Constellation! Its my first cruise...How's the ship?

[Rolemodel123]

Its going to be my first cruise....feb 19th....constellation...southern caribbean...

What is the ship like...hows the service...whats there to do for fun...hows the pool...Is the pool open 24/7 or are there hours on the pool....what do they have in terms of entertainment?...please let me know...im very excited and curious :)

[camella]

It's a great ship, you will be totally spoiled. We took her last spring and loved it. The pool area is great, but they do have hours. I want to say that they are open until 8:00 or something at night. Believe me though, you will have so much to do, you won't miss your time at the pool at night. We love the casinos, so I can't tell you about the entertainment. I know that they had really nice bands that play around dinner time that we really enjoyed. Have fun and don't forget your sunscreen and some moisturizer just in case you do get sunburned, it will take the itch out! I'm cruising on March 21 and can't wait.

[Lois R]

Hi:) I sailed her in December and had a marvelous time. What can you expect?.....hopefully a wonderful week, great food, fantastic service.....lots of pampering.

I cannot recall the pool hours either.....but I am not a big pool person. I am more of the "sit at one of the pool bars with a drink in hand person";) so as long as a have a lounge or bar available I am happy....oh I sound like a lush now LOL.....

 

I think there is a ROLL CALL going on for your sailing over on the ROLL CALL Board...you might want to check it out........its a great way to meet other people on your cruise.

 

I would say to try Oceanliners one evening...(it is the Specialty Restaurant)...it is an extra 30.00 and in my opinion, worth every cent. Food and service were wonderful.

 

Also, definitely try the Martini Bar.....Sudi is "The Man".......he is a great guy and awesome bartender.......your first cruise? Oh....you have to check out the entire Martini Bar menu.......!!!

 

Have a great time:)

[Rolemodel123]

That info really helps...Im staying in a royal suite...whats the deal with the butler and whirlpool on the veranda? Are there dvd players in the room?:confused:

[badger71]

sign up for the celebrity crusie connection party hosted by celebrity just for cruise critic members nice way to meet people in a small setting go to the celebrity website and follow the links to register they require 25 people 4 days prior to sailing and it is gettting close:)

[floridakeith]

I insisted my wife and I start lower when we started cruising again in 2001. I said it was easier to build up to the best than have her dissappointed when we tried out other cruise lines later! Now having tried Celebrity and many others we know Celebrity is tops for us. Enjoy your cruise. We are currently planning on a Panama Canal cruise on Summit (a sister ship) next Februray.

[ADD Boy]

Does anyone know how Constellation compares to the other Millie class ships? I sailed Infinity in 01 (had an aft balcony, HUGE! which I understand have since been upgraded to Concierge Class?, which I can't afford ) and loved her. Thinking about that 12/10 S Car on Constellation, see you are too Lois.

 

ADD Boy

[Lois R]

Hi Add:)......yes, I booked 12/10 and we have a wonderful ROLL CALL.....come say hello:D We already have enough for the CCParty!.......really nice ship.

I went to see one of the cabins with those HUGE Balconies.......it was HUGE.....I bet you could have had a nice cocktail party out there!

I had a regular one........it was nice too:) ...it was my 1st balcony......this time I am just going back to an inside cabin~I know all about being able to afford one or NOT.......

I got my balcony on a HAPPY HOUR Price;) ...this time I just booked normal....and an Inside is fine with me...........Oh I did get the 100.00 on board credit though!....(booked it while I was on her in December)!

 

Just get me on the ship.......I am low maitenance.....inside is ok:) ...just use it for showering, changing clothes and sleeping!

[zackiedawg]

I took the Southern Caribbean 10-day in November aboard Connie's sister, the Summit. Wonderful cruise line, the M-classes are definately one of my favorite ships, and the route was excellent.

 

Feel free to browse my gallery of that cruise:

 

http://www.funtigo.com/zackiedawg?b=88124&c=177495&p=start

 

for shots of St Kitts, St Lucia, Barbados, St. Maarten, and St Thomas, lots of pics aboard and of the Summit, and even a few shots of the Connie at dusk in St Thomas harbor!

 

I'm sur eyou'll enjoy her.

[Rolemodel123]

do the rooms have dvd players?:confused:

[Dbedros]

Can someone tell me about cabin 7022. It is forward and we have never had a cabin this far forward nor have we booked aft before. We normally book cabins in the middle of the ship. This time we took a 2B Gty and Celebrity assigned 7022.

 

This is our first time on the Constellation. Any information good, bad or indifferent will be appreciated.

 

Thanks to all that may answer.

[zackiedawg]

Rolemodel,

 

they have DVD players on request. they are not installed in all the rooms, but just ask your room steward on day 1 and they'll send up a technician to install one.

 

Dbedros,

 

I can't give you info on that specific room, but I was in 9030 on the Summit, which was on the same side of the ship and forward. I enjoyed the room's location thoroughly...your room will be just a few feet forward of the forward staircase. Off that staircase below is the main showlounge. Above you off the staircase is the Aquaspa and the Cirque du Soleil lounge. The movement was no different for us versus midship on RCCL Voyager-class, or rear-side minisuite on Coral Princess. Wave noise off the bow was slightly higher (which I like) and vibration was non-existent (which you'll feel in the dining room).

[LynnVB]

Can someone tell me about cabin 7022. It is forward and we have never had a cabin this far forward nor have we booked aft before. We normally book cabins in the middle of the ship. This time we took a 2B Gty and Celebrity assigned 7022.

 

This is our first time on the Constellation. Any information good, bad or indifferent will be appreciated.

 

Thanks to all that may answer.

 

We were in room 7021 on the Millie. We thought it was wonderful. It is pretty far forward, however, it was a quiet room with nothing above or below. Have a :) time!

[lv2cruz80]

Rolemodel123-

 

Did you sign up for the Cruise Critic party? We're on that sailing and we have a group already signed up. Go to our thread on the Roll Call boards and see who we are! We are SO close to the party and not much time left to sign up.

 

Julie

[WeBeCruisin']

The Constellation is outstanding in every way. So are the sister M-class ships (the Summit, Millenium, and Infinity). Last year, Conde Nast picked the Constellation as the best large ship in the world. This year, Constellation is second, and the Infinityis second. We will be taking our tenth cruise this July and out of all the ships we've been on (including SeaDream... the former Seabourn Sea Goddesses) we like the Constellation and Summit best.

 

The current Conde Nast magazine lists its to 11 large cruisehips as follows:

 

1. Infinity

2. Constellation

3. Island Princess

4. Mercury

5. Summit

6. Galaxy

7. Golden Princess

8. Coral Princess

9. Millenium

10. Oosterdam

11. Century

 

Celebrity had 7 out of the top 11.

 

In crew and service, Celebrity dominated, with the top three being Infinity, Mercury and Summit.

 

In cabins and design, Infinity was third.

 

In itineraries, Constellation was first.

 

In food and dining, Constellation was first, Infinity second, and Galaxy third.

 

They only listed three ships in each category.

 

 

 

Allen

[benjamins]

Does anyone know how Constellation compares to the other Millie class ships? I sailed Infinity in 01 (had an aft balcony, HUGE! which I understand have since been upgraded to Concierge Class?, which I can't afford ) and loved her. Thinking about that 12/10 S Car on Constellation, see you are too Lois.

 

ADD Boy

 

I can find no significant difference between Infinity and Constellation. Peas in a pod.

[benjamins]

I'm going to give a contrasting view of the Constellation. There is no reason why a first-time cruiser should be anything but excited over the ship (depending on what they are looking for). She is fairly new, quite luxurious, and has lots of amenities. However, she probably is my least favorite Celebrity ship. As a Millennium ship, she has the busiest decor, IMO, not as clean and mature as earlier Millennium ships.

 

For all those that praise the Millennium class, I'm a detractor. I just feel overall that the ships use their space inefficiently and I like ships that have more lounges and dance floors and more varied spaces. Their thellasotherpy pools are weak substitutes than what's on the Century ships and too public, IMO. Their lounges are oversized and there are too few of them and I don't like that they are H-shaped. Their dining rooms have wings on both size from the entrance and people sitting in these areas may feel isolated from the main part of the dining room. I can't figure out why the ship has so many shops, they go on for a third of public deck space. The new areas they introduced have been mostly failures: Notes, the listening library; Conservatory, the plant shop; the Michel Roux shops; and the redone thellasotherapy pool area has to be continually policed to keep children out of the pool area.

 

They also lack of deck space outside of what's on top, and their promenade deck area doesn't go around the back of the ship.

 

Please enjoy Constellation, I think the cigar club turned into a piano bar has brought a much-needed intimately sized lounge to the area and also an alternate place to mingle, without worrying about smoke inhalation. But, overall, I think for the size of the ship, there's actually more places and things to do on Celebrity's earlier ships that happen to be smaller. And there's also more deck space on Celebrity's earlier ships. And also, there's more variety in going from ship to ship on Celebrity's earlier ships. Every room in every Millennium ship shares pretty much the same furniture in the same place. Celebrity's earlier ships have their own furnishings and personalities so you get a fresh and defined personality per ship. Overall, I feel the Millennium class are rush jobs and half baked and don't represent Celebrity's style as well as earlier Celebrity ships.

