Mercury In Need Of Upkeeping

[kitty9]

Just got an email from my sister, who's currently on board the Mercury in Alaska. She's an avowed Celebrity fan, having been on the Mille and Summit a few times previous to this cruise. She was really looking forward to trying out another "class" of Celebrity ships, but from what she has said, the Mercury is really in need of some upkeeping. She said that she has yet to have hot water in her bathroom (1029), and was told by both the butler and room stewardess that, "nothing is wrong with the water because no one has complained before". She said that she has been taking lukewarm showers because she cannot get any hot water in her room, even after letting it run for a few minutes before climbing in. The phone in the living room doesn't work and the one in the bedroom has malfunctioned---she asked to have the phones repaired, but they have yet to do anything about it. The lights in her suite are always blinking on and off, but no one comes to fix anything. She said that simple things like buttons to call the elevators on many different floors don't work and you have to walk around and find a call button that works, or else the elevator doesn't stop on your floor.

 

She also said that her butler, Savio, was the absolute worst she's ever experienced. I know that after the absolutely perfect butlers we've had on the Summit and Mille it's hard to top them (Ricky and Roderick to name two), Savio is really a very bad butler. He brought her breakfast, and instead of putting the food on the table and removing the tray, he just plopped the tray on the table and left--without saying a word. She never sees him, unlike the other butlers who are always around asking if we need anything. Her room stewardess, despite the fact that the Do Not Disturb sign was on the door, barged into the room one morning and said "I'm cleaning the room now" (the door wasn't double locked because the butler had just brought in breakfast). My sister told her to come back when the sign was off the door. But, she said her waiter and assistant waiter are fantastic, probably the best she's had on any ship.

[Tatka]

Wow... this is unfortunate... She should complain about bad service!!!

 

We were on Mercury exactly 1 month ago and service was impaccable! Our steward was even removing our sons roll-away bed every day on our request. He always respected "Do not disturb" sign even when we forgot to take it off from 8 am to 12 pm. He cleaned room when we went to lunch that day. My husband for whom it was the first X cruise was absolutely amazed how great service was. X even sent us champagne after I complained that our room had roll-away bed instead of bunk bed (It was my fault, as I didn't look at room configuration when booked this cruise and they found another room for us...but they still sent us "we are sorry" note with champagne).

 

I wonder if Mercury went thru major refurbiting recently as furniture in our room looked like it was brand new.:)

 

Again..sorry for your sister experience..advice her to complain and adjust tips accordingly!

[Lois R]

Hi Darcie, Oh dear, so sorry to hear about your sister's lack of service!:( and lack of heat in the showers!

 

I have to agree 110% with Tatka, I hope she goes as high up as possible and gets some satisfactory answers!!!!

[mahdnc]

Interestingly, here is a Mar 05 review (very brief) posted by someone who stayed in Mercury 1029:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=3319272#post3319272

[tuggers]

I, too, am sorry to hear of your sister's troubles. I would go to the Head Housekeeper about the 'structural' things that need fixing and the GR Desk and Chief Conceriege about the service. Then the Hotel Director if things were not taken care of.

[CruisingChick]

Wow, that's too bad. I was on Mercury the same time as Tatka. While we weren't in a suite, just a regular stateroom, we had PLENTY of hot water. So much hot water in fact that the comedian joked about it during his show.

 

I wonder what happened in 4 short weeks?

 

As for the service it was mostly wonderful. The dining room staff was outstanding. Our room steward was good, nothing exceptional but he did his job.

 

I am so sorry your sister had such a bad experience. She definetly needs to document everything and write to Celebrity.

 

Anne Maria

[tbelian]

I'm sure I'll get flamed,

 

But I prefer to get my information 'first person singular', particularly since other information about Mercury recently has been primarily good.

[Lois R]

Tbelian, normally I would agree with your assessment (about getting first hand information). And no flames from me.

 

But In this case, I think Darcie is very, very knowledgable and her experiences have been significant enough to give her sister's story the benefit of the doubt.

And if her sister is anything like Darcie, I would think it is true (sadly).

 

Hopefully we will find out more about everything upon her arrival back home.

