< Continued from page 3
I think Celebrity was a generous host and investor in the project, which is brilliant in concept, but I think that CdS fell short in the product it has provided so far. I say "so far" because I think that the product can be rescued by doing some re-programming. I think most audiences want something they can relate to ? preferably a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. In this case, real inspiration might be found in the delightful and awe-inspiring lectures of the ship?s oceanographic lecturer who demonstrated that nothing exceeds the beauty and ingenuity of the natural world.
Why not base the CdS experience on creatures of the sea? It does not have to be dumbed down to a Little Mermaid or Sponge Bob Squarepants, but should have something an audience can relate too.
Perhaps it did not help that the CdS "family" on board this cruise was quite large, and although friendly, they seemed to be a bit self-indulgent both on and off stage. Ironically, the one awesome CdS experience was provided by their sole female gymnast/acrobat/adagio dancer who gave a short performance with recognizable CdS style a few times during the cruise.
We shall see what the future brings to the Celebrity/Cirque du Soleil marriage. In the meantime, see it and judge for yourself.
The Constellation is at the large end of the medium-sized cruise ship spectrum at 90,000 tons. This size is the largest we care for, since the mega-ships (100,000 tons and up) have a reputation for diminishing returns in their quality of dining, service, and efficiency. Celebrity is in the planning stages for new ships, and hopefully they will add smaller rather than larger ships to their fleet.
Smaller cruise ships allow greater flexibility in itineraries and port access without sacrificing comfort or onboard activities.
The exterior colors of the Constellation have been changed, making the Celebrity fleet more uniform in exterior appearance. The previous blue hull and gold swath of Millennium class ships, which I liked, is now a white hull with a wide blue swath like the previous Century class ships. If you fly into San Juan on the day of departure, you may see the ship docked at the Pan American pier (near the Isla Grande private airport) from the left side airplane windows just before landing at the main SJU airport.
Much has already been written about the Constellation?s cabins and public areas, so I will keep further descriptions to a minimum.
In general, the public areas are stylish in an elegant, post-modernist sort of way. I think they are among the handsomest in the cruise industry. There is very little of the Las Vegas style over-the-top glitz here (with the exception of the casino, of course). Think international boutique hotel atmosphere instead. Some carpeting and décor have been updated since the ship was built four years ago, so it still looks new and is very well maintained.
The ship?s own art collection is interesting and even edgy, far better than the art being sold in its onboard art auctions (which appeal to shoppers who prefer decorative art). It is worth some free time while onboard just to explore the collection throughout the ship ? they have major works by Botero and Chihuly to name just two pleasant surprises.
As I extensively described in the first part of this review, the Reflections lounge on 11 deck forward has been redecorated as the Cirque du Soleil "Bar at the Edge of the Earth" experience. The 10 deck forward gym equipment seems new, or at least in better shape than I recall it from previous cruises. We have never used the spa services, which are reported to be good but which we find very expensive (it is easy to spend a few hundred dollars US in a day there). The music listening room "Notes" has been replaced by an acupuncture venue. The theater is unchanged, with great sightlines but over-amplified sound as usual (more about dealing with the ship-wide entertainment decibel problem later). The dining areas, grand foyer, shops, photo gallery, library, and alternate dining (Oceans Restaurant) also seem unchanged. There is still no self-service launderette on Celebrity ships, so bring microfiber or other easy care clothing. The photographers are polite and very capable. Our shipmates seemed to be happy with the formal portraits taken, in spite of the high prices typical of most cruise line photographers. The Internet venue has speedy links but relatively high prices (75 US cents per minute for Internet use, but one can write Word documents off-line, then copy and paste them into your e-mail messages while logged on the net -- the excellent Internet staff will show you how, or you can send and receive simple e-mails at a fixed rate). There are also good workshops on Internet use and digital photography skills, some free and others for a fee.
