Of the eight cruises we have taken, the one on the Infinity, sister ship to the Constellation, was one of the best. This experience, with the opportunity of seeing Quebec for two days and to see some fall color, led us to Constellation. On paper, it looked perfect.

We flew from New Orleans nonstop to Newark a day early since we could not determine the exact nature of Celebrity's air program as to getting us to the ship on time. It is a very long and confusing way (with luggage) from the arrival gate to the levels where you catch the train to the main terminal then to the cab stand. The Hilton Hotel Airport is lovely and the restaurant unexpectedly good, but the Starbucks is only open in the mornings. This and most other airport hotels sit far from anything else. They did have an airport shuttle at no cost.

Sailing day, we eagerly loaded up our gear and headed for the ship around 10:00. We caught a taxi and had been told that the fare would be $30.00, but they failed to tell us that this was per person for a total of $60.00. The cab driver told us many interesting things about the area, almost a tour itself. We arrived at the terminal, which looks out over the river, including Manhattan and the Statute of Liberty, without any problems. There were signs all around the terminal stating that loading would begin at 11:00, so we thought we would not have long to wait. We checked in and received a card showing that we would load fourth on buses. From the terminal to the ship is a long haul and all are required to ride the bus. No one loaded until after 1 and Celebrity personnel never said a word as to the delay. No food or water was provided in the waiting area. We later heard from other passengers who had come from Europe on the ship that it docked late, information that should have been shared with incoming passengers by Guest Relations. Read more