There were a number of issues which could have put a damper on our recent southern Caribbean cruise on the Celebrity Summit, but we still had a really good time. The ship is due in for refurbishing and did show its wear and tear and datedness. We had sailed on the Solstice in January, so there was a contrast. However, we did enjoy the size of this ship. We had a concierge balcony on the 8th floor which was identical to our cabin on the Solstice in size. The buffet area suffered the most in comparison as the Summit does not have the different, separate and easily accessible stations at which you can serve yourself and not be served from an attendant behind the counter. That said, the dinners were very good in the main dining room and exceptional in The Normandie specialty restaurant.

We enjoyed the entertainment very much, especially the Sirens show. The itinerary was what attracted us to this cruise, and we did enjoy going to the five ports included. We had rain every day except the one day at sea, but it really didn't hamper anything as the temperatures were warm and we did get at least some sunshine each day. We snorkeled, swam, climbed and toured all over in light to heavy rain.

The staff, with the exception of our cabin steward and head waiter who were really nice and attentive, was very different than in past cruises. I heard remarks regarding this throughout the trip. I understand that waiting on a constant parade of weekly tourists cannot be enjoyable, but this was the first time in nine cruises I saw evidence of boredom and almost disdain from the staff. It didn't really bother me but it was evident. I wondered if working on an older, less modern ship was less interesting or exciting than a beautiful new and state of the art vehicle. Everyone got their job done, but it was with much less enthusiasm than I had experienced in the past. Read more