Help- Booked on Celebrity Constallation is it terrible?

[usfgrad]

My husband (48) and I (39) are booked on Celebrity Constellation in a week for a kid free 15 wedding anniversary vacation. I am so worried now reading new reviews that it is going to be awful. Tons of older people and nothing to do with terrible food! Is it really that bad? I thought that it was a bit upscale is why I booked. I didn't want spring break college kids (carnival) or a bunch of kids (Disney and RC) I hate NCL and a bunch of seniors (Holland), so I went with celebrity, but now I am really worried! Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

[paul929207]

Since your cruise is next week, it is too late to cancel. So go ahead and have a good time. Don't worry about the comments of others. There will be older people. There will be college students. There will be kids. They are all on nearly every cruise ship.

[cruisingmimi]

Hi usfgrad, I would stop worrying if I were you and focus on you booked a cruise. Congrats on spending your 15th anniv on the Constellation. We did a transatlantic in Dec. of 2012 on the Connie and absolutely loved the ship. That was before it was solsticized. You will be fine. Are you doing a Caribbean cruise? We have been on many cruises, cruise lines, etc. but Celebrity is still our favorite and Constellation our favorite ship so far.

 

Being on a transatlantic cruising there were many seniors onboard but did have a mix of other ages. This should not bother you, you will be on a special cruise celebrating a special anniversary with your DH. Forget all the other stuff.

 

We found the food to be good, but everyone has different tastes and opinions of cruise ship food. I say that you can always order a piece of chicken, fish or beef if you don't like the main dining room menu. You can go up to Lido deck and order there if you prefer. Entertainment was great on our cruise too. It's all a matter of personal preference when you cruise but we are so happy just to be cruising that you take the good and bad.

 

You can do as much or as little as you want on a cruise. We had a great dinner table on our cruise, there were 10 of us and we all loved dining with each other. We all decided to book dinner in one of the specialty restaurants so had a table for 10 and the most outstanding and impeccable table service we have ever had. We loved every minute of it. I would suggest you look at the specialty restaurants and book one for your special celebration. It won't be anymore expensive than if you went out to dinner back home.

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/onboard-celebrity/cruise-restaurants-tuscan-grille

 

http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Constellation-dining.html

 

We ate in the Ocean Liners restaurants which is French themed. I think it will always be one of my favorite memories of dining at sea. Romantic - at it's best.

 

So don't be nervous, you will have a wonderful anniversary cruise. Do put all those bad thoughts out to sea and go and enjoy!

 

Mary

[CruiserBruce]

Wow! Checked off all the preconceived cruise line stereotypes there!:D;)

Edited March 12, 2015 by CruiserBruce

[Aquahound]

You're going next week? So that means it's a 5 nighter, correct? Don't worry about the age of the crowd. On these short winter cruises, the demographic is much younger than longer Celebrity cruises. However, you booked a 5 night cruise in the middle of March, which is smack dab in the middle of Spring Break season. Celebrity is probably one of the least likely cruise lines to have a bunch of Spring breakers on board, but it certainly is possible.

 

Personally, I think Constellation is a wonderful ship to cruise as a couple.

[usfgrad]

Thanks everyone for the kind words. Yes it is a five night key west and Mexico. It is too late now to change, so I will go and enjoy it! I just needed talking off a ledge. I got nervous when I saw the negative reviews. I think it being spring break will help liven things up a bit. And this is my first time on Celebrity. Disney is our favorite (we have three kids and like the nicer ships, done Disney every year for past 7) I have been on a few Carnival without kids with friends and had fun, just wanted to step up a notch for our anniversary but still have fun. I have done NCL and was not impressed at all.

[ozarkmama]

We have never sailed on the Constellation but we loved the Summit so much last year that we are booked again for next year for our 30th anniversary. We loved the food, loved the fact that it was more "upscale" than Carnival which was our only other experience.

 

I have learned to read the reviews with an open mind. There will always be someone somewhere who was unhappy, didn't like the food, etc. Have fun, relax, and enjoy your cruise.

