Live from the decks of the mercury b2b 3/8/10 & 3/19/10

[donnaw]

it is time to be done sulking! I love family but they sure do mess up plans at times. We will be with you in spirit and at least we'll get to read about what we are missing (yes, he will require that I read it to him)!

 

Terri and JoAn, behave yourselves! Long naps required and don't forget to have a tini for me. Cute little chubby guy isn't allowed to have them any more so I'll take his too!

Wishing you the best cruise ever (well, without us that is)!

[CruisingChick]

Hi Gail thanks for posting. Please keep us up to date on norovirus. I'm sure with you on board you will have Mercury in top shape when we board on March 29th!!! - ONLY 3 weeks from today!!

[bambam2972]

Subscribed!!

 

I'm really looking forward to your live report! We also board on March 29, and I can't wait.

 

Thank you for taking the time to check in with us. :)

[PatC]

Hi Gail and company

 

Take good care of our ship and have it ready for us all on 3/29.

 

We're all looking forward to your posts live. If you happen to run across a waiter and his name is Winston from Jamaica (he loves the Martini Bar crowd) let me know. He was great on Connie and said he might be on Mercury this time around.

 

I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time. We're also interested to know how the select dining is making out and if they've improved the system any since it was instituted.

 

Have a wonderful cruise and enjoy the warm weather.

 

Pat C

[cruzeluver]

Another from the 03/29 cruise anxiously awaiting your updates. Have a wonderful cruise!!

[Amber14]

I'm another from the Mar. 29 crowd (boy, are we an excited bunch or what?). I will be reading each day with excitement and anticipation.

 

Could you please find out about the band "Fusion" (I think that's the name) to see if they are still there and plan on still being on board on for us on the 29th? Thanks and have an awesome cruise!

[cruisebunny32]

I just had to join in! Can't wait to hear how things are going!!! You always do a great job.

 

Alisia

[Germancruiser]

Have a great cruise and please say hello to JoAn, we met at an Alaska Cruise some 5 years ago on board Summit! These were the years when the M- Class still suffered from Pod- Problems.

Michael

[stinsowm]

Hi Gail/Terri!

 

Hope you both have a wonderful trip. Definitely looking forward to your amazing detailed review.

 

Walter

[philnpen]

What time did the Mercury get under way?

[Cindy G]

Have a terrific cruise Tuggers and Company. I'll be reading your posts and reliving the fond memories of the Mercury and our cruise last Oct/Nov. I wish we could join you in the Elite Lounge..say around 5PM?

 

Bon Voyage.

[Jimmycee]

Have a great time and we look forward to your posts!

 

Jim & Joyce

[Trixsea]

Bon Voyage, ladies!! You all have earned this one!!!:)

[StevefromOhio]

Earth to Gail!

Come in Gail!

 

How is the trip going so far.

See you on the 19th

 

 

Steve

[tomatopa]

We are just home from our trip to Boston...the eather co-operated and we had a great time....Such a good visit we had with our friends that we met on the Grandeur a year and a half ago.....that was an 11 night cruise and we all felt when we got together it was night number 12...they were are dinner mates.....

 

Wish we could have joined you all on this cruise...along with donna and Joe....

 

I know you will have a wonderful time together...so praying for no NORO and no sickness....

 

Love you all, Judy

[CruisingChick]

Still dying to know about noro. The reports from the 2/26-3/8 cruise were not so good.

 

Here's a link to the CDC report:

 

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/outbreak/2010/march08mercury.htm

 

Really would like to know what the CDC found out when they boarded on March 8th.

 

Hopefully Gail and none of her crew will get sick. I really hope they knock this thing out!!

 

Anne Maria

[bambam2972]

*drumming fingers*

 

I want to hear how your cruise is going! :p

[Ships R Great]

Hi,Gail. Hope you were able to board without incident. Please say hello to Juliana for me. She is a really good CC hostess. And try to get Ansal (only very tall, thin guy) or Roxanne (only gal with a thick braid or sometimes bun) to bring you drinks in the PM Elitle Lounge. They are very, very good. And could you tell Ketuk, in the AM lounge that "Momma" says hello. Stay away from the Noro, all of you. Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands, etc. Use sanitizer every time it is offered or available. That should keep you safe. Did you know the new secret Celebrity sign is the wringing of hands? Give my best to Joan. Tell her my knees sympathize with hers. Have a wonderful time! Looking forward to your reports.

[tuggers]

Mercury 3/8 & 3/19/2010

Getting There. Valdosta to Charleston

We were pretty much on schedule leaving. Roger and I went to church, picked up Cil, stopped at Wendy’s for a quick lunch and were on the road by 1:30.

