Disappointing Reviews

[Jane2357]

We take one big cruise a year - planned years in advance and sometimes 1 shorter of no consequence. I often book the day the itinerary opens to snag the cabin I desire.

 

I decided that 2018 was going to be the year that we did New England/Canada fall cruise. Having never been on Summit but loving the M class experience on Connie and Millie and knowing there had been a recent refurb - I was set to book when the itineraries open this fall/winter.

 

Bored - I spent part of today reading reviews of the September, 2016 sailing and all I can say is :eek: Is Summit really that old and decrepit or were the majority of these reviews written by decrepit, hard to please people? I generally throw out the best reviews as being generous and the lowest as some people cannot be pleased but so many reviews with the same complaints are worrisome.

 

I'll watch for more reviews to come in from those on the October sail dates but if they don't improve I'm thinking I should make a different selection for 2018 :confused:

 

Anyone care to comment on your experience :confused: on Summit or this itinerary.

 

 

[digital_curator]

We were on the Summit in February, the last cruise before its refurb.

 

Were a few things a little tired in our room? Yes. A hard to open drawer on one night-table, a little rust on the balcony. Nothing decrepit and no reason to cancel a cruise!

 

The lounges and dining rooms were fine and I'm sure that they are even better now after the refurb!

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[uncle-b]

We did the Sept. 18 Canada & New England. It was one of the best Celebrity cruises we have done. The food was very good in the main dining room. We ate there all but 1 night. That night we dined in Tuscan with a large group and it was wonderful. The guest entertainers on this cruise were also very good. I will attempt to write a review sometime this week. The officers along with Capt. Kate were everywhere and very friendly. Capt. Kate walked through the dining room one evening greeting people and asking how their cruise was going. She also helped serve pastries in Café Al Bacio a couple of times. We are elite plus on Celebrity so have done a lot of cruises. We also had great weather.

 

Sandra

[lvz2cruz]

We were on Summit in May and the ship was in great condition. I cannot think of anything that was not in good shape.

Too often on here if someone complains about something several others pile on where it really was not a big deal.

I would watch reviews from other weeks and see if they agree. Then I would be concerned.

[cruzzzinma]

We were on the Oct 2-18 Canada/New England cruise in Aqua Class and had a great time. The weather was mostly fantastic, though we missed Bar Harbor due to the last dregs of Hurricane Matthew.

 

It seemed to me that Celebrity had added some of the activities back that disappeared, there were plenty of bar servers and our service in Blu was excellent.

[chemmo]

We are on the Millie later this year and are seeing similar not wonderful reviews re Millie...part of the problem, I think, is guests boarding M class ships with S class expectations.

 

We cruise both classes based on itineraries. If we are honest we find the S class more attractive (even though our favourite room is on M), but we board knowing what to expect....I think many cruisers have cruised Equinox, Eclipse, Reflection then board Summit, Millie...and start making comparisons.

 

When we read M reviews we now discount any with phrases like 'we will not cruise M class again' or 'we found the rooms on Equinox much nicer....'

 

As long as you board knowing your dining options are fewer, your rooms will be more dated and the ship is smaller I would not worry too much.

 

The other change that I think is also influencing reviews (and does concern me) is getting rid of Normandie, Olympic....I think for many M class cruisers (us included) dining here was a highlight of our M class experience. I don't think it helps that the new Tuscan menu has 'additional cost' items too, I find that somehow just wrong....a little tacky or as those across the pond from us would say 'Nickle and Diming'. I think this change has soured some guests experiences.

 

We have cruised both Summit and Millie and found both very much the same and I am sure would match your M experiences too. The fact you have cruised M before your expectations will be realistic. Focus on that itinerary and the M class positives!

[Cruise Raider]

We were on the Oct 2-18 Canada/New England cruise in Aqua Class and had a great time. The weather was mostly fantastic, though we missed Bar Harbor due to the last dregs of Hurricane Matthew.

 

It seemed to me that Celebrity had added some of the activities back that disappeared, there were plenty of bar servers and our service in Blu was excellent.

 

We knew a few people on this same cruise ... all of them loved their experience on the Summit.

I would not let any negative reviews make your decision for you, especially if you like the M Class ships.

[twin123185]

We take one big cruise a year - planned years in advance and sometimes 1 shorter of no consequence. I often book the day the itinerary opens to snag the cabin I desire.

 

 

 

I decided that 2018 was going to be the year that we did New England/Canada fall cruise. Having never been on Summit but loving the M class experience on Connie and Millie and knowing there had been a recent refurb - I was set to book when the itineraries open this fall/winter.

 

 

 

Bored - I spent part of today reading reviews of the September, 2016 sailing and all I can say is :eek: Is Summit really that old and decrepit or were the majority of these reviews written by decrepit, hard to please people? I generally throw out the best reviews as being generous and the lowest as some people cannot be pleased but so many reviews with the same complaints are worrisome.

