Celebrity Constellation Refurb 2024? Is this a nice ship?

[Marga.Anders]

Hi there,

 

Looking to make a switch from Royal Caribbean to Celebrity Cruises. Was looking at Ascent or Apex because they are newer ships but found out the Constellation is offering the best itinerary for our wishes (Dubrovnik, Koper, Split).

The reviews of this ship are mixed, mainly because it is an older ship. So this has me somewhat worries especially since we are 'used to' newer ships with RCL. 

 

I also saw online she is supposed to get a refurbishment in the spring of 2024. But can't really find what they will upgrade.

 

Does anybody have more info on this, or other information about Constellation?  Or alternative is the new Sun Princess, but the itinerary is less suitable.

 

We are a couple, 42yo, no kids.  Do like dining, solarium, theatre shows. Don't need: rock climbing, bumper cars, flow riders etc. 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

On the up coming TA it over 99% booked 

Any Celebrity ship is better than a RCL ship

 

[bigbenboys]

On X we book AquaClass or Sky Suites. The Constellation (Connie) is a M Class ship with about 2800 guest. AquaClass gives you a smaller dining restaurant called Blu. Suites guest can dine in Luminae. Connie does have limited pay specialty dining restaurants.

I'm sure Connie could use an update, but overall she should be in good shape. 

Sun Princess will give you more food options and a much newer ship. My question to you is. Is this cruise more about Dubrovnik, Koper, Split. Or is it more about what the ship has to offer.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

13 minutes ago, bigbenboys said:

On X we book AquaClass or Sky Suites. The Constellation (Connie) is a M Class ship with about 2800 guest. AquaClass gives you a smaller dining restaurant called Blu. Suites guest can dine in Luminae. Connie does have limited pay specialty dining restaurants.

I'm sure Connie could use an update, but overall she should be in good shape. 

Sun Princess will give you more food options and a much newer ship. My question to you is. Is this cruise more about Dubrovnik, Koper, Split. Or is it more about what the ship has to offer.

Where did you 2800. Guest that is S class numbers 🙄

https://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Fact_sheets/CEL-Constellation-FactSheet-MICE.pdf

 

[bigbenboys]

14 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Where did you 2800. Guest that is S class numbers 🙄

https://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Fact_sheets/CEL-Constellation-FactSheet-MICE.pdf

 

Yes your right I was thinking S Class. Connie has 2184 to 2559 guest.

[Chrisclaire]

1 hour ago, Marga.Anders said:

Hi there,

 

Looking to make a switch from Royal Caribbean to Celebrity Cruises. Was looking at Ascent or Apex because they are newer ships but found out the Constellation is offering the best itinerary for our wishes (Dubrovnik, Koper, Split).

The reviews of this ship are mixed, mainly because it is an older ship. So this has me somewhat worries especially since we are 'used to' newer ships with RCL. 

 

I also saw online she is supposed to get a refurbishment in the spring of 2024. But can't really find what they will upgrade.

 

Does anybody have more info on this, or other information about Constellation?  Or alternative is the new Sun Princess, but the itinerary is less suitable.

 

We are a couple, 42yo, no kids.  Do like dining, solarium, theatre shows. Don't need: rock climbing, bumper cars, flow riders etc. 

We did 10 nights Best of Western Mediterranean on Constellation Sept 2022.

This was our 3rd time on Constellation.  We have only ever sailed with Celebrity, so nothing to compare with.

 

Some public areas had  had a mini makeover......new carpets, seating etc and was perfectly acceptable IMO.

However, the stateroom and in particular the bathroom for us was pretty disappointing. 

The decor is dated and just a bit drab.

That said, the bed is super comfy with lovely fresh white linen!

The balcony was in need of tlc also.

The shower enclosure was unacceptable for us.

Horrid curtain that needed replaced & tiles that needed ripped out & replaced, no amount of bleach would sort the grubby look.

Not unclean, just unsightly!

We did speak to guest relations but were told that the stateroom we could move to had similar problems!

Probably best to check with Celebrity what they intend to upgrade in 2024.

 

Only other slight disappointment for us was the MDR.

We just felt that the staff were really stretched and our dining experience was not as relaxed as our previous cruises....pre covid 😕

 

I agree with the previous post, I guess you maybe ask yourself what's most important to you?