 

For a positive, Constellation, as a Millennium class ship, has a wonderful specialty restaurant. It has a nice ambiance. It's worth the $30 per person charge. And, if you like piano bar entertainment, Perry Grant is playing aboard her. I enjoyed him on a HAL ship 8 years ago. The light-fare offered in the spa area is a nice addition and not available on earlier Celebrity ships. There's plenty of balconies available, if you are into balconies. The best aspect of the Millennium ships is that they are gas turbine and is a lot more friendly to the environment.

[MRS. ZENITH]

I Quess I Am Odd Man Out, I Was Not Thrilled With The Connie. If You Are A Dancer This Is Not The Ship For You!!!!!!!!!! Two Dance Floors That Are Used More For Karioki And Games Than For Dancing.

 

And I Was Not Inpressed With The Ride On The Connie Or The Noise In The Diningroom At Dinner From The Engines. Rccl Should Change Back To The German Ship Builders, The Horizon, Zenith, Century, Mercury, And Galaxy Were Built There. Much Better Riding Ships.

Also The Balconies Are A Waste No Privace And You Can't Get Sun On Them.

It Has Many Pretty Features But I'm Going Back On The Zenith.

Bang For The Buck Much Better Deal And Same Great Service And Food.

Mrs. Zenith

[WeBeCruisin']

Our last cruise (the Horizon last October to Bermuda) was the only other Celebrity ship we've been on besides the Summit and Constellation. The Horizon is the sister ship to the Zenith. It was nice, but was a disappointment to us, compared to the two M-class ships. The martini bar was only six tables and no stools at the bar, and there wasn't the eclectic art and decor as found on the M-class ships. As for the "ride".... in nine cruises, it was the first time my wife ever got seasick. We never noticed any engine noise or rough ride on the M-classes, and we were in the North Sea and Baltic Sea on the Connie. We also like to dance, and had no trouble finding places to ballroom dance and/or disco dance on M-class. Also, on the Horizon, we missed the Thalassotherapy area and felt there were a lot fewer options for entertainment and relaxation. Also, the casino was much smaller and there was more waiting for blackjack tables, etc.

 

It seems to me that there are two distinct camps of cruise passengers. There are those who love the smaller ships and what they consider to be a more intimate venue in which things are quieter and more sedate and where you can get to know your fellow passengers better. We were on SeaDream in 2001 (formerly Seabourn's Sea Goddess) and there were only 52 passengers on board. That is probably the extreme in the "intimacy" category. By 10:00 at night, my wife and I were often the only two people who hadn't retired for the evening. The casino had five slot machines and two black tables and nothing else. The only evening entertainment was a lounge with two people using a synthesizer and taped backgrounds who played the same set every night and were usually finished by 10:00 or 10:30. There were usually only six to ten people in attendance. I love reading, watching movies, and talking to other passengers, but I also like to have enough options to be able to indulge in whatever capricious urge I might have at a particular moment. To me, the M-class ships are the best of both worlds. You can be active every minute if you wish, yet the ships are large enough to where you can always find a quiet nook or hideaway to just indulge yourself in solitude and relaxation. On the smaller ships, it actually seems to be more difficult to get away from people, if you're in the mood to be alone.

 

Of course, the bottom line is to take the type of cruise that you yourself are most comfortable with and enjoy it to the maximum. But it's also important to remember that you're choosing what's best for you, and that doesn't make the other ship which someone else chooses to be an inferior choice. We're all different and, fortunately, Celebrity provides us with the opportunity to choose a wonderful experience for each of us, regardless of our differences.

 

Allen

[benjamins]

 

It seems to me that there are two distinct camps of cruise passengers. There are those who love the smaller ships and what they consider to be a more intimate venue in which things are quieter and more sedate and where you can get to know your fellow passengers better. We were on SeaDream in 2001 (formerly Seabourn's Sea Goddess) and there were only 52 passengers on board. That is probably the extreme in the "intimacy" category. By 10:00 at night' date=' my wife and I were often the only two people who hadn't retired for the evening. The casino had five slot machines and two black tables and nothing else. The only evening entertainment was a lounge with two people using a synthesizer and taped backgrounds who played the same set every night and were usually finished by 10:00 or 10:30. There were usually only six to ten people in attendance. I love reading, watching movies, and talking to other passengers, but I also like to have enough options to be able to indulge in whatever capricious urge I might have at a particular moment. To me, the M-class ships are the best of both worlds. You can be active every minute if you wish, yet the ships are large enough to where you can always find a quiet nook or hideaway to just indulge yourself in solitude and relaxation. On the smaller ships, it actually seems to be more difficult to get away from people, if you're in the mood to be alone.

