Celebrity Cruises
Constellation Cruise Review
Ultimate Caribbean

Lex Reis
 

On December 8th, 2006, my mother, father, best friend and I sailed on Celebrity's Constellation from Fort Lauderdale on a 10-day Caribbean cruise.

This was a first cruise for all of us, and a celebration of my dad’s 80th birthday. So, while others will undoubtedly have a broader perspective, most of the wonderful "veteran" cruisers we met aboard agreed that this was among their best cruising experiences.

For us, it was an exercise in jaw-dropping splendor and service at nearly every turn.

I will focus on service, because, to be honest, ports of call on these cruises are almost indistinguishable. I've scuba dived most of the islands and gotten to know them well, and there's no way to do anything close when you have only a few hours.

The shore excursions put together by Celebrity were excellent, and I would strongly recommend the "action adventure" type - get out and ride the two-man power zodiacs. Sail the America's cup yachts. Try diving.

We like to get away from the tourist-trap shopping as quickly as possible, and start to meet people.

One thing we always try to do, with varied success - seek out the local or national government buildings. Visit their Senate or "White House." You'd be amazed how proud people are, and how fascinating it can be to learn about people and their countries through their governments.

Now - about the service. The concept is virtually forgotten these days, except, perhaps, for the very wealthiest people. Even as seasoned travelers, though, we found the total service experience on board Constellation to be exceptional.

Certain things are expected: great food, clean surroundings, a certain level of comfort. We enjoyed all these things beyond our expectations on Constellation. Yet, it was none of those things that truly made our experience so special. Rather, it was the people of Celebrity and the attention to detail that we will remember.

It was not simply that our staterooms were comfortable and clean, but that our room steward and his assistant refreshed and thoroughly cleaned our rooms (showers, toilets and all) almost every time we left them – several times a day!

Fresh flowers and hand-rolled cloth towels in each and EVERY lavatory.

It was not simply that our wait staff was courteous and efficient, but that our head waiter, his assistant, our Sommelier, and cocktail hostess did more than serve us. They made us HAPPY! They made us LAUGH! Good Lord, they did tricks with forks and toothpicks and wine bottles (I can't explain).

If they were ever tired, or sick, or unhappy – as any human being might reasonably expect to be at times – we never knew it. Instead, they were smiling, generous, engaging, talkative, and genuinely interested in us as people. In short, we feel as though they became our friends. And we felt as though they accepted us as their friends.

I've dined in the East Room of the White House, and in a yak herder’s tent on the slopes of the world’s third-highest mountain. I’ve dined in the Ritz, and, believe me, I’ve dined in the pits. I won't call the food on Constellation the best I've ever had, but - but I can honestly say it was superb, better than I expected. When all was taken into consideration, I've rarely had a better, more enjoyable total dining experience.

No experience involving human beings can be perfect, and we did experience one instance of poor performance during our 10-day cruise, from a server at a later seating. We were patient and forgiving at first, but when the Maitre’d stopped by our table to ask how things were going, I was compelled to be honest. We were specific, and he took names, notes, and numbers. We don’t know what happened after that, but it was good to know that, even in the case of one less-than-acceptable moment, someone from Celebrity was immediately on hand to listen and to act.

Like many who've never cruised before, I was fearful that I'd be bored, or perhaps uncomfortable around a much older set. To my pleasant surprise, neither was the case. True, most folks aboard were older than me, but the "vibe" engendered by the entire staff lent itself to youthful fun, courtesy and camaraderie with total strangers.

We met fascinating people with fascinating jobs, from all walks of life, and found ourselves enriched by the conversations we had with them. I would be willing to bet that doesn't happen on every cruise line - a BIG part of this is the atmosphere that begins at the top, and is inculcated into every single crew member.

The entertainment, including Cirque Du Soleil and London's West End star of Evita (forgive me - she was so good, but I can't remember her name as I write this) were MUCH more than the sort of cheesie Vegas-style glitz parades I had expected.

Half-way through the cruise, I was still discovering new places aboard and new things to do. Computer classes. Art history lectures. Fine art auctions (no, you don't have to buy to enjoy). First-run films. Basketball. A golf simulator. One of the most spectacular spas I can imagine aboard a floating vessel.

Bored? I ran out of time LONG before I ran out of things to do.

I strongly recommend the specialty restaurant, Ocean Liners. Never mind the $30 surcharge. It was worth every penny and more for the sheer elegance and fun of it. I should have booked it more often - we only went once.

It's so hard to remember all the little things - like a PERFECTLY fitting tuxedo waiting in my stateroom closet. I can't even get a perfectly fitting tuxedo at my local tailor on a first try!

The ship itself was simply breathtaking - and perhaps all the more so for the holiday season. The art and decorations throughout were warm, inviting, elegant. String quartets playing above, steel drum bands serenading by the Thelasotherapy pools...

I thought my overall experience aboard Constellation was truly memorable.

I would not hesitate to sail with Celebrity again (in fact, my next cruise is already being planned). And I certainly would not hesitate to recommend them unequivocally to others.

If anyone would like to know more, or to ask questions about our "first timer" experience, feel free to write me at lexreis@earthlink.net.

Lex Reis
Seattle, WA


There were a thousand other things we will always remember. But I suppose the best summary I could give is that the one we’ll remember most is Celebrity’s web address and phone number. We’ve already signed up for the Captain’s Club, and are arguing about where to sail with you in 2007.

>From all the Reis family - BRAVO!

Sincerely,

Alexander J. Reis III