 

 

 

I'll watch for more reviews to come in from those on the October sail dates but if they don't improve I'm thinking I should make a different selection for 2018 :confused:

 

 

 

Anyone care to comment on your experience :confused: on Summit or this itinerary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just got off the Summit yesterday. It was clean, 99.9% of the crew friendly and the food was great. I will be booking another Summit cruise shortly.

Don't pay attention to the bad reviews!

 

 

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[james'mommy]

We were on the Summit in April. We had her booked for next April but work commitments forced us to move to Royal Caribbean. We have her booked for April of 2018 but DH just started talking about wanting to do Alaska so we might be switching itineraries. We love the Summit. She's the perfect size. Sure she's older but she looks great. DH considers her "our" ship and he's really bummed about being away from her for 2 years.

[awhfy]

We had friends on an early Sep cruise & they're still raving about everything but the weather & that's not Xs fault. They keep saying how friendly the crew is

 

 

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[dkjretired]

There are also some pretty good reviews, probably more than the bad ones. I was on the Summit in June and had none of the problems in the reviews. I had to laugh at the one person who said its obvious Summit has not had any major upgrades.

[Iamthesea]

DH and I were on cruzzima's sailing. and agree with everything she said.

 

We also read a lot of those negative reviews and expected the worse. We were pleasantly surprised. Keep in mind that nothing is perfect. So you just need to take each negative comment with a grain of salt. What may bother some doesn't necessarily bother others. If you are a picky person, then you may find some negatives. Go with an open mind and you will have a good time. ;)

[CruisinNewb]

We haven't cruised on Summit since 2011. I remember being concerned because like you, prior to sailing, I had read several bad reviews.

 

We had an amazing trip on a great ship with a great crew. The weather was horrible pretty much the whole week but the experience was still top shelf.

 

In my experience people only put in the effort to say something when it is negative. The fact that there are so many more positive reviews should tell you the better story.

 

Unless I saw an overwhelming majority of negative reviews about something of substance I wouldn't be overly concerned.

[matondo]

I still remember getting ready to cruise on a ship, not Celebrity, and most of the reviews of the ship were negative. Final payment was past and I could not back out. Went on the cruise and could not figure out why so many negative reviews. When I got back there were several negative reviews concerning the cruise I was just on and I remember thinking were we on the same ship?

 

No cruise is going to be perfect. Go on the cruise and let us know what you think.

[JMG]

We have done the Summit for the August run to Bermuda for 3 years and have another booked. Keep in mind that people are quick to post negative reviews. Sometimes expectations exceed what they get. Overall, considering the price, we feel we get great value for the price paid! It is an older ship, but the crew is marvelous and the ship is well maintained. Not having to book flights is totally awesome!

[WEGL81]

I just finished my review on the Oct 2 Summit cruise. It will probably be published tomorrow. Anyway, other than a couple bad weather days and a muster from hell, it was a great cruise. My one piece of advice is to book the last cruise of the season as that will be your best bet at seeing fall colors. Ours was the last of the season and even we didn't see colors much until Quebec. Even on the way back, the leaves had not changed in Boston.

 

 

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[Cruise Junky]

Susie was posting from Summit this week and said she's in great shape

[SusieV]

Susie was posting from Summit this week and said she's in great shape

 

That's me! I just got off Summit yesterday, if that helps. I would consider myself to be a knowledgeable critic since I have 12 Celebrity sailings including four on Summit.

 

For a 16 year old ship, she looks pretty darn good to me. I'll be posting a review probably tomorrow or the next day, but there was only one issue regarding maintenance that I would consider serious.

 

There were a few service issues, but they were more of general letdowns and I would tend to say that they aren't ship specific- you can find unmotivated employees on every ship.

 

I'd sail Summit again next month if I had time and money :)

Edited October 24, 2016 by SusieV

[cocobakerchica]

I was on the Summit in May of this year, and while the ship is older, she is still a wonderful one. Yes, there is rust in some spots and many of the non suite cabin decor is a little worn, however this is going to happen on a ship that is nearly 2 decades old, and she is still lovely to look at and it's 'just right' in size if one is not wanting the huge(in size and passenger load) cruise ship experience. The recent refreshing has spiffed her up quite a bit, and while I'm sad that Restaurant Normandie is now Tuscan Grille, the service and food are still great. The crew is always wonderful, every captain I've sailed with(up to and including Capt. Kate McCue)are awesome, and the service is terrific. I'm happy to sail on the Summit again for my first Canada/New England trip next year.

[Host Jazzbeau]

We are on the Millie later this year and are seeing similar not wonderful reviews re Millie...part of the problem, I think, is guests boarding M class ships with S class expectations.

 

We cruise both classes based on itineraries. If we are honest we find the S class more attractive (even though our favourite room is on M), but we board knowing what to expect....I think many cruisers have cruised Equinox, Eclipse, Reflection then board Summit, Millie...and start making comparisons.

