I chose this cruise beause our previous cruise on celebrity summit to puerto rico was great unfortunately it was not as good This cruise was a transatlantic leaving from ft lauderdale and ending up in Rome on our previous celebrity cruise on the Summit the food was excellent always prepared to our liking this time not so much The ship is showing visable signs of wear and tear and theres not much to do which is ok but ,lets say miniature golf would be nice, they pulled out a sixfoot by 2 ft green mat and called it golf I that that was insulting . They scheduled it every day The staff was fine and my room was clean The steward was great The concierge level for which I paid is really non existent . They dont do anything if you get through to them I would not tcruise this ship again Read Less

We love transatlantic cruising. Only having to fly one way is a big plus and cruising this way is usually cheaper than flying. You can't eat, drink and be pampered on an 8 hour flight! We chose this cruise because we wanted to spend some time in southern Italy post cruise. We had previously been on another Celebrity transatlantic 6 months earlier (see my Silhouette review) that was not very good so we did not have high hopes for this one but since we were using the ship primarily as transportation and not as a vacation this was ok. Well we were pleasantly surprised as we had an excellent cruise albeit not without a few issues. Embarkation in Fort Lauderdale was quick and easy surprisingly! Firstly, the food was GREAT. Our last TA it was TERRIBLE. Almost every dinner was excellent. We used room service and did not eat in the MDR. This did not detract from the experience as every day the food was delivered promptly and hot. We ate off the MDR menu. The salads. however were always terrible. The breakfast buffet was good and lunch was hit or miss. The sushi at dinner was the best I have ever seen on a ship. It will be a shame to lose this if Celebrity chooses to convert all the Bistro on 5's to sushi restaurants. The Bistro on this cruise was a disappointment. The menu had changed since our last cruise and ALL our favorites were gone. Entertainment was plentiful but quality-wise was mediocre. BUT that is my taste. The comedian had a good show and bad, the production shows were just ok. There was something going on every night which was a good thing. Despite the bad weather the ship was very smooth even on the day we had 17' waves. The size and layout of the ship are very nice indeed. The crew was mostly happy, helpful and very friendly. It really does start at the top. The captain was nothing but cordial and jovial every time I saw him. I liked the three ports we stopped at. Madeira, Gibraltar and Cartegena. I did not participate in any ship excursion. The issues I had: We had a bad smell in the bathroom and on the floor near us that made my eyes water but it was resolved quickly along with an A/C issue. Our safe broke the first day and it took 3 trips by a mechanic to fix it but in the end it was no big deal. There were no free in room movies like our cruise had - all were $12.95. This was a disappointment. The background music on open decks and in public rooms was the WORST music I have ever heard. Mostly covers performed horribly and WAY TOO LOUD - this was supposed to be background music! Whoever's job it was the pick the music should have been made to walk the plank. It WAS that bad 99% of the time. There were days that the smoking side of deck 4 was closed due to high winds yet the jogging track on the high deck with more wind was open. There was too much maintenance on open decks; keeping them closed at inconvenient times. My pants one day were ruined by a solution that was being used to clean deck chairs. The actual deck and chair became stained as well. I brought this to the attention of guest relations and they actually credited me for most of the cost of the pants without an argument. This was greatly appreciated. It paid to take pictures. The ocean spa cafe charged $6 for a smoothie of mixed fruit that was free to eat. I thought this was absurd. Their breakfast offerings were good though. We liked the Reflection lounge on deck 11 but they closed it an absurd amount of times for private functions. One bad moment we had was when the Captain's club rep knocked my wife down in a rush to get people out of the lounge for one such function. Ultimately he found us, embarrassed; apologized a thousand times, sent us wine, chocolate covered strawberries and a free dinner at the Bistro. I was really angry at first but he did make it right. He was extremely nice to us the remainder of the cruise (as he should have been) There is no excuse for what happened. EVER! Yes this seems like a lot of complaints but all I am trying to do here is give you an idea of what the cruise was like and hopefully someone from Celebrity will take note of the issues we had. We had a great time and this ship and its' crew have restored my faith in Celebrity and we did book another cruise while on board. We now have two future cruises to look forward to. The last thing I would like to talk about is how this ship is extremely UNFRIENDLY to people with mobility issues. Too many raised thresholds and no buttons to push to open doors to the cabin or to get outside. A person with a mobility problem simply cannot take a cruise on this ship alone. This problem really really should be addressed the next time the ship is in dry dock. Disembarkation in CIvitavecchia was excellent although the buses to get to the port exit are also extremely unfriendly to people with mobility issues. This should also be addressed at some point. Again, I loved this cruise. The food and crew far exceeded our expectations. All the issues we had were resolved in a timely manner and in no way detracted from the overall experience. Read Less

I went on this cruise with my wife and this was my 27th cruise, but my first transatlantic. We flew in FLL the day before, rented a car and drove to our hotel in Boca Raton, the Marriott Boca Center. The next morning I dropped the wife and the luggage at the pier and I returned the car at FLL. I then grabbed an UBER and went to the pier. The embarkation was extremely easy and fast and we were on the ship eating at the oceanview cafe in about 30 minutes from the time we entered the terminal. The cabin was 8071, a concierge balcony and it was perfect in size and location. Our cabin stewards were amazing and I spent considerable time on the balcony. The dining was in the san marco restaurant on deck 4 at 8 pm every evening and we were at table 119, a table for 10. Both the waiter and the assistant were amazing and they made sure everything was 10 out of 10. Both the wife and I remarked that the food presentation was wonderful, the food was very tasty and warm and the portions were more than sufficient. We were very impressed with the oceanview cafe and the variety that it offered. One night we ate at Oceanliners, taking advantage of the $25 per person cover, which was 50% off the normal price. The service, presentation and quality of the food was amazing. The entertainment was phenomenal and featured shows, singers, jugglers, bands and DJ's. In addition there were guest speakers almost everyday talking about the Roman Empire and airplanes and flying. The cruise director, Maarten, was friendly, visible and fun to be around. The ports were wonderful and the three excursions we booked at home on the celebrity website were organized and informative. The disembarkation was organized and efficient and there was no confusion as to where we should go and what we should do. I loved the shows, Casablanca, the Serbian Band, Four Elements, the band from Poland, Sugar and Honey, the duet, and the gentleman playing the guitar. The Constellation orchestra was incredibly good and talented. We saw a violin lady from Poland, Savannah Smith the singer from Las Vegas, the juggler, the Phil Collins impersonator, Travis the singer, who was very talented and entertaining, and the amazing piano lady that used to play in China. The two DJ's, Lancero and Crazy Prince were amazing and kept the party going late into the night at the Reflections Lounge on deck 11 and on deck 4 outside the Martinini Bar. The crew members were the friendliest and nicest I have been around on a cruise ship and they made the trip a delight. She ship was clean and I could not find anything wrong with it. I purchased the standard $45 drinking package and drank a variety of drinks all day long, never having a problem getting a drink. This was my favorite cruise ever and I did not have a boring moment, although it was a transatlantic and I thought I might be bored. I bought the unlimited internet for $179 and it was very fast and reliable. I have posted the videos I personally filmed with my iPhone on youtube and they can be found searching for: "cruise addict". They cover the ship, excursions, food, drinks, shows, music and a host of other useful information. I hope that after watching the videos, you will see why I had such an amazing time onboard the Constellation and can't stop bragging about it. I can't wait to do another transatlantic next spring as they are the most relaxing and fun way to get to Europe. The Celebrity Constellation and its crew made this my best cruise so far. I hope this review has been helpful and I hope you do not hesitate to book the Celebrity Constellation, because she is an amazing ship with an amazing crew. Bon Voyage. Read Less

