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Celebrity Summit

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Love Those Days At Sea

Kona (Kailua Bay)

Due to COVID I had to cancel a long Celebrity cruise and had cruise credit to use up.

As my wife cannot fly, we pick ports in driving range.  So, Bermuda here we come.  A lovely Island.

The wheelchair support on and off ship was excellent.  Great embarkation and disembarkation teams.

Welcome lunch in main dining room was disappointing.  Wife's salmon was nearly jerky, and the room setup was nearly impossible for her walker.  We at the bulk of our meals deck 10 Buffet.  GREAT STAFF, super kind and helpful.  Tables far better for walkers and wheelchair folks.  The Grill on 10 did some of the best salmon, small steaks and porkchops I've eaten.  Food excellent all around.

Our specialty meal was Tuscan Grill, excellent all around, very recommended.

Summit was tired.  Worn carpets, furniture, main midships elevator was under constant repairs so at best 50% capacity, air conditioning was spotty and aside from the main public areas and deck 10 buffet sometimes the steamy heat overpowered it.  Main elevator buttons were so beat up that several eyesight impaired passengers asked me many times IF their button was pushed.

The APP was great WHEN THE Wi-Fi was working.  Was a running joke between the passengers if they were bumped off the ships wi-fi again.  Most of the time the wi-fi worked but rebooting three times in a week as well as several times a day momentary wait until reconnected wasn't great.

Public toilets were clean and nice but more than a few had ship repairs to the door handles and my wife's experiences with "Handicapped accessible" toilets was mixed.  You shouldn't have to have an able-bodied husband to open the doors for his wife.

My room was nice but was unable to find a handicapped room even with 18 months ahead search.  Wife did OK with the bathroom.  The room steward was OUTSTANDING, going well above to take care of things for us.  The room AC also struggled during the hot steamy Bermuda nights.

I'll not do the Summit again until it's redone back to Celebrity standards.

Great Crew, tired ship

We cruised on the Summit in December 2022 and fell in love with the ship. We liked the smaller size, the food was delicious, and the service was top-notch. When we saw she had a sailing to Bermuda in July 2023, we couldn't resist. We wish we had resisted and had chosen a different cruise line. 

First of all, the good: 

~Embarkation was the easiest of any port we have ever been to. It was fast and efficient and we were on the ship within moments of our assigned boarding time with no muss, no fuss

~We had one of the "sweet sixteen" cabins located on the forward part of the ship and with a bigger balcony. The location was perfect and we found the interior of the cabin comfortable, clean, roomy, and with perfectly cold air conditioning 

~The buffet had plenty of options whether it be a cheat meal or a healthy meal. We noticed the addition of a "kid's corner" that offered the usual: hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken nuggets 

~Our special meal in the Tuscan Grill was worth every penny and was as delicious as we had remembered from 7 months ago

~This ship offers Pimm's liqueur, my favorite, and that's hard to find 

~Our cabin steward was all but invisible, but he kept the ice bucket full, the towels replenished, and the bed made so nicely 

~Bermuda is gorgeous and the iced washcloths were so welcome after a hot and humid day spent exploring the island 

~Almost every single crew member was friendly and would smile and have a kind word as we passed 

Now for the bad: 

~We found a pill (medication) under our bed from a previous occupant and were so thankful to have not had children with us on this sailing 

~The veranda was in dire need of cleaning. Drippings of rust down the partition walls, filthy chairs, floor covered in paint overspray, we felt as if we needed a shower after being out there. As a side note, someone was smoking on their balcony and we didn't know from where, so we didn't report it; however, the smell was unbearable at times 

~There was no enforcing the rules regarding acceptable clothing in the buffet. Two women wandered in barefoot in dripping wet suits to get dessert, barefoot toddlers were running from post to post and screaming. We understand toddlers scream, but the parents did nothing and seemed not to notice. The crew members just paused with their heavy trays of soiled dishes to let the children run past