[kitty9]

I don't think this can be considered a "bad" cruise but the better term would be disappointment. Our past X cruises on the M class ships have been so overwhelming and wonderful, that you want all of your experiences on Celebrity ships to reflect your previous ones. While I know that age is a major factor on how a ship looks, with the Mercury being built in 1997, she can hardly be considered old, but she seems to be showing wear and tear much more than other ships her age.

 

As for the service issues, we've been terribly spoiled by the likes of Roderick, Celestina and Ricky on the Summit, and I guess there's a hope that all the butlers and stewardesses are going to be the same (I know that's unfair but it's just a hope). For those who've never had the chance to know these three individuals and the amazing service they have provided, you cannot imagine how fantastic they are. I'm just wondering if the service issues with Savio and the room stewardess can be attributed to a couple of things. One, my sister said that the rooms in her area on the PH deck, are pretty empty. Since this will lessen the amount of money they will make on this cruise, I wonder if this plays a role in attitude. Second, since she's in a RS, could there be a negative perception of having a single woman in a room like this? They may be feeling that they're not going to get their usual tips when a single woman is occupying a large suite. I know that single women are unfairly judged by many in the service industry that they're terrible tippers. That's not the case with my family. If the service is good, the tip will be much above the recommended amount, but for some reason single women are unfairly judged as being worse tippers than men.

 

To tbelian, I have no reason to falsify anything of what my sister has told me, first hand, about this cruise. This is my sister, for heaven's sake, and I'm not telling this as "I heard this from a friend of a friend, of a friend of a former neighbor". We've been big supporters, and quite honestly cheerleaders, for X, and there's no personal negative agenda when it comes to Celebrity. This is just one person's experiences--from someone who has had a lot of positive previous experiences on X in the past

[Lois R]

hi Darcie:) they haven't met me either then;) I am with you, when the service is good, I tip well!

[tbelian]

To tbelian, I have no reason to falsify anything of what my sister has told me, first hand, about this cruise.

 

Ya know, just take a step back, and reread what I typed. I made absolutely NO statement that what your sister said was untrue, or false. Good grief, I can't even 'hint' at a difference of opinion without someone putting words in my mouth.

 

I pointed out that 'for me' (your mileage will vary), the best information I can get is first hand (in other words 'I' experienced it myself). This is how 'I' prefer to make my decisions. Everyone else is free to do their own thing.

 

If you want to address the issue head on, then fine, how do you account for the complete 180 degree difference in experience between what you have relayed here and what was pointed out by 'mahdnc'. Same room, same butler, two totally different descriptions? Based on THAT conflict alone, I will make my own decisions and not base it on what I read here.

[venicecruiser]

Kitty - I have no doubt that you are just sharing your sister's comments. Also, I know-from the Crystal board-that you and your sister have very much enjoyed your Celebrity cruises.

 

That being said, ANYONE who tells you that your sister must be wrong, because someone else had the same suite, same butler, same everything and said it was without problems should keep in mind that what they heard was from SOMEONE ELSE as well.........

 

I've sailed on a lot of lines, in a lot of different cabin types, and what I might describe as less than stellar, someone else might think is absolute perfection. Different people have different standards as well as different expectations....

 

 

Claudia

[tbelian]

That being said, ANYONE who tells you that your sister must be wrong, because someone else had the same suite, same butler, same everything and said it was without problems should keep in mind that what they heard was from SOMEONE ELSE as well.........

 

 

Please use the quote feature on one of my posts in this thread to show exactly WHERE I said anyone must be wrong!.. I did not say this, did not type it either. I asked 'how do you account for the two completely different perspectives', and I said that I would prefer to make my own decisions.

 

You will not be able to find where I told anyone they were wrong in this thread.

[jezzdogg]

We just came off the Mercury 2 weeks ago....different Cabin...(ours was a CC...1099) and the service had to be some of the best we have had on any ship. I would go down to the customer relations desk and ask for the hotel director.....We did have a problem with the lights in the bathroom and they came 3 times until the finally were able to correct the problem.....other than that our steward Antonio and his assistant were great and our waiter David I want to take with me on every cruise.

[venicecruiser]

tbelian - You might not have said it, but in my opinion the inference was clearly there............

 

And by the way, I did not use the quote feature as I knew that anyone reading this thread would know what I was referring to.

 

Claudia

[geoherb]

Jezzdogg: Our cabin steward on the Century was Antonio. I wonder if yours is the same. Our Antonio was from India.

