Celebrity Summit December 21, 2019 – January 4, 2020 Caribbean B2B Sailing You can see photos from this cruise and our other sailings by following the link on our Cruise Critic profile page: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/profile/35108-jgnova/ A change in winter break itineraries sailing from Baltimore, our favorite home port, forced us to look at other options for our annual trek south. After a bit of research, we decided to do a back-to-back on Celebrity Summit from San Juan, which had two different itineraries stopping at 9 islands over the two weeks, with one stop (plus the San Juan turnaround) duplicated. Embarkation / Disembarkation: Getting on the ship was amazingly fast. Instead of waiting in a line to then go to the check-in desk, we were sent to someone standing on our side of the desks. He scanned my boarding pass, decided to use my photo that I had uploaded, took a photo of DW, and sent us on our way up the escalator. We crossed the gangway, had our boarding passes scanned again on deck, and entered the ship on deck 4, where we were handed our boarding-day mimosa, and sent on to our cabin. Our seapass cards were in a pocket on the cabin door and we entered, staying long enough to stow our carry-on luggage. From there it was on to a Concierge Class lunch in the MDR, which was delicious and gave us an opportunity to sit and chat with a few fellow passengers. I would guess it took us less than 30 minutes from being dropped off by the taxi to being seated for lunch! Getting off the ship was equally efficient. We waited for them to call our number, took the elevator down to deck 4, and walked right off with no perceptible line. From there we walked through immigration, again with minimal delays, found our luggage, and were in a taxi within minutes. B2B Turnaround: This was our second time on a B2B from San Juan and they have really improved the process. Our previous experience required us to leave the cabin around 8, with no allowed return until the cabins were all ready for the next week, even though we were in the same cabin. Then we had to wait in a meeting room until the ship was cleared by the Customs people, walk off the ship after turning in our old seapass, wave our passports at the Immigration officer, and walk back on to pick up our new seapass, and wait until the cabins were opened. This year, those of us staying in the same cabin were allowed to stay there until around 9, when we went to the Sky Lounge, which had coffee/tea and pastries, and wait while they cleared the ship. We then swapped our old seapass cards for new ones (we got the old ones back the last night), waved our passports at the Immigration officer, and were free to wander the ship or return to our cabin. So much smoother! Ship: This cruise represented our fifth and sixth weeks on Summit, but our first after she was “Revolutionized.” Our previous sailings included both before and after her “Solsticization” in 2012. The various changes have been addressed elsewhere and I’ll focus on the subtleties that we noticed most. The library has been removed and we spotted a few books stuck in shelves in Rendezvous lounge and Cellar Masters between a few checker and chess sets. I think removing the library is a major loss as there have been several times on a cruise when I found books in the library that I wanted to read instead of what I brought on my e-book reader. The new layout also moved the Tuscan Grille entrance from near the mid-ship elevators and the atrium to the rear of the ship, hidden among cabins. This change, to create space to add more cabins, also removed the S.S. Normandie artifacts collection from the Tuscan Grille entrance and its contents were dispersed elsewhere on the ship. I am positive that on previous sailings I could find places to sit on deck away from the pool crowds and noise that were shaded but I could find nothing on this sailing other than the few covered seats near the movie screen. This left the Promenade Deck (4) as the only place I could reliably sit in a quiet and shady spot to read. Cabin: We were in 8134, a Concierge Class cabin about mid-way between the aft and mid-ship elevators and this was a great location for moving about the ship as the aft stairs (missing on Solstice class ships) were great for getting to the MDR and Oceanview café. The renovated cabin was bright and had more than enough storage for the two of us. The bathroom renovation added more shelf space and a bright night light that was extremely helpful. The only complaint we had about the cabin was that the switch for the bedside lamp on one side of the bed was not reachable from the bed, which we thought was strange – had the designer not actually tried sleeping in a cabin? Food: The food was as we remembered on previous Celebrity sailings – varied and delicious. Select dining is now on deck 4 with traditional dining on deck 5. The addition of Luminae meant that everyone with Select dining in the MDR had to enter through the starboard MDR entrance, resulting in a lot of traffic past the tables near the entrance. The service was excellent and the hostess was extremely helpful at helping guests stick with the same serving team every night. One benefit of this arrangement was that, even though we had Select Dining, we wound up sitting with clusters of the same people almost every night, allowing us to have more than cursory “who are you, where are you from, how many cruises have you taken” conversations. The new layout in the Oceanview Café was an excellent change from the old design and I found it less congested than that on Solstice class ships. The only complaint I have about the new layout was that the bakery section (with the croissants and breakfast pastries) was about as far from the omelet station as possible. The food and selections were excellent, as always. The buffet was rarely crowded, even on the last morning of the cruise. Entertainment: We did not go to the shows as we have consistently found the volume level to be louder than we find comfortable. Medical clinic: We experienced a medical problem necessitating a few visits to the clinic, during which we met with both intake nurses and both physicians. The care was excellent, thorough, and not as expensive as we anticipated – more in line with what we pay for a doctor visit at home. Ports: We had a mix of ship and private excursions: Week 1: St. Kitts: We have been to St. Kitts multiple times and have toured the island so we reserved a beach day at the Marriott at Frigates Bay and had no trouble getting a taxi in either direction. The beach was lovely and we had little trouble finding chaises under a cabana from which we could watch the waves. Aruba: This was our second trip to Aruba and had toured it on that earlier visit. The Casabari Rock Formation had fascinated me and I wanted to explore that further on this return visit. However, my research found another formation with petroglyphs, the Ayo Rock Formation, so that became our point of interest for this visit. We found a taxi at the pier and learned about the standard rates for each destination, which seemed reasonable (about $100 for the round trip and about a half hour to explore the rock formation. Unlike the better known (and closer to the port) Casabari Rock Formation, which appeared jammed with tourists when we drove by, the Ayo Rock Formation was almost empty – we were the fourth vehicle to park there. We had a great time exploring the structure with NO CROWDS! Curaçao: This was also our second visit and we used the ship excursion to the Hato Caves, which were fascinating because they were at a higher elevation and were quite warm. From there we toured the historic town of Willemstad after which we were free to wander and then walk across the floating bridge back to the port area. Bonaire: Another return visit after a previous tour, so we took a ship excursion that offered a semi-submersible tour of the reefs near Klein Bonaire, a small island across from the port area. This was a great way to see the reefs and fish without having to swim or even get wet! Week 2: Barbados: This was also a return trip for us, but our first time to tour, having walked around Bridgetown on our own on our previous visit. This time we took a ship excursion to Harrison’s Cave, which used an electric tram to guide the tourists around a huge cave formation and we thought it was a great trip. From there, the tour took us to a Highland overlook that gave us a view of the Atlantic-side beaches and then for a trip around the island to get an idea of the parts of the island we had not seen on our way back to the port. We walked on our own to the Pelican Crafts Village to see some local crafts, a place we had visited previously. Some of the work was extremely original and interesting, and a painting almost came home with us until we remembered airplane luggage limitations. St. Lucia: We had to skip our planned tour because of the previously mentioned health issue but have rebooked the tour for our next sailing that takes us there. Antigua: We booked a beach day at BeachLimerz, a place we had visited a year earlier, and enjoyed a day sitting on the beach and watching the waves and clouds. The owner arranged our taxi service in both directions and everything went quite smoothly. St. Kitts: We decided to stay on the ship and take advantage of the almost-empty ship to relax. I love watching the clouds and shadows wander across the mountains on St. Kitts and Nevis whenever we have been there. St. Thomas: I grabbed an open-air bus to Magens Bay and had a relaxing day enjoying the calm clear waters and lovely beach – and watching the pelicans swoop among the swimmers to grab their own lunch. Overall experience: This was a great vacation, with nine islands and three sea days, coupled with the great Celebrity service we’ve learned to enjoy. The weather was excellent with slightly rough seas only one evening and a little rain one afternoon. Read Less

Wonderful week aboard Celebrity Edge. Food, service and ambiance was first rate. Our infinite veranda balcony was on deck 6. Lifeboats were directly below us. Although our view was magnificent, I would stay on deck 8 or 9 next time. I loved the balcony and how it extended your view. Lots of privacy. The concept took me a couple of days to get use to, but once I did, I loved it. If traveling with friends, you could not share balcony space, like on other ships. Ship is modern decor and gorgeous. Easy to navigate. Loved the 4 dining room concept and thought the food was excellent. Even the buffet was spotless with staff serving the food, instead of guests handling it, Ate at the Steak house and then he food was delicious. Also loved the soup, salad and sandwiches, ( no extra cost), in Eden. Plenty of chairs both in the sun and in the shade, as well as, a beautiful solarium. Embarkation and debarkation were simple. From drop off at ship to getting in my room took 12 minutes. Used face recognition for customs on the way out and from gathering luggage to shuttle for parking 15 minutes. Also casino slots were loose. Lots of winners. Black jack tables were 6 dollar minimum on sea days and 10 dollars at night. Entertainment was okay. Performers were talented but shows were different and not my favorite. Comedians were excellent as was Greta Soloman a violinist who won the European performance award. Magician and game shows were awesome too. Last but not least staff was the kindest and most helpful. One more thing, lots of public bathrooms that were kept spotless and many hand washing stations throughout Read Less

Winter getaway from Maryland. Itinerary changed due to propulsión problem in San Juan. Tried Qsine twice, dissappointed both times. Food subpar. Service only satisfactory. Halfway point st sea. Entertainment not so good, expected better. Service in dining room exellent. Upsell for Qzene was not apreciated, interferred the otherwise superior service. Port calls were smooth. Premium Líquor package was worth the price. Internet service was good. Excursion choices were adaquate. Some were clearly casting time in port. The day that we were in port from 8am to 5pm were largly just ok. The "rainforest" Tour was educational, but nota scenic. The beaches were nice but a lo very mucho alike. The "ABC" islands were intetesting but not with the extra travel time. The good in the main dining room was repetitive and not as good as I expected. The service provided by Nitin was excellent. Overall I'm glad I took theCruise, but I won't recommend the Celebrity Summit. Read Less

