New to cruising, going on Summit, need opinions

[chachamama3]

Ok, we are going on our first cruise in August to Bermuda. We have never cruised before, have three kids (7,7 and 9). I have been reading everything that I can get my hands on and I have to admit we are having second thoughts. So I am hoping that everyone will be able to give me some more information so we can get excited! The only things that we have seen for the kids is the kids club. I have looked at some other travelers dailies and they seem to be all adult activities. Is this correct? Also, the excursions are out of our price range...so how possible is it to get a bus pass, or cab and go where we want to go on our own? I have been hearing how tiny the rooms are, do you have any tips for traveling with 5 in these tiny rooms? What places do you recommend seeing with smaller children? We were thinking aquarium, the perfume factory and horseshoe bay. Thanks!!!

[lettrich]

We went on the summit last summer with a group of 11 - 6 of them being kids - ages 3-10. The kids club has numerous activities all day long. My son - 10 & daughter 7 really enjoyed it. They made friends with other children even though they were with their cousins. We had so much fun we are going back this summer too. In Bermuda we did the caves & aquarium/zoo excursion - it was a little too long for them. Definantly check out horseshoe bay & close by (5-10 min walk) is Snorkel Park - also fun. Did you book a suite with the 5 of you? We had a standard balcony room & it was tight! I cant imagine with 5! Have fun

[chachamama3]

Thanks for your response. Actually we are going to be in a standard room. Not looking forward to that... Anyway, our kids are small. lol My husband is not comfortable with putting the kids in the kids club program. I am willing to check it out. Did you find it to be safe, well monitored etc. We were hoping that there are going to be family oriented activities on the ship. I haven't seen any. I did read about Snorkel park and it sounded fun. I think they will enjoy that.

[jannandjohn]

Thanks for your response. Actually we are going to be in a standard room. Not looking forward to that...

:eek::eek:

My husband is not comfortable with putting the kids in the kids club program. .

tell him he is crazy !!

they willl have far more fun there, than they will with you ,trying to find something to do as a family, apart from the pool that is.

 

we have never taken kids, but mixed with heaps who have, they all say the kids don't want to leave the club.

[PokerStarNH]

Hi,

We cruised the Summit in April. The crew is great. The kids on the cruise looked like they were having a blast.

You should really check out the kids club. It's been a long time but when mine were that age, we couldn't get them away from the kids club.

Relax, you;ll have fun. The cabin will be a bit tight but you know that ahead of time so manage expectations and no one will be disappointed with the cabin size.

Try to get early seating for dinner so the kids won't be starved waiting for late dinner. Don't be afraid to ask the waiter if the kids want something special. Also, you'll be able to do some after dinner activities without it being too late for the kids.

Use room service to get the kids a bedtime snack. It will be easier than taking them to find food.

Also, call Celebrity customer service ahead of time and request seating at a larger table size with another family with kids. It will give you a chance to talk with some adults and the kids might make a friend.

The theatre entertainment on the Summit was a little dated for me. One show was a tribute to Patsy Cline. My kids call me old but I'm not that old.

 

Bermuda is really pretty and the people are friendly.

[dkjretired]

Also, the reason the kids activities are not on the dailies is because they get their own dailies specific for each age group. Bermuda is very easy to get around with a bus pass and you do not need to do any of the ships excursions. Just go to a beach or head into Hamilton or any other things.

[JerseyGem]

Great advice so far. I also recommend joining your Roll Call and signing up for the Connections Party. You should be able to find other families with similar aged kids. You can chat online (through Cruise Critic- very safe), and if you think the kids will "click" you can arrange to share a taxi to Hoseshoe Bay, etc. Also, if you get a day's bus pass, the kids may enjoy taking the ferry either to Hamilton or St George's (a longer ferry ride).

 

Also check out the Bermuda Forum for things to do with kids.

[mardon]

You buy passes when the ship pulls into port in Bermuda. Don't miss Horseshoe Beach. We went shopping the first day. Didn't buy anything. Shopping was just like home. The 2nd day we went to Horsehoe Beach. 3rd day we spent right around the ship at the Dockyard. Lots to see and there is a place close by to go swimming. Next time we go we will spend days one and two at Horseshoe Beach and only buy a 2 day pass.

