Celebrity Summit Review
I felt like a celebrity - A wonderful cruise on the Summit
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Embarkation on May 2nd from Cape Liberty was not bad. Granted, I got there about 11 AM, and though I waited about half an hour to get onto a shuttle bus, once I did, it was quick and painless.
Once on board, I headed for the Waterfall Cafe on Deck 10 for a buffet lunch. I haven't been on that many cruises, but on my past cruises, the first day buffet is usually dreadful. Not so on the Summit. The food was fresh, good, and varied. A good sign. Also, the layout of the Waterfall Cafe was good - much better than the horrid Horizon Court on Princess.
THE SHIP Let me put to rest the rumors that the Summit is somehow 'showing its age'. It's a beautiful ship, well appointed, and clean. The theater was very comfortable, and had no bad sightlines. There were a LOT of lounges - maybe too much space devoted to bars, but I guess that's inevitable. Even the Cova Cafe, where you can get specialty coffee drinks seemed more interested in selling alcohol than making espresso. That's the one thing I would change - make the cafe a real cafe space truly devoted to coffee, not just another bar with a few tables squeezed in around the atrium .
Cabin Review
Deluxe Ocean View with Balcony 2C
Got into the cabin -- #6028 - one of the so-called 'sweet 16' balcony cabins (so-called because they have double-size balconies), at about 1:30. I've always chosen the same basic cabin class - BB on Princess, D2 on RCL, VC on HAL, and now 2C on X. Out of the four lines I've cruised, I found the general layout to be the best on the Summit. There was plenty of space to move around the bed, the little love seat next to the balcony was nice (better than RCL's placement in the interior, and much better than Princess' uncomfortable 'armchair'). The bathroom was small but very well and conveniently laid out. And although it didn't have a tub like HAL, it had a decent-sized shower that I found more than adequate - and I'm a 'plus-sized' person.
There were only 3 very minor things I didn't like about the cabin: 1) the closet was small (that's one area where Princess crushes the competition!), 2) The TV was small and curiously, across the cabin from the loveseat, so that I had to angle my head uncomfortably to see it, and 3) the balcony furniture consisted of 2 regular-sized chairs and a tiny table. On Princess and HAL, the same class cabin provided a larger table and a lounge chair!