~I had preordered slippers to have in the cabin upon our arrival. For $8.99 I would not have to pack my own and could leave these behind. Day 1 there were no slippers and I let it pass. On the morning of Day 2 we went to Guest Relations regarding that issue, as well as an issue with a $100 credit being applied to our account on this date, and a problem with a Free Play credit. Staff could not be less enthused with our three issues and I'm not sure why the company has one particular crew member working with the public. Regarding the slippers, she said she would let Housekeeping know and that we should have them later in the day. Regarding the mystery credit, she told us it came from our travel agent. That's great, but we booked directly through Celebrity and did not use the services of an agent. She couldn't, or wouldn't, explain the mysterious credit. I later found out that our son and daughter-in-law sent the credit as a gift (with a sweet note that we never received). Finally, I had ordered Free Play credits prior to the cruise and there was a technical issue on the website. Customer Service gave me an IT Ticket Number, but the issue was not resolved prior to boarding. Guest Services told me to check with the Casino directly. We did, and the Casino Manager would not honor the credit despite it being a Celebrity issue and despite my verification of the problem being on their end. 

~I called Guest Services at midnight to inquire about the slippers and to explain it was now Day 3 and I wanted a refund. He said there were no notes in their system from the person I spoke with earlier (I'm not surprised), but he would speak with her in the morning. After returning from lunch on Day 3, there were two pairs of slippers and some chocolate-covered strawberries with an apology from Guest Services. I called to thank them for the strawberries and to let them know I only paid for one pair and they gave me two. I was told I didn’t pay for any and to check my credit card billing statement because the preorder never went through. Luckily, I had printed my confirmation email from Celebrity showing the date purchased, order number, and credit card used. I took this email to Guest Services so they could see I wasn’t trying to steal their slippers

~Deck 4 is my favorite place to relax and read on sea days. However, chairs were so limited and I can’t imagine why. There were two loungers on the starboard side and fourteen on the port side and these were usually being saved as they had personal belongings on them

~Finally, I met the Executive Chef and told him I was craving the butternut squash soup I had previously enjoyed onboard. He took down my information and promised to send the recipe to my cabin. This never happened

I realize none of these things are earth-shattering. I mean, the slippers were nine bucks! I just feel like service has declined so steadily in the real world and we were looking forward to our escape from reality on this cruise. Still, we have happy memories of time spent together and of the beautiful port that is Bermuda.

Disappointing Decline

This was our fourth cruise on the Summit, of which three have been one week cruises roundtrip from Bayonne to Bermuda. We are Celebrity regulars, with multiple trips on Solstice-class ships and a recent cruise on the Beyond. Other than the Summit, we have not cruised on the other Millennium-class ships, mainly because we prefer the space and amenities of the larger ships. But we wanted a quick get-away during a hectic summer, and this cruise made sense. And we did have a good time, although not as good as the same cruise last year. 

First, the "pros": Celebrity staff were very good to excellent, from the easy embarkation process to a quick departure. Friendly, courteous, helpful. Lenard, our stateroom attendant, was exceptional, responding promptly to every request and calling us by name. Our stateroom (Aqua class) was spotless; the bed was very comfortable. Similarly, we had excellent staff service in Blu. The entertainment was better than expected, especially the Celebrity singers and dancers (the orchestra was great, as it usually is) and the soloist Jen Maldonado who appeared toward the end of the cruise. The Future Cruises staff were helpful, as were servers in the Martini Bar and Rendezvous Lounge, where we enjoyed listening the guitarist-singer Roberta. The food on offer in the Seaview was varied, tasty, and fresh. And Cafe al Bacio continued to be a welcome and delightful place for excellent tea and coffee breaks. The captain and senior staff were engaging and approachable. 

Now, the "cons": The Summit was renovated -- "edgified" -- several years ago, which certainly improved the staterooms over our first Summit cruise in 2014. The bathroom is much nicer, especially the shower, but there is no getting around the fact that space is limited. That is most obvious in the shower (some folks told us it was nearly impossible to move after wedging themselves into the shower). My wife and I are not large but even we still felt a bit claustrophobic in the shower. Next, there are signs that the ship is aging: rust on parts of our balcony, stains on the carpet, and -- in our case-- a sliding balcony door that did not slide at all easily (once we complained, two repairmen appeared within a few hours, which we appreciated, and the door did open and shut better). One day it seemed that the ship's air conditioning was not functioning well, and some areas became uncomfortably warm. And a silly nitpick but perhaps illustrative of cost-cutting: after the first night, there were no little chocolates left on the pillow. Third, the menu in Blu seemed to have changed very little and as a result felt a bit tired. Portions seemed smaller, too (e.g., one scallop for an appetizer when in the past there were two). The quality and preparation of lamb, veal, and the filet mignon was good to very good, but the ribeye steak was thin, poorly grilled, and unimpressive. Seafood and items from the "clean" menu seemed to do better. Other folks we met who were Celebrity regulars had complaints about the food in the Cosmopolitan main dining room being disappointing. Finally, one reason we like Aqua class is the Persian Garden, which on the Summit is small and seemed outdated compared to the Solstice and Edge class ships. 

