Photo Review - Celebrity Summit Oct 24th - Oct 31st, 2015

[WinksCruises]

After a quick breakfast at the OceanView buffet, we headed up to the Revelations Lounge for the Cruise Critic Meet-Up scheduled for 9:30 am. We were met at the entry way by CC member Virginia Cruiser (Patty) and her husband Gregg who did a bang-up job organizing our M&G using the itinerary’s CC Roll Call. Patty used to be a meeting event planner, so this sort of activity comes naturally to her. It showed.

 

We took seats in the lounge with a fellow CC member Paul and his wife Nancy who were doing a back to back to back – beginning with the transition cruise from Bayonne to San Juan 6-day, then the current Southern Caribbean 7-day, to be followed up by Summit’s 8-Day Barbados and lower Caribbean islands itinerary. Then they plan to spend a week or so at Disney, hoping to find another last minute cruise deal so they could hit the high seas again. Got to admire that kind of dedication! And envious of their time.

 

At the back bar, the ship had laid out a nice spread of free pastries, coffee and juice. We grabbed some coffee and settled in as Cruise Director Jonathan took the floor and thanked all CC members for their loyalty to Celebrity. Then, jokingly, he mentioned these were the last few weeks of his Summit contract, so if any of us CC members knew what his next deployment was (because we were much more likely to know than he would) would we please email him the details!

 

The crowd at our Meet & Greet, Virginia Cruiser with Cruise Director Jonathan, and Captain Kate addressing the assembled Cruise Critic audience

 

CD Jonathan then introduced Captain Kate who took the microphone to say a few words. CC has been very kind to her (so far), she reported. And she appreciated the feedback the cruisers provide on the forums while encouraging us to pass along any suggestions directly to her and her crew (several of whom were also in attendance – Hotel Chief, Dining, Events) She took a few pictures with members and then headed off to her 10am Ship’s Log update over the PA system (weather, location, miles left to Martinique etc) which we were glad to see they still do on Celebrity (I think they’re phasing those morning PA reports out on Royal C).

 

Seeing how the other half lives in the Royal Suite. Apparently the kids liked to sleep out on the balcony!

 

Then it was off to cabin crawl /poker - where 30 or so of us headed out to look at an assortment of staterooms from inside to balcony. At each cabin, we picked a single playing card from an array spread out on each cabin’s bed. The idea being that the person who accumulated the best poker hand at the end of the crawl would win the majority of the nominal entry fee.

 

All in all we saw 6 or 7 cabins, some unique balcony setups, and then the lush mid ship Royal Suite where the occupying family were kind enough to not only let us view their rooms - but served us champagne as well. Thank you! (I remember running into the husband later on in the cruise at the casino bar watching the World Series… great guy!)

 

Ethel claiming her Cabin Crawl Poker winnings, My Full House, and Patty and Gregg our terrific organizers/hosts

 

After spilling out of the Royal Suite, we all met at the Martini Bar to compare our cabin crawl poker hands. Ethel was the big winner with four 10s. Runner’s up included fours 8’s, four 3’s and a couple of full-houses (one of which was mine! See picture above). Ethel took home the winning pot of 140$. Special thanks to Patty and Gregg for organizing the chaos, and keeping us all in-check and on-task. Excellent, excellent job! (also pictured above)

 

Following the cabin crawl, I joined a smaller group of about seven who had arranged through the Roll Call to read the NY Times Best Seller “Loving Frank” – a novel based on the true scandalous love affair of Martha Cheney and architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

 

First thing I had to tell the Book Club was that I never actually finished reading the novel!

 

This was my first book club ever, much less first at sea, and I was impressed not only by the great discussions we had but also how well our moderator Lynn had prepared materials to stimulate the conversation. I was surprised that instead of cheering the novel’s heroine for her daring independence as a free thinking woman, most of the women in the group (I was the only male) condemned her for abandoning her husband and children. And went on to conclude that while she was well educated, but ultimately lacked common sense when it came to raising a family and doing things correctly. It was an incredible experience and one I will plan to pursue (if not organize myself) on future cruises.

 

I left book group to collect Mrs. Winks from her sun worshipping duties and took a nice table for two, on the balcony, overlooking the lower level of the main dining room and the great glass window with views of the aft wake and blue skies.

 

Venues around the ship

 

Exhausted from the meet-up, crawl and book club, I took a nap while Mrs. Winks took the 10$ Zumba class at the fitness center

Pre-dinner we took in the iMagic show in Celebrity Theater. Gimmicky. A mix of card tricks (under a camera) and electronic computer screen tricks and larger effects - like a laser light cutting a woman in half in a clear, see through, box – techno twists on the levitating woman illusion.

