Trying again - with pictures - Summit SoCa - Will definitely be back!

[Jborosara]

About a week ago, we returned from our second (annual) Southern Caribbean cruise on the Summit. We wanted to do the before/after comparisons, but honestly were planning on doing something different next winter. But the redone Summit is SO fabulous, we booked a repeat trip for next year.

 

We originally planned to fly into San Juan two days early, but backed out at the last minute over concerns about being gone too long and only went one day early. Last year, stayed at the Sheraton Convention Center, but wanted to be in OSJ, so did Celebrity's pre-cruise package there. It was pricey (@200 per person per night), but did include transfers (both bags and people) to the ship. Either way, we wanted to be in OSJ and were willing to pay for it.

 

Flew in very early (left our house at 330am) and arrived in San Juan by 230 - we were checked in and napping by 330pm:-) Dinner at Marmalade that night was wonderful, again. And we slept like babies - no alarm clock - and no worries.

 

We woke up around 9am the next morning - had some room service breakfast and went for a run around the sea wall beneath El Morro - what an amazing way to start a day. It was 80 plus degrees, sunny, but breezy - simply fabulous run! you can see the entrance to the path here - it is very easy to find from the hotel - just follow the water.

 

[Jborosara]

After the run, we went back to the hotel to clean up and get ready to sight see. Celebrity comes to pick up bags around 930 or 1000 (they were right on time) - the next time you see those bags is on the ship in your cabin. That part of the Celebrity package is worth it - the rest seems overpriced to me. The transfer to the boat is included, but only goes at 1pm and we wanted plenty of time to walk around OSJ, so we just opted out of that and hopped in a cab.

 

We LOVED OSJ. It was our first time just walking around and taking it in. Vibrant - Colorful - Amazing - Energetic. I really regret not spending more time here.

 

 

[Jborosara]

I wanted to see the forts. It is VERY easy to navigate OSJ - the streets are in a grid pattern and there are maps everywhere! We found one here - along with an alarming number of pigeons - almost like something straight out of Alfred Hitchcock!

 

 

The map gave very clear instructions to El Morro. It looks a long way away, but nothing in OSJ is very far from anything else. It is uphill getting there, but not a hard walk at all. The streets are narrow, but mostly one way - still need to be careful of traffic.

 

 

The fort is magnificent! It costs five bucks to get in and is worth every penny. This is the view from the women's bathroom!

 

 

 

 

[librarylady19]

Those photos bring back some great memories. We were so glad spent a couple of days in San Juan.

Can't wait to read more about your cruise and see your photos. Thanks for posting. I know how labor intensive it is!

[Jborosara]

There are iguanas everywhere! And they don't bite - most will sit very still for pictures. Signs everywhere beg you not to feed them.

 

 

We stopped for lunch at a place that just looked good to us from the street. I had gazpacho and my husband had a mashed plantain dish that he loved and is dedicated to reproducing here at home.

 

[van-lop]

Beautiful pictures from my island! Thanks for them. That's a stuffed mofongo. If you want the recipe feel free to let me know!

[Jborosara]

We found a local art store in OSJ and bought a painting of Don Quixote (love that story) done by a local artist. We are awaiting its arrival!

 

Somewhere around 230, we decided it was time to head to the ship - a quick walk back to the Sheraton, grabbed our carry ons and hopped in a cab. There was literally NO ONE there at the time - we walked straight in - did not wait a moment for anything! By 3pm we were standing in our cabin with glasses of champagne.

 

The redone Summit is nothing short of fabulous. We love AQ - we love Deck 11 - we love Blu - we loved everything (except the hairdryers)!

 

Our favorite place was the Cellar Masters (Joaquin, the sommelier, became our new best friend) - it is gorgeous and the enomatic machines very, very fun!

 

 

Here is a shot of the new Blu

 

 

[Jborosara]

For the record, you can ask for a Reidel glass anytime you order wine either in Cellar Masters or Blu and they will get it for you! It really does make a difference!

[Jborosara]

St. Croix

 

First stop, St. Croix. This was a return visit to the place we spent our honeymoon. We were there in 1989, just before Hurricane Hugo demolished the island. The place we stayed was blown away and has been rebuilt, but we didn't go back there.

