Celebrity Constellation

We had long planned a "different" type of cruise, instead of sunny trips to the Canal or Hawaii, in a cool-weather fall adventure to Canada.  This cruise "satisfied the itch" for such variety.

We flew a day early to Newark Airport - one of the most user UNfriendly airports I've ever seen.  Signs led nowhere, explanations unknown. Gathering luggage I finally asked where to meet a free shuttle from a nearby hotel we had booked. "P4" meant leaving baggage and going up 3 sets of escalators (bags in tow) to a "train" that took us from stop to stop. Then back down to street level to wait and wait for a crowded shuttle.

The hotel was vintage 1970 but had a nice restaurant and clean room. On the morning of our embarkation, we shared a cab with another cruise couple we'd met doing the same thing. It is only 7 miles from the airport hotels to the port, but horrendous traffic and drive. Cab for 2 is $50 so by sharing we had saved some.

Check in was nice, polite and efficient, a hallmark of Celebrity. No long lines (it was about 11:15 am) and some coffee/juice in a waiting area after the mandatory check-in. I walk with a cane (profound neuropathy) and they ushered me to the counter and through it in a couple minutes.

Challenge at the Bayonne Pier is that you must board a shuttle bus to get down the pier to our ship.  After a mandatory wait until about 12:30 when clearance to board was announced, we quickly made it on a bus and on board to a wonderful welcome. We were on Deck 3 midship, just 5 doors down from Guest Relations and where we embarked.

We enjoyed lunch and then changed into swimsuits to enjoy a quiet time in the one-of-a-kind Thalassotherapy Pool (we always pack our swimwear in the carryon). We have sailed on M-Class ships and they are all identical in design, so no need to "orient" between the Constellation and Infinity, Summit and Millennium.

Our cruise was 13 days.  Meals in the San Marco (main) dining were as expected - superb. The menu had been enhanced and portions more generous.  We also enjoyed a variety of other venues around ship for breakfast and lunch - the buffets, cooked-to-order eggs and fritatta, waffle bar, brats/onion rings at the poolside grill, pizza and the very healthy (and amazingly tasty) Spa Cafe by the Thalasotherapy Pool.  And some room service, as if 10 meals a day were not enough!!

A new feature for us was two "brunch" days when part of the main dining was turned into a gala gourmet setting that was first class. Carvings, ice and haute cuisine were a fun diversion to sea days.  And three formal nights, with special Captain's Club receptions spread throughout the cruise, added to the elegance.

We enjoy the quiet, leisurely pace of the ship on days at sea. Entertainment was more limited on this ship; only a few "headliners" were brought in and just 3 "shows" by singers and dancers.  Utilized some of the onboard talent, which we saw in other venues and was a weak spot.  Especially poor (beyond vulgar and crude) was a pianist from Michael's Club. I was disappointed that such a person was given a "star" billing on the main stage, and voted with my feet.

There were the usual assortment of games (limited) and classes/enrichment programs (weak speaker) and very few movies - mostly scheduled at times like main dining or show, so few attended.  With almost all the passengers 50+ in age, sidewalks rolled up early. Hot tubs and even the indoor heated pool were often shut down at 7 pm. No late night deck or big parties that are more the norm on warm-weather cruises.

Shore excursions were exceptional and varied.  Weather for them was cool and brisk winds, with the day in Bar Harbor a rainy wash-out.  But did a great day in Boston (to Lexington and Concord, Harvard and tour of the city); Portland (a weak stop at best); Halifax (what a lovely English city) and Quebec for 2 days (amazing old world French charm).  Could have spent more time in each of these for sure.

Coup de gras was Prince Edward Island, in riotous Fall colors. Spent most of the day at Anne of Green Gables, touring the home and walking the paths. Then to the north coast to watch rugged cliffs meet sandy beaches - made me want to go back in the summer when all could be enjoyed at length in warmer climate.

Two more sea days and home to Bayonne, New Jersey.  We had been treated by staff royally and felt sad heading back to Wyoming.  And rightly so - disembarking was smooth after a lovely breakfast; we had late flights so were among last off - but our flights were messed up by the airline and we had to shift to a different route home.  Worn and frazzled (and missing only one bag) we ended up home via O'hare and Denver and finally the lights of Casper.

I would definitely NOT recommend the lower decks midship on the Constellation because of ambient noise and opt for 7 or 8 instead.  We are already laying out plans for 2010 and 2011 and because we find this class of ship like an "old shoe", we have probably not seen the Constellation for the last time!!

