My cruise review: Summit to Bermuda, Aug.7-14, 2016

[AnnetteSC]

I had been reading CC since the day we booked the cruise, three months prior to cruising. Being the planner of the family, I wanted to make sure I learned as much as I could from you kind and expert cruisers. For this reason, my review is, not only about the cruise itself, but also about my personal experiences based on what I had learned here.

 

Our group was made of 7 people: my brother with his wife and DD16, my husband, myself, our DD14 and my adult son. We had 3 cabins, next to each other (verandas on deck 7 midship/forward, cabins 7086,7088,7090). We booked the cruise for this week in August to celebrate my son's milestone birthday on August 9, which I had noted in our reservation.

 

We live in CT and decided to hire private service with a van to make things easier. We arrived at Bayonne by 10am. After we surrendered the luggage, we checked in and sat to wait in the large hall until the ship was ready for us.

 

At around 11am, we were told to proceed onboard. It went smoothly and we entered by the martini bar area. We were greeted by friendly staff, champagne, mimosas and plain OJ for minors.

 

We walked around a bit and, by noon, made our way to the Oceanview Cafe for the buffet lunch. It was already extremely crowded there and, being the newbies that we were, totally missed that the buffet went around full circle and had many more options! :D We just ate from what was near the table we were sitting. The food was good.

 

Waiters were trying to sell us drink and/or dining packages. We had the Classic beverage package as one of the perks from Celebrity and, when they learned that, they tried to upgrade us. The specialty dining options were offered to us at 30% discount.

 

After lunch, we walked by the pool area. At that time, the announcement was made that the cabins were ready so we made our way down. We had a couple of duffel bags with us and just wanted to go drop them off. The cabins were clean and had more storage space than I imagined. In fact, the closet can store two suitcases (one on the floor of the closet and one over the bend-down metal bars midway up the back wall of closet), has several drawers, and a hanging rod. We decided to store one suitcase under one of the beds because, by using the bend-down rods to store a suitcase, we would lose hanging space. The bathroom, although small as one can expect on a cruise ship, also had cabinets for storage beneath the sink.

 

We did some more ship exploration (the girls wanted to see the teen club) before the drill. Our drill was in the theater and it went smoothly. After it was over, we went to our cabins to see if our luggage was there. Well, everyone in our group had it except me. I found a message on our cabin's phone saying that I needed to go down to the first level since there was a problem. It was close to sail away and I had been looking forward to that moment for so long but I needed to go see what was going on with my luggage.

 

It was like a maze to get to the place where they kept the confiscated luggage. There were several pieces (at least I was not alone! lol) and a line of people. I spotted my suitcase and it had a sticker saying "Power Cord". Mystery solved! I was upset at first because I read here on CC that non-surge protected extension cords are allowed. I read that they confiscate the surge protected ones only so I didn't understand. They explained that NO extension cords are allowed, period! I was told to ask our room steward for their approved extension cords for our cabins. The lady in front of me had an iron (which they took) and was told to ask her steward for an iron when she needed it. I was totally confused by that statement since I knew for a fact NO irons are allowed in the cabins at all.

 

I looked at my watch and it was almost sailaway time so I ran as fast as I could while pulling my suitcase to drop it off at my cabin. I ran into our room steward, Pablo, and asked for the extension cords. He was surprised by the request. I explained to him what it just happened to my cords and he said that he would try to get one but they can only give extension cords to people with essential equipment (like breathing machines, as he put it). I also asked him if one could ask for an iron (again, as we were told by the luggage inspectors) and he said that he would be asked to pack his bags if he gave out an iron! That upset me deeply because the inspectors were telling passengers false information! Pablo told me he appreciated my understanding (when I said that I did not wish to get him in trouble so forget the requests) and went on to say that most passengers would yell at him for not complying with the info given by the inspectors. I thanked him again, gave him a cash tip and ran three flights of stairs to go to the Sunset bar to experience sailaway. I was hoping to meet some CC's from roll call there too. I got there as the ship approached the Statue of Liberty. Nobody was wearing beads (roll call thing) so didn't meet anyone.

 

End of Part One

[AnnetteSC]

Part two: Days at Sea

 

Captain Alex did a wonderful job at circling the Statue of Liberty. The view of NY skyline behind it was breathtaking! We went under the Verrazano bridge and off into the ocean. At this point, we decided to go unpack and get ready for dinner. We were assigned "Open Seating" and, according to the note we found in our cabin, recommended times to arrive at the main dining room were either 5:30 or after 8pm. We like to eat around 6:30 or 7 so we had to make sure to be in line by 6 to put in a request for a table.

 

That strategy worked and we never had to wait more than 15-20 minutes for our table. The nice thing about waiting, if you have open seating, is that they give you a buzzer that you can take with you to the nearby lounge. There's usually something going on in there and you can also order a cocktail while waiting. And speaking of cocktails, I had made a little folder of important tips, maps, lists, etc. that I gathered here on CC. One of the lists was of which cocktails were included in the Classic package. I like Negroni very much as an aperitif so I ordered one (it was on the list). The waiter returned and told me that it was not included in my package. I was again surprised (5 hrs on the ship and two misinformations already!) and ordered Campari and soda instead. The buzzer went off and we proceeded to the dining room.

 

We were seated at table 234 with Billy from Jamaica. Great table by a big window overlooking the ocean. Billy was amazing!! We loved him from the start and requested the same table for the rest of the cruise. Lenworth (the sommelier), was also very good and always knew what wine we would like with our dinner. Dinner was good. It was not outstanding but it was not bad either. Portions are small but you can order as many choices as you want.

 

After dinner, we went to the theater to watch the show. We did that every night since our teens enjoyed it (as did we). The shows for the week consisted of comedians, magician, vocalist Lou Gazzara (from American Idol), and the Celebrity group/entertainers. Some were better than others but we enjoyed them all. The people that deserve the most credit are cruise director, Chris, and Luigi! They were always full of energy, engaging and cheerful! Honestly, I don't know when these guys slept since they were up until late with dance shows, etc. and filmed a show at 4:30am, which was shown on the cabin's tv.

 

On Monday, our first full day at sea, we kept busy with the activities. First on the list was the CC Roll Call. We went there and met quite a few officers. They had refreshments but nothing more (some people mentioned getting a little freebie but we did not). The rest of the day we did our own thing: I went to Bingo and Trivia show, the girls to teen club, my brother and SIL sat by the pool, etc. just to name a few things. One must do stop everyday was Cafe Al Bacio. We loved that place!! The best espresso, cappuccino, coffee drinks, pastries, etc!! In the afternoon, there is usually live music and we loved both the cellists and the piano man. Service was also excellent there! I highly recommend visiting this Cafe'!

 

I did make a stop at Guest Services, though, to ask about the Negroni. A young lady from Spain was at the desk and she told me she'd check. After a few minutes, she came back with a list and told me it was only included in the Standard package. I looked at her confused and commented that my package was above the Standard and, for that reason, it should be included. She argued with me that it was not. I again asked why then should I upgrade to Premium if drinks from lower packages would not be included? She didn't have an answer but dismissed me (rudely).

 

The next day, we went to theater for the info sessions on shopping and places to visit in Bermuda; girls went in the pool for a while and then the teen club; I mostly walked the ship and tried to checkout everything (shops, library, spas, etc). My DH and DS would be at the gym early in the morning and were very impressed by it. My DH is a marathon runner (has done the Boston twice) and my DS is fitness crazy! LOL Both had very positive comments about the gym. I preferred to walk and use the stairs (did not take an elevator once, except when I was dragging luggage). My Fitbit was happy with about 20,000 steps a day. :)

 

I'd like to comment that, although the cruise director and his staff try very hard, there is not much to do on board for the days at sea. The pool was so overcrowded and people being disrespectful about chairs that I avoided the area all together! One afternoon, the girls wanted to watch the movie at 2pm on the open deck but waited until 2:45 and no movie was played. We asked about the imovie activity that Celebrity advertises on its websites for teens but they were not sure it was going to be offered (it was not).

 

That Tuesday afternoon, I did make another stop at the Guest Services desk to ask about the Internet package. On board, they were charging $229. I questioned the price since prior to cruising, I saw a much cheaper price (149) under "my reservation". I also remembered people here on CC quoting a cheaper price. Again, they didn't know anything about it and dismissed me.

 

I went over to the Dining Reservation desk in that same area to remind them that it was my son's birthday and I had requested a small celebration for him. I was reassured that it was listed in the reservation. Well, that night at dinner, I did not notice anything "special" happening so I took our waiter aside and asked. He hadn't been made aware but, the brilliant man that he was, he made sure the dessert part of the dinner was celebratory for my son.

 

Now, for people who know me in person, I'm easy-going, polite, respectful and hate confrontations. Celebrity was really testing my patience!

 

End of Part Two

[AnnetteSC]

Part Three: Bermuda

 

We arrived in Bermuda around 8ish am. It was a beautiful, sunny day, although a bit breezy. It was drier than normal but still hot. We had made plans to go to Horseshoe Bay but waited until 10 to leave the ship. It was perfect because everyone else had rushed to leave early so we had no lines to deal with. For those worrying about where to get transportation once you get off the ship, don't. There are plenty of locals ready to help and set you up with transportation. There is also the information booth (where you can buy tokens, request maps, and so on) right after you get off the ship. We got the shuttle van to HSB for $7pp and it worked fine. We took the towels our cabin steward had left for us, water, change of clothes, and sunscreen in the Celebrity tote we found in our cabin the night before.

 

HSB was not super-crowded and there were plenty of chairs still available for rent. We spend a great day there and took the shuttle back around 4pm.

We were debating going to Harbour night that evening but the girls were too tired so we skipped it.

 

The next day, we took the ferry to Hamilton and a taxi to the caves. We did both and enjoyed every minute of it! The caves are just as wonderful as their description. The guide was a young man who grew up a block away from the caves. He was very good with the history and details abut the caves. We visited the shop by the caves, picked up a couple of small souvenirs and took the taxi back to Hamilton. We walked Front st. in Hamilton, got on the ferry and made our way back to the ship. Again, the girls were tired from the heat so we kept it simple.

 

That evening, we decided to skip the main dining room and go to the buffet for dinner. It was Italian night (we're Italians) and looking forward to some Italian specialties. My brother and SIL did not go with us on our cave adventures (we did take their daughter/our niece with us) and had eaten dinner already. They told us the buffet had prosciutto, parmigiano cheese, arancini (little stuffed rice balls) and many other delicacies. By the time we cleaned up, changed and went up to the buffet, it was around 8pm.

 

I got my plate and started going around the buffet to find the goodies my brother had told me about. I went around twice and nothing! I asked one of the buffet workers where the above mentioned items were and she told me they were all gone. I looked at her and asked what she meant since the buffet is supposed to be opened and fully stocked for dinner until much later than 8. She didn't speak English very well so I asked for the buffet manager. Mind you, I had not eaten a thing since breakfast, was tired from the day and all I wanted was my Italian goodies for dinner. Is that too much to ask for? I was upset!

 

The buffet manager came over and I explained that I was told that the food I wanted was all gone. I told him it is not fair for people coming up to dinner a little later and have a limited buffet choice compared to people eating earlier. He said that a lady had spilled her soup in the arancini and they had to throw them away but he would check on the prosciutto and cheese. I didn't buy the soup story because, if a tray of food is ruined, there is plenty more in the back. He came back a few minutes later with a dish of prosciutto and cheese but no arancini. He asked for my cabin number but I still don't know why.

 

A lady, total stranger, came up to me and applauded me for speaking up. She said she was disappointed also and would complain at GS the next day. Needless to say, this was yet another strike against Celebrity!