We are booked on Caribbean cruises on the Beyond (an absolutely terrific ship) in 2024 and 2025. Perhaps our reaction to the Summit was due in part to cruising on the Beyond last fall.

The Summit is a bit lower than it was

Room service: 5/5

Stateroom attendant provided awesome job. He tidied up the room twice a day. He was polite and friendly.

Oceanview Cafe: 2.5/5

Food choices were fewer. There were 4 permanent stations offering the same exact basic food daily, namely Pasta, Stir fry, Salad, Pasta and Mexican. Only 2 stations offered different verities, namely Indian and there was daily feature.

Dessert were okay but could have been better. Presentation of food was okay but not great.  

Entertainment: 3/5

A lot of entertainments were tailored for senior citizens, which made sense as most of the guests were them. Celebrity theater shows were generally good.

Ship features/ambience: 2.5/5

The ship is over 20 years old. So, obviously the look and feel were as such although I heard there was complete renovation in 2019. Most part of the ship, for some reason, smelled like cigarette smoke but I got used to it after couple of days.

Price point: 3/5

We opted for this cruise as it was cheaper compare to other options available at the time of our booking but given the mediocre  offering, I felt that the price was not a deal per se.

Great Room Service. Older Ship. Fewer Food Options. Not Much Fun Events For Youth. Not Worth If Budget is Too Big

This is my review of our July 9th sailing on the Celebrity Summit to Bermuda.  This was my family’s first time sailing with Celebrity, though in the past we’ve sailed with RC, NCL, and Carnival.  My wife and I celebrated our 25th Anniversary while onboard.  Hopefully this might help someone decide on Celebrity, the Summit, or the Bermuda itinerary.  I tried to break the review into categories, but some overlap, and I certainly won’t have the fortitude to cover absolutely everything.

Ship

The Summit was great!  The interior of the ship felt modern and spacious, not at all indicative of it’s age.  I understand it was refurbished within the past several years – Celebrity did a great job with this!  Our last cruise, several years ago, was on an RC mega ship.  The Summit is noticeably smaller, which felt like a positive change.  It didn’t take forever to get from A to B, didn’t feel as crowded, and having less ‘can’t miss activities’ made the entire trip feel less hectic.  We warned our teenagers that they should bring a book to read because there won’t be Wave Riders, climbing walls, slides, zip lines, etc.  In the end they didn’t read much because the basic internet service included with the room was good enough for them to play their favorite cell phone games.   I only noticed a short lag if I was pulling up an online photo album and the pictures would load one at a time instead of all at once.  This was much better than I was expecting it to be.  We were also able to text each other fairly reliably while onboard. 

While the pool area didn’t feel overly crowded, it was usually hard to find a lounge chair or table in the main pool area or Solarium by the time we got there.  We aren’t early risers!  I do have to mention the ‘bubble loungers’ in the Solarium pool.  I don’t know what these are really called, but it is a series of parallel metal tubes arranged so that they roughly make the shape of a really wide lounge chair with room for 5-6 people on each side of the pool.  You sit on these, kinda half in and half out of the water, and there are bubbles shooting up from below the tubes.  This was super relaxing and our favorite part of the pool deck.

Crew

The crew of Summit significantly enhanced our enjoyment of this trip.  The captain was engaging, the cruise director was entertaining, and everyone else was smiling and happy to help with whatever we needed.  The staff in Blu really personalized the service and made us feel special, especially on the evening of our anniversary.  My only complaint would be that occasionally some of the bartenders seemed to not know what they had available.  I’m a craft beer guy and they often didn’t have the beer listed on their bar menu and little knowledge of what might be on hand outside of the mass-produced Bud/Miller/Coors/Corona products.  Kudos to the staff that didn’t know, but took the time to have a look and see what they could offer me in the craft beer range of products.  They often had craft beers not listed on their menu, or any of the bar menus for that matter.  Other than this relatively minor issue, the entire crew was spectacular.