[crystalspin]

USFGRAD

 

Before our last two cruises, I read negative reviews on the ships. Then while on the ships, I couldn't find any of the faults that had been named! Maybe they were really on some other ship??? So what you need to do, is go and have a great time and then come back and write a positive review so that others won't have to be freaked out by the negatives!

[marco]

You're right, it will be AWFUL!!!!! Send me your tickets and we'll go in your place!

[Lerin]

Keep in mind that people are much more likely to post about things they hate rather than things they love.

[cruisingmimi]

U will enjoy it, trust us! All a matter of mind over matter. LOL U will love seeing Key West also. We docked there on another cruise and loved seeing Mallory Square and all the quaintness of Key West. Go find Jimmy Buffet! LOL Have a margarita too.

 

Yes, do come back and tell us how much you loved that cruise and pooh pooh to all those negative people. :-) I would book another Constellation cruise in a heartbeat!

 

Happy Anniversary!

 

Mary

[Leni]

I was reading through this thread with interest as I enjoy reading about cruise questions. People are always encouraging on CC but I especially loved the responses of cruisingmimi.

You were so thoughtful and encouraging with such an optimistic attitude. That was great advice and very reassuring and it made me feel better reading it!

[GUT2407]

Food is totally subjective, so don't worry about that, I found it OK don't expect great food on any of the major lines think wedding or conference food good not great.

 

At 48 and 39 you'll be pretty much spot in the age range of most Celebrity cruises.

 

Reviews are seldom a good guide to what a cruise is really like, what I do is is ignore the real bad and the overly positive, read about 20 of the middle of the readers and you'll get a good feel. Or better yet don't read them at all.

 

You can go on a cruise and read a review and wonder if it was the same cruise you were on.

[FTLcruisers]

Don't worry about other people's reviews - you really don't know where they are coming from - are they frequent cruisers or first timers; what part of the country are they from - or are they international travelers; are they loyal to one cruise line and just decided to try the Connie - all of these factors and more can influence how they felt about the cruise.

 

We sailed on the MSC Divina in October and read mostly negative reviews - well we couldn't have loved it more. So much so that we are going on their grand voyage (20 nights) at the end of April.

 

We have done more than 20 cruises on Celebrity and have sailed on the Connie twice. We always enjoy our cruises - after all, we're on vacation, meeting great people and visiting interesting ports. Go and enjoy!

 

Marianne

[gek]

If you think the Constellation is bad your should see the Millennium. We were on it last October and had a wonderful time but we must have been mistaken because all the reviews are terrible.

[GUT2407]

If you think the Constellation is bad your should see the Millennium. We were on it last October and had a wonderful time but we must have been mistaken because all the reviews are terrible.

 

 

We were on Century just before Christmas and reading some reviews you'd have thought she was falling apart, now there were a few things that needed a little attention, but I've been on ships a quarter her age that needed more TLC.

 

In fact if she wasn't being sold she'd be close to our number 1.

[Flatbush Flyer]

My husband (48) and I (39) are booked on Celebrity Constellation in a week for a kid free 15 wedding anniversary vacation. I am so worried now reading new reviews that it is going to be awful. Tons of older people and nothing to do with terrible food! Is it really that bad? I thought that it was a bit upscale is why I booked. I didn't want spring break college kids (carnival) or a bunch of kids (Disney and RC) I hate NCL and a bunch of seniors (Holland), so I went with celebrity, but now I am really worried! Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

 

 

I always chuckle when someone mentions that they've got GAS (geezer avoidance syndrome).

 

I've spent a chunk of my professional life at sea. On one Pacific crossing, a series of circumstances, including outrunning a typhoon, found us on Saipan during a memorial celebration remembering the battle of Tinian and Saipan. At one particular event, I ended up seated next to a bunch of REALLY old geezers. As it turned out, one was a guy named Paul Tibbits (pilot of the Enola Gay) and the other was one of the last living Navajo Code Talkers (forgot his name but it might have been Chester Nez (he was the last one to pass away).

