Taking it to the 10th Degree on Celebrity Mercury
by Holly Reich

It's 8 AM on a cloudless day just off the coast of Cozumel. We are lounging on our spacious veranda surrounded by infinity of sapphire seas. Our butler, John is setting up breakfast -- white tablecloth, silver vase with a tropical bouquet of flowers, a strong pot of coffee, juice and freshly baked croissants. Now, this is cruising…

The ship is Celebrity Mercury, the accommodations--one of 24 Sky Suites appointed with a marble-tiled bathroom, tub with whirlpool jets, sitting area, VCR with Pay-Per-View TV and personalized stationary and business cards. Amenities include a steward AND a butler. The butler will shine your shoes, deliver afternoon tea and twilight hors d'oeuvres, take your laundry, book spa appointments, arrange a private party etc. etc. etc.

We were on one of four yearly reunion cruises with 500 other Captain's Club members. Celebrity guests are eligible for membership following just one cruise--the membership fee is a mere $35.

For that small stipend you get pre-sailing dinner reservations at a specialty restaurant, a wine tasting, golf clinic, Captains club cocktail party, gifts with purchase in the AquaSpa, and perks for the casino. For 6-10 cruises you receive priority for shore excursions, priority embarkation and disembarkation and private onboard events such as the ship's galley tour. Elite class (11 an up)-- which we were on-- adds on a backstage tour of the show, a private departure lounge and invitations to elegant teas.

Bottom line: Cruising is great--having extra's that include priority embarkation, and private invitations take it up another notch.

THE SHIP: The Mercury is part of a class of Celebrity ship that includes theCentury and the Galaxy. The ship holds 1870 guests on 10 decks with 944 staterooms (639 ocean-view, 305 interior) and a 2:1 guest to crew ratio. The Mercury is a perfect size-- big enough to hide out on, small enough to find your way around. In other words—it's not your humongous country club style ship.

But it has all the perks. The décor doesn't speak, "Look at me, look at me!" The Mercury is tastefully adorned with 400 works from artists who emerged during the 60's and early 70's. The range---from large bronze's the size of a bathtub to startling photographs, splashy abstracts or pastel acrylic.

Tucked into corners fore and aft you'll find the Martini, Champagne and Navigator Club. The Martini Bar was my favorite—comfortable chairs, a trio of musicians, 20 different kinds of cocktails to choose from and glasses whimsically shaped glasses to drink from. The Celebrity Theater has Broadway quality productions, the Cinema Center shows current movies, and the library with IPOD rentals and a full-time librarian is a soothing place to sit and read.

A quality of-life rev up for the Celebrity class carries over into the Frette oversized Egyptian cotton bath towels in all the rooms, 24-hour room service (including the day of disembarkation), longer gym hours, earlier hours at the Night Club for tired Baby Boomers, restroom attendants on formal nights, cold towels and sorbet poolside, sunset yoga classes, and a no announcement policy and announcement free disembarkation!!! and a full-time librarian with IPOD rentals available.

If you're a sucker for sun, there are two outdoor pools and jacuzzis with a retractable roof or "magrodome." The dome was built so that guests on the Alaska route can enjoy the warm, poolside climate even in the midst of cold, rainy days.

But the coup de grace is the 10,053 square feet Aqua Spa with a thalossotherapy pool and more than enough state-of-the-art fitness equipment. The spa treatments—outstanding. I had the Japanese Silk Booster Facial from Clair who had the hands of a psychic.

THE FOOD: The week I was on board, Michel Roux, Celebrity's culinary and wine consultant, was visiting to check up on his menu. At 5:45 AM Roux would visit the galley to test sauces. "Some of sauces weren't quite right so I made minor adjustments," he explained during a lecture. "Sauces are like makeup to a woman, a lovely sauce will enhance the beauty."

Roux, who nixed a flaming coffee performance by an overenthusiastic waiter, is a perfectionist always looking to improve the food. "It's the best grade of everything…the product makes you cry," he noted. "I want to caress the fish. Some people get excited by the beach, I get excited about food."

When he's not overseeing trucks of food being loaded onto the ships, Roux tastes new wines. To note—one evening the waiter spotted that my glass of white wine looked cloudy so they opened another bottle for me.

Need I say more? Whether you're indulging in a nightly feast at the Manhattan Restaurant, nibbling on fresh sushi and sipping hot Saki at the Sushi Bar or casually dining at the Palm Springs Café you will fondly remember your eating experience.

And if that dinner doesn't finish off your day, there's always "Gourmet Bites", Celebrity's service-marked name for the bite-sized sweets and hors d'oeuvres served on silver trays in public spaces from midnight to 1 a.m.

THE SERVICE: Excellent all around. We had a question on our bill the day of departure and they handled it within minutes.

OFF-SHORE EXCURSIONS: Unless you're an island aficionado I would advise that you stick to the menu offered by the cruise-line. I picked the more active excursions like kayaking in the mangroves of Key West, jeeping on the beaches in Mexico and biking in the Caymans. If you want to find out other peoples opinions of the trips they've taken check out www.cruisecritic.com.

GUEST NOTES: As a travel writer for over two decades I am spoiled (yes, I admit it, I am) so when I travel I listen to the audience. People like Babette Voegeli from Newport, Rhode Island are this writer's dream. Babette, known on the Celebrity boards at www.cruisecritic.com as ocean gypsy, has cruised 155 times over 47 years and been on Celebrity 27 times. I asked her:Why do you like to cruise? You only have to unpack once, and you don't have to make many decisions. I love to float; it is the only time my sinuses clear out.

Why Celebrity ? I love Celebrity with its traditional shipboard routines and dress code.

Why solo? I don't have to share a bathroom. There's more freedom and I don't have to be considerate. She also makes friends on a ladies internet club for women who are widowed, single, or divorced and crave cruises but don't want to cruise alone.

Any complaints? I wish they'd rotate the menus more often.

For more information:
PHONE #: 1-800-437-3111
WEBSITE: www.celebritycruises.com

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Holly Reich is a travel and automotive writer based in Manhattan.

All text copyright Holly Reich. No part of this article may be reproduced without written permission from the author.