Page 5 > > More of Celebrity Constellation Cruise Review > >
I think Celebrity was a generous host and investor in the project, which is brilliant in concept, but I think that CdS fell short in the product it has provided so far. I say "so far" because I think that the product can be rescued by doing some re-programming. I think most audiences want something they can relate to ? preferably a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. In this case, real inspiration might be found in the delightful and awe-inspiring lectures of the ship?s oceanographic lecturer who demonstrated that nothing exceeds the beauty and ingenuity of the natural world.
Why not base the CdS experience on creatures of the sea? It does not have to be dumbed down to a Little Mermaid or Sponge Bob Squarepants, but should have something an audience can relate too.
Perhaps it did not help that the CdS "family" on board this cruise was quite large, and although friendly, they seemed to be a bit self-indulgent both on and off stage. Ironically, the one awesome CdS experience was provided by their sole female gymnast/acrobat/adagio dancer who gave a short performance with recognizable CdS style a few times during the cruise.
We shall see what the future brings to the Celebrity/Cirque du Soleil marriage. In the meantime, see it and judge for yourself.
The Constellation is at the large end of the medium-sized cruise ship spectrum at 90,000 tons. This size is the largest we care for, since the mega-ships (100,000 tons and up) have a reputation for diminishing returns in their quality of dining, service, and efficiency. Celebrity is in the planning stages for new ships, and hopefully they will add smaller rather than larger ships to their fleet.
Smaller cruise ships allow greater flexibility in itineraries and port access without sacrificing comfort or onboard activities.
The exterior colors of the Constellation have been changed, making the Celebrity fleet more uniform in exterior appearance. The previous blue hull and gold swath of Millennium class ships, which I liked, is now a white hull with a wide blue swath like the previous Century class ships. If you fly into San Juan on the day of departure, you may see the ship docked at the Pan American pier (near the Isla Grande private airport) from the left side airplane windows just before landing at the main SJU airport.
Much has already been written about the Constellation?s cabins and public areas, so I will keep further descriptions to a minimum.
In general, the public areas are stylish in an elegant, post-modernist sort of way. I think they are among the handsomest in the cruise industry. There is very little of the Las Vegas style over-the-top glitz here (with the exception of the casino, of course). Think international boutique hotel atmosphere instead. Some carpeting and décor have been updated since the ship was built four years ago, so it still looks new and is very well maintained.
The ship?s own art collection is interesting and even edgy, far better than the art being sold in its onboard art auctions (which appeal to shoppers who prefer decorative art). It is worth some free time while onboard just to explore the collection throughout the ship ? they have major works by Botero and Chihuly to name just two pleasant surprises.
As I extensively described in the first part of this review, the Reflections lounge on 11 deck forward has been redecorated as the Cirque du Soleil "Bar at the Edge of the Earth" experience. The 10 deck forward gym equipment seems new, or at least in better shape than I recall it from previous cruises. We have never used the spa services, which are reported to be good but which we find very expensive (it is easy to spend a few hundred dollars US in a day there). The music listening room "Notes" has been replaced by an acupuncture venue. The theater is unchanged, with great sightlines but over-amplified sound as usual (more about dealing with the ship-wide entertainment decibel problem later). The dining areas, grand foyer, shops, photo gallery, library, and alternate dining (Oceans Restaurant) also seem unchanged. There is still no self-service launderette on Celebrity ships, so bring microfiber or other easy care clothing. The photographers are polite and very capable. Our shipmates seemed to be happy with the formal portraits taken, in spite of the high prices typical of most cruise line photographers. The Internet venue has speedy links but relatively high prices (75 US cents per minute for Internet use, but one can write Word documents off-line, then copy and paste them into your e-mail messages while logged on the net -- the excellent Internet staff will show you how, or you can send and receive simple e-mails at a fixed rate). There are also good workshops on Internet use and digital photography skills, some free and others for a fee.
Page 5 > > More of Celebrity Constellation Cruise Review > >
Source...