Review of Constellation May 31-June 12 Greek Isles

[Host Jazzbeau]

This was our thirteenth cruise and our fourth time on Celebrity. Constellation is a sister to Summit, our first Celebrity ship, and despite their age they have been beautifully maintained and are still very classy ships. We like the layout, and find it very easy to navigate around the M-class ships.

 

 

This was our first experience in a Suite, and it was terrific! We were treated royally from start to finish. Thanks to repeated price cuts on this cruise, as people were scared away from the eastern Mediterranean this year, we were able to upgrade from an A1 [we wanted to try the upscale Blu dining room], to an S2 [with the suites dining room Luminae], then to an S1, and finally to a CS – for about the same price we had initially booked the A1, otherwise we would never have tried such an upscale location. But the joys of a Celebrity Suite may have corrupted us [just as our first Veranda cabin put an end to Insides!]

 

The Celebrity Suites on M-class ships are located right at the mid-ship elevators, in a semi-circular bump-out [two per deck]. Ours was the forward-facing suite on deck 6 [6104] – I was worried that we would get a lot of wind when the ship was underway [true] but wanted that vantage point for the sail-in to Venice [worth it!]; next time I would take 6106 to stay out of the wind. I was also worried that we would hear noise from the atrium – we did when live music was playing there, but only in our living room [the bedroom was always quiet] and it ended early enough not to be a problem. And the central location was very convenient.

 

The Celebrity Suite is huge, and very nicely laid out. It has a separate bedroom, which can be made completely dark [and quiet] or can have natural light through the living room and bathroom. The bathroom includes a Jacuzzi tub, and a window [with a remote-controlled shade] to the living room. The living room includes a full-size sofa bed, coffee table and chair; a dining table with four chairs; and a desk with chair – and enough room to dance, and storage everywhere! The balcony wraps around the entire curve of the living room – not very deep but so long it included three chairs, two footstools, and a small table.

 

We have never cared for in-room dining before, but the dining table made it so comfortable that we had breakfast most days. DW ordered her breakfast early, and I could have mine when I finally got up – it was always delivered on time and exactly as ordered [and the food was hot]

 

In addition to the cabin attendants, suite guests have a Butler – and ours [Wilfred] was always around and so willing to do anything we asked! He set up a party for some friends we shared tours with, and he knew exactly what to do [and exceeded what we would have asked for!]

 

Suite guests also have exclusive use of Michael's Club, which is a quiet English Club-type space where the suites concierge is based. It also has a bar [all drinks included] and often has live music. I found it very convenient to stop in to get a drink for the show, as the bartender in Michael’s was much faster than the wait staff in the theater. The concierge [Megan] was also super-helpful and allowed us to escape the lines at the shore excursions and customer service desks.

 

The VIP treatment for Suites includes honorary Elite status for the cruise [you get the Elite coupons in addition to your regular Captain’s Club level], an invitation to the Helipad for a sail-in [ours was for Malta], a special meet-and-greet with the senior officers in Michael’s, reserved seats in the center balcony for the big shows [we didn’t actually like these seats, and the shows never filled up so we were able to come whevener we wanted and have a choice of seats elsewhere], and priority boarding and disembarking [and I guess tendering, except that there were no tender tickets on this cruise anyway], and probably other stuff I forgot!

 

But the best thing about being a suite guest on Celebrity is the Luminae restaurant. You would never know that it has been carved out of the main dining room – it has its own separate entrance and a very different décor. Very different food, too – and excellent! But if the Luminae menu doesn’t tickle your fancy, you can order off the main dining room or Blu menus – so the range of choices is exceptional. [We had a tour of the galley and saw how this is done: the Luminae and Blu kitchen operations are in separate sections of the main galley space and the serving lines are all adjacent – so the Luminae waiters can easily pick up food from any of the three.] The service in Luminae is excellent too. There are about four wait teams, but they all get to know each guest’s preferences right away so you have that "familiarity" benefit people like about traditional dining – but you also have the flexibility to dine whenever you want with no reservations and at most minimal waits. The sommelier was eager to please, made great suggestions of wine pairings, and never let my glass get empty. Suites get the BEST package including the Premium Beverage package, and since everyone in the restaurant knows this there’s no signing or even card swiping.

