Regal vs Celebrity Summit

[luckyinpa]

Ive never been on celebrity but thinking of a 10 day Bermuda out of NJ. Sadly princess doesn’t come up this way very often or id prefer regal which I’ve been on 2x. We are hot tub but not pool people. We do enjoy our time in the cabin, it’s not just a place to sleep but to crash and even watch tv after a long day. On regal we loved the layout of the buffet and the food was good (except the 99% whipped cream, 1% chocolate in the mousse). Crown grill was excellent with great service. We loved the ultimate dinner on the balcony ( but it had to be in the suite). Wish was something like that on celebrity. Loved the pizza and other grill on the pool deck.  We saw 1 or 2 shows in princess live but loved the indoor seating in general on the ship because it was a cold Canada cruise. (but even on a hot rainy sea day that’s important too).

 

Being 10 days on a new to us ship is a bit scary but there are only 3 sea days. I don’t expect the dazzle of outdoor things like we just experienced on ncl bliss over Christmas. Then again, I didn’t use a single feature on that deck of bliss anyway so i wont miss it. I know regal is the type of ship I like but with 1K less pax and many fewer decks, just wondering who has done the regal type ships compared to celebrity summit (or her equals if there are any).  Any pros and cons appreciated. I know summit just did a refurb last year. I  know you cannot really be bored on a ship but i sure dont wanna even take that chance. 

 

Cannot do the suite on summit as they are 13K for our trip so it will be some category of veranda. I see they have aquaclass etc and I need to research all those. I do also see you can pay for more perks but it’s a net gain so that would be foolish not to do.

 

also secondary note. before i discovered this cruise. i did research oasis of the seas and wow thats sooo big lol. the crown loft suite would be just as much as the best veranda on summit but thats for the royal forum, not here. but that was my 1st choice due to its uniqueness and space on the ship, before i discovered summit. 

[Ox Fan Cruiser]

We mostly sail Celebrity. Only once on (Caribbean) Princess. We are booked on the Sky for the Sept 4 TA from Copenhagen to NYC. We've been on the Summit last Spring. The Summit is a bit dated even tho it was just referb'd. My overall impression between Celebrity & Princess is that they are equal. The only other line we sailed was NCL, twice. In my very humble opinion. NCL has a firm grip on 3rd place. 

[Tatka]

We have sailed on Royal (which is basically Regal minus one small back pool) and Summit.

Both are excellent choices.

This past September we did cruise on Summit to Bermuda.

Regal is more impressive in terms of Piazza (more grand for the lack of better word). From what I remember this class has amazing variety of choices of seafood in buffet.

Summit just went through Revolutionization and cabins feel modern and almost luxurious. We were extremely impressed

 

Summit has very cozy solarium with Thalasso pool

 

 

Also nice little touch is that towels are placed on loungers .

 

As for food.. lines are pretty close in quality. I noticed that steak was not on every day menu on Crown last week, but it wasnt a big deal.

 

Theater entertainment is just OK on both lines now, but from what I remember and what we had on this trip more variety in lounge entertainment.

 

I think Summit is very worth to try!

 

As for Oasis class... of course Royal is not up to Princess or Celebrity in terms of food, but we were seriously impressed on Allure (sister to Oasis). Impressed? We - mid 40 couple - felt excited as kids in a candy store! It is amazing and also worth try.

 

Edited January 15, 2020 by Tatka

[Tatka]

8 minutes ago, Ox Fan Cruiser said:

We mostly sail Celebrity. Only once on (Caribbean) Princess. We are booked on the Sky for the Sept 4 TA from Copenhagen to NYC. We've been on the Summit last Spring. The Summit is a bit dated even tho it was just referb'd. My overall impression between Celebrity & Princess is that they are equal. The only other line we sailed was NCL, twice. In my very humble opinion. NCL has a firm grip on 3rd place. 

 

Were you on Summit after refurbishment? We have not noticed it being dated at all unless you are referring to design of the ship. It is of course older smaller ship, but it is in a great shape. 

