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Just off the Summit?

Mathguy42

By Mathguy42,
in Celebrity Cruises

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cherylroslyn

cherylroslyn

Posted
Posted
Hi there - I've tried again - no luck with the photos - something about security token missing. If anyone would like any copies of my photos of the Summit, you can send me your email and I'd be happy to share!!

I'd love to see them. I's sailing in about 60 days....so excited she is my favorite ship.

 

 

cbartow@courts.state.ny.us

 

 

 

Thank you!!!!!

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nedward

nedward

Posted
Posted

 

Let me say that Select Dining worked beautifully! We had been assigned a table for two right by the galley entrance. The Maitre D' agreed that this was a bad location and suggested Select Dining. We tried it and were exceeding pleased.

 

We arrived at various times and never had a wait. The first night we had a really nice waiter (Sarita) and requested him for the rest of the cruise. No problems. We would certainly do Select Dining again.

 

The food ranged from great (onion soup, escargots, petite filet mignon) to inedible (beef ragout).

 

We would have to agree (11Feb cruise) that the MDR food was hit and miss. It was our first time at Select, and we were fortunate to find Percy and Pinto/Francisco (as did another poster) with whom we settled in for the last few nights.

 

Although food is such a subjective matter, it is important to us that we have, at least, a properly prepared meal. It needn't be fancy. In fact, the everyday escargot, French onion soup, salmon were enjoyed nightly, and were a great alternative to the main menu. One night was Short Rib Lasagna, where coincidentally the short ribs were on the previous night's menu. The blackened drum's spice mix was not evenly distributed, so one bite was searingly spicy (I am a chile head and I found it unpleasant) and the other piece was bland; and it was dry. And there was petrified mashed potato that was pretty but suitable for target practice.

 

We have cruised with our friends probably 10 times, and we make light of the whole thing. Our "complaints" are meant to enlighten, and the important thing is to have a good time.

 

We are disappointed that the very experience that set Celebrity above its competitors has disappeared. Gone are the offers of fresh ground pepper, the granita intermezzo between courses on lobster night, the desserts presented on a tray by your waiter. The harpist and string quartet in the MDR no longer plays -- the accordion and violin duo would have fit in nicely.

 

Speaking of lobster: it's back, but barely edible. Remember when the Maitre d' would remove the meat from the shell with an expert hand? The gauze-wrapped lemon and drawn butter? Forget it -- there's some brown sauce glazed on the tail, and there's a breadcrumb and crab(?) stuffing. Two of the three at our table were sent back, and the good one was not all that good.

 

The wine list? They can't be serious. It isn't sorted by varietal -- it's by someone's description: Harmonious and Balanced; Rich and Robust; Flabby and Tasteless. All I wanted was a Pinot Noir at a certain price range -- good luck finding an appropriate wine. We were fortunate to have a knowledgeable wine steward who helped pick an excellent wine to match cuisine and price point. When we first saw the menu, we went up to Cellar Masters and HOWLED with the waitress, who felt the "Solsticized" wine list was difficult and confusing at best.

 

Our best dinner was at the buffet, when we decided that the evening's menu would not work for us. Sushi, made to order pasta, and fresh salad were excellent. We dined in the open air, and it was quiet and lovely.

 

Bistro on 5 -- crepes were great and service to match, as well as Cafe di Bacio. We did not do Qzine or Normandie at $40 per head. Several cruises ago we HAD dined in Normandie, and although the food and show were good, it was hardly better than the MDR, to which we looked forward as the food was good, and at no additional cost! We examined the Normandie menu waiting for disembarkation and decided that truffle essence and foam were best left for others to enjoy.

 

We had a very good cruise, and hope you enjoy the Summit as much as we have. The staff is outstanding, and the new venues are done nicely. The bedding was comfy and the bathroom nightlight is a plus! Our aft cabin balcony was spacious and the furniture was new and plentiful.

 

Next for us is Oceania Riviera in January.

 

Regards, Ned

photo.jpg.afa4a98236eb60b444b28e97af2d40f8.jpg

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63galaxie

63galaxie

Posted
Posted
Hi there - I've tried again - no luck with the photos - something about security token missing. If anyone would like any copies of my photos of the Summit, you can send me your email and I'd be happy to share!!

