Back from your Celebrity Sailing? Please write/submit your review...

[LauraS]

If you're just back from your Celebrity cruise...we'd like to publish your review:

Go Here To Have Cruise Critic Publish Your Review: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/index.cfm

If you've already posted here on the Celebrity forum, you're ahead of the game! Simply copy/paste the text from here. Note that while submitting your review you'll be able to "rate" your ship, and the results will be compiled in our Cruiser's Choice Poll.

Thanks!

Laura

[JoKnecht]

"It's your first cruise and you're going on one that's 18 nights long?' was the common refrain from friends. We had long resisted the idea of a cruise, we tended to make our own travel arrangements, often meandering through Europe by car, or finding out of the way Caribbean locations off the beaten track. But then my wife found this trip by a new cruise line that seemed to fit. Free style seating, no formal nights, a relatively small number of passengers and an itinerary that sounded perfect; Buenos Aires to Valparaiso, rounding the Horn on New Year's Eve. So for the first time in our lives we put all our travel arrangements in the hands of someone else (the cruise line) and hoped for the best. The flight to Buenos Aires meant a connection in Chicago, but once we got there, Azamara took over and we began to experience the Azamara "touch". We had booked an extra night in BA to experience some of the delights of that wonderful city. We stayed at the Sheraton, located near the famous Florida shopping street, and not far from El Temo and the docks. As expected all luggage was handled efficiently by the line and their representative at the hotel gave us several wonderful tips on enjoying the city. We even decided to eschew the free transfer to the ship in favor of spending more time at the famous El Temo flea market. A quick cab ride from the hotel brought us to the embarkation shed at the port of Buenos Aires. The embarkation procedure went very smoothly, and soon we were on the ship, handed a glass of champagne, and escorted to our stateroom.


Thanks to Cruise Critic and its message boards, we had a pretty accurate idea or what to expect, our Veranda stateroom was snug, but well laid out. It was larger than some of the European "boutique" hotel rooms we've stayed in recently. The R-ship's newly renovated cabin had a flat screen, a comfortable bed and enough storage space to accommodate our three weeks worth of clothing. We were greeted by our butler, Natasha, who turned out to be absolutely wonderful, anticipating most of our needs and remembering all of our preferences. The television provided much of the onboard information we needed. We went up to the specialty restaurants to make our one free reservation, only to be told that the policy was changed beginning with our cruise. No surcharge would be assessed, so we happily made reservations for the entire cruise, alternating locations. Our dining experience was therefore somewhat different that most, and it was fantastic. The waitstaff was utterly professional and beyond friendly. The maitre d', Zoltan, made every evening a truly luxurious dining adventure. The food was truly to die for. Every dinner we ate was the equal of some of the best restaurants in NYC. A special thanks to Domenique, the head of food services, who spent time with us and gave us a real appreciation for the way in which the ship was provisioned. So we began to really enjoy and appreciate the "Azamara experience".


As the cruise settled into its first week, we could not get over how genuinely friendly the entire crew was. They created such a nice atmosphere, that as we meet other passengers, one of the first topics of discussion was the crew and the atmosphere they were creating for the passengers. As we traveled down the coast of Argentina, moving into Patagonia, the "culture" of the ship became more apparent. They might not have the largest shows, but the jazz combo playing at cocktail time was just right. The activities on board were designed for those who absolutely needed them, but most of the cosmopolitan mix of passengers did their own "thing". The gym was well utilized, and the activities there were excellent. Tanning on pool deck was a favorite activity while the weather held. But for most, the scenery and ports were the major activity. (Personal disclaimer: We did not take any of the excursions offered by the ship. We made our own arrangements in each port, either renting a car and driving ourselves, or renting a car and driver for the day). The captain and crew kept us informed of any changes in our itinerary. When high winds prevented us from docking at Comodoro Riverdivia, resulting in an unexpected day at sea, the crew quickly set up new activities to take up the slack. When high seas threatened mass sea sickness, the captain took us through the Beagle Passage for an unbelievable morning wakeup at the Garibaldi Glacier, which was absolutely stunning. All during the voyage, crew members showed real interest in our daily excursions. And at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, we rounded Cape Horn Island, and headed into the Pacific. When we finally reached Valparaiso, we had had the trip of our lives. We had made new friends, both among the passengers and the crew. Perhaps the voyage was best summed up by a crew member, who, when asked by my wife if it was possible to get something after the lunch buffet had closed, replied, "Madam, on Azamara everything is possible". And it was.
Publication Date: 01/28/08

[murphysmum]

Hello...

I recently completed a 14 day cruise on the Quest, through the Panama Canal. My feeling was that the positives FAR outweighed the few negatives. I hope that you relax about the ship and go and enjoy!

The ship is lovely and our cabin was immaculate. It was cleaned twice a day and more if we asked. Everything in the room was new. The linens were excellent and the towels were the thickest Turkish towels I've ever seen...and I'm a towel freak. Without going over every positive aspect of the ship, I will simply say that it is beautifully decorated, goes the extra mile with their food service in all areas and staff members are extremely friendly and helpful. Everything you have read in past postings (I was apprehensive too) seems to have been corrected.

I also felt that the ship (probably due to lack of belly flop contests, leg contests and rock climbing walls, etc.) has attracted a little more mature crowd with similar interests. The lecture series was full most days; I met numerous lovely people and enjoyed frequent serendipitous conversations.

I had only three complaints. One may seem petty; the other two really need some work.

1)Starting with petty, I'm an iced tea drinker. I like and expect fresh brewed (or at least brewed each morning) tea. However, this "first class ship" serves the "dispenser tea with the faint taste of carbonation" throughout the ship, including Prime C and Aqualina. At our first CC Meeting, I met and shared with the head of food and beverage service that even MacDonald's now brews it's own tea and was told that it's very difficult to do fresh brew and that "most people don't know the difference anyway". However, I believe that I have now successfully instructed every server on the ship how to brew fresh tea and they were all quite happy to do so. Okay, I'm over that!