Room

My family was in connecting Aqua Class staterooms, which were spotless. We have two teenage sons, so squeezing into one stateroom probably would have been a bit uncomfortable, but the connecting rooms gave us plenty of space.  We were in rooms in the aft-ish area.  This location provided very convenient access to dining.  Being right around the corner from the aft elevators and stairs, we could walk up one flight directly into the buffet or down to floor 5 and be right outside of Blu.  Being under the buffet, there were only a few times during the cruise that I noticed noise from above, and even then it was a single instance, not an ongoing issue.  Our stateroom attendant(?),  Lenard, was great -> always a smile and hello when he saw us and if we were coming down the hall with our hands full he would open our door for us with his key card.  He even made some towel swans with rose petals on the evening of our anniversary. 

One of the benefits of staying in Aqua class is access to the Asian Gardens.  This included a steam room, sauna, and salt therapy room, as well as a ‘waterfall shower’ and heated bench in the main area.  If you like steam rooms and saunas you’ll probably like this too.  We did this once and it was okay, but for me it wasn’t something I’d prioritize visiting.

Food 

The food onboard was excellent!  We ate in Blu most evenings and while the main dining menu was available, we only ordered a few items off of it during the course of the week.  There were a few times we had to wait for a table depending on when we showed up, anywhere from 10-20 minutes.  This wasn’t an issue because they provided a beeper for when a table was ready and Cellar Masters was right around the corner, so we all went there and had a pre-dinner drink while we waited.  One evening, after a bit of a wait, I was concerned we were going to miss the show.  We let our waiter know that we were hoping to make it to the show and he took our orders and expedited our starters.  As soon as we finished the starters, he had the main courses ready to deliver.  We didn’t have time for dessert, but he took our orders and said he would have it sent to our staterooms, where it was waiting for us after the show!  Our sommelier, Reagan, was fantastic!  We don’t have a ‘usual’ drink, so he seemed to enjoy concocting fruity non-alcoholic beverages for my teens, and finding my wife and I something delicious to drink with our meal.  I’m more of a craft beer guy than a wine drinker and he managed to find me a beer that I didn’t even know was available…not on any of the bar menus.  We really enjoyed his smile and service!

Our final dinner was in Le Petit Chef.  The food here was also very good, but the show on the tabletop is the real reason to eat here.  The menu is limited to one set course that goes along with the animation and another set of backup options (you can mix and match between the 2 sets).  After having experienced the novelty once, I don’t see myself choosing this over Blu…though I thought it was definitely worth it the first time around.

My one complaint about ‘food’ isn’t really the food itself, but the opening times of Blu and the MDR.  Breakfast ends at 9am in these venues.  As mentioned above, my family are not early risers, so to get seated at Blu before 9am was usually a struggle.  Since they don’t serve lunch in Blu it would have been nice to have breakfast served a little later.

Shows

I thought the shows were hit or miss (which of course is subjective!).  The comedian was very funny, both during his normal set and the late-night ‘adult only’ set.  The ‘adult only’ set didn’t seem to be policed for children (I’m not complaining, only noting this in case it’s pertinent to future cruisers).  The magician was a good change of pace, but did a bit too much close up magic that we had to watch by it being broadcast on a big screen.  The singing/dancing shows, to me, were ho-hum.  The house musicians, singers, and dancers are clearly talented, but they aren’t given great material to perform.  For example, there was a Soundtrack show that I assumed was to be music from movies.  While there was a James Bond theme medley and Somewhere Over the Rainbow (plus probably others that I didn’t recognize), there were other pop hits from the past decade thrown in for no apparent rhyme or reason.  And a lot of the more upbeat music seemed to be toned down a bit.  It was enough to hold my attention for 45 minutes or so but was pretty meh.  It would be nice if they could weave a story or theme through the entire show, so it isn’t just a string of disconnected performances.

