Just back from Mercury--huge disappointment...

[ParrotTops]

We just got of the Mercury yesterday and it was my least favorite cruise in the 15 we have taken...this was our first Celebrity cruise and I regret that we started with the Mercury. We usually cruise with RCCL and have always had such a great experience! Celebrity was such a disappointment!

 

The first problem was the bus situtation. Total chaos!! They were just loading bus 3 when we walked up to the buses and we were holding the ticket for bus 7. The escort said it would be at least an hour wait so we hopped a cab instead. Everyone was complaining about the bus boarding process. So unorganized!!!!

 

Our Sky Suite was very nice. The room steward and butler were very personable but I don't think I would necesarily want a butler again...mostly he brought us cappachino's. On the last day, I asked him if he could help me pack but he said that they basically just throw the dirty clothes in the suitcase since they figure you will be washing or dry cleaning when you get home anyway. Hmmm...

 

The food in the buffet was nothing more than recycled slop --very few choices, served military style and the lines were ridiculous! RCCL is so much better in this area! I was expecting better quality than this--some of it was literally inedible.

 

The food in the diningroom was not up to RCCL either but the fish entrees and beef were above average as were the chocolate desserts. The service was horrible!!!!! We would just wait and wait and wait to be served..at least 30 minutes between each course--it took forever! One night we just got so frustrated we got up and left before dinner was over...

 

From what I heard other repeat Celebrity guests saying, we should have started with either Millenium or Infinity. By the way, there is a whole new fleet coming out next year...the 3 biggest Celebity ships yet.

[sally r]

Thank you for your post, ParrotTops. Our situation is similar to yours so the information you gave is very informative! We cruise next Friday on the Mercury. This will be our first Celebrity cruise and we are Diamond Plus with RCCL. We also have a Sky Suite.

 

I am not expecting much as 3/4 night "filler" cruises seem to be relaxed and almost a break period for the crew and staff. Sounds like the Mercury has taken this concept to the next level!

 

Did the butler end up packing for you? Did he serve "tea" in the afternoons? Just curious of what to expect.

[ParrotTops]

A few more things: We also found getting off the ship at the ports extremely unorganized....of course, there is always a crowd but the stampede on this cruise was unbelievable. We almost missed our whale watch because it took so long to get off the ship.

 

My sister recently did HAL and they were at Hubbard Glacier for the entire day. We were there for about an hour and a half.

 

The bed was fine--we requested a foam mattress pad and it was quite comfortable.

 

The plumbing was not great. One night was came back to our cabin and the maintenance men had the wall taken off outside our cabin. The guy said the toilet was broken and they had been working on it for a couple hours already. He said I broke the toilet and asked what I flushed down it. I told him only what most people flush down it! I found several crew members very disrespectful. Someone else commented how grumpy they seem. I did not find this to be the general rule but had a few incidents where I felt they were rude.

 

The comedian, Don Sherman (? can't remember the name) was halarious!

[wwinfl91]

We were on a Zenith cruise a couple of years ago. We got a great deal out on a 14 day cruise they had out of Jacksonville so we booked it. We had always heard about how good the food and service were on Celebrity but IMHO the food and service were no better than the other cruise lines we had been on (HAL RCL and Princess). I didn't notice their dining room service being any slower than any other cruise line but I was also not particularly impressed by the buffet food. The one thing I did enjoy on this cruise was the Sushi bar they set up on one side of the buffet area in the evenings. I thought it was pretty good although I'm not sure I actually needed the extra food.

 

I suspect we will both end up getting slammed by the Celebrity cheerleaders but that was my experience.

 

Have a great next cruise.

[SheilaNC]

ParrotTops,

Sorry that you had a negative experience on Mercury to Alaska. We, in July, had a marvelous experience finding the crew attentive, polite and informative. As my Dad used to say, 'that's what makes horse racing?'. Not slamming you at all - seems like we just had different experiences and I'm sorry for that.

[caviargal]

The food in the diningroom was not up to RCCL either but the fish entrees and beef were above average as were the chocolate desserts. The service was horrible!!!!! We would just wait and wait and wait to be served..at least 30 minutes between each course--it took forever! One night we just got so frustrated we got up and left before dinner was over...

 

From what I heard other repeat Celebrity guests saying, we should have started with either Millenium or Infinity. By the way, there is a whole new fleet coming out next year...the 3 biggest Celebity ships yet.

 

Sorry you did not enjoy Mercury; she was the only Celebrity ship that has ever disappointed me.

 

I agree about the buffet areas but we did have excellent food and service in the dining room on our cruise. It was much better than on any RCI ship I have cruised in the past 6-7 years. I also prefer the European style service, having a Sommelier and having nicer china and linens. JMHO.

 

Re the new ships, I am disappointed that X is going the route of building larger ships. IMO, this will only compromise food and service.

