Jim_Iain - Summit Live Post B3B Greenland / Iceland / Canada Aug 7, 19 and 31, 2022

[MamaFej]

1 hour ago, donna1009 said:

Oh how I love the Summit.  I read from some other bloggers on the ship that it is understaffed. Are you noticing this?  Apologies if I missed it, but are you are 100% capacity?  Thank you for all the glorious photos  

We are noticing a serious lack of attention to detail. 

Dirty creamer pitchers and soup carafes, crumbs and spills left on the table runners in Blu at nearly every meal, mismatched glassware, lots of stuff like that. I was served moldy raspberries. I quietly pointed it out and asked them to please let the kitchen know so it doesn’t happen to others. Next to us at breakfast on Day 2, a man was served eggs Benedict on a hamburger bun. I’m not kidding. C’mon, If you’re out of English muffins, just tell him and let him decide if he wants to order something else. But to serve a poor substitute without even acknowledging it is not cool. I don’t know if he said anything to the host or Maitre D’ on the way out, but he was not happy at the table. I don’t blame him. 
 

Laundry sent out on the 20th was just delivered. Hubby asked about his dress shirts, which were supposed to be pressed. The man who delivered the bag said that he had delivered them and hung them in the closet yesterday. Hubby double checked. Nope. 
 

They were in the bag, folded, but most definitely not pressed. We will send them back out. Hopefully, we won’t get charged. 
 

I asked a bartender for a Bellini. He gave me a blank stare, then went and asked a colleague what that was. It was good, once I got it, but I was surprised that a bartender wouldn’t be familiar with such a common and simple drink. 
 

Don’t get me wrong, we are both fortunate and happy to be here. We absolutely do not expect the level of service we got on Viking Ocean earlier in our trip, nor on Azamara or Windstar in the past nine months, but we do expect reasonably close to what we are accustomed to on Celebrity, and have gotten on three X cruises since the restart. 
 

We had great views of the Auroras from our deck 11 starboard aft balcony. We heard people cheering from other balconies and from Deck 12. We only have cell phone pictures, but we have amazing memories! 
 

We can complain that our roses have thorns or we can be grateful that our thorns have roses. We choose gratitude. 

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

It appears there was not many bugs ( The insect type) on your tour in Akureyri😁

 

Correct for in all of our stops.   I had bug sprays and wipes as well as bug net hats.   None were needed and only occasionally saw any bugs but not enough to bother you.

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, donna1009 said:

Oh how I love the Summit.  I read from some other bloggers on the ship that it is understaffed. Are you noticing this?  Apologies if I missed it, but are you are 100% capacity?  Thank you for all the glorious photos  

 

I've not had any issues but may be that we are in suite.   Lines at al Bacio have been a little longer than other cruises but they definitely are doing their best.   This morning they had someone helping out with stripes.   Not sure of what level.

 

They are shifting staff around to fill holes.    I spoke with on of the butlers as to which will cover the CS next cruise.   He said they don't know after Alex left.   He said to of them may have to cover all the suites on 6. 

 

My understanding is a large number of staff going off the ship on 9/11.    Our state room attendant was suppose to have left in Iceland but they ran into problems.   Evidently they only allow x numbers of each nationalities off the ship by Iceland regs.   He is now scheduled off at Prince Edward Island which is a weird port in my mind.

[MamaFej]

Another thing: a pink toothbrush mysteriously appeared on the bathroom counter after breakfast today. I used a tissue to pick it up and throw it away. 
 

Perhaps the steward found it under the cupboard when mopping the floor? 
 

We are on Day 4. Why was it just now discovered, and how long had it been wherever he found it? 
 

 

I know it sounds like we are griping, but some things are really not okay at any price point. 
 

We truly are happy and grateful to be here! 

[Jim_Iain]

Just now, MamaFej said:

We are noticing a serious lack of attention to detail. 

Dirty creamer pitchers and soup carafes, crumbs and spills left on the table runners in Blu at nearly every meal, mismatched glassware, lots of stuff like that. I was served moldy raspberries. I quietly pointed it out and asked them to please let the kitchen know so it doesn’t happen to others. Next to us at breakfast on Day 2, a man was served eggs Benedict on a hamburger bun. I’m not kidding. C’mon, If you’re out of English muffins, just tell him and let him decide if he wants to order something else. But to serve a poor substitute without even acknowledging it is not cool. I don’t know if he said anything to the host or Maitre D’ on the way out, but he was not happy at the table. I don’t blame him. 
 

