Just off the Constellation (14 Day) June 28th Cruise - REPORT

[Montreal Eh!]

Have just returned from 14 Days Aboard the Constellation.

 

We departed from Harwich on June 28th.

 

Generally good weather all through the cruise. Low to Mid 70's for the most part.

 

Our first port was Oslo. We took the HoHo bus which was right at the port. Saw the Viking Museum, Ski Jump. Skipped the Tiki Museum. Unfortunatley as it was a Monday, the Holocaust Museum was closed.

 

Next port was Wannemaunde, Germany. We hired a van a private guide and went to Berlin with a stop at a concentration camp. An exhausting yet moving and enlightening day.

 

Tallin was our most disappointing stop. We hired a guide and took a three hour tour. Not much to see other then tourist shop after tourist shop.

There are a few sights but they proved less than inspiring for us. Tallin has a brand new synagogue which is an interesting building and place to visit.

 

St. Petersburg is awesome. We arranged a two-day tour through Denrus. We spent 5 hours in the Hermitage (abit too long for a first visit as it is hard to take in all that you see). Our guide was Elena and she was a delight. I would skip a metro ride. We did a boat tour that was very nice. The sip, as has been reported before, tries to get its booked tours out first by "holding" other passengers in lounges. If you have an early tour just proceed to deck one when you want. Celebrity has no right to prevent you from leaving the ship once it has been cleared by Russian Authorities. They will tell you otherwise but ignore them and leave when you want if you must make a tour. The Security Staff know this and will not prevent you from leaving. The Russians couldn't care less who leaves the ship in what order.

 

Helsinki was beautiful. We found a taxi driver at the port who turned into our guide for the next 4 hours. We visited the rock church, synagogue, pipe monument and strolled through the center of town. Had hoped to bump into Saku Koivu but had to settle for Olli Jochanin.

 

Stockholm was our next port of call (2 days). We took the HoHo from the port - What a mistake!! They were totally disorganized that day and had oversold their buses. They were actually putting people onto buses to stand (with no audio headsets) - not sure how that constitutes a tour. Our first day was cool and it rained on and off.

 

Day 2 was much better as the sun came out and it hit 80 degrees. We avoided the HoHo (although we did take their ferry back to port). The Vassa Museum is a must! The synagogue is regal and very special. The palace square is nice to walk around.

 

Our final port was Copenhagen which is a speacial city. We disembarked a day early to catch a flight back to London.

 

The Ship:

 

We had been on the Constellation at Christmas with our kids.

 

Embarkation at Harwich was flawless. We arrived at 1:30pm and basically walked right-on.

 

The ship is looking abit worn since then and service has probably dropped a notch since then. Gone are the hand towles in the public washrooms - replaced with paper. Food in the dining room did not seem as good as we remembered although the service from our waiter, Melwyn was superb.

 

We were in Concierge Class this time. While I like the additional space in the stateroom, the amenities are not worth it in my opinion. We asked to stop having the canapes delivered after a few days as they were not worth it. The fresh fruit in the room is available elsewhere. The cheap bottle of champagne was left on board.

 

Entertainment was horrible. A band on the pool deck for only one set on one day on a 14 day cruise!! Comedians who weren't funny. by the second week of the cruise the theatre was 3/4 empty at showtime.

 

John, the cruise director needs to go back to the drawing board for his entertainment.

 

Casino staff was very nice. Scott, Sylvia and even Len.

 

We had anticipated a much older cruising population, however, we were pleasantly surprised to find a good number of children, teens and 40- something travellers.

[C 2 C]

Thanks for the review. We will be cruising on Constellation again in September for the Transatlantic. It is hoped that some of the issues you raised will improve.

 

If you still have some of your dailies, would you be able to fill in the names of any of the following staff on board? I try and keep a list for all the ships at :

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=395732&page=33.

 

Anyone Else with a recent voyage could you post:

SHIP......................................Constellation

MASTER.................................

STAFF CAPTAIN......................