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Our fifth cruise and First cruise with Celebrity. We were looking forward to an awe inspiring cruise, fill of fun, activities, quality entertainment, what we found was a very uninspiring and rather dull cruise. I feel that the age demographics of this cruise (with the majority (80%) of guests being 65+) may have been a contributing factor in our boring cruise, as it seemed the daily activities and entertainment was directed toward the more sedate guests. Another disappointing factor was that many of the activities had a fee attached to them. We would have loved to joined in with yoga, fitness, martini making, cooking classes etc but couldn't justify the extra cost. It would have been nice to have sat in the Theatre and watched movies with more regularity than what was offered (twice in 15 days). There was plenty of Tournaments at the Casino (most also at a charge), it was evident that the Casino was by far the BIGGEST money-maker onboard. ENTERTAINMENT. Theatre shows put on by the Celebrity Dance and music crew were spectacular. Most enjoyable productions it was a shame there were only a few of them. The funniest show I have EVER seen on a cruise was Celbrity Constellations 'Liar liar' with the Captain, Cruise Director and Music director having us rolling around in stitches. Tenors of Rock another amazing show stopper. BEVERAGE Bars opened late and closed early (except the Casino Bar which closed about 1am), and no 24 hour cafe and eatery made utilising our 'Very Expensive' beverage package hard to utilize to its fullest. We purchased the Classic Beverage Package ($65/day each) which only entitled us to lower shelf spirits, light beers and $8 cocktails (we only found one $8 cocktail, all others were $9+). Sometimes the bars which were open were unstaffed (exception the pool bars) and many times trying to attract the attention of drinks waiter was like trying find a needle in a haystack. FOOD It was worthwhile dining at the seated restaurant and wasn't a problem changing our seating time from early to late dining. There could have been more variety on the menu, but the food was delicious and presented beautifully. The wait staff were VERY attentive, happy and warm. This was also the same for breakfast dining in the restaurant. The buffet was easily accessible and food again was presented fresh and delicious. It was good to see the chefs come out and inspect the displays to ensure they were kept up to high standards. Another bonus was that there were plenty of hand sanitation stations throughout the ship. STOPOVERS/EXCURSIONS We had heard too many complaints about shore excursion prices, overstuffed buses, slow patrons, impatient operators so we decided to find our own way around each stopover. Absolutely brilliant idea, so much cheaper (we saved $100's). Hop on..Hop off Buses which operated in most ports was the easiest way to get around as many sightseeing places as possible - they take about 1-2 hours full trip, so by our second time around we knew where we'd like visit. Some places we just took a taxi to the beach and sat in the bar to enjoy some cheap drinks and WiFi. Sharing taxis with others was another great way to get around, and the drivers would take you off the beaten track if you asked. We enjoyed a most beautiful Terrine in Agadir in our drivers favourite eatery. OVERALL Crew and Staff were amazing and at an earlier suggestion we tipped our Cabin Steward, bar staff and Wait staff, I feel though that even though we did this they would have given us the same great service that we received. They were all so happy and loved working for Celebrity, and it showed. The elite enjoyed 'Michaels Bar' and Aqua reserved only for members, from what we observed were mostly emptied... These could have been better utilised. The pay restaurants were well staffed, AMAZING food but to have a bottle of wine one needed to take out a small loan. All onboard extras (and there was lot) were very expensive, from the $5.50 coffee to $300 Wifi package. Lack of interesting daily activities had us creating our own just so we could make the days go by quickly... 10am - 12.00pm 'carona's by the pool. 12.00pm -1.30pm buffet selection creation. 1.30pm - 5.30 Bourbon at the Cas. 5.30 - 7pm Nana Nap. 7pm - 8.30 theatre Show. 8 30 wine and dine. There were many times we felt like we were on a Celebrity Xtortion Cruise and as we had travelled from Australia with a terrible exchange rate to EUR and $US, cost of cruise and getting to port of embarkment... The whole experience left us with an empty wallet. Read Less

We arranged for a morning driving tour of Rome before proceeding to the port. Our bags were checked in with the cruise line at the airport and transferred to the ship for us. Our tour arrived at the port about an hour and a half prior to sailing so the check-in lines were minimal and check-in was fast and efficient. All bags were waiting in our cabin when we arrived. The selection and quality of shore excursions were good, especially for a repositioning cruise. The most popular was by far the camel ride in Lanzarote. Very reasonably priced and well worth it. The production entertainment on the ship was very good. The guest entertainers were nothing special. We had seen ALL of them before on prior transatlantic cruises. The food and service in the main dining room was mediocre at best and certainly not up to Celebrity standards. Menus were fairly blase. The MDR has been cut in size to accommodate specialty dining. The dining room is crowded and service very slow. We rarely received a hot meal. Our waiter apologized and said that the food for the main dining room is preplated to allow emphasis on the specialty restaurants. He also said that main dining room staffing has been cut. He said he wasn't proud of the food he was serving and agreed that it has certainly slipped in recent months. The buffet was a good alternative and food was served hot. Bistro on 5 was TERRIBLE. Extremely POOR service for an alternative dining venue. Read Less

This is my 2nd Transatlantic crossing with Celebrity. The first was on the Century which was a delightful experience. This time however I felt a bit letdown. If you have a minute here's my day to day observations. Embarkation in Rome was flawless. Easy as one two three. My friend and I skipped the photos and went directly to the ship to explore. I liked the feel immediately and then we made our way to the café and had lunch. the Food overall was adequate, plentiful and pretty much uninspired. The Italian pasta bar was great but waited 20 minutes to get served as there was one chef on the burners. same with the Wok station and only in the evening, not for lunch. I avoided this spot for most of the cruise except at 4pm for tea, great scones and preserves. The dinning room became my eatery as the idea of being served was both welcomed and made me feel as if I were on a higher end cruise. Breakfast great, lunch very good but dinner again rather lackluster... Boring...Although cudo's to the service, we had a great team to serve us headed my Matland. Also we were lucky enough to be paired with an awesome couple from Scotland. This was after I spoke to the maître d about being sat at a table for 8 with three people. In fact most of the tables looked half empty. Perhaps the later seating does that but why not group the leftovers together. Poor planning. The cabin was clean with plenty of storage and very restful bedding. no complaints there and Evita and her team were super. Celebrity is the nickel and dime you line. Charged up to $15.00 for bus transfers. Never before did that happen. Half of the activities were about spending more money that about enrichment. The Captain was funny, congenial and very visible. nice going Capt.Taos. The cruise director was friendly but for 15 days every announcement was delivered in a chaotic, high decibel banter. Most of the trivia, entertainment, specialty games were handled by 25 year olds and geared toward people born after the 1980's. This was not the clientele and the 80 percent of the passengers seemed disappointed. A few highlights for me were the Violinist, Josh on the piano...and Kathleen and the Saints. dance music for people who dance together. That was the highlight of my day. I did not have a bad time. The itinerary was great. Cartagena was amazing. and I got to ride a camel in Morocco. I just think I'm going to try a different line next year because good or OK or nice should be replaced with Wow!. There just was no Wow. Read Less

