The view from the Summit, a 5 day Bahamas review.

[WINGFAN728]

I really enjoyed your review, it was very well done. I will be on the Summit for the 4 night on March 16 and you provided so much great information. I really hope they have our "chic night" on our sea day also. Concerned it will be the first night in Key West which for us will be St Patrick's Day, just too much on one day.

 

The pictures have me cruising a month early, because I am so ready!

 

Thanks Again Sheila 😎

[Arzeena]

I enjoyed reading the review. Great pictures! Thank you for posting.:)

[easyboy]

We figured we had spent some for the shore excursion, and a t-shirt to support the world wildlife fund, so we still had about 67 to spend. Not much in the shops that we wanted, so we found something we could definitely use.[emoji16]

Good decision! I would have chosen them too!

[h20skibum]

Friday night we return to our cabin to pack our bags to put out. Since it was the last night, the onboard shop gave us our alcohol purchase to take with us to the cabin to pack. After giving it a nice cushion in each bag, we finished our packing and put the bags out before heading out to enjoy the last night onboard. The Saturday, "Get off the ship" paper was in out cabin.

Nothing to do now, but enjoy our last night.

 

 

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This was our crew for the trip, along with some useful information Celebrity published. Captain Alex was enjoyable.

 

 

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Saturday morning, Disembarkation Day. What? Vacate your cabin by 8:00 a.m. Okay, I guess it is over.

 

We hadn't had breakfast in the MDR all week, so we decided to go there today. They had their standard breakfast menu. We were not in a hurry to get off the ship, since we had a late flight home.

 

We ordered omelets, and we had the waiter run to Cafe al Bacio to bring us a couple lattes to go with our breakfast. That was nice of them, given how busy they were, but everyone at our table put in an order from there.

 

Since we did not give them a Disembarkation questionnaire, they gave us an 8:20 a.m. time. However, they were running behind today with the group times. We finished breakfast and went to Cafe al Bacio for one last latte before leaving the ship. We finally left around 9:00.

 

They say the internet will be shut down, but ours worked until we left the ship.

 

The terminal area was probably one of the most disorganized we have encountered. After finding the bags, you are on your own to funnel into the customs line.

 

 

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[h20skibum]

With a 6:50 p.m. flight to Pittsburgh, we thought about doing a ship tour after the cruise, but didn't see anything that would interest us. So we planned on a long day hanging out at the airport. We usually have earlier flights after a cruise, so this was the first time (and last) when we would spend so much time waiting at an airport. We got a cab for the short trip to the airport. It is usually around $20 or so with tip from the port to the airport.

 

Most airlines will not check your bags until 3 hours before your flight. We were flying Southwest, and they are usually the same. So we are waiting in the check-in area, when someone from Southwest comes around and tells us you can check your bag curbside as long as your flight is less than 8 hours away. It is only at the curbside check-in to the left of the door, not the right side. Good to know if anyone else has the long wait.

 

FLL also has a baggage storage area where you can drop your bags for $7 each, if you want to go out on your own. We found out they also offer a free trolley on weekends. It will take you from the airport to the Las Olas riverfront and back.

http://www.suntrolley.com/routes-schedules-fares/

 

 

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[h20skibum]

After an uneventful flight back to Pittsburgh, the trip is over. Now it is time to deal with the cold weather for a few more months, relive a little of the cruise by writing this, and getting ready for the next one. Thankfully, it is only 74 days to the next one.

 

I hope to wrap this up by summarizing the good, the bad, and the ugly about the cruise. This is just my opinion, based on my likes and dislikes. Everyone's vacation is based on their expectations, and what I like, you may not. I plan to rate things on a scale of 1 to 10 like this.

So here we go.

 

 

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EMBARKATION

 

 

I rated this as 9/10. I never rate anything as a perfect 10, ( except for DW, who is looking over my shoulder, holding a frying pan, so I better say that) so that is the highest I go.

 

Maybe it was due to the fact that the ship sailed empty from San Juan before our cruise, but we have never been through the check-in process faster than it was for this cruise. We literally walked in to the terminal, stopped about as long as it takes for them to take your picture, and walked on the ship. It was a bonus to be greeted on the ship and handed a drink. Not many cruise lines would do this, so this is a nice touch for Celebrity.

 

Since this was our first time on Celebrity, our loyalty level from Royal Caribbean carried over. I think this greeting with a drink is something the other lines should consider to offer a special touch.

 

Next - The cabin

 

 

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THE CABIN

 

 

I rated this as 7/10. We typically book balcony cabins, so this was the first time in a long time that we chose an Oceanview cabin. We were on deck 2 at midship, which is about as low as you can go. The bed was arranged together in a queen, and it was comfortable. The mirrored wall made the room feel larger than it was.

