Outstanding 2/20 Summit cruise review (long)

[XtaSea]

We’re just off the Summit following the 2/20-27 Southern Caribbean sailing round-trip from San Juan visiting Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Martin and St. Thomas. It was an outstanding cruise with great weather all week, and in this review I’ll try to provide our impression of some of the issues I’ve seen raised on the Cruise Critic forums. Since we had previously visited the ports, most more than once, we did mainly self-guided walking tours of the port towns. As always, we found this enjoyable and enlightening, especially when interacting with locals, but I’ll basically keep this review to the onboard experience.

 

Some preface points: we’re an active couple in our 60s, we’ve cruised since the late 1980s, this was our 16th cruise and we’ve seen the industry’s many changes, both positive and negative over the years. Celebrity has become our line of choice, although we’ve been on most of the main lines (with the exception of Carnival) and one luxury line (Silver Sea). Our last cruise was a return to Royal Caribbean for a Canada/New England cruise in October 2014. Our first cruises were with RCL and our expectations were high, but our experience aboard the Brilliance of the Seas was one of a ship in need of maintenance, a cabin bathroom with the chemical smell of a portable toilet, a bed that made for miserable sleeping, MDR food that was mediocre at best, and entertainment that often emptied the room before the show was half over. The staff was great, we met some wonderful fellow cruisers, and we had fun, but there was little that could be done for the problems and the experience sent us running back to Celebrity.

 

We flew into San Juan a day early and had reservations at the Condado Plaza Hilton. We had spent time in the past in Old San Juan and wanted to give the Condado area a try, plus the hotel is close to the Pan American pier where the Summit docks. The hotel was busy and the location was convenient for walking, but our “suite” was rather spartan with an uncomfortable platform bed and poorly performing air conditioning. The front desk said there was nothing they could do. Like the rest of the hotel staff we encountered, they were polite but not particularly accommodating, and we made no issue of it since we were only there for one night. But although the hotel has fairly high ratings on Trip Adviser and other sites, I would not return nor recommend it.

 

The following day, after breakfast at the hotel, we grabbed a taxi to the pier and were quickly aboard the Summit, where any thoughts about the Hilton simply evaporated. This was our third cruise aboard the Summit, but our first time in an S1 Sky Suite (or any ship suite) and the experience, start to finish, was outstanding. After the speedy boarding process we were shown to Michael’s Club and met Sara, the club’s concierge. We relaxed with a drink while Sara explained her duties, our amenities, and asked about any requests we might have. She then escorted us to Luminae, the suite restaurant, for lunch. There we met Dominic, who would be our waiter for the week, as well as Louis, the sommelier, and Constantin, the maître d’. So let me address two issues which I’ve seen discussed in depth on Cruise Critic: the potential overcrowding and ruin of Michael’s Club by the admission of Sky Suite guests, and the quality of Luminae.

 

Michael’s Club – On the Summit, as I’m sure it is on other M-Class ships, the club can seat maybe 65 or 70 guests. We visited several times each day of the cruise and were often the only guests there. We never saw more than a dozen. Although we had drink packages and could use any bar onboard, we often stopped in Michael’s for a quiet and relaxing escape, as well as for a drink refresher on our way to the theater or to dinner, and were never questioned about taking our drinks with us as we left. Possibly that was due to our drink packages, but we found the staff of Michael’s to be like virtually all aspects of the Summit, very friendly and accommodating.

 

Luminae – This is what we remember the main dining room to be on cruises decades ago…only better. I have read reviews that stated the food in Luminae is “complicated” or “too fancy”, and we’re no fan of either, but we found it to be a true culinary experience each night. It is a small but relaxing venue and, for the most part, quieter than the MDR. At each meal, Dominic would explain in detail each appetizer and entrée offering and make recommendations. And the food was wonderful. One night we had the best filet mignon I think we’ve ever eaten; my wife still raves about the halibut; I even tried something I would never before have considered—grilled sea bass served atop oxtail (Luminae’s version of surf and turf?)—and literally cleaned the plate. And while we found few reasons to do so, Dominic would gladly bring selections from the MDR menu…a few nights I had the MDR’s escargot appetizer, and even though Luminae deserts are terrific, twice we enjoyed the MDR’s apple pie. Luminae also has some specialty drinks and one, the Bourbon and Peaches, looked appealing. Although at $10 it was above the Classic package limit, I asked Louis to bring one. After my first sip I had him upgrade us to the Premium package, as I knew that drink alone would make up the difference each day. And it did, for both of us. Having booked the cruise early last year we were allowed one night in a specialty restaurant at no charge. We dined in Normandie and, while good, it was no better than—and perhaps not equal to—Luminae. To be honest, it’s much like its Bourbon and Peaches drink: a blend of quality ingredients (staff, food and venue) that adds up to more than its sum.

