Winning isn’t Everything – Celebrity Mercury, 5/8 Mexico to Alaska

[Pudgesmom]

Finally if the problem was on X why post to the HAL board except to look as the victim. On the HAL board they say he is getting bashed here but the truth is we are just inquiring minds that want to know the truth and you don't get truth from one side.

 

Brian posted his review on the HAL board as he is very active there. To me, his review read as much as a comparison to HAL as anything else.

 

So what to you X CCer's think?

 

Guns or knives at 20 paces? Alleyway behind the fish market 3am? ;)

 

:D :D :D

 

Beth

[CruiserJen]

The food on the Mercury in the dining room was very good, IMO. And so was our waiter, who was fired the last night of the cruise. :(

 

Why was the waiter fired? They seem to work so hard. Who has time to get into trouble!

 

Jen

[dbertell]

Having taken 13 cruises on all sorts of lines, you can find fault with just about every cruise line....IF YOU WANT TO. This guy could have designed his own ship and then walked onboard and complained about it. This is obviously a case of a guy looking at things half empty instead of half full. If I won a free trip over to his house, would he want me to rip his insides half as bad as he did the ship? My advice for him is stay away from cruise ships and don't enter any more contests. And don't completely rip a cruise because you go onboard LOOKING for things to be and go wrong. If I was the crew, I would have escorted you OFF the ship. I have been on cruises with this type person who prints a totally lousy review when I was on the same ship and thought things were wonderful. There will always be complainers (heaven forbid going out to a restaurant with this guy) and he should be written off as such.

[caviargal]

Why was the waiter fired? They seem to work so hard. Who has time to get into trouble!

 

Jen

 

Jen, he would not discuss it but was totally distraught as he had been with X for 8 years. He was a total pro and had our entire group - a Celebrity District Sales Manager, the owner of our travel consortium and 26 agents and guests - to take care of and did a top notch job.

 

He did tell me that he was being put off the ship in Seattle to make his own way home but provided no detail.

 

The CEO of the consortium appealed directly to management on the ship but was rebuiffed. And our waiter would simply not discuss it (to his credit, actually). We were told something vague from a manager about an inappropriate comment to a passenger. Our entire group ( with many single ladies amongst us) could not even believe it! As a single woman who has been cruising a long time (sometimes solo), I can say that there are most definitely some waiters (and officers for that matter) that have behaved inappropriately IME over the years, but I have a hard time believing this man would do that. It would have been out of character, not to mention that as an 8 year veteran of X, he would certainly have known better. While nothing is beyond the realm of possibility, I would say that he should have been given the benefit of the doubt.

 

There were other management issues aboard that cruise that were also very disappointing. It was the overall consensus of many of the TAs I was with, unfortunately.

[kelmac]

WOW! I'm a huge HAL fan, but I'm even a bigger fan of Celebrity!

The OP is way out of line on this one!

[joelmarj]

The OP lost credibility with me when he said SWA was now his carrier of choice. UGH!!!! The worst. Over booked all the time, seats and planes are ratty, and CATTLE CALL! They aren't even the lowest cost carrier anymore, yet haven't figured out that not assigning seats does not save them any money and in my book makes them look like nothing more than a greyhound bus with wings. (Wait, I think the buses are in better shape).

 

Sorry, don't mean to bash SWA (yes, the above is based on my personal experiences), but really. This guy seems to have expectations a little out of sync.

[anthk333]

It comes to my mind that if you leave the ship before the end of the cruise someone has to pay a penalty.

 

Actually, in this instance since he boarded in Ensenada and left the ship in San Francisco, he did not violate the PSA, so no fine would be applicable.

[Buckeye Geo]

I show little respect for someone when he slams the hardest working group onboard, namely the Celebrity Singers and Dancers. I feel they are both talented and very attactive. The woman are beautiful and in my opinion have great figures. To call them no talent and Rubenesque is an insult.

I feel most of his negative comments have been rebuked, but I feel I had to stick up for the Talent.

[Lois R]

I wasn't going to post anything else...but here goes.

Someone mentioned over on HAL they are saying how much

we are slamming this thread...I would like to say not all of us

are doing that....

