Trip Report: Summit to Bermuda, 31/07/16 - 07/08/16, Newbie perspective

Firstly, I am very thankful to all the people who share on these boards. Your experiences have been invaluable in helping me plan our first sailing on the Summit to Bermuda. I read all the posting rules and a bunch of trip reports so, hope I am doing this right. :)

This is my first time on a Celebrity ship. The last time I cruised was when I had DINK status (double income no kids) way back in the 19-somethings on Holland America (absolutely fabulous time then). I consider cruises a luxury which is why it has taken so long to get back on a ship. I’ve worked for some years in the travel industry and have traveled quite a bit, experiencing various levels of accommodations and hospitality. I do my best not to compare apples to oranges and at the end of the day, a family vacation is a GIFT and I would never diss that blessing.

Pre-cruise

- Found a wonderful deal on the internet (as per rules, I cannot name them unless somebody asks specifically) – stay and park for up to 21 days plus free shuttle to and from Cape Liberty pier – USD202 at Ramada Plaza Liberty Newark (quad occupancy). The price CANNOT be beaten. Details about our stay would be found on my Tripadvisor review. 

Cruise

- Check in

o Very fast and efficient. My family was seated in designated rows within 10 minutes of dropping off and tagging our luggage. This was around 10:00 am. The luggage handler said we arrived at a perfect time as it gets busier from then onwards. There was a basic Summit Daily to introduce the ship and a large screen that had an intro playing on a loop for us newbies. They started boarding at close to 11:00 am.

- Welcome

o I enjoyed the champagne and mimosa welcome onboard but I did not notice any juices for the younger members of our group.

o I was thankful that the Oceanview Café was opened and we settled down comfortably to an early lunch while waiting for the cabins to be ready.

o I appreciated that cabins were ready by 1:15 pm. I loved all the storage space available in my cabin. We had a veranda, port side, forward. Kids had an inside some distance away. It looked just like photos on the website. Was surprised to find the toilets were like those on planes. FYI – in case people like shower gels, that is not provided. Only bars of soap that lather well plus shampoo, conditioner and body lotion (and a shower cap). The gift I had ordered for my cabin for DH’s birthday was nowhere to be seen. :(

o Good idea for pure newbies to take the tour around the ship at 1:30 pm (an announcement mentioned that availability)

o Surprisingly there was no announcement about the moment of sail away, I just noticed the pier moving away from my balcony and rushed up to Deck 10 to experience a proper sail away. Sadly I did not have my printouts with me nor internet access and so I missed my roll call party. Sorry, guys and gals!!

o Also unfortunate, I did not have time to read the detailed Summit Daily on my bed when I first got in at 1:15pm so I missed sending my kids to the Teen Club Open House which started at 12:45 pm. And since the kids joined us at the tour around the ship, by the time we were done (the youngest in our group won a free piece of art plus a $10 voucher for the casino, LOL, for attending the tour), sadly, Teen club was closed. My more introverted teens did not feel comfortable trying it out later during the cruise as they perceived groups of young people already traveling together. So, in case Celebrity is thinking of improving in this area, perhaps consider having a few lively crew members who are intentional about welcoming the young ones onboard from the get go, as in the time of the welcome drinks, welcome the youth with high-fives and a "Come join us at the Teen Club, yeah guys!"... kinda like the best camp counselors do when their new batches of campers arrive for summer camps. These staff members are always on the lookout for the shy ones that take a bit of nudging to join in the fun.

- Gifts by Celebrity

So I ordered gifts for 3 different cabins the week leading up to the cruise. 2 were called “Chocolate Indulgence” for DH and DD and one was an onboard credit for a girlfriend. 2 days before the cruise, I called Celebrity to double-check that the online order I made did get through because well, they don’t have a very user-friendly web page. (It took a LONG time and MULTIPLE tries to book reservations for our Select Dining option for 8 people) The reservation agent confirmed seeing all 3 gifts for the different cabins and that they were meant to be presented in the cabins on DAY 1, partly because DH was celebrating his birthday on Sail away day. Well, NOT ONE of any of the 3 gifts was ready when we arrived. I waited until 6pm and then went to check with Guest Relations. There were a few phone calls made and I was reassured that the gifts would be in the cabins by 9 pm. I was very insistent that the gifts had to be accompanied with the messages I wrote on the order form. Whaddayaknow? The 2 Chocolate Indulgences arrived WITHOUT a message card! The recipients simply thought the little treat was part of the cruise. The gift did not look anything like the photo or description. See photo. The 3rd gift which was an onboard credit WITH a birthday message was typed up on a nondescript white card and simply left on the bed in their cabin. This part of the cruise I have to say did NOT impress me in the least, considering my old travel agency days. Some work to do there for Celebrity, especially if you want to encourage people to keep spending.

- Activities

o The Summit Daily is available every night at turndown with 2 lovely little pieces of chocolate. Something small but I was delighted by it anyway because nobody puts chocolates on my pillow at home every night. All you working moms out there might smile along with me. :)

o There were a tonne of activities offered, from the quieter events like trivia challenges and enjoying music in the lounges to more boisterous happenings like Celebrity Life Activity Game Shows (hilarious!!) and Karaoke Idol competitions. You can even read in the library if you wanted to. PS – not very interesting selection of books or board games. They call it a 2-story library (Deck 8 & 9) but deck 8 is really the Concierge's office i.e. no books there.

o Even as an introverted newbie, I would find it hard to believe anybody could be “bored” on board. To be honest, if you are bored, then I think you did not make enough effort to try out an activity or two, IMHO. The same goes for the Children’s and Teen Club. There were a healthy number of young people around and by the end of the cruise; there were always still groups of teens running around on some sort of hunt.

o The evening shows were entertaining considering where we are, i.e. on a ship. The first comedian was hilarious and managed to get a whole range of ages to laugh out loud without specifically picking on anybody in the audience! Brilliant. The second one, on the 2nd last night was funny too but he picked on those sitting in the front rows, so be forewarned. :) The full on Broadway-type productions were impressive in terms of costuming and content but there was only one stand out singer and she was a girl. The seamless costume changes were extremely impressive though!

o I enjoyed watching movies on the new rooftop terrace (except for the movie where the lady beside me chatted with her hubby about a family member for a good 15 mins)….there was popcorn provided. Blankets too but most nights, it was sticky and humid, so no need for blankets in July/August. You'd have to get there early to actually get a seat. There were not very many seats. Keep in mind, these are like patio furniture so, be ready to spend a few hours watching a movie on your patio furniture. There were about half a dozen lie-down-bed-types though that always got staked out early.

o I have scanned all our Dailies from our trip plus a few select activity cards for kids from 3 through 17 so you can have an idea what’s available.

o Shopping – there were at least 2 different sale days with very, VERY decent prices on jewelry, clothing and alcohol.

o Among the things NOT in the dailies my gang enjoyed: finding space to play the board and card games we brought and the prank show on one of the TV stations in the cabins.

o Other interesting experiences: My jaw dropped witnessing a passenger bid $20,000 for a painting at the art auction and the lights and sounds of the casino made the non-gambler in me sometimes frown in confusion but mainly smile in disbelief at this new kind of “fun”. :)

o Some “seminars” or “workshops” turned out to be nothing more than a way to get you to the store e.g. finding your Fragrance workshop. Nobody showed up for the Burn Fat Faster seminar so I just spoke to the guy in charge of the Fitness Center for a bit.

o LOTS of crew members trying to sell you the drinks package. Glad they finally slowed down on that mid-cruise. I remember Holland America never trying to sell me anything overtly but everything was so fantastic that I bought lots!

PS - AFTER 2 tries, could not post the Dailies so, here's a link to my Google doc - https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B54UuJHl8HiZSVh1czRvLVhzUjA

And here's the link to Dailies on Day 4 through 7 - https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B54UuJHl8HiZTl85eThCeWY5TVE

Hope it works. Just trying to be helpful.

