Live from Constellation January 13-23, 2023

[BermudaBound2014]

I always appreciate a bit of background from the author of any review as it helps me form better frame of reference.  Here goes:-

 

Background: I'm a fully retired Gen Xer. I started cruising in 1987 and the first 5 cruises were on lines that eventually went bankrupt (Regency, Commodore, and Dolphin).These ships were all in the 20,000 GT range so I do have a historic love for the little gals. I was married onboard the inaugural sailing of Celebrity Zenith in 1992 so Celebrity will hold a special place in my heart. The Zenith was a massive 45,000 GT in it's day, so the Connie at 90,000 gross tons is double her size. 

 

With that, I have zero brand loyalty. Never have. Likely never will. I select ships based on who I'm traveling with and my perceived value. I don't look for the cheapest option, but I do weigh things that are important to me and select based on which ship best meets those expectations. Cost is always a consideration but value is what drives my decision making.

 

When I travel with DH, his favorite is NCL for the District Brew house with 20+ drafts to choose from. He is also casual and prefers to dress in shorts the majority of our trip. He really appreciated the Local (former O'Sheehans) which is an informal option where you can order a hot meal off a menu 24 hours a day. It's perfect for him. A blend of self serve buffet and being waited on. I describe NCL like our local pub. A Cheers bar where everyone knows your name.

 

I also do girls trips. My girls trips seem to be split between RCL and Celebrity. Some friends appreciate the stepped up entertainment/activity options on the large oasis class, while a few of my friends prefer a bit less Cheers and a few more Martinis'. The last few girls trips have all been on Celebrity when they offer 150% solo supplement (since we are now old enough to afford our own rooms). I also greatly appreciate solo trips also. I did those when I was working and needed time to just lay on my balcony and drool. There is something really healthy about a good solo trip where 'all about me' is the norm. If you have thought about traveling solo but are apprehensive, I highly recommend stepping outside your comfort zone. It's a wonderful experience. 

 

This trip is with a girlfriend of 30 years. We booked in August when there was zero solo supplement. Typically there are four of us who travel together, but two of the four are not ready to cruise again. Even though they have cruised in the past, all the covid hoopla has them gun shy to board again. Those two are also still working and don't have flex time if something goes astray. Tracy and I are both retired and pretty chill with expectations and the price for 10 days on Connie was cheaper than staying home. 

 

Speaking of expectations, I always recommend that expectations be kept in line with price paid. For this cruise, that means the bar is set quite low. I believe we snagged a mismarked solo cruise where instead of not doubling the fare, Celebrity cut an individual fare in half. I originally booked a ocean-view with the large round windows (O6?) with zero perks. I then upgraded to the Sweet 16. I have found that this work around allows me to get all the perks (gratuity, drinks, and wifi) without actually paying double for the perks as a solo traveler. With the final charge to my credit card, minus OBC collected, I am sailing in a solo balcony for 10 nights @ slightly less than $60 a night (including tips, drinks, wifi, and all taxes). I used the OBC pre-cruise to purchase upgraded internet, a pedicure, and a bag of laundry. With prices that low, it is unfair for me to have over-the-top expectations. I am prepared for some niggles. The recent reduction of the ocean view café and introduction of room service charges is an obstacle we will just have to overcome. Don't get me wrong, I don't like reduced amenities one bit (especially after purchase), but I do expect them from the cruise industry given their current financial position. Sadly, I think anyone booking a cruise today needs to be prepared for reduced amenities and increased onboard charges. It's the new normal.

 

I typically don't book suites (although I have sailed in the Yacht Club on MSC). Suites just don't provide me with enough value where I can justify the cost. I never used my butler in the Yacht club since it's just not my vibe. However; I will gladly pay more for a balcony that can accommodate a lounge chair because laying outside on my lounger gazing at the sea is very much my vibe. I'm booked in a Sweet 16 tomorrow and am hoping I can get a lounger on the extended balcony since I'm in the room solo. Time will tell.

 

I've sailed this Caribbean itinerary multiple times and will not be doing any shore excursions. Instead, we plan to enjoy a more empty ship while in port. As such, this review will include minimal port information but I hope to make up for that by reporting on the current changes I find onboard. I'm armed with the premium wifi package and prepared to post daily (including photos). I learn much from CC and believe in playing it forward, so if you have questions I am more than happy to investigate. A Little Columbo action to break up the day.

