GALAXY & Sister Ships - Vibration Problems?

[Fedora]

I kept reading on another cruise-specific website that the GALAXY and her sister ships have vibration problems. This is too bad as I'm planning a first cruise for an organization of which I'm a member and one of the women has a serious inner ear problem. I was looking at the GALAXY cruise out of Galveston for several reasons --- middle of the country so easy for all to get there; reasonable length of cruise for those first-timers in the group; Panama Canal of interest to many folks; good food, and a number of full days in port.

 

Now I'm reading about vibration problems. I realize you can't please everyone. And I've cruised a lot so it would not bother me. But this one woman really wants to take the cruise and we've all told her about these new stabilizers making ships much easier for people with inner ear problems, etc. I would then hate to put her on a cruise where there is already a known problem.

 

If any of you have cruised on these ships recently and can shed light on the subject, I'd be ever so grateful. Obviously there are other cruiselines, but this one seems the best for several reasons.

 

This cruise would be late next year, so I still have time to plan. Thanks.

[lougee1043]

got off the galaxy on april 2 after a 12 day sail and i never felt a vibration except when we were leaving a port dock and the engine was not going forward but astern

[excitedofharpenden]

Fedora, having been on Mercury and Galaxy I can say that the only place I have heard vibration is in the dining room. It was quite local. If you are on the lower level toward aft it is more noticeable than on the upper level further forward. It's worse when the ship is going slowly (for instance if it doesn't have too far to travel to the next port). It thundered on Mercury travelling from Key West to Miami when we were sat just in front of the Captains table which runs along the back of the lower level dining room. I have to say that it didn't bother us though.

 

I've never noticed it in the cabin, save for the thrusters that are used in port but we have always been high up on the ships.

 

If you are worried about vibration for your friend, then I would advise avoiding the very aft cabins on the Continental deck. Try for something midships a bit higher and go straight to the dining room when you board to see where you are sitting. I don't think you will have an issue if you do this.

 

Phil

[chessbriar]

The vibration you feel is as the ship is gearing up to leave port or docking. You really on feel it in the back of the ship. I have felt the same vibration on the backs of other ships as well.

 

You tend to feel it less on the larger ships.

[tbelian]

Obviously there are other cruiselines, but this one seems the best for several reasons.

 

Yes, there are, but the mechanics are basically the same, trying to move a big thing around in water. Specifically, a cruise ship. That's the nature of the mode of transportation.

 

Century, and Mercury, both in the same ship class as Galaxy, did not have vibration issues when we sailed those two.

[garykool81]

This is a totally bogus, highly-exagerated complaint made, IMO, by people who have not sailed on enough cruise ships to realize what is normal and what is not.

 

When you are eating in a dining room that is directly above two massive props spinning with enough force to move a 75,000 ton vessel at a speed of 18 knots, one can only expect that there will be a slight vibration.

 

:-)

[tbelian]

This is a totally bogus, highly-exagerated complaint made, IMO, by people who have not sailed on enough cruise ships to realize what is normal and what is not.

 

 

Well, I gotta hand it to you, political 'correctness' aside, you couldn't have said it better. Exactly what I was thinking... DUH!...

 

A cruise ship is a BIG thing, they are trying to move it, it takes a lot of horsepower!, what else can you conclude other than some noise and vibration!

[dgg4]

I too am just off the Galaxy with lougee.....I can say that on three occassions there was considerable vibration in the dining room. Two times when leaving port (as lougee said) and we were going in reverse. The third time was when we seemed to slow down considerably while sailing, so again we were probably going in reverse.

 

Our room was on the Continental deck, midship and we felt no vibration there at all.:D

[reggierail]

This is a totally bogus, highly-exagerated complaint made, IMO, by people who have not sailed on enough cruise ships to realize what is normal and what is not.

 

 

I've sailed on the Mercury twice and both times sailed from SF. The vibration complaint is not bogus but may be exagerated to some extent. The only time I felt any vibration that could be considered outside the range of normal would have been when the ship was reversing away from the dock in SF. It was possibly increased by the use of thrusters to turn the ship as she was reversing.

I have sailed enough ships to know what's normal and what is not. I asked several officers about the vibration on the Mercury and was told that although the vibration was extreme it was normal during maneuvers requiring reverse power and thrusters. Anyone who has sailed from SF on the Mercury that can say the vibration isn't severe just hasn't been there. I was on the aft deck area on deck 11 and it was very noticable, for example glasses and plates on tables shaking to the point of falling off the tables. Fortunately this was the only time this severe vibration was felt.

 

Reggie:D

[garykool81]

The vibration complaint is not bogus but may be exagerated to some extent. The only time I felt any vibration that could be considered outside the range of normal would have been when the ship was reversing away from the dock in SF. It was possibly increased by the use of thrusters to turn the ship as she was reversing.

I have sailed enough ships to know what's normal and what is not. I asked several officers about the vibration on the Mercury and was told that although the vibration was extreme it was normal during maneuvers requiring reverse power and thrusters. Anyone who has sailed from SF on the Mercury that can say the vibration isn't severe just hasn't been there. I was on the aft deck area on deck 11 and it was very noticable, for example glasses and plates on tables shaking to the point of falling off the tables. Fortunately this was the only time this severe vibration was felt.

 

 

By using the word "bogus," I do not intend to imply that anyone is lying or that there is no vibration at all. On the other hand, I too have sailed on plenty of ships to realize that ANY vessel with an aft dining area will experience significant vibration when local thrusters are being used or the engines are reversed. Again, this is quite normal and not out of the ordinary.

 

My point was that I think we'll find that those who complain most frequently about vibrations on any ships are those who have sailed few and far between on other vessels :-)

[raudacruise]

We like the vibrations. Usually costs a quarter ;), Also a nice wakeup call when entering a port.

 

You sort of have to look at like this. Cruise ships like airplanes have takeoffs and landings. Things are little shaky then. Once in the air or out to sea things get better.

 

Pick one, would you rather be on an airplane or cruiseship after "takeoff"?