Live From Celebrity Constellation 3/11-3/23

[exlondoner]

Thank you for this. I always enjoy your reviews very much. You will remember I’m a pretty much diehard Cunard Grills passenger about the same age as your mother. Yet from your reviews, the ship I have most thought I would enjoy was Icon, probably because of the excellent meals you were able to enjoy with the dining upgrade you paid for. I also thought the ship seemed well run, with so many different choices that even passengers like me with conservative tastes would find things to enjoy. And, if I had a large balcony cabin, that would make up to quite a large extent for the lack of contact with the sea. While I have read many comments on Cunard saying it comes a poor second to Celebrity, this does not seem the case from your review, except perhaps in the cruet department.

 

Thank you again, and please cruise again soon.

[Altamar]

It was fun following your live review, thanks so much, happy Easter.

[Mike981]

Thank you again for your great review.

[TommyD3]

Wondering what your casino cruise fares are? We were onboard and paid about $75 pp/pd cruise only for an inside plus port charges. From what I have seen the casino prices are virtually free? I know that the higher level cabins are quite steep now - $300 pp/pd for AQ and $500+ pp/pd for the lowest suite !!! We are Zenith and get free premium beverages, WiFi and laundry.

[jam19872016]

On 3/31/2024 at 6:29 AM, bluewater1298 said:

Thank you for your honest review. Even though I enjoyed sailing along, I agree, I would probably not choose this ship. I did enjoy our sailing on Reflection and would do another one on her or the Edge class. To be honest, if the itinerary was good, I would sail on Celebrity again just to enjoy Al Bacon 🤣 

Thank you again! Hope you have a beautiful Easter!

Until we sail again.....

I enjoyed Reflection as well. That class of ship is simply stunning. I was reading a review today where sandwiches were spotted at Al Bacon! Oh my, that has some serious potential if it is as good as the sweets. I could skip the buffet all together 😄 

[jam19872016]

On 3/31/2024 at 7:13 AM, exlondoner said:

Thank you for this. I always enjoy your reviews very much. You will remember I’m a pretty much diehard Cunard Grills passenger about the same age as your mother. Yet from your reviews, the ship I have most thought I would enjoy was Icon, probably because of the excellent meals you were able to enjoy with the dining upgrade you paid for. I also thought the ship seemed well run, with so many different choices that even passengers like me with conservative tastes would find things to enjoy. And, if I had a large balcony cabin, that would make up to quite a large extent for the lack of contact with the sea. While I have read many comments on Cunard saying it comes a poor second to Celebrity, this does not seem the case from your review, except perhaps in the cruet department.

 

Thank you again, and please cruise again soon.

Oasis not Icon, but I knew what you meant. Icon's pricing will leave me on the outside looking in for a few years at least, and with the exception of the dueling piano bar, there isn't really anything that excites me that much more than Oasis class, they really set a hard bar to beat with that ship.

 

Yes I agree the ability to upgrade the dining makes a wonderful difference with Royal. I hope to do a review soon without the dining plan to showcase more of the included options, it is quite a difference and I think you would definitely need to purchase the dining plan to enjoy similar quality to Cunard. It is nice that there are options though, as I will have to find a bargain again in order to sail on one of the lovely Queens again since that cost is baked in already.

 

I can't think of one area where I would agree that Cunard places second to Celebrity. Pricing, perhaps, though Celebrity is no bargain by any means. Entertainment (this trip excluded 🙂) is probably more diverse, but I think the entertainment options on QE were perfectly suited for the demographic. There were certainly no gaps in offerings, just none that were particularly exciting for a thirty something American.

 

Soon is a relative term. Compared to a typical human lifetime, 298 days is soon so in that  sense, I will be cruising again soon. Of course, I hope it will be even sooner than that as right now that many days certainly feels another lifetime away 🙂

[jam19872016]

On 3/31/2024 at 8:15 AM, Altamar said:

It was fun following your live review, thanks so much, happy Easter.

 

On 3/31/2024 at 12:49 PM, Mike981 said:

Thank you again for your great review.

Thank you both for your kind words and for reading along 🙂

 

[jam19872016]

On 3/31/2024 at 5:17 PM, TommyD3 said:

Wondering what your casino cruise fares are? We were onboard and paid about $75 pp/pd cruise only for an inside plus port charges. From what I have seen the casino prices are virtually free? I know that the higher level cabins are quite steep now - $300 pp/pd for AQ and $500+ pp/pd for the lowest suite !!! We are Zenith and get free premium beverages, WiFi and laundry.

