cruisinsusin

we did the july 1 sailing on Constellation. We truly enjoyed the cruise and found the staff overall to be as friendly and conscientious and attentive as on prior cruises. There were some real standouts including one of the alBacio servers who remembered us by name from a cruise 4 months prior-blew us away after all the people she had seen in the interim! The food was fine- some really good dishes and one very poor (steak dianne). We asked for additional vegetables each night and our waiter brought a plate of steamed mixed veg.We sometimes ordered the vegatarian option for the table to add to the variety. Breakfast in the MDR was actually quite good- efficient and tasty. Our MDR dinner waitstaff were friendly but seemed stretched. We were in a veranda this time and agree the cabins need some updates- mainly the bathroom in our cabin. The ship itself was in good condition. We dont do production shows so cant comment but the headline perfomers were enjoyable and the live music around was good. The Adriatic ports had been on our travel list and we very much enjoyed those (and were surprised at how much we liked Ravenna!). I agree with the OP- would sail Constellation again.

We appeciated Silas as well- very helpful!

Only if you have not used your “ free” gelato yet😊

unfortunately no longer on the al Bacio menu ( we looked for it in July)

It was packed. There was no space like the photo above.😕There was an area roped off for members. There were chairs in full sun many rows back from the water’s edge but we had to track down an attendant and tip him well to go somewhere and bring umbrellas back from storage ( the first attendant told us no more umbrellas). We did not go to the pool so can’t comment on that. People arriving after us did not get umbrellas and wandering around looking for chairs together for their family group.

You can go at your leisure but we went at 10 am and it was a challenge getting beach chairs

We did a Celebrity ultimate beach experience in Cozumel at the Iberostar- however they named the resort in the excursion description so not sure if this is the same one. The Iberostar is not too far from the port and is a nice property. Snorkeling is off the beach but the day we were there, the waves were moderate and the water was all stirred up so no good snorkeling

Steve at the Tripinsurance store ( he posts on the insurance boards on cruisecritic) is a great resource- have used his company to book travel insurance at the time of initial deposit and also later on

I just went to the Visa central website for a Celebrity cruise and it definitely states that an e-visa is required for US visitors to Vietnam and guides through the process to get one- doesnt sound like Celebrity will be doing that on board. It is cheaper to go thru the official Vietnam website than thru Visa Central however.

We did the Constellation in early July this year. It was very hot ( although not the temperatures they are experiencing now). There was no rain. There were many more families than we typically see on Celebrity cruises but that did not affect our enjoyment- the ports were excellent. We had an amazing private guide in Ravenna- not to be missed!

We highly recommend Hank Daries of Ulungele tours https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g312659-d3516247-Reviews-Ulungele_Tours_Safaris-Cape_Town_Central_Western_Cape.html we toured with him several days last year and really enjoyed our time in Cape Town. We thought about several DIY options but would have missed out on so much without him. We will definitely have him as our guide on future trips. ( it appears his website is down but I know he is on facebook and also answers email promptly)

totally agree!

We have used Moti on 2 separate Israel visits, most recently last November- highly recommended! https://travel-israel.info/home

We used Ramisside tours last November for a tour in Alexandria - communication was prompt, driver and guide were waiting for us when we disembarked and tour was excellent. After reading mny positive reviews beforehand, did not do any other verifications. https://www.ramassidetours.com/

I specifically asked that question in my email to the executive office and was assured that the amenities that come with booking the Sky Suites would remain unchanged.

We did that lastyear and found it to be a good value- the sommelier was very helpful

Our experience in March was 5 days in isolation and pro data refund to credit card for those days

we agree that cruising is still an overall good travel value. We have cruised with celebrity 5 times this year - in suites, concierge, and regular veranda cabins, and have a number of future ones booked,albeit with small deposits. . We did enjoy each one of the Celebrity cruises this year. However, it is becoming clear that we are not the target demographic ( altho, as @phoenix_dream said previously, our demographic is the one that now has the time to do multiple cruises per year rather than one or two). We have seen the small and not so small cuts and have tried to be understanding, as covid did a number on the financials of all cruise lines. But, for the first time in many years, we have cruises booked with 3 other lines as well and will see....

had the same thoughts when i received it- not aiming at our demographic

We recently stayed at the Hotel Navona and liked it a lot- just a block or two from the Piazza Navona and the Pantheon- very walkable and in an historic building.

Silvia can also helo you arrange transfers if you need that. She arranged transfers from the Ravenna port to our hotel and then from the hotel to Bologna the following day.

Absolutely! We toured with Silvia Belletti http://www.silviabelletti.com/ ( on tripadvisor as Tours by Silvia) and were so pleased! The mosaics are gorgeous and not to be missed but having a guide to share the history of the times made them come even more alive. Silvia obviously loves Ravenna (and Bologna- she was our guide there as well) and have already recommended her to family that will be traveling next year.

Our TA just tried to add to a previously booked cruise and told it is for new bookings only- would have to cancel and rebook at current prices to add it

@StellaTN Ravenna has amazing mosaics- well worth a tour ( you could do it on your own as most places are close to each other but there is so much history you miss without a guide or a lot of pre-study)

We cruised Rome to Ravenna on Constellation earlier this month. We had been to Venice previously so decided to stay in Ravenna and were amazed at the sites, so glad we took the time to visit! We had an excellent private guide who arranged transfer from the ship to Ravenna hotel and then we toured with her in Ravenna. The mosiacs are gorgeous- not to be missed. This was actually one of our favorite cities. She also arranged transfer to Bologna and we toured there as well before flying home. An excellent way to conclude the cruise!