Ken

Age: 41
Occupation: Advertising/Promotion
Number of Cruises: 1
Cruise Line: Celebrity
Ship: Galaxy
Sailing Date: May 17th, 2002
Itinerary: Western Caribbean

Warning: This is a long review! It wasn’t intended to be in the beginning, but as I got going, I realized there was a lot to say. I also realized that I wished other reviews I came across before I traveled on this cruise went into more detail. So, in an effort to help those “in the dark” so to speak, I included as much as I thought practical. Be aware that one experience does not foretell another’s, and that ship employees and entertainment may change frequently. Nevertheless, the following should give a good overall idea of what to expect on this cruise. Special tips are offered and noted with a bolded “TIP” next to them. Happy Sailing.

Introduction
My wife and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary with this 10-day Caribbean cruise out of Baltimore, Md. After researching lots of options, we decided on this cruise based on two major points – it left out of Baltimore (we are from DC and only had to drive an hour to the port), and it was on Celebrity, of which we had heard many good things. We booked fairly close to the sailing date – in April for a May sailing – so we didn’t get a great discount, but considering the length of the cruise, the fact that we didn’t have to fly to a port, and the overall distance traveled, we still thought the price to be reasonable. Our closest alternative booking was a western Caribbean cruise on the Grand Princess. For the price we paid for the Celebrity cruise, we could have gotten a mini-suite on Princess, but it was only a 7 day cruise and left out of Miami – so we decided to forgo a more luxurious cabin in favor of a longer trip.

In sum, this was a great cruise and a great experience. Despite a few snafus (details later), we would still recommend this cruise to anyone considering it. Celebrity did an excellent job at servicing us, and an awesome job feeding us. Activities and port information were not great, but the ship was spotless, and the food generally fantastic. Following are more details. I’ve tried to be thorough but of course this level of detail is not for everyone – if you get bored, skip ahead to what you’re interested in…

Embarkation
As mentioned above, we live in DC and the attraction of leaving out of Baltimore was strong. Our sailing was only the 3rd or 4th out of Baltimore for Celebrity and our travel agent had warned us that the first one or two departures were not well organized by the port or Celebrity, but we were happy to learn that things seemed to be better by our cruise. We arrived at the port at about 3 or 3:30 pm for a 6 pm sailing. Celebrity discourages people from arriving early to spread out the loading. That was fine with us as it gave us a leisurely morning to prepare. Upon arriving at the Seagirt Marine Terminal, we prepaid $50 for parking at a security gate, and were directed to drive our car to a lot ahead. Once there, we got in a car line. Although you have to wait about 15-20 minutes to get to the front of this line, it’s worth it. At the front were porters who unloaded our bags directly from our car, placing them into containers for transfer to the ship. We thought this was nice as we didn’t have to lug our bags anywhere from the car. We then got on a free shuttle that took us to the “terminal.” The Baltimore passenger terminal is really a large shed and quite spartan. It reminded me of some very small airports that I’ve seen. I didn’t see any food or waiting facilities, although others have reported snack machines, so make sure you’ve got enough juice to carry you through the boarding process. Once inside, we got in a line, again not unlike that of an airport check-in, which moved fairly quickly. When we got to the front, we went to an agent, showed our documents, and were given our shipboard charge cards. We booked an inside cabin and had hoped for an upgrade at this point, but didn’t get one. This was probably because the ship was full and we booked pretty late. We were then directed towards security. It’s here that Celebrity grabs you for the obligatory photograph. You can decline if you want to and go right by, but you might as well have your picture taken as it costs nothing unless you buy it (you have the option of looking at the picture onboard first).

Security was tight and included x-ray machines for carry-ons and a check of identification documents both exiting the terminal and entering the gangplank. Once outside, we walked right onto the gangplank to board the ship. On board, we were met by a cabin attendant who accompanied us to our cabin. Galaxy’s elevators are not well equipped to handle a constant flow from one point, and we waited a long time to get on one. Finally, our attendant told us to follow him to another set of elevators, closer to the front of the ship. As we still had fairly heavy carry on bags, I wasn’t too happy about walking almost the whole length of the ship to get on an elevator...but hey, if it gets me to my room…

Our Cabin
As mentioned, we booked an inside cabin. It was on the Penthouse Deck, #1106, pretty close to the aft elevators and just one deck below the Oasis Restaurant and pool deck. This proved to be an advantage as we spent a lot of time on this deck, which serves as an entertainment deck during the day. The location of our cabin allowed us to simply walk up one flight if we didn’t want to wait for an elevator (though the waits were never that long). Our attendant showed us around our cabin and then left us to marvel at the design. Yes, it was small – about 170 sq. feet, but not so small for us to question whether we should have booked a larger cabin. All of the cabins on Galaxy, except for the suites, are the same size – inside or outside, verandah or not.

I was prepared for the size of the cabin. It was bigger than my wife expected. The bathroom is small, but well laid out. The shower is rectangular and big enough to take a comfortable shower in. There is also enough counter space both in the bathroom and in the living area of the cabin. The only drawbacks we found to the room were that you can’t fit two people in the bathroom at the same time, there is a small step up into the bathroom (which I found odd), and because of the room design, the hallway between the closets and the bathroom gets congested with more than one person. Other than that, there were plenty of drawers, closet space and storage space. The room was very attractive – everything wood and mirrors. We put our suitcases (I highly recommend collapsible ones) under the king bed, which proved to be great storage space for such items.

