We chose this cruise for the itinerary. Great combination of ports - very different and unique, with so much to do and see! Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Oman, Dubai, Abu Dhabi. This was my fifth cruise on Celebrity, and I'll definitely do another next year. That seemed to be the sentiment of several of our fellow cruisers, many of whom were either already booked on another cruise on Celebrity, or booked another cruise while onboard this one.
Let me first say that this is NOT a cruise for the faint of heart, and it should definitely not be your first cruise. There are a lot of visa and immigration hurdles that must be overcome, but it is so worth it. This is a cruise for adventurers who enjoy seeing intriguing parts of the world and have their set their expectations accordingly. It is NOT an easy cruise. There is a lot of walking involved everywhere. Do not take this cruise expecting to see ports like those you see in the Caribbean, Europe or other developed cruise destinations. The contrast in the port cities is vast. You begin in Singapore, where everything is beautiful, shiny and developed, but when you get to India, the first three ports are essentially industrial ports. Mumbai is a bit more modern, and then you end in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where the ports are shiny and beautiful. The cruise line did a good job of managing this. They insisted that everyone attend the port talks (and Marco did an excellent job with the port talks, providing photographs and tips, so you knew what to expect when you arrived in these ports).
The passenger mix on this ship was wonderful. There were people from 50 different countries onboard...it was fascinating. So many wonderful people to meet and talk to! Not a lot of children, as this was a rather lengthy cruise, but those we did see seemed to be enjoying themselves. Just a few words about the ship. The Constellation is a beautiful ship. It has always been a beautiful ship. I was on it when it was new, on a cruise of the British Isles and Norwegian Fjords, back in 2003. By today's standards, it's now a mid-sized ship. She is going into dry dock on May 2nd, I believe. I don't know truly how much work will be done, but it really just needs a bit of esthetic updating. I certainly didn't see anything that was horribly egregious! We had an ocean view stateroom on Deck 2, and it was just fine. Our cabin attendant, Brian, was amazing. He kept everything in perfect order for us. I don't know about balconies on this itinerary, because the weather is extremely hot everywhere you go. It's hot and steamy in Asia, and then just hot (but dry) in the Middle East. It was nearly 100 degrees everyday (over 100 with the heat index). I preferred being in the cool AC in my cabin when I wasn't out on a shore excursion.
We booked our tour guide, Cha Cha Lee, through Viator. He took us to see the "real" Phuket. We visited a gypsy village, several of the beautiful beaches, the big white Buddha, we ate lunch at Mee Ton Poe (old Phuket establishment where the locals go). Great day!
Dubai is a very easy port to do on your own. Once you leave the ship, you can catch the Hop On Hop Off bus which will take you to all of the important sights.