Celebrity Constellation Cruise Reviews - Reviews

My wife and I have been on about 12 cruises more or less and usually choose either Carneval or RC. We almost always leave from Pt. Canaveral which is a relatively short drive from our home. We decided to try the Celebrity line to see if it was a significant upgrade over the aforementioned cruise lines. We also left from Pt. Everglades out of Ft. Lauderdale which added a good 2 hours to our trip versus leaving from the much closer Pt. Canaveral. The ship was spotless and we loved the captain. He kept the ship steady in rough seas and always kept everyone informed with the most up-to -date information he felt we needed to know. Unfortunately the ship's staff wasn't as attentive as other lines we've booked and also we felt like there weren't as many activities for us to do.They had plenty of lounge areas but lacked a comedy club or other places to gather that didn't involve drinking. We ate in the main dining room every night and thought the food was about the same as Carneval and RC. No better no worse. We had an oceanview room and it was by far much smaller than the same comparable rooms on other ships. It was kept cleaned and made up every day. We loved the ports we visited which included Key West and Nassau. In summation, while Celebrity offers a decent value for your dollar my wife and I both felt like it wasn't that much of an upgrade over the other cruise lines to justify spending the extra money and time to get there. I would however, be interested in trying out the new class of ship rolling out in 2018 which keeps the passenger numbers about the same but increases the space on board which would give you the feel of a smaller ship but with the amenities of a much larger vessel. For now we'll just stick close to home until something changes.

Everything was what expected plus. Very clean, staff great, good food and great shows. Great, great, great, great,

The ship was great. The rooms were very clean! The entertainment could have been more diverse in its content. The food was the best food I've had on a cruise. I would recommend that the food staff be a little more efficient with serving guests at the specific stations such as (pasta station, waffle station, and the meat station) -- there needed to be more than one person serving.

We had very good experience with Celebrity X.  The room was cozy, room service was excellent.  The ship was clean and very well maintained.  Food was very good - we are vegetarians - struggled to get good Indian vegetarian food.. of 6-8 curries hardly 1-2 were vegetarian.  My guess is 50% Indians are vegetarians. So 3-4 core veg items can be good idea.  The entertainment shows were superb!!  Except for the last one with world music.. not sure why south asian indian music was not included. 1.2 billion people in that part of world and they love bolly music.. Overall we had fun with pools, bingo, shows, food, service.. we would definitely recommend Celebrity X.

were so helpful.  Every question was answered  and agent was extremely patient with my silly questions.  The "Pros" of the trip are too many to list.  The "cons" --  there aren't ANY.  How many vacations have you been on that you can honestly say was amazing, from beginning to end?

Every staff member we came in contact with on the "Celebrity Constellation" was so helpful and friendly.  

Can't wait to go again!

We had a nice time and it was fun. Nice people and staff always busy and available for service. this was my first Celebrity cruise and booking with United.

We had one previous cruise on Celebrity that prompted us to book on them again. We were Concierge Class both times.  We were so impressed with the Eclipse that it was such a letdown to not have the same caliber service, food, and interior decorating (especially the artwork). We realize the Constellation is an older ship and not the same class, but we expected, it being Celebrity, to not feel the same as being on Norwegian or RCCL -- we had thought it was a class above.  We rarely ate in the San Marco dining room because it felt like a cattle car and was so poorly designed, there were tables in the guests and waiters' passageway. We were Select Dining because we wanted to be able to come when we felt like it, but learned we had to make reservations. We preferred dining at the Bistro on 5 ($10 charge).

But it certainly wasn't all disappointing -- the entertainment was some of the best I've ever seen on a cruise and I've been on ones with Las Vegas entertainers and ice skating shows. Jayne Curry has a phenomenal voice and a wonderful wit and puts on a fast paced and fun show.  And the illusionist Jason Bishop was top rate; I couldn't believe what he did and we were sitting right up front.  Also, the ship's five piece band was exceptional, as were the dancing and singing troop of 14 and their shows.  It was unexpected to see a stage that had moving floor pieces and ropes for aerial artists who, by the way, were incredible. 

Another positive was our excursion in Cozumel. We went on a chocolate making and wine tasting tour which was educational, fun, and delicious. The three women who led it did a super job and we left with chocolate bars we had made ourselves from cocoa beans!  

The Captain was a hoot!  He participated in a show called The Liars Club with two other crew members and couldn't have been funnier. And his presentation on the building of the Solstice ship class was interesting and humorous and I wish I could have stayed until the end but the Captain's Club had a wine tasting that I'd signed up for.  So scheduling was off in that respect.  Also, they had their club get-together early in the day when most people don't want an open bar.  Speaking of drinking, Celebrity has a premium drink package which includes unlimited alcohol which I feel encourages nonstop drinking.  Perhaps that's why we were never able to get a seat at the Martini Bar.