My wife and I are veteran cruisers and a very young age 55 and 57. We exercise vigorously every day and look it. She's a personal shopper for an upscale clothing boutique and I'm a trial lawyer. We live in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We're busy people with an active lifestyle, and enjoy cruising mainly to relax and re-charge our batteries. Our November 2006 cruise on board Celebrity's Constellation was our first on a Millennium-class ship and our first cruise longer than seven nights.

The Constellation is, in a word, magnificent. Gas-turbine engines, exclusive to Celebrity's Millennium-class, eliminate the shuddering felt on diesel-powered ships. Sparkling clean (sanitary dispensers are everywhere to help prevent a Norwalk virus outbreak). Beautifully decorated. Easy to find your way around. Hardly any congestion for such a large ship. Very friendly staff. The excellent service and good food that Celebrity cruisers have come to expect.

Our cruise left from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Celebrity has the embarkation process down to a science, and we were on board about 30 minutes after arriving at the terminal.

A few highlights and suggestions to share with you. Our cabin was on Deck 7 with a veranda. A mid-ship location helps to reduce rocking and rolling. The veranda cabins are worth the money. I spent hours on the veranda reading or just enjoying the sea. There was sufficient space for storage in the cabin, and we came with four large fully-loaded bags. I believe that my wife packed a change of clothes for every possible occasion, including a change of clothes for when she was changing clothes. There was still room for everything in our cabin. Bring a clock, though, because except for a digital time read-out on the telephone, there is not one in the cabins. The bathrooms are also adequate in size with an excellent shower.

The entertainment was standard for most cruise ships, including the nightly shows in the theatre. This is not meant as a criticism, since the shows in the highly-competitive cruise industry are generally good. The theatre, by the way, was the best designed we've seen on any ship, with almost no obstructed sight lines. The Constellation is also distinguished by an outstanding Cirque du Soleil show that brought the audience to its feet, cheering. It was one of the best shows I've seen anywhere, on or off ship. I believe that the Cirque show is offered on only one other Millennium-class ship and is a Celebrity exclusive.

Unlike Holland America's Vista-class ships, which are similar in size to Celebrity's Millennium-class, there is plenty of shade by the pools. An exercise track on Deck 11 was a wonderful alternative to the treadmills in the gym at the front of the ship, and provided breathtaking views of the sea and ports. In the evenings before our second-seating dinner, we met with friends for a drink in the Martini Bar, just outside the second level of the dining room. The center of the Martini Bar is open to provide a balcony of sorts to the Rendezvous Bar below. By the second night, the bar staff already knew us by name.

I've seen other reviewers rave over the ship's atrium, which you can visit on a Virtual Tour on the Celebrity website. It is spectacular. The glass-enclosed elevators located mid-ship on the port side I was told were innovated by Celebrity. Also, in the buffet restaurant on the pool deck, sections of the dining room extend over the sea and there are glass-panels in the floor for a remarkable view. The casino is bouncing with noise and light, with friendly and funny blackjack dealers.

We were lucky to be seated in the dining room at the foot of the grand staircase with a waiter from India named Mennino, of Portuguese descent. Mr. Mennino epitomized the courteous, professional, expert white-glove service that has earned Celebrity its superior reputation. Chairs were held for us, napkins were placed on our laps, every menu was explained and recommendations were made for our dining pleasure. Despite being extremely busy and working ridiculously long hours, Mennino always found time to stop and chat, with the warmest smile and eyes. No request was too outlandish or unreasonable. Some members of our table dined once in the ship's "specialty restaurant" during the cruise, although my wife and I found the items on the menu there a little too fancy (read "phony") for our tastes. The praise for the specialty restaurant was not so much for the food as for the service, where you could sit and dine for hours. For us, that meant missing a show after dinner or cutting into valuable casino time, which did not justify the expense of $60 per couple.

Most of the ports we had visited before. Grand Cayman, Aruba and Cozumel are all tourist-friendly and are very good for shopping. (By the way, there are also beautiful and plentiful shops on board ship.) The port in Panama was dreary but we took a cab from the pier for a 15-minute drive to the fascinating Canal. It's not known as the "eighth wonder of the world" by accident. The port in Costa Rica was dirty and dangerous, and safe only if you're leaving the ship on a shore-excursion bus. I believe that for next year's cruise it's been replaced by another port.

Some other interesting features which we did not take advantage of: a large spa in an expansive glass-enclosed area on the pool deck that also offered a "lite" buffet, an acupuncture center, an Internet center, a two-deck library, and a "conservatory" filled with flowers.

All right, I've rambled on enough already, so let's cut to the chase. Now having cruised for eleven nights, we'll never go back to 7-night cruises. They're just not long enough. And you'll agree that once you treat yourself to a veranda cabin, you won't settle for anything less. It was our best vacation to date and I recommend this ship without reservation or hesitation.