Bermuda

The island of Bermuda was beautiful and the people there were friendly and welcoming.  Of any cruise port we’ve ever visited, this is the island my entire family would love to come back to.  On our first day we took the ‘shipwreck snorkel’ excursion booked pre-cruise through Celebrity.  Unfortunately, it was too windy to complete the trip as planned, but we were able to take a glass bottom boat over the shipwreck and then snorkel in a more protected area.  Overall, a good experience.  In the afternoon we had lunch at the Frog & Onion pub and played minigolf at the port.  The minigolf course there is very well done.  We visited Harbor Nights in the evening, taking the Hamilton ferry there and back.  It was a nice evening out, but I wouldn’t consider it a can’t miss activity.  I will say that the vendors were much better than some at other cruise ports.  They were not pushy at all and pretty much stayed in their stall and waited until we needed help.  The 2nd day we took the Hidden Gems tour which we booked on our own.  This was also a great tour – cave exploring, cliff jumping, lunch and snorkeling.  Our tour guide was very entertaining.  The final day we did some shopping at the port and took a taxi to Horseshoe Bay and back.  We only had about an hour to enjoy the beach, but it was very enjoyable and had decent snorkeling too. 

I HIGHLY recommend this ship and itinerary.  As a matter of fact, I told my wife I’d happily cruise this same ship and itinerary again. Based on our experience we’d definitely sail with Celebrity again in the future!

Celebrity Summit to Bermuda

We stayed in Manhattan for three nights prior to boarding the cruise.  I found it difficult to find information on how to best get to the port, but definitely have a car service get you there.  This was the fastest boarding we have had in 21 cruises, which was a really nice start to the cruise. Once on board we went to our room to drop off our carry on luggage, our room keys were on the door.  Since we were in concierge we went to the main dining room for our lunch which was lovely, you avoid the busy buffet on the first day.  

We had a very nice cruise, that being said this was our first time on a smaller Celebrity ship, we have done a few of the Solstice size ships and we've decide we much prefer that size.

Overall the food in the main dining room was good, we went to the Ocenview Cafe for breakfast and lunch and the buffet is spread out over the whole room, so you need to walk around the whole thing to see what they have.  We haven't seen this type of layout on any other boat and not sure we like it.

Make sure that you go to the buffet for lunch on the last sea day.  We were very impressed with the shrimp platters that they had and the seafood bake.  That day they also had roasted turkey and beef and a whole bunch of other things.

It was a really good lunch.

Nu image the main band that played at the pool was fantastic, the lady singer has an amazing voice.  The keyboard player also has a great voice.   

We did not like the pool area, too much metal no greenery.   Not enough loungers or tables and chairs.   This was one of the least favorite pool areas of all the cruises that we have been on.  We did love the movie area at the back of the ship, that had sofas with thick pads, they ran movies here during the day and night.

Entertainment was a hit and miss, we really like the lady singer from New York, the celebrity singers.  On our sailing we only had one main show and we saw the same show on another boat within the last six months so that was a little disappointing.  We didn't like the juggler and the comedian was ok.

The Captains Club  welcome event was the lamest we have been to. They had officers welcome you.   They had music for maybe 20 minutes.  Came around to our area for drinks once and once for appetizers.   Everything was done before half an hour was up.  Very sad event.  The complete opposite of our experience on the Equinox in January.  Which was a really nicely done event.  

As part of our concierge perks we were invited to the helipad for the sail around the statue of liberty.  That was pretty cool, fun event, make sure you have closed toe shoes.   I brought running shoes just for this purpose.  We also attended a back stage tour of the theatre which was interesting.   They also did an event in the sky lounge on the last sea day, they had drinks, band and a raffle draw.  It was nice but very short, less than half an hour.   Also on Departure day, you can wait in the Tuscan Grill, but it was out of the way and they just had coffee and some  small croissants, no plates.  I wouldn't bother doing that again.    Also, every afternoon they bring little appetizers, some are pretty strange, so could skip this all together.   Would we book concierge again, only if it is nominally more than a balcony, I would not pay a huge premium.

We really like that the Summit allowed us to stay in Bermuda for three days, we found that it allowed us to really see the whole island.  For transportation, we used the ferries and buses and shuttles to the beach.  If you are going into Hamilton for Harbour night, take the ferry over, so easy and inexpensive.

