First time I've tried this: sort of a cruise blog aboard Celbrity Constellation

[jbuch02]

The cruise is Constellation, 5n Western Caribbean out of Fort Lauderdale. This is our 28th Celebrity cruise out of 35 cruises. Other lines include Oceania, Royal Caribbean, MSC, NCL and Carnival. Obviously we feel at home aboard Celebrity and continue to come back.

 

Day 1: The airport in Fort Lauderdale is very close to Port Everglades and an easy cab ride. Taxis are to the left after you pick up your bags. There can be a wait but it's quick. About $18, metered, there is a $3 fee for entering the port that is part of your fare. Alternatively, you can arrange transport from the cruise line. We've always avoided this. It is usually more than a cab ride and you have to wait for a full load. Who wants to do that!

 

The terminal at Port Everglades where we processed to board Constellation has been remodeled since the last time we departed from here maybe 2 years ago. The updated terminal is about a year old. You'll be dropped off curb side and a porter will meet you and take the bags you want checked and sent to your cabin. If you have luggage tags already, great. If you don't, no problem, the porter has plenty. Just show your Express Pass (the one you did not forget to print out before leaving home). I don't request luggage tags in advance anymore. I just print them out from the on line check in process. I handed these to the porter and he folded and stapled them to our bags. Easy. Tip these guys. They are port employees and union members. Follow the signage to enter the terminal.

 

Inside the terminal, getting through Security and checking in to board is quick and easy. For years, I have carried a packet that I wear around my neck and that hangs in front of me. This is where I put pass ports and tickets. Easy access so I'm not fumbling around locating and getting out what I need. Overall, I find Port Everglades to be well organized for cruise passengers and easy to negotiate the boarding process.

 

Constellation: First impression. An M or Millennium Class ship, Constellation is the newest of the 4 M class ships and was launched in 2002. It was the first M class ship to be solticized in 2010. We've cruised on all the M class ships except this one at least twice. Constellation has darker tones when entering the Grand Foyer. It feels a bit more nautical to me. I like it. A quick walk around the ship showed little wear and tear, spotlessly clean public areas and the ship is easy to navigate and find your way around. The layout on all the M class ships is the same.

 

Tips: Board as lightly as you can, I.e., check as many bags as you are comfortable with. You can board early, usually around 10:30 - 11:00am but your cabin won't be ready till around 1p and that assumes there was no Norovirus outbreak on the cruise before yours that precipitates additional sanitation procedures.

 

If you board early, as soon as you board, take the stairs to deck 4 and walk all the way aft to the MDR. Take th elevator there to deck 10 which exits in the middle of the Ocean Cafe (buffet). You avoid all the traffic milling about in the foyer, not knowing where to go or what to do. You'll beat the crowds. By noon, the buffet will be mobbed. We like to sit outside on the aft deck. There is an awning that you can sit under if the sun is hot and if you board early, few people have made there way up to the aft bar and taken these. Then, have at the buffet. We're biased but we find Celebrity buffets excellent with copious choices beautifully displayed. It is particularly appealing when you are early and few have touched it yet. Walk all around once to see what is available and is appealing to you. Lots of choices.

 

Alternatively, walk up stairs amidships and locate Bistro on Five on deck 5. There's a service charge to dine there but it's quiet and if you want table service this is the only place to find it on day one during the boarding process. Bistro on Five is being re-purposed in the future but for now, it's still operating as a meal crepe and salad spot. We like it and will be sad to see it go although while it is moving to a Sushi menus, it will still have crepes and salads.

 

Bar service starts early. I didn't find anyone pushing upgrades to the Classic Beverage package to the Premium one as has been reported. I did hear wait staff asking but nothing pushy at all. Nothing pushy from specialty restaurant folks either although they asked. We booked the Ocean Liner Restaurant at a 20% discount on the first night. This is a common offering. We don't dine in the specialty restaurants unless there is a discount even though we love the service and the food. Always great. But, it has gotten too expensive at $50-75 up charge.

