Galaxy

[SusieV]

Then a lot has changed since February when we didn't find a single thing wrong with the ship...

[Lois R]

and from the last post in this thread. Please read my review in member's review section.

I think they must have had a major crew change overall including the chef that resulted in a negative situation.

Right now things on the Galaxy are far below the standards that I thought were Celebrity's.

The new bedding was fine though.

The T pool is not worth paying any cost.

The rating for this ship at present is 4.4 or 4.7 but honestly it barely makes a 3.

It is not the ship itself that is the problem.

If the staff improves, the chef changes on the ship, and you do not care about the Tpool or health food bar, the rating should go up. Watch for announcements or go on a different ship.

 

Hi, were you on the recent cruise with TomUK? He posted a wonderful

blog about his cruise......can't remember which week he sailed

(recently).

What type of announcements are you speaking about?

I have Galaxy booked for March 2008~I have read quite a few postings

earlier this year from folks with good things to say.

 

Sorry you didn't have a good time.

PS I just read your review...sorry you had poor service.

The T Pool on M class are no charge....always a charge on C class

unless you are Elite member or in a suite.

 

I also read another current review that posted they had a wonderful time.

Different experiences for everyone.

[tom_uk]

It's always interesting reading Member's Reviews. I've just checked Muskoka2's review, and it does indeed sound as if he did not have a good time, though it also sounds as if part of this was a misunderstanding as to what the ship offers - I gather that there is indeed a big difference between the T-Pool on C-class ships and that on M-class; also, the C-class ships simply don't have a Health Food bar, they are also only found on the M class ships. I'm puzzled as to what happened at the end of Muskoka2's cruise. I wasn't aware there was a shuttle 'to the train station'. There is a free shuttle to the port gate, and it sounds as if that's what the reviewer was put on, but I don't recall seeing any mention, on either of my cruises, of a shuttle from the ship to the station at Civitavecchia

 

I've also read the reviews by 'Michael Kay' and 'Steve'. Steve seems to have had a very enjoyable time on the unusual 7-night cruise at the beginning of the season, and Mr Kay seems to have been OK on a later cruise in June. He seems to have had some problems with the CC extras and the cabin attendant generally, but to have had a very positive experience in the dining room, and of course for the itinerary.

 

I'll do a proper review of my recent cruise later this week, but for now I'll summarise it as follows:-

 

ship: 4 stars - good condition, well-maintained, good range of bars and lounges, but the absence of a purpose-built speciality dining room means it can't achieve 5 stars (I think the extra restaurant is becoming expected these days);

 

cabin/cabin service: 4 (cabin)/4.5 (service) - it was a perfectly good Ocean View cabin that was big enough. Our cabin attendant was excellent, the room was always made up promptly, water/ice replaced, etc.

 

dining room: this is the only reservation - some of the entrees were not that good (my wife had some pork that was quite tough, for example) and second sitting on our cruise was very busy, hence impacting on service somewhat. But overall the food was fine, and our sommelier was excellent. So somewhere between 3.5 and 4?

 

buffet/pizza/burgers/omelets: 4.5 - just what we wanted, when we wanted it, with superb service.

 

bars: oh, whathehell - 5!!! Thanks to the current £/$ exchange rate we found drinks *very* reasonably priced indeed, thank you, and my wife embarked on a 'learning all about Martinis' drive... We really enjoyed the Martini bar on a number of nights.

 

itinerary: 5 (and this was why we went back on Galaxy in 2007). Superb, even in the exceptional (and untypical) heat.

 

Bottom line: Galaxy does not have the bells & whistles of the M-class, or (even more so) the forthcoming Solstice class ships, so if you like to cruise in a ship with a lot of additional features, then Galaxy may not be for you. But her eastern Med itinerary is unrivalled - I really don't see another mainstream or premium cruise line doing an itinerary as good. (I'm not counting Oceania, Crystal or even Azamara in this comparison). And overall the levels of service & catering are very good. So if you cruise for the places & the overall experience, she could well be the ship for you.

[azzy]

believe what you read.

[azzy]

Tom K are you sure you don't work for Celebrity?

