Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. Your posted on the day I left for Florida. We just returned from a wonderful cruise. The weather was great, the food and entertainment were wonderful, and the excursions were a lot of fun. We snorkelled in the Cayman Islands and Cozumel and swam with the stingrays in the Cayman Islands. Paul and I really enjoyed the Mercury. It wasn't as large as the The Explorer of the Seas, the cruise ship we were on two years ago, and we preferred it that way. We met some nice people at our table and generally had a great time. We would definitely consider cruising again.

You asked about the price. We paid approx. $960 Cdn pp (about $640 US) and this included all port taxes, service taxes, GST etc. It didn't include airfare. If you can book a cruise on The Celebrity Line for $240 U.S. at any time during the year, I would definitely go for it. It's a great rate!!

Re what people wore on the ship in the evening, some people wore evening gowns and tuxes for the formal nights, but a lot of men wore suits or sports jackets and the women wore cocktail dresses or dressy pant suits. On the informal evenings, some people dressed up but others were dressed nicely but casually, and the same for the casual evenings, i.e. there was a wide range of dress, but as long as you didn't wear jeans and a tee shirt to the dining room you were okay. Noone was turned away for being improperly dressed. You certainly do not have to go out and buy yourself a new wardrobe for the cruise.

Let me know if you decide to book a cruise and if you want any more information, don't hesitate to ask.

Etta