 

Cabins: we have started booking OV cabins because I feel it is the best value. This is a very personal choice but on this cruise not only was the cabin fare discounted inside final payment date but we got two perks from the good better best plan instead of the standard one. We were in Cabin 3035 on deck 3. Same as the deck that houses Guest Services and everything else. We book far enough forward to avoid the foot traffic on this deck. There's plenty of space, the cabin was spotless, there's a nice shelf adjacent to the port hole (a big one) where we put a lot of stuff. We bring quite a bit of clothing because we like to dress up. There is never a problem storing all of it but we have gotten pretty good with using all the nooks and crannies in the cabins.

 

Off to the muster drill. More tomorrow which will include a review of Ocean Liner Specialty Restaurant. I may try something new like the Dover Sole. Reportedly excellent.

Edited March 5, 2016 by jbuch02

[FlorenceItaly]

Thank you so much for posting!!! I will be boarding the Constellation next month for the 13 night Transatlantic. This will be my third sailing on her. The most recent one was in December. I am excited you have decided to do a LIVE POST. Wishing you a fabulous cruise. We will also be on Deck 3, but, in 3112.

 

 

 

Marie

[jbuch02]

Back from muster drill and just a short comment about the OV Cabins and crowd. Compared to the darker woods and beige tones of the public areas and Grand Foyer, which is beautifully tasteful as are all the Celebrity ships, the cabin is light and airy. Cream shades predominate with light wood. I don't see anything that approaches the kind of wear and tear you might expect from a 14 year old ship that has been rehabbed a couple of times, one major in 2010. Carpets, furniture and bedding all fine.

 

Ok, around the country, it's spring break. There are some 20ish youngsters aboard. More than we've ever seen before. Interestingly there have been three announcements since we have been aboard that the legal drinking age aboard is 21. You'll need to carry a driver's license with you to prove your age. Don't get offended if you are carded. Also emphasized has been appropriate behavior and that there is policy on it and it will be strictly enforced. So far so good. Have seen a couple of shirtless youngsters who, when they entered inside public areas, were told to put their shirts on. By staff or security personnel. It's also a younger crowd overall. There's a smattering of older folks like us, we're both 70, but many more younger ones which is typical for shorter cruises. We don't mind at all. Well socialize with anyone who wants to start a conversation or respond to us when we start one.

[FlorenceItaly]

Back from muster drill and just a short comment about the OV Cabins and crowd. Compared to the darker woods and beige tones of the public areas and Grand Foyer, which is beautifully tasteful as are all the Celebrity ships, the cabin is light and airy. Cream shades predominate with light wood. I don't see anything that approaches the kind of wear and tear you might expect from a 14 year old ship that has been rehabbed a couple of times, one major in 2010. Carpets, furniture and bedding all fine.

 

Ok, around the country, it's spring break. There are some 20ish youngsters aboard. More than we've ever seen before. Interestingly there have been three announcements since we have been aboard that the legal drinking age aboard is 21. You'll need to carry a driver's license with you to prove your age. Don't get offended if you are carded. Also emphasized has been appropriate behavior and that there is policy on it and it will be strictly enforced. So far so good. Have seen a couple of shirtless youngsters who, when they entered inside public areas, were told to put their shirts on. By staff or security personnel. It's also a younger crowd overall. There's a smattering of older folks like us, we're both 70, but many more younger ones which is typical for shorter cruises. We don't mind at all. Well socialize with anyone who wants to start a conversation or respond to us when we start one.

 

I don't remember the exact date, but, apparently last year in March there was a Spring Break cruise from H****. They are probably trying to prevent the same scenario. We were on the March 21, 2015 cruise, and had no problems at all. If you happen to notice, I am very interested in the LIVE music offered in the different venues. I will be anxious to hear your thoughts. Also, if you have an opportunity to chat with them, can you find out how long they will be on the ship? Who is the CD? I really appreciate you posting LIVE. Hey, you should think about the TA? The prices are GREAT!

 

 

Marie

Edited March 5, 2016 by FlorenceItaly

[cruiz10525]

Thanks for this post. We are on the March 14th 5 nighter. We were on Constellation in January (2016) and loved it, so jumped at chance to join friends who have not cruised much as they do their first Celebrity cruise.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ROYALBOY]

We watched the Connie leaving Ft Lauderdale on the cruise cam today. We are sailing on the 28th... And getting excited

[FlorenceItaly]

We watched the Connie leaving Ft Lauderdale on the cruise cam today. We are sailing on the 28th... And getting excited

 

My hope is to add your sailing before my TA on April 2. I am watching the prices, but, I am not sure it is going to work out for us. They will have to drop a lot.

