Celebrity Constellation-October 5-17

[Educators2]

Here's our review of the Constellation cruise from October 5-17th. There wasn't much fall color except for Quebec and some in the Saquenay River. I just read a previous post about the ending of Cirque de Soleil-too bad, it's an imaginative concept. Well, here goes:

 

Our 10th cruise was our second to Canada/New England and our fourth on Celebrity's Constellation. It is apparent from the moment that you board that every member of the staff is eager to please and make your cruising experience a positive one. In rating this sailing five stars, it is important to realize that Celebrity couldn't be faulted for the rainy weather that plagued the Northeast for the 12 days of this cruise from October 5-17. This review will focus on the issues that concerned us in particular. Our opinions are just that and may not reflect the views or experiences of others.

 

EMBARKATION

One reason why we opted to do this cruise was the roundtrip sailing from Bayonne, New Jersey. It was less than an hour's drive from our house and we very quickly parked our car, used a credit card to pay for parking at $12 a day, and took shuttles to first activate our Sign and Sail card, and then board the ship. The process is well organized; it took only a few minutes until we boarded the Constellation a little after noon. Although we filled out the documentation online, there were no lines at all when we embarked. We had the afternoon to enjoy the unusually warm weather in the New York area, familiarize ourselves with the ship, and enjoy lunch in the outdoor cafe. Our luggage arrived by 3 p.m.

 

CABIN

Our cabin was an inside guarantee that was on Deck 2 mid-ship. We've sailed with balconies, oceanview, and inside cabins on M-class ships, and given that most of the rooms are the same size, the inside cabin was perfectly adequate for this sailing. There were three formal and three informal nights so plenty of clothes had to be toted. There was room for everything. Our room steward, Laurance, remembered us from our first cruise to the Norwegian fjords in 2002, and was always there to open to door if he saw us walking down the hall. His assistant, Sanjay, was also superb. The television satellite wasn't great, a surprise considering the itinerary, but CNN kept us informed about the rainy weather that we were having at home.

 

PORTS OF CALL

The ports of call differed from last year with the exceptions of Quebec City and Halifax. This time we visited Boston, Bar Harbor and Portland, Maine in lieu of Newport, Rhode Island and Sydney, Canada. We had visited all the ports before and opted to do all ports on our own. This was a lucky move since there were downpours in Bar Harbor, Halifax, and Portland. Boston and Quebec were dry days and afforded ample opportunities for exploration. The pier in Boston is nowhere near the downtown and shuttle is provided for $12 per person roundtrip to the Faneuil Hall area. We walked to the State House and hooked up with a walking tour of the downtown through the National Park Service. The guide provided us with some new anecdotes about Boston's history and the Freedom Trail. It was the last of the warm weather that we would see. Bar Harbor, a tender port, had torrential rain. We opted to enjoy the facilities of the ship. I would have loved to see Acadia National Park again but not on that day. The same weather followed us to Halifax. Luckily there is a wonderful museum located right in the harbor that is devoted to immigration. It is a relatively new, interactive museum and well worth a visit at any time. By the time we reached Quebec we were happy to have two fairly sunny days. It was much colder there than last year but it is a great city to walk in and the mural depicting Quebec's history is masterful in design. We tried one of restaurants recommended by a local and sampled some local specialties. A cruising day in the Saguenay River followed and there was some fall color (as there was in Quebec). When the naturalist noted a whale sighting, you could almost feel the ship tilt! Again, it was much colder than last year if you went outside for viewing. Our last port of call was Portland, Maine, a very charming city. Unfortunately, it was another day of heavy rain. We did read about a Victorian mansion, walked there from the pier, and had an outstanding tour. I would have loved to visit some of the shops but the downpours put a halt to that idea. Guess it's an opportunity to return and see more.

 

SHIP'S FACILITIES/ACTIVITIES

It was almost impossible to enjoy the outdoors this cruise given the rainy days and cold weather on sea days. You really needed to have a book or find activities to occupy yourself on this cruise. The gym is a spectacular facility and although there were many seniors on board, many passengers used the machines, treadmills, etc. You didn't have to be a gym rat to feel welcome. Fortunately only the last day had any real movement on the ship so it was easy to use the equipment. There were several cooking demonstrations on sea days. My compliments to Christophe Bellin, the head chef, who is new to Constellation. He had a lot of enthusiasm and did a great job at the demonstrations making it fairly easy to replicate or modify the recipes at home. If you like trivia, there were many chances to play and bring home "stuff" for the next garage sale or spring cleaning. Steve and Matt did a great job with the activities. Our tablemates enjoyed the lecture series on Immigration. A golf pro is now on board; I don't know if the weather permitted any of his activities. As "Select" members of Captain's Club, we were invited to many "exclusive" activities, most of which involved eating and drinking. We did attend the Wine Blending Seminar that was held in the specialty restaurant. It was good for socializing; I really can't distinguish among the different wines.

 

ENTERTAINMENT

Perry Grant, a superb piano player and singer, entertained nightly in Michael's Club, a beautifully decorated lounge with mahogany walls, mural, and old ship feel. His humor and sense of style might not be everyone's cup of tea, but we found him to be the best of the entertainers on the ship. Even though I didn't know the music from the 1930s and 40s, his Name That Tune contests were great fun. I also was most curious about Cirque de Soleil. It hasn't gotten good buzz on the cruise boards and that I feel is undeserved. Called an "experience," the Cirque characters are very imaginative and their interaction with the audience is outside the box. I had no problem with the newly decorated "bar at the edge of the earth" and found that the willingness to try something avante-garde is positive. The production shows and other entertainment were typical of past cruise ship main-stream experiences. On this trip, with many seniors, you had to get to show-time fifteen minutes early to get any seat at all! Many went straight to the theater after dinner and sat for an hour.

 

DINING

There are many food choices and it's amazing to read all the criticisms about food that appear in the reviews. We always ate at the buffet for breakfast. On this cruise, sticky buns, our favorites, appeared almost every day. There are also specialty items like breakfast pizzas and burritos that we didn't try. The Aqua Spa is terrific for a light lunch. Another change is that the ice cream bar is open till 10 p.m. We had dinner in the dining room every night but one. That evening, we tried the sushi bar (excellent). There was salad, pasta, and pizza but no other options. We were happy with our table for eight, which we switched to after the first night.

 

DISEMBARKATION

We were off the ship by 9:45 a.m. and home by 11 a.m. The facility at Bayonne was terrific. We did worry about all the water and flooding but everything was great when we got home.

 

FINAL THOUGHTS

Constellation is a great ship, beautifully maintained, and a source of pride to all on staff. The service was truly outstanding, and in spite of weather that dampened the cruise, it didn't dampen anyone's attitude.

[Karynanne]

Thank you for the great review of your cruise. We're leaving out of Bayonne next April, and it's great to know that the embarkation procedure is a smooth one.

 

Again, enjoyed your review...

 

Karyn

[mii]

Educator thank you very much for the great review. We are taking the exact same cruise but next year and I do have a question regarding Boston. We would love to take the trolley ride, on-off route. You said that the shuttle for $12pp took you into downtown. Do you know where to catch that trolley or is there some opportunity to catch one at the pier. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Marilyn

[Educators2]

I would look at the ports of call board to find out where to catch the trolley. I don't know if it's available at the pier but I'm pretty sure it is available near Faneuil Hall.

[mii]

Thanks. I always look at the Ports of Call board, not much there, just thought since you had been there first hand you might have info. I think you are right in that you can catch the trolley at Fanueil Hall. Again thank you for your prompt answer.

 

Marilyn