Connie Sept 08 review

[Denisern2]

Here is my impression of my latest cruisePre Cruise- We came in a day early and stayed at the comfort suites in Elizabeth. Perfect for a night to sleep. Embarkation. The worst in 20 cruises we arrived at 11:00 and did not get on the ship until 2:30. Nobody knew the reason for the delay and they had nothing to drink in the terminal. Grade D

Cabin A family view on the aft was great what a awesome balcony and the sofa pull out with an eggcrate was comfortable. Shower had the dreaded curtain and poor bath products like RCCL. Overall grade a B

Food This is where the mark was really missed I can tell you that this food was sub par. The buffet was a disgrace with the exception of the pasta to order. Oh those waffles I love were always raw on the inside. I once asked nicely if he could cook it a little more for me and he rolled his eyes at me. I found out that this was a problem many were having. Dining room it was our waiters first cruise but I loved him bless his heart he tried! Entrees for the most part were decent. Soups and salads were poor. overall food C- I gained 1 LB in 12 days so that was a plus.

Spa what a bummer I love to spend my sea days there the T pool was so cold that we used it twice the jets were out of order. When I inquired at the spa I was told that if my muscles were sore they had some great massage specials. The Spa cafe had the best food you must try it YUMMY. Grade spa D Spa cafe A+

Ports were great I had car rentals set up in each port and that was the way to go..Halifax was a nightmare But overall we were lucky with weather.

Service...This is where celebrity used to shine I would put them dead even with RCCL now. Except the entertainment is better on RCCL. I feel this is the new age of cruising I may have to cut back to one a year and do crystal I hate to do that because I really am not that picky but the food and lack of attention to detail really did make my experience less then stellar. We Paid 7,400 for three of us so it is not like they are giving these cruises away. I just felt that I was not given my moneys worth. for 616$ a hotel and good restaurants would have been a better value. Will I cruise again in order to choose celebrity they will have to give me a really good rate. I am back to Princess in January so we will see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Publication Date: 10/12/08

[djquog]

I am so sorry and concerned to read this as we will be on the Connie soon. I did wonder if some of the more experienced and long time Connie employess had moved on to the newer ships.

 

Jan

[Domina X]

So disappointed to hear this poor review of the Constellation as we will be on the Oct. 17th sailing. Going to go with an open mind, X has never disappointed us in the past. Anyone else out there with a more reassuring review ?

[50cruiser]

I wonder with celebritys new ships coming soon if the employees dont work up to newer ships. Most experenced to the new celebrity ships and then train new staff on older ships so the newest ships have the experenced staff to run the ships. Also I think they use this time of year before heavy cruise time to train new staff. hopefully by Jan when we sail the will have the ships up to speed. CARL

[hcat]

Hmm,

 

Hope things are back to normal on this great ship by the time we cruise in 2010.....if reports are consiostently poor we will re-think it...

[Denisern2]

I hate to sound like a complainer I am not that picky. There were positive aspects on the trip and I do not want to sound like it was a fright. The food really was poor and the service while they were nice I feel they were all just overwhelmed.

[AAAAmerican]

Hello there Domina X,

 

Which Province are youall from?

 

The Constellation goes to four on your and our Cruise starting this Friday 10-17-2008 A.D.

 

If you want join our Roll Call and have you registered for the Cruise Critics party too?

 

See the Graphic Above (join The party) Click it and you do have use all UPPER case letters in your ID...

 

 

 

See ya aboard then. Ship-Mates are great!@;)

 

 

So disappointed to hear this poor review of the Constellation as we will be on the Oct. 17th sailing. Going to go with an open mind, X has never disappointed us in the past. Anyone else out there with a more reassuring review ?

[Verity]

Thank you for you review. I am so sorry to hear about the food and the grade you gave it. At first, I admit I was skeptical of the people complaining but now it seems like a lot of people are complaining so it wasn't an aberration at the beginning. We have been loyal Celebrity cruisers but if we are disappointed on our December cruise, we will definitely look to Princess and HAL. Those big ships Celebrity is building comes at a bad economic time and it sounds like the present passengers might be getting short changed. I am going on my cruise with an open mind and never look for problems. I hope I am not disappointed in the Millenium.

