Just back from the Mercury

[Fblack]

Good news. No bleach anymore. Only 10-14 passengers were ill. And 3 were from my table and they got sick snorkeling in Mexico. I will post info and a review in a few days. It was a very nice cruise. Cruise Staff was happy and friendly. Stuart was the CD. We got to eat at the Captain's table and I know how they select people to eat with the captain.

[chessbriar]

Thank you for the info on Stewart. Been looking for him

[bububr]

"We got to eat at the Captain's table and I know how they select people to eat with the captain."

 

inquiring minds wanna know!!!

 

Dave:eek:

[PatandMark]

Would love to know!! Looking forward to your reply.

 

Thanks

Pat & Mark

[Fblack]

Here is how they choose who eats at the Captains table on Celebrity. (At least on the Mercury.) I was lucky to be chosen and later asked the woman who makes the selections how it works.

 

First, you need to be one of the following: either an Elite Celebrity Captains Club member, have a suite on the ship (preferably one of the best ones) or be a Select Captains club member and get lucky.

 

The Captains table is only used on formal nights. Two seatings. Second seating is usually with the Captain himself. First seating is with a senior officer. There are 8 to 10 seats available at the table. So on our cruise we had 3 formal nights so about 50 to 60 passengers were invited.

 

The Captains Club representative makes the selection. The first night she stopped by our dinner table just to introduce herself. We had no idea why she stopped by. Later that night we got a written invitation to dine at the Captains table. She told us later that she personally likes to see and meet people she is considering. She wants to select a group she thinks will be "compatible". Reading between the lines, I think she wants to be sure that whomever she selects will not be an embarrassment at dinner. I assume that if we were in shorts and a T-shirt, unshaven, or unsavory looking we would be removed from consideration.

 

Our group at dinner consisted of two Elite Members, one Select Member and one from the Penthouse suite. Dinner itself was the same as with all other passengers. Except we had free wine and the ladies each got a rose. We also got a complimentary group photo of our table.

 

So it takes some luck to be chosen, but you MUST be a long time passenger or pay for a better suite. If you are an Elite member, maybe you should stop by the Captains Club representatives desk and get to meet her. It may help.

[NanD]

I'm delighted to hear things have returned to normal on the Mercury. They've been through a difficult period. We were on the March 17th sailing and our situation wasn't as pleasant. I wish there were such a thing as mulligans with cruises. :-)

Nan

[mrsmagnolia]

I was just wondering if anyone could tell me how far the cruise port is away from San Diego aiport, and what is the best way to get to the port from there?

[Fblack]

It is very close. You can see the airport in San Diego from the ship. It's under 10 minutes by taxi.

[Andy]

Hi Everyone !

 

I am very happy to hear that things are back to normal on Mercury.

[idssms]

Can you tell me who the Social Hostess is on the Mercury?

 

I am taking it in a week to Alaska and wonder if I will know anyone.

 

thanks

 

don

[Fblack]

The Captains Club Hostess is Delia Faria. She is very sweet and has a desk on deck 5.

[mrsmagnolia]

Thank you for the information about the distance from the airport to the ship.,now i am going to start writing down all these ideas and reports back on all the itineraries., just got a good fare on jet blue, and i am thrilled.

we have been to the caribbean two times on the millenium, and once to bermuda, our first cruise ever was suppost go to bermuda, we were detoured to the bahamas because of hurricane.YIKES!!!!!

[idssms]

The Captains Club Hostess is Delia Faria. She is very sweet and has a desk on deck 5.

 

 

thanks

 

Is Roxane on the ship?

 

I heard she may be on the mercury.

 

don

[Taco]

Don -------We are headed to Alaska on Mercury May 8 --same as you, I think! From New England, still wearing snowsuits, so we are ready!!!!!