Yeah - those conversations were real yawners....

[BridgeMates]

I always chuckle when someone mentions that they've got GAS (geezer avoidance syndrome).

 

I've spent a chunk of my professional life at sea. On one Pacific crossing, a series of circumstances, including outrunning a typhoon, found us on Saipan during a memorial celebration remembering the battle of Tinian and Saipan. At one particular event, I ended up seated next to a bunch of REALLY old geezers. As it turned out, one was a guy named Paul Tibbits (pilot of the Enola Gay) and the other was one of the last living Navajo Code Talkers (forgot his name but it might have been Chester Nez (he was the last one to pass away).

Yeah - those conversations were real yawners....

 

Love it! I've run into so many interesting people while cruising. Wouldn't happen here at home in my own little world.

[usfgrad]

I always chuckle when someone mentions that they've got GAS (geezer avoidance syndrome).

 

I've spent a chunk of my professional life at sea. On one Pacific crossing, a series of circumstances, including outrunning a typhoon, found us on Saipan during a memorial celebration remembering the battle of Tinian and Saipan. At one particular event, I ended up seated next to a bunch of REALLY old geezers. As it turned out, one was a guy named Paul Tibbits (pilot of the Enola Gay) and the other was one of the last living Navajo Code Talkers (forgot his name but it might have been Chester Nez (he was the last one to pass away).

Yeah - those conversations were real yawners....

 

I always chuckle when people feel the unnecessary need to be condecending and supercilious. So many people on here have been kind and friendly. I am happy for you and your lovely conversations. My question was for peoples experiences on the particular ship that I am booked on. I was not targeting "geezers", if you notice I mentioned college kids (I used to be one, and still love to tie one on and act inappropriately at times) I mentioned young children (I have three and love them dearly) I also mentioned older people (I will be one one day and cherished my time with my grandparents) I also mentioned food (do I also have "FAS") That being said, it doesn't mean that I want to spend my first alone couple vacation in 14 years with any of those groups, or on a ship that caters predominantly to any of those groups. I want a ship that caters to my demographic and that is what I was asking about....others experiences on that ship and what it was like.

[cruisingmimi]

Hi Leni, thanks for your kind words. When we first started cruising, I would look at the negative reviews about particular ships and wonder what to expect. Now I don't pay attention to those but go w/ an open mind and to have a great time. You can't please everyone and some people are born with negative and complaining attitudes! Yes, we've been on ships w/ the food not up to par but as I stated you can always find something to eat and won't get off the ship starving! LOL

 

I love how many wonderful people we meet on cruises and still have maintained ties w/ lots of them. One of my favorite things is being here on CC pre-cruise and finding out what others will be doing in the ports, getting info from others about the ship, planning get-togethers on the ship, etc. My family laugh at me because I "meet" so many people before we even get on the ship. That's the great thing about cruising and you can be as busy or involved as you want to be or sit back and do nothing. I pay no attention to negative stuff any more, just happy we can cruise! Hope all the positives you have received will make you feel better about the Connie. Do let us know what you thought when you get back! Enjoy your very special time with that DH!

[jbinbi]

. Celebrity is probably one of the least likely cruise lines to have a bunch of Spring breakers on board, but it certainly is possible.

 

Personally, I think Constellation is a wonderful ship to cruise as a couple.

 

Just got off this cruise, and it was me who posted about it in another thread. I am mid 50s.

 

Between 25 to 33% of the cruise was spring break, a large contingent from UCF. I was very surprised to find this, it was an annoyance.

 

I think next week will be better as the UCF people just drive in droves, it becomes harder when you have fly 100s of people. But $500 for 5 nights with all you can drink is pretty great deal if you are a college student.

 

Bottom line: we still had a nice time, the weather was great, 1000x better than the northeast where we left from, the excursions we did were good, the food was good, the shows were good.

 

Sure, it would have been nicer if the bar in the stern wasn't 3 deep with kids doing shots and dropping f bombs every other word, but I could certainly deal with it. You will have a good time.

