Constellation Review - 11/8/2019 Italy/Dalmatian Coast

[DENIE]

I posted this on the "Reviews" section for the Celebrity Constellation, but am also sharing here as well...

We (wife and I, and another couple – call us “late 50’s”) chose this cruise as we wanted to experience a European cruise after doing several Caribbean cruises.  This was our 3^rd cruise on Celebrity.  The Venice-Rome, and Dalmatian Coast was highly appealing to us as we have read so much about these areas.  Port stops were Rijeka, Split, and Dubrovnik (Croatia); Kotor, Montenegro; Valleta, Malta; Catania, Sicily; Naples, Italy; and ending in Rome (Civitevecchia).

We flew into Venice a day in advance and stayed at the Hotel Olimpia, which is very convenient to the cruise port.  It could not have been better for us.  Although it was raining on embarkation day, we found it very easy to get to the Marittima Cruise Port via the people mover.  Embarkation was as easy and fast as we have ever experienced.  We were on board in no more than about 20 minutes, start to finish. Kudos!

The staff welcomed us as they always have, with a glass of sparkling wine.  Having been on the Infinity 2 years prior, the ship was immediately familiar.  Overall, the Connie is in very good shape – very clean, well maintained.  We get that she is older and will be spiffed up shortly, however there was NOTHING we could find that detracted from our cruise experience!  Our room was in fine condition, and we did not experience “threadbare” conditions as I have seen in some reviews. 

We were lucky to have left Venice when we did, for shortly after our departure, the city experienced their epic flooding that we only heard about later.  We did dodge wind and rain for good parts of the cruise, however we were still able to enjoy our cruise.  One port stop, Kotor, Montenegro, was cancelled due to advancing Adriatic weather systems, however the Captain diverted to Corfu, Greece rather than settle for a sea day.  That decision was made early, and we are thankful for the consideration for passenger safety.  Nothing Celebrity could do differently here.  Sure, it is tough to miss a port we were all looking forward to ( the sail in/sail out), but....

Food is always subjective, but we always enjoyed all of our options.  The menu in the MDR is somewhat repetitious from past cruises, however our food was always well prepared and tasty.  Options in the OVC were varied, and we could always find options for the few meals we ate there.  We did the Tuscan Grille one night to celebrate the birthday of one of our travel companions.  This particular night was their “seafood night”, so they did not have their usual menu.  We had the mixed seafood grill, and the amount of food was staggering.  The staff also wanted us to have lobster, so they went ahead and gave us all a lobster too!  It was very good, but not over the top.  The wait staff was amazing, though!

Entertainment was very good overall. The House Band (“Cardinals”) and Music Soup were amazing (heard mostly in the Rendezvous Lounge).  For “down time”, we really enjoyed the Stonewall Acoustic Duo (usually in the Cellermasters) – and got to know them a bit while on board.  Very friendly folks! We only made it to one production show due to the busy itinerary - it was pretty good, but not over the top. Two different evenings featured British entertainers – one a “piano guy” (did all Elton John, Billy Joel, etc), and a female singer (seriously funny, and an amazing voice).   LOVED these! Comedians were a bit “hit and miss”. Overall…quite happy with the entertainment.

The port stops were amazing – we mostly did private tours for the 4 of us (Tours by Locals).  We did opt for ship credit to do ship tours from Catania, Sicily (Taste of Mt. Etna and Taormina), and Naples (Taste of Pompeii and Sorrento).  They were good, but we do believe we were spoiled by the private tours.  However, the distances covered on these 2 tours dictated that we felt we should be on a ship tour.

OVERALL – we thoroughly enjoyed this cruise.  Everything, but for 1 port stop, went according to plan.  While we do prefer the S-Class ships (Murano!!), we were very satisfied with our experience one the Connie.  She was very warm and comfortable, and the staff was amazing. They work so hard to make everyone happy! We would certainly book this ship (and M-Class) if the itinerary dictates it. Kudos to some of our favorite folks:  Sanyan (stateroom attendant, Deck 3), Dawangga (bar service), Akor (bar service – Rendezvous Lounge); Carlos (MDR), and so many others!