[RosieCanberra]

Thanks for the tips so far. I am on a B2B next month, really looking forward to my first Connie cruise.

Cheers

Rosie

[Jobeth66]

I don't remember the exact date, but, apparently last year in March there was a Spring Break cruise from H****. They are probably trying to prevent the same scenario. We were on the March 21, 2015 cruise, and had no problems at all. If you happen to notice, I am very interested in the LIVE music offered in the different venues. I will be anxious to hear your thoughts. Also, if you have an opportunity to chat with them, can you find out how long they will be on the ship? Who is the CD? I really appreciate you posting LIVE. Hey, you should think about the TA? The prices are GREAT!

 

 

Marie

 

We were on the 2/6 sailing of the Connie - the house band we found to be horrible (though if you like the Beatles you might be OK, every other song was a Beatles song). Oceans 5 I think they were called?

 

In the Rendezvous lounge is a group called Four Elements - Latin/jazz quartet. THEY were amazing - we went to every single set they did on our cruise, so we saw them 17 or so times. (they had 1 night off during our 10-nighter, and that's when we were subjected to Oceans 5), and they never disappointed. Tip for Rendezvous, sit on the stage right side of the room if you're going to an early set, the stage left side fills up around 7:45ish with people lined up for late dining.

[FlorenceItaly]

We were on the 2/6 sailing of the Connie - the house band we found to be horrible (though if you like the Beatles you might be OK, every other song was a Beatles song). Oceans 5 I think they were called?

 

In the Rendezvous lounge is a group called Four Elements - Latin/jazz quartet. THEY were amazing - we went to every single set they did on our cruise, so we saw them 17 or so times. (they had 1 night off during our 10-nighter, and that's when we were subjected to Oceans 5), and they never disappointed. Tip for Rendezvous, sit on the stage right side of the room if you're going to an early set, the stage left side fills up around 7:45ish with people lined up for late dining.

 

Not a fan of the Beatles(shocking, I know, lol). It sounds like we would really enjoy Four Elements. I hope they will still be on board. Perhaps OP can find out for me. Thanks for the tip on where to sit!

 

 

Marie

[stazerd]

will be reading for your impressions of the ship, sailing at the end of the month!

[KKB]

We were on Connie this week the last 2 years. 1/2 spring breakers 1st yr, 2/3 last year. Well controlled 2 years ago; not as much last year. From your comments it sounds like they r running things more like 2 years ago again & that's good. Personally the only issue we had was the 3am party in the next room the last night. But a call to security quieted things down quickly. But I heard other stories!

Enjoy!!

[RickT]

On the Connie in two weeks, looking forward to your blog and hopefully updates on:

-Ship Music, any changes from what Jobeth mentioned? Any guitar player?

-Who is the captain's club host?

-Where is the Elite cocktail party being held

 

Oh, and don't drink all my red wine! :p

[jules815]

We watched you sail away yesterday from the webcam. I'll be boarding Connie on the 14th with my daughter who is a senior at Southern Illinois University. There are two or three weeks that are usually busy with college spring breakers; this week and next week for sure. We we sailed this time last year on Liberty of the Seas, and it really wasn't that bad.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[torgotom]

This is great! Is it possible to post pictures of the daily schedules?

[vtcruising]

Just got off the Connie yesterday after a B2B. Had a great time! The ship is beautiful and the staff attentive and personable.

 

Some of the staff were talking about Spring Break - said there were a lot of teens on the March 5th cruise. They were a bit nervous because of what happened last year, but they will be better-prepared, according to one person. Security will be increased for March and they will have a bigger presence so they are hoping they won't have the problems they had on that one cruise last year.

[Fouremco]

Thanks for the post. I'm looking forward to the rest!

 

A quick question. You mention that the taxi is charging a $3 port entry fee. Is that something new? I don't recall having been charge anything in the past or having read that the port has imposed this fee. Just curious. :)

[Keith1010]

Bon Voyage and look forward to following your posts.

 

Enjoy.

 

Keith

[jbuch02]

In key west today. This is a lovely and accessible port. Not here to review that though. First I'll try to answer questions posted here. The cruise director is Rich Clesen. I'm not familiar with him so, other than his first few announcements don't really know much about him.

