Currently on Constellation 5-19 February 2017

[tfg]

Hi

Really enjoying your review ,we are on connie after the refit with our 10 yr old daughter so would love to hear anything about the kids club if you get a chance ,thanks also do you know if it is true about losing ocean liners to qsine after the refit.

[easyboy]

Very nice photos!

[Swarzet34]

Thanks for the photos and description of your stop at Phu My.

 

Can I ask about the visa for Vietnam - was that completed on the ship?

 

Thanks again.

[bertrande]

Hi

Really enjoying your review ,we are on connie after the refit with our 10 yr old daughter so would love to hear anything about the kids club if you get a chance ,thanks also do you know if it is true about losing ocean liners to qsine after the refit.

 

 

There are very few kids on the cruise. Looking at the sign up sheets, there are about 3 ensigns (9-? Year old) who regularly sign in and 4-5 (including my DD) shipmates (3-8 year old) who are there. My DD likes it - she does lots of colouring (with paints and watercolours), beading, and even face painting. The day sessions seem well-attended; the night sessions tend to be super quiet and DD has indicated she doesn't want to go for the night sessions anymore after a few consecutive nights being the Lone Ranger. I think it has a relaxed laid back vibe compared to Adventure Ocean which tends to be more rowdy. I have a feeling my DD actually prefers the Fun Factory program although she hasn't actually articulated it.

 

Yes, we understand it is currently on the cards to replace OL with Qsine, much to our and even the crew's dismay. We have booked to go OL thrice this cruise and will see if we love it as much as you guys!

 

Very nice photos!

 

 

Thank you!

 

Can I ask about the visa for Vietnam - was that completed on the ship?

 

 

We did not need visas as my group are all from visa exempt countries. However, there was something about it in one of the past Celebrity Today issues. Will pull it up when we get back to the ship.

 

 

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[bertrande]

Day 4: Sea Day

 

Woke bright and early and headed to the gym for the complimentary abs class. The gym was already filled with people - one thing I have noticed is that this cruise has many "gym rats", and serious ones too. Lol. The abs class was way more strenuous than I expected so I decided to skip the Pilates class that immediately followed. Did some running instead and then attended Dr Bill Collins' second presentation, this time on Danang and Hue. The turn out was even better than the first, with many repeat guests. We also found Prof Alan Fishman's presentation very interesting.

 

We had lunch at Luminae. Menu looked like this:

I had the burrata salad, mushroom risotto and shared the burger with DH. For dessert, we opted for the chocolate fondant cake. The presentation of each dish was excellent and they were all tasty.

 

Luminae in the day:

 

Food pics (burrata salad, risotto, burger and dessert):

 

It was such a filling lunch that I decided to take my first spinning class - let's just say this was seriously challenging LOL. Well, at least I survived!!

 

They day passed very quickly and it was soon time to prepare for our first Evening Chic night!

 

TBC...

 

 

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[bertrande]

Menus for Evening Chic:

 

Blu

Luminae

MDR

 

The menu looked so good yesterday I had a real hard time deciding! In the end, I ordered two appetisers and two mains, one from each section of the Luminae and MDR menus. Food was uniformly good and there was no room for desserts.

 

In clockwise direction starting from the top right corner, amuse bouche, Maine lobster salad, chilled pear soup, Colorado rack of lamb and cote de boeuf.

 

DH had very bad sea sickness tonight and we skipped the shows. I had to go to OV to get some green apples for him - the apples looked green but didn't taste sour so we are not sure what they were. I guess DH's propensity to sea sickness is a factor in considering whether to take an aft suite on future cruises. I have an S1

Aft booked for 2018 on the Reflection and I'm a little apprehensive now.

 

The next day would be an early start as we dock in Chan May, our second port in Vietnam.

 

 

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[bertrande]

Deleted

Edited February 10, 2017 by bertrande
Duplicate post

[bertrande]

Day 5: Chan May

 

Waking up to an overcast morning, we got off the ship and met our guide. We took a private excursion to Hue and it was lovely, although the weather was not kind and poured buckets at Hue (Chan May seemingly remained dry the entire day).

 

It was a comfortable 1.5 hours' drive to Hue and our first stop was the 400-year old Thien Mu pagoda.

 

We were told it was built, together with the temple, upon a vision or a dream. Ornate and grand, it was typical of the architecture dotting Hue, which exuded an old school, classic beauty.

 

Our next activity was taking a leisurely dragon boat ride along the Perfume river. We enjoyed the ride and seeing the juxtaposition between modern infrastructure and ancient architecture.