Laundry sent out on the 20th was just delivered. Hubby asked about his dress shirts, which were supposed to be pressed. The man who delivered the bag said that he had delivered them and hung them in the closet yesterday. Hubby double checked. Nope. 
 

They were in the bag, folded, but most definitely not pressed. We will send them back out. Hopefully, we won’t get charged. 
 

I asked a bartender for a Bellini. He gave me a blank stare, then went and asked a colleague what that was. It was good, once I got it, but I was surprised that a bartender wouldn’t be familiar with such a common and simple drink. 
 

Don’t get me wrong, we are both fortunate and happy to be here. We absolutely do not expect the level of service we got on Viking Ocean earlier in our trip, nor on Azamara or Windstar in the past nine months, but we do expect reasonably close to what we are accustomed to on Celebrity, and have gotten on three X cruises since the restart. 
 

We had great views of the Auroras from our deck 11 starboard aft balcony. We heard people cheering from other balconies and from Deck 12. We only have cell phone pictures, but we have amazing memories! 
 

We can complain that our roses have thorns or we can be grateful that our thorns have roses. We choose gratitude. 

 

Wow surprised to hear.   I did hear from a guest in Aqua that they said they had no English Muffins for their Eggs Benedict so may be the ones you spoke of.

 

We have not yet been to OV as I'm a little uncomfortable with all the stations being self service

 

How do you rate the food?   So far in Luminae it is some of the best quality, presentation and preparation we have ever had.  

[MamaFej]

Just now, Jim_Iain said:

 

Wow surprised to hear.   I did hear from a guest in Aqua that they said they had no English Muffins for their Eggs Benedict so may be the ones you spoke of.

 

We have not yet been to OV as I'm a little uncomfortable with all the stations being self service

 

How do you rate the food?   So far in Luminae it is some of the best quality, presentation and preparation we have ever had.  

The food in Blu has not been quite as good as we are used to, but it certainly isn’t bad. 
 

The sloppiness and lack of attention to detail are much more of an issue. 
 

I’m having trouble reloading my previous post to edit, but here is the aforementioned mystery toothbrush, lest anyone think I am exaggerating. 

[Jim_Iain]

Just now, MamaFej said:

Another thing: a pink toothbrush mysteriously appeared on the bathroom counter after breakfast today. I used a tissue to pick it up and throw it away. 
 

Perhaps the steward found it under the cupboard when mopping the floor? 
 

We are on Day 4. Why was it just now discovered, and how long had it been wherever he found it? 
 

 

I know it sounds like we are griping, but some things are really not okay at any price point. 
 

We truly are happy and grateful to be here! 

 

I love your attitude as we share a similar "Half Full Attitude" 

 

I had the opposite and consider it a plus.   Last cruise I lost one pair of my glasses.   We searched the room head to bottom and Iain of course said you did you normal and just left them somewhere.    I took the room apart.   Looked in every drawer and cabinet, under the bed, behind the end tables etc...etc... no go.

 

Came back from dinner and they were sitting next to my bed as usual.   Next day I asked our attendant if he put them there -- he said yes I found them next to your bed.   Not only had I searched but organized Iain also searched behind me.  

[Jim_Iain]

Yea... you can only edit for a short window.. I believe 15 minutes.   That toothbrush would certainly  gross me out for sure.

 

We have been having all our drinks either at Rendezvous or Retreat and luckily not had an issue.

[Mike981]

Possible the toothbrush was used for cleaning and left behind?

[Ex-Airbalancer]

39 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Yea... you can only edit for a short window.. I believe 15 minutes.   

Cruise Critic should really take the time limited off that 

Also let you delate your post 

[Benthayer Gonbak]

1 hour ago, MamaFej said:

Another thing: a pink toothbrush mysteriously appeared on the bathroom counter after breakfast today. I used a tissue to pick it up and throw it away. 
 

Perhaps the steward found it under the cupboard when mopping the floor? 
 

We are on Day 4. Why was it just now discovered, and how long had it been wherever he found it? 
 

 

I know it sounds like we are griping, but some things are really not okay at any price point. 
 