[reedprincess]

18 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

Ive never been on celebrity but thinking of a 10 day Bermuda out of NJ. Sadly princess doesn’t come up this way very often or id prefer regal which I’ve been on 2x. We are hot tub but not pool people. We do enjoy our time in the cabin, it’s not just a place to sleep but to crash and even watch tv after a long day. On regal we loved the layout of the buffet and the food was good (except the 99% whipped cream, 1% chocolate in the mousse). Crown grill was excellent with great service. We loved the ultimate dinner on the balcony ( but it had to be in the suite). Wish was something like that on celebrity. Loved the pizza and other grill on the pool deck.  We saw 1 or 2 shows in princess live but loved the indoor seating in general on the ship because it was a cold Canada cruise. (but even on a hot rainy sea day that’s important too).

 

Being 10 days on a new to us ship is a bit scary but there are only 3 sea days. I don’t expect the dazzle of outdoor things like we just experienced on ncl bliss over Christmas. Then again, I didn’t use a single feature on that deck of bliss anyway so i wont miss it. I know regal is the type of ship I like but with 1K less pax and many fewer decks, just wondering who has done the regal type ships compared to celebrity summit (or her equals if there are any).  Any pros and cons appreciated. I know summit just did a refurb last year. I  know you cannot really be bored on a ship but i sure dont wanna even take that chance. 

 

Cannot do the suite on summit as they are 13K for our trip so it will be some category of veranda. I see they have aquaclass etc and I need to research all those. I do also see you can pay for more perks but it’s a net gain so that would be foolish not to do.

 

also secondary note. before i discovered this cruise. i did research oasis of the seas and wow thats sooo big lol. the crown loft suite would be just as much as the best veranda on summit but thats for the royal forum, not here. but that was my 1st choice due to its uniqueness and space on the ship, before i discovered summit. 

Have sailed all those ships except NCL Bliss.

Regal is a great ship. If you enjoyed her, you'll almost certainly enjoy Summit. The Millennium class ships by Celebrity (there's 4) are almost perfect, in my opinion..great layout, spacious cabins (you'll love this part, although the closets leave a bit to be desired), good sized balconies (much larger than Regal), spacious venues, etc. 

Specialty Dining on Celebrity is excellent, and the pricing reflects that.  Drink packages are great, no cap on how many drinks, etc. 

Service is generally very good. 

Lots more alike than different from Princess.  

A couple major differences: no self service laundry on Celebrity. No 24/7 free room service on Celebrity (delivery charges from 11-5), plus lots of items have a fee also.   Pool deck food hours are much shorter. The buffet isn't open continuously all day/evening. It closes completely between meals for turnover.  No 24/7 vebue like IC for smaller bites, snacks, etc. And Cafe Al Bacio closes at night too, for those specialty coffees.  And a little more class separation than Princess, - suite only dining room and lounges, Aqua class only dining room, certain areas of the ship only for suites, things like that. It's not really all that noticeable on Summit, a little more obvious on newer ships. (And yes, Regal has a suite only small lounge also, most aren't even aware of it)   Those are the main ones that come to mind. Not deal breakers for us by any means, but something to be aware of. 

Summit was recently refurbed and is in great shape, but she is an older ship, with all the creaks and such that go with that.  The trade-off is an itinerary you want to do, larger cabins and less crowded public spaces, more deck space, etc.  

 

I wouldn't hesitate to book Summit, we love that class of ship. Been on Infinity 4 times, Millennium twice, Constellation twice and Summit once.  

[reedprincess]

PS: as for Oasis - those are simply amazing ships. We've done 4 (5? I've lost track) Sailings on Oasis, including a 12 night transatlantic.  The ships are simply marvels. Outstandingly organized, laid out, amenities are top notch, specialty dining is among the best at sea, cabins are remarkably good, entertainment is amazing - full fledged diving show while at sea is fab 

We wouldn't spend $10-15K for a week on them at all as those ships beg you to be out and about.. we do suites on some other ships, Sky or Aqua on Celebrity, suites sometimes on Princess, Yacht Club on MSC, etc. For us, what type of cabin depends on the ship and Itinerary. Oasis, a balcony cabin is good enough as we tend to be out and about more. Princess or Celebrity Caribbean, aqua or suite, as we spend more time in cabin.  And so on.   Only you know your budget and wants though.  

