Review: Mercury 4/4/04 (LONG!!!!)

[trcori]

Mercury to California & Cabo, 4/4/04-4/11/04

[B]OUR BACKGROUND[/B]
Mid-40s couple with 8-year-old son. We are big X brand loyalists -- this was our 4th trip, preceded by Century to the Eastern Caribbean in Sept. 2002, Century to the Western Caribbean in March 2003, and Infinity to Alaska in August 2003. The cruising bug lay dormant in me for decades after "infection" in childhood -- family took me on three great cruises, Matson Mariposa to the South Pacific in 1967, Princess Carla to the Mexican Riviera in 1969, and HAL Statendam (IV - just gone to scrap yards last month) to Mexico, Panama Canal, and Southern Caribbean in 1970.

[B]CHANGES WE NOTICED[/B]
--T-pool fee up since our Century trip a year earlier. I opted for 4-day pass, $50. Full cruise pass would have been $100 -- but it would actually have been cheaper, if I'd wanted to go to the T-pool each of the six full days of the cruise, to get the 4-day pass plus two one-day passes at $20/each.
--Hot tubs open later (9 pm).
--More "custom" food during buffet breakfast and lunch -- omelet and pasta stations, salad/sandwich bar (offering a specialty salad and sandwich each day, as well as more "make your own" salad ingredients than you will find in the regular buffet line) by the Palm Springs Pool (same spot where you will find pizza and baked pasta 6 pm-1 am).
--"Casual dining" hours are expanded too, as has been noted in other recent trip reports. The only hours you really need to resort to room service for food are 1-6 am.
--New addition to the freebie beverages -- passion-fruit punch, as well as the red punch, iced tea, and lemonade.
--The daily bulletin's look has changed. It's now in the sans-serif type that X has adopted for its logo and slogan, and the activities/dining hours insert is on heavier paper with a vertical crease down the middle, so you can fold it and carry around. Nice touch but I still wish the bulletin would be posted around the ship in a few spots so it could be consulted without having to tote anything!
--More enrichment speakers -- three on board here: wine, health/wellness, and (to the chagrin of this TV-news veteran who cruises to get away from it all) a TV-news producer revealing the "secrets" of the business (actually he barely scratched the surface)
--Branding emphasis: In the stateroom and at the dining table, the little metal doodads with the service personnel's names say "(Whomever) is pleased to be treating you famously."
--During the announcement after the Baked Alaska Parade on formal night 2, there's of course a new ship listed in the "roll call" of the fleet -- Xpedition.
--Option to charge tips to your onboard account. So far, I'm still more interested in the classic distribution method.

[B]STATEROOM[/B]
For the first time, we tried the Family/Oceanview cabin. The extra space was HEAVENLY! Not just the two separate sleeping areas, but also the bonus drawers and cupboards. These cabins are at the back of Penthouse and Panorama decks on Mercury; we chose one on the Penthouse deck, a great location -- one floor down to the Fun Factory (we did hear occasional kid noise), one floor up to the Palm Springs Pool/Café area. None of us get seasick, so the bonus rocking-in-swells/vibrating-when-stopping didn't bother us much. My only regret about this cabin: On Mercury, it has a small public deck outside the windows, and while I didn't mind the possible peek-in factor, I was sorry to miss water views at night because of the bright deck lighting. Our steward Agnelo (India) was gracious, friendly, and helpful; appeared in our room on the first afternoon for a full briefing, something we hadn't received on previous cruises.

[B]DINING ROOM[/B]
First, two speed bumps: (a) The earliest time we've ever seen for early seating -- 5:45. ALMOST enough to drive us to late seating, but 8 pm is still too late for my hub and son. (b) Despite my travel agency having confirmed and reconfirmed our request for a table for 4, when we raced up to triplecheck with the maitre d' outside the restaurant on embarkation afternoon, he revealed we were at a table for ... 7. Call us antisocial freaks if you like, but we really need to dine by ourselves -- small talk with the waiter and assistant waiter meets our small-talk quota -- plus, I work nights and seldom get to have dinner with my guys, so sitting down with them at an elegant table for seven consecutive nights is an incredible treat. The problem did get solved -- we got a table change for night 2, and a view to boot -- just one table away from the aft window on the second level! Woo-hoo! Oh, and as for the food? Glad to hear from someone on the boards that the menus are supposed to change later this year, but we're not complaining. Mercury cuisine was a notch above what we had on Infinity last summer, and on par with the previous two cruises on Century. Rack of lamb was my favorite -- melty-tender. Service from waiter Miroslaw (Poland) and assistant Marcel (Czech Republic) was prompt and professional; Marcel was enchanting with his beautiful smile, not to mention his lightning-fast appearances with everything from water and iced-tea refills to salad dressing and ketchup. Maitre d' John (Dominican Republic) was not as ubiquitous and effusive as our all-time-favorite maitre d', Adrian on Century, but he got the job done.

[B]PALM SPRINGS CAFÉ (BUFFET)[/B]
Breakfast and lunch were exceptional on this cruise. At the former, fresh hot food each morning, and a slightly better fruit selection; at the latter, the theme buffets were standouts -- especially the Asian buffet, with crispy spring rolls, roast duck, and delectable "twice-fried beef" -- even the sticky white rice was right on target! As mentioned earlier, the "made to order" stations at the buffet are don't-miss quality -- omelets and waffles in the morning (with available toppings including chocolate syrup!), pasta most days at lunch (several sauces and ingredients are available; I stuck with garlic, olive oil, and parmesan, which I would never dare to enjoy so frequently during a work week ... guess our "table to ourselves" was a good thing).

[B]LATE-NIGHT DINING EVENTS[/B]
Aside from Gourmet Bites in the lounges (including one night with carving stations), there were two events, the Tropical Night Celebration on night 4 (hours before Cabo) and of course, Le Grand Buffet on night 6. The former was better organized and decorated than the ones we'd enjoyed on Century, although the layout of Mercury's pool deck, with the raised hot tubs, makes it more difficult to get a real crowd vibe going unless you're right in front of the stage. If you attend this one, don't let the "fruit/sherbet" subtitle fool you -- there's also hot food (including chicken legs), and a sizable array of tasty cookies -- wish I'd saved more room! ... For previous Grand Buffet experiences, my son and I have deployed only our eyes; this time, we decided to try some of the fancy treats -- especially the cakes -- find a way to get in line early if you want to do the same. We arrived just as the picture-taking half-hour was ending, but still got close to the head of the starboard side of the line against the wall outside the restaurant. Besides the sweet treats, the elegant cold cuts and other tidbits (cheese-stuffed olive slices, etc.) stirred my nostalgia for the midnight buffets on my childhood cruises.

[B]ENTERTAINMENT[/B]
Didn't check out the production shows but we were greatly amused by the fabled seagoing comedian "Noodles" Levenstein. On night 4, you are truly primed to howl at the jokes about the stateroom shower curtain, the way it sounds when the dining-room waiters sing "Happy Birthday," etc., though I could do without the rest of his routine (intestinal humor, etc.). Because we'd enjoyed "Noodles" so much, we went to the variety extravaganza on the last night. He was outshone there by "aerial flyer" Will Wright, allegedly a former Cirque du Soleil'er (taste of things to come?). Vocalist Jordan Bennett and "showman" pianist/ex-Liberace protege Craig Dahn were forgettable. Outside the main showroom, Cova Café music from the Martini Quartet and special lounge appearances by the Celebrity Orchestra were our top tune picks.

[B]ACTIVITIES[/B]
Great staff. Wandered into trivia contests the last couple days, won one of them -- we got Celebrity garment bags! Helpful for that formal-night wear. Helen from Scotland was a lovely trivia hostess. On Cabo morning, my son and I were the only competitors at a "spelling bee" and took home a lovely steel pen; our "host" John from Canada was gracious and remembered my son each time we ran into him after that. Toward the end of the cruise, I trried bingo for the first time -- and won $92 splitting the consolation prize in the last game! One disappointment -- didn't see a culinary demonstration in the busy roster of activities. We were looking forward to at least seeing a rerun of the filet mignon demo from Infinity last summer and Century the previous spring. Oh well, another time. P.S. Religious services were offered by a Catholic priest, Protestant minister couple, and a rabbi who celebrated Sabbath as well as a Passover seder on the second night.