My fare for an inside was 100% comped. I paid just the taxes ($170 ish) plus gratuities. Of course somewhere along the way, I lost a lot of money in their casino so it was prepaid. I would like to think I have regained what I've lost but I am sure that I have not broken even yet. I still have offers, they haven't gotten tired of me sailing without dropping much more money in their bank but I expect it to stop any time now. I'm sticking with Royal's casino program as I prefer their product better overall.

 

I matched to Elite thanks to status with Royal, doubt I will ever see Zenith since I prefer an inside cabin which gets almost nothing in loyalty points. Free premium drinks and internet would be nice, but I can't complain I do appreciate the Elite happy hour drinks and the 30% discount on wifi. At those costs, 30% is a nice savings! 

[bluewater1298]

41 minutes ago, jam19872016 said:

I enjoyed Reflection as well. That class of ship is simply stunning. I was reading a review today where sandwiches were spotted at Al Bacon! Oh my, that has some serious potential if it is as good as the sweets. I could skip the buffet all together 😄 

Oh wow! Can you imagine? Yes I will be looking for another Celebrity cruise in the future.

We set sail on Oasis this Sunday! Can't wait 😁 Thanks for all your info!

[exlondoner]

6 hours ago, jam19872016 said:

Oasis not Icon, but I knew what you meant. Icon's pricing will leave me on the outside looking in for a few years at least, and with the exception of the dueling piano bar, there isn't really anything that excites me that much more than Oasis class, they really set a hard bar to beat with that ship.

 

Yes I agree the ability to upgrade the dining makes a wonderful difference with Royal. I hope to do a review soon without the dining plan to showcase more of the included options, it is quite a difference and I think you would definitely need to purchase the dining plan to enjoy similar quality to Cunard. It is nice that there are options though, as I will have to find a bargain again in order to sail on one of the lovely Queens again since that cost is baked in already.

 

I can't think of one area where I would agree that Cunard places second to Celebrity. Pricing, perhaps, though Celebrity is no bargain by any means. Entertainment (this trip excluded 🙂) is probably more diverse, but I think the entertainment options on QE were perfectly suited for the demographic. There were certainly no gaps in offerings, just none that were particularly exciting for a thirty something American.

 

Soon is a relative term. Compared to a typical human lifetime, 298 days is soon so in that  sense, I will be cruising again soon. Of course, I hope it will be even sooner than that as right now that many days certainly feels another lifetime away 🙂

Trust me to get the name of the ship wrong. Apologies. Anyway, it did seem very nice, apart from being so much turned inward. Incidentally, QE is apparently going to be based in Miami for some of winter 2025-6. 
 

I think one’s appreciation of soon varies with age. Do you remember how almost infinite six weeks to the summer holidays seemed when you were first at school? Then, as one gets older, there is a strange double effect. Six weeks seems very soon, as time seems to go quicker. Yet 298 days is a rather larger portion of time remaining for me than for you, so not soon enough. So get yourself another cruise  before then. Meanwhile I am off on the new Cunarder in May. I hope it is as enjoyable as following your voyages. 

Many thanks again.

[jam19872016]

15 hours ago, bluewater1298 said:

Oh wow! Can you imagine? Yes I will be looking for another Celebrity cruise in the future.

We set sail on Oasis this Sunday! Can't wait 😁 Thanks for all your info!

Just a few days to go! How exciting! Enjoy Oasis, it is a wonderful ship even if Café Promenade is nowhere near as good as Al Bacon 🙂

 

[jam19872016]

8 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Trust me to get the name of the ship wrong. Apologies. Anyway, it did seem very nice, apart from being so much turned inward. Incidentally, QE is apparently going to be based in Miami for some of winter 2025-6. 
 

I think one’s appreciation of soon varies with age. Do you remember how almost infinite six weeks to the summer holidays seemed when you were first at school? Then, as one gets older, there is a strange double effect. Six weeks seems very soon, as time seems to go quicker. Yet 298 days is a rather larger portion of time remaining for me than for you, so not soon enough. So get yourself another cruise  before then. Meanwhile I am off on the new Cunarder in May. I hope it is as enjoyable as following your voyages. 

Many thanks again.

I'm just trying to convince myself that the next cruise is not so far far far away 😅

 

My mom called me today. Seems Cunard has sent her a brochure with some lovely rates. I am quite tempted and the wheels are certainly turning. One of them was the Alaska trip I was already eyeing, the flight costs all the way to Vancouver are really what is holding me back from booking, as the cruise fare is an absolute steal, 10 days for $699 plus taxes.