Read Less

Read Less

Read Less

Read Less

I chose this cruise because some friends had done it and invited us to join them the second time, we were a little apprehensive and unsure what really to expect, but let me say in just a few words... absolutely fantastic! Where to start ? ship was very large but not too big where you get lost. We had a stateroom balcony room which again was not large but was very clean and comfortable, it was nice to sit out on the balcony in the morning and evening, especially when coming into port. Dining, there are so many options, if you want formal there are a la carte or casual the buffet, all good food in every restaurant as we tried most, it was nice getting dressed up every night and being a little formal but not stuffy. There are shows every night with two showings around 7.00pm and 9.00pm, we see a couple which were very good. There are several bars, we tended to go the Martini bar to meet and go back after dinner, the service on all the ship is 5* i have to mention the staff at the martini bar were superb and very entertaining, one man who stood out was Nyoman Sutrisnawan who should get a special mention, another was Colin Samuel who served around the pool again he deserves a special mention, he went above and beyond just serving and his duties. Excursions were well organised and enjoyable and not too long so you could enjoy half the day doing your own things. I would recommend both a cruise on this ship and all the staff and facilities. One advice would be to get to know the ship early on the trip as there is lots you wouldnt know about if you just sit at one bar or the pool. Read Less

Read Less

Read Less

We used to cruise a lot with NCL, but over the past few years, we switched over to Celebrity. We've been on this ship several times. We love everything about it! We love the atmosphere and the food/restaurants! Abraham from Qsine is the best! If you want atmosphere and small bites served uniquely..this is the place to go! We always seem to over order! The French restaurant is amazing! The staff was wonderful. Feels very luxurious. Love that they have table side preparation for certain entrees. Food was delicious and I'm not a fan of French food usually. Sushi on 5 is nice for lunch. Obsessed with the Porch for sea food lunch. Lawn club grille is great. Love the party they do where you can help cook! Food is super yummy. Love the fact that there is grass! They recently installed a large movie screen outdoors. Saw the staff setting up for a movie night which included appetizers and blankets and cushions on the lawn. Bummed that you had to pay for it. You should have just had to sign up for it. My husband smokes cigars, and they are always friendly when it comes to allowing cigar smokers tp smoke outside with other smokers...unlike NCL. Bar staff is always friendly. We made friends with Putu who was amazing! Enjoyed hanging out in the wine bar as well. Staff there was great and always remembered our wine order! Normally the photographers are a little annoying, but AJ and the staff were great. Made it fun! The solarium is a nice place to take a nap before dinner! Our favorite ship ever, we will be back! Read Less

The Sushi on Five was the best of all! My mom and I ate there 3x. Blu & Qsine came in at a close 2nd and a tie. Luminae came in 3rd and Tuscan Grill was a definite NO! I enjoyed eating at the restaurants one because the Ocean View and Main Dining were NOT up to par; the choices didn't alter per night and basically we ate the same thing every meal, every day. I do not know if that is a ploy to get you to pay for the extra dining or not... but we did. You REALLY need to improve on the Main Dining and Ocean View! The staterooms were really nice and larger than I every thought! The Men and Women who worked on the cruise line where the best!!!The exiting process was nightmare'ish to say the least. Celebrity, stop nickel and diming every little thing. Read Less

