Summit Post Revolution - Good, bad and ugly

[Alsmez]

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

 

 

Thanks for a great review! We are in agreement on most points. I actually forgot to mention Sky Lounge in my review, other than to say it was damp and musty, but my DH remarked immediately upon walking in there that they must have run out of money before they got to it, LOL. Sushi on 5 was pretty empty on our cruise too, and although I like sushi (and have enjoyed Sushi on 5 on other ships), I didn't care for its location or situation on Summit - it felt more like a lounge that just happened to be in use as a restaurant rather than a proper restaurant of its own. I also think cruise passengers struggle with the a la carte pricing - I know we don't care for it. 

 

Service in Cellar Masters wasn't too bad on our cruise but I think the layout of Cellar Masters/Rendezvous confuses people - I saw many people on our cruise try to order a cocktail from the Rendezvous menu at Cellar Masters, not realizing that it is supposed to be a wine bar exclusively. Again, with no physical separation of the spaces, the lines are blurred. We felt the bartenders all over the ship were overextended and most lacked the training required to make a decent cocktail of any kind (on or off the menu). I agree that a lot of it has to do with the drink packages - as you said, it benefits them to have package holders drink less. 

[George C]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

Once, in over 100 cruises we were impressed.  He was a the head sommelier on a Princess cruise and really knew his business and loved people.  So when we were in Korcula  I managed to purchase a bottle of "Grk" wine which I took to the MDR that same evening.  When I saw the sommelier I showed him the bottle and he admitted he had never heard of GRK (it is a grape).  We suggested that DW and I would drink about half the bottle and give him the rest (of course he waived the normal corkage fee).  I later celebrated with a nice glass of cognac that I had won the "stump the sommelier" contest :).

 

Hank

On our summit cruise last year we brought on a nice bottle either stags leap or Silverado and sommelier asked for a taste he liked our selection and did not charge us corkage. This was also in luminae. 

[Hlitner]

2 minutes ago, George C said:

On our summit cruise last year we brought on a nice bottle either stags leap or Silverado and sommelier asked for a taste he liked our selection and did not charge us corkage. This was also in luminae. 

Can't blame the sommelier.  We would also love a taste of any wine from those two wineries.

 

Hank

[Donut23]

3 hours ago, Fogfog said:

 

Could have written this for our TA from FtL to Barcelona on an "unrevolutionized" ship

 

The "sommelier"/wine steward in BLU was incompetent and rude. Had to escalate to M'D and Head Sommelier of the ship.

 

Bar service except for Martini bar was poor/slow and that was despite it being "empty" at times. We just had to roll with it. There would be ONE bartender dealing with orders for the MDR AND also the clients inside the bar. Waiters from MDR often standing there waiting for bar orders...

 

OLD OLD and OLD... lots of walkers/scooters.  LOTS of very elderly. We and others joked perhaps A TA was cheaper than elder care? IDK

One wonders if there is an abandon ship call who is climbing over whom

 

 

 

 

Dont have to be old to be relegated to a scooter.  I’m stuck after an accident a decade ago.

 

Lemons to lemonaid.  I have my scooter name sign, decorations, my little bike Bell and I try to travel with my Roses and Chocolates attitude.

 

i even know how to OPERATE my scooter.

 

Dont mean to upset guests.

 

This is the first for Celebrity in years.  hubs is a Radiance of the Seas aft-Cabin Guy.

 

We will board the Summit in 87 days in the Aft Facing Handicapped Cabin now reclassified as Aqua Class.  (Not at all happy with initial customer service when they told us our cabin was reclassified.). I’m hoping for a 👍 for the cruise.  Hubs must be convinced.

 

Comments about slow bar service worries me.  Jim has been treated like a king on Royal.

 

🤞🤞🤞 fingers crossed 😘

 

 

[Germancruiser]

Tea Bag- exactly my opinion, too! As for Al Baccio - since the drink packages were introduced it is usualy overcrowded and the staff there is extremly busy.

Allthough during  my TA on board Silhouette I can not praise the staff there more- they were always friendly and efficent.

Edited June 7, 2019 by Germancruiser

[Fogfog]

10 hours ago, Donut23 said:

 

 

Dont have to be old to be relegated to a scooter.  I’m stuck after an accident a decade ago.

 

Lemons to lemonaid.  I have my scooter name sign, decorations, my little bike Bell and I try to travel with my Roses and Chocolates attitude.

 

i even know how to OPERATE my scooter.

 

Dont mean to upset guests.

 

This is the first for Celebrity in years.  hubs is a Radiance of the Seas aft-Cabin Guy.

 

We will board the Summit in 87 days in the Aft Facing Handicapped Cabin now reclassified as Aqua Class.  (Not at all happy with initial customer service when they told us our cabin was reclassified.). I’m hoping for a 👍 for the cruise.  Hubs must be convinced.

 

Comments about slow bar service worries me.  Jim has been treated like a king on Royal.

 

🤞🤞🤞 fingers crossed 😘

 

 

@Donut23

 

Would have loved your comments on a recent post or two!

A couple of cruisers bragged they booked handicap accessible rooms SO THAT they would likely get bumped.

They are not accessibility/challenged and admitted and nastily defended it was their "strategy" for an upgrade.

A couple of us said it was inappropriate and yet  they defended their strategy -- I thought it was reprehensible.

 

Hope your vacay is all you hope it to be.