If I'm not mistaken you spent an entire day of your blog whining about the plumbing.

No way is this anywhere near a 4.

More like a 3.

[tcocktail]

I can't believe that the Galaxy has gone down to a 3 in the past coiuple of years. If you want a three go on RCI Empress of the Sea. I went to Bermuda in May, boy was that a mistake. The food was mediocre, nothing more than I get at home. The dining room service was terrible. The ship was not well maintained as a Celebrity ship. That is a three iMO.

 

I in fact LOVE the "T" pools on the "c" class ships much better, the therapy from the pool is outstanding I think worth every penny. The "m" class ships pools are just heated indoor pools with mild therapy.

 

It does seem to appear that there is an issue with the food. Not consistant as in the days when Chrandis owned the company. But of course RCI is looking at the bottom line. I have spoken to others who have sailed on Cunard and they feel that the industy in whole is suffering in the food area.

 

When it comes down to it, it all depends on your life style what you are a customed to and your expectations for the cruise.

[suntan]

and from the last post in this thread. Please read my review in member's review section.

I think they must have had a major crew change overall including the chef that resulted in a negative situation.

Right now things on the Galaxy are far below the standards that I thought were Celebrity's.

It is not the ship itself that is the problem.

If the staff improves, the chef changes on the ship, and you do not care about the Tpool or health food bar, the rating should go up. Watch for announcements or go on a different ship.

 

I agree with your analogy of what is happening on the Galaxy. We sailed on her in Feb/March 2007 (our 2nd sailing on the Galaxy) and what a difference we saw. It's not the ship (yes, there are some areas that need upgrading/replacing which will be done next year I believe when it goes into dry dock) but it was the overall atmosphere on the ship that was very disappointing to us. The cruise director was hardly ever seen - he wasn't very upbeat as other cruise directors may be. The food was ok but not as great and imaginative as our last Galaxy cruise. The saving grace on our Galaxy cruise was the 2 waiters in the main dining room - Jason and Nair.

 

I hope that Celebrity reads the comment cards completed by the passengers and takes note that this ship needs a staff overhaul - especially in the entertainment area and the kitchen (chef).

[Muskoka2]

I agree with your analogy of what is happening on the Galaxy. We sailed on her in Feb/March 2007 (our 2nd sailing on the Galaxy) and what a difference we saw. It's not the ship (yes, there are some areas that need upgrading/replacing which will be done next year I believe when it goes into dry dock) but it was the overall atmosphere on the ship that was very disappointing to us. The cruise director was hardly ever seen - he wasn't very upbeat as other cruise directors may be. The food was ok but not as great and imaginative as our last Galaxy cruise. The saving grace on our Galaxy cruise was the 2 waiters in the main dining room - Jason and Nair.

 

I hope that Celebrity reads the comment cards completed by the passengers and takes note that this ship needs a staff overhaul - especially in the entertainment area and the kitchen (chef).

 

TomUK (not sure of the handle) was not on this cruise.May 21 Eastern Med.

 

Your last paragraph suntan sums it up nicely. Add to that removing some of the attitude with the "desk" customer service staff. Interesting you should mention the cruise director. I approached him. I found S.T. to be so stiff I thought I had the wrong person.

Its hard to say goodbye to Celebrity but with these problems, the mechancial stuff (affected the Infinity when I was on it) unless the owners make serious changes maybe we will have to use another line. Sad.

[hcat]

We are booked for this ship & itin in 08--would you mind a few ques?

Who is the unpersonable CD? What was the objection to the T pool?...we find these pools offer genuine therapy with minerals & hydro massage--as opposed to M -class T pools. Was it the menu, service or food prep that rated so low for dining? Overall we have heard good things --esp abt the itin--could you comment on that...how were the ports & any excursions you took? What abt the shows or music on board?Thanks so much ...

