Unhappy with our cruise 12/17 - 12/28
Celebrity Constellation Cruise Review to Caribbean
11 Night Ultimate Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)
Sail date: December 17, 2007
Ship: Celebrity Constellation
Cabin type: Balcony
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 14 years ago
Review summary
just got back from 12/17 11 night cruise on constellation..we have been on celebrity millenium class 7 times and had a balcony each time. I also sought out much info on the size of each veranda, as we had always been able to have at least 1 lounger and pad (as they have by the pool) moved onto our balcony. this is why we paid extra over an inside cabin. this time when I asked was told we COULD NOT HAVE ONE BECAUSE IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE?!?! I complained to the Captains Club person, the front desk talking heads, and even the Hotel Manager to no avail. And I never once got an explanation of what was unsafe about a lounger being on the veranda when a tiny table and 2 chairs were safe. Just the lame "i'm sorry" and "safety issue". They also show a video saying you cannot leave towels or wet swimsuits on the balcony (we always clip them to they chair with hardware-store style clips) cause that was a fire hazard.... Also we had pre booked and paid in advance for the 2 ocean dome railcar in panama. The day before panama got a letter saying it was overbooked (I have the letter still) and that we could take the dome car oneway but a bus on the way back (and like a 30 percent refund). I went to shore ex desk (along with about 50 other people) and asked what else was available. Was told the regular train ride was one (train there and back) as well as a few others. I asked "you mean the dome car goes one way and doesn't come back, but the rest of the train does?" Got a blank stare from the shore exursion talking head. I said if I could not take the dome car both ways like I had prebooked AND PAID FOR MONTHS IN ADVANCE that they could give me a refund (which they did). I think this was bait and switch type tactic and was again very disappointed with Celebrity. If someone would have made a reasonable explanation (that a normal person could understand) of what the "safety" issue was or the panama bait and switch tactic it would have been nice. Instead we were given some pat response that we were supposed to accept whether it made sense or not. We are people not cattle, and this showed to us what Celebrity must think of it passengers as far as "being pampered". It was also interesting to see how the Ship Captain was hawking some of their watches one night for us cattle to line up and buy ("well if the Captain says its a good watch then I better get it..."). How professional. You future cruisers who THINK you will be geting a lounger on your larger veranda HAD BETTER CHECK THIS OUT. It's a real ripoff in our opinion. Who knows what else they might change before you get on board AND HAVE PAID FOR EVERYTHING IN ADVANCE...... We loved Aruba, and the horseback riding beach excursion in Cayman Islands was the best we ever have done. We went early and were back on the ship by 1PM (when 12,000 other passengers were in town from 10 cruise ships...). We tried the dining room breakfast once and the food was cold when served. We stuck with the excellent made to order omelettes and waffles at the buffet. The dining room food was very good for the first several days, but then the sliced roast beef and prime rib became tough (the New York steak was always excellent...). We noticed the cheesecake type desserts were not as tasty, more like local buffet line fare. We had some excellent photos taken with a white background where we would lay down and that type of thing (bought most of those). If you rent a jeep in Aruba THEY ARE NOT THERE AT THE PORT so bring their local phone number and your cell phone.Ports of call
Pros: Buffet Breakfast, Photography, ports visited, waiter and room steward.
Cons: hotel desk services, shore excursion ripoff....dining room food not good at times
Recommends Celebrity Constellation? No.
Other reviews of this sailing
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency, and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners (travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on external web sites.