Twenty-something couple contemplating Summit

[slm517]

DH (28) and I (27) are in the process of planning our annual late Christmas cruise. I just booked Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas for our upcoming Southern Caribbean cruise. However given all info I've read here and the level of options of the previous ships we've sailed on I think the Summit (Dominica route) will be a better choice for us.

 

So far the major factors in my decision are:

- Price. Right now we have a aft balcony on the Brilliance, we could get a Veranda or Concierge Class stateroom for $100-200 less per person. If we book a veranda room, the savings would be enough to cover a premium drink package.

- Decor. We've mostly only sailed on Freedom and Oasis class ships on Royal, so we're worried that we'll be underwhelmed by the Brilliance's staterooms and solarium. From what I've seen the newly "solsticized" Summit is lovely, especially in these 2 areas.

 

My concerns are:

- The night life (or lack there of). We both love to dance (any music club/jazz/top 40) and DH enjoys a little late night blackjack. I understand that the night life won't be as lively on the Summit, but I am concerned that it may be nonexistent.

- Specialty dining. We love Chops and Giovanni's on Royal. Osine seems a little too gimmicky for me. So that leaves Normadie and Blu. Reading over the menus, Normadie seems promising but I haven't been able to find many photos of the entrees.

 

I'm planning on canceling our reservation on the Brilliance and booking the Summit tomorrow or Wednesday, so I'm basically just looking for some assurance that I'm making the right decision.

[NorthCarolinaBelle]

Aren't Brilliance and Summit about the same size? I'm not sure of that, but I know Summit is nowhere near the size of Oasis.

 

Summit will not have all the bells and whistles like Shrek characters and a Flow Rider, if that's important to you.

 

I don't know about the night life. My husband and I just like to hang out at a bar that has live music, or sit on our own balcony in the evening.

 

The reason we switched from Royal to Celebrity was the strict smoking policy. I got tired of smelling second-hand smoke everywhere we went. Summit was literally a breath of fresh air, so clean and fresh everywhere!

 

Don't forget that whatever your Crown and Anchor status is, Celebrity will honor with a reciprocal status. We were Diamond on Royal, and we were granted Elite status on Celebrity! It was a win/win decision to switch.

 

Additional pluses: welcome Champagne upon boarding, cold towels and drinks when returning to the ship from a port, fewer announcements over the intercom, and my favorite: You can carry on two bottles of wine!

 

Good luck deciding!

[exercisemama]

Have you bee on RCL AOS?? Just wondering if the second hand smoke is noticeable on that ship? I am torn between the Summit and the AOS.

 

Thanks

[slm517]

NorthCarolinaBelle - We live in NC too! DH and I loathe the cartoon characters, so not having them around will be a plus. As for the flowrider, we've never used it and don't plan to. You're right about the ships being roughly the same size. I'm more concerned about the quality of the ships than the quantity really. I think the Brilliance will feel dated for us, especially the look of the staterooms, solarium and some bars. I think we'll appreciate the more modern decor of the Summit, especially in the above areas.

[seasearider]

An aft cabin on the Brilliance will be very nice, a veranda room on the Summit will be noticeably smaller. If you are making the change, definitely go with a CC or AQ cabin so get the same space.

 

The nightlife will most likely be quieter on the Summit than what you are used to on RC. As someone stated the ships are close to the same size. Personally, I think the Radiance Class ships on Royal are as classy as any Celebrity ship in the Summit category.

 

It's a tough choice, but to give up an aft cabin for a smaller cabin on the Summit, I'm not sure I'd make that decision.

[seasearider]

NorthCarolinaBelle - We live in NC too! DH and I loathe the cartoon characters, so not having them around will be a plus. As for the flowrider, we've never used it and don't plan to. You're right about the ships being roughly the same size. I'm more concerned about the quality of the ships than the quantity really. I think the Brilliance will feel dated for us, especially the look of the staterooms, solarium and some bars. I think we'll appreciate the more modern decor of the Summit, especially in the above areas.

 

Not sure why it would be more dated than the Summit and as I said above you are looking at a smaller stateroom w/out that aft view.

 

Both ships are wonderful, good luck with your choice.

[slm517]

Seasearider - Great name by the way. Aside from our last minute cruise on the Navigator, we've only been on "newer" ships. While we enjoyed our time on the Navigotor, we both preferred the look of the Liberty and the Oasis, from the furniture and colors in the stateroom, to the design of the restaurants. From I can tell from looking here, the Celebrity site, and the Celebrity Facebook page, I think the newly solsticized Summit will be more reflective of this. As for the aft cabin, I was very happy that I managed to snag one of the coveted corner afts, but it's certainly not a must for us. As long as we have an unobstructed balcony were happy. I've read mixed reviews as to whether the Concierge Class rooms are worth the extra cost, do you consider them a good value?

[kenevenpar]

Summit is a wonderful ship. Have been on both Brilliance and Summit, and we would take Summit in a heart beat. A couple of notes:

 

Normandie: No comparisson to RCI. In our opinion, Normandie is far far superior to Chops.

 

We are mid 50's, so not the same demographics as you. We have more than 25 cruises under our belts, appx 50% RCI, 25% = X =, and 25% HAL. Celebrity and Hal are a step up from RCI, in our opinion, but we would sail on any of them.