2)The shore excursions offered were not well organized in that they could have (geographically) fit much more into their excursions, giving clients a better experience. Example: Nicaragua-A shore excursion was offered to Granada and the lake, or to Masaya, or to another place place fairly close by. I booked a private excursion which included San Juan del Oriente, Santa Catarina, Masaya, Granada and a lake tour (great feeding monkeys in our boat) and a lovely lunch. Our tour guide called ahead, ordered our food (our choice) and we had a lovely lunch within 1/2 hour. We saw people we had met on the ship at almost each stop, but felt sad that they were being (stupidly) denied access to all possible experiences. Several people from our ship were stuck in the restaurant while we ate and hadn't even had orders taken yet.

Our price was a little over $400 which is a bit high for two; however, had four people shared the experience we would have been paying less per person than the inefficiently planned ship excursions. We had the same experience in Costa Rica and Guatemala. At other stops, we simple hopped in a cab (sharing with compatible couples) and went wherever we wanted.

In Huatulco, Mexico I was surprised that there was no shore excursion offered to the Turtle Preservation Center at Mazunte. We got a cab for the 1/2 hour ride; the cab driver acted as our guide for the Center (amazing and beautifully set right on the ocean) as well as several other points of interest in Puerto Angel and the town of La Cruecita (sp?) very close to the ship. Wonderful day and we met a lovely couple who went with us. When I asked at the Shore Excursion desk if they new about Mazunte and the Center and offered to share info with them, I was told "There's nothing there; that's why we don't bother". Enough said.

3)The Library-This may not matter to some people, but I'm a reader when at sea and loved the beautiful atmosphere of the old Renaissance ships. A visit to the library the first evening was very disappointing. There are very few books available. The beautiful wood cabinets are perhaps 1/6 (if that) full of books and the rest of them are full of wine glasses or odd bits of crystal. Most of the books appeared to have been left by prior guests. I left four. I noticed that there's one old lovely traditional fabric sofa left, but everything else seems to have been replaced with either traditional style or reupolstered in fake leather...practical, but not very atmospheric. The lovely ceiling has been left intact!

Since the library has been cut in two as far as use, it is never quiet because 1/2 is used for card playing. I did find that the area around Mosaic Cafe had comfortable sofas and was quieter than the library even when people were playing Trivia or other games.

Okay, I've aired my "peeves". I'll definitely travel with Azamara again and simply book my own tours. And to those I met on the ship...It was a pleasure!

Happy Sailing!

murphysmum

[dorijo]

I haven't done a review of the ship, but just came home from 16 day transatlantic crossing Miami to Barcelona and it was fabulous.
I loved the ship, crew, entertainment and most of all the food..it has become my best ship ever. I would love to sail on her again. The price was right for this cruise but i doubt that will happen again as she becomes more and more well known. The crew including captain and his officers are the friendliest at sea that i have ever encountered. They certainly have gotten the kinks out in the last year. I would definitely recommend this cruise line.

[howlpat]

I just posted my Azamara Quest Best of Italy Review on the Member Review page. It includes a review of the ship as well as the ports of call.

Here is a link to the review...

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberre...?EntryID=42316

Here is a link to my pictures of the ship...
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...localeid=en_US

Here is a link to my pictures of Italy...
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...localeid=en_US

I'll be happy to answer any questions anyone may have about our trip. phowl@comcast.net

[tory707]

Holwpat...What great pictures! Going on th Journey in October

[dorijo]

Mark and Pat,
Absolutely gorgeous pictures..What kind of camera did you use and are you professional? Makes me long to go back to Italy.
Doris

[kingrichard146]

Love your photos. We are booked on the Quest Ancient Empires Nov 8-22 balcony 6022. I can't seem to access your review. Could you send me a copy direct to kingrichard146@msn.com.

[hollywoody]

Originally Posted by JoKnecht

"It's your first cruise and you're going on one that's 18 nights long?' was the common refrain from friends. We had long resisted the idea of a cruise, we tended to make our own travel arrangements, often meandering through Europe by car, or finding out of the way Caribbean locations off the beaten track. But then my wife found this trip by a new cruise line that seemed to fit. Free style seating, no formal nights, a relatively small number of passengers and an itinerary that sounded perfect; Buenos Aires to Valparaiso, rounding the Horn on New Year's Eve. So for the first time in our lives we put all our travel arrangements in the hands of someone else (the cruise line) and hoped for the best. The flight to Buenos Aires meant a connection in Chicago, but once we got there, Azamara took over and we began to experience the Azamara "touch". We had booked an extra night in BA to experience some of the delights of that wonderful city. We stayed at the Sheraton, located near the famous Florida shopping street, and not far from El Temo and the docks. As expected all luggage was handled efficiently by the line and their representative at the hotel gave us several wonderful tips on enjoying the city. We even decided to eschew the free transfer to the ship in favor of spending more time at the famous El Temo flea market. A quick cab ride from the hotel brought us to the embarkation shed at the port of Buenos Aires. The embarkation procedure went very smoothly, and soon we were on the ship, handed a glass of champagne, and escorted to our stateroom.