 

We were on X Zenith 3 yrs ago and a couple (30's) at our dining table were invited -----last min-----to Captain's Dinner on their way to our table when 4 people never showed up to the Table!!!!!!! That was their first cruise, but they fit the profile. Another time, another cruise, we sat nearby THAT table, so we did see the both important nights. Profile or what???? Women all decked out-1 gentleman in a polo shirt, 1 in a dress shirt, no tie, no jacket-and Captain himself night---go figure?????

[Lois R]

Good morning, thanks for the good news about Mercury:)

I am sailing her on May 19th..first time to Alaska, 2nd time on this

ship though.

I cannot wait.....I leave 2 weeks from TODAY:D

 

By the way, do you recall who the Restaurant Manager was? It has

been 2 years since I sailed Mercury..wonder if luck would have it

that it is the same guy;)

And I wonder if my waiter is still sailing her too!

[Fblack]

I do not know who Roxane is.

[SuSu530]

Hi Jack and Honey,

 

Bob and I enjoyed sailing with you on the Mercury. Maybe we'll meet again at sea!:)

[Buckeye Geo]

By the way, do you recall who the Restaurant Manager was? It has

been 2 years since I sailed Mercury..wonder if luck would have it

that it is the same guy;)

And I wonder if my waiter is still sailing her too!

 

Lois: The Food & Beverage Manager onboard the Mercury was Amulfo Ramirez. Other key personnel were:

Master---Captain Periklis Petridis

Hotel Dir.---Beatrice Moine

Captain Club Hostess---Delia Faria

Future Cruise Sales Manager---Jill ?

We had an excellent waiter ----Arturo from Peru,

and the BEST Asst Waiter (soon to be promoted to Waiter) Idewa from Indonesia. The entire staff was excellent.

Have a great Alaskan Cruise.

[Lois R]

Thanks George and Joyce:)

 

None of the sames sound familiar...oh well, it will be fun getting

to know "new friends";)

 

I was looking back on my photos the first time I sailed Mercury.

That cruise was fabulous....Phil and Marti were 2 of my tablemates

and it was a blast:D Our waiter was from the Phillipines and his

nicname was "Tweety".

The Restaurant Mgr was ALI at the time. Been 2 years since I have

sailed her and I am looking forward to another wonderful week.

[Buckeye Geo]

Lois: We did Alaska on Mercury about 5-6 years ago. The only thing I remember about our waiter is that he was from Germany and liked to give orders rather then take them. Oh well things happen. It was a great cruise and our first on Celebrity.

[Lois R]

Lois: We did Alaska on Mercury about 5-6 years ago. The only thing I remember about our waiter is that he was from Germany and liked to give orders rather then take them. Oh well things happen. It was a great cruise and our first on Celebrity.

 

Yikes:eek: :rolleyes: not sure that would have gone over too well with me.

 

When I was on Constellation we had a "no show" Sommilier and after

the 2nd night I spoke privately with our Maitr'd and she got us

a new one for the rest of the cruise....He happened to be from

Germany too! His name was Andre I think and was excellent...took

lots of wine orders from us;)

[CRUZBUDS]

We're back today from the Mercury- fantastic trip! We were surprised and pleased with the condition - we noticed no signs of the bleach damage and everything was open and running smoothly - the food was great and above all we had the best group of Cruise Critics that we could imagine. We hope to stay in touch and perhaps cruise with them again

[cruisinjudy]

Hi Jack and Honey, and Jim and Alison,

That explains the lady who stopped by our table the first night, asked how our table was doing. I said, it was fine, but the other couple at our table had asked for a table for two and we had asked for a large table. Our assignment was changed the next evening and we got an invite to the captain's table on the last formal night. We are elite level, but I am sure they cannot invite every elite on the ship.

[Ciclista]

Good news. No bleach anymore. Only 10-14 passengers were ill. And 3 were from my table and they got sick snorkeling in Mexico. I will post info and a review in a few days. It was a very nice cruise. Cruise Staff was happy and friendly. Stuart was the CD. We got to eat at the Captain's table and I know how they select people to eat with the captain.

