What are the Pros and Cons for the Summit?

[texmat]

Please share everything what you love and dislike about the Summit.

 

I have a few questions

 

1) Are pool loungers hard to come by since the forward section is for suites only? Is there a pool band daily?

2) Are surcharge restaurants worth it?

3) What type of evening entertainment is there? Specifically in the theater?

4) How is internet service and cost?

5) Is the Cafe al Bacio and the Spa Cafe all FREE?

 

Thanks

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

Let me take a stab at a couple

4 minutes ago, texmat said:

Please share everything what you love and dislike about the Summit.

 

I have a few questions

 

1) Are pool loungers hard to come by since the forward section is for suites only? Is there a pool band daily?

2) Are surcharge restaurants worth it?

3) What type of evening entertainment is there? Specifically in the theater?

4) How is internet service and cost?

5) Is the Cafe al Bacio and the Spa Cafe all FREE?

 

Thanks

 

 

 

Lounger availability will be dependent on the cruise and where you want to sit.   If want directly next to the pool they are tight -  If you are ok with the deck overlooking the swimming pool you will have no trouble finding loungers.  Retreat really has no bearing and if any frees up chairs.   Where the retreat is located virtually no one ever used for lounging.   

 

Specialty Restaurants worth and value are a personal decision.   Food is Good, Atmosphere wonderful and service is very personalized.  

 

Entertainment -  There are 2 shows a night (early and late) They last about 50 minutes and are a nice stage show on many nights intertwined with Vocalists, Magicians etc according to the cruise.  Would you suggest you download the app and select a current sailing and look under cruise planner and they will list all the entertainment on the ship.

 

In addition to the theater there are usually the house band that plays at the pool, lobby and other location in 50 minute sets.   They usually also have 2-3 other entertainment groups from classic to modern that play through out the ship. 

 

Internet is much slower than on land and Premium is about the old dial up speeds.   Good for web browsing, social networking, zoom meetings etc.    Basic is very slow and probably only good for e-mail and messaging.

 

Al Bacio is not free    There is free coffee in Ocean View Cafe but al Bacio are usually covered by either a Classic or Premium Package -   Also if you have Elite or above status on Captain Club Cappuccino, Espresso, Late are free.

 

I will be doing a B2B2B on Summit in about a week and will be live posting so feel free to join in and ask questions as the cruise go along.   Will usually fulfill any requests for pictures or to find out about specifics I may not know the answer to.

 

I often post a copy of the Daily which will give you an idea of what goes on during the cruise.  

[davekathy]

Pros...great place to be to have fun, relax and enjoy. But that is our experiences on all of our cruises. 

Cons...

 

1) I've never had a hard time finding a lounger. But I don't sit by the pool or even on the pool deck. We've always had a pool band. Short sets. 

2) We don't eat at any of them.

3) Typical Celebrity performers/shows and guest entertainers.

4) I only use the CC internet perk on the last full day to check-in with the airlines. A lot slower than what I'm use to at home. 

5) Limited food selections are free at both. 

 

Enjoy...🍷

Edited July 6, 2022 by davekathy

[texmat]

13 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Let me take a stab at a couple

 

Lounger availability will be dependent on the cruise and where you want to sit.   If want directly n

 

Al Bacio is not free    There is free coffee in Ocean View Cafe but al Bacio are usually covered by either a Classic or Premium Package -   Also if you have Elite or above status on Captain Club Cappuccino, Espresso, Late are free.

 

I will be doing a B2B2B on Summit in about a week and will be live posting so feel free to join in and ask questions as the cruise go along.   Will usually fulfill any requests for pictures or to find out about specifics I may not know the answer to.

 

I often post a copy of the Daily which will give you an idea of what goes on during the cruise.  

Very helpful response , thanks.

 

My understanding is if you are Diamond On RCL you have Elite benefits. Correct? So would the cappuccinos, expressos and lattes be free?

 

I look forward to your upcoming  live posting.  

Edited July 6, 2022 by texmat

[39august]

I believe with Elite those coffees without alcohol are free. And the food is always free at Al Bacio. All the food at Spa Cafe is free but not the smoothies. 

Edited July 6, 2022 by 39august

[Jim_Iain]

12 minutes ago, texmat said:

Very helpful response , thanks.

 

My understanding is if you are Diamond On RCL you have Elite benefits. Correct? So would the cappuccinos, expressos and lattes are be free?

 

I look forward to your upcoming  live posting.  

Yes --- Here's the Chart -

 

Need to make a retraction-   Free Coffee is for Elite Plus and above.   I always though it included Elite.   You will have access to the Elite and above continental breakfast and there you will get free cappuccino late's etc as well as smoothies. 

 

You will also get 1 bag of free laundry and 1 free dry clean item per Elite Guest.   Also a free scoop of Gelato

 

Full benefits of each tier can be found here -  

https://www.celebritycruises.com/content/dam/celebrity/new-images/Captain's Club Benefit Brochure_072821.pdf

 

Summary -

 

Edited July 6, 2022 by Jim_Iain

[davekathy]

10 minutes ago, texmat said:

Very helpful response , thanks.