I do genuinely feel bad Brian had such a terrible cruise.

 

And then someone mentioned that they are amazed when

someone tells them they enjoy Celebrity...I guess HAL is slamming

X too then? I guess it works both ways, no matter what

situation.

 

And I re-read the review again, without interruptions from work.

And there are certain items I would like to address.

Service and the dining room. As a couple of people have already

stated....if I got an answer that was unacceptable for me,

I would be speaking to the Maitr'd. (Which I have done in the

past).

I thought ice cream was on the menu every night? Please,

I am asking, is this not true?

 

Staterooms....all the insides I have been in (windows too)

have been in the 174 sq ft range. Now, I usually sail solo but

that is plenty of room for me.

Sorry if the stateroom was too small. And I have always had room

for my luggage.

 

As for being bored during the days, call me Miss Boredom then;)

just trying to make a joke...ha....but I am happy sitting in a chair

with a good book and a drink.

Not sure I understand the comments about having to spend

money on activities on the sea days?

 

And I wasn't going to mention this and I am sure I will get

slammed for it.....but I will say, for me to leave a cruise

2 days into it, it would have to be something catostrophic.

 

I guess Brian felt the faults he found were under that category.

That is where we differ I guess.

 

Brian, I hope you find smooth seas on your next cruise.

[Buckeye Geo]

I find it strange that Brian has not come back on this site to defend his action or return to the HAL Board to thank his supporters for their positive comments. Just wondering

[karfest]

I find it strange that Brian has not come back on this site to defend his action or return to the HAL Board to thank his supporters for their positive comments. Just wondering

 

Maybe he's busy at work--I think he prefers working to cruising;)

 

If I posted a review like his, I don't think I would return, either. He's been around long enough to know he was going to get things started!

[CStorm]

First let me say that I have not been on a cruise for almost 17 years and am going to Alaska in July. After spending almost $7000 (by the time it's over), I would LOVE to win one! I'm sure I could find something to be happy about and I GUARANTEE I would not be getting off on day 2 :eek: !!!

 

What is wrong with a person that leaves a free cruise early!!

[hardingk]

I just got off the Mercury less then a month ago and I LOVED her. I have been on her sister, the Century twice, and felt she was much nicer. Is this guy for real??? And to top it off, the cruise was FREE?????

[frchteaze]

First let me say that I have not been on a cruise for almost 17 years and am going to Alaska in July. After spending almost $7000 (by the time it's over), I would LOVE to win one! I'm sure I could find something to be happy about and I GUARANTEE I would not be getting off on day 2 :eek: !!!

 

What is wrong with a person that leaves a free cruise early!!

 

I have to agree with you. I thought I was done with my one post, but it seems some of us can't stay away from this thread. :rolleyes:

 

I'm shocked. Honestly. It's quite understandable that my posts mean nothing to anyone because I haven't actually taken a cruise yet (2 more weeks!), but I really can't imagine being so unhappy with a free cruise that I would leave after 2 days. And for the HAL loyalists who are saying we're just defending X, I have no loyalties to any cruise line since I've never sailed on any of them. I didn't even pick X for my upcoming cruise; it was chosen by others as a family reunion-type thing.

 

I have, however, had many vacations where things didn't go quite as I expected or conditions weren't up to my "usual standards" (which really aren't all that high to start with). I have talked to managers and supervisors and once I even wrote a letter after I got home. But never once have I had such a bad experience that it ruined the whole vacation. And these were vacations I paid for! :eek:

 

Barring some emergency, to leave a cruise 2 days into it, I would have had to have a much worse time than the OP describes. Like rats running around and no room to sleep in at all. And even then, I'd probably give it at least 3 or 4 days. ;)

 

I'm also a little confused about something here. Did the OP get to choose which cruise he went on or did he have to take whatever was available? Because I really can't imagine taking any cruise (free or not) without doing some basic research, like room size for starters. Based on a few of his posts prior to the cruise, it also appears as though he was aware of some problems before he left. Perhaps this further tainted his view and he went with a mindset looking to verify problems instead of a mindset to have fun regardless.