We were on the Celebrity Constellation on the November 4, 2015 transatlantic crossing. Check-in was quick, efficient and well handled. We were impressed with the speed in which we were able to check in and board the ship. I should note at this point that this was our second time leaving from Civitavecchia on a Celebrity ship and both times it was a quick and smooth process. Bar service was quite often slow, particularly in the casino. The Oceanview buffet on deck 10 was generally quite good but there were little problems with equipment (such as broken coffee makers etc.) and consistently long line ups at the stir fry station. I don't know if it is possible to add staff to highly popular stations but Celebrity may want to give that some thought. The salad bar was not well stocked. We had chosen select dining as an option and this is where the disappointment was the greatest. We have been on the Celebrity Solstice and Silhouette ships and we found the food and wait staff great. However on the Constellation the dining room staff provided inconsistent service. The sommelier appeared more interested in hawking bottles of wine as opposed to discussing informed wine/food pairings. She also made a number of errors with respect to billing. My husband, who had the premium beverage package, found glasses of wine on his account on several occasions when no wine should have been charged to our account. One time when the sommelier put an invoice in front of him to sign, I asked why he would need to sign anything when he had the premium beverage package and had only had a couple glasses of wine with dinner (wine which would actually be covered under a classic beverage package). She apologized and said his sea pass must be worn and she could not see that he had a package. This would have been believable had we not had the same discussion the previous evening. We made sure we sat in another area of the dining room after that time. Overall the wait staff was not impressive and not up to the higher service standards experienced on other Celebrity ships. The food in the dining room was not impressive taste wise and the portions small. I had a stuffed portabello mushroom as a main course and it was tiny. It would be considered a tiny appetizer and was ridiculously small for a main course. Overall the quality of the food was not good and we were underwhelmed with the taste, selection and presentation of the food in the dining room. The Ocean Liners specialty restaurant was an exception with regard to the quality of the food on this ship. We dined in that restaurant twice and on both occasions our meals were excellent and beautifully presented. Service was also exceptional. There was a bit of an odd situation when dealing with the reservations on both nights. On the first night of our reservation, we called to see if we could push our reservation by a half hour and dine with friends. We were told no, the restaurant was full and changing the reservation start time would be impossible. I then said we would call our friends and see if they wanted to move their reservation up 30 minutes since we were among the first dining times. We were then told that the restaurant could accommodate our requested change in time and pushed our reservation back by the requested 30 minutes. When we went to the restaurant there were only two tables occupied. In fact it never filled and there were many empty tables. There was also a small issue with our second reservation. On the second last night of our cruise, we asked to move the reservation from the last night to that evening. We were told it would be impossible to move the reservation as the restaurant was fully booked. We understood. However ten minutes after being told that, we were entering into the Oceanview and there was a Celebrity staff member encouraging people to make Ocean Liner reservations for that night. We asked him if there were tables available for that night and he said there were. We told him we had reservations for the last night of the cruise and we asked if we could change and he said there was no problem. He made the arrangements and we appreciate his efforts. Once again when dining there, despite being told the place was fully booked, we found it was barely occupied and there were three or four tables occupied (none with more than four people). The captain was entertaining and his daily updates were often the highlight of the day. The shows or theater entertainment was hit and miss. One act of note was the comedian who was very good and we felt well entertained. Overall the activities on the ship seemed to be fewer than on other ships and for the most part we were disappointed (Trivia, bingo etc.). At times staff seemed disorganized and we wondered if staff were new to their positions and this was their first experience on the ship. It had the flavour of "we are new at this so forgive our mistakes". The ship does seem a bit tired in spots and in need of an update even though it went through an update three or four years ago. We will forgive worn decor if the staff are on the ball, but this was not the case. There just seemed to be lackadaisical attitude towards any task by many of the staff members. Read Less

We had a great time on the Constellation. As always the meals were delicious and presented nicely. The staff was helpful and friendly . For the first time we used the excursions from the ship. For the most part all went well. A little over priced. Our two favorite s were the Segway tour which everyone should do and the camel ride. The ports of call were all memorable in there own way. They had on the ship a young cast of dancer that gave us outstanding productions on stage and good dance classes that were very helpful. Our stateroom 6032 was well taken care of by Clifford . He was always there to help. Read Less

We had a great cruise. Maybe it was because we had a table at dining each night with 8 friendly people; maybe it was because there were a lot of cruise critic members who set up a lot of activities during the cruise; maybe it was our cabin 3118 and our wonderful cabin stewards for whom we have nothing but praise. Food: Buffet plenty of selection and very good Entertainment: excellent dancers with different type of shows service: very good bingo: too expensive with no rewards casino: staff very good willing to explain games; gamblers and non gamblers will be happy embarkation and disembarkation very good Read Less

This was my sixth Transatlantic sailing on the Constellation, so I knew what to expect. However, for some reason this sailing ranks at the top. Getting to the ship was a breeze with a non-stop flight to Ft. Lauderdale on Southwest the day before sailing. Check in was super fast with a comfortable waiting area; only a few minutes wait before we could board. And the weather was perfect for departure. My cabin was on deck 2, very quiet and close to midship. After the lifeboat drill, the Cruise Critic members gathered at the Sunset Bar for departure drinks. Prior to sailing one of the CC members had arranged a solo/single travelers meet and greet at the same venue. What a super way for us singles to start the trip. Many thanks to Andrea for her efforts. Later on the ship arranged two single/solo lunches for us. Entertainment as mentioned in the previous review was highlighted by several performances by Jayne Curry. Her rendition of the ABBA song, Dancing Queen, may have been the highlight of my trip. Never seen anything like it! Would sail again just to see her sing it. The weather could not have been more perfect, calm seas, abundant sunshine, and pleasant temperatures. Forgot the sunscreen and suffered for lack of it. The security gal in London Heathrow commented on my tan! Disembarkation was a breeze. A fellow solo traveler whom I connected with through Cruise Critic had arranged a van to FCO. The flight home was booked through ChoiceAir on BA - flights were not at all full so lots of room to stretch out. All in all, a fun trip. Many thanks to Captain Nickolas Chrisodoulakis and his crew for all their efforts. Read Less

We have done 2 Westbound Crossings and numerous other Celebrity cruises and this was certainly one of the best. The entertainment was the best we have experienced on any cruise ship, ever. The officers and crew were accessible and very friendly. The Captain has cultivated a culture of friendliness and it shows. Stateroom attendants were excellent and our room was always clean. Waiter Metin and wine steward Feyzullah were absolutely outstanding. We have done a crossing on the Reflection, which is newer and larger, but we have to say that we actually prefer the Constellation. We can't think of anything they could have done better on this cruise. Read Less

