New to Celebrity

[johnandlinda]

Looking at a couple cruises for Mediterranean next Aug 18... we have never done Europe either

The 2 ships are Constellation and Reflection...we usually lean towards the smaller ships...age is no matter so long as ship is maintained...we also would prefer Constellation to avoid formal nights...we always dress nice for dinners but formal is just way out of date in our opinion

The add on perks available seem to make both cruises a great value

Would book either Concierge or Aqua, Aqua mainly for the Blu restaurant

So would like to hear opinions

We have previously sailed Regent, Azamara, CCL, NCL, and Princess

[CruisersTimesThree]

Just to let you know, all Celebrity ships have done away with "formal" night.

It is now called Evening Chic. The suggested dress is in the FAQ's on their website, but a quick search here on CC will give you plenty of opinion on that topic!

[Mr. Click]

The Constellation is slated for drydock this summer so they are working to keep things up to date and fresh. we have done two Med cruises on S class ships and loved them but this September we are taking the Connie so we can start in Venice and scratch that city off of our bucket list. It is really more about the itinerary than the ship.

[Pantheral]

I would agree that itinerary is important as well as timing. Don't forget that August is vacation month for much of Europe so all of the ports are likely to be more crowded than if you went in June or September, plus I believe August is the hottest month in the Med. You did not state if any ports were important to you, but for our tastes we cannot image had we missed Santorini, Messina (the hill towns), Rome and Naples (Positano and Pompei).

 

I have only sailed Reflection so I cannot make a comparison on ships, but I would not let her size intimidate you. We found her to be much more open and flowing than any other ship we have been on yet there are many places on the ship that have an intimate feel. Also, Deck 15 with the Lawn Club Grill and the Sunset Bar is a truly wonderful place at sea in my opinion.

 

Have fun and enjoy!

[jabrown40]

I just booked the Constellation for August 20. Although I agree with points made about going in August, the itinerary was more important to me. We had already been to Rome, Naples, and several of the other ports in the itineraries offered in the other months.For me, the idea of leaving from Venice , overnight stay in Dubrovnik, and visiting The Greek Isles was most important. I was on the Silhouette, sister ship to the Reflection, and we enjoyed the size of the ship. This will be the first time I will be on a smaller ship, and hoping that we enjoy it just as much!

 

 

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[friendlyfifer]

You will find that Europeans often dress more formally than Americans. Evening Chic is a pathetic title as it allows anyone to wear anything. Leave the baseball caps and jeans in your cabin and dress up for dinner.

[sanger727]

In the med (especially your first trip!) itinerary is way more important than the ship. What are the itineraries you are looking at? I don't think the ship will make any difference in formality; not sure why you are implying it would.

 

We sailed on the reflection and enjoyed it.

 

 

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[SuiteTraveler]

Med cruises are EXTREMELY port intensive. Expect to get off the ship each morning by 8:30 am if not earlier and not reboard until about 1 hour from sail away which might be at 5 or 6pm and repeat the next day and the next, etc. So basically, the ship becomes a floating hotel. You come back from your excursion tired since they often involve many miles of walking. My husband and I, on Med cruises, just opt for dinner and bed as we are usually too tired to go to a show or even hang out in a bar. So basically, the ship you sail on does not matter very much except in that they can competently produce breakfast and dinner and have comfortable beds. You will find Celebrity more similar to Princess than not. Other than that, choose the itinerary you like best, get on your roll call and arrange private shared excursions with others on your cruise (much cheaper than the ship excursions, plus you get to see twice as much.) Have a great time! Med cruises are wonderful!

[MJSailors]

There is a current review of a cruise on the Reflection done by Bimmer09 on the Celebrity forum.

It is an excellent review complete with great photos of the ship, both interior and exterior shots.

I suggest you read it before you decide which ship to book for your planned Med cruise.

[bEwAbG]

You will find that Europeans often dress more formally than Americans. Evening Chic is a pathetic title as it allows anyone to wear anything. Leave the baseball caps and jeans in your cabin and dress up for dinner.

 

You can ignore this post and go by what Celebrity has posted on their website regarding attire, which allows you to wear jeans, even on Evening Chic night. The dress code is the same on all ships. Baseball caps are not allowed in the main restaurant or the specialty restaurants, but common courtesy would be for men to remove all hats indoors.