Galaxy 3/21/05 review

[dgg4]

RTM: Glad you had a good cruise too. However, I would like to beg to differ with you about restricting late seating to children over the age of 12. As you know we were cruising with our 2 boys (9 and 12) and we also were in the late seating. The reason we chose the late seating is because we live in the Mountain time zone, therefore, 8:30 EST is really only 6:30 MST. Our boys were very well behaved and were not allowed to get up and run in and out of the dining room. As a matter of fact they didn't even try. The couple at the table next to us told us how much they enjoyed sitting beside us. So here again, it goes to show you that it isn't really the children, it's the parents who don't make their children behave properly. Maybe the waiter could have brought the kids their meals faster. I know ours got theirs faster than we got ours.

 

Denise

[RAYMORRA]

KerCar - thanks for sticking up for me......It's nice to know that someone out there understands that I was just being honest....didn't mean to offend anyone.

 

Rocky Top - Yes, there really is a place similar to the Canal....it's call Sault St. Marie, Michigan...it's in the UP (that's means "Upper Pennisula" ). here's their website: http://www.soolocksvisitorscenter.com In fact, more cargo is shipped through there on an annual basis than the Panama Canal.

 

Lougee - I didn't pick the cruise because of the line (i.e. Celebrity)...we picked it initially because of the length of the cruise, the itinerary (we really wanted Belize), and the port.....Up to this point I have not been particularly attached to any one line.....I was not expecting a "perfect" cruise and yes we did have a good time and yes, I had nice things to say about it but I also expressed the negatives as I saw them......Celebrity is not the line for us that's all I'm saying. Get over it!

[lougee1043]

Celebrity is not the line for us that's all I'm saying. Get over it!

 

i am sooooo over it

[texas transplants]

Personally I think that every piece of bedding should be changed after every guest including the comforter (but believe me, that does not happen!). I always carry a can of Lysol with me so that I can spray everything (more to drive John crazy than anything else.........). Our attendants were too quick to enter our room after knocking so I learned to put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door or double lock it when we were inside.....

 

The best thing about the trip was meeting our wonderful CruiseCritic friends. It was so great actually putting a face with a name. I feel that we will stay in contact for years to come............maybe even cruise together again.

 

Mary (of JonMary fame):) :) :)

 

Mary- I have to agree with everything that you said here. We brought Lysol wipes with us and used them on every hard surface. We also learned early in the cruise to use the "do not disturb" sign or double lock the door.

 

BTW, Lou-the-younger enjoyed the time he spent with John in Michael's bar.

 

Dawn

[newmexicoNita]

RTM: Glad you had a good cruise too. However, I would like to beg to differ with you about restricting late seating to children over the age of 12. As you know we were cruising with our 2 boys (9 and 12) and we also were in the late seating. The reason we chose the late seating is because we live in the Mountain time zone, therefore, 8:30 EST is really only 6:30 MST. Our boys were very well behaved and were not allowed to get up and run in and out of the dining room. As a matter of fact they didn't even try. The couple at the table next to us told us how much they enjoyed sitting beside us. So here again, it goes to show you that it isn't really the children, it's the parents who don't make their children behave properly. Maybe the waiter could have brought the kids their meals faster. I know ours got theirs faster than we got ours.

 

Denise

 

Denise, I agree with you and would be very upset if the rules were changed. I understand the reason behind wanting families to be retricted to main dining, but think it depends on the individual situation. We did choose early dining on our last Celebrity cruise, there were several children, but there were several who choose late dining as well. Only you know how well your kids can handle eating at 8:30pm. NMnita ps I would, perhaps like to see a restriction put on late dining for children maybe under 6, but I would think parents with ones that age would choose early dining without having to be forced to do so. a

[newmexicoNita]

I was just expressing my opinion.....I think the problem was that I had heard so many wonderful things about Celebrity (how great it was compared to the other lines etc.) that I expected more than what I got.....that's all....it doesn't mean it's a bad line or anything...it's just not the line for us....we're more "mass market" if you will.....beauty in the eye of the beholder kind of thing.....