 

Edited to add: It should be obvious by now that I'm not short on words. I never mastered the cliff note version of anything. Feel free to ignore me. I promise I won't be offended :). 

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2023 by BermudaBound2014

[Barwick Cruiser]

Hope you have a wonderful holiday and I’m looking forward to following along! 🥂

[tcmagnum]

Looking forward to your review on how the Connie looks.

We are on her February 3rd for 10 to Eastern Caribean.  And we can't wait.  We booked back in April - Inside room with included basic wifi/basic alcoholic beverage package/tips.  I kept a very close eye on the pricing and managed to get us down to a tad over $1000 per person for 10 days.  Very happy with this price.  We were hoping to snag a 'move up' but not sure.  The price to move up to an ocean view is over $800 a person.  Not sure if that is worth it.

I'm not retired yet but can't wait until I can take a 'me only' cruise!!!

Have a great cruise!!!

[oteixeira]

I am here for the adventure!

[Georgia_Peaches]

Well this review is coming just in time!  We are about to book the Connie for a 2024 Med cruise and it's been a while since I was on her...I know she missed her revolution due to covid so like @tcmagnum, I am curious how she's holding up.  Also, would you mind explain what you mean by "Sweet 16"?  Is this a category?

 

Looking forward to your review.  Safe travels.

[basil1]

I am sailing on the Constellation on 02/03 and looking forward to your review. I hope you can honestly say all the cut backs people are complaining about aren't happening to the degree which they are saying. I haven't cruised since 01/2020 and am looking forward to my cruise but the shine is starting to wear after reading ALL the negative stuff going round on these forums. I hope you have a great trip.

[songbird1329]

We sailed on the Connie in December, and I’d love to see what you think of the ship.

[BermudaBound2014]

@oteixeira glad you are following along. Market has had a really nice run. I'm hoping it's been good to you. I cashed in some swing profits from my 'normal' account this afternoon. I still think there is room to fall, albeit maybe not as doom as our friend @sea. 

 

@Georgia_Peaches I'll be happy to help. I always enjoy reading your views here. A Sweet 16 is a block of cabins forward on deck 6 of the M class vessels. The balcony is twice the size as a traditional balcony. Celebrity has historically priced these as C3 (cheapest balcony), but that is changing. Apparently someone let Celebrity in on the secret and they are reclassifying the rooms. These balconies are large enough to comfortably hold a chaise lounger. Being able to get the room steward to oblige is hit or miss. 

 

@basil1 I hope I can report that the cut backs are largely over exaggerated also. You can be sure that I will provide photo evidence of exactly what I see, including whether or not the infamous 'sign' indicating no shorts is still at the front of the MDR. I call it like I see it. Praise where praise is due, but I tend to side with the consumer and not the cooperation.

 

@songbird1329 I'll do my best. My expectations are that the rooms are in need of upgrading but the rest of the ship did undergo renovation after covid because all the soft materials (carpet, chairs, curtains, etc...) were pre purchased and sitting in a warehouse. 

 

 

 

 

[cgolf1]

Following along. We were onboard Connie last February as our first true Celebrity cruise, non E class, and absolutely loved the ship. Hope you have a wonderful trip. 

[BermudaBound2014]

Pre-Cruise Hotel:

 

I flew into Tampa on Monday night, just missing FAA grounding all planes Tuesday morning. I planned for 3 nights pre-cruise just because plane travel has been so sketchy and it's January in Michigan. Two of the nights I planned to be solo. Tracy was scheduled to arrive this evening but her plans changed. Being a responsible citizen, she had a bit of a tickle in her throat this morning and ran a test for Covid prior to heading to the airport. You guessed it, positive. She has insurance which will cover her losses, but this means I'm sailing solo. She said she feels just fine, and she is free of comorbidities, so we have no reason to believe this is anything more than minor cold symptoms but she wanted to do the right thing and getting on a plane (and a cruise) knowing you are positive for Covid isn't the right thing to do. Side note, I just tested for giggles and I'm negative so I can board tomorrow with the reasonable assumption that I didn't bring the virus with me.

 

I'm a walker and knew I wanted to be downtown, but like everything else (except this particular cruise) prices are insane!! Three nights at the Marriott would have cost more than my entire 10 day cruise. Most hotels in the downtown area were in the $250-300 a night range. I could not justify spending more on 3 nights lodging than the entire cruise so I ended up booking the Floridian Palace hotel. It is a downtown hotel, but a bit off the beaten path. 

