How "old" and tired is Connie?

[govanguy]

We were on Connie in January , Dubai to Singapore where we disembarked and boarded the revamped Millennium , Hong Kong, Philippines and Vietnam.

There are huge differences but, Connie was in good shape. 

 

[ken_ll]

I would think the Constellation has been revolutionized.  The only reason I say that is we are booked into a cabin in Dec/20 that would have been added to to the ship during refit.  

[phoenix_dream]

1 minute ago, ken_ll said:

I would think the Constellation has been revolutionized.  The only reason I say that is we are booked into a cabin in Dec/20 that would have been added to to the ship during refit.  

It was scheduled for the revolution this year, but it is on hold

[ken_ll]

1 minute ago, phoenix_dream said:

It was scheduled for the revolution this year, but it is on hold

That may create a problem, I picked cabin 3146.  3146, 3148 & 3150 were added to the deck plan and assuming a refit.  As you say the revolution is on hold, my gut feeling suggests there will be no unnecessary spending in the current scenario.  Will pick another cabin.

[upwarduk]

On 5/25/2020 at 11:06 PM, Fogfog said:

She had a refurb in 2013, yes? Or am I confusing ships?

She was in Dry Dock in Marseille when we we’re there in May 2017, but I’m not sure how extensive the work was- was it a 5 year Maintence check only?

[Gracie115]

3 hours ago, upwarduk said:

She was in Dry Dock in Marseille when we we’re there in May 2017, but I’m not sure how extensive the work was- was it a 5 year Maintence check only?

This was for engine/mechanical work only.  The last refurb of the ship was in 2013, but that was only for commercial areas where they changed carpeting, rehabbed the therapy pool, added the Deck 11 Aqua cabins, Blu and a few other things.  The rest of the cabins received no upgrades at that time. 

[BigAl94]

I think it is very unlikely that Constellation or Infinity will ever be Revolutionised given how the cruise market is likely to change and the massive spend that will be required to fulfil CDC regulations post Corona virus. More likely those ships will leave the fleet and possibly others as well. As for selling staterooms that don't exist, they are selling cruises that won't exist so don't be surprised by that.

[cgolf1]

I hope that they keep her in the fleet. We have a 2022 booked and we got one of the best deals we have ever gotten on a cruise after figuring in everything we got. This was booked before the pandemic when the revolution was set to take place. We have cruised on older ships before and don't mind aging carpet or a little rust here and there, but since we generally cruise on a budget that might change our outlook too. We just judge the cruise on the experiences and food we have, not the carpet condition or blemishes on the walls. 

[shipshape sam]

2 hours ago, BigAl94 said:

I think it is very unlikely that Constellation or Infinity will ever be Revolutionised given how the cruise market is likely to change and the massive spend that will be required to fulfil CDC regulations post Corona virus. More likely those ships will leave the fleet and possibly others as well. As for selling staterooms that don't exist, they are selling cruises that won't exist so don't be surprised by that.

I think you are right that the 'suits' will at least revisit everything about the market, their product positioning, etc.  

 

I am in the camp that thinks that many things will be permanently changed and thus companies will need to make appropriate adjustments.  One could argue that the current ship design may become 'functionally obsolete'.  If so, then management would want to make strategic decisions like retiring early some ships, if possible, and ordering new ships when appropriate that are built for the 'new' environment of viruses like Covid-19.  Look at Delta who as I think I heard it, is retiring all of their fleet of 777 model planes.  They are shrinking as a company and will look and respond as consumers start or don't start flying again.  

 

I certainly wish the cruise industry the best.  They have a big challenge in front of them.  I do want to sail again.  I think that cruise lines can solve a big issue for themselves, if they can:  Get written approval to off load sick passengers at their ports of call and other isolation type responses vs becoming floating jails AND ability to sail to disembarkation port and get everyone else off.  I am hesitant to sail, thinking I could be stuck on a ship with no port of call letting us off.

[TeeRick]

How "old" and "tired" is Connie?

 

Old - Connie is 19 years from launch in 2001.  It has been maintained continuously over the years.  

Tired - That is a personal opinion based upon one's experience, preferences and expectations.

For me personally, if I sail on a 19 year old ship I do not really judge my experience if I see a rust spot on a balcony.

 

[Moby Jones]

On 5/25/2020 at 10:42 PM, Fogfog said:

So Connie didn't go to dry dock, correct.

 

Who sailed Connie in Jan/Feb/March 2020 and how tired/worn was she then?

 

With the revolution suspended-- we are wondering what condition she is in.... we sailed the Infinity in April-May 2019 on a TA and she was showing some wear and hadn't been to dry dock. We are suspecting Connie is in approx the same shape. Thoughts?

 

TYIA

 

 

I've not read any other replies but we sailed on her last October. 

I'd start by saying that we enjoyed the cruise and the staff were very good. 

The ship though is very tired and in my opinion in dire need of the planned refurbishment. Whilst the ship was certainly clean (I wouldn't really expect anything on Celebrity) the decor and rooms are really showing their age. There's a fair amount of rust externally and on the balconies etc. 

Would I sail on her again in her current condition? Well if the itinerary and price were right yes. If I was looking for a cruise where the ship was the destination then probably not in all honesty. A repo cruise with a lot of sea days wouldn't appeal. 

All IMHO of course. 

[retired dude]

2 hours ago, cgolf1 said:

I hope that they keep her in the fleet. We have a 2022 booked and we got one of the best deals we have ever gotten on a cruise after figuring in everything we got. This was booked before the pandemic when the revolution was set to take place. We have cruised on older ships before and don't mind aging carpet or a little rust here and there, but since we generally cruise on a budget that might change our outlook too. We just judge the cruise on the experiences and food we have, not the carpet condition or blemishes on the walls. 

I guess that my wife and i are in the same "boat" with you. We are sailing on the 10 day sailing of the  connie in dec of 2021 and got a midship balcony cabin category 2a for less than $900 per person including taxes and fees..We are elite so we did not need a booze package and the price was a major consideration for us..I dont think that celebrity would put us on a ship that was less than nice and all of our sailings on celebrity ships have been awesome..We live near the port in tampa and i know that celebrity will keep one of their ships in tampa because there is a tremendous demand for sailings out of tampa for rccl, celebrity, carnival, ncl and once again holland...The  occupancy %'s for these sailings are high and profitable.. You just have to have a ship that will fit under the skyway bridge and thankfully none of the glitzy mall looking ships will come to tampa for that reason...Simple tastes for simple folks, that's just us and it works. we wish everyone well, stay safe ........

[cgolf1]

1 hour ago, retired dude said:

I guess that my wife and i are in the same "boat" with you. We are sailing on the 10 day sailing of the  connie in dec of 2021 and got a midship balcony cabin category 2a for less than $900 per person including taxes and fees..We are elite so we did not need a booze package and the price was a major consideration for us..I dont think that celebrity would put us on a ship that was less than nice and all of our sailings on celebrity ships have been awesome..We live near the port in tampa and i know that celebrity will keep one of their ships in tampa because there is a tremendous demand for sailings out of tampa for rccl, celebrity, carnival, ncl and once again holland...The  occupancy %'s for these sailings are high and profitable.. You just have to have a ship that will fit under the skyway bridge and thankfully none of the glitzy mall looking ships will come to tampa for that reason...Simple tastes for simple folks, that's just us and it works. we wish everyone well, stay safe ........

 

We got a sideways inside room, love these on other lines, for 134 per person per night after taxes and fees and this included the classic beverage, OBC, and the paid gratuities on a 10 night, couldn't pass it up. The only problem we will have is figuring out how to spend the OBC lol. The ports are some of our favorites plus a new one so that is a win too. 

 

Your deal is a great score with the balcony at that price, wow.

[JBare]

8 hours ago, Gracie115 said:

This was for engine/mechanical work only.  The last refurb of the ship was in 2013, but that was only for commercial areas where they changed carpeting, rehabbed the therapy pool, added the Deck 11 Aqua cabins, Blu and a few other things.  The rest of the cabins received no upgrades at that time. 

Thats not strictly true as these references indicate.

https://www.theluxurycruisecompany.com/articles/article/celebrity-constellation-to-get-a-makeover

 

https://www.cruisetradenews.com/celebrity-constellation-to-undergo-bold-refresh/

 

This picture of Constellation was taken as it was leaving Barcelona on its way to the refit on May 12th 2017, you can see containers on the upper decks and it was possible to see work already started on suites and carpets taken up as it sailed past us.  We were on Constellation for the Presidents cruise in March 2018 and it was clear that a large amount of work had been done.  We were very disappointed to have our Suez Canal cruise on Constellation for March this year cancelled partly because we wanted to sail on her before the Revolution and it was to be the last cruise before it. I dont care much for the new conti board and angle iron furniture in the rooms. The Edge on our recent cruise in the Med was already showing rust areas and the fabrics especially in Al Bacio and our stateroom were showing signs of wear and thats after only a year, they did not seem to be as hard wearing as those on the M and S class ships.

 

[JBare]

3 hours ago, TeeRick said:

How "old" and "tired" is Connie?

 

Old - Connie is 19 years from launch in 2001.  It has been maintained continuously over the years.  

Tired - That is a personal opinion based upon one's experience, preferences and expectations.

For me personally, if I sail on a 19 year old ship I do not really judge my experience if I see a rust spot on a balcony.

 

 

Totally agree with this. Everything is relative.

Edited May 27, 2020 by JBare

[Gracie115]

31 minutes ago, JBare said:

Thats not strictly true as these references indicate.

https://www.theluxurycruisecompany.com/articles/article/celebrity-constellation-to-get-a-makeover

 

https://www.cruisetradenews.com/celebrity-constellation-to-undergo-bold-refresh/

 

This picture of Constellation was taken as it was leaving Barcelona on its way to the refit on May 12th 2017, you can see containers on the upper decks and it was possible to see work already started on suites and carpets taken up as it sailed past us.  We were on Constellation for the Presidents cruise in March 2018 and it was clear that a large amount of work had been done.  We were very disappointed to have our Suez Canal cruise on Constellation for March this year cancelled partly because we wanted to sail on her before the Revolution and it was to be the last cruise before it. I dont care much for the new conti board and angle iron furniture in the rooms. The Edge on our recent cruise in the Med was already showing rust areas and the fabrics especially in Al Bacio and our stateroom were showing signs of wear and thats after only a year, they did not seem to be as hard wearing as those on the M and S class ships.

 

 

Ok, I know they upgraded Millie's suites before the "Revolution" also back in 2016 or 17, and then changed them all again last year during Its "revolution" so I would assume whatever they did to Connie's suites in '17 would be the same and would have been redone also this year if the "revolution" had been done.  But they did not do anything to the rest of Millie's staterooms in that earlier reno so doubt they did anything to Connie's either, especially based on comments here from people who have sailed in those staterooms in the last year.

[phoenix_dream]

12 hours ago, BigAl94 said:

I think it is very unlikely that Constellation or Infinity will ever be Revolutionised given how the cruise market is likely to change and the massive spend that will be required to fulfil CDC regulations post Corona virus. More likely those ships will leave the fleet and possibly others as well. As for selling staterooms that don't exist, they are selling cruises that won't exist so don't be surprised by that.

You might be correct, time will tell.  I think a lot depends on what their contractual obligations are.  If they are contractually obligated to fulfill the updating projects then they may go ahead.  At this point, give the current scenario, I think there would be just as much problem trying to sell ships.

[Straughn]

I have become a huge fan of the M class ships. I love the smaller size and ease of movement around the ship. I was on Infinity for 9 nights in spring 2019. Loved every minute of it, many reasons of which are not relevant to this discussion. I thought the ship was in excellent condition related to wear and tear. My cabin was in much better condition than suites I have stayed in on other ships. Other than a couple of loose tiles in the shower, there was no problem with my Aqua class cabin- no mildew/mold, no major damage to the furniture, no issues with the balcony. As I walked thru the ship, I saw very little stains on carpeting, some minor tears around the furniture. Was the decor dated? Yes, it was. But the ship was immaculate and well maintained. 
 

My point being that the M class ships, which have not be Revolutionized, are probably in need of major updating style wise. Would I hesitate to sail on any of the M class again, if  the ship was not updated? No only no, but heck no. Bottom line is that the ships are clean and well maintained. If the ship being “Revolutionized” matters to you, then you may not be happy.

[hcat]

More concerned they may sell her off as not worth future upgrading and ongoing  expense to maintain.

[Germancruiser]

I am huge fan of the M- Class ships - so my comment may be a bit biased. I sailed Conny in her original livery back in 2003- as she was delivered from the ship yard. Then again - the sailing right before she underwent her first major changes- the Solsticeation - she went right into drydock as soon as we debarked. Even it was the last sailing before they thore her apart she lookd pretty good to me. A few years I sailed again on board the Connie- to see her Solsticeized- and liked it also.

I agree with T- Rick- on board a 19 year old ship I don´t except the condition to be that of a brand new ship.

[kearney]

Question for experienced M class passengers....  how easy is it to get around using a scooter on this class of ship. DH has mobility issues and has started using a scooter. I know the ship is smaller, so I wondered about getting around in the public areas. The S class and Edge had nice open spaces... but we have been concerned about older class ships ..for spacing.

[Germancruiser]

I just can say, that i saw a lot of scooters going round on M- Class ships. So that should no be a problem.

[yorky]

11 hours ago, kearney said:

Question for experienced M class passengers....  how easy is it to get around using a scooter on this class of ship. DH has mobility issues and has started using a scooter. I know the ship is smaller, so I wondered about getting around in the public areas. The S class and Edge had nice open spaces... but we have been concerned about older class ships ..for spacing.

It’s worth remembering that while these are smaller ships next to some of the huge newer ones they are still 90000 tons, so hardly small. Our first cruise was on the Thomson Emerald, a converted Russian vessel. We thought it looked massive when we boarded, it was 29000.

[Gracie115]

14 hours ago, kearney said:

Question for experienced M class passengers....  how easy is it to get around using a scooter on this class of ship. DH has mobility issues and has started using a scooter. I know the ship is smaller, so I wondered about getting around in the public areas. The S class and Edge had nice open spaces... but we have been concerned about older class ships ..for spacing.

 

I don't think there would be an issue maneuvering around the ship but you should check with X about whether the scooter will fit in your stateroom door as I am pretty sure they are narrower on the "M" class.  You may need to book an accessible room.  Not sure, but I would find out ahead of time. 

[TeeRick]

18 hours ago, kearney said:

Question for experienced M class passengers....  how easy is it to get around using a scooter on this class of ship. DH has mobility issues and has started using a scooter. I know the ship is smaller, so I wondered about getting around in the public areas. The S class and Edge had nice open spaces... but we have been concerned about older class ships ..for spacing.

Not a problem.  Plenty of scooters.  There are less passengers and smaller crowds on M-Class.