[B]SPA[/B]
My experience here was limited to the thalassotherapy pool. Wonderfully bubbly as always, but its temperature varied inexplicably -- warm on my first visit, hot the next time, lukewarm on the final morning but hotter later that night. Had it all to myself on Cabo morning, since we didn't go ashore till early afternoon. It was open each night till 11 -- not sure if that's a change or not -- would be nice if the spa personnel would keep the water carafes full till closing, though; all three nights I paid late visits, they weren't.

[B]KIDS' PROGRAM[/B]
The staff got a workout, as it seems our son was far from alone in having spring-break week before Easter. Reportedly more than 400 kids on board! They had eleven counselors, plus manager Macarena (who also ran the program on our previous cruise, Infinity in 8/03), and our participant reported a splendid time. The "Celebrity Science Journeys" sessions really made the trip for him -- one daily session focused on an aspect of kid-friendly science such as bugs, weather, oceanography. On Mercury during our week, these were led by a young American male counselor who took on the persona "Dr. Superfly," complete with white coat. On the last night of the cruise, frequent participants got a special certificate. Other activities included board games, crafts, and sports on deck. The youngest group (ShipMates, 3-6) spent most of its time in the Fun Factory, but my son's group (Cadets, 7-9) spent at least two-thirds of its time in the Palm Springs Café, outside of most dining hours. As usual, the "slumber party" 10 pm-1 am was free on both formal nights, $6/hour the other nights; my son reports that it's "free time" in the ballpit or at the PlayStations until about 11:30, when even the older kids are supposed to settle down and try something more closely resembling ... um ... slumber.


[B]PORTS[/B]
Monterey -- Aquarium is a mile away -- mostly flat -- but be ready for a good walk. And a good wallet-draining too -- aquarium admission is $20. (Although the "jellies as art" exhibit alone was almost worth that.) The abundant sea lions around the piers were a free bonus. And if you're not from a coastal city, you might enjoy the clam chowder and other sidewalk seafood along the touristy pier where the tenders dock.
Catalina -- Don't count on getting a glass-bottom boat at the pier -- we didn't prebook and everything was taken -- Carnival Ecstasy was there with us. The walk to the "casino" is pleasant, and its art-deco murals are an awesome sight.
Cabo -- If you haven't been here before (it was our first time), get up early enough to admire the stark cliffs just before the ship turns into the bay -- we caught these sights around 8 am, and also watched the sportfishing boats start to head out. On shore, walking to the beach is a bit of a haul -- but we made it to the closest edge of Medano Beach, with the help of a friendly Canadian tourist who pointed us that way after we had ducked into the Marina del Sol condos hotel off a side road past the Paraiso mall, drawn by a sign promising Internet access in a hotel foyer store. On the sand, it was a nice sunny, breezy day. But the water was colder than we expected! Not bad once you got used to it. Barely any waves, definitely safe for swimming, and parts of the water are roped/netted off so you won't be run over by boats! Peddler alert for the waterside walkways here. We were hit up by people selling whistles, jewelry, even the kids with chewing gum (which I remember from Mexican ports in my own childhood), every yard or so. I kept offering a polite "No thank you" ("no gracias" just didn't sound right). We weren't alone in this port either; Diamond Princess arrived and departed before us. By the time we went ashore in the early afternoon, their tender line to go back to the ship stretched for what looked like blocks! One challenge of a mega-ship, I suppose.
Tendering -- We chose not to try to get off the ship early in any port. We went down to the theater for tender tickets in late-mid-morning on Monterey & Catalina days -- not too bad of a wait. On Cabo day, we decided to enjoy a quiet ship and go ashore after lunch; by then, it was "open tender" time and almost instant boarding. Not much of a wait to go back at any port, either.
San Francisco notes -- If you stay in Union Square and are looking for breakfast coffee/pastries, rather than the everpopular nearby Starbucks, we recommend Il Caffe' Rulli, right on the square itself. Incredible brioche-based pastries, even mascarpone/fruit tarts, and a more classic continental coffee experience, with tables indoors and out (and a peek view of the cable cars running on nearby Powell Street).