 

Allen[/quote']

 

Hi Allen,

 

What you state above is partially correct. There are the camps of people that like ships a certain size. My issue with the Millennium ships is not the size, it is the variety of public spaces and how they are designed. I actually found much more to do on the Galaxy and Century than the Constellation. In terms of ballroom dancing the Millennium ships lack the aft lounge. That's a biggie because one can choose between the Rendezvous and the aft lounge (say Crystal lounge on Century, Savoy on Galaxy, Pavillion on Mercury, Zodiac on Horizon, and Rainbow on Zenith). One can enjoy totally different music in two totally separated lounges on these two ships. When one wants disco, at least on the Century ships, there's the observation lounge. I totally dislike that the Millennium ships place the martini/bar champagne sort-of lounge over the Rendezvous and have the hole in the middle of the space. That means one type of music for both areas, and that's one dance floor that they got rid of. Also, I don't like that if you want to dance and you are in the martini bar, you have to exit the bar to go down to the Rendezvous to dance.

 

I don't like that the ship has no more lounges than the Century ships, and actually less. The larger t-pool does nothing for me, I prefer the more private t-pool of the Century ships. I can't figure out why the Millennium ships' libraries have no writing tables. I don't like that Celebrity got rid of the sports bar lounge in the Millennium in favor of the glorified plant shop that they call a conservatory. I think the Millennium ships' shore excursion area is way oversized, the meeting areas take up useful space that could be better used, the shop area is excessive as well. I like the Voyager ships from RCI, so it isn't that the Millennium ships are large, it is that they are space inefficient. The NCL Dawn, around the same size, even with the tons of restaurants, seem to offer more public spaces to hang out in and more varied public spaces. The same-size Radiance ships from RCI offer way more public areas. Also, I think something of a fallacy is intimate areas vs. large areas. One can have quite intimate areas on a large ship. The Voyager ships from RCI have quite a few intimate areas on the ship, like the pub inside the Royal Promenade. The Millennium ships don't really have any, the closest thing is Michael's club as a medium sized lounge. All the other lounges are big to huge.

 

You mention hearing the same recorded music over and over on a small ship. That happened to us on the Constellation in the Cova cafe. We heard the same 12 songs over and over, in the same order, day after day. So, it can happen on big ships as well as small ships. I went on the 25,000 ton Leeward when it was still in service with NCL, and while not a luxury ship or comparable to Celebrity's offerings, there were plenty of public spaces, albeit smallish, with usually much more going on than on Celebrity ships. I think it is not size that determines activity on a ship, but design. How many public rooms and how are they divided. Amount of dance floors. Amount of levels in the public rooms. Amount of quiet zones. You really don't need a ship much over 50,000 tons to have a lot of public areas and diversions for pax, quiet as well as active. On ships in the 30-50,000 range, it is very possible to get away from people and find private spots in public areas. It all depends on the overall amount of pax the ships carry.

[WeBeCruisin']

. I totally dislike that the Millennium ships place the martini/bar champagne sort-of lounge over the Rendezvous and have the hole in the middle of the space. That means one type of music for both areas, and that's one dance floor that they got rid of. Also, I don't like that if you want to dance and you are in the martini bar, you have to exit the bar to go down to the Rendezvous to dance.

 

You mention hearing the same recorded music over and over on a small ship. That happened to us on the Constellation in the Cova cafe. .

 

 

You make some good points here. It definitely would be nicer if the Martini Bar had its own dance floor and entertainment. And I agree that on the Horizon it was nice that the Martini Bar was adjacent to a dance floor and live entertainment.

 

The performers were live, but other than the keyboard, their accompaniments were canned. I guess my point was that this duo was the only entertainment at all offered after dinner. There was a tiny piano bar, but it wasn't open except on certain nights, and it couldn't hold more than about eight people and the pianist.

 

As for the C-class ships, we've never sailed on one, so we can't have an opinion on them. Everything I've heard about them makes them sound like really, really nice ships.

 

Allen

[lorraine gaston]

Its going to be my first cruise....feb 19th....constellation...southern caribbean...

What is the ship like...hows the service...whats there to do for fun...hows the pool...Is the pool open 24/7 or are there hours on the pool....what do they have in terms of entertainment?...please let me know...im very excited and curious :)

 

:cool: Hub and I are going to be there on the same cruise...This is our 4th cruise, 1st for Celebrity...I've heard that this is supposed to be a really great ship...Cya on the dance floor...Lorraine:cool: