Is Celebrity Consellation as bad as reviews suggest? And has Celebrity gone downhill?

[TamarTiger]

I have booked a cruise on Celebrity Constellation for next February and was very excited about it but since paying my deposit I have read some very worrying reviews about both the ship and Celebrity as a cruise line.  May I ask the community on here for their opinions on both points please?  Is Constellation really so scruffy and worn out that it could spoil the cruise?  Bearing in mind that it still has more than 10 months of sailings before our cruise, I am concerned about the reviews that suggest it is bad.  I hadn't realised when I made the booking that the ship goes into refit immediately after our cruise.  Initially I wasn't so bothered because, again accidentally, we were in the same position with our very first cruise, on Eclipse. That was fine, in fact, more than fine because we've booked another Celebrity cruise on the strength of how much we enjoyed the first.  But then I started reading the reviews.  Not only are the majority of Constellation's reviews poor but the reviews for Celebrity don't reflect the cruise line I remember, in fact they are becoming quite scathing.  Would we really have to pay for classes and talks?   The web site makes no reference to extra charges for all the things that used to be included in the cruise price so I am worried.  I would really appreciate some advice from everyone on here on both the ship and the cruise line.  I'd rather lose a deposit than have a terrible cruise. 

Thank you

[emmas gran]

Hi

We were on the Connie Xmas 2016 and March 2017, she is a little tired in places. The "Revolution of Connie" is due April 2020 so if possible I would rather try and move my cruise to a later date --however you may not be able to do this depending on who you booked with. Connie is a lovely ship and the crew were great.

 

ps which side of the Tamar are you from, mine is Cwll

[justcrusn]

I don’t have RECENT experience on the Constellation but i can tell you that we LOVED the ship. This is the only M class ship we have sailed on and there were many things i liked better than S class (Aft elevators for one). Yes, its older, and probably would be better after it goes through drydock, but i would sail on it again if the itinerary was a good fit.

We once wanted to sail on a BRAND NEW ship, to see the difference. Only a month or two after going into service. Guess what? There was  rust in spots and wear if you looked for it. The Ocean is relentless! 

 

Just have an open mind, as the song says “i aint as good as i once was, but im as good once as i ever was”

[Cruisingirl2012]

Our first Celebrity Cruise was on the Constellation and we truly enjoyed our time on this ship.  In my opinion, the ship is beautiful and the staff is awesome.  Have a great time!

[jelayne]

We spend 4 weeks on the Constellation last year and the ship was in very good shape.  If you looked you could find a scratched cabinet or some worn spots on some upholstered pieces but nothing that detracted from our cruise.  The crew and service were excellent. 

 

[happy cruzer]

People in general are more likely to post negative issues.  If you look at any of the line's reviews such as Princess etc. you will see lots of moaning about the changes being made which are real.  There are usually improvements too but not discussed as much. 

 

We like to focus on a few things that matter to us and focus on those.  Seems like you want to know about the lectures and classes.  What else really is important to you?  Don't let negative comments on items that don't matter to you get you down :).

 

Connie is a smaller older ship so anyone complaining about that is doing something like complaining about the weather.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[mom says]

I have no idea how old some of the reviews are, but I can tell you about the 4 weeks we spent aboard  Connie this past Jan and Feb. We had a marvellous time. The service that we received was great. We had no complaints about the offerings on the dining or bar venues. We never had to pay for any classes or talks although there certainly are some classes that require a fee, such as wine or Scotch tastings or some classes in the gym. We very much enjoyed the Beyond the Podium talks on our sea days.

 

Yes, she is showing some signs of wear, as one would expect from any ship due for a refit. If you look hard enough you can find something to complain about. But IMO it's nothing that would affect the overall experience of the average cruiser.

[bebe08]

We were on Connie Sep 2018 (2nd time on Connie - first was in 2014) and had read similar comments.  As a result we made a point of looking hard to find signs of wear.  The only place we could find was a bit of rust high up in the roof of the solarium pool.  We had an amazing cruise, and wouldn't hesitate if the itinerary suited us.

[sddsddean]

Yep, we were on Connie for 2 weeks in January. Yes, she is a little worn in places, but this in no way detracted from our holiday. Staff were great, food could have been a bit better, but considering they are cooking for 2000 or so people, it was absolutely fine. Don't worry; you'll have a great time. The only thing that bugged me was she still has shower curtains instead of doors, but hey...I can live with that!!

 

Simon

[sunbunny~]

We were on the Constellation on March 4 to 18th. It is is desperate need of refit. Lots of rust. Lots of dips and heaving on floors for age and rust. Please note, my husband works in the Naval ship refit business. He noticed lots of issues.

 

Much of the ship needs updating. Old carpets and furniture. We were in cabin 6135, great balcony, but the cabin itself needs a total refresh.

 

The service was pretty standard for a cruise, nothing outstanding. The food was a ok. We ate in in the Tuscan Grill quite a few times and Qsine twice. I did not like the main dining room food. 

 

Lots of choices for breakfast and lunch, you won't starve.

 

The shows that I saw were dreadful, which is pretty much standard on everything other than RCI or NCL that spends $$$$ on entertainment.

 

Crew was great, staff and officers were very visible and approachable.

 

Keep in mind, I am sure the cruises are a very reasonable price, and we got gratuities, OBC, free WiFi, and drinks included. It was a great deal. 

 

The cruise was great. If updated or fancy is important, check the dry dock date.

 

For a cheap and cheerful cruise, it was great. We thought the pool games were hilarious.

 

I would do it again in a heartbeat...for the right price.

[realnice46]

We too were on constellation September 2018. We usually sail on the solstice class ships, but I loved the itinerary and decided to take a chance. Yes she is older and smaller ( loved that) but she was wonderful. I only real complaint was the buffet set up, we like S class better for that. we are scheduled for constellation September 2020 Greek Island cruise. My only worry now is the upcoming refit. Everything I see so far doesn't impress me. Waiting for photos and reviews when its done.

You can nit pick anything, just think positive, and you will have a wonderful time.

[villauk]

We like Connie very much but would be wary taking the sailing either directly before or straight after a drydock. If you go being fully aware that there may be ‘work’ being carried out on your sailing, then at least you’ll be expecting any small inconveniences. Enjoy!

[HeddaGarbled]

We were on Constellation in September 2018 in the Med. We had an absolutely brilliant time.

 

I think the ship is a bit dated. Carpets and upholstery aren’t modern and some of the venues are a bit gloomy. In the cabins, there are scuffs, chips and worn bits. But stuff like that doesn’t bother me unduly, so long as it’s clean and comfortable, which it was.

 

On this port-intensive cruise, there was very little in the way of classes and talks. A talk about the ship’s navigation and a dance class were no charge. But a lot of the scheduled activities were really sales pitches by the art gallery, shops, spa etc. 

 

I’ve seen a lot of reviews which complain about being constantly badgered to buy drinks packages etc. I was asked once on the first day. 

 

We only had one sea day, so the ports were more important than the ship, for us. On the sea day, the outside pool area was too noisy and busy for me, but the indoor thalassotherapy pool is lovely. 

 

Food in the MDR was hit and miss. The buffet was good. Service everywhere was excellent. 

 

I hope this helps, and if you have any specific questions, I’m happy to answer. 

[Germancruiser]

I am still a big fan of the Milli- Class of ships- when they came out they were considered big ships- LOL! But, of course thats was 20 years ago.

What can I say- X- may not have gone downhill- that would be slightly exagerated- let´s put it that way- in a friendly way- THEY CHANGED- some for the better - some for the worse! For the worse- I switched to Cunard- for the better- I go back on board in two weeks- to try again- my once favorite cruise line!

When Milli Class came out- that was when I liked them most- the old layout- the old colors. Solsticeation - well it was nicely done- but still...!

[cruisequeen4ever]

The ship itself was fine to us when we sailed on her in 2017; we liked the Thalassotherapy pool, cushy loungers, the decent size shower, and the aft deck outside the buffet. The mediocre food and crew were what made us disinterested in Celebrity after that cruise.