94
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Mar 1999
Time: 18:58:25
Remote Name: 205.188.199.156
Remote User:

Comments

What a terrific cruise! The Mercury is a beautiful ship….as background, this was our fourth cruise, our second on
Celebrity. We had previously sailed on NCL’s Dreamward and Norway, as well as on the Horizon. My husband,
Steve, is 38, and I’m 36.

Embarkation: All I can say, is THANK GOD we’re Captain Club members!! We arrived in Ft. Lauderdale a day
early; we booked our air and extra day through Celebrity. We may not do again, as Celebrity no longer allows
you to pick your hotel. We ended up at the Airport Hilton. Would not have been our first choice, and on Sunday
morning the hotel lost all water. Luckily, I had showered, but my husband wasn’t too happy that he missed his!
We had rented a car through Avis, which has complimentary shuttles running on the hour from their airport
location to the cruise ship terminals. As the Celebrity bus wasn’t scheduled to pick us up at the Hilton until 1:30
p.m. (and I was dying to get on board), we dropped the car at Avis around 11:45 to catch the noon shuttle. It
didn’t leave until 12:15, and the Mercury was about the fifth ship it stopped at, but we were still at the terminal by
12:30. Walking in the terminal, Celebrity staffers were handing out embarkation boarding numbers. We said the
magic words ‘Captain’s Club’ and were given the number ‘0’. The terminal was packed, but we were directed to
the back of the terminal where Captain’s Club, Suites and handicapped folks enter first through a separate door.
Within 5 minutes, the doors opened and we were allowed in….no waiting, and we were on board in about five
minutes!

Cabin: We were celebrating our 10th anniversary, so had splurged on a Category 2 Cabin with Verandah (cabin
1025). After being escorted to our room by a waiter (geez, these service folks do all kinds of jobs on ship), we
were greeted by our cabin stewardess (Yana) who showed us around our room. This was the smallest cabin
we’ve ever had, but the verandah more than made up for it….Steve and I rushed out there, and poor Yana
ended up giving the rest of the room tour to herself! She was excellent, keeping our tiny room uncluttered. I will
say this cabin (and three others) are smaller (slightly) than all other Category 2 cabins on ship, having only
space for an armchair rather than a love seat. The wall across from the bed was completely mirrored giving the
impression of more space. There was tons of closet and drawer space in the room, and all six (can you believe
it?) of our suitcases fit under the bed! We don’t usually travel with so much, but we wanted to bring a boombox
(for our musical enjoyment while sitting on the verandah) and it was the first time we had brought our own
snorkeling equipment, so luggage were us! The bathroom was adequate, with lots of shelf space for both of us to
leave out our toiletries. There was also shelves under the sink and the shower was nice sized with great water
pressure. I used the hairdryer every day, but it was nothing to write home about. I had previously read in other
reviews that the dryer didn’t have much power, and they were right! What I wish they would have mentioned is
how hot it got; I generally needed to wrap a towel around the dryer to keep from burning my hand while I finished
drying my hair….oh well, small complaint.

Exploring the Ship: We spent the next hour or so, touring the ship and getting the lay of the land. The décor is
somewhat interesting, but not as annoying as we had expected based on previous reviews. We started at the top
on the sky deck. The Navigator Club on deck 12 is beautiful, and was the site of the repeaters parties and
anniversary parties later in the week. We used it a lot just to order cocktails to take to our room (on deck 10
forward) in the evening to enjoy while sitting on the verandah watching the world go by. Deck 11 is home to the
AquaSpa (sorry, never found time to use it, although our tablemates did and loved the mud
treatments….Sensual, I think was the word they used to describe it!) Also the main pool and the Palm Springs
Café are on Deck 11….hint: there are outside tables at the back of the ship (past the indoor/outdoor pool) that
are wonderful for eating your meals outside, and it’s never crowed, as most people never find them! We then
headed to Michael’s Club to check out this Cigar Bar. Beautiful bar, with lots of couches and big leather chairs
that surrounds the top of the atrium. Deck 7 has the Pavilion nightclub, Fortunes (the casino), the shops and the
entrance to the Celebrity Theatre. The theater is great, I don’t think there is bad seat to be had. Our ship was
pretty well booked, yet there was always seats to be found, especially down front! Deck 6 had our favorite bar,
Tastings, Rendezvous Square (another bar), and the Martini Bar, the Photo Gallery, the library, card room and
second floor entrance to the Manhattan Restaurant. Now this room is very nice, and even with 1000 diners, you
really don’t feel crowded in! Deck 5 found the first floor of the restaurant, and the excursion desk bank and guest
relations’ desk. Overall, the ship is very beautiful, and you can tell it’s new, as nothing is worn down.

