Eric on the Constellation
It was May and I was sitting in Heathrow eating a decent fry-up and drinking as many cups of coffee as I could manage. I managed about three. Luckily it was coffee o’clock, which seems to happen to be any time of the day for me. So, high on caffeine the flight to Rome was very pleasant apart from a little turbulence on landing. The next day I would be joining the Celebrity Constellation out of Civitavecchia to begin my Eric Clapton Tribute Show. The problem was getting from the Four Marks hotel at the airport to the port with a suitcase, two guitars, a holdall and a backpack. The train went into Rome and back-out to Civi and the journey would have been tricky getting on and off the double decker. In the end Uber came to the rescue (at a price!). The driver was a very courteous man in his late fifties. His driving style was… excitable. They say Italians are a passionate and people and this gentleman was very passionate about getting to places in the least time possible. He also was very passionate on his hands-free headset. I’m not well versed in Italian but I could tell there was some drama in his voice. A few pauses, exclamations and then “CIAO!” And another call would begin. The beautiful, arid countryside went by in a flash and soon three cruise ships came into view. The smallest, furthest one was my destination. A new chapter was about to begin.
The Celebrity Constellation
The boarding process was really simple: drop your luggage, take a number and wait your turn. After a brief wait and a chat with a few passengers, my turn was next and soon I was on the Constellation. Unlike my time as crew, where we live in the blue metal zones on the ships (forbidden for passengers to enter) I was now fortunate enough to be staying in my own state room! No bunk bed in sight and my very own double bed. This made for a great first night. Prepped for a night off and my show being scheduled for our day in Naples, I could relax and acclimatise (“acclimate” to my American friends) to the wonderful Celebrity Constellation.
Inside The Celebrity Constellation