 

We thought this was cute:

 

We then proceeded to the citadel and the imperial palace, where the weather truly turned.

 

The grounds were large and expansive with many photo opportunities. The flowers which were there due to Tet (the lunar new year) were gloriously colourful and uplifting.

 

There was a short explanatory documentary on the layout of the palace with English subtitles and it was very informative. I found it most interesting that the language in which the walls were decorated and edicts were made was Mandarin. The walls are adorned with mandarin poetry which are comprehensible for modern speakers of the language.

 

As the rain poured, we did not have the opportunity to as many photos as we liked and after a short wander around the grounds and a visit to the ancestral place of worship, we made our way (more like trudged) back to the van.

 

 

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[Beanb41]

We then passed Long Tan Cross:

 

A house that was built by the charity:

 

And finally stopped by the Australian memorial. 18 Australian soldiers died during that short but important battle. Our guide recited the oath to the accompaniment of a brief but stirring piece of music.

 

We then headed back to Ba Ria to a restaurant called Saigon OK for lunch. It was simple hearty fare - the seafood fried rice and pork ribs were particularly good.

 

We then headed back to the ship. You can see her here in the distance, just after we passed entrance gate of the port.

 

 

 

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Long Tan holds a sacred place in the memory of both Australian and New Zealand Viet Nam vets. It is remembered in both our countries each year. Lest we forget

[bsg_19]

Thourghly enjoying your report! Our group is on the very next Connie voyage so this is very informative. Really appreciate your dining reports and menu photos! Wish our port itineraries were the same but we take a different route. I have 2 curiosities:

 

1. Can you tell me about the various singers and bands on board?

2. Could you photo a "beer & wine selection" menu?

 

Thank you so much

[bertrande]

1. Can you tell me about the various singers and bands on board?

 

2. Could you photo a "beer & wine selection" menu?

 

 

There is Jonny Mantra (guitar/vocals), Joe & Liv (Irish acoustic duo), Soulstice (Jazz band), and Sea Breeze (classical duo) as far as I know. Will try to take a photo of the alcohol menu at Luminae tonight!

 

 

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[bertrande]

Had a patch of bad internet so wasn't able to complete the Hue review. Here goes...first up, a picture of us trudging back to the bus:

 

We then proceeded to lunch at Tropical Garden (tourist restaurant with typical Vietnamese standards, not bad but not fantastic) before heading to the magnificent tomb of the 12th emperor of the Nguyen dynasty - Khai Dinh. With imported materials from Japan, the attention to detail was impeccable and we all thought it well worth a visit.

 

Something looks out of place here LOL

 

Our short sojourn to Hue thus ended, we returned to the ship in good time for dinner. I would add that there was a woman with a donation box placed somewhere before we boarded the ship, and she was soliciting for donations for some children's charity in a most unpleasant and aggressive manner. We felt it was very dubious and walked on but I felt bad that some unsuspecting passengers literally had their change wrenched out of their hands with "you give me this, I can put two kids in high school". It really wasn't too pleasant.

 

 

 

 

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[bertrande]

We were nicely surprised upon returning to our cabin - our butler had very thoughtfully left behind a tray of goodies.

 

We were in Ocean Liners but here are the three menus as usual:

 

The service in OL was superlative, although the food was a mixed bag. We found the lobster bisque far too salty (and did give feedback on it) and the accompanying cognac cream did little to change the taste. The diver's scallops were OK. The lobster was very good, as were the desserts. On the whole, I much preferred the food in Murano on the Solstice in 2014. The service however could not be faulted. We were also told that the front part of the restaurant would be converted to extra staterooms (!) with Qsine occupying the back half of the restaurant. Below is a picture of what we had:

 

We were all tired from the long day and skipped the shows, going to bed very shortly after dinner and very much looking forward to the sea day which awaited.

 

 

 

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Edited February 12, 2017 by bertrande
Uploading higher resolution pictures of the menus

[bertrande]

I forgot to add that we attended the adult-only version of Family Feud that night (so we didn't sleep quite as early as I thought). DH and I both thought Royal Caribbean ran its equivalent better but we enjoyed it nonetheless.

 

Day 6: Sea day

 

Very relaxing day today, just generally a day to chill. Did some time on the treadmill before dragging a very reluctant DH to a tango class. He grudgingly admitted that he had fun.

