Ok: I am coming from RCCL and am Going to try Celebrity Constellation! Need Info!

[RCCLCARIB]

Hi All:

 

Well we have decided to take Celebrity Constellation on a 10 Night S. Caribbean Cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale next Nov 2007.

I do have some questions on what to expect and how things might differ than RCCL's newer ships. So thanks for your help in advanced!

 

1) We are booked in a Concierge Class Staterooms. Is this a good stateroom to be in? What sets it upart from Veranda Staterooms? Would you recommend (sp?) an aft or a side Stateroom? Can you please tell me about the stateroom as well?

 

2) How is the service? I have heard that you are walked to your stateroom, you have glasses of champagne waiting for you, you are greeted with white gloves etc. Is this true? What is the real Celebrity Treatment like?

 

3) How is the cuisine? I have seen the beautiful aft Dining Room. Does the food differ from Dining Room to one of the Cafes? What other alternatives are there for eating onboard this ship?

 

4) How active is Celebrity? We have been on the Voyager Class and Radiance Class on RCCL and love them both. Does this ship have many activities like RCCL? Also, how is this ship?

 

5) How is the Captians Club? We are Diamonds on RCCL, so how do they compare?

 

6) Also, how is the atmosphere onboard? Is it too luxurious with a crude atmosphere, or is it upscale in a comfortable and relaxing way? I guess what I am saying, will I look stupid in some nice shorts and a Polo Shirt during the day?

 

ANY OTHER INFO IS APPRECAITED!!!!! Thanks all!!

[caviargal]

Hi All:

 

Well we have decided to take Celebrity Constellation on a 10 Night S. Caribbean Cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale next Nov 2007.

I do have some questions on what to expect and how things might differ than RCCL's newer ships. So thanks for your help in advanced!

 

1) We are booked in a Concierge Class Staterooms. Is this a good stateroom to be in? What sets it upart from Veranda Staterooms? Would you recommend (sp?) an aft or a side Stateroom? Can you please tell me about the stateroom as well?

 

2) How is the service? I have heard that you are walked to your stateroom, you have glasses of champagne waiting for you, you are greeted with white gloves etc. Is this true? What is the real Celebrity Treatment like?

 

3) How is the cuisine? I have seen the beautiful aft Dining Room. Does the food differ from Dining Room to one of the Cafes? What other alternatives are there for eating onboard this ship?

 

4) How active is Celebrity? We have been on the Voyager Class and Radiance Class on RCCL and love them both. Does this ship have many activities like RCCL? Also, how is this ship?

 

5) How is the Captians Club? We are Diamonds on RCCL, so how do they compare?

 

6) Also, how is the atmosphere onboard? Is it too luxurious with a crude atmosphere, or is it upscale in a comfortable and relaxing way? I guess what I am saying, will I look stupid in some nice shorts and a Polo Shirt during the day?

 

ANY OTHER INFO IS APPRECAITED!!!!! Thanks all!!

 

You chose a great ship to start with in terms of Celebrity!

 

As one who has sailed Voyager and Radiance class, I can answer some of your questions.

 

1) Have never had a CC cabin so cannot help you there.

 

2) The service is very good on X, more polished, personal and professional than on RCI. I have always described RCI service as casual and energetic as that is nice as well. But I personally prefer the graciousness of service on X. Yes, you are greeted with champagne and most of the time escorted to your cabin (all but my last cruise).

 

3) The dining rooms are smaller than those on RCI. No large, soaring rooms, more like dining in a very nice restaurant. The service is polished and European in style. Linens, glassware, etc, is nicer. You will have a Sommelier. You will not be subjected to a Pirates Parade in the middle of dinner, nor lip synced singing. IME, the service on X is very attentive and not the waitstaff have fewer tables. You will be presented with a dessert tray and your waiter will explain the desserts. X adds a touch of class that is not present on RCI.