 

We also tried the two specialty restaurants on Constellation [free as another perk of booking a suite, but that deal has expired]. Ocean Liners is one of the four haute cuisine restaurants on the M-class ships; the menus are the same as the Murano restaurants on the S-class ships, but these spaces had décor and memorabilia from the classic ocean liners of the past. I say “had” because, sadly, Celebrity has decided to gut these lovely spaces and turn them into generic-looking Tuscan Grilles. Our dinner at Ocean Liners was wonderful, and we toasted her [and especially the Normandie restaurant on Summit, which was even lovelier but is already gone] The tragedy was doubled because we did not enjoy our meal at Tuscan Grille on Connie [i think its present space will become Qsine, which we have found ok but not worth repeat visits].

 

Our other special meal was the Chef’s Table, which includes champagne, a galley tour, and a multi-course meal with wine pairings in the private dining room of Ocean Liners. The meal choices were a subset of the Ocean Liners menu with a focus on items that get tableside preparation – but the wine pairings were well above the level of the Premium Beverage package. One in particular was a stand-out: Mollydooker winery’s Gigglepot cabernet sauvignon [$160 a bottle on board, and $50 retail around here]

 

Luminae is only open for lunch on sea days, but that was ok because we were rarely on board at lunchtime on port days – and we like the Indian dishes at the Oceanview Café. Luminae is open for breakfast, but we found it easier to fit in room service breakfast as we prepared to go off sightseeing – and it closes too early on sea days for a slug-a-bed like me!

 

We did not dine at Bistro on Five because we have never enjoyed it [even at $5, so it would never be worth $10]. It always seemed empty when we passed by. “Sushi on Five” has even less appeal, so this is a wasted space to us.

 

But all in all this was the second-best food we have had on any cruise – and the only ship that beat it was Crystal Serenity, so I have to say that Celebrity has really hit the ball out of the park with Luminae. Our next cruise is on their upscale sister line Azamara – and they will have to do very well indeed to impress us over Celebrity Suite class.

 

Entertainment was also very good on this cruise. The big shows were very well done and lasted at least 45 minutes [i have heard that some cruise lines are cutting them down to 30 minutes in order to have 3 showings a night]. There were also solo entertainers who were mostly very good and covered a nice range [comedian, violinist, singer]. We really enjoy the “silk” artists, and they were featured in each of the big shows – too bad they didn’t get their own feature evening. We didn’t enjoy Cruise Director Maarten as much as we had Sue Denning, but he got the job done [as did his small but hard-working staff]. We missed the Hot Glass Show from Eclipse, but that was only ever on the three early S-class ships and there are rumors that it is on the way out even there. There was also a very good jazz group every night in the Rendezvous Lounge; the resident DJ was much more attuned to the guests on board than the one we had on Eclipse in the Caribbean; and the background music, although still omni-present, was more varied, compatible with the space, and played at more reasonable volumes than in the past [there was one program in Luminae that we found annyoing but as soon as the wait staff learned that, they immediately changed the channel when we arrived!]

 

In general this was the happiest ship’s crew we have yet to encounter on twelve cruises.

 

When DW commented to Captain Vittorio about how smooth sailing the trip had been, he said he is from Venice and the gondoliers learn to lean into their work and glide. He learned well!

 

I would rate this cruise a solid 4 stars, and from our perspective Celebrity Suite Class is quite comparable to a luxury cruise experience. We never used the pool area, so I don’t know if chair hogs or tacky contests ruined the ambience there – but every part of the ship that we explored was tasteful, uncrowded, and enjoyable. Celebrity Suite Class is our new standard against which cruises will be judged!