Food: What’s a cruise without great food, and Celebrity outdoes itself in this area. We had late seating in the
Manhattan Restaurant (8:30) and found ourselves at a table of 8: a delightful couple from Ireland (60’s), a nice
couple from Mass. (40’s) and a mother/daughter from Chicago (60’s/40’s) who kept our whole table laughing all
week! Our waiter, Desmond, was a delight, truly professional, and never got an order wrong all week, and was
very willing to traipse back to the kitchen for any last minute item one of us decided we couldn’t do without! Our
busboy, Attila, was still learning, and had trouble remembering to keep our water glasses full, but was so nice
and polite that we all chose to overlook his shortcomings! The food was wonderful each night, especially the
tenderloin steak. You could cut it with a butter knife. We learned quickly to take Desmond’s recommendations
each night, and he never steered us wrong. The only negative thing I could say is that the salad variety was
lacking, and I grew weary of the ‘Celebrity dressing’ about midway through the week! Desserts were good, and
you definitely need to try (or have someone at your table try) the after dinner coffee drinks. They bring a cart
around each night with liquors and coffee, and it’s quite a production to watch them light the liquor in a gravy
boat, and then pour it into a second one…they get quite a flame going, and keep tossing it back and forth
between these two gravy boats while still a flame, then they pour the flaming liquor into a wine glass, fill it with
coffee and add a heavy cream to the top….Yummy!

We didn’t eat any breakfasts or lunches in the dining room. Most mornings we had coffee delivered to the room
(couldn’t get us off the verandah!). We hung an order form out each night before we went to bed, checking off
the half-hour interval we wanted it delivered during. The neatest part was they called the room right before they
brought it, so you had about 30 seconds to a minute to make sure you were ‘proper’….nice touch! You could
order full breakfasts (and meals) through room service although we never did. Lunch was a good variety, with a
nice buffet, a couple of grills serving burgers and hot dogs, and a pasta station. In the afternoon and evening,
homemade pizza was available (very good) and ice cream and frozen yogurt was available all afternoon.

There was also alternate dining available for dinner on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings in the
Palm Springs Café. Although we meant to try it one night, we never got around to it, and I never met anyone on
board who did either, so I can’t relay any info on that.

Entertainment: Not Celebrity’s strongest suit, but we were pleasantly surprised by how good some/most of it was.
Our favorite was Four Score, an acapella group of four young men, singing doo wop and barbershop style
music. Steve is a barbershopper himself, so naturally they were a draw for us, and we made it a point to show up
just about every time they sang. They even let Steve sing a song with them one evening. They performed in the
opening and final shows, and also sang a few nights in the Tastings Bar, where they roamed from table to table
singing and talking with the guests. You would never know that they hadn’t sung together before getting this gig
six months ago.

The Welcome Aboard show Monday night featured Michael James (the Ladder Guy), a comedian who uses, you
guessed it, a ladder. He was a riot! He was also on Tuesday night, with another comedian, Cary Long, who was
also very funny with his observational humor. I wouldn’t miss either of these two shows. I’m not much of a
production number fan, but did sit through Monday’s show ‘On Broadway’, which was ok. I skipped Wednesday’s
production ‘Bond Voyage’, but Steve stuck his head in long enough to feel comfortable that skipping it was the
right choice for us. We also skipped Thursday’s show, featuring a singer, Stephen Kane. It was a before dinner
show; we did see him on the final night, and he was ok. We also went to Friday’s production show, ‘And the
Winner Is’, and it too, was only ok. The Farewell show on Saturday was very good, featuring Four Score, Cary
Long and Stephen Kane. And a special treat was the cruise director, Jim Cannon, singing the final song….he
was quite good.

