Mercury Sailing Delayed 1 Day due to Norovirus

[Oceangrace]

Celebrity has delayed the scheduled departure of the Mercury out of Charleston today until tomorrow. It appears that they have dropped Key West on the Itinerary and made it a 9 night Cruise. It also appears that they are doing a lot to accommodate the passengers. Here is a copy of the letter that one of the guests posted in the Roll Call Thread for this cruise:

 

 

Dear Celebrity Mercury Guest,

 

I am writing to inform you of a delay in the departure of your cruise today.

 

Before I explain the reasons for our decision to delay departure, I would like to apologize for the inconvenience this will cause you. I have made this decision to delay your sailing because we want to maintain our high health standards onboard our ships, while providing you with the best cruise experience possible. The extra time we are taking to sanitize the ship will help prevent any illness from affecting your cruise.

 

As you are aware, during Celebrity Mercury’s last sailing, a number of guests onboard experienced a gastrointestinal illness, thought to be a norovirus. Over the course of the sailing, we conducted enhanced cleaning, to help prevent the spread of the illness. Throughout the day today, crews have continued the enhanced sanitizing onboard the ship and within the cruise terminal.

 

While we saw a large decline in the spread of the illness on the previous sailing, in an abundance of caution, and in order to perform additional sanitizing of the entire ship, we have decided to delay the departure of Celebrity Mercury until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. This extra time will allow us to continue the enhanced cleaning of the ship, all of which is being done in close coordination with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You also will see heightened cleaning procedures being carried out throughout the ship during the entire sailing.

 

We sincerely apologize for the disruption these events will cause you. Our staff in Charleston will make every effort to assist you, and we thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Celebrity Mercury will begin boarding at approximately 2:00 p.m. tomorrow, and will depart Charleston at approximately 5:00 p.m. Due to the delayed departure, it was necessary to make a slight adjustment to your planned itinerary. The ship’s revised itinerary will be:

 

DAY PORT ARRIVAL DEPARTURE

Saturday Charleston, S.C. 5:00 p.m.

Sunday At sea

Monday At sea

Tuesday Costa Maya, Mexico 9:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday Belize City, Belize 7:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Thursday Cozumel, Mexico 9:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.

Friday At sea

Saturday Nassau, Bahamas 11:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.

Sunday At sea

Monday Charleston, S.C. 7:00 a.m.

 

 

The following arrangements are being made to assist you:

 

• Guests who live over a two-hour drive from Charleston, and need accommodations for tonight, will have those provided by Celebrity Cruises.

 

• Celebrity Cruises will provide every guest with $50 for any incidental expenses, such as meals, you may incur until tomorrow’s boarding. Those funds are additional to the $20 credit you have already received today. Both credits will be provided to your onboard account during your sailing.

 

• Guests who sail with the ship on its modified itinerary will receive an onboard credit in the amount of two days of their cruise fare paid and a 25 percent discount on a future Celebrity Cruises sailing. The credit will be applied directly to your onboard account and may be used for any onboard purchase or service. Any unused portion will be refunded to you at the end of your cruise. Your discount will be calculated based on the cruise fare paid for your February 26 sailing. Your discount will be valid for 12 months from the date of issue and will be issued in the next four to six weeks.

 

• Guests who choose to cancel their cruise will receive a full refund of the cruise fare paid to Celebrity Cruises and a 15 percent discount on a future Celebrity Cruises sailing. Your discount will be calculated based on the cruise fare paid for your February 26 sailing. Your discount will be valid for 12 months from the date of issue and will be issued in the next four to six weeks.

 

I hope all the information in this letter helps you understand the importance we at Celebrity Cruises place on the health and safety of every one of our guests and crew members. Like you, we want to ensure that your cruise is a fun, relaxing and healthy experience. This is why we are taking these additional measures.

 

Again, I apologize about these unexpected events and the modifications to your scheduled itinerary. Our staff in Charleston and onboard Celebrity Mercury will do our best to minimize any further inconvenience to you.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

 

Daniel Hanrahan

President and CEO

Celebrity Cruises

[spencerdrivecruiser]

I am impressed.

 

Mr. Hanrahan is the utmost professional.

 

Kudos to X for this compensation.

 

 

Spence

[greeneg]

THAT's the Celebrity Customer Service that got me hooked on this Line in the first place back in 2001! While I am certainly Mercury's Passengers are certainly being inconvenienced, I find it hard to see how they could be being treated more fairly.

