First Time Cruiser thinking of Galaxy in August - a couple questions about rooms?

[billybobjoe]

Im getting married in Aug and we are looking at taking the 11 night Galaxy cruise of East Med. on Aug 14 for our honeymoon. We dont have a ton of cash for our honeymoon (budgeted around $5500-$6000ish CDN). A couple of questions if you can help out?

 

We found an offer for the cruise and airfare from Toronto for about $2200 each including taxes. This seems like a great price and will allow us to spend $1500 or so on excursions of which this cruise seems to offer plenty!

 

I have never been on a cruise before and this is an inside room on the lower deck (continental deck). Is that bad for any reason? We cant afford the other rooms, and I dont think we will mind the inside room, but is there anything I need to be wary of? Seems strange that the exact same room is about $500 more per person for being on a higher floor. Is the lower floor so cheap due to distance, or noise? It also appears to be at the back of the ship. Is that bad or insignificant?

 

Also I am unsure about the "formal" aspect of the cruise. I own one suit for weddings and funerals. Is this sufficient or do I need to get something nicer? Are formal nights mandatory?

 

Thanks for any advice. We are very excited to try a cruise out for the honeymoon, just want to make sure I know what to expect.

[excitedofharpenden]

billybobjoe, which cabin number is it?

 

Phil

[billybobjoe]

billybobjoe, which cabin number is it?

 

Phil

 

Im trying to find out - dont know for sure. Im just assuming continental deck at the back as that is the cheapest on the celebrity website. We have put a "hold" on the package till Monday as it was the last room available at that price. Ive emailed the travel agent to find out the specific number though.

[excitedofharpenden]

The only reason I ask is that if it were me, I would avoid the very aftmost inside cabins, say from 4163/4160 back as there is a local but at times load thundering from the prop shafts that was noticeable in certain areas of the dining room (which is just a deck up) when I have been on both Mercury and Galaxy and I'm sure you'll hear it on the Continental Deck. It's not a vibration, it really does thunder, especially when the ship is moving at slower speed. It's a characteristic of the design, but it would have me avoiding those rearmost cabins. Perhaps someone who has stayed in one of these specifically can advise you further as I am just going on what I have noticed in the dining room.

 

As for formal dress, your wedding/funeral suit will be fine.

 

Phil

[FAR_girl]

I've been on the Galaxy 3 times, but always on the Penthouse Deck or the SKy Deck, so I can't really help with questions about an inside cabin. Some people have expressed concerns regarding the aft virbration of this ship. Most of the complaints have been in regard to vibration in the dining room, but I only really noticed it once when getting off the dock in Key West.

 

As for formal nights, gentlemen can wear a dark suit or a tuxedo. Take several shirt/tie combinations so it looks a little different each of the three formal nights and you can have the suit itself dry cleaned on board (around the same price as regular on-land dry cleaners). The dress code on Celebrity is often a source of contentious threads on these boards. At the risk of starting another, I will give you my opinion about the "mandatory" nature of formal night. If you are going to eat in the dining room for dinner, please try to follow the dress code that the cruise line has established for that evening. On formal nights, that means a dark suit or tuxedo for gentlemen. If you do not wish to comply with the dress code, you can order room service or eat in the more casual alternative restaurant for a nominal service fee of $2 pp.

[billybobjoe]

The only reason I ask is that if it were me, I would avoid the very aftmost inside cabins, say from 4163/4160 back as there is a local but at times load thundering from the prop shafts that was noticeable in certain areas of the dining room (which is just a deck up) when I have been on both Mercury and Galaxy and I'm sure you'll hear it on the Continental Deck. It's not a vibration, it really does thunder, especially when the ship is moving at slower speed. It's a characteristic of the design, but it would have me avoiding those rearmost cabins. Perhaps someone who has stayed in one of these specifically can advise you further as I am just going on what I have noticed in the dining room.

 

As for formal dress, your wedding/funeral suit will be fine.

 

Phil

 

Hmm - I suspect that is exactly where this room is. Ill find out for sure though. So in your opinion would you not take this cruise if these rooms were your only option? Any chance I can play naive and ask to be moved after the first night if it is bad?

[ecslady]

I agree - Avoid the aft cabins on the Galaxy because of the vibration/noise. I stayed on the Continental deck close to the Medical Center which is forward and it was a good location. Enjoy the honeymoon!

[billybobjoe]

Ok - I heard back from the travel agent and this is what she said with regard to the room number.

 

"I went with the least expensive inside cabin which is category 12 on the lowest deck. This is on a guarantee which means that it is possible that you will receive a free upgrade to a better category once you arrive. If you want to pay for an upgrade the lowest outside cabin increases the cost by $690.00 per person (which is considerable)."

 

So considering we dont have a room assigned and we could be in one of the rooms you guys mention as loud should I still take this cruise? The ports we stop at are very interesting to us, and we wouldnt be able to do anything close to this cool for the budget we have. At the same time, perhaps we'd be better off spending our money at an all-inclusive somewhere if the noise could drive us nuts. I dont want my first cruise experience to be a nightmare.

 

Ahhh - tough decision. What would you do? Maybe they will take pity on us and give us a great room cause its our honeymoon. :rolleyes:

[excitedofharpenden]

Boy, it's such a difficult question to answer for someone else, especially when it's your honeymoon. Perhaps I just get too hung up on cabin location and I do have the flexiblity to pick and choose the date, which you don't. Bottom line, if you can get a good price, you get to see some new sights and you have all the public areas on Galaxy to enjoy (and I did enjoy the ship very much) and you don't spend that much time in your cabin anyway, I say go for it. As you say, you may end up with a cabin more midships. I hope I am not putting the kiss of death on your guarantee room:eek:

 

Whatever you decide, I hope it works out for you.:)

 

Phil

[poetic license]

I agree with Phil .. stay AWAY from the very aft part of GALAXY and you will be fine. I sailed on her in January and had an inside cabin, #4041, and it was as silent as a tomb. There is a link in my signature to a review I wrote of the ship. Hope this helps!

 

Congratulations on your forthcoming marriage!

 

Cheers!

[ecslady]

I say go for it......The Galaxy is a wonderful ship with a wonderful crew - I've sailed on her 3 times in the past 2 years. Since it's a guarantee, I think there's a good chance of an upgrade - Make sure Celebrity knows it's your honeymoon! And get to the pier early to ask....it can't hurt. No matter what, I'm sure you will enjoy. :)

[billybobjoe]

Thanks for all the advice. Makes me feel better about the room. I discovered we miscommunicated with the agent and its not $2200 including air, but more like $3200. More then we were hoping to spend but still a good price I think. Ill have to do some number crunching to see if we can afford this with the excursions we'd like to do.

[mountainmare]

I'd say go for it. My first cruise was an inside on a lower deck on the Carnival Fascination--and it hooked me on cruising forever. You are going knowing that you may not have the best cabin on the ship--but the ship and the ports will make up for that. This is a port intensive cruise so you won't be in the cabin much anyway.

I agree have your TA make a point to let them know that this is your honeymoon and your first cruise.

We'll be doing our first Med cruise in October after 36 years of marriage--we chose to go to Canada for our honeymoon--a cruise sounds better.

[frank_gar@comcast.net]

Enjoy the cruise, Celeberity is a great line, inside, outside, just enjoy the Ride