Celebrity Constellation Review

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Review for Asia Cruise on Celebrity Constellation
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hopper4
2-5 Cruises • Age 60s

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Sail Date: Jan 2020
Cabin: Concierge Class 1

My wife and I chose this cruise because we had never visited any of the ports of call and the deal we were offered was good for us. We chose to stay a couple of nights in Singapore before we sailed - our travel agent chose the Furama Riverfront Hotel for us. Perhaps we should have researched this a little more for whilst the hotel was a fine place to stay it was too far from any of the attractions in Singapore. Having said that we covered all the main sights in the time we were there - walking for miles and miles.

A taxi ride took us to the port where we undertook the embarkation process. Whilst we were asked by Celebrity what time we wanted to embark and arrived at that appropriate time, it appeared that the actual process was based on a "first come first embarked" process so a wait of an hour or so was experienced. Once on board the embarkation process was quickly forgotten when staterooms were quickly available and luggage arrived at the room.

The ship is shortly to undergo a refit and its age does show from time to time but if you don't look too closely it is a fine old ship. The cabin was perfectly adequate with all the facilities that you would expect and was kept clean and tidy by the staff. We had chosen early dining in the main dining room and were allocated a table of ten and whilst only 6 ever turned up and they were great company throughout the cruise. The staff waiting on were good - very friendly and efficient. The food is generally very good - there are always classic dishes available if you do not like those on the daily menu. The cafe was always good for breakfast or a light lunch and whilst often busy, you could always find a table. Entertainment was generally good despite changes that had to be made to the schedule at the last moment.

Cabin Review

Concierge Class 1

The cabin itself was fairly standard, always kept clean and tidy. It is probably one of the only cabins with an obstructed view.

Port Reviews

Singapore

A great city to visit. We managed to get to Chinatown, Little India, The Arab quarter and the Gardens by the Bay returning to the Gardens in the evening for the light show. We later caught the light show at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

Phuket

We organised a private tour through Klook Travel which took us around the island. The trip was as good as the ship excursion but much cheaper. If you arrange a private trip, be aware that in high season the ship uses a tender to reach shore at the south end of Patong Beach which is where pick up needs to be arranged.

Colombo

Again we organised a private trip, this time through Viator. A private car met us at the port and took us to a local mosque and temple, then onto a tea tasting before driving out of the city to a tea plantation and tea factory. Colombo is a very busy city so the chance to organise a trip to a place many miles away is not to be considered if you want to catch the ship!

Kochi (Cochin)

We met some friends on the ship through the cruise critic forum who added us to their trip. It was a tuk tuk tour around the city and included a trip on the backwaters by a small motor boat. A good day out/

Mumbai (Bombay)

An amazing city to visit but beware the traffic and the noise. It was easy to arrange a private trip to Elephanta Island with the return ferry costing only 205 rupees from the Gateway to India. We then had two trips booked through the excellent Mumbai Magic organisation which uses students as guides to support them thought their education. Mumbai local took up the remainder of our first day and a trip to the Dharavi Slum took up the second day. Brilliant insights into Indian life.

Muscat

A beautiful port to arrive in - far more mountainous than expected. We booked a taxi at the port gates for $10 each for a trip that took in the Grand Mosque, the palace and adjoining forts and finished at the souq in Muttrah. A good day out.

Dubai

A very big city that needs a lot of time to look around properly. We made it to the Dubai Mall and then onto the Palm - all reached on public transport.

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