Summit 10/14 LIVE Review: A Semi-Solo Suite Return to Cruising!

[micruiser2002]

If possible can you post pictures of the Luminae menu's.  TY

[Janthere]

8 hours ago, GenerationX said:

Bienvenidos a Miami! It’s a beautiful, sunny, humid 85 degree day here!

 

My flight was smooth and on time.  Nothing like an inflight Bloody Mary while watching the sun rise. 

 

I was pleasantly surprised to see that AA first class is back to full tray meal service. Normalcy! Signs of glorious, glorious normalcy!

 

Red and I’s flights were at carousels right next to each other in baggage claim so we found each other easily and both had all our priority tagged luggage in minutes.  After assessing the total baggage situation, I determined that we were going to need an Uber XL for the trip to the hotel.

 

We got our early check in at the Hyatt Centric Brickell and are getting settled in our rooms then we’ll head out to a light lunch then hit the pool!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi! Would you recommend the Hyatt Centric Brickell for pre-cruise? We considered staying there as well. 

[GenerationX]

This is my first time back in Miami since the world shut down and I forgot how much I love this city.

 

After we checked in, Red and I had some appetizers and cocktails in the hotel restaurant then went to the pool to really kick off vacation.  Poolside french fries and margaritas, anyone?

 

After an afternoon nap, we dressed and went to Marabu in the Brickell shopping center for a Cuban dinner. The Lechon, Vaca Frita, Cuban fried rice and ceviche were all a hit.  We washed them down with mojitos and Hemingway daiquiris.  For dessert we split the quatro leches cake (which was a tres leches cake served a la mode) and it was HEAVEN.

 

I’m just about to climb into bed and watch a little Netflix before an early lights out.  Tomorrow is a VERY big day and I plan to get up early so I can watch my ship come in (literally).

 

Tonight it’s Luminae wishes and martini bar dreams!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 14, 2021 by GenerationX

[parrothead33]

Looking forward to another entertaining review.  Enjoy those martinis.

Cheers and bon voyage.

[GenerationX]

9 hours ago, janbear said:

Hi! Would you recommend the Hyatt Centric Brickell for pre-cruise? We considered staying there as well. 

Hi!  This is my first time using this hotel for pre-cruise, but I’ve been happy with it.  The rooms are clean and modern and the on-site restaurant is pretty good. It’s not too far from some good shopping and dinning options (in fact, it’s a good thing I didn’t take my full wallet with me to dinner last night or I may have blown my onboard spending budget at Saks).  I’ll report back on how long the ride takes this morning, but it looks like a relatively short trip to the port.

 

The only downsides I can see are that they don’t offer a cruise port shuttle (if you usually take advantage of that feature) and the lobby and front driveway of the hotel are both relatively small. I don’t think that’s a big deal right now with the low occupancy but when the world gets back to normal I could see the place being a real cluster in the mornings when loads of people are trying to check out and/or get to their ships.

[GenerationX]

TODAY IS THE DAY!!!!!  I can’t even put into words how excited I am right now.

 

The months and months and months of heartbreaking “Operations Update: Global Suspension Extended” emails, keeping track of the lift and shifts, refunds and FCC, the dust gathering on my luggage tag holders, the desperate attempts to replicate the gnocchi in Tuscan Grille in my farmhouse kitchen (all epic failures, btw)…IT ALL. ENDS. NOW!!!

 

I bought this dress on Amazon after my April 2020 cruise on Infinity was canceled, just after receiving emails that my office and the courts would be closing and as I watched our president on tv announcing that boarders around the world were shutting, including ours.  It hit me that one of my life passions, travel (and especially cruising), wouldn’t be happening again for a long time.  I bought this dress and told myself I’d wear it on every trip I got to take once the world was open to me again.  

 

Just a few more things to pack then I’m going to grab some coffee and maybe some fruit and yogurt (I’m saving myself for lunch in Luminae) then will collect Red from her room, check out and HEAD TO THE PORT!!!!

 

Next time you hear from me I’LL BE ON A CRUISE SHIP AGAIN!!!

 

Good morning from the happiest woman on the planet!