[B]WEATHER/SEAS[/B]
Most days started off overcast, burning off to reveal the sun for the afternoon -- except for the last two sea days, when the clouds just refused to budge. A light jacket was helpful on those days and on day 1 (fog was rolling in by the time we sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge), but we also got ample chances to wear our short-sleeved shirts and shorts, too. Bottom line, if you take an SF-to-Mexico cruise, be prepared for two types of weather! We didn't get any storms, nor any big-time choppy seas, though a few bumpy spells toward the start and end of the cruise probably distressed the seasick-prone; not much chance of avoiding that in the open Pacific (my husband's GPS suggested that on part of the way back up from Cabo to SF, we were almost 100 miles off the coast!).

[B]WILDLIFE[/B]
Saw dolphins in the wake a few times, and had one good run of binocular-assisted whale-watching as well!

[B]OFFICERS[/B]
--Cruise director David Cole had that dorky "top-40 DJ wannabe" personality that some may enjoy but leaves us a bit cold. His appearances on the in-cabin TV with assistant CD Bill were embarrassing; he kept interrupting his sidekick. However, he may well be an exceptional manager, since his activities staff did such a great job!
--Captain Petridis displayed a nice dry sense of humor during his speechlets at the Gala Toast and the Captain's Club cocktail party. Got us there and back safely too, so two thumbs up there!

[B]CRUISE CRITIC PARTY[/B]
Disappointing turnout, barely a quarter of the 80-ish who had signed up. At least one participant in our pre-cruise roll-call thread reported never getting the invitation, so this might be a problem. But the timing still is less than optimal -- mid-morning on the first sea day -- same as the previous two we've attended. On this cruise, we had to set the clock ahead an hour the night before, which left night-owl kid and I sleeping in so late, we missed breakfast before the party (and the pastries at the party didn't look too appetizing). The crew presence wasn't much to write home about; cruise director Dave made a cameo at the beginning, filling out name tags and exhorting us to say hi to each other, then vanishing along with the social hostess (apparently they had a conflicting engagement). I would suggest a mid-afternoon event, for better timing. They do seem to be fine-tuning things -- our party invitation arrived with blank stick-on name tags and with cards on which to write name/e-mail address, ostensibly for handing out. I guess they don't quite get the fact that most of us are in contact online BEFORE the cruise and perfectly able to exchange e-mail addresses then, if necessary!

[B]CAPTAIN'S CLUB BENEFITS[/B]
Nothing seems to have changed here. We are Founder Classic members, FWIW. Got the usual packet of spa and casino coupons upon arrival, a small box of Cova chocolates a few nights later, the invite to the CC cocktail party on the second formal night. (Don't get there too late or you'll only make it through one round of complimentary drinks!) A special shout-out is due to onboard Captain's Club/future-cruise-sales rep Manuel (Belgium). We enjoyed our time with him while engaging in that popular cruising sport, booking-the-next-one-onboard.

[B]EMBARK/DISEMBARK[/B]
On embarkation day, we caught a cab from our SF hotel at Union Square (Grand Hyatt, $58 via Priceline) just before 11, and we were on board Mercury by 11:30 -- might have been sooner except for congestion on the street outside Pier 35, where some passengers from the previous week still hadn't finished clearing out. A little disappointed that the lunch buffet didn't open till 12:30. Staterooms were ready by 1, luggage arrived by 2, par for the course. On disembarkation day, the wait for immigration processing and then herding off the ship wasn't too bad -- our biggest trouble spot happened once we were outside the pier and I had to figure out where to find the "nearby" rent-a-car I'd reserved. Budget turned out to be in a hotel lobby more than half a mile away, where I waited 45 minutes in line at the small desk with just one employee on duty, while my guys sat outside Pier 35 and watched the crazy snarl of cabs, cars, and shuttles try to get close to our fellow ex-passengers. Hasn't this terminal been in business for a gazillion years? I saw the faded "Matson Lines" script on the gangway -- I think I may have walked across that same gangway while disembarking from Mariposa in 1967 -- you'd think they'd have the street traffic figured out by now.

