Anyone Back from Med. & or Galaxy

[newcruiser99]

ANy info on the Galaxy med cruise would be great . we are booked for CAT 5 8-13 sailing.

port info, excursions that were good etc.

thanks all in advance.

Galaxy From Rome
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[newtocc]

I just got back from another cruise, but it was in this Galaxy, hope this helps!

This ship 10/91
That ship 11/95
Whatever ship 12/98
here a ship 13/99
there a ship 14/00
everywhere
a
ship ship 15/05

<font size="3" color=red>Over 1 year</font> into my LMBO cruise

[roomgypsy]

HaHa NewtoCC... I enjoyed that one too!!

Infinity, Hawaii, September 26/04

[newcruiser99]

bounce

Galaxy From Rome
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[newcruiser99]

bump

Galaxy From Rome
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[newtocc]

Can't someone help this poor soul?

This ship 10/91
That ship 11/95
Whatever ship 12/98
here a ship 13/99
there a ship 14/00
everywhere
a
ship ship 15/05

<font size="3" color=red>Over 1 year</font> into my LMBO cruise

[plank]

Don't think those folks are back yet. I will be on the Galaxy Med cruise on June 21. I am hoping we will hear from these cruisers soon. Guess they are having too much fun to report in. Peg

To The Med. on Galaxy
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[Guest]

I am now in Rhodes on the Galaxy voyage that left Civitavecchia on May 31. Boarding was supposed to be at 12:00PM and a Celebrity shuttle bus was running from the train station in Civitavecchia to the Galaxy. This put us in a good mood but arriving at the ship we were given a letter from Galaxy that boarding had been delayed three hours due to routine maintenance on the water distribution system. Since it was routine couldn't we have been told weeks earlier that boarding would be delayed? Celebrity took us off to hotels until what was to be 2:40PM, and then communications broke down. Pick-up time was put off to 3:20PM, then the shore representatives told us they simply didn't know when boarding would be. We finally were taken to the ship after 4:00PM, but we did get on almost immediately. People at the first dinner seating were told to be punctual since the doors would close at 6:30PM. In any case people were held outside the doors until 6:35PM without being given any word about when they would be seated or what the problem was. Officially, the boarding delay was three hours and Celebrity is making a gesture toward the passengers by giving us three extra hours in Santorini (which this passenger appreciates.) Past the boarding mis-communications and lack of communications, the trip has been fine. Great weather, a good time in Naples, where there is plenty to see, and a good day at sea with a good cruise director, new to me, Dru Pavlov, who is possibly two people since he is everywhere on the ship. He will be aboard until August. I hope this helps. Any other questions I hope to be able to handle in Athens.

[I]
The sundry contemplation of my travels, which, by often rumination, wraps me in a most humorous sadness.[/I]
As You Like It, Act iv, Scene 1

[newcruiser99]

Thanks for the reply! Did you take any excursion in naples? we are in CAT 5 cabin mid ship on Panorama deck. we were concerned that this deck might be noisy because it is above the entertainment deck. have you heard either way?

thanks in advance for your time and I hope you have a great cruise.

andy

Galaxy From Rome
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[plank]

Can't wait to hear more!!!!!!!!Hope you are having fun! Peg

To The Med. on Galaxy
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[corkpopr]