 

On music about the ship. Don't have a feel for this yet but will check out performers. One thing I did notice when in Port Everglades was offloading a lot of what appeared to look like stage equipment of some sort. I suspect it was the Celebrity Orchestra, possibly the show cast swapping out. I'll inquire if this is a new group aboard. There was too much equipment for this to be a small group but it could have been several smaller groups. Anyway, I'll check it out.

 

On the $3 taxi charge in addition to the metered fare. Frankly, I can't remember if it is an airport or port charge. I don't remember it either from past cab rides. It's there now. If memory serves me, the fare used to be around $15. It's $18 now with that surcharge whatever it's for.

 

On the spring breakers. They're here but so far, generally good kids it seems. We've spoken with several of them. Very polite. We retired early, sometime around 10:30p after a long travel day so, we weren't around to see if the kids got wilder as the night went on. Did see the 21 year olds (or maybe younger with good fake ID) at the bars we passed by during the evening and they were having fun but all of them nicely dressed. Did not see youngsters at the Martini bar from 7-8p. We did ask one group of 4 young men we had a short and casual chat with if they had the drink package. They said, "no," I said good. They laughed. We'll see how it goes.

 

Ocean Liner specialty restaurant. $50pp up charge. We got 20% off for dining there the first night. There was a good crowd but it wasn't close to full. This is a stunning dining venue. Maybe the most visually appealing of the M class Specialty restaurants. Dark woods prevail. The ceiling is beautifully coffered and a cream color which blends nicely with the darker wood paneling on the walls. The lighting is just about perfect. Bright enough so you can see the menu, subdued enough to feel romantic. Elegant is an all encompassing single word for Ocean Liner.

 

The menu is the standard one for this style of Celebrity Specialty Restaurants. I am told that all the staff have, at some time during their time with Celebrity, been on both the wait and food preparation staff. The directors in the restaurant, and there are usually 4 of them that appear to be in charge, have achieved the level of chef. These are the ones who prepare your food table side if you have ordered one of those dishes. Everyone serving in these restaurants have that table side savoir faire that makes the speciality restaurants what they are and such a treat.

 

There are, if I recall, 6 appetizers, 6 main courses and 4 or 5 deserts. You will not find anything that is not beautifully displayed and served. Flavors are outstanding. At one time or another, we've tasted all of these dishes but we have our favorites. The Chateaubriand is excellent, so is the rack of lamb. My favorite is the Lobster that is prepared table side in a heavy cream sauce. Each chef has a slightly different take on it but there is a single theme.

 

I started with the scallops that are prepared in a Wellington style, lightly seared first then baked inside a pastry. Very nice. I also had a delicious spinach salad

 

I departed my usual pick for the main course and had the Dover Sole. I read somewhere that this is an excellent dish and I had never tried it with fish in general, not being one of Celebrity's home run hits. This was outstanding. Lightly crusted , in Dutch cuisine style, it was buttery and delicious. The fish is prepared whole with the head and tail removed. At the table side, it is deboned resulting in two large filets. Fabulous. For desert I had a coffee ice cream, topped with a Carmel sauce and a small chocolate ganache cake topped with shaved chocolate. This is not a huge plate. It is a small portion which makes it not overbearing to end the meal.

 

We were served wines by the glass from our beverage package. If you want a bottle, it is 20% off. Wine by the bottle is priced as you would expect for any upscale restaurant. If you have the beverage package, it makes no sense to purchase wines by the bottle unless you have a taste for something special that is not poured by the glass.

 

In my opinion, the up charge for the specialty restaurants have become too high. Attendance and use have dropped from my perspective and I believe that is because it is just too pricey for most cruisers. Corporate appears to be responding to this by homogenizing their up charge restaurants on the M class ships and eliminating what in my opinion was something varied by ship and very special. I'll be sad to see these elegant restaurants which were modeled after the various liners of another era disappear.

 

While they last, I'll go. Even though it's expensive I don't consider it terribly over priced for the delicious food and elegant service in comparison to some of the world's best first class restaurants.

 

More on the ship next time. As well, I'll try to find out more about the things that other posters have asked.

Edited March 6, 2016 by jbuch02

[FlorenceItaly]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! LOVING your review and how descriptive you are. Wishing you a wonderful cruise :).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marie

[vtcruising]

One thing I did notice when in Port Everglades was offloading a lot of what appeared to look like stage equipment of some sort. I suspect it was the Celebrity Orchestra, possibly the show cast swapping out. I'll inquire if this is a new group aboard. There was too much equipment for this to be a small group but it could have been several smaller groups. Anyway, I'll check it out.

 

 

 

I just got off from the Flower Power Cruise yesterday on Connie (a charter). Wonderful cruise with Guess Who, Blood Sweat and Tears, Jefferson Starship, Herman's Hermits, Grass Roots, to name a few. That ship was rockin'! They brought in a ton a equipment with them so that is what you likely saw.

[jewliana]

Thank you So much for your very thorough and interesting review! We will be boarding Connie in a few weeks so we are thankful for an updated review like yours!! Happy Cruising!!

[stazerd]

Looks like several of us reading your blog experience are on the March 28th sailing!

[jbuch02]

A quick comment about Key West. Get up early and if it's a clear day, this is a beautiful approach to be watched from deck 11 while you get a nice sunrise walk in. It's breezy and cool out of the sun. The day started out in the low 60s and the high was 72. It's hot in the sun. Nice. Pack a sweatshirt or light jacket. It remained cool but bright and sunny all day. I'd follow the NOAA web site for weather forecasts and watch the weather closely right up to the day you leave home. The Keys can be cool and blustery this time of year; it can also be summer time hot. The weather changes rapidly and it is a difficult area to forecast. You may want to quick change what kind of clothing your going to pack based on the weather forecast 24-48h out.

 

Passengers on this cruise did not rush to the exits once docked around 8a. Lots of folks stayed aboard and then got off the ship around 10-11a. Ship was pretty empty by 1. We've been to Key West many times via cruise ship and by car. So we didn't head off until after lunch. As I said earlier, you dock right down town and a full range of shops, restaurants and bars are within easy walking distance. If you've never been to Key West, there are some historical sites worth seeing. The Truman Annex and Museum is one of them. There is a lot to do beyond shopping. My recommendation is that you take some time at the various web sites good for such things to determine what it is you want to do.

 

In the last 10 months, we've cruised aboard 3 of the 4 M class ships. Summit is the missing ship and we'll cruise the third time aboard her in June to Bermuda. Constellation, among Infinity and Millennium, seems to me to be just a step above the others so far. The ship is immaculate. Walking around early this morning before most cruisers were up and about, I couldn't find anything amiss. Decks were spotless, everything in its place and given we've got a number of spring breakers aboard, there wasn't a single empty glass, dirty plate or beer bottle discarded haphazardly anywhere. When we debarked today and looked back at the ship, it just appears to be very well cared for.

 

I read somewhere that Constellation is the highest rated cruise ship in the Celebrity fleet. I seem to remember this comes from the on line guest questionairs. I can't remember where I read that but, so far, it HAS been a step above the others we've been aboard in the last 18 months and that includes Eclipse and Equinox, both S class ships. Hearing plenty of comments in various cruise reviews about declining service, cost cutting, dropped ammenities and decreased staffing numbers on the Celebrity line, I don't see or feel any of those things so far. I think last night's dinner had something to do with this view. We'll dine in the MDR tonight and I'll review that tomorrow. I'll revisit this assessment after I'm home. Also, I won't be posting any pictures from aboard. To do this properly requires more bandwidth and time than is available and that I'm willing to spend. I'll try to do a follow-up review back home with pictures.

Edited March 6, 2016 by jbuch02

[ChucktownSteve]

Thank you for your live review. We disembarked our 9 night on 2/25. We found that the crew was the best we've experienced. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming.

 

My favorite though, if I had to pick one, is the Senior Bartender at the Sunset Bar, Nenad. He certainly knows how to service the entire bar in order of those stepping up regardless of what he's doing. If you see him, say hi from the double Johnny Black on the rocks guy from three weeks ago. :D

 

We also enjoyed the Four Elements who I believe are from Poland. We had an acoustic guitarist in Cafe al Bacio and the Oceans Five was ok. The house band that played the theater was very good.

 

I hope you have a most enjoyable cruise and look forward to more of your reports. Thank you.