[dosherpack]

I suggest that you look at booking one of the family oceanview balcony cabins. We were in 8181 in January. There were only two of us, so we had LOTS of room. There is a separate sleeping/living area for the kids and the balcony is huge. We had three full size loungers and two chairs on the balcony. The Summit has a fantastic crew and you will love the ship.

[TeaBag]

Dosherpack beat me to it. We have seen one of these cabins on a cabin crawl. They are HUGE.

 

As others have said, buy the pass in Bermuda, as you get off the ship. It can be bought for multiples of days and is good for the ferries and the bus. We took the ferry to Hamilton the first day. If you can get there by noon, there is a public dunking (wench gets dunked for gossiping) and I think your children would enjoy this.

 

We have never had small children on a cruise, but we have often seen them around the ship and they all appear to be having the time of their lives.

[Guest maddycat]

As others have said, buy the pass in Bermuda, as you get off the ship. It can be bought for multiples of days and is good for the ferries and the bus. We took the ferry to Hamilton the first day. If you can get there by noon, there is a public dunking (wench gets dunked for gossiping) and I think your children would enjoy this.

 

The public dunking is in St. Georges.

[irk]

My daughter loved those clubs years ago. My niece and nephew love them as well. You would need to sign your kids in and out of the club - make your husband go look and ask questions the 1st night as that is when the kids meet the 1st time and make friends- the staff is always really sweet and the kids will love it there. As for getting around bermuda - the bus passes are a good buy you could get them for 1 or 2 or 3 days and it is really easy to get around. They also get you on the ferry. The beaches are nice and there is a nice cove _ Jobson Bay if you like really calm water. The dunking at 12 noon I believe in St George is fun - last year I went and there was music player and the mayor was hanging out. The aquarium/zoo was nice too. I've taken cruises to bermuda and only went on ship excursions 1 time you really can have a great time without them. Enjoy the cruise!

[TeaBag]

Thank you Maddycat. My mistake.

[biker1972]

The Summit has some great cabins called FV (family veranda) that are held for families of 5. the only cabins that truly are meant for this size group. They are ideal for your type family since they have an area with 2 sofa beds that can be closed off from the master bed with a privacy door ;). The veranda is much larger than a standard veranda (like an additional room) so all of you can be outside and together. The 6 corner FV's even have a hallway that is ideal for storing luggage!. Still only one bathroom, however. Do call X and see what pricing they have for these cabins (you must call because they are held for families and show online as sold out even if they are not). Five in a regular cabin, even if three are young children, might cause you to have a less enjoyable cruise than you had hoped for. Aside from the cabin issue, X seems to have an affinity for children. Many of the staff have families at home and they miss them dearly. Your children become their surrogates. Ask you cabin attendent if he/she can do towel animals. Always a hit with kids. Waiters seem to pay special attention to the kids. If they are picky eaters, things can be done to satisfy them. Talk to the staff and they will help make the cruise extra special!

[kitkat9438]

Welcome to cruising and Celebrity!!! We fell in love with Celebrity when we cruised on the Summit in 2009. It's a great ship.

 

I don't have young kids so I can't comment on the kid's activities but it seems you've gotten a lot of great advice from others. I would also recommend checking out your roll call to find other cruisers on your sailing and the ports of call board for Bermuda. We never buy excursions through the cruise ship because they are more expensive and crowded than the local tours. If you do your research on the Bermuda thread you will get all kinds of recommendations for tour companies others have used, places to go and see and prices. The local companies that are recommended on the threads are always good because they make their business off of referrals. I always plan ahead and never just walk off the ship without a plan just to make sure I get a reputable company, unless of course you are just cabbing it to the beach or something. Here's the thread for the Bermuda information:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=196

 

If you can't swing the cost of the Family View cabins or they aren't available, check to see if there are any concierge class cabins left. The cabins and balconys are bigger so you will have a little bit more room. Some of these will have even larger balconies. You also get extra benefits such as fresh flowers, fresh fruit, canapes daily at 4:00 or cheese and crackers, a pillow menu, an extra cruise credit (2 instead of 1), nicer bedding, towels and robes and balcony furniture.

