Galaxy-Best Sevice on the worn out ship

[chessbriar]

Steve,

 

Thanks. It's nice to get another point of view. Too often, people on these boards have a chip on their shoulder and exaggerate what they have seen. As a first time cruiser on X I'm sure you were able to be a little more objective, while being more critical in comparing to cruises on other lines.

 

The OP has been go on and on about the condition, has started repetitive threads that have been removed by the hosts. Obviously, he was unhappy. But 1/2 the pool deck vs 1/8 is exaggerating a little.

 

Now, I'm not saying the condition of the ship is great. It just that different people see things in different way.

 

Once again, thanks for the second opinion.

[chessbriar]

We're booked on the May1st crossing on Galaxy. Not that we chose the ship but the timing and itinerary were right. So these are concerns for us. But I would say that food and service are more important to us than the ship showing a little wear and tear. I do have an important question however. We recently sailed Regent Navigator and our upper deck aft area suite had a great deal of vibration at times. We are in a sky suite Deck 12 aft on Galaxy - seems like a super location - but does Galaxy also have a vibration issue?

 

 

Nothing to worry about. They are the best suites and the best location on the ship. Huge balconys. Since they are out of the way there is little traffic. Enjoy.

[Sheik]

We are in a sky suite Deck 12 aft on Galaxy - seems like a super location - but does Galaxy also have a vibration issue?

 

Ok, I mentioned this maybe hundred of times earlier...I LOVE THE GALAXY. So don't get me wrong. But to be honest, ..there is a noticable vibration on the Galaxy on the aft decks. I don't think there is a huge difference between the lower and upperdecks. Something the glasses where shaking in the main dining room. It was nothing to worry about, it's only noticable during arrival and leaving the ports and won't take long.

 

Enjoy your suite, this lovely and elegant ship, the great crew and good food :D

[tom_uk]

But to be honest, ..there is a noticable vibration on the Galaxy on the aft decks.

 

Yes, I noticed this on our cruise on Galaxy in June, most especially the night before Mykonos when there was a definite shake, rattle & roll in the Orion restaurant. But the following day we arrived at Mykonos 90 minutes early (10:30 instead of noon) so my assumption was that the captain was hustling her along a bit.

 

It's the cost Galaxy et al pay for having conventional propulsion systems: there is vibration from the variable-speed engines and the rotating shafts.

[Arubalisa]

We're booked on the May1st crossing on Galaxy. Not that we chose the ship but the timing and itinerary were right. So these are concerns for us. But I would say that food and service are more important to us than the ship showing a little wear and tear. I do have an important question however. We recently sailed Regent Navigator and our upper deck aft area suite had a great deal of vibration at times. We are in a sky suite Deck 12 aft on Galaxy - seems like a super location - but does Galaxy also have a vibration issue?

We sailed in a sky suite last year and there was not a single problem or complaint. The cabin and balcony were both in excellent condition. I will warn you now, look hard enough and you will read people complaining about soot from the stacks coating the balcony of their suites on Deck 12. :rolleyes: I'll put my 2 cents in here as well (before someone goes on and on about that), we did not have that problem either.

 

For the second year in a row we have sailed the Galaxy and if your priorities are food and service, you WILL be on the right ship.I just did a search on CC "poor service galaxy" and there are no negative comments.

 

Now after having sailed on this ship for a total of 23 nights, I can also say there was only one time where we felt any vibrations. Our family was seated at a table directly next to the windows on the upper level of the Orion Restaurant. There was one night this past cruise where, as tom_uk put so well, "that the captain was hustling her along a bit". It did NOT ruin our dinner and as a matter of fact, gave us an addtional topic of conversation.:D

[PatC]

This thread has been great in giving me the information I'll need for our upcoming Galaxy cruise on 3/16. We sailed her in 1998, right after she came into the fleet and she was great. We've also sailed many of the other Celebrity ships and naturally found some wear and tear. This time we're in a Sky Suite and am so glad to hear they're in good shape.

 

We look for all the positives. Let me tell you, we were on the Legionaires Disease cruise on Horizon in 1995 and that' something you worry about, not worn carpets or loose tiles! We had a wonderful time until we were stranded in Bermuda and Celebrity treated us truly remarkably well. They paid for everything, gave us everything they could plus a free cruise. We sailed Horizon almost until she was traded off. Love every minute on her, even her warn carpets.

 

We look for wonderful service (which we've always had), wonderful food (gone downhill a bit but not terrible) and great new friends. We had all of this and more.

