First (and Probably Last) Cruise with Celebrity - Impressions from the Summit 12/19

[CruisingChick]

We have sailed on Summit 9 times and for some reason the food is hit or miss on her. I have no clue why. We had one cruise in 2011 that the food was so bad we almost thought about leaving Celebrity but then sailed Silhouette in 2012 and the food was outstanding.

 

I wish they would figure out a way to have good food and service across the entire fleet.

Edited January 27, 2016 by CruisingChick

[stratixman]

Ok. as follow up to my earlier post hypothesizing that will the change to drop prepaid gratuities for select diners Celebrity would more than likely walk back down the amounts of OBC offered as one of the perks offered in their promos, it would appear that is exactly what they are doing. I just did a cursory check on the the Celebrity website and it looks like for sailings going forward from here that the OBC perk has been dropped to $150. I haven't compared cabin prices, so I can't say if or how they might have changed the cabin pricing, but it also appears that the perk offer now starts with the better perk package including choice of 2 perks, vs just 1 perk choice starting offer previously.

[stratixman]

My bad. I was wrong about the drop in the amount of OBC perk. It is still the same. I had a brain fart and didn't double the $150 per passenger credit amount. However, it does appear that they have been adjusting cabin rates higher. It is a bit difficult to confirm when comparing off to a same booking made a few months ago because other factors could come into play for pricing besides their perks. But, for the exact same cruise out of San Juan departing Jan. 30 the current cost as listed for an OV with 2 perks and taxes included is and no prepaid gratuities is $1345 pp versus 2 months ago when it was $1262.00 pp including 2 perks, taxes and prepaid gratuties for two as required because of select dining assignment. Draw your own conclusions.

[ghstudio]

My bad. I was wrong about the drop in the amount of OBC perk. It is still the same. I had a brain fart and didn't double the $150 per passenger credit amount. However, it does appear that they have been adjusting cabin rates higher. It is a bit difficult to confirm when comparing off to a same booking made a few months ago because other factors could come into play for pricing besides their perks. But, for the exact same cruise out of San Juan departing Jan. 30 the current cost as listed for an OV with 2 perks and taxes included is and no prepaid gratuities is $1345 pp versus 2 months ago when it was $1262.00 pp including 2 perks, taxes and prepaid gratuties for two as required because of select dining assignment. Draw your own conclusions.

 

Why would this surprise you....They try to make it a zero sum game. No matter what the offer, the sum total you pay will essentially be the same. More perks, higher price. Watch the ads for a few months....no perks, low price for cabin. Add a "free" perk, price goes up. Add two "free" perks, price goes up.

 

It's marketing....

Edited January 27, 2016 by ghstudio

[Codakrome]

We were on the Summit in November, the week after Thanksgiving. A few observations:

 

We were in Concierge. On day 2 we requested cheese instead of the appetizers they were sending up. It was an improvement. We did concierge because we booked an aft cabin, not because it was concierge. All of the afts on Summit are concierge. I had my heart set on an aft and enjoyed every minute of it. While the aft cabin was wonderful, concierge I could have lived without. I agree with you there.

 

Perhaps you spent too much time at the buffet? From my experience, the main dining room was preferable, food can be cooked to order and is fresh. And you can always request things that are not on the menu as we did.

 

Two weeks later I was on NCL, which was my first NCL and most likely my last. While the food had a slight edge over Celebrity the ship was SO over crowded and LOUD. It was next to impossible to get on the elevators at times on NCL. Elevator after elevator came packed with people. Finally I gave up and walked up 5 decks. There were no quiet spots on NCL, every lounge had very very loud music. Carrying on a conversation was not an option. The restaurants were all packed and had long waits. To get off the ship we stood on line for an hour.

 

Summit on the other hand never felt crowded even though it was pretty well booked. We were always able to get chairs by the pool. Always got right on the elevator. When it came time to disembark we walked right off the ship in about two minutes. Everything was very relaxed and enjoyable. And we loved that Thelassotherapy pool.

 

I would take Summit any day over NCL. But to each his own. Happy Sailing, and I hope you find what you are looking for!

[timtrek]

Is Celebrity sure they want to target millennials?

 

My thoughts exactly.

[thecruise_guy]

My thoughts exactly.

 

I don't think millennial's are the problem

[IsanTom]

I would recommend you cruise the smaller ships, such as Azamara or Regent! When you board, you can discuss your menu requests with the dining staff before dinner, so they will have a chance to customize your diet! I've always been satisfied with the food on my cruises, but I'm not a picky person!

[Clarea]

Interesting review, thanks for taking the time to post.

