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Since this was our first time on Celebrity, but loyal to Royal Caribbean we were a little sceptical. We always thought that Celebrity catered for the 60+ generation; we were pleasantly surprised that this was not the case. We arrived at the airport from Atlanta around 4:00 and was on board by 4:45pm (in time for the mandatory muster drill at 5:00pm. Because we arrived later than normal we did not have a chance to check the ship out nor did we get to eat the lunch. I would suggest taking a taxi (plenty to choose from) from the airport to the pier. $19.00 ($1.50 fuel charge)plus $1.00 per bag charge. So for our party of 4 it was $35.00 (including tip). was much cheaper than the cruise transfer of $17.00 per person. We were booked in an Aquaclass balcony cabin and it was no different than the other balcony cabins we have booked. The only difference is the bathroom shower has nice glass doors with a showerhead from heaven. It was a rain showerhead with full body massage option. We had canapes delivered to our room every afternoon around 4 by our room steward Sidney, who was excellent. Very attentive to detail and our requests were always met. His assistant Rudy always had a smile on his face and again was there if we needed anything. The canapes were not of our liking so it was a waste after the second day. A bottle of champagne was waiting for us upon our arrival as were the fresh flowers. We had a carafe of tea and two bottled waters provided every day. Plush robes and slippers were also provided.
In the Aquaclass you have the option to dine in the Blu dining room. It was a very nice setting but the food was too fancy for us. The nightly options were extremely elegant and it wasn't until the end of the cruise that we found out that there were "classic" appetizers, dinners and desserts available if we chose to eat them. I also missed the attention and special activities you get in the MDR that you do not receive in the Blu. We did not try any speciality restaurants. I wished I had tried Bistro on 5 for the crepes however. Heard many raving about that. We were extremely disappointed in the lunch buffets. It took way too long to be served in the pasta section and the pizza was never ready which caused the line to grow quickly. Also it was not your typical buffet style. The food crew served everything to you and if they weren't their it was difficult to reach under the glass and get it yourself. The setup is unlike anything I had ever seen as well. You had to walk around the entire dining room to see what was being served. We had breakfast served to our balcony most mornings and which was enjoyable; We ate in Blu the last morning and that was the best breakfast we had all week. Must try the Bluberry Pecan pancakes!!!!!
The shows were your normal cruise shows, some good, some not. The aerial acrobats were incredible as was the special musical entertainer.
Alejandro the Cruise Director was funny and very knowledgeable. We frequented several venues only to find them empty or catering to the Latino guests. Of the times we wanted to dance it was to Salsa music so the four of us were disappointed in that.
Being Aquaclass we were able to enjoy the Persian Gardens in the spa - free of charge and it was a nice way to end the evening relaxing in the saunas and heated tile benches. On our first visit to the spa, we spoke with Louise and she gave us more information than we could comprehend and then remembered our names when we saw her outside at one of the ports. VERY VERY impressed.
Overall the cruise was very nice and the staff were more than helpful. I would consider Celebrity again, just not the Summit as it is in need of a lot more attention.
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