 

Good to hear positives and even better to hear some things to watch out for. Have you ever been on cruises where people are walking around saying the ship is "moving so much"?:rolleyes: That's when you listen with half an ear.

 

Thanks again for all your input. I'll post after our cruise and update on what WE find.

 

Pat C

[bill turcotte]

I have to keep saying - The best sevice we ever had was on the Galaxy . I know some of the bad stuff is easy to comment on , But I want every one to know . The wait stuff was fast , fun and Friendly . We only had 45 mins to eat due to our 16 month old girls . So every night they had our table set up with high chairs , all the plates and glasses removed from girls place sitting . The wait staff took our kids order while we were sitting down . They could not of gone out of thier way to be more helpful . A few nights we ate in our room , When we saw the stuff around the ship they ask where we were . They knew our names . Told us about thier families . Every one went beyound what thier job asks.

I hope I was being helpful with the info . It was a great vacation . I really want anyone thinking about going on a trip with Celebrity to know we had a great time thanks to the most friendly staff we ever met at sea .

[cruizenisgreat]

We sailed in a sky suite last year and there was not a single problem or complaint. The cabin and balcony were both in excellent condition. I will warn you now, look hard enough and you will read people complaining about soot from the stacks coating the balcony of their suites on Deck 12. :rolleyes: I'll put my 2 cents in here as well (before someone goes on and on about that), we did not have that problem either.

 

For the second year in a row we have sailed the Galaxy and if your priorities are food and service, you WILL be on the right ship.I just did a search on CC "poor service galaxy" and there are no negative comments.

 

Now after having sailed on this ship for a total of 23 nights, I can also say there was only one time where we felt any vibrations. Our family was seated at a table directly next to the windows on the upper level of the Orion Restaurant. There was one night this past cruise where, as tom_uk put so well, "that the captain was hustling her along a bit". It did NOT ruin our dinner and as a matter of fact, gave us an addtional topic of conversation.:D

 

I agree with you that there few complaints about the service or food on the Galaxy. The problem is with an almost total lack of proper maintenance on the Galaxy. I don't know if Celebrity is waiting to sell it when the new ships come out, or what. I just don't think that passengers should have to accept the many major things that are in disrepair. As far as the vibrations, I personally enjoy it and consider it part of cruising. The part of cruising that I am not willing to accept is worn and torn fixtures and major maintenance issues. There are just too many choices out there.

So I agree if your priorities are food and service the Galaxy may be a good fit, but if your priorities are a well maintained ship with good food and service, then you may want to look elsewhere.

[Susan-M]

So I agree if your priorities are food and service the Galaxy may be a good fit, but if your priorities are a well maintained ship with good food and service, then you may want to look elsewhere.

 

Have you been on Galaxy?

[normcot]

My husband and I were on the January 12 sailing of Galaxy. I agree that the wait staff was as excellent as any we have ever had. I can not say the same about the maintenace.

 

We were in an outside cabin on deck 4. We noticed an oddly strong, mildew-like odor in our bathroom. We told our cabin steward who, acknowledging the problem, used every cleaner in his arsenal in an attempt to rid the bathroom of the pervasive odor. For some of that night, the smell was obscured by the liberal amounts of pine cleanser. However, by midmorning of the next day, the problem was back. We told someone in guest services who noted it and promised to call the plumber. After another day had elapsed, and no plumber, we went up to guest services where we repeated the problem since apparently no one had gotten the message originally.

 

I am not an overly fussy person, but I was surprised that three days had gone by without a "fix"--particularly since we stressed that we were unable to take a shower in our bathroom but were reduced to using locker room facilities. After the plumber came, the problem was resolved. Everyone was extremely polite, appeared genuinely concerned--but when it came to taking action, there wasn't the appropriate follow through.

 

About the pool deck--I didn't spend a lot of time out there, but I did hear people complaining: 1. the deck had less seating space than it would have had if repairs were not being undertaken. 2. These repairs were noisy: this was much too big a job for hand sanding. There were sanding machines making high pitched sounds, and there was enough grit and debris that the workers were wearing masks in order to protect themselves from the material being ground up. 3.There was enough flying grit that the pool food service. located in a corner of the pool deck, had to be relocated inside.

 

I'm not sure how much of the deck was closed off at one time, but whether it was 1/8, 1/4, or 1/2 isn't the point. The sound of the machines reverberated in the entire pool area, the masking off was awkward and definitely impacted the atmosphere the pool area was designed to create.