 

This cruise was the centerpiece of a three-week trip with extensive sightseeing in Rome, all the ports of the cruise, and Venice. For a complete blog with a selection of pictures (including many shots of Celebrity Suite 6104 in post #9 "Down to the Sea in Ships"), go to:

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/jazzbeaux/1/tpod.html

 

For a larger file of pictures, hop over to:

https://jazzbeauxitalygreececruise2016.shutterfly.com/pictures/5

Edited September 10, 2016 by Host Jazzbeau

[Lastdance]

I am so glad that you enjoyed your cruise and the experience was wonderful in terms of your cabin and Luminae...thank you for your review!

[SeaGal]

Jazzbeau,

 

 

It was wonderful reading your review! We are sailing on Constellation in CS 6104 this August. Our situation was exactly like yours – we started with an Aqua class cabin, switched to a Sky Suite, then for only an additional $20 the Celebrity Suite became available. You can imagine how quickly I jumped on that offer. It will be our first CS and we know we will be spoiled, especially after seeing your pictures.

 

 

Although our itinerary is slightly different from yours, there is enough overlapping of ports that reading about your trip was inspiring and informative.

 

 

I followed the link to your blog and really enjoyed the detailed daily descriptions and your pictures are stunning.

 

 

The excitement at our house has been growing and your review just increased it. Thank you for taking the time to write a detailed review and share it on Cruise Critic.

[portofrome]

Thank you very much for the review.

[cococruiser]

Thank you for your review. Sounds like a wonderful cruise. We are on Constellation in August, also in a CS suite. Even more excited now after reading your review. Just popping to look at your photos now. Thank you !

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[takichum]

Well said. I endorse your comments about the crew in Luminae wholeheartedly. We, my wife and I, were B2B on Constellation and if your experiences with the personal touch were good, ours was above first rate.

 

The Sommelier was on the ball with the wine and the wait teams made sure everything went smoothly.

 

We have sailed both M Class - Millennium and Constellation and S Class - Solstice and Eclipse and look forward to adding to our experiences on Silhouette in 2017 and Infinity in early 2018. On each we have been to Tuscan Grille and this would have been the least enjoyable. we put it down to popularity and a cramped space.

 

Glad you enjoyed tour trip - we did.

[Clarea]

Very much appreciate the feedback.

[Teenybk]

I wholeheartedly agree with your review, Jazzbeau! As you know, we were in a Royal Suite for this cruise, so experienced the same benefits of being in a suite.

 

Aside from experiencing the calm seas, wonderful cabin and balcony, good food, the staff was exceptional, wherever we were on the ship, especially our butler, Homer. Warm smiles and an eagerness to please always greeted us.

 

Since this was a port-intensive cruise, we were usually too tired to attend any of the shows and special events, so can't comment on those. We preferred to relax in our lovely suite.

 

Never had to use priority tendering, since the lines, if any, moved smoothly.

 

Thanks, again, Jazzbeau, for such a thorough and good review. It was a pleasure sharing this cruise with you and your DW.

[blazeinthesun]

I wholeheartedly agree with your review, Jazzbeau! As you know, we were in a Royal Suite for this cruise, so experienced the same benefits of being in a suite.

 

Aside from experiencing the calm seas, wonderful cabin and balcony, good food, the staff was exceptional, wherever we were on the ship, especially our butler, Homer. Warm smiles and an eagerness to please always greeted us.

 

 

 

We will be in a RS on the Connie in exactly 4 weeks, so these reviews are timely, appreciated and exciting! Do you know which group of RS Homer was assigned to? We will be in 6140. We have heard some mixed reviews lately about the butlers. Thank you!

Edited July 11, 2016 by blazeinthesun

[blazeinthesun]

Thanks, Jazzbeau for a great and thorough review. We depart on the Connie in exactly 4 weeks, also took advantage of the price cuts to upgrade to a RS (debated heavily on the available CS, but in the end decided on separate bathroom since traveling with adult D, but I bet all that glass made for wonderful views!). I can't wait to pop over and check out your photos. :)

[Teenybk]

We will be in a RS on the Connie in exactly 4 weeks, so these reviews are timely, appreciated and exciting! Do you know which group of RS Homer was assigned to? We will be in 6140. We have heard some mixed reviews lately about the butlers. Thank you!