[fishin' musician]

I've sailed about all the US based mainstream lines (MSC excluded, but trying it in few months) including Costa.  I've sailed the Regal 4 times, it is a spectacular ship (but the standard balconies are ridiculously tiny).  I was on the Summit in 2013, just after it failed a CDC inspection and DW and I were less than impressed with about every aspect of the ship/cruise (aside from the destinations).  I'd try a Solstice or Edge class, but it would have to be incredibly cheap with an incredibly desirable itinerary to get me on one of the Millennium Class ships.

[luckyinpa]

48 minutes ago, Tatka said:

We have sailed on Royal (which is basically Regal minus one small back pool) and Summit.

Both are excellent choices.

This past September we did cruise on Summit to Bermuda.

Regal is more impressive in terms of Piazza (more grand for the lack of better word). From what I remember this class has amazing variety of choices of seafood in buffet.

Summit just went through Revolutionization and cabins feel modern and almost luxurious. We were extremely impressed

 

Summit has very cozy solarium with Thalasso pool

 

 

Also nice little touch is that towels are placed on loungers .

 

As for food.. lines are pretty close in quality. I noticed that steak was not on every day menu on Crown last week, but it wasnt a big deal.

 

Theater entertainment is just OK on both lines now, but from what I remember and what we had on this trip more variety in lounge entertainment.

 

I think Summit is very worth to try!

 

As for Oasis class... of course Royal is not up to Princess or Celebrity in terms of food, but we were seriously impressed on Allure (sister to Oasis). Impressed? We - mid 40 couple - felt excited as kids in a candy store! It is amazing and also worth try.

 

 

is that a standard veranda bathroom? storage /shelf space is incredible if so. almost as much has my haven/bliss cabin. the solarium pool looks larger than the pool on the breakaway lol. i havent even looked at pics of summit yet. literally just found the itinerary. 

 

i had assumed summit would be better food than royal but royal seems to have many more option..being bigger of course, one would expect.  the kid in candy store is what id probably be on oasis. the 'allure' of the 2 story suite is just calling me. its only 525 ft but i like the bigger balcony that overlooks the chaos on the back of the ship. truly the novelty of it is what attracts me. i dont wanna face the ocean if i get one of them.  plus the sheer width of oasis amazes me. i greatly dislike the setup of bliss/breakaway on the lower decks and as people here no doubt know. the piazza on regal is 100x better than NCL, which is akin to a corner bar stage/area. i loved the events on regal in the middle of the ship. also oasis has view of aquatheater from the suite but now the slides are a bit in the way. still. exploring something that big would be fun

 

the big downside is i literally did the same itinerary 3 weeks ago. 

 

i can get a suite on royal for only about 1000 more than just an aqua class veranda on summit. of course its 7 days on royal vs 10 including 3 in bermuda so not a fair comparison (i also do realize the 4 perks on summit have value)

[luckyinpa]

57 minutes ago, reedprincess said:

Have sailed all those ships except NCL Bliss.

Regal is a great ship. If you enjoyed her, you'll almost certainly enjoy Summit. The Millennium class ships by Celebrity (there's 4) are almost perfect, in my opinion..great layout, spacious cabins (you'll love this part, although the closets leave a bit to be desired), good sized balconies (much larger than Regal), spacious venues, etc. 

Specialty Dining on Celebrity is excellent, and the pricing reflects that.  Drink packages are great, no cap on how many drinks, etc. 

Service is generally very good. 

Lots more alike than different from Princess.  

A couple major differences: no self service laundry on Celebrity. No 24/7 free room service on Celebrity (delivery charges from 11-5), plus lots of items have a fee also.   Pool deck food hours are much shorter. The buffet isn't open continuously all day/evening. It closes completely between meals for turnover.  No 24/7 vebue like IC for smaller bites, snacks, etc. And Cafe Al Bacio closes at night too, for those specialty coffees.  And a little more class separation than Princess, - suite only dining room and lounges, Aqua class only dining room, certain areas of the ship only for suites, things like that. It's not really all that noticeable on Summit, a little more obvious on newer ships. (And yes, Regal has a suite only small lounge also, most aren't even aware of it)   Those are the main ones that come to mind. Not deal breakers for us by any means, but something to be aware of. 

Summit was recently refurbed and is in great shape, but she is an older ship, with all the creaks and such that go with that.  The trade-off is an itinerary you want to do, larger cabins and less crowded public spaces, more deck space, etc.  

 

I wouldn't hesitate to book Summit, we love that class of ship. Been on Infinity 4 times, Millennium twice, Constellation twice and Summit once.  

 

thanks for the comparison. my gf has never been to bermuda and while arrive at 315 sucks they make up for it till 5pm on the last day .  regarding regal suite lounge. that is a joke lol. i thought they were kidding. its basically about a mini suite with comfy chairs and the only time i bugged the concierge he was grumpy. i did and upsell to a forward suite and the storage was enough for a month of clothing and the bathroom was an amazing 2 rooms . best deal ever (299 PP)  

 

im ok with class separation as it was great being in haven on christmas. worth the $$. i do notice not so many specialty places on summit but its a smaller ship so i get it. just normally we really appreciate the better service and food there. 

 

is celebrity room service free during the day?

[Tatka]

23 minutes ago, fishin' musician said:

I was on the Summit in 2013, just after it failed a CDC inspection and DW and I were less than impressed with about every aspect of the ship/cruise (aside from the destinations).  I'd try a Solstice or Edge class, but it would have to be incredibly cheap with an incredibly desirable itinerary to get me on one of the Millennium Class ships.

 

    Summit was completely refurbished last year  and honestly we sailed on Silhouette (Solstice class) and Summit won in our opinion. Silhouette lacked simple drawer space (and we sail on all lines including NCL with tiny rooms). Service was nit realy comparable. The only thing that Silhouette had better was padded loungers throughout the ship.  Silhouette also has nice solarium, but it is not comparable to cozier thalassopool of Summit.

 

  We like large ships - including gigantic ones - but in some reason with Celebrity Summit won. 🙂 And yes in 2015 when we first sailed on her we could tell she needed a TLC, but now after 2019 Revolution she is in better shape than S class ships.

[luckyinpa]

56 minutes ago, reedprincess said:

PS: as for Oasis - those are simply amazing ships. We've done 4 (5? I've lost track) Sailings on Oasis, including a 12 night transatlantic.  The ships are simply marvels. Outstandingly organized, laid out, amenities are top notch, specialty dining is among the best at sea, cabins are remarkably good, entertainment is amazing - full fledged diving show while at sea is fab 

We wouldn't spend $10-15K for a week on them at all as those ships beg you to be out and about.. we do suites on some other ships, Sky or Aqua on Celebrity, suites sometimes on Princess, Yacht Club on MSC, etc. For us, what type of cabin depends on the ship and Itinerary. Oasis, a balcony cabin is good enough as we tend to be out and about more. Princess or Celebrity Caribbean, aqua or suite, as we spend more time in cabin.  And so on.   Only you know your budget and wants though.  

 

i know oasis is in NJ for only a short time where i know summit is here 'forever' basically. thats another quandry. wont be going on another cruise for a while. plus getting that suite on oasis for just 6200 (7 day) vs 5K for the best veranda on summit (10 day) is  another dilemma.  but bermuda is the pull for the summit. and ive never been on a 10 day cruise so would like to try it. but i love that suite on oasis. im gonna ping pong my brain over this. 

[Tatka]

11 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

is that a standard veranda bathroom? storage /shelf space is incredible if so. almost as much has my haven/bliss cabin. the solarium pool looks larger than the pool on the breakaway lol. i havent even looked at pics of summit yet. literally just found the itinerary. 

