Summit news, you guys are killing me!

[fritzi164]

As I wrote on another thread on this board i am ready to take the plunge and book our first cruise. Summit to Bermuda in June. Now I am reading about the total refurbishing which will be done after our cruise.early in 2012. My question to all of you cruisers is... Being we have never cruised before I was told that we would be very pleased with the summit ship, yet I have read how the ship is showing it's age. Do not want to wait till 2012, just want to make the right decision.

As a side note, my husband and I are fairly easy to please, but we have always stayed in the nicest boutique hotels.

Based on the pictures I have seen, the ship looks lovely.

P.S. Love this board!

[WineDown17]

This is a tough one...let me start by saying I adore the summit...was married on her in 2002 and did the med last year on her.

 

She definitely was showing her age in certain areas....i did not see anything of note in the public areas, but i also dont look for every fault....

 

However, our room, a royal suite, was a disaster. Huge rips in the furniture...i am talking a foot long or more....same at the carpet seams....and our bathroom sprung a leak that flooded the room and required walls to be removed to be fixed.

I was shocked by this, and somewhat disappointed. Did it ruin my trip? Heck no! My in laws room..a veranda room..seemed fine though. My disappointment may stem from the nostalgia i have for the ship, and how perfect our first sailing was....but i guesss i also expect more attention to wear and tear, esp in a suite....

 

So it depends, i guess...i love that ship, but depends on how you might react to something similar to the above...

[We're The Groupnors]

We've been on the Summit three times, most recently in February 2010. While it was not in as pristine shape as our first cruise on it, the ship was certainly in good repair. We noticed some upgrades to soft surfaces had been done from our prior Summit cruise, including cabin linens, main dining room chairs, etc.

[lcmslady]

Have done 2 sailings on her (most recent in January 2010) and have 2 more booked for January 2011.

 

Is she showing her age - sure. But the 2 times I've been on her, there was constantly something being worked on - so it's not like it's being ignored.

 

When you think about how many feet walk across the carpet in a day's time, things are going to wear much quicker than they do in our homes.

 

I love the ship - perfect size, friendly and attentive staff, relaxed atmosphere.

 

Go and have a good time!

[cruisinguy45]

Been on the Summit twice in the past two years, Med (6/09) and repositioning from San Juan to NJ (4/10). I think the ship is fine. Once in an inside cabin and once in Concierge cabin and both rooms were in good shape. Personally, I like the size of the ship. Staff and crew were very nice and we received great service.

[kitkat9438]

First let me welcome you to cruise critic and Celebrity. I say go for it. Don't wait. You will love the Summit and Celebrity. No it's not a brand new ship, but they are continually making any repairs that are needed. We found the service and food both outstanding. The ship never felt crowded and you never had a problem finding a seat in the buffet area or theatres. I have friends that sail on her several times a year they love her so much. If you check out the reviews section of cruise critic you will see that there are many more positive reviews than negative. Any cruise is what you make of it. Now let me give you a few helpful hints about the ship.

 

Summit is considered a "M" class ship. As such there are some cabins that are larger than others, with larger balconies. These are the concierge class cabins. You will get a lot of extra amenities with these cabins, including an extra cruise credit. A regular verandah cabin will not have a larger cabin, but you can find a larger balcony, especially with the sweet 16 rooms which are the first 8 cabins on either side on deck 6. Here's a list of the "good" cabins to look for on your cruise that either have larger balconies, cabins or both.

 

The “Great” Rooms with larger balconies: People love the aft-facing staterooms (8170, 8172, 8176, & 8185) for the views of the wake and super-large balconies. 8045 & 8046 with larger “triangle shaped” balconies are also popular. Book these if you can! But what if they are already gone…..?

 

Best standard (non-adjoining) CC Cabins: 8072, 8074, 8076, 8078, 8080, 8082, 8084, & 8086 (starboard side): Good mid-ship location and non-adjoining (no interior door to the neighboring room which some complain can be the source of noise/light from the next cabin). So, why are they good? Because the inside cabins that appear directly across the hall on the deck plan are NOT really there. Well, of course they’re there, but you would never know it! Their doors all open to the opposite (port side) hall (note they all have odd cabin numbers). So there is nothing (no cabins or service areas) opposite these CC Cabins across the hall …nothing but a hallway wall.