We arrived in Florida the previous day to sailing, stayed at a hotel for the night and went to the port the next day. We had our luggage tags already via mail so they took our luggage and we went into the building to get through security and get our boarding passes. We were next in line when a man named Pedro was asking " Is anyone using a birth certificate or passport card to board?" We were so I raised my hand. He told us we needed to go to Miami to get a passport card and explained they were not accepting those forms to board the ship. He wrote down the passport offices address in Miami and told us that when we get there not to take a number, but to go to the counter and tell them you need a 1 hour passport and its for a ship that leaves at 4:00pm today. This was at 11:00am. 47 minutes and $72 later the cab dropped us off at the passport office. It was PACKED. We went right up the window like Pedro said and told them we needed a 1 hour passport for a ship leaving at 4 and the woman said they she'll see what they can do. Long story short for the passport office, we were the last ones to leave the office at 5:30pm.. ship leaving us for sure. We had friends onboard that told the crew members to keep our luggage in our room that we would be coming. We met 12 other people that were also rejected out of line for using a passport card/birth certificate as well. All 12 of us missed sailing time. We flew into Grand Caymans that night with the clothes we had out our back, a purse and his wallet and stayed in the cheapest hotel we could find which was a Holiday Inn for $196 a night. The ship was due to port 2 days later. On the 10th out of 6 scheduled ships that were supposed to port, only 1 did because of the winds. This made us worried. We rented a car and went to the port authority who sent us to Bodden shipping company, the local company that would be tendering the ship if it did port. They contacted the ship via email and explained that there was now 8 of us that were on the island and more to be coming the next day waiting to board. They replied with saying if the weather allows they would be coming to port as expected. The weather for the next day was supposed to be 5mph faster wind then it was the day the ships didn't port so we were losing faith. We were asked to be at the port at 6:30am when it opens so if they did hear anything they could let us know so we can make future plans. Our cell phones did not have service in the Caymans to communicate easily plus we had no phone chargers because they were in our luggage so when they died wifi did not help. We bought all our meals for those days with out spending money for excursions and trinkets. LUCKILY, the ship did come in on the 11th. We met with the Guest relations manager, who did not apologize for any inconveniences or anything along those lines. He just asked for our names and cabin numbers and wrote them down on his roster and moved on. We were checked into customs at 9:30 and tendered to the ship. They made us both a seapass and key card for out room and told us to pick up our passports when they notify us. We picked them up a few hours later with a letter saying on the last day we needed to be ready to leave the ship at 6:30am to be the first ones through customs. Once aboard the food was amazing. We were an Aqua Class suite which gave us complimentary dining at a restaurant named Blu. The food there was amazing. The wait staff was very friendly and remembered our names after a few days. The entertainment was lacking. If you aren't into the casino, shop sales, or fitness you might be lost with nothing to do. There was a main show nightly at 7 and 9pm, 2 of which we enjoyed. The crowd was 100% OLDER. Like over 60 older. We're probably as old as some of their great grandchildren. The buffet food was also great. Most of the foods did not change day to day and it was fully closed to switch over from 11am to 12 noon, 3-3:30, and then again from 5pm-6pm. We always seemed to hit it when it was closed or at full capacity. It was a game trying to find a seat. You had to send someone to find and hold your seats while the other person went for food. Good luck if you're a party of 3 or more. We did go on one excursion through the ship which turned out to be a huge mistake. This was in Cartagena Columbia. It was the Hop on Hop off with the choice of getting off at 14 points on the tour and catching another bud every half an hour. We recommend that you DO NOT GO ON THIS TOUR.. unless you want to be constantly hassled to buy sunglasses, purses, paintings, maracas, hats, anything and everything. We couldn't hear anything our tour guide said because these vendors were swarming and would not let us go. Afterwards we heard many of the older people say they bought something just so they would stop asking. We had enough about 10 minutes into that tour and decided to just walk back to the ship ourselves because it wasn't worth the harassment. If we hadn't done that we wouldn't have seen an outdoor animal exhibit they have at the port! It was amazing with peacocks and parrots out in the open iguanas and monkeys in the trees and just other animals running around. I recommend you check this out if you port in Cartagena Columbia. We did our own tour in Colon Panama. We got the price per person down to $20 from $35 to drive us to the Panama Canal. Do not let them overcharge you. Join with another couple if you have to just for the cab ride. We were a group of 4 on this tour. If you do not speak Spanish, I recommend you ask for a cab driver that at least speaks some English. We got to the canal took the tour, snapped pictures, and watched the video about the making and history of it. When we were finished, out driver brought us back to the ship. We tipped him $20 making our bill $100 for the 4 of us and he was more than thankful. We also did our own tour in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. We once again haggled our cab ride down to $20 a person with a $20 tip at the end. We chose to go to the Veragua Rainforest. The ticket for the tour we chose were $75 a person for the 'gondola' ride (pretty much an enclosed ski lift for 8 people) and the walk through exhibits with the frogs, butterflies, and spiders. We thought it was strange that on the tour they will show you which frogs are poisonous and in the next room you can walk through and actually see them out on a leaf about 3 feet away. That would never happen in America. There area also huge spiders in the dark transition rooms if you look and are lucky. I love bugs so I was looking but if you do not you might not be so happy. At our 2 day stop in Cozumel, Mexico we decided to do our shopping for t-shirts and such for family and friends. At a few of the shops they sell t-shirts for 7/$20. You should grab them! But make sure you are getting US sizes. There are 3 different sizes on the tag. If you are getting a pricier item, offer them something less and see if they accept. I wanted a dress that he was asking $40 by the time we left he said $20 take it or leave it, which we did because we noticed a hole and he was telling us a fake story about a poor woman making the dress in a village and its soft so her baby's face can touch it.. No. That evening, 4 us got a cab to Senor Frogs club. It was about 3 miles away and the cab ride was $8 (which was the minimum). It was a ghost town so one drink later we got a cab back. The second day in Mexico, we got a cab ($15) to Paradise Beach. It's a $3 fee to enter and sit on a chair, $18 to do everything which included snorkeling, paddle boarding, and inflatable obstacles. There was also a $10 minimum food purchase which you may as well get the food because you're going to get charged for it anyways. They do not supply towels so bring your own. $31 a person for all day plus whatever the cabs charge you. Totally worth it for us. Cab ride back was also $15. Our plumbing was down in our room for a 12+ hour period starting at 4am. It was automatically flushing once every hour somehow, but was terrible to go to midship to find a restroom in the middle of the night and also during the day. Our room's toilet had a constant urine odor when you used it as well. During the sea days, we exchanged mannyy calls with guest relations and they requested us to come to their office to discuss what has happened and to total our costs during the days we missed. We explained what happened, that we were very unhappy with the process and that we would not be cruising with Celebrity in the future. Our total came to ~$2200 including the flights, hotels, cabs, rental car, food etc. all of which we kept our receipts. Eventually we were given a $500 on board credit against our already $3000 bill and 2 $350 nontransferable future cruise credits that we will not be using and can't sell. On the last day we got an automatic wake up call at 5:15 am because we had to be in the group that did not get on board at the original port. We had to go through customs and walk our bags off at 6:30am. We didn't have time for breakfast or to relax or enjoy the pool for the last day. We did enjoy the food on the cruise, but we went to on vacation to get away from stress and involuntarily had to deal with it on the ship and trying to meet with the ship. The entertainment was ok.. but we would not recommend this to people from 18-40 who like having fun and need something to do. Read Less