[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]
just got back wed. from rome to rome may 21st. easy boarding, the fastest ever, but we always wait until late to board. naples, got a driver on the pier for the day with a van. 6 of us. went to pompei got a guide (a must) ask for guisseppe (cranky retired professor/hilarious) as a guide for pompei. then van to sorento for lunch and sightseeing. great fun. mykonos ok, great lunch at little venice good food good beer cheap. santorini, take the cable car even if you think you are afraid. town interesting great lunch (best gyros ever) grab a cab to other town at end of island (Mia i think). that town is where all the travel brochures and postcards are photographed!!! Malta, loved it, go to St. Johns. Ask Dru the cruise director to play the Opera again full blast on deck 11 & 12 when you sail away! barcelona ok, 3 million people crowded/traffic. ville franc, took a train to Nice and then train back to EZE (a must) bus up to Eze lunch at Cheve D'Or four star $$$$$, not for the faint of heart. Off ship, free shuttle to train station, 4.60 euros to downtown rome termini station. cab ride to our hotel Diplomatic great hotel. walked to lunch, i am sure it was the restaurant where Michael killed Solotzo and the police captain. city bus to the Collisiem (sp) back to hotel for nap, dinner at Vito's (great) noon british air flight next day to london and back to L.A.
Heathrow sucks, Rome airport fantastic. French trains suck, Italian trains great. Italian drivers, take a Xanax!
have a great trip.

Galaxy 10 day Rome Next
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[newcruiser99]

how was the ship. food, activities etc. we are staying in cat5 panorama deck.

thanks in advance for your input.

-andy

Galaxy From Rome
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[camelia]

Hi corkpopr, glad to hear you had a nice cruise! Although I love Heathrow, so I'm curious to know what went wrong for you? And what did you like about Rome airport? I know it sounds geeky and/or off topic, but I love duty free shopping and airports in general (DH and I both in the aeronautics industry). Anyway, we're also going on June 21 Galaxy from Rome. Any info on the ship, food, etc. would be greatly appreciated!
Véronique

[C 2 C]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Boreus:
Past the boarding mis-communications and lack of communications, the trip has been fine. Great weather, a good time in Naples, where there is plenty to see, and a good day at sea with a good cruise director, new to me, Dru Pavlov, who is possibly two people since he is everywhere on the ship. He will be aboard until August. I hope this helps. Any other questions I hope to be able to handle in Athens.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

We spent 24 days on the Galaxy... transatlantic & 10 day Med.

We arrived in Baltimore and (about 400 of us) were kept fuming at the airport for 4 to 5 hours before buses finally got us to the pier.. I have never been on a cruise with as much ineptitude by the Hotel staff as on the Galaxy.... Having gotten that off my chest... We booked the May 23, 2005 11 day Eastern Medit while on board..

Pleas give Dru Pavlov our regards. My wife and I were captains of the Battle of the Sexes trivia.. We met Dru on the Millennium transatlantic Sept 2001... Loved the on-board activities he provided..

Arno & Joanne

Rode on my *** up to Santorini... great fun... "burned" by 2 mediocre coffees for 7 Euros overlooking the harbor... Went to Delos for the cultural stuff and climbed the mountain... Did ship tour of Valletta... Could do it yourself... don't miss the Church!!!! and if you like medieval armor... wonderful museum.. Villefrance.. went on a wonderful tour by a super organizer (Bev are you still blushing).. Eze and St Paul are wonderful historical villages... others went to Monaco.. but we are history buffs not shoppers..

<hr><font color=red>[b][email="cruisenut@hotmail.com"]email C 2 C[/email]</big>
</font><font color=red>[b][url="http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTJ0000001"]A Mari Usque Ad Mare[/url][/b]</font>

[semetz]

Hi newcruiser, I have been on the "Galaxy" twice. She is a beautiful ship. I stayed in a cat5 on the Panorama deck and didn't have a problem with noise. There are many open spaces on the ship and if you enjoy reading, the "Stratisphere" provided a great daytime respit with great views.

The food was incredible in the dining room and the waitstaff attentive and cordial. Allan David was our waiter and is from the Phillipines. He was soo nice. We had coffee and breakfast delivered to our cabin every morning and they would call us first to let us know it was on the way. The staff really does try to make extra effort to please you! They work incrediby hard and long hours and really deserve the tips we give them . I always tip above the minimum because my experience has always been positive.

