First Cruise ever - Constellation AquaClass

[stew737]

I've never been on a cruise before and I've booked my first cruise in the new AquaClass cabins on the 11th deck. Can anyone offer any thoughts or suggestions for a newbie like me?

[4774Papa]

I've never been on a cruise before and I've booked my first cruise in the new AquaClass cabins on the 11th deck. Can anyone offer any thoughts or suggestions for a newbie like me?

We did Aqua on Infinity in May. We loved BLU. The restaurant is small enough so that you get to know most of the wait sraff as well as many of the fellow BLU diners. The MDR can be a little noisy, but BLU is not.

 

The food is prepared somewhat different from the MDR. The dishes are similar but prepared with less carbs and fatty sauces. We loved the food.

Breakfast is BLU is great, especially if you like Muesli make at your table, fantastic.

 

There are other perks, but the other significant perk is the use of Persian Gardens. You have the option of three different saunas. Also, there is a nice cool down area with special seats.

 

You also receive daily snacks in the afternoon in your cabin, as well as nice robes and a shower stall in your cabin with jets.

[Caronrick]

Our first every cruise was on the Summit (sister ship & review is in my signature) in one of the new Deck 11 rooms. Loved it! Blu was amazing and I am sure you will love the extra touches that come with Blu and Aqua in general. We didn't learn about the steam/sauna rooms until mid way through the cruise but check them out at least once as well.

 

Again, Enjoy!

[TeaBag]

If you plan to use the Thallassotherapy pool (wonderful hot salt water pool) pack an old bathing suit. This pool tends to be hard on bathing suits. Rinse the suit immediately after.

 

Some free things you might enjoy:

Aqua Spa cafe at lunch (breakfast is served there too but you will enjoy Blu more). Don't miss the table side Meusli in Blu.

Wonderful hamburgers and fries at the pool side grill

If you miss breakfast in Blu (it ends at 9:30) try the waffles in the buffet

Zumba classes

Sea day brunch (not well advertised. Check the back of the daily in the restaurant section). It's only held once.

Crossword and Sudoku, also newspapers in the Guest Relations area.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[Gianni15]

Our first cruise was on the Century. We have been hooked ever since :) Hope you have a wonderful time.

[Bfson]

we thought the afternoon snacks were mediocre so we told them not to bother. We just ordered 2 shrimp cocktails each afternoon. Odd layout for those dishes: four large shrimp on a bed of lettuce with a container of spicy dip on the side. But very yummy.

[20pluscruises]

I've never been on a cruise before and I've booked my first cruise in the new AquaClass cabins on the 11th deck. Can anyone offer any thoughts or suggestions for a newbie like me?

 

Magnet hooks for walls...storage is sparse but worth it for Blu, IMO.

 

Luggage fits under the bed.

 

Blu is fab!

[ClaudiaB]

Your first cruise. Congratulations and have fun. Best suggestion is to read these boards, and get active on your roll call for your particular cruise. Get some excursions planned with your roll call that are independent from the cruise line.

 

Eat at least once in a specialty restaurant. It's just part of the cruise experience, even though there is an up charge.

 

On board, don't waste your time with the lectures and talks on the ports of call shopping. It's well known that certain stores pay the cruise lines to tout them. You can get better deals often in the non-advertised stores and that's exactly where I do my own shopping. Honestly we don't cruise to shop - and when we do it's at local stores for local handcrafted items.

 

If your ship has Bistro on Five, that's a great lunch on embarkation day. The buffet gets very crowded - Bistro is not, and is a much more relaxing atmosphere for when you first get on board. $5 charge pp and you can get as much as you want.

 

Most of all, try not to learn everything you can. There will be nothing like that first step onto a new ship and everywhere you turn something to discover. You've picked a great line to sail on. Our first was Celebrity as well, and that's all we've ever sailed.

[TeaBag]

we thought the afternoon snacks were mediocre so we told them not to bother. We just ordered 2 shrimp cocktails each afternoon. Odd layout for those dishes: four large shrimp on a bed of lettuce with a container of spicy dip on the side. But very yummy.