Thanks to Cruise Critic and its message boards, we had a pretty accurate idea or what to expect, our Veranda stateroom was snug, but well laid out. It was larger than some of the European "boutique" hotel rooms we've stayed in recently. The R-ship's newly renovated cabin had a flat screen, a comfortable bed and enough storage space to accommodate our three weeks worth of clothing. We were greeted by our butler, Natasha, who turned out to be absolutely wonderful, anticipating most of our needs and remembering all of our preferences. The television provided much of the onboard information we needed. We went up to the specialty restaurants to make our one free reservation, only to be told that the policy was changed beginning with our cruise. No surcharge would be assessed, so we happily made reservations for the entire cruise, alternating locations. Our dining experience was therefore somewhat different that most, and it was fantastic. The waitstaff was utterly professional and beyond friendly. The maitre d', Zoltan, made every evening a truly luxurious dining adventure. The food was truly to die for. Every dinner we ate was the equal of some of the best restaurants in NYC. A special thanks to Domenique, the head of food services, who spent time with us and gave us a real appreciation for the way in which the ship was provisioned. So we began to really enjoy and appreciate the "Azamara experience".


As the cruise settled into its first week, we could not get over how genuinely friendly the entire crew was. They created such a nice atmosphere, that as we meet other passengers, one of the first topics of discussion was the crew and the atmosphere they were creating for the passengers. As we traveled down the coast of Argentina, moving into Patagonia, the "culture" of the ship became more apparent. They might not have the largest shows, but the jazz combo playing at cocktail time was just right. The activities on board were designed for those who absolutely needed them, but most of the cosmopolitan mix of passengers did their own "thing". The gym was well utilized, and the activities there were excellent. Tanning on pool deck was a favorite activity while the weather held. But for most, the scenery and ports were the major activity. (Personal disclaimer: We did not take any of the excursions offered by the ship. We made our own arrangements in each port, either renting a car and driving ourselves, or renting a car and driver for the day). The captain and crew kept us informed of any changes in our itinerary. When high winds prevented us from docking at Comodoro Riverdivia, resulting in an unexpected day at sea, the crew quickly set up new activities to take up the slack. When high seas threatened mass sea sickness, the captain took us through the Beagle Passage for an unbelievable morning wakeup at the Garibaldi Glacier, which was absolutely stunning. All during the voyage, crew members showed real interest in our daily excursions. And at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, we rounded Cape Horn Island, and headed into the Pacific. When we finally reached Valparaiso, we had had the trip of our lives. We had made new friends, both among the passengers and the crew. Perhaps the voyage was best summed up by a crew member, who, when asked by my wife if it was possible to get something after the lunch buffet had closed, replied, "Madam, on Azamara everything is possible". And it was.
Publication Date: 01/28/08

Can you tell me which Veranda stateroom you were in?

[cruisecountess]

Having sailed with Renaissance and Oceania, this was my third time on this size ship, each time with a different company. I must say that I loved my experience on Azamara the best. From start to finish, they have their act together, and in only minor places where they don't, they do everything they can to rectify it.
> Check in has never been easier. I don't think it took five minutes and we were on board sipping champagne and enjoying a full buffet on deck. What a way to start.
>Our cabin was ready and luggage waiting within an hour of our arrival. From then on, our cabin was always "ready." We would go to breakfast and return to a clean room. Both our butler and cabin attendant were always accessible and friendly, with no request too much trouble.
>The entertainment was most enjoyable and offered a wide range of talents to meet the tastes and desires of all on board. We enjoyed cabaret style shows ranging from comedian to London West End star Lindsay Hamilton to classical pianist and a dulcimer vertuoso. The Journey's own group of five is youthful, energetic and talented. We loved their song stylings, especially the tribute to Hollywood.
> In addition to the shows, there are activities throughout the day and night; join in as you see fit. We loved the musical trivia and sing alongs with Bill, the piano player. My husband and I also took part in the Not So Newlywed Game (came in second!) and couldn't stop laughing. We never went to the art auctions, as we have no more wall space left. But after seeing Charlie, the art guy, take part in one of the vocabulary games, we were sorry we didn't attend. He has a fantastic sense of humor.
>The food is phenomenal. There is nothing more to say. Of the two specialty restauranats, we much preferred Aqualina. The service was better and there was more of a choice in menu items. The night we dined at
Prime C the food was warm, at best. (This is what I referred to in my opening as not having their act totally together.) I didn't complain, but did mention it to the hotel director as "constructive criticism." He made note of it, offered to have us eat there again, which we declined, and took care of it. Others we spoke with later in the cruise, who ate at Prime C, said their food was hot.
>Shore excursions. We did not partake of many of these on the Baltic cruise as we like to do our own thing. In St. Petersburg, we hired a car and guide and had no trouble getting off the ship. We were never made to wait until their tours departed. In fact, just the opposite. We had to notify guest relations of our meeting time with our guide, and we were given a personal escort to help us off the ship so there would be no problems. There was nothing that could have made it run more smoothly. We did take the excursion to Moscow and that ran like clockwork. We crammed a great deal into a day and were cared for quite well. We had a representative from the ship as well as a ship's guide. Then a local guide met us in Moscow at the airport. There were three groups, each with about 32 people. We had headsets so everyone could easily hear the local guide.
In Norway, where many of the ports were small towns and private guides were either unavailable or extremely expensive, we took the ship's tours.
For the most part, they were fine and well-organized. When we were not thrilled, it was usually because the scenery (i.e. the Atlantic Bridge and "fishing village") didn't live up to our expectations or a local guide was difficult to understand.
>The crew and staff are among the friendliest I have ever encountered on a ship. Captain Smith so loves what he does and he shares his knowledge and enthusiasm, which is contagious. He is visible and approachable. The directors, Food and Beverage, Hotel, Housekeeping, and Dottie, the Cruise director, were all very friendly and caring. Each one took the time to speak with us and make us feel like we were part of the Azamara family. Dottie even went the extra mile by sharing her photos of Moscow with us when we accidentally wiped our pictures out. (I don't know how we did that! )
Well, I apologize that this review has gone on so long, but there is so much good to be said about the Azamara Journey. I would not hesitate to recommend it.
Two other things, as they concern CC. 1) Although we did not have enough (25) passengers signed on for the CC party, the Journey hosted the event anyway--on both cruises. They were hosted by the Cruise Director and the Hotel Director. They really do care about what we have to say and take our input and comments very seriously. 2) In planning for the Norway trip, I
began a correspondance with a fellow CC blogger. We met on board the ship and hit it off famously, as did our husbands. She jokes that we should be the poster girls for CC. Not only did I have a great cruise, but I now have a new and wonderful friend.