 

Hard to believe this was a hit in London. It was nice… but a little too gimmicky. But we all agreed it was better than the previous night’s disastrous magician of comedy (Andrew) and iMagic was much better attended.

 

With Capt Kate, At the Rendezvous Bar, and meeting the MDR Chef (No, we can't explain Mrs. Winks' sparkling nature either!)

 

Exiting the theater, we ran into Captain Kate outside the Casino. I snapped a picture of her with Mrs. Winks who asked her what it was like rising above to the top in a male dominated industry. (Which I thought was pretty heavy material to be answering in the casino hallway!) Always the diplomat, Capt. Kate answered that once she showed her teammates who she was and what was expected, they ended up respecting her for that. It was only outsiders, media people and even industry people, who always made a bigger deal of her reaching her position.

 

Dinner in the main dining room consisted of all Top Chef inspired dishes: Kale Salad, Cappacio Tomato Soup and bbq chicken, all replicated by the hands of our Celebrity Galley Chefs - but unfortunatley, the dishes really tasted no better than OceanView Café Buffet selections, quite honestly. Fine, but nothing to write home about. Overall, we weren't impressed by the food on this one. (and we're pretty easy to please!)

 

After too much time at the bar post dinner, we returned to our cabin only to find one our aft neighbors was hosting a Steely Dan greatest hits retrospective, really loudly. Which wouldn’t have been so be so bad, except for the fact they were also singing along to it as well, and really poorly! Sadly, "Rikki Don’t Lose That Number" will never be the same for me.

 

Next up: Martinique – the last French Caribbean bastion that wants nothing to do with our stinking cruise ships, English speaking passengers or dirty American dollars. Allegedly.

 

Edited November 7, 2015 by WinksCruises

[maggieq]

Thank you for doing this review and posting pictures as well. Timing couldn't be better as we board the summit pretty soon. We haven't cruised on celebrity too much and the summit will be the oldest celebrity ship for us. However, we understand it's not going to be the reflection/solstice or quantum/allure. Love the southern itin so we got a great deal with decent air, balcony, drinks package, prepaid gratuities and $100 obc....so we signed up immediately.

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review and thanks again for taking the time to do this.

[BubMunkeyBles]

Thanks for the review. Doing the same itinerary in January!

[djwool]

Nice review! Looking forward to the rest. We are on the same itinerary in April.

[cruise47]

Thanks for your review with the photos. You guys must be newly wed.

Edited November 7, 2015 by cruise47

[Mrs. Winks]

Thanks for your review with the photos. You guys must be newly wed.

That is very sweet but we are hardly newlyweds! We will be celebrating 18 years of wedded bliss this coming February. Sometimes I feel like we are newlyweds and other times I feel like we have been married an eternity!! :D:D:D

[fluffysue]

Thanks for the great review, still trying to read the whole thing as pictures take awhile to load on my phone, but I'm enjoying what I've read so far. I'm going on Summit to Bermuda next year, totally different itinerary, but this is still helpful as I've never sailed with Celebrity before, and this gives me an idea what it will be like.

[woldridge]

We are doing this same itinerary next year in October, so I am very much interested in your review. Love your writing style!

[KiwiFunCruiser]

Fantastic, thank you

[uglybutgoodbakery]

 

Mrs. Winks and I are back from the Celebrity Summit’s inaugural run of its Winter 2015/2016 Caribbean season. It was a port intensive voyage that included stops in:

• Tortola
  
• Martinique
  
• Dominca
  
• St. Kitts
  
• St. Thomas
  

And it started and ended in one of our favorite US territory cities, San Juan.

 

Yes, there was only one sea day, much to my horror. But the real reason we chose this cruise (booking it way back in the spring) was for this interesting itinerary.

 

Though we’ve been sailing the Caribbean for more than a decade, we’d not yet been to Tortola, Martinique or Dominica. And we’d only been to St. Kitts once (and that was for a tour of sugar mills of all things). So this voyage offered up some new sights and sounds for us, even if it meant sacrificing time to chill out at sea, which is typically one of my favorite activities, especially if there are fights over saved chairs at the pool.

 

Overall it was a great cruise. Many plusses… the itinerary, Captain Kate McCue, overall smooth logistics of embarking and disembarking, interesting weather patterns, hardly any kids on board, no norovirus outbreaks and no one fell overboard (that we know of!) And we didn’t run into any Syrian refugees at sea. So not bad, really.