 

Also good (on the port side) are 8075, 8079, 8083, 8087, 8091, 8095 & 8099: These have the same good mid-ship location & are non-adjoining, you just have a neighbor across the hall. Very good rooms to book.

 

Need an adjoining room? Look to book 8114, 8116, 8118, 8120, 8122, 8124, 8126, 8128, 8130, 8132, & 8134 (Starboard side): Good mid-ship adjoining rooms. Also, there also are no entrances to the “crew only” area (the large white blank space on the deck plan) across the hall anywhere in this block of cabins!

 

Location of Crew-Only Service Doors: I like to avoid cabins across from doors to crew-only areas (ie food prep facilities, freight elevators, mechanical equipment etc). They can be the source of noise and/or additional activity. If that matters to you, note that doors to the crew-only areas (shown as white blank space on the deck plans) are located approximately opposite the following CC cabins:

 

Starboard side: 8052, 8060, 8066 8090 8138, 8150 & 8176 (aft cabin)

Port Side: 8047, 8065, 8069, 8107, 8109, 8115, 8141, & 8145

 

Rooms to Avoid:

8094, 8096, 8111, & 8115 – Partially obstructed by the dreaded window washing equipment. NOTE: Cabins affected by the window washing equipment vary by ship. These are the rooms on Constellation ONLY. For other M-Class ships check the deck plan listed “obstructed view” rooms to avoid.

 

8102 & 8108 – listed as “obstructed view”, small balcony, & windows of suite next door look onto balcony.

 

8047 & 8048 – less private balcony which is visable from the angled balcony of the neighboring room.

 

 

Please let me know if this is helpful and if there is any other info you’d find interesting. I can be on the lookout on our upcoming cruise.

Each of the following cabins on the Millennium Class ships (Millennium, Infinity, Constellation, Summit) has some particular benefit over its peers of the same class -- most often an oversized veranda, sometimes larger cabin or nicer decor. Not all of these differences are accurately reflected in any known deck plans.

 

S1-6131,6132,6145,6146

 

C1-9201,9164,9162,9160,,8185,8176,8172,8170,7203,7212, 7208,7206,6135,6136,6143,6144

C2-9043,9038,8045,8046

 

2A-7049,7080,7163,7166,7171,7173,7175,7177,7174,7176, 7178,7180

2B-8161,8146,9173,9138

2C-6016,6018,6020,6021,6022,6023,6024,6025,6026,6027, 6029,6030,6031,6033,6035,6053,6048

 

One of the great things about M class is they have the thalassotherapy pools which is a adults only heated pool at the front of the ship that is covered (free). In this area you will also find the Aqua Spa cafe for lighter, healthier food, which is only open for breakfast and lunch.

 

You can get the following drinks for free: tea, coffee, lemonade and some sort of punch from the dispenser. In the morning you can get apple and orange juice from the dispenser in the buffet area. You will find a pizza station, as well as a grill by the pool where you can get burgers, hot dogs and nachos. At lunch you will find a station that has pasta, salad and some other items, you can get sandwiches and around 4:00 they have small sandwiches, cookies and snacks. Then at 5:00 out comes the sushi. You can get ice cream for free all afternoon with toppings and in the morning you can go to the cova cafe and have hot fresh pastries at no additional charge. You do have to pay extra for the specialty coffees.

 

There are two traditional dining times, as I'm sure you've seen, as well as select dining. The shows are geared around the traditional dining, so usually there will be a show around 7 for the late diners and 9 or 9:30 for the early diners. You will also find a movie theatre.

 

New to Celebrity this year are the beverage packages where you can pay a certain price per day and enjoy either non-alcoholic drinks or alcoholic drinks, making your vacation more "all-inclusive". We really love this option.

 

I would recommend that you find your "roll call" for your sailing so you can meet up with others cruisers and get tips and advice specific to your cruise, such as excursions, etc. We always use independent tour operators that we have found on the ports of call boards of cruise critic.

Have a great cruise!!