I had map quested the route and it showed 288 miles, 5 hours. This trip was off the most of anything I have ever used map quest for. It turned out to be 325 miles. We still made it to town by 6 and had directions to our hotel using Meeting Street.

As they say, that’s where the trouble began! J Going down Meeting Street, about four blocks from where we thought our turn to go over the bridge to Mt Pleasant would be, we began to be passed by emergency vehicles. First two, then three more, then two more. By this time we are in sight of our turn. Then they closed the street! In the end there were 6 fire trucks and 2 emergency vehicles blocking the street. Well, that’s okay I can just turn left, then right and go a few blocks, turn back right and I will have gone around the block and missed the hubbub. No such luck. The street was closed past out turn. So we rode around, called the hotel, called the hotel again, and again. Finally got there at 7. That half hour wore us out more than the whole trip. BTW, we never did find out what was going on. Some locals told us they had evacuated a hospital due to a threat.

We hooked up with Terri who was also tired and decided to send out for dinner. The desk recommended Sticky Fingers because they were close and would deliver quickly. We ordered a family dinner with a whole smoked chicken, a pound of pulled pork, beans, slaw, buns and a bottle of barbeque sauce. All that for $25. And either it was very good or we were all very tired.

Our rooms were great. I had the king ‘suite’ which just means it has a couch. It also had a wall of built in desk and shelves. The desk table pulled out and rolled so we put that in front of the couch, pulled the chairs up and we had a place to eat.

We stayed at Hampton Inn, Mount Pleasant/Patriots Point. It was a nice hotel with updated bedding. The only down side was that Terri and I had paid extra for a package on the Internet which included parking, shuttle to the ship (but not from) and a Carriage Ride for 2. All these things were spelled out in there online listing. The hotel claimed to know nothing about it. We did get the parking (no problem with that) and the Carriage Ride (after a struggle) but no shuttle.

We arranged for a van to carry 4 people and 8 pieces of luggage for 11 AM. At 11:35 a man arrived in another cab/van saying he was to take us. The original cab company was ‘Every’ something. This one was ‘Sommer Creek’. We had been quoted $15 including our luggage but this man charged us $21 saying the $15 only included 6 pieces of luggage. Whatever. At least we were on our way.

Dropping the luggage was very disorganized. But I think the problem was more with the police and cabs. Police did not seem to know where to send us and the cab companies had not checked things out beforehand. We did get the luggage to the proper place by about 12:15. From there he drove us a few blocks to a waiting bus that took us to the Performing Arts Center. After leaving the bus and shown to the check in area it took maybe 5 minutes to be checked in and escorted to a very large room set with tables for eight.

We were provided a lunch with tuna salad, chicken salad and/or pimento cheese sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies and water or sodas. I have been told that people arriving at 3:30 were not able to get food but up until that time it was plentiful.

At 3:50 we started boarding buses: Suites, Concierge and then by number. There was no consideration given to Elite which caused some talk. Our party was on the second bus after the special buses.

Once at the pier we had to go through the scanners and get our pictures taken for the seapass card and then it was onto the ship. Even though it was 4:30 our cabins were not ready. Around 4:45 they announced we could leave our carry luggage in our cabins but they were still not available. It was 5:30 before we had full access

As we boarded the ship we were given a card specifying the time of our dinner for that night. Our time was 6 to 7 and it was open seating. Standard first night menu with Prime Rib. I’m sure you are all familiar with this menu so I won’t list it.

Salt and pepper as well as bread and butter were all served to us. Nothing was on the dinner table.

In my opinion, even though there was some grumbling, X did an admirable job handling the day. I have spent much worse days in terminal buildings. This experience was way above most of those. There was even some sort of movie playing in one room. Most of all, the staff at the building were cheerful and polite. I give X a big thumbs up for treating us so well!

The only minor glitch I had in the day was when I went to talk to Zafer about having Mario for our waiter. He just flatly refused and, I thought, he was definitely talking down to me, using a very condescending tone. It would have been better if he had displayed some empathy. But this does not seem to be his style. I found him very un-Celebrity like.

After dinner we were all too tired to do much other than return to our cabins and make it an early night. Tomorrow we will be more rested.

Bye For Now!

[tuggers]

For those of you who called X and were told everything was normal for embarking, you can read my post and see that we indeed did have to drop off luggage, be bussed to Performing Arts Center, etc. Like I've always said, their info is worth what you pay for it! :D

[tuggers]

Mercury Day Two 3/8 & 3/19/10 Sea Day

Weather is breezy and cool. Some people are up by the pool but most of those are wrapped up in towels! Not a day I am going to try to get a tan.