 

Applause and a Tip of the Hat to Mr Hanrahan.

 

My Respects, Sir,

[Gonzo70]

I a sorry for those who have there cruise delayed, but I think Celebrity is doing the right thing. It is best for them to make the ship as safe as possible and the compensation package being offered is very generous. Well done Celebrity!

 

Hopefully most people will continue on with the modified cruise and have a wonderful time.

[Oceangrace]

These are the exact thoughts that I have too. Someone posted on the other thread that they doubted Celebrity would pay for their hotels, but they have done more than that!

 

As someone who is sailing on this ship out of Charleston in April, this really sets my mind at ease.

[Smartcookie]

THAT's the Celebrity Customer Service that got me hooked on this Line in the first place back in 2001! While I am certainly Mercury's Passengers are certainly being inconvenienced, I find it hard to see how they could be being treated more fairly.

 

Applause and a Tip of the Hat to Mr Hanrahan.

 

My Respects, Sir,

 

 

Agree, Celebrity knows how to run a company. They really did their best to make it right for their passengers. :)

[bob278]

I agree, that is a very good response to a bad situation. The only thing he didn't address is the airfare for those who flew in but decided to cancel.

 

We can expect to see people complaining about their "lack of, or poor, compensation" no matter what Celebrity does. But that one situation of changing airfare is the only gap I see in an excellent compensation package.

 

But I didn't fully understand the future credit. Will it be a percentage of the fare paid for this cruise to apply to a future cruise?

[WeBeGone]

I'm really happy to see this letter. It seems that Celebrity is giving a generous compensation. Too bad Key West was eliminated though.

[LindaandJeff]

I agree, that is a very good response to a bad situation. The only thing he didn't address is the airfare for those who flew in but decided to cancel.

 

We can expect to see people complaining about their "lack of, or poor, compensation" no matter what Celebrity does. But that one situation of changing airfare is the only gap I see in an excellent compensation package.

 

But I didn't fully understand the future credit. Will it be a percentage of the fare paid for this cruise to apply to a future cruise?

 

But if they choose to take the cruise there will not be any change in their flight plans. If people were scared to sail because of noro, they probably didn't even fly to Charleston. This also reinforces the importance of travel insurance.

 

I think Celebrity is doing a tremendous job in dealing with this situation. I have a friend who got off the Mercury today. She got sick and the doctor came to her room. She received a one night credit. Her husband never caught it. She raved about the way she was treated and the whole Celebrity experience. Kudos to Celebrity.

[mathgeek1978]

This is an AWESOME decision by X. Not only is the compensation more than reasonable, the decision to conduct a more thorough cleaning and sanitization is the right thing to do. If I were on this current sailing, I would prefer X to delay the cruise for a day and really take the time to clean the entire ship. And hopefully, this will also give the crew some time off also... albeit maybe only a few hours...

[Caroldoll]

like to lose a day on the cruise, but they have bent over backwards to accommodate everyone. I personally do not like the Mercury, but it has nothing to do with this issue. I just compliment the company for doing all of this. Most cruise lines would not have gone the extra mile.

[bob278]

But if they choose to take the cruise there will not be any change in their flight plans. If people were scared to sail because of noro, they probably didn't even fly to Charleston. This also reinforces the importance of travel insurance.

 

I think Celebrity is doing a tremendous job in dealing with this situation. I have a friend who got off the Mercury today. She got sick and the doctor came to her room. She received a one night credit. Her husband never caught it. She raved about the way she was treated and the whole Celebrity experience. Kudos to Celebrity.

My interpretation is that people were given this letter when they showed up at the pier. So those who wanted to cancel had to go home right away. Given the overall approach taken by Celebrity, I would think they were given something per person towards change fees, but I don't know. Especially since most of the compensation was to be OBC that cold be refunded which would not apply to those who canceled. Still, with insurance, most folks should not be out of pocket.

 

Celebrity really stepped up for this one. But I still bet we'll see some posts complaining. :rolleyes:

[kath00]

Wow, they are even allowing you to completely cancel the cruise for a full refund AND get a 15% discount on a future cruise??? That's really impressive!

 

I really wish more ships would do this when the dreaden Noro hits. I HATE to see those long threads on CC about a ship that keep sailing week after week despite having high noro count reports! It's great that X stepped up to the plate and just gave the ship a good scrubbing for 24 hours!

 

Let this be an example to other cruise lines.

