Celebrity Mercury

[bepsf]

Our cabin reminded me of an aging airport Holiday Inn. I posted details on the X threads and nearly got thrown off the boards. Loyalists were not open to any dissent. I was called a liar and worse...

...I also read one of the X ships just flunked CDC, I don't remember which one this time but it was not Mercury or Century.

 

Indeed - I received the same virol in response from retelling my experience on the X boards. Very few folks there were at all respectful of me sharing my experience - it was as if I were posting on a message board directly linked to the RCI/X PR department...

 

...and Yes, Infinity failed their inspection this past December.

 

From the recent CC News posting:

 

"Highlights from the list of point deductions included a food employee who was observed tasting food with his finger. The inspector's response? "He was instructed to stop work and wash his hands." Another find was a can of insecticide (565 Plus XLO) was stored in a box with paper towels, and three bags of Max Force bait stations were stored on the top shelf with chlorine powder. Storing roach spray in places with food-related items is frowned upon by the CDC. "

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3308

[sammiedawg]

CDC failed inspection was Infinity December 2008.

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/InspectionQueryTool/Forms/InspectionSummaryView.aspx?Inspection=10717677

 

Century flunked in 2004.

I belive both ships passed with the next inspection.

[sammiedawg]

Regarding the conditions on Century, my TA took the issues afterward to his sales contact at Celebrity. I did not hear a word from Celebrity.

I also talked to my TA friend in another state. I do not book with her, her prices at a brick mortar agency are too high. She told me she heard more negative feedback about X than average. And she hears negative comments about all lines.

[sammiedawg]

I stopped reading the X board until just now and this negative thread about the conditions on summit is on page 1.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1028443

[usha]

The only ship I've ever seen really noticeable gross-me-out huge stains was on Westerdam.

Our little sofa looked as though someone had either given birth or been brutally murdered there.:eek:

I grabbed an extra blanket and covered the sofa with it.

Voila; no more CSI couch!:)

[jer_l]

Well, I have to say that all your comments are not inciting us to go ahead and book the Mercury with Celebrity. Our aim is to have a 10 to 12 days Carribean cruise from a port that we can sail from. My next choice would be sailing from New York on the Queen Mary 2...... The cabin may be a little more expensive but maybe it is worth it. Wha do you guys think?

We've sailed both X and HAL. The two lines are quite similar. We've been on the Mercury three times and it is our favorite ship. I'd say go ahead and book the Mercury. If she were sailing her old itinerary from San Diego to the Mexican Riviera we would certainly be sailing on her. Keep in mind that this is not a brand new ship. There might be some wear and tear similar to what you find on HAL's older ships, but you will find it is minor. The crew was better than any we've had on a HAL ship; although the Ryndam crew came close.

[takemewithyou]

Just an apples to apples comparison from the CDC Cruise Ship Inspections:

The most recent inspections from both lines.

 

HAL 2/09 - 6/09: Scores ranged from 89 (Statendam)-100.

Celebrity 2/09 - 4/09: Scores ranged from 94-100.

[Marion B]

Frankie Sue,

I agree completely with everything Brian and Sammie have posted; have never been in a cabin like the verandah (with butler) on the Mercury; concave bed, bathroom mold, tattered sofa and curtains...

You asked about the QM2... spent a landmark 10 day birthday cruise - NY to Caribbean on her a year ago and would return in a heartbeat. Had a verandah cabin on deck 11 that was equal to HAL's quality. There are people who love and those that hate her, but I am firmly in the first category. Would be glad to answer any questions you might have about the Queen.

Marion

[sammiedawg]

I'm going to start to read X boards again. Family reunion planners are considering a cruise and they want something that sails from the East Coast. I'm sure the Balimore X will come up.

I was not happy with the health and cleanliness issues on the Century but what really galled me was their attitude. Take it or leave it. We recently were at a major upscale chain hotel and there was a reservation mix up. They could not have been more apologetic trying to make things right, they comped our room for the first night. We got followup phone calls and email.

