Recent Constellation Travelers

[jakzak]

We are leaving on the Constellation on July 2nd and I have a couple of quick questions.

 

1) Our 1st 2 days are at sea. Are the pools open and were anyone using them?

 

2) What time did Celebrity start the boarding process?

 

3) When did Celebrity give pack your passports and were color copies enclosed.

 

Thanks for your help

 

ALan

[candr]

1) Yes the pools were open. Didn't see anyone in outdoor pools the few times I was in the area, but it was cool. The indoor pool was very crowded.

 

2) At least by 11 AM. You could board but not go to your stateroom until 12:30 or 1.

 

3) The next day with a black and white copy for use in St. Petersburg. You must leave the copy with the customs people in Russia and also carry your passport at all times. It is a good idea to bring an extra copy yourself as well as in many ports you don't need to take your passport with you when you go ashore, only a photocopy.

[dileep]

I used the Thalassotherapy pool a lot!

[tartangal]

I used the thelassotherapy pool the first night and it wasn't as crowded as later in the cruise. Note the chlorine fumes were very very strong and the poolside sign states bathing suits may fade due to the concentration of chlorine and chemicals. (Also for this reason they state no children under 8 are allowed to use that pool.)

We received our passports back very late- some in our party didn't receive them until the second night along with the copies.

We boarded a little before noon so that we could go to our cabins and then to lunch at the cafe as we always do. There haven't been any lines at that time of day on any of our Celebrity cruises and we get an extra half day of shipboard life that way. Actually with this cruise we decided to walk back into Dover for a look around the harbor after lunch. It was quite a walk-about 3 miles round trip. A cab would have been better as we could have seen more before having to turn around and head back to the ship.

[lionheart]

When you checked in on the ship, their was no problem leaving the ship to tour Dover?

 

Kurt

[dileep]

When you checked in on the ship, their was no problem leaving the ship to tour Dover?

 

Kurt

 

None whatsoever! I had to leave the ship to retrieve my camera from Hertz Car Rental. Plenty of taxis ar the pier. I walked back instead pf waiting 15 minutes for a cab.

 

I know someone who took a cab to Dover Castle and then had a tough time getting a cab to return to the ship. They had to walk back and barely made the ship before it sailed away.

[tartangal]

When you checked in on the ship, their was no problem leaving the ship to tour Dover?

 

Kurt

A number of people have expressed surprise that we were able to get off the ship once we'd checked in but there was no problem at all. Your Celebrity pass must go with you, of course, as that is your official credential in any port. I must add to the report of taxi problems in Dover. Two family members had an unpleasant experience when a cabbie demanded an outrageous fare to take them into Dover. (I believe his was the only cab on the dock when they got off the ship and wanted to go into town.) They had asked people in the terminal in advance what fare to expect, and the return fare from Dover corresponded exactly. But this cabbie refused to take them for less.

[dileep]

The standard cab fare is posted on the wall where you check you luggage in Roughly 4-5 GBP depending on where you are going in Dover.

 

Have a nice cruise!

[tartangal]

I believe the cabbie who took my relatives refused to take them for less than 10GBP. He was the only one there at the time so they agreed, but paid the standard fare for the taxi back.