Just back from MERCURY 1/13/06 sailing

[scott in maine]

Well, I promised myself I'd post a review of Mercury when I returned since I benefitted so much from others' taking the time to write their reviews. I am short on time, so this will be concise and by no means exhaustive!

 

This was the 1/13/06 sailing from San Diego (10 night) Mexican Riviera. For starters, we arrived at the Pier around 12:15pm and boarding had already begun. Honestly, it was the swiftest embarkation we'd ever encountered. Perhaps 3 minutes at the check-in desk and we were off! On the ship by 12:20 or so. For those of you who've had to wait for check in at the pier in the past, then you well know what a treat it is to be able to board so quickly and efficiently. Kudos to X for making this a stress free part of the vacation!

 

I won't go into to ports in this review since so much already exists out there on port reviews. We had been to most of these ports before and liked each one very much. Like most every other person, we especially liked Zihuatanejo and wished that our port time there were a little longer.

 

Back to the ship. Let me squelch once and for all the dismal reports from some here on CC about the condition of Mercury. It is simply not accurate to report that this ship is becoming shabby or worn around the edges. That's hogwash! This ship is still beautiful and very comfortable. That said, I can report that, yes, if one looks especially hard, one can find some couches in the Navigator Club with slightly soiled corners and the tables in that same lounge have some unsightly glue stuff underneath the glass tops, etc. But, you know what -- who cares? The negatives in the public areas are so miniscule as to not be worth mentioning, nevermind focusing on. So, forget I mentioned them! I assure you that this ship is in 98% great condition and the public areas are especially well cared for.

 

I do, however, need to report that the staterooms are somewhat overdue for some renovation work. Most importantly, the soft goods (bedspreads, carpets, pillows, drapes) are at the end of their life cycle. Frankly, they should've been replaced a few months back. They are now entering the range of unacceptable. The bedspreads are just worn out and not especially clean these days. We were disappointed with this one component of the ship and are aware that other lines like Holland America are making great strides in room renovations with fabulous bedding and down duvets, etc. Celebrity is way WAY behind the eight ball with these initiatives and seriously needs to give some attention to these rooms prior to dry dock. And, as has been reported here time and again, our bathroom sink was also deeply stained and the basin cracked in several places. It was still very clean and safe, just very unpleasant to look at every day. I am sure these will all go in the drydocking, as well.

 

That's about it for the negatives. The food and the service about Mercury was as good as we've experienced on any ship. I would even go so far as to say that we found the service from ALL X employees on this sailing to be exceptional and exemplary. I cannot recall one negative experience with an employee and all seemed to be genuinely pleased to be at work.

 

I'd also note that the entertainment on this sailing was somewhat better than what we'd seen on X before and it appears that they have begun contracting out much of the large production work (dancers/singers) these days and perhaps that has a lot to do with the improvements. Was it the best floorshow we'd ever seen? Heavens, no. But it was entertaining and reasonably well performed. Kudos, again, to X for showing improvement in the entertainment category -- which had long been a low point for X.

 

It also seemed that the tendering procedures on this sailing were very efficient and not nearly as frustrating as past experiences. Not sure why, but it was a nice surprise.

 

We liked the entertainment staff on Mercury. They seemed to be a cohesive bunch of folks who really did work hard at keeping things interesting and fun without creating a lot of senseless noise around the pool areas. (Far too many other sailings I remember wanting to strangle the entertainment staff by the third day!)

 

I could go on, but I'll stop here and simply assure any future travellers on Mercury that you'll be most pleased with your experience. Again, disregard other reviews that make you think you're checking into a Comfort Inn for the week. Simply untrue. Yes, the rooms really do need a sprucing up. Shame on X for letting them get to this worn state, but they are still comfortable and get the job done. The rest of the ship honestly gleams and the contagious happy attitudes of the staff really go a long way towards making one's experience on this ship (or any other) delightful.

 

I will go out on a limb and declare our experience on Mercury this month to be one of our best vacation choices ever. If all cruises could be like this one, we'd go twice a year!

[Nancynurse]

We felt the same way when We cruised Alaska last year. We had a fantastic cruise experience. Glad you had a good time.

 

Nancy

[Holly2]

When is Mercury scheduled for dry dock? We just booked for next December.

[idssms]

Scott

 

Great review,

 

Can you look in your "Celebrity Today" and telll me who the Captain and Hotel Director were on this past cruise?

 

I am taking it in May to alaska and wonder if George Tumazato's is the current Hotel Director.

 

Thanks

 

Don

[scott in maine]

I am not certain if Mercury's date with the dry dock has been published just yet. It is, however, very much in the master plan and we got the sense on board (chatting with staff) that it might be fall 2007 or thereafter.