TIP: Our cabin was near the utility closet, which was frequently accessed, especially at night. I wear earplugs to help me sleep and my wife isn’t bothered by small noises, but to those who are light sleepers, you may want to carefully consider the placement of your cabin as the opening and closing of these doors can be easily heard.

Our First Night
After checking out our cabin, we were called to the lifeboat drill. This took longer than we wanted and was somewhat uncomfortable as they cram as many people as possible onto the decks near your muster station. Since no one can leave before all stations report in, for about a half hour, we had to look at the sweaty backs of other cruise passengers pressed up against the deck wall. We were hot and tired and our feet hurt from standing still for so long, but there wasn’t much we could do about it. After the drill, we had hoped to go back to our cabin to find our bags delivered. They were not. This was the first “snafu” of the trip - we were told that our bags would be delivered to our cabins sometime that afternoon or evening. We waited but didn’t receive them until a few minutes before our dinner seating, which was at 8:30 pm. Given the fact that the ship doesn’t allow shorts and t-shirts in the main restaurant, we began wondering what we were supposed to do. Luckily, they appeared with just enough time for us to shower and change. I’m not sure how they decide which bags get delivered first, but since we were a category 9, I figured we were low on the totem pole and that was the reason. We had arrived at the pier at 3:30 pm – I couldn’t figure out any other reason.


The Orion Restaurant
The first evening on board, passengers are asked to go to the Orion Restaurant, the main dining room (though they don’t have to) to meet their waiter and tablemates, if any. Dress on the first night is casual (now I know why!). Since this was an anniversary trip, we had requested a table for two alone. The Orion is located on the bottom two decks of the ship in the aft section. It is quite striking to the eye and has a grand staircase between the two levels of seating in the center. We were a little late in getting to the restaurant. When we arrived, we were shown to our table for two. We figured we were lucky as we had been told that tables for two were very hard to come by. The table was on the bottom level of the restaurant. It was neat going down the staircase as people naturally look upwards to see whose descending. We felt special. However, our table was right next to the busing stand. I wasn’t too happy about that but figured we could deal with it. But the location turned out to be the least of our worries.

By this time, the ship was well underway at full speed and the floor of the restaurant was vibrating like crazy. I knew after sitting down that I wouldn’t be able to deal with this, and asked the maitre d’ what was going on. He told us that the noise and vibration was due to the fact that the propellers were at full speed and directly under the restaurant, and that the movement and noise would go away after a couple days when we were in smoother waters. Both of us were completely uncomfortable and I wasn’t about to take the man’s word about the problem going away, so I asked for another table on the second level of the restaurant. The maitre d’ was very polite and said that he would check on it and return in a couple of minutes. On his way, another couple stopped him and told him they were also
uncomfortable and wanted to move, so I know we weren’t the only ones that this bothered. Many didn’t seem to care, however. Perhaps they were veteran cruisers….

In the meantime, our designated waiter for this table, Sergei, asked for our order. As we were unsure whether we would be staying at that table, we told him we wanted to wait and see if we could be moved. He apparently was offended at this and gave us a dirty look (yes, a dirty look), walking away without saying anything. I guess he was worried about losing a week’s worth of tips…but we thought that he behaved very unprofessionally. After about 10 minutes, the maitre d’ returned and informed us that he didn’t have a table for two available on the second level, but that he could seat us at one of several tables for four that only had two people seated at them. We really wanted to sit alone, but by this time, we were feeling somewhat queasy from all the movement, and agreed. He took us upstairs and allowed us to choose the people we wanted to sit with. I thought this was a nice gesture as he realized we were younger than most of those on the ship (more on that later) and might not be comfortable with an older couple throughout the cruise. As it turns out this was probably the best move of the entire trip. We selected a table that was next to the railing of the second level, so you could see down into the lower level, and also across to where the musicians played every night. The couple we sat with was on their honeymoon, and best of all, our waiter was Mile Matusko. Words can’t describe what a professional this man is. Suffice it to say, if you take this cruise, try to be served by Mile. He was one of the highlights of our trip and the best waiter I have ever had anywhere. Although the movement and vibration did continue throughout the trip (like I thought it would), it was significantly less felt on the second level of the restaurant, and tolerable at least to my wife. By the end of the trip, we had gotten somewhat used to the problem and were enjoying the food so much that it didn’t matter anymore, but it never went away like we were told it would.

An added important thing to note is that the second level is quieter than the 1st level. More people are on the lower level and it can get quite loud down there. To those who are perturbed by our reports of vibrations and movement: I guess this is just part of cruising. The best I can describe it is that it is like being on a train and plane at the same time – being jiggled side by side while going up and down a little, and feeling the vibration through your feet. Movement on the rest of the ship was different, which I’ll attend to shortly, but be warned about the Orion. It’s such a beautiful restaurant it’s too bad it is compromised by its lousy location. TIP: If you are concerned about the above, check with Celebrity’s dining coordinators a couple weeks before you depart to see if you can reserve a particular location in the dining room. They will probably not guarantee anything, but it’s worth a shot.

Food
There are only two regular restaurants on the Galaxy, the Orion (main) Restaurant, and the Oasis Buffet. There are a few small places where you can get coffee and drinks, plus the pool bar and grill, but to eat a real meal, you have to go to one of the two full service restaurants, or order room service. The exception to this is the food bar at the back of the ship on the Resort Deck. In the morning, it serves up breakfast foods, with freshly cooked waffles. At night, it turns into a reservation only semi-casual eatery with a nightly menu. We never ate there at night, but did eat at the breakfast bar regularly. Note that this area is separate from the Oasis Café, but on the same deck at the aft pool. It is not big, so if you want to eat there at night, plan to make reservations early.

We ate dinners every night at the Orion Restaurant, the main dining room on the Galaxy. We figured we were paying for top-notch food and we might as well get it. On this 10-day cruise, there were 5 casual nights, 3 formal nights, and 2 “informal” nights. The formal nights brought out the best in everyone. There were some tuxes, but the majority of men wore dark suits and women wore their best dresses. “Informal” is a confusing term, as a jacket and tie are still required for men. A better term for this night would be “semi-formal”. Casual nights mean pants and sport or polo shirt for men, and attractive casual dress for women. Shorts and t-shirts were not allowed after lunch in the Orion.

We only ate breakfast one morning in the Orion. It was good, but the portions were small, and the vibrating was annoying first thing in the morning. After that we settled into eating at either the Oasis Café (buffet) or at the small breakfast bar behind the Oasis Café. The latter was generally quieter than the Oasis, was open later, and had a nice view of the indoor pool – or you could take your food outside on a nice day and sit on deck in the back of the ship. It was also vibration free. At times the line can get long for this station as others obviously agree that it is a good spot. This food was not spectacular – basic buffet but acceptable. The same goes for the food at the Oasis Café inside.

Presentation at the Oasis Cafe was excellent. TIP: Keep in mind that if you eat there, there are 4 stations with the same food. If you see one station with a long line, go around to the back. There probably won’t be anyone at those stations. The exception is for some desserts and food preparation stations. Those usually are limited to one or two spots (and the only place we saw cooking fresh waffles was at the aft breakfast bar).

Throughout the trip, the food at the Orion was fantastic. With the exception of one or two bad choices for lunch (an overdone piece of fish on the second day for lunch and a dry piece of chicken my wife had one night at dinner) every other meal we had there was excellent. Desserts, in our opinion, were an exception. They ranged from okay to great. However, this is probably due to taste. The cuisine is French influenced, and most of the desserts on this ship are quite French. We don’t necessarily like that style for dessert (but we sure enjoyed the chocolate torte cake they gave us for our anniversary!). By the end of the trip, I was hoping for a good old piece of apple pie with ice cream. You won’t find that at the Orion (but you probably will at the buffet).

The Orion seems to do beef and seafood the best. Every night offered a different type of fish prepared a different way, and they were all terrific. I was in heaven as I don’t get fish very often at home. The filet mignon my wife had one night was so good I had to order a second dinner for myself. It literally melted in my mouth. Other dishes included pasta variations, duckling, veal, etc. I can’t speak for those, but I didn’t hear many complaints. The only drawback I saw for the Orion food was that if you found something that you really liked one night, you couldn’t order it again, as the menu is changed nightly. Perhaps it is possible to ask for it and get it, but we didn’t try that. Order while you can – and don’t be afraid to order two dinners if you can’t decide! The price of the cruise justifies it -although your waist may suffer…

Of course, you can’t compare the Orion and the Oasis – they are two very different styles of service. But from what we saw, the ship did a good job of feeding people and keeping them happy.

Regarding comments I’ve seen on some review boards about short serving hours and not being able to get iced-tea – that was never a problem for us. The hours for the restaurants are reasonable, in our opinion. Breakfast is available until 10 am at the Oasis, and until 11 am at the indoor pool (nice for those who sleep in). The grill at the outdoor pool had short hours, but the food didn’t look all that great, so we didn’t care.

There are tons of bars on this ship. It is true that the free iced tea is only available at the buffet or at the Orion. If you ask for it at any of the bars, they will give you canned iced tea and charge you for it. No, that’s not a great thing, but hey, it’s a business. If you’re thirsty, water is always free! TIP: If you are a soda drinker, the ship offers a cruise length soda card. Unless you and the person you are traveling with are prolific sodaholics, buy one card and share it between the two of you. The cost was about $40 for 10 days and it covered our wants fine. Not bad considering you’d be charged probably $2.50 per soda if you ordered them separately. You can use the card in the restaurants as well.

Midnight Buffets
There seemed to be a midnight buffet on most of the nights on the ship. There was a Tex-Mex theme, a Tropical theme, a Seafood theme, and other themes that I can’t remember. I’ve never understood the theory behind these events. Chances are you will be stuffed after dinner and won’t be able to eat another thing all night, but we saw tons of people (many overweight) shoveling it in at midnight. In our opinion, the midnight buffets are interesting to tour for presentation, but a waste of food otherwise. A better idea for the cruise line would be to offer the themed buffets at dinner-time as an alternative dining option.

As is tradition, a gala buffet is presented on the final night before the voyage ends. On Galaxy, it was presented in the Orion Restaurant, complete with unique ice carvings and arrangements of fruits and vegetables that are fun to look at. The feature of the final buffet seemed to be desserts. This was an interesting experience, but we thought it was not well organized. Instead of letting people wander in at their leisure, the ship required two lines of people to file past everything. As a result, it took forever to get in the restaurant and make the rounds. After the review is complete, they open the buffet for eating. Again, because of the way the tables were laid out, long lines were required. Everyone wanted to get to the desserts, but there were only two attendants at these stations and they insisted on serving each person individually. It took forever to get anything. One rude man simply walked to the head of the line and yelled over for his wife to join him. I said something in response as no one else seemed to have the guts. Of course, it didn’t do any good, but it was interesting to see how supposedly classy people act when they want a piece of chocolate torte (the guy was in a tux!). After finally getting our due course, we decided it wasn’t worth the trouble. The desserts weren’t any better than what they offer at the buffet or in the restaurant during the course of the cruise. Our opinion – look at the ice and vegetable carvings and then leave.