 

The next morning, when I went up to breakfast, everyone was nice to me at the buffet. The head chef (whom I had befriended the first day on board but didn't work evenings) came over to ask me what had happened the night before. I told him in detail and he understood. In fact, he told me what happened to the arancini. He was also Italian (from Sicily, where arancini come from) and told me he had made them with his mom's original recipe (my brother had told me they were out of this world!). When he had placed them out at the buffet, the buffet manager had come over and said the arancini looked boring, that they needed sauce or something. The Italian chef was insulted and told him that they were not supposed to be served soaking in sauce. The (Norwegian) buffet manager continued to criticize the arancini so the Italian chef took them off the display and threw them all away.

 

That story made a lot better sense than the first one I was told! The Italian chef said he had been recruited from another ship for a week to "better" the Summit buffet. He said every time he tried to made a suggestion, he was shut down by the arrogant management. He said the kitchen workers were wonderful but buffet management was awful. He told me he would have to write a review at the end of that week and he would put it all in writing to Celebrity (that's what he was hired for!). He also offered to make me a pizza with proscuitto, parmigiano and truffle oil for lunch that day. Unfortunately, we went out for the day and I missed it.

 

We stayed at the Dockyard on Friday. We went to the Glass beach where the girls had fun looking through all the sea glass. The sign was up for the forbidden removal of glass from the beach but there was no security guard to enforce it. We saw several groups of people coming in and taking little bags of sea glass. After that, we went to Somerset beach nearby but just to scope out. It is a very pretty beach with natural shade. It looked like it was mostly used by the locals. We spent the rest of the day at the Mall and craft market. Got back on board by 3:00 since the ship would be leaving soon.

 

Went up to Sunset bar for sailaway but ship was delayed due to a couple of people who were still on the ferry from Hamilton. I hated to be in their shoes since people from the ship were booing. Not sure what happened to make them late so I'm not passing judgement, just reporting facts.

 

End of Part Three

[AnnetteSC]

Part four: Last Day at Sea and Disembarkation

 

Saturday was pretty uneventful (thankfully!) and again kept busy with a few activities plus packing. We had opted for Self Assist in order to get out sooner. The ship was moving much faster and some of us could feel it.

I tried to stop one last time at GS to ask how to go about leaving extra gratuities for Billy and Pablo from our OBC. I was given a slip to fill and sign. When I went to the side to fill it, I noticed it was not specific to the person but to the entire team of each service area (like dining room, cabin, etc). I asked again how to fill it for specific individuals and was told it was not possible and that it would be pooled anyway. At that point, I took envelopes and we just put cash in them.

 

A couple of things I didn't mention in my long novel....

1) A couple of us upgraded to Premium package about three days from end of cruise. Honestly, other than enjoying Pellegrino, we weren't impressed. We are not big drinkers but enjoy wine with dinner and a good cocktail. The Martini bar did not open until 4 and when I asked for an espresso martini, it was awful!!

2) Captain Alex was very pleasant. We were sorry to have missed cruising with Captain Kate but Captain Alex made up for it nicely.

 

Sunday morning came quickly and we were ready to go at 7:30am, as stated in our instruction note. We managed to pull/drag our luggage to the 4th floor, despite the chaos. In fact, there were no designated elevators for Self Assist and it was a free for all with people bringing food to their cabins from buffet, others still walking around (last batch of passengers was going out at 9:15). When we got to the disembarkation area, there was a long line. They took half of us and redirected us through the casino, a lounge and parked us by Michael's Club. People were complaining like crazy! It was a long way to go dragging luggage, totes, duffels, kids, etc. I don't think they were prepared for the amount of people there. Finally, at 8, the doors opened and we were let out.

 

Many of the officers and staff we constantly saw on board were there to say goodbye, which was very nice. I have to say that the majority of the staff works hard on the ship but there is miscommunication and misinformation also, making some experiences less than pleasant.

 

All in all, it was a good cruise. I wanted to mention the problems I had in hope to help someone else.

[easyboy]

Thanks for the review.

[timtrek]

Thank you for the comprehensive review!