 

Back to the overall review. After lunch we found our Sky Suite on deck six and met our butler Dominic (yep…same name as our waiter) and our attendant Vilma. We had very comfortable furnishings, plenty of space, more than enough storage, and a nice sized bathroom. We requested that our small fridge be emptied and our welcome bottle of champagne be exchanged for a pinot grigio, and both were taken care of. Dominic also made reservations for us at both Luminae and Normandie and would have been happy to address any other requests had we had any. The suite was well appointed, comfortable and quiet. The air conditioning was excellent and kept the room the way we like it…cold (in fact, we slept so well, particularly after our hotel stay Friday night and significant onboard bar-hopping Saturday night, we missed the early morning Connections gathering Sunday). But after two nights we realized the air blowing from the large ceiling vent onto the bed was creating a congestion-inducing draft. I asked Dominic for some tape to block the side of the vent toward the bed and, once I explained the problem, we returned to the room to find the problem solved. Each morning Vilma would cheerfully greet us and she kept our room neat and clean and well-supplied with extra towels. In late afternoons, Dominic would appear with a selection of snacks and desserts, and even filled our request for cheese and shrimp. We never dined in-room or made other special requests, so I doubt we truly utilized his services, but we found having a butler to be a nice suite amenity.

 

The Summit is in excellent shape, although as we disembarked 1,000 workers were boarding to start refurbishing the ship as it sailed to a two-week dry dock. And though I’ve heard it can happen, there was no sign of actual dry dock preparation during the cruise itself. The entertainment in the Celebrity Theater was great. The ensemble cast of singers and dancers is a group of incredibly talented young people who put on two outstanding production shows during the week. The group was joined by an aerialist team for numerous exciting appearances. There was the iMagic show, an excellent comedian, and two guest vocalists—Delisco James and Claire Vinkestejin—whose shows deserved and received standing ovations. Each show was emceed by Ken Mills, the cruise director, who really does a great job. Much has been said about Captain Kate, but she was on vacation. We had Captain Alex Papadopoulos who seemed very personable when introduced onstage and turned out to be more so when we talked with him one evening in the Martini Bar. Then the next morning in the Oceanview Café, he introduced us to his beautiful wife and their young daughter who live aboard with Summit with him. It was a very “family” kind of moment and helps explain the comfortable and welcoming personality of the Summit itself.

 

On the final morning we awaited disembarkation in Michael’s Club with other suite guests. Sara, the club concierge, had printed our airline boarding passes for us the afternoon before, and we were told we could stay onboard in the club until 9:30 or so. The club had coffee and a continental breakfast and made for the best disembarkation wait we’d ever had. But the final value of a suite was yet to come. Every 15 minutes or so, some guest would need to leave to make their flight and Sara would escort them out, asking if any others were ready. Around 9:10 we decided to get the process started and accompanied Sara and another couple off the ship. We followed her to the baggage area where the suites had their own section and quickly found our luggage, then turned to see maybe 1000-1500 guests queued up for customs clearance (an RCL ship with 3000+ passengers was also disembarking at the Pan American pier with us), all waiting for a lone customs agent to clear them. Sara said “please follow me” and took us down a cordoned walkway to “priority clearance” where we were the third in line. Within minutes we were through customs and in a taxi to the airport. Obviously there should have been more agents to handle the disembarkation of two ships (a port decision, not a cruise line decision), and I can only hope that as the suite guests cleared out, the “priority” agent began working with all guests.

 

Two things I should note: First, I know this is a glowing review, which doesn’t mean there were no negative moments during the week. We met some great people on this cruise and enjoyed a number of evenings with them in bars and at shows, but not all guests are wonderful. The negative moments had to do with other passengers who might be unkind to a crew member serving them, or talk loudly during a theater performance, or push their way into line at the buffet…rude and unnecessary behavior but completely beyond the control of Celebrity. And second, I know there are those on these forums that feel suite guests should not receive the “perks” they do…that the larger accommodations should be enough. For other lines such as RCL, Princess and HAL, that seems to be the case. But my research clearly shows those suites do not represent anywhere near the same cost difference from a balcony cabin as a suite on Celebrity. And these Celebrity amenities are available to anyone and everyone who books a suite. It’s a matter of personal choice. For me, I’m extremely happy our choice was a Sky Suite on the Summit. And I’m just as happy that when I booked this cruise, I also booked a Sky Suite on the Summit’s May 8th cruise to Bermuda, leaving from Cape Liberty, NJ. The ship will have been through dry dock, refurbishing cabins and common areas, redoing the wonderful Solarium and Thalassotherapy pool, adding the theater to the top deck, and replacing Normandie with Tuscan Grill (we’ll try that, too). I think Captain Kate will be back on board and hopefully we’ll have the chance to meet her. But we’re looking forward to our first visit to Bermuda, to seeing Sara, Dominic, Louis, Constantin, Dominic, Vilma and others, and to enjoying everything the Summit, and the Summit’s suite experience, has to offer.