[djquog]

We were on the Connie last Oct. for a fall cruise and on the year before also. Last year we noticed a drop in the quality of the food and even more a drop in service. We had a waiter that was not ready for the dining room. Truly awful service. We did feel sorry for what must have been overwhelming for him. After a few days, we gave up on the dining room and ate upstairs or in the Aqua Spa. I sure hope the Aqua Spa does not close down too early. Onboard last fall we signed up for another Connie cruise because of the itinery and thought it would be nice to have a new menu. We'll hope for the best but it will probably be our last Connie cruise. We took 2 cruises out of Bayonne this year on the Explorer of the Seas and already had decided we like the larger ship.

 

Jan

[Cruiser Susie]

We were on the Connie for the cruise just before you got on, which was a TA. We had a wonderful time... loved all the sea days. I agree with you on the Aqua Spa food. It is wonderful, and attractively served. The opinion on the food on our cruise varied depending on who was asked. I thought the food in the dining room was better than our cruise on the Connie a year and a half before. The portions were slightly smaller... you don't walk away stuffed to the gills. There were many newer items to choose from, and I liked them a lot. The salads were better, the appetizers more varied and the fish was much better than it had been previously. The brunch buffet in the dining room was a pleasant change, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The only time we ate at the buffet was for breakfast some days, and for lunch on others. I thought the sandwich and panini bar at the back was good, and the salad choices at the salad bar were plentiful. We had dinner at the Casual Dining restaurant when our tour from Marrakech got back too late for the dining room, and although the servers are still definitely learning how to serve, the food was really good there. My DH really enjoyed the steak he had there. We had dinner several times in Oceanliners, and the food, the service and the wonderful staff there made for some lovely, memorable evenings.

 

The Thalossotherapy pool was cooler than in the past, and the water level was a little lower, but those whirlpools next to the T-pool were definitely HOT! Didn't do the spa this time... trying to save our money for other things...:)

 

One of the reasons for your delay in embarkation may have been the ships' late arrival in port... we were about 2 hours late getting in. There was a medical emergency two days earlier that required a course change up to near Newfoundland and then we had to try and make up the time getting back to port. I think the official boarding time is after 2, is it not?

 

We were also in an aft cabin, and you are right, those balconies and views are just wonderful. We had lots of sailaway parties as we left various ports. For those of you sailing soon, I can only tell you that we had a wonderful time. And yes, some of the crew we spoke to are departing for the Solstice... but we will back on the ship in March for three weeks and are already looking forward to being back on the ship. From the Captain to the Hotel Director to the Dining Room manager to our wonderful room steward, Cyril, and his assistant Sylvester, to our waiter, Pavel, and to our assistant waiter, Melisa, there is a great deal of pride in the ship and how passengers perceive service, food and overall ambience. If you have a concern, talk to one of the staff members. They are most definitely willing to listen, and I thought very responsive. We had a problem with our stateroom balcony door, and although it took a few tries, it was fixed completely within a few days. We were consistently polite and persistent, and the staff we worked with were most helpful. I hope that anyone embarking soon has a wonderful time on this ship. We did.

[Denisern2]

Aqua spa was not open for dinner...Bummer because man that food was great. There is made to order pasta for dinner and that was the bomb, Like I said I had a great vacation and I have no regrets just disappointed in the food and service. Sushi also for dinner and that was really good. Oh I forgot we did the casual dining one night and that was great food and service for 2$ a person.

[Deeliteful]

I have to agree with Cruiser Susie - I was on the same TA on the Connie and I thought the service and food were terrific.

 

Soups were excellent as were salads and good choices for entrees and puddings. Aqua Spa consistently excellent as was Ocean Liners. Our waiter, Wilson, was a notch above - very attentive and brought additional items for others on our table as requested. Caesar salad, prawn cocktail, steak, salmon and chicken are always available if you don't fancy anything else on the menu. Portions were spot on but you could always ask for more if you really felt you needed to.