 

i had assumed summit would be better food than royal but royal seems to have many more option..being bigger of course, one would expect.  the kid in candy store is what id probably be on oasis. the 'allure' of the 2 story suite is just calling me. its only 525 ft but i like the bigger balcony that overlooks the chaos on the back of the ship. truly the novelty of it is what attracts me. i dont wanna face the ocean if i get one of them.  plus the sheer width of oasis amazes me. i greatly dislike the setup of bliss/breakaway on the lower decks and as people here no doubt know. the piazza on regal is 100x better than NCL, which is akin to a corner bar stage/area. i loved the events on regal in the middle of the ship. also oasis has view of aquatheater from the suite but now the slides are a bit in the way. still. exploring something that big would be fun

 

the big downside is i literally did the same itinerary 3 weeks ago. 

 

i can get a suite on royal for only about 1000 more than just an aqua class veranda on summit. of course its 7 days on royal vs 10 including 3 in bermuda so not a fair comparison (i also do realize the 4 perks on summit have value)

 

It is even worse 🙂 standard inside room.

We sail with Royal more (16 with RCI, 6 with Celebrity, 7 with Princess among others), but Celebrity has better quality and more various food even though we completely fine with RCCL with their included option. Both Celebrity and Princess are more elegant and refined overall, although I'd say Royal beats them both with their entertainment and of course innovations.

[BarbinMich]

We haven't been on the Regal, but have been on the Royal twice.  Jaw-dropping the first time I saw the Royal atrium.  Also, on the Summit twice--back when it was a year or two old and again in 2015.  We're talking apples and oranges here.  The Regal/Royal carry over 3,500 pax and were built in the early 2010's and have lots of "glitz".  The Summit was launched in 2001 and carries about 2,200.  Haven't been on her since she was "revolutionized" but she was sorely in need of updating, especially in the buffet.  Also the two cruise lines are a bit different.  We're elite on both. 

Really liked the daily cocktail party for elites and above on the Summit.  They were held in the Revelations Lounge, forward on Deck 11 with floor-ceiling windows.  Hot hors d'oeuvres were passed by wait staff and the latter took drink orders, too.  Nicer venue than those where Princess holds their similar cocktail parties IMHO.  This lounge was also great when doing scenic cruising such as going up the St. Lawrence River as we did on our last cruise on her (Can/NE itinerary).  The Summit certainly is not as spectacular as the newer ships like the Eclipse, on which we sailed in 2014, but then it's smaller so can visit ports the larger ships can't.

[TeaBag]

We sailed on Summit last Oct and we thought she looked wonderful after her refurb.  The oceanview cafe has been all changed around with separate stations. We were in AQ 1140 on the aft of the ship.  It has the largest balcony of the 5 aft AQ class cabins on deck 11.

OP if you like hot tubs, you will love the Thalassotherapy pool. 

Bermuda is wonderful.

[fluffybunny22]

I've never been on the Regal but the Summit is our favorite ship. She's perfect sized. We love the aft concierge balconies. The fact that she home ports in San Juan during the winter is also a big bonus for us because my husband hates sea days.

[I_r_a]

Hi L,

 

We recently did a 14-day cruise on The Summit.

 

We enjoyed it very much.

 

Look for a Family Verandah

https://www.cruisecritic.com/photos/ships/celebrity-summit-251/family-veranda-cabin-159554/

 

Ira

[luckyinpa]

48 minutes ago, TeaBag said:

We sailed on Summit last Oct and we thought she looked wonderful after her refurb.  The oceanview cafe has been all changed around with separate stations. We were in AQ 1140 on the aft of the ship.  It has the largest balcony of the 5 aft AQ class cabins on deck 11.

OP if you like hot tubs, you will love the Thalassotherapy pool. 

Bermuda is wonderful.

 

i found a vid that shows some of the buffet and the separate stations looks great.

 

however, speaking of AQ, if i'm correct they are all on 9 and 11. under public spaces, which is taboo of course.  i know the deck plans i found online were pre refurb though if that matters.  but buffet/pool is somewhere i wouldnt risk on a 10 day cruise with all that above me.

 

there are some available under the solarium. any better?

 

they do have conceirge class rear of deck 9 open. are those less desirable. with lots else grabbed up i find it weird that aft is still available. 