CHIEF ENGINEER....................

HOTEL DIRECTOR....................

CRUISE DIRECTOR..................John Grantham

RESTAURANT MANAGER...........

FOOD & BEVERAGES MANAGER

SPECIALTY RESTAURANT..........

CHIEF HOUSEKEEPER..............

FRONT OFFICE MANAGER........

CC HOSTESS..........................

FUTURE SALES MANAGER.......

MARTINI BAR FAVORITE:........

[grandsix]

Thanks for the review. Did you see all the shows? Was the theater relatively empty because the same performers appeared twice? How about the production shows?

 

Was there other nightly entertainment or dancing (lounges, disco etc)?

 

Did you participate in any daytime activities while at sea and if so were they any good?

 

Was management informed while you were on board about some of your dissatisfaction with the food, entertainment etc. and if so what did they say?

 

Did you express your feelings on the guest survey form?

 

 

 

Were the other guests in agreement with you? Did you express your feelings on the guest survey form?

[Montreal Eh!]

in response to your questions.

 

Major Theatre shows had not changed since our christmas cruise. Two comedians on board were poor. Guests were leaving the theatre in the middle of the shows.

 

Bands in lounges were not what we had come to expect from Celebrity.

 

Cove cafe had a accapella quartet of young singers who were good. They had just come on board a month before and will stay through next christams.

 

One lounge singer was a Russian. Her rendition of "vell hello dolly" had guests downing their drinks and heading for another lounge.

 

We heard similar entertainment complaints from other passengers and we certainly commented the cruise staff and in the questionnaire at the end of the cruise.

 

The food just did not seem as good as we had previously experienced, although we did eat in the speciality restaurant this time and found it to be excellent (seared fois gras, rack of lamb). I would describe the San Marco Dinning Room's nightly fare as what you would expect at a dinner at an event at a large hotel.

 

However, all that being said, the reason for our chooosing this cruise was the itinerary and the spectacular ports of call.

[grandsix]

in response to your questions.

 

Major Theatre shows had not changed since our christmas cruise. Two comedians on board were poor. Guests were leaving the theatre in the middle of the shows.

 

Bands in lounges were not what we had come to expect from Celebrity.

 

Cove cafe had a accapella quartet of young singers who were good. They had just come on board a month before and will stay through next christams.

 

One lounge singer was a Russian. Her rendition of "vell hello dolly" had guests downing their drinks and heading for another lounge.

 

We heard similar entertainment complaints from other passengers and we certainly commented the cruise staff and in the questionnaire at the end of the cruise.

 

The food just did not seem as good as we had previously experienced, although we did eat in the speciality restaurant this time and found it to be excellent (seared fois gras, rack of lamb). I would describe the San Marco Dinning Room's nightly fare as what you would expect at a dinner at an event at a large hotel.

 

However, all that being said, the reason for our chooosing this cruise was the itinerary and the spectacular ports of call.

 

Thanks. We are booked for October so will have to draw our own conclusions. Hope things improve by then.

[candbgirl]

I can't believe it and to say I'm surprised is putting it mildly. We were on the Constellation just last month We had cloth hand towels in all of the public bathrooms. The majority of the entertainment was very good. Of course there were some that was only mediocre. I do know that several acts flew in and out immediately after performing. They left when we reached the next port. It seemed that Celebrity was flying the performers around Europe meeting ships as they came into ports. The Celebrity Singers and Dancers were okay. Not great but okay. The theatre was crowded most nights.(10:45 show) The lounges seemed to have changed too. Most every night we went to Michael's Club to see Perry Grant. Has he left the ship? He said he was leaving soon after being on for 9 months. The Cova had a one man band guy performing evry night. He was good but not something you'd sit and watch for a long period of time. The acapella group had just gotten on the ship so that who must be in the Cova now. They were very good but they didn't get too much exposure on our cruise. The group in the Rendezvous drove me nuts. They were awful and then they appeared up on the pool deck for one sail away. I left. There wasn't much entertainment on the pool deck. Our population was older although there were some families with babies too. There were 22 children on board. Back to the pool deck. I think the majority of the people were very content to sit and read and just have nice peaceful music as a background. As far as the food I thought the buffet was horrible and terribly confusing and not well designed. The dining room was very good to excellent. The new deserts(that our waiter gladly steered us away from) were awful. The old deserts were great. I agree about the CC cabins. I loved the extra room and our steward was wonderful. But I'm not sure the other perks are worth the cost. We had breakfast everyday in the dining room so we didn't even take advantage oof the special breaakfast menu. But the ports were fabulous.