Recreation
As mentioned earlier, we found the Galaxy to be a great ship. It was attractive, clean, and indeed “subdued” in atmosphere - not a ship full of glitz and mirrors.

Most of the people on the ship tended to hang out on the pool deck when the ship was not in port, and the weather was nice. As a consequence, it was often crowded. There are 3 pools. One is indoor at the back of the ship, and 2 are in the center. All three are on the Resort Deck. The Oasis is between these two areas. I was disappointed at the size of the pools. They looked bigger in the brochures (of course). In reality, they are adequate for kids to jump and splash around in, but not for anything else. The water was also very cold. As a result, we didn’t use them. There were several Jacuzzis near the center pools, but they were always overflowing with adults. I only went in one of those once. The indoor pool in the back of the ship was very small and seldom occupied. When it was, again it was kids. This is probably due to the fact that the small food bar and lots of tables are right near it (who wants to be the focus of attention?). The room also didn’t get much air circulation and thus it was rather hot most of the time. Although the brochures and books tout the fact that the glass ceiling over the pool can open up, it never did while we were on board.

The Thalasotherapy Pool in the Aqua Spa is a different story. This is available to those who wish to pay for access. You can pay $10 a session or buy a 5 or 10-day pass at a slightly reduced rate. When we saw the small size and crowded conditions of the regular pools, we decided to both buy a 5-day pass for this pool. The T. Pool is really just a fancy saltwater Jacuzzi. It is large, but not that large. It has a section where several people can lie on a shelf and feel jets hitting them from below, and another section with 3 or 4 positions that have jets shooting against the body. We bought the passes without using the pool first. As it turns out, we would have saved money by paying as we went. The main reason is that this pool, while not overly crowded, always had people in it and due to the way it is laid out, if more than 6 or 7 people were in it and occupying stations, you have to stand in waist deep water and wait for one to open up. We didn’t think it was very well designed. Plus the saltwater tended to really get to us after awhile. As a result, I only used 4 of my 5 days and my wife only used 3.

Activities
Organized activities on the Galaxy are not one of the ship’s strong points. This has been reported in other reviews online and in books. Unfortunately, it is true. There are some activities for children that I can’t report on, but for adults, organized activities were limited to a few mindless things like a scavenger hunt, country dancing at the pool (where there was hardly any space), word games in one of the bars, a couple shuffleboard games with staff, and karaoke at night. There were a couple things that were worth it – I went to a wine appreciation seminar (several tastings of very good wine), and we both enjoyed the TV trivia contest one night, but otherwise, there just weren’t enough options, especially on the days at sea. Does Celebrity feel people will be happy enough to lie in the sun? Perhaps. Not all people (us included) want to increase our chances of skin cancer.

Although the ship boasts that it has a “cinema” – this is really a tiered business conference room with a projection screen - the quality of which is simply awful. A couple times, they offered movies in the Celebrity Theatre, which is the perfect avenue for a film. It’s very large and comfortable. However, the screen there is puny for the size of the room. Had the ship invested in a wide screen and the proper equipment to project it, it would be perfect.

A very nice gym is located next to the Aqua Spa and T. pool. You don’t have to pay to use it and it is also in the bow, with a glass viewing area of the sea ahead. It was a popular place. I only went there twice on the trip, but both times, it was crowded. It could be a bit bigger for the number of people on board.

Areas to Relax
There always seemed to be lounge chairs available on the ship – just not beside the pool. These are placed in many locations on the sports deck and surrounding upper decks near the pool if you want sun. My favorite place was actually outside on the Promenade Deck. There was hardly anyone in this area most of the time, the chairs were cushioned (many of the others are not), it was open but covered, and you could sit back with a drink, read a book, and listen to the waves crash against the ship. Truly relaxing.

Another great place to relax was the Stratosphere Lounge at the very front of the ship, again on the Sports Deck. This spacious lounge wraps around the bow of the ship, high above the water. There is a 180-degree view of the ocean ahead and great lounge chairs, tables, and binocular scopes for checking out other ships or land. A band plays light music in the afternoon. This was often deserted during the day and was another place to get some peace and quiet. At night, the Lounge is a disco. We went one night and found the music not to our taste, so didn’t return, but it’s worth a shot.

Entertainment
It’s also been reported that the entertainment on board is subpar. We don’t agree with this. First of all, the Celebrity Theatre is a beautiful room. Located at the bow of the ship on the Entertainment Deck, it is large, attractive, cabaret-style theatre decked out with terraced, booth-like seating. It also has a balcony with entrances on the deck above – though we found the temperature to be a little warm there because of the chandeliers in the room. There was a show virtually every night, ranging from a variety type show with singing and acrobats, to a comedian, a singer, and a night with the Celebrity Orchestra (which was good). We thought the best of these were the comedian and the singer, Jeff Harnar. Bar service is offered and there were two shows a night scheduled around the early and late seatings for dinner, so you never had the problem of missing something. Now the bad part: like the Orion, the Celebrity is on the bottom passenger deck, only in the bow. This means it moves, baby. There are no propellers underneath, but you can definitely feel the boat going up and down, left and right. It’s a smoother, more graduated movement than in the Orion, but in rough seas, it is ever present. Again, you get used to this over time but it is something to consider.

