Constellation Review 1/02-1/15/11 (long)

Constellation 1/02/11-1/15/11 San Diego-Fort Lauderdale 13 nights

My husband and I traveled on the Celebrity Constellation from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. It was our second Celebrity cruise. We have also cruised Carnival, Premier, NCL, Holland America, and most recently Royal Caribbean. I have read and learned so much on CC that I want to share our experience.

Embarkation: This was the only area where we feel improvement is needed. I need to start with the fact that our documents did say that arrival after 2PM was recommended. As all seasoned cruisers know most ships begin boarding between 11:30 and 12. When we arrived at 11AM cruisers from the previous trip were still at the terminal. Wow we had never seen that before. The luggage drop off area was chaos. That is because there was only one porter to collect all the luggage of the arriving passengers. The other porters were still helping the departing passengers. Once we dropped off our luggage we headed to the check in area. Short line, we got our sea pass cards and boarding group number one and off we went. The check in agent said boarding should begin about 11:30. We made our way to a large room with folding chairs and we waited and waited. To summarize boarding for passengers did not begin until 2 PM. Our beef is that no information was given. If they had explained the delay it would have made things better. Communication was lacking here.

The Ship: The overall appearance of the ship was beautiful. Everything was sparkling clean and if there was wear and tear we never saw it!!! My husband noticed that several LED lights were not working especially on the stair treads in one of the lounges that was dimly lit, but I would never have noticed it. He felt it was safety issue. We spent our first half hour exploring the ship. We decided to have a quiet lunch on Bistro on 5. One of the best tips we read on CC. We were the only patrons the entire time!! Lunch was great and we vowed to return later in the cruise, which we did.

Cabin: We had a veranda cabin on deck 7. On first entering the cabin looked smaller than others we have had. Once our luggage came and we unpacked, the efficiency of the storage made up for it. We had a place for everything plus storage that we never used, making the cabin very efficient and not so small any more. The bathroom also had plenty of storage. The only criticism here was the hairdryer. It was fixed on the bathroom wall and not very efficient. I was very happy I brought my own. Now I could dry my hair in the cabin at the vanity while my husband showered.

Food: We ate most breakfasts in the Buffet. Never had trouble finding a table and I never felt crowded.Food was plentiful, lots of variety. Omelet stations, poached egg station, waffle, French toast and pancake station. The stations made the buffet very efficient. Coffee was hot and good. We had breakfast twice in the dining room. Service was fast, food good, not as big a selection as buffet, but being waited on was a plus. We had lunch in either the buffet or at the grill, the selection seemed large. Most days we opted for a light meal at lunch.

Dinners: We had select dining. Let me start by saying we sat in different sections, repeating wait staff only a few times. We never waited for a table. Service each night was efficient and orders were received promptly and correctly. The one thing I don’t get about select dining is the reservation system. We had made reservations online prior to our cruise as is suggested. They always had a table for us, but the dining room manager consistently made comments that we could get a more desirable table by arriving earlier or at a different time. HUH?? As the cruise progressed we continued to arrive at our reserved time and the comments stopped. Overall we were pleased with our select dining experience and we booked that for our next cruise.

We ate at both the Tuscan Grille and Oceanliners. Both were outstanding in service and food and presentation. I would recommend both these restaurants, with Ocean liners being our favorite.

Formal nights: We made a decision before the cruise not to dress for formal nights for many reasons. We made reservations for the specialty restaurants on the first two formal nights and ate at Bistro on 5 for the third. This allowed us to stay within the luggage weight and allowance for our airlines and have an overall more relaxed dining experience.

Birthday celebration: My husband’s birthday happened to be on a sea day and also our second formal night. He had asked me not to make a big deal about this. He preferred to keep it quiet, no decorations, or singing waiters. We had reservations for Tuscan Grille that night. In our cabin on our arrival to the ship, there was an envelope addressed to only me and inside was a short note from the captain’s club concierge stating that they noted it was my husband’s birthday and if there was any way they could help me in celebrating that day to let them know. Another Wow!! I knew I wanted to try to arrange for a bridge tour. On the first sea day I called the concierge dept and made that request. They said “They would be happy to make that happen” … And they did. The day before his birthday he received an invitation to attend a bridge tour. He was very surprised and excited. It was a perfect way for him to celebrate his day!! He also received a certificate good for 30 dollars in purchases in the on board shops, a very nice touch and totally unexpected!!

We especially appreciated the smoking policy on Celebrity. We never smelled smoke the whole trip. The entertainment was plentiful around the ship. There were multiple venues every night with music playing throughout the evening. We attended most of the evening shows and enjoyed them all. We thought the singers/dancers on this ship were the best we have seen on any ship. Their shows and the guest entertainers were all very good. A bonus on this trip was that there was a large jazz group on board consisting of several bands and followers. They were not part of the ship’s entertainment, but they played in the lounge areas of the ship almost every night and the cruise director announced that we were allowed to go listen whenever they were playing. This added to our trip as we enjoyed their music.