Moreover, it felt kind of funny to slip in for a cool swim under the gaze of hot and sweaty workers who sure looked like they could use the swim a lot more than I could! It's one thing to clean rooms, bus tables, serve food and drinks--and all of this is done as discreetly as possible in order not to inconvenience guests, and quite another to have people labor for hours in the hot sun in full view of guests who cannot help but be sensitive to what the workers must be enduring.

 

They were also putting new carpeting down on deck four (and for all I know on some other decks since I didn't visit those) in the hallway outside the cabins. It was definitely an inconvenience to the workers that we, the guests on deck four, made our way back and forth to our cabins during the day. Their work could have progressed more smoothly had they not been required to deal with those pesky guests preventing them from their urgent task of laying the carpeting down quickly and correctly.

 

About negative comments: complaining about people who point out the negatives is merely a way to earn virtue on the cheap. It is important to have a truthful account or there may as well be no account at all. Praising what is good and sharing what is not good is the point of these boards--we don't write to be touts for the cruise lines nor do we write to earn the approval of those who claim to be so lofty they consider anything short of actual sabotage to be nit-picking. The purpose of the forum is not to demonstrate you are a "jolly good fellow" above such minor considerations as noise, grit, debris, bad smells, etc. Complaining about poor service is not in bad taste--we have a right to demand the best experience possible: when we settle for shoddy we provide a breeding ground for even more slipshod standards. We get what we put up with.

[Sheik]

After reading your post normcot, I think we need some pictures to get an idea of the situation. Especially the noise of the sandingmachines is a big no to these repairs. This is just not acceptable in my opinion. If these repairs are very urgent, there are a lot of oppertunities during a cruise and a day to do this work. It's bad planning.

[Susan-M]

About negative comments: complaining about people who point out the negatives is merely a way to earn virtue on the cheap. It is important to have a truthful account or there may as well be no account at all. Praising what is good and sharing what is not good is the point of these boards.

 

Normcot: I agree about the importance of truthful accounts .... both good and bad. We all rely on and appreciate honest feedback from those who have been on a particular cruise that we are interested in. It certainly helps one to make an informed decision on choosing a cruise when the facts come from people who have actually been on the ship.

 

But I'm tired of the problem that persists on this board where one person posting under several usernames has made it a goal to point out at every possible opportunity the negative things that he has read on posts of others. He hasn't experienced these situations .... he just enjoys complaining vicariously and seems to have an 'ax to grind' :confused:

[chessbriar]

But I'm tired of the problem that persists on this board where one person posting under several usernames has made it a goal to point out at every possible opportunity the negative things that he has read on posts of others. He hasn't experienced these situations .... he just enjoys complaining vicariously and seems to have an 'ax to grind' :confused:

 

It's not the just the same person with different user names. It saying the same complaint over and over again. It's like they feel if they say it enough we it will change our mind.

 

Going on and on saying the same thing and never moving on gets real old to those of us who read these boards. You said fine, I read it fine, you don't need to say it again. We're not stupid.

[chessbriar]

It's a sign of insanity doing the same thing over and over again with the same result every time?

 

Apparently, X has driven some of these people crazy.

[Susan-M]

It's a sign of insanity doing the same thing over and over again with the same result every time?

 

Apparently, X has driven some of these people crazy.

 

And now I've joined the 'camp' of repetitive complainers' with my complaints about the "muliple personality poster with numerous usernames" .... and insanity lurks around the corner :eek:

[KEY LARGO REEF]

But I'm tired of the problem that persists on this board where one person posting under several usernames has made it a goal to point out at every possible opportunity the negative things that he has read on posts of others. He hasn't experienced these situations .... he just enjoys complaining vicariously and seems to have an 'ax to grind'

 

I am not sure how you know that all of these posters are the same person with different names? Is anybody who signs up for Cruise Critic suspect until they have been here two years?

 

With respect to experience on a particular cruise ship it seems rather odd that you would on one hand prefer that someone not post unless they have first hand on-board experience, yet on the other hand feel qualified time after time to defend the ship and Celebrity when you yourself from your cruise history have not been on this ship. Do you see the irony there?

 

It's not the just the same person with different user names. It saying the same complaint over and over again. It's like they feel if they say it enough we it will change our mind.

 

Going on and on saying the same thing and never moving on gets real old to those of us who read these boards. You said fine, I read it fine, you don't need to say it again. We're not stupid.

 

It's a sign of insanity doing the same thing over and over again with the same result every time? Apparently, X has driven some of these people crazy.

