Mercury Is Rising to Meet the Demands of Upscale Travelers

Celebrity Cruises’ newest ship, the 77,713-ton Mercury, made its debut in November on the heels of the recent acquisition of Celebrity Cruises by Royal Caribbean Cruise Ltd., parent company of Royal Caribbean International. While both lines are noted for extensive fleets of new ships, Celebrity targets a more upscale audience than Royal Caribbean.

Executives of both companies say no major changes will be made aboard the Celebrity ships, where cruises average about $245 a day per passenger. Celebrity president Rick Sasso did say, however, that future passengers will find fewer heavily discounted sailings offered than in the past.

The $320-million Mercury, which carries 1,870 passengers, is the third in the series of a fleet of vessels that was launched in 1995 with the Century, followed by last year’s Galaxy. In many ways, the newest ship is the most elegant and opulent of the trio, especially now that the company has toned down its much-publicized alliance with Sony Corp. of America that made parts of the Century resemble a floating commercial for electronic products.

In keeping with the 21st century theme of the new ships, Scott Carpenter, one of the original seven Mercury astronauts, along with his wife, Patricia, participated in the christening of the vessel in New York in October.

The new owners made a few last-minute changes aboard the Mercury, including an intimate Martini Bar tucked into a similar space used for open seating on the two previous ships.

The handsomely decorated public areas are spread generously around the ship, from a top-deck Navigator Club observation lounge and bar to the Tastings Champagne Bar hidden away on a lower deck. A lavish two-deck dining room with glass window-cum-walls serves meals from scratch with all-fresh ingredients; a state-of-the-art double-deck theater presents glittering (but somewhat mechanical) shows created by Opryland theme park producers; and the 10,000-square-foot AquaSpa by Steiner’s of London serves up various fitness and pampering packages that can be booked ahead of time with your travel agent.

A pair of swimming pools is supplemented by the all-weather Palm Springs Pool aft, which can be covered with a sliding transparent roof. Adjacent to the Palm Springs Pool are a bar and a grill for hot dogs, hamburgers and veggie burgers, plus lounge chairs, tables and chairs.

Cabins range from a pair of super-deluxe, 1,000-square-foot penthouse suites to the bottom-category inside cabins that measure 171 square feet. About 220 suites and cabins provide large private verandas, and eight cabins are designated wheelchair-accessible.

Award-winning London restaurateur Michel Roux, who oversees all the food service aboard the Celebrity ships, says the line is offering an alternative dining menu on all the ships beginning this month. The casual dining, scheduled two nights a week in the Palm Springs Cafe, combines waiter service and self-service, with a simpler menu that includes items such as grilled chicken with green vegetables and wines available by the glass or by the bottle. Separate vegetarian and children’s menus, along with special diets, are always available. Pizza fans will find not only hot pizza by the slice every afternoon and evening, but also a room service pizza-in-a-box delivery to the cabins from 3 to 7 p.m. or 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Families will find dedicated areas for teens and for younger children aboard the Celebrity ships, as well as extensive youth programs for ages 3 to 17. A late-night slumber party in the children’s area or in-cabin baby-sitting are offered for a nominal charge.

This winter the Mercury makes seven-night western Caribbean sailings from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., calling in Key West, Fla.; the Yucatan, for access to the Xcaret ecological park and Cozumel in Mexico; and Grand Cayman, with two full days at sea.

Brochure prices range from $1,555 to $6,975 per person, double occupancy, plus air add-ons. Port service fees are included in the fare. Children under 12 sharing a stateroom with two full-fare adults pay $825 each, while additional adults sharing a stateroom with two full-fare passengers pay $925 each. Children under 2 travel free.

On May 29, the new Mercury begins its Alaska summer season, offering alternating seven-night Inside Passage and Glacier Peak cruises through Sept. 11. Published Alaska cruise prices range from $2,645 to $7,495 per person, double occupancy, including port service fees. Air add-ons are extra.

The Mercury will make its maiden call in Los Angeles on May 18 at the end of a Panama Canal cruise from Fort Lauderdale and en route to Alaska. Celebrity will base two ships in Alaska in 1998, the Galaxy and the Mercury.

To get more information and a free color brochure, contact a travel agent or call Celebrity Cruises at (800) 437-3111.

Slater and Basch travel as guests of the cruise lines. Cruise Views appears the first and third week of every month.