[Leisure Lady]

We sailed on the Millennium on January 4, 2009. The weather was great. We also thought the food and service were very good. The itinerary was excellend; we loved the ports. Although I was disappointed that Tasmania was substituted with Newcastle, we did have a good time in Newcastle.

Boarding the ship was a horrible experience. The lines were long, and because of Australian customs at the pier, only 4 people were allowed in at a time. We were in line about one and half hours before we were let in to the terminal.

A month earlier, we had sailed on the Summit, a sister ship, for the Transatlantic crossing, so we had a basis for comparison. The deck plan was almost identical, and our cabin was located near the one we had before. However, the room was reversed, so for the first few days, we opened the closet when we wanted to go to the bathroom:-)

The Millennium is not as new a ship as the Summit, and the age difference is visible. The carpets are faded, some tiles were cracked in the shower, the laminate on the furniture was chipped at the edges, and the beds were not as comfortable. I knew that this was an older ship, so I expected to see more wear and tear.

The biggest difference was in the entertainment. The Summit had either the Celebrity performers or a headliner every night. The Millennium's entertainment was poor in comparison. One night, the main entertainment was The Love and Marriage Game (based on The Newlywed Show). This show is on all ships, but usually as an addition to the headliner, not as the main show.

Another night, the entertainment was Starring You as the only show. Again, it was the main event, not the add on.

The headliners were one well past-his-prime singer that many in the audience walked out on. There was a cabaret singer who performed twice. She had a decent voice, but I didn't think she merited the main stage for two performances. The best of the entertainers was a husband and wife string duet who also performed twice. The second performance was shared with the Male Voices, once of the ship's regular groups.

The side trips were very overpriced. The Phillip Island Pelican Parade cost $84 US, and could be purchased at the information cednter for $32 AU (transportation and admission ticket) which is about $25 US. I know the ship excursions cost more than booking on your own, but I think a 350% mark-up is too much. In the past, I think we paid less than twice as much for the convenience of booking onboard.

I took three excursions through the cruise company, and then cancelled the remaining ones that I had booked with them, and took them on my own from a private vendor. An example of what I saved was on the trip to Rotorua. The ship charged $270 for the trip. On land, I paid $75. I don't think I will ever book another excursion through the cruise company since they've raised their profit margin so much.

The debarkation process was handled very well. We were taken to the Crown Plaza Hotel in downtown Auckland where we were served beverages. We were able to check-in our carry-ons and walk around the city or take a side tour. Transportation from the hotel to the airport arrived on time, and we were taken to our luggage area in the airport.

I've taken many cruises, and this is the first time, I did not book another cruise while on board. The reason is that I am also a RCCL shareholder, and now that benefits cannot be combined, it doesn't make much sense for me to give them my money so much in advance of the next cruise. I may as well keep it and gain interest, and then take the shareholder benefit when and if I decide to book another cruise, especially since the shareholder benefit with Celebrity is much more than the onboard credit given onboard. With RCCL, the difference is not as great since it's according to the number of nights, rather than the cost of the stateroom.

Many thanks to Mark (Aussie Cruisers) who organized the Roll Call group and the Connections Party for all of his hard work, and for the signs and post-it notes on my door that greeted us when we boarded.

[jewel queen]

Originally Posted by Leisure Lady

We sailed on the Millennium on January 4, 2009. The weather was great. We also thought the food and service were very good. The itinerary was excellend; we loved the ports. Although I was disappointed that Tasmania was substituted with Newcastle, we did have a good time in Newcastle.

Boarding the ship was a horrible experience. The lines were long, and because of Australian customs at the pier, only 4 people were allowed in at a time. We were in line about one and half hours before we were let in to the terminal.

A month earlier, we had sailed on the Summit, a sister ship, for the Transatlantic crossing, so we had a basis for comparison. The deck plan was almost identical, and our cabin was located near the one we had before. However, the room was reversed, so for the first few days, we opened the closet when we wanted to go to the bathroom:-)

The Millennium is not as new a ship as the Summit, and the age difference is visible. The carpets are faded, some tiles were cracked in the shower, the laminate on the furniture was chipped at the edges, and the beds were not as comfortable. I knew that this was an older ship, so I expected to see more wear and tear.

The biggest difference was in the entertainment. The Summit had either the Celebrity performers or a headliner every night. The Millennium's entertainment was poor in comparison. One night, the main entertainment was The Love and Marriage Game (based on The Newlywed Show). This show is on all ships, but usually as an addition to the headliner, not as the main show.

Another night, the entertainment was Starring You as the only show. Again, it was the main event, not the add on.

The headliners were one well past-his-prime singer that many in the audience walked out on. There was a cabaret singer who performed twice. She had a decent voice, but I didn't think she merited the main stage for two performances. The best of the entertainers was a husband and wife string duet who also performed twice. The second performance was shared with the Male Voices, once of the ship's regular groups.

The side trips were very overpriced. The Phillip Island Pelican Parade cost $84 US, and could be purchased at the information cednter for $32 AU (transportation and admission ticket) which is about $25 US. I know the ship excursions cost more than booking on your own, but I think a 350% mark-up is too much. In the past, I think we paid less than twice as much for the convenience of booking onboard.