 

No offense intended, however is it not the same thing that you are doing by defending Celebrity and this ship on every single thread or topic about it. Once again it seems rather ironic that every time a new returning passenger (or a potential new passenger for one of these ships) reports back that the ship needs maintenance (or in the case of the latter asks about the condition of the ship) that the same core of people come out and say its not as bad as one would think. Obviously there must be embellishment on both sides.

 

I imagine it must seem rather difficult for you since you have been on this board for several years. If you try and look at it from the perspective of somebody who has been here a month or a week this is all new information to them so it is not repetitive at all. So yes perhaps you are going a little crazy feeling that you are trapped just like in the movie Ground Hog Day and are tending to repeat every single day on cruise critic seeing discussions about ship maintenance etc..

 

I don't know what to say as if you eliminate any of this posting then how will any newcomer be able to obtain any pertinent information. Its basically a catch 22.

 

For what it is worth I have been on Galaxy recently and other Celebrity ships and I have done a little research about Galaxy. I personally think they have gone way beyond the normal amount of time between dry docks. The whole purpose of a dry dock is to clean the hull and perform engine maintenance that cannot be performed while the ship is in the water. It also provides the perfect opportunity to perform major on board maintenance such as pool deck repairs without impairing the enjoyment of full fare paying passengers. So the mere fact that they have resorted to fixing the pool deck during a cruise should be rather disturbing to think that they most probably continue to compromise the long term engine and hull maintenance. Perhaps it is their plan to dump this ship when the new solstice class comes out and they are simply just trying to squeeze every possible penny out of it while putting as little as possible into it.

[Susan-M]

Welcome to the boards Key Largo.

 

I am not sure how you know that all of these posters are the same person with different names?

 

The person has the same style of writing, phrases, etc. and is relentless with his 'beefs' all of which he hasn't actually experienced himself, but picks up from others' posts - it's run the gamut from norovirus, pods, foggy windows, etc.

 

Is anybody who signs up for Cruise Critic suspect until they have been here two years?

No, only the obvious ones. :)

With respect to experience on a particular cruise ship it seems rather odd that you would on one hand prefer that someone not post unless they have first hand on-board experience, yet on the other hand feel qualified time after time to defend the ship and Celebrity when you yourself from your cruise history have not been on this ship.

 

 

Can you please point out a thread where I've 'defended' a ship that I haven't been on?

 

I'm not making up the problem .... it actually exists as per this sticky: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=452177

 

We'll look forward to hearing some of your thoughts (good and bad) that you've experienced on your cruises!

[chessbriar]

Key Largo,

 

Most of us don't have a problem with critism of the ships. The problems about Galaxy are well documented on these boards. Yes she is long overdue and she's not going in until Spring 2008. There are reasons for that and most are financial. I'm not going into them here.

 

What most of us have a problem with is the repetitive nature of some posters who go on and on never offering anything new, but rehashing what we know.

 

It's also important to have many different reviews about the ships, even beneficial to have reviews about the same cruise. Different people see things in different ways. What I will say is, I have read the boards as to how bad the condition of the ships are. I have yet to sail on any ship in the horrid conditions I read on these boards. We all look at things in different way and not everyone will see things as you do.

 

Even if you read through this thread you have to OP's horrid account of the condition of the ship then you have Steve who was on the same cruise and said things were nowhere near what the OP is saying.

 

Who do you believe? I say, go sail on her and form your own opinion. It's really the only one that matters to you. No matter what others think, when the day ends, your opinion is the only one that has a bearing on what you think.

 

That's why I take reviews with a grain of salt.

[KEY LARGO REEF]

Can you please point out a thread where I've 'defended' a ship that I haven't been on?

 

The use of the word defended may not have been the most appropriate to have used.

 

As I have read through some of the recent threads I have noticed that you commonly ask the poster if they have been on the ship in question and without receiving a reply somewhat dismiss their opinion in favor of being supportive of the more positve opinions.

 

Just my observations. Nothing bad, nothing good - just struck me as being ironic that you put so much emphasis on having actually been on the ships prior to commenting when in fact you admittedly have not.

 

I personally feel, as you in part seem to, that unless one has first hand ship board experience their opinions and comments with respect to the condition of a particular ship are somewhat worthless and only fuels the controversy that exists throughout so many threads here.

