Celebrity Constellation by Kim and Rachel
Ship – Constellation
Line – Celebrity
Date - 25 September 2010
Kim and Rachel joined Celebrity Constellation for 7 nights sailing out of Barcelona this September. Their itinerary took in Nice, Genoa, Florence/Pisa, Rome, & Salerno before disembarking in Barcelona
This was a 5 star trip which definitely lived up to expectations!
We flew independently from Liverpool with a low cost carrier, before taking a 15 minute and taxi transfer (which cost 35 Euro) to join the ship in Barcelona. This couldn't have been easier.
We were greeted with a champagne reception, which was a lovely start to the cruise and very much appreciated. Having just had a major revamp Constellation now features some of the amenities from the new Solstice Class of ships including the Tuscan Grille (a speciality restaurant with a $25 cover charge), Cafe al Baco (which offers speciality coffees and cakes), Bistro on Five (which serves Panini’s and crepes for a $5 cover charge) and the amazing Martini Ice Bar which was a focal meeting point for our pre dinner cocktails.
Onboard, there is an enormous feeling of space and the service is outstanding; the guest to staff ratio is 2:1 and the staff always had a friendly smile and a “Hello” for us no matter what. We had an outside cabin, which was great for waking up each morning checking the weather and letting the daylight in. The cabin itself had a classy beige and burgundy décor, flat screen TV and plenty of storage.
If the weather isn’t great Constellation has an indoor pool, Jacuzzi and Solarium area with a special Thalasotherapy Pool which has minerals in for rejuvenating the skin. We were really lucky as the sun shone every day, so we spent most of our time sunbathing out on deck; and with waiter service direct to your sun lounger what could be more relaxing?
If you do get bored of basking in the sun, there is a full activities programme every day. Our personal favourite was the cookery demonstrations/classes but there is also a cinema, a gym which runs Spin and Pilate’s classes, a wellbeing programme and a spa offering everything from massages to Botox. Quizzes, dance lessons and computer classes are also offered, the list goes on and on, there really is something for everyone!
We also noticed there were very few children onboard however they were well catered for as they have their own Fun Factory play area and a video game arcade to keep them amused.
Cruising is also about destinations, and waking up in a different port each day is thoroughly exciting. Celebrity offer a vast range of shore excursions from half day to full days, sightseeing to unique experiences, or alternatively you can use their shuttle bus service for $7 return and explore the ports of call on your own. Rome was my favourite destination and although it was a whistle stop tour in a taxi we managed to see the Vatican, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps.
Our experience of the food on board was outstanding; the fine dining in the main restaurant in the evening was an event in itself. There was a new menu each evening and also a main menu if you didn’t like anything on the new menu, so the choice was ample. During the day we dined in the Seaside Buffet, and the food and choice was again fantastic.
They would freshly make sandwiches, pasta dishes, omelettes and stir fry’s in front of you as well as having English favourites, American breakfasts and Asian dishes. A couple of days we ate outside at the poolside grill which offered freshly grilled chicken breasts, burgers and sausages as well as chilli or fajita’s. The food was available 24/7 if you wanted it and most of our waistbands had expanded by the end of the week.
Evening entertainment was whatever you wanted to make of it. In the Rendezvous lounge you would find a jazz band or pianist for a few quiet drinks whilst in Michaels club you could play cards or Karaoke, or if you want to try your luck in Fortunes Casino, gaming lessons are available. We went to the 3 tier theatre to see a couple of shows and were even given champagne on entry. The shows were very glitzy and professional and are shown twice nightly. If you fancy a late night party they do have a DJ until the early hours in the Reflections Lounge who will play all your requests.
Our overall experience was that of pure luxury, 5 star food and service with relaxing days and evenings. Celebrity thoroughly exceeded our expectations!
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