Disembarking was well done, but getting on the ship in the first place was confusing --  no one to help with parking or dropping off bags.  We ended up at the crews' entrance.

All in all, I don't plan on going on Celebrity again.  My sister says once you've been on Seabourne, you won't go less.  So that's my next cruise.

The.show was the worst we had ever seen, dancers bumping into each other, falling, and the singers were off key!

The service was wonderful our butler the best, the food was great except in the Ocean View, same food every day.

we will cruise Royal Caribbean until Celebrity has a new ship and maybe upgrade their entertainment.

Celebrity service was better than expected - My uncle can walk somewhat but we needed a wheelchair for the longer treks - from Bow to Stern; excursions, embarking & disembarking, etc. - and there always seemed to be someone from the crew to assist - truly first class - Food excellent - our particular cruise had a really attractive Sommelier from Serbia who was really attentive.  My uncle is looking forward to our next Celebrity Cruise !

First night I went to the casino played $20.00 dollars on a penny slot machine and had $99.95 when I left! I still had $79.95 of that on the last day when I went back in, set at a $1.00 machine and had $217.95 when I left! We had a large table and had a nice group of people to have dinner with. 2 of the couples where from NY where we were used to live as well. We now live in SC. Our stateroom staff where very helpful and even set up a cot for me so my handicapped husband could have the large bed. They even added extra mattresses to the big bed to make it higher when he had trouble getting up because it was a little low for him.

Everything was amazing and perfect! We loved it and recommend 100%.

The staffs were very kind, polite, oriented, commited...

The ship was very clean and comfortable.

The constellation staff was GREAT! Gerald, our cabin steward was one of the best we have ever experienced.  It was very obvious the Constellation Captain has a very good report with his entire staff.  Ship was very clean and all the staff had very positive attitude.  This was our first experience in the Aqua Class.  I highly recommend the Aqua Class.  Nice perks and nice size shower.  You can not beat Celebrity.  

My wife and I took this cruise and we had not been cruising since our honeymoon in 1987.  Some observations:

Boarding and leaving the ship was relatively painless and was actually shorter than I anticipated.  Good organization and everyone knew their roles.  Ship was very clean and offered many lounges, bars and restaurants.  We did not attend any poolside games or activities but there were several if you were so inclined.  We both thought the food was very good, considering the number of people on board.  We dined at Tuscan Grille one of the nights and it was very nice.  There is an upcharge of $45 per person, I believe so factor that in to your plans.

Casino was good, I played blackjack and the rules are similar to what you get in Las Vegas. They need to have drink servers come by on a regular basis, though.  When I played you had to ask the dealer to get a drink and they asked the bar to have a server come over, but this took time and led to several long delays.  Every casino I have ever been to has servers making the rounds about every 10 minutes.  

Cruise lines need to revamp their drink packages, I believe there are about six option packages based on what you want to drink during the cruise.  I know this is a huge moneymaker for the cruise lines but it would simplify things if they tailored the drinks to the class of the room.  Basic rooms should get a base drink package, while larger suites should get a corresonding bump in what they can drink.  Factor the packages into the price of the room.  This may eliminate the signing of charges each time you get a drink. If anyone wants to upgrade from that, let them do that.  

Attitude of workers on the ship was fantastic! I never heard any complaints about lazy servers or bartenders or stewards.  They all had smiles and said hello at every meeting.  

We took an excursion in Cozumel driving 6-speed jeeps through rough roads to an island.  It was fun and once you got to the beach they had an open bar and provided lunch. Low-key for sure but it was nice and relaxing.  If you go to Key West, we found it best to walk around the main drag and pick and choose your attractions.  We liked the Hemingway House and the oldest home in Key West, which is run by local historical group.  Key West is small enough to walk if you are physically up for it.   

We were pleased with the cruise and will probably keep our eyes open for future cruises to other locales.

My wife and I had a great time, food was excellent and the boat was very clean and well maintained. There is one negative comment that I do have, our waiter the first two nights complained to us about low wages and tips, made us uncomfortable. All of the other staff was very pleasant and professional.

  Our stateroom was well maintained but the sink drain was extremely slow.  Also the bathroom floor was very filthy and the grout was black in several areas.  I do not think the floor was mopped at all.  It was a very boring cruise.  There needs to be a variety of activities during the sea days.  The port talks are usually on the TV but they did not provide this.  Embarkation and disembarkation were absolutely wonderful.

The Constellation has its ups and its downs.  Aqua class rooms continue to be very nice, but some of the frills such as daily water and iced tea have been taken away. That seems so petty by the cruise line.  The Persian garden doesn't compare to the ones on Silhouette and Reflection.  It doesn't even have individual beds, rather a long bench seat that doesn't look out at the ocean.  The buffet is overly crowded with long lines and many empty dishes.  Don't even attempt to eat there when you get there the first day.  It's a mad house.