 

 

[WineDown17]

Kathy

What a helpful post! that is great info in a bite size chunk!

[kitkat9438]

Kathy

What a helpful post! that is great info in a bite size chunk!

 

Thanks! I know when I first started using cruise critic I learned quickly how important it was to find out some of the minor details of the cruise. I hope this helps.

[gracecarmo]

Kathy: Thanks for this complete list for the M class ships.

Now , I see you are on the Eclipse....any chance of getting a wonderful list for that ship?

I want to book one of the S class ships but hesitate until I know more re the cabins.

I did go to the Sticky, but your list is really good, and can be printed easily.

[Lsimon]

I haven't been on the Summit recently but over the years I've sailed on many of Celebrity's older ships and the results are always the same.

 

Basically, the service and cruise experience have always been fantastic. The ships are always nice and clean. With very rare exception the cruise lines seldom do 100% refurbishment but rather do painting, repairs and replace carpet and other furnishings on an ongoing basis during short dry-docks and also on cruises in slower periods when the ship is not sailing at full capacity. As a result on an older ship you'll see that most areas have nice carpeting and furnishings but you'll also find some areas which are next in line for replacement. You'll also find some areas which are next to be painted or vanished and so on. Most cruisers enjoy Celebrity's fantastic service and don't let these minor signs of age and wear bother them. But I've read some posts and reviews that talk about nothing other than searching (and finding) worn spots and wear issues. If you are part of the former group you'll have a fantastic cruise on the Summit. If you are part of the latter then you will be best served by sticking with cruise ships that are not more than a year or two old (Celebrity has three of these in service now with a forth coming on line next year - Solstice, Equinox, Eclipse and Silhouette).

 

Personally, we find that service on the older ships is often even better than on the newer ones and as long as the ship is clean and maintained well overall the minor signs of wear and tear don't bother us.

[kitkat9438]

Kathy: Thanks for this complete list for the M class ships.

Now , I see you are on the Eclipse....any chance of getting a wonderful list for that ship?

I want to book one of the S class ships but hesitate until I know more re the cabins.

I did go to the Sticky, but your list is really good, and can be printed easily.

 

This will be my first time on an S class ship, but here's the information I've found from doing my research. S class has cabins with larger balconies, but the cabins are the same size in all verandah cabins, with the exceptions of suites. The larger balconies can be found on the "hump" of the ship.

 

Resort Deck: 2105, 2109, 2106, 2110

Penthouse Deck: 1547, 1552, 1601, 1605, 1606, 1610

Sky Deck: 1075, 1044, 1231, 1243, 1247, 1108, 1120, 1124

Panorama Deck: 9155, 9192, 9209, 9215, 9237, 9241, 9266, 9270, 9292, 9296

Vista Deck: 8199, 8162, 8255, 8259, 8281, 8285, 8228, 8232, 8254, 8258

Sunrise Deck: 7159, 7206, 7215, 7219, 7241, 7245, 7260, 7264, 7286, 7290

Continental Deck: 6155, 6156, 6209, 6215, 6237, 6241, 6210, 6214, 6236, 6240

 

Here's a wonderful website provided by Beyond Ships where you can see all things Eclipse with pictures of the cabins, dining venues, entertainment and other areas.

http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Eclipse-Profile.html

 

Here's are some more pictures of cabin 1552 another cruiser has posted. This cabin is Aqua class, which has all the benefits of Concierge Class plus many more, including the Restaurant Blu, Persian Gardens and Relaxation Room. This is one of the larger balcony cabins so you can see what it looks like.

 

http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Eclipse-Profile.html

[Highlander1]

Not to worry, take the plunge. We (group of 10) are booked on the 6/5 trip and looking forward to it. As for the condition of the ship, work is always being done to keep them in shape, you'll have to look closely to find worn or undesirable conditions. These folks are in the business of hosting and entertaining people, and they do it well from ships appearances to working equipment to food and entertainment.

 

Your other choice is jump across the river and take the NCL Gem out of NYC. We took the NCL dawn twice on this cruise and loved it, just looking to see what Celebrity has to offer. Best of luck, but waiting because a ship is scheduled for drydock a year later, that should not be a concern.