 

But unfortunately, some severe negatives popped up when it came to food quality and bar service. This was surprising to us; since we have sailed Summit’s sister ship Constellation twice in the last couple of years and always found it to be a quality ride. That’s why we were a little taken aback when we came across lazy, sophomoric level, professionalism on Summit – even at Elite functions where you’d think everyone would be on their best behavior. This was nothing cruise ruining. But it was definitely noticeable. More on all this later…

 

Back story; Mrs. Winks and I are pretty loyal to Royal C, where we’ve cruised enough times to enjoy Diamond level status. Those loyalty club perks transfer over to Celebrity (for the most part) whenever we sail this line sister line of Royal (3 times now) as Captain’s Club Elite level. Again, all great while on Constellation. But a bit disappointing on Summit. More on all this as the review unfurls. For now, let’s just say it was a very good cruise that we’re happy we undertook. In the end, I am soooo glad we had only one day at sea and fun ports of call. Not sure I would have enjoyed the transitioning cruise from Bayonne the week before

 

So why a review of the Summit? Because this:

 

 

In doing research for this cruise, we couldn’t help but be a little disappointed that there were no real relevant reviews of this ship or the itinerary. (Actually, there were a couple of good ones, but nothing too recent) And as you can see from the picture above, one or two themes dominate the Summit talk here on the CC boards. Since a beverage package came as one of the perks of our early booking, the debate didn’t hold much interest for us. And we already know how to smuggle booze, smoke on the balcony and stiff the main dining room staff of their tips (if we ever need to)…

 

So it seemed like a new Summit review with some straight talk about the cruise was due.

 

Coming up, we’ll have the daily Celebrity Today activity lists and other noteworthy printed material. Lots of pictures both of the ship and the cruise stops. And reports on our well attended (and organized) Cruise Critic Meet and Greet, Cabin Crawl and even book club at sea. Some talk about the beverage packages, since it seems like a hot topic around here! But, sorry, no food porn. Not sure you’d want to see it on this cruise anyway. We did Bistro on Five and Quisine (twice, but the second time it was to just to avoid our table mates! More on that later, too). But sorry, we didn’t qualify for Blu or Luminaire. And we found Normandie a little too exquisite for our palates. So no reviews of those.

 

But of course, we need to sum up all the pre-cruise drama.

 

Day 0 - The Marriott Courtyard Isla Verde Beach Resort, San Juan

 

 

So briefly, this is all about that worrisome stuff that consumes our minds when we envision every potential deal breaker - the flu, a car accident, a death in the family, a delayed flight, a cancelled cruise; or worse, a last minute heavy metal goth charter; being mistakenly put on the no-fly list, expired passports, suicidal kids, suicidal pets, suicidal in-laws and free tickets to Game 7. All those little things that stand between us and that moment we finally step off the gang plank and into the ship’s lobby and are handed that first glass of cheap champagne. You’ve been there, too, worry wort. Don’t lie.

 

This time, for us, this biggest obstacle that became our admittedly silliest obsession days leading up to the embarkation was the flight to San Juan we booked months ago. Looking at it with that high that comes from pre-cruise anticipation, Mrs. Winks and I both concluded we had totally blundered in scheduling it. We were getting to San Juan a day early for sure – lest we be endlessly brow beaten by the Cruise Critic crowd for flying day-of (horrors!). But in reviewing the flight details, we realized we were getting into San Juan way too late in the day to enjoy any time there (read: the liquor stores might already be closed). So we spent much of our week pre-cruise reading all about Summit beverage packages and trying to figure out a way to switch our flight to something earlier without having to mortgage the house again.

 

Yada yada yada…. Turns out with our carrier if you change your flight day of (ie 12:01am) you can do so for a nominal fee. Cruise fools that we are, we successfully changed our flight from a 1pm flight to the earlier 5:30am flight… which we did at midnight. So basically, we had to load up the car and head to the airport an hour or so after switching the flight! Nuts! But gosh darn it, we were collecting our bags in San Juan by 10am that morning. Exhausted as dogs, but we were there! With most of the day still ahead of us.

 

In this case, the early bird did get the worm, though.

 

 

Everything initially went well. Our room was actually ready at 10:30am! And the desk clerk welcomed us with a room upgrade; from a partial ocean view room to Jr. Suite with full ocean view. Then to top it off, he handed us two free drink tickets and a match-play for the casino located off the main lobby. Wow! There was an aquarium in the lobby and free use of bikes sitting outside the main door. (see pic above)

 

But once we settled into the room, we started to notice all the little failures in infrastructure and service that would follow us onto the Summit. Little things, but seemingly so fixable - if staff would just pay a little more attention.

 

The biggest issue? Our wonderful Jr. Suite had a door that NEVER locked, unless you deadbolted it from the inside. When we went out to explore the grounds, go to dinner, or down to the liquor emporium or beach, we had to leave the room unlocked. No matter what tricks we tried, there was no way to secure the door. We reported the issue to the front desk no less than three times and were always told someone in engineering would be on it immediately. Up to the time we checked out, that door never locked. We had to secure our valuables in the safe and pray.

 

 

You want smaller things? Probably not, but I need to bitch a little! The balcony had a ceaseless water drip coming from somewhere above. In the picture above you can see the shower drain that was sliced in half by the wall tile (so nitpicky, I know, but just another in a seemingly endless series of design flaws in this room). The bathroom door did not latch either (See above). And the casino didn’t have one video poker machine, despite having every other penny slot option under the sun. And for you high rollers, a cordoned off high-limit alcove featured quarter and dollar machines! Funny.

 

On the plus side, the property is beautifully situated. They have a pair of Marriott branded bikes parked outside the lobby door that you’re free to take out and ride. The bar has immaculate fish tanks. And the staff if friendly and responsive (except when it comes to fixing the lock on your room door!)

 

Also, shoppers beware. Though it’s only a US Territory by definition, Puerto Rico features a stiff 10.5% “State” sales tax, plus a 1% municipal tax - for purchases in San Juan. (And this is a territory facing bankruptcy!!??). So already expensive items end up being even pricier.

 

So we hung out at the Marriott all day, then had dinner over at the Ritz Carlton (BLT - great steak house) which was within walking distance. We loaded up on toiletries and other essentials at a Walgreens - which was a half mile hike away.

 

 

The last surprise? Despite my pleas to leave the property early and get over to the Pan American port to start our cruise on the Summit, Mrs. Winks wanted to take advantage of the Marriott's beach, embarkation morning. So while I stood guard over our unlocked room and leaky balcony, Mrs. Winks did the beach chair thing until about noon, when I begged her from the balcony, first using a series of increasingly obscene hand gestures and then eventually semaphore signals using the makeshift flags I’d constructed with face clothes, to get her back in. Only to find that In-Room TV checkout is suspended at noon, when everyone was checking in and out and the line extended into the casino!

 

We eventually checked out, complained again about the room lock (They patiently went through the motions of texting engineering about it). Then got on the taxi line for our uneventful line to the pier.

 

Coming up next: San Juan embarkation, Pics of our cabin (spoiler alert: it’s an aft facing family veranda) and initial exploration of the rust bucket - including lunch at Bistro on Five and getting a table for two at MDR late seating.

 

Are you referring to Summit as "rust bucket"?

[norm1956]

Thanks for the extensive review! Can't wait to hear what you have to say about Dominica. I'm going there in a couple of weeks and am concerned about the hurricane damage.

[WinksCruises]

Can't wait to hear what you have to say about Dominica. I'm going there in a couple of weeks and am concerned about the hurricane damage.

 

Long story short; it's gorgeous and has bounced back heartily. Some washed out roads being repaired, but excursions and shopping were all a go.

[WinksCruises]

When the aft deck Steely Dan tribute party eventually wound down, (Spoiler alert: It's true; we’re never going back to our old school), we finally got some much needed sleep only to arise several hours later (in Martinique) to new horrors; the Cruise Director’s televised morning show!

 

The morning show, now with Captain Kate

 

Every morning, the Cruise Director and his side kick hosted an informative show (mostly thinly veiled advertisements for the multitude of onboard pay-to-play services), which was made almost unviewable by their painful attempt at comedic rapport. Their lame Laurel and Hardy shtick had me actually second guessing my initial condemnation of the young comic we’d seen the other night. In comparison, that guy looked like a rising star!

 

This particular morning, as we waited for ship clearance in Fort de France, we sat dopped jawed as we watched the Cruise Director's morning show... the entire episode was taped while the duo did their elliptical workouts in the fitness center, while Captain Kate was in the background on a stationary cycle, taking phone calls and making faces at the bad comedy routine unfurling before her. Not to mention the unfortunate view she must have had of the hosts’ sweaty butts! (See picture above). Truly incredible!

 

 

After a brief stop at the OceanView Café to carb up, we took a stroll along the top deck and got our first view of the wonderful city of Fort de France, Martinique. We’re not sure why cruise lines don’t make this island a stop on more itineraries. It’s an interesting and colorful island. And we wished we had more time to explore the beaches and the massive fort standing over the harbor. One drawback - the main street in the downtown area was undergoing HEAVY road construction, which was unfortunate, because it dissuaded cruisers from exploring the quaint streets of shops located just beyond the construction zone.

