My mom and I recently returned from a 7-day Mediterannean cruise on the Celebrity Constellation (October 9-16, 2010) and we were thrilled with the experience. We stayed in a stateroom with a veranda, and upgraded to Concierge Class, which I highly recommend. This was the largest and nicest stateroom I've ever stayed in, and compared to the three other cruises I've been on (Costa - Caribbean; Royal Caribbean - Alaska; Norwegian - Hawai'i), the food was by far the best. We were treated to fresh flowers and fresh fruit every day, pre-dinner canapes each evening, and a bottle of sparkling wine when we boarded. Our stateroom attendant (Danny) and his assistant worked tirelessly and kept the room spotless. It was amazing how quickly they could make up the room in the morning, change all of the towels twice a day, and turn down the beds in the evening. We opted for 'Celebrity Select Dining,' setting our own schedule for dinner every night and eating at a table for two. The dining room staff were efficient, friendly, and lovely to get to know. We also enjoyed the 'smart casual' dress code - everyone looks and behaves a bit better when they're dressed nicely at meals! The formal nights were a lot of fun...it was nice to see so many men in dinner jackets and tuxes, and ladies in cocktail dresses and gowns. We ate in the dining room every night and really enjoyed the dinners. We breakfasted in our stateroom, and the enhanced room service menu provided in Concierge Class was great. The buffet was great for lunches on days that we had half-day excursions.

We really enjoyed the cruise itinerary, and booked a tour of some sort through Celebrity in every port. My absolute favourite was 'Florence on Your Own,' which provided bus transportation to and from the city with a hilarous tour guide (Samuel) who told us all about Tuscany and his hometown of Pisa on the beautiful drive to and from Livorno.

I liked the Thalassotherapy pool, which reminded me of the solarium on the Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas. The gym was great, and was never crowded. I made a little routine of taking a dip in the pool and then doing some cardio before dinner. It's so relaxing to ride a recumbent bike or run on the treadmill while gazing out at the ocean. Most of the cardio machines also have satellite tv access if you'd rather gaze at CNN! My mom had her hair done a couple of times, and was very satisfied with the service in the salon. Read more