[A Sixth?]

Need an adjoining room? Look to book 8114, 8116, 8118, 8120, 8122, 8124, 8126, 8128, 8130, 8132, & 8134 (Starboard side): Good mid-ship adjoining rooms. Also, there also are no entrances to the “crew only” area (the large white blank space on the deck plan) across the hall anywhere in this block of cabins!

 

 

 

Just a clarification.

 

8132 does not join with 8134, Deck plans (and my experience in the same cabin on the Millie) is that 8132 joins with 8130. 8134 doesn't join any other cabin.

[seacruise9]

Just a clarification.

 

8132 does not join with 8134, Deck plans (and my experience in the same cabin on the Millie) is that 8132 joins with 8130. 8134 doesn't join any other cabin.

 

Hi,

 

Thanks, this is good to hear. I am booked in 8134 on the Summit for a cruise next month. I don't want an adjoining cabin.

 

Chuck

[Wine-O]

Hi,

 

Thanks, this is good to hear. I am booked in 8134 on the Summit for a cruise next month. I don't want an adjoining cabin.

 

Chuck

 

Stateroom 8112 is also a great stateroom on the M-Class ships and not on the above list. It's not an adjoining cabin, it's right around the corner from the mid-ship's elevators/stairs, and there's no Attendant closet anywhere in the area. The elevators are on the port side of the ship, so you won't hear any noise from people congregating around them.

[A Sixth?]

Hi,

 

Thanks, this is good to hear. I am booked in 8134 on the Summit for a cruise next month. I don't want an adjoining cabin.

 

Chuck

 

 

Take care of that cabin please. :):p I need it in January. :D

[seacruise9]

Take care of that cabin please. :):p I need it in January. :D

 

Hi,

 

Okay, I will take care of 8134 on the Summit. You have good taste in cabins. :)

 

Chuck

[mathgeek1978]

Stateroom 8112 is also a great stateroom on the M-Class ships and not on the above list. It's not an adjoining cabin, it's right around the corner from the mid-ship's elevators/stairs, and there's no Attendant closet anywhere in the area. The elevators are on the port side of the ship, so you won't hear any noise from people congregating around them.

Hi:

 

Just wondering whether you get this info from personal experience or from a deck plan. We are considering this cabin for a future cruise and know that Celebrity's deck plan has errors and are not always up to date. We find it odd that in a series of adjoining cabins, this one single cabin is not connected. If it is indeed NOT adjoining, we would seriously consider this cabin.

 

Thank you!

[BroncosFan2010]

First let me welcome you to cruise critic and Celebrity. I say go for it. Don't wait. You will love the Summit and Celebrity. No it's not a brand new ship, but they are continually making any repairs that are needed. We found the service and food both outstanding. The ship never felt crowded and you never had a problem finding a seat in the buffet area or theatres. I have friends that sail on her several times a year they love her so much. If you check out the reviews section of cruise critic you will see that there are many more positive reviews than negative. Any cruise is what you make of it. Now let me give you a few helpful hints about the ship.

 

Summit is considered a "M" class ship. As such there are some cabins that are larger than others, with larger balconies. These are the concierge class cabins. You will get a lot of extra amenities with these cabins, including an extra cruise credit. A regular verandah cabin will not have a larger cabin, but you can find a larger balcony, especially with the sweet 16 rooms which are the first 8 cabins on either side on deck 6. Here's a list of the "good" cabins to look for on your cruise that either have larger balconies, cabins or both.

 

The “Great” Rooms with larger balconies: People love the aft-facing staterooms (8170, 8172, 8176, & 8185) for the views of the wake and super-large balconies. 8045 & 8046 with larger “triangle shaped” balconies are also popular. Book these if you can! But what if they are already gone…..?

 

Best standard (non-adjoining) CC Cabins: 8072, 8074, 8076, 8078, 8080, 8082, 8084, & 8086 (starboard side): Good mid-ship location and non-adjoining (no interior door to the neighboring room which some complain can be the source of noise/light from the next cabin). So, why are they good? Because the inside cabins that appear directly across the hall on the deck plan are NOT really there. Well, of course they’re there, but you would never know it! Their doors all open to the opposite (port side) hall (note they all have odd cabin numbers). So there is nothing (no cabins or service areas) opposite these CC Cabins across the hall …nothing but a hallway wall.

 

Also good (on the port side) are 8075, 8079, 8083, 8087, 8091, 8095 & 8099: These have the same good mid-ship location & are non-adjoining, you just have a neighbor across the hall. Very good rooms to book.

 

Need an adjoining room? Look to book 8114, 8116, 8118, 8120, 8122, 8124, 8126, 8128, 8130, 8132, & 8134 (Starboard side): Good mid-ship adjoining rooms. Also, there also are no entrances to the “crew only” area (the large white blank space on the deck plan) across the hall anywhere in this block of cabins!

 

Location of Crew-Only Service Doors: I like to avoid cabins across from doors to crew-only areas (ie food prep facilities, freight elevators, mechanical equipment etc). They can be the source of noise and/or additional activity. If that matters to you, note that doors to the crew-only areas (shown as white blank space on the deck plans) are located approximately opposite the following CC cabins:

 

Starboard side: 8052, 8060, 8066 8090 8138, 8150 & 8176 (aft cabin)

Port Side: 8047, 8065, 8069, 8107, 8109, 8115, 8141, & 8145

 

Rooms to Avoid:

8094, 8096, 8111, & 8115 – Partially obstructed by the dreaded window washing equipment. NOTE: Cabins affected by the window washing equipment vary by ship. These are the rooms on Constellation ONLY. For other M-Class ships check the deck plan listed “obstructed view” rooms to avoid.

 

8102 & 8108 – listed as “obstructed view”, small balcony, & windows of suite next door look onto balcony.

 

8047 & 8048 – less private balcony which is visable from the angled balcony of the neighboring room.

 

 

Please let me know if this is helpful and if there is any other info you’d find interesting. I can be on the lookout on our upcoming cruise.

 

Each of the following cabins on the Millennium Class ships (Millennium, Infinity, Constellation, Summit) has some particular benefit over its peers of the same class -- most often an oversized veranda, sometimes larger cabin or nicer decor. Not all of these differences are accurately reflected in any known deck plans.

 

S1-6131,6132,6145,6146

 

C1-9201,9164,9162,9160,,8185,8176,8172,8170,7203,7212, 7208,7206,6135,6136,6143,6144

C2-9043,9038,8045,8046

 

2A-7049,7080,7163,7166,7171,7173,7175,7177,7174,7176, 7178,7180

2B-8161,8146,9173,9138

2C-6016,6018,6020,6021,6022,6023,6024,6025,6026,6027, 6029,6030,6031,6033,6035,6053,6048

 

One of the great things about M class is they have the thalassotherapy pools which is a adults only heated pool at the front of the ship that is covered (free). In this area you will also find the Aqua Spa cafe for lighter, healthier food, which is only open for breakfast and lunch.

 

You can get the following drinks for free: tea, coffee, lemonade and some sort of punch from the dispenser. In the morning you can get apple and orange juice from the dispenser in the buffet area. You will find a pizza station, as well as a grill by the pool where you can get burgers, hot dogs and nachos. At lunch you will find a station that has pasta, salad and some other items, you can get sandwiches and around 4:00 they have small sandwiches, cookies and snacks. Then at 5:00 out comes the sushi. You can get ice cream for free all afternoon with toppings and in the morning you can go to the cova cafe and have hot fresh pastries at no additional charge. You do have to pay extra for the specialty coffees.

 

There are two traditional dining times, as I'm sure you've seen, as well as select dining. The shows are geared around the traditional dining, so usually there will be a show around 7 for the late diners and 9 or 9:30 for the early diners. You will also find a movie theatre.

 

New to Celebrity this year are the beverage packages where you can pay a certain price per day and enjoy either non-alcoholic drinks or alcoholic drinks, making your vacation more "all-inclusive". We really love this option.

 

I would recommend that you find your "roll call" for your sailing so you can meet up with others cruisers and get tips and advice specific to your cruise, such as excursions, etc. We always use independent tour operators that we have found on the ports of call boards of cruise critic.

 

Have a great cruise!!

 

 

 

This is one of the most informative posts I have read on these boards! Thanks so much for posting.

[cruiserssandr]

Thanks! I know when I first started using cruise critic I learned quickly how important it was to find out some of the minor details of the cruise. I hope this helps.

We are booked on our first Celebrity cruise on the Summit on Feb 5. Lucky enough to get Cabin 8172. looking forward to the large balcony. While my co workers are scrapping ice off their cars we can be out on our balcony having breakfast! Any idea on whether this room is any bigger than a regular balcony room. Thanks for posting so much great information Kathy

[terigo]

Of all the useful information I have gotten from CC, this may include the most brilliant.

This thread was about the Summit, but thanks to kitkat, I have changed our reservation on the Transatlantic Eclipse next October...

I was not aware that the balconies were larger on the edge of the "hump", so now we went to a 1A and were still able to maintain being on the Port side.

Thanks!

[kitkat9438]

You are so welcome. I am glad I can help. I love doing research and the group I sail with sometimes calls me "digger" because if it's out there I can usually find it. :D

 

I don't think 8172 has a larger balcony, but it's still nice. We loved ordering room service breakfast and sitting out on the balcony in the morning getting started for the day.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

I'll report back after my cruise on the Eclipse in December with more details. I will have plenty of pictures for sure.

[kitkat9438]

Of all the useful information I have gotten from CC, this may include the most brilliant.

This thread was about the Summit, but thanks to kitkat, I have changed our reservation on the Transatlantic Eclipse next October...

I was not aware that the balconies were larger on the edge of the "hump", so now we went to a 1A and were still able to maintain being on the Port side.

Thanks!

 

Since you are going on the Eclipse, check out this webpage provided by beyondships. She has wonderful pictures of the ships, cabin and menus.

http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Eclipse-Profile.html

[alaska eh]

fritz164:

 

I just returned from a 14 day on the Summit. Yes it is unfortunate that the ship is showing her 10 years at sea. Some of our CC members really ripped the ship apart, but we did not think it was that bad. We had a CC suite to celebrate a family occasion and we loved the suite, but like your first cruise which everybody loves, we loved our first suite. We did have to have the engineering people come and make a couple or repairs which they did quickly and willingly. We likely should have had a couple of other things fixed but we will let the next occupants do that.

 

Over the years the meal portions have become smaller which seems to bother some people but not me. I have never been denied a second helping except on RCL Grandeur of the Seas, but that is a different story. As cruising has become less expensive, some of the extras have developed a charge, particularly on Princess, which is why I moved to Celebrity and when I am feeling really flush, Silversea.

 

I would book Celebrity and the Summit again. I am just about to book the Millennium for 2011. So if I were you I would go ahead. The crew ratio remains higher than all except the 6 star lines.

 

Do read carefully the post by KitKat9438, it is excellent. I picked my cabins carefully, to avoid the dreaded window washer rack and other such issues, but did not have the benefit of such a great explanation. Our Celebrity Suite was 7038 to look forward, avoid the 8th floor privacy challenges and the 9th floor cave feeling. My opinion avoid 9th floor cabins unless you hate sun and daylight. My daughter picked 7149, the big triangle balcony facing to the rear and away from the window washer rack, and we needed to have a phone out there if we ever wanted to talk to my son in law (just kidding). He lived out there, no wind, great view of where we had been, where my wife and I looked where we were going.

 

Have a great cruise. I think you said you were Cruising in December, if so say Hi to Charles in the Martini Bar, I believe he will still be on board. He was absolutely the best.

[terigo]

You are so welcome. I am glad I can help. I love doing research and the group I sail with sometimes calls me "digger" because if it's out there I can usually find it. :D

 

I don't think 8172 has a larger balcony, but it's still nice. We loved ordering room service breakfast and sitting out on the balcony in the morning getting started for the day.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

I'll report back after my cruise on the Eclipse in December with more details. I will have plenty of pictures for sure.

 

We are in 8281 on the Eclipse now.... and I look forward to your pictures!

I had been to the beyondships site... nothing like a pictorial to get one salivating!

thanks again.