lwid77

I’d rather be sure than have them not have one. It’s small and very lightweight

Thank you!

A fan is not permitted? Oops- I brought a small plastic fan that plugs into a USB port on the Celebrity cruise we just did in Italy. What about an extension cord that doesn’t have a surge protector? I didn’t bring one of those but we needed more plugs. thanks in advance

This happened to my husband on the Connie. We just didn't pay attention. He had dressier shorts on and was asked to change. No problem- it was his fault for not paying attention- he ran back to the room and changed.

I just got off Connie May 24th, 11 night Rome to Ravenna and it was our first cruise and here are my observations and experiences. Cabin: Deck 7 You can tell she is an older ship. Our cabin was tired, especially the bathroom shower and it is a shower curtain for whoever asked about it. My husband went to wash up when we first got to our cabin and when he hung up the towel he noticed what looked to be a nickel sized red blood spot on a ratty bath towel. The hem of the bath towel was ripped and it was quite thin, especially compared to the replacement towels we received after we called the service desk. I don't think the cabin was cleaned particularly well as there was medication packaging in the bedside tables and visible hair in the bathroom. This was all rectified satisfactorily and we felt the room was cleaned appropriately after this was resolved. But it was not a good first impression. Other than older furnishings I felt there was ample storage for clothes and other items and we really liked our balcony. I wish they had electrical outlets/USB ports by the bedside tables but realize she is older. Staff: For the most part, outstanding and very hard working. I had 2 similar & annoying interactions with one of the hostesses at the MDR on two different occasions but I just went to the other hostess instead on subsequent visits. I would agree that the bar on Deck 10 lacks a bit of service but we never had any rudeness. We had to clear our tables of other peoples used dishes and go to the bar to get drinks every time we were there but everyone was very friendly. I can only guess that there may have been staffing issues. Food: Tuscan Grill, excellent. My husband had the filet both times we were there and he raved about it. In the MDR, food was just okay. One night my husband ordered the NY Steak and when our waiter brought it he mentioned it was poor quality meat. Boy was he right. It was tough and inedible and I can only assume there was a known issue because of the comment of our waiter and he was actually quite embarrassed and upset about it. You would think they would just pull it off the menu and have their supplier rectify the situation instead of serving it to guests. We just ordered another entrée for my husband and it was fine. Not our waiters fault and he apologized profusely about it. Buffet: Good selection of food we felt. Fruit and vegetables were fresh and staff hustled. Big time. They were all so friendly. We ate here often- mainly salads and options were plentiful. Overall, we had a good trip despite some of the experiences.

Just got off the Constellation on May 24th, embark/debark in Italy. We had aluminum, screw top cans of water and when those ran out they had plastic- very thin plastic bottles. Sparkling San Pellegrino was in plastic bottles.

Thank you. This helps a lot as well.

Me too! But only real butter, none of the fake junk LOL

Thank you, this helps.

Do you use a percentage or how do you decide what to tip additionally?

what is the standard? Sorry, I am a new cruiser and don't have any idea what that means.

Hello everyone! I have a questions about gratuities and understand it can be a hot button topic for some. This is our first cruise and we are booking on the Constellation going from Rome to Venice and our fare included gratuities. What is the expectation for gratuities over and above that? Particularly for the room steward and restaurant waiters. Do you tip waiters every time you dine? Thank you!

Thank you so much! I appreciate the advice! have a wonderful cruise!

This was great help, thank you. I also had trouble finding it. My next question is, how big is the bag? LOL. We are in Rome for 4 days pre-cruise and then in Venice for 3 days before flying home and may need to do this twice. Thank you!

I am on the Constellation in May and this is my first cruise. I was actually wondering if I should bring a fan. Both of us like a very cold room when we sleep and I can just imagine the room being very stuffy so the air flow would be better than nothing. We have a veranda room- can you keep the veranda doors open for fresh air at night? Sorry- newbie question! Also, what type of fan do you bring? Thank you! I am enjoying your report!

But fantastic information, thank you! As a new cruiser I appreciate all the help I can get! thank you all for sharing your experience.

This is very good information, thank you. You have both put my mind at ease. This is our first cruise so we are planning just Celebrity offered excursions unless something is sold out that we want to see. Just getting our feet wet so to speak.

Thank you! I appreciate the help!

I'd like to think I know my own limitations. One metro station in Paris had over 200 steps to reach street level and we missed the sign that told us that. It wasn't fun and I was huffing and puffing but I made it. I do have severe arthritis in my knee but again, I know my limitations. So if I knew more about the tour itself I could judge whether it was viable or not. Yes, we were away for 3 weeks and pretty much did those steps every day and yes, sometimes on cobble stones. Thanks for the reply.

Hello- this is my first post here and I am a newbie to the cruise world. We just booked a cruise in May and logged in last night to see excursions. We are on the Constellation in May touring Italy and Croatia. Some of these exclusions have an activity level of "strenuous". Like touring the Cinque Terre Villages, or the Amalfi coast. When I read the description of the tour it doesn't seem strenuous but I have no idea. I am not sure if they are covering their behind or if this is factual information. We are in our late 50's and for sure not in shape by any stretch of the imagination. I just lost 40 pounds and we just got back from London, Amsterdam and Paris where we averaged 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day. Where can I find more details about what exactly is strenuous about these tours? Should I call Celebrity directly? Has anyone been on them? Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer.