ConnMom

I was able to upgrade to the premium package last month for a cruise we are taking in April. My cruise planner on the Celebrity website had a number to call for beverage upgrades. I upgrade primarily for the upgraded wines and the premium waters; however, we were disappointed on our Summit cruise last June that upgraded wines were not readily available, and there have been reports that upgraded wines are still difficult to obtain. So I am having some second thoughts about the value of upgrading, especially since they raised the upgrade price about 5 months ago. Cheryl

Thank you for sharing, Lisa. I will try the Sparkling Lemonade on our next cruise. Discovering the raspberry fizz on our last cruise was a happy find, and the French Caribbean is my favorite Sunset Bar drink. In the main dining room of the Summit in June, the menu featured a different mocktail every day, but I usually had wine with dinner, so I didn't try any of them. One of the pleasures of cruising is trying new foods and drinks!

In addition to the excellent suggestions above, you might enjoy the Morse Museum of Art in Winter Park, with its wonderful Tiffany collection.

French Caribbean at the Sunset Bar. I don't know what is in it, maybe mango, but it is a lovely frozen treat in the afternoon. And my favorite at the Martini bar is a French martini.

On the Summit this June, I noticed nonalcholic cocktail selections on the dinner menu in the main dining room and also on the sunset bar menus that were on the tables. I often had one for lunch that was fruity and quite refreshing, although it had some sweetness. I would imagine the lounges would also have similar offerings or that the bartenders could make suggestions. I hope you find some that you enjoy.

Thank you for posting and awakening happy memories. We started cruising with Celebrity in the late 90's too. I think our first was on the Zenith or Horizon to Bermuda. I have such warm recollections of those long, chatty dinners at large tables with new acquaintances, many of whom became friends. There have been many changes over the years, but I still feel the excitement of embarkation and consider dining a highlight of our cruise experience.

I just got off the Summit Sunday, and would like to share my impressions, especially with those people who will be sailing later this summer and may be uncomfortable with the current onboard experience. I have been very cautious throughout the pandemic, fully vaxxed and boosted, and never far from my mask. Our return to cruising this spring has been stressful for me, but I generally felt comfortable on the Summit last week. Even though it felt like a full ship, there were ways to avoid the most crowded situations while still enjoying many of the cruise experiences that I love. I thought most people in the theater were very compliant about mask wearing, and anyone who wanted to observe social distancing could find seats that were distant from other people. I was seldom on crowded elevators; in fact, my husband and I often were the only people on our elevator rides. While most passengers did not wear masks around the ship, I was definitely not alone in my choice to mask up indoors. It was easy to find a lounge that was not crowded, and we were pleased with the live music onboard. On the first day, we changed our dining arrangements from anytime to late seating, where, upon request, we were given a lovely table for two that was adequately distanced from other seating. In addition, by asking the hostess when we entered the dining room during breakfast and lunch hours, we always received a socially distanced table for two without waiting. We have always enjoyed meeting new people in the dining rooms and lounges, but were willing to give this up at this time for a safer experience. The other big adjustment I made was not sitting for hours in the crowded pool area, but using our beautiful aft balcony more extensively. Even though personnel shortages caused longer waits for service, and supply issues were very noticeable in the dining rooms and lounges, we had a thoroughly enjoyable cruise. The staff was wonderful, our itinerary was great in spite of the adjustments necessitated by the tropical storm, and entertainment was very good. I know we cannot escape the risk of getting Covid on a cruise, but I appreciate the decisions of the officers to promote safety, and the efforts by the staff to make people feel comfortable.

My husband and I were on Apex in April, when the ship was operating at about 70-75% capacity. There appeared to be an adequate number of tables for 2, although most were extremely close to one another (10-15 inches apart). The dining rooms were generally quite busy, making it difficult to provide social distancing, but even when they were not busy, our requests for a socially distanced table were ignored. Other than this, we had a wonderful cruise. Our dining room experience this past week on the Summit was quite different. During breakfast and lunch, requests for a table that didn't abut others were always cheerfully fulfilled. In addition, on embarkation day, the person assisting with reservations suggested that if we changed from anytime dining to the late seating, we could be seated at the same stand-alone table every evening, and she found us a wonderful table for two in front of a large window. I would suggest checking in with the dining staff as soon as possible on the first day, to see if they might be able to help you.

We just got off Summit this morning and also sailed in April on the Apex. We enjoyed both cruises, but we found that wine selections, especially premium wines, as well as other liquors, were spotty at best, especially on the Summit. In the dining room, I never received any of the premium wines that I requested, and did not feel that much effort was made to suggest an equivalent substitute. We have always upgraded to the premium package, and while we understand supply shortages and are pretty flexible, I find it irritating that at this time, when we are more likely to be offered a classic selection than a premium choice, Celebrity has just raised the upgrade price by 40% to $16.80/day. Overall, our cruises were very good, but I am not happy with that business decision, and will not do an upgrade in the future.

On our Apex cruise in late April, I found that eating meals was the riskiest part of the cruise for me. I think the ship was about 70-75% full, so the dining rooms were very busy through the evening and we were most often seated at a table for two that was just 10-12 inches from the tables on either side of us. I always requested a table that had some distance from others, but never received one. For breakfast or lunch it was not too difficult to find outside seating at Eden or the buffet or to order room service, and if you avoid the busiest times, you could even maintain some social distancing while selecting your food, which was always served by staff. The biggest downside of the outside seating is that most areas are in the sun and it can be unpleasantly hot. But it is a safer choice, and we used it. Otherwise, I found that I could distance in most situations, wear a mask, and enjoy most of the experiences we look forward to while cruising. It required more planning and some adjustments, but I was so happy to be back on a cruise that the adjustments were worth it. I hope you have a wonderful and safe return to cruising.

I have the same concerns about getting not having our application approved before arriving at the pier. Has this happened to anyone, and were you allowed to board with a pending application status?

Catspaw1, no, I have not received any information from Celebrity regarding testing onboard before arriving in Bermuda, but the Bermuda government website states that such testing is necessary, up to 2 days before arriving. Thus I conclude that the testing would probably take place on days 5 or 6 to be in compliance, but I do not know what Celebrity is planning to do.

I think the June 2 Summit cruise to Bermuda sold out a couple days ago. I don't know if they have blocked rooms for isolation, but with mandatory testing of all passengers prior to reaching Bermuda on day 7, I anticipate that they may need a significant number.