[Sage1949]

I found her families experience interesting. I am on here for a "fact finding" mission for myself and friends who are intending to take our first celebrity cruise on the Summit in June 2016. I have worked at times in my life in the restaurant business and hotel business so I know both ends of what she is discussing. I am not a vegetarian however, on most of my cruises, I choose the vegetarian dishes as it's my only chance to taste them. I've tried to make vegan at home and the taste/sauce is always missing something. We, too, are going concierge class. My expectations are diffidently being fed by the marketing and imagery it plants in my head. I'm glad to know that there is not going to be this GENIE standing there with a pillow selection, etc. Yes, these things are available but you probably are going to have to ask. Our friends we are traveling with are Kosher. The description of the appetizers waiting in the room...Now gives me the opportunity to tell my friends to make sure they talk to steward and put in their profile "KOSHER". On my fact finding mission..I am very glad for each good or bad...we all are different and somethings do not matter to me but to some people they are important. I have found out where the smokers are...it's important to me to know where to AVOID. So to each his own....I love these forums. I have 4 pages of notes to ensure my party has the best of times. Thanks to all you folks sharing.

[HokiePoq]

Thanks for your observations, OP. We are going on the Summit this summer. Two of your points are things I've noticed.

It's not just X that does the lounge drill. I am disturbed that this seems the trend in the industry. Of the lines we cruise, only HAL has a drill that has you in front of YOUR lifeboat. On our recent Equinox cruise it was just as you described...way more people than the room could hold (would be against fire code on land). I spent the entire time imagining how chaotic it would be if there would be, God forbid, a real emergency.

And the pizza! The hardworking guys cannot keep up with the demand at lunch or any high demand time. As I had foot problems on the Equinox (broken record here...caused by three hour stand in line to embark), I settled for the easiest to get to thing, the pizza, every day at lunch. It's not so much the size of the pieces but that a new one is instantly taken away long before the next one is ready....all but the weird kind nobody wants, lol.

Love the MDR food on X but the buffet is not as easy to navigate as some others although much better than RCCL IMHO.

[4774Papa]

After reading your review, I had to go back and read it more closely to pick out any significant issues that would keep me from cruising with Celebrity in the future.

 

Didn't find any. Sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise, but yes the drinks packages are overpriced, but we never buy them. Also, concerns like eating at the buffet at 4:30, never wanted to do that.

 

Not a vegetarian, so can't relate. Celebrity has always done me right on pricing. Your problem with low price guarantee didn't provide enough details to render judgment.

[schlimazel_traveler]

I found her families experience interesting. I am on here for a "fact finding" mission for myself and friends who are intending to take our first celebrity cruise on the Summit in June 2016. I have worked at times in my life in the restaurant business and hotel business so I know both ends of what she is discussing. I am not a vegetarian however, on most of my cruises, I choose the vegetarian dishes as it's my only chance to taste them. I've tried to make vegan at home and the taste/sauce is always missing something. We, too, are going concierge class. My expectations are diffidently being fed by the marketing and imagery it plants in my head. I'm glad to know that there is not going to be this GENIE standing there with a pillow selection, etc. Yes, these things are available but you probably are going to have to ask. Our friends we are traveling with are Kosher. The description of the appetizers waiting in the room...Now gives me the opportunity to tell my friends to make sure they talk to steward and put in their profile "KOSHER". On my fact finding mission..I am very glad for each good or bad...we all are different and somethings do not matter to me but to some people they are important. I have found out where the smokers are...it's important to me to know where to AVOID. So to each his own....I love these forums. I have 4 pages of notes to ensure my party has the best of times. Thanks to all you folks sharing.

 

There's an email for special dietary requests that need to be arranged in advance--have your friends look into this stat if they literally want kosher-certified food. If they do "dairy and parve out of the house," they should be ok but may get tired of salmon!

[Sage1949]

There's an email for special dietary requests that need to be arranged in advance--have your friends look into this stat if they literally want kosher-certified food. If they do "dairy and parve out of the house," they should be ok but may get tired of salmon!

 

 

No they are the just no shellfish/pork type accept at holiday times they are more strict. Thank you for your concern !

[schlimazel_traveler]

No they are the just no shellfish/pork type accept at holiday times they are more strict. Thank you for your concern !

 

Ah, they will be just fine. There were nights in the MDR when it seemed like EVERYTHING had bacon on it, or crab on top, or whatever, but we could always find something that could work. The Top Chef menu night is skippable under their constraints, I'll tell you that much. There was undisclosed sausage in the mac and cheese. My daughter was not pleased.

 

We actually coined the term "cruise ship kashrut" on our first cruise. We are loosey-goosier with such things as "I'm sure this sauce on the steak has no dairy in it, right?" and ordering a dairy dessert after a meat meal.

[whatevergoes]

Celebrity is more than a "step above other lines". I've sailed NCL, Carnival and Princess and Celebrity sails above the rest. Just my opinion

[paulajj]

We cruise with a friend who doesn't eat meat and tries to stay away from dairy. Very difficult to have a wide selection of choices. On our 14 night cruise he was pretty bored in the main dining room but had an easier time in the buffet. On our last 12 night cruise to Alaska our waiter suggested looking at the Indian menu. There was a whole page of options and each night he would pick an item or 2 from it to change things up a bit.

This waiter put a note in the computer for us so that no matter where we sat (we were select) we would get this menu.

Also, I believe he phoned celebrity before our cruise to let them know he was vegetarian.

I hope this helps:)

 

Thanks for your review!

