We booked our cruise directly through the cruise line in January of 2009.  The price was very reasonable and as prices went down, the cruise line gladly lowered our cost.  We simply called the cruise line and made changes over the phone.  As a young married couple we were looking for an opportunity to see Europe and have a relaxing anniversary.  We chose this cruise completely based on the ports of call and not based on the ship.  With that said, we were not disappointed with the service nor the ship.  The quality, attention, and personality of the staff members truly make this cruise line and the Summit a success.  We did notice minimal wear in the carpet and many loose tiles in our stateroom.  We did call this to the attention of our stateroom attendant and our shower was completely re-tiled during one of excursions.  Not a problem!Our stateroom attendant Jose and waiter Lesme we exceptional!  They both provided excellent service with attention to detail.  Our stateroom was always clean and Jose went above and beyond to attend to our wants and needs.  All staff on board was friendly and seemed to genuinely enjoy their jobs. The food at the buffet was always replenished and you could always find something to your liking.  The menu food in the Cosmopolitan Restaurant provided a good selection and if you did not like the entree that you ordered the staff would gladly bring you another.  Room service was great for breakfast and snacks.  We ordered room service most mornings as we had early excursions and did not want to fight the crowds at the buffet.  Breakfast could be delivered in 30 minute intervals.  However, our food was always delivered on the hour and we were never rushed  As stated previously, the staff makes the ship. We had a balcony room in the concierge class.  The balcony was absolutely worth the money and we enjoyed sailing out of port with the wonderful views and no crowds.  The welcome bottle of champagne was nice as we sailed out of beautiful port of Venice.  The beds were comfortable and we did take advantage of the select pillows and the bathrobes.  I must add that there seemed to be absolutely no benefits when it came to embarkation and debarkation of the ship.  Embarkation in Venice was extremely slow in the concierge class line and the staff seemed to be running around aimlessly.  At one point the staff member just left the counter and did not return.  Debarkation (8:00) in Barcelona was very organized and the staff was helpful.  However, we did wait on the bus to the airport for about 45 minutes for the bus to fill up.  We booked all of our excursions through the cruise line.  This was definitely a good choice and many of our friends that went out on their own ended up fighting traffic, getting lost, or not seeing exactly what they wanted to see.  The excursions were very organized and it was convenient to have express access to get into churches, museums, and other venues.  We never had to wait in lines in Rome or Athens.  It was great!  The majority of our tour guides were very friendly and knowledgeable.  It was also helpful to have guides to communicate with the locals and answer any questions.  (see port reviews for more info)