This was our thirty-second cruise, but only our third trip on Celebrity. We have done six Transatlantic crossings and this was our second crossing on Celebrity. We made a similar cruise on the Celebrity Equinox last April. We have Elite status on Princess, but we have given up our perks on Princess and have now decided that Celebrity is our cruise line of choice. We flew from Tucson to Ft. Lauderdale a day early and stayed at the Crown Plaza hotel the night before sailing. We stayed at this hotel last year before boarding the Equinox and were again very pleased with the hotel's amenities and service. We had a wonderful room, shuttle service from the airport and a pre-paid breakfast at the hotel (a buffet, we ate only cereal, coffee and fruit, but a nice variety of items was offered). We also ate dinner at the hotel the night before departure and it was pleasant, but nothing special. The morning of embarkation, we took the hotel's shuttle to the port. It left the hotel at 10:00 AM and we arrived at the port within a half hour. We were booked in consierge (C2)class (which we have always used on Celebrity). We were promptly processed and led to a waiting area. We were among the first to board and we decided to wait in the library on deck 8. This area was very close to our room. We sat comfortably in the library area playing games and reading from our iPads while we waited. It was about 2 hours before we could enter our cabin but we were comfortable so we didn't mind the wait. We were not hungry, so we decided to wait until our room was available before going up for some lunch. The location of our room was perfect! Just as on the Equinox, we chose a location mid-ship since I frequently suffer from sea sickness. We had cabin #8115---just a few steps from the library, mid-ship elevators and a few stair ways below the buffet. I always order champagne and flowers for our sail-Away. When we arrived in the room I noticed that the flowers were not there. When our cabin steward introduced himself, I mentioned this and he was quick to note that flowers are NO LONGER included in consierge class rooms. I told him that I was not looking for "included" flowers, but had paid for flowers and expected them to be there. He delivered flowers shortly thereafter. As always, I truly enjoy flowers. Too bad they are no longer a part of Consierge class service. Our room was very nice, roomy, good view, and just what we expected and what we have had in the past. However, our room was VERY cold. We are from Arizona and thought it might just be that we were not accustomed to the temperature. We put up with it for two days and then called maintenance and found that there was a defect in the thermometer. Afterward the cabin temperature was fine! Our steward kept our room very clean and well supplied. Our bed was comfortable and we always like FIRM pillows. We have always enjoyed a large table for meals on our cruises. We were seated at the main seating at a table for 8. All were very pleasant table mates and the service and food was excellent. We particularly like the fact that Celebrity offers certain foods which are "Always" available. We have travelled on many cruise lines, but frankly we enjoy the food and service on Celebrity. Our servers were attentive and remembered our preferences. We like our coffee WITH dessert and on many lines it is always served After dessert! Thanks for that special service! The selections in the buffet were very good! We were always able to find items we enjoyed. We especially liked the fresh cheeses which were freshly sliced at lunch. We have not seen this on other ship and found it a VERY nice addition......thank you! We also enjoyed a meal in the Tuscan Grill (a restaurant we had tried previously on the Equinox) and were especially delighted with our dinner in the Ocean Liners restaurant. The meals prepared and served tableside were truly reminiscent of the ocean liners of years ago. We particularly like the Café Al Bacco and had coffee there each day while we retrieved our local newspaper via the internet. We like our cappucchino and café Americano. Service was always good and pleasant. We have to watch our calories, so we didn't indulge in all those beautiful pastries. On Celebrity we order the pre-paid premium non-alcoholic package. This works very well for us. We both drink soft drinks, special coffees and bottled waters. We also buy wines, but usually buy it by the bottle. On this cruise, we found it a bit more difficult to get Pellegrino water at some of the bars. The internet service on the Constellation was acceptable. The pricing was OK, (even if we don't get the Princess Perks). The speed was OK and we did not have to pay to print our airline boarding passes. I am appalled when cruise lines such as Cunard are so petty to charge .50 cents per page to print boarding passes. Since we have made several Transatlantic crossings, we had already visited some ports. We did take two of the Celebrity port excursions and were very pleased. Good information on ports and well price. (We have always found the Celebrity excursions very good and well priced.) The fitness center was well equipped and after the third day we never found it crowded. (Seems everyone has good intentions at the beginning of the trip.) We enjoyed several of the evening entertainment events and some of the daytime entertainment choices. We especially liked the fact that FOX News was available most of the time on our cabin television. Would have liked to have seen more movies provided (pay or free). The lounge music and entertainment was very pleasant. Debarkation was flawless. We had arranged a private car to meet us at the pier at 9:00 AM. We could manage our own luggage, so we had breakfast in the buffet at 8:00, returned to our room at 8:30, retrieved our luggage and left the ship. Our ride was waiting for us on the pier. Wonderful trip, great food and service and we have already booked another trip on Celebrity! Read Less

This was my first Reposition cruise and my 3rd Celebrity adventure. I was very pleased with the entire voyage to Rome. The crew was VERY friendly & helpful. My cabin attendants were both VERY good in every way possible. The dining room waiter and assistant were also VERY good,friendly ant attentive. Speaking of the dining room, the food and menu were beyond my expectations. The nightly and daily shows were spectacular!!! There were 13 Evening shows and at least 8 3 pm shows. We had singers and dancers that were Broadway quality in the production shows. Ms Curry was outstanding as well as a bunch of individual headliners. Out of all these shows only one was less than fair, A magician who should not be seen on cruises. There were plenty of daily activities and a very nice couple who arranged a daily bridge game that was well attended. The ship was immaculate from bow to stern, and the buffet was very good. I want to point out our Captain who was everywhere on the ship speaking to passengers was excellent in all respects. The Other officers were very visable and friendly. The ports we visited were very nice and I liked Gibralter very much. The weather was 100%+++ for the entire cruise. Kudos for Celebrity & The Constellation. Bob Weiss Read Less

Had perfect weather, calm seas. Never bored, very relaxing. Ship is spotless and excellent crew. Only exception was the Captains Club host. Very pompous and really not interested in you unless you are Elite or higher. Certainly not as professional as the CC hosts on previous journeys. Might prefer a bit bigger ship with more amenities for so many sea days, but really had a great time. Read Less

This was our third cruise on Constellation. We really like the friendly attitude of the staff, including the officers. I was a bit nervous about the weather, since it was our first transatlantic sailing.I was surprised and happy to hear the the captain had ordered a 50 mile course alteration to keep us from rough seas. The food on Constellation has been good on all three sailings, not outstanding but certainly good, and since our last Princess sailing served the worst food I have ever had on a cruise, we have been happy. Ocean View Cafe, the buffet takes a bit of exploration to be able to take advantage of all it offers. Many people do not find the eggs Benedict since they are only available at one station, the signs that tell you what kind of egg dishes can be custom cooked at each station are not terribly obvious. It really requires reading your daily newsletter to find out what is what up there. But if you pay attention, you can maximize your enjoyment there. We ate in the main dining room for dinner most nights, and the serving personnel were outstanding. The lamb dishes were excellent. Our cabin was the usual. Bigger pillows would have been great, but the beds are really comfortable. The grout in our bathroom floor could have been cleaner, but our room steward took care of it. The guest entertainers, especially Jayne Curry, were wonderful. The stage shows were lame, but I have never seen any that I considered super. The most obvious failing is in daytime entertainment. The lectures were great but didn't take up of lot of our day. We are seriously considering another transatlantic, and probably Celebrity. Read Less