I chose this cruise because it had an itinerary that included ports we had not yet visited, and having been a previous cruiser on RCL, Princess and Norwegian, we were interested to see how Celebrity stacked up. Well, I would say. The ship was clean and well organized. The staff were friendly and efficient. The food was good, although there were a few logistical issues: I felt that some of the dining room dishes perhaps had been waiting in the galley a little too long as the Caesar salad was not chilled, and the ice-cream came out one night almost soupy...perhaps they had scooped it into a hot bowl. Otherwise the meals were tasty and attractively prepared with adequate choices of quality offerings like Prime Rib, lobster, escargots, salmon, etc. The Buffet was well stocked including Indian and Thai dishes. The entertainment was good on the evenings we chose to go to the shows, and the smaller bands poolside and in the lobby were also good. The speakers were informative, educational and friendly. On the decks there were adequate pool chairs and ample towels and you were not constantly bothered by waiters trying to sell drinks. The shore excursion desk was trying hard but seemed to have problems that came from other sources..ie all the tours to swim with Stingrays in Caymans were cancelled, assumedly due to weather, so a lot of people were looking to be rebooked. A couple of the actual ports on this cruise were not good for walking around ie. Costa Rico, as it seemed very poor with no amenities for cruise ship passengers in the immediate area. The clients seemed to be mostly retired 50, 60 and 70 something age group, perhaps because it was longer than a week. We were most satisfied and would certainly cruise again with Celebrity. Read Less

THe ship was very well appointed. It was immaculate. Everywhere you go they were cleaning. I don't think that I ever saw a speck on any common areas. If you can opt for Aqua Class which allows you to eat at Blu do it. . It is civilized and the food quite good. We ate at Tuscan Grill twice, Murano twice and Silk Harvest once. I was not impressed with the latter and would save the money to eat there. Murano was excellent, and the service there top notch.Tuscan grill was also quite good. Every one of the staff was superb , they cater to your every need. I thought the shows were just average save for Tea Bake who was terrific. She paid tribute to to both Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston . Her rendition of I will Always Love You was as good as I have every heard. Lou Gazzara was also quite good especially when he sang Puccini's Nessum Dor . Be wary of the drink packages, they are not exactly what they advertise. I am not a drinker so I took a soda package and then found out it did not include bottle water so I had to upgrade to a higher package. Charging for water , come on Celebrity how cheap can you be. At dinner one night a photographer came into the room to take a picture . Intrusive, don't you think !!! The large buffet in the oceanview cafe was quite inclusive for breakfast and lunch . However, it was not that easy to find a seat . There are few places to eat lunch outside . There are a few tables outside the grill where they cook hot dogs and hamburgers with french fries. I tried it once and would not go back. The hot dogs were poor as was the cheese burgers . A prepared hamburger with a slab of American Cheese on top. WE went to Cartagena, where we lunched on grilled lobsters on an island, to Panama where we went through 3 locks on a ferry boat and Costa Rico where we went on an aerial tram over the rain forest, swam with the dolphins in Cozumel. All these excursions were highly rated. They get you off the boat for your excursions in a very professional manner. Overall an excellent ship and cruise and I would return. Read Less

First the positives.. Ship and cabin were immaculate and the constant cleaning bears that out. The crew is extremely friendly and when they meet your eye they smile and greet you which makes you feel wanted. Embarcation and discharge at the end of the trip are down to a science and waits are minimul due to fast moving lines and multiple agents. Finally the activities during sea days offer something for all tastes. They have also solved the age old problem of the "chaise hogs" who reserve early in the AM and never show up until late in the day not allowing guest who need the chairs to have access. Crew now removes towels and books if they see that they are unoccupied for several hours. Now the negatives. We have been sailing regularly with Celebrity since the day they were acquired by Royal and unfortunately have seen a constant drop in food quality. Obviously this is based on economics but now it is becoming obvious to the regular travelers with this cruise line. Number of menu items and choices are far less than in the past, size of portions have decreased. and the quality of the items is not the same. They actually had drumfish (which is a trash fish) as the fish choice one evening-rejected by two table members who tried as foul tasting. The buffet also has obvious cost cutting- the carvery station did not have beef or turkey but pork every day (less expensive) and the cold shrimp which used to be a staple on every lunch is no longer served. They have also eliminated the free sushi and ice cream at 5 pm every day. Entertainment with the prouction show was really poor, obscure original music with an over production of dance that had no discernable theme and I as well as many others walked out. Why not go back to revolving guest performers who had acts that the guests enjoyed rather than less expensive production shows using taped music background. Finally we went concierge class which is hardly worth it, except for early boarding. The promised snacks consisted of a lump of cheese, a single shrimp, and similar items that amounted to under three ounces of food. All served with no crackers to put the cheese or spreads on. When asked the steward came back with a package crackers like you get with a bowl of soup. The fresh fruit was two apples., no bananas or oranges or pears-which were available on the buffet so the ship had them. The free wine bottle which used to be in the state room upon arrival now required asking the steward to deliver, which a number of guests were unaware of so they never ordered. All in all, the cruise was enjoyable but please Celebrity raise your rates for a few bucks and go back to your old standards/ Read Less

I have previously traveled with Celebrity three times and all three were with the Century (which was recently sold to a Chinese company). The total time spent on the ship was over a month and I loved everything about this smaller boat. Now, over two years later, I decided to try another Celebrity cruise. After all, I'd enjoyed the previous ones so much. Unfortunately, I was left very, very flat by my cruise aboard the Silhouette--mostly because the quality of the food has slipped so very badly. The dinners looked great but often tasted awful....and this even included some of the food at the optional (and expensive) restaurants (we ordered two ribeyes at Tuscan and they both were flavorless). The buffet sucked and often had portions roped off--making the novel buffet idea more like an obstacle course. Also, the 24 hour room service is NOT 24 hour and the quality was the worst of any of the food options. Apart from the food the other serious problem was the noise. Although the average age of the cruisers appeared to be about 60-70, the ship was incredibly loud--with music blaring in the central portion of the ship--and making it impossible to relax in the coffee bar or martini bar on the decks above. And it wasn't just that the music was loud, it was also annoying--often with loud Eurobeat music which none of the older passengers would have enjoyed. So was there anything I really liked? Yes. Ther service was still exceptional. So, while dinners and loud music annoyed me, it was hard to hate the trip because the crew was well trained and attentive. Read Less

My first time cruising and I had no idea what to expect. Firstly the size of the ship amazed me. My cabin was far larger than I thought possible. I was on the 6th deck with balcony and it was more than adequate. Robert kept my room spotless and got me out of trouble on more than one occasion when my cabin key would not work. Although the ship was full I never felt crowded in and there was plenty of space to lounge, no shortage of sun beds, chairs etc. We went to the main theatre each night and enjoyed the shows, and, last of the big spenders, spent $5 on some evenings in the casino. Plenty of different Bars, Library, swimming pools, whirlpools, jacuzzis etc, etc. We ate in either the Ocean View restaurant, buffet with plenty of choice or the Silhouette restaurant where we were looked after by Sampson, Ni, Desi and Jennifer and others all of whom were more than able and gave us every attention All had a good sense of humour so mealtimes were very enjoyable. The meals were excellent, very well cooked and presented. Could not fault the service wherever we went. One of our party had to use the medical facilities with no problems. Getting on and off the ship at the various ports was quick, no queuing, straight on and off with no hassle. Bags had to be scanned when we came back on board but this did not delay boarding. My only gripe would be the cost of wifi and though it was nice to go wifi-free for a while I was not able to Skype my family abroad on Christmas Day as even data roaming on our mobile phones was blocked. Read Less

Read Less

We chose this cruise for price (they had a terrific "two for one sale" on Concierge Class) - and for destination of St Kitts and San Juan. We were not very interested in St Thomas or St Martin. We had tow previous Cruises on Celebrity (Equinox and Solstice) which we LOVED. ST Kitts is our favorite island and we cant' understand why the ship does not dock until 6:00 p.m. - a 4:30 call is too early. The public areas including the spa and Solarium blasted loud, cheesy music , and the theme for the crew seemed to be "Sell, Sell, Sell". The dinner menu and cuisine the first six nights was exceedingly lackluster. Then, they pulled out all the stops for their Christmas Eve and Christmas Day menus...offering all of our favorites at once. Why not spread out the appealing items over the 8 nights? To the credit of the very hard working chefs, the buffet on Christmas Day at lunch was spectacular...but the lines were very, very long at the carving station. The desserts were over the top in presentation. The breads at breakfast and lunch were superb- not so much at dinner in the dining room - when the rolls seemed too hard often. We arrived an hour late in San Juan because of rough seas, so the Captain extended the time. Btu is was frustrated to not have daylight for sightseeing in the beautiful Old City. I got a good bargain on a ring in St Thomas, and we had a lovely cab driver name Jai in St Martin. He took us north up to Loterie Farm where I swam and we enjoyed a delicious lunch. The cabin was very good with a super-comfy bed. I had to request feather free pillow and our steward gave us lots of extra. The balcony was a good size.There was adequate storage space. My only complaint about the room is that the refrigerator never got cold. I had two overpriced spa treatments during this cruise and neither masseuse was especially good, and one really bullied me trying to get me to purchase product. I did not give in, thank goodness. Compared to the other ships, we did not care for the Silhouette and would not book on it again. It seemed several steps down from the Equinox and Solstice in overall quality of service, and friendliness. We obtained a great sale price for this cruise, so I almost feel that I should not be so critical. But I certainly do not see enough of an advantage for Concierge Class vs. a regular veranda cabin. P.S. I lost a valuable earring in the Cabin and it was not found, Read Less