I took three excursions through the cruise company, and then cancelled the remaining ones that I had booked with them, and took them on my own from a private vendor. An example of what I saved was on the trip to Rotorua. The ship charged $270 for the trip. On land, I paid $75. I don't think I will ever book another excursion through the cruise company since they've raised their profit margin so much.

The debarkation process was handled very well. We were taken to the Crown Plaza Hotel in downtown Auckland where we were served beverages. We were able to check-in our carry-ons and walk around the city or take a side tour. Transportation from the hotel to the airport arrived on time, and we were taken to our luggage area in the airport.

I've taken many cruises, and this is the first time, I did not book another cruise while on board. The reason is that I am also a RCCL shareholder, and now that benefits cannot be combined, it doesn't make much sense for me to give them my money so much in advance of the next cruise. I may as well keep it and gain interest, and then take the shareholder benefit when and if I decide to book another cruise, especially since the shareholder benefit with Celebrity is much more than the onboard credit given onboard. With RCCL, the difference is not as great since it's according to the number of nights, rather than the cost of the stateroom.

Many thanks to Mark (Aussie Cruisers) who organized the Roll Call group and the Connections Party for all of his hard work, and for the signs and post-it notes on my door that greeted us when we boarded.

We are taking this cruise on Mar. 29 and appreciated the tips about excursions. Could you tell us more about this please?
Jewel Queen

[IPA region 30 member]

Thanks to those who have posted so far... I have never sailed on Celebrity before and was thinking of doing so for our 30th anniversary. Kind of mixed reviews but better than what I have seen for Costa or RCL which is what we have used before (were pretty happy with them too.). I am looking at renewing our vows in a late NOV or early DEC cruise. Has anyone done this with Celebrity? Anything that we should watch for?

regards

SV.

[knightgrad03]

Laura, I have submitted my member reviews twice over a span of 2 weeks and they still haven't shown up under the Celebrity Millenium, it said it takes up to 72 hours but I haven't seen anything yet? Any update?

Thank you

[BurgerBits]

To our Board Hosts:

Just off the Solstice and will be writing/submitting a review within the next few days. I have a question...

The most recent Solstice reviews on the 'Big Ratings Board' are all from January 2009 sailings. Several CC members have posted their February reviews here in the general Celebrity forum, but none of them appear on the 'Big Board' with the ratings.

It's possible that NO ONE has submitted their Feb reviews to that forum/board, but not likely... so is there substantial lag time between posting and having it appear on the ratings board???

Is there a 'trick' to getting your review posted there??

Thanks!!!

[Holly2]

Just returned tonight from Xpedition -- according to posts, two people have posted reviews which never appeared. I'm happy to write one but would like some assurance it would be posted in the review section.

[Duck Duck Cruise]

Embarkation – We were a little bit late getting on because of the number of ships in port and the disembarkation of passengers was still happening from the previous cruise when we arrived (just before 11 am … yeah we were anxious). But Celebrity did a great job of organizing everyone and we were onboard and sipping Champagne by 12:05. It really was pretty smooth.

The Ship – We like this ship, the way she is laid out, the quiet classy feel, the size, and the way she has aged gracefully. She is like a comfortable pair of sneakers. She just fits. She is not Las Vegas Glitzy…a very good thing in my book.

She has been, for the most part uncrowded. The only time she felt crowded was on two particularly very windy days with high seas. That happened in the main lounges on those two days, but we were still able to find a quiet place to be away from the crowds.

On this cruise there were few wee beasties (children) onboard since school is in and this was a longer cruise which suits us just fine.

Is everything perfect….No! Should everything be perfect….No! The crew maintains her very well and we saw no deficiencies in her care that we would consider neglect. The maintenance crews were constantly scraping and painting, repairing things that unexpectedly came up, and doing preventative maintenance.

Does she have a lawn on the top deck? No, thank goodness. To me that is just stupid.

She is as close to a classic ocean liner as you can find today!


The Crew – If we needed to describe this crew in a single word …. SUPERB!

We believe that this particular crew may possibly be the best crew in the fleet. Not that we have been on any of the other Celebrity Ships, but we could not imagine you could find a more passenger oriented, friendly, go out of their way for you crew anywhere. Every person on this ship treated everyone as if they were the most important person here. Even with some passengers being way overboard in their demands on them, they were always friendly, welcoming, and quick to resolve any problems and made your cruise the best experience possible.

You can tell when someone is sincere in their desire to make sure you are happy. You can also tell when someone is doing it because they have been told to by their boss but really could care less. Every member of this crew that we have had any contact with has been sincere in making sure that anything they could do to make our cruise more enjoyable, they did. Every member of this crew sincerely wants to make sure all of the guests are happy. They make you feel like you are a part of their family.

The Food – The food in the Main Dining Room onboard the Mercury would best be compared to a restaurant at a Hotel. It is too inconsistent to be considered anything more than that. Sometimes, the dish you order is incredibly good, and then the next course is forgettable at best. Consistency throughout the courses is lacking. If you are looking for 5 star dining onboard, you will be sorely disappointed. If you are looking for mostly good food, then you will be happy most of the time. It all depends on your expectations.

We have found that the red meat main dishes are generally very well prepared, but then there are those that failed to deliver. The Beef Wellington, for example was a huge disappointment but this is a dish that we don’t believe should be prepared in a kitchen that is serving 2000 meals at a time. It takes much more care, time, and concentration to prepare it properly.

The seafood, while being generally as good as what you will get at a Red Lobster Restaurant, was generally overcooked. Then again, there were a couple of fish dishes that were absolutely spot on perfect. The lobster on the last formal night was not very good at all. It was definitely overcooked and rubbery. Again, this is a dish that we feel should not be prepared in a kitchen putting out 2000 meals at a time.