 

My understanding is if you are Diamond On RCL you have Elite benefits. Correct? So would the cappuccinos, expressos and lattes be free?

 

I look forward to your upcoming  live posting.  

You will be elite. Like with RC, you will receive a welcome aboard letter from the CC detailing all your onboard perks/benefits for the elite tier level. 

[cruisestitch]

The lovely pastries and cakes and cookies at al Bacio are no-extra-charge.  I won’t say free because you paid a lot of money to go on the cruise to get the lovely pastries but there’s no extra charge

[RichYak]

39 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

I will be doing a B2B2B on Summit in about a week and will be live posting so feel free to join in and ask questions as the cruise go along. 

I look forward to following along. Your "Live From" threads are always entertaining and informative.

[DCPIV]

You'll hear mixed reviews on Summit (just like any other ship), and they'll all be for the same reason: its size.  It's a smaller ship in the grand scheme of RCL/Celebrity and other mass market lines.  Some love it, and some do not.  I'm one of the ones who loves it.  I love the lounges on board (especially the Rendezvous Lounge that is not on other classes), and I like the smaller, more intimate feel.  Since I'm more into the smaller, lounge style music acts than I am the shows, those lounges really work for me, and I very much like being able to shift from the music at the Martini Bar, Cellar Masters, and the Rendezvous Lounge in relatively few steps. 

 

Something about Summit also lends itself to having an amazing crew on board.

 

As for cons, I'm not a big fan of the Retreat Lounge, and the Sunset Bar needs a LOT more shade available.  I also miss the Passport Bar that can be a pretty fun place to be on other ships.

 

14 hours ago, texmat said:

2) Are surcharge restaurants worth it?

 

 

 

One other potential con about Summit is the limited amount of specialty dining, but that's a bit of what you want.  It's not a big deal for a 7-night or shorter cruise, but I would like more options to mix things up for something longer.  That's a small thing for us, though.

 

Sushi on 5 has always been worth it.  I've never had a bad time in there, and I've not seen many say they didn't like it.  One great thing about it is that it's always open for lunch, and it tends to be rather popular during that time.  It is pretty small, though, so I recommend making a reservation if you are interested in lunch on a sea day.

 

Tuscan Grille gets mixed reviews, and our experience there matches that.  We've had a great night in there, and we've not had great nights in there.  It's a bit dark and feels somewhat squirreled away on Summit.  Some of the food was excellent, and some was far from that.  Service was very good, but service is very good everywhere.

 

I cannot personally comment on Le Petit Chef or the Chef's Table, as we've not done either.  They don't quite appeal to us.  The reviews I've seen for both are all over the place.  

[davy jones]

15 hours ago, texmat said:

Please share everything what you love and dislike about the Summit.

 

I have a few questions

 

1) Are pool loungers hard to come by since the forward section is for suites only? Is there a pool band daily?

2) Are surcharge restaurants worth it?

3) What type of evening entertainment is there? Specifically in the theater?

4) How is internet service and cost?

5) Is the Cafe al Bacio and the Spa Cafe all FREE?

 

Thanks

 

 

Recently sailed on Summit.  It was our first Celebrity cruise.  We liked it and would definitely sail again.  If you like the RCI large ships, it may not be for you.  If you like to relaxation and less crowds, it will appeal to you.

 

Here are my answers to the questions:

1.  I did not see any suite area near the pool.  The suite area was on a different deck.  Pool lounger availability is similar to other ships that I have sailed.  Chair hogs are also an issue on X.

2. Did not use surcharge restaurants.  The limited selection did not appeal to us.  MDR food was quite good overall.

3.  A different show in theater every evening.  Some shows were the ship's singers and dancers, others were traveling performers.  The quality of the traveling performers was excellent.

4.  "Included" internet made me nostalgic for dial up.

5.  Cafe al Bacio beverage costs (if any) depend on your beverage package.  The "included" package excluded alcoholic coffees at Cafe al Bacio and smoothies at the Spa Cafe.

[George C]

We really enjoyed the specialty restaurant, if you never did it Le Petit Chef is a must totally unique show with animation. Tuscan is also good , sushi at 5 was a nice a la carte place . The suite area outside is extremely tiny (we were in a suite and didn’t use it)

[Beachlover1989]

We just got off Summit on June 12, and I have to say the Chair Hog situation was off the charts.  It was really disappointing that chairs would go unused for hours and nothing was done about it.  Having said that, this was no different than on the Silhouette in February.

 

We ate in Tuscan one night and the food was great!  Much better than Tuscan on Silhouette.

 

The pastries at Cafe al Bacio are wonderful and well worth the line that formed at times, although it went quickly.

 

The internet was very sporadic, even with the premium package.  I wouldn't depend on it if you needed to work onboard.

[AMCJavelin]

We were on the Summit June 12-19th and this was our 3rd time on the Summit.

1) Pool band daily was Hey Mamma - they were quite god I thought.  We had no issues finding a lounger on deck 11.  The pool deck is deck 10 - it appeared to be more crowded.

2) We never ate at any of the surcharge restaurants.  Honestly we only ate in the main dining room 1 night.  We prefer the OceanView Cafe (It is not self service BTW).