This was our first Transatlantic cruise and it could not have been better. The seas were calm (credit to the Captain for going around a storm) the entire trip and my husband who gets sea sick easily never had a moments discomfort! The ship is beautiful and well kept. The crew were always there with a smile and willing to help with anything you might need. This was our first time in a Celebrity Suite and it was wonderful. Michaels Club was our go to place to have a quiet drink and meet up with the many wonderful new friends we had met there. The Michael's concierge, Gareth Watkins was amazing- there was nothing we requested that he didn't come through with. The girls in Michael's remembered what you liked to drink and they were always quick with bringing you a snack if you were hungry. Luminae (I was told pronounced Lume eh nay') was worth waiting for. We loved the food and the service was great (although a little slow - hard to make the shows if you had desert). We tried both specialty restaurants and recommend them both. There were plenty of activities and entertainment to keep you as busy as you wanted to be. They even had shows during the day which was nice since we kept losing an hour here and there and it was harder to stay up late at night for the shows. We stopped in Madeira, Portugal; Gibraltar, UK; and Alicante, Spain. We did private tours in Madeira and Gibraltar with wonderful fellow cruisers that we met up with on our Cruise Critic Roll Call. In Alicante we did the HOHO bus and walked around town and ate at a local restaurant (LeMedina) for authentic Paella - a very pretty town to walk in! When we reached Civitavecchia we literally just walked off the ship and onto our tour bus for a look at St. Peter's square, the Coliseum and the Forum in Rome and then off to the airport. It was a ships tour and a great way to end our cruise. From there we flew to London to spend five wonderful days exploring before heading home to the States. We cannot wait for our next Celebrity Cruise! Read Less

My wife and I have taken 22 cruises so we know what level of service to expect. Weather,ports of call – the cruise across was great. Calm seas and for the most part good weather. We really enjoyed the ports – took an amazing cable car ride on Madeira, strolled around Gibraltar and visited the castle over-looking the town in Alicante Food – we ate at late seating and the food was excellent and the service was good – our waiter and assistant waiter were efficient and friendly. We ate at Horizon court for most breakfasts and lunches and there was a good variety of hot and cold dishes to choose from. We did not eat at the specialty restaurants as we found $45US to be pricey especially as the dining room meal was quite good. We ate at the Crepe restaurant once and thought that for $10US it was good value. Room – cabin was adequate and the room steward and his assistant were efficient and friendly. By the time we got back from breakfast they had cleaned the room and made the bed. Entertainment – outstanding. As I mentioned we have taken 22 cruises and the entertainment on this cruise was the BEST of all cruises. During the first 7 days of the crossing there was a matinee show at 3pm and there were also guest lecturers so there was plenty to do. Special mention must go to Jayne Curry who appeared several times and was great. Also the production shows were great. The entertainment staff did Zumba and dance classes and were very visible and energetic. Gym – now the BAD part. We would go the gym regularly in the early evening when it wasn’t busy – they would be playing background music VERY loudly and were very hostile to suggestions to turn the volume down. After an argument the assistant gym manager agreed to turn the volume down and then informed me that as soon as I left she would turn the volume back up. She was not pleasant to deal with and we have never had this problem on other cruises. Another couple of minor complaints – laundry was pricey at $45 for a bag and I bought a small bottle of water and was astounded at the $4.23 charge ($3.50 for a small bottle of water plus 18% service) – talk about over-priced !! (PS I am Canadian so with the exchange rate factored in that bottle of water cost over $5 CAD) To summarize – the best Trans-Atlantic cruise we have taken - we were very happy with Constellation, the entertainment was great and we would cruise on her again. Read Less

This was my 25th cruise. My third with Celebrity. The ship was in good condition. We found are ocean view cabin to be very clean, with ample closet space and plenty of light and mirrors. The crew was extremely friendly. We were constantly greeted by staff. The officers were also quite visible through out the cruise. We had "select dining" and never had to wait for a table. The Waite staff was extremely professional. The food always came out hot. Some of the cuts of meat were tuff, but overall the dining experience in the San Marco restaurant was first class. The buffet with the exception of breakfast was a disappointment. Dinner in the buffet was limited and the selection most nights not good. We avoided the buffet and stuck to the main restaurant. After 9:30 good luck finding a snack. It was pretty much limited to pizza & pasta. Entertainment was hit or miss. We attended most of the shows. The production shows with Celebrity's own entertainers were some of the worst. The ports with the exception of Agadir, Morocco were great. Our tour of Taroudant, Morocco was a big disappointment. Over all I would rate my experience on Celebrity, Very Good. Read Less