 

Fort de France, Martinique

 

Okay, time for some myth busting. We had heard the island was a little snobbish, with the merchants and taxi drivers refusing to speak English - and insisting on payment in Euros instead of USD. But in our experience, we found this to be untrue. At the pier market and even in the main town shops (of which there are many along cute side streets) they take US dollars and give change back in US currency. And they do speak English, or try to! So in the end, there seemed to be no reason to exchange USD for Euros. And while French was pretty prevalent there was enough pigeon English to get what you needed. There's no reason to fear this port or feel compelled to stay on the ship - as we heard some couples declaring. We found it to be tourist friendly.

 

Rum Tasting and Postcard Shopping

 

Here an economic tip. We soon realized most merchants took dollars OR Euros - always at the same price point. Like a hat was 10$ USD or 10$ Euros. So paying in Euros was actually a rip off - since it’s worth more as a currency. Fortunately, we had a stash of 65 Euros left over from a trip to England a few years ago, so for us, shopping in Martinique was on “found” money.

 

After some postcard shopping and rum sampling, we walked over to the pier claiming to have ferries going to “the beaches”. We boarded one with a few others from the ship… including crew members who ended up being the jazz band that regularly played the Rendezvous Lounge most nights - 4 Elements. Always a busy body, I asked one of the band members if Captain Kate had thrown off any crew or passengers yet. He explained, no, that the only casualty of the Summit under her command so far was a quad-copter equipped with camera to take aerial footage of the ship at sea that crashed and had gone overboard due to pilot error.

 

The closest beach to the ship is a 7$ ferry ride away - The "real" beaches were an expensive 40-minute cab ride away

 

Roundtrip to the beaches across the harbor was 7$ (or 7 Euros). It was a 20 minute ride. We were ferried to a fairly narrow strip of beach, fronted by hotels and restaurants. There was topless bathing, but the only people taking advantage of the nudist liberation were very senior or very unfit and often times, both.

 

Marijuana was being freely smoked at the outside eateries (damn French!) Water was warm and clear, but the beach way too thin and commercial. It felt more like a city beach rather than a resort. So after about an hour we headed back to the ferry dock where a return trip was conveniently pulling up.

 

Tip, if you do take the ferry to the beaches, don't get off at the first beach. The ferry continues to a second beach - which is bigger and less crowded. The Ferry then returns to the ship pier.

 

After a quick lunch on the ship, we headed back to shore intent on walking to the Fort. But we couldn’t find an entrance to the Fort! Instead we accidentally wandered up to the gates of a Marine base - where we were chased away with officers thrusting bayonets at us menacingly! So we beat a hasty retreat - through a beautiful city park - and stumbled into the maze of small streets of Fort de France that are filled with interesting shops and colorful vendors.

 

Fun and games during downtown shopping

 

One vendor yelled at us for taking a picture of his wares without asking his permission. “We talk to one another here and ask permission before taking photos,” he chided. He didn’t buy my argument I was giving him free advertising on Cruise Critic… so I’ve purposely left that picture out! But we found browsing the stores of the city fun. (You just have to naviagate past all the main street construction taking place immediately across from the ship).

 

 

Martinique ends up being a great shopping mecca for a postcard collector like myself. Lots of great scenic views and recipe cards (in French). Plus some nudie shots! For her part, Mrs. Winks blew the last of our Euros on some chunky jewelry and a hat to replace the one that literally drowned in our Tortola squall.

 

We headed back to the ship both agreeing this was a worthwhile port that we would love to visit again.

 

Coming up: Mrs. Winks secretly signs me up for the Yes / No game show and we tour the gorgeous island of Dominica.

Edited November 8, 2015 by WinksCruises

[mla1962]

Great review. Thank you so much for taking the time.

[WinksCruises]

Martinique was too nice a port not to share some additional photos and info about our stop there.

 

For one thing, yes, the pier does extend pretty far out into the harbor, so it represents a solid walking opportunity. Fortunately, there's a free shuttle van for those with mobility issues or simply don't want to do the hike in the heat. We had mixed clouds during our visit, so it wasn't too bad. You do have to stay alert though; the van travels along the green strip that most people lackadaisically walk along.