 

Katherine

[ChucktownSteve]

But I didn't fully understand the future credit. Will it be a percentage of the fare paid for this cruise to apply to a future cruise?

 

Bob,

 

The way I read the letter is that if you theoretically paid $1000 for the Feb 26 cruise, and took the cruise out today, you would receive $250 credit (25%) towards a future cruise within 12 months of credit issue. In addition you'd receive the OBC of two nights of this 11 night cruise which is $181 based upon the $1000.

 

If you canceled, you'd receive $150 (15%) future credit to be used towards another cruise within 12 months in addition to your full refund.

 

If I were on this cruise, I'd take what's behind door #1 and have fun. :D

 

That being said, I am very impressed with the way Celebrity has handled this situation. They were proactive from the beginning and made sure that anyone who was ill received credit for the time they were sick plus the other compensation towards a future cruise.

 

Having selected Celebrity for an April cruise after a long hiatus, plus reading all the positive comments about Celebrity Mercury, it reaffirms in my mind that I made a wise choice.

 

The way a company handles such a situation is an indication of their corporate culture. Now I understand why so many people enjoy Celebrity Cruises. It apparently flows down to all the service crew as well.

 

We haven't sailed yet but have already picked out a Mercury sailing for 2011.

 

Steve

[ChucktownSteve]

It's great that X stepped up to the plate and just gave the ship a good scrubbing for 24 hours! Let this be an example to other cruise lines.

 

Katherine,

 

Mr. Hanrahan and the Celebrity PR staff definitely put a lot of thought and effort into their positive posturing. While I certainly give the company a lot of credit, I also can't help but wonder if the CDC or SC DHEC had anything to do with the delayed sailing and required additional scrubbing.

 

Regardless, I agree, it is a fine example to other cruise lines.

 

Steve

[cookiejarvis]

DH and I are leaving on Mercury today (delayed by a day). We are excited. We had an opportunity to stroll around Charleston, eat some great seafood, and take pics of the Mercury from shore in the dark. NOt bad. Instead of a ten day cruise we will have a 9. Oh Well, like can sometimes hand you some bad apples. Just need to learn to add the sugar. Celebrity took care of us last nite and will generously compensate us for our loss. I have absolutely nocomplaints about Clebrity and will in fact use my discount to book another cruise. Now, we are praying for good weather. Fnally, so sorry for Chile, keep those folks in your prayers. Sailing, Cookie

 

ps Chascruser---I am so sorry that I stood you up on the rail last nite. I still have the depends, trashbag and beads. Since it is Sat. Watch for me from Fleet Landing this afternoon. I will be waving.

 

Cookie

[ChucktownSteve]

ps Chascruser---I am so sorry that I stood you up on the rail last nite. I still have the depends, trashbag and beads. Since it is Sat. Watch for me from Fleet Landing this afternoon. I will be waving.

 

Cookie,

 

Phew. I thought it was me who stood you up yesterday. :rolleyes:

 

I called my DW yesterday afternoon to tell her not to meet me at Fleet Landing but she had already stopped there with her assistant while on errands. They stopped by to view the ship. I'm glad because she had no idea how good Mercury looks until yesterday. She's getting more excited now.

 

We're heading to Fleet Landing about 4:30 just in case you do sail away at 5. But doesn't matter since we'll be at the bar!!!!!

 

I plan on taking a pic of the ship pulling out. Since my DW will be with me, when you wave, please keep your shirt down. ;) I won't have any beads with me.

 

I wish I was on your cruise. You got one hell of a deal to miss Key West. I like your attitude. Have a GREAT cruise and please don't break the ship before I get my turn.

 

Steve

[dzcruisers]

Katherine,

 

Mr. Hanrahan and the Celebrity PR staff definitely put a lot of thought and effort into their positive posturing. While I certainly give the company a lot of credit, I also can't help but wonder if the CDC or SC DHEC had anything to do with the delayed sailing and required additional scrubbing.

 

Regardless, I agree, it is a fine example to other cruise lines.

 

Steve

 

Whoever it was, kudos to them. IMHO the situation was handled well.

Of course on local Charleston TV they found a most disgruntled passenger who "will never sail with Celebrity again!" How dare they inconvenience him? The local news played up the story. Of course I'm sure this passenger would rather spend 10 days in his cabin with Noro or whatever than 9 days on a happy, healthy cruise! They did mention X was paying for passenger's meals and hotel last night. i believe it was $70. for meals and then the hotel. They can board at 2 pm today.