Would you mind sharing them me with as well? seankaren@bellsouth.net Thanks so much.

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lucia girl

lucia girl

Posted
Posted
Hi there - I've tried again - no luck with the photos - something about security token missing. If anyone would like any copies of my photos of the Summit, you can send me your email and I'd be happy to share!!

 

Hi, I'm sailing the end of April and would love to see the pictures too. It's our 1st time on Celebrity.

 

Greatly Appreciated!

 

LuciaGirl9@gmail.com

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NEFoodies

NEFoodies

Posted
Posted

I have long relied on CC to guide my cruise planning but I think this is only my second posting. My DH and I just returned from a week on the Summit. We brought 2 friends who have never cruised before and selected this cruise because of the port intensity (less chance of seasickness for someone who doesn't know if they have sea legs) and the fact that we have traveled Summit twice before and LOVED it. This trip lived up to all expectations and resulted in 2 new HUGE cruise fans. They have already booked their next cruise on a Celebrity ship (next time it will be the Silhouette for them). I will post a full review but wanted to highlight a few things for those wondering about the impact of the recent drydock.

 

  1. The ship looked terrific. They managed to add Solstice style while maintaining the grace and elegance of the Millie class ship. My DH and I are very forgiving so while there may have been rough edges to the painting and outdoor fixtures we did not view this as a significant issue in the aesthetics of the ship.
  2. Of note - we were in Cabin 8098 and despite the "Obstructed View" warning on the Celebrity website there was NO obstruction.
  3. We love the Normandy and ate there one night. Was fabulous. We don't have a great resource for good french food in our rural MA community so we love to indulge at the Normandy. We tried Bistro on 5 and loved it so much we went back a second time. We tried Q-sine and I fully anticipated a gimmicky place that would be good for a one time try but we were very surprised. Q-sine was terrific. We loved the ambiance, service, quirky styling and fantastic food...cannot wait to go back and try some different things.
  4. The Martini bar was terrific. Very fun and delicious. Special mention goes to Boontham (Boom Boom) for being attentive, a showman and a master mixologist.
  5. Service in all areas remains exceptional. Celebrity (and notably the Summit) knows how to keep the crew happy because they certainly exude that happiness in engaging the guests.
  6. Entertainment - Other than the comedian (who was OUTSTANDING) we were not thrilled with any of the entertainment. Singers and dancers in the production numbers are very talented but their talent was often wasted in campy (at best) productions. The music throughout the ship was louder than we remember and often did not fit the style and grace of the ship. Different tastes need to be accounted for but I find it unlikely that rap and r&b are most people want to hear in almost every venue during the day. Maybe DH and I are just getting crotchety as we age but we wished for the return of quiet piano music in Michael's, classical music in Bistro on Five and the Cellar Masters and dance music (not just salsa) in the Rendevous lounge... and how about leaving the beloved classics alone and not updating them with excessive vocal "styling". Somewhere Over the Rainbow should at least be recognizable.

Okay, so I wrote more than I intended and that last item about entertainment may lead you to believe that we were unhappy, and that really couldn't be further from the truth. It was a fabulous cruise and we cannot wait for the next one. Bon Voyage to you future Summit cruisers.

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librarylady19

librarylady19

Posted
Posted

I second that. Great review. I have 2 cruises booked on Summit, just wish they were sooner.

I recall that time entertainment was the only weak point on Summit - even the comedian was PG and the shows were not to our taste.

We loved Normandie and plan to eat there again on our next cruise. The rack of lamb was to die for!

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ljk76

ljk76

Posted
Posted
I second that. Great review. I have 2 cruises booked on Summit, just wish they were sooner.

I recall that time entertainment was the only weak point on Summit - even the comedian was PG and the shows were not to our taste.

We loved Normandie and plan to eat there again on our next cruise. The rack of lamb was to die for!

 

Definitely reserve ahead of time for the Normandie...we didn't last week and couldn't get one despite being completely flexible on day and time! Pictures are coming of Micheals, BTW. It was one of the few places we didn't drink though. Beer was just too filling. They did have several events with beer tastings I noticed, which would likely be fun.

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