 

When we read M reviews we now discount any with phrases like 'we will not cruise M class again' or 'we found the rooms on Equinox much nicer....'

 

As long as you board knowing your dining options are fewer, your rooms will be more dated and the ship is smaller I would not worry too much.

 

The other change that I think is also influencing reviews (and does concern me) is getting rid of Normandie, Olympic....I think for many M class cruisers (us included) dining here was a highlight of our M class experience. I don't think it helps that the new Tuscan menu has 'additional cost' items too, I find that somehow just wrong....a little tacky or as those across the pond from us would say 'Nickle and Diming'. I think this change has soured some guests experiences.

 

We have cruised both Summit and Millie and found both very much the same and I am sure would match your M experiences too. The fact you have cruised M before your expectations will be realistic. Focus on that itinerary and the M class positives!

 

Agree 100%. We love both the M-class and the S-class -- taking each for its strengths. And Normandie was one of those strengths -- the gold-leaf panelling will be missed! As will the menu, and the service. Extra-cost items in Tuscan is just adding insult to injury -- Celebrity already has the highest specialty-restaurant charges of any line we have cruised, so there's just no excuse to charge more for anything on offer!

[Host Jazzbeau]

There are also some pretty good reviews, probably more than the bad ones. I was on the Summit in June and had none of the problems in the reviews. I had to laugh at the one person who said its obvious Summit has not had any major upgrades.

 

God Save Us from "major upgrades" like what Princess did to Island Princess!

[riclop]

We take one big cruise a year - planned years in advance and sometimes 1 shorter of no consequence. I often book the day the itinerary opens to snag the cabin I desire.

 

I decided that 2018 was going to be the year that we did New England/Canada fall cruise. Having never been on Summit but loving the M class experience on Connie and Millie and knowing there had been a recent refurb - I was set to book when the itineraries open this fall/winter.

 

Bored - I spent part of today reading reviews of the September, 2016 sailing and all I can say is :eek: Is Summit really that old and decrepit or were the majority of these reviews written by decrepit, hard to please people? I generally throw out the best reviews as being generous and the lowest as some people cannot be pleased but so many reviews with the same complaints are worrisome.

 

I'll watch for more reviews to come in from those on the October sail dates but if they don't improve I'm thinking I should make a different selection for 2018 :confused:

 

Anyone care to comment on your experience :confused: on Summit or this itinerary.

 

 

Pick something different.

[russg140]

When I read reviews (which I do quite frequently) I try to determine if there is any commonality and consistency in criticisms. Does everyone complain about the same thing. In briefly looking at reviews for Summit the answer is "no". So the questions are "Who is complaining?" and "What are they complaining about?" I own two businesses in the hospitality industry and am very tuned in to guests comments, so I speak from experience.

 

Most people who complain are the ones with unreal expectations that can never be fulfilled. Food is the #1 target. My response? These ships cook for 2000+ pax, 3 meals a day. Add in to that people that don't eat: gluten, salt, sugar, meat, etc. Add on top of that cultural tastes: spicy, salty, saucy, rare/medium/well, etc. You get the point; there is no way any ship can please 100% of the people 100% of the time. Yet there will always be that person that felt the food was "terrible". Laughable, really. My approach: Did I have to cook it? Is it as good or better than I would have at home? If the answer is "No" to the first and "Yes" to the second - I'm good.

 

The other complaints are varied, but using as an example the person that was a wheelchair user that gave a low rating. Many (not ALL) people with special needs (like a wheelchair) expect that the world is going to revolve around them: they shouldn't have to wait, they should be catered to, they should be given preferential treatment. If the airlines give it to them, why shouldn't everyone else? When they don't get it they don't get mad, they get even. Hence a bad review that usually includes a version of "I will NEVER sail with them again!" Quite frankly the cruise line probably hopes you don't - let someone else deal with you.

 

So take reviews with a grain of salt and keep in mind what one of X's Cruise Directors uses as his mantra: "Relax! You're on vacation!"

[twin123185]

Agree 100%. We love both the M-class and the S-class -- taking each for its strengths. And Normandie was one of those strengths -- the gold-leaf panelling will be missed! As will the menu, and the service. Extra-cost items in Tuscan is just adding insult to injury -- Celebrity already has the highest specialty-restaurant charges of any line we have cruised, so there's just no excuse to charge more for anything on offer!

 

 

And the new Sushi on 5 is ridiculously priced. If you don't want to leave hungry it will set you back $30-40 per person easily. It was busy this last week on the Summit so Celebrity obviously chose well replacing the Bistro but I will never eat there.

 

 

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[villauk]

Let's wait to see if it in fact Summit doing this run in 2018 before you discount an itinerary totally ;).

 

I'm presuming it won't be too long before we know which ships are going where in 2018/19 ;).