 

This hotel is on the National Historic Registry. It was built in 1926 and has a very colorful history. It's even a stop on the "Hauntings and History of Tampa" tour. When built, it was the tallest building in Tampa. Elvis, James Stewart, and Charlton Heston all stayed here and the Sapphire lounge became a famous gathering point for the military personal stationed nearby. It's even said that the head of the Mafia planned Kennedy's assignation here. But like many things, the hotel had it's glory days and then fell into disrepair. Eventually it became a homeless shelter and pay by the week residence and it took until 2012 for the hotel to be renovated (back to original condition) and reopened to the public.

 

If you like old, ornate, heavy furniture from golden days gone by this is your place. The chandeliers are all real crystal and the ceilings have been restored to original condition complete with cherubs. I haven't been tapped by any ghosts in the night but I'm prepared with my Buster so all  is well. 

 

I wouldn't give the hotel a 10 though. I booked a partial water view room and my room is facing north (no water to be seen). The hotel is booked solid and I purchased from a third party vendor on a black Friday special so they weren't all that interested in moving me. They did refund the difference in cost between a 'regular view' and a partial water view to make me whole, but offered nothing additional for their mistake. 

 

The Breakfast is as good as hotel breakfasts go. Today was cheese omelets, bacon, waffle station, cereal, fruit, the normal. One oddity of the hotel being this old is that there are no ice machines. If you want ice, you head down to the lobby and pull a bag from the 1960's freezer. Old school works for me.

 

If you are looking for a more reasonably priced hotel in downtown where you can safely walk to all the destinations you should consider the Floridan. Just be aware that this is a historic building and you will need to walk a few extra blocks to get to the riverfront. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2023 by BermudaBound2014

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Here the sweet 16 , they are deluxe balconies now 

the orange cabins 

[Azulann]

Constellation is my favorite ship of Celerity still sailing. Look forward to your trip report.

[oteixeira]

Now that is how you do a pre-cruise hotel.  I love the look!  Sorry to hear your friend is under the weather, and I agree they did the right thing staying back.  Can't wait until you get onboard and we get more great pictures!

As for our stocks, they have done crazy well this past week with no news, so....I expect a pull back.  :)  

[miched]

We sailed out of Tampa last year. The first cruise on the Summit from  Miami and then drove to Tampa for the next one on the Constellation.   We prefer the Constellation. Enjoy the Constellation  before Kelly destroys it like she did  to the Summit with her designs, and shame on the management for approving them.  The Constellation had a few upgrades but still has the old charm that doesn’t look like Ilea.

 

If you want a nice experience visit the Tampa Aquarium.  It is very unique.  We were impressed.   Many areas are wide open with no barriers except for the tanks.   There are wild life areas where you are like walking in the outdoors thru their habitant.     2 to 3 hours is the time needed but you can spend as much time as you want..  It is next to the cruise port.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Edited January 13, 2023 by miched

[cluso]

Just did the Rome to Tampa TA on Connie this past October (and a few times before).  Enjoyed it and only had @ 1600 PAX. 

Doing the 11 night Ultimate Caribbean and The Americas, 6 March 2023.  Looks like it is almost totally booked.

Following along for your inputs and thank you in advance.  Enjoy!

[mpdog42]

looking foward to your Review!!

[cruisemom42]

Very much enjoyed my BTB on Constellation in October (just before her TA). She is a very comfortable ship. Maybe not as cutting edge as Edge (pun intended) but full of places to sit comfortably and read, have a drink, people watch, etc. I found the public areas in good shape but minus a lot of the "weird" furniture of some areas since the Revolution occurred....

 

I look forward to your take on the current state of all things cutback.

[Georgia_Peaches]

Happy embarkation day! So sorry your girl’s trip has turned solo. I hope you’re friend feels better. 

[dock]

Will be following along. Have never had the courage to travel solo. Admire those of you who do so. 

[karmamule]

As our next cruise gets close it's wonderful to stoke anticipation by digging in to a 'live from' thread. Lots of fun detail and pics so far, looking forward to more and hope you have a wonderful time! (Also, as someone maybe 2 or 3 years away from retirement this is a wonderful glimpse how I want my life to be sooner rather than later! 🙂)

[BermudaBound2014]

Tampa as an Embarkation City~ Who knew??