There were also performances scheduled at various other lounges in the ship. One night there was a jazz performance by members of the Celebrity Orchestra in the aft lounge. They were very good. A reggae band plays reggae and other pop tunes poolside and they are good. We found that the only marginal performances were the “Duos”. One played in the lounge outside the Orion Restaurant prior to and after dinner. Known as the Starlight Duo, they sounded like your typically bad cheapo talent hired for a wedding. The other one played at the Stratosphere in the evening. They weren’t great either, but at least they didn’t murder vocal hits like the Starlight! (Sorry, guys.)

Special mention has to be made for the piano and string group that plays in the Orion Restaurant at dinner. They were terrific. Our waiter Mile explained that they were new and from Europe. They were perfect for the setting and added a very elegant factor to the meal. Pray that they are still there if you take this cruise. It really adds a nice touch to dinner.

Shopping on Board
There is a very nicely designed boutique arcade on the Entertainment Deck containing a store with sundries and souvenirs, a liquor store, and a jewelry store and there’s a cappuccino bar in the middle of all of them. If you go, be sure to take advantage of the free rum tastings (both liquor and cakes!) in the sundry store Rum Hut. A note regarding the purchase of liquor on board -- the store is not large, but they have a good basic selection of the types of liquor people are most often looking to purchase. In checking their prices with stores on shore, I noticed that the ship’s prices were as good or cheaper. In fact, the ship’s store offers a price match if you prove that you bought something they offer cheaper on shore. The catch: except for the last day of the voyage, you cannot take the liquor back to your cabin (they want you to buy drinks at the bars). They will deliver it to your cabin on the last day. So, if you want to purchase booze for consumption while on board, do so on shore. We purchased Absolut Vodka for around $11, two bottles of Bailey’s (litres!) for about $17 each, and a bottle of rum. I saw large bottles of Amaretto di Saronno for about $18 each at the beginning of the trip, but they were sold out by the time I got around to purchasing. TIP: Buy early for best selection as most people buy the last 1 or 2 days on board. I didn’t find any prices cheaper than Celebrity’s in any of the ports.

On the last two days of the cruise, the jewelry store conducted a watch sale. All watches were posted at $69 each. There was a huge selection of both men’s and women’s watches, including name brands. We both picked up watches that we’ve seen retailing at home for much more (and they work!).

Photography
On each of the formal nights, photographers were stationed outside the Orion for optional photographs. This is not like when you board the ship and you are almost forced to have your picture taken. Rather, there are 2-3 studio setups complete with lights and backgrounds for formal portraits. We had our picture taken at every opportunity as there was no obligation to buy and it was fun to see all the pictures posted later. If you liked what you saw, you could purchase the prints singly or in a package. We had some very nice portraits taken of us that we would not have otherwise had, so we liked this feature. Don’t feel pressured to buy the same day you see each set of prints – they leave them up for the length of the cruise. It’s best to choose which ones you want on the last day.

For detailed information on each of the ports visited on this cruise, and how Celebrity handled things, read on…For a conclusion, skip to the end.


THE PORTS
This cruise went to Key West, Cancun, Belize City, Coco-Caye (at least it’s supposed to), and Nassau. Below is some brief information for each.

However, first I should address >>Celebrity’s Port Information Seminars.<< These are offered in the Celebrity Theatre prior to arrival in each port. Although Celebrity advertises them as “information seminars” for the ports – they are really a chance for the cruise line to push people into shopping at stores in port with which they have concluded a promotion agreement. In fact, at the beginning of each seminar, Todd (the perfectly tacky port information guy) explicitly states that these stores have agreed to a “paid promotional program” whereby they get mentioned on the ship. After that, and a brief talk about where the ship will dock and what time you need to be back on, it’s sell, sell, sell.

This was one aspect of the cruise in which Celebrity really dropped the ball. We found these seminars to be a tacky aspect of the cruise and unbecoming of a line that caters to people supposedly looking for an upscale experience. Todd spends an hour stating how “fantastic” each of the stores are (I’m sorry there can’t be that many ‘fantastic’ stores in the world), and why you should buy the gifts that you are GOING to buy at these stores (to wit “if you haven’t bought your rum cakes or tanzanite, or souvenirs yet, this is the place you are GOING to buy them!”).

Granted, these seminars did inform us about a couple stores, such as Del Sol in Cozumel, that were worthwhile to visit, but a printed list of this information sans the QVC-style hard sell and more information about what to do in port would have been a better use of everyone’s time (especially in Belize – see below). TIP: Don’t bother attending these seminars unless you’ve always wanted to sit in the audience of the Shopping Channel, or are going to the Caribbean specifically to shop. The handouts are available later at Guest Relations, and they show the seminar on the ship’s TV system continuously until you get to that port. Watch it in bed the night before you arrive and use the time for something else.