A little history first... I am early 40s and have been on 9 cruises to date of which 3 are westbound transatlantic crossings (including the one I am writing about). Typical cruise vacations are usually 3-4 weeks in length that include vacation time on land either pre or post cruise (or both). I read plenty of cruise reviews that have no details or explanations (not helpful) or reviews that focus on too many subjective complaints (also not helpful). I will comment on facts and actual events that occurred during my cruise. This 16 day westbound transatlantic on Constellation was to embark on 05-November-2014. Due to severe weather conditions at the port in Civitavecchia, passengers were notified on the evening of 04-November through a number of different methods (e-mail, telephone, text message) that the ship would remain in Naples, Italy to disembark passenger on the prior cruise and to embark passengers for the upcoming cruise. I started to receive notifications on my mobile phone around 5:00 PM (Rome time). I was able to communicate all of these changes to other passengers I was cruising with in my pre-arranged shuttle as well as post on the Cruise Critic board for the larger audience that would be affected. This was the first time for me to have this kind of event happen and it was a bit of a shock at first, but nothing that didn't work out in the end. I was fortunate to have already been in Italy for several days pre-cruise, so this last minute change was a hurdle that could be easily overcome. I made a quick call to the shuttle service I used (Rome Cabs) and they updated my final destination from the port to the FCO airport where Celebrity had motorcoaches waiting for us to take us to Naples to board the cruise ship. This worked out relatively smoothly given the vast number of people that were impacted by this change. Boarding the cruise ship in Naples was easy, but due to me forgetting my Express Pass at home, I had to fill out some paperwork provided by the cruise ship staff before I could check in. No worries, a few extra minutes to complete the paperwork and off I went to an agent to check in. Since all passengers were arriving by motorcoach sporadically throughout the day, there was never a line and that made boarding a breeze, even under these different circumstances. Because of the changes to the embarkation port, departure was at 8:00 PM (local time) and arrival in Livorno (Day 1 port stop) was delayed by about 2 hours. All in all, things would work out quite well. Muster drill was shifted a bit later to accommodate late passenger arrivals. For the next 16 days, I am in Aqua Class stateroom 9112. Again, our late arrival to the ship ensured that our room was immediately ready for us to access once on board the ship. Stateroom 9112 is a typical Aqua Class (A2 category) stateroom located on Deck 9 about 8 doors aft of the center stairwell on the Starboard side of the ship. The bed arrangement is near the bath. While this stateroom is below the Oceanview Cafe, noise was never an issue. No issues with noise from adjacent staterooms. In fact, our neighbors in 9110 were 2 of the 8 passengers in our shuttle van from Rome to the FCO airport. They were great neighbors and we had many long chats on our balcony. The proximity of this room to the center and rear stairwell allowed for easy/quick access to the Oceanview Cafe and Sunset Bar as well as elevators and stairwells for other parts of the ship (very convenient). We had excellent service from our stateroom attendant throughout the cruise. Very friendly and willing to assist us in any way possible to make our stay more enjoyable. He greeted us the first day, learned our needs for ice and our preferences for other things (in room tea, canape delivery, etc). The room was kept neat and spotless, the ice bucket was filled twice a day, and twice daily service happened so quickly when were out of the room. I did not miss the nightly chocolates as there were plenty of chocolate fixes around the ship. No towel animals either, but I would rather have fantastic service and no towel decorations, than to have lack luster service. Although we are booked in Aqua Class and Blu is our primary dining venue, I had pre-purchased a 5-dinner package in the specialty restaurants (2 dinners Tuscan Grill, 3 dinners Ocean Liners) with the first of these dinners to be had on Embarkation Day in Tuscan Grill. This was a very nice supplement to our many wonderful dinners enjoyed in Blu. As you can imagine, due to these changes the luggage did not get to our stateroom till much later in the evening. Since I had dinner reservations for 8:30 PM in Tuscan Grill, I was dressed more casually than I would prefer (wearing shorts and a polo), but the Tuscan Grill maitre d was wonderful and said to not worry. We would end up dining in Tuscan Grill 2 more times and it was some of the best service we had on the ship!! The first dinner in Blu would have been on the evening of Day 1. However, upon our arrival to the host desk at the entrance of Blu around 8:30pm, we were asked to take a seat in the Cellarmasters until a table was available for us. I was surprised and perplexed by this but did as we were asked. We were patiently waiting about 15-20 minutes before we were greeted by the Blu maitre d (an asst. maitre d from Ocean Liners covering for the regular Blu maitre d who was on vacation during this cruise). We were taken to Ocean Liners for dinner (no charge) on this night since tables in Blu were not clearing quickly enough to seat us anytime soon. While I was surprised, we were happy to be accommodated elsewhere. What I didn't know until many days later in the cruise is that this would become a reoccurring problem for us (excessive wait times to be seated in Blu). In fact, I changed up our arrival time on various days hoping to catch a break with arrival times between 7:00 PM and 8:45 PM. We seemed to arrive to a full dining room at any of these times on any given night. One night I was so frustrated about having to wait to be seated for dinner (after 15 minutes) that I went to check if there was immediate seating at either Tuscan Grill or Ocean Liners while we waited for an opening in Blu. When Ocean Liners could take us immediately, I used another night of my 5-dinner package to have us seated in Ocean Liners instead of waiting for seating in Blu. After the cruise I counted back and determined that 8 nights were spent in Blu and 8 nights were spent dining elsewhere on the ship. Only 1 night at Blu in 8 visits were we seated immediately for dinner. Having only ever been in Aqua Class one other time (on the Reflection, November 2013), I was surprised by the difficulty to be seated for dinner in a reasonable time frame. Of the 8 nights for dinner not spent in Blu, 2 of those dinners were with friends that were dining in the Select Dining area of the MDR. I haven't been in the MDR since 2011 and was very pleasantly surprised by the service and food. Because of this, the next (future) cruise will have us eating in the MDR. I enjoyed the Premium Alcohol package on this cruise and my partner had the Premium Non-alcohol package. No complaints for the most part, except for in the Specialty Dining venues where most wine by the glass is beyond the $13/glass package limit. In these situations, I would prevail upon the sommelier to find a recommendation that he could cover with the package. In all cases (except one) I liked the suggested options. The premium packages also allowed for many extra bottles of waters to take off the ship on port days, sparkling water with dinners, and specialty coffees at Cafe al Bacio. Service provided at bars all over the ship was good, even at busy times of the day. Bar service in Blu is a tad slow for my personal tastes, but once your relationship with your sommelier is established, your service improves. I still think that one sommelier for the whole restaurant is not enough (there should be 2). A single sommelier in Tuscan Grill or Ocean Liners seems reasonable as the pace of service is more relaxed. On this 16 day itinerary from Rome (technically Naples) to Fort Lauderdale, we had port stops in Livorno, Itally (Florence/Sienna/Pisa); Cartagena, Spain; Agadir, Morocco; 3 stops in the Canary Islands (Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife). The first 3 port stops were new for me. I didn't care for Morocco, but all the other port stops were amazing. We did wonderful private tours at the other ports, with the exception of Tenerife. This was our third time in 3 years to see Tenerife and we did it on our own as the port is easy to navigate by foot. My last time on an M-Class ship was the Millennium in 2011 and this was "pre-sosticization". These ships are so very beautiful and the solstice class upgrades and amenities make for a very comfortable cruise experience. While on board, I booked another cruise with Celebrity for 2015 on the Constellation. I'm not the kind of person to make note of every bit of peeling paint/rust or worn carpet/upholstery... or to take small one-off situations and blow them up out of proportion and harp about them forever on Cruise Critic threads. The public spaces were all very elegant and comfortable and neatly maintained. Public restrooms were clean and maintained at a frequency adequate to passenger traffic at various times of day. Service was generally very good at venues around the ship. Ship crew were usually smiling, very courteous, friendly, and talkative when they were not too busy. The food throughout the ship was generally very good to wonderful. I would prefer to see less self-service in the Oceanview Cafe (more staff to place food on your plate), which removes opportunities for illness and poor hygiene of passengers to affect you. Outside of the long wait times to be seated in Blu, there were no other issues that made for a mediocre or bad cruise experience while on the ship. Disembarkation in Port Everglades was at Pier 25 (or 27). Either way, it was not a fun/nice experience. The terminal is a dump (a roof and four walls). This particular day (21-November-2014) was very cool and rainy and windy. No comfortable means to take shelter from the elements once you are through customs/immigration and waiting for your private transport. If you are taking a cab to the airport right away, this is very easy to do. Read Less