[B]DEAR CELEBRITY - OUR IMPROVEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS[/B]
--Make sure the bulletin's available in the cabin at turndown time each night, even for early seating. Each of our previous three cruises, it was -- but on this cruise, it NEVER was -- finally it was slipped under our door somewhere between 9 and 10 pm -- not soon enough to start plotting the next day!
--PLEASE hose down the decks late at night when most people aren't outside. There was an inordinate amount of this going on, especially on the Promenade decks, right in the heart of the day, rendering some of my favorite public areas inaccessible. Even the deck outside our cabins (Penthouse aft) got morning hosings without enough time to dry before prime sit-outside-and-read dayparts.
--Keep the hot tubs in working order. The jets on one were broken for at least several days.
--Speaking of pools ... can we PLEASE talk about heating the outdoor swimming pools? I would love to go swimming onboard. The water is just too darn cold. On Mercury, the indoor Palm Springs Pool was tolerable enough to kids, at least -- and it became ground zero for many "poolside" events because of the brisk air outdoors -- funny to have sorbet handed out there while we all sat around in our long-sleeve T-shirts!
--Cova Café' service for after-dinner drinks didn't match up to the cool professionalism we experienced on Infinity and Century. Menus were missing one night, and when we asked the waitress for one, she teetered on the edge of rudeness.
--Someone will jeer me for this, but I hope no additional steps are taken toward making cell-phone service more accessible onboard. Thankfully we were far enough out to sea on the way back that phones didn't work. But for the first few days, the ringing and chattering, especially during otherwise enjoyable meal hours on the open aft deck behind Palm Springs Café/Pool/Grill, truly grated. I know some folks need to stay in touch with their businesses, but the vast majority of what happened in our vicinity sounded like "Guess what! We're on the boat!" chitter-chatter. Ah, for the days of postcards. We brought our phones, I won't deny -- never know when there's going to be an emergency-- but left them in the drawer till the end.

[B]CLOSING THOUGHTS[/B]
Nice relaxing palate-cleanser between winter and spring. Sounds like X is scrapping this itinerary for lack of interest -- our week, probably because of school breaks, was a capacity crowd, but someone told my husband the following week was scheduled to have fewer than 1K pax on board. Captain Petridis mentioned at the CC party that Infinity will make some sailings from SF in spring and late summer next year. Overall, we adored Mercury, especially its stargazing-oriented touches -- the revolving globe/constellation etching in the Grand Foyer, the "windows" in the stairwells, the "starlight" over the center of the Rialto Galleries shopping area -- and its predominance of royal blue in carpeting and upholstery. We'll be daydreaming on Fridays this summer when we drive by Pier 66 in downtown Seattle and see Mercury docked between its new roster of Seattle-Alaska cruises!

trc
4/14/04

[rbrighin]

What a terrific review, trc, thanks so much for taking the time to go into such detail about your cruise! I'm due to board the Mercury in 3 weeks, and your posting has made me even more excited than I was before! (I am in total agreement with you, by the way, about cell phone use -- it's way out of control, IMHO. I think its public use for extended periods needs regulation....put it on vibrate, for crying out loud!) Sorry for ranting....

[drk]

Nice balanced review. Brought back many memories of our week on the Mercury in "03. We really miss her here in Florida. Looking forward to our Alaska trip this summer on the Infinity.

Starward 03/91; Dreamward 04/94; Victory 04/01; Mercury 01/03; Imagination 05/03; Paradise 11/03; Legend 01/04; Infinity 07/04

[Lois R]

hi trc[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] nice review!! Enjoyed reading about the ship all over again [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Next up...HORIZON Sept 18th to Bermuda!

See My Century and Mercury Pictures at:
[url="http://community.webshots.com/user/lovescruising"]http://community.webshots.com/user/lovescruising[/url]

[trcori]

Thanks! I'm glad you have pix, Lois ... we suffered from "photo paralysis" ... the camera stayed in our bag all week, we were just too busy relaxing [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[gillianrose]

Isn't the indoor pool the "adults only" pool?

[gillianrose]

Lois, your new dress for formal night is absolutely gorgeous:

[url="http://community.webshots.com/photo/131202589/131929139IrwBOA"]http://community.webshots.com/photo/131202589/131929139IrwBOA[/url]

[trcori]

Gillianrose -- On Mercury, unlike its sister Century, there is an extra "indoor" pool on the same deck as the outdoor pools, not age-restricted (aside from the "don't go in with diapers" admonitions). Not to be confused with the thalassotherapy pool in the spa, which is also indoors, is at the front of the same deck, but IS indeed 'adults only' (and costs money to use unless you are a suite pax or top level of Captain's Club) ... trc

[Lois R]

Hi Gillian..thanks[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

trc...its funny, I didn't carry the camera around with me..just had my cabin attendant take photos after I dressed for dinner each night...and then some extras [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]. But I didn't go around the ship during the day and snap lots of photos.
Glad you enjoyed looking at them though [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Next up...HORIZON Sept 18th to Bermuda!