Key West The ship arrived at 7 am and docked right in town at the Hilton Hotel. From what we were told, that’s not always the case. As it was this time, it was just a short walk off the ship into the center of town. I had been to Key West before and knew what to expect, but my wife hadn’t. Galaxy only stops here for a half day, which is not enough time to take in the place, especially if you’ve never been there. From the dock, we walked to the Ernest Hemingway House – a worthwhile attraction in our opinion. The tour gives you lots of fun information about Hemingway and his multiple wives, there are a number of cats (some six-toed) running around (and an interesting cat graveyard), and the walk to the place gets you off the tourist stretch of Key West. The Truman Annex (where Harry Truman spent some time) is on the way. We then walked down Duval Street back towards the port, having lunch at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. If you’re a Buffet fan this place is a must, though it’s not very large.

There are lots of interesting shops and cafes on Duval Street, but if you are there early in the morning most will be closed. A worthwhile stop is the Key West Key Lime Shop, which is about 4 blocks from the Hilton dock (but not on Duval St.). This is the real stuff and worth the walk. The owner told us that he was planning to move so the location may have changed by the time you read this. Grab a couple pieces of key lime pie or frozen chocolate covered key lime sticks – they are very good!

We then rushed to a few shops we wanted to check out before it was time to get back on the boat. A couple of these were advertised as offering free gifts to Celebrity passengers. At one shop the gift was a pencil and at another, a postcard (oh boy!). Don’t bother going to such shops because of their offers. They probably won’t be worth it. Again, not enough time to do much as the ship leaves around noon.

Cozumel
We both had been to Cozumel before and knew what to expect (“Senor, por favor - come into my shop!”). As a result, we planned to spend some time at a beach before going into town for just a quick walk around and perhaps a souvenir or two. The ship arrives at the International Pier, which is not in town. As a result, you need to take a cab to go anywhere if you are on your own. To get to the taxi stand, you need to walk through the international pier shopping arcade (clever design, amigos). TIP: If there is a huge line to get a taxi at the taxi stand, which there is bound to be, keep walking out to the street towards the hotel next door towards the left. Cab drivers will pick you up there with no wait.

Instead of paying for one of Celebrity’s on-shore tours, we decided to take a cab from the pier to Pakanaab National Park – only a short drive away from town and the cruise dock. We highly recommend this place, as it is a National Park and is not overrun with cruise people. There is a beautiful beach with snorkeling, huts to rent equipment at, and several small places to eat (though we didn’t partake). There are also lockers and lots of palapas with lounge chairs. We got there at about 11 am and had no problem finding a palapa right on the water. TIP: If it’s crowded as you approach the beach area, keep going. The beach extends for awhile and the farther you go, the less people there are. Entrance fee for 2 and taxi was about $20. The snorkeling is great for a beginner, which I am. There aren’t tons of fish, but enough to keep things interesting. There is also a dolphin show included in the entrance fee (we didn’t go), nature trails, and a beautiful lagoon. One note: the beach is really beautiful with white sand, but the sand does not gradually go out into the water. There is a rocky ledge to the beach – you wade off from special landings to go snorkeling. On the way back to town, we saw a couple of the places that were listed as snorkeling tours on board the ship and they looked pretty crappy, so we were very happy with our choice.

In town, you will be accosted by Mexican shop owners along the main drag asking you to check out their shops. That’s just the culture. It’s still annoying and in our opinion kind of ruins the experience of just walking around this place. Smile as you walk by but ignore them. Still worth a look: Del Sol T-Shirt Shop, which has t-shirts that change colors in the sun, and Los Cinqos del Sol, a very large shop with interesting souvenirs, far down the main drag, beachside, almost at the end of town (stay away from the restaurant though – the waiters are rude). Most of the other shops cater to jewel-buying tourists.

On the way back to the ship, once inside the international terminal, you can stop for a drink at a small Carlos n’ Charlie’s which overlooks the ships, or shop for last minute booze or gifts.

Belize City
Ah, Belize City. This is a port that cruise lines are increasingly including in itineraries. Because it does not seem to be well known among the public, many believe it is “exotic.” Well, let’s put it this way, it’s not as exotic as it sounds in the brochure. BUT, Belize IS. The key – get out of Belize City to do something else, unless you thrive on roughing it in third world countries. There are a few sights in Belize City, but they are not close to the where the ship’s tenders arrive, and you’ll need to take a taxi there. This is not to say that there is nothing to do in Belize City, nor to disparage the Belizian people. The ones we met were generally nice. They can’t help the fact that their country is poor. But Belize City is not a pleasant place. We even heard some of the ship’s staff joke about it.

The above said, this port call was, we thought, the highlight of our trip. But it only ended up that way because we rescued the experience from ruin. Celebrity did a poor job of informing passengers of the opportunities available to explore Belize, other than the ship’s expensive tours.

As reported elsewhere, the ship anchors about a mile offshore. Local tenders, which are very basic and not very comfortable, ferry people to and from the Belize Tourism Village, a dockside shopping center at the city’s port. Before you roll your eyes, the place isn’t all that bad. But it’s not great either. We can only conclude that the local authorities built this place because there is not much else about Belize City that is attractive. Apparently, Belize (and probably Celebrity) officials want you to spend a lot of time at this place. It’s not very big (you can go through all the stores in an hour or two), and it’s all outside, except for one area with a bar and a post office. The place is a virtual fortress. Wander anywhere beyond the main entrance with the significant police guard and you may not feel safe. We thought we would walk to what was supposed to be an interesting historical area not far from the Village. As soon as we left the area with the guards, we were followed by a suspicious looking fellow, who stopped when we stopped, and walked when we walked. Considering we looked like “rich guinea pigs”, we decided this was not a good situation and returned to the shopping center.