 

 

 

[Jborosara]

We booked a full day excursion through Big Beard's. The only down-side to this tour is that it leaves from Christiansted - a forty minute cab ride from the port - and the transportation is not included in the tour. I don't really understand why they do this, but they do. I remember from my honeymoon that taxis in St. Croix run on island time - they are in a hurry for nothing! Which is a little frustrating when we only had a limited time on the island.... but not enough so to ruin the day:-)

 

We loved the excursion! The crew was amazing and the day was beautiful. First stop - turtle beach (there were no turtles there, though)

 

 

 

[Jborosara]

After a brief stop to get more comfortable in the water, it was on to the national monument at Buck Island. Apparently, the area made such an impression on JFK, that he named it a national monument. There are signs along a trail underwater that tell you about the fish and the coral. We remember it (and have pictures somewhere) from pre-Hugo 1989. The coral were all live and vibrant. According to our guides, Hugo literally picked up the reef and moved in inward about 20 feet - which is bad in many ways. Much of the coral is dead (though there are signs of life) and what is there is in danger in the shallower and warmer water.

 

The water is, however still gorgeous!

 

 

that is the bottom of the ocean - about 30 feet down!

[Jborosara]

We love Buck Island and would go there everytime we go to St. Croix. Maybe it's the fond memories from our honeymoon - maybe it's just the sheer beauty of it. But I hope to be back again some day.

 

Here are some of our underwater pictures from this trip - please remember this is a new camera and I am still learning to use it.

 

 

 

 

[Jborosara]

The water was certainly cooler than I remember, but after a brief guided snorkel, the crew set us loose on our own for over an hour.

 

 

The crew was incredibly patient with all of us. I am a good swimmer and very comfortable in the water, but still enjoyed the guided portion of the tour. I think everyone had their fill of the snorkeling just about the time it was time to get back on the boat.

 

Afterward, we motored to a beach for a cook-out, some rum punch and a little relaxation. One of the crew had some fresh fish of some sort that he caught earlier in the day, and he grilled that up (with rum and onion marinade) for us, as well. It was a small group (30 or so) - some families (two or three very well mannered children, i think) - one couple that was staying on St. Croix and everyone else from the Summit. I really enjoy snorkeling with smaller groups!

 

We were back in town with plenty of time to get back to the ship, but cabbies who didn't want to leave until they were full. Several people on the cab almost came unglued, but we made it back with time to spare.

 

I would totally book through Big Beard's again, but i might just stick with the half day tour. It's the same time at Buck Island, but some time to wander around town, too. Still, relaxing on a beach while someone else cooks a fresh, grilled lunch ain't bad either:-)

[urmysunshine12]

Beautiful photos! Thanks so much for sharing and the information on San Juan, we are sailing on our first cruise ever on the Summit our of San Juan in December. I am looking forward to the rest of your photos!

Karen

[Jborosara]

Back on the ship, it was the first formal night. On night one, we went to dinner early - before bags had gotten to the room - because we wanted to be up on deck for sailaway. My husband had on shorts - that was all he had! The maitre'd was nice, but firm that shorts were allowed on night one only (we knew this already), but also reminded us that Blu is smart casual every night - no need to dress formally!

 

We appreciated this very much as we did not bring any formal clothes - had decided that if X didn't abide by its own rules, we'd eat in Qsine or Bistro on 5 on formal nights. It was nice to know in advance that we were fine! Martin (the Maitre'd) was awesome - quickly learned our names - knew where we liked to sit (on the couch) and always expected us to come in with our Reidel glasses in hand. We never disappointed!

 

I cannot say enough positive about the dining experience in Blu. Food was the main reason we were planning to do something else next year. We are both foodies and like interesting combinations and lighter fare. Blu delievered. Certainly there were heavier dishes on the menu (lamb shank), but most nights, we had fish or poultry with a reduction sauce of some sort. They looked at us like we were nuts when we asked to split a desert, but most nights that is just what we did.

 

As an aside, we both had the premium alcohol package and our wine glasses were never empty - they knew I wanted Evian and hubby wanted Pellegrino and had it waiting for us most nights. Some nights we had desert wine - most not. But I would totally book this package again - the convenience is worth it even if it didn't pay for itself (which it probably did).

[Jborosara]

Beautiful pictures from my island! Thanks for them. That's a stuffed mofongo. If you want the recipe feel free to let me know!

 

I want the recipe!!!!! it was delicious! I have decided that I am learning Spanish and we are retiring in San Juan. Love! Love! Love! your island!

[Jborosara]

the next morning, we enjoyed our first breakfast in Blu. It was wonderful. My only regret is that I did not eat more not knowing what the day was bringing my way.

 

We booked the Mt. Liamigua hike through Celebrity. Please believe them when they say it is strenuous. When I read strenuous, i though strenuous like snorkeling is strenuous - like caving is strenuous - like rappelling is strenuous. Just let it be noted that THIS HIKE is a different kind of STRENUOUS!