 

 

[vickykay]

Love the dress.  Enjoy!

[lola2013]

13 minutes ago, GenerationX said:

TODAY IS THE DAY!!!!!  I can’t even put into words how excited I am right now.

 

The months and months and months of heartbreaking “Operations Update: Global Suspension Extended” emails, keeping track of the lift and shifts, refunds and FCC, the dust gathering on my luggage tag holders, the desperate attempts to replicate the gnocchi in Tuscan Grille in my farmhouse kitchen (all epic failures, btw)…IT ALL. ENDS. NOW!!!

 

I bought this dress on Amazon after my April 2020 cruise on Infinity was canceled, just after receiving emails that my office and the courts would be closing and as I watched our president on tv announcing that boarders around the world were shutting, including ours.  It hit me that one of my life passions, travel (and especially cruising), wouldn’t be happening again for a long time.  I bought this dress and told myself I’d wear it on every trip I got to take once the world was open to me again.  

 

Just a few more things to pack then I’m going to grab some coffee and maybe some fruit and yogurt (I’m saving myself for lunch in Luminae) then will collect Red from her room, check out and HEAD TO THE PORT!!!!

 

Next time you hear from me I’LL BE ON A CRUISE SHIP AGAIN!!!

 

Good morning from the happiest woman on the planet!

 

 

I know the feeling.  I actually sobbed when I stepped on Edge for the first time last month.  The check-in process was smooth & quick; the first steps onto the ship were amazing.  There was crew waiting for us...cheering...they were just as happy to see us as we were to see them.

ENJOY; ENJOY; ENJOY!

Susan

[GenerationX]

11 minutes ago, lola2013 said:

I know the feeling.  I actually sobbed when I stepped on Edge for the first time last month.  The check-in process was smooth & quick; the first steps onto the ship were amazing.  There was crew waiting for us...cheering...they were just as happy to see us as we were to see them.

ENJOY; ENJOY; ENJOY!

Susan

Thank you! When I step onboard I’m going to have to restrain myself from kissing the floor and running around hugging every crew member I see! I assume both would be especially frowned upon in post-COVID cruising. 😂

[lola2013]

I was close to kissing the floor, but was loaded down with carry-on luggage and was afraid I wouldn't get back up!!!  If I was tech savvy, I could post the video that one of the crew took of our big moment!

[hcat]

Very cute dress..looks great.  Bew hairdo too!

 

Our "cruise closet" has been waiting... ..hopefully  we will  be  cruising soon!

 

Enjoy yoyr cruise..

[NBliving]

1 hour ago, GenerationX said:

TODAY IS THE DAY!!!!!  I can’t even put into words how excited I am right now.

 

The months and months and months of heartbreaking “Operations Update: Global Suspension Extended” emails, keeping track of the lift and shifts, refunds and FCC, the dust gathering on my luggage tag holders, the desperate attempts to replicate the gnocchi in Tuscan Grille in my farmhouse kitchen (all epic failures, btw)…IT ALL. ENDS. NOW!!!

 

I bought this dress on Amazon after my April 2020 cruise on Infinity was canceled, just after receiving emails that my office and the courts would be closing and as I watched our president on tv announcing that boarders around the world were shutting, including ours.  It hit me that one of my life passions, travel (and especially cruising), wouldn’t be happening again for a long time.  I bought this dress and told myself I’d wear it on every trip I got to take once the world was open to me again.  

 

Just a few more things to pack then I’m going to grab some coffee and maybe some fruit and yogurt (I’m saving myself for lunch in Luminae) then will collect Red from her room, check out and HEAD TO THE PORT!!!!

 

Next time you hear from me I’LL BE ON A CRUISE SHIP AGAIN!!!

 

Good morning from the happiest woman on the planet!

 

 

Oh my gosh, I feel your excitement!!! Love your dress and mask! My DH and I have our first cruise next month. I’m looking at cute cruise tshirts for us to wear on embarkation day 😀

[DCPIV]

Happy cruising! Tell the Luminae crew (especially Danilo, Raj, and Genesis) I said hi! 

[DCPIV]

Oh, and here's a preview of what you might see at the Martini Bar. Tell those guys I said Hi, too! 