Everyone has different standards/expectations & tolerances. 

That said, we still had a fantastic time and are off on Solstice for 15 nights from Sydney next week!

 

This cruise will determine our future with Celebrity.

We WILL have a great time, but I'm keeping everything crossed that we do not encounter any of the aforementioned issues.

 

Hope this helps your decision 🙂 

 

 

[RichYak]

2 hours ago, Marga.Anders said:

Constellation is offering the best itinerary for our wishes (Dubrovnik, Koper, Split).

I assume you mean Kotor, not Koper as I couldn't find a cruise where Constellation calls there. Have you looked at Azamara's Croatia intensive itineraries?

[wrk2cruise]

4 minutes ago, RichYak said:

I assume you mean Kotor, not Koper as I couldn't find a cruise where Constellation calls there. Have you looked at Azamara's Croatia intensive itineraries?

 

We went to both Koper and Kotor last year in May on Connie although we only went to Dubrovnik, not Split.   Was a wonderful cruise.

 

One thing on the spec sheet.  I suspect the crew number is way less than the 1021.  Crew reductions have been noticeable across the fleet.

 

Another note is there have been staterooms added over the years.  Oceanview cabins on Deck 3 aft of the Atrium as well as the AQ cabins on deck 11.   These cabins are in better shape on M class ships.

[HWC_Mom]

We were on the constellation in June/July for my 50th birthday cruise in the Retreat.  Won't do that again.  The ship needs some TLC, I like sitting on the balcony with my feet on the railing and my shoes would end up covered in rust.  The bathroom was terrible.  If the toilet seat wasn't closed a certain way it would make a horrible noise, toiletries weren't very well stocked.   We need hypoallergenic bedding and had to fight to get something more than just a sheet.  We bit have a big future cruise credit because it was just a terrible experience all around.  We have cruises celebrity several times this was by far the worst experience.  

[2chiefs]

5 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

On the up coming TA it over 99% booked 

Any Celebrity ship is better than a RCL ship

 

That's an opinion. We sail both. We like some ships on both and dislike some ships on both. Depends what you're looking for on a cruise as to whether one is "better" than another. My take (opinion): RCL has better entertainment, Celebrity has better food and itineraries. (although food seems to be getting worse on all lines if you believe all the threads...)

[Ex-Airbalancer]

1 hour ago, 2chiefs said:

That's an opinion. We sail both. We like some ships on both and dislike some ships on both. Depends what you're looking for on a cruise as to whether one is "better" than another. My take (opinion): RCL has better entertainment, Celebrity has better food and itineraries. (although food seems to be getting worse on all lines if you believe all the threads...)

We did 21 days last September on Voyager of the Seas , the ship need to beached , so many problems 

Great Ports, we were with a great group of people but that was about it  

The ship was in terrible ship , pipes were leaking all of the the place  , the ship look like it was never update since it was put in service 

[Jim_Iain]

6 hours ago, bigbenboys said:

Yes your right I was thinking S Class. Connie has 2184 to 2559 guest.

You are 100% correct according to the Celebrity Fleet Guide-  2,559 is the maximum legal occupancy.

 

[bigbenboys]

5 hours ago, RichYak said:

I assume you mean Kotor, not Koper as I couldn't find a cruise where Constellation calls there. Have you looked at Azamara's Croatia intensive itineraries?

Our Adriatic Sea cruise was on Azamara. 

[prmssk]

The Constellation is roughly the size of the Radiance Class on RC.  She has not be revolutionized and is one of the oldest ships in Celebrity's fleet.  I don't expect her to be revolutionized in 2024 but she might get some new soft goods (carpets, furniture, paint, etc.).

 

In my experience, there are those of us (myself included) who love these smaller ships and so really enjoy the Constellation.  And then there are those that prefer to have more of the bells and whistles that come with an Edge Class ship and so wouldn't consider a ship like the Constellation.

 

I did not see any really condition issues when I was on her last November but I realize that isn't the most recent review.  Generally, I find that Celebrity maintains their ships well (better than some other brands I have sailed) but a ship that old isn't going to be perfect.

