Back from Mercury 10/8 sailing (cut short)

[badney]

Let me first start my review by saying "Don't take a Pacific Northwest cruise in October and expect smooth sailing!" I took my mother, sister and 10 month old daughter with me on this five night cruise, and unfortunately we only experienced three nights. We hopped off yesterday in Naniamo because my mother and sister were severely seasick. Never in our lives have we been so sick.

 

Arrival: The four of us drove up to Seattle from Portland (3 hour drive) and arrived at the dock at 11:30. We parked in the Bell Street Parking Garage and the porters greeted us in the garage to take our luggage - very nice! We walked across the skybridge to the pier and were on the ship before noon - very nice! We had lunch in the Palm Springs Cafe and enjoyed our view of Seattle. Walked to Pike St. Market and bought flowers for our rooms

 

Rooms: We booked two oceanview guarantee rooms and were delighted to get deluxe oceanview rooms next to each other on the Panorama deck. We were at the front of the boat and now know NEVER to book another forward room! The rooms were nice, but in definite need of updating. The window in my room needed some serious cleaning on the outside, as it was all covered in seaspray and the salt made it look very dirty and hard to see out of. The bedspread, chair and couch all had stains on them; the stain on the chair was actually caked on food of some sort and flaked off when I tried cleaning it myself. The closet space was decent, but I guess I have been spoiled by the closet space on the Radiance. The bathroom was nice and clean, which is a good sign! Our stateroom attendant, Manuel, was nice enough, but I got the feeling he was at the end of his six month stint and didn't care as much as he should have. There was no crib in my room, even though it was requested, and when I asked for it, he said I should try the pullout couch instead. I agreed, but said if it didn't work out that night we would need the crib the next morning. When we got back from dinner, my bed was turn downed, but the couch was still intact. I had to track Manuel down to have him make it up. He seemed upset I asked him. For the remainder of our trip he was very standoffish with us and I got the feeling he didn't like us! (And for those of you who think it could be because of my daughter - think again! She was a perfect cruiser and never fussed or kept anyone up at night. I wager to guess she was the only one who slept all night those first two nights!) Not that I expected special little things in our rooms, but there was nothing - not even a towel animal for my daughter! Disappointed.

 

Dining: We had breakfast in the Palm Springs Cafe once and it was ok. We were too late for the omelette or waffle bar, so it was probably our fault. Ordered room service often (too sick most times to go down for meals) and I have had better food. Chicken noodle soup was very good, as were the Saltine crackers! But, the rest we could have done without, especially the scrambled eggs - it looked and tasted like yellow paste - very bad! BUT, the shining star of the whole cruise was dinner and our waitstaff! We were at the main seating at table 517. Our server Cingez was perfect! As stated previously, the whole staff loved my daughter and it was so fun for her, which in turn made it fun for the rest of us. They swept her up one night and carried her around to other tables and showed her off - her smiling and laughing the whole time. They made sure she had her "special dinner" (pureed meet and veggies) and just pampered her! We loved it! The food was good, but again, like other posters, not the five star I expected. The two dinners we attended were definitely the highlights of our cruise!

 

The Trip: Worst vacation I have ever been on! Saturday, the day we left, was good right up till bedtime. We hit rough seas and I kept telling my mom and sister, it will get better....it never did. I had to convince myself the ship wasn't going to shake apart. It was like riding a roller coaster in the middle of an earthquake. We were so thankful when we pulled into Astoria on Sunday and were able to set foot on land! We spent the day shopping and walking around and breathing fresh air! Unfortunately we had to set sail that night and go back up the coast towards Vancouver Island. It was even worse that night than the previous. All through the night you would hear strange thuds and wonder if that was someone falling down or falling out of bed. My beautiful flowers we purchased at the market fell over and the water sloshed all over everything that was on the vanity. I could hear my mom and sister and the guests to the other side of us all night long in the bathrooms. My daughter, bless her heart, slept the whole time and was not sick at all. Monday, our day at sea, was mainly spent in our rooms or in the hospital (my mom and sister were hooked up to iv's) I did take a quick walk down to the conceirge to arrange our disembarkment, and NO ONE looked good, not even the staff. Several reported to me they were sick too. There were (empty) barf bags on all chairs and couches in the public areas and by the ashtray/garbage cans by all the elevators. I found several spots on the carpets that were being treated (can only assume what happened) and the two hallways I went down smelled foul. According to the itinerary, we were supposed to be cruising the Inside Passage on that day, but we didn't even get to the northern tip of Vancouver Island till 5pm. Not sure if it was because of the rough seas, but we were highly disappointed we didn't get to see more than half an hour of the passage before it got too dark. I heard several guests make the same complaint. By evening time, the waters had gotten better and it was smooth sailing, but my poor mom and sister and had enough. We ordered room service, packed our bags and said our goodbyes. We disembarked Tuesday morning in Naniamo. Took a ferry to Vancouver and drove a rental car to Seattle. It was so good to sleep in my own bed last night, but unfortunately we are still feeling the rocking sensation and my sister is still a little green today.