 

[DaKahuna]

3 hours ago, GenerationX said:

The only downsides I can see are that they don’t offer a cruise port shuttle (if you usually take advantage of that feature) and the lobby and front driveway of the hotel are both relatively small. I don’t think that’s a big deal right now with the low occupancy but when the world gets back to normal I could see the place being a real cluster in the mornings when loads of people are trying to check out and/or get to their ships.

 

 I do not see this as a downside.  We prefer to take Lyft or Uber from the hotel.  The shuttle busses get crowded and sometimes there are passengers that force their way onto an earlier shuttle than what they booked.   This and having to wait for all the booked passengers to show up and board the bus just make it a hassle, just like the cruise line airport shuttles.  

[Janthere]

4 hours ago, GenerationX said:

Hi!  This is my first time using this hotel for pre-cruise, but I’ve been happy with it.  The rooms are clean and modern and the on-site restaurant is pretty good. It’s not too far from some good shopping and dinning options (in fact, it’s a good thing I didn’t take my full wallet with me to dinner last night or I may have blown my onboard spending budget at Saks).  I’ll report back on how long the ride takes this morning, but it looks like a relatively short trip to the port.

 

The only downsides I can see are that they don’t offer a cruise port shuttle (if you usually take advantage of that feature) and the lobby and front driveway of the hotel are both relatively small. I don’t think that’s a big deal right now with the low occupancy but when the world gets back to normal I could see the place being a real cluster in the mornings when loads of people are trying to check out and/or get to their ships.

Yes we have stayed at the Hyatt Centric in Fort Lauderdale and the small front driveway of the hotel there too seemed so strange. I guess that is a "feature" of Hyatt Centrics haha. Thanks for the warning about the nearby Saks store - that could definitely be dangerous 🙂

 

 

[mchell810]

Love that dress!

 

So glad to see your review; I really enjoyed your blog on your first solo trip.  It inspired me to stop waiting for others and plan solo trips, but ofc Covid.  However, I do have several solo trips planned over the next 18 months! Got to make up for lost time 😉

[NaplesKnitter]

We are enjoying your thread!  Just saw your ship on the Miami webcam- what a beautiful day in Miami!  

[GenerationX]

I have never been happier to type these words:  HELLO FROM ONBOARD THE SUMMIT!!!!

 

If you’re onboard, and you saw the girl in the map dress who did an arabesque leap off the gangway onto the ship and then proceeded to ugly cry while hugging all the cheering crew waiting to welcome guests, that was I. 

 

Forgive me if a wax a little emotional for a minute…I’m a fairly positive person and I’ve spent a lot of time the past year and a half trying to see silver linings in the COVID situation. What I’ve managed to come up with is that this time has given us an opportunity to really appreciate all the things in life we often took for granted: the ability to see and hug friends and family, to go to the grocery store and purchase everything you need, to go sit in a restaurant and be served a nice meal, and so much more.

 

Today I was reminded of just how lucky I am to have the opportunity to travel, and have the means and opportunity to even set foot on a Celebrity cruise ship and sail away leaving real life behind.

 

Others have posted about the crew’s excitement to be back at work and outstanding attitude and from what I’ve seen so far, they’re 100% correct!  The couple of times I’ve asked how to get somewhere, the crew member I asked insisted on escorting me most of the way there rather than just giving directions.  I’ve been on the ship for less than 4 hours and I’ve been welcomed back and asked if there’s anything someone can do for me no less than 20 times.

 

When we got out of our Uber at the port, there was a sign for Retreat check in right by the curb and the attendant checked our documents (passport, Covid test, vaccine card and xpress pass…keep these handy btw, they’ll be checked multiple times before you step on the ship) then personally escorted us through security to a small lounge at the end of the terminal for suite check in.  The attendant told us we’re sailing with only 340 passengers! 

 

In the suite lounge I had the pleasure of meeting King who was serving up nonalcoholic beverages and croissants. He was so warm and friendly I think even with Luminae breakfast, I may have to go get an omelette made from him in Oceanview at some point during the cruise (he told me that’s his “day job”).  