 

[MisterMet]

1 hour ago, DENIE said:

I posted this on the "Reviews" section for the Celebrity Constellation, but am also sharing here as well...

We (wife and I, and another couple – call us “late 50’s”) chose this cruise as we wanted to experience a European cruise after doing several Caribbean cruises.  This was our 3^rd cruise on Celebrity.  The Venice-Rome, and Dalmatian Coast was highly appealing to us as we have read so much about these areas.  Port stops were Rijeka, Split, and Dubrovnik (Croatia); Kotor, Montenegro; Valleta, Malta; Catania, Sicily; Naples, Italy; and ending in Rome (Civitevecchia).

 

We flew into Venice a day in advance and stayed at the Hotel Olimpia, which is very convenient to the cruise port.  It could not have been better for us.  Although it was raining on embarkation day, we found it very easy to get to the Marittima Cruise Port via the people mover.  Embarkation was as easy and fast as we have ever experienced.  We were on board in no more than about 20 minutes, start to finish. Kudos!

 

The staff welcomed us as they always have, with a glass of sparkling wine.  Having been on the Infinity 2 years prior, the ship was immediately familiar.  Overall, the Connie is in very good shape – very clean, well maintained.  We get that she is older and will be spiffed up shortly, however there was NOTHING we could find that detracted from our cruise experience!  Our room was in fine condition, and we did not experience “threadbare” conditions as I have seen in some reviews. 

 

We were lucky to have left Venice when we did, for shortly after our departure, the city experienced their epic flooding that we only heard about later.  We did dodge wind and rain for good parts of the cruise, however we were still able to enjoy our cruise.  One port stop, Kotor, Montenegro, was cancelled due to advancing Adriatic weather systems, however the Captain diverted to Corfu, Greece rather than settle for a sea day.  That decision was made early, and we are thankful for the consideration for passenger safety.  Nothing Celebrity could do differently here.  Sure, it is tough to miss a port we were all looking forward to ( the sail in/sail out), but....

 

Food is always subjective, but we always enjoyed all of our options.  The menu in the MDR is somewhat repetitious from past cruises, however our food was always well prepared and tasty.  Options in the OVC were varied, and we could always find options for the few meals we ate there.  We did the Tuscan Grille one night to celebrate the birthday of one of our travel companions.  This particular night was their “seafood night”, so they did not have their usual menu.  We had the mixed seafood grill, and the amount of food was staggering.  The staff also wanted us to have lobster, so they went ahead and gave us all a lobster too!  It was very good, but not over the top.  The wait staff was amazing, though!

 

Entertainment was very good overall. The House Band (“Cardinals”) and Music Soup were amazing (heard mostly in the Rendezvous Lounge).  For “down time”, we really enjoyed the Stonewall Acoustic Duo (usually in the Cellermasters) – and got to know them a bit while on board.  Very friendly folks! We only made it to one production show due to the busy itinerary - it was pretty good, but not over the top. Two different evenings featured British entertainers – one a “piano guy” (did all Elton John, Billy Joel, etc), and a female singer (seriously funny, and an amazing voice).   LOVED these! Comedians were a bit “hit and miss”. Overall…quite happy with the entertainment.

 

The port stops were amazing – we mostly did private tours for the 4 of us (Tours by Locals).  We did opt for ship credit to do ship tours from Catania, Sicily (Taste of Mt. Etna and Taormina), and Naples (Taste of Pompeii and Sorrento).  They were good, but we do believe we were spoiled by the private tours.  However, the distances covered on these 2 tours dictated that we felt we should be on a ship tour.

 

OVERALL – we thoroughly enjoyed this cruise.  Everything, but for 1 port stop, went according to plan.  While we do prefer the S-Class ships (Murano!!), we were very satisfied with our experience one the Connie.  She was very warm and comfortable, and the staff was amazing. They work so hard to make everyone happy! We would certainly book this ship (and M-Class) if the itinerary dictates it. Kudos to some of our favorite folks:  Sanyan (stateroom attendant, Deck 3), Dawangga (bar service), Akor (bar service – Rendezvous Lounge); Carlos (MDR), and so many others!

 

 

 

Thanks for your great review. We are really looking forward to our constellation 10 night Greek Isles cruise next June. It’s good to hear that she is still in great shape even before her scheduled renovation. Sounds like you had a very nice cruise. The seafood night In the Tuscan Grille sounded fantastic.  Do you recall which night of the cruise it was on or if they had it more than once?

[DENIE]

12 minutes ago, MisterMet said:

Thanks for your great review. We are really looking forward to our constellation 10 night Greek Isles cruise next June. It’s good to hear that she is still in great shape even before her scheduled renovation. Sounds like you had a very nice cruise. The seafood night In the Tuscan Grille sounded fantastic.  Do you recall which night of the cruise it was on or if they had it more than once?

Thank you MisterMet!

 

The seafood night was in the middle of the cruise. For us, it was on the day we spent the rescheduled stop in Corfu, Greece.  You should check when you board, as they will tell you.  Since we were celebrating a birthday, we stopped to make a reservation upon embarkation.  That is when they told us that particular evening would be their Seafood Night.

 

Enjoy your Greek cruise!  You will enjoy it, and the Constellation!

[Cdresser]

Sounds lovely, the itinerary is on my wish list but will have to be a few years in the future.

[Kiran]

Thank you for posting.

 

Considering doing an ABC (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) cruise on the Connie next January out of Tampa and have only been on Silhouette & Equinox so wondered how older ship bearing up.

 

Sounds Good!

 

 

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review!

[jimbri]

Thank you for the review.  I have been thinking about a cruise in Europe for awhile now.  Ports look great.

[DENIE]

On 11/23/2019 at 4:15 AM, Kiran said:

Thank you for posting.

 

Considering doing an ABC (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) cruise on the Connie next January out of Tampa and have only been on Silhouette & Equinox so wondered how older ship bearing up.

 

Sounds Good!

 

 

Kiran - we did the ABC islands last year on the Silhouette.  You will love those ports!  You will have no worries with the Connie...just understand that there are fewer restaurants, but nothing that would detract from an enjoyable cruise.

[CruiserMickey]

Thank you for your review! Can you please give a little more information about the Taste of Sorrento and Pompeii excursion you took? We have that one booked for our Italy cruise in the spring (on-board credit to use up). What did you enjoy or not enjoy about the tour?

[Northern Aurora]

Enjoyed your review.  We left the Constellation on October 30th after a B2B2B.  Even though we had visited a number of the ports on prior cruises, we still found the combination to be so enjoyable.  And Corfu, which was a scheduled port on one leg, was delightful.

[luv2travel90266]

Thanks for the review. We are doing Sept 24th, 2020 on the Connie. It appears your itinerary is similar. Any other recommendations in the ports?

[Pantheral]

Thanks for the review. We are sailing the Adriatic on the Edge next June and have port stops in Split, Dubrovnik, Kotor and Corfu. If you are willing to share, I am interested it the tours you took in each port (or we scheduled to take in Kotor) and any other recommendations you might have. Thanks!

[DENIE]

On 11/24/2019 at 5:06 PM, CruiserMickey said:

Thank you for your review! Can you please give a little more information about the Taste of Sorrento and Pompeii excursion you took? We have that one booked for our Italy cruise in the spring (on-board credit to use up). What did you enjoy or not enjoy about the tour?

You are welcome, CruiserMickey!

 

We may have been spoiled, as we were doing private tours booked on our own up until then.  We did enjoy this tour, although I have to advise that it was somewhat abbreviated.  We were delayed entry into the port of Naples by almost 2 hours due to poor weather and rough seas (we almost did not make it at all!).  As a result, when we reported to the Celebrity Theatre to check in, they were already advising that some excursions were being abbreviated due to time constraints.  Fortunately, we made both Pompeii and Sorrento, although we did not get the time to walk around Sorrento - only the farm/food stop. 

 

Pompeii was done very well.  The guide on the bus was the guide in Pompeii.  They give you a device with ear buds.  My only comment is that we started late, so felt perhaps a bit rushed.  Either way, you do not get the same experience as you would if you had all day (a trade off when you have to get back to the ship).  Pompeii deserves all day to do it right.