Edited January 15, 2020 by luckyinpa

[nini]

All I can share is that about a year ago, we were on the Regal and then a month later we sailed on the Celebrity Reflection. HANDS DOWN, the Regal won our hearts and is now our favorite ship.

The Reflection was dark (no lovely and bright Atrium), staff treated us as an inconvenience, food mediocre and a few other things. We do not aim to return to Celebrity. However, our cabin steward was wonderful. 

But, it looks like many really like the Summit. 

[5:00_Somewhere]

We have sailed 28 times with Princess - 6 of those on Royal Class ships, and 3 of those were on the Regal; and we have sailed 5 times with Celebrity - 3 times on the Solstice Class Silhouette, once on the Summit just after her refit and once on the Summit's sister ship, the Constellation pre-refit.

 

We find the cruise lines to be very comparable in terms of service, food, entertainment, etc. (understanding that all this can vary ship-to-ship, and according to personal tastes). 

 

We love many things about the Royal Class ships, and the Regal in particular, although there are a few downsides: one being that the majority of the balconies are tiny.  However, we also absolutely fell in love with the Celebrity Solstice Class ships. There is not one thing we don't love about them (but, since you're not asking about that class, I won't bother going into details).

 

As someone else said above, comparing the Regal and the Summit is a bit like comparing apples and oranges, both because of the vast difference in size, the wide variance in passenger capacaity (3,500ish vs 2200ish), and in the ages of the ships (2013 vs 2001).  We very much enjoyed the updated and more modern appearance of the Summit (as compared to the pre-refit Constellation), and it was nice to be on a smaller ship for a change. The Summit was nice for a 7-day cruise, however we personally found the sister Constellation a bit confining for our 12-day Medeterranean cruise last summer. It's not that it wasn't a wonderful cruise, but we felt like we ran out of things to do after awhile.

 

Celebrity fans love the smaller Millenium Class ships and, while I thought they were fine, I personally preferred the larger Solstice Class Celebrity ships and the Grand Class and Royal Class Princess ships.  That said, if you've got a good deal and an itinerary that you like, I'd say give it a try and see how you feel about it. Many people really love these "little ships".  Good luck and happy cruising!

[DrivesLikeMario]

We've been on both ships and had a great time on both.  What I love about Celebrity is the Cat. C1 aft-facing balcony cabins on deck 7.  The balcony is huge!  Not as big as the Regal's Cat. M6 Club Class minis (M-107, M-108) but they're more affordable. 

 

The Concierge Class cabins come with a few perks but if you're at the Elite level with them, it's not that big of a deal.  We go with that category simply for that cabin.  We absolutely love the size of the M-Class ships - they're right about 2,000 passengers - and are so perfect for Southern Caribbean itineraries IMO.  The ships "ride" much, much smoother than Princess ships.  I think it's due to the design of the hull.  The food, service and experience is very similar to Princess although you may notice a bit more of a class system onboard Celebrity due to having separate dining rooms (Blu for Aqua Class which is often MUCH cheaper than Cat. C1 Concierge Class although Aqua Class is supposed to be higher & Luminae for suites).  

 

If you go with Celebrity, book when you see a 3 or 4-perk sale.  Just compare prices because sometimes they go up for some of those sales.  Celebrity has some great itineraries that Princess just doesn't do anymore and for that reason alone, we go with them.

[luckyinpa]

23 hours ago, I_r_a said:

Hi L,

 

We recently did a 14-day cruise on The Summit.

 

We enjoyed it very much.

 

Look for a Family Verandah

https://www.cruisecritic.com/photos/ships/celebrity-summit-251/family-veranda-cabin-159554/

 

Ira

 

ive been studying her more and it appears theres only the buffet and MDR for free food for dinner. thats not very many options.  bfast and lunch appear to have the spa cafe i think.  for 14 days where did you eat. i dont need fine dining but i do need variety and on 10 days i dont know if i can be stuck with just 2 venues. 

