Should I be concerned about Constellation?

My husband, 2 teens, and I are considering an August cruise on the Constellation, but the recent reviews give me pause. We sailed with Celebrity to Alaska years ago and we're very pleased. Any thoughts? Thanks so much!

Spring break and the three and four day cruises of the Constellation are over for the season.

You will be fine.

I have sailed on the Constellation twice and have a future cruise on her. It is a great ship with good service, good food and wonderful crew.

Better not be bad. We leave on her in a month.

Got to remember that you can't please everyone and some people just like moaning for the sake of it.

I intend to have a great time.

My husband, 2 teens, and I are considering an August cruise on the Constellation, but the recent reviews give me pause. We sailed with Celebrity to Alaska years ago and we're very pleased. Any thoughts? Thanks so much!

How many reviews did you read? In the time since your post, I looked at the 25 reviews on the first page of all Constellation reviews. There were 3 or 4 reviews that were negative because it was a 3-4 day cruise during spring break. Maybe 1 or 2 others indicated some issues/concerns for service and quality. The rest were all 4 and 5 stars and the titles all sound as though the cruisers had a good time and a good cruise.

I was on the Constellation for 16 days (NOV 2014) and will be on the Constellation for 9 days (NOV 2015). One of my favorite ships.

Go with a good attitude and don't set unrealistic expectations and you will have a great time.

Thanks for the feedback and reassurance! We aren't looking for perfection. We really just want some time together having fun and not worrying about the next meal, etc. We can get connected, balcony c2 cabins within our budget, so this might be a really nice option for us.

I really appreciate the help!

Hi,

I've spent more than three weeks on Constellation in the past six months between shorter(5 day) and a longer sailing.

The ship is in very good shape, and I personally love the interaction of the officers with their staff and the guests.

You will have a good time. There is no perfect vacation, just perfect memories of you holiday with the family. If you have any specific cabin question, just post up and myself or someone else will be happy to answer it.

We always love to eat in Tuscan Grille for change of pace from the regular dining room, and if the kids are in the fun factory, you can have a more elegant meal in Murano. The ship often offers discounts on the specialty dining to make it more affordable.

All of the cookies and pastries in the case at Café al Bacio are free, so it is a very popular place on the ship.

Have a wonderful trip.

My last cruise on Connie was on the infamous 5 day spring break fiasco, but in fairness the ship itself was fine overall. Wasn't really impressed with the buffet, but that doesn't make or break a cruise for me. There was not quite as much live entertainment as there used to be, which was my other major negative as it were. But all in all, I would not hesitate to cruise her again on any cruise other than a five day spring breaker.

Better not be bad. We leave on her in a month.

 

Got to remember that you can't please everyone and some people just like moaning for the sake of it.

 

I intend to have a great time.

And some people might have legitimate concerns that they choose to put in writing. That is the main reason I decided not to put a review on CC for our 5 night disaster spring break cruise. I just didn't want to have to read remarks like this one. I know people who were not there just could not understand what it was like. I will agree that there are some people who never have anything good to say, ever. But we cannot assume that people posting a bad review are just 'moaning for the sake of it'. Perhaps they had legitimate issues.

We did a 5 day over Christmas with 12 of us (4 teens) and it was fine. The kids keep asking when we will do it again.

And then did a transAtlantic. And booked for another transAtlantic in Nov.

I think it is just fine.

Loved our Connie cruise...we did the shorter 5 day sailing, but right before spring break madness. Nice crowd, good entertainment, good service, for the most part, with the exception of a couple of very unhappy bartenders. A very classy, beautiful ship. I originally wanted to book the same cruise for 2016, but they pulled most of the Feb 5 day cruises, so we went with a diff 7 day sailing. Don't hesitate...go for it!

We were on the Constellation's April 2014 trans-atlantic from Ft. Lauderdale to Amsterdam. We had cruised on the Constellation twice before -- a New England - Canada cruise in 2009 and a TA in 2010. So it had been four years since we had been on her, and I had forgotten how much I like that ship.

But a quick question to zen2020 -- is there a particular issue or question you have about the Constellation?

Thanks for your question Northern Aurora!

I don't have a particular concern. I mainly needed help putting the "bad" reviews in context, and understanding if this is a good option to consider for our family. It's a lot of money, and I want to feel like I'm choosing wisely...

Usually, we wouldn't consider a European cruise, but my husband thought it might be a great idea with our 13 and 16 year sons. We wouldn't have to constantly search out food, basic needs, etc. and we could focus our energy on spending some really nice time together, exploring and relaxing. I'm slightly more hesitant, because I like a more in-depth experience when I travel. However, if we do this cruise, we leave from Venice and plan on spending a few days there before we sail.

These are truly the nicest of problems to have and debate and I appreciate all of the kind input!

And some people might have legitimate concerns that they choose to put in writing. That is the main reason I decided not to put a review on CC for our 5 night disaster spring break cruise. I just didn't want to have to read remarks like this one. I know people who were not there just could not understand what it was like. I will agree that there are some people who never have anything good to say, ever. But we cannot assume that people posting a bad review are just 'moaning for the sake of it'. Perhaps they had legitimate issues.

I don't consider myself a moaner either. Just stating the facts. I have cruised on (4) 14 day cruises with Celebrity and did not have the first complaint. I, also, have another 14 day cruise booked for September. Hopefully, we can rant and rave about their wonderful MDR food. It has always been excellent. On this 5 day Constellation cruise, the food was not at their best. For example, my daughter ordered waffles. She then had to ask for strawberries, etc. for a topping. They brought her a strawberry glaze and stated that they did not have any fresh strawberries, etc. The glaze was disgusting. I ordered English bacon and I received American bacon, which I did enjoy. This was the first cruise that I have gone on, and was not offered KEY LIME PIE OR LOBSTER. I have sailed on 23 cruises. Just stating the facts on this cruise of 4/4/15.

http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2014/02/articles/passenger-rights/celebrity-constellation-loses-power-again/

is this a credible news article? did anyone witness this:eek:

My husband, 2 teens, and I are considering an August cruise on the Constellation, but the recent reviews give me pause. We sailed with Celebrity to Alaska years ago and we're very pleased. Any thoughts? Thanks so much!

We did the (14 day) Exotic Southern Caribbean Cruise on the Constellation several years ago and we did not have the first complaint. This five day cruise was lacking in the MDR. I question if their cakes were baked on the ship. They were quite dry, as if they had just arrived out of a box.:eek: We have completed 23 cruises and there are certain desserts and entrees that I look forward to enjoying on the different ships.:p As I stated in another review, we were not offered Key Lime Pie or lobster. This was a first. We are not giving up on Celebrity, as we have another (14) day booked on The Summit for September. We will make our decision then, if the extra $$$'s meet our expectations. Go and enjoy your cruise experience. My grand kids thought that it was a wonderful cruise.:)