If someone wants to try X, consider one of the brand new ships. 2 new ones rolled out, first new ones in quite a few years.

[Frankie Sue]

I really appreciate your comments..... Marion B: anything you can tell us about the Queen Mary 2 would be greatly appreciated. We are looking at a Brittania B1 or B2 veranda cabin..... I have always been a little bit concerned about the class system that Cunard seem to adopt with their different passengers class. Did you find that to be a problem? Also does Cunard sometimes lower prices or offer promotions? Can we expect prices to drop for Fall 2010? or if we book now will they honour lower prices if prices drop later in the year? Also do they have a policy about bringing wine on board. We have been used to Hal and been used to bring wine to our cabin.

 

Any pictures of Queen Mary 2 cabins would also be greatly appreciated.

 

PS............ I hope that the Cruiseline people read these boards and pay attention to what their clients have to say........

 

Thanks you guys

[shandryl]

When I went to Hawaii I was in Cabin 1201 Concierge class. The cabin was okay the deck was really nice. My only complaint was the bed!! It was awful!! I had the matress flipped, that didn't even help. Overall the ship itself was okay. Staff were friendly and I made many friends.

 

Would I sail Mercury again? I'm not sure maybe.........

[bepsf]

We've sailed both X and HAL. The two lines are quite similar. We've been on the Mercury three times and it is our favorite ship...

...There might be some wear and tear similar to what you find on HAL's older ships, but you will find it is minor. The crew was better than any we've had on a HAL ship; although the Ryndam crew came close.

 

I must disagree @ shipboard conditions.

Mercury is roughly the same age as Amsterdam and Volendam - and yet I never found the abysmal conditions aboard those two lovely ships that I experienced aboard Mercury. In addition, the guest accommodations - staterooms and bathrooms alike - are far larger aboard HAL.

 

I've also never been aboard a ship other than Mercury where entire shop windows were covered over in paper because the interior was abandoned, never been aboard any other ship where the staff would prefer to talk amongst themselves (if at all) than talk to guests, never been aboard another ship where one was refused entry through the upper dining room because one's table was in the lower dining room, and never been aboard any other ship where the Maitre'd refused to speak w/ passengers: All these I experienced within those two days aboard Mercury.

 

I've also never had a bartender lie to me anywhere except aboard X:

While aboard Mercury at the Martini Bar, I ordered an Appletini - When it arrived it had no apple wedge garnish. I asked where the apple was and was told "There are no more apples aboard ship" - Fine, I'll drink it anyway. Next night after a day at sea, I ordered an Appletini again and it had a wedge of apple on it. I asked the bartender, "Did you grow these apples aboard ship today or have them flown in, because last night you told me that you didn't have any more apples". Of course he pretended not to hear me...

 

...I guess that's what you get for a $10 cocktail aboard X.

[Marion B]

You're welcome, Frankie Sue. Again, I agree completely with what Brian just posted about Mercury's condition compared to HAL ships.

Thoughts re QM2:

B category verandahs are different than A category; Bs are built into the hull of the ship; I personally wouldn't book one, but others would.

There were 4 of us on QM2; 2 of us felt food better than HAL, 1 same and 1 worse (she usually sails Seabourn or Sea Dream Yachts). All of us loved fixed seating in Britannia Grill and all of us agreed entertainment better than HAL, Princess or Celebrity.

3 of us didn't feel a class distinction, but again, the Seabourn friend did. Each of the 3 categories has its own dining room; the Princess and Queen levels had some private lounges too. (it reminds me of the Concierge Lounge being limited to suites concept).

Not sure if Cunard will refund if drop in price; we did book directly with them because they offered a deal that our TA couldn't touch .

Price we paid for QM2 balcony exactly equal to what we paid for 10 day HAL Ryndam balcony in November.

I would book this same itinerary in a NY minute if we didn't already have other travel plans. Sailaway out of NY was magical, gliding past the Statue of Liberty and scooting under the Verazano Bridge.

What month are you considering? 10 day Caribbean?

Marion

[Juanita462]

Our one sailing with X was on the mercury and we have never sailed with

them again. Poor beds, very small room, poor waiter who got orders wrong, complained about bringing a cup of tea etc, grubby carpets and upholstery, no place to sit quietly to read a book - like Grand Central Station and, at that time, smoking down one side of the ship that drifted over to the other side - heavy smokers on each side of our cabin that turned the air blue in the corridor and seeped under the door.

 

The final problem was a charge on our credit card for a bottle of wine that was bought 2 days after we left the ship. Celebrity never responded to our email about the charge so we just denied the charge to visa.

 

Must say though, that the food was good and there were lots of activities - wonder if that is still true.

[Frankie Sue]

Thanks Marion B, I appreciate your comments about the B cabin being built in the hull of the ship.......... I did not know that. Since the price difference is very minimal with the A cabin, I guess that I would be better booking an A cabin then........

 

Built in the hull of the ship, does it mean that it would fee like being in sardine can??

 

Thanks again for sharing your experience and knowledge. Yes we are looking at the 11 days in Nov. 2010. I know that it is a long time away, but better book early for the right cabin and price, right?

[bigbenboys]

Well,

 

Mercury is not their best ship. I do like the CC rooms very much. And yes they are about the same as high end balcony rooms on HAL. But if Mercury is going where you want to go then go for it. It is a small ship, I've done it 3 or 4 times. I'm going again in the fall out of Seattle for 4 days.

 

Bigbenboys

[jer_l]

I must disagree @ shipboard conditions.

Mercury is roughly the same age as Amsterdam and Volendam - and yet I never found the abysmal conditions aboard those two lovely ships that I experienced aboard Mercury. In addition, the guest accommodations - staterooms and bathrooms alike - are far larger aboard HAL.

 

I've also never been aboard a ship other than Mercury where entire shop windows were covered over in paper because the interior was abandoned, never been aboard any other ship where the staff would prefer to talk amongst themselves (if at all) than talk to guests, never been aboard another ship where one was refused entry through the upper dining room because one's table was in the lower dining room, and never been aboard any other ship where the Maitre'd refused to speak w/ passengers: All these I experienced within those two days aboard Mercury.

 

I've also never had a bartender lie to me anywhere except aboard X:

While aboard Mercury at the Martini Bar, I ordered an Appletini - When it arrived it had no apple wedge garnish. I asked where the apple was and was told "There are no more apples aboard ship" - Fine, I'll drink it anyway. Next night after a day at sea, I ordered an Appletini again and it had a wedge of apple on it. I asked the bartender, "Did you grow these apples aboard ship today or have them flown in, because last night you told me that you didn't have any more apples". Of course he pretended not to hear me...

 

...I guess that's what you get for a $10 cocktail aboard X.

Obviously your experience on Mercury is far different than the three times we've sailed on her. We've never had any of the problems that you encountered. I still stand by my assessment based on the three sailing we've taken. It's too bad your sailing was not up to the Celebrity standards we've experienced.

[sammiedawg]

Our one sailing with X was on the mercury and we have never sailed with

them again. Poor beds, very small room, poor waiter who got orders wrong, complained about bringing a cup of tea etc, grubby carpets and upholstery, no place to sit quietly to read a book - like Grand Central Station and, at that time, smoking down one side of the ship that drifted over to the other side - heavy smokers on each side of our cabin that turned the air blue in the corridor and seeped under the door.

 

The final problem was a charge on our credit card for a bottle of wine that was bought 2 days after we left the ship. Celebrity never responded to our email about the charge so we just denied the charge to visa.

 

Must say though, that the food was good and there were lots of activities - wonder if that is still true.