 

I am not easily pleased when it comes to food - I have eaten in some of the top restaurants in the world and I am a cordon-bleu cook myself but I never had a bad meal on this cruise. (Too many meals but never a bad one!!)

 

Future cruisers I'm sure you will enjoy it too.

 

Pat

[JNCRUISEBUMS]

Thank you both for your excellent reviews, I was getting a bit nervous after reading Denicrns2 review. We are leaving Nov. 21st and coming back Dec. 12th on the Connie and now I know it will be wonderful!

Nancie:D

[2Canucks]

Deeliteful ... Pat...

 

Can you remember what your table number was...where was it located? We are doing a B2B on the Connie this Jan/Feb and looking forward to another great cruise.

 

Why I'm asking about your table...

 

We had a waiter named "Wilson" on our 2007 Mex Riv cruise and he was the BEST waiter we've ever had. Great service with his big smile! (spoiled us ) Wonder if it's the same fellow?? Hope he's still onboard in Jan ... would love to say HI if it's him! :D

 

 

I appreciate all the Connie reviews ... I'm sure we'll have a great time.

 

Pat (me too!) :)

[spearmint]

Thank you both for your excellent reviews, I was getting a bit nervous after reading Denicrns2 review. We are leaving Nov. 21st and coming back Dec. 12th on the Connie and now I know it will be wonderful!

Nancie:D

 

 

Ditto, from us. :)

[billscruiser]

Ditto, from us. :)

Ditto, from us too.

Bill and Kathy

[hugger]

in 16 days - so relieved to hear that there are still some good things happening onboard :)

I was really concerned at first read.

Thanks for filling us all in on the Connie.

[Deeliteful]

Deeliteful ... Pat...

 

Can you remember what your table number was...where was it located? We are doing a B2B on the Connie this Jan/Feb and looking forward to another great cruise.

We had a waiter named "Wilson" on our 2007 Mex Riv cruise and he was the BEST waiter we've ever had. Great service with his big smile! (spoiled us ) Wonder if it's the same fellow?? Hope he's still onboard in Jan ... would love to say HI if it's him!

 

I think it was 501 - it was on Deck 5 and right at the back portside overlooking the wake - not the best table position according to some of my tablemates but I had no issue with it and Wilson was definitely the BEST waiter I have ever had. (He's from Goa if that helps to pinpoint if he is the same one - attached pic for you).

 

 

Pat

[2Canucks]

Attached Thumbnails

 

 

YEP...that's MY "Wilson"!! :D :D :D

 

Thanks so much for the picture. Hoping he'll still be onboard in Jan/09 so we can stop and visit with him! He made our 2007 Mex Riv cruise really special.

 

Now...I can't wait ... what a nice bonus to look forward too!

 

Thanks again!!

 

Pat :)

[Nonna and Papa]

We were also on the Constellation TA which ended on September 23. We found the cruise to be wonderful and thoroughly enjoyed it. The service we recieved was very good, and any requests we made were well received and promptly attended to. I have to say though, that our requests were minimal and our gratitude was always extended. It will be time soon for some of the stateroom upholstery and carpeting to be replaced, but other than that, our aft FV cabin was clean and well kept.

 

We found the food to be okay. My disappointment in the main dining room menu, was more in the selections offered, and that is a matter of taste. Others may have found that selection wasn't an issue. I can't eat fish, and many of the selections, both for the appetizers and the entrees, were fish courses. So therefore, my choices weren't as varied as they might have been for others. I found myself eating more beef than I usually do at home, but yet what I ate was good. We found the buffet was fine for breakfast and some lunches. If we weren't thrilled with the buffet offerings at lunch, we went to the dining room.

