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Ship Details
Began service: 1996
Guest capacity: 1,850
Total staff: 909
Length: 866 feet
Passenger decks: 10
CDC
inspection score: 96
Galaxy Overview
The Galaxy cruise ship departs from the Civitavecchia
(Rome), Italy and Galveston, TX.
Throughout the year, she offers ocean cruises to Europe and Mexican Riviera, Trans-Atlantic.
Check Dates &
Prices for cruises to Europe and Mexican Riviera,
Trans-Atlantic.
Galaxy, the second in a series of three vessels,
debuted in December 1996. Celebrity
positions itself as a premium level cruise line, meaning
that their target guest is looking for a cruise experience
that includes some of the amenities and refinements of
the luxury lines without losing the element of fun. Galaxy
accomplishes this by concentrating on sophisticated levels
of food and beverage service most often associated with
pricier lines: martini and champagne bars, cigar lounges
and caviar service, while not skimping on shipboard activities
for passengers who like to let their hair down. Galaxy's
multimillion dollar art collection was hand picked by
Christina Chandris, wife of the former Chairman of the
line, with the assistance of the Marlborough Gallery in
New York.
Cabins
Galaxy has 639 outside cabins,
of which 60 are suites measuring from 313 - 1219 sq ft.,
depending on the category. The 296 inside cabins
are 172 square feet. All standard cabins are pleasant
and airy whether inside or out. Even the lowest category
cabins have large amounts of storage space to accommodate
bulkier wardrobes. There are no staterooms with obstructed
views. Room service is available around the clock, and
guests may order from the dining room menu during designated
mealtimes. Eight staterooms are handicapped-accessible.
Amenities in all categories include toiletries, hair dryer,
Interactive TV system, and telephone with voice mail,
minibar, and safe. Suites have VCR's. Our only complaint
was the lack of electrical outlets in our cabin. Suites
have two outlets and outside and inside cabins have only
one outlet at the desk. The only outlet in the bathroom
is for electric razors in both 110/220V.
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Dining
If there is one thing the name Celebrity is synonymous with
it is cuisine. Celebrity's menu was designed by Michelin 3-star chef,
Michel
Roux. Fresh seafood and produce are provisioned on the fly, and
much of the food is cooked to order. The cuisine is classical and
well executed. The menu features nightly spa and vegetarian choices.
There is a children's menu on request, and special diets can be accommodated
if requested at the time of booking.
There are two eateries serving the pool area, the Oasis Cafe
and the Grill. The Cafe is the basic lunch and dinner
buffet operation, with a good variety. There are a handful of assistants
available to help passengers to their tables. The Grill serves tea
in the afternoon and pizza at various times during the day. They also
do burgers and hot dogs at lunchtime. The grill also serves an alternative
casual sit-down dinner on long port days, for which reservations must
be made. A limited room service menu is available 24-hours a day.
Galaxy's midnight buffet is extremely well done and
varying themes keep passengers going back nightly -- some themes are
served pool side, Mexican and Caribbean in particular, to encourage
an all out party atmosphere with dancing and a live band. Two types
of tea are served onboard, an elegant tea in the dining room once
a week and a casual afternoon tea in the Oasis Cafe.
Entertainment
Celebrity Theater, Galaxy's two-level main
show lounge, is one of the best designed we've seen; there are no
bad seats. The second level balconies reminded us of the private boxes
of classic opera houses. The stage has adequate bells and whistles
but the constant use of the video wall system as a background scenic
element began to get distracting after a while. The production shows,
though improved over prior seasons, are still your basic cruise fare.
However, the ship did have an extensive slate of individual performers
and lounge acts, including two comedians, two pianists (with very
different repertoires), individual singers, and an acapella group.
We also liked the presence of the String Quartet.
Fortunes Casino is quite small for a ship
this size, having a few blackjack tables, one craps and one roulette
table, plus video poker and slot machines. The ability to gamble in-cabin
through Galaxy's interactive TV system might own up to why
the casino didn't seem overcrowded.
Fitness & Recreation
The AquaSpa, a
signature element of Celebrity Cruises, is a huge fitness/spa facility
found on all the Century class ships. These facilities are far larger
and offer a more extensive array of services than a typical shipboard
fitness/beauty/massage center. The centerpiece of the fitness area
is the giant Thalassotherapy pool, a massive, saltwater jacuzzi. This
airy room is highly atmospheric, relaxing, and gives the sense of
having retreated into a different world altogether. There are numerous
smaller rooms for Rasul, facials, seaweed wraps, massage, etc. The
gym on Galaxy is well equipped with treadmills, stairmasters
and other exercise machines. The equipment was up-to-date and state
of the art.
The main pool and sunning area is amidships, with two pools
and whirlpools with plenty of deck chairs. Other fitness offerings
include a golf simulator and a short jogging track on Sunrise
Deck.
There are numerous daytime activities, even on port days, including
all the standard cruise fare. Daily movies are offered in the onboard
cinema, in addition to those shown on the ships video system.
Public Areas
Galaxy's wide spectrum
of design serves to satisfy different preferences in different people,
and most everyone finds a room which appeals most to his or her individual
tastes. We found little overcrowding and few lines. At one extreme
are Galaxy's dramatic, large public rooms, the Celebrity
Theater and Sports Deck's spectacular Stratosphere,
her top-of-the-ship, forward-looking observation lounge. There is
an elevated bar and additional seating area in the center so all seats
have a view. Rendezvous Square fronts the two-deck
entrances to the Orion Restaurant
-- with its sweeping stairway and piano music -- makes an excellent
pre-dinner cocktail and meeting spot
Kids
Celebrity offers the basics with
their Youth Program. In-cabin sitting is available
for $8 per hour (two kids max); requests must be made onboard through
the ship's Guest Relations or Stateroom Services departments. Group
baby-sitting is available in the children's playroom for ages 3-12
from 10pm - 1am.; cost is $3 per hour for one child, $5 per hour for
two or more kids in the same family. "Parent's Night
Out" is a formal-night only program where counselors
host kids for a pizza party; there's no charge. Celebrity has an "unlimited
soft drinks" program for those under 18; cost is $4.50 per day
plus 15 percent tip.
Expert Galaxy reviews are edited by Michelle, and provided by Ian and Cruise Critic.com,
an award-winning cruise community. This objective information can
help you choose just the right ship for your next cruise vacation.
Check Dates & Prices
for cruises to Europe and Mexican Riviera,
Trans-Atlantic.
Galaxy cruise reviews
Cruise
Ship Inspection Report
All passenger cruise ships arriving at US ports are subject to unannounced
CDC inspection. Galaxy Score:
96
Cruise
Critic: Galaxy
The Cruise Critic gives Celebrity's Galaxy a 3-ribbon rating.
Web links
Celebrity
Cruises
Request a brochure, or find a travel agent who represents Celebrity
Cruises at the company's official Web site.
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