 

The farm/food stop in Sorrento was amazing.  We got to try fresh mozzarella (they demonstrate how it is made!), tomatoes, another cheese, and salami.  They also had their homemade Limoncello, which was delicious.  We did not get to walk around town or shop, although the weather was not conducive for that sort of thing.  All things considered, we had no complaints.  Would prefer to do this as a private tour, but the distance and time involved made us feel more comfortable with doing Celebrities tour.

 

A funny side note....we were "pushing" the time on getting back to port when the bus was pulled over by the Polizia.  Apparently there was a problem with one of the taillights - the driver was perfectly safe, so no issues there.  It did look like several tours were getting back later than we did. 

 

Overall - a memorable day!!!  Let me know if you have any other questions.

[DENIE]

21 hours ago, luv2travel90266 said:

Thanks for the review. We are doing Sept 24th, 2020 on the Connie. It appears your itinerary is similar. Any other recommendations in the ports?

Luv2travel - you will enjoy the itinerary.

 

I highly recommend Tours by Locals.  We found our tours of Rijeka, Split, Dubrovnik, and Valleta (Malta) by this company.  They vet their guides, and all of them were worth the 5-star ratings we gave them.  Due to weather, we missed Kotor (big sigh), which was one we were REALLY looking forward to. If you are willing to spend 5-7 hours on a tour, you can not only see the "old town/walls", but the surrounding area.  Our guide in Rijeka took us to Island Krk - about 30 minutes away.  Spent an amazing day there - so much to see and do.  Let me know if you have specific questions about the ports.  We really enjoyed getting in their vehicles and seeing the area.

[DENIE]

11 hours ago, Pantheral said:

Thanks for the review. We are sailing the Adriatic on the Edge next June and have port stops in Split, Dubrovnik, Kotor and Corfu. If you are willing to share, I am interested it the tours you took in each port (or we scheduled to take in Kotor) and any other recommendations you might have. Thanks!

Pantheral - go Badgers/Packers! (semi-Wisconsin person here!).

 

Sure...happy to advise.  We booked Tours by Locals (easy to find if you google that name).  In Split, we booked a tour with Vjeran Mlacic called "UNESCO sites: Split and Trogir".  He met us (4 of us) with a private driver, so he was free to talk.  Trogir is such a beautiful medieval city with a lot of history (google the photos!).  We then had a tour of the Diacletian Palace.  Vjeran ("VJ") is a great guide and so knowledgeable.  This was a 4 hour tour.  At the end, he made some restaurant recommendations that were so close, yet off the tourist path.  The food was amazing, and mostly locals were there.

 

In Dubrovnik, we booked another Tours by Locals tour with Marijana Srgota - entitled Dubrovnik and Coast.  We went to the hill (Hill Srd) overlooking Dubrovnik, then over to the village of Cavtat (charming!!!), and then back to Dubrovnik for a tour of the walled city.  Marijana is an amazing guide....she was challenged this day because there were 45 mph winds in the walled city, and 70 mph winds on the hill overlooking the city.  Then, the rain was absolutely driving!!  She was an amazing wealth of information.  She is around "40ish", but survived the war of the Serbs, Croatians in 1991 (research the history of this) - and will share whatever you want to know.  Positively humbling! You will not go wrong with her.

 

Sadly, we missed Kotor as Celebrity cancelled this stop due to the same weather system.  We had a similar tour scheduled with a Tours by Locals guide, but, alas, we could not partake. Kotor is a tender port, and they determined the prior day that it was not going to be safe, so we diverted to Corfu, Greece.  Because this was an unexpected stop, we did not have a chance to research or book a tour - just walked around the old town.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions....😀

[CruiserMickey]

5 hours ago, DENIE said:

You are welcome, CruiserMickey!

 

We may have been spoiled, as we were doing private tours booked on our own up until then.  We did enjoy this tour, although I have to advise that it was somewhat abbreviated.  We were delayed entry into the port of Naples by almost 2 hours due to poor weather and rough seas (we almost did not make it at all!).  As a result, when we reported to the Celebrity Theatre to check in, they were already advising that some excursions were being abbreviated due to time constraints.  Fortunately, we made both Pompeii and Sorrento, although we did not get the time to walk around Sorrento - only the farm/food stop. 