 

 

We were in 6141, which is on the left side of the ship - always confused whether port side or starboard, but think it's port side. Homer handled the Penthouse on the same side as well as a few other cabins on the left side - I think they now handle 10 cabins each. Another butler was on the right side.

 

Since they're primarily responsible for the higher end suites, they are usually the best trained butlers.

 

Of course, they may be moved around a bit, go on vacation, and change ships, so no telling if Homer will still be there.

 

Keep in mind when you read negative comments that there are two sides to the story. It could be that they have very demanding passengers in each of their cabins, which may cause difficulty in accommodating all requests.

 

We kept it simple, only having lite breakfasts delivered, laundry pickup and delivery, a couple of last-minute dinner reservations.

[Teenybk]

Thanks, Jazzbeau for a great and thorough review. We depart on the Connie in exactly 4 weeks, also took advantage of the price cuts to upgrade to a RS (debated heavily on the available CS, but in the end decided on separate bathroom since traveling with adult D, but I bet all that glass made for wonderful views!). I can't wait to pop over and check out your photos. :)

 

 

You mention a separate bathroom - the M class Royal Suites do not have two bathrooms, only 1. I understand the S class RS have a small half bath in addition to the regular bathroom, but not M class, including the Constellation.

[Cruise Junky]

It was a wonderful itinerary wasn't it? We loved Connie and her crew were wonderful. Did you end up doing the market excursion in Venice?

[Host Jazzbeau]

It was a wonderful itinerary wasn't it? We loved Connie and her crew were wonderful. Did you end up doing the market excursion in Venice?

 

It was cancelled [i kept questioning how we were going to the market when the ship arrived in Venice at 2 pm on a Saturday and the market closes early?]. They refunded our money very promptly. Adding that time to our sightseeing schedule gave us more leisure and actually made the stay more enjoyable, so can't complain.

[blazeinthesun]

You mention a separate bathroom - the M class Royal Suites do not have two bathrooms, only 1. I understand the S class RS have a small half bath in addition to the regular bathroom, but not M class, including the Constellation.

 

You are correct about the second bathroom, both CS and RS only have one on the M Class. But on M Class, the Celebrity Suite you were in has the bathroom in the bedroom, requiring other guests to go through the bedroom to access. In the Royal Suite on M Class, the single bathroom is across from the bedroom door, with a mini hall in between. Means privacy for us and D has easy bathroom access.

 

Thanks again for the feedback.

[blazeinthesun]

Another question for you, Jazzbeau. I read your blog and it notes a CC Meet & Greet on what seems to be the first night, sail away. Was that the 'official' Connections party or just a sail away gathering? If not the official connections party, when was that held? Thanks!! :)

[Host Jazzbeau]

Another question for you, Jazzbeau. I read your blog and it notes a CC Meet & Greet on what seems to be the first night, sail away. Was that the 'official' Connections party or just a sail away gathering? If not the official connections party, when was that held? Thanks!! :)

 

It was just party-party-party that day! The CC Roll Call had a sail-away gathering at 5 pm in the Oceanview Bar, then the official Connections party was at 7:45 in Reflections. I think this is unusual timing for the Connections party, but we didn't have a Sea Day until Day 4 so we were glad they didn't make us wait that long.

[stinsowm]

Loved your review!!

 

Taking my first suite cruise on the Connie September 19th and can't wait to be spoiled. : )

 

Thanks again!!!

 

Walter

[Beanb41]

It was just party-party-party that day! The CC Roll Call had a sail-away gathering at 5 pm in the Oceanview Bar, then the official Connections party was at 7:45 in Reflections. I think this is unusual timing for the Connections party, but we didn't have a Sea Day until Day 4 so we were glad they didn't make us wait that long.

 

Interesting to note the timings of the Connections party. We are on the Connie in May next year and I think our first and only sea day is about Day 6.

Edited July 11, 2016 by Beanb41