We truly are happy and grateful to be here! 

im with you, where ever you found it it’s probably better to throw it away!  Guess it could have just been the brunch you used to clean all your Diamond so being on the floor wouldn’t matter but ……

 

we have found pantyhose in original packaging in the drawered night tables, but had to take it apart as we were looking for something else.

 

also found a pair of smartsocks under the bed but again we had to lift the beds to find that. 
 

can’t remember what we’re were actually looking for, but we learn to always lift and check the drawers in the night table because we have small items there that could be overlooked as missing! 

Edited August 22, 2022 by Benthayer Gonbak

[mchell810]

2 hours ago, MamaFej said:

Another thing: a pink toothbrush mysteriously appeared on the bathroom counter after breakfast today. I used a tissue to pick it up and throw it away. 
 

Perhaps the steward found it under the cupboard when mopping the floor? 
 

We are on Day 4. Why was it just now discovered, and how long had it been wherever he found it? 
 

 

I know it sounds like we are griping, but some things are really not okay at any price point. 
 

We truly are happy and grateful to be here! 

 

Yikes!  That would really bother me. 

It's good you are taking all the small problems well and not letting it disrupt your cruise.

Edited August 22, 2022 by mchell810

[MamaFej]

1 hour ago, Mike981 said:

Possible the toothbrush was used for cleaning and left behind?

It was so carefully placed on the woven vinyl mat at a perfect 90 degree angle that I doubt it. 
But I’m going to lean into your theory, because it makes me more comfortable. 
 

On another note, we were waiting for quite a long time for some Port at Cellar Masters two nights ago. Service was crazy slow. 
The Beverage Manager arrived, and service got substantially better. Hubby saw her the next day and thanked her. She explained that she had just boarded in Reykjavík. Since then, we have seen her several times. We tend to find a place, then sit and play a lot of Scrabble or Quirkle. We have seen her show up to Cafe al Bacio, Rendezvous, and Sky Lounge and check in with crew, asking if they need anything.

 

She seems like a very good manager/supervisor. We are getting our water, juices, teas, coffees, and sodas during the day much faster. Same for more potent drinks at night. 
 

Managers make a huge difference! Perhaps the one she relieved was more lax. 

[MamaFej]

We are not fans of the canapés served in the afternoon in Concierge and up. As such, we politely request to have fruit and cheese instead. We have always been accommodated. 
 

Two of the following pictures were taken aboard the Constellation in May. Two were taken aboard the Summit yesterday and today. 

[helen haywood]

Yikes!!!

[WNCtourist]

That's ridiculous!

[MamaFej]

@jelayne, I’m guessing you are following this thread. I still haven’t caught up on the earlier pages. 
 

It took until Night 4, but we finally made it to Martini Bar, and I am currently enjoying my Honorary Jelayne Lycheetini (which is becoming a MOST  welcome tradition). It is absolutely delicious! We look forward to cruising with you again in December! 
 

Shoutout to everyone who is kindly realizing that I am NOT actually a whiny griping jerk. I am simply being honest about my experiences. I was genuinely concerned that I would be coming across as an entitled bleephole. Y’all are great! 

And, seriously, between being home with countless chores and tasks in 98F heat, making my own bed, cooking, and cleaning, or being on this ship, having  seen and photographed Auroras last night, on a 58 day trip, I am pretty darn happy and grateful to be exactly where I am, with the  Love of My Life! 

 

[helen haywood]

I presume you didn’t mean the drink pictured was the love of your life…😜

[MamaFej]

Just now, helen haywood said:

I presume you didn’t mean the drink pictured was the love of your life…😜

I mean… it’s pretty darn DELICIOUS! But, no, the amazing man directly to my right is absolutely the love of my life. He’s the one in the Tahitian shirt you can see in the background. 

[sdnich]

11 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Dinner  8/22/22

 

 

 

We both had the Tomato Soup and Turbot. 
 

The turbot was my favorite meal of the cruise.  
 

 

 

Desert 

 

I had Butter Pecan Ice Cream and Iain had Peña Cotta 

 

 

I am enjoying all of your pictures!! I am looking forward to that Turbot on our Sept. cruise !! I find myself planning out meals already!! We are 30 days from our first cruise since Nov 2019 and our first on the Summit !!

[IWillGoAnywhere26]

1 hour ago, MamaFej said:

It was so carefully placed on the woven vinyl mat at a perfect 90 degree angle that I doubt it. 
But I’m going to lean into your theory, because it makes me more comfortable. 
 

On another note, we were waiting for quite a long time for some Port at Cellar Masters two nights ago. Service was crazy slow. 
The Beverage Manager arrived, and service got substantially better. Hubby saw her the next day and thanked her. She explained that she had just boarded in Reykjavík. Since then, we have seen her several times. We tend to find a place, then sit and play a lot of Scrabble or Quirkle. We have seen her show up to Cafe al Bacio, Rendezvous, and Sky Lounge and check in with crew, asking if they need anything.

 

She seems like a very good manager/supervisor. We are getting our water, juices, teas, coffees, and sodas during the day much faster. Same for more potent drinks at night. 
 

Managers make a huge difference! Perhaps the one she relieved was more lax. 

Do you know the name of the Beverage Manager? We got to know the Beverage Manager aboard the Summit pre-pandemic. She was great!

Edited August 22, 2022 by IWillGoAnywhere26

[AstoriaPreppy]

On 8/18/2022 at 3:45 PM, JeanieC,Aston said:

Agreed,,,,,,but I can’t understand how Celebrity would run such a unique cruise with Iceland as the high point for most people then only have one day in Reykjavik.

A turnaround day at that were nobody could experience what sights Iceland is famous for.

Any cruise that includes Iceland should include Two days in Reykjavik.

My last visit on Reflection in May 2019 did.

As a passenger on the NJ - Reykjavik sailing (who disembarked in Reykjavik), I have a very easy answer: 20 August 2022 was Culture Night (Menningarnott) in Reykjavik.

 

Essentially, this is the single largest event in Reykjavik each year, with approximately 100,000 people coming from the entire country into the city for one day. Keep in mind, the aprox population of Iceland as a whole is around 350,000 people, so it's a huge surge into the city. The entire downtown core is blocked off from around 8 am - midnight, with the Reykjavik marathon in the morning, most museums open and free, and Culture Night events starting around noon and running into the evening. 

 

There is logistically no way a cruise line could provide hotels/transport for anyone arriving early for a cruise to the port, and any sort of city tour would be out of the question. When we disembarked on Friday, there were three ships in port. On Culture Night (Saturday), there were zero. 

Also, having done the Golden Circle, we found it pretty lame (in comparison to the other sites we saw when sailing to other ports in Iceland). Thingvellir was amazing, but Geysir and Gullfoss were awful compared to the natural sights accessible from Akureyri and Ísafjörður... and much more packed with tourists.  

[mduffy1834]

Thanks for the pictures in Akureyri.  We will arrive at 8am on September 13th and can't get into our hotel until early afternoon.  I let my daughter arrange what to do for that morning.  LOL...............as soon as I saw your pictures of the Christmas House, I knew that was where we would go. Asked my daughter, and, yep, she was so excited to let me know that was her plan all along.  Looking forward to visiting.  And..........have you been to Boston?  How long will you have here?  Weather should be lovely by the time you get here.  I love late summer/early fall.  Let me know if you need any suggestions - but I'm sure you have been here before. 

 

[Covepointcruiser]

If you are going to the Faroe Islands be sure to tell you guide that you do not want to hear about their barbaric hunting method as they slaughter whales.   One British lady in our group told the guide she would strangle him if he said one more word about it.    They seem very proud of this hunting technique.

[hcat]

10 hours ago, gizmo42 said:

Hi Jim,

Long time lurker here who would like to thank you for taking the time to do a wonderful review. I haven't been doing any traveling since last year. My daughter, who moved back home after graduation(with her 3 cats) was diagnosed with breast cancer last November. It is a long journey, with chemo, surgery and radiation going well, with one last round of drugs that will be over in a few months. So the point of my story is after close to a year of pretty much only leaving the house for grocery pick up and medical appointments it brings me joy to start my morning “traveling” with you and Iain. Your wonderful details and awesome pictures take me to places I hope to see some day. Thank you!!

Gail

Gail

Thank you for sharing your dtr's story,

Our dtr was diagnosed with triple  neg breast cancer at a very young age over 7 yrs ago.   

 

She bravely endured the surgeries and chemo.  Now, she is  happily married with 2 great children....living each day as to the fullest.  My message is one of HOPE...for all  of our dtrs and those who love them!

 

Following Jims blog..brightens  the day for many of us! Thank you Jim!