 

One last thing, just out of curiosity, I'd love to know what happened with his partner. Did he stay or did he leave too?

[tarheelmjfan]

I have to agree that Mercury's not the prettiest ship I've seen. Obviously tastes differ, but we think Century is much nicer.

 

However, we were pleased with our cabin, & thought the food was very good. In most categories our Mercury cruise was as any of the X cruises we've loved. That said, we were just as upset as the OP with the show schedule. IMHO, it's simply unacceptable to only schedule 3 shows after dinner for late seating. If you choose early seating, I can see why you would have a different view on the cruise. Your entertainment isn't affected. Dinner was usually over by 10:15 to 10:30, & even the martini bar closed at 11pm. The after dinner choices were very limited. We were also upset with the deplorable treatment of the Maitre' d. If you didn't have a reason to speak with him, you couldn't possibly comprehend the experience. Until we encountered him, we never would have believed this could have happened on an X ship.

 

While I totally disagree with most of what he said, I do know that experiences can differ on the same ship at the same time. Trust me, you may see things differently, if it's you who encounters these issues. DH & I are very much glass half full people, but in some areas they seemed to have forgotten to leave the glass. ;)

[Lois R]

Tammy, what happened to your Maitr'd?:eek: :confused:

quote:

"We were also upset with the deplorable treatment of the Maitre' d. If you didn't have a reason to speak with him, you couldn't possibly comprehend the experience. Until we encountered him, we never would have believed this could have happened on an X ship. "

[caviargal]

As a TA with high volumes with certain lines, I occasionally get offers to cruise free. This happened three times last year and I did not accept any of the offers. I know what I enjoy and what I do not and because something is free does not influence my decision.

 

One of the cruises was in summer and I knew there would be too many kids on board for my taste. Another went to Bermuda, which I do not care for. Another was on a very large ship and I do not like them either.

 

I also want to choose my cabin and location and not be tossed into early dining because I am on a freebie. No way I will dine before 8pm.

 

"Free" is a relative term. It still means taking time off work that I could save to do something I would really enjoy, it still involves the expense and hassle of getting to the port and it still costs money for incidentals on board and in port.

 

I can think of many cruises I would turn down if they were "free". And, the ones I would be really excited to do are never the ones that are offered.:( But, I would rather spend on the ones I choose than to go "free" on those I do not enjoy for whatever reason. Same goes for land based vacations. No way I would spend a week in St.Thomas or Nassau no matter if it was free or not.

 

I now have two "free" cruises that are being offered to me, one on a line I do enjoy and one on a line I have mixed feelings about. After much contemplation, I have decided not to accept either because I really want to save my time and money to be on a vacation that I know I am highly likely to enjoy. At my age and with my travel history, I know what I like and what I do not. I have a great appreciation for my limited time off and also like to choose where to spend my hard earned dollars.

 

Yes, I am jaded when it comes to cruising and to travelling in general. We all have different backgrounds and experiences and no one is more "right" in their opinion than any other poster on this board.

 

Perhaps Brian felt the same way.

[cruzin4us]

 

I now have two "free" cruises that are being offered to me, one on a line I do enjoy and one on a line I have mixed feelings about. After much contemplation, I have decided not to accept either because I really want to save my time and money to be on a vacation that I know I am highly likely to enjoy.

 

Gosh, can I go in your place??? I'll take Bermuda and a bunch of kids ;)

[bepsf]

Thanks for your comments everyone -

(even those of you who disagree w/ me)

 

A couple things to note:

 

A Category 4 (which we were in) is the "best" and "largest" outside category stateroom. The interior designer in me kept thinking that if we could just rearrange the furniture, we'd have some walking room. Even the steward said that he didn't want to separate the beds (putting the nightstand in the middle) as there would either be no room to walk in the front door or the desk would block you from the window. The Celebrity website shows a different stateroom configuration from what we had - and having the beds at the entrance to the room made a big difference on access, particularly for me, as I have a bum knee.

