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Aboard Ship
Our cabin (1138) was spacious and spotless. Mercury's elevators, toilets, lights, and other systems always worked. Everywhere was super clean and polished, including the public areas. Breakfast in bed is a must. Breakfast is also served up on Deck 11 and in the main restaurant, Manhattan.
The food? While we were thoroughly impressed with the crew and their exceptional friendliness, the food itself was truly the same as compared to other lines.


That's not a bad thing, as the food is very good, just not up there with the ship's other superlatives. Extra points, however, go for the Baked Alaska - still served flaming - unlike many other cruise lines who have eliminated this classic cruise practice.

The most romantic spots are on Decks 9 and 10 at the back of the boat, deserted after about 11pm (wink, wink). If you have been on Carnival, NCL, or Princess, there are some things you won't see (or hear). There is no 24/7 pizza/salad/ice cream. Except for a daily status report from the Captain, there are no announcements (this is VERY good). There are no towel police tracking your every move. There is no entertainment by the waiters except for the last night which makes for more elegant dining. And there are no tired dancers selling $1 scratch-off cards (that no one seems to win, ever) in the hallways. Typical tips of $10 per person per day are additional, given the last day of the cruise.

The ship's sushi bar is open every night from 6-10pm.

Other Deck 11 casual restaurants close for dinner, except for a small area called "Alternative Casual" which requires reservations and $2 per person service charge. So in order to eat, you've got to make reservations, eat sushi, or show up at the main restaurant on Deck 5 dressed appropriately. That means two formal nights (tux or dark suit), two informal nights (slacks and tie), and two "casual" nights (slacks and sport shirt). Guys, they'll let you slide if you don't have a tux, or even a tie, but don't try to sneak by in jeans or t-shirt on any night. This is a classy ship, not uptight, just classy.

The Photo staff was never in our face except for getting on at Vancouver. And no badly made-up guy in a pirate suit took our picture, ever.

Group gym classes like aerobics and kickboxing, formerly free, are now $10 each. There's no free cruise bingo on the last day, but the last bingo does have a pot that ranges from $3000-6100.

Not So Great
If you put Celebrity tags on your bag prior to arrival, they will somehow be plucked from beneath the airport (before clearing Customs, which is quite a feat), and delivered to the ship. No one tells you this in advance. You begin to suspect something when your bags never come out on the belt. The experience is quite a bit unsettling. It took us 20 minutes to find a Celebrity rep to assure us the bags were indeed going to make it to the ship.

Don't trust any biking shore excursion that says "easy." Those descriptions were written by lean 25-year-olds in Lycra. Pass unless you've got your own bike and you ride it 5-10 miles regularly.

Internet is expensive at 50 cents per minute, and there's no deal to get unlimited access during the cruise. We saw few people at the terminals. Bring your cell phone, as all ports are hooked up to the grid and depending on your calling plan a call home may be cheaper than a portside landline. It certainly will be cheaper than the shipboard phone.

Expresso and cappucino after dinner, free on Carnival and other lines, is extra.

Lukewarm salt water plus minerals equals the amusingly pretentious "Thalassotherapy" pool, $10 a day to visit. Hot tubs (four of them) are free on Deck 11.

Conclusion: A winning cruise!