- Food

o I am a foodie. I’m also a pretty decent cook and baker and have traveled far and tasted a fair bit of different cuisines. I have to say that I enjoyed everything I chose at the Main Dining Room Cosmopolitan Restaurant every night. Our waiter was awesome enough to get me a set of menus for the entire week so I could share them here. My son thought our waiter was “cool”. He picked up on our little likes and preferences early on and knew how to make us feel at home by mid cruise. I appreciated that the servings were not huge at the Cosmopolitan. Someone took into consideration that we’d have been eating the entire day. I hate to see waste.

o Talking about waste, there was probably some of that going on in the Oceanview Café which had an extensive buffet. In the morning, there were at least 2 stations of American breakfast, English breakfast, poached eggs station, fresh eggs station and the waffle/pancake/French toast station. At lunch time, there were always 2 identical main stations which included international or gourmet entrées so there would always be something interesting like a curry going on. There was Afternoon tea at 3:30 – 4:30 as of Day 2 (loved it, scones and all) and the evening buffet which included sushi started at 5:30 pm. There were other places with free (included) food like the poolside grill and café…and the baked treats at Café Al Bacio but honestly, there’s only that much one can eat per day, no? Due to the vast selection, if you pace yourself, you’d have an interesting meal every day and not complain about how the food is mediocre or that there is not enough choice. I admit though, that I found the food at Oceanview less tasty than at the Cosmopolitan. It did not ruin my vacation because hey, somebody else was doing the cooking and cleaning up! Whoohoo!! Win-win all the way!! :D

o The kids really loved being able to pick up cookies and cakes anytime from Café Al Bacio. Small note, if you see something you like there, you should pick it up immediately. It might not be available the next time you pass by. E.g. the almond croissants I saw soon after breakfast….I was too full to pick one up and I never saw it again the few times I was in the vicinity during the cruise.

o Drinks – I’m allergic to alcohol (yes, everybody feel pity for me :D) and so the drink package did not make sense to me. Not a soda kind of girl either (family the same), so for us, the water, ice, juices and hot drinks available throughout the day at Oceanview Café and the pool side was more than adequate. Don’t forget to bring your travel mug or water bottles. PS – cocktails and beer were half price on the last evening.

- Bermuda

o Wow, this island is absolutely GORGEOUS!! Turquoise waters everywhere, white pinkish sand, soft to the touch. Gorgeous! I said gorgeous, right?

o A small Visitor’s Information Centre (VIC) booth is available immediately where you get off the ship, where you can buy your bus tokens and passes. There are bus and ferry schedules on the wall just beside the booth. If using one of the 8 or so public phones around here, please be sure to dial your local number and check that the phone IS working before you put in your coins (as counseled by local officer Lynelle who checked our IDs on the way off the boat). At least 6 of them did not work when I tried them. MOST of the people reading here won’t need this info, I bet. :D A bigger VIC is available a further walk down, and that one has schedules of goings-on for St. George as well. See my photo but honestly, a CC member, SBtS has the most awesome photos of schedules and maps. :)

o If you are a group of 4 going as far as the Somerset Village area (lots of tours from that area), then, it is so much more convenient and just as cheap to get a taxi there instead of getting tokens for the bus and figuring out where to stop.

o We had a leisurely first morning and then took a cab to our first excursion to do reef fishing with a provider that has a solid 5 star rating on Tripadvisor. We were 6 passengers on the boat and had a fabulous time with our captain and his son who were personable and knowledgeable. We caught silk snappers, trigger fishes and groupers. The son filleted our catch and the captain let us off at a local restaurant which cooked up our catch. Delish! Again, as per rules, I can't tell you who they are unless you ask. :)

o Day 2 - The ferries only take a specific amount of people. We barely made it on to the 9:30 am one towards St. George. Cut off was 400 people. They let on 8 people after us. The next ferry was at 11:30 so PHEW!!! So, if you are dead set on your plans using public transportation, be aware of that. Oh, and on the Thursday afternoon after Horseshoe Bay, a bus#7 driver would not let us get on as the bus was reasonably full by the time the crowd tried to get on. It had just poured rain from the heavens 10 minutes before. He said the next bus was 10 minutes away but I knew from the schedule that what he REALLY meant to say was that it would be another 30 minutes. We ended up being a half hour late for our dinner reservations at the Cosmopolitan that day. A really good option is to simply take the USD7 per person shuttle from the beach area back to the dockyard. DH was adamant about using our Day pass to the fullest and so we hiked up the hill to wait for the bus, experienced a Bermudian downpour, got refused on the bus and got back late for dinner. All part of a complete vacation package. 