[willbrook]

My spouse and I disembarked the Mercury yesterday. We were fortunate and did not become ill. There were 6 in our party - 3 of whom became very sick.

 

I first noticed there might be a health related problem on-board the morning we docked in St. Kitts. The waitstaff in the buffet area were busily removing salt & pepper shakers from the tables. I happened to see the Cruise Director (Stewart) on the dock and inquired if there was a health related problem. He replied no, and said the ship was just taking precautions. I was skeptical of his response.

 

It became very obvious later that day that a widespread medical issue had affected the Mercury. It was difficult to find someone who didn't know someone who was sick. There were plenty of seats in the theater, and at times, the ship seemed quite empty. Additional medical personnel from Miami boarded the ship in Tortola.

 

I think the ship responded fairly well to the virus, but they were clearly overwhelmed by the scope. People often waited hours for medical assistance to arrive at their cabin. One elderly gentlemen told me his wife had been sick for nearly 24 hours, and was still waiting to be seen. Another seriously ill elderly person was removed from his room on a stretcher to the medical bay. The given figure of 419 sick passengers seems a bit low to me. What I found amazing was how quickly the virus struck. People quite literally could not make it to their bathrooms from their beds in time.

 

One particular irritant was the lack of information from the ship. The Captain would periodically discuss the need for good personal hygiene, but that was about it. I was annoyed that the ship choose not to broadcast the CNN domestic feed, relying solely on the CNN international channel. The ship was well within the satellite "footprint" to receive CNN's domestic service. I finally got someone in guest services to admit that this decision was made to avoid worrying passengers and possible "panic" on-board, since the media often "exaggerates" these situations. I would rather be able to gather the information for myself and make my own determination.

 

My guess is that CDC made the decision to delay Mercury for 24 hours. This was a very significant outbreak of norovirus - and the ship needs to be thoroughly cleaned.

 

I hope this is accomplished today, and everyone has a pleasant voyage.

[cookiejarvis]

Lmao for those who have bad attitude. Its beautiful in the holy city today. Four cars from gate. Chascruser. Dh will kill me if I did a rise and shine with shirt and him sober. I will still wave at you and dw. As we leave harbor. Bb tough to post on here. You all be good. I will keep reading but prob not post. Dh says he sees security milling at gate. Can they be ready to open. Happy days. Cookie

[ChucktownSteve]

Of course on local Charleston TV they found a most disgruntled passenger who "will never sail with Celebrity again!" How dare they inconvenience him? The local news played up the story.

 

 

I'd be willing to bet that you were watching channel 5. They tend to over sensationalize everything.

 

The final straw when they lost all credibility with me was several years ago when a tropical storm was passing by Charleston. Even though everyone else and the weather channel were saying it was going to stay out in the ocean, one of Their meteorologists redirect the path to come right into Charleston and said, if the path changes, this is what could happen. It was all fiction to sensationalize and scare.

 

I suppose the "reporter" you saw, regardless of channel, kept looking till they found that person without any regard to balancing the story?

 

I miss the old days of GOOD journalism not sensationalism.

 

Actually Celebrity crew and fellow cruisers would be better off if he didn't board. He'd probably be the one complaining loudly about everything. You just can't please some people no matter how hard you try.:rolleyes:

[cruisecluestoo]

Don't get me wrong . We are glad they are taking the time to clean the ship . We are not upset about that , we were upset about how we were treated .I am sure if you stayed downtown in a nice hotel and had a chance to walk around Charleston

(without your luggage) and have a nice dinner you do feel good about how Celbirty treated you . Not all were so lucky . A lot of unhappy people we were with . I know a lot of you think I am wrong but you wern't here .

Diane cruiseclues

[ChucktownSteve]

Dh will kill me if I did a rise and shine with shirt and him sober.

Cookie,

 

I have a solution. Have you considered getting him drunk first? :D Have a safe and fun sail.

[ChucktownSteve]

Don't get me wrong . We are glad they are taking the time to clean the ship . We are not upset about that , we were upset about how we were treated .I am sure if you stayed downtown in a nice hotel and had a chance to walk around Charleston

(without your luggage) and have a nice dinner you do feel good about how Celbirty treated you . Not all were so lucky . A lot of unhappy people we were with . I know a lot of you think I am wrong but you wern't here .

Diane cruiseclues

 

I'm curious. Why were you treated differently than some others who have posted?

[cruisecluestoo]

We didn't get our letter until we were on shuttle to hotel after 5:00 pm

 

Diane cruisecluesl