 

Here are the breakfast and lunch menus for Luminae and the lunch menu for the MDR:

 

I enjoyed a Zumba class in the afternoon before dinner. They are having this package where you sign up and pay for 5 classes and get the sixth free. Good motivation to keep fit (since you've prepaid the money anyway)!

 

Dinner menus follow.

 

Blu

 

Luminae

 

MDR

 

To be continued...

 

 

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[bertrande]

Dessert menu:

 

Food tonight was very good. From left to right of each row, prosciutto with melon, salmon sashimi done fusion style, amuse bouche, fennel soup, palate cleanser, barramundi and chocolate caramel custard.

 

The shows today were very good. There was a matinee featuring the previous night's guest artist (a violinist named Katerina Rossa) who performed a separate set. DH and DD enjoyed it tremendously. The evening shows featured the aerialists Jocka and Maria who enthralled the crowd with their blend of artistry, grace and athleticism. The crowd was equally generous with their applause and we left the theatre on a high. The next day was a stop in Hong Kong, which was eagerly anticipated by all.

 

 

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[bertrande]

Day 7: Hong Kong

 

After two dreary overcast days, the ship pulled into port with the sun shining on us. It was unexpectedly chilly but we would take that over rain and blustery winds any time!

 

After a morning indoor cycling class, we prepared to get off the ship.

 

First thing that everyone noticed was the Connie's sister:

 

As we are frequent visitors to Hong Kong, we had something different planned for today. While the inlaws went shopping, DH, DD and I caught a taxi all the way to the other side of the city to the Asia World Expo. Coincidentally, the Longines Masters Showjumping competition was taking place and as keen equestrians, we got ourselves tickets for the day session.

 

We thoroughly enjoyed watching world class showjumpers in action and also liked the show by Santi Serra the Spanish "horse whisperer" who worked with his horses and dogs without tack or bits. Some pictures follow. Apologies if this is not mainstream touring!

Prize presentation - winner was the current world no 1 combination so it was really a treat:

Santi Serra's show:

 

They had great (horse-related) shopping and also good activities for the kids, such as scavenger hunts, face painting etc. We liked how they managed to turn this rather eclectic event into a family friendly outing.

 

 

 

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[bertrande]

We then rushed to Causeway Bay to pick up some Chinese sausages from a famous store, tuck into a quick meal of tofu and soy bean curd, and grab my favourite mango drink from Hui Lau Shan, a mango dessert chain in Hong Kong:

 

Another mad rush using Uber to get to a mall that's near but not that near to the cruise terminal to pick up, of all things, dog kibble. The local distributor refuses to import the lean version of the product so we took the chance to get a couple of bags from HK. The uber driver was wonderful in agreeing to wait for us and then send us direct back to the ship. All aboard was 630pm and we arrived back at 6pm - the closest we have cut it thus far. It was a long walk back to the ship and I couldn't help snapping this picture of the setting sun along the way:

 

We had been invited to witness the set sail from the helipad and it was very pretty. The pearl of the orient looks so beautiful in the evening when the lights dot the city landscape. Set sail was delayed due to four missing passengers and my DD2 was getting cranky so we left before it actually happened. It was still a lovely experience; the crew handed out thick blankets and cups of wine and there were photographers around to capture the moments.

 

After a quick shower to refresh ourselves, it was time for dinner. Menus follow.

 

Blu

 

Luminae

 

MDR

 

 

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[bertrande]

I tasted the escargots (MDR), sea scallops, veal chop and chocolate soufflé. The veal chop came highly recommended but we thought the sea scallops were much better. Some of the food we had:

 

The show this evening was a production show titled the Land of Make Believe. It was very entertaining with high production values. It was a wonderful way to end a beautiful day. We retired to bed immediately after the show as we were all worn out by the day's activities.

 

 

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[mattjs]

Thank you bertrande for this live report! We are on the 5-March sailing of this itinerary. I appreciate your well written tips and beautiful photos!

[bertrande]

Day 8: Sea day

 

The rockiest day at sea by far had even the crew members talking about it. We had drawers thrown open by the swells and we all talked of the ship dancing without being drunk. I spent the morning in the forward section on Deck 10 (indoor cycling class followed by a facial) and all I can say is I am thankful seasickness hasn't affected me this voyage (might be jinxing myself there). We bumped into and spoke with the Staff Captain who said the swells should subside by mid afternoon and they did, although it turned slightly rocky again in the evening. He also said that the Constellation would feel movement more, being a smaller ship (bad news for DH).