o The ferry ride to St. George was lovely but Bermuda was oh so hot, even at 10:30 am, some of us had blurry vision in that heat. The teens did not enjoy the walking tour and so we were quick to look for a bus to get us to the South Shore beaches after that and did not stay for the ducking of the nagging wench/wife. DH was actually approached to be a volunteer participant for the “show” as he was the perfect height and built but he’s a shy guy so he caused the “asker” some grief by saying no. Meanwhile, figured out that we had to take a bus to Hamilton and then transfer to another that would go to the Dockyard in order to get to Horseshoe Bay. It was a comfy, air-conditioned ride in the 2 buses.

o Based on research, we chose to get off at Warwick Long Bay beach and walk towards Horseshoe Bay. It really was a scorching hot day. Warwick Long Beach had about 40 people on it. Hard to get a photo without people but I managed. After about 30 minutes, we picked up and started walking the trail towards Horseshoe. Jobson’s Cove , being small, was “full” of people so we kept walking but I tried. You can see I tried, in my photos. At one point, the trail led us to a parking lot with no indication of where else to go. There were tents around us. Looked like a camp ground. I had no problem going to the locals and wishing them a “Good afternoon” before asking for directions to Horseshoe Bay. DH got a good view off a cliff nearby while I was asking for directions and we continued on. Kids got tired of walking before arriving at Horseshoe and so claimed the next beach as our own. It was either Stone Hole or Chaplin Bay. There was no name indicated and some of you frequent visitors to Bermuda might recognize it. Think it was Stone Hole due to this big rock with a hole in it. LOL!! The beach was absolutely PERFECT. There were only a handful of people there. 2 of them from the Summit (with the same towels), resting in the shade of the rocks. My family felt as if this was their own private beach and the photos show it. The water was not rough as there was a reef a bit further out protecting the area where we were. The family had fun looking at crabs and just enjoying the gift of a gorgeous beach with clear water (quite different from a Canadian lake). We took off towards Horseshoe Bay around 4pm and nobody wanted to stop by then…we just wanted to get back to the boat, it was so bitingly hot! Lots of empty chairs around. Later on, we’d discover that friends of ours had profited from chairs belonging to others who had left the beach early (2-ish)…so they ended up not paying for any chairs but getting to use some anyway.

o Our 3rd morning, we picked up a Boston Whaler from the Somerset area which we had reserved about a month before. I thought it would be special to say a leisurely goodbye to Bermuda from the water, in our own boat. I was right! I chose our tour provider over other providers because in their ad, they included a cell phone as well as a GPS with their boat rental. In the end, we never got the cell phone as there was another big group that arrived as we finished our info session (the guy said he’d go look for a cell phone but never came back and we wanted to just get out to the water by then) and we did not see a GPS either. DS navigated our trip out, using a copy of the map that we had been briefed on. Our first choice, going to the Inner Kings Point Island, Middle Kings Point Island and Outer Kings Point Island. We chose to land on the Middle island and it turned out to be the best choice. 30 minutes later, 2 snorkeling tour anchored nearby. As you can imagine, there was great snorkeling in the area….BUT we were first to claim the beach. Whoohoo! After about an hour, we set out to see more things, visiting the HMS Vixen wreck, feeding fish there (we were provided bread), and even to the dockyard where we got to see the Summit and the Breakaway up close. Yowzer!!! The kids were thrilled to get a turn at driving the boat at some point. We got back to Somerset Bridge area by 1:30 pm and took a cab back to the dockyard. A quick shower later, we ran out to do some last minute shopping. Did not even notice that the Breakaway left at 3:30 pm….or earlier?

o What an absolutely stunning island Bermuda is. I understand why many on this forum return again and again. I am glad that despite my commando-style