If Only I Could Have Been To Mexico With Galaxy
If only I could have been to Mexico with Galaxy |
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Reviewed By: Stobbart, Morpeth on 26th Jan 2010
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| Cruise Line: Holland America Cruises |
Times cruised before: 3-5 |
| Cruise Ship: MS Oosterdam |
Sailed:
October,
2009 |
| Destination:
Mexico
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Age: 65+ |
| Cabin: Balcony |
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My husband and I "discovered " cruising two years before he died. He was in fairly poor health and we found that the leisurely pace of cruising was perfect. We visited the eastern Mediterranean with Galaxy that first time and really try as we might, couldn't find fault with it. The food was out of this world. I still salivate at the memory of the dessert soufflés (a different one each night!) and the staff were invariably courteous and friendly in the extreme. This was our golden wedding cruise and although we tried to keep a lid on it, news got out and everyone jumped through hoops to make it truly memorable. We didn’t go on many of the excursions. We knew that part of the Mediterranean very well, so we tended to do our own thing.
The following year we visited the western Mediterranean with Princess cruises. That was fine too, just lacked the "edgy" bits we enjoyed with Galaxy. The entertainment was just so-so, whereas with Galaxy we enjoyed a "real class act" of professional proportions. Nevertheless there were good things here too. We loved the Movies Under the Stars" where we could sit on the top deck on sunloungers, sip a cocktail and enjoy a recently released movie. That was lovely. Another thing we enjoyed with Princess was that they had 'guest speakers' One on the history of the modern Royal Family, the other was a TV comedy scriptwriter. Both excellent. We enjoyed the excursions without gushing about them. The local guides whilst knowledgeable tended to be a bit flat. Still I suppose it is difficult to wax lyrical for the umpteenth time that week about a particular venue. We had a balcony and were able to leave the sliding doors open at nights. That was lovely, being lulled to sleep by the sea sounds.
I gave cruising a miss for a while after my husband died, then decided this autumn to go alone. Of course it was frighteningly expensive, particularly since once again I chose to have a balcony. This was a cruise/stay holiday. We spent 2 days on Los Angeles and two in San Diego, where we joined the cruise to Tthe Mexican riviera, travelling with Holland America. Sadly, the very few Brits on board didn't know that in America, Thanksgiving is a massive national holiday and ten percent of the guests on board were children - very noisy, often undisciplined children! That inconvenience aside, OOsterdam is a very beautiful ship. I might even say, breathtaking. I had a huge stateroom with every imaginable facility. Having said that, I was unable to leave my balcony doors open. They weren’t designed to be left open, so no peaceful sea sounds, only very noisy air conditioning. I would hesitate to travel with Holland America again. The food was fine, not outstanding, just fine. Cabin service was OK, but unlike on previous cruises, I saw very little of my cabin steward. He would smile and greet me if we passed each other but that was about all. I'm sure he would have been attentive had I needed him, but unlike previously, he and I had no conversations at all. The entertainment was frankly awful. Very amateurish. On one evening, the cabin and dining room staff put on a show. It was expected that you attend. The dining room staff were politely insistent. I didn't go and I gather that a generous evaluation was that they tried hard! The excursions in Mexico were very good indeed. Among the best excursions I have had.
To sum up, and after having had only limited experience of different cruise lines, my vote would go to Galaxy every time.
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| Quality of Food |  |
| Not unforgettable but pretty good. I ate mostly in the main dining room and had breakfast in my cabin | | Entertainment |  |
| Only went to shos on two occasions. Not imprssed on either occasion. They did have a cinema on board showing recent films. | | Shore Excursions |  |
| I went on all the excursions. they were all ver good indeed | | Staff |  |
| No member of staff put themself out to be friendly/helpful. Could being one of a tiny handful of non-American guests have put them off. | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
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| | Cabins | |
| Lovely cabin, lots of space. Good sized shower room ( I requested a shower room) Disappointed that I could not leave the balcony doors open. It was weighted to close automatically. | | Overall Rating | |
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