Today we headed up to the Concierge Lounge at 9. Breakfast hours are 8 to 10. They serve coffee, cappuccino, juice, yogurt, fruit and pastries including the Almond and Chocolate Croissants from the Cova. We lingered over coffee and decided that we were still too tired to do a lot. Hey, getting old sucks but at least it sucks less on a cruise! J

Read some, napped some, walked around the ship greeting old friends who are passengers or crew.

There was a problem with the CC party in that it was booked for 10:15 in the Pavilion and they had booked a lecture at 10:30. Same venue. They called all the CC’ers and rescheduled our party for 2 in Michaels Club. As you can imagine this cut down on our attendance. However the 15 or so people who were there enjoyed themselves.

We seem to be coming off the code red status bit by bit. Lunch in the MDR had salt and pepper shakers on the table but they were still serving bread. And the library is still closed.

We had lunch in the dining room. I had Shrimp Scampi with pasta which was very good.

Terri and I sort of bummed around for the afternoon while everyone else did their own thing.

We all met in the Concierge Lounge for drinks from 4 to 6. Not too many people using the Lounge this trip. Maybe by the end of the cruise more people will have found it. No canapés right now (due to the code red). Roxanne is still serving and she is still our favorite! When we were on in November she was brand new. Now she has settled in and is very much in control of her duties.

When the Lounge closes at 6 its time for me to come take a nap! Tonight is formal night so it will be a short nap. Tonight is also the Captain’s Table so it will take a little longer to get ready!J Captain Kostas Patsoulas has captained other ships I’ve been on and he’s funny and down to earth. I am looking forward to this dinner very much!

I took a little look see into the casino. Ended up playing slots for a short time. Put $10 in, played for a while and when it got back to $10 I cashed out and left. So far I’m doing good! By that I mean I haven’t lost anything. Yet!

Nice people at the Captain’s Table. Nine of us plus the Captain. Some of these dinners can be a real snooze, but this one was lively and interesting. The Captain welcomed all questions and we had been told no subject was off limits. For once no one asked any inappropriate ones. The two hours seemed to fly by and before we knew it, Julianna was there to get the Captain. We did sit around after he left and talked a while which is always an indication of a good table.

Tomorrow maybe I will finally be caught up on my sleep! Right now I’m still very tired.

Note to home: Kathy if you are reading this, please hug my babies!!

BTW, I had a call from Zafer. We will have Mario for our waiter. I had mentioned it to a few people so I don’t know who got it done but to who ever did, I send a heartfelt ‘Thank You’!

Bye For Now!

[tuggers]

Don't have a lot of time right now. Roger is tapping his foot. We are in San Juan and the Internet place we've used for so long (right across from ship) is closed, maybe for good. I am in starbucks near Marshall's. Bought a HUGE dog treat jar, but, hey we're driving!

Will find out about Fusion, they are still here now. Will give hello's to all. Ships, you named our two faves in the CL. Roxanne is taking care of us the last couple days. She's wonderful!

Will catch up. I was just really tired for the first couple of days.

Have heard of no noro but we've had a star code every day we've been on. Today they took someone off on a stretcher. I guess one of the star codes. Just don't think its noro or we would be seeing more signs of it.

Things are slowly getting back to normal. We've had salt and pepper on tables at lunch, got a robe in my room today, etc. I think this cruise is going to be fine.

Weather has been windy and today is misty but better than the awful heat we usually get here.

Back to the ship for those free cocktails!

Bye For Now!

[PatC]

Hi Gail

 

Thanks so much for the update. We board on 3/29 and are hoping that things have gotten pretty much back to normal by then.

 

We've been on "bleach" cruises before so we know what to expect if that's till the case at the end of the month.

 

Rest up, have a wonderful trip and we look forward to reading more updates as you find the time to post.

 

Pat C

[CruisingChick]

Gail, thank goodness you posted. We were all getting so worried about you and your gang. I'm so happy that you are safely on the ship and cruising away.

 

We had a trip on Constellation where all the waiters/assistant waiters had to get us everything. Nothing was left on the tables. I felt so bad for them as they were killing themselves. When people complained I reminded them they are doing this so no one gets sick. You don't want to get sick do you?

 

Who is the cruise director?

 

Anne Maria

[philnpen]

Gail,

Glad everything is getting back to 'normal'. See you the end of next week for our cruise on the 19th.

 

Phil