 

Nightlife: It is very hard to compare because it varies on each ship cruise by cruise. We have never had a hard time finding someplace fun to be; but then we have no problem making our own fun.

 

If smoking (non) is an issue for you, Celebrity policy is much more restricted than RCI.

 

Ken

[kitkat9438]

Celebrity Summit would be my choice hands down. Celebrity is my favorite line. It's not true you have to get stuck with a smaller cabin on Celebrity. There are some cabins that are larger, such as Concierge Class and Aqua, with extra perks and larger balconies. The Summit just went through a refurbishment and it was "solsticized" so that it has all new decor, bedding, televisions, new Aqua cabins, Qsine, Bistro on 5, and the ice topped Martini Bar. We've always loved Concierge Class, Aqua and now we love the Sky Suites (after an upgrade in December).

 

Here's the cabins with larger balconies:

 

 

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

Normandie is an awesome specialty restaurant that serves filet (so tender you can cut it with a fork) and lobster, chocolate souffle, among many other wonderful things. Qsine is awesome as well. It is very fun and innovative and you get to order samples of lots of different types of food. You can even decorate your own cupcakes, or "paint" your filet mignon with sauces. Loved, loved that place.

Tacos:

cupcakes:

Painters Filet:

Now one of my favorite things about Celebrity are the alcohol packages. You can order the premium (everything up to $12) or classic (up to $8). The premium includes everything from bottled water, specialty coffees, energy drinks, soda, beer, wine, martinis, frozen drinks, etc. If you like to drink those things and want a more all inclusive experience it is totally worth it.

Celebrity is more laid back than Royal but they still have dancing, evening shows and late night comedy, as well as the Casino and bars.

Good luck with whatever you decide on.

[LINGBER]

Another factor to consider is the time of year. If you are traveling over xmas or New Years, there will be many families. More multigenerational so the disco and bars should be more lively than when school is in session. As a rule of thumb, I would say Royal has more entertainment options for your age group. If you choose the Summit just set your expectations for a relaxing cruise that most likely will be a bit more low key than what you are used to and you will have a fabulous time:)

[CathyCruises]

Seasearider - Great name by the way. Aside from our last minute cruise on the Navigator, we've only been on "newer" ships. While we enjoyed our time on the Navigotor, we both preferred the look of the Liberty and the Oasis, from the furniture and colors in the stateroom, to the design of the restaurants. From I can tell from looking here, the Celebrity site, and the Celebrity Facebook page, I think the newly solsticized Summit will be more reflective of this. As for the aft cabin, I was very happy that I managed to snag one of the coveted corner afts, but it's certainly not a must for us. As long as we have an unobstructed balcony were happy. I've read mixed reviews as to whether the Concierge Class rooms are worth the extra cost, do you consider them a good value?

 

On the M class ships, I DO think AQ or CC are worth it to get the larger rooms. I have been in both and I can tell you that the additional 15% makes a big difference. Just a little extra elbow room adds a degree of comfort. One other thing: both classes give you an additional point toward Elite status; you only need 10 points and there are excellent perks. Since you are so young, you could have years of great bennies within 4 cruises. (1 point for any cruise, one for CC and above, and 1 for longer than 12 nights IIRC).

[slm517]

kitkat9438 - Qsine didn't appeal to me that much until I saw your photos. The painters filet looks great.

 

lingber - I'm a nurse so I can't take vacation time between Thanksgiving and New Years. So our annual "Christmas" cruise actually happens in January.

 

cathycruises - I think the CC would be worth it to us more for the extra point than the extra cabin space.

[sarahc78]

DH and I are in our early 30's and LOVE the Summit. Nightlife is a little more laid back than you would find on RCL but the Casino has always been happening (at least on our sailings) The food in Normandie is SUPBERB! Absolutely the most delicious meal we've had on land or sea to date.

 

The Summit has some amazing Aft CC cabins as well. We stayed in one last year and it was great.

 

I defintely think going w/ the Summit is the right decision ;)

[slm517]

So...I bit the bullet and booked us on the Summit!

 

Thanks for all the help everyone.

[bowlinmoe]

Yeah, night life is weak on Celebrity. I'm 31 and my g/f is 29. We just got back from Solstice. There's isn't much dancing going on after 11 PM.

[seasearider]

Seasearider - Great name by the way. Aside from our last minute cruise on the Navigator, we've only been on "newer" ships. While we enjoyed our time on the Navigotor, we both preferred the look of the Liberty and the Oasis, from the furniture and colors in the stateroom, to the design of the restaurants. From I can tell from looking here, the Celebrity site, and the Celebrity Facebook page, I think the newly solsticized Summit will be more reflective of this. As for the aft cabin, I was very happy that I managed to snag one of the coveted corner afts, but it's certainly not a must for us. As long as we have an unobstructed balcony were happy. I've read mixed reviews as to whether the Concierge Class rooms are worth the extra cost, do you consider them a good value?

 

On an M-Class ship we always go with CC because of the extra room. Now that AQ has been added, Thai is our preference. Take a look at AQ, this I highly recommend.

 

I don't know when the Brillance was last updated, but that class of ship is really special.

 

Good luck with your decision, both ships are very nice.