 

If the two of us are in the cabin, we always keep the double lock on the door. If I had a cabin to myself, I'd do the same. I don't want anyone barging in on me. And sometimes a gentle knock on the door isn't enough notice.

[Bill HaHa]

We were on the Mercury to Panama canal cruise in Oct. 2002....We found it to be a wonderful cruise, lots of hot water, good food and enertainment. All in all, a great cruise.

[Karynanne]

We just got off the Mercury last Sunday, and this was our 4th time on this ship. We felt that the service was the very best we've had on Celebrity.

 

Even in the very best hotels, sometimes things happen...no hot water, spotty maid service.

 

I agree, report it to those in charge.

 

Karyn

[mahdnc]

Gee, maybe I need to stay on the other boards and leave the X cheerleaders who only seem to agree with positive statements. This whole thing has become very unnerving.

 

No, Darcie. We want to hear the bad and the good--whether it is a first or a second hand account. That is what this board is for. So please keep us posted on your sister's experiences if she continues to email you. Hopefully it improves.

[Cruisin Rick]

We were on the Mercury a couple of months ago. I was also reading reviews about the sad state of repair the Mercury was in. I was actually suprised to find it in as great of shape as it was. Of course it all depends on your cabin and attendants I guess. Ours were great and we had a good time.

My only complaint is getting ripped off on the Cruise Video. We ordered and paid for it. Then we were told the master copy was lost and nobody got one. They claimed I would get a refund in the mail.... ( your check is in the mail... yeah, right! lol)

 

 

No check, no cruise video. Just empty words.

[Lois R]

Hi Darcie,:) I agree with mahdnc, your postings are informative and are always welcomed.

Please don't let one rude poster chase you away.

[Amagamma]

We just got off the Mercury on the 15th, and was in cabin 1046, the same hallway as 1029, and we had plenty of hot water. So much so that I always had to turn it down so I wouldn't get burned. Can't say much about the butler, but our Cabin attendant and asst. were great.

Did not have one problem with an elevator button.

We thought the service was the best ever, the food was fantastic, and didn't find a single thing to complain about.

Mercury is our favorite ship, and didn't disappoint us in anyway.

[catmand]

I don't mean any disrespect here since the consensus seems to say the op is a knowledgeable, informative poster. I would like to know though why it is when an honest question and/or comment is made about a negative post the "x cheerleaders" or the "some people only want to hear positive things" or the "you will get slammed on the x board if you write something negative" remarks flow?

All posts are not going to be positive and I do feel bad for anyone that is having a bad time. I do have some comments however and I think I should be able to make them without a backlash.

One problem is described as the way the butler served the breakfast tray. It was "plopped" down and he just left. Maybe there are folks who want it that way, just set it here and go? You say tomato and I say tomatoe. There is a link to a post that writes their butler was terrific. So service, like so many other things is subjective, Maybe your sister has a higher expectation of what her butler service should be and if that is not met why should it just be taken for granted the service is bad?

There is also a reference to the cabin steward "barging" in the room and stating "I'm cleaning the room now!" Honestly, has anyone EVER had a service employee say something like that to them? Perhaps this was just a matter of miscommunication? Is that possible. Now, I don't think my comments are out of line and I certainly am not attacking the original post. I just don't think negative comments need to be taken at face value because so many of these situations ultimately end up just being the expectation of the poster and/or their perception of the situation.

[kitty9]

catmand, no your comments aren't out of line. The room stewardess came into the room with the Do Not Disturb sign on the door. Doesn't that mean that the stewardess should not come into the room? How would any of you feel if the same thing had happened to you, and say, you and your wife were "busy" and the room steward(ess) came into the room, even though the Do Not Disturb sign was on the door? And the door wasn't double locked because the butler had just delivered breakfast.

[catmand]

Hi Lois, yes I did read all of the posts here. I don't think ANYONE should be attacking ANYONE, period. If that poster read between the lines and surmised something, THAT should be kept off the boards and to himself.

............. ..........and to Darcie, if AkaWanda and I had the sign on our door and the room steward walked in on us?...............I promise you he/she would be very very sorry they had to see something like that and we would be lucky if we ever saw them again..:D

I don't know, maybe she didn't notice it, maybe it fell on the floor, maybe she just didn't care. If she did come in and disturb your sis, she should have been asked to leave and come back later and she should have.