Live from the Connie, Dec 15 - 19

[mathgeek1978]

Thanks for the updates, Mathgeek.

 

Two questions: can you give us a sense of how 'formal' people are on your formal night?

 

Is the a cappella group onboard Top Shelf?

Yes, Top Shelf is performing on thhis ship.

 

Formal night was overall, formal, with almost everybody in the MDR dressed in line with the dress code. More details later.

[minniem]

Our first Celebrity cruise is on Constellation in Feb. Thank you so much for giving cruise details.

[BEAV]

Thanks for your live posts. Where on your sailing is the Elite breakfast and 5-7pm 'happy hour' being held? Enjoy your cruise. ;)

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Just to answer a couple of questions:

1. Tom: There are 4 hotspots but deck 6 right at the “Online at Celebrity” is NOT one of those. There’s where you go to open an account, and you have the option to use their computers (versus your own laptop). It’s all wired internet there.

The 4 hotspots are:

Deck 3 Gamma Room

Deck 4 Martini Bar

Deck 5 Café al Bacio

Deck 10 Seaside Café (Buffet) Starboard side

2. Perry Grant performed tonight at the typical “welcome show” and he performed 3 songs, ending with “New York New York”. The cruise director, Esperanza announced that he will be performing in the Michaels Club during THIS cruise.

Gotta sleep… More updates tomorrow…

 

Last time we were on the Connie, you could get wi-fi just outside the internet room. The internet room was locked at the time, but I'll bet you can get it in there as well. And I'm betting if a suite is next door to the internet room, it will have wi-fi. We always had wi-fi in our cabin. It just depends on where your cabin is located.

[mathgeek1978]

Just a few thoughts on day two:

The vast majority of the people in the MDR were nicely and appropriately dressed for formal night. There were a few men wearing a dress shirt but without a tie (I forgot whether a tie is required for men or is it optional). Almost all of the ladies were very nicely dressed. There were just few tuxes, and many of the ladies wore nice cocktail dresses or dinner. There were few formal long gowns.

The food was top-notch, especially the duck which was cooked to perfection. The service was top-notch as always.

Hopefully one day in the near future, Celebrity will upgrade its technology to top-notch standard as well. While trying to access the interactive menu to order room service or to check my account, the screen displays a message “You are being put on queue to the next available interactive session.”

Hello! If I want to speak to a live person and am placed on hold it’s ok. But you don’t put people on hold who just want to talk to a computer. The longest time I was on hold was over 5 minutes – to talk to a computer! Please upgrade the system and the capacity.

As I mentioned earlier, Perry Grant was absolutely amazing. If you’ll be on the Eclipse on/after Jan 26th, absolutely make sure that you don’t miss his show.

It has been a great cruise so far. I’ll try to post a daily update. If there’s anything that you want to know, just ask! Although I can’t promise you that I can track down everything.

[mathgeek1978]

Thanks for your live posts. Where on your sailing is the Elite breakfast and 5-7pm 'happy hour' being held? Enjoy your cruise. ;)

It was at the Michael's Club, and yesterday there were some confusion because Perry's performance was immediately after the happy hour.

[mathgeek1978]

So glad that escargot is back!

 

Do they have any drink specials at the Martini Bar?

Sorry... didn't see any specials there, but I've only been there once.

[Esprit]

Just wondering what the Activities team are like. Are they engaging with the passengers well?

 

Are Zumba classes available daily?

 

Thanks also for your live updates. Enjoy the rest of the cruise

[lovestx]

Mathgeek,

I can't thank you enough for your detailed response about formal night (glad to hear people were dressed appropriately) and for the confirmation that Top Shelf is onboard. My husband is thrilled to hear you loved the duck and is already planning to order it on Friday night!

 

Enjoy the remainder of your cruise.

[CruisinCrow]

Hopefully one day in the near future, Celebrity will upgrade its technology to top-notch standard as well. While trying to access the interactive menu to order room service or to check my account, the screen displays a message “You are being put on queue to the next available interactive session.”

 

Hello! If I want to speak to a live person and am placed on hold it’s ok. But you don’t put people on hold who just want to talk to a computer. The longest time I was on hold was over 5 minutes – to talk to a computer! Please upgrade the system and the capacity.