 

As far as selecting the ship/stateroom, I'd requested one of the Infinity Mexico cruises from SF: I was told by my Travelocity contact that the "Revenue Department" offered me this trip on Mercury. I'd inquired after an upgrade to a balcony, but all they had left at that time was a single Sky Suite.

 

Embarcation/check-in was not a bad thing for Scotty and I personally - we just sat in the hotel lobby enjoying a few cocktails and trying to warn folks not to go rushing off to the ship right away, 'cause they'd just be sitting at the pier for hours (up to 3 hours as we learned from folks who went through it). Once we did arrive at the pier, we dropped the luggage at the cargo gangway at the stern, then joined the embarcation line which lasted only a few minutes before crossing the passenger gangway. Ensenada was probably the highlight of the trip - and arriving at the port of embarcation beforehand is always a good thing...

 

I was not the only person to leave the ship that day - there was an Asian family leaving, and my friend Don who was traveling w/ us left too (his first cruise!)

 

I'm generally not a complianer, and I don't make scenes - I did not let into the steward or waiters, as I full well know that they are doing the best they can w/ what they have to work with, and I'm not about to belittle their work. As far as those who would be appropriate to talk with, I never saw them out on deck or supervising anything.

 

As we chatted w/ some others who were aboard (lots of TA's - I think there was a CruiseOne group aboard) we spoke of other lines. One of the things we laughed about was how one can order the HAL beds - wouldn't it be a hoot to call HAL Shipservices and have them express a mattress/sheets/pillows/etc. and have it on the pier in SF waiting for us?!?

 

Scotty is still aboard - he hates the ship too, but he feels like he needed the time off worse than I, the ship will carry him home at the end (and he'll get the cabin to himself) He said he wants to lose 10-15 lbs anyway, so he's gonna use the spa and eat light (not a problem on that boat...)

 

I'm certain that there will be lots of other opinions of this cruise from the 60+ CC-ers aboard. Mine is but one - I'm sure others will have had the times of their lives.

 

I cannot tell you if the ship had stopped at Astoria or some other port on the Pacific Coast if I would be still aboard (Since I live in SF and it was just a short taxi-ride home) tho one thing is for sure: Before I went to bed last night, I was feeling run-down and headachy. This morning I had a 100.5 temp and all that goes w/ it (I wonder if this is what Norovirus feels like?) so I'd have probably ended up locked-up & unhappy anyways...

[bepsf]

In direct response to a few comments:

 

Why do I cruise: I'm a lazy traveler and enjoy being taken care of and waking up to new sights every day. I love days at sea where I can sit and watch the waves and enjoy quiet pleasures, chats w/ friends, sleeping late in a comfy bed, stewing in a nice hot jacuzzi, being fed at least as well as what I can whip up at home.

 

Seating areas: I did see an area at the top of the atrium w/ some comfy-looking chairs - but there was no reason to go up there, as it was empty and has no views of the passing sea (I'm Seasonal Affective - so I need my windows...)

 

Sushi: This was my experience, Sir. I'm sure yours was quite different, otherwise you'd have been as dissappointed as I. I have lived in Tokyo and I often frequent different sushi bars here in SF, so I know the difference between the good stuff and American grocery-store sushi (which can be good in a pinch), but this simply wasn't up to par. The rice was gluey and over-plump with moisture which is indicative of rice that has been overcooked so that it will not dry out in long-term storage. The fish was grainy in texture, which is indicative of freezer-burn. The man was filling the serving trays from large cellophane-wrapped trays - not from a work-space where there were knives, fish or rice-cookers. If your experience with Sushi is fairly limited, might I suggest an excursion into Manhattan for an evening at Nobu - he serves the best Sushi on the East Coast, and you'll come to understand what good Sushi is all about.

 

Entertainment: Didn't say that these folks weren't working hard (especially not "Mr. Dance of Love"!) - but that most of these folks don't appear have what it takes. As is often the case w/ shipboard entertainers, perhaps their talents would be more apparent with better chosen material.

 

Champagne: Ever been to a party where there are waiters circulating w/ trays of pre-filled champagne glasses (those you take), and other waiters w/ trays of empty/half full glasses (those you don't take)? Well I guess I was looking for the tray with the full glasses - as it would be an absolute embarassment to serve half-full glasses at any gala I've ever attended. BTW: The Captains' reception had full-ish glasses - they knew exactly what they were doing...