 

The Aqua Spa cafe is wonderful! Much nicer than SeaView Cafe where the menu is fast food based and you are served on plastic with disposable utensils.

 

There is the usual buffet option for those who enjoy a casual breakfast and lunch. At dinner, the casual option is far nicer than the WJ.

 

Most passengers dress for dinner and you will not likely see the shorts and ballcaps at dinner in the dining room that have become commonplace on RCI.

 

4) X does not offer the plethora of fitness activities and games (and garage sales in the Centrum) that RCI does. I am very active and find plenty to do. I do not care for games and noise and such so I prefer the more independent activities on X.

 

5) The Captains Club perks do not compare with the Diamond perks on RCI. There is no balcony discount, no nightly treats in the cabin, no concierge lounge. They do offer a coupon book but I tossed it, whereas I do use many of the coupons RCI offers.

 

6) The atmosphere is casually elegant on the M class ships, at least it was IME. There are not generally many kids aboard, which I prefer.

 

I am not a fan of Voyager class and prefer Radiance class. However, I will take M class on X over anything RCI has to offer.

[hajekfam]

1) We are booked in a Concierge Class Staterooms. Is this a good stateroom to be in? What sets it upart from Veranda Staterooms? Would you recommend (sp?) an aft or a side Stateroom? Can you please tell me about the stateroom as well?

 

Concierge class has a few more amenities than a regular veranda stateroom as well as a little more space.

 

Regular verandah:

Square footage: Stateroom: 170 sq. ft. Veranda: 38 sq. ft.

 

Concierge class

Square footage: Stateroom: 191 sq. ft. Veranda: 41 sq. ft.

Extra amenities:

Welcome champagne

Daily fruit selection

Fresh-cut flowers

Daily hors d'oeuvres

Menu of pillows - Conformance, Body, Goose, and Isotonic®

Duvets and pillow-top mattresses

Leather key holder, personalized stationery, a tote bag and umbrella

Double-thick Frette bathrobes

Hansgrohe® showerhead

VIP invitations to events

Early embarkation and debarkation

Dining and seating preference

Preference on shore excursions

Express luggage delivery

 

An concierge cabin that faces the aft has a much larger verandah than a normal concierge cabin that faces the sides - the aft's verandah is big enough for a large table and chairs plus loungers.

 

2) How is the service? I have heard that you are walked to your stateroom, you have glasses of champagne waiting for you, you are greeted with white gloves etc. Is this true? What is the real Celebrity Treatment like?

As you board, there are waiters with glasses of champagne & orange juice. If you board early before all the cabins are ready, you can go to your cabin by yourself to drop off your carryons. They ask that you wait in the public areas of the ship until the rooms are ready. White glove, escorted service starts when the rooms are ready. If you board early and want to be escorted to your cabin, you can return the boarding deck and be escorted when the annnouncement is made that rooms are ready.

 

3) How is the cuisine? I have seen the beautiful aft Dining Room. Does the food differ from Dining Room to one of the Cafes? What other alternatives are there for eating onboard this ship?

The food served in the dining room is not the same as the buffet. We do enjoy the food aboard Celebrity. On the Constellation as well as all Millennium class ships, there are alternatives for dining. Besides the dining room, there is the Aqua Spa Cafe which has healthy breakfast, lunches, and early dinner. For breakfast there is also a buffet, an omelet station, and waffle station on the pool deck. The Cova Cafe offers specialty coffees (for a fee) and free rolls and croissants in the morning and pastries in the afternoon. For lunch there is also the buffet, a pasta station, a pizza station, burger station, and salad and sandwich bar. between lunch and dinner, the buffet area is set up for afternoon tea with pastries and finger sandwiches. For dinner, half of the buffet area turns into a sushi bar and the other half is alternative casual dining (reservations requested, $2 fee) and the pizza and pasta stations are also open. Also there is a specialty restaurant (fee, reservations required) with a gourmet meal. There are only 2 midnight buffets on a 7 day cruise, the other nights have gourmet bites, small appetizers and pastries passed around by waiters in the public lounges and casino. Toom service is available 24 hours a day from the room service menu, but during dining room hours, you can order off the dining room menu.