 

All in all, I am sure the Mercury is a fine ship and had it been a different situation, I am sure we would have all enjoyed ourselves. Will I cruise again? DEFINITELY! Will my mom and sister - NEVER! Will I cruise Celebrity again? Maybe. It would be interesting to see the Mercury again after her drydock. I was disheartened by our room attendant and our room in general, by the quality of food in the buffet and by cruising the Inside Passage at night. Not sure how much of that is Celebrity's fault or my own, but I feel like my next cruise will be back on the Radiance or one of her sister ships.

[Blazerboy]

Doesn't sound as though if the bad stuff was improved- room, buffet food, room attendant- it would have made your experience that much better.:( Travel on the water always has its risks, and you got 'em. Sorry about your mother and sister having such a bad time.

 

But I just wanted to post and say that, for as bad a total experience as it was for you, your post was balanced with good points and bad points, and acknowledgment that some things may have been out of Celebrity's control. Thanks for being balanced, and hope that you have better luck on your next cruise.

 

We were on a six day on the Infinity a little over a month ago doing a similar cruise, and it was perfect weather.:rolleyes: Luck of the draw I guess.

 

Andrew

[Lifes2short]

Brenda,

Sorry to hear about your trip. We just got off the "Mercury" 9/24 and had rough seas, one day. Not as bad as yours. We too were late getting to the inside passage. What little we did see was "stunning."

Maybe, in time your mom/sister will consider a "Caribbean" cruise (after hurricane season)they have some of the "calmest seas."

Glad you made it back OK and hope any future cruises will make-up for this one.

[catmand]

WOW........................That is one lousy story. I don't know what to say. We all know that we may have to deal with rough seas and some of us handle it better than others. We sailed Mercury over 3.000 miles up and down the coast and never had much more then a few whoopees. Of course our experience does nothing to negate yours.

I would guess when you are not feeling well nothing is going to be much fun. It sounds like this may have been your sisters and moms first cruise? That is a shame, too bad they had such a bad first and it sounds like only experience.

Just to add, we have sailed now over 7,000 miles with Celebrity with nary a problem, so sorry your experience was so bad.

[hcat]

Sorry to hear you had a bad trip. Hope better cruising days are ahead for you. We were on the 9/24 Mercury trip (Hi lifes2short!) Had a great time.

Check in at Seattle was easy as 1 2 3. Got to our conceirge class midship cabin right away! Had great views of Seattle & Mt Ranier at the sailaway whihc we shared with friends from the cc board.

Food during the trip was good to excellent & weather held for most of the trip. Our cabin was spotless as was most of what we observed on the ship--cabin was however a bit worn..a cracked sink(visual not impaiiring its use) ,, inoperative sofa bed that was uncomfy to sit on & worn bedspreads--but that was really the only negative about that...Service was great, staff very friendly. Met great people on board & from our cc group & just had a lovely time. Not much night life, but we were still catching up to West Coast time.

The one rough day at sea was because we were supposed to do the INSIDE passage but got switched to Astoria making the trip go around Vancouver Isl on the Pacific side instead..nevertheless what we did see was really awesome.We found Astoria not really ready to be a port but did walk around & also took the streetcar to nowhere! Loved Nainamo--took a taxi tour & went into stores--what a beautiful, clean & welcoming city! So far from the hub bub of big city life! Enjoyed Victoria--esp after the early am fog lifted. Did a tour that went to Buchart gardens & a winery--hope to return someday to enjoy more of the city itself.

I guess each trip is different & considering your bad experience we are very lucky--the weather held for us. We book way ahead to get an exact midships cabin--but the rest is just luck. Hope you will try again--the E. Carib in the spring is usually a good choice...book early for the stable room!

[Leela]

Oh no, I feel so bad for all the seasick people! That is so *not* what you want someone's introduction to cruising to be like!

 

Hubby and I did the 4-nighter the week before last on Mercury on 9/29-10/03, and we had some scattered rain showers but beautiful smooth sailing on the Inside Passage the whole time. Seems like we were lucky and were in a good window between two rougher trips.

 

Good luck on the next trip -- perhaps you could tempt back your mother and sister by sailing an itinerary with a reputation for calmness on a larger ship, with more centrally located cabins? Well, give them some time to get over it -- if they get to the point where they can laugh about it all, then maybe you'll have a chance.

 

Oh, one last thing: the worst part about getting seasick is that once you have it bad on a trip, it's hard to get over it. Getting off in Nanaimo was probably the best thing you could have done for them at that point.

[Lifes2short]

Sorry to hear you had a bad trip. Hope better cruising days are ahead for you. We were on the 9/24 Mercury trip (Hi lifes2short!) Had a great time.

Check in at Seattle was easy as 1 2 3. Got to our conceirge class midship cabin right away! Had great views of Seattle & Mt Ranier at the sailaway whihc we shared with friends from the cc board.

Food during the trip was good to excellent & weather held for most of the trip. Our cabin was spotless as was most of what we observed on the ship--cabin was however a bit worn..a cracked sink(visual not impaiiring its use) ,, inoperative sofa bed that was uncomfy to sit on & worn bedspreads--but that was really the only negative about that...Service was great, staff very friendly. Met great people on board & from our cc group & just had a lovely time. Not much night life, but we were still catching up to West Coast time.

The one rough day at sea was because we were supposed to do the INSIDE passage but got switched to Astoria making the trip go around Vancouver Isl on the Pacific side instead..nevertheless what we did see was really awesome.We found Astoria not really ready to be a port but did walk around & also took the streetcar to nowhere! Loved Nainamo--took a taxi tour & went into stores--what a beautiful, clean & welcoming city! So far from the hub bub of big city life! Enjoyed Victoria--esp after the early am fog lifted. Did a tour that went to Buchart gardens & a winery--hope to return someday to enjoy more of the city itself.

I guess each trip is different & considering your bad experience we are very lucky--the weather held for us. We book way ahead to get an exact midships cabin--but the rest is just luck. Hope you will try again--the E. Carib in the spring is usually a good choice...book early for the stable room!

Hi hcat, glad to see you guys made it home in one piece. Hard to believe it's been almost a mos. since seeing you on-board. What a joy/delight it was meeting you both. :)

[badney]

This was my third cruise and I know it can be so much better - I do feel bad this was my mom and sister's first experience. I would hope they would change their mind in the future, but I doubt it! I love the Caribbean and can't wait to get back. I have always had a midship, balcony room and this was the first time I haven't....guess I learned my lesson! My mom did tell me on the way home yesterday that she feels bad she made me get an oceanview room and not a balcony! But, to be honest, I don't think there was any one room on that ship that was spared! It was nasty front to back and top to bottom! Glad to hear there were others that took the same itinerary and had a much better time! I love the Pacific Northwest, that is why I live here, but it will take me a long time to sail here again!

[Tatka]

After our cruise on Mercury in April (with almost perfect weather) I doubt I will cruise Pasific Ocean ever again... Out of 4 cruises we had it was the first serious experience of storm.. For 2 nights out of SF I couldn't sleep because of the storm. I wasn't sea sick at all (nobody in my family was) but we saw so many "green" faced people!!! My son said that on the lido deck chairs were flying over his head!

 

I am so sorry for your and your family experience.

 

If that was my DH first cruise I wouldn't be able to make him cruise ever again, but I hope your Mom and sister will agree to try again!

[senior lady]

What a shame about your cruise. Living in Vancouver, I understand that the waters can be very rough!!! Sometimes even going on the ferry to Victoria or Naniamo can be a real experience!!!:confused:

 

I always tell anyone who I hear is taking a short coastal cruise, be aware that the weather can be very rough.

 

Last Sept we sailed on the Radiance to Hawaii from Vancouver and had fantastic weather. But the Captain did mention several times that the ship that left day before us and day after had very rough weather. So it's always a chance.

 

Hope you can get your mom and sister to try it again.

