This cruise liner from Celebrity Cruises entered service in 2002. At 91,000 tons, this ship is the fourth and last sister to the earlier and highly popular Celebrity Millennium, Infinity and Summit. At double occupancy, she takes 2,034 passengers and 999 crew at up to 24 knots on cruises to the Caribbean in winter, northern Europe in summer and New England and Canada in the fall. Recently she and the entire fleet added Celebrity as a prefix.
Royal Caribbean bought Celebrity Cruises from the Chandris family and have built the brand into a premium level line that wins a lot of accolades for the tasteful decor and excellent cuisine at what are just above mass market prices. Because of the success, Celebrity will receive a new, larger 118,000-ton Solstice in 2008.
Mostly North Americans are attracted to this ship. They are generally a younger crowd than is found on the other premium lines such as Holland America, Crystal and Oceania. Families tend to take to the Caribbean cruises more than to the fall foliage or European sights. South Americans like the Florida-based cruises and some British and other Europeans join the ship at Harwich, England. Tipping can be by individual envelopes handed to the wait and cabin staff or added to the bill at a rate of just over US$10 a day per adult. Children are half that. Bar tabs automatically have 15% added.
The winter sees the Celebrity Constellation based at Fort Lauderdale for 10- and 11-night cruises to the Eastern and Southern Caribbean, the latter including at stop at Colon, Panama, for visits to the Panama Canal by boat and train. A springtime positioning cruise leaves Fort Lauderdale for Harwich, a port northeast of London that is well positioned for a summer program of 14-night cruises around Britain, and to Scandinavia and the Baltic, sailing as far east at St. Petersburg. Then in the late summer, the Constellation repositions to Bayonne, New Jersey for 12-, 13- and 14-night fall foliage cruises to New England and Canada, sailing into the St. Lawrence Valley to stop at Quebec.
Celebrity has a long partnership with The Wedding Experience through which it has offered onboard vow renewals at sea and in-port wedding ceremonies. Now that seven of the eight Celebrity ships—and the two Azamara ships—have been re-registered to Malta, the captains have the jurisdiction to perform legal marriages at sea while the cruises are underway.
Passengers enter into a subdued, three-deck foyer with marble floors and wood-tone paneling, a fine introduction to the sophisticated on-board atmosphere that prevails. Trademark watering holes are the Cova Cafe looking into the grand foyer for specialty coffees and pastries and wines later in the day, and Michael's Club, a handsome woody piano bar that might have been transported from an English country hotel. The 14 elevators, including several glass-enclosed external ones, whisk passengers between decks, so reaching the Relections Lounge high up and forward is a pleasure. This spectacular space has floor-to-ceiling glass windows on three sides, giving outstanding views during the day; it is transformed into a Cirque Du Soleil interactive entertainment center in the evening and then to a disco late at night. The Celebrity theater puts on major Broadway-style production shows that should satisfy most passengers. The Celebrity Constellation, along with her fleetmates, maintains the tradition of a proper cinema, and though small, the screen does justice to films, perhaps better than the cabin TVs. Special interest lectures take place here when there are days at sea cruising to New England and Canada and in Europe.
Additional public spaces are a two-level library, a card room, Internet access at high rates, the Emporium, an attractive street for shopping, and adequate facilities for children ages 3 to 17 in the Sea Mates Fun Factory and The Tower (for teenagers). The vast AquaSpa by Steiner's of London provides all the treatments, saunas and steam rooms one would seek in a landside resort, plus an elaborate gym overlooking the bow. Sports enthusiasts have a golf simulator, basketball court, volleyball, shuffleboard and a much longer circular jogging track than is found on the Century class, where five times around equals one mile. The 25,000-sq-ft AquaSpa itself has every imaginable treatment, relaxation and exercise option that one could possibly want. Healthy fare is available at the AquaSpa Cafe for all three meals in a light-filled setting next to the thalassotherapy pool.
Prior to meals in the main dining room, the Martini and Champagne Bars overlooking the Rendezvous Lounge's music stand and dance floor provide attractive pre-dinner venues. The big window, two-level San Marco Restaurant situated aft provides a handsome setting for Celebrity's celebrated food services overseen by Michel Roux, a leading chef. Traditional two sittings prevail for dinner with breakfast and lunch at an open window. All the food is tasty and the sauces make the main courses work very well. At night the curtain backdrop is of Venice to the right of San Marco Square while during the day it is raised to reveal the sea. For less formal dining at night, a section of the Seaside Grill becomes a wait-served restaurant while still maintaining buffet choices. During the day, there is always freshly made pizza and pasta dishes, and the grill dispenses hot dogs, hamburgers and one changing special such as breast of chicken.
The piece de resistance is the Ocean Liner Restaurant, a gourmet French dining experience seating 140 and set away from the traffic flow to provide some of the best dining available at sea with tableside preparation, and naturally for an extra charge. It's well worth it. The theme reflects the great ocean liner era in photographs and especially the famous French liner Ile de France that sailed the North Atlanic for more than three decades. In addition, cooking demonstrations are held here too. Make reservations early in the cruise.
The 975 cabins include 780 outsides, of which 590 have private balconies and 195 are insides with no view. They are priced in 20 categories. The smallest is 165 sq ft, so none could be considered cramped. Standard cabins are spacious and inviting, and all feature hair dryers, TV with a wide range of programming and the ability to order room service, play games of chance, and check on the bill. Minibars (there is a charge) and safes are in all. Shower stalls are roomy and there is ample closet, shelf and drawer space, even for a longish cruise. A step up are the concierge cabins with lots of little extras such as fresh fruit and flowers, a choice of pillows, better quality towels and balcony furnishings, a concierge for making dining and spa reservations, and prioity embarkation and disembarkation and tender tickets. Several suites are stunning, and many of the aft-facing cabins have balconies that seem larger than the cabin itself. The two Penthouse Suites are amongst the very largest afloat at 2,530 sq ft plus a 1,098-sq-ft balcony that wraps around from one side to the stern. Suites provide many extras including butler service. All cabin levels have 24-hour room service; the basic items are most successful.
The Celebrity Constellation admirably maintains the line's premium reputation, well above what is offered on the mass-market Royal Caribbean ships in terms of food, service and an attractive atmosphere, if not with all of RCI's bells and whistles. She is suited for a wide range of passengers who might also be considering Oceania, Holland America and Crystal.