 

Here is where I do agree with you: difference we still will and are going to cruise Celebrity again; in fact twice this year. The Celebrity loyalists are so loyal they can see absolutely nothing wrong with any of the ships and honestly do feel it is the best of the best, leaving some of us wonderng what is so much better about the line? We were a family of 6, DH, myself our DAughter, SIL and 2 older granddaughters; we all had a wonderful time, loved the food, but finished the cruise saying "and, it's so much better, why and where"? We have, by the way cruised all the mass marketed lines except Princess. Each has their strong points. Our favorite happens to be NCL cause we like the relaxed atmosphere. NMnita

[Pincus]

Just off the Galaxy and have a few things to get off my chest (so to speak). Quite frankly after reading on here about how "wonderful" and "superior" Celebrity was....I was left disappointed. I wouldn't sail Celebrity again. Just my opinion.

 

Pre Cruise - Hotel Galvez....beautiful, wonderful a real treat!

 

Embarkation - a breeze...no problems here. Plenty of people to sign you in....line moved quickly.

 

Food - bordered on "Outstanding"...probably the best we've had at sea yet. The buffet got a little "old" by the end of the time but that's to be expected...it's the same each day..... The lobster was the best I've ever had! If you didn't like something on the menu they would do their very best to get you what you wanted...even nachos! The Butter Pecan ice cream and all the other deserts were heavenly! Probably gained 20 pounds!

 

Ports of call - "interesting" and "scary" at the same time.....we went to a grocery store (my friend had an ear ache and we were looking for some medication) and there were armed guards at the door....at a grocery store! This was the case in both Panama and Costa Rica. Costa Rica definitely had the best deals. Some of the Vendors in Costa Maya were downright "aggressive". Cozumel was a zoo and we were told it would be $60 to take us to Paradise Beach....(there were 6 of us)...we just didn't feel it was worth it...by the time we paid the taxi fare to and from and drinks and food it would have cost a pretty penny.

 

The Panama Canal itself was okay....we didn't do an excursion so there really wasn't much to see.....reminded me of the Soo Locks here in Michigan.

 

Jamaica - went to Sunset beach for the all inclusive....nice but the beach was not that great. it was a pleasant day though and I feel we got our $20 worth. No complaints here.

 

The Caymen Islands was a complete disaster! Too many ships in port and the sea was rough from a storm the night before. I know that it's probably not the cruise line's fault but the island is not equipped to handle that many ships at one time....Our excursion to Stingray City was an nightmare! Our 9:00 tour was brought ashore to wait in a hot parking lot for transportation to our boat for an hour and a half....the nit wits on land had no idea what the heck they were doing! Once we got a bus the driver was grumbling about how he got pulled off another job to take us etc...We arrived at the "Double Trouble" for our trip to the sandbar. The captain and his first mate were wonderful and did an excellent job. However when we returned we were again made to wait in a hot parking lot for another bus with another "grumbling" driver for a half an hour more. They loaded us like sardines into this bus and then just dropped us in town. The tendering back and forth was a disaster. At first we got back to the ship quick to change but then getting back to land took another 1/2 hour to let us off and then yet another wait at the end of the day to go back to the ship! I think whomever books ships for the island is just trying to get as much revenue in there as possible without thinking of the logistics....positively the worst stop in my opinion with the exception of the stingrays.....I think the cruiseline should have sent one of their employees with the tours to ensure a smooth transition....I know on Costa, an employee from the cruiseline went with us on our excursions......I filled out a comment card and received $12 off and a rehearsed apology. Oh well.

 

 

Service - Excellent - but I've also had just as good service on Carnival and Royal Carribean...Celebrity doesn't corner the market on service as far as I'm concerned. Our waiter, Chris from Poland and his assistant Putu from Bali did a wonderful job. We couldn't have been happier. The Maitre 'D, Vladimir was very polished, friendly and probably the best one I've met yet.... A very nice man. Our Cabin Attendant and his assistant did a great job as well....Diaz from India, his assistant, Ronald from the Phillippines. I would also like to say there were two other waiters from the Phillippines who "sang" to everyone at the buffet every morning....they were great! The only name I can remember was Wilmar...I don't know the other gentleman's name but both were extremely friendly and always wore a smile on their faces. All in all the crew was friendly and helpful.

 

Entertainment - P Stinking U! The pool band only played for about an hour and half on the at sea days and they also played in the Savoy room at night.....after about two days you've heard all their stuff! They played pop love songs mostly....hardly any "carribean" or "calypso" type music....on Carnival and Royal Carribean the band played most of the day... those bands played even when in port and it was more upbeat.....When they did play CD's, the player skipped alot and made for a very irritating noise. The rest of the entertainment was more for the most part....Rest Home material! We may be middle aged but we still like to party! Good lord this was terrible! There was very little pool activity games except for the last day and then it seemed to come alive....I was thinking "where were you all week"? I'm guess we're just not into piano concerto's or boring waltzy type music....the disco was mostly filled with ship officers and entertainment personnel so they played what they liked..... Saw a couple of shows.....okay...nothing really outstanding...they had one comedian but there was no late nite adult comedy.....not much going on. Kevin Tann needs to get with his crew rethink their activities.....they stink!

 

Casino - win some you loose some.....nothing remarkable

 

Children - The kids program must be really bad because the kids never seemed to be in it....they were running around unsupervised in the elevators late at night, jumping, screaming etc. in the pool during the day.....don't they have a kids pool? they were even allowing kids up on the adult only whirlpool...finally towards the end of the week security starting taking a better look at what was going on.....If parents are going to bring their kids on a cruise then they need to know what they're doing....it's not the kids fault....it's the parents.....

 

Ship - does she need "refurbishing"? Yes...did I notice it much?....No....One thing that was annoying is that the windows in the buffet are so clouded you could hardly see out of some......the window washer thing didn't do a very good job.

 

Vibration problems? YES! we had an inside cabin on the Sky deck. I especially noticed the vibration when we were coming into Galveston on the last day....my goodness! you could hear the glasses "rattling" in the bathroom! It was absolutely terrible!....Also a couple of times when were in port there was a terrible fuel smell....quite nauseating....

 

Disembarkation - again not a problem.......porter was great! Very easy to spot our suitcases....Enterprise was just outside the terminal and we were off an on our way in no time at all.

 

Despite the negatives, there were some positives and we did have a great time...we spent time with our friends and that was the most important thing.....I don't usually say my piece like this but I guess I just expected so much more from a "premium" line that I was left feeling very disappointed.....and that's all I have to say about that! Thanks for listening!

 

Ray, thanks so much for taking the time to post and share your opinions and feelings about the Galaxy.

 

My first thought is that anybody who returns from a cruise and takes the time to post a review should be thanked, not questioned.

 

We all benefit, and learn, from hearing others experiences.

 

Thanks for posting.

 

Pincus

[tbelian]

The Celebrity loyalists are so loyal they can see absolutely nothing wrong with any of the ships and honestly do feel it is the best of the best, leaving some of us wonderng what is so much better about the line?

 

The problem is, as I see it, the original post was mostly complimentary, and the negative things, really, were out of direct control of the cruiseline , ANY cruiseline, not just Celebrity. Certainly any cruise can have it's downfalls, but I just feel that the drawbacks outlined by the OP would not warrant ruling out Celebrity for future cruises. But that's just me, the Celebrity mole/loyalist.

[KerCar]

The problem is, as I see it, the original post was mostly complimentary, and the negative things, really, were out of direct control of the cruiseline , ANY cruiseline, not just Celebrity. Certainly any cruise can have it's downfalls, but I just feel that the drawbacks outlined by the OP would not warrant ruling out Celebrity for future cruises. But that's just me, the Celebrity mole/loyalist.

 

In a nutshell the OP's review stated what I have heard so many times from people who have sailed Celebrity. . .Great food, great service, so so entertainment. I picked Celebrity this time for my upcoming trip because I want a more relaxing low ket atmoshere so this is fine with me. If you read the OP's review, the main complaint they had was with the ship's entertainment. If this is something that is very important to this particular person and if they feel that they can get just as good service on another line, why would they book another vacation on a cruiseline that hasn't met their particular needs. Not sure why this is so confusing to you???? It would be like a Celebrity "loyalist" returning from a first trip on NCL and giving a great review of everything about the ship, EXCEPT the freestyle dining aspect of the cruise. If formal dining is something that is important to this particular person (like entertainment is to the OP), even though they had a great time on their trip, wouldn't it be resonable that they would decide to not book another NCL cruise???

[lougee1043]

If you read the OP's review, the main complaint they had was with the ship's entertainment. QUOTE]

 

her comments regarding entertainment was directed at the music by the pool-- as i recall there was no mention to her seeing any of the evening shows or any of the entertainment at any of the other venues ---imo the entertainment was the best i have seen in 9 cruises

[tbelian]

In a nutshell the OP's review stated what I have heard so many times from people who have sailed Celebrity. . .Great food, great service, so so entertainment.

-- and --

 

Not sure why this is so confusing to you???? It would be like a Celebrity "loyalist" returning from a first trip on NCL and giving a great review of everything about the ship, EXCEPT the freestyle dining aspect of the cruise.

In resopnse to the first part .... well yea, DUH!, then why would THEY book a Celebrity cruise in the first place if they placed a high priority on entertainment? You yourself know that the entertainment is so so....and I'll admit it too, many times it is 'so so ' at best...

 

And in resopnse to the second part... I 'Know' about freestyle dining on NCL, and thus I would not book a cruise with them in the first place beacuse THAT is not 'My' cup of tea.

 

I say again the reaction is contradictory, and THAT is what is so confusing. Maybe the op didn't do enough research up front about Celebrity and what they do well, and what they only do 'so so'...

[suntan]

I was on the Galaxy last year and I have to say I thought it was one of the most beautiful ships out there. We had no issues with our cruise on the Galaxy. We stayed in stateroom #1217 on the Skydeck. We experienced the vibration every time the ship came into port. We thought it might be the bow thrusters. As for Grand Cayman, we were on the Summit (Feb. 26/05) and the day we went to Grand Cayman the sea was choppy and got progressively worse during the morning. Two Princess ships turned around because of the sea conditions. We were lucky to be on the first shore excursion to Sting Ray City so we were able to experience the rays brushing up against you,holding them, etc. We heard later than morning that some of the sea excursions were being cancelled because of the choppy seas. Is this a cruise lines' fault? Absolutely not. I would rather get a rebate on a shore excursion because someone thought the conditions were too risky and cancelled the excursion, than someone taking the money and not caring about passenger safety. I have also been to Grand Cayman when the seas were perfect. As for the children on the ship - I'm wondering if you went during March break. When we plan our cruise, we always avoid certain dates: Feb. 14th (prices are always higher during this week), March break (too many children), Easter (again too many children). Something to consider when booking your next cruise whichever cruise line you choose.

[KerCar]

If you read the OP's review, the main complaint they had was with the ship's entertainment. QUOTE]

 

her comments regarding entertainment was directed at the music by the pool-- as i recall there was no mention to her seeing any of the evening shows or any of the entertainment at any of the other venues ---imo the entertainment was the best i have seen in 9 cruises

 

Lougee,

 

Actually, she makes mention of the fact that she was dissatisfied with the pool music, pool activities, and the disco. Regarding the main shows, she stated, they were "okay. . .nothing outstanding". She even mentioned the comedian! IMO this covers most of the ship's entertainment!!!! I don't doubt, iyo that you thought the entertainment was the best in 9 cruises, but that's your opinion based on all of your past experiences, not the OP's.

 

Tbelian,

 

All the research in the world and all the opinions on this board don't hold a candle to actually experiencing something for yourself, as the OP did. Sometimes trying something new makes you realize how much you like something old OR sometimes trying something new makes you realize that there is something better out there. The OP tried Celebrity, and although, seemed to have a good trip decided that she doesn't want to sail them again. It seems that she did research on this board previous to her cruise and all she heard was how "superior" Celebrity was. Who wouldn't want to try a cruise that gets such rave reviews??? Her whole point of her honest review is that in her opinion this cruiseline didn't live up to all the hype!!!! Again, HER OPINION, not mine and certainly not yours!!!! You admit that Celebrity's entertainment is often times, "so so, at best", but yet there are other people on this board that would totally disagree with you and say that Celebrity's entertainment is as good as Broadway or Vegas. My point is that everyone is entitled to their opinion!!!!

I can't wait to review my trip (actually, I can bc that will mean my trip is over!) and see how ya'll respond to it! I guess until then, we'll have to just agree to disagree;) Kerry

[RAYMORRA]

You are wonderful! You so understand what I was trying to say!

 

I'm sorry that some on here didn't like my opinion but that's all it is....my opinion....isn't that what makes life interesting?...that we all have different views on things? How boring life would be if we all thought the same......

[greygypsy]

We're booked on the Galaxy in the fall in Europe/Asia and are regular Celebrity customers, and there is nothing in this review that is making me feel bad or defensive. Every cruise line has its plusses and minuses, and I think this review was very fair and to the point. We recently cruised on Radisson to give it a try, and we did find their entertainment far superior to Celebrity, but we still give Celebrity a thumbs up when comparing food and service. As for kids, we try to select sailings during the school year so there aren't that many, and that usually does the trick. Unfortunately, and you see far too much of it in society in general, kids are getting away with all sorts of bad behaviour, and too many parents are afraid or don't know how to discipline them. Those of you who have well behaved children I salute you!! Jeff

[donnalroe]

:eek: I appreciate your review of your Panama Canal Cruise, Honestly I do. I am very sorry you had an unfortunate experience, nothing more upsetting than expecting something and the experience leaves you bitter, ( I wish you happier times on other cruise lines). I am from Michigan and have an utterly hysterical story about the Soo Locks, Which my sweet hubby and I actually drove our 19 foot aluminum boat through about 15 years ago. We did not expect the locks to be the enormous size they were and we served as the entertainment for the folks on the tour boats surrounding us. I do however want to point out that the Michigan Locks, as interesting as it can be, are nothing next to the history and magnitude of the Panama canal and the people who live there.

 

Good luck to you

Donna

PS I graduated from WMU and had lots of good times in Your city of Grand Rapids.

[tbelian]

PS I graduated from WMU and had lots of good times in Your city of Grand Rapids.

 

Go BRONCOS!

 

http://www.widr.org

[RAYMORRA]

Well here we go....my niece and my friend shared a room onboard....they both filled out separate onboard account forms....when they checked on their tv it was listed as separate accounts..... we got home and she was checking her bank balance online and discovered that Celebrity charged her debit card for both accounts! She called Celebrity and they said that she'll have to dispute it with her bank....that means she'll have to put in a dispute....she won't be able to use her debit card while there is a dispute put on her account and she had written checks on her account that may come back as insufficient funds now..... now I know all the loyalist's out there will say "that can happen with any line" which is true but for us it's just one more black mark ......know what I mean?

[Palms2Pines2Sea]

Raymorra,

 

Thank you for your very thoughtful review of your recent holiday. I'm sure that the disappointments seem overwhelming, but I hope that - in due time - you might re-read your review and conclude that you had a pretty darn good time after all!

 

'Tho I suspect that this thread has run it's course, I just wanted to share a thought with you, and with all the other posters. The word that troubled me in your review was: "expect".

 

On a daily basis, I see people struggling with their expectations. We are such spoiled consumers in our country of abundance that we are overwhelmed by the number of choices we have, and the amount of information that we have about those choices. That leads us to have a great deal of expectation - especially about a major purchase like a cruise vacation - but it also sets us up for greater disappointment. These very boards that we enjoy reading and contributing to often add to expectations that we have about our pending vacations.

 

Anticipation is a wonderful and powerful thing. Expectation, as perhaps you have discovered, can often lead to greater disappointment.

 

But your review is concise, well-written, and just what you intended it to be: a PERSONAL review of your experience, and your evaluation of that experience. It is our American way for you to be able to express your thoughts, and for others (as you have found out) to disagree!

 

BTW, I've never sailed Celebrity. I am booked for the Galaxy Transatlantic this October, hence I've read the Galaxy reviews with great interest. And in all honesty, I anticipate that I will find onboard:

A) Wonderful Food

B) Wonderful Service

C) Lousy Entertainment

D) Marginally operative spas and T-pool

E) Lots of vibration coming into certain ports

F) A ship in need of some cosmetic attention

 

My only expectation is that they will get me from Civitavecchia to the good old U.S. of A. God willing.

[cruising with marti]

Ray, Ray, Ray Of course everyone is entitled to thier opinion and the right to express it.

But golly gosh, you left your self wide open, when you state that everything about the cruise was excellent except the shore excursions and the pool side entertainment and based on that negitive, you would never sail Celebrity again.

 

Well that is certainly is your choice and I guess the right to say so. But to give a cruise glowing reviews followed by " I will never sail celebrity again" well how can I say this without offending you, ( its almost laughable)

 

Phil

[newmexicoNita]

The problem is, as I see it, the original post was mostly complimentary, and the negative things, really, were out of direct control of the cruiseline , ANY cruiseline, not just Celebrity. Certainly any cruise can have it's downfalls, but I just feel that the drawbacks outlined by the OP would not warrant ruling out Celebrity for future cruises. But that's just me, the Celebrity mole/loyalist.

Some of his negative remarks I would agree were nit picking, almost as though he was looking for something to gripe about and gripe is not the word I wanted to use!!! My point simply was, more than any other line I think Celebrity loyalist are the most defensive. It's all in how we look at these boards I do feel and much stock we put into the reviews and opinions written. I have to admit I can get pretty defensive when it comes to my favorite cruise line so guess I shouldn't be calling the pot black. LOL

[dogsrule]

While I adore Celebrity I would have to say that Celebrity isn't for everyone. If your idea of fun is beer drinking contests, belly flop, and other pool games, Carnival is probably a better choice. If you want to be around a lot of folks on board who think that "party" is a verb, then Carnival is for you. If you want a more sophisticated clientele with an understated appreciation of the cruising experience with Excellent food and Service-go for Celebrity. I certainly do not enjoy constant overhead announcements that you hear on Carnival as it

distracts from the cruising experience and is a marketing ploy in many cases.

It also helps to do your research on each port prior to the cruise...JMO

Different strokes for different folks.....

[madforcruising]

First let me say thank you for the review. I´m not a Celebrity loyalist. I can´t be one as I never cruised with them so far. However I like to read a lot about them in preparation of my first X cruise.

 

Your decision that X is not your cruise line is OK and it´s your personal choice. I don´t see how this can be part of a discussion. To me it´s not questionable.

 

However I got confused with your review. Reading it I thought WOW they had a great cruise and a great time, ok there has been a few glitches but still a great cruise from what I read. So I was quite surprised about the conclusion to never cruise X again. As I said I don´t question your decision it was just surprising to me after reading the review of a near to perfect cruise (at least how I read it).

[floridakeith]

Entertainment - P Stinking U! The pool band only played for about an hour and half on the at sea days and they also played in the Savoy room at night.....after about two days you've heard all their stuff! They played pop love songs mostly....hardly any "carribean" or "calypso" type music....on Carnival and Royal Carribean the band played most of the day... those bands played even when in port and it was more upbeat.....When they did play CD's, the player skipped alot and made for a very irritating noise. The rest of the entertainment was more for the most part....Rest Home material! We may be middle aged but we still like to party! Good lord this was terrible! There was very little pool activity games except for the last day and then it seemed to come alive....

 

One of the most attractive things for us is the laid back atmosphere on a Celebrity cruise and the lack of over loud pool music and few pool games. Anyone wanting this sort of cruise will find it on Carnival or RCCL to name but two others well known for that type of cruise lifestyle. That is the beauty of cruising, with a bit of research and after trying out a few for yourself you can soon find the cruise lines that you prefer. Sorry Raymorra that Celebrity didn't suit you but for others it is just fine. Each to there own...