First Celebrity Cruise - Disappointing

We arrived in Abu Dhabi three days before departure. We stayed at the Hilton Grand Capital. We explored the area with Emirates Adventures. We had two very good guides.

Our embarkation went very smoothly.

The Constellation is an older ship and is showing signs of wear. Our cabin was adequate but it also showed signs of age. The shower floor had a crack and it had signs of wear.

We requested a table for two, but the tables were so close together that it was like a table for four. The food was good, but the portions were small. After several days we started to order a third entrée, usually pasta, to share. The dining room staff was wonderful as was the wine steward and the hostess. When the dining room was closed for lunch, the buffet area was very crowded and it was difficult to find a seat.

We enjoy sitting on the 4th deck to read. However, we had sunbathers on that deck. It was very unpleasant having to share this area with people in bathing suits. Therefore, we didn't stay outside. Sunbathers should be on the pool deck not 5 decks below.

The entertainment was OK. Most of the acts were singing acts. The magician was good. the comedian was terrible. The ship's entertainers were good and the shows they did were well done.

There were very few activities on board. The only time we saw the Cruise Director was when he announced the acts. We never saw the ship's captain. On other ships the captain and the hotel staff are introduced on the first night. This was not done.

We used the ship's shore excursion staff twice. The first time was in Oman. This was terrible. They left us at a market for an hour and a half with nothing to do. The second time was in Colombo, Sri Lanka. This excursion was better but not stellar.

The itinerary was good. We planned our excursions before we left with private companies. This was a better plan than relying on the ship.

Disembarkation went smoothly.

I don't think I would go on another Celebrity cruise.

The cabin was fine. The shower floor was cracked and there were signs of wear in the bathroom.