Disembarkation was easy and quick.  We had a flight out of Newark, and thought we would take a shared shuttle to the airport.   We found out most people drive and park at the terminal,  we waited for about a half hour for more people to show but no one came, so we took a taxi to Newark for $75.

Good Cruise

This is going to be an exhaustive review with what would seem to be primarily pointing out the negatives, but overall, we did enjoy our first Celebrity cruise with Summit.  For those that have never sailed this ship or with the company itself, I am going to provide as many helpful viewpoints as I can.

To begin with, I am an experienced cruiser.  Have done many cruises with Royal Caribbean and Princess during the early to mid-2000s.  

My girlfriend and I were interested in doing a cruise and I have always been interested in the Celebrity brand because it's supposed to be the "premium" tier in the Royal Caribbean lineup.  This is the same comparison that Holland America is to Princess.

However, after our first sail with Celebrity, I can't say there is anything premium about the brand other than you will pay more to sail their ships.

We sailed Summit out of Cape Liberty to Bermuda on June 25-July 2nd.  The Cape Liberty terminal is a phenomenal place to leave out of as the embarkation process went very smoothly and we were one of the first people on the ship that morning.  Coincidentally, we were in Aqua Class and I didn't see any priority boarding for suites, Aqua, or Concierge class.  Basically, whoever got to the terminal first boarded first.  They essentially boarded by rows of chairs starting at 11 am.

The great thing about Summit is that it's a small ship.  As such, it has its own charm and despite being completely sold out during our sailing, never felt like everyone was being shoehorned inside.  At least, that is the way it felt for 2/3 of the cruise.   Summit is an older ship that has gone through a renovation, but it still looks worn and dirty in several areas.  I will add that I saw crew members painting and restoring areas of the ship on a daily basis.

The biggest issue I had with sailing Celebrity for the first time was the food.  For a brand that is supposed to be "premium," the quality of the food was lackluster to what I expected.  Had Prime Rib on my first night in the Blu restaurant, and it was this thinly sliced piece of fatty meat.  I mean, I could have a thick slice of perfectly cooked prime rib at my local restaurant that would be better than what I was served.  And that's how I felt about all the food I had sampled during my entire week onboard --- it was good but I could get better at home.

Of course, when cruise lines fall into bad financial times the first thing they cut back on is the quality of the food.  It's apparent that is what happened here.  I mean, the shrimp cocktail I ordered every night was an embarrassment.  4-5 tiny little shrimps compared to the jumbo ones most any restaurant would serve you.  Is this what luxury cruising is all about?  The best thing about the OceanView cafe was its daily selection of freshly baked bread and croissants.  However, the desserts were pretty lackluster despite the gorgeous display that greeted you with every visit.  The cakes lacked the texture of what one would think cake to be.  The desserts tasted like mass-produced items you would find at Golden Corral.   I will say that in Blu, the quality was somewhat better but even the cheesecake I had every night tasted like something that came out of a Supermarket rather than something you would get at Juniors.  And while you may laugh at my expectations, I again remind you that this is a "premium" brand in the RCCL fleet.

At the beginning of the cruise, life felt rather easy and simple.  The ship didn't feel overcrowded and we were able to get a poolside Solarium chair when we woke up very early during sea days.   However, something happens during the course of the 7 days you are situated with others on a ship.  People start to figure things out.  They figure out how to wake up before the crack of dawn and reserve lounge chairs despite warning notes attached to each one not to do it.  Others flock to specialty restaurants and wait in line for up to 30 minutes before opening just to get the best seats in the room.  I saw instances where cruisers showed up to headline events 45+ minutes in advance just to get the best seats. 

By the end of the cruise, it seemed like a "doggy dog" situation where the venues were quite packed, and unless you showed up at the crack of dawn to get a pool chair or an hour before a lounge show, you were fighting with others for seats and view.  Even on disembarkation day, people showed up to the lounge over an hour early just to claim their spot in a line to get off the ship.   We arrived 45 minutes before disembarkation and saw the line of people who wanted to jump the gun.  Good for them, I say, but that just felt like a regurgitation of my entire cruise.  You had to figure out how to better the next guy to jockey for position.  It was a very frustrating situation for my girlfriend and me to have to say every night, "Remember, you gotta get up real early if you want to avoid the crowds or get a seat at the pool."  It just takes the fun out of being on vacation, but hey, all cruisers know that's the way it has always been, and trust me, chair hogs are still a major issue on cruise ships and nobody does anything about them.