[ParrotTops]

Sally, yes the butler will serve tea every afternoon around 4:00 and appetizers ((I use this term loosely) around 5:00. The best thing for a snack is to ask him to bring you a cappachino and almond or chocolate chip croissant from Cava Cove (you will not be charged extra for this but you will if you order it yourself in Cava Cove). Try both types of croissants! If you like Egg's Benedict, the hollandaise was excellent!

 

After the butler told me they just throw the dirty clothes in the suitcase, I packed myself.

 

There is an informal dining area in the evening in the buffet area. We did not eat there but wished we had tried it after someone told us how nice it was. It's their version of a speciality restaurant and all the food it made to order by the chef. You need to make reservations.

 

The lobster in the diningroom on formal night was so salty we could barely eat it! And I love lobster!!!

 

The bed was fine but request a mattress pad! Something else odd: halfway during the cruise, they stripped the couch of the covers and left us with dirty foam--they did it on all the suites. It was very wierd!!!

 

If you are gambler--try the dollar "wheel of fortune" machines (there are 2 near the cashier). We saw people win and win!! One woman spun the wheel and got 1000.00 on her first 20.00. My husband tried the other machine and won 600.00 on his first try. Only put in 20.00 each time, everyone we saw win did so on their first 20.00. Don't keep dumping money into the machine.

 

By the way, its Orca whale season so if you get a chance to whale watch, do so!

 

If you are in Seattle, go to the Space Needle and eat at the restaurant. We did it after we got off the Mercury and it was wonderful! The restaurant does a full turn and you get the most gorgeous views and it was the best food I had eaten all week!

 

We were diamond on RCCL and so automatically Elite on Celebrity. There are some nice events for Elite--wine tasting and High Tea. The Captain's Club host is Justin and remember his name!!!! Trust me, you will need it! He was wonderful and helped us to straighten out serveral things. The concierge, David, was also very nice.

[rebeccalouise]

I started with the Zenith, then Galaxy, then Millenium and finally Constellation. I think when you do it in this order- each subsequent cruise was better than the one before. I have a feeling if I sailed Mercury now, I would be disappointed.

Don't abandon Celebrity- sail on the Millenium or Constellation (they were awesome!)

[ParrotTops]

Thanks for all your replies. We might try Mercury again but for now, I just need to recover from this past week. I am still shell-shocked. It was an expensive relevation...I have never been so disappointed in a trip!

[C 2 C]

We might try Mercury again but for now, I just need to recover from this past week. I am still shell-shocked. It was an expensive relevation...I have never been so disappointed in a trip!

I'm sorry you had such a negative Celebrity experience. We were on Mercury in February and were not subjected "recycled slop --very few choices, served military style" nor slow service in the dining room. We liked Mercury enough to go back for the Panama cruise in December. Enough people must have complained about embarkation problems because Mercury is sailing from Vancouver next year.

 

But if it was that bad, "it was my least favorite cruise in the 15 we have taken" why would you want to try it again?:confused: Celebrity's strength lies in its service and its food and if you consider both as below average, why subject yourself to that treatment again?

 

This information you received is wrong:

By the way, there is a whole new fleet coming out next year...the 3 biggest Celebity ships yet.

The three ships are larger but will not sail until 2008, 2009 and 2010.

 

There's another comment about Mercury posted here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=413950

[Pookie-the-Sailor]

We sailed Mercury on 8/25 Seattle to Alaska (review has been submitted and is being processed) and had a very different experience.

 

If you don't mind my asking, what was the date of your cruise?

What seating and table were you in the dining room?

 

Forgive my ignorance, but what busses are you referring to?

 

Thanks

[ParrotTops]

As I said, we just got back yesterday. The sailing date was 9/8-9/15. I don't want to get anyone in trouble so I am not going to say which table we were at but it was main seating near the back of the dining room. I am not going to debate or justify my feelings about the cruise--I'm disgusted enough with the whole experience as it is...$6000.00 later (cruise, shore excursions, flight), I just wish I had tried a different Celebrity ship..

[ParrotTops]

Pookie--I am refering to the transfer buses from the airport to the ship. The buses they give you a voucher for when you purchase their custom air. Another disaster....

[dileep]

I just wish I had tried a different Celebrity ship..

 

We have only sailed the M-Class ships (all except Summit) and enjoyed them immensely!

[elena7seas]

Don't give up on Celebrity...try the Constellation next time :).

 

Can you tell us a little about your experience with Custom Air? I take it that it didn't work too well for you, but I would appreciate hearing any of your comments, as we are trying to decide whether to go custom air or make our own arrangements.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post! We all appreciate it.

