Quick review of Celebrity Constellation January 2nd sailing.

[Slopfrog]

After several very disappointing dining experiences on RCL and Carnival we decided to give Celebrity a try. I just cant enjoy a cruise with bad food, so i was very excited to try Celebrity. Like many people new to the line, we chose the Constellation.

 

Embarkation/Debarkation: I really don't like Miami, so I was happy when they changed the port to Ft. lauderdale, even though I hadnt been there before. Entering that place is weird, I've never been asked to show ID and declare that I have no weapons just to enter a seaport before. Once parked at Terminal 4, we walked down the stairs and followed the signs for "Guests". Well, that was wrong because I had to go backwards against the flow of traffic to give my bag to the porters, who were pretty friggin lousy and located a ways away from the terminal entrance. I walked up and everyone ignored me. When I politely asked if he could please take my bag I got a "I guess" and a shrug. No way would I have tipped that loser but I was afraid if I didn't my bag wouldn't make it so I gave him a lousy three bucks.

 

After this, embarkation was a breeze even for folks like me with no status. Debarkation was similarly smooth and customs flowed very well. What I did not enjoy was reporting to USCBP at 7:30 AM the morning of going to key west, especially after not being able to sleep well. But I understand that is not in Celebrity's control.

 

 

Accommodations: We had an ocean view stateroom on deck 2 forward. The room itself was nice, and I note how much larger the window was than ocean view on other lines. However, we made a very bad mistake booking across the hall from a service door. That door just slammed and slammed constantly. Worse, other guests around were just letting the doors slam. All of these problems could be avoided by placing a pneumatic closer on the door so that they couldn't be slammed so quickly. As for bedding, I found the mattress to be quite hard and the pillows to be exceptionally cheap. Seriously, small poly-Fil pillows? How about some synthetic down or something that's better than a dollar store pillow? Needless to say, we did not sleep well at all. On the plus side, I did not notice any noise from docking operations early in the morning.

 

Clientele: this is one area I was quite surprised at. After seeing a couple examples of boorish behavior on our last Carnival cruise (bringing your own boom box to a cabin and playing it at ridiculous volume all hours of the night), I was hopeful to see a more refined crowd. Reality was a little different. Children abounded, and I personally can't stand to be around them on a ship (flame away, I don't care) and of course NOT ONCE did I observe a parent attempting to restrain them from bouncing off the walls and being in the way. Unfortunately, we had a cabin packed full of children above us and I could hear them squealing and jumping off the bed onto the floor constantly. My cabin shuddered every time.

 

I honestly haven't seen more inebriated people at sea than I had my first night on Constellation. I really think the 123Go! Promotion and free drinks had a negative effect because people were screaming and being very loud that first night. Including in the hallways at 3am. A hangover must have hit the remaining days because the screaming and yelling stopped after that.

 

I do hope that longer iteneraries and more expensive ships would cut down on this some.

 

Entertainment: There were a couple production shows, a comedian, and a juggler. Production shows were average, but I really liked the aerialists. It looked dangerous and exhilarating. The comedian was OK - I really liked his mixing of different music genres but most of the jokes were racial or crowd working. (Not that I mind these types of jokes, I'm just pointing out that they are too easy and don't stimulate the mind much.) Overall, Carnival does entertainment better. Their comedy club completely destroys celebrity and the carnival "superstars" show where they have guests sing songs at the end is really amazing.

 

However, I did really enjoy the Fiore Trio - a set of three talented young ladies that sounded wonderful the one night they played before the show in the theater. Unfortunately I only got to enjoy them for a few minutes before several people sat down and started talking about Britney Spear's tampon. Yes, I'm serious. Later in the cruise they played in Cellar Masters, but you absolutely could not enjoy them because this is the thoroughfare to get to select dining in the MDR. People talking, walking, stopping right in front of people sitting, and children running everywhere. I really think these young ladies deserved a better venue and I let the guest relations staff know... Not that they care.

 

CelebrityLife activities are little diddies that the staff can put on as supplemental entertainment without it actually costing the cruise line anything. I did enjoy the interplay between Mark & JC, they're a good duo and the Daily Show actually held my attention most mornings. Trivia - same everywhere. Liar's Club - entertaining, and the captain was funny although clearly in love with himself. It did get a little long after awhile. Cooking demonstrations - nothing to really see.

 

This is one area I think the line could definitely improve upon. It needs to play to its strengths better, invest a little more in the guest entertainers, and not allow lousy venues to ruin the entertainment.

 

Food: As I said, this is very important to me. I have to say that the food was generally consistently good and prepared well. A couple nights had menus that weren't too interesting (the first and last night in particular) but I especially liked the Thai beef spring rolls, the beef ragout, the veal chop, the filet "tournedo", and all the greens salads were quite good. Really we didn't have any stinkers other than the Caprese salad And the salmon tartare. That's rare!