You will love the ship. She is very clean and everyone has a smile for you. I hope you enjoy her! We sailed her twice to the Caribbean. We are off to the Med on Millie for a 12 night history lesson in a few weeks. Bon Voyage!
Jakob's mom

[newcruiser99]

semetz

thanks for the reply. i appreciate it!

-andy

Galaxy From Rome
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[newcruiser99]

bump

Galaxy From Rome
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[stngfn]

Arno,
Hello again! Thanks for being the captain for the trivia game! I agree with your review of the hotel staff on Galaxy. We had a leaking shampoo dispenser in our cabin that took 3 visits to Guest Relations and 7 days to fix, and a shower that never did seem to work right. Our stateroom attendant did just enough to pass as housekeeping, and it just seemed like they didnt have their stuff together. Glad we weren't the only ones with problems..

[Guest]

This posting is from Dubrovnic, which can be seen on your own and should be seen. The last time I tried to post was in Santorini (by all means go to Ia) but the site was blocked. Arno and Joanne, I will certainly give Dru your best. I think corkpopr got it right in doing tours on your own. These are tourism-easy places. I would add that in Mykonos by all means take the ferry to Delos and plan on spending a couple of hours there. The place has a feel all its own, but you have to do research on it so you know what you are seeing. If you don't do the research, take a tour. Newcruiser99, I have only spoken to one person with a cabin (an inside one amidships) above the entertainment deck and he told me it was quiet as the tomb. They hear nothing in the cabin. In Naples I went to Pompei on my own and rented an audio-guide, which I think did better for me than a person since I had more latitude in going where I wanted. The Galaxy is like a three star hotel. It is clean, but the furniture and rugs have spots and show signs of wear. The windows desperately need washing, and a couple commented that the windows were much cleaner on the Constellation when they were aboard last year. The service is good, but the food is more middle-American (roast beef, chicken, steak) and less gourmet (sauces, imaginative cooking) than I recalled from a Celebrity cruise two years ago. The weather continues spectacularly good and despite the grousing above I am having a good time. Among other things, the passengers are fun and the Galaxy is the right size ship for me. You don't have to walk a long time to get anywhere. I have seen little of the entertainment, but last night there was a magician who was technically proficient (how did he do that rope trick) and funny. I am a sucker for magic shows, but most people seemed to join me in hearly applause and laughter. Have to get on with my tour of Dubrovnik. Good-bye, probably until I am back in the US in mid-June and can make an organized report.

[I]
The sundry contemplation of my travels, which, by often rumination, wraps me in a most humorous sadness.[/I]
As You Like It, Act iv, Scene 1

[newcruiser99]

thanks for that report. have a great rest of your cruise and i look forward to your report when you return

Galaxy From Rome
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[corkpopr]

well, i had no problems with hotel services on ship or pursers desk. the windows were dirty everywhere. some furniture and carpets could use replacement or repair.
dining room staff good, food below other celebrity ships. chef/manager is british and you know they can't cook. kitchen staff is mostly Indian. food was uninspired. by the 9-11th day you will be sick of breakfast in the deck 11 lido.
We do not go to ship shows except on rare occaisions. We never use ship tours as the same are available for half price or less on your own and you get a better local flavor speaking directly to a local rather than a guide and bus driver.
Dru is a nice guy, we are glad that Susan Wood left!

Galaxy 10 day Rome Next
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[lougee1043]

[QUOTE]Originally . walked to lunch, i am sure it was the restaurant where Michael killed Solotzo and the police captain. [QUOTE]

if i remember correctly those killings took place in nyc and thats why michael was self exiled

lougee1043


Since we last sailed on the Oosterdam
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til our next cruise on the Galaxy
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9/87 HAL - Noordham
10/92 HAL - Westerdam
4/01 HAL - Zaandam
5/02 HAL - Maasdam
8/02 HAL - Zaandam
3/03 HAL -Statendam
cancelled due to surgeries
12/03 HAL - Statendam replacement cruise
3/04 HAL Oosterdam
3/04 Celebrity Galaxy