Constellation Baltics Trip Report and Lots of Pictures!

[Cindy]

We found quite a bit of literature in the cabin, including a sheet explaining the Elite perks (we’re Diamond on Royal Caribbean) with coupons and an offer for Aqua Class guests to have dinner at Ocean Liners the first night for 50% off! We took advantage of that and had a phenomenal meal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rest of boarding day was spent unpacking, settling in, and attending our Roll Call’s huge Sailaway Party at the Sunset Bar. I think just about everybody showed up!

 

 

 

Bye, Amsterdam...see you June 2nd!

 

 

We also discovered this:

 

The Martini Bar was our go-to location for before dinner cocktails. Believe it or not, we liked the Martini Bar so much we never used any of our Elite vouchers. We also enjoyed breakfast in BLU so much we never attended the Elite breakfast. We did, however, make good use of the laundry and internet coupons!

 

All in all, it was a great day, as problem-free as getting on a ship can be, and hopefully the start of a fantastic cruise!

[mellowrose]

Need to hear more! Your pics are fantastic!

[C 2 C]

Thank you for the wonderful review.

The menu at the Pantry includes the foods on which I was raised, the clear, beautiful pictures of Amsterdam remind me of the places where I have been many times.

[Cindy]

Need to hear more! Your pics are fantastic!

 

Thank you for the wonderful review.

The menu at the Pantry includes the foods on which I was raised, the clear, beautiful pictures of Amsterdam remind me of the places where I have been many times.

 

Thanks! Hopefully I'll have more to post later this afternoon or this evening.

[Sue L]

Keep it coming we leave 1 month from today!!!

 

We will be in our first suite!

[dodger1964]

Thanks for review. Try and mention some comparisons of elite benefits you encounter between X And RC.

[cruiserss]

Love your review so far and your pictures are amazing. I am also leaving on this cruise in a month and I can't wait to read the rest.

[Cindy]

Thanks for review. Try and mention some comparisons of elite benefits you encounter between X And RC.

 

Good idea...I'll do that at the end when I sum everything up!:)

[Cindy]

Thursday, 5/22 – At Sea

 

 

 

Our first day at sea and our first full day on-board was kind of a mixed bag. I had a great time, but Jim woke up sick with a bad cold. So much for the magic of Airborne! I trudged off by myself to the well-attended Connections party. Both the Cruise Director and the Captain were there, which I thought was very nice but also very surprising. There weren’t any organized activities or prizes like I’m used to on RCI, but people stayed and talked for a long time.

 

I got a hint as to why the Constellation seems to be such a happy ship. The captain couldn’t stay long, because he had another event to host. He was welcoming all new staff at a social on the Bridge – apparently that is his way of making new staff feel comfortable and explaining expectations at the same time. What a fantastic way for someone who is new to a ship and overwhelmed to feel a little more at home!

 

We had a really good turnout for our cabin crawl in the afternoon, but unfortunately I had to take our cabin off the visit list since Jim was sick. I appreciated all the work that went into organizing the crawl, and since we were lucky enough to have a roll call member (and the organizer of the crawl) in a Penthouse, we also had a great cocktail party in the Penthouse after the cabin crawl.

 

Party in the Penthouse!

 

A note for spa lovers – Mom and Jess spent part of the afternoon up in the spa, and although they really enjoyed the services they thought prices were very high. A simple wash and blow dry cost my mom $70 + tip!

 

Jim rallied somewhat before dinner, and joined us in the Martini Bar…we really enjoyed the bartenders there. They were charming, entertaining, and just plain fun.

 

Jess on first formal night.

 

Pouring our drinks at the Martini Bar!

 

Mom and Jess before dinner.

 

When we’d had our fill we went to BLU for the first of many wonderful meals there. I found I didn’t miss the MDR at all – I liked the quieter atmosphere, thought most of the food was very good, and our service was exceptional. Mikey was our fantastic waiter all ten nights we ate in BLU, but we also had excellent service from Jasmina, Eren our Sommelier, and George the Maître D’.