 

Juanita, I had forgotten about the smoking issues on Celebrity Century but there were obnoxious smokers on board and apparently you were allowed to smoke on 1 side of the ship. Therefore, everyone gathered in the Ren De Voux area outside the dining room had to put up with smokers smoke. That really bothered me. The only restricted area was the dining room. Lots of Europeans on board and someone told me Europeans book Celebrity because it had the least restrictions on smoking.

The day we were tendered outside of Grand Cayman profuse foul black smoke spewed all day long from the smokestacks. You could smell it down in the atrium because I went to the front desk to complain about the smoke that was in my cabin. The purser said it was bothering her as well. I never ever experienced anything like that.

I am just thankful we did not have anyone with us on this cruise, no kids, relatives or friends. I would have been so embarassed to have recommended the trip and the Celebrity line.

The dining room beef was excellent a cut above, Service was very fussy and formal, overall dining room experience was good. We did not have a lot of activities, they did have a very good pool band. But the hot tubs were broken and I did not get into the pool because the pool had been cited by the CDC for an incorrect mix of chemicals.

They had the lousiest TV selection, they kept showing the CD Allan giving a guided tour of the gift shops. Very few channels but not sure it mattered because our TV was very old with lousy reception.

I loved the bread sticks in the dining room, they had great breads.

[Marion B]

Frankie Sue,

With a minimum price difference, I would definitely go with the A balcony; we saw the B balcony when our tablemates invited us to see their cabin. The best way I can describe it is that you don't get the natural light of an A cabin and the unobstructed view out to the sea.

If you are picking your cabin, as opposed to a guarantee, I would go with starboard. When you board the ship in Brooklyn and sailaway, you will have the killer view of the Statue of Liberty. We lucked out with a guarantee and had cabin 11101 midship - wonderful.

You are whetting my appetite for a return trip on the Queen.

Have you checked out the Cunard boards? I learned a lot from them.

Also, if you need a hotel recommendation pre-cruise, have one .

 

Marion

[jer_l]

Juanita, I had forgotten about the smoking issues on Celebrity Century but there were obnoxious smokers on board and apparently you were allowed to smoke on 1 side of the ship. Therefore, everyone gathered in the Ren De Voux area outside the dining room had to put up with smokers smoke. That really bothered me. The only restricted area was the dining room. Lots of Europeans on board and someone told me Europeans book Celebrity because it had the least restrictions on smoking.

 

This has changed dramatically. Celebrity is now one of the most restrictive lines when it comes to smoking. Here is their new smoking policy:

 

For all Celebrity ships, smoking is not permitted inside any stateroom or on any stateroom veranda. Cigarette smoking will only be permitted in designated indoor and outdoor areas of the ship, while cigar and pipe smoking will only be permitted in designated outdoor areas. Smoking will not be permitted in any dining venue, casino, theater, hallway, elevator or corridor. Violations to this smoking policy will result in a $250 cleaning fee being charged to the guest's onboard account and may also be addressed through Celebrity Cruises' Guest Conduct Policy. Cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco must be properly disposed of and never thrown overboard. A guest must be at least 18 years of age to purchase, possess or use tobacco onboard.

 

Celebrity is now far less "smoking friendly" than HAL (Perhaps that is one of the reasons that HAL now has a smoking survey that is given to passengers at the end of their cruises.)

[Frankie Sue]

Thanks again, I will look at that cabin choice........ And yes, that itinerary is great and prices, OBC and minimum deposit are a great deal right now for the Nov 2010 sailing. You know I had never noticed that the B cabin had the solid railing until you pointed it out, you may very well have saved us from making a mistake. So I am really thankful to you for that.

 

I will probably see how prices go over the next few weeks and then decide.

 

Thanks a lot and great sailing to you.

[Marion B]

Frankie Sue,

Wishing you a fabulous cruise whatever you decide. Let us know what you chose.

Marion