[Montreal Eh!]

Yes, this was the first cruise without the much beloved Perry Grant.

[spearmint]

. The Celebrity Singers and Dancers were okay. Not great but okay. The theatre was crowded most nights.(10:45 show) The lounges seemed to have changed too. Most every night we went to Michael's Club to see Perry Grant. Has he left the ship? He said he was leaving soon after being on for 9 months. The Cova had a one man band guy performing evry night. He was good but not something you'd sit and watch for a long period of time. The acapella group had just gotten on the ship so that who must be in the Cova now. They were very good but they didn't get too much exposure on our cruise. The group in the Rendezvous drove me nuts. They were awful and then they appeared up on the pool deck for one sail away. I left. There wasn't much entertainment on the pool deck.

 

I am sorry to hear about the entertainment in the Rendez-vous Lounge. It has been our very favorite spot to go before dinner. I had been hoping that things would improve. We were aboard last November, and instead of the usual Duo-act as entertainment, there was a four-piece band (Kooler Kings?) who were poor. We always used to dance before/after dinner every single night, but this time we not only did not dance, we did not even go to the lounge as I just couldn't stand to listen to the group either. And then, the party band was not up to par either. They just did not have that "caribbean" feel to their music. We are booked again this coming November, and I was hoping that the entertainment would have gotten back to "normal". Apparently not.

[pattyj 1204]

This review seems very sad. I certainly hope that our cruise starting Aug. 2 is better than this review. I will still anticipate a great cruise as we will be celebrating our 40th anniversary and just being together will make for a great time. I'll just bring extra books to read instead of the entertainment if it is as bad as you say. Thanks for posting.Everyone has their own level of excellence and not everyone likes the same things.

[candbgirl]

Oh Patty you will have a fabulous time. Don't even think that you won't. You just pick and choose and decide what you like. There is so much to do. The reason I responded to the OP is because it did seem that there was nothing good going on. I never dreamed that we'd spend every night in Michaels' Club but we did. I do think that Celebrity cycles their talent in and out. What's on now won't necessarily be on in November. The thing about the bad music in the Rendezvous is that it spills up to the Martini/Champagne Bars on Deck 5. So both areas that people wait in before going to the dining room are impacted. They need to get rid of the group. I did mention this in our cruise evaluation.

[C 2 C]

I never dreamed that we'd spend every night in Michaels' Club but we did......... The thing about the bad music in the Rendezvous is that it spills up to the Martini/Champagne Bars on Deck 5. So both areas that people wait in before going to the dining room are impacted. They need to get rid of the group.

 

While on Constellation last fall and this past February we also wound up in Michael's Club every night.

 

While on Galaxy in May there was also a horrible band that played in Rendezvous and pretty well destroyed any hope for wait staff to earn their tips. Few people could tolerate their jazz versions of songs that made it difficult to dance. We had a group from Argentina that has played regularly on Celebrity. They "stunk" on Infinity around South America, on Constellation (reports from friends who suffered again) last year and they are still playing on Galaxy despite numerous complaints.

I can't understand why Celebrity does not follow up and replace the bands that draw so many negative comments.

[lvz2cruz]

Was the acapella group the Tonics? They were on Millie in March and we would enjoy seeing them again on the Constellation.

[Montreal Eh!]

No, the acepella group was called "the Naturals"

[I Fly]

We were on the same June 28th cruise. While Montreal Eh! review was basically factual, if I weren't on the same cruise, I would have read it as a good enough but not excellent cruise. I don't mean to criticize Montreal Eh! review, because each person's opinions are their opinions, but just to give another perspective on this cruise, here is my overall experience.

 

This was a TERRIFIC cruise!!!!! The ship was in excellent condition and the staff was as good as we have ever experienced on any Celebrity Ship. Niina, the Hotel Director has a great team and we found all aspects of the cruise to be top notch. The main dining room's food was better than we have had on other Celebrity cruises. It was nice seeing some new items, and not recognizing the daily menus course by course as we have seen in the past was a pleasant addition. I have come to realize that sometimes the waiter has a lot to do with overall impression you get of the main dining room. Our food was always hot or cold as appropriate and also very tasty. There are certain items that are better or worse on Celebrity, so I generally avoid the fish as it rarely meets my expectations. The salads were fresh and very good, and the soups were excellent. The beef in my opinion was very good and reliable. I like to order some extra fresh vegetables as there seems to be a lack of vegetables served with the main course. The desserts generally look better than they taste, but the ice cream and fresh berries can't be beat.

 

The weather on our cruise was excellent. We did have a showery first day in Stockholm and a few showers in St. Petersburg (luckily while we were eating lunch.) Other than that, we had dry weather with a mix of sun and clouds each day. We did notice on the cabin TV the weather forecast seemed to be vague and the temperatures didn't match the outside conditions. We were concerned about potential cool or damp weather, so maybe my impression of the weather being excellent may be slightly overly positive.

 

Before our cruise I had major plans of seeing all of the sights and taking tours, but once we got on the ship, I decided to just enjoy each port and wander around on our own. Each port is very walkable, and most ship docks were in or near the city center. Oslo was right in the city center. Tallinn was a 15 minute walk to the Medieval City. Warnemunde was at the most a 10-15 minute walk to the railway station and the beach resort area was just passed the railway station. Stockholm was a 30 minute walk, but the hop on and hop off boats were a good option to get around. I TOTALLY agree with Montreal Eh!, the Hop on and Hop off Bus was HORRIBLE! We did have some showers in the morning and I think that may have been the reason, but truthfully, the hop on and hop off boats worked very well. Helsinki was easily accessible by the #16 bus which stops just a block from the ship. The 6 Euro Tourist card was a bargain, allowing 24-hours use of the buses, trams and local ferries. You can buy the ticket right from the bus driver. In St. Petersburg we took a two day Red October Tour. Unless you have a individual VISA, you can't wander off on your own. The ship docks well out of town.

With the exception of our cruise, the ship docks in Copenhagen near the little mermaid. While we didn't use the hop on and hop off bus, I think that would be a good option, as there is quite a bit of walking needed to get into the city center.

 

John the Cruise director is leaving the cruise before the July 19th cruise. I don't know who will be replacing him.

 

In conclusion, this was our favorite cruise of all time for us. We have cruised with Celebrity quite a few times, so we feel able to make a comparison to other cruises. We were expecting to have a wonderful cruise experience on this Baltic cruise and our expectations were quite high. Our cruise experience so far exceeded our expectations!!!!! If you are lucky enough to be taking this cruise, you are in for a GREAT cruise!!!!

 

Steve

[Karynanne]

Steve, we were on Infinity last month, and also found that the entrees were lacking in the amount of vegetables. If you ask your Waiter to bring some extra vegetables, they will be happy to accomodate you. We always had a plate of great steamed veggies, after that request.

[GACRUISER456]

I was on the first Baltics cruise in May on the Constellation and I second I Fly's review. This was by far the best cruise I have ever been on! Between the awesome staff and fantastic ports, we loved every minute of this trip. I have been working on a DVD of all the photos for the past 2 months and everytime I watch it, I can't wait to go back. So much fun and so little time!:)

[Greensboro]

We agree with I Fly response. My wife and I were on the June 28th Constellation cruise and enjoyed a great time. Everything was first class and the staff on the ship was outstanding. Don't worry future Constellation cruisers you will have a great experience.

 

Some people just like to complain no matter if there is any reality in their comments or not. This was our 6th cruise experience and by far the BEST!!

[C 2 C]

My wife and I were on the June 28th Constellation cruise and enjoyed a great time. Everything was first class and the staff on the ship was outstanding.

 

Great news... would you perhaps be able to give me the names of some of the senior staff on board?

[spearmint]

Now listen, Kiddies. Our disappointment comes from our last cruise aboard 'Constellation' in November 2007. And that was with only some of the on board entertainment. For us, the ship is part of the vacation/itinerary. When we were on board 'Constellation' in 2006 for the Baltic cruise, we were -- and still are-- thrilled as hell about the trip itself.

 

I commented about the Rendez-vous Lounge entertainment because our 2007 trip in this regard was the pits; and only because "Montreal eh!" mentioned it in passing, and someone else picked up on it. Besides dressing up for dinner, our favorite thing to do is go dancing in the above-mentioned Lounge. When the musicians are not up to previous cruises from Celebrity, and are the ...sh....pits, then I am not happy. :eek: We may be in a minority, but the ship and the ambience is as important to us as the travel itinerary. That is why I continue to ask on these boards as to the state of the entertainment. I guess that I am hoping that before our next cruise on 'Constellation' in November/08, someone will be able to tell me that there will be a change in the stuff that was offered last fall. Bill

[Deeliteful]

It certainly shows how subjective reviews are though but important to get more than one opinion on a cruise or ship.

 

For example under member reviews for the Connie the last 10 show 6 x 5*, 1 x 4*, 1 x 3* and 2 x 2*. In fact the last 4 are for the same cruise and 2 give it a 2* and 2 give it 5* +!

 

As the man said - you can't please all of the people all of the time.

 

Personally, I have never had a bad cruise. I've had some "moments" but nothing bad enough to spoil my cruise even the time the toilet did a blow back and I was covered in **** - it was the end of the cruise and I was so chilled out I just called maintenance gave housekeeping my clothes to launder and went back on deck to sunbathe!:eek:

 

Pat

[gillianrose]

This was a TERRIFIC cruise!!!!! The ship was in excellent condition and the staff was as good as we have ever experienced on any Celebrity Ship.

 

Were the towels in the public bathrooms paper or cloth?

 

That is a very important indicator (just one indicator) of cruise quality, and I would prefer if the answer is merely factual. Paper or cloth?

 

Anyone who has been on ANY Celebrity ship in the past few WEEKS, feel free to chime in, too.

[kidznp]

personally, I have never had a bad cruise. I've had some "moments" but nothing bad enough to spoil my cruise even the time the toilet did a blow back and I was covered in **** - it was the end of the cruise and I was so chilled out I just called maintenance gave housekeeping my clothes to launder and went back on deck to sunbathe!:eek:

 

Pat

 

Are you serious here? This actually happened? OMG I would be completely freaked out...8 showers and 3 martinis later I might relax a little...that sounds like a nightmare!!

[hcat]

So when is Perry Grant due back on board? Did they have a party/pool band?

[Deeliteful]

Hi Kidznp - yes it did happen! I think if it happened at the beginning of the cruise I would have needed more than one shower and would definitely have hit the martinis!!

(It was not a Celebrity ship)

 

Pat

[Ma Bell]

Were the towels in the public bathrooms paper or cloth?

 

That is a very important indicator (just one indicator) of cruise quality, and I would prefer if the answer is merely factual. Paper or cloth?

 

Anyone who has been on ANY Celebrity ship in the past few WEEKS, feel free to chime in, too.

 

Most of the time there are cloth towels in the public restrooms. Sometimes they run out and then there are paper towels until they get restocked. They also do not use cloth towels if they are having a Noro scare on board ships. In February and June there were cloth towels in the public areas so it may have just been one of those in between times.