[Clarea]

Thanks for the review.

[benbess]

Great review. Thanks for the detailed write up.++ Sounds like the Summit was terrific even before the dry dock. The suite seems expensive but worth it!

[benbess]

PS By any chance do you have any pictures to share?

[cruzzzinma]

Thanks for the wonderful review. We will be on the May 15, 2016 Bermuda cruise and will be in a suite for the first time. We can't wait!

[Champagne Cruiser]

Thank you for the review. We were on this cruise (our 6th on the Summit) and had an outstanding time. Captain Alex was great. Sorry you missed the Meet & Greet.

[watson50]

hello everybody. first off, many thanks to XtaSea for an outstanding review of the Summit.we have sailed on the Summit 4x.The Sunset bar on deck 10 is one of the most relaxing and beautiful places on board.will it still be there after dry dock.we went back in May last year. Great time.shout out to Dewa,aka,(handsome man),and his crew.Thanks.:cool:

[jcpc]

XtaSea,

 

Thank you for your excellent review. I must agree with you regarding Domnic Peireira, the butler. He is without a doubt one of the best butlers I have ever had the pleasure to encounter at Celebrity. Luminae is fantastic and I hope Domnic (the waiter!) is still onboard when we sail in April. He was our waiter last April but was on vacation when we returned in August. So looking forward to seeing both Domnics again!

 

Reading your review makes me more anxious to board the ship in April.

 

Thanks!

[DrivesLikeMario]

Really good review, thanks for writing it! We'll be right after you on the Bermuda cruise. Can't wait! So good to hear the positive experiences you had on the Summit.

[ClaudiaB]

I wonder if "your" Sara was the same Sara we had in Michael's on Eclipse. She was from Portugal I believe, a sweet petite and very helpful and friendly young lady.

[XtaSea]

Thanks for the kind comments about the review. Yes, X suites are expensive compared to other lines, but after this first time, we feel we really get our money's worth. In response to BENBESS, I really have no photos pertaining to my review. We ceased taking photos of ship interiors long ago and were never ones to photograph food, although I admit that seeing the "foodie" photos on these forums can be mouth watering. And in response to CLAUDIA B, I'm not sure of the nationality, but it sounds like the same Sara...friendly, petite, etc. She did mention she had been on an S Class ship prior to joining the Summit.

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[tory707]

Okay so now you have us even more excited. We leave in two weeks! Hoping the refresh makes it even better. Thanks for the review!

[Barwick Cruiser]

We were also on this cruise, as well as the previous week. Both weeks onboard were great, although the weather on the week of the 20th was definitely better. We attended both of the CC gatherings and were impressed with the showing from the officers. Captain Alex was very present around the ship both weeks and his daughter was very entertaining at the Senior Officers cocktail party on the second week (we missed the first week's party).

 

Just a note about disembarking in San Juan. We were among the last tags to be called since we were just heading to a hotel from the ship. Once we arrived in the terminal to collect our luggage we also noticed the extremely huge lineup to go through Customs....it seemed like every passenger that had disembarked ahead of us was still in line waiting! We joined the line and were anticipating an hour wait to get through. We noticed Porters escorting passengers and their luggage. I approached a porter and inquired about his service. He asked if I had luggage and I pointed towards my husband in line with our bags. He told me he had a separate line to go through and when I inquired how much it would cost he told me just the price of a tip. He loaded up our luggage and we followed him past the long lineups to a separate Officer (possibly the same one as the OP's?) who beckoned us forward. He checked our passports and waved us through. DH and I couldn't believe how easy it was. The porter took us straight to a cab, told the driver where we had to go, we tipped the porter and off we went. 20 minutes from leaving the ship to heading off in a cab. Definitely will be doing this if there's a next time. Btw, we weren't in a special cabin, and don't have US passports so if we could qualify for it, I'd imagine anyone can!

[smojeo]

Thanks for the great review! We will be on the Summit on March 26th, and also in a Sky Suite, so I can't wait to visit Michael's.

[Texed]

Xta,

 

Thanks for posting. :)

[itchintogo]

Thanks for the great review. We will also be on the Summit cruise to Bermuda leaving May 8th. I sailed the Summit in 2006 on a 14 day Hawaiian Cruise, and loved the ship so much then, we almost didn't want to get off! I was very excited to see the Bermuda Cruise out of Bayonne, living in Delaware makes it an easy drive and I love Celebrity. I'm so glad to hear that staff are still wonderful, and can't wait to see the upgrades fresh out of dry dock.:D

Judy

[A Sixth?]

Left the Summit the day when the OP got onboard (seven B2Bs) and have to agree that the entire crew was great.

 

edit.... My wife reminded that my sense of humour may have missed the point now and then at the Sunset Bar

Edited March 6, 2016 by A Sixth?

[Keith1010]

Thank you for your review.

 

Keith