See My Century and Mercury Pictures at:
[url="http://community.webshots.com/user/lovescruising"]http://community.webshots.com/user/lovescruising[/url]

[sgrissom]

Trcori,
Thanks for a well wriiten and very informative review.
Sally

Galaxy 10/04
Galaxy 3/04
Summit 3/03
Spirit 3/02
Magic 8/00
Magic 8/99
Magic 8/98

[cruisebuoy]

Trcori:

Great and accurate summary....can't wait for the Infinity SF-SF Alaska sailings in 2005!

~ Cruisebuoy

[luv1another4ever]

Trcori,

Thanks for the review, I really enjoyed it. We will be on the Mercury at the end of May and can't wait.

Thanks Lois for the pics!

Shelly

[DsnysGr8t]

Thanks TR for your great trip report, it's so good I don't have to do one too!

BTW, we saw the culinary demonstrations, it was on Friday and they demonstrated shrimp scampi, fruit carvings and how to make decorative "sugar" ribbons.

One thing to note about the T-Pool, my Mom and younger Sister got a horrible alleric reaction to it! They went to the ships infirmary and the doctor made the spa refund them half their money!

Lisa

Carnival 4/00
Disney Wonder 8/00
Disney Wonder 11/01
Disney Wonder 4/02
Celebrity Mercury 4/04
Disney Magic 11/05

[trcori]

Oh, no, Lisa, we must have missed it in the fine print somewhere [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif[/img] but were there free drink samples? On Infinity last summer, they passed around wine AND martini samples during the filet mignon etc. demo and I think that's what I was REALLY looking forward to! Re: the T-pool, very good point, I am sure there are some people for whom it would not be pleasant -- the "mineral salts" or whatever they use in there ARE very strong -- and the best thing I ever heard about the T-pools was to at least bring along a worn-out bathing suit to just use there, since the fabric WILL fade etc. -- I had the perfect suit for that this time and I just tossed it on the last night instead of bringing it home.

[DsnysGr8t]

No drink samples at the culinary class. But we did go to the drink making class and they gave away 6 FULL-sized drinks including the last two in the Bon Voyage Orchid glasses!

L

Carnival 4/00
Disney Wonder 8/00
Disney Wonder 11/01
Disney Wonder 4/02
Celebrity Mercury 4/04
Disney Magic 11/05

[AZwriter]

Hi, TR and Lisa. Great trip report, TR! It's nice to read about the experiences of someone else who is on the same cruise.

I also attended the culinary demonstration that Lisa mentioned--it was just after the disembarkation talk in the Celebrity Theater.

We spent a lot of time at the art auctions in the afternoons, so unfortunately we missed a lot of the other fun lectures and demonstrations. I had never been to an art auction before, so I guess I was hooked.

We didn't see "Noodles" the comedian or the variety show, but we did make it to all three of the big production shows which we really enjoyed--the last one (Friday night?) was the best.

Joyce

[trcori]

Aha! Just reconsulted the bulletins we saved (I put them and some other cruise memorabilia in a big envelope after every cruise, just in case someday we or our son want to relive the memories ... wish my mom had saved more stuff from the cruises in my childhood!) ... I see the line ... CULINARY SPECTACULAR! Boy, as a fellow wordsmith, you've got to appreciate, they're beefing up their marketing language [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[gillianrose]

"On Mercury, unlike its sister Century, there is an extra "indoor" pool on the same deck as the outdoor pools, not age-restricted"

I wouldn't count the spa pool, for which there is a charge, as an "adults only" pool, more as an "adults only" fee area used by some.

I would prefer it if the aft covered pool, which is already very small, were designated for adults only.

[cruise2ak]

Great review. Thanks.

[carsiebee]

Thanks for your wonderful review. . .even giving your Pricline find at the Hyatt. . .I remember someone in the past on this board commenting about the Mercury being "noisy" due to the "pods" but it didn't seem to be a problem for you.

Thanks again!