 

Pompeii was done very well.  The guide on the bus was the guide in Pompeii.  They give you a device with ear buds.  My only comment is that we started late, so felt perhaps a bit rushed.  Either way, you do not get the same experience as you would if you had all day (a trade off when you have to get back to the ship).  Pompeii deserves all day to do it right.

 

The farm/food stop in Sorrento was amazing.  We got to try fresh mozzarella (they demonstrate how it is made!), tomatoes, another cheese, and salami.  They also had their homemade Limoncello, which was delicious.  We did not get to walk around town or shop, although the weather was not conducive for that sort of thing.  All things considered, we had no complaints.  Would prefer to do this as a private tour, but the distance and time involved made us feel more comfortable with doing Celebrities tour.

 

A funny side note....we were "pushing" the time on getting back to port when the bus was pulled over by the Polizia.  Apparently there was a problem with one of the taillights - the driver was perfectly safe, so no issues there.  It did look like several tours were getting back later than we did. 

 

Overall - a memorable day!!!  Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

It is definitely understandable that you would be disappointed if your tour was abbreviated. I appreciate your detailed description, @DENIE. We are definitely looking forward to the farm stop, as we always enjoy learning about local food and products.

Edited November 26, 2019 by CruiserMickey

[di T]

On 11/25/2019 at 4:09 AM, luv2travel90266 said:

Thanks for the review. We are doing Sept 24th, 2020 on the Connie. It appears your itinerary is similar. Any other recommendations in the ports?

We will be on this cruise as a b2b , have sailed on Constellation many times a lovely friendly ship! We have sailed similar itineraries and never get bored with the ports.Dianne

[Pantheral]

DENIE,

 

Thanks for the great information! I am a huge fan of Tours by Locals and had looked at the tour by Marijana! Guess I better get that one booked...

 

Curious, on Kotor what did you have planned?

 

Big week for the Badgers!

[DENIE]

13 hours ago, Pantheral said:

DENIE,

 

Thanks for the great information! I am a huge fan of Tours by Locals and had looked at the tour by Marijana! Guess I better get that one booked...

 

Curious, on Kotor what did you have planned?

 

Big week for the Badgers!

Pantheral,

 

If you book Marijana, please let her know that I referred you (my name is Dale Niehaus).  I am certain she will know that we are the tour that had the 70+ mph wind and driving rain in November...ha!  By all means, do book this excursion with her.  She is so funny, witty, knowledgeable, and all round a great guide!  Very honest, too, about her experience as a young child living through "the war" from 1991-1995.  All our guides in Croatia experienced it in some fashion. 

 

On Kotor, we had a tour called Private tour of Perast, Roman Mosaics in Risan, and Kotor Old Town (5 hours).  The guide was to be Tatjana Miljenovic.  Tours by Locals contacted us as soon as they were advised the ship would not be making the stop. They informed us that they will be making a full refund to us.  Class operation!  We highly regret (but understand) missing this port, as it was going to be a highlight.  The whole Adriatic Sea was in turmoil that week, including epic flooding in Venice.

 

Curious...what part of WI are you from?  I spent my college years (1980's) in Kenosha, and my wife is from the Wisconsin Dells area. 

[Pantheral]

Dale, booked Marijana yesterday. I will send her your hello in my next e-mail. 

 

Appreciate the further suggestion on Kotor. TBL is a favorite of ours; used them last time in the Med and in Australia/New Zealand .Let me know if I can every repay the favor with suggestions in those locales.

 

We  in have lived in New Berlin for 25 years. Wife is lifelong resident of Milwaukee area, I've been here since 1981. 

 

Take care and thanks again!

[DENIE]

13 hours ago, Pantheral said:

Dale, booked Marijana yesterday. I will send her your hello in my next e-mail. 

 

Appreciate the further suggestion on Kotor. TBL is a favorite of ours; used them last time in the Med and in Australia/New Zealand .Let me know if I can every repay the favor with suggestions in those locales.

 

We  in have lived in New Berlin for 25 years. Wife is lifelong resident of Milwaukee area, I've been here since 1981. 

 

Take care and thanks again!

Enjoy your cruise!  They are great port stops.  Even though our cruise was highly impacted by the weather, we loved them all!  We came away with a real appreciation for the beauty and history of Croatia, and hope to return.