My wife and I are in our 50s and have been cruising now for a while with an increased emphasis in the past couple years. We have cruised Celebrity before on Connie as well as Princess, RCI, and Carnival. This was our longest cruise by far as our previous long cruise was a 10 day Caribbean. It was our first transatlantic and our first foray into Mediterranean cruising as well. We flew into Rome 3 days before the cruise from Miami after a layover in Madrid. Having missed our connection in Madrid due to some silly rule from Iberian Air about not letting the crew onboard our plane, we arrived 3 hours later than expected. We traveled with a group through a group package that turned out to be somewhat of a disaster on the transportation front. Being somewhat abandoned at the Rome airport by our TA/transportation arrangement, we were forced to purchase our own bus to the Hotel Diana Rooftop. The hotel was fine and had a very good location. Fortunately the weather cooperated as our room did not have AC. Embarkation was another crazy day. We received notification from Celebrity the night before the cruise that the embarkation port was being changed from Civitavecchia to Naples due to weather. What a night of confusion, both from our TA and from Celebrity. I know this had to be extremely difficult on Celebrity's part as they had to contact a couple thousand passengers through various unreliable means. Having to organize 90 buses to disembark passengers from a port 175 miles away and pickup as many and get them all to Naples had to be an unbelievable logistical challenge. They came through, though, and were well organized in the Rome airport to transport passengers and their luggage to Naples. They checked our bags directly from the bus to the ship which made checking in and getting onboard very easy. Connie is showing her age somewhat, but she still sparkles in most areas. There were always crew cleaning, patching, painting, and maintaining throughout the cruise. This is still one of our favorite ships. We like that it is not a huge ship and the number of passengers never makes you feel like it is crowded. The passengers were more of a seasoned citizen variety with a few exceptions. There were only 8 kids on the cruise. From the various languages I could hear spoken throughout the cruise, passengers were primarily from the US but with a good sprinkling of European and Canadian cruisers with a few Australians as well. There was always something to do, but we spent most of our free time reading. It was sometimes difficult to find quiet places to read since many others had the same plan as ours. The activities were the typical trivia, random game shows, casino games, etc. There were very few good weather days so there wasn't much outdoor pool activity except on a couple days. Having booked Aqua class, we ate in Blu every evening and some mornings. We found the food superior there to the few times we ate lunch in the MDR. The buffet was adequate with good variety. At times the hot food was cold and the cold food warm, but there was variety at lunch and dinner. The two nights we ate dinner in the buffet were very good since they have a make to order grill in the back of the Oceanview cafe. The dinners in Blu were different than when we we were on Connie last April. There didn't seem to be as much of the "clean cuisine" concept as before as evidenced by the insistence to put gravy on every type of meat dish. Cafe Al Bachio always had something yummy whenever we needed a snack. We had booked 4 excursions through Cruise Critic members, 3 of which came off without a hitch. The other one was cancelled due to the operator not showing up. We felt bad for the organizers because it was a large group. We booked two shore excursions through Celebrity and almost got left behind on one of them (Pisa). Fortunately I was able to run to catch the tour before they left us. Rain left us disappointed in Florence but the weather cooperated at all other ports. Agadir was enlightening and a real adventure. Cartagena was nice as were the Canary Islands. Our Aqua A2 cabin was located on deck 9 unfortunately beneath the Lido deck/pool area. On any nights where music was being played we heard it pretty loud and clear and pretty much had to stay up as long as they were playing. In the early morning we would hear chairs scraping as they were being moved as well as heavy footed people walking the deck. The cabin itself was very comfortable as was the bed. Only the location under the Lido deck made it a slight disappointment. Our room stewards were awesome and always greeted us with smiles and well wishes for our day. Wait staff in Blu was exceptional as well. We really enjoyed getting to know some of the folks there since this was a long cruise. They got to know our names and habits as the cruise progressed. Particularly exceptional were Rich Gleason, the cruise director. We've been on many cruises where the cruise director is only seen in two locations- the morning show and introducing the show headliners. Rich was everywhere on this cruise, from jumping in the pool and participating in the crew/guest volleyball game, to helping with the egg drop challenge and many other areas. He was always visible in various lounges and walking the ship talking to passengers in every venue. He was just outstanding. We actually had two captains on this cruise, Captain Nikolas and Captain Tasos. I enjoyed Captain Nikolas but Captain Tasos was incredible. Again, I've never see a captain so visible and participate in so many activities. His performance at the Liar's game was incredibly funny. Overall entertainment was pretty good. The few production shows were good to very good. I was impressed that they had live entertainment every night as well as many guest lecturers that educated and entertained us in many ways. I had my perspective changed on a couple topics due to some of the lectures we attended. Disembarkation was a breeze as there apparently were a lot of customs agents that allowed us to get off of the ship earlier than expected. I wish I could say our TA redeemed themselves with a pickup in FLL. However, after waiting an hour an half in the rain with the prospect of waiting another 1-2 hours, we decided to forego our prepaid transportation and rent a car for the 3 hour drive home. In summary, this was a memorable and enjoyable cruise for us. If I had to pick one negative (other than our TA's blundering of the pre and post-cruise transportation) it was our cabin location and the noise that came along with it. The best part of the cruise had to be the great captain, cruise director and crew who went out of their way to make our cruise enjoyable. 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This was our 5th cruise on Celebrity and the 3rd on the Constellation. It is also our last cruise on Celebrity! It was a transatlantic crossing back home. Ports were generally good, however Cartagena, Spain is a waste of time. Probably they have low port fees so Celebrity used it to save some money. There isn't anything there worth seeing. Room was fine and the cabin steward (although we never saw him) was good. The captain had to leave in the middle of the trip because his wife gave birth and was replaced with a fantastic young (36) captain who was so personable and anxious to please that he was a pleasure. Food and food service was downright BAD. The service was very slow and when our table mates complained about that and other issues, we were met with a blank stare and attitude. They ignore your complaint and continue doing exactly as they had. It is like they listen to you and then go on with their bad service. Food was typical low class institutional fare. I can't even say they get it out quickly because they don't. Several dinners took 3 hours. I found that the best way to eat was to order one of the off night foods such as salmon or steak. But 16 days of salmon leaves you bored. I will say that I ate in the specialty restaurant 3 times and got Dover sole. That restaurant was excellent. The Italian restaurant was poor. I even ordered steak tartar there and it was vile. One day they had a chef's showing and he showed us how they prepare the tartar. Now I know why it is so bad. The Celebrity recipe that they worked on in the show isn't good at all. The self serve restaurant has poor help. They hide behind fake walls and partitions and talk among themselves. I saw this repeatedly and even reported it to the management but nothing changed. I enjoy going to the movies on ships in the evenings and Constellation has closed their movie theater. It used to be poor sound and bad viewing. Now it is non-existent. Which one is worse?? I can honestly say that I didn't find anyone on the ship that went out of their way for the passengers. I felt that the management on the ship wasn't paying attention. But the piece d resistance was the sales office. I went in to possibly book a cruise for 2016 ???and asked a few questions and was told to take a catalog back to my room and when I am ready to book it, come back. They do not have time to answer questions!!! These observations are not from someone who is a quack. Our table mates complained about similar lapses and one was told by the sales staff for future cruises that they are not there to answer passengers questions at all , only to book future cruises!! Also, we were scheduled to depart from Civitavecchia and at the last minute the ship couldn't dock there. Fine, we understand there was a storm and that is out of Celebrity's control. BUT NO ONE FROM CELEBRITY CONTACTED US!!! Luckily I met another passenger in Rome who was sailing on our ship and they told me! We had to go to Naples to catch our ship. All these problems, I feel relate strictly to top management, because it is extremely difficult to get all of these employees to do such a bad job. It takes a lot of talent and skill to get so many people to give bad service. You would think one or two people would actually break out of the mold give good service. The management has done a good job of preventing this. Needless to say, I will not be booking Celebrity any more. Read Less