Read Less

This was my husband's first ocean cruise, and by the afternoon of embarkation day he said, "we HAVE to do another cruise soon!". I think he's hooked! A little background info: My husband is 55 and I am 46. Our children are grown and out of the house, but we both work full-time outside of the home. About once/year we take a long vacation like this one, usually alternating every other year between an active vacation (bicycle ride across a state), and a more relaxing vacation (lying on a beach somewhere). I have only taken one other ocean cruise, and last year we took a river cruise (bike to barge tour) on the Danube together. For this cruise, embarkation was a breeze...of course we couldn't sleep the night before so got up and arrived super-early to Port Everglades, pier 18. That place is a well-oiled machine. We were on board with the complimentary champagne in hand by 11:45am. After a quick trip around the ship to orient ourselves we found a spot in the Oceanview Bar for drink #2 and some lunch. There was a lot of pressure from the wait/bar staff to upgrade drink packages (always a big push for that day 1 & 2), but once they learned we had the premium package (yes, it's worth every penny!), they didn't ask again. The service was flawless that day and remained so the entire cruise. Cabins were opened for use by around 2pm, so we went for a look. Our cabin was spacious, had plenty of room for storage, & was spotlessly clean. Muhammed, our cabin attendant, learned our schedule by the second day. He kept our room refreshed and provided fresh ice each afternoon, per our request. Pre-cruise we had purchased a dining package to be able to try 3 of the specialty restaurants on board, and our first reservations were for embarkation evening. Because I have taken other cruises in which the food quality was not particularly great, I was very much looking forward to the dining aboard the Equinox. We dined at Silk Harvest that first evening, Tuscan Grill 4 days later, and Murano two days after that. All provided unique dining experiences that we will never forget! Service was exceptional, the food was creative and delicious. The Main Dining Room certainly wasn't a shabby affair, with the two-story wine vault and gourmet fare! Each evening the menu offered remarkable options, and our waitstaff/sommelier were exemplary. We also had the pleasure of trying the new Sushi on 5, which was delightfully surprising! We both love sushi, which did not disappoint, but what we most enjoyed was the ability to try different kinds of sake that we hadn't before because many available were included in the premium drink package. If you dine there, you should also try the table-side wasabi prep--fascinating! As for the entertainment, we went to several of the evening shows, which were all quite good. We also attended a couple of the Beyond the Podium speaker seminars, which we enjoyed. Although we did participate in the daily lotto, we are not big gamblers so did not use the casino at all, so we can't speak to that. Of special note were the cruise director, Damian, and activities director, Justin. They were both wonderfully entertaining--we actually looked forward to their informational show on TV each morning which would describe the activity lineup for the day! This was the 10-night Ultimate Caribbean, so our ports of call were: St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Barbados, and St. Maarten. In St. Thomas we opted for a ship-sponsored excursion, and honestly this is the one that was most disappointing. The excursion was billed as a combo sight-seeing/beach time trip, but after we were dropped off at the beach we were expected to find our own way back to the ship! So in addition to paying more for the excursion (as you usually do when you book through the ship), we were forced to pay additional money to hire a taxi. Unacceptable. On the other islands we either did our own thing (as in Barbados), or we booked an independent tour, and those experiences were all good. On St. Kitts we took the Grand Tour of St. Kitts with Thenford Grey Tours--there aren't enough good things to say about this--he was a knowledgeable, personable guide. That experience was worth more than we paid. In St. Maarten (we had an overnight in that port), we took a Local Food and Rum Tour, which was also very good. All of the ports felt safe and were clean. Overall, our experiences on this cruise were extraordinary! Read Less

Eastern & Western Caribbean (B2B) December 2016 As a veteran cruiser, of 22 Cruises total, I must say this cruise (B2B) left me feeling empty. Yes, it beat working or being home in the harsh realities of winter, and any time on a cruise ship is a good time. I can only give the Silhouette Three Stars, and wish I had better researched the ship prior to booking my B2B. But most of my critical thoughts are based around the food or dining options.... The Good: Our cabin, 9358 and cabin steward, Marcos, were Excellent! I have nothing but high marks for him. We never wanted for anything. A mere mention of a thought or idea, and it happened! He gave us the space when needed, serviced our room when it worked for us; as it should be. We tipped him accordingly. Lawn Club Grill, for lunch, #1 We tried it during the first of the B2B and found it to be quite good; $10 per person charge. The Cookie for desert alone was worth it! Great Concept! The Bad: We booked a Concierge room and found the cabin space to be less than expected.... not less in square footage, so to speak, but it seemed as if there are less cubby holes or shelf space to stick the little things you need a place for. So as another reviewer had already mentioned, doing a B2B in this cabin was tight & cozy. We made it work, being very disciplined in putting things where they needed to go, etc. Lawn Club Grill, for lunch, #2 We went there a second time during the first cruise and found it to be quite disorganized. Service was fair at best, but the time for the meal was double of what it should have been. The Chef's / Cooks were even arguing among themselves and the burger took too long.... $10 service charge. With a hope to repeat our first experience (in the good section, above) we went a third time to the Lawn Club Grill, #3. Made reservations beforehand. Arrived a few minutes prior to our reserved time. Waited. and waited, behind another couple. The wait for seating, at the entrance was over 8 minutes; for a Specialty Restaurant, with Reservations! Upon being escorted to a table, another wait started. 5-10 minutes before anyone noticed us enough to give us water. Actually, No One had noticed us, and I had managed to flag down the hostess that had escorted us to our table, and pointed out that 10 minutes later, we had not even been acknowledged or offered water. It was clear they were overwhelmed with the crowd. However I dispute that, as when I made my reservation, they said "all we have open is 1:00" which I accepted. So based on reservations, they knew they were going to be busy. Finally, it appeared as if additional staff appeared. A manager looking person saw the look on my face and came over to ask why I was looking so frustrated. I explained what had happened thus far, to which she listened and apologized. Burgers arrived soon afterwards..... and the desert cookie seconds after our burger boards had been cleared. So it seems to have made a difference? Service Charge $15 / per person! Not sure where I missed seeing the increase, but for lunch approaching not worth it. Select Dining We too received the letter 'suggesting' that for Select we come at this time or that time? What? Isn't the whole concept of Select Dining to come when you want to? Not when it's convenient for the Dining Room? Regardless of when we went to the Dining room, the Select Dining Hostess always seemed overwhelmed. We came one night, she was in panic mode as it was busy; were told it would be 20 minutes, and given a pager to wait. Another night, no line, but she still appeared frazzled and had to find someone to escort us to a table. So after considering most meals to be 'ok' we ended up using the Oceanview Cafe for many meals. Very peaceful and you pretty much had the place to your self. I spoke to another passenger, that said they had excellent service when they had sailed on the Silhouette over a year ago. But they had noticed a decline in service (and manpower) from a year ago, to this cruise. They were told that the Cabin stewards used to handle 25 cabins, with a helper. Helpers are no more, so the cabin number has been reduced. However as I mentioned above, our Cabin Steward was awesome -- but it cause me to pause: If there really have been staff reductions in Housekeeping, can I assume the same happened in other departments? For example Dining, which could explain some of my thoughts surrounding Select Dining or the Lawn Club Grill? Final Thoughts: I found this ship to be beautiful, but not very well run. All the public areas were clean and well maintained; We arrived at each port at exactly or later than the schedule time (don't most RCL ships arrive before the scheduled time?) Officers are very visible and very approachable! Also too much energy is spent trying to sell you something / anything while you're on board. Watches, Jewelry, future cruises, etc... The Shows were good, and we too loved the December63 group (saw them twice); loved all the comedians - Rich and Luigi both did an Excellent job. I also thought Patrick, that ran most of the Games, did a great job. I can easily see him as a Cruise Director someday soon. Tender service was a pain in Grand Cayman, but what tender process isn't? Despite everything above, I will most likely book another Celebrity Cruise -- just not on the Silhouette Read Less