The pasta dishes we had were actually quite good for the most part. Some were excellent, some were not so good, but on average they were mostly solid good dishes. Again, these were comparable to a restaurant at a hotel.

The soups were generally very good, a few (especially the cold soups) were excellent. The minestrone was just a mistake.

The salads were good the closer to land you were. When we first left San Diego, they were very good and gradually became nothing more than weeds on a plate after being at sea for 5 days. Once we left Honolulu, heading back to the mainland, they were again very good and were consistently good until our return.

The desserts were all really good and you will not be disappointed with any of them.

You can read our daily blog that details each dinner at http://thegeomonkeys.com/category/hawaii-2009 if you want more details.

The Food in the Buffets – Breakfasts at the Palm Springs Café are on a par with an iHop Restaurant. They are pretty basic, unexciting dishes but will fill you up. You definitely aren’t going to write home about them.

We have heard a lot about the waffles, but found them to be nothing special in and of themselves, they taste like any other waffle except they do have a really cute design, but the toppings (especially the caramel topping) is what makes them enjoyable.

The Pizza Station served 4 types of pizza daily and they were average tasting and similar to what you would get at a mass market pizza chain. We had them several times and enjoyed them.

The roasted vegetables were fabulous and we would recommend you get some and enjoy them.

As far as the scrambled eggs go, take a look at them before you plate them or have them plated. Sometimes they are firm and taste great and other times they are runny and yucky.

Surprisingly, the link sausages were very bland and we would skip them. The sausage patties, on the other hand, were spicier and tasted better to us.

We did have the Bangers on a couple of occasions and they were very good.

Room Service Food – We used room service several times for breakfast and the food was always delivered hot if it was supposed to be hot, and cold if it was supposed to be cold. It was always delivered on time. Since it is the same as in the buffet we would rate it the same, but it is always nicer to have your breakfast in your room or on your balcony.

We ordered dinner from the Main Dining Room menu through room service on a night that we couldn’t make it to the dining room and it was also delivered at the right temperatures and was consistent with the dining room food. The nice thing was that it was quiet.

Main Dining Room – We had a fantastic waiter, assistant waiter, and assistant Maitre ‘D in the main dining room. They always helped us to enjoy our meals. We had requested a table for 2 and were assigned to one when we checked in with the Maitre ‘D the first day.

One evening Lin asked if the crew ate the same food as the passengers and that led to a discussion of what the crew eats. Our assistant waiter said it was too spicy for her as it was mostly Indian cuisine. Lin said she would be interested to taste it since it would be true Indian food rather than American style Indian Food. The Assistant Maitre ‘D arranged for us to have a special entrée the next night… Chicken Curry. Didn’t we mention somewhere else that the crew would go out of their way to make you happy? It was incredibly good and was done just for us and the woman at the table next to us who wanted to try it also.

The Main Dining Room (Manhattan Dining Room) is beautiful and is at the rear of the ship on decks 5 and 6. The only thing we didn’t like about it was how loud it was. We were not able to carry on a conversation in a normal volume of voice. We really discovered how loud it was on the night we were unable to make it to dinner and had dinner in our room. As nice as it was in our room, and the fact that we can have the same dinner delivered to us there, and enjoy it in a quiet more intimate setting has us thinking that we may choose in future cruises to skip the main dining room for dinner and have romantic dinners in our room or on our balcony.

The Thalassotherapy Pool – This was one of the highlights of our cruise. Most days we spent time in the T-Pool both in the morning and after dinner. It was very relaxing and we will definitely book the T-Pool whenever we cruise.

We had heard that the T-Pool could fade or damage suits. I purchased a new set of swim trunks on the first day of the cruise and after the first dip in the pool the color was changed forever. The salt water and chlorine really does a number on some fabrics so we would advise you to bring a cheap suit or two if you plan to use the T-Pool. The one suit made it through the entire trip and was only $18 at half price in the shops. Lin brought 2 suits and had to throw one out half way through the cruise.

Lin describes the T-Pool as being in the middle of white water rapids. It is even more intense when in rough seas. We both enjoyed it immensely. We found that the least crowded times were early morning and after dinner. I think we only shared the pool with one person for 5 minutes one night after dinner. The mornings were a little less consistent with people being there.

The Rasul – We did this on a whim since they were offering it at ½ price if you signed up for it the first day of the cruise. It was described as a mud fight for adults in a private room with a sauna, showers, and champagne.

It was actually quite soothing for us. You could have a mud fight if you wanted but we found that we enjoyed the solitude and the smoothness of the mud, the heat of the sauna really made you sweat out the toxins, and the showers both inside the sauna and the separate one outside the sauna left us very relaxed and refreshed.

Our Cabin - We booked a Concierge Class cabin a little over a year in advance of the cruise. Through reading the threads on Cruise Critic we kept an eye out for an opening in CC Cabin 1200, 1201, 1241, or 1242. These are “special” cabins as they have larger balconies associated with them on the Sky Deck. About a month before our sailing, 1241 came open and we had our TA change our booking to this cabin. Boy, are we glad we did. This cabin is awesome.

It is the cabin on Deck 12 closest to the rear of the ship on the port side. We took measurements of the balcony and it is 99 square feet and has a wonderful view to the port side and the rear of the ship. The deck is partially covered so you could be out of view of the few passengers who visited deck 14 above us or in full sun. It had 2 chairs, a 30 inch diameter table, and 2 padded chaise lounges. There were plexiglas panels between the railing and the deck so you had unobstructed views of the ocean from inside the cabin or sitting and lounging on the balcony.

Immediately aft of the cabin is a table tennis area (one table) that was only used during a table tennis tournament for about an hour on two afternoons, and one day we had a chance to watch the Hula Maidens rehearse there and visit them from our balcony. Our own private show. How sweet is that?

Beyond the table tennis area was the basketball court, which was only used once for an activity center scheduled event which also only lasted about an hour one afternoon.

We were never bothered by any noise from these areas at all.

The cabin was set up with the two single beds put together with a foam pad on top to form a queen size bed (actual measurements are 70 inches wide X 80 inches long). It was very comfortable and the sheets were high quality.

The entry cabin door is 26 inches wide, the bathroom door is 24 inches wide, the veranda door is 36 inches wide and opens out and can be propped open with the balcony table, if you are so inclined. There is a door that adjoins the suite next to it that is 24 inches wide. We never had any problem with noise coming through the door to the suite next to us or from the hallway. There is no way to adjoin the balcony with the one next door.

The shower floor measurements are 44 X 25 inches.

The bathroom has a hair dryer that is a 900 Watt dryer, which would be like a low setting on a regular hair dryer. We did not use it though. The vanity has 3 cupboards. One is storage for extra storage of toilet paper and other bathroom supplies, one is for trash, and one has 2 shelves in it.

There are 2 corner shelves above the vanity and 1 corner shelf in the shower.

The cabin itself has storage under the bed and will easily handle all of your suitcases, etc. There is a 20 inch diameter glass table in the sitting area and 2 chairs. The larger chair in the sitting area has a seating area of 30 X 23 inches. The smaller chair, which fits under the dressing table is 18 X 16.

There is a mini fridge (not very deep), a safe above it, a shelf above that, the VCR above that, and a Sony Trinitron TV above that. Yes, a VCR (not a dvd player) and a standard television (not a flat panel). The mini fridge will reduce the temperature to normal refrigerator temperatures after a period of time. Be patient.

There are 3 floor to ceiling closets. Two are for hanging garments (hotel hangers provided, probably 8 to 10 hangers in each closet; we forgot to count). The other floor to ceiling closet has 4 drawers and 5 shelves.

The dressing table has 3 drawers and there are 2 nightstands with 2 drawers each.

There is plenty of lighting but only ONE 110v (US) and ONE 220v (euro style) outlet together in the corner above the dressing table. A multi strip is advised if you want to plug in more than one thing. We used a Squid Power Supply and could have plugged in 5 things at once. A note: TSA hasn’t seen too many power squids so we got pulled aside every time we went through their security areas to inspect the bag. We finally just put it in the tray with the laptop so they can easily see what it was.

Being near the elevator was very convenient and we never heard any noise from them in the cabin.

The day before disembarkation our room steward told us that he needed to remove the bedspread in order to have it washed and ready for the next passengers that would be boarding the next day. So they do wash the bedspreads before you embark.

Disembarkation – Our disembarkation got started about 45 minutes late because we hadn’t been cleared by the port authorities on time. There were 3 ships in port that morning. Once cleared it moved fairly well getting off the ship. However, there was no direction given to you after you picked up your luggage on where to go and how to get out to customs.

There were several options and after trying to figure it out we finally just decided to head for the street and they could stop us if they wanted to. There were many other passengers trying to figure out what the next step was also. When we finally walked by the customs agents and gave them our form we saw a port security traffic officer who was kind enough to send people the right direction for where they were trying to go.

Overall, it was pretty disorganized and Celebrity should carry out their excellent service all the way through disembarkation with better direction for the passengers.

Norovirus Outbreak – We did have a norovirus outbreak onboard which put us in Code Red for the second half of the trip. Here is the information from the CDC with the statistics of the outbreak:

· Cruise Line: Celebrity Cruises
· Cruise Ship: Celebrity Mercury
· Voyage Dates: 2/28-3/15
· Number of passengers who have reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of passengers: 113 of 1862 (6.1%)
· Number of ill crew who have reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of crew: 6 of 834 (0.72%)
· Predominant symptoms: diarrhea and vomiting
· Actions: In response to the outbreak, Celebrity Cruises and the crew aboard the ship took the following actions:

• increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak response plan,
• is sending twice daily updates to CDC,
• notified passengers onboard the ship,
• sent a public health specialist to the ship for additional support,
• collected stool specimens for analysis,

· Celebrity Cruises will continue to make reports to CDC through the remainder of the voyage. On March 15th, VSP staff will board the ship to do a targeted environmental health assessment and make recommendations. CDC will continue to provide support to the ship until the number of ill people returns to expected levels.

Everyone deals with negative things differently. We are fairly positive people and just made sure we washed and sanitized our hands often and avoided touching surfaces whenever we could. The only negative impact it had on us was that the fumes from the bleach irritated Lin’s lungs and she was bothered by a sore throat and lost her voice the last couple of days of the cruise. We still had a great cruise. The crew of the Mercury did an absolutely great job of getting the outbreak under control, and they did it with a smile on their faces, always acknowledging you when you went past them even though it meant 14 hour workdays for them instead of the normal 10. You can allow these things to ruin your cruise or take them in stride and still have a wonderful cruise. We chose to have a great cruise…and we did!

[Host Walt]

Originally Posted by knightgrad03

Laura, I have submitted my member reviews twice over a span of 2 weeks and they still haven't shown up under the Celebrity Millenium, it said it takes up to 72 hours but I haven't seen anything yet? Any update?

Thank you

The best way to raise these questions, and to get an explanation, is by email to Community@CruiseCritic.com. The review process involves several people so when they stack up there can, and will be, delays.

[Mister G.]

