Although we have cruised many times over the years, this was our first trip with Celebrity. We usually prefer the newer, mega cruise ships for the greater variety of amenities & entertainment, but the Constellation didn't disappoint. The not-so-small Constellation holds approximately 2,449 passengers & 941 crew. It entered service in May 2002. We had a short delay boarding due to Public Health Inspection. Later we learned that the ship scored a 99% rating, lowered only because of a cracked tile - quite impressive! There were a large number of Europeans onboard - many from Germany and the UK. Australia was also well represented as well as Canada & South America. Announcements were made in English, German, French, sometimes also Spanish. After the first day, the frequency of announcements lessened considerably.

Question people as to why they cruise and most mention the food at the top of their list. Well, the food onboard was delicious. We always ate dinner in the main dining room, the elegant yet understated, San Marco Restaurant because the food was so wonderful. The 2-deck high windows at the rear of the restaurant and large side windows afford beautiful ocean views on both levels. A center ceiling of rose-colored glass casts a rosy glow over the entire restaurant. Tables are dressed in crisp white linens with either a small floral vase or a flickering tea light candle (battery-operated for safety.) The food has a French slant to it. The head chef is French. We had lobster on the last formal night.

One of the reasons that we were so satisfied with the food was our waiter, Gede. We always asked to be seated at one of his tables. He received a Crewmember of the Month award for the previous month. He has been with Celebrity for 13 years. Every night he offered his informed recommendations with explanations. After a short time, he anticipated our requests. Attention is given to every diner, adult or child alike, by the entire wait staff. Tables were cleared and reset moments after being vacated. I can't say enough about how smoothly the dining room was run starting from the hostesses, Amy & Alexandra at the upper level entrance. The chefs also did a terrific job with presentation of the dishes. We enjoy choosing our own time to dine & hadn't cruised on Celebrity sooner since it only recently offered this option. We usually dined between 6-6:30 and we never encountered a line or a difficulty is getting a table where we wanted to sit. Read more