This was my 15th Transatlantic cruise on Celebrity and I traveled solo. The start to this cruise was much different than any other cruise. On Nov 3 ,I departed on my flight to Rome and upon arrival at Fiumicino, I took the train to Civitavecchia (Civi). All went well until I received a text from Celebrity informing me that the Constellation was in Naples due to bad weather in Civi. The text said that we would be bused to Naples. Unfortunately the text did not give times of departure of departure point. Celebrity also sent emails to passengers. The emails went straight to spam so if you had a tablet or smart phone you never got the email. there were of course many confused passengers in Civi that evening. My stateroom was wonderful, up front with large porthole and extra large. The ship which I had sailed on several times is still in first class condition. Plenty of deck chairs and never a wait for anything. The crew is super friendly and everywhere to be seen. Dining in the MDR is OK, nothing more. Service is either very good or very slow. The menu shows a few changes at dinner such as pork and beans and mac and cheese added in. , Much of the meat is tough. I had seen much of the entertainment on previous cruises. Brooks Aehron, the pianist, was on board again; he is just super good and enjoyed by virtually all the passengers. The show put on by the passengers was top-notch. Disembarkation was a breeze, probably less than 20 minutes. All in all, a good cruise despite the very rocky start. I can only hope that someone in the Miami HQ learns from this experience.   Read Less

Transatlantic Crossing  4/24-5/9/2014  Embarkation: We spent the night prior to the cruise in Fort Lauderdale. Transfer from the hotel to the ship was complimentary and easy. Check-in was efficient and took around fifteen minutes. Since the staterooms were not available until 1:30 PM, the Ocean View café was overly crowded with little sitting room available. Staff did not really assist guests to find searing. Some of the food offerings ran out and there was general confusion. Stateroom: We were in cabin 8086, Concierge class. It was located midships, was quiet and very comfortable. We especially liked the cabin layout as it felt larger than it was. There was ample storage space for fifteen days’ worth of clothing. The cabin was very clean and had been upgraded so appeared fairly new. Ship Condition: The Connie is not a new ship. It was supposed to be “Solstice-ized”. There is no comparison between a Solstice class ship and a Millennium class ship. This is especially noticeable in the Ocean View buffet. Solstice class ships offer a spacious buffet experience while the connie buffet is old-style and congested. Having said that, the ship was well maintained. Cabins were upgraded and the common areas looked new and modern. The ship’s exterior was in good condition. There was no appreciable rusting. The bright work was polished and the windows were clean. Specialty Dining: We ate in the Tuscan Grill early in the cruise. The food was delicious and the service second to none. We heard some complaints about the service but I felt the key was to make reservations for an early dining before the place became over crowded. The Tuscan Grill is a highly recommended treat if time and money permit. Ocean View Café: Breakfast was average for the cruise industry. Cold cereal was dispensed in bulk which limited daily selections to three or four choices. Milk was also served in bulk and became warm after sitting out for a time. I much prefer a cold cereal selection of individual serving boxes and milk in small cartons kept refrigerated. Omelets were average as were the pastries. Very little variation was observed from day to day. Lunches were a noticeable improvement from breakfast. More variety and delicious sandwiches, especially the chicken and tuna salad. Hamburgers and sausage from the poolside grill were the best I have ever seen on any cruise ship. Pizza was below average. Crust was too thick. For some reason the pizza improved during the evening hours. We ate some evening meals in the Ocean View Grill during in-port days. The Italian and Asian entrees were very good, better in some cases than the main dining room. San Marcos Dining Room: Our table was located n the center of the room and was very noisy. We were surrounded by eight person tables which made conversation nearly impossible. Several nights we took dessert in the Ocean View Café so we could carry on our discussions. The quality of thje food ranged from below average to very good. The fish entrée were not very appealing nor tasty. Steaks were average. The one night we had lobster was wonderful. Chicken dishes were usually well above average. The table breads were boring and basically did not vary during the fifteen day trip. Our waiter, Limon, was very good so service was very good, except for getting dessert and coffee. Conclusion: the dining room experience was not as good as on other ships. Entertainment: The ship singers and dancers were above average for cruise ships. The production shows were not geared for the mature guest. Might have been good for families or the younger audience. The classicall pianist, Brooks Aehron, was wonderful. Both his evening show and the “Classics on Celebrity” performance were outstanding. He was informative and entertaining. The “Classics on Celebrity” program is new with Celebrity and a welcome edition to the on-board enrichment programs. Jack Walker, vocalist, gave a top notch performance with music from serveral different styles (pop, Broadway, country, and opera). Fantastic voice and stage presence. Jaqui Scott, a London West End star, gave an absolutely wonderful performance combining show tunes with pop songs. The best performance of the cruise. Other performers were well above average as well. Without a doubt, this was the best entertainment of any cruise that we have taken. Enrichment Programs: The at-sea programs included history, music, and current events. The port lectures were informative and did not push ship-sponsored shopping. A welcome change from most cruise ships. Port Visits: The ship made stops in Lisbon, LaHavre, Brugge, and Dover. We used the ship excursions and were generally pleased. The one bad experience was in LaHavre where ther guide was awful. When we addressed this with the ship, we were promptly refunded the cost of the excursion. Debarkation: Being elite members of the Captain’s Club, we were given a special area tgo wait for debarkation. Coffee, juice and pastries were available. When our time was called, we departed the ship without any delay. Our luggage was waiting for us in the terminal area when we debarked.   Read Less

This TA was the 2nd leg of a B2B. We were in Concierge class on deck 6 and we had a veranda that was triple size for that class stateroom, it was back where all the large suites were and we felt like "special" guests back there. Ship: Sparkling clean! This was our third cruise on Connie and she is getting better with age. Embarkation: As Concierge class we went to a special line with no waiting. Activities: So many to choose from we had trouble deciding what t do next. Often we had three activities on board we wanted to participate in at the same time so had to make some tough but happy choices. At times we would split up and do our own thing. Service: Second to none!!!!!!!!! Stateroom: Perfect and always made immaculate twice a day by the staff. A special shout out to our stewards, Muhajir and Rakesh. They were always smiling, always friendly, and always helpful. You guys are great, thanks so much for making this cruise so special! Dining: MDR was good as always, but the staff seemed to have more tables to cover so service was a bit slow at times. Tuscan Grille was outstanding, one of the best meals and service we have had anywhere thanks to our Italian waiter Fabrizio. Buffet was above average, you just have to pick and choose carefully. Wife loved the black bean soup at the lunch buffet but it was not served everyday. So she asked "Tiny" the head chef for the buffet if she could get some black bean soup the next day. Tiny said "yes ma'am" and so the whole ship had a black bean soup choice the next day. We loved the Key Lime pie served at Baccio and asked if we get it in the MDR for desert. The next evening our table of 6 was served a whole Key Lime pie much to the envy of the tables around us. Incredible! The expanded room service menu for Concierge class was great and we ate in the stateroom for breakfast several mornings. I loved the Omega 3 smoothies that are only available on the expanded room service menu. Fitness Center: First time we have ever used the fitness center and it was great. We went there early every morning and there was never a crowd. As a result gained less than 5 pounds during the 15 days. Entertainment: We were on Connie 18 months ago and the production shows were essentially the same. So we passed on most of the evening entertainment, it's always too loud anyway (I take earplugs to ease the pain). However, all the lecturers were great. Disembarkation: Concierge class has special waiting room with drinks and pastries. You go there and wait for your number to be called and walk (reluctantly) right off the ship. Easy, peasy. Summary: Our cruises on Celebrity just keep getting better and better. We have met lasting friends aboard and our table mates have always been great. We have discovered we like "sea days" better than port days so we will be doing more Transatlantics in the future. We are such fans of Celebrity, we are going to purchase stock in RCL. Read Less