3) There are a couple of stage shows by the ship singers and dancers - "LIFE" was one of the shows - I thought it was very good.  There was a comedian who was very good, as well as a Female impressionist and a performer named Matt Yee ( I think) who was very funny and really got the crowd involved.  They did a version of the Liars Club which was hilarious as well.

4) We had the basic internet included in our package - you seemed to have the best connectivity in your stateroom.  But we only used it to do basic web surfing, no streaming or work.

5) The pastries at Cafe Al Bacio are free and very good.  Spa Cafe has some healthy food options, but we did not try anything there.

 

Ship is very clean, and the crew was excellent  as always.  The cruise director is very personable and very good.  We have never had a bad experience on the Summit.

 

Also I recommend the Movie Screen at the back of the ship, the seating is very nice - enjoyed it on every cruise.

 

Hope that helps.

[texmat]

21 hours ago, George C said:

We really enjoyed the specialty restaurant, if you never did it Le Petit Chef is a must totally unique show with animation. Tuscan is also good , sushi at 5 was a nice a la carte place . The suite area outside is extremely tiny (we were in a suite and didn’t use it)

Do you know the prices for Tuscan and Le Petit Chef?

[George C]

4 minutes ago, texmat said:

Do you know the prices for Tuscan and Le Petit Chef?

I believe cost was about 50 , Tuscan might have been a little less than le petit chef. They were free for us because we were in a high end suite. But I would pay for them .

[Jim_Iain]

On 7/7/2022 at 7:11 AM, texmat said:

Do you know the prices for Tuscan and Le Petit Chef?

On an upcoming cruise - Some sailings have it on sale now.  

 

Tuscan Grill -  First Night 35.40  other night $45.00

 

Le Petite Chef -   $55

 

[3red7s]

Just got off the Summit with our trip to Bermuda.  1st time in Aqua Class....big waste of money....at least on the Summit. There are no Persian Gardens, bathrooms only hold 1 person and rooms are very small.  Only ate 3 meals at Blu.  The 1st night, we sent back the fish (Dorade?) the 2nd night we sent back the steaks twice.  However, the lobster tail was outstanding.  Room service on both mornings was late and stone cold.  On a positive note, our room attendant, Melvin, was the best we have ever had.  The ship, is old & plain.  Sushi 5 was outstanding.  

[Laurie and Peter]

On 7/7/2022 at 10:17 AM, George C said:

I believe cost was about 50 , Tuscan might have been a little less than le petit chef. They were free for us because we were in a high end suite. But I would pay for them .

Good use for your OBC perhaps? 

[LB_NJ]

On 7/5/2022 at 8:08 PM, texmat said:

Please share everything what you love and dislike about the Summit.

 

I have a few questions

 

1) Are pool loungers hard to come by since the forward section is for suites only? Is there a pool band daily?

2) Are surcharge restaurants worth it?

3) What type of evening entertainment is there? Specifically in the theater?

4) How is internet service and cost?

5) Is the Cafe al Bacio and the Spa Cafe all FREE?

 

Thanks

 

 

 

I thought the Italian restaurant was worth it at least with the first night discount. However, this is a very subjective opinion.

 

I thought the basic internet on Summit was worse than useless.

 

Cafe al Bacio is NOT free unless you have AI.

 

[Tee & Chilli]

Cappuccino, lattes and teas are complimentary at Elite Plus and above. Is this according to the chart.

[homedepot124]

We did the 7/24 - 7/31 cruise to Bermuda on Summit.  The food on the ship has definitely gone downhill since before Covid.  No rack of lamb in the MDR, no scallops Rockefeller in the MDR, the prime rib in the MDR was paper thin.  In the Ocean View there was no fish and chips lunch and there were no sticky buns at breakfast.  The ship also does not have enough staff, especially the bars and Ocean View Cafe.  We did Tuscan the first night and it was good, but not great.   

[LB_NJ]

12 hours ago, homedepot124 said:

We did the 7/24 - 7/31 cruise to Bermuda on Summit.  The food on the ship has definitely gone downhill since before Covid.  No rack of lamb in the MDR, no scallops Rockefeller in the MDR, the prime rib in the MDR was paper thin.  In the Ocean View there was no fish and chips lunch and there were no sticky buns at breakfast.  The ship also does not have enough staff, especially the bars and Ocean View Cafe.  We did Tuscan the first night and it was good, but not great.   

Unfortunately, I believe many things have gone downhill post COVID. 

[miched]

Pros     Many areas have been upgraded.   It is a lovely ship 

 

Cons.  the Higher ups allowed and approved Kelly to ruin the Sky Suites.   They make look nice but aren’t practical.   Eliminated the walk in closets with the interior lights.   No shelves in the lavatory.  Very poor lighting in the bathroom and cabin.    Drawers are too shallow to store anything except some papers and very small items.     The walls are no longer magnetic.  Balcony furniture is terrible.   Chair doesn’t fit under the in room desk.   Very little electrical outlets.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Edited August 12, 2022 by miched

[cruisewiscrrq]

First time on Celebrity!  Does Summit have laundry machines that are available to passengers?