An Underrated Celebrity Cruise Offers A Small Ship-Feeling With A Luxurious Atmosphere And Helpful Staff

Celebrity Cruises continues to be a well-reviewed cruise line among travelers, with a reputation for providing excellent service, world-class dining, and numerous activities. While some other Celebrity Cruise ships are grand, like the new Edge-Class ship Celebrity Beyond, which holds over 3,000 guests, there's a smaller, lesser-known ship that offers just as much luxury and excellent service as the other ships in the fleet.

Celebrity Constellation launched in 2002 and can hold just over 2,000 passengers. It was fully refurbished in 2024, now boasting nine dining options, a casino, and over 500 activities, all without the bigger crowds of other ships. The journey is made all the better by an attentive and energetic staff. "I have to say the entire crew did their best to ensure passengers were happy, and they succeeded with us," one Tripadvisor reviewer said. With ships sailing from Tampa and San Juan as well as Ravenna, Italy, experiencing the Mediterranean and the Caribbean has never been easier or felt better.

The Constellation, known as "Connie," is fully equipped to give its passengers the best version of everything they could need. The cabins range from standard staterooms to sprawling penthouses that have baby grand pianos and over 1,000 square feet of balcony space. Each room is tastefully decorated, with white bedding and red accents throughout. They have premium mattresses (and you can even purchase your own onboard for after your cruise!), as well as flat-screen TVs, bathrobes, hair dryers, and ample storage space.

For those wanting to upgrade their cabins beyond the basic staterooms, you can expect even more magnificent perks, like welcome champagne, multiple pillow options, improved balconies, and access to an exclusive lounge with coffee, pastries, and other nibbles. Some cabins even allow you to book spa treatments via a personal concierge and come with a fog-free mirror, and a premium room service menu. AquaClass and suite passengers have access to an exclusive restaurant called Blu, which offers healthy food for breakfast and dinner.

Guests who want maximum luxury on board can reserve a Royal Suite or Penthouse Suite. These include a private butler, whose job is to make your experience as comfortable as possible. How much you utilize your butler will be up to you, but guests typically ask their butler to make show or dinner reservations, prepare drinks, stock the in-room fridge, pick up laundry, and unpack luggage. Suite customers also get access to complimentary refreshments, hors d'oeuvres, and dinners at the exclusive restaurants as well as premium check-in.

The Constellation offers incredible dining options for every level of accommodation, appetite, and craving. From exclusive dining rooms reserved for its top-tier passengers to worldwide cuisine to multiple pool bars, the dining on this ship will keep you full and every taste satisfied.

The two-story main dining room can fit over 1,000 passengers and offers classic breakfast favorites. For lunch and dinner, guests can delight in international dishes like beef Wellington, prime rib, vegetable and ricotta pasta, salmon, grilled chicken, and duck à l'orange. There are also cafes, bars, poolside grills, and even premium restaurants reserved exclusively for top-tier guests. One of the coolest things Celebrity cruises offer is the Le Petit Chef dining experience, a 3D-animated dinner service in which small cartoon characters prepare your food on your plate.

The service at these restaurants and throughout the ship is unbeatable. Sommeliers will help you choose from an award-winning selection of wines, and the crew is there to handle everything, even the most unexpected requests. The 1-to-2 staff-guest ratio ensures that you can get help with anything you may need. Whether you need assistance booking activities or recommendations for the dining areas, there will always be someone to offer a helping hand.