[uktog]

We were on the Galaxy on 21 May and had some reservations before we sailed based on what we had read on these boards. However, we were very pleasantly surprised and rally do not recognise the ship described by others on the boards. Yes our plumbing did not work for about an hour one day, but that has happened to us every one of our previous 9 cruises. I found the location of the Martini bar a little disappointing and the entertainment was not quite on the same standard as our Hawaii Summit trip but this was offset by having the best food and service team we have ever sailed with. Oh and I discovered why everyone loves to Cova Bar

[hcat]

Thanks for all the comments, great links to photos & menus & the reviews...Did anyone enjoy Michaels Pub? .I think Galaxy will suit us fine--better layout than Century & still has the T pool (so far)

[Hflors]

I am sorry for everyone who did not enjoy their time on Galaxy. Dh and I loved her. I will tell you that we loved her so much we are going on the same cruise this coming FEb and bring DS and BIL with us. We did not think the food was something we would get in a 6 star rest, but it was always very good, served with a smile from our wonderful wait staff. But by far this ship has an atmosphere which I find hard to describe, but is present as soon as you board. It's almost a feeling of coming home!

 

We loved going to Micheals before dinner for a drink and listening to the Alegra Strings. It was four women that played the most wonderful clasical music I have ever heard! After I found them by just walking by I came to hear them play every night that they played!

 

No Galaxy doesn't have rock climbing walls or ice skating rings, but what she does have is a refined atmosphere which caters to a restful subdued enjoyment. Our stateroom was always immaculate. If we wanted or needed anything special from our steward we only needed to ask and it was taken care of . The carpet we believe was brand new, the bed was confortable and the bathroom had no mold. The sink did have a dark stain, but that we believe is from the water. All in all we just loved it.

 

The entertainmant (that we went to) was great, I have to say we only went about three times. After being on the islands all day and a few drinks before dinner and after dinner we were usually ready for bed so we could get up the next day and explore another island.

 

I will have to tell you all that our only dissappointment was the day we arrived back in San Juan after we left the ship they wouldn't let us back on. I thought that was pretty tacky of them! I don't think they realized that I needed another vacation to recoupe from my vacation! But they told me that next year I could do it all again so we decided to do just that!

 

Before we sailed we read the same reviews and had the same fears, but once we boarded we knew we had made the right decision to sail her. What saddens me is that in a couple of years she will most likely be replaced by some larger more sophisticated ship with not half her atmosphere and we will only have had the pleasure of sailing her a couple of times before she goes. I will tell you that will be a sad day for me.

[Cote d'or]

We were on the Galaxy 6/1/07 - 10 nights Med, and here you can read my review :

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=572694

[tom_uk]

Who is the unpersonable CD?

 

The Galaxy CD this summer is Stewart Turnbull. I personally didn't find him unpersonable at all. I spoke to him several times: a) at the CruiseCritics party - only 6 people turned up at the beginning (Kass and her family came along later) so we had a good personal chat with Stewart during which he was telling us about some events on earlier cruises this summer, and also explaining why the itinerary had been reordered; b) in Cova Cafe one afternoon when I asked him about Galaxy's possible refit; and c) some point later in the cruise when I bumped into him just off the ship and we had a quick few words.

 

I'm sorry if I sound like a Celebrity advert, but I enjoyed his company. For me he was 'bright & breezy' enough; it could well be that I might find a CD whom others thought was better, as being too pushy, etc. I am a reserved Brit, after all. So once again, it's horses for courses.

[amandajess]

Just off the galaxy and we loved it. Yes our toilet had a black ring around it and the sink was mottled but who goes on a cruise to spend time in cabin? Service all over ship was wonderful. Stuart Turnbull was wonderful. Always accesible and friendly. vEntertainment was wonderful , food okay - never found a ship with gourmet delites. Ports were great - Overall we had a wonderful time.

[jsea]

After reading all the negative comments regarding Galaxy's condition online, we definitely approached our July 23rd 11-night sailing with lowered expectations. We typically book new vessels for our cruises, but there's only so long you can do that without hitting the same ports over and over again as the youngest tonnage tends to be deployed on the popular, if not a little staid, routes.

 

The last time we sailed on a 10+-year-old ship, we were a little disappointed with her state. We cannot say the same for Galaxy this summer -- she looks great. As good as new? Hardly. But really, in our opinion, no worse for the wear than a 2-3-year-old ship several months out from her latest dry dock.

