Constellation Resumes out of Tampa. Anyone On First Sailing?

[May B]

On 11/6/2021 at 5:32 PM, Mr&MrsBee said:

 

Edited November 7, 2021 by May B
Dupe

[May B]

On 11/6/2021 at 5:32 PM, Mr&MrsBee said:

RKAk. We are sailing Dec 13 and have the handicap cabin on deck 9.  When some is on board please who  is the CaptainsClub Hostess.  Thanks  Have a great cruise

Mr B and I are also booked on Dec. 13th. Very much looking forward to it.

[May B]

On 11/6/2021 at 3:33 PM, rkak said:

My husband and I are on the first cruise out of Tampa.  Poured yesterday.  Freezing and windy today!

We're hoping for better weather Sunday.

 

We're in a handicapped room on deck 9.  We've never done one before.  I'll take pictures of the differences I see. I can never find any pics for these types of rooms.

 

We did the Abbott Binax EMed tests.  It took 2 hours for both.   I needed to create my account and a managed account for my husband.  And I had difficulty understanding the proctors.  Oh, Well!  Next time I'll know how to do it faster.

 

this will be our 25th cruise but first on Celebrity.  Excited to finally get on a ship again!

I’d love to meet you for coffee after you get back, to hear all about it in person!

 

Have a great time.

 

—May B Muriel

[Schmoe38]

Looks like Constellation has received a little bit of an internal makeover, with some new carpet and some new furniture. It may not be a full “revolutionized makeover” but it sounds like the freshness may be well received.

 

We are on board November 12/21.

 

Randy

[hcat]

BON VOYAGE TO ALL THOSE ON BOARD!

 

We lifted and shifted  awhile ago but def have Connie in mind from Tampa in the future!

[mahdnc]

On 11/5/2021 at 11:57 AM, marieps said:

Several posters on the rollcall.  Just got my test today.  Driving to Tampa tomorrow.   Too bad the webcam has a lousy angle.  You can't see her docked.

 

Heard that she got refurbished just in time for your sailing.  Enjoy!

 

David

[CruisinNole]

On board now. She looks great. Furnishings all look new. Crew is so welcoming. This was Celebrity's first sailing from Tampa in 16 years. As we entered the channel at sail away, we saw a tug boat doing 360s and firing the water cannons. Really cool.

 

Don't quote me, but I heard that the ship is at 80% occupancy and based on the crowd at check-in, I think that might be accurate. We arrived at noon, a little earlier than our boarding time of 12:30 - 1:00. We thought since we were in a Sky suite, we could check in at any time but we were told that priority boarding only applied to Celebrity suite and up, Aqua, Concierge, Zenith. Not a big deal. Check in was a little hectic but organized. I printed my boarding pass which made it easier to show rather than using my phone. Don't worry about your vaxx card photos disappearing in the app. Ours disappeared but the check in person said that she could see them. Really doesn't matter because you have to show the actual card, front and back, numerous times. Took about 30 minutes to check in.

[FLCruiser97]

Thanks for the update @CruisinNole. Are you going to do a "live from" in another thread?

[songbird1329]

We are booked for next year, I would love to hear all about it.

[goldsmip115]

CruisinNole,

 

can you tell me who the retreat hosts/Butlers are on the ship, please.  We’re boarding on the 22nd for the 11 night cruise and so hopeful that Cesar might be on the ship.  Thank you so much for your reports.  So appreciated.

[CruisinNole]

1 hour ago, goldsmip115 said:

CruisinNole,

 

can you tell me who the retreat hosts/Butlers are on the ship, please.  We’re boarding on the 22nd for the 11 night cruise and so hopeful that Cesar might be on the ship.  Thank you so much for your reports.  So appreciated.

Liz and Paolo are the Retreat Concierges. Suren is our Personal Retreat Host

[goldsmip115]

Thank you so much. Can you ask Suren who else is on then ship serving as personal retreat host?  Enjoy your cruise!

[Northern Aurora]

While we don't have any pending reservations on the Constellation I'll be following too.  So nice to know another ship has resumed operations.

[RollWave]

We are on the first Constellation sailing- left yesterday 11/7.

 

Ship feels busy. The boarding process was chaotic. 

 

Crew - all friendly & happy.

 

Some of the public areas have been refurbished - examples furnishings in the Ocean View Cafe, Reflections Lounge, some of the other bar areas.  
Cafe Al Bacio has not been updated. 
 

Our cabin has not been updated except the deck furniture appears to be new. We have had several maintenance issues with our cabin. They are being addressed. To be frank - we are not at all impressed by the cabin - it is very tired & worn. It is an Aqua Class cabin.

 

One of the reasons we booked this cruise was to try Constellation and to sail out of Tampa. Now we can check these two things off the list. 

 

 

[WNcruiser]

1 hour ago, RollWave said:

We are on the first Constellation sailing- left yesterday 11/7.

 

Ship feels busy. The boarding process was chaotic. 

 

Crew - all friendly & happy.

 

Some of the public areas have been refurbished - examples furnishings in the Ocean View Cafe, Reflections Lounge, some of the other bar areas.  
Cafe Al Bacio has not been updated. 
 

Our cabin has not been updated except the deck furniture appears to be new. We have had several maintenance issues with our cabin. They are being addressed. To be frank - we are not at all impressed by the cabin - it is very tired & worn. It is an Aqua Class cabin.

 

One of the reasons we booked this cruise was to try Constellation and to sail out of Tampa. Now we can check these two things off the list. 

 

 

That is exactly why I am not going out of Tampa even though we are only an hour from the port. I would rather drive to Fort Lauderdale/Miami and have a newer/updated ship and cabin. Thanks for the reassurance! 

[kweenkmatt]

On 11/7/2021 at 6:24 PM, stones902 said:

I read recently that the Connie “Revolutionized” refurbishment was delayed due to Covid. There is also major speculation on line that the ship might be sold to another cruise line. Time will tell. 

If you have $300 million, you could be the next owner.  😉 Connie is listed for sale.

https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/2002-cruise-ship-2038-passengers---stock-no.-s2348-5965073/

 

As a point of interest, the last time my husband and I tried to book a cruise from Tampa, that ship was also listed for sale and sold before our cruise was scheduled to go.  (so, of course - it was cancelled)

[ETHTrader]

7 hours ago, CruisinNole said:

We thought since we were in a Sky suite, we could check in at any time but we were told that priority boarding only applied to Celebrity suite and up, Aqua, Concierge, Zenith. 

 

Hmm, that's not my experience. I usually book Sky Suite and they allowed me to check in whenever in the past. Sometimes later than my check in time, sometimes earlier than my check in time. Certainly, they wouldn't give priority to Aqua/Concierge Class over Sky Suite.

Edited November 8, 2021 by ETHTrader

[breadandbutter]

Any good points so far? Or should I just cancel my reservation now? It's not sounding good at this point. 

[May B]

2 hours ago, kweenkmatt said:

If you have $300 million, you could be the next owner.  😉 Connie is listed for sale.

https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/2002-cruise-ship-2038-passengers---stock-no.-s2348-5965073/

 

As a point of interest, the last time my husband and I tried to book a cruise from Tampa, that ship was also listed for sale and sold before our cruise was scheduled to go.  (so, of course - it was cancelled)

This is a riot! Never in my wildest dreams would I think this is how a cruise ship would get sold.

 

And really, if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times. Don’t exaggerate! It’s not $300 million, only $299! 😉

[CruisinNole]

2 hours ago, ETHTrader said:

 

Hmm, that's not my experience. I usually book Sky Suite and they allowed me to check in whenever in the past. Sometimes later than my check in time, sometimes earlier than my check in time. Certainly, they wouldn't give priority to Aqua/Concierge Class over Sky Suite.

I'm just reporting what happened to us. The man directing passengers to the appropriate line specifically said that the priority line was for the Celebrity suites and up. You never know if there was a change or someone was wrong. There were about 10 passengers who pushed past us to get in the priority line. They were pretty rude and got through check-in maybe 5 minutes before us. Like I said -- not really a big deal to us.

[kweenkmatt]

12 hours ago, May B said:

This is a riot! Never in my wildest dreams would I think this is how a cruise ship would get sold.

 

And really, if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times. Don’t exaggerate! It’s not $300 million, only $299! 😉

😂  Don't forget about taxes, etc...

[May B]

28 minutes ago, kweenkmatt said:

😂  Don't forget about taxes, etc...

😍

 

[May B]

11 hours ago, CruisinNole said:

I'm just reporting what happened to us. The man directing passengers to the appropriate line specifically said that the priority line was for the Celebrity suites and up. You never know if there was a change or someone was wrong. There were about 10 passengers who pushed past us to get in the priority line. They were pretty rude and got through check-in maybe 5 minutes before us. Like I said -- not really a big deal to us.

I hope you’re having a wonderful time, and those rude people remind of drivers who zip by me and then I’m right behind them at the next red light.

[Schmoe38]

13 hours ago, breadandbutter said:

Any good points so far? Or should I just cancel my reservation now? It's not sounding good at this point. 

Personal opinions will always vary. We have been corresponding with a couple currently on board. They will be staying on board for the next leg beginning November 12/21.

 

Here are some good points (in my opinion) for you to consider…..

 

1). The interior has undergone a makeover with new carpet and furniture in a lot of the areas.

 

Now, not all public areas and staterooms have received a makeover, but it sounds like it is a refreshing change.

 

2). The staff on board are “over the moon” in terms of having passengers back on board.

 

We can’t wait to see the staff again, it’s been far too long. 
 

3). The early “jitters” appear to be minimal on the first sailing.

 

Experience is obtained from being able to conduct duties with a “live audience.” It can sometimes take a while to get up to speed. It doesn’t sound like that is an issue on this sailing so far.

 

Keep in mind that your frame of mind is helpful in everything we do. If we look hard enough, we can always find something that doesn’t sit well with us.

 

We are boarding on November 12th with eager anticipation. 
 

It’s nice to be back!
 

Randy

[FLCruiser97]

We're sailing on her Oct 22, 2022 Rome-TPA. Hopefully they will have it sorted out by then. We will be on her for 15 days for TA.