Thanks a lot for a great job on your review of the Celebrity Ship! It answered a lot of our questions & gave us a few heads up ideas for our 1st cruise on the Century (April 2nd) !
We appreciate your honesty & positive energy...
Smiles Across the Miles, Garth & Loida

[Spike 4/19]

Sorry to burst your bubble about the new Celebrity class ships but I posted the following review yesterday and am repeating it here. I hope that your experience will turn out better than ours...and please know that after posting some of the same comments on the review card before getting off the Solstice, I received a call from a rep the very next day and now have vouchers in my hand for my next Celebrity Cruise, which I probably will not be taking.

I have been a avid Celebrity fan who would never think of cruising another line until now.
Having just disembarked from the Celebrity Solstice two weeks ago and also being a very loyal Celebrity customer since 1995, I feel that I am qualified to post some insights on this new class of Celebrity ships, which also will include the Equinox and the Eclipse. I truly could not wait to cruise on the Solstice. My many trips on Celebrity ships (the Zenith, the Century, the Galaxy, the Millennium) have been nothing but amazing in every aspect--the level of service in the past on these ships were very close to 5-star, every meal, whether in the dining room or specialty restaurants, were amazing, the ships were beautiful and they were truly a wonderful cruising experience at a premium level. I'm afraid this is not so on the Solstice and perhaps the other ships of this class. I have already spoken with three representatives from this ship who have offered to send me vouchers to sail with them again. The Solstice managed to do what no other Celebrity ship has ever done--it made me want to get off, and stay off. First, we have cruised both Concierge Class and Aqua Class. Just about everything that they represent about Aqua Class is untrue. I believe it is just a way to sell cabins that are completely undesirable. What you may not realize is that these cabins are below the pool deck/spa/gym. Under normal circumstances, I would never book a cabin underneath a public area. You can hear everything--the music, the people walking, the early morning cleaning of the pool area, the weights being dropped in the gym, etc., etc. The aromatherapy in the rooms consist of a diffuser with reeds that you can get at any Bed, Bath and Beyond, the ambient sound is satellite radio that sometimes worked and sometimes did not (and every cabin has it--it is not exclusive to Aqua Class)--the rooms are not passenger-friendly and neither is the ship. We were told that the adults-only solarium pool would be exclusive to Aqua Spa and other passengers would have to pay a fee to use--this was not true--any passenger on this ship can use this amenity--on the first day there were even children diving and jumping into the solarium pool. It was only after many passengers complained that finally Security became more available. The Relaxation Room (again, we were told would be exclusive to Aqua Class), although beautiful, was just the waiting area for the Spa clients--the Spa staff would constantly be coming in and calling names and talking to the clients--this was not the "relaxation experience" we were hoping for and there are no gardens in the Persian Gardens--it is a bare white & blue tiled room (the Celebrity colors) with heated tile beds, a sauna (with a foul-odor) and a steam room. There are so many things wrong about the design of the ship that it would take a book to describe it all. The wonderful service that this cruise line always prided itself on is a thing of the past. All the little amenities that kept me coming back to Celebrity are no longer being offered and if this is the case, then I may as well go to other cruise lines. The major, major difference is the food. What use to be an amazing culinary experience on all Celebrity ships under the direction of 5-Star Executive Chef Michel Roux, has, at best, turned into a very mediocre wedding hall experience under the direction of Elizabeth Blau & Associates. The Specialty Restaurants are not any better--they are just a way to empty your pockets even further. And don't ever go into the Oceanview Cafe--the passengers dubbed it "The Food Court"--this area is so completely wrong. People moved around with their plates and utensils in hand (there were no trays to be found since Celebrity has decided that this would make it too cafeteria-like), trying to go from food station to food station, like bad jugglers in a circus and then were unable to find seats to relieve them of their burden--the overcrowding was an everyday occurence. Celebrity should be ashamed of themselves for putting their passengers in a very dangerous situation, trying to hold their food/utensils/drinks on a moving ship. When I asked a representative about the lack of trays in the Cafe, her response to me was "Well, we made the plates bigger"???? Once you finally do find a seat, you will have to to get up 2, 3, 4 times to get things you could not carry all at once and then come back to a cold, even more unappetizing plate of food. I believe that some of the overcrowding is due to the fact that the Cafe is no longer located on the pool deck. Many passengers on previous sailings would just go get their food, put it on the trays that no longer exist and enjoy their meal poolside (there also use to be waitstaff waiting to help you take your tray to your seat or out to the pool--a service that is also not offered on the Solstice). Because you are now required to walk down a staircase in order to get to the pool (all without the use of a tray), most passengers just opted to stay where they were, thereby overcrowding the Cafe. Those passengers that I spoke with who have cruised with Celebrity in the past were extremely disappointed with these issues because we know what Celebrity was and is no more. Those passengers cruising for the first time thought that this was the best cruise experience ever. So I guess it is all relative. On a positive note, the staff (including housekeeping, cabin attendants, waitstaff, guest relations, etc.) are still of the same excellence and after speaking with many of them, they also expressed their concerns about the numerous changes on the ship and the dissatisfaction of many of the passengers. I'm hoping that Celebrity will leave this one bright light shining on their ships but I'm not confident.
In closing, it deeply saddens me that I feel this way about Celebrity. I am not sure that I will be cruising Celebrity again anytime soon since I know better and can't spend all my time at the Martini Bar to drown my Solstice sorrows.

For those of you in the Blu Restaurant, it was also hit or miss--we requested to be put in the main dining room but were told that we would have to go there every night about 20-30 minutes after the late seating start time and then they would seat us. After speaking with one of the maitre'd's in Blu, he made a few calls and was able to arrange a permanent table for us in the main dining room (which was also hit or miss). I will tell you that the one and only decent meal I did have was in Blu on the second formal night of the trip. Since Celebrity has changed Executive Chefs, the food quality on all ships has definitely taken a serious plunge.

Good luck to all of you who are sailing Celebrity!