 

Every passenger had to present himself in front of Philippines immigration and health authorities who had boarded in HK the day before. We were each issued this card which had to be filled in:

 

To encourage passengers to go early (the set time was between 1230-230pm), an announcement was made at 1245pm to say the process was going on "very well" and we should proceed to the lounge where it was being conducted. Unfortunately this led to utter mayhem and chaos as everyone seemingly decided to go up at the same time! There were snaking queues and queue cutters reared their ugly heads. DH left something in the lounge and went back up at about 215pm and said it was near empty. We will know better next time.

 

Luminae lunch menu:

 

We decided to eat at Sushi on Five instead. I miss Bistro on Five, the crepes were always excellent on both our previous cruises. I know they did the replacement as Bistro was not earning its keep but, on this cruise anyway, Sushi doesn't appear to be well-frequented. We have eaten here twice but every time we have walked past the venue, it has been near empty. The food is also uneven- the rolls are very good (especially the shrimp tempura and the sunset rolls - those are truly awesome), and the desserts are a must try. However, both times we have dined there, the sashimi has been hit and miss. In this aspect, it's a quality issue relating to freshness of the ingredients rather than food preparation. The service - well, I am biased as our favourite waiter is currently there so obviously we think it's stellar (which might explain why we still returned despite the uneven food the first time round!). We had him as our MDR waiter back on the Equinox and then saw him again (then at Blu) when we cruised Alaska on the Solstice. Imagine our delight and surprise to see him on this ship! Three out of three - maybe we should try our luck on the slots machine.

 

I had grand plans to take a bosu class this afternoon but that was scuppered due to baby sitting duties. I had been encouraging DH to play ping pong since the first day and he finally went today...and played for two hours LOL. So I took a nap with DD instead. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

 

We still haven't managed to get down to Michael's Club for the afternoon tea...it's really a hassle and bottom of our priorities. Our butler brought us a tray of sandwiches and pastries in the afternoon anyway so we wouldn't go hungry (like we would on a cruise!).

 

Tonight was the second Evening Chic night. Attire on this cruise has largely remained traditional. There was a sizeable number of men in bow ties and ladies in long dresses which was lovely to see. We were on RCL in December and saw people in gym shorts in the MDR on formal night which was a little surprising. Menus for tonight follow.

 

Blu

 

Luminae

 

MDR

 

Food tonight was delicious, especially the wonderful desserts. They left us truly stuffed. From left to right, chicken liver (amuse bouche), lobster, chateaubriand, Black Forest biscuit and Milk chocolate ice cream with Baileys. The best desserts on the cruise thus far.

 

Tonight's guest entertainer is a lady from the Philippines. Like many Filipinas, she's small with a huge voice, effortlessly belting out pop standards. The crowd warmed up to her and gave her an enthusiastic sending off after her final piece.

 

It's a long day tomorrow in Manila so I am signing off now. Many of the crew are so excited as they have family visiting them and it makes me happy to see them so happy. The crew has been wonderful and every one of them is an asset to Celebrity, serving with their heart and being such great ambassadors of the company.

 

 

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Edited February 12, 2017 by bertrande
Uploaded wrong menu

[bertrande]

Thank you bertrande for this live report! We are on the 5-March sailing of this itinerary. I appreciate your well written tips and beautiful photos!

 

 

Pleasure and thank you! You will love this ship - it's in great condition but the people are what makes it sparkle!

 

Two more pictures to end off the night. Desserts tempting passers-by at Cafe al Bacio tonight.

 

 

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[tcmagnum]

Bertrand....

 

Thank you so much for all the posts. They are making us very excited for our cruise in June on the Connie.

 

And I can not wait for all the desserts 🍨 🍧🍡🍢🍦🍰🎂🍮🍭🍪🍩🍫🍬!!!

 

Have a wonderful rest of your cruise.

 

Amy

[WS80]

Thanks you Bertrande for this live report. It's great to follow your trip. We'll board the Constellation on April 2 from Singapore to Abu Dhabi. Keep the stories and pictures coming :)

Do you know who the cruise director is?

[margob111]

Thank you for your trip report. We will be on the Constellation on May 2, different itinerary, Italy and Spain. Looking forward to it.

[rkaratsu]

Hi Betrande. Thank you so much for your posts and photos. We are doing this same itinerary starting March 5th and can hardly wait!

 

One question if you don't mind: I see you are posting Blu menus; as a suite guest, can you order from that menu (and have delivered to Luminae) or can you eat at that restaurant?

 

Thanks and enjoy the rest of your cruise!

 

RK