 

 

The bath was a pretty standard size, and the shower was larger than on some ships we have been on. The closet space and drawer space was more than enough, and suitcases fit nicely under the bed.

 

Some areas of the bath were worn, and some areas were chipped or discolored. One of the hooks on the door was broken. There were two outlets by the desk, so it was good we had our belkin with us. Usually, you can find an extra free plug by the tv, or by the nightstand lights, but all of these were full. Maybe these things are due to the ship showing it's age.

 

Our cabin steward was excellent, and he greeted us by name the first day and every time he saw us. Too bad he didn't do any towel animals, or maybe they just don't do them on Celebrity. In any event, we missed being greeted by a different towel animal each night.

 

Next - Wifi

 

 

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WIFI

 

 

I rated this as 9/10. With the Go Best package, unlimited wifi for two was included. The Xcelerate ( or VOOM on Royal Caribbean) is something they do right. This has been a great thing ever since it was introduced. If you have the unlimited internet in your package, the internet access voucher is included in your sea pass folder, along with instructions on how to access it. We had access with two iPhones, and an iPad. You just have to remember to log out one device, before you log in with another.

 

 

Although we did not try to use Facetime with it, it should be fast enough. We typically spend an hour on the treadmill or elliptical every morning. In our normal routine, we stream videos from

Amazon prime, and we had no problem doing this each morning on the ship. The internet was fast enough to stream the Penguins game one evening when we tried. Compared to the slow speed / high cost per minute plans on Princess, this is far superior. The slow internet is one thing I am not looking forward to on the next cruise.

 

If you need to keep in touch, Xcelerate is the way to go. If you didn't buy the package, they had a deal for a second device on the first day.

 

Next - Bars

 

 

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BARS & LOUNGES

 

 

I rated this as 6/10. As part of the Go Best package, we had the premium drink package. The lower rating is due to the understaffed bar areas. The Martini bar was probably the worst service we experienced. Twenty minutes plus is too long to wait for a drink, and this happened here more than once. Granted, it take more time to mix one, compared to opening a beer, but they should have enough bartenders so the wait is not as long.

 

 

The bar/lounges were similarly understaffed. Often you would have to go to the bar for a drink, since the servers were not making rounds to the tables. The Oceanview Bar, aft on deck 10, had the best service we encountered, but not all drinks were available there.

 

Next - Dining

 

 

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[Sue1260]

Really enjoying your review...I also live in Pittsburgh area and can't wait for my next cruise in 92 days on Breakaway out of NY to Bermuda.

 

Especially after today's weather but can't complain we've had pretty mild winter so far.

 

Hope you enjoy your next cruise and I look forward to another review.

[Arzeena]

Anthem is great! You will love skydiving. It is only one minute but feels like a lot longer! We have been on Anthem four times, love how close we are to the port. We booked the Summit for July for a change of pace. We were on Summit five years ago so cannot wait to see the changes.

 

Hi Marietta

Glad to see your post. We have done the Bermuda cruise on the Summit many times and loved it.

We are going on the Summit in April: repo from Puerto Rico to NJ. Your D benefits on Royal will give you Elite benefits on Celebrity. Want to start packing?:D

[DaniDanielle]

Come with us , July 7th!,

 

 

 

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[Lorey2007]

Our sea day is when our CC group would get together for a slot pull. Usually, on less than seven day cruises, there will not be an official meet and greet. However, on Tuesday, Celebrity put a notice on the bulletin board that they would host a M&G for the CC folks at Revelations at 9:30 this morning. Too bad not many people check the bulletin board. One of our CC members told us about it when they saw us in the pool. In any event, there were just two of us there.

 

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Did they just happen to see the notice or did someone contact them before the cruise to try and set one up?

[germanyboy]

I knew that on cruises less than seven days they do not do meeting mingle parties and I was the one who saw the sign at guest services saying that they were hosting a meet and mingle for us. I asked at the desk because it said Tuesday, sea day and Wednesday was our sea day. I showed up on time, couple staff were there, coffee, juice, rolls set up, a bartender. They never did change the sign at guest services. And none of us on the rollcall got an email

 

 

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[h20skibum]

 

Did they just happen to see the notice or did someone contact them before the cruise to try and set one up?

 

 

As germanyboy said, no one contacted them before the cruise, and they just posted a notice onboard. Maybe they saw how many we had in our group, and that our group had a slot pull that morning and thought they would host something. Maybe if they would have let us know before the cruise, even by posting on the roll call, more would have shown up.

 

The wrong days on things seemed to be a theme for this cruise. Maybe because it was a five day one.

 

 

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[h20skibum]

Really enjoying your review...I also live in Pittsburgh area and can't wait for my next cruise in 92 days on Breakaway out of NY to Bermuda.

