American Constellation Cabins
If you've ever opened the door to your stateroom on embarkation day, gasped and wondered how your inner claustrophobe will ever survive the cramped quarters, you'll love the Constellation. Most cabins are hotel-room roomy (or city-boutique-hotel-roomy, anyway). They range from 200 to 415 square feet, which ACL touts as the most spacious in the small-ship industry.
Cabin decor echoes the color scheme in the public areas, with restful coral and blue hues dominating some cabins and blues and greens in others. Of the 90 staterooms, 78 have balconies. Its nine cabin categories range from eight Owner's Suites with private balconies, to five Single cabins, four of which have balconies. King-sized beds can be reconfigured as twins in all double rooms. The ship has 14 connecting staterooms.
Beach-scene prints adorn the walls. Blonde-wood furnishings add to the beachy vibe. Even most Single cabins have space for a writing/vanity desk, dresser, two bedside tables and an upholstered chair. Door-less closets aren't particularly roomy, but there's plenty of storage space in the wide, deep three-drawer dressers and two-drawer bedside tables that are in all cabin categories. Desks add another three to six storage drawers, depending on cabin size. There's plenty of under-bed space to stow luggage.
All are equipped with 36-inch, flatscreen TVs that tune into 20 TV stations, including National Geographic, all-news networks, ESPN and AMC. A large selection of DVDs is available in the library for in-room viewing. Only the suites have mini-bars, but all cabins have a safe and a hair dryer. If you're partial to bathrobe and slippers, bring your own. Wineglasses are stocked in the suites; in other cabins, disposable plastic bathroom glasses suffice. Styrofoam coffee cups, rather than mugs, accompany the in-room Keurig coffee makers. All rooms are equipped with an emergency call button.
Bathrooms are exceptionally roomy by cruise-ship standards, and their wall-size mirrors visually broaden the space. There's plenty of storage in the white, two-drawer vanity with under-sink cabinet. It's topped with a faux marble counter and sits on attractive black-and-white basket-weave ceramic tile. Individual toiletries include Judith Jackson Spa brand body and face soap, body wash, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, amenity kit and makeup remover towelettes.
Grab bars in the showers and on bathroom walls provide some anti-slip security. There are no bathtubs on the ship. One nit: The accordion-style shower doors could be troublesome. Some complained of water spilling onto the bathroom floor. Our door, while watertight, was difficult to open and close.
Rooms are serviced twice daily. The evening turn-down service comes with a treat, such as chocolate-dipped strawberries.
Single: The ship's solo Single cabin sans balcony measures 226 square feet and is on Deck 2. It's roomy enough for a twin bed, single nightstand, upholstered armchair, three-drawer bow-front dresser and a small writing desk with padded chair. A full-size window brings in light. Bathroom space echoes the ship's other cabin categories.
Single (Private Balcony): The ship's remaining four Single cabins on decks 2, 3 and 4, all have walk-out balconies and 250 square feet of living space. Carpeted balconies are equipped with two chairs and a small round table. Average balcony size across all room categories is 50 square feet.
Ocean-view: There are two categories of Oceanview cabins on Constellation. The three Class A rooms on Deck 2 have 260 square feet of living space. Cabins 201 and 202 at the front of the ship, have an interesting window configuration of two portholes and two large windows, enabling nice views, despite the lack of balcony. The eight AA cabins are on Deck 1 and include one wheelchair-accessible room. At 302 square feet, they're comfortable and have plenty of space for a three-drawer dresser, six-drawer desk, two lounge chairs, two twin or one king-sized bed and nightstands. A large window brings in the view.
Balcony: There are three categories of cabins with private balconies on Constellation, before moving up to suite status. The 27 AAL cabins are on Deck 2 and have 350 square feet of space with sliding-glass doors that lead to a veranda. Furnishings are the same as in the AA rooms. The 19 AAC cabins on Deck 3 measure 350 square feet and differ from the AAL category only in location. Finally, 15 of the 368-square-foot AAM rooms are on Deck 4 and include one that's wheelchair-accessible. The remaining two are at the rear of Deck 5. The those facing rooms, 509 and 510, are the only two cabins in the rear of that corridor and adjoin an outdoor deck, making them a good choice for couples or families traveling together.
Veranda Suite: One of the three cabins in this category is behind the pilothouse on Deck 4; the other two are at the rear of Deck 3. At 415 square feet, they come with stocked mini-bars (bottled water, juices, soft drinks, beer and wine) that are replenished on request. A seating area in front of the wall-mounted flatscreen TV has two upholstered chairs with a round table in between. There's a private balcony.
Owner's Suite: The eight 415-square-foot suites are on Deck 5 forward and feature the same amenities as the Veranda Suites. They also have a private balcony.