Miken,
You asked a lot of questions and I'll try to answer some / all. Galaxy is a very nice ship, and you will find that a Celebrity does a good job.
If you board during "prime" boarding period, you'll be offered a welcome aboard glass of champagne compliments of Celebrity. And, a white gloved member of the service crew will escort you to your room. In the dining room every night there will be live music playing in the back ground. When you come back on board from shore stops, you will be offered a warm wet towell, or at poolside a chilled one. These are just a few of the nice touches that Celebrity uses to distinguish itself and its service. The ratio of crew to passengers is higher than on RCI or HAL, and you will notice the difference
The food in the main dining room is under the direction of English Master Chef Michele Roux, and is one of the hallmarks of a Celebrity cruise. I particularly favor the soups as being superb, as are most of the desserts. The creme brule' is worth fighting over! The ice cream and sorbets that are served will be made on board, so most people find them better than what comes from the grocery store. And, there is a free ice cream bar up by the buffet where you can indulge as much as you want. Ice cream is always available in the dining room.
I cannot answer your question about "vegetarian friendliness". They do have vegetarian menu options, but I cannot vouch for how good they are. Sorry, I'm a meat eater!
I laughed at your question about charging for extras. It seems to me that this trend in cruising is getting worse, and Celebrity is as bad as RCI or HAL, trying at every opportunity to get you to buy something. I personally think that they are no worse -- though no better. The only "service" that they do not have that is available on many ships is a self-service laundry. You can, of course, send clothes out for pressing, laundry, or dry cleaning for a charge while on board, but there isn't a self-service option.
Enjoy your cruise.
Ted