We just came back from Equinox cruise to the Caribbean. Here are our impressions. Overall it was a great cruise. The ship is nice (not remarkable, but nice). The service overall was good, but it felt like most of the people just came to work. I did not feel that any of them went the extra mile beyond what was required from them. We also were missing the "WOW" factor of RCI. Cabin was nice. We were upgraded to veranda room which was nice, but e spent very little time in the room, so it didn't really matter. The cabin had good closet room, the shower was decent size and was very clean. No complains here. Entertainment was great. Most evening shows were very high quality. Also a lot of activities during the day. Food in the buffet was slightly above average. Same selection every day and not very inspiring. Dinners in the MDR were not consistent. Some dishes were really great, some below average. I realize that it's almost 3,000 dishes, but I expected more from Celebrity in this department. We had dinner in specialty restaurants twice (Murano and Tuscan) and both were fantastic. We were offered nice discounts on both, I think that their full pricing of $45-50 is grossly overpriced. Excursions were nice, but severely overpriced. They take advantage of the fact that some of the countries visited are not very safe, so people hesitate to take excursions independently. Just one example: they asked $59 pps for ride to a beach on Caymans, which did not even include the chairs. Taxi to the same beach costs $10-15 each direction. Internet connection was terrible. I paid almost $300 to get speed of 0.20 MBs. I felt this is false advertising. Details here - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2430025 Overall great ship, but some improvements are required, especially in food. Read Less

I have done this cruise several times over the past five years. I would have always rated this cruise in the A to A+ category - this cruise however merits a B- and I am being generous. The embarkation process was the worst nightmare I have ever experienced and I have done over 30 cruises. The terminal was packed, and no one was moving to get on the ship for hours. Announcements in respect of boarding the ship were made, but by a staff member who had a very heavy accent and no one could understand him. I was asked to complete a comment card in the middle of the cruise, and I dealt specifically with this issue, and received no responses whatsoever from Celebrity. Thus, the cruise began badly. The overall appearance of the ship is beginning to deteriorate. Wear and tear was readily apparent in the pool area and in public large rooms. Both pool floors on the main deck are in great need of painting and look terrible. Captain Leo, the Master of the Vessel, is outstanding and has a great sense of humour. He is very approachable. Simona is in charge of Guest Relations and I must say that I was really impressed with her and her staff. Very professional and very helpful. The food in the Buffet on the 14th floor was exceptional. The food in the main dining room was a huge disappointment. I returned 3 meals during the cruise, put up with cold or lukewarm soups/entrees on a number of occasions and often the food was completely tasteless. Huge change from the past. The menu needs a complete overhaul. Entertainment was also a disappointment. It started off really badly with 3 Canadian singers (I too am Canadian and was embarrassed) and the productions were the same as last year. The casts were changed, and the singers are not nearly as good as they were last year. The magician was a joke, Savannah Smith shouted her performance. On the other hand Lou Gazzara was first class and a real performer, he was absolutely loved by the audience. In addition, he is a super guy and very friendly. Its always the same re activities on Celebrity - never changes. They need to come up with some new ideas and implement them. Ports of call were outstanding. Morale amongst ship staff seems to have also deteriorated. Two members told me this as well and that Celebrity was making efforts to improve it with staff BBQs etc which is good. I am looking elsewhere now to spend my cruise dollars. Will give Celebrity one more chance to get that A to A+ rating they so much merited in the past... Read Less