 

We just got off the same ship today you did and we didn't eat at the captains table but both my wife and I both were sick within 24hrs of boarding. It was if they passed out the norovirus with the sheet they get you to sign when you check in saying you are not sick or have not been sick recently etc. We knew that if we got through the symptoms and the virus did not mutate within the next few days we would be OK for the rest of the cruise. My wife had it pretty bad I got only a glancing blow stomic cramps -diarrhea and that was it. First I wasn't going to post because the crew was nice and both wife and I are very physically active and infrequently and I mean infrequently ever get sick. I am an avid cyclist and weight trainer and probably am in the upper 2% of physical fitness my wife likewise. Then I started to think about those poor elderly people and those in wheelchairs and I felt I had an obligation to say something in reply to your post! The ship is still sick! They were cleaning walls every day and hand rails etc. and I don't know what the spray bottles were but I watched the housekeepers reading them as it appeared they wanted to know also! I would see them as was on my way to the gym at 6:30 every morning .The walls of our deck 8 were being sprayed every day and the walls of our our room was being washed every day because we could smell it and I was keeping track of little dirt marks that miraculously dissapeared when we were away from the room. Also the carpets were scrubbed every night etc. I could go on but I am going out for a bike ride now. Oh by the way we snorkeled every day we could in Mexico and didn't get sick! One more thing I don't know where you got your statistics from as we did not report to sick bay as we know how take care of ourselves and I don't know what they would have done for us as they can't seem to get a handle on their own problem! I never saw any official statistics posted you must have a source others don't! We had hand sanitizer towellets ,hand wash,Lysol etc.

Ciao

[poetic license]

We just got off the same ship today you did and we didn't eat at the captains table but both my wife and I both were sick within 24hrs of boarding. It was if they passed out the norovirus with the sheet they get you to sign when you check in saying you are not sick or have not been sick recently etc. We knew that if we got through the symptoms and the virus did not mutate within the next few days we would be OK for the rest of the cruise. My wife had it pretty bad I got only a glancing blow stomic cramps -diarrhea and that was it. First I wasn't going to post because the crew was nice and both wife and I are very physically active and infrequently and I mean infrequently ever get sick. I am an avid cyclist and weight trainer and probably am in the upper 2% of physical fitness my wife likewise. Then I started to think about those poor elderly people and those in wheelchairs and I felt I had an obligation to say something in reply to your post! The ship is still sick! They were cleaning walls every day and hand rails etc. and I don't know what the spray bottles were but I watched the housekeepers reading them as it appeared they wanted to know also! I would see them as was on my way to the gym at 6:30 every morning .The walls of our deck 8 were being sprayed every day and the walls of our our room was being washed every day because we could smell it and I was keeping track of little dirt marks that miraculously dissapeared when we were away from the room. Also the carpets were scrubbed every night etc. I could go on but I am going out for a bike ride now. Oh by the way we snorkeled every day we could in Mexico and didn't get sick! One more thing I don't know where you got your statistics from as we did not report to sick bay as we know how take care of ourselves and I don't know what they would have done for us as they can't seem to get a handle on their own problem! I never saw any official statistics posted you must have a source others don't! We had hand sanitizer towellets ,hand wash,Lysol etc.

Ciao

 

It takes 2 to 3 days for norovirus to incubate before becoming ill. Check the CDC website. It's more likely you got something that was incubating before boarding.

 

Is this your first cruise? On every cruise I have been on, the crew are always cleaning constantly, norovirus or not. They keep these ships in great shape as a rule.

 

I am not trying to doubt your veracity, but I think you might be a little too hasty blaming the ship for your ills. A little more research on norovirus on your part would have helped before you wrote your post. I am glad overcame your illness and were able to enjoy the balance of your cruise.

 

Not reporting your illness to the medical facility is irresponsible. Should your illness have been norovirus, or anything else for that matter, the medical personnel would have diagnosed it quickly. For all of your stated concern about medically fragile passengers, this single act alone shows you did not care one whit about them. Sorry, I'm not buying this time around.

 

Cheers~