[chamima]

There's an email for special dietary requests that need to be arranged in advance--have your friends look into this stat if they literally want kosher-certified food. If they do "dairy and parve out of the house," they should be ok but may get tired of salmon!

 

No they are the just no shellfish/pork type accept at holiday times they are more strict. Thank you for your concern !

 

 

The vegetarian menu is wonderful in this case!

Your friends will be better off with traditional dining or, if you have Select, getting the same waiter each day so he can become accustomed to their dietary needs.

 

And as far as the crab etc. on everything - most things can be prepared without those toppings. You just have to (nicely!!!!) ask.

Edited April 8, 2016 by chamima

[wrk2cruise]

Your friends should definitely contact the special needs department with specifics of their requirements. Then on the first day right after boarding they should go meet with the matre'd staff who will be available for people to check on dining arrangements etc. We always bring a written copy of the dietary requirements which we can leave with them. We also immediately make it known to our waiter that we have a "special order" with the matre'd. Generally from that time on either the waiter or matre'd will stop by after dinner to show the menu for the next night, review it with you and take your order with any required modifications.

 

I'll second the poster above to make sure they ask to have the same wait staff each night if they are not in assigned seating.

 

In the buffet if you have questions don't take the word of the people on the line, seek out one of the matre'd staff, they will make sure they know or will consult with the chef to get the right answer.

 

Not trying to make this sound scary, if you take these couple simple steps and get thing setup for the first night the rest of the cruise will flow smoothly for your friends. We have sailed over 30 Celebrity cruises with a very restrictive diet and it's their handling of things which make us keep coming back.

 

We have more recently been sailing with Blu or Lumanae as our dining venue and found they do a wonderful job handing the special diet especially if we would go a bit later when they were less busy.

Edited April 8, 2016 by wrk2cruise

[chamima]

We cruise with a friend who doesn't eat meat and tries to stay away from dairy. Very difficult to have a wide selection of choices. On our 14 night cruise he was pretty bored in the main dining room but had an easier time in the buffet. On our last 12 night cruise to Alaska our waiter suggested looking at the Indian menu. There was a whole page of options and each night he would pick an item or 2 from it to change things up a bit.

This waiter put a note in the computer for us so that no matter where we sat (we were select) we would get this menu.

Also, I believe he phoned celebrity before our cruise to let them know he was vegetarian.

I hope this helps:)

 

Thanks for your review!

 

What ship were you on that you had an Indian menu?

My husband is a vegan and LOVES Indian food but we've found we've had to offer suggestions of specific dishes (which they've been really accommodating about making for him, btw).

[paulajj]

It was on the Infinity. I would have to check with my friend but I seem to recall something about a staff menu?? It wasn't offered/suggested on our eclipse cruise.

[Jayneykul]

I am the biggest fan of Celebrity and recommend to everyone but I have to agree with the poster about the pizza station in the buffet area! On Equinox last Dec it was 1 of the very few options in the afternoon. There was never any pizza or garlic bread out. The staff seemed to be continually messing around doing not a lot to such an extent that I and several others complained to the dining room manager about it (I also left stinging comments on the quest) I will be avoiding it on summit in a few weeks time for blood pressure reasons

[Jayneykul]

Re: above because the terrible service causes it not cos I suffer from it!!!

[Hydrokitty]

I just got off Equinox Caribbean and I have to admit the vegetarian selections were less than I'm used to. I'm not a strict vegan but I do try to stay plant-based and was very disappointed to find only one vegetarian choice at dinner and it was not very appealing...I've probably eaten more meat in the past two weeks than in the past two years! We were on the Infinity through Panama Canal and there was a much larger and more appealing selection for the plant eater. Next up we're on the Summit to Canada...since it's the same class ship as Infinity I'm hoping Aqua Spa Cafe will be as good as Infinity too.

[Lastdance]

From the replies, I feel too much emphasis is being put on the vegetarian aspect of my review versus the rest. I never said those entrees were in poor quality or not suitable for vegetarians. However, having two options daily in the MDR is a bit less compared to competitors (without further special requests). That was the main nature of my concern for the MDR.

 

 

It is always disappointing to spend money for a cruise and NOT enjoy it. I don't know whether you called and checked out the vegetarian menus ahead of time, but even with that kind of information available doesn't mean you would get what Celebrity said you would get; however, if something is wrong, you need to stay on it until you get what you feel is acceptable. Never go an entire cruise not enjoying the food choices or anything else that is a big deal for you. Sadly, you have to teach Celebrity how to treat you. Do not settle for less. Unfortunately, food is something you need three times a day and it needs to be acceptable.

I have always sailed on an "S" class ship, but will sail the Millie in May. I know there is going to be a big difference between the ships, so I am expecting it. On the other hand, you were a newbie and had experienced favorable cruises before you tried Celebrity and an M class ship. Also, you went during the holidays when things are so busy anyway.

Thanks for the review and specific information regarding vegetarian dining. At least you can return to those cruise lines that satisfy your taste buds with a variety of choices...We were in a suite and ate in Luminae on a solstice ship; however, the food was not to our liking. They bent over backwards to make us happy and they did. I am sorry your experience wasn't like that!