 

This is a picture from the trailhead - the island in the distance is Saba. It looks so serene - it belies what is coming!

 

 

The guides told us early on that the hike was hard ( i still didn't quite believe them) - they told us early on that there would be people who did not make the summit - there were five of them. I was determined not to be one of them!

 

We were given walking sticks before starting out. One dude tried to go without it and the guides insisted he take it. He was one of the ones who did not make the summit.

 

The guides also told us that the first half was the "easy" part. It was not easy! It was rocky - tree limbs everywhere. I tripped several times and nearly fell going up. I fell several times coming down.

 

It should also be noted that my husband and I are in reasonable shape. We exercise regularly - currently running 15-20 miles a week. We regularly run half marathons - I am a triathlete - sometimes I ride my bike to work when the weather is good. You get the point. We are active mid-40's and this hike kicked out butts! I am proud to have made the summit, but not sure I would do it again.... but then I might:-)

 

Here is a picture of the volcano from the bus going there. It really is THAT tall!

 

 

This picture was taken about halfway up - just before the "hard" part.

 

[Jborosara]

We were in the last group to make the summit. There were some (very dry) pastries that the guides brought to help us refuel for the descent - and some guava juice. My advice if you decide to take this on - bring your own water and own fuel! Also, be sure you bring a backpack suitable for hiking to carry it in. And be sure to wear the right shoes (we saw people in flip flops doing this hike - she actually made the summit before us).

 

here are some pics from the summit (the mountain, not the ship)... it really was worth the hike.

 

 

 

Here is a picture of the crater lake 60 feet down... with more time, we could scale down there... also with more energy!

 

 

 

We had spectacular weather. It did rain on the hike back down - which is not good when there is a lot of mud to trudge through. Coming back to the ship, numerous people commented that we looked like we had more fun than they did. I think we did - but mostly we were just covered in mud and dirt and sweat.

 

Here is a picture of my cold towel after I wiped my face down....

 

 

Gotta LOVE those Celebrity cold towels! It never felt so good before or since!

 

For the record, they tell you to wear long pants because of the foliage - DON'T - it is not necessary and you will burn up! Also the tickets said to wear long sleeves because of cold temps at the top.... also DO NOT DO THIS! HUGE mistake! Thankfully, we had the convertible pants and could roll up our sleeves! HOT! HOT! HOT!

[Cruiser Susie]

Really enjoying your review and your pictures. We did the Big Beard's trip two years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is such a shame about that reef, isn't it? Old San Juan is one of our favorite cities to wander about and enjoy. I look forward to going back there at some point.

 

We did an Alaskan cruise about 7 years ago. We also hiked a lot, walked a lot at home, did bike rides, etc. We decided to take one of the hikes at the cabins were staying at in Kantishna, in Denali. It was marked as an "easy" hike. At one point, I was pulling myself up a very steep hill with some vines; almost 90 degree angle. I am glad we didn't take the more difficult ones! :eek: Your pictures from the summit are stunning.

 

Looking forward to hearing the rest of your review and enjoying your pictures as well. The Summit was our first Celebrity cruise, and it is good to see the updates on her. Thank you for your time and effort!

[huskerc]

Really fantastic stuff! Looking forward to the rest as we're doing the same itinerary later this year!

[Jborosara]

Out to dinner with the family

 

Will finish later

[MindTheGap1918]

Great review so far, thank you for posting! We're trying to decide between this Summit itinerary and RCCL's Adventure for next January. Can't wait to read more!

[EithneMay]

I am guessing you were there the week of the 11th? That was the second week of our b2b. We also enjoyed Big Beards, but prefer the half day tour. It is a bigger boat with less people! You guys looked crammed in the boat with little shade! The only difference in the tour is lunch.

 

Were you in one of the deck 11aft AQ cabins? If so, did you feel you had absolutely no privacy?? I don't think we will book an AQ cabin on an M Class ship. We love the sweet 16 cabins.

[gmros]

Thank you for the review and photos! Can't wait for the rest.

[Jborosara]

I am guessing you were there the week of the 11th? That was the second week of our b2b. We also enjoyed Big Beards, but prefer the half day tour. It is a bigger boat with less people! You guys looked crammed in the boat with little shade! The only difference in the tour is lunch.

 

Were you in one of the deck 11aft AQ cabins? If so, did you feel you had absolutely no privacy?? I don't think we will book an AQ cabin on an M Class ship. We love the sweet 16 cabins.

 

Actually, we felt, for the most part, utterly and completely private on our balcony, even though we were the end one immediately adjacent to the upper pool deck.... would book again in a heartbeat!