 

Especially after today's weather but can't complain we've had pretty mild winter so far.

 

Hope you enjoy your next cruise and I look forward to another review.

 

 

Thanks for reading. Sorry if the review has been a little dry, but things have been almost too busy after returning. Maybe I will get this review wrapped up soon.

 

I, for one, am glad the weather has been mild here for a change.

 

 

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DINING

 

 

I rated this as 5/10. Dining is such a subjective topic. There are things that I love to eat that DW wouldn't touch, and the same could be said for her. This rating is only based on the offerings at the MDR and the Oceanview Cafe, along with the pool grill. We did not use any of the specialty restaurants, so they are not included.

 

 

Maybe because we have seen a gradual decline in food offerings that brought the rating down. One night, we found nothing on the menu that was of interest, so we thought we may find something better at the Oceanview. But most of the offerings there that night were just so so. Other nights, nothing stood out in a "I have to have some of that" kind of way.

 

Probably the best night was our sea day, and the duck was great, but the lamb was tough and dry. The pool grill could have offered more variety and toppings. That is one area where the Princess ships would win hands down for their grill options.

 

Maybe we will need to spend some OBC next time for a specialty restaurant to see if the up charge is worth it. Oh well, I guess we still ate better than many nights at home. And I guess there was no cooking required on our part.

 

Next - Service

 

 

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SERVICE

 

 

I rated this as 7/10. For service, I considered the guest relations staff, cabin steward, dining wait staff, and bar and lounge service.

 

 

The guest relations service was fast and attentive, the one time I had to go there. Likewise, our cabin steward, Jean, was great. We never had a problem with his service, and he went out of his way to greet us when we were around. He even went looking for our bags on embarkation day when they hadn't shown up in a timely manner.

 

I thought our waiter and assistant waiter could have done better. Although we skipped desert in the MDR most nights, they never offered coffee after the meal, or after dinner drinks.

 

The bar and lounge staff brought the service rating down, because they are understaffed.

 

Next - Pools & Fitness

 

 

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[easyboy]

Like your justified ratings!

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POOLS & FITNESS

 

 

I rated this as 8/10. The fitness center was clean with equipment newer than our gym at home. I did find one treadmill that had a problem in the electronics, and the machine would unexpectedly stop. We were always in early, and the fitness center did get busy around 7:00 a.m. A couple days, all treadmills were in use by the time we left.

 

 

They have a number of classes, and I did one of the stretching ones. It wasn't overly crowded with maybe 10 to 15 people doing it. It was a good way to loosen up for the day. As part of our fitness routine, we always use the stairs, and not ship elevators. So should I rate the stairs? We never found them busy (except for Disembarkation day). There is a small track, but at 11 laps per mile, I would just get dizzy if I went around in that small of a circle.

 

 

The thalassotherapy pool was great. It was always very warm and never crowded. The whirlpools in this area were small, but there was always room. We never had to wait long for a lounge chair at the pool. If they were filled, it didn't take long for one to open up. There was a towel problem, in that they would run out of towels for an extended period. But it was nice you didn't have to sign them out.

 

Next - Entertainment

 

 

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ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

I rated this as 5/10. I think the entertainment (shows, lounge bands, trivia) were all pretty average. Probably because it is a smaller, older ship, you are not going to get the top notch entertainment that you find on newer, larger ships. There seemed to be a lack of variety, and a lot of it was geared toward HAL cruisers and their parents. I am not that old yet.

 

 

We did enjoy the comedian, but found the magic show eh, and didn't care for the Unique 3 act. Not to say others may find it entertaining, but it was not something we liked. Guess everyone has their own likes and dislikes, so don't avoid these based on what I say. You may like them.

 

 

We love the over the top entertainment on the larger ships, and can't wait to book one of those again. To be fair, we will probably have the same average entertainment on our upcoming Princess cruise, because it is a smaller, older ship, but that cruise is about the itinerary.

 

Next - Excursions

 

 

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EXCURSIONS

 

 

I rated this as 8/10. It is hard to do a rating of excursions when we only did one. However, the one we did, the Blue Lagoon Dolphin Encounter, was very good. We try to look for activities we have not done before, and this was one. You pay a premium for booking through the ship ($159/pp vs. $104/pp), but we had the OBC to use. If we hadn't, we probably would have booked an independent tour.

 

 

The ride to Blue Lagoon was about a half hour in length, and the crew pointed out different celebrity houses along the way. The encounter was worth it for something we hadn't done before. The only problem we had was the boat was almost an hour late going back than what they told us it would be. Not a problem since we did the early tour, but it would limit your time if you wanted to do more in Nassau. I would recommend doing this if you have never done it before.

 

Next - Disembarkation

 

 

 

 

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