 

For your decision, think through how important itinerary is for this particular cruise and how important the ship is.  I'm sure you will have a great time regardless of which cruise you pick.

[RichYak]

25 minutes ago, bigbenboys said:

Our Adriatic Sea cruise was on Azamara. 

For Croatia next year, I'm considering either a DIY land tour or Azamara. Haven't decided yet. I've never been and have some family there, which in some respects complicates the planning.

[SusieAV8R]

5 hours ago, 2chiefs said:

That's an opinion. We sail both. We like some ships on both and dislike some ships on both. Depends what you're looking for on a cruise as to whether one is "better" than another. My take (opinion): RCL has better entertainment, Celebrity has better food and itineraries. (although food seems to be getting worse on all lines if you believe all the threads...)

I prefer the "quieter" atmosphere of Celebrity (M and S class) versus RCL.

[2chiefs]

17 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

We did 21 days last September on Voyager of the Seas , the ship need to beached , so many problems 

Great Ports, we were with a great group of people but that was about it  

The ship was in terrible ship , pipes were leaking all of the the place  , the ship look like it was never update since it was put in service 

Agree. We haven't been on Voyager in many years but we didn't care for it way back then either. We were on Mariner for Bermuda for our first cruise after Covid and it was still in great shape. Same class and only 4 years newer but big difference.

 

[2chiefs]

13 hours ago, SusieAV8R said:

I prefer the "quieter" atmosphere of Celebrity (M and S class) versus RCL.

We do too, and we have three cruises booked with X.

However, we are going on Oasis though in 2025 with family of all ages which is what Oasis class is good at. So, my take is that one is not necessarily "better" than the other. It all depends on what you like and want. At our age, we love Celebrity more than RCL, but we still sail RCL.

[gordylad]

This she is due refurbishment spring 2024 as it was previously postponed

[Saturngrl]

Reflection is a great ship!  We have sailed her twice:  November 2021 and February 2023.  Yes, her decor is a little tired, but we love so many things about her!  Bocce on the Lawn Club, the Lawn Club grill, real towels in the public restrooms, the World Class and Martini bars, the overhead ringing bells as you walk under them toward the Ensemble Lounge, the awesome gym,  balconies on the hump, the Solarium....so much to do!  We look forward to sailing her again this February! 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

1 hour ago, Saturngrl said:

Reflection is a great ship!  We have sailed her twice:  November 2021 and February 2023.  Yes, her decor is a little tired, but we love so many things about her!  Bocce on the Lawn Club, the Lawn Club grill, real towels in the public restrooms, the World Class and Martini bars, the overhead ringing bells as you walk under them toward the Ensemble Lounge, the awesome gym,  balconies on the hump, the Solarium....so much to do!  We look forward to sailing her again this February! 

The op was asking about the Connie 

[Saturngrl]

18 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

The op was asking about the Connie 

Ooops, so sorry.   I love the Connie too! 

[Debbra1024]

Was on Connie this past February. Great staff. Lovely ship. Was there some wear? Yes. Was staff always working on her? Yes. Was she clean?  Yes. Personal preference but wonderful time. 

[gordylad]

can anyone confirm full refurbishment taking place spring 2024?

 

thanks

[D. B.]

On 10/11/2023 at 7:44 AM, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Where did you 2800. Guest that is S class numbers 🙄

https://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Fact_sheets/CEL-Constellation-FactSheet-MICE.pdf

 

I don't think you could get 2800 guests on an M class ship unless guests were stacked  4 to a stateroom.

 I have sailed Connie in a basic Veranda cabin and found the ship to be in great shape (May 2023) and the Uncrowded nature of the M Class ships makes them my favorites.

 I suspect the dry docking (right after the March 23-April 6th. TA) That I will be on  will not Include any Major upgrades as X has made it clear that it is spending Big on New Ships and will never do a Revolutionizing on Connie like it did on Summit and Millie before Covid.

  The M class ships do not have as many dining options as the S class ships but IF you plan to try Le Pete Chef/Qsine ask what the Menu will be on different nights as I was just on Eclipse and on That Ship the menu with Filet Mignon Or Lobster has returned.

 My Wife and I will be doing the same Dubrovnik, Kotor and Split cruise in late September 2024.

Edited October 12, 2023 by D. B.
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