 

hate to say it but i just looked at carnival pride and its an older small ship too but has more variety. i wanted to try summit but now i'm not sure for 10 days it would be wise

Edited January 16, 2020 by luckyinpa

[luckyinpa]

6 minutes ago, DrivesLikeMario said:

We've been on both ships and had a great time on both.  What I love about Celebrity is the Cat. C1 aft-facing balcony cabins on deck 7.  The balcony is huge!  Not as big as the Regal's Cat. M6 Club Class minis (M-107, M-108) but they're more affordable. 

 

The Concierge Class cabins come with a few perks but if you're at the Elite level with them, it's not that big of a deal.  We go with that category simply for that cabin.  We absolutely love the size of the M-Class ships - they're right about 2,000 passengers - and are so perfect for Southern Caribbean itineraries IMO.  The ships "ride" much, much smoother than Princess ships.  I think it's due to the design of the hull.  The food, service and experience is very similar to Princess although you may notice a bit more of a class system onboard Celebrity due to having separate dining rooms (Blu for Aqua Class which is often MUCH cheaper than Cat. C1 Concierge Class although Aqua Class is supposed to be higher & Luminae for suites).  

 

If you go with Celebrity, book when you see a 3 or 4-perk sale.  Just compare prices because sometimes they go up for some of those sales.  Celebrity has some great itineraries that Princess just doesn't do anymore and for that reason alone, we go with them.

 

speaking of class  i notice aqua are all under the pool deck or the deck 12 public area.  so you spend more for the chance of noise above you. just weird. on my sailing to bermuda the aqua is higher than the concierge. i'm also noticing little things that add up. only single sofa in the verandas. even carnival has bigger seating lol.  also i see aqua includes the spa but in one review here, there are 6 loungers in the spa. i havent confirmed that but if true. just wow. i expected celebrity to have about the same demographic but now i think maybe its even older than on princess lol. not a bad thing per se because i was very happy with regal but the lack of variety on summit is a negative to me as are the close seating quarters in blu and MDR. im not a social cruiser. meaning i dont go on to meet people. ive made friends in the hot tubs etc, but sitting 3 inches from some stranger to eat isnt my idea of vacation. sadly i'm leaning away from summit which stinks because i love the itinerary. 

 

also for 1000 bucks more i can have a crown loft suite on oasis with 3 less days at sea but tons more food choices (including coastal kitchen with free booze even with no package) and i go on diets before cruises so i can eat 🙂  well. i try . 

[DrivesLikeMario]

I wouldn't say the demographics are older at all.  In fact, I'd say they are slightly younger on Celebrity.  It's a more "hip" feel onboard IMO especially on the Solstice Class ships and probably the Edge Class (haven't done that yet).  I do notice that people are more friendly on Princess cruises whereas Celebrity passengers seem to keep to themselves more.

I've done Coastal Kitchen on RCI and enjoyed it but did not enjoy the massive ships.  What I like more is the RCI small ships (Radiance Class) in full suites.   That's the only way we'll do RCI.  The suites are incredibly beautiful and have tons of perks including the Concierge Lounge which is really nice and includes free drinks and delicious tapas.  These ships are very similar in size to the Celebrity M-Class and the Coral/Island Princess.  Just the right size for us.  

[downsmead]

In terms of ‘free food’ on the Summit; Breakfast = MDR (or Blu or Luminae if you are in Aqua or Suites), buffet, Aqua cafe plus some things available in Cafe al Bacio. 
Lunch = MDR, buffet (includes pizza station), Aqua cafe, Mast Grill

Dinner = MDR, buffet as you say. There is the option of fee paying Speciality Restaurants but I feel they are overpriced. Also room service is available for free up to 11pm. We cruise on Celebrity and Princess and have done both Regal and Summit (pre refit) but have not had any problems at all of finding something appetising to eat.

[Ox Fan Cruiser]

On 1/15/2020 at 11:40 AM, Tatka said:

 

Were you on Summit after refurbishment? We have not noticed it being dated at all unless you are referring to design of the ship. It is of course older smaller ship, but it is in a great shape. 

Yes right after the refurb... It was our first time ever on a Mill Class ship. We've done 4 Solstice class and the Edge.