 

Cliff Notes Version (giving it a whirl): Let's get the negative out of the way right now. Tampa gets fog in the winter and it can be cold. Last sailing, the Connie was 8 hours late into port which caused lots of missed flights and a pretty crappy embarkation day. However; if you luck out with weather, this is a fantastic embarkation port!! A solid 9/10.

 

Blah blah blah version: My very first cruise (1987) departed from Tampa. Back in those days we used the cruise line airfare and flew in day of Embarkation. I don't do that anymore unless it can't be avoided. I flew in three days prior to Embarkation to give myself lots of wiggle room for Winter weather. As it turns out, it wasn't weather that caused this weeks flight problems, it was the FAA grounding all airplanes. I narrowly missed that chaos  :).

 

My good luck continued as I was blessed with absolutely Wonderful weather! I have not seen a cloud in the sky in the last three days. Not. One. Cloud. 75 and sunny. Just perfect for exploring the city. I'm a walker and logged 12 miles on Wednesday and 7 miles yesterday. 

 

The Riverwalk is really quite impressive. Lots of historic markers along the way. Very safe. Plenty of spots to stop and rest or grab a bite. I checked out the cruise ports and then jumped on the free trolley to Ybor Town which is a century old city famous for Cuban sandwiches, cigars, and $5 T-shirts. Free trolley back to downtown and reversed course. A very good 12.34 miles logged.

 

I did more Riverwalk day two but also added in the HOHO water taxi. The price nearly doubled on January 1st, but for $35 it's a fun way to spend the day. Rides are unlimited, get on and off as you see fit. Met new friends who will also be on Connie. The southbound route was full of cruise passengers just going for a ride so our pilot took us off course and all they way around Harbor Island to see the house of Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner and Zuckerberg's yacht. It was interesting to see ships in dry dock and we sailed right beside Brilliance of the Seas. I've sailed on Serenade and Radiance and that brought back fond memories. Anytime I see a ship I get happy. I only logged 7.63 miles today due to lazy riding in the water taxi, but did manage to get the December white dusted off my pale skin. 

 

All in all, I really fell in love with Tampa. As an embarkation port this is really quite lovely. If you can get past the excessive cost of downtown hotels and get lucky with weather, everything you could ever want is within walking distance (aquarium, museums, art centers, good eats, etc..). If the day ever comes when I can no longer winter in Maui, I would absolutely consider this area.

 

Riverwalk:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ybor town:

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOHO water taxi

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 13, 2023 by BermudaBound2014

[Susanb10567]

Bon Voyage…looking forward to your review..heading out on the Summit in a couple of weeks with old friends and spouses for the first time…they are not really cruisers hoping they love it and we can do some girls only trips in the future…

[BermudaBound2014]

The weather took a drastic turn last night. Pouring rain came thru and it’s currently 63 dropping steadily all day. Tonight’s low will be in the 40s. The rain is done and the sun is peaking out, but my hoodie is in hand. 

 

Breakfast was successful and I’m getting ready to head downstairs and call Uber for 11:00 checkin.
 

X is in the house! WEEEeeeeeee

[dunedinmaiden]

1 minute ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

The weather took a drastic turn last night. Pouring rain came thru and it’s currently 63 dropping steadily all day. Tonight’s low will be in the 40s. The rain is done and the sun is peaking out, but my hoodie is in hand. 

 

Breakfast was successful and I’m getting ready to head downstairs and call Uber for 11:00 checkin.
 

X is in the house! WEEEeeeeeee

Bon Voyage -- we'll be following along.  Sailing on Connie for a TA 4/17/23 🙂

[BermudaBound2014]

Embarkation- cliff notes 10. Arrived at 11:04. Stepped onto the ship at 11:24. Doesn’t get easier.

 

Dropped luggage in the room. Not going to lie, the room needs a refurb. One drawer is perpetually off track and one of the cupboards doesn’t close right. But, I did a deep inspection and it was clean which is the only real deal breaker for me.

 

Balcony is definitely large enough for a lounge chair. I’ll plead my case to the room steward with a little grease. Water is puddled on my balcony. It did rain hard last night but the other balconies are much drier.
 

One of the keys in my envelope belong to my neighbor. I stuck it in their door. 
 

First impressions, she’s a cruise ship and I’m a happy sailor!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 13, 2023 by BermudaBound2014