Ports: Our first port was Cabo San Lucas. We booked a private excursion. My husband had seen a small boat whale watch on the Celebrity site when investigating this cruise and that‘s what he wanted to do. When the shore excursions for this trip came on the web site, the small boat excursion was not available. So after some investigation I booked an independent excursion. It was a fifteen person boat. The excursion was fantastic. We saw 6 whales up close and personal, (within the government guidelines for how close you can get to the whales), which is what we wanted.

Acapulco: We did the ship’s sponsored city tour which gave us a good overview of the city. It included the cliff divers, which were amazing.

Hualtuco: We did not book an excursion here. We walked from the ship to the shopping area and beach.

Costa Rico: We booked the Rainforest Canopy Tour, which was a zip line tour through the rain forest. My husband loved it, but it was a bit too adventurous for me. I’m glad I did it once, but would not do it again!! One thing I would note is that it was difficult to see much of the rain forest as you were moving fast. I can now cross zip lining off my “list”!!

Panama Canal Transit: we did not do an excursion here, opting to enjoy the canal and locks on the ship. It was great day.

Cartegna Columbia: We did a ship sponsored city tour. We felt it gave a great overview of the city and it’s rich history.

Sea Days: There were many listed activities. Our agenda on this trip was rest and relaxation. We participated in very few activities. We attended the galley tour, which was enlightening. The only thing lacking here was there was no cookbook available. I would have bought one if offered!! My husband attended the navigation talk by the captain and he was impressed with his professionalism and found the talk worthwhile. There was a list of Captain Club activities given to us on arrival to our room. The only one we attended was the backstage theater tour. This was informative and worthwhile.

Disembarkation: We opted for the luggage valet service. For an extra $20.00/person

The cruiseline transported our luggage so the next time we saw it was when we got off our plane in Boston. They printed our boarding passes and we were able to go through customs with just our carry-ons. Well worth the up charge in our opinion.

Overall: The staff on this ship are outstanding. Everyone we encountered was friendly and smiling. Earning extra credits was our room steward Doris, who went out of her way on a daily basis for us. She was the best. We also noticed that the head waiters worked harder than I’ve ever seen, clearing tables, serving meals, trouble shooting, and generally checking that all guests were having a good experience. They all went out of our way to make our trip the best we have had in fourteen cruises.

If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them. Thank you for reading my review. Debbie

Thank you so much Debbie for your wonderful review!

We sailed Constellation in 2009 and enjoyed it so much we are returning in March. Glad to hear she is still in such fine shape that that the service provided continues to be excellent. We can't wait to board!

A great review....thanks !

We will be on Connie in 96 days and some odd minutes....but who'se counting....?

Was Perry Grant in Michal's Club, and if so did you see him and what did you think? My wife and I are huge Perry fans and are really lookikng forward to seeing him this next cruise. I am already practicing assuming the position...(Perry fans will know what this means.)

I am also glad to know that there are at least 2 other folks who are opting out of formal nights. We have opted out for the last 4 cruises, and have not regretted it one bit. Also (at least initially) for the same reason as you did....airline restrictions.

Again, thanks for the review.

Sid1962

Thanks for taking the time to post a review. It makes me want to be onboard NOW.

Hi Sid,

Perry was on vacation, so we did not see him. We looked in at the piano bar a few times and the music being played was not our style so we did not stay. I think we will not be doing formal nights any time soon!!! I am glad you enjoyed my review. Debbie

Thank you for your review... and btw, it wasn't long at all. I enjoyed reading it. Glad you had a good time. Snow is piling up outside our house right now, and I can't wait to be back on the Constellation at the end of March (on the same cruise as cruzeluver). This will be our sixth trip on her.

I hope to actually get to Cabo some day; our cruise 5 years ago had to miss that port due to a hurricane. Love whale watching! It is great that you got to see those magnificent creatures so close up.

Thanks again for your review. I am more than ready to go now, but, sadly, have to wait a few months til we can get onboard.

Great review Debbie. Thanks for taking the time to post it.

We will be on the Connie in March and can't wait. Glad to hear that you had such a wonderful time.

Bistro on 5 is wonderful, isn't it.

Shirley

Thanks for your review.

Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

Thanks for your review - we set sail on the Constellation in a month.

On a thread about X cutbacks, it was noted that some ships have stopped delivering the following day's port info with the ship's news at evening turndown.

I'm a planner, and waiting until I am leaving the ship in the morning to pick this up and plan my day is simply not acceptable :mad:

Did you receive these in the evening on this sailing?

Also, glad to hear your positive experience with Select dining. Ours has always also been positive on X and on other lines, but some do certainly seem to have other experiences.

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. 1st cruise ever will be aboard the Constellation Feb 26.

- Dragline

Opal1001

Thanks for the review. Did you have one of the oversized balconies on deck 7?

How were the entrees in the MDR? Did you have fish or red meat? Was it good quality?

Thanks for writing your review. I'll be on Constellation in a couple of months and can't wait.

