Celebrity Constellation Ship Review

Celebrity Constellation Overview

The fourth and final ship in Celebrity’s Millennium class, the 91,000-ton, 1,950-guest Constellation was launched in 2002 and is still a looker today, both because she was well designed to begin with an because in early 2011 Celebrity treated her to an extensive refurbishment that added many of the popular features from Celebrity’s newer Solstice-class ships and changed the ship’s overall look to reflect the Solstice ships’ crisp lines and understated color palate.

Public Areas On Celebrity Constellation

The heart of Constellation’s public areas is her Grand Foyer, a rectangular, three-deck atrium dominated by a translucent, backlit onyx stairway that glows beneath your feet, making you feel like a movie star. Entertainment venues include the three-deck Celebrity Theater in the bow, the clubby Michael’s Club piano bar, the contemporary Rendez-Vous Lounge, Fortunes Casino, and the elegant Reflections Observation Lounge and disco.

As part of her 2011 upgrade, Constellation also got a Martini Bar with an ice-topped bar and ice-filled table for chilled vodkas; the comfortable Café al Bacio and Gelateria for specialty coffees and ice cream; and the Cellarmasters wine bar, featuring wines dispensed by the glass at the push of a button. As part of an additional refurbishment planned for April 2013, Constellation will get its own Celebrity iLounge, a high-style space where you can take classes from Apple-certified staff, browse the web on MacBook Pro laptops, or buy the latest Apple iPods, laptops and other gadgets, duty free.

Constellation’s 25,000-square-foot spa is an oasis of aromatherapy steamrooms; rooms for massages, facials, and more esoteric treatments; and a soothing thalassotherapy pool ringed with comfortable lounge chairs under a glass solarium roof.

Next door to the spa is a large gym. Farther astern on the same deck, the beautifully designed pool deck offers two pools and four hot tubs, plus lots of comfortable seating nooks.

One deck up, the kids’ Fun Factory has a wading pool, indoor and outdoor jungle gyms, a computer room, and more. One deck above that, the Sports Deck has facilities for basketball, volleyball, and paddle tennis.

Dining On Celebrity Constellation

At dinnertime, Constellation guests have several options. Straddling the Entertainment Deck and Promenade Deck, the Metropolitan Restaurant is a beautiful room with a dramatic double staircase, huge windows facing out over the stern, and oversize porthole view windows to port and starboard.

Constellation‘s main specialty dining option is the Ocean Liners restaurant, which is decorated with lacquered wall panels from the 1920s ocean liner Ile de France, plus artifacts from a variety of other luxury liners. The long, leisurely meals here are designed to give guests a taste of what it was like to sail aboard the great passenger liners, with period music and decor, over-the-top service, and a continental menu that features fiery flambéed dishes cooked right at your table, plus specialty recipes sourced from the menus of some of the old-time liners.

One new specialty restaurant — the high-style Tuscan Grille, offering a menu heavy on steaks and pastas — was added to Constellaion as part of her 2011 refurbishment. A second, Blu, serving light and healthy menu items to guests booked in the ship’s spa-oriented AquaClass staterooms (plus other guests when there’s availability) will be installed during the ship’s planned April 2013 refit. For casual dining, the Waterfall Cafe and Grill buffet restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, while the cozier Bistro on Five serves a casual menu of sandwiches, crepes, salads, soups, and other comfort foods.

Celebrity Constellation Staterooms & Suites

Though only average sized at around 170 square feet, Constellation’s standard cabins are comfortable and nicely designed, with a small sitting area, ample storage space, a minibar, and all the usual amenities. Concierge-class cabins are a little bigger at 191 square feet and come with plush perks like a pillow menu, welcome champagne, upgraded bedding, and priority access to restaurant and excursion reservation and other onboard events.

Family Ocean View staterooms in the stern are considerably roomier at 271 square feet and have a partitioned-off sitting area with sofa bed, plus an absolutely huge 242-square-foot private balcony.

Suites range from the 251-square-foot Sky Suites to the massive 1,432-square-foot Penthouse Suites with their marble foyers, baby grand pianos, oceanview bathrooms, and 1,098-square-foot verandas with whirlpool tub and full bar. I call that “the lap of luxury.”

A new category of staterooms, the adults-only AquaClass, will be added to the ship in 2013, offering a “wellness” vibe and a list of relaxing perks.

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