 

 

That is really funny!

[djc4410]

Has anyone on the Dec. 15 cruise noticed if the Sunset Bar has been closed for any private functions? We are doing a Roll Call Sail Away Party for the Dec. 20 cruise and are planning to gather at the Sunset Bar. Heard recently that sometimes Celebrity will close that venue for private or corporate gatherings, even during sail away time. If that happens, we'll have to hike up to the Mast Bar for our gathering.

 

Also... a heads up... We were on the Reflection's Dec. 5 Bahamas cruise and noticed that a full breakfast service was offered on the last morning of the cruise in both the cafe (opened at 5:30am) and the MDR. Last May, when Constellation docked at Amsterdam from Ft. Lauderdale, they had nothing for deboarding passengers (saying the restaurants were closed for cleaning). Just wondering if that is a difference between the two ships, or is Celebrity now providing a hot breakfast to guests before deboarding.

 

Have fun on your cruise !! :p:p

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

...

Also... a heads up... We were on the Reflection's Dec. 5 Bahamas cruise and noticed that a full breakfast service was offered on the last morning of the cruise in both the cafe (opened at 5:30am) and the MDR. Last May, when Constellation docked at Amsterdam from Ft. Lauderdale, they had nothing for deboarding passengers (saying the restaurants were closed for cleaning). Just wondering if that is a difference between the two ships, or is Celebrity now providing a hot breakfast to guests before deboarding.

 

Have fun on your cruise !! :p:p

 

"Closed for cleaning" - wow! I don't think we've ever been on a cruise that did not have the MDR open for breakfast (early) on debarkation morning. I was impressed on Princess last month that they even had full room service breakfast on the last morning (for suites at any rate). Never saw that on other lines!!

 

Tom

[jaybird from SC]

Hi Mathgeek,

 

Thanks for letting us know. I'm positive that I read that Perry was disembarking Connie after the TA sailing, but it seems his schedule has changed. Glad to hear he's onboard. Had I known, I would have definitely booked. Oh well.

 

Can you find out if Perry is staying beyond this sailing ? I doubt he is, but would be nice to know. Thanks, and have a great time !

Perry's final cruise is Dec. 15-20. After his vacation, he will be performing on the Eclipse. That's the latest info we heard.

[bottomfeeder]

Also... a heads up... We were on the Reflection's Dec. 5 Bahamas cruise and noticed that a full breakfast service was offered on the last morning of the cruise in both the cafe (opened at 5:30am) and the MDR. Last May, when Constellation docked at Amsterdam from Ft. Lauderdale, they had nothing for deboarding passengers (saying the restaurants were closed for cleaning). Just wondering if that is a difference between the two ships, or is Celebrity now providing a hot breakfast to guests before deboarding.

 

Have fun on your cruise !! :p:p

 

I was on the TA on Constellation and they had a full breakfast available on the last morning in the cafe, Aqua Spa Cafe, and MDR. So I think it must be a new Celebrity policy--and about time too! :)

[mathgeek1978]

Just wondering what the Activities team are like. Are they engaging with the passengers well?

 

Are Zumba classes available daily?

 

Thanks also for your live updates. Enjoy the rest of the cruise

 

There are plenty of activities and I'll post the dailies when I return. The dancers are very engaging during the dance events, such as the Latin Sailaway dance party today.

[mathgeek1978]

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]A few thoughts on days three and four:[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]Seating for select dining with reservation continue to be smooth for us – we have been seated almost immediately every time so far.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]The entrees in the MDR continue to be excellent.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]Our favorite waffle have disappeared from the Concierge Class breakfast menu – Celebrity, please bring it back! (They are available in the MDR).[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]We had 6 ships in Grand Cayman yesterday and the port was a bit crowded. We were told by our guide that on an average day there are about 4 ships in port. Tiki beach was crowded, with chairs packed side by side just like the pool deck. Tiki Beach is very rocky and is not really a good beach for a swim.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]The trip to Hell was nothing special, well… other than the fact that now you can tell people that you’ve been to Hell…[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]Our departure from Grand Cayman yesterday was delayed by about 45 minutes, apparently by 4 passengers who were late: The last tender was supposed to be at 3:30PM and departure was supposed to be at 4PM. A tender boat with 4 people arrived at about 4:45PM and we departed almost immediately after that.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]The comedian, James Stephens III, was fantastic! We were told how good he is on the welcome show on the first night and he was as good as advertised.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]Perry Grant gave his final appearance on the Connie last night .[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]We received a post card that the Pre-Departure Lounge for Concierge Class passengers will be in the MDR, deck 5.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]We continue to be OFF code red, so those of you boarding her tomorrow should be happy.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]So much for now… When I get home I’ll post the dailies, pictures, videos, etc…[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

[quote name='mathgeek1978'][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]A few thoughts on days three and four:[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]Seating for select dining with reservation continue to be smooth for us – we have been seated almost immediately every time so far.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]The entrees in the MDR continue to be excellent.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]Our favorite waffle have disappeared from the Concierge Class breakfast menu – Celebrity, please bring it back! (They are available in the MDR).[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]We had 6 ships in Grand Cayman yesterday and the port was a bit crowded. We were told by our guide that on an average day there are about 4 ships in port. Tiki beach was crowded, with chairs packed side by side just like the pool deck. Tiki Beach is very rocky and is not really a good beach for a swim.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]The trip to Hell was nothing special, well… other than the fact that now you can tell people that you’ve been to Hell…[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]Our departure from Grand Cayman yesterday was delayed by about 45 minutes, apparently by 4 passengers who were late: The last tender was supposed to be at 3:30PM and departure was supposed to be at 4PM. A tender boat with 4 people arrived at about 4:45PM and we departed almost immediately after that.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]The comedian, James Stephens III, was fantastic! We were told how good he is on the welcome show on the first night and he was as good as advertised.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]Perry Grant gave his final appearance on the Connie last night .[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]We received a post card that the Pre-Departure Lounge for Concierge Class passengers will be in the MDR, deck 5.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]We continue to be OFF code red, so those of you boarding her tomorrow should be happy.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]So much for now… When I get home I’ll post the dailies, pictures, videos, etc…[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]

Thanks for all the info during your cruise. It's been most helpful - and I'll be sure to catch that comedian!!

Tom

[mathgeek1978]

[quote name='Happy Cruiser 6143'][FONT=Verdana][SIZE=3]Last time we were on the Connie, you could get wi-fi just outside the internet room. The internet room was locked at the time, but I'll bet you can get it in there as well. And I'm betting if a suite is next door to the internet room, it will have wi-fi. We always had wi-fi in our cabin. It just depends on where your cabin is located.[/SIZE][/FONT][/quote]

[SIZE=3]It's because the internet room is almost directly above a hotspot, but the internet room itself is not a hotspot. I know it's technical... but I'm a geek so I have to be technical :)[/SIZE]

[mathgeek1978]

[quote name='bottomfeeder']I was on the TA on Constellation and they had a full breakfast available on the last morning in the cafe, Aqua Spa Cafe, and MDR. So I think it must be a new Celebrity policy--and about time too! :)[/quote]

[SIZE=3]A full breakfast was available this morning at the buffet and the MDR. But I'm not sure this is a new policy. I thought a full breakfast was always served on the day of debarkation.[/SIZE]

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

[quote name='mathgeek1978'][SIZE=3]A full breakfast was available this morning at the buffet and the MDR. But I'm not sure this is a new policy. I thought a full breakfast was always served on the day of debarkation.[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

[FONT="Verdana"][SIZE="3"]You're correct, it's not a new policy. It's been that way, at least since I started cruising Celebrity in 2006. Very nice to enjoy a relaxed sit down breakfast in the MDR with friends on the last day. Ships that have Blu will also have breakfast available there.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

[quote name='mathgeek1978'][SIZE=3]It's because the internet room is almost directly above a hotspot, but the internet room itself is not a hotspot. I know it's technical... but I'm a geek so I have to be technical :)[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

[FONT="Verdana"][SIZE="3"]I bow to your geekness! :D I'm from the school that either it works or it doesn't. And I'm not happy when it doesn't and am grateful that there are geeks around to fix things when they don't work![/SIZE][/FONT]