[catmand]

Tatka, I had a thought after reading your assessment of the Pacific. We have sailed so far just under 12,000 nautical miles (yes I looked) up and down the Pacific with (thank goodness) no rough weather. Wanda is a "no fly" person and we are cruising to Hawaii next March. I sure hope we continue to experience this string of smooth sailing; because for us, it is Pacific Ocean, here we come.

I can not figure any other way to get from San Francisco to all points north, south, west, and eventually east.

We have some friends who when crossing the Atlantic not so long ago hit 24 hours of 110 mph winds and pretty high seas. They took a pic of the cabin TV with the weather info on it because it seeemed so hard to believe. They were rockin' and rollin' but didn't get sick and handles it well.

Cruising, it ain't bathing in the hot tub......................:D

[Leela]

Hubby and I got caught in gale force winds in the Gulf of Alaska on Star Princess about nine years ago. The ship was pitching and rolling and "thwomping" down in the troughs between the waves (you could really hear it). Spray was shooting up as high as the top decks. Our waiter couldn't make it to dinner that night. Heck, most of the dining room couldn't make it to dinner that night. We were there, though, and ate one of every dessert and then spent the evening like 9-year-olds running up and down the stairs. Oh we were silly, but it was very fun for some reason -- and no one was out and about to complain about us being silly.

 

Oh, cooincidentally they were showing "Twister" in the movie theater that night, which we also went to watch. Hubby still thinks it's hilarious that we were in a storm with high winds watching a movie about storms with high winds.

[dewayneg]

Sorry to hear about your rough weather experience. The good news is that most poeple get used to it, so if you hit rough seas again, you probably won't be affected as much.

[excitedofharpenden]

Oh dear Brenda. That sounds like a nightmare at sea. I hope you can convince your mum and sister to cruise again. It would be a shame if they missed out because of this experience, but can understand if they didn't want to. It's also a shame that your room steward was a bit of a dud because if you were not feeling well that could have been a bit of a comfort for you.

 

It reminds me of a trip across the Bay of Biscay to Spain when I was younger which I well remember even now. That was only for two nights though:eek: It was so rough it made a couple of my teeth fall out. Well I was six years old at the time so it was to be expected I suppose:rolleyes:

 

I wish you smoother sailing next time.

 

Phil

[LovetheSea]

We were on the Mercury in S. America on the West Coast and came all the way up in mostly rough water. We had a cabin all the way forward. It was way more rocky than in the middle of the ship. I decided NEVER to book a forward cabin again. OR one in the back either. Middle is best. So sorry you were all so sick! We also had a horribly dirty window . Maybe they don't clean those windows as often, because ours was dirty the first day and by day 17 , you could hardly see out of it. Very upsetting. I posted in my review of our Feb.. Mexican cruise on the Mercury, what a poor condition she is in in some spots and a lot of the cabins, and got slammed for it. It is good to hear it from someone else. We were just on the Mercury a month ago on a three nighter. She was cleaner than in Feb. but no improvements on the worn furniture, stains etc.The company doesn't need a dry dock to fix things. They can switch out furniture during a regular docking if they wanted to spend the money. I have seen dozens of chairs being loaded onto a ship in port before. I have witnessed new carpet being laid during a cruise on other ships. It is the money. Celebrity is going to be fixing up the Century and dry docking the Infinity so the Mercury will just have to wait her turn. I spoke to a staff member in Feb about it and he said they schedule a dry dock for the Mercury and then cancel it. They keep putting it off? I wonder when she will dry dock? She needs it NOW!

The Mercury staff is fantastic. That is the main reason we go back to the Mercury. We have been on the Infinity and Millie a few times and they were not as friendly and efficient.

We go to the Oregon Coast every year and that is why I would NOT go on a ship that came anywhere near there. It can get very rough.

I hope you have a better time on your next cruise. Patches do help, if your Mom and sister get up the courage to try again sometime.

[QQRZZA]

The coast of Oregon (as you know) is famous for being the roughest sea area in the coastal USA. That's where the Coast Guard has their lifeboat training program, as it provides the necessary horrendous sea conditions required to challenge and train the coasties and their equipment. The NW coastal cruises that stay in the Inside Passage and the Straits of Juan de Fuca are normally very placid and also provide the scenic wonder of the NW as a great backdrop. It's too bad that your family's introduction to cruising was so traumatic. I think choosing a cabin by location is very important. I learned this the hard way, by being all the way forward, and all the way astern. In my opinion, neither is a good choice. Mid-ship minimizes the movement of the ship in rough seas to a great extent. Being too far forward is the most uncomfortable. In a rough sea, your cabin may travel up & down 30 feet every 30 seconds. On a trip from the west coast to Hawaii we encountered the prevailing north to south currents, and the large east to west roll of the Pacific. The result was 4 days of very sick people. The staff indicated that this happens regularly on the trans-Pacific part of the trip. We were, fortunately, mid-ship and had no problem. Our travelling companions were far forward and were green. They had an awful time. When we visited their cabin, we could hardly stand up. We were in an aft cabin on the Baltic (which can be very rough at times), and there was so much movement that the props were coming out of the water whurrring under us every 45 seconds for 12 hours! Accepting a "guarantee" rather than a definite cabin assignment runs the risk of getting the leftovers, even if it is a higher category. These are often the cabins that no one wants; up front, on the stern, over the casino, under the 24 hour restaurant, etc. Our aft cabin on the Baltic was a "guarantee" with an upgrade. We were on Mercury a couple of weeks before you on the shorter NW (non-Astoria) run, and it was very calm and sedate. Good luck on your future cruise. Fair winds and following seas!

[Tatka]

Tatka, I had a thought after reading your assessment of the Pacific. We have sailed so far just under 12,000 nautical miles (yes I looked) up and down the Pacific with (thank goodness) no rough weather. Wanda is a "no fly" person and we are cruising to Hawaii next March. I sure hope we continue to experience this string of smooth sailing; because for us, it is Pacific Ocean, here we come.

 

Look.. it wasn't really that bad.. I we found that we aren't prone to seasickness!!!! Woo Hoo... it just felt a little unsafe ;) .

 

 

I completely understand that I am at sea and not in my bath and I love it!

 

By the way... that was the 1st and 2nd nights! I was so happy to be on the 5th deck almost midship ( near front desk) ..I would imagine higher decks experienced even more movements.

 

However storm wasn't our worst scare that trip... We had a very bad flight on AA Boston - SFO. Somewhere over the mountains our plane suddenly started freefall (lasted about 30 seconds!!!!) ... I know what turbulance is , but that was really something else!

[Cruise Arizona]

So sorry to hear the rough seas ruined your vacation. I hope your next cruise has smooth sailing.

 

We are going on a 15 day trans pacific cruise to Hawaii in Nov, and I am also concerned about seasickness. I am wondering if you took any medication -patch, band what every before boarding, or...lafter you got sick. Was it too late once you were sick?

 

I remember that on all my cruises as a child my mom would give me dramamine and I never ever felt seasick-- but I know that some people can't take it and have to do with out or try another rememdy.

 

I also remeber seeing people who were so sick on some cruises, and then they go the shot of what ever it is the doctor had and in 24 hour they were fine.

 

Were you able to try any of these rememdies?

[travellady]

It's amazing how cabin location can have so much bearing on how one experiences a ship, especially when seas are not placid. We sat with a woman and her elderly mom for dinner one night on the Sapphire Princess to Alaska last June and they told us how little sleep they got the night before due to the rolling and pitching of the seas. They were far forward, one of the upper decks. We had an Oceanview on Emerald deck (I think about 5 decks up from the bottom), close to midships, and other than a nice cradle rocking feeling that lulled us to sleep, we felt very little.

 

Thankfully we don't get seasick so location isn't as important to us for that reason, but we do like quiet :-) (have found ear plugs and Tylenol PM can fix that problem but it's tough to cure a nasty case of seasickness).

 

When we sailed the Mercury 2 weeks ago, 4 night Pacific Coastal, the seas were too calm. It seemed strange, we felt like we weren't moving at all and because we had no sea days, in port 7-6 everyday, we kind of wondered if somebody had picked us up and moved the ship while we were sleeping.

 

The worse ride I took on a ship was the North Atlantic in October 1965, from Norway to New York, on a ship that was big at the time but compared to today's ships, she was 1/4 of the size with 850 total passengers. We hit a storm half way through, and we saw few people that day. My dad the hearty viking who was a sea captain all his life, and I, went down to breakfast and were quite lonely. My mom and 2 sisters didn't feel so well so didn't join us either. I knew from this that seasickness isn't an issue for me. But, put me on one of those loop de loop roller coasters and the rest of my day is ruined.