 

Pier Shuttle Van in Martinique

 

The ferry to the local beach is located at a dock just down from the terminal tent market (about a 5 minute walk and there are signs pointing you to it). The ferry seems to run ever 40 minutes or so, and does a trianglular route to two beaches, we thought the second beach stop looked like the better location. Cost was 7 bucks or euros each for a r/t fare. Oh, and there's no ticket booth. You pay your fare to the attendant once you're on the ferry. Remember to hold onto your roundtrip ticket; it's a small slip of paper just waiting to fly away or get soaked from a swim! Riding up top affords you great views of the ship, city and bay.

 

Ferry ride - and the caliber of topless bathing at the town beach... (hey, she sported a tramp stamp tattoo before you were born!)

 

As for visiting the actual fort, Fort St. Louis, we've since learned that it is an active military base. That's why we were turned away by guards at the gates. You can visit it, but you must be part of a pre-arranged guided tour group. You can't just walk up to it like we did, stupid entitled Americans that we are!

 

Fort St. Louis in Fort de France, Martinique. No walk-ins / Appointment only!

 

Here's the road work taking place downtown. It makes exploring the shopping scene a little more difficult, but just beyond all this constuction mess is some fun port shopping.

 

Front street construction; your cruise dollars - oh excuse me, euros - at work!

 

Once you weave past the construction, shops abound. Including, interestingly enough, a KFC and a McDonalds. As much as the French claim to loathe American culture, they seem to have taken quite a liking to our fast food franchises!

 

French Socialist Propaganda and Le Colonol de Sanders vous accueille à la Fort de France!

 

Bidding adieu to Martinique...

 

A fascinating island, definitely worth a visit.

 

 

Edited November 8, 2015 by WinksCruises

[poffles]

Loving your review. Can't wait to visit Martinique, your pictures have me even more excited!

[Bchgrl33]

We were on this same sailing and had the time of our lives! I've loved reading your reviews and reliving it all again. We've already signed up for our next one in 2016 and I'm going to make it a point to be active on cruise critics this time beforehand.

[TickledBlue]

Are you referring to Summit as "rust bucket"?

 

Yes, uglybutgoodbakery should've edited the quote for the small part that they were referring to, but we should forgive and forget.

 

Anyway, I was interested in the answer. Was the Summit showing its age with rust? Or was this more tongue-in-cheek humor?

[Mrs. Winks]

Yes, uglybutgoodbakery should've edited the quote for the small part that they were referring to, but we should forgive and forget.

 

Anyway, I was interested in the answer. Was the Summit showing its age with rust? Or was this more tongue-in-cheek humor?

Speaking for my DH, Winks, I believe it was a bit of truth combined with tongue-in-cheek humor. After all there is always some truth in humor. The exterior areas (our balcony, the pool railing area and hull of the ship) had noticeable rust and tell tale signs that definitely showed her age. This was not something that we considered a big problem. The interior areas were in much better shape. I hope that answers your question. :p

[junetraveler2014]

Very entertaining review. Looking forward to the next segment. Thank you

[uglybutgoodbakery]

When the aft deck Steely Dan tribute party eventually wound down, (Spoiler alert: It's true; we’re never going back to our old school), we finally got some much needed sleep only to arise several hours later (in Martinique) to new horrors; the Cruise Director’s televised morning show!

 

Every morning, the Cruise Director and his side kick hosted an informative show (mostly thinly veiled advertisements for the multitude of onboard pay-to-play services), which was made almost unviewable by their painful attempt at comedic rapport. Their lame Laurel and Hardy shtick had me actually second guessing my initial condemnation of the young comic we’d seen the other night. In comparison, that guy looked like a rising star!

 

This particular morning, as we waited for ship clearance in Fort de France, we sat dopped jawed as we watched the Cruise Director's morning show... the entire episode was taped while the duo did their elliptical workouts in the fitness center, while Captain Kate was in the background on a stationary cycle, taking phone calls and making faces at the bad comedy routine unfurling before her. Not to mention the unfortunate view she must have had of the hosts’ sweaty butts! (See picture above). Truly incredible!

 

 

After a brief stop at the OceanView Café to carb up, we took a stroll along the top deck and got our first view of the wonderful city of Fort de France, Martinique. We’re not sure why cruise lines don’t make this island a stop on more itineraries. It’s an interesting and colorful island. And we wished we had more time to explore the beaches and the massive fort standing over the harbor. One drawback - the main street in the downtown area was undergoing HEAVY road construction, which was unfortunate, because it dissuaded cruisers from exploring the quaint streets of shops located just beyond the construction zone.