 

Within our group, we had people staying in an inside, an outside, and two ConciergeClass staterooms. They were all in excellent condition with spotless carpets and clean sinks/toilets. The bedding appeared to be new. The walls and cabinetry certainly had some dings, but nothing major nor anything that detracted from the aesthetics of the room. The most obvious sign of age in the particular cabin below was some sort of permanent white mildew (?) on the metal work between the mirror and the shower glass. Nothing major.

 

bedding from an outside stateroom

 

bathroom

 

The public rooms, corridors, and elevator landings were also very clean. The most obvious wear was on the heavily-trafficked stairwell carpeting. You could certainly find this on even a very new ship after a few months.

 

 

As has been noted ad nauseum, many of the windows in Stratosphere are permanently fogged. This is a shame, and I suspect that Celebrity's holding off until Galaxy's 'major' refurb given what I'm presuming to be the rather high cost and labor intensity of replacing the glass. That being said, the lounge is essentially deserted during daylight hours, and therefore the passenger impact of the cloudy windows is minimal. Below is one image, with three more in a subsequent post due to hitting the image maximum for this post.

 

The running track on deck 12 could stand to be replaced, as well as much of the anti-slip material on the upper decks. I didn't notice anything wrong with the pool tiling, but the woodwork immediately surrounding the pools in the overflow area was misaligned and many pieces appeared to be missing. Aside from the aesthetics, this was a safety hazard.

 

Other than the above-mentioned, the only other signs of age, if you can call them that, were that some of the 'wow' features of Galaxy's decor have been turned off or, perhaps more likely, are no longer being kept up. The elevator/stairwell tower lighting no longer switches to stars on a purple background at night (what I thought was a nice touch), and the giant painting in the Grand Foyer no longer rolls away to reveal the bank of television sets (Remember the Sony Wonder room? I guess that partnership is long since dead). No doubt the 1996 originals would look decidedly low-tech these days. Stratosphere's main entranceway lighting strips along the black walls no longer illuminate in sequence as you walk through.

 

On the plus side, the fitness center has been updated. I was fully expecting dated equipment, but all the weight machines, treadmills and ellipticals were very new. In fact, most of the treadmills and all of the ellipticals had in-built televisions which was very nice. Thank you, Celebrity.

 

The service was outstanding and the staff commented how most of them choose to come back to Galaxy after their time off because of how well the ship is run and how well they get along.

 

Dining room noise due to vibration was no worse than when we sailed on her 10 years ago when she was brand new.

 

If anyone has any specific questions regarding Galaxy or the itinerary, I'd be happy to answer to the best of my ability.

[jsea]

Three more photos of Stratosphere fogged windows:

[sarh]

We've just returned from the Constellation and I have to confess that I prefer the Galaxy. I can live with the fogged windows! I think it is a matter of what is important - the dining experience on the Galaxy was far superior and that affects me far more than the fact that there are a few absolutely normal signs of wear and tear around the ship.

[C 2 C]

jsea:

Thanks for the pictures and update on the condition of Galaxy. We will be booking Galaxy again in May for the Transatlantic after her drydock. Many of the maintenance issues should then be corrected... including "the portals of obscurity" as the fogged windows have been named.

 

Arno

[Lois R]

Hi, thanks for all those pictures:)

I will be sailing her in March and plan to have a wonderful

10 days:D. It would have to take more than fogged windows

to put a damper on my cruise!

[captainK]

o ConciergeClass staterooms. They were all in excellent condition with spotless carpets and clean sinks/toilets. The bedding appeared to be new.

 

We were in an inside on deck 9 for the July 23 sailing and from your pictures I can tell the bedding and linens are newer than what we had which were the older faded blue bedspreads and pillow covers. Sink was stained as well but otherwise the bathroom and rest of the room was extremely clean and well cared for.

[C 2 C]

Sink was stained as well but otherwise the bathroom and rest of the room was extremely clean and well cared for.

 

Every sink has the "stain" in the same place. I wonder if this was an attempt to make it look more like marble or a joke by some worker...:eek:

[hcat]

We'll be on board in Nov 08 for E Medit.--hope we have one of those nice looking cabins--love the colors!