 

4) How active is Celebrity? We have been on the Voyager Class and Radiance Class on RCCL and love them both. Does this ship have many activities like RCCL? Also, how is this ship?

 

I can't compare to RCCL, but there are activities that are held - trivia games, bingo, lectures, computer classes (fee), karoke, etc. There is only one announcement per day at noon with the captain telling the time, weather, location, speed, anticipated port arrival time, etc. and the cruise director giving a brief rundown on special activities. All in all, it is more of subdued cruise than other lines.

 

5) How is the Captians Club? We are Diamonds on RCCL, so how do they compare?

 

The benefits are not the same - there is no concierge lounge, most of the benefits that you receive as an elite are also given to concierge class. There will be some behind the scenes tours such as a galley tour.

 

6) Also, how is the atmosphere onboard? Is it too luxurious with a crude atmosphere, or is it upscale in a comfortable and relaxing way? I guess what I am saying, will I look stupid in some nice shorts and a Polo Shirt during the day?

 

The atmosphere to me is comfortable and relaxing - that is one of the main reasons that we have chosen Celebrity all these years. Nice shorts and polo shirt would be perfect during the day.

[Beachb]

We have sailed on the Constellation twice, in both Cat 2B and CC. I would add only that with Concierge Class you get more extensive room service menus and have a more pleasant experience/opportunity to have full meals on your deck. We almost never ate breakfast anywhere else. The other things are nice, but you can always request different pillows, etc. But if you really enjoy the privacy and romance of dining on your balcony, Concierge Class is worth the money, and the huge aft balconys are fabulous. You can literally have twenty cruise mates for drinks on the verandah!

 

We have only sailed RCI once and Celebrity eight times, and, for us, X blows them out of the water - if you'll pardon the expression. And the Connie is the queen of them all. IMO.

 

Bill

 

Millennium (2), Constellation (2), Galaxy, Century, Horizon, and -in one more day - Zenith!

[espmass]

Looks like you got all your answers. I'll just add that after having been on the Constellation twice, I can assure you that you won't "look stupid" in shorts and a polo shirt during the day. I wear shorts and t shirts all day every day as does my husband. We're booked on her for a third time December 8 and are really looking foward to it. You'll love the Constellation!

[rebeccalouise]

Everyone did a great job describing the ship.

If you sail Constellation and don't like it- then you aren't going to like Celebrity. The Constellation is the best ship in the fleet and my personal, all-time favorite cruise.

[osiebosie]

It's good to read all of this info (again) since we are sailing on Connie in three weeks.

 

I'll be posting a review when we get back.

 

Curiousity here: how did hajekfam get the R in the octagon? I sure don't see that button on my keyboard!!! :p

 

Shay

[joelmarj]

One comment about the extra space in the cabin. I just sailed RCCL (AOS) for the first time and had a D1 cabin. It was 171 sq ft. I usually book no less than a CC on Celebrity and I can honestly say I really missed that extra 21 sq ft. It really made a difference in being able to navigate the cabin. Plus I found that there was much more storage in the CC cabin on Celebrity.

 

Overall I enjoyed RCCL, but really love the Celebrity experience. The Constellation is truely a great ship and you should enjoy all the little touches. Look forward to hearing from you when you return. Enjoy!

[hajekfam]

It's good to read all of this info (again) since we are sailing on Connie in three weeks.

 

I'll be posting a review when we get back.

 

Curiousity here: how did hajekfam get the R in the octagon? I sure don't see that button on my keyboard!!! :p

 

Shay

I copied and pasted the info from another document.

[cruiseorbust]

I haven't been on Celebrity lately, just RCL, and after hearing about Celebrity again, I think I am overdue. My boys really love all the activities on RCL, but it is time for me to consider coming home!