 

Ocean Liners is a lovely venue and we enjoyed our dinner there. Attempts are made at French service, but we found that the service wasn't as smooth and unobtrusive as it should be. One other aspect that needs to be considered, is that many diners utilize this restaurant for the tableside service. My husband's Ceasar salad wasn't made in the traditional way, and while his entree was correctly shown to him upon completion, however it was then sliced and plated behind his back prior to being served. This may not have any significance to others, but as a Culinarian of 40 years who teachs at a Cordon Bleu school, this was definitely something he noticed. This is where the Culinary Arts should be displayed at its best.

 

As I mentioned, our observations are probably mostly due to my husband's life work, (and indirectly, mine), so we picked up on things others may not care about. All in all, we felt the staff did very well. Let's just not talk about the desserts...... 8>)

 

Mary

[brucedodge]

We were also on the transatlantic, and we thought the service in general was excellent. Our cabin steward was one of the best we've had in many, many cruises.

 

The ship is clean and in good shape, but it could stand some overhaul in some areas. Our cabin (another aft FV) looked "tired," but served us well as a two week home away from home.

 

Our biggest disappointment was the continued decline of the food -- not the service. We've cruised Celebrity many times since 1998, and the food has moved slowly from great to good. Mind you, there is little to complain about as the waiter can (if you ask, sometimes if you don't) offer his suggestions, and any waiter will surely want to exchange something you don't like.

 

We are also aware that the kitchen is serving 1000 people at a time and take that into consideration. But in the past, there have been many times we have raved about a specific entree or side dish. This time, rarely. And the desserts seem to be heading in a direction where the presentation is more important than the quality. But again, if you don't like something, change it!

 

Also corporate is obviously looking for any cost cutting measure (due to RCCL buyout??, the economy??). Some small changes we noticed from just last year: No longer do steak and shrimp cocktail appear on the "available every night" left side of the menu. They actually are available, but you have to know you can ask for them. Another: the cheese plate was always offered as an after dinner option. Again, you can get it, but you have to know to ask.

 

We used to think Celebrity cooked their fish well, and they do an okay job, but now it's more hit or miss and not as good as we've had on Princess as recently as March.

 

I'm just offering a different perspective. We are not demanding and thoroughly enjoy interacting with the crew. We had a GRAND time on the Connie, and have more Celebrity cruises lines up. We just have had to lower our expectations.

 

ALL cruises are great fun!

 

Bruce

[spearmint]

 

We had a GRAND time on the Connie, and have more Celebrity cruises lines up. We just have had to lower our expectations.

 

Bruce

 

That's unfortunate; how sad, really.

[AAAAmerican]

O.M.G.

 

Oh My God. I just read the recent Ship reviews POSTED aka..poasted for the Celebrity Constellation..

 

*YIKES* I paid full fare with the HIGH Fuel Sur-Charges ( a hidden form of a fee) for all four of my party.:mad:

 

Why do we and most use Celebrity as a Cruise Line....((?)) Wonders never cease now..

 

 

I like it, well hopefully may well still if they cut the Mustard and do what they are paid bloody well, to do .

:eek:

 

There is NO EXCUSE for POOR Service and FOOD Quality on a Premium Paid for Cruise line EVER! Is it 1 star service and food we paid/pay for?

 

Is Celebrity or RCL going bankrupt? Chapter 11 and/or 7?

 

Do we all do our jobs to the near best of our ability?

 

A solution..well not for us as we are fully paid and booked to leave this Friday on here... but for you as well all other Passegers and Ship-Mates..

Is to Write, CALL, FAX, eMail and communicate what youall see saw felt ate and to do it to the Parent Company RCL :NYSE

 

 

 

 

[WorldofTnT]

 

The ship is clean and in good shape, but it could stand some overhaul in some areas. Our cabin (another aft FV) looked "tired," but served us well as a two week home away from home.

 

 

We will be sailing on the Connie in a FV cabin in Nov. What was your Cabin #.

 

Sorry to hear that things were not up to the standards we have all come to know and love.

 

Trey

[crazybus]

Cruiser Susie: Thanks so much for the great review. Just goes to show how different people have different perspectives. I am sailing on the Connie in 15 days and can't wait!