The Summit had recently been partially refurbished and was beautifully appointed. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and we found her graceful elegance to be in harmony with our 'cruise mood'. The spell was never broken. The photographers never pestered us, the bar waiters didn't try to push drinks and ship's rules with regard to smoking, pool etiquette, etc. were respected by the other passengers.

Having cruised , at least once, with Carnival, Princess, Costa, Holland America, and four or fives times each with NCL and Royal Caribbean, our preference, hands down, is Celebrity. Every facet of our experience was a notch above the other lines. The stage shows were a bit better. The variety and talent of the club room entertainers made it difficult to choose a particular lounge. The dinner menu was also interesting, escargot was available every evening, and the food arrived hot. Now the specialty restaurant, Qsine, was certainly special.. If there were one like it in Manhattan, we would be regulars. To maximize the Qsine experience, go as a group of four or more so that you can sample the full range of the restaurant's menu. Other highs included a professional golfer from the LPGA who gave three or four group lessons and a private video analysis of your swing.

This was a last minute, drop everything and go cruise that left from Port Elizabeth on October 19, 2013. It was a repositioning cruise to San Juan. An email offering ridiculously low prices for the few remaining inside cabins on decks 2 came at just the right moment, a birthday. So off we sailed into the sunset and had ta most enjoyable on board experience.