A Summit Review

[lovelife]

Following is a review of my experience on and opinion of the August 23 Summit sailing to Bermuda. If you had a different experience and opinion, that's absolutely okay.

 

We are a mature Elite (Diamond Plus on Royal Caribbean) couple on our 38th cruise -- third with Celebrity and the majority on RCCL. We are very easy going and very low maintenance. I won't complain unless I must.

 

We had sailed on the old Horizon many years ago and the old Mercury. I remember both of those ships as sleek and classy with the best food we had experienced at sea. I had read Celebrity treated their Elite passengers much better than RCCL so I decided to give it another try for a relaxing week. Based on the description of Aqua Class and Blu rave reviews, I booked a guarantee Aqua cabin for not a large difference in price over a regular veranda although the prices were extremely high for this cruise when I booked. Besides, I had read the best CD ever, Richard Spacey, was on Summit.

 

We drove the four hours to Cape Liberty and parked in the lot at $19 per day and then rode the shuttle bus to the terminal building. We walked in about 11 a.m. and went immediately to the check in counter. A couple minutes later we walked directly on the ship. What a breeze and perhaps the best embarkation ever.

 

That first exciting glimpse of the ship

 

 

The walkway to Summit

 

 

The new terminal - just a big metal building and certainly nothing fancy

 

 

Celebrity is tops at welcoming passengers with mimosas. A very nice touch.

 

[lovelife]

Exploring the Ship:

 

An aerialist performing

 

 

DH's favorite spot

 

 

Fitness Center

 

 

Tiny Arcade and Kiddo Area

 

 

 

Main Dining Room

 

[lovelife]

Exploring the Ship:

 

Wine bar I believe with Bistro on Five in the rear

 

 

Upper floor of library

 

 

Guest Services/Shore Excursions area

 

 

 

From Guest Services

 

 

View from above

 

[lovelife]

I loved having the muster drill in the theater instead of standing in lines on the outer deck.

 

I had read Captain Kate would be on this cruise along with the regular captain. Not so, or at least if she was, they kept the fact hidden (I've got to stop believing everything I read!). The captain announced he would be sailing around the Statue of Liberty upon departure (finally something I had read was true). We found a spot on the top deck and it was a spectacular sail away.

 

 

 

 

 

[Cruising Princess]

Great pictures of the Summit. Looking forward to the rest of your review.

[cl.klink]

Looking forward to your impressions.

 

- Joel

[Azulann]

What wonderful pictures of the beginning of your criuse on the Summit.

I have never been on the Summit, only the Constellation of the M class ships.

[soxfan2013]

I had read Captain Kate would be on this cruise along with the regular captain. Not so, or at least if she was, they kept the fact hidden (I've got to stop believing everything I read!).

 

Kate was indeed on board, but in civilian clothes. She was "working' -- undergoing three weeks of orientation. As such, she was not in uniform and not empowered to give orders. She is a dynamo. What a coup for Celebrity.

[Dizney]

Great so far. Can't wait for the rest.

[Keith1010]

Enjoying what you have posted already.

 

Keith

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Less than 2 weeks. Can't wait for sail away.

[graceswan]

Thanks! Will be sailing her in November, so looking forward to the rest of the review!

 

Donna

[lovelife]

Thanks for all the comments. Regarding Kate, IMHO they missed a real opportunity in not introducing or even mentioning her to the passengers.

 

Back to it.

 

Cabin

 

This was the biggest disappointment of the cruise. We were assigned cabin 9045 which has to be the worst veranda cabin on the ship, but I did book a guarantee so got what they assigned. The balcony had a huge obstruction that was not mentioned any place on Celebrity's website. There is also a huge overhang, and I mean huge. I've had overhangs on other ships but nothing like this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The shower doors do not seal and water splashes out on the floor

 

[Jayneykul]

Looking forward to the rest of your review. I'm so sorry you didn't get a cabin to your liking we were the same on summit last year booked a sky suite that looked like had great balcony but in reality was very overlooked and we didn't use it. Booked hopefully better location for next year. Hope you loved your cruise despite this we certainly did!

[lovelife]

Shower (hey, you can see me taking the photo!)