Another issue is all the upselling that goes on.  You pay good money to sail a brand like Celebrity and from the moment you get on the ship, you are being approached to upgrade your drink packages or hawked with ads to buy their services or shop at their stores.  It just feels like a lot of nickel-and-diming at times.

The one thing that stands out about our Celebrity cruise is that the staff was outstanding.  Every time you passed a staff member on the ship, you were treated with a smile and a hello.  We had a great room steward (Jan) but later learned that some cabins got towel animals and others didn't, so apparently there is no consistency on that and I guess it depends on whether your assigned steward feels like making them or not.  

The shows on board were mostly good.  The first night started off with a rather lackluster comedienne, but as each evening progressed, the shows got better and better.  I understand that Celebrity is one of the last fleets to offer live music (band) with their production shows and I must say, it makes all the difference in the world.  The band was fantastic. 

In the end, I have much appreciation for Summit and its staff.  The one thing I read over and over again before sailing was that small ships are better -- and I agree.  The newer ships are much larger, but after experiencing the "doggy dog" life aboard Summit I can only imagine how much worse it would be on a ship 2-3 times that size.  

Just don't come into the Celebrity brand thinking that since it's a premium RCCL brand it's actually premium.  I think the advantage you get with Celebrity is that it attracts an older crowd and thus, it's not a party ship (though there were a lot of young people having a lot of fun).   There is a more relaxed vibe onboard which is nice.

The "ins" and "outs" of sailing on Celebrity Summit

We had a credit due to a cancelled flight in June 2022.  We had never been to Bermuda and liked the idea of driving to Cape Liberty.  The ship is very well maintained.  The food in the main dining room and Oceanview buffet was good.  Our dinner in the Tuscan Grille was very good.  We had excellent service in the main dining room.  We had anytime dining but were not able to book any early reservations.  We arrived at 5:30 pm and did not have to wait to be seated.

The service on the ship was excellent.  The captain and crew were very visible.  The entertainment at night was first rate and we enjoyed participating in the trivia games.

Luckily we had good weather.  Bermuda was sunny, warm and humid.  We took a ship shore excursion to Hamilton with a tour and visit to the undersea institute that was excellent and toured St. George and King’s Wharf on our own.

We would be happy to take another cruise on the Summit and would return to Bermuda for another visit.

Excellent cruise 

Bermuda is a beautiful place to visit and cruising there made things even better. We love being able to unpack in our cabin and stay in one place but still seeing various sites. Downtown Hamilton was busy with tourists shopping and sightseeing. Saint George was a good place to walk and see a bit of Bermuda history. Royal Dockyard was okay - not much to do. Onboard, we could enjoy delicious food in the Main Dining Room and buffet. Good service in both areas. We went to the shows and enjoyed the entertainment at night.  Divas 3 was my favorite show. We didn't do excursions, since we knew where we wanted to go. The ferry and bus passes are an affordable way to get around like a local. Bermuda is a beautiful place, but it can be pricey, so cruising made it more affordable for us. Celebrity is a great line for the trip.

Beautiful place to visit!

With the exception of the tuna salad in the Spa Cafe and the mushroom soup in the MDR, the food was horrible. Absolutely tasteless. My bathroom smelled like a sewer. For those 2 reasons I will never choose Celebrity again. Understaffed particularly in the bars. Would be a one star review, however the ship and my room were clean. Lots of the cushions in outdoor furniture need to be replaced. Plenty of beach towels available and they were in good shape. Ordered room service breakfast everyday which was brought 30 minutes to an hour before I requested. I know because I always scheduled a wake up call 15 minutes prior to the time range I selected for room service delivery. Took 3 hours for a bathrobe to be delivered (none in room). No longer give out canvas bags. Charge $10 for room service (other than breakfast) with an extremely limited menu.

Never Again on Celebrity

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