First the disclosures - we have cruised many times with Princess and for the past few years have enjoyed several river cruises/upscale trips with Scenic and Silver Sea. This was our first trip on Celebrity and we chose this because of the itinerary, Bermuda. It's been on our list for a long time and we got a great deal (free grat, free wi-fi, classic drink package, and OBC) as well as a good price. The Celebrity Summit left from Port Liberty, New Jersey. We arrived the day before, staying at the Jersey City Courtyard by Marriott (very positive experience - highly recommend). We took an Uber from the hotel to Port Liberty (~$20 with tip). Took about 20 minutes. The check-in/embarkation process at Port Liberty was a well oiled machine and we were through security, checked-in, and on-board in about 25 minutes. Our boarding time was 11-3pm. We arrived about 11:15. The crowds were manageable and the staff working were friendly and helpful. Once on-board we enjoyed lunch in the Cosmopolitan restaurant (a perk for those book in Concierge class) . The wait staff was attentive and the food was good (I had salmon and my wife had the pasta). We walked around a bit while they readied our cabin. Our first impression of the ship was that it was in good shape (despite some of the previous reviews) and had all of the usual items (casino, shopping, pools, etc.). We were impressed at the layout of the shopping "mall" area which included the shops, as well as the future cruise area which was easily accessible. Basically it was all in a central area which made it nice to find later in the cruise. We also liked the enclosed Solarium Pool. It was a large whirlpool type area that you could enjoy the sun but not the wind/weather. The regular pool area contained to smaller pools and the usual matching set of hot tubs. I did use the Solarium Pool but not the regular pool (water was too cold). During our trip most people sat around the regular pool but not in it (so I wasn't the only wimp). The two other areas of the ship that impressed us were the gym and the theatre. Both were much larger than we would have expected for a ship this size. They were both well designed and maintained.

The crew was a mix of Greek, Dutch, and American. The Cruise Director, Patrick, was from the Philippines . Super friendly and lots of good energy. Overall the crew was friendly and nice. There was one waiter, Donovan, who would sing in the Oceanview Café (main buffet area) each morning. That made for a pleasant start to our day.

I thought the ship was organized ok, but the lack of a full multi-level piazza meant you had to find your way to the front of the ship and take the regular stairs. It was fine but seemed harder to navigate than other ships we've been on. Read more