 

 

Our view from the balcony

 

 

 

Anyone on the balcony to the right could look right in at us and vice versa.

 

 

 

View to the right

 

 

 

There was a bottle of either champagne or wine on ice but we don't drink either. We offered it to our neighbors but they declined so it went to waste. DH ate one of the apples and said it was Golden Delicious, not Granny Smith, and was not very good.

 

 

I loved the daily tea and drank a lot of it. There were no tongs for the requested daily ice so I brought a tablespoon from the buffet to scoop it out so no big deal. The daily bottles of water were very nice to have (the two in front).

 

[lovelife]

There was no paperwork in the cabin listing the Aqua Class perks so I got one from Guest Services.

 

There was no special bedding as listed and in fact the mattress was so hard I had to request a foam topper. There was no pillow menu and the ones there should be burned.

 

There was no aroma scent selection as listed but a dust-laden diffuser on a shelf.

 

 

On another shelf was a small, broken two-sided magnifying mirror. There was no fog-free mirror in the cabin as listed.

 

The little bag with slippers and lip balm were an appreciated extra and later in the week a really nice good-size heavy canvas bag appeared on the bed one evening. I don't know if that was for being Elite or in an Aqua cabin as there was no indication.

 

The plate of little treats before dinner was a nice gesture but wasted on us so we told our cabin attendant not to bring any more.

 

This was the only one I actually ate part of

 

 

One evening the cabin attendant left a rose on my pillow - lovely touch. I bring my own pillow so that is my pillow case, not ship issue.

 

 

We did not receive one towel animal all week so I guess Celebrity does not do this. I love my towel animals, but this is certainly not a complaint, just an observation.

 

We often heard carts rolling and children/adults? running across the Solarium floor above our cabin.

 

The air conditioning was set at maximum the entire week but it just couldn't keep up. At night we roasted. I reported it and it worked better for one day and then went back to the former.

 

We stood in two inches of water in the shower as it wouldn't drain properly. I reported it twice beginning on day two and they finally came on day six and fixed it.

 

Our stateroom attendant, Charlie, took great care of us and he was rewarded accordingly. We didn't know until the last day that we had an assistant stateroom attendant when he knocked on the door and asked if he could come in and clean the bathroom. I've never heard of assistants.

 

Even with all the cabin disappointments and issues, there was no sense dwelling on it. We just kept a positive attitude, determined to enjoy ourselves.

[Tudorcruisers]

enjoying your review. Sorry you were disappointed with the cabin and all the other things. We booked a Sky suite this time as a first and everyone around us could see us so that was a surprise but it didn't bother us at all. Think we will just go back to regular balcony in future. Capt Kate was introduced on our cruise at one of the events but the lineup to speak to her was immediate so I can kind of guess why they were breaking her in gently as everyone and it really looked like everyone wanted to speak to her. Felt quite sorry for her.

 

Regarding the heat in your room and you saying it was maximum and you were saying it was really hot. We had ours turned to minimum so It was really cool which is just how I like it. Bed was so soft and comfortable and pillows were great and the appetisers etc you received in your stateroom were the same as suite. We were very fortunate to have a very enjoyable cruise and hope you enjoy your next one more.

 

 

Everything was just perfect and I have no complaints at all.

Edited September 8, 2015 by Tudorcruisers

[lovelife]

From our cabin we had a simple walk up one deck to the Solarium and spa. We checked out the Persian Garden and it was nice but very tiny. We used the herbal bath one day but the others were always busy when we went. I wanted to try the sensory showers but none of them worked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ooh la la

 

[lovelife]

Around the Ship:

 

 

Loved this laughing guy

 

 

 

Martini Bar

 

 

 

 

Yes, I even photograph the bathrooms! Loved the orchids.

 

[funinthesun86]

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!

[lovelife]

Thanks for all the comments.

 

Yes, the air conditioner was definitely not working properly; they just couldn't repair it. :(

 

I'm glad Kate got introduced on your cruise. I can imagine the excitement surrounding that.

 

I have not said I did not enjoy my cruise. To the contrary, I said despite all the issues we chose not to dwell on the negatives and did enjoy ourselves.

 

Back to it.