 

Check in was super quick if you already completed check in in the app. They just swiped my passport and confirmed nothing had changed on the health questionnaire I completed the night before. Then it was up the escalator then I literally skipped merrily past the final vaccine card check before getting on the gangway!

 

As mentioned above, my first steps on the ship were a PARTY! A line of crew danced along as I dance-strutted up the gangway and lept onboard.

 

Suite rooms were ready when we boarded at 11:15, so I went to the room first to drop some things off then headed to the Retreat lounge for the first Bourbon & Peaches of the trip and quickly made some new friends among a group of retired teachers and medical assistants on vacay. I also met our Retreat concierge Connie who seems super sweet and friendly.

 

Thanks to the app, I did 90% of the safety briefing by watching videos in app before I even left the hotel and just had to stop by my muster station right outside Luminae to get my seapass scanned in order to complete it.

 

I’ll do a more detailed post about my stateroom and Luminae lunch later, but at a high level, this is my first time on Summit and first time on a refurbished ship and I am loving the updates.  I know decor tastes differ, but I think the remodeled suites, balcony furniture and retreat lounge are really modern and classy without taking it so far as being cold.  There are a few changes I’m not a fan of (more on that in a stateroom details post), but on the whole I’m a big fan.

 

I just left the martini bar, after getting 2 martinis deep and making more new friends.  When Red and I sat down, a fun group on the other side of the bar recognized my dress from my CC post this morning and invited us to join them.  (Hola Miami! 😎) I started out with my favorite, the Blue Wave and then had a delicious off-menu martini (made at my request for something sweet and spicy) with jalapeño infused vodka and mango juice. After spending half her OBC booking spa appointments, Red came back and rejoined and had a chocolate martini.

 

I’m currently sitting on a sparsely populated pool deck sipping a glass of Chandon.  In a little while I’ll go back to my cabin and unpack a little and then I’ll head to the Sunset Bar to cheerfully resume my tradition of smoking a cigar and drinking bubbly while watching the wake as we leave port. Depending on just how much bubbly I get into between now and then, nobody judge me if I end up belting out that song from Moana as we sail away. You know: “See the line where the sky meets the sea? It CALLS MEEEE!” 

 

Sorry for the corny, guys. I’m just feeling really good right now. Life is good right now. So so good.

 

Cheers and Au Revoir Miami, from the Summit!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 14, 2021 by GenerationX

[sdnich]

What a great start to a cruise!!! I know I will be emotional also when I finally get back on a ship but not till next year!! It looks like you’re taking full advantage of the beverage package !! 😉 you look like you’re a professional !!My husband and I always say it takes a lot of work to do cocktails around the boat and still get ready and enjoy a great dinner!!  I’m looking forward to seeing pictures of your dinner and Luminae!! We will also be on the summit next year so I look forward to some pictures of the ship and we will be in a sky suite also 🥂🥂

[lola2013]

I see Sue Denning in one of your photos.  She was our CD on Reflection a few years ago...she is WONDERFUL!!!

So glad everything is going well so far.

[flaca0604]

It was such a pleasure meeting you and Red.  Our cruise has just begun.   Looking forward to an amazing 4 Days!

[Janthere]

With your attitude and appetite for having fun I feel like you would have the best cruise ever no matter which ship you happen to be on or who you are with! Cheers and Bon Voyage!!

 

[GenerationX]

Just a quick update: for those of you still planning your first cruise back, I strongly recommend taking time to go to the Sunset Bar after sail away and just sit for a while and watch the beautiful wake and the land shrinking behind you.  It’s always been a powerful experience for me, but it’s even more emotional today.

 

See you Monday, America!

 

[maggieq]

1 hour ago, GenerationX said:

Just a quick update: for those of you still planning your first cruise back, I strongly recommend taking time to go to the Sunset Bar after sail away and just sit for a while and watch the beautiful wake and the land shrinking behind you.  It’s always been a powerful experience for me, but it’s even more emotional today.

 

See you Monday, America!

 

Wishing you a great cruise.  Our first back since 2/2020 was the edge in September this year and we enjoyed every second and appreciated every second.  Thank you for bringing us along.  😊