 

Mikey

 

After dinner we tried to get into show, but there were no seats. I was a bit worried that was going to be a problem the entire cruise, but that’s the only time it happened. Instead I went to casino, found a very disagreeable slot machine and made a deposit, and went to bed. I was still a bit jet-lagged, and I knew I needed my rest for the port days ahead!

[Sue L]

What kind of camera do you have????

[Cindy]

What kind of camera do you have????

 

Most of these -- and all the shots on our tours -- were taken with a Canon T3i with my 15-85mm "walkaround" lens. Unfortunately I cracked my LCD screen on the first day in Amsterdam, so I sold the camera when we got home, and I now have a Canon 70D.:rolleyes:

 

A few of the interior shots were taken with a Sony NEX-6, but I had the camera about 8 months and never got comfortable with it. I had to do WAY too much editing to get shots I liked, and I finally gave up and just started taking my Canon everywhere with me.

 

I sold the NEX too, so I could replace my DSLR!:D

[Cindy]

Warnemunde, Germany -- Friday May 23

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had decided fairly early in the planning process that we didn’t want to spend 6 hours in a bus travelling to and from Berlin, so I started searching for tour companies and found Friends of Dave on both Trip Advisor and here on Cruise Critic. We toured Warnemunde and Rostock with Andreas on the “Straddling the Wall” tour. What a fantastic day! Andreas was born and raised in Warnemunde, and he is a wealth of knowledge about the area. My husband and I were fascinated by his personal stories of growing up in communist Germany and coping with the Stasi, as well as the contrasts he made to life in Germany today.

 

 

 

 

 

Andreas recommended a movie called The Lives of Others which we watched a couple weeks ago. To say I was engrossed is an understatement – so many things in the movie brought back Andreas’ narrative about incidents with the Stasi both when he was a child and as a young adult before the wall fell. Interestingly enough, I didn’t realize the film was in German with subtitles until we popped it in…at first the language issues were very distracting, then all of a sudden the movie was over. I was lost in the story, and I'll definitely watch the movie again to see what I missed when I was distracted by the format.

[Cindy]

We were with a group from our cruise ship. Our tour included a wonderful cake and coffee stop in the morning, and a delicious German lunch in Rostock, as well as transportation between the two cities. I highly recommend a Friends of Dave tour as a great alternative to making the long trek to Berlin or taking a crowded ship’s tour. Warnemunde is a charming, easily walkable seaside town, and we enjoyed the architecture as well as Andreas’ stories. We also enjoyed Rostock, but if I have any criticism at all it’s that this is a L-O-N-G tour, and by the time we got to Rostock I was about ready to call it quits for the day!

 

Warnemunde

 

Warnemunde

 

Mom & Jess

 

Warnemunde

 

Warnemunde

 

Warnemunde

[micruiser12]

Great pictures and review so far, Cindy!

 

We were on the cruise starting June 2nd and also experienced all that you describe. Ended up loving the staff and Captain on the Constellation as you mentioned (best ever!).

 

Also want to emphasize as Cindy stated that if you are going to visit the Anne Frank house which is worth a visit, get your tickets ahead of time! We did as Cindy did and walked right in(after they buzz you in) at our appointed time of 11:00 while the lines (we were told) took 1 1/2 hours to get in the door. Cost is the same I think.

 

Loved our Baltic cruise so if any of you are traveling there soon you are in for a treat!

[TeaBag]

I am always so sad when I get to your last post and have to wait for the next one. Your photography and narrative are amazing and I so enjoy it all. I will be noting your tips on the various ports for next year.

Edited July 14, 2014 by YVR cruiser

[Cindy]

Warnemunde

 

Warnemunde

 

Morning coffee and cake stop.

 

Warnemunde Beach

 

Warnemunde Beach -- Visitors rent shaded chairs for the day.

 

Chairs at Warnemunde Beach

[Cindy]

Warnemunde

 

Warnemunde -- What a charming and immaculately clean town!

 

Warnemunde

 

Warnemunde

 

Rostock

 

We ate lunch at the Hopfenkeller in Rostock. This underground restaurant dated back to the 1400's, and used to be used for hops storage. It was a fascinating location, and the traditional German food and beer was delicious!

[Cindy]

The astronomical clock in St. Mary's Church in Rostock was built in 1472 by a clockmaker from Nuremberg. It has three parts:

 

Top -- The "Apostle-Go-Round" gives an hourly performance of the apostles crossing before Jesus for a blessing before entering into eternal bliss, and the last, Judas, is shut out.

Middle -- Clock with time, zodiac, moon phases, and month.

Bottom -- Calendar, which is valid until 2017.

 

The medieval clock is the only one of its kind still in working condition with its original mechanisms.

 

 

This is a painting of the devastation in Rostock after the end of WWII. The scope of the destruction and rebuilding in many of the cities we visited was mind-boggling.

 

 

Town of Rostock

 

 

The Monastery of the Holy Cross, built in 1270, is now part of the university.

 

 

Monastery of the Holy Cross, Rostock

 

 

Monastery of the Holy Cross, Rostock

[Cindy]

We got back to the ship about 5:30. I had started feeling punky in the middle of the afternoon, and it didn’t take me long to realize I also had a cold. I didn’t know if I should thank my husband or thank United Airlines! We went to the Martini Bar and had a light dinner in BLU, but I was literally falling asleep at dinner, so I went upstairs as soon as we were done eating. I fell asleep immediately…I was sound asleep by 9:15, and woke up once around 11 when I heard the fireworks and then went right back to sleep and slept all the way through until about 7:00. :) Woo hoo…I needed that!

 

I NEVER sleep ten hours! I think it was the German cough medicine we purchased in Rostock. It worked much faster and much better than any OTC cough syrup we have in the US, so my suspicion is that it had ingredients in it that the FDA doesn’t allow, but they sure work!;) Under ordinary circumstances, I would have gotten up to take pictures of the fireworks no matter how bad I felt…I didn’t even care…I just wanted to sleep! My goal for Sea Day #2 was to take it easy since we had five port days in a row coming up, and also take ship photographs.

 

Come on, Jess -- we're almost back to the ship!

 

 

Up tomorrow -- A Sea Day, ship pictures, and hopefully Stockholm!:cool:

Edited July 14, 2014 by Cindy

[Cindy]

Keep it coming we leave 1 month from today!!!

 

We will be in our first suite!

 

Love your review so far and your pictures are amazing. I am also leaving on this cruise in a month and I can't wait to read the rest.

 

Do you happen to need an escort? I'm cheap!:D

[Cindy]

I am always so sad when I get to your last post and have to wait for the next one. Your photography and narrative are amazing and I so enjoy it all. I will be noting your tips on the various ports for next year.

 

Thank you! That's so sweet! Let me know if you have questions and I'll try to help.:)

[gimletgal]

Forgive me. I was inquiring about your camera and just found post #36 where you answered my question - which I have now deleted! Thank you for a wonderful review AND wonderful photos! Am looking forward to the next installment. Also saw your photo of Marko at the Martini Bar!! He is wonderful!

Edited July 14, 2014 by gimletgal

[firstcruiserDB]

This is a fabulous review so far, Cindy! We are sailing Celebrity for the first time next summer, and I'm so glad to hear you liked the new cruiseline! Thanks for taking the time to write this review. It is very helpful to many, I'm sure.

 

By the way, we sailed with you on the Mariner many years ago. Still one of our favorite trips! Still one of our best roll calls, too!:D

[Cindy]

Saturday, May 24 – At Sea

 

I woke up around 7, and decided I was all slept out! I didn’t have anything pressing on my schedule, and I was perfectly content to wander with my camera, read, rest, and sit on my balcony watching the world go by. I took advantage of the opportunity to take pictures of the empty ship before things got too busy. The next few posts are going to be all pictures of the ship. My suspicion is that these weren’t all taken on Saturday, as a matter of fact I know they weren’t because the weather and the light are different. Nevertheless, this is where they’re going in my review!:D

 

 

 

Main Dining Room

 

Main Dining Room

 

Main Dining Room

 

Ocean Liners

[Cindy]

BLU

 

BLU

 

Oceanview Café

 

Bistro on Five

 

Cellar Masters

 

Cellar Masters