Bar service seemed dependent on the pressure --- Don't know if the venue was low staff or because of heavy use.

 

[TeeRick]

Hank- Thank you for your comments.  The ship renovation was fine but service, particularly bar service, was lacking.  We had this same issue two years ago on Connie out of Venice.  I happened to run into the Hotel Director and complained a bit and he addressed the service at the most crowded bars by adding more staff.  He kind of blamed it on having to access staff from Europe.  But that should not be the case on Summit.  Honestly we had great service all around when Summit was led by Captain Kate and Captain Alex.  There was a really positive vibe from the top down.  You could feel it on the ship!  It seems it is not the same since they were reassigned.

[fstuff1]

5 hours ago, Fogfog said:

@Donut23

 

Would have loved your comments on a recent post or two!

A couple of cruisers bragged they booked handicap accessible rooms SO THAT they would likely get bumped.

They are not accessibility/challenged and admitted and nastily defended it was their "strategy" for an upgrade.

A couple of us said it was inappropriate and yet  they defended their strategy -- I thought it was reprehensible.

 

Hope your vacay is all you hope it to be.

Bar service seemed dependent on the pressure --- Don't know if the venue was low staff or because of heavy use.

 

surprised celebrity allowed non-handicappers to book a handicap room.

ncl doesnt allow that.

[I_r_a]

Thanx for sharing, H.

 

Ira

[Baron Barracuda]

Ship only has so many crew births and X has obviously chosen to reduce cabin, restaurant and bar staff in favor of Canyon Ranch, Park West and onboard shop workers.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

6 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Hank- Thank you for your comments.  The ship renovation was fine but service, particularly bar service, was lacking.  We had this same issue two years ago on Connie out of Venice.  I happened to run into the Hotel Director and complained a bit and he addressed the service at the most crowded bars by adding more staff.  He kind of blamed it on having to access staff from Europe.  But that should not be the case on Summit.  Honestly we had great service all around when Summit was led by Captain Kate and Captain Alex.  There was a really positive vibe from the top down.  You could feel it on the ship!  It seems it is not the same since they were reassigned.

Agree.  I sailed three times with them in one year.  Twice, Captain Kate was in command, and once they switched mid 14-night cruise.  No complaints about service on those cruises.  You could definitely feel the vibe.

[Donut23]

2 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

surprised celebrity allowed non-handicappers to book a handicap room.

ncl doesnt allow that.

 

 

Celebrity has a document to complete if you are staying in a handicapped cabin but they seemed casual about follow-up.

 

We completed the form, attached a doctors note and had cabin requests which made it obvious we required the cabin (scooter, supplemental oxygen, etc)

 

Yet they STILL gave away our cabin and put us in a non-handicapped cabin.  We realized right away and screamed “up the ladder” until we got someone to switch it back.  Very disappointed in Celebrity.  It was a totally awful experience.

 

 

 

 

 

[Donut23]

2 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

surprised celebrity allowed non-handicappers to book a handicap room.

ncl doesnt allow that.

 

 

I have written my response a few times and erased it.  My words would melt The thread.

 

 

When you play your game to scam a large cabin when you do not deserve it, you prevent someone who NEEDS the cabin from cruising.  

 

There are painfully few cabins available to a physically challenged person on most ships.  If I checked availability on your sailing, I would find the room I required unavailable because you thought it was cool to stay in a bigger cabin.

 

Im happy you are strong and healthy and can stay in any cabin you desire.  I cannot.

 

You prevent me from cruising and I find that despicable.

 

 

[Big_G]

On 6/6/2019 at 2:54 PM, Hlitner said:

In Cellar Masters, where we spent a lot of time listening to the wonderful singer/guitar player (Ron Kingston)….one could easily wait more than 15 minutes to get a drink. 

 

 

I thought this was standard practice in all the Cellar Masters. Thanks for the review. We're on her in January.

Edited June 7, 2019 by Big_G

[Hlitner]

2 hours ago, Baron Barracuda said:

Ship only has so many crew births and X has obviously chosen to reduce cabin, restaurant and bar staff in favor of Canyon Ranch, Park West and onboard shop workers.

You brought up a very sensitive issue (with me) which is Park West.  They have again become a major presence, seem to have more staff then they need, and take up an awful lot of prime real estate.  We happened to be quietly reading in the Sky Lounge when they took over much of that venue for an auction.  After listening for about an hour I think that bidding on the Brooklyn Bridge would make more sense.  I do not understand how folks can still get sucked in by these auctions but it just proves that PT Barnum had it right.  As an art lover I found some of the tactics they use (at their auction)  completely shameful (and that is using a very kind word).  I do understand from an old friend who used to run art auctions on Princess that these art auctions are very profitable to the cruise line (which should give folks a hint).  Suffice it to say that there is a good reason why the upscale luxury lines would not touch an art auction with a long pike pole :).     Some of the values the auctioneer was putting on glycee's was just ridiculous.  And by the way, glycee is simply a word for art prints made by an ink jet printer.  If you sell too many you can just print more :).  Some are pretty high quality, but their value is questionable.

 

An Atlanta based professional art appraiser was once a table mate on a long cruise.  Much of his work is appraising art collections for estates and he told us horror stories of families who were devastated to discover that collections obtained on cruise ships were nearly worthless.  Perhaps those who purchased the pieces loved the works, but their heirs were very disappointed.    

 

Hank