We considered taking a local “taxi tour” – something that we saw was available in the main terminal, but after seeing what the city had to offer outside of the Village, decided that we didn’t want to sit in a hot car at the mercy of a local fellow who probably only wanted to take us to his friend’s shops. We were ready to give up on this “exotic port” and head back to the ship with a very negative opinion of Belize when we happened upon a small travel agency named Mayan Travel and Tours (in the Tourism Village). Cliff and Sherry Wilson own this agency. They are both northern California transplants and are very pleasant people. We explained that we only had about 4 hours left to our “day” before it was lost. Cliff suggested a short excursion that turned out to be the highlight of our trip. He explained that we could fly from the local airport to the Island of Ambergris Caye, a very beautiful, rustic piece of Belize only 30 minutes by plane to the north on flights that left every hour. The island is where the television show “Temptation Island” was filmed. We booked a package that included air to the island, lunch at Captain Morgan’s Retreat, and use of the facilities there. Cliff walked us over to a nearby hotel and put us in a cab to the airport, which was only a few minutes away. (Note that this is the regional airport, not the international airport).

The plane, a small 10 seat, one-engine job, was a real trip. Taking off from the dirt runway is an experience we won’t forget, but either were the views. From Belize City to San Juan, the small town on the island, the views of the Belize coastline are incredible. Island after beautiful island of gorgeous beaches and pristine water – some developed, some not, pass below you. You land right in the middle of town – in a land that time seems to have forgotten. Wooden shacks painted in bright colors make up most of the town of San Juan. We walked from the landing strip to the beach, where there were several inns and restaurants. Boats and fishing piers vie with some of the whitest sand I’ve seen and the water was like a warm bath.

We were so short on time that we couldn’t go to Captain Morgan’s, but we both felt this little trip was worth it. Perhaps the best part was that the cost was only about $80/person for this package. Well worth the price to experience a part of the world many will never see.

When we returned to Belize City, we made sure to thank Cliff and Sherry  They told us that the cruise lines refuse to inform passengers about any air-based excursions as they have deals with land-based companies for the scheduled tours. They gave us an example: one of the tours that goes to a jungle adventure in Belize would be several hours shorter if they allowed people to fly there instead of taking a bus. Ridiculous, indeed. The result is a system that prioritizes the income of the cruise line over the best experience for the passenger.

TIP: Needless to say, if you take this cruise and want a real experience in Belize, hunt down Cliff and Sherry at Mayan Travel and Tours, and perhaps contact them ahead of time to schedule something for the day you are in port. You won’t be sorry! (Mayan Travel and Tours – crwslw@aol.com.) Thanks guys!!

Coco Caye
This is Royal Caribbean’s private island. Since Celebrity is owned by RC, Celebrity ships stop there. Or at least, they are supposed to. We both were looking forward to spending the day at this island, which does look nice based on the video that was broadcast on the ship. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to do it. The reason? We’ll never know for sure. This was another point where Celebrity dropped the ball.

After a day and a half at sea, we heard rumors that there might be a problem with Coco Caye. The mystery began when certain activities at the island were suddenly cancelled. Then we heard rumors, confirmed by attendants at Guest Relations, that there was a “political situation” with the government of Bermuda and that the port of Coco Caye might not be allowed to open. We were both disappointed at hearing this news, as the only water activity we had enjoyed over 6 days at sea was the snorkeling in Cancun. We both wanted a full day at the beach. At the main show the night before we were supposed to arrive, the Cruise Director told the packed audience that all had been cleared up, and that everyone should prepare to have a great day at Coco Caye. But the next morning, the worst case scenario unfolded as an announcement by the Captain rang through the ship that the port had indeed been closed. The excuse? “Dangerous sea conditions.” This explanation sounded very odd to us as the weather had been clear for some time. Its oddity was confirmed when we went topside and found the weather and seas to be perfect – or at least they appeared that way.

The ship posted a revised activity schedule to make up for the extra day at sea, but it consisted of nothing more than an extra movie in the lousy conference room theatre, a few extra shuffleboard games, and revised dining hours. To his credit, the Captain did apologize to the ship for the change in schedule. As part of the apology, he announced a period of about 45 minutes where the bars (all of them) would be open for free drinks. People immediately began taking advantage of this. Then, a very unclassy thing took place. Another announcement by someone other than the Captain stated that the only bars that would serve the free drinks would be the main pool bars (of which there were only 2). This created immediate pandemonium and a run to that section of the boat. What started out as a very nice gesture turned into a debacle as the ship realized it might lose too much money by giving free drinks at all the bars. In our opinion, this reasoning was unsound. The bars at the other locations on the ship were rarely occupied. Even after the initial announcement, we only saw a few people at the ones we passed. For 45 minutes, liquor flowed at the pool bars, but the lines were long.

After having been at sea for 7 days, we were somewhat at a loss as to what to do on this extra day. The ship isn’t so big that there are endless things to see and do. That’s good in one respect (less crowded) but bad in another (limited activities). Since we were scheduled to dock in Nassau the next morning, we wondered why the ship didn’t head there early allowing for extra time in port, as it was very close by. Perhaps the port could not accommodate the ship at the time…

Nassau
Lots of ships dock together and the walk is fairly short to the shopping section of town. There are lots of things to do in Nassau. It is much more of an island resort with big city amenities. Again, we thought that a full day would have been much better, rather than the half day in port.

