Celebrity Constellation

I was fortunate to be invited onboard Celebrity Constellation to attend a ‘Seminar at Sea’ Training event and experience this wonderful ship for myself. I was among 12 fellow Travelcounsellors on board for 7 nights and stayed in an outside cabin on deck 2. The cabin was spacious with a large picture window and I found the cabin very comfortable, in a quiet location, despite being opposite a lift (very convenient). The bathroom is typically small but sufficient and there is plenty of storage space in the cabin. You will need adaptors for your British appliances. Also there is no tea/coffee making facilities but you can always order room service and you can order morning tea or coffee the night before that it arrives first thing when you wake up. The Constellation is the first of Celebrity’s Millennium-class ships to be refurbished up to their new Solstice class level. It now has some of the most popular venues found on the Solstice class ships, including Tuscan Grille steakhouse and a new ice-Martini Bar. The whole ship looked brand new. Also restyled staterooms, with new carpeting, flat-screen TVs, upholstery and bedding - the overall feel on this ship is one of relaxed contemporary elegance. The sailing was full but at no time did it feel overcrowded. I noted also that there were very few children on board this sailing (not school holidays). I find the staff on Celebrity second to none and all are so friendly – among the best in the industry. Any wonder that once again they have won the Best Cruise Line with the readers of the Daily Telegraph for 2010. If you are thinking of cruising with Celebrity (and I can recommend it!) I can offer these tips :- Captain’s Club - be sure to join once you have cruised. Unlike other cruise lines they make it easy to earn points as you can earn multiple points on a single cruise allowing guests to move up more quickly. You will be invited to exclusive Captain’s Club events and get money off vouchers on your next cruise. Service Charges – I recommend that you pre-pay these before your cruise as it works out cheaper and then takes away the hassle of tipping on board (staff will not know who has pre-paid and who hasn’t). This is compulsory if you are taking the Select Dining option. Beverage Packages (now pre-bookable on the website) – from Soda Packages, wine packages or purchase the Classic Package and enjoy a choice of beers, spirits, cocktails and wines up to a set amount per serving (a good tip is that you can choose drinks priced higher than the set amount, such as in the ice bar, as they just put it in a smaller glass or you can purchase the Premium package). Speciality Restaurants (now pre-bookable on the website) – definitely worth the small extra cover charge for that special occasion or just to treat yourself. Tuscan Grille is an Italian style steakhouse Ocean Liners offers Contemporary French Cuisine Contact me for sample menus Tax Be aware that as mandated by the Spanish government, cruises which depart from a Spanish port and visits only EU countries, 18% tax (VAT) is added to all retail purchases of products sold onboard. For bar sales, including private mini-bars and specialty Restaurant sales, the VAT will be 8%. Shuttle Bus Charges – there is often a charge for these, ie on the cruise I on :- Villefranche – tender – no charge Genoa – Shuttle Boat $7 return or 30 minutes walk Livorno – Shuttle Bus $7 return (20 minutes transfer) Civitavecchia - free Salerno - free Trains in Italy – they are extremely cheap, for example Salerno to Pompeii (approx 1 hour journey) was 1.90 Euros one way and Civitavecchia to Rome was 9.50euros return (approx 2 hours). Prices subject to change (this was Sept 10). Finally - book your next cruise while on board to benefit from on board credit and you can pass the booking back to Travelcounsellors to look after your reservation for you – just quote our agency number 90740 and let me know when you get back. For further information on this or any other cruises please contact me by phone or email and I will be more than happy to discuss this with you and if I don’t know the answer I will certain try and find out for you. I look forward to hearing from you soon.