 

RCCL/X: It's a well known fact that RCCL owns X. Apparently, X was running into cashflow issues while Mercury was being built - and Richard Fain was still P.O.'d from CCL "stealing" Costa from them, so they bought/bailed out X and immediately made drastic changes to management and severe cost-reductions. Now, RCCL pretty much runs X in its own style, therefore my comments referring to RCCL as the corporate entity.

 

Someone mentioned that I should try a premium cruiseline next time: Um, X is supposed to be a premium cruiseline, at least on par w/ HAL. When I step off a HAL cruise, I always feel like those folks in the X commercials "I was a King/Queen". I suppose I was expecting similar from the producer of those commercials...

 

Taxes: Yes - it's something we're gonna have to deal with. It may be the reason that I write a letter to X...

 

I did note some similarities w/ MSC: Mr Sasso who is the former CEO of X runs a good (non-premium) product over there which has shades of X. I wasn't too excited about my MSC cruise at first either, but once I was aboard everything turned out nicely by the second day and I was eventually sad to leave Opera. Of course, there are changes I'd make over there too if I'd had my druthers, but overall, I'd rather be on MSC than X.

 

Why did I leave after the 2nd day? I have never had any issues w/ leaving the theatre during a lousy film, leaving a boring party early, cutting a bad date short or quitting a job that I hate (always in the most discrete way possible so as not to make a scene, of course). I thought hard and realized that I could save my vacation money and time for a better cruise later - and I'd rather bail while here at home in SF than try to get home from Ketchikan.

 

Thanks Lois, Beth, CaviarGal (and others who's names I can't find because you're a few pages back) for your understanding ways and kind words. I certainly didn't expect to be the most "popular" guy here after my review - and I got some good laughs from the cheap shots! :D

[karfest]

Brian-

WOW! Thanks for coming back to respond not just once- but twice! I think I would have been afraid to face to the masses:eek:

 

I hope your next cruise experience is better than this one. (well, it really couldn't be worse...could it?)

[Ma Bell]

Brian,

 

I'm really sorry you didnt enjoy your cruise and I must say I got a few laughs from you too. I kept wondering why someone as well traveled as you would have ever expected this cruise to compare to having Sushi at Nobu or being entertained with Broadway stars. It's really quite sad that you weren't able to find a way to enjoy yourself. It really couldn't have been that bad.

 

I've been fortunate enough to travel all around the world and seen and done many special things, but still find it most important to spend time with good friends and loved ones regardless of the window dressing.:) Making new friends is lovely as well.

[Texed]

Joanie,

You always know how to put it into words.:)

[Longboysfan]

I thought ice cream was on the menu every night? Please,

I am asking, is this not true?

 

I guess Brian felt the faults he found were under that category.

That is where we differ I guess.

 

Brian, I hope you find smooth seas on your next cruise.

 

They do have Ice Cream every night. You can get Vanilla or chocolate any time.

 

Glass 1/2 empty from the start and being drained quickly.

[hardingk]

Sushi: This was my experience, Sir. I'm sure yours was quite different, otherwise you'd have been as dissappointed as I. I have lived in Tokyo and I often frequent different sushi bars here in SF, so I know the difference between the good stuff and American grocery-store sushi (which can be good in a pinch), but this simply wasn't up to par. The rice was gluey and over-plump with moisture which is indicative of rice that has been overcooked so that it will not dry out in long-term storage. The fish was grainy in texture, which is indicative of freezer-burn. The man was filling the serving trays from large cellophane-wrapped trays - not from a work-space where there were knives, fish or rice-cookers. If your experience with Sushi is fairly limited, might I suggest an excursion into Manhattan for an evening at Nobu - he serves the best Sushi on the East Coast, and you'll come to understand what good Sushi is all about.

 

AMEN!!! Finally!!! Someone who has been to NOBU and knows REAL SUSHI!!! I have posted this multiple times on different threads....X Sushi is not the real stuff!!!