Onboard Constellation for Christmas / New Year's India Cruise

[TxnAquarian]

MUMBAI, INDIA

9:30AM - 6:00PM

 

 

Wow! This was a fabulous day and the highlight of the cruise. We hired a private guide through Mumbai Memories. They met us outside the port and whisked us off into the city. The first stop was for a tasting of chai tea and amazing samosas from a street vendor. After that, we went on a drive through the city, stopping first at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel (breathtaking), then the city's promenade and then to a temple. Ghandi museum was next (unfortunately we were there at the same time as an X excursion and it was a zoo). We drove past the Tower of Silence, where dead bodies are placed to be consumed by vultures, and then had a stop at the massive Dhobi Ghat open air laundry facility - it has to be seen to be believed. We also spent time at a massive market where almost anything can be bought. We settled for a variety of curries, which I can't wait to get home and use. The guide we had was wonderfully personable and couldn't do enough for us. This is a great company that I highly recommend. We could've used a lot more time in Mumbai. Celebrity doesn't allow enough time in this fascinating city. This is a must-see destination for diehard travelers.

 

Michael

[easyboy]

I really like your brief and straightforward style of writing. Enjoying it.

[TxnAquarian]

I really like your brief and straightforward style of writing. Enjoying it.

 

 

Awww thanks! I appreciate that! I write in the style I enjoy reading. We disembarked yesterday. I will soon have my experience in Dubai for NYE posted, as well as an overall review of the ship.

 

Michael

[kruzgal]

Looking forward to hearing all about the cruise. We hope to do the same trip next Christmas/New Year so all thoughts and information gratefully received.

Edited January 3, 2017 by kruzgal

[TeaBag]

Thank you so much Michael for this review. We are booked on Constellation for 2018 for this itinerary in AQ, so a bit concerned about what your friends thought of it.

[TxnAquarian]

Thank you so much Michael for this review. We are booked on Constellation for 2018 for this itinerary in AQ, so a bit concerned about what your friends thought of it.

 

They felt that the food wasn't as good as it used to be, nor the personalized service. But we are downgrading from Suite Class to Aqua Class for our Xmas cruise next year, and we have no hesitation about it. Just having an exclusive dining room is perk enough for us. We have seen Celebrity slowly chip away at the perks of AQ since we started cruising with them in 2011, but nothing yet that has made us feel like the value is lost. Hey, for Xmas, our friends in AQ got a huge Lindt chocolate bar and those of us in Suites got a cheesy ornament - I would take the chocolate any day :)

 

Michael

[TxnAquarian]

DUBAI

Arrive 2:00PM overnight

Depart 10:00PM

 

 

I had been to Dubai on a previous cruise in 2008, but this city has changed so much! We arrived this time on New Year's Eve. A lot of people planned to stay onboard - I'm not sure why as we couldn't wait to do something non-ship related after two weeks. We docked at 2pm and our NYE plans weren't until later, so we relaxed and enjoyed a fairly quiet ship. We headed off the ship around 7pm, just when a lot of people started reboarding. We booked a dinner cruise around Dubai Creek with a view of the fireworks and had pre-arranged a driver to pick us up at the ship. The dinner was lovely with gorgeous views of the creek - beautiful architecture along the shore, brightly lit dhows cruising by, music from nightclubs, small firework shows - it was a great evening. Around 11pm we got in place to see the big fireworks display from the Burj Khalifa. What fun it was to see from the comfort of the boat while eating dessert and enjoying cocktails. The dinner cruise finished at 1am and we had a driver take us back to the ship. Other friends of ours went near the Burj al Arab for NYE, while another booked a room at a hotel right near the big show at the Burj Khalifa. We all had a great evening in our respective locations.

 

We were up first thing the next morning for the most lavish brunch at the Burj al Arab. We were absolutely ill from such rich and decadent foods. It was unlike any brunch I had ever been to (the views from the 26th floor didn't hurt!). It was hard to pry myself away from brunch (especially the incredible selection of Indian dishes for me, the endless raw oysters for my friend), but we needed to continue on. We walked around the beach area before taking a cab over to the Burj Khalifa. We purchased the VIP ticket which was worth it as we got to skip the maddening line and go straight to the 124th floor for the amazing views. Afterwards, we went the Dubai Mall for a quick look around. Hearing the blaring of the call to prayer throughout the mall really showed the juxtaposition between traditional Middle East and new Middle East.

 

It was a wonderful day and I can't wait to return to sample more lavishness from Dubai.

 

Michael

[TxnAquarian]

Just returned home from this amazing trip - although with an unexpected overnight at a hotel in Doha, Qatar, after a lady gave birth on the plane :eek:

 

This was a wonderful cruise and I am still missing the lovely Middle East. India is a fascinating place, and I suggest everyone visit once.

 

The Constellation is still in good shape and lovingly maintained. However, the Sky Suites need a complete refresh - they are looking very dated and are honestly the only place where the ship looks its age. Aside from that, the upgraded designer bath products were wonderful.

 

Luminae was fabulous! It'll be tough to be back in Aqua Class on our next cruise. The staff at Luminae can't do enough and the food was excellent. My only suggestion is that they incorporate some entrees from the destinations visited. We did get a little tired of similar items on the menu after two weeks.

 

The Oceanview Cafe is a complete and utter mess - I have been labeled a "snob" on here before due to my criticism of this venue, but I don't care. Crowded, poorly laid out and really awful food. The only bright spot was the fabulous Indian buffet they had on the night we sailed from Mumbai. It was one of the best meals I had on the whole ship.

 

Service was exceptional all over the ship. The staff were friendly and went out of their way to be available. Getting drinks from servers at the pool was no problem, as I've had issues with this in the past. Our room steward was fabulous, as was our butler, who was quite shocked we didn't need her for anything. Yes, there might have been one or two sour apples in the group, but this was a very well connected crew. Officers were all friendly and often roaming the ship. I do have to say that the cruise director and his sidekick were beyond-annoying. Fortunately they hid the whole cruise, only appearing at the shows and on the tv. But, oh my, was he aggravating to watch lol

 

We signed up for the internet package and were pretty pleased with it for the most part. A couple of days we had poor service, but 90% of the time we could do what we needed to do on it - my husband was able to keep up with work.

 

Celebrity made a huge deal about how tours are highly recommended in India and not to attempt to leave the ship in Dubai for NYE. Both are attempts to get people to buy the ship's excursions or stay onboard and spend money. We realized that we could've gotten around India fine on our own. And NYE in Dubai was not the disaster that the cruise line implied. I felt bad for all the people who were scared into staying on the ship and missed the spectacular evening ashore.

 

We had a great trip and highly recommend this great itinerary.

 

 

 

Michael

[chris_kelowna]

Thanks for the entertaining and informative review.

[easyboy]

Thank you for your great review. I enjoyed following along to places I am unfamiliar with. Your posts were very encouraging.