The pool band, Oasys, was very good. In addition, in the lounges you could find string quartets, big band music,
a singing duo, and another band doing pop type songs. All seemed pretty good.

On board activities: We participated in activities less on this cruise than any other; there was something for
everyone, though, from Bingo to trivia to art auctions, etc. We did enjoy the Not so Newlywed game one
evening…what a hoot! The cruise director and staff were very friendly, but not in your face…thank goodness!

Excursions: It was cold in Key West (actually it was windy the entire week, so even when we got to warmer
weather, it was still cool on deck due to the winds), so we opted against any excursion, and just took the conch
train from the pier to downtown to do some shopping. Steve needed a tie (he forgot his), so off to Margaritaville
to buy a tie…my personal preference would be just to make this a sea day, rather than the half day stop at Key
West. There’s just not a lot of time to really do anything. Rough seas to Cozumel this day, forcing many no shows
at Formal Night that evening.

In Cozumel, we signed up for a beach snorkeling excursion, which we had done on a previous visit to Cozumel. It
was really windy and the Sea was rough. The excursion was to be a guided tour, and after entering the water,
you swim by a gentlemen in scuba gear who will take your picture underwater….he brings fish food, so you get a
nice picture of yourself with the fish. Available for purchase for $9. We bought it. Swimming on we found
ourselves in a strong current; strong enough that the guides stopped guiding, and started to try to lead us out of
the current. Strange feeling when you are kicking your feet with all your might, and making no headway what so
ever. I really felt bad for the first timers, as well as a little girl who was in the group, as it was scary for me, and I’m
used to snorkeling! I do think that swimming against the current was a great calorie burner, and why I didn’t gain
any weight all cruise . Topping it off, as you neared the beach (or basically a stone wall with slippery
steps), the waves were so large that they were pushing many people into the wall….lots of scratches. The staff
on shore was so busy getting the next group ready to go, they were of no help to any of the snorkelers struggling
to get out of the water. I made it ok, but Steve ended up with some scratches. There were a few near tears as
they came out, and finally a nice tourist from Minnesota started helping folks up the stairs.

After the snorkeling, we went back to ship for a quick shower, then headed to Carlos and Charlie’s for lunch…the
place was hopping, and we were dancing on our chairs before lunch made it to the table. What a place! We then
shopped a little before heading back to the ship’s pool.

Calica was a pleasant surprise. We decided to do Xcaret, and it was so much nicer than I even imagined it would
be. This is an eco-archeological park, with plenty to do. You can swim with the dolphins (get there early as spots
go quick). We didn’t do it, but a friend did. It was $80 for an hour, and you get a videotape of you in the water
with the dolphins. She said it was great. We snorkeled the underground river, which was a really neat
experience, and so much better than our snorkeling experience in Cozumel. The beach area was absolutely
gorgeous, and there were tons of quite coves and lagoons, where you could be more by yourself. This was
definitely a good buy for $36/person, which includes bus shuttle to the park. It’s about a five-minute ride.

In Grand Cayman we did Sting Ray City….this is a must do, and sign up for the earliest tour. We were kicking
ourselves that morning for signing up for the 7:45 am group, but once we got there we were thrilled we did so.
Ours was the first boat to get to the sand bar that day. We anchored in about 3 feet of water, and all the
stingrays were swarming the boat. It’s a little intimidating at first, but once you get used to them, it is so cool to
feed and pet them. Words can’t describe this experience! We did some shopping after the excursion then back
to the boat. This was the only tendering we had to do all trip.

Conclusion: While not perfect, this was a great cruise experience. The ship, food and service were exactly what
we expected from Celebrity, and will bring us back to Celebrity for future cruises. I have all the daily programs, so
you may e-mail me if you want any additional information. I highly recommend this ship!

Name: Gena and Bob Colton
Email: GENCO101@aol.com
Age: 33 and 45
Occupation: Registered Nurse and Construction Mgr.
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Mercury
SailingDate: Feb.14, 1999
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 89
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 22 Mar 1999
Time: 19:26:50
Remote Name: spider-pa032.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

I'll start with the air/sea program. We thank our lucky stars that we chose to arrive a day early, due to flight delays
and missed connections, we arrived in Ft. Lauderdale 8 hours late (6:30pm) and one suitcase short. Despite the
total lack of cooperation from the US Airway baggage claim people, we finally found the missing suitcase at
1:00am. What a long, stressful day!

Celebrity booked us at the Airport Sheraton. Nice hotel. Despite having little sleep the night before, I woke up early
Sunday morning to workout in the fitness center...needed to shake off that stress from the day before and adjust
my attitude! (That ended up being my only 'real' exercise for the rest of the trip) Also, at the hotel is where we
decided to put on those all important 'Mercury' luggage tags.

Celebrity provides in your ticket booklet a voucher for ground transportation from the hotel to the pier. Based on
the kind advice of a previous opinion submission, we skipped the bus ride. Instead, I called for a Yellow Cab
(565-5400) to pick us up at 11:30am (call them one hour in advance) to take us to the Fort Lauderdale
Terminal...a 5 minute ride....and it cost about $7.00 for 2 people. Quick, easy, no waiting. Don't worry about going
to the wrong pier, just tell the cabby you want the Mercury, he knows where to go. The cab dropped us off right
outside the front doors where porters (with ID tags) were waiting to put our luggage, along with other passengers
luggage, on very large carts right there on the curb. It may sound strange, but don't worry, you'll see your luggage
again!

We chose to arrive at the terminal early so we could get on board early. Ha ha, but really, it was not bad at all. I
had read that embarkation is 'chaos' and that 'no one will answer questions for us.' We found the exact opposite.
Everyone was friendly and very willing to answer questions. What a pleasant change from what we'd just
experienced with the airlines the day before!! We got a #1 embarkation number, so the only people who got in
before us were the people with #0's ( Captain's Club, people in wheelchairs, and people who'd been sitting in the
terminal since as early as 8am due to early flight arrivals). Once they started embarkation, we were let in through
the set of double doors within about 15 minutes, and told to sit in chairs. We were only in that room for about 2
minutes before they told us go into the next room. In this room, we immediately went through a security checkpoint
and then up to one of the many small counters (with fresh flower arrangements, I might add) where we set up our
Celebrity account. Actually, my husband and I set up separate accounts so that he could blow all the money he
wanted in the casino and I could shop all I wanted and not worry about maxing out the credit card! To set up
separate accounts was no problem at all. Only one account form comes with the travel documentation packet, so
we picked up another one while waiting at the terminal. Also while waiting, we filled out the DISembarkation form
that they handed us when we got our number. With our accounts set up and our identification verified, we were
directed up an escalator and onto the ship!

That day happened to be Valentine's Day. As each woman stepped onto the ship she was handed a red rose
(another nice touch). There was a lineup of staff dressed in bow ties and white gloves waiting to escort passengers
to their rooms. We booked a stateroom with a verandah on the Vista Deck (deck 9) so that we wouldn't be
bothered by possible noise from the various entertainment areas or kitchen on the decks above or below us.
Looking at the ship diagram, you'll see the Vista Deck is sandwiched between two other passenger decks, a good
place to be. Our room was very nice... spotless (and I'm picky); plenty of room for two people; plenty of storage
space; good lighting; beautiful blue decor. The safe was easy to use, and large enough to hold my large camera,
purse and still had plenty of room to spare. We cleared out the refrigerator right away and put in the pop that we
bought on the way to the pier. There was a silver ice bucket and water pitcher in the room that was always full.
Also, according to our room steward Elvis, it is now standard for all rooms to have the white terrycloth robes for the
passengers to use for the week. They came in quite handy. We could take them home for $40.00 each. The
verandah was a 'must have' for us, besides having it as extra living space, it was a place for my husband to smoke
while I breathe fresh air inside. Seating on the verandah included 2 chairs, a foot rest, and a small table. Speaking
of the verandah, herein lies one of my few gripes about the ship. The Plexiglas railing was dirty, streaked with dried
salt water, this prevented a clear view of the ocean while in a seated position. I complained in writing on Tuesday,
but it wasn't cleaned until Saturday. What a difference it made!

The food: WOW, need I say more? OK, I will. Presentation was most excellent. The midnight buffets were a sight to
see, even if you don't eat anything, just go to see them, they were unlike anything I'd ever seen before! Dinners
were excellent, by the middle of the week our tablemates were getting comfortable enough to order two entrees or
two desserts each, this turns out to be common practice I guess. If you get tired of the gourmet food, never fear,
burgers, dogs and fries are available during the day and of course, by now everyone knows you can get pizza
24hrs a day. It was my mission to sample all the available chocolate I could find. Some of it was good, like the
frozen yogurt served every afternoon, but the best in my book was the chocolate truffle cake served at the formal
dinner Monday night - Oh baby! As a joke, my husband and I limited ourselves to eating no sooner than every 2
hours. I gained 6 pounds by the end of the week.

The crew: Through speaking with many staff people, we found out that they work up to 18 hours a day, 7 days a
week for 8 months at a time. Every 15 days, they get to go into port for 4 hours. I kid you not! Our room steward
has been doing it for 7 years and has a wife 'back home.' He told us he is responsible for 15 passenger rooms and
when he is finished cleaning them, he cleans 15 crew member rooms. We never saw crew members just goofing
around, they were always busy and seemingly well disciplined. As far as tipping goes, we gave more than the
recommended amounts...they deserved it.

Excursions: Key West: Sailing & Kayaking Eco-adventure ($55.pp) NOT WORTH IT!! Its not at all like the brochure
describes! We didn't sail for 'the back country' or through any of the 'hundreds of uninhabited islands.' We weren't
'guided through winding mangrove creeks and salt ponds,' and it certainly wasn't 'remote' like the booklet
described. We sailed a very short distance away from the marina, dropped anchor along with dozens of other
boats in a shallow bay, dropped the kayaks in the water and paddled up and down the same stretch of mangrove
trees for a few hours. I will say, the tour guide was very informative. She gave us permission to break away from
the group at anytime and do what we wanted as long as we stayed within this certain area. Eventually, my husband
and I took her up on that. Just as he and I were complaining about how bored we were, 2 playing dolphins swam by
us! It was awesome! The excursion wasn't a bust after all, we got some sun, some exercise, saw some marine life,
and learned a few things, but still NOT worth the money.

Calica (Cancun): Spent the day at Xcaret (pronounced Char-et) ($36.pp) Well worth the money. Beautiful place.
Saw flamingos, macaws, parrots, spider monkeys. Excellent photo opportunities. Beware of the Botanical Garden
path, it is long and not paved, down-right rugged. There were people with a stroller on the path, I don't know how
they ever got through it. We did the horseback ride to the beach (an extra $20.pp) It was 1/2 hr ride to the beach
where they took our picture (another $7. if you bought it, or they'll use your camera for free) and turned around
and went the same path back to the stable. After that, we rented the mask, snorkel and fins ($7.pp) and swam the
underground rivers. This was an excellent adventure, but not for the claustrophobic or a person afraid of the dark.
By the way, there are lockers for your valuables as well as large bags to put your stuff in that they lock and then
have waiting for you at the other end of the river.