[cruisingmimi]

jbinbi, good you reported your experience and that you made the best of an unpleasant experience. And you were away from all that white stuff and cold. Wish I could have escaped it! LOL

 

I remember back many years ago that my DH & I decided to book an April cruise on Carnival because we loved the itinerary. The ship was going to cruise up the Mississippi River and dock New Orleans! We were so excited to think we would cruise that river! It was a spring break cruise for all the northeast states and there were at least 800+ school age kids running rampant on the ship. I laugh now but it was not a fun experience then. Everyone was complaining because the kids were running all over the ship unsupervised. We had a very young child of about 6 in the elevator with us and asked where she was going and she said just riding up and down the elevator. No parents in sight. Another child was sliding down the hallway bannisters, other kids were knocking on cabin doors. So needless to say we have learned to go with the flow. All in all, we had a great cruise up that Mississippi and walking up Bourbon St. watching all the interesting sights!

 

So have a great cruise!

Edited March 13, 2015 by cruisingmimi

[Anita Latte]

The funny thing about cruising is that you just never know who will be on the ship with you. Speculate all you want and try to plan...but in the end...it is what it is.

 

We sailed Connie in April 2014. Fabulous. We had a wonderful time on her. Easy ship to get around on...easy ship to get to know. We quickly felt at home and had a handle on our options, which was lovely for feeling like we could jump right into vacation mode with the 5-day cruise.

 

Our favorite spot ended up being the Cafe Bacio. We enjoyed our morning lattes there and we also really enjoyed the coffee cocktails in the evening. Sometimes we had an afternoon latte! The chairs were comfy and the ladies that served there really took care of us. They knew our names, what we liked to drink, and in general, made us feel right at home.

 

The music on board was really good. Loved the guitar player that would play the Summit Bar and also Cafe Bacio. Another band would sometimes play poolside in the afternoon and they were very fun. Zumba was still poolside for that sailing, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Of course, all the entertainment will have changed but still...

 

I don't recall participating in many ship planned activities...we were traveling with extended family though, DS actually knew someone from his school on board...and we would merge and diverge through the sea days and usually attended the evening entertainments, which were generally just that, entertaining.

 

We found the food on board to be tasty. I loved the Eggs Benedict station at the buffet in the morning. For lunch, there was usually a yummy prepared salad and the fresh Ceasar hit the spot for me. Most dinners were in the MDR.

 

We ate one night at Tuscan Grille, which was AMAZINGLY good. We had a very fun night that night because we had the beverage package and we decided to create our own wine pairing meal that night. We gave the sommelier carte blanche to choose for us based on input regarding what we had each ordered, our general preference (i.e dry, fruity), and our beverage plan limit...and she was so excited to do her job! She was so happy to pick our wine for us. OMG...such fun.

 

We also were feeling decided casual one night...DS had been enjoying the sushi, so we were poolside from the buffet one evening...and I saw the wonderful curry option...and then, it just turned out that we ate our dinner poolside that night, served ourselves in a quiet area...which had cleared out a bit at this odd time. It was lovely to just have this family time in the evening without any service interruption.

 

We had a great time!

 

I think if you are able to focus on your own company...enjoy your time together...and basically let the rest of the world do what it wants while you pursue what you want, you will cross paths with others of like mind and find yourself having an amazing vacation in the midst of WHATEVER is going on around you.

[Velvetwater]

Try not to judge a book by its cover, and believe on 10% of what you hear.

 

All the cruise lines you made sweeping judgements about I have heard numerous reports to suggest otherwise. I can especially account for Carnival being nothing like you describe in my experience. Upscale lines are Crystal,Cunard, Regent et al in my view.

 

If you board a ship with negativity it will effect your trip, if you board with optimism then it is likely things will be good.

 

Cest la vie!

[boating girl]

Don't worry about age. Worked many years as an RN and, found there are old 40 y.o.'s and young 80 y.o.'s. On our first cruise on HAL, our dinner partners were 50 years our seniors. They were interesting and delightful. Have never forgotten them.