 

Perhaps others here on CC have more definitive details.

 

--------------

 

On another note, I realized that in my original review above, I failed to also mention that upon returning to San Diego, the disembarkation plan was as organized and streamlined as one might hope for. Here's the scenario:

 

We had flights back to the east coast at 11:30am. Our call time from the Rendezvous Square was for 8:50am. That gave us plenty of time for a nice breakfast and some time with friends around the pool desk in the early morning sun. So, at 8:40 or so we make our way to the Rendezvous Sq and were almost immediately called for disembarkation. We literally walked through (without stopping!) US Customs --no exaggeration, there were no questions, no stopping-- and had our bags in hand by 8:47 or so. Three minutes later, we were in a taxi speeding towards the SAN airport. By 9:05, we had checked in with the airline and had boarding passes.

 

It was almost surreal. Never had a disembarkation go as smoothly as that!

[scott in maine]

Scott

 

Great review,

 

Can you look in your "Celebrity Today" and telll me who the Captain and Hotel Director were on this past cruise?

 

I am taking it in May to alaska and wonder if George Tumazato's is the current Hotel Director.

 

Thanks

 

Don

 

 

Don --- George is no longer the Hotel Manager. Currently, a young woman from France is the Hotel Manager. We were actually invited to dine with her on a formal night at the captain's table, but had to decline due to other commitments with pals on board.

 

The captain was (and I'll spell this wrong...) Salesseotis. I know that because we remembered that he was captaining our very first sailing on X (on Horizon many years back) as well!

 

Enjoy your trip!

[tarheelmjfan]

Scott,

I would love it, if you would humor us with your touring experiences. :D DH & I have decided on tours in Acapulco & Mazatlan, but are clueless on the other ports. In PV, we don't want to do the canopy tour or dolphin swim. Most of the tour info. on the Ports of Call board is on these 2 tours. Also, did the ship get close enough to the Los Arcos rock formations in Cabo to see them? Thanks :)

[idssms]

Thanks Scott!!

 

Don

[scott in maine]

Scott,

I would love it, if you would humor us with your touring experiences. :D DH & I have decided on tours in Acapulco & Mazatlan, but are clueless on the other ports. In PV, we don't want to do the canopy tour or dolphin swim. Most of the tour info. on the Ports of Call board is on these 2 tours. Also, did the ship get close enough to the Los Arcos rock formations in Cabo to see them? Thanks :)

 

In Cabo, you'll want to be outside on the top deck(s) as the ship sails into port. I'd advise being outside a good 30 minutes before arrival. Here's why: it's a beautiful port and a glorious approach. You won't regret it! As for the Los Arcos, you can absolutely see them on approach and even once anchored. They're never very far from the ship.

 

I assure you that there is plenty of info out there for all of the Mex Riv ports. Consider setting aside an hour or so one evening and really plowing through the Mexican Riviera board here on CC. To get the best info, you'll need to go back several pages and glean from there what appeals to you the most. If you'll promise to do that, I'll offer a few thoughts here (against my better judgment):

 

- Cabo: This is not my favorite port to walk around in. Some folks (most folks) find it nice because it's very clean and very "walkable." My sense is that it's a resort town that's been built up since it's easy for folks on the West Coast of the USA to get there for a long weekend getaway! That said, there is some fun (if costly) shopping to be done, if that's your thing. We opted to head over to the Melia Hotel (take a water taxi right off the pier) on Medano Beach. The beach is great and there are several great places to have drinks, snacks, or lunch right on the beach. The Melia generally allows cruise passengers to utilize their facilities for the day. It always helps to have a $5 bill to pass to the gal working the towel booth....

 

- Mazatlan: you were smart to book a tour here. This is a bustling, vibrant city, but not the most tourist friendly. If you don't speak Spanish, this place could be a little bewildering, frankly. As for me, the last two times I was in town, I also chose to do tours, once with Randi's Happy Horses (loved it, loved it!) and this last time with Mazatlan Frank (loved it).

 

- Puerto Vallarta: What a wonderful seaside city. By far always our favorite, you cannot go wrong here. My best advice to folks who've never been here is to grab a cab from the pier area to downtown (establish cab price before getting in!!!! Should be $4 or so). I would suggest telling the taxi driver to let you off in front of the Cathedral or at the Seahorse statue. Both of these places are quite central to numerous restaurants, fun shopping and immediately in front of the fabulous Pacific Ocean. You simply must wander around checking lots of things out -- and don't forget to cross the bridge over the Rio Cuale (Cuale River) into the OLD PART OF DOWNTOWN. We love the old town and, sadly, the vast majority of cruise passengers never make it down there. What a shame. Should you find yourself in old town in the mid afternoon and you're ready for a truly wonderful lunch, you won't find any better than the 50+ year restaurant right on the beach, La Palapa. It's not hard to find, but ask for simple directions, if you need to. Quite simply our favorite place to eat in town. It's not cheap, but the surroundings and service are superb. Lunch with one drink might cost you $20 per person. Money well spent - you won't forget the setting.

 

Acapulco -- Gosh, another beautiful bay! However, unlike PV, this megacity is really much more pushy, loud and brash. Acapulco's charm hit its apex in the early 1960s during the jet set era; sadly, those days are now behind it. The setting on the bay is simply breathtaking, but any review of Acapulco would be remiss if it didn't mention that this place is a faded jewel these days. There are still plenty of fun things to do. We opted to spend our morning at the very comfortable Hyatt hotel on the other side of the bay. A taxi ride was $6 from the pier and the Hyatt has a policy of accepting cruise passengers for day visits. Again, be sure to have a $5 tip for the towel folks. They were most welcoming and we really enjoyed being there for a few hours. (Note: drinks were expensive. A small beer (8 oz) and one margarita poolside cost us about $13 USD.) Incidentally, there is a Wal Mart Supercenter absolutely across the street from the Hyatt. Now, we're not Wal Mart fans, but we couldn't resist checking this behemoth out! Really a fun way to spend a half an hour. We also chose to ride the city buses later in the day and check out some of the city markets in the old city -- I wouldn't need to do that again. Just too crazy and loud in Acapulco. A MUST DO IN ACAPULCO IS THE CLIFF DIVERS!!! This is not optional, folks. And, there is simply no reason on earth to book in advance or get nervous and book with X and pay too much. Here's what we did: we wanted to see them at night --- so we chose the 7:30pm timeslot. Left the ship around 6:45 and went to the taxi line up. Met up with another couple there (from the ship) and agreed to share the cab. My memory is that we paid him $20 for the round trip transportation .... he would, of course, wait for us in the parking lot while we watched the divers. Once at the cliff side (La Quebrada), you must pay $3.50 to gain access to the observation decks below. There are perhaps three levels below and one must walk down something like 4 or 5 stories to get to them. You don't want to be too late in getting here or all the good vantage spots will be gone. The spectacle of watching the divers is amazing and you'll be glad you went.

 

Zihuatanejo: in short, a delightful, unspoiled Mexican village. Spotlessly clean, fun architecture, great beaches. We chose to spend our day mostly at Playa Las Ropas and enjoyed the hotel's beach chairs while drinking $2 beers. Ah, perfect! Others chose to go to Playa Las Gatas and reported similar. I'm not sure you could go wrong here. There were several nice looking eateries in the town and some good shopping, as well. Really a fun port.

 

Hope some of this is helpful!

[FinelyCruising]

Thanks so much for the details. We will be on her in March for the 11 night and I really appreciate the extra time you took to comment on the ports. As much as I have read about them on the Port of Call boards, after untold hours, I still can't get a feel for much of where we are going and what to do while there. Your comments have been very helpful.

 

I'm not too keen that the cabins look sub-par, but I am glad that I know in advance of what to expect on this ship. I will say if it's that way now, the fall of 07 sounds like too far away to spiff things up in regard to the cabin linens.

[tarheelmjfan]

Scott,

Thanks for sharing the port info. :) Like FinelyCruising, I have spent many hours reading the Mex. Riv. POC board. I have learned a lot about a small number of tours. Unfortunately, if you're not interested in those, there's not much info. on other things to do. I like to read as much as possible. The more reviews you read, the better likelihood you will happen on the perfect day. :D We have booked with Randi & are going to see the Cliff Divers. Sounds like the tours we've chosen are good ones. We had planned to walk around in Cabo & Zihuatanejo. Thanks to your advice, I will now be looking for something else to do in Cabo. Your day in PV sounds perfect for DH & I. See, w/o your review I wouldn't have happened upon the perfect day. :p

[C 2 C]

 

I will go out on a limb and declare our experience on Mercury this month to be one of our best vacation choices ever. If all cruises could be like this one, we'd go twice a year!

 

Delightful review. We are booked on Mercury for the 3rd, 13th & 24th sailing. So nice to hear that you had such a wonderful time and so reassuring knowing we will be there for a month. Your report on excursions was also very helpful. I will post a link to others on our cruises.

[scott in maine]

Thanks to your advice, I will now be looking for something else to do in Cabo. :p

 

Tarheel -- I admit Cabo isn't on my top ten list, but I also recognize that vast others love this place. It can be a great place to simply walk around and browse, but it just feels like they are bending over backwards to cater to Americans here. I love the real Mexico too much to like this sort of place. I feel the same way about Cancun, but most folks seem to love that, too. So, I would recommend hitting Medano Beach via water taxi in the morning and maybe some time around the Melia Hotel's pool. Then after lunch, hit the downtown area after the other cruise crowds have dwindled. You'll have a great day.

 

Also, for PV, I forgot to mention that the Krystal Hotel also allows cruise passengers to spend the day on their property. Sometimes they charge a $15 fee that, in turn, is a credit towards food/drink -- so it's really not a fee at all. Other times, there is no fee. Go figure. Anyway, if you love resorts and great pools, this one's super and less than a 10 minute walk (or 3 minute taxi ride) from the ship! And, while I'm at it, I'll share another great secret!

 

If you love spa treatments, then you must know about the spa at the Krystal Hotel. They charge about a third of ship spa prices and the quality is the same. We opted for an 80 min massage followed by 70 min hydrating facials. Both were stellar and the bill came to a low $80 per person -- for 2.5 hours of heaven!!! Here's the link to their website:

 

http://www.go2vallarta.com/milleniummassage/

 

Note: you will want to send e-mails to the Krystal Hotel branch, NOT the marina branch. The marina is where the Westin & Marriott Hotels are. It's all very nice, but not easily accessible from the ship. And also, note that you need to pay in cash for the low prices. I truly recommend this spa -- we spent a great day in PV doing all the things we wanted to do and then hit the spa around 3:30pm so we'd be ready for the 7pm sailout. It all worked perfectly.

 

have a great trip!

[CruiseAholic]

Well, I'm glad you thought that the ship didn't need repair, maybe glasses need to be cleaned on someone's behalf.

 

I disembarked when you embarked, our Royal Suite was NOT WORTH the money we paid for the condition it was in. Off white chairs with BLACK surrounding the arms, stains on the furniture and carpet, sinking to the floor when sitting on the sofa.

 

I had not been on Celebrity for a while before this and I knew why the first day, a 2nd rate product that promotes itself as a First class experience. Not in my book.

 

Course, I'm sure someone will say I don't know what I'm talking about, but after 65+ cruises at age 47, I've done more than most of you will ever do!

[FinelyCruising]

I'm guessing describing your findings would have been legitimate enough without quantifying them as a number of cruises to know of which you speak.

 

Heck, all you have to do is go into someone's house for a first time and see it dirty or unkempt to know they don't pay attention to those details, let alone a public venue where these things really are important to the masses, but you don't say I have been in more homes than you....:rolleyes:

 

Anyway, Thanks. It don't sound good to me, and frankly I am expecting this kind of inconsistency overall for this ship based on numerous reports.

[C 2 C]

I disembarked when you embarked, our Royal Suite was NOT WORTH the money we paid for the condition it was in.

 

And I'll bet my 31 days will cost less than your ten and I'll have to put up with the same quality of food, service and entertainment. But then just about any old X cabin will do for me. Sorry that you did not enjoy your experience.:cool:

[senior lady]

Delightful review. We are booked on Mercury for the 3rd, 13th & 24th sailing. So nice to hear that you had such a wonderful time and so reassuring knowing we will be there for a month. Your report on excursions was also very helpful. I will post a link to others on our cruises.

 

Wow a month on the same cruise??? I'm not sure if that would be for me. I think i'd get tired of the same places and menu's, entertainment etc. How come your doing it like this?? Inquiring minds:rolleyes:

[C 2 C]

Wow a month on the same cruise??? I'm not sure if that would be for me. I think i'd get tired of the same places and menu's, entertainment etc. How come your doing it like this?? Inquiring minds:rolleyes:

 

On the one hand I can spend a month in February at home complaining of the cold and snow (even tho this year has been "warm") on the other I can spend a month sailing the seas in sunny Mexico. It's like asking anyone how can you spend a month at a cottage. Fantastic meals: does yor menu at home have a ten day cycle? daily live entertainment as opposed to TV and dancing and other activities. What's to get bored about?:)

[Dancing Gal]

C2C - I am sure you will LOVE being at sea for a month. I did a back to back on Infinity a few years ago (Hawaii - 21 nights at sea). Never bored, loved hitting every port twice - no rushed feeling; went back to what I enjoyed; ate great food and made healthy choices - ENJOY. If you happen to run into a sommelier from Colombia, William, tell him hello from Nancy.

 

 

Tarheel. you asked about excursions/activities in PV. Last Oct there was a new excursion offered that was enjoyable and different. It is a cooking demo/hands on and tequila tasting. I think it may have been the first week of so of offering it and it was done well. Bus trip through upscale homes, shopping stop (we arranged with the guide to meet them at the restaurant at the appointed time and went off on our own to old town). Restaurant was Santo(a) Tequila (can't recall the street). They provided plates of ingredients and we made salsa, sopes, and enchiladas. There was a tequila tasting after that was corny but interesting. I recommend the cooking part of the excursion...I think total price was around $30 for the 3 hours. Check celebrity shore excursions or perhaps contact the restaurant directly.

Enjoy Mexico (oh, I second that Zihuatenejo is the most charming, Maz Frank is great, Acapulco I didn't care for)

Nancy

[Misery (Missouri) Man]

Two favorable observations:

 

1) Anyone notice the blank face security officer who daily stationed herself on the balcony above the pool? I observed her promptly remove a guy who tried to bring his diaper clad kid into the pool area. I earned a brief smile when I caught her eye and gave her a thumbs up for doing so.

 

2) I observed the matri'd refuse admittance one evening to a guy walking in wearing shorts.

[C 2 C]

Two favorable observations:

 

1) Anyone notice the blank face security officer who daily stationed herself on the balcony above the pool? I observed her promptly remove a guy who tried to bring his diaper clad kid into the pool area. I earned a brief smile when I caught her eye and gave her a thumbs up for doing so.

 

2) I observed the matri'd refuse admittance one evening to a guy walking in wearing shorts.

 

Anyone whom we see enforcing the rules should be given at least a handshake.... well done! let the employees know we appreciate their efforts on our behalf

[cechase]

Scott,

I would love it, if you would humor us with your touring experiences. :D DH & I have decided on tours in Acapulco & Mazatlan, but are clueless on the other ports. In PV, we don't want to do the canopy tour or dolphin swim. Most of the tour info. on the Ports of Call board is on these 2 tours. Also, did the ship get close enough to the Los Arcos rock formations in Cabo to see them? Thanks :)

 

We were on the 1/2/2006 11 night cruise on Mercury. We took the Acapulco City Tour and Cliff Divers's tour and it was really great. We also had Carmen as our tour guide and she was excellent. Some nice pics of the cliff divers. We also took the Ixtapa Resort tour and it was excellent. Plus, you get to see some crocs - lots of them.

 

As to Cabo Mercury is tendered and you can get a good look at the rock formations at the enterance to Cabo's harbor.

[pbcbbc]

Two favorable observations:

 

1) Anyone notice the blank face security officer who daily stationed herself on the balcony above the pool? I observed her promptly remove a guy who tried to bring his diaper clad kid into the pool area. I earned a brief smile when I caught her eye and gave her a thumbs up for doing so.

 

TOO FUNNY!! She knew me by name the first day, lol. I lost my camera embarking on the ship. She saw me walk away without it and made sure it got back to me. I couldn't thank her enough. The whole cruise she would get a big smile and say "hi" to me. It was funny to see the looks I got when she said hi. (She would say nothing to anyone normally.) Our tablemates even noticed it one day and asked me what I did to deserve her attention, lol. It was great.

 

It was nice to see the security out there, keeping an eye on things. They didnt get in anyone's way of a great time.

[senior lady]

We were on the Mercury last Nov and really enjoyed it. I hope that you don't have a cabin at the back of the ship, cause there is a lot of rumbling and shaking when your arriving and leaving ports. Didn't need a wake up call on port days. Even at night in the dinning room there was some wierd noices.

 

I don't think I could spend a month cruising on the Mercury. It's just a little small, other than the Navigator club and Pavillion night club the rest of the rooms are small and smokey. I enjoyed the cruise but wouldn't want to be on any longer than 10 days.

 

We were on the Radiance last yr for 11 days to Hawaii and could have stayed on her longer. This May we're doing a 19 day repo cruise on Princess Coral but again a larger ship with lots more things to do.

 

Just my opinion. The Mercury is a great ship, but just a little small for us. Still can't understand why they close the pools so eary 8pm??? hot tubs at 9pm

 

Have a great trip.

[pbcbbc]

Nice Review, Scott. I do have to disagree with you on the condition of the public room's furniture, though. When I first got on the ship, I was not in awe, like the M class did to me. Mercury is a very nice ship, but does need new furniture. (The stains were bad enough to where there were a couple of times we didnt want to sit down.) Her crew was definately top notch, though. The food was fantastic. One thing does hold me back from sailing her again, though. The beds. My back can't handle a bad bed, so I didn't get much rest on her. Once she gets that straightened out, I will definately sail her again.