Cozumel: We did the San Gervasio Ruins and the Mexican Folk Show ($63.pp) We had an excellent guide, learned
alot about the Mayan civilization. The folk show was very good, very colorful! After those two activities, we still had
p-l-e-n-t-y of time to do other stuff. Based on the advice of the on-board lecturer, we stopped in at Diamonds
International to look for a deal on jewelry. I found a pair of diamond earrings that I just had to have. Yes, they will
negotiate the price with you..without much effort . (I have since had them appraised which confirmed that I DID get
an excellent deal on them!!) The rest of our time in Cozumel (about 6 hrs) was spent at the famous Carlos 'n
Charlies Restaurant. By coincidence, we met up with 4 of our dinner tablemates and had a blast. Drinking and
dancing (on the chairs...it is encouraged), we were a silly bunch!! We almost didn't make it back to the ship on
time! I'll say, Celebrity Cruises is VERY punctual....when they say they are leaving at say, 6:45pm, they mean
6:45pm, so be careful!

Grand Cayman: This was the only place where we had to use a tender to take us to shore. We were laying on
Seven Mile Beach by 8:45 am!! There is a booth on the beach were you can rent all kinds of stuff from ski jets to
simple rafts. This is also where we signed up for parasailing ($60.pp) an awesome experience!

Days at sea: I've read complaints that there were not enough lounge chairs. I don't know where those people
looked, because there were more than enough chairs (stacks of them) for everyone (and the ship was at full
passenger capacity). It was great laying in the sun and listening to live music. By Saturday, we wanted a quiet
place to layout. We found the perfect spot. Don't tell anyone, but at the back of the ship on deck 8, there are
lounge chairs. We had full sun, a nice breeze, piece and quiet...all day long! We even toasted the sunset with
champagne and our 4 new friends. We didn't do much besides lay out and eat, but I did get some good golf tips
while practicing my swing at the golf simulator (they even had a set of clubs for a lefty like me - - two points for
Celebrity!). I dragged my husband to a massage/reflexology lecture that turned out to be a waste of time because
the teacher over booked her massage appointments and didn't have time to come to the lecture, no one bothered
to tell us. We were alittle annoyed by this, but forgave them because after all, it was Saturday and it was the only
time something didn't happen as planned. I'd say that is pretty good!

Other (hopefully) helpful info: * Men, if you want to rent a tux, its $85. and includes the shoes and an extra shirt. * If
you are taking children, please dress your children up too, it was disappointing to see kids at a formal event
wearing oversized football jerseys. It is my opinion, that if the kids don't want to dress, then they should stay in the
room for the evening, or at least stay out of the dining room. * As a curtesy to your dinner tablemates, please show
up for dinner on time or, no more than 15 minutes late. Dinner takes 2 hrs... as it is. *There were only a few
announcements made on the ships P.A. system, yet we felt very well informed as to what was going on where by
the daily news letter that was left in our room every evening. This in addition to the ships informational TV channels
that ran 24hrs. a day. * Don't pack a beach towel, you don't need it. There are plenty of large towels available at
the poolside. Also, as you enter the gangway, towels are available to be signed out and returned after an onshore
excursion. * Don't feel you must buy bottled water before leaving Ft. Lauderdale, you can buy a bottle when you
sign for the beach towel. * For those smokers or spouses of smokers: Smoking is allowed in the cabin, lounges,
outside dining, and the port side of the ship. * You can use the TV to sign up for the shore excursions, but know
that the TV doesn't work until you leave port. We filled out the form found in our room and dropped it off at the
Excursion Desk and had no problem getting what we wanted. * There is a happy hour in the bars with drink
specials - - $2.95. * Coffee is free and can always be found. * If you want something sweet in the middle of the day,
The Palm Springs Cafe has some good stuff 4pm-6pm every day. * We didn't need the extension cord for the room
that everyone said we would. Two electrical outlets were enough for us. * The large insulated mug I brought for
drinks by the pool was very handy. * If you pack like I do, you'll need a travel iron - with steam! * Also, consider
packing: Binoculars, travel alarm clock, clothes hangers, sun visor, sunscreen and ear plugs if your spouse
snores! * How much cash to bring? That depends on your spending habits. We brought $400. each and spent
almost all of it by the time we got back home. The credit card came in handy when making larger purchases while
in port. * Have a great time - - go ahead - --splurge- - - you're on a cruise!

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