Thanks for the tip. The pita chips in our afternoon snacks were limp enough to tie in bows! One English man on our cruise called the offering "slurry"! Not very complimentary!

[dkjretired]

I've never been on a cruise before and I've booked my first cruise in the new AquaClass cabins on the 11th deck. Can anyone offer any thoughts or suggestions for a newbie like me?

 

Hi, welcome to Cruise Critic, was long time Essex County resident, remember going to Montclair as a kid for the football games and seeing Yogi Berra show up at the games.

 

One suggestion I can make is if you can, fly in a day early and stay overnight. It makes for a much more relaxing first day on the cruise and you don't have to worry about delays especially if you are cruising in the winter.

[stew737]

I appreciate everyone's feedback so far! I will be in town for a few days prior to embarkation, which actually leads to one of my additional questions. If the boat leaves at 4:30, and I have priority check-in with AquaClass, what is the earliest that I can/should be there. It seems to me that processing 2200 passengers takes some time. Once on the ship are generally all services immediately available?

[dkjretired]

I appreciate everyone's feedback so far! I will be in town for a few days prior to embarkation, which actually leads to one of my additional questions. If the boat leaves at 4:30, and I have priority check-in with AquaClass, what is the earliest that I can/should be there. It seems to me that processing 2200 passengers takes some time. Once on the ship are generally all services immediately available?

 

Generally, you can board around 11:00A.M., gives you a lot of time to roam the ship and get something to eat before the boat drill. You will not be able to get to your cabin until about 1 or 1:30. Don't get too excited about priority boarding, all it really consists of is a separate line. Often the regular lines are shorter but you will get on the ship very quickly unless something holds up the whole ship boarding.

[stew737]

I assumed that the priority checkin didn't really yield too much time savings. So generally you can get on the boat a few hours before departure? That's a helpful bit of knowledge. Give that we are both scuba instructors, we were considering sneaking one dive in that morning before heading to the dock. That would put us there at around 11:00 for a 4:30pm departure.

 

If you aren't allowed to your room, is there a way to store your carry-on while exploring the ship?

[stew737]

Magnet hooks for walls...storage is sparse but worth it for Blu, IMO.

 

Luggage fits under the bed.

 

Blu is fab!

 

Very useful details. And magnetic hooks work fine, meaning, there are always metal walls somewhere inside the cabin?

[dkjretired]

I assumed that the priority checkin didn't really yield too much time savings. So generally you can get on the boat a few hours before departure? That's a helpful bit of knowledge. Give that we are both scuba instructors, we were considering sneaking one dive in that morning before heading to the dock. That would put us there at around 11:00 for a 4:30pm departure.

 

If you aren't allowed to your room, is there a way to store your carry-on while exploring the ship?

 

No unfortunately you have to lug your carry on around until they open up the rooms.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Very useful details. And magnetic hooks work fine, meaning, there are always metal walls somewhere inside the cabin?

 

All the walls are metal. The magnetic hooks are very useful. Even plain old magnets work to hold up stuff like paperwork you want to keep handy.

 

I also read somewhere that people rinse their scuba gear in the showers by the pool if that will help you.

 

Another good idea is to bring a power strip if you have lots of electronic gadgets to charge. Electrical outlets are in short supply in ship cabins.

 

Enjoy your first cruise!

[stew737]

All the walls are metal. The magnetic hooks are very useful. Even plain old magnets work to hold up stuff like paperwork you want to keep handy.

 

I also read somewhere that people rinse their scuba gear in the showers by the pool if that will help you.

 

Another good idea is to bring a power strip if you have lots of electronic gadgets to charge. Electrical outlets are in short supply in ship cabins.

 

Enjoy your first cruise!

 

All fantastic ideas! I do tend to travel with a fleet of electronics.

[going2cruz]

Your first cruise. Congratulations and have fun. Best suggestion is to read these boards, and get active on your roll call for your particular cruise. Get some excursions planned with your roll call that are independent from the cruise line.