 

Here's the cabin numbers to look for that will have larger balconies. Remember, Concierge Class (or C1, 2 or 3), will have the larger cabin.

 

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

 

You can get the following drinks for free: tea, coffee, lemonade and fruit 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, 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, but they don't show recent releases. There's also PPV on your cabin television.

You can check your onboard account balance on your television and also order room service.

The formal nights will probably be Sunday and Thursday night.

I also highly recommend Normandie. It is a wonderful specialty restaurant with a $35 pp charge, but well worth it.

You can bring onboard two bottles of wine per cabin, plus water and soda.

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.

 

Here's our Conceriege Class cabin:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a great cruise!!

[subtchr]

Great advice here, but I am curious, as a Royal cruiser planning our first Celebrity cruise: Is it even possible to book 5 people in a standard cabin?

 

It is not possible on any RC ships, just the family cabins and some of the suites.

 

Thanks for any insights!

[Aunt Tina]

I was very impressed on one of the ship's tours of the bridge I took, to see a live camera view of the children's room on the desk of the Captain. If you are concerned about the safety/security of your children, call the Captain's Club and ask what happens on the Summit. That ship put the safety of the children right up there with the safety of the ship.

 

Everyone I know whose kids have been involved in children's club activities - the kids have not wanted to leave the children's club!

[darsam32]

We just finished a Summit cruise a couple of weeks ago and as much as we enjoyed our cabin I can`t imagine being in a regular cabin with 3 kids you`ll be bumping into each other.

I think a typical room has 190 sq.ft. or 10 x 19 and a good portion of that is taken up by furniture,bathroom and closets.

Having 5 people in that tight space may make for a stressful vacation.

[PokerStarNH]

We cruised the Summit a while back. It was great. The service was top notch. It seemed like an older crowd to us. I'm guessing you are going to St Martin. The tiki hut snorkeling tour was great. It was very kid friendly. There were a few families on the tour and the kids looked like they were having a ball. On other cruises, in both st Martin and st Thomas, we got a cab and asked them for an island tour. The price was very reasonable. They have standard tours they take you on. On st Thomas, we had them drop us at the beach at the end of the tour and then made a time for them to pick us up to go back to the ship.

In st Thomas, The butterfly garden is right across the pier from the ship. You can walk. It's a reasonable price and enjoyable.

It was a while ago but my kids loved the kids program on Carnival. I would definitely check out the kids program.

 

 

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[Lois R]

We cruised the Summit a while back. It was great. The service was top notch. It seemed like an older crowd to us. I'm guessing you are going to St Martin. The tiki hut snorkeling tour was great. It was very kid friendly. There were a few families on the tour and the kids looked like they were having a ball. On other cruises, in both st Martin and st Thomas, we got a cab and asked them for an island tour. The price was very reasonable. They have standard tours they take you on. On st Thomas, we had them drop us at the beach at the end of the tour and then made a time for them to pick us up to go back to the ship.

In st Thomas, The butterfly garden is right across the pier from the ship. You can walk. It's a reasonable price and enjoyable.

It was a while ago but my kids loved the kids program on Carnival. I would definitely check out the kids program.

 

 

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Hi Poker, not sure if you noticed it, but the date of this thread started

back in 2011......I am guessing the OP sailed 3 years ago.......

[debkaysmith]

When our kids were little we were nervous about the Kids' Club too. But not to worry - they had a blast each and every time we cruised and they joined in the fun with their age-mates. It'll make the cruise a wonderful experience for all of you!

[PokerStarNH]

Thanks Lois R. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 

 

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[ladytaekwondo]

Kid's Club Rocks!!!! We have used it and the kids LOVED it. The employees are all background checked and have education in child development. My DH and I both work for a major police department and believe me, we checked it out thoroughly.