[Host Walt]

For everyone's benefit, I quote from our Community Guidelines:

 

One Account Per Person

 

You are permitted a maximum of one account, active or inactive. If you choose to ignore this important restriction with the intention of deceiving our members, all your accounts will be disabled. If you require a temporary user name for any reason, or if you require a user name change, please contact me[LauraS, our Community Manager]. If you have forgotten your log in details and are unable to retrieve them via the system, do not create a new account, please send an e-mail to boards@cruisecritic.com.

 

You should also know that the discussion of our management policies and procedures -- including post deletions-- is considered off-topic discussion for our cruise boards and will also be removed without notice. If you have a question about the removal of any posting please contact me at community@cruisecritic.com.

 

Looking forward to reading about all of your cruise journeys!

[Susan-M]

As I have read through some of the recent threads I have noticed that you commonly ask the poster if they have been on the ship in question and without receiving a reply somewhat dismiss their opinion in favor of being supportive of the more positve opinions.

 

I think I've asked one person this question and when he didn't reply, I didn't pursue it ..... but perhaps you can refer me to the posts where I've "commonly asked" this question :confused:

 

 

just struck me as being ironic that you put so much emphasis on having actually been on the ships prior to commenting when in fact you admittedly have not.

I do not comment on ships that I haven't been on .... pls. let me know if you find a post where I've said anything (good or bad) about a ship that I have never been on.

[chessbriar]

Host Walt I agree with your suggestion, but the problem seems to be that the so-called regulars seem to be able to say whatever they want to keep the "company secrets" but those of us who want all of the truth to come out seem to be the ones who are constantly banned with no action whatsoever against those who always support Celebrity - no matter what.

I have had seen all kinds of disgracfull posts such as on the Summit lawsuit thread and there was no action taken against nor has there ever been any action taken against anyone who always supports Celebrity. One poster came on that thread to question Celebrity's action and the post was deleted and the thread closed. How is this in any way fair?

It would be nice to see the rules work both ways. JMHO

It's all about following the rules of the boards. You can say negative things, but it how you handle it. Threads can be closed for numerous reason and it's not always the OP who causes the thread to close. The tone and harshness of thread can easily shut down a thread. Personal attacks can cause posts to be closed.

 

I have had posts of mine deleted as the hosts felt they were getting close to going over the line.

 

These boards are supposed to be friendly and informative. There seems to be times when a large new posters come on the board and don't follow the rules.

[bill turcotte]

It was nice to read such detailed responds . I luaghed about swimming with hot work men watching you stay cool in the pool . I agree if you put up with things half way done right ,soon all ships will do things only half way .

Bill

[Drew B]

I am not sure how you know that all of these posters are the same person with different names? Is anybody who signs up for Cruise Critic suspect until they have been here two years?

 

 

I don't even get the feeling that these people are TRYING to hide the fact that they are seasoned posters with new names. So often I will see a person who has only been a member for a day or two with a handful of posts (or even on their very first post) who makes comments that makes it clear that he/she is INTIMATELY familiar with the dynamics of this board and even with individual personalities. Now, I don't think that most people in their first day(s) on a message board are able to digest all of that content and figure out everybody's history and point of view. CLEARLY, this is not their first screen name, and they have all the knowledge they do because they've been here under other names.

 

Now, as for trying to squelch unflattering reviews, I really don't see that. Has anybody on this thread said that the OP shouldn't have posted what she did about Galaxy's condition? I don't think so. If they disagree with the OP's point of view or suspect she is being unfair, they SHOULD question it and back up their opinions with evidence (such as reviews from others who were on the ship and felt otherwise). They should not suggest that the OP's complaints don't have every bit as much right to be here as any other post. I haven't seen the "cheerleaders" doing that. It's the repetition that they complain about, not the original opinion.

[Host Walt]

OK. Now we just had to remove a bunch of posts that immediately followed my post of earlier today.

 

So let me highlight the reason why those posts were removed.

One Account Per Person

 

You are permitted a maximum of one account, active or inactive. If you choose to ignore this important restriction with the intention of deceiving our members, all your accounts will be disabled. If you require a temporary user name for any reason, or if you require a user name change, please contact me[LauraS, our Community Manager]. If you have forgotten your log in details and are unable to retrieve them via the system, do not create a new account, please send an e-mail to boards@cruisecritic.com.

 

You should also know that the discussion of our management policies and procedures -- including post deletions-- is considered off-topic discussion for our cruise boards and will also be removed without notice.

 

If you have a question about the removal of any posting please contact me at community@cruisecritic.com.

 

Kindly read and comply with our Community Guidelines. Thanks.