Onboard the Reborn Constellation in the Baltic - May 28-June 9 - Questions, Comments?

[SharC]

I can never find anywhere in the bathroom to plug in a night light.

[Solstice23]

I just want to know if the is a night light in the bathroom. It drives me nuts having to turn on the main light.

 

Solstice class has the nightlight

[judyfssw]

Dan, is there WiFi in the staterooms on the Constellation? We'll be coming on as you get off and both my sister and I are bringing our laptops. Sure hope that we can use them in our staterooms.

[boogs]

I can never find anywhere in the bathroom to plug in a night light.

 

I don't remember where the outlet was, but we definitely plugged in a nightlight somewhere in the bathroom.

[C 2 C]

I can never find anywhere in the bathroom to plug in a night light.

 

The shaver outlet is located on the hairdryer above the toilet.

 

The bottom of the toilet bowl also has a built in night lite!

[Dan Askin]

Very long travel day for many, many passengers coming to an end, especially those jag-lagged cruisers who took various red eyes across the Pond. As has been mentioned, Celebrity delayed Constellation's departure because it was deep cleaning the ship following a small gastro outbreak on the previous sailing (about 50 pax, I heard). I had an airport-to-terminal transfer booked with the line, and Celebrity ended up offering a free shore excursion to anyone who had pre-paid for such a transfer. It was a nice gesture ... the tour was basically "Kitschy Holland" -- a cheese-making talk with some hardy, har har rehearsed jokes ("when you leave the cheese for too long, it gets too hard and you can no longer eat it ... but you can use it for bowling!"), a wooden shoe-making presentation (you can do in 90 seconds by machine what takes 2 to 3 hours by hand), a stop at a re-creation village with various working windmills, and lunch in Volendam. It was a lovely day in North Holland, low to mid sixties with intermittent sunbursts.

 

 

When we got to the terminal, things were a bit testy. Some people had been waiting to board Constellation for five-plus hours. They told us the terminal can't handle a huge and sudden influx of passengers -- so it was a mildly chaotic scene. Many people had already checked in for the cruise earlier in the day (before the announcement of the delay), and they were given "zone" numbers. Everyone who had not yet checked in (me) was told to sit somewhere, anywhere. Zones were being called in order, but the non-checked-in passengers were also being told, by row, to check in and embark ... Problem was that we, the new arrivals, got to choose our row, so many chose the "best" row and bypassed the people who were already checked in. Others just got in line as they wished. The guy in charge was taking some decent heat ... "If you tell us we have to wait another four hours, we just don't want to go on the cruise anymore. We'll just book a hotel and stay in Amsterdam." ... "Are you telling me we're going to have wait another six hours? What the hell is going on?!"

 

One FYI, and when I found this out, I basically stopped caring if and when I got called to check in. If you bring your laptop or Wi-Fi enabled device to the Amsterdam cruise terminal, there's free Wi-Fi. Ask for the user name/password at the information desk on the first floor.

 

Anyway, an hour or so later, the situation basically resolved itself and we were onboard. The majority of cabins, however, were not ready. My room steward Rivon told me at six-ish that he'd been up cleaning since 5:30 a.m. ... all the in-cabins pieces that people like to get their grubby hands all over -- remote control, leather-bound cruise ship hotel book -- had to be individually disinfected.

[Dan Askin]

Where to start................

 

General impressions/things you like better (include what was replaced) / things you do not like as well (again include what was replaced)

 

For me, the Martini Bar and other restaurants are what I would like to know more about.

 

Have a GREAT trip! :)

 

Hey shipshape,

 

Will put together details of the Martini Bar (drink list, crowding, etc.) during the cruise. Here's a photo to whet your beak (as Don Fanucci says in the Godfather II). I've also got Tuscan Grille ($20 surcharge) and Bistro on Five ($5), Constellation's two new alternative eateries, on the docket for this week.

 

[Dan Askin]

First of all, Dan, have a great cruise....

 

If you get a chance, can you swing by the PH and peek in? I have both booked on the Nov 20 cruise.

 

Also, can you let me know (once you return home is soon enough) what champagnes are available on board? I think they've scaled back pretty drastically in this area.

 

Thanks in advance, and Bon Voyage!!!!