 

Entertainment:

 

We attended the welcome show in the theater. Mostly a bunch of talking by the CD who was NOT Richard Spacey but a guy named Ken who seemed to be trying but we just didn't care for him. An okay comedian also did a short stint.

 

We watched Top Chef, Love & Marriage (or whatever they call it), and caught part of the a capella group which sounded great. We also enjoyed Liar's Club which was hilarious. It was the first and only time all week we saw the captain or any officer for that matter. He participated and was a riot. It definitely was not for children but I saw a lot of them in there.

 

Theater

 

 

Elite Perks:

 

On five evenings there was an Elite happy hour in the huge Revelations lounge. It was only from 5 to 7 p.m. and no drinks were loaded on the sea pass card for the bars. The drink menu looked more extensive than RCCL's but surprisingly it did not include my favorite Baileys.

 

I liked the Elite laundry deal better than RCCL where we each can only get free laundry on a specific day and it is all you can fit in a tiny bag. Celebrity allows 20 items each and it can be used any day up to the last three. The only issue was they sent a strange pair of gym shorts back with DH's clean laundry and lost his nice polo shirt. They did eventually find and return it.

 

I also liked the three $5 casino match plays. To my dismay RCCL ended these a while back. I was elated to come out $45 ahead on roulette!! DH is the gambler in the family but ended up way in the hole on this trip.

 

The 90-minute complimentary Internet is also very generous although painfully slow.

 

One Elite perk was complimentary lattes in Normandie in the morning. Continental breakfast was also available. We never saw more than half a dozen people in there each morning. There were old photos and interesting Normandie information at the entrance.

 

 

Unfortunately, there was no Elite complimentary specialty coffee in the evening and I had to resort to buying lattes in Cafe Al Bacio at $6 a pop -- ouch.

 

 

Cafe Al Bacio

 

 

[lovelife]

I did like the large Cafe Al Bacio.

 

I used both DH's and my Elite coupons for complimentary scoops of delicious Gelato. I wish I could have tried all the flavors!

 

My carrot cake and DH's cheesecake from Cafe Al Bacio. My mouth waters looking at this photo of the carrot cake. It was soooooo good.

 

 

Shops:

 

I didn't find anything to buy but it's always fun looking.

 

Drinks:

 

I only bought two alcoholic drinks. They were very good and about $9 each I believe.

 

Dirty Banana

 

 

Banana Daiquiri - Yep, I love bananas!

 

[soxfan2013]

First of all, great pics!

 

Second, Kate was introduced at the Cruise Critic party, but not broadly to everyone on the ship. I agree, sort of shame...Capt. Leo could have said she was on the ship and introduced her and said to give her a warm welcome if anyone saw her, etc.

 

We were very close to you in AQ 9071. I presume we saw you in Blu. We were the only ones with two kids, so perhaps you saw us (I think they were well behaved, at least in the restaurant) ;) ...Yes, we had the overhang, but not the obstructions. We found the overhang to be a little too much and decided we would try to avoid it in the future....it certainly cuts the pics of the horizon and is intrusive vs a vast, unobstructed view. The other obstructions which you had, we didn't have and I agree that those would be bothersome and disappointing.

 

Yes, the shower doors are wimpy and don't close well and water gets on the floor. The fog free mirror is an oddity and is loosely placed on the book shelf opposite the bed. We didn't use it. Our AC was working fine, thankfully, so much that I was criticized for keeping the room like a meat locker -- I suspect I am guilty on that front.

 

Yes, we agree the beds are very hard and not very comfortable. I started a thread regarding this titled something like "Aqua Beds -- All Cracked Up" in which I noted that in addition to being bothered by the crack between the two twin beds which Celebrity failed to adequately cover up, we also found the beds too be hard and nothing special: not uncomfortable (except for the crack), but not especially comfortable. We also ordered a foam mattress pad and it made a little difference but not much. My thread was basically panned with most people telling me I was nuts and these were Riviera beds that were oh so special. I know beds/mattresses...let's just leave it at that. These beds are borderline poor and the failure to provide a good topper which entirely covers the crack is a significant deficiency.