 

We tried AquaSpa cafe and I thought the lunch entrees were cooked well. We had the miso salmon the first day and it was flavorful and not overcooked. There were some statements about AquaSpa not using salt. This does not Appear to be the case for entrees. It tasted well seasoned to me. However, the quinoa and vegetable sides were bland and needed salt. We actually carried kosher salt onboard for this exact scenario. I don't care for table salt, doesn't taste right.

 

Breakfast in the MDR was slow, but the eggs were cooked perfectly every time. The eggs Benedict were okay but just slightly off somehow... Almost a metallic taste. The charcuterie plate is a joke - don't waste your time. Just gross cheddar cheese and some bologna and some cheap salami. Not for me.

 

We tried Bistro on Five for lunch one day. It was OK... Not terrible. Im not a huge fan of crepes but my wife is. It isn't that much of an up charge so I see it as a good place to escape the crowds during an embarkation lunch. I would not go here during a sea day lunch, however.

 

We also tried Ocean Liners for Lunch the day of the galley tour, at an up charge of $25 per person. We were assured that it was essentially the same menu as the dinner menu. The food and service were good. I do note that they cheaper out and served warm water lobster in place of cold water lobster. I'm a Floridian myself and I'll be the first to say that cold water is better. It just is. I found the lobster portion to be a little on the small side, although the black truffle sauce was excellent, and the carrot and green bean garnish was well cooked. One issue I have here is that the menu just isn't that creative... It was all OK sounding but nothing really excited me. Personally, I think I got a fair-ish value for $25 up charge. I would NOT pay the $45 up charge for dinner. The Carnival steakhouse is twice the meal at only $35 per person.

 

Much has been said about sushi on the buffet. It is there starting at 5:30 or 6:00. We had late dining so we went up for a snack. I thought it wasn't bad at all for buffet sushi. It's slightly higher in quality than supermarket sushi but not as good as your average sushi joint. I preferred the salmon nigiri best. We got a good value from it thou and probably ate at least $50 in sushi while onboard. We didn't spend too much time at the buffet but the things we did have were hot and tasted good.

 

I have to give Celebrity accolades for the free lemonade, fruit punch, etc. it was not wated down to the point of being insipid like every single RCL ship I've been on. I found the lemonade to be quite good and even a bit sweet at times.

 

The gelateria happy hour is buy one get one free and is every day between 5 and 6 pm. For late diners, this is definitely worth the small extra charge. The small is ridiculously large IMO so I wouldn't get the large!

 

One aggravation: on the final day we wanted a chocolate chip cookie. That was it. However, only sugar free or gluten free was available in the buffet and the man at Cafe al Bacio said they don't serve regular chocolate chip that day... ***, just because a minority of people want some off tasting cookie to satisfy some dietary restriction doesn't mean the rest of us should suffer it... Have it all available!

 

We had a bad experience with our table. We had a table for two, #350, and it's location was truly AWFUL. It was right next to the front of the maitre D station so I listened to people yell at her all night. Crowds stood next to us and bumped us. Waiters were flying in and out of the galley. Dishes were being dropped. It was very hard to relax. However, the best waiter I've ever had, Joaquim, was able to work with the maitre D to move us to 351. This is not an ideal seat either - I still had to listen to the maitre D get chewed out - but it was a hundred times less stressful than the other table. Really, I don't think 350 should even exist. It's not appropriate to seat a guest there. Thank goodness Joaquim saved our cruise because I was about to try switching to select dining to try to escape that horrible table.

 

Overall, I thought the ship did a very good job with food. I'm a picky person, I know. But these guys are trying hard and have much better standards than any other ship I've eaten on.

 

Ports of Call: Why bother? It was Nassau and key west. Nobody got off in Nassau, us included. Weather was crappy and I really just don't like the place. They had a shore excursion where you can visit Atlantis for a few hours for the low price of $300 per person! Interested? Anyone?

 

Key West was fine. The best thing about it is Mallory Square at sunset where you can see the street performers at sunset. Hard to catch on a cruise ship though. We went to Mel Fisher's treasure museum and that was definitely worth the $12.50 admittance fee. I saw the most expensive thing I've ever seen for sale - $1,0078,000 for an emerald ring. :eek: It's easy to walk to also.

 

 

Overall: We had a good time. The food was good. The clientele was a little annoying. Entertainment slightly below par. There's some stuff that can be improved upon but you can't let it ruin your cruise. I think we will definitely choose Celebrity for our next cruise, which might be Alaska. I think I'm done with short, cheap iteneraries on days that it's conceivable to have the kids out of school.

 

Hope I wasn't too critical and that you enjoyed my review. It was tough typing all this on my iPad!!

Edited January 11, 2014 by Slopfrog

[Slopfrog]

One other thing I forgot to mention... I loved how they crumbed the table before the dessert course. They don't often do that on other lines and I've never had it done on land , even in fancier restaurants. I think it really adds to the dining experience when sitting at the table after dessert and talking.

 

These are classy details that matter to me, even if they are small.

[We-Be-Cruising]

nice review - will be sailing on her in fall

 

What was cabin number, we too are on deck 2 - but have time to change

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[drarill]

Thanks for your honest review. Hope you try another Celebrity cruise and come back to us with a review. :)

[Xport]

I really don't like Miami, so I was happy when they changed the port to Ft. lauderdale, even though I hadnt been there before. Entering that place is weird, I've never been asked to show ID and declare that I have no weapons just to enter a seaport before.

 

There's good reason for the intense security at Port Everglades...

 

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From Wikipedia:

 

As one of South Florida's leading economic powerhouses, Port Everglades is the gateway for international trade and cruise vacations. Currently the third busiest cruise port worldwide, Port Everglades is also one of Florida's leading container ports, with more than 4,000 ship calls annually. Port Everglades is South Florida's main seaport for receiving petroleum products including gasoline, jet fuel, and alternative fuels. The port serves as the primary storage and distribution seaport for refined petroleum products, distributing fuel to residents of 12 Florida counties. Port Everglades is also recognized as a favorite United States Navy liberty port. With a depth of 43 feet (at mean low water), Port Everglades is currently the deepest United States (Atlantic Ocean) port south of Norfolk, Virginia.

 

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Living as I do in the area, I personally appreciate it...

[Slopfrog]

nice review - will be sailing on her in fall

 

What was cabin number, we too are on deck 2 - but have time to change

 

We were in 2012. I do not recommend it.

[red919]

Thank you for your review. I think you should try one of Celebrity's solstice class ships. They are my favorite even though we are taking a 5 night on Constellation as it fits our schedule better for a quick getaway.

 

One question...what was the reason you had to be up at 7:30am in Key West? Our first stop on our upcoming Constellation cruise is Key West also and I was not aware of this.

Edited January 11, 2014 by red919

[Slopfrog]

Thank you for your review. I think you should try one of Celebrity's solstice class ships. They are my favorite even though we are taking a 5 night on Constellation as it fits our schedule better for a quick getaway.

 

One question...what was the reason you had to be up at 7:30am in Key West? Our first stop on our upcoming Constellation cruise is Key West also and I was not aware of this.

 

All guests were required to present themselves to a US Customs officer early in the morning the day we docked at Key West. Our time was 7:30, I believe some guests were earlier and some later. Supposedly customs would not clear the ship until everyone had presented themselves.

 

However, this was the second stop after being in Nassau, so we had visited a foreign country first.

Edited January 11, 2014 by Slopfrog

[red919]

All guests were required to present themselves to a US Customs officer early in the morning the day we docked at Key West. Our time was 7:30, I believe some guests were earlier and some later. Supposedly customs would not clear the ship until everyone had presented themselves.

 

However, this was the second stop after being in Nassau, so we had visited a foreign country first.

Good to know...thanks.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Thanks for your review. Try a two-week cruise. Far fewer kids and drunks. I don't have any patience with them either.

[Nanatravel]

Slopfrog, thanks for your review. Maybe next time you would not sail on a Holiday sailing. Children were still out on school break. I usually tell clients to avoid the higher priced holidays like the plague. I don't believe unruly children are Celebrity's fault.

[photonut4]

Thanks for the review. I leave for my first Celebrity cruise on the Constellation Monday. I am anxious to compare it to the 5 other lines that I have been on, so I thought this quick 3 nighter would be a good sample of their product.

[FLJudi]

so I thought this quick 3 nighter would be a good sample of their product.

 

Do not make any assumptions based on a three night cruise which appeals to a rowdier crowd on any mass market cruise line. Celebrity cruises of MORE than 7 days, and not during holidays or spring breaks, appeal to a more discriminating clientele and rarely have more than a few children.

[photonut4]

Do not make any assumptions based on a three night cruise which appeals to a rowdier crowd on any mass market cruise line. Celebrity cruises of MORE than 7 days, and not during holidays or spring breaks, appeal to a more discriminating clientele and rarely have more than a few children.

 

I know on shorter cruises that rowdier crowds can be expected, and I do expect that. I won't let that bother me, and that is also a benefit of booking a balcony cabin. I usually spend a great deal of time on the balcony. Also the clientele shouldn't effect the food quality or service in the dining room.

[2552phxcrzr]

We were on the Constellation for 27 days back to the US this fall, and loved it ... the atmosphere is very different on longer cruises as the clientele is different -- even 10-14 days would be different than the short cruises which have more of a party atmosphere.