Aside from those few flaws, the ship is lovely...older but well cared for.  The cruise director is fun and the Captain makes himself available and known through various activities.  Blu restaurant is first rate.  While my husband and I ate at both Ocean Liners and the Tuscan Grille, we wound up liking the service, staff, and intimacy of Blu even more that the other specialty restaurants.  The shows were generally good and easy to get into if you chose the early show.  The atmosphere was friendly, fun and sociable.  

It would be nice if different ports were available and an overnight stay.  Perhaps in Nassau where safe nightlife is available.

The Ship: Excellent. Such great amenities especially in the concierge class we were booked in. The thalassotherapy pool and turkish bath in the Persian Garden (which was only $109 for both Renee and I for the cruise, but so very much worth it) were the highlights.

Cabins: We had two Verandah staterooms (Balcony cabins) in the Concierge area. 9146 and 9148. They were connected, but we left the door closed and just got extra keys to the boys room. The rooms were large enough especially for just 2 people and the Balcony was amazing. The heavy sliding door let us keep the door open slightly as compared to the rooms on the Breeze that had a hinged door that couldn't be left slightly ajar. The extra touches in the concierge class made it feel so much more elegant. For example, we had chilled champagne waiting for us in our room along with fresh fruit. Binoculars and a nice tote bag were provided for us to use as well. There was a "pillow menu" which allowed you to get a variety of pillows for your sleeping preference, but we didn't really take advantage of that.

Food: Very surprised to say this but the food was a low point. The selection of food was good and there were some good items available both in the dining room and the buffet, but the taste was lacking. A few days in we learned that the head Chef was Welsh, so we jokingly attributed the lack of flavor to that, but in all honesty, it was a disappointment. The food on the Carnival Dream and Carnival Breeze were far superior.

Drinks: We all had the free beverage packages, I upgraded mine to premium for $10/day extra. This game me the ability to get anything I wanted, so I used it to try a wide range of drinks I wouldn't normally get, like Martinis and Cognac, for example. My package would have been almost $70/day had we not had the base package included as a perk when we booked. I'm certain that I would never buy this package by itself since I just don't drink that much, but it was really nice having the package included because on the final night, we still had ship credit to burn through as a result of not having to pay for any drinks or really, well, anything else.

Spa: Very good. Renee got a massage, and took a yoga class. I took a spinning class that was serious business. The aforementioned Persian Garden was awesome, but it came at a premium price of $79 pp or $109 per couple. Well worth it since they claim to limit sales of the package to a max of 30 couples. As a result it was essentially a private spa.

Service: This was hot and cold throughout the trip. Our waiter in the main dining room was excellent. We have yet to have poor service in the MDR on any cruise. However, the army of drones they have wandering the ship doing various tasks (clearing tables, drink orders, etc) were almost completely devoid of any personality.

Entertainment: This is not a Celebrity Flagship, so I feel wrong comparing it to the shows on the Carnival Breeze and Dream which were THE top ship in Carnival when we sailed on each respectively, but the shows and entertainment were lagging behind Carnival with two notable exceptions:

The house band for the ship were the Sea Monkeys. We discovered them on day 3 and subsequently went to all of their shows. They were a 5-person band from Bulgaria and the female lead singer and the bass player had phenomenal voices. The drummer, lead guitarist and keyboardist also sang lead vocals on songs and they were quite good as well. We had a lot of fun dancing and singing along with them as they covered songs ranging from the Beatles to Pink Floyd to Daft Punk.

The second exception. The Captain, Tasos Kafetzis was the start of the ship. Easily the most personable Captain we've met. He gave a 30-minute presentation on the construction of the Solstice class of ships (where he was the Safety officer for Celebrity at the construction site in Bremerhaven, Germany during the construction of 3 of the class) and spent 45 minutes answering questions during and after the presentation. Very funny and entertaining and clearly a very knowledgeable captain fielding high tech questions from some in the audience to cute questions from children.

Great ship, great service, plenty of food for all, restful and relaxing. The crew was one of the most professional as they had to deal with some really rude people. I think they should delay the shows by at least a half hour as it was very hard to enjoy dinner and make the shows on time, it's not like anyone is going anywhere for the evening...

We had a horrible experience on the celebrity constellation ship. The customer service was very bad. There was no willingness from staff to help or accomodate requests even though we were cruising with a 7 month old baby. Would not recommend this cruise line to anyone. There are better cruises out there. 

We really enjoy the show at night.  The waiters are awesome and very friendly and kind.  The cabin staff is awesome too and I can tell they are trying to do a good work.  But one of the staff opened our cabin door without knocking while my girl friend and I were sleeping ...