After getting off the ship, we decided to check out Paradise Island, home of the famous Atlantis Resort. After exiting the cruise pier we saw signs for boat shuttles to Paradise Island. We also saw taxi stands (you can also take a taxi there). We decided to take a boat shuttle as it offered a brief tour of Nassau’s harbor. This was pleasant enough, but longer than we expected (about 45 minutes – too long we thought – a cab can take you there in about 10 minutes). On board, one of the boat attendants announced key points of interest, such as where Michael Jackson once lived (if you care). At the end of the trip, he spoke a little about the Atlantis Resort, offering a tip on how to get in without paying the $25 daily fee for those who aren’t staying there. The tip involved going into the Sheraton Resort next door and walking up the beach. Unfortunately, we decided to heed his advice. After a long walk, we ended up on the beach in front of the Sheraton and walked up towards the Atlantis Resort. We made it without a problem, but then made the mistake of trying to sit in one of the chairs there. Immediately, a guard came over and asked for a room key. I told him we had walked up the beach and he said that the chairs were for guests only. It was rather windy to sit on a towel, guards were everywhere (including the entrances to the hotel), and time was growing short, so we decided to just go back to Nassau. Another day at the beach down the drain. The lesson: don’t listen to the tour boat operators in Nassau! If what they tell you sounds too good, it probably is. They are just looking for a good tip.

We spent the rest of our time back in the shopping section of town. Nassau is supposed to be a “shoppers’ paradise,” but it looked like any of the typical Caribbean ports to us. The nice stuff was expensive. I had heard about a neat shop that sold old maps, but the prices were ridiculously high. You can get some unique liquor from the region, but again, the regular stuff wasn’t any cheaper than on the ship.

The highlight of our day in Nassau turned out to be getting back on Galaxy. And we almost didn’t make it. Upon leaving the ship in the morning, I checked my watch with one of the attendants to make sure it was correct. The attendant gave me the same time as I had on my watch, so I figured we were ok. On this cruise, you go through a number of time changes and it gets confusing towards the end of the trip. As we were walking around Nassau, I heard one of the ship’s horns, which is typically blown to warn that the ship is about to leave and that passengers better “high-tail it” back to the pier. I looked at my watch and it showed that we still had an hour before we had to be back at the ship, so I figured we were ok. That plus the fact that our ship wasn’t moving convinced me it was another ship. When we finally got back to the pier, however, all was strangely silent. We proceeded to the gangway, whereupon one of the attendants came out and said “Are you passengers?” We responded yes. He then said “Ohh, you are very lucky, VERY LUCKY.” He told us we were an hour late but that the only reason the ship was still there was because the US Immigration Officer had not boarded yet. We were both choked with disbelief because we had narrowly avoided being left in Nassau. I checked my watch again and it showed the correct time for boarding, but I had neglected to make a final time change the night before. Though our tardiness was technically our fault, we did check with the attendant when we disembarked the ship – and were given the WRONG TIME. So, the obvious lesson – don’t trust the Celebrity attendants to give you crucial information as you disembark. Check and double-check your watch before you go anywhere.

Disembarking
After 10 days at sea, we were ready to disembark. The process was relatively straightforward. The night before the ship docks, you are given color-coded tags for your baggage and leave them outside your door. The morning of departure, all guests must leave their cabins by around 8:00 am. After breakfast, the ship docks and then you must wait for your color to be called before you can disembark. In Baltimore, after getting off the ship and clearing customs, you are led into a “hanger” where all bags are lined up. People are left to clamor for their bags in very crowded conditions. It’s not the best situation and could be improved upon. After exiting the hangar there are two options for getting back to your car. Buses line up in front of the terminal that will take you to the parking lots, but if you have lots of bags, like we did, the best option is to get a porter to help you take your bags to the taxi stand. TIP: Taking a taxi to the parking lot will get you to your car much faster, and with less hassle with the bags. Our driver was really nice and only asked for what we felt we should give him. I was very generous. After throwing our bags in our car, we were off for home.

Conclusion
Despite some of the problems discussed above, we did have a great time. And again, the food was superb. I did hear one old grouch complaining that he thought the food was better on The Century. That was hard for us to believe, but it’s possible this person was only eating in the buffet. If that was the case – it may have been true. But one needs to keep in mind that cruise ships change chefs, waiters, food, entertainment, etc. constantly due to turnover in the ranks. One can only report on one’s personal experience and trip.

We would definitely take a cruise again, and would go on Celebrity. However, we’re not averse to trying other lines and think that we will simply to compare experiences. There are still some great deals out there.

What would we do different? Depending on our financial situation, we would book a room with a balcony. Sure, you are not in your room much, but you can’t beat gazing out the window, or sitting on a chair outside without having to worry about what you look like. It also helps to know what the weather is like before you dress for the day (though in the Caribbean it’s hot, hot, hot). We would like to try freestyle (open seating) dining, so that we don’t have to worry so much about the time. We would like to try a larger ship, or leaving from a port in Florida or the Caribbean to minimize the rough seas that one can encounter on the way down from the East Coast. Finally, we would only book a cruise that spends full days in port, and not depend on the ship to provide us with the necessary info to enjoy ourselves there. Half-day port calls are just not enough, considering one has to orient oneself at each stop. And a little bit of research can go a long way to making your trip exceptional.

If you’re on the fence about a cruise or cruising with Celebrity, jump over. You won’t be disappointed. Even with little snags in one’s trip, which are bound to happen with cruises, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages on this kind of vacation. Have fun!!!

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