 

Cheryl

 

 

 

 

 

Sure on both counts ... for a little cabin info, my standard verandah (Celebrity Constellation cabin 7086) is a little smaller than I'm used to, but since I'm traveling solo, there are no issues with space. (I believe it's 172 square feet, but don't quote me on that; industry average for new mega-ships is more in the 185 - 195 square foot range.) One issue that's equal parts comical and annoying is the flimsy shower curtain, which was a clinging menace ... I know some physics nerds solved the riddle of keeping the creeping certain at bay ... any insights?

[Dan Askin]

We made some photos of Constellation sailing from Amsterdam on her 1st trip after the renovations. The ship looks brandnew.

Maybe you (or others) arenot aware that the ship will go through a lock in IJmuiden.

Sailing from Amsterdam it takes a little over over 2 hours before the ship arrives there..

For those on the August 22 sailing (with alternative docking at Ceresterminal) it take about 1 hour to sail there.

Have a great cruise.

 

 

We hit a lock during my late seating dinner (8:30), and a number of my tablemates got up to take a look through the really impressive two-deck windows at the ship's stern. Norwegian Epic, the innovative new ship due out at the end of June, has a similarly dramatic setup in its Manhattan Room restaurant.

 

[Dan Askin]

Hi Dan !

 

Can you please try to get us an estimate on how many tables and/or total guest occupancy Tuscan Grille has ? Also, what is the largest table size they have.

 

I'm sure Tuscan Grille will be great, as it's a winner on the Solstice Class ships. I am very familiar with its current location on Connie. However, from the few photos we've seen, it looks to be quite a bit smaller than the Solstice Class venue. I hope I'm wrong about this, but I am very curious to see how the Constellation venue stacks up, versus the Solstice Class version.

 

Enjoy your Cruise !

 

Sure Andy, will include this info in my Tuscan Grille review.

 

Dan, have a wonderful trip onboard one of my very favorite ships. Like everyone else, I will be waiting to hear your comments.

 

I am most curious about the change of location and subsequent seating area available in the new Martini Bar and the noise level there as well. We really enjoyed meeting before dinner in the old Martini Bar, and as someone else said, it could get pretty crowded. I am hoping that the new location has about the same amount of seating, but it doesn't look like it from the pictures.

 

We have sailed on her 5 times so far; we did a back to back on her a year ago, and will be back aboard next March. Sure wish it was sooner!

 

Thank you for sharing your cruise experience with us, and have a great time!

 

It's very noisy, even at 1:20 a.m. ... they've been blasting this trendy club nouveau music for hours now. The latest is a version of Metallica's "Enter Sandman," with the lyric "off to never never-land" repeated 300 times in a row over a techno beat (with screams interspersed). My personal issues aside, it seems to keep the bartending tricksters pepped up (not sure about the patrons). Hasn't been crowded at all, but my take is that everyone was totally exhausted after today's embarkation ordeal ... so I'll give you an update in a few days.

[engrLiz]

One issue that's equal parts comical and annoying is the flimsy shower curtain, which was a clinging menace ... I know some physics nerds solved the riddle of keeping the creeping certain at bay ... any insights?

 

I feel compelled to reply since you called out the physics nerds, even though I haven't gotten on connie yet (we're headed out on her 6/21)! I don't think it takes an engineer (I are one..) to explain but I'm really enjoying your thread so I'll join in :)

 

Try wetting the bottom of the curtain so it sticks along the bottom edge of the shower, and if it's a double thick curtain get some water between the two curtains so they stick together and push out. Just don't push out so far you fall out of the shower- physics can't help you there ;)

 

Thanks for a very fun thread!

 

-Liz

[BBsails]

Dan, another little hint for the shower curtain: Slide a few inches of the side of the curtain nearest the bathroom door over the door handle. This will provide a little bit of air to the inside of the shower that seems to keep the curtain from wrapping around your legs (ugh), and if you get it just right, the bottom of the curtain still hangs inside the shower. Hope this is clear; wish I could draw you a picture.

[Tucker in Texas]

 

Xellent, Captain Gerry is wonderful. So personable and witty, and very "present" at various events on board. We had sailed with him before, as he used to be capt. on Voyager of the Seas out of Galveston, our home port.

 

His wife and little daughter boarded a couple of days ago, and will be on board with him for a couple of weeks, I believe.

 

The crew members just love him; we heard numerous comments from both officers and crew (unsolicited, out of the blue remarks) about his leadership and how great it was to have him as Captain.

 

 

 

We were on the Voyager when Capt. Gerry made his last cruise. I thought he had retired, quit, gone to private industry. He was wonderful. I have my fingers crossed he will stay with the Constellation because we will be on her for the trans-Atlantic in May 2011.

 

Tucker in Texas

[Dan Askin]

I feel compelled to reply since you called out the physics nerds, even though I haven't gotten on connie yet (we're headed out on her 6/21)! I don't think it takes an engineer (I are one..) to explain but I'm really enjoying your thread so I'll join in :)

 

Try wetting the bottom of the curtain so it sticks along the bottom edge of the shower, and if it's a double thick curtain get some water between the two curtains so they stick together and push out. Just don't push out so far you fall out of the shower- physics can't help you there ;)

 

Thanks for a very fun thread!

 

-Liz

 

Dan, another little hint for the shower curtain: Slide a few inches of the side of the curtain nearest the bathroom door over the door handle. This will provide a little bit of air to the inside of the shower that seems to keep the curtain from wrapping around your legs (ugh), and if you get it just right, the bottom of the curtain still hangs inside the shower. Hope this is clear; wish I could draw you a picture.

 

Thanks, I'll give these a shot and report on my findings...

[BBsails]

Hey Dan, would you zip by Cafe al Bacio to if they still have almond croissants? Since it's no longer Cova Cafe I'm assuming that the space is leased to a different company. If you've never had an almond croissant aboard a =X= ship, you're in for a treat, so pick up one for yourself. Ask the barista to warm it for you.

 

Betsy

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

How are the beds, Dan? I really don't care what they look like, what I want to know is are they comfortable? Were they replaced as part of the refurb?

[LeftcoastBC]

Hi Dan, hope you are enjoying your embarkation day .... I guess we passed you on the way out, as we disembarked this morning!

 

Sue, re; the Martini Bar, although there wasn't a lot of table seating right around the bar area, there is plenty of seating at the bar itself, as well as just past the nearby ice bar and across the atrium. We tended to sit at the bar itself, as we enjoyed the icy surface and watching the bartenders' "show."

 

I did wish they had different music, though ... it was very techno/modern stuff ... and that the volume had been a little lower. But maybe I am just getting old, sniff.

 

Regards,

Jan

 

This is one of our very few negatives (Other than size) of the S class. They sure didn't need to do that. We tipped the bartender on the Solstice to turn it down :)

 

Thanks for the very informative thread DAN..enjoy your cruise.

 

Looking forward to returning to the Infinity when completed.

[Dan Askin]

As sea days go for the mega-ship lines, Celebrity Constellation's first of four was certainly low-key. Obviously, I don't expect the hairy chest contest, Calypso music or 70's style pool games on a 12-night Baltic cruise, but here on Constellation, most passengers seemed happy napping, reading (mummified reader with glass of wine on the promenade deck pictured below), attending a slideshow lecture on Berlin, and twirling, sniffing and sipping during a wine tasting in the San Marco main dining room ($20 per person). One funny quote from the Berlin lecture: Khrushchev to Mao ... "Berlin is the testicle of the West. When I want the West to scream, I squeeze Berlin." The lecturer didn't even acknowledge the quote -- just left it up there for those who were paying attention.

 

 

 

Or they were in the buffet, which was packed during the lunch crunch. Speaking of the (newly styled) Constellation buffet, options included English (shepherd's pie, mushy peas, chips and the like), Asian (tasty mini-samosas, curried chicken), made-to-order sandwiches, pizza, a salad setup, etc. Again, as part of the gastro-prevention protocol, all food -- as well as all drinks -- was served by the crew. Made for a bit more congestion I'm sure, no one seemed particularly perturbed. The hotel director said that while there were over 100 (not 50 as I first heard) with G.I. on the previous cruise, but there is only a single case so far on this one.

 

 

The protocol -- and especially the hand sanitization enforcement -- has been bordering on comical at times. Everywhere you go, there's a smiling crew member ready to administer a dollop of alcohol-based jelly. We're talking 20-plus times in a day and extended my hand when I see a crewmember is almost Pavlovian at this point (a fine idea ... they should ring a bell every time they issue Purell). I received a squirt of sanitizer before entering the Emporium (Constellation's shopping area) on the starboard side, walked out a minute later, then decided to walk back in on the port side 10 seconds later. There was the crew informing me that I had to re-sanitize my still-shiny hands to re-enter the Emporium.

[Dan Askin]

For those asking about the Martini Bar and Crush, a friendly bartender who trained for his current position on Solstice in the Caribbean, told me that the Martini Bar was much more hoppin' on Solstice's seven-day island itineraries (not a shocker, since this is less of a party friendly crowd and itinerary than you'd find in the Caribbean). On Solstice, he said that the bar was often three-deep with patrons during some evenings ... he also confirmed that people on this cruise had indeed asked him to turn down the music. So did you? "We say, sorry, we can't," he answered. "It [the loud, trendy club beats] is part of the theme of Martini Bar" ... though not sure if anyone has used LeftcoastBC's "technique" yet.

One interesting below-decks piece from the crew side of things: He told me that he preferred working on Solstice ... on Constellation, the crew and officer messes are segregated, and crew is not supposed to go into the officer mess. On Solstice, it's all one big mess, so there's more comorodary among the onboard staff. Also, every crew bunk on Solstice has a flat-screen TV with Web connectivity (crew still has to pay for Internet use).

 

Here's a shot of the icy top of the bar, on which you can use your finger to doodle....

 

[Dan Askin]

How are the beds, Dan? I really don't care what they look like, what I want to know is are they comfortable? Were they replaced as part of the refurb?

 

I will certainly find out if the beds are new ... almost positive it's a yes since the cabins were completely redone (difference between before and after is pretty dramatic). I've had no issues with the bed, but then again I was seriously jet lagged the first night....

[Dan Askin]

Got a chance to meet a bunch of people from the Constellation Roll Call, which was started some seven months and almost 1,400 posts ago by Geospyder ... The "Celebrity Connections" party was held in Michael's, the clubby cigar lounge, which was smoke-free for the occasion. Allan King, the cruise director made an appearance to help raffle off a Celebrity mug, luggage tag, bell (for the ladies to ring when they want their husbands to bring them coffee, he said), etc. Sebastian, the ship's event coordinator, is also pictured. King made a few comments about the shaky start to the cruise ("Celebrity takes GI very seriously...") and mentioned that every crewmember available, even the dancers who "were schlepping bags of linens," began working at 5 a.m. to clean the ship. Here's a shot of King with the most sought after item up for raffle, a "hanger from the captain's closet" (and some Celebrity T-shirts).

 

Here's one of Geospyder making a decisive choice in the raffle.

 

There were 77 CC'ers signed up to attend the party, but only 33 ended up making it. The turn-out may have had to do with the fact that there was last-minute time change for the party, which was originally scheduled for the second sea day ... so the event coordinator, Sebastian, had to scramble to call everyone on the list. I was actually wrenched out of a nap by the bleating phone at about 11:15 a.m., just 15 minutes before the new party time.

In the best item brought to the party department, Jim brought a roll of yellow crime scene tape...

[Dan Askin]

One casino tidbit for the poker players out there. There's a "Pokerpro" dealer-less no limit hold 'em table that features regularly scheduled tournaments and cash games (typically during sea days, but check Celebrity's daily bulletin for specifics). Tourneys are $50 for each of the 10 seats. For the cash games, you can buy in for between $50 and $200. If you want to set up a higher stakes game, the casino manager told me he was happy to do so if passengers could form their own groups. On a previous sailing, he set up a $10 - $20 no limit game (in which players typically start with about $2,000) for a bunch of friends.

[Dan Askin]

 

British pub food

 

 

 

Well-attended wine tasting class

[Host Anne]

Dan ~ thanks so much for your posts! I'm loving them. We sail on Connie in Feb. 2011 for two weeks. Can't wait. We loved her before and we know we'll love her again.

 

I don't get the loud techno beat in the Martini bar. I'm good with creating an atmosphere but when it's loud enough that you can't talk to other people (as was the case on occasion on Solstice), they really need to accommodate passengers requests. We shouldn't have to "tip" the crew to get them to turn the music down a little.

 

Looking forward to seeing more photos! Have a great time!

[EasyTraveler]

Dan,

Thanks for posting.

Question on Stockholm: Did the ship provide a shuttle service to the Old Town or to anywhere else? Or, would you recommend one of the ship's shore excursions in Stockholm?

Thanks,

EasyTraveler