A story was posted here about a staff member being arrested when the ship got into San Diego on the day you left and that may explain the chaos at embarkation. Details here:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jan/04/cruise-employee-arrested-pornography-charges/

Phil

Thanks for such a great review. My Husband and I will be on the Constellation for our honeymoon. Jeeze, how I wish it would hurry up and get here. Debbie, if you don't mind, can you tell me which cabin you were on on the 7th deck? We are in 7144. With a change in rates, we were upgraded and with the difference in cost, which paid for our gratiuties - added the anytime dining. I'm so pleased that you enjoyed this dining preference. So funny that you said what you did about the Bistro at 5. I've read several reviews on doing the same a bit after boarding. We are looking forward to that. Other than the hairdryer, it sounds like you had a terrific experience. If there is anything you can suggest for us, please do. Also, should you have any pictures you want to share of the cabin, I would greatly appreciate it.

I look forward to hearing from you. And thanks again for such a great review.

Thank you for the review. We'll be on Constellation in a few months and I'd love to have a bridge tour. :)

Lovely to read your positive review. I would love to sail on Connie again. Sorry you didn't see Perry. He's the icing on the cake for many of us.

Your review was great! We are sailing the the 29th...11 more days....and look forward to the sun and warm temps. Do you know who the CD was on your sailing?

On a thread about X cutbacks, it was noted that some ships have stopped delivering the following day's port info with the ship's news at evening turndown.

I'm a planner, and waiting until I am leaving the ship in the morning to pick this up and plan my day is simply not acceptable :mad:

Did you receive these in the evening on this sailing?

Yes, we recieved the port info the evening before at turndown

Debbie

Opal1001

 

Thanks for the review. Did you have one of the oversized balconies on deck 7?

 

How were the entrees in the MDR? Did you have fish or red meat? Was it good quality?

No, we had a regular sized balcony

I did not have any fish entrees which is unusual for me. Most of the fish entrees were mixed and included shrimp which I don't eat. However my husband had shrimp cocktail eery night which he loved and lobster newburg one night also great.

Beef entrees were of good quality and I had several pork and chicken entrees all good.

Thanks for such a great review. My Husband and I will be on the Constellation for our honeymoon. Jeeze, how I wish it would hurry up and get here. Debbie, if you don't mind, can you tell me which cabin you were on on the 7th deck? We are in 7144. With a change in rates, we were upgraded and with the difference in cost, which paid for our gratiuties - added the anytime dining. I'm so pleased that you enjoyed this dining preference. So funny that you said what you did about the Bistro at 5. I've read several reviews on doing the same a bit after boarding. We are looking forward to that. Other than the hairdryer, it sounds like you had a terrific experience. If there is anything you can suggest for us, please do. Also, should you have any pictures you want to share of the cabin, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

I look forward to hearing from you. And thanks again for such a great review.

We were in 7045. I did not take pics of the cabin, sorry. Have a great honeymoon!!! The Constellation is the perfect ship for a honeymoon.

Thank you for the review. We'll be on Constellation in a few months and I'd love to have a bridge tour. :)

When you get on board, go to the guest relations desk and ask. It is my understanding that those who ask are granted!!! Good luck. Of course it is up to the captain whether they give bridge tours on each cruise.

Thanks for writing your review. I'll be on Constellation in a couple of months and can't wait.

 

A story was posted here about a staff member being arrested when the ship got into San Diego on the day you left and that may explain the chaos at embarkation. Details here:

 

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jan/04/cruise-employee-arrested-pornography-charges/

 

Phil

Well, that could explain the delay. Thanks for the link

On a thread about X cutbacks, it was noted that some ships have stopped delivering the following day's port info with the ship's news at evening turndown.

I'm a planner, and waiting until I am leaving the ship in the morning to pick this up and plan my day is simply not acceptable :mad:

 

Did you receive these in the evening on this sailing?

 

 

We were on the Constellation on 12/04/10 sailing and we did get every night in the cabin the following day's port and activity information.

 

They have changed the format and it takes a couple of days to get used to the new style.

We will be on the Constellation on the March 26 Southern Caribbean cruise. We are now Elite Captain's Club and looking forward to all the perks. In the review it was mentioned about lunch at Bistro on Five after boarding the ship. What information can you give about it? It was mentioned that you found out about it from Cruise Critic. I am not familar with it at all. Thanks! Any other information about Elite perks what also be appreciated!

We will be on the Constellation on the March 26 Southern Caribbean cruise. We are now Elite Captain's Club and looking forward to all the perks. In the review it was mentioned about lunch at Bistro on Five after boarding the ship. What information can you give about it? It was mentioned that you found out about it from Cruise Critic. I am not familar with it at all. Thanks! Any other information about Elite perks what also be appreciated!

Bistro on five is a restaurant which serves paninis and crepes. There is a five dollar /person charge to eat there. On embarkation day it is a great place to eat vs. the ship's buffet which is usually very crowed that day.

On our particular sailing embarkation did not begin until 2PM, so we expected the buffet to be a zoo!!! Most people do not realize there is an alternative to the buffet as you board.

AS far as Elite perks, we are select, so can't help you there.

Have a great cruise!!