 

Eat at least once in a specialty restaurant. It's just part of the cruise experience, even though there is an up charge.

 

On board, don't waste your time with the lectures and talks on the ports of call shopping. It's well known that certain stores pay the cruise lines to tout them. You can get better deals often in the non-advertised stores and that's exactly where I do my own shopping. Honestly we don't cruise to shop - and when we do it's at local stores for local handcrafted items.

 

If your ship has Bistro on Five, that's a great lunch on embarkation day. The buffet gets very crowded - Bistro is not, and is a much more relaxing atmosphere for when you first get on board. $5 charge pp and you can get as much as you want.

 

Most of all, try not to learn everything you can. There will be nothing like that first step onto a new ship and everywhere you turn something to discover. You've picked a great line to sail on. Our first was Celebrity as well, and that's all we've ever sailed.

 

Sorry new here, what's the up charge for Blu, this sounds like more of the food DW and I go for.

[stew737]

I believe, though this is my first time, that Blu is exclusively for AquaClass staterooms but is available by reservation only for suite guests.

[ghstudio]

I believe, though this is my first time, that Blu is exclusively for AquaClass staterooms but is available by reservation only for suite guests.

 

Blu does not take reservations except perhaps for a large group of 8 or more. If you are in a suite, you just show up at blu and they will either seat you or ask you to come back at a later time. I believe suite guests are welcome to dine in Blu for breakfast..it's only dinner where aqua guests receive priority.

 

If you are not in aqua class or a suite, you will not be admitted to blu...and that's one (perhaps the only) policy that seems to be consistently enforced across all celebrity ships.

Edited December 7, 2013 by ghstudio

[tomko2]

Hi, hoping someone can give us some insight in to what the Aqua Class cabins on Deck 11 are like. I keep searching however cannot find any photos other than the Celebrity promo photo.

 

Also, what should we look to experience in Persian Gardens?

 

We are on the Constellation next month -- first time on Celebrity.Have a Port Side A1 on Deck 11.

 

Long time RCL cruisers (Diamond Plus). Just off Liberty of the Seas yesterday.

 

Are the balconies on Deck 11 covered or open?

 

All advice, suggestions,etc. welcome. Thank you.:)

[roohound]

I've never been on a cruise before and I've booked my first cruise in the new AquaClass cabins on the 11th deck. Can anyone offer any thoughts or suggestions for a newbie like me?

 

When is your cruise? My friend and I are sailing in an A1 cabin on the Constellation on 3/8/14. It's my first cruise on Celebrity and her first cruise ever so I hope I'll come back and have some more concrete info for you.

[tomko2]

When is your cruise? My friend and I are sailing in an A1 cabin on the Constellation on 3/8/14. It's my first cruise on Celebrity and her first cruise ever so I hope I'll come back and have some more concrete info for you.

 

 

Wow, that would be great. We are sailing on March 22nd.

 

Hope you have a wonderful cruise.

[Caronrick]

Hi, hoping someone can give us some insight in to what the Aqua Class cabins on Deck 11 are like. I keep searching however cannot find any photos other than the Celebrity promo photo.

 

Also, what should we look to experience in Persian Gardens?

 

We are on the Constellation next month -- first time on Celebrity.Have a Port Side A1 on Deck 11.

 

Long time RCL cruisers (Diamond Plus). Just off Liberty of the Seas yesterday.

 

Are the balconies on Deck 11 covered or open?

 

All advice, suggestions,etc. welcome. Thank you.:)

 

Take a look at my review in the link below, The 3rd/4th pictures are of the A1 Deck 11 rooms. The balcony is not covered. Room was 1135. Port side, second from the last towards the aft.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1820781

[roohound]

Everybody here has been so helpful - I just want to give back. Being on a new cruise line and traveling with a total cruise newbie is kind of exciting for me. Only way it could be better is if my hubby was coming with me. Having said that, we will have a fab girls getaway!