[badney]

To preface, I have never been seasick before, so I didn't bring any meds or bracelets or patches with me. I took some of my sister's herbal seasickness pills the first night and it helped, but the second night was so bad they didn't do a thing. I called down to the infirmary and they brought up a couple pink pills for me to take (can't remember the name of them, but they were pink and I think it started with a B). Those helped for a little while, but I could only take one every 12 hours. I went and purchased those accupressure bracelets in the shops and those helped. I saw a lot of the crew wearing those bracelets also and one lady told me that was the best $15 she spent. I do have to confess I put the bracelet on an hour or so before the seas became calm, so I am not sure if they really did work or if it was the seas! Not sure what my mom and sister got, but it was in the iv and I certainly hope no one has to go that far! From here on out I will bring those bracelets and dramamine with me - never want to go through that again.

[badney]

To preface, I have never been seasick before, so I didn't bring any meds or bracelets or patches with me. I took some of my sister's herbal seasickness pills the first night and it helped, but the second night was so bad they didn't do a thing. I called down to the infirmary and they brought up a couple pink pills for me to take (can't remember the name of them, but they were pink and I think it started with a B). Those helped for a little while, but I could only take one every 12 hours. I went and purchased those accupressure bracelets in the shops and those helped. I saw a lot of the crew wearing those bracelets also and one lady told me that was the best $15 she spent. I do have to confess I put the bracelet on an hour or so before the seas became calm, so I am not sure if they really did work or if it was the seas! Not sure what my mom and sister got, but it was in the iv and I certainly hope no one has to go that far! From here on out I will bring those bracelets and dramamine with me - never want to go through that again.

[Karynanne]

Those little pink pills were Bonine...I find they're effective if I start taking it the day we sail, and stop taking it if I realize we have calm seas. Our last couple of cruises, I used it only the first 2 days....

 

Karyn

[Xoe]

Our experience on Mercury was lovely -- Seattle-Vancouver-inside passage-Prince Rupert-inside passage-Seattle. Just a bit of rocking in the night two of those nights -- enough so we'd know we were on a ship. I am so grateful our experience was good, as 3 of our group of 7 were first-time cruisers, and the journey was made as a last hurrah travel adventure for 2 elders (91 & 89). We had Sky Suites & Concierge Staterooms on Sky Deck. The butler, Mateus, was an godsend in helping with the elders. It all worked wonderfully well, and happily the youngest couple in our group, new to cruising, loved it and plan to cruise in the future without the responsibility of elder care.

 

Mercury's crew is marvelous! The ship does show wear & does need sprucing up, but we liked the ship nonetheless. We always love Vancouver (go there 2-3x a year), and we also enjoyed Prince Rupert very much.

 

Our inside passage cruising was smooth as glass and stunningly beautiful: puffy white clouds and blue skies, sightings of Orcas and dolphins and porpoises, and of course the NW's ubiquitous eagles. Also some nice fall color. It was lovely!

 

Weather is weather, and we were lucky. We did take Bonine with us, and used it once. My husband and I also take seabands with us.

[Host Karen]

Sorry to hear your sailing was so rough. I can't imagine being in a forward cabin in those types of seas.

 

Our first (and only) trans-Pacific crossing from San Diego to Hawaii last December was a doozy. We encountered very rough seas due to high winds which were coming across the bow, so we were pitching and rolling for three days and nights. I was popping Dramimine, Bonine and ginger pills every day since I am prone to motion sickness, but it was poor DH who became ill the first morning at sea. Dinner was interesting, as dishes and glasses moved around on the table and we could hear the noise and feel the vibration as the props came up out of the water between troughs. Although less of the pitching and rolling could be felt on the the lower decks, we still knew we were in rough seas regardless of the deck we were on. The trip back was significantly calmer.

 

Several of the crew told us it was unusually rough, so we decided we'll try again next March. I'll be packing several packages of medications just in case and we've booked a cabin on deck 6 rather than on deck 9. Of course, we're taking a chance sailing next month in the Caribbean. Calm waters cannot be guaranteed anywhere, and it's a chance we cruisers choose to take.

[thmpsn]

We were on both the 10/3 and 10/8 Mercury cruises and it was great. I will go again. Anytime you are on water you have to expect rough seas. The wind blows and the water gets rough. Wind speed that day was 35 Knots. There was nothing wrong with the food. Everyone ate 4 or 5 meals a day and probably went home heavier that they started.

Jim