 

I never discussed Top Chef but we felt it was really lame. They didn't let the audience chefs do anything, and it was primarily a showcase for the ship's chefs. We were upset that we wasted the hour inside midday and not outside or at another activity. The Cruise Director is also a little too canned for our tastes...he sort of talks down to the audience, or just walks thru 'canned' lines, IMO.

 

Lastly, you provided good pics of the Persian Gardens...so disappointing compared to Reflection which have an amazing view of the ocean...these Persian Gardens are dark and dingy...we never went; on Reflection we went 2-3 times. That's what happens when you try to do something after the fact vs designing it into the plans from the get go.

 

Anyway, thanks for sharing and for all your great pics!

Edited September 9, 2015 by soxfan2013

[Got2Cruise]

I love your blog and your pictures. I was on the August 23 sailing also. It was a great week. Captain Kate was indeed on board and introduced at the CC party. (Search Captain Kate here on Cc) some of us posted pics. I think I read on another social media outlet that Captain Kate was also introduced at an Elite party. I saw Captain Kate with Captain Leo all over the ship together. At breakfast at Cafe Biaggio, at Karaoke too.

 

I understand that Blu has healthy menus, so I guess you didn't try the Top Chef Menu. The short ribs are to die for. A couple of other choices from that menu were excellent also.

 

We loved Cafe Biaggio, we had the classic drink package so any of the coffees were included.

 

Ken Mills, the CD was the same as any CD I ever cruised with on Royal or NCL. A couple of his jokes I've heard before. Lol. But he seemed like a genuinely nice guy, not a stuck up phony.

 

I want to add that I was with some 20 somethings and we had lots of fun with the Activity guys Justin and Jack. I didn't know if Celebrity would keep them engaged, but they had a great time.

[lovelife]

First of all, great pics!

 

Second, Kate was introduced at the Cruise Critic party, but not broadly to everyone on the ship. I agree, sort of shame...Capt. Leo could have said she was on the ship and introduced her and said to give her a warm welcome if anyone saw her, etc.

 

We were very close to you in AQ 9071. I presume we saw you in Blu. We were the only ones with two kids, so perhaps you saw us (I think they were well behaved, at least in the restaurant) ;) ...Yes, we had the overhang, but not the obstructions. We found the overhang to be a little too much and decided we would try to avoid it in the future....it certainly cuts the pics of the horizon and is intrusive vs a vast, unobstructed view. The other obstructions which you had, we didn't have and I agree that those would be bothersome and disappointing.

 

Yes, the shower doors are wimpy and don't close well and water gets on the floor. The fog free mirror is an oddity and is loosely placed on the book shelf opposite the bed. We didn't use it. Our AC was working fine, thankfully, so much that I was criticized for keeping the room like a meat locker -- I suspect I am guilty on that front.

 

Yes, we agree the beds are very hard and not very comfortable. I started a thread regarding this titled something like "Aqua Beds -- All Cracked Up" in which I noted that in addition to being bothered by the crack between the two twin beds which Celebrity failed to adequately cover up, we also found the beds too be hard and nothing special: not uncomfortable (except for the crack), but not especially comfortable. We also ordered a foam mattress pad and it made a little difference but not much. My thread was basically panned with most people telling me I was nuts and these were Riviera beds that were oh so special. I know beds/mattresses...let's just leave it at that. These beds are borderline poor and the failure to provide a good topper which entirely covers the crack is a significant deficiency.

 

I never discussed Top Chef but we felt it was really lame. They didn't let the audience chefs do anything, and it was primarily a showcase for the ship's chefs. We were upset that we wasted the hour inside midday and not outside or at another activity. The Cruise Director is also a little too canned for our tastes...he sort of talks down to the audience, or just walks thru 'canned' lines, IMO.

 

Lastly, you provided good pics of the Persian Gardens...so disappointing compared to Reflection which have an amazing view of the ocean...these Persian Gardens are dark and dingy...we never went; on Reflection we went 2-3 times. That's what happens when you try to do something after the fact vs designing it into the plans from the get go.

 

Anyway, thanks for sharing and for all your great pics!

 

Thanks for your comments. No, you are not nuts -- the beds were awful. I did see some well behaved children in Blu. This certainly didn't bother me in the least. I just thought Aqua cabins were strictly limited to two guests. So they let you book four in your cabin?