Constellation 1/8/07 Review!

[Host Joe]

Review- Celebrity Constellation 1/8-1/19/07 by Host Joe

 

We just returned from a fabulous trip aboard Celebrity Constellation. This was our 22nd cruise, and was one of our best thus far!

 

Embarkation-

 

We arrived around 11 am, and were onboard in minutes.

 

The Ship-

 

Constellation felt like a new ship to us. From one end to the other, it has been meticulously maintained. We found no noticeable signs of wear inside or out. We love this class of ship. We never feel crowded, and really enjoy the layout. The pool areas inside and out are wonderful. The T-Pool is always a nice respite.

 

Stateroom-

 

Our Concierge Class stateroom, which was 9148, was fantastic. We really enjoyed all of the extra’s that came along with the upgraded balcony, especially the beautiful flowers. Our stateroom attendant, Clarence, was the best we have ever had on any ship. He was so attentive and pleasant! He went out of his way to remember our names on the first day, and was always opening our door for us as we were walking down the hall, etc.

 

Dining-

 

The buffet food was excellent for all of our breakfasts and lunches, especially the freshly made waffles in the morning. I always enjoy going there with no lines the first few days before everyone else discovers them! Towards the end of the cruise, the lines were a good 10 minutes or so, but in my mind they are worth the wait!

 

We had late seating table 433, which was a very nice central location about three tables from the Captains table. Our waiter, Adi and his assistant Jose were also among the best staff we have ever encountered on a ship. Our meals in the dining room were excellent. We especially love being able to get escargot every night that we want it, as it is on the always available section.

 

Our dinner in Ocean Liners was an exceptional experience, one not to be missed by any means. The $30 per person surcharge is such a small charge when you consider the experience that you receive in return. I do not even know of a restaurant on land that would rival it.

 

Chair Hogs-

 

This was unbelievable. I have always read about “chair hogs”, but other than the occasional incident, I have never ever seen this to be a big problem… until this cruise! Obviously, this can change from cruise to cruise and has nothing to do with the ship or cruise line.

 

We noticed it the first day at sea. There were people that would save anywhere between 4 and 8 chairs… from the early hours of the morning until they decided that they wanted to use them. Apparently they were setting their alarms and coming out or something. But it gets worse. They were not saving themselves and their friends chairs in one area, but sometimes two or three. For instance, there was a particular woman who felt it was ok to save her and her friends 6 chairs up on the top deck above the pool, plus 6 others by the pool, and 6 others in the shade. Then she would turn herself inside out on anyone who tried to use them!

 

By day three, it was almost like a TV sitcom to sit and watch everyone. I witnessed two grown men who almost got into a fist fight over a chair! One man was threatening to physically remove the other from “his” chair that he had saved earlier that morning. The good news is that by this day the pool butlers had decided to start taking action and were constantly removing peoples towels, etc if they were abusing the policy. Kudos’ to them, as it just is not fair to the rest of us!

 

On our last day at sea we had a real laugh. In the mid-afternoon we sat up and noticed a very big black wall of rain clouds that we were about to go into. You could see the rain coming down in sheets ahead of us. We quickly gathered our things and headed for the T-Pool area. I stopped just under the awning to watch all of the people scatter when the rain storm hit… only to see many simply sit there in the pouring rain, some just pulling towels over their head… they obviously were afraid to lose their chairs!

 

There were daily announcements stating the no saving of deck chairs, and there was even a stern note of it during one of the Noon briefings!

 

Itinerary-

 

What a great one. The seas were fairly rough throughout much of the trip, which gave us a nice little rocking. It was not bad enough to bother anyone that I could see. Just perfect. The itinerary was supposed to be a day at sea, a port, day at sea, etc.

 

On day two were supposed to visit Grand Caymen, but due to the rough seas we were turned away. With losing Grand Caymen, we ended up with 3 days at sea in a row until our first port. This was heaven for us!

 

In Aruba we decided to just spend the morning shopping around and then we re-boarded the ship for lunch and then got our choice of chairs by the pool, as it was mostly empty. We quickly found that days in port are an excellent time to play on the pool decks!

 

In Panama we decided to stay onboard, as we had all been to Panama before and there is not much to see in the port area itself without doing a major tour.

 

In Costa Rica we used Oscar Brown’s tours, which came highly recommended here on the boards. It was a nice day, despite the rain which is certainly not their fault. We went to a banana plantation, the Tortuguero Canals by boat (which it was raining and they did not give us poncho’s when every other tour we saw that morning had them), and then a wildlife preserve. My biggest critique was that the four of us adults plus the driver were packed into one tiny little foreign taxi car for the day… this was not pleasant. I would recommend they rethink this mode of transportation for groups of more than three adults.

 

In Cozumel, we booked a trip to Xcaret through the ship and had a wonderful time. We had been there a couple of times before, but we always enjoy it very much. With nine ships in port, we were glad to have the excursion booked!

 

Norovirus-

 

There was a small breakout onboard the ship. It surfaced several days into the trip from what we understand. The first things we noticed were that the salad dressing ladles in the buffet were turned away so that we had to be served. I am ok with this, as I like not having to touch them.

 

We noticed several crew walking around constantly wiping down handrails, etc. We did not notice any unpleasant smell to the fluid that they were using for cleaning. It was nice to see the extra measures in place to keep things sanitized.

 

Then the next thing was a letter from the Captain explaining that there was a problem with Noro onboard, and that they were going to be taking extra measures. We were now being served our water, coffee, etc in the buffets, which is not a problem for me.

 

On the last couple of nights, they brought around the bread, butter, salt and pepper instead of it being on the table. We thought this was nice, actually.

 

On our last night we asked our Maitre’d about the outbreak, and he said that there were 32 reported illnesses among the passengers and 1 crew. Obviously the protective measures that Celebrity put into place worked well to contain the virus that was brought onboard.

 

Summary-

 

What a fantastic cruise! We are very excited to be going on Constellation in the future, as it is definitely my favorite cruise ship.

 

Be sure to consider going on the Cruise Critic Group Cruise onboard Celebrity Constellation on 2/29/08 with myself and Host Anne, as it will be a cruise that will always be remembered! This cruise is going to do the Eastern Caribbean route for a glorious 10 days!

[Lil Dutch Girl]

Thanks, Joe, for that great review. DH and I will be sailing on Constellation on January 29th to the Western Caribbean and you have just made us all the more excited to be going!

 

Sherry

[motherchic]

Thanks for a good review Joe. I love the M class ships.

Come this Feb. we are going to be on the Summit, our first aft CC cabin ( very much looking forward to it)

When in Aruba- did you go to any shops etc... that you enjoyed ( or remember ) more then others?

We have toured Aruba before and thought this time we would just like to enjoy the shops etc....

Last time in Aruba, from reviews from CC we went to a shop called Agathas ( she sells perfume) We loved it--and will go back

Again, thank you for a great review. Makes me look forward to the trip all the more

Nadine

[Host Joe]

Lil Dutch Girl,

 

You will have a wonderful cruise on Constellation! Enjoy!

 

motherchic,

 

I did not run across any particular shop that I can recall... except the Swatch booth, where I bought my first Swatch watch to wear for sun and fun! If I think of one, I will post back.

[templed]

Hi Joe... we're scheduled on the 3/23 sailing... Host Andy will be along with us I believe...

 

Question... what happened to White Night? Is that still on? or did it die with Cirque?

[Jim_Iain]

Great review Host Joe,

 

Now that they have done away with Cirque have they put the Bar at The Edge back to normal??

[Host Anne]

Hey Joe ~ a big welcome home! Glad to see you are back on land (even if only for a short time). Now you have me REALLY excited about sailing on Constellation. Having been on Millennium and Summit previously, this is one of our favorite class of ships. Your description of Connie has me already looking forward to sailing on her. I think we've picked a winner for Cruise Critic's first member cruise on Celebrity. Thanks for taking the time to write the review!

[judyfssw]

Thanks for a great review. I, too, love the Constellation. And, you're right, about it's condition. I don't know what it is, but the ship's personnel just always seem to click.

My next favorite is the Summit. Only 2 weeks - Yippee!

[Andy]

we're scheduled on the 3/23 sailing... Host Andy will be along with us I believe...

 

 

Hi Dave !

 

Yes, I will be on the 3/23 sailing. I look forward to meeting you !

[Lois R]

Hi Joe, Another thank you for a very well written review:)

 

Wish I could join you and Anne for next year's cruise...sadly

that 4 letter word called WORK is getting in the way:eek:.

I get lots of vacation time but I can't leave at the end of a month:rolleyes:

 

Sorry there were so many people who seemed to think they

"owned those chairs"....I can see it in my mind...."wanna

fight over that chair buddy?":confused:

 

Sounds like you had a wonderful time though!:D I have

been on Constellation once and had a great cruise on her

as well.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Loved reading your review, Joe, and it looks like I'll get to enjoy our third M class ship with you and Anne in 2008!!! For some reason, Celebrity really got it right with these ships as opposed to HAL's Vista class which I just won't cruise on again (even though I am a big HAL fan). Celebrity always brings me back and I can't shake the edge I give them over HAL.

 

Are you going to post any pictures from your cruise? I'd love to see them!!!:)

 

I'm still in shock that DH has agreed to take 2 cruises only 3 months apart. Makes me almost feel decadent!!!

[Host Joe]

Heather- How exciting that you are going to join Anne & I next March! Yeah! I do know what you mean about HAL, I was on Zuiderdam once and though I did love it a lot, I would choose Celeb M-Class any day over it.

 

Lois- What a bummer that you cannot join us! Maybe something will change that will allow you to join us... wishful thinking!

 

Judy- Enjoy Summit.. that is the only M-Class we have not been on yet.

 

Jim- The bar at the edge of the earth is still the same... very strange!

 

templed- White night died with Cirque... sorry!

[Host Anne]

Lois ~ but it REALLY isn't the end of the month. It's a phantom day. We leave on the 29th....they won't even know!!!!! You'll have already worked 28 days in February. I think you should beg :)

[wendinsd]

Hi Joe,

I second that review for sure! Everything you said was true especially about the chair hogs!

 

One thing you forgot to mention was the great table mates you had at dinner. ;-)

 

Absolutely the most fantastic trip I have had in years! The ship, and especially the service, will not disappoint.

 

I am hooked on cruising!

 

Wendy

[Daphna101]

Thanks Joe for your review.

 

I sailed on the Connie last year to the Baltics and this year we are doing the same cruise as you did to the Western Carribean for 11 days. However, Costa Rica is being changed to Catagenia Columbia.

 

FYI-Ocean Liners was 25..so I guess it went up. I loved the service, food was as good as a fine restaurant. Well worth the extra amount.

 

I hope our cruise Nov 26 will be good weather since it is the end of Hurricane season..

 

Btw, how many formal nights did you have, and which days were they?

 

Daphna

[Host Joe]

Hi Wendy! Oh, how could I forget my awesome tablemates! It was such a pleasure meeting you! I look forward to keeping in touch and seeing you when we visit SD.

 

Daphna, I will have to check which days the formals were on, but I can tell you that we had 3 total.

[Hplar]

Good revue Joe. We were on the Constellation also. It was our first cruise, we enjoyed it so much and are planning on cruising at least once a year. The trouble is; we would almost hate to try another line or ship for fear of being disappointed. The Caribbean didn't overly impress us, we're thinking Europe or the Mediterranean next time.

[HspncElvis]

Hi Ralph and Eileen,

 

I thought the Constellation was awesome as well. What a beautiful Ship we sailed on. I also thought our room attendant (Agnelo) did a FANTASTIC job. We were CC Cabin #8059. Had breakfast a few times on our balcony. Food was GREAT!

 

Hey Host Joe, nice meeting you. Martini Bar, 7:30, right?

 

Hope everyone had a great time on ship. We sure did!!

 

One more thing. White Water Rafting in Costa Rica was a BLAST!!

 

Glen and Wendy

[Host Joe]

Hplar,

 

I would give the Eastern Caribbean a try... it is totally different from what we did... there is a whole other world in the Caribbean. We booked this itinerary more for the days at sea than anything else.

 

Glen,

 

It was great meeting you and Wendy, we really had a great time. Wish we were headed to the martini bar right now!

[Qmadam]

Host Joe,

 

Are you saying that even though Cirq is gone they have left all of the "artistic fabric hangings" in the Bar at the Edge of the Earth?

 

Ugh!

 

Glad you enjoyed your cruise... When's the next?

[Host Joe]

Qmadam,

 

Indeed, they left the fabric all around. It is very weird looking... especially if you don't know Cirque... which I do, so I understand when I see it.

 

Next up... a 7 day with family on 2/4!

[harcin]

We also just returned from the 1/8 cruise and all that has been written thus far is absolutely true!! I must say that some of the entertainment was first class, especially Larry Adler and the female British singer whose name is absolutely escaping my brain right now. We booked on board for the Eastern Caribbean 1/18/08 again on the Constellation. Can't wait.

And I especially agree with Wendy that the rafting in Costa Rica was superb - a terrific excursion for all ages, shapes and sizes! We were treated fabulously by the tour guides and I would consider doing one of their overnights when we go back to Costa Rica in the future.

[HspncElvis]

Thanks, Joe, for that great review. DH and I will be sailing on Constellation on January 29th to the Western Caribbean and you have just made us all the more excited to be going!

 

Sherry

 

Lil Dutch Girl,

 

We made the plunge and took our first Cruise. We did our research and decided on the Constellation Jan 8th 2007. We had a Fantastic time. Food was awesome, service was GREAT, and yes, spent our share of time at a few different bars. :D Excursions were a blast. Did the two ocean Panama Canal tour by Dome Train. What a blast that was. We did the White Water Rafting in Costa Rica. Pura Vida!! In Aruba we took the Catamaran tour. Very relaxing. Cozumel we did a little shopping and walked around. Our Cayman Island port was cancelled due to rough seas.

 

Now I can say I am very jealous of you Cruising the 29th,

 

Have fun, and have a drink for me!!!

 

Glen

[mrprkflyer]

Agree with most of your post. Ship was great as was the service. Was a little disappointed in the size of the cabin 7051 but certainly enjoyed our first experience with a veranda. Had been on Mercury and it seemed larger. Food although good, was unimaginative. Bread was the same every night, fruit soups were watery and there didnt seem to be the selection as was on the Mercury. The menu upstairs remained the same thruout the cruise.

 

Ocean Liners was outstanding and a must. The inexpensive fare was well worth it.

 

The security measures invoked by Celebrity during the virus were much appreciated.

 

Boarding and disembarkation was fast and easy. We we used Luggage Valet and highly recommend it for $10 per person. We were off the ship first and other than finding our bags in the terminal and getting thru customs, were not bothered with them until we landed in Los Angeles.

 

Entertainment in the main show room was excellent, however lounge enteratinment left a lot to be desired.

 

Drinks in the Martini Bar were great as was the service from Roger.

 

The variety of shops was not as good as the Mercury.

 

3 in our party were celebrating their 75 birthday. Although it was mentionded to our waiter, it was totally forgotten. The were however celebrated in Ocean Liners.

 

All in all, we did enjoy our cruise.

[kyrisong1]

Hi there, we are doing the same itinerary on March 12th, can you tell me how many formal nights there are and what nights they are on? thanks so much!! I'm so excited to be going on Constellation, we have CC 9043, I understand it's an oversized deck so I'm veryyyyyyyy excited. Thanks for the info. Happy sailing, Carole