[Tatka]

This is strange.. We sailed on Mercury last year, and on RCCL Splendor of the Seas (similar size) a year before. I thought food on Splendor was the worst out of all our cruises, and on Celebrity (Century and Mercury) the best. Princess had more selections in the buffet and HAL's lunch buffet was a bit better, but dining room was the best on X. Actually I thing morning buffet on RCCL was worse than Old Country buffet... Frozen potatos, no special omelets etc. Dining room service on RCCL was nice, but not as professional as on X.

 

We are sailing on Expolrer ots next year for 9 days and I hope for MUCH better food than on Splendor.

 

We are also sailing on Century, but I don't have to worry about food there.:D

[Sky Sweet]

We have sailed on five different Celebrity Ships....Constellation, Infinity, Millennium, Century, and Mercury. Even though we had a sky suite on the Mercury with a huge balcony, which was awesome, in my opinion, the overall condition of its public areas was significantly inferior to the other Celebrity Ships that we have sailed. I also felt it was a nondescript ship because it lacks the amenities of the M class ships, and doesn't have the elegance of its sister ship Century, which I considered to be a classic beauty before she was refurbished.

 

At the same time, I thought the food on our Mercury cruise was outstanding, its crew was excellent, and its passengers included some of the most wonderful people we have met at sea.

[DeltaOne]

The food in the buffet was nothing more than recycled slop --very few choices, served military style and the lines were ridiculous!

 

The food in the diningroom was not up to RCCL either but the fish entrees and beef were above average as were the chocolate desserts. The service was horrible!!!!!

I respect your opinions, but I've never been on a cruise where I would describe the buffet food as "recycled slop." There are always items in the buffet line I won't try, stuff I may not like...but "recycled slop" is just so over the top.

 

As for the bad service....bad service can happen anywhere. You got a bad wait team. And, since you didn't mention it, you made no attempt to speak to a supervisor. I think it's safe to say not all the wait teams on the ship were "horrible."

[Andy]

We just got of the Mercury yesterday and it was my least favorite cruise in the 15 we have taken...this was our first Celebrity cruise and I regret that we started with the Mercury. We usually cruise with RCCL and have always had such a great experience! Celebrity was such a disappointment!

 

By the way, there is a whole new fleet coming out next year...the 3 biggest Celebity ships yet.

 

Hi Parrot Tops !

 

Sorry you did not enjoy your Cruise. Seems Mercury reviews of late, have been hit or miss. I wish I knew what was going on with that ship, but I have not been on her in a while, so I cant say.

 

As for the new ships.... we have a longer wait than next year. The first ship (Solstice) is supposed to be out in late 2008, the second ship (Equinox) in Summer 2009, and the third ship is due June 2010. All 3 ships will be 118,000 tons.

[bububr]

Its all personal opinion.

 

Ali, Terri, Amy and our families had the BEST times of our lives on this cruise. For me It is in the top two cruises I have ever had....Maybe my standards are just a tad lower than Parrotops.

 

I'll submit my review in a few days once I get some rest. I've still not gotten over being invited to the Captains Table. ( BTW thats NOT the reason I loved this cruise..Its just a very small part of it ).

 

Dave:eek:

[Andy]

Its all personal opinion.

 

Ali, Terri, Amy and our families had the BEST times of our lives on this cruise. For me It is in the top two cruises I have ever had....Maybe my standards are just a tad lower than Parrotops.

 

I'll submit my review in a few days once I get some rest. I've still not gotten over being invited to the Captains Table. ( BTW thats NOT the reason I loved this cruise..Its just a very small part of it ).

 

Dave:eek:

 

Hi Dave !

 

I am so glad to hear you and your families had a great time.

 

As those of us who have been around here a long time, we have seen many passengers come off the same ship, at the same time, with two totally different experiences. Amazing, but true. Perhaps it is a matter of how high some set their expectations. It can be a million different reasons. I am glad to see yours was a great experience !

[Tatka]

Ali, Terri, Amy and our families had the BEST times of our lives on this cruise. For me It is in the top two cruises I have ever had....Maybe my standards are just a tad lower than Parrotops.

 

I understand what you mean about standards ... and could understand if OP is used to sail top-end lines, or this was very first cruise and person had set expectations too high... but how can one say RCCL food is great and Celebrity's awfull?:confused:

[Pecoraro]

but how can one say RCCL food is great and Celebrity's awfull?

 

........very easily. I much preferred the food on RCCL but then my last cruise with them was 4 years ago. Celebrity food, in my opinion, is very bland and typically way overcooked. I can't tell you how many tasteless rubber lobsters were sent back from our table on each of our Celebrity cruises.

 

It does come down what you have experienced in the past and perhaps some peoples tastes and expectations are a tad higher than others.

[ParrotTops]

Dave--was the Captain at the table or Beatrice and Ronald??

[bububr]

It was B and Ronald. We were invited to dine as guests of the Hotel Manager Beatrice. Were you there also?

 

Did we meet? Maybe you were Darla or Melissa?

 

Either way I thought everyone was extremely nice and personable.

 

Dave:eek: