L
lysolq
Guest
Just returned from our 10-night Galaxy Western Caribbean cruise out of Charleston, and the record has not been broken - we still haven't met a cruise we haven't loved!
Glad to report that embarkation/disembarkation at the Port of Charleston was especially easy, even though it's quite obvious that the port is not particularly equipped to handle cruiseships and their passengers. Problems reported when Galaxy first began sailing out of Charleston have obviously been cleared up, so much so that this was probably the easiest and most efficient on/off we've yet to experience on any cruise!
Galaxy remains a beautiful ship. Food and dining room service were excellent, as was cabin service. Staff and crew were polite, friendly and eager to please. In all, we had a wonderful time.
With the exception of one minor complaint (pre-dinner shows for late seating passengers), we really enjoyed the cruise. We love the ambiance of cruiseships and the relaxation of cruising. There is, however, one caveat for those planning to cruise out of Charleston. This was the oldest passenger demographic we've ever seen on any of our 24 cruises, including cruises on Holland America, a line known to attract "older" passengers. I would guess that the average age of passengers on the ship was early 70s. There were only a handful of children onboard - probably fewer than 10, one or two honeymoon couples, and very few younger folks. In our mid-fifties, we felt like kids! The vast majority of passengers were from North and South Carolina, with most of those people being older retirees. As such, this was a particularly quiet cruise and, according to staff with whom we spoke, so far the norm for cruises out of Charleston. Apparently Celebrity had hoped that cruises out of Charleston would attract passengers from a wider geographical area than the Carolinas, and is disappointed that they are not doing so. From what I gathered, Charleston may not be a Celebrity port for much longer. As a result of passenger demographics, onboard revenue is not what it should be.
The impact of the demographics on the ship was obvious. For instance, there were 1100 passengers at the main seating and about 600 at the late seating. More than half of those at the late seating wanted main seating but couldn't be accommodated because main seating was booked solid. For late seating, the dining room had an unbelievable number of empty tables - something we have never before seen on a cruise.
Because 80% of the passengers had or wanted early seating, six of the ten shows were pre-dinner shows for late seating passengers. This was done to accommodate the 1100 main seating passengers, as well as the 300 or so passengers whose request for main seating could not be granted. We always take late seating so we don't have to hurry back to our cabin at the end of the day and rush to get ready for an early dinner. Thus, we also dislike pre-dinner shows. As such, we only saw the four production shows during this cruise because they were the only post-dinner shows made available to late seating guests.
Furthermore, we were told by staff that two bingo sessions were cancelled because nobody showed up - something utterly unheard of on cruises. Similarly, several days' poolside activities were cancelled due to lack of interest. By 10:30 PM, the ship was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. The casino had some activity, but most of the other public rooms were all but empty, with the exception of the Stratosphere Nightclub which had a number of regulars who showed up nightly. Caribbean Night and Tex-Mex Night were held on deck with dancing and lovely buffets, but both were poorly attended.
Again, we loved the cruise. We're not party hearty people, so we really weren't affected by the particularly sedate nature of this cruise, but I thought it was important enough to post for others to read.
I'd be glad to answer any questions.
Glad to report that embarkation/disembarkation at the Port of Charleston was especially easy, even though it's quite obvious that the port is not particularly equipped to handle cruiseships and their passengers. Problems reported when Galaxy first began sailing out of Charleston have obviously been cleared up, so much so that this was probably the easiest and most efficient on/off we've yet to experience on any cruise!
Galaxy remains a beautiful ship. Food and dining room service were excellent, as was cabin service. Staff and crew were polite, friendly and eager to please. In all, we had a wonderful time.
With the exception of one minor complaint (pre-dinner shows for late seating passengers), we really enjoyed the cruise. We love the ambiance of cruiseships and the relaxation of cruising. There is, however, one caveat for those planning to cruise out of Charleston. This was the oldest passenger demographic we've ever seen on any of our 24 cruises, including cruises on Holland America, a line known to attract "older" passengers. I would guess that the average age of passengers on the ship was early 70s. There were only a handful of children onboard - probably fewer than 10, one or two honeymoon couples, and very few younger folks. In our mid-fifties, we felt like kids! The vast majority of passengers were from North and South Carolina, with most of those people being older retirees. As such, this was a particularly quiet cruise and, according to staff with whom we spoke, so far the norm for cruises out of Charleston. Apparently Celebrity had hoped that cruises out of Charleston would attract passengers from a wider geographical area than the Carolinas, and is disappointed that they are not doing so. From what I gathered, Charleston may not be a Celebrity port for much longer. As a result of passenger demographics, onboard revenue is not what it should be.
The impact of the demographics on the ship was obvious. For instance, there were 1100 passengers at the main seating and about 600 at the late seating. More than half of those at the late seating wanted main seating but couldn't be accommodated because main seating was booked solid. For late seating, the dining room had an unbelievable number of empty tables - something we have never before seen on a cruise.
Because 80% of the passengers had or wanted early seating, six of the ten shows were pre-dinner shows for late seating passengers. This was done to accommodate the 1100 main seating passengers, as well as the 300 or so passengers whose request for main seating could not be granted. We always take late seating so we don't have to hurry back to our cabin at the end of the day and rush to get ready for an early dinner. Thus, we also dislike pre-dinner shows. As such, we only saw the four production shows during this cruise because they were the only post-dinner shows made available to late seating guests.
Furthermore, we were told by staff that two bingo sessions were cancelled because nobody showed up - something utterly unheard of on cruises. Similarly, several days' poolside activities were cancelled due to lack of interest. By 10:30 PM, the ship was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. The casino had some activity, but most of the other public rooms were all but empty, with the exception of the Stratosphere Nightclub which had a number of regulars who showed up nightly. Caribbean Night and Tex-Mex Night were held on deck with dancing and lovely buffets, but both were poorly attended.
Again, we loved the cruise. We're not party hearty people, so we really weren't affected by the particularly sedate nature of this cruise, but I thought it was important enough to post for others to read.
I'd be glad to answer any questions.