 

Fort de France, Martinique

 

Okay, time for some myth busting. We had heard the island was a little snobbish, with the merchants and taxi drivers refusing to speak English - and insisting on payment in Euros instead of USD. But in our experience, we found this to be untrue. At the pier market and even in the main town shops (of which there are many along cute side streets) they take US dollars and give change back in US currency. And they do speak English, or try to! So in the end, there seemed to be no reason to exchange USD for Euros. And while French was pretty prevalent there was enough pigeon English to get what you needed. There's no reason to fear this port or feel compelled to stay on the ship - as we heard some couples declaring. We found it to be tourist friendly.

 

Rum Tasting and Postcard Shopping

 

Here an economic tip. We soon realized most merchants took dollars OR Euros - always at the same price point. Like a hat was 10$ USD or 10$ Euros. So paying in Euros was actually a rip off - since it’s worth more as a currency. Fortunately, we had a stash of 65 Euros left over from a trip to England a few years ago, so for us, shopping in Martinique was on “found” money.

 

After some postcard shopping and rum sampling, we walked over to the pier claiming to have ferries going to “the beaches”. We boarded one with a few others from the ship… including crew members who ended up being the jazz band that regularly played the Rendezvous Lounge most nights - 4 Elements. Always a busy body, I asked one of the band members if Captain Kate had thrown off any crew or passengers yet. He explained, no, that the only casualty of the Summit under her command so far was a quad-copter equipped with camera to take aerial footage of the ship at sea that crashed and had gone overboard due to pilot error.

 

The closest beach to the ship is a 7$ ferry ride away - The "real" beaches were an expensive 40-minute cab ride away

 

Roundtrip to the beaches across the harbor was 7$ (or 7 Euros). It was a 20 minute ride. We were ferried to a fairly narrow strip of beach, fronted by hotels and restaurants. There was topless bathing, but the only people taking advantage of the nudist liberation were very senior or very unfit and often times, both.

 

Marijuana was being freely smoked at the outside eateries (damn French!) Water was warm and clear, but the beach way too thin and commercial. It felt more like a city beach rather than a resort. So after about an hour we headed back to the ferry dock where a return trip was conveniently pulling up.

 

Tip, if you do take the ferry to the beaches, don't get off at the first beach. The ferry continues to a second beach - which is bigger and less crowded. The Ferry then returns to the ship pier.

 

After a quick lunch on the ship, we headed back to shore intent on walking to the Fort. But we couldn’t find an entrance to the Fort! Instead we accidentally wandered up to the gates of a Marine base - where we were chased away with officers thrusting bayonets at us menacingly! So we beat a hasty retreat - through a beautiful city park - and stumbled into the maze of small streets of Fort de France that are filled with interesting shops and colorful vendors.

 

Fun and games during downtown shopping

 

One vendor yelled at us for taking a picture of his wares without asking his permission. “We talk to one another here and ask permission before taking photos,” he chided. He didn’t buy my argument I was giving him free advertising on Cruise Critic… so I’ve purposely left that picture out! But we found browsing the stores of the city fun. (You just have to naviagate past all the main street construction taking place immediately across from the ship).

 

 

Martinique ends up being a great shopping mecca for a postcard collector like myself. Lots of great scenic views and recipe cards (in French). Plus some nudie shots! For her part, Mrs. Winks blew the last of our Euros on some chunky jewelry and a hat to replace the one that literally drowned in our Tortola squall.

 

We headed back to the ship both agreeing this was a worthwhile port that we would love to visit again.

 

Coming up: Mrs. Winks secretly signs me up for the Yes / No game show and we tour the gorgeous island of Dominica.

 

Ok. Thanks for clarifying whether it's a rust bucket or not. :p

[WinksCruises]

Ok. Thanks for clarifying whether it's a rust bucket or not. :p

Actually, I didn't. I believe Mrs. Winks did. And for what it's worth I always take her opinions with a grain of salt.

 

But thanks for quoting my entire entry, again. That really wins people over! :)

[WinksCruises]

 

 

 

 

Cabin Door Art

 

 

Ship Art

 

 

 

 

[uglybutgoodbakery]

Actually, I didn't. I believe Mrs. Winks did. And for what it's worth I always take her opinions with a grain of salt.

 

But thanks for quoting my entire entry, again. That really wins people over! :)

 

Yeah, I couldn't help myself. :cool:

[WinksCruises]

Disappointed by service levels at the nightly Elite cocktail hour in the Revelations Lounge (and we weren’t alone on this; our Captain’s Club pal Paul actually asked us to please “back him up” with the Captain’s Club host - to whom he had registered a complaint) we began spending our pre-dinner hours instead at the Rendezvous Lounge outside the Main Dining Room - where we could simply order drinks using our beverage package.

 

One plus about this lounge, over pre-dinner at Revelations, is that there was always a band playing - or the activity director, Justin, hosting one of his makeshift game shows. And on this night after visiting Martinique, he was hosting the infamous Yes or No Game. The goal? All you have to do is sit in “the hot seat” and not respond to his interview questions with a yes or a no answer... for 3 minutes... which is a lot harder than it sounds.

 

All week, Mrs. Winks had been eyeing one of the coveted prizes Justin had been handing out - a gold toned Celebrity branded tote bag. I urged her to sign-up, to see if she could win a bag. Or one of the lesser prizes; t-shirts, notepads or Celebrity logo medals. But unbeknownst to me, Mrs. Winks actually decided to sign me up for the game - I know, I know, after 18 years, you'd think I'd know better! - and wouldn’t you know it, my name was randomly picked to play, right off the bat!

 

Mrs. Winks' sneaky act of subtefuge & contestant Winks frustrating host Justin during the Yes/No Show

 

I lasted about 2 minutes under the inquisition until Justin asked me what I thought about hair pieces, since his boss, the Cruise Director, was sporting a rainbow colored afro that evening in the spirit of ‘70s night. Grasping at straws, I inadvertently said, “Sorry, I have no opinion on hair pieces.” And was out, since you can't utter the word "no". So sorry, honey. NO gold bag for you! Next time, you better play!

 

After dinner, we planted ourselves at the Casino bar to watch Game One of the World Series. The game ended up going late - 14 innings before the KC Royals manage to break the tie score. We retired, very late, knowing once again that there was no rest for the weary during this port intensive tour. We’d be docking in Dominica in a matter of hours.

 

Dominca was actually doing pretty well weeks after Hurricane Erika

 

Dominica is a pretty, lush island that we were initially concerned about visiting since it had been hit so hard by Hurricane Erika. But once we toured the island, we saw only a few indications that the country had been directly hit only a few weeks before. We ended up taking an independent van tour with 6 others and our driver told us that most of the damage came from rain, not wind. Water poured down from the mountain tops and into rivers, causing extensive flooding and wiping out some roads and bridges.

 

The Dominica National Park ticket pass scam

 

Our van tour took us out of the city of Roseau and up the mountains to Morne Trois Pitons National Park (a UNESCCO World Heritage Site), Middleham Falls and the city’s gorgeous and unusual botanical gardens.

 

There was some sketchiness to the tour; we often stopped at a roadside stand where the tour operator’s friends were set up to sell touristy trinkets. And when we arrived at the freshwater lake we were told we should pay the 5$ National Park fee – we didn’t HAVE to, but if we were stopped by a park ranger, he would ask for our receipt. We paid for the park pass – which seemed only right. But many others on the bus “took their chances” and of course, no park ranger ever materialized to check for our passes. So that was some sort of scam. We’d been had, and I’m guessing the van driver splits the take with the ticket taker. But these are the risks you take when you don’t stick with the ship’s authorized excursions (cough, cough). Though we couldn’t complain too much. This “excursion” had only cost us 20$ each - well, 25$ after the park entry – which still cheaper than a ship sponsored jaunt.

 

Botanical Garden fauna fun and crushed school bus

 

The island itself is quiet beautiful…. Full of lush mountainous landscapes, hot springs, and waterfalls. As Captain Kate pointed out, the island has a pond for every day of the year… 365. Our tour finished at the botanical gardens which had stunning displays from water lilies to bamboo trees that literally formed a shelter. One other display was of the island’s only school bus that was crushed by a falling African Baobab tree during a hurricane in 1977. For some reason, they left the crushed bus and toppled tree in place as some sort of twisted homage to hurricanes. (But don't worry, the bus was empty when it was hit).

 

Roseau, Dominica skyline

 

After our island tour, we returned to the ship and did a little shopping and exploring of downtown Roseau. There was a music festival going on in one of the local parks, with food vendors barbequing local treats including freshly killed chicken. Plus live music.

 

We also checked out the harbor side hotel which looked rather luxurious and offered everything from spa treatments to scuba charters. A beautiful port, and one, again, that we don’t see listed on cruise itineraries all that often.

 

High seas fashion disasters!

 

That night, we donned matching Hawaiian garb and paraded around the ship like fools. At the senior officer’s event held up in the Revelations Lounge, we caught the attention of Captain Kate who insisted on a picture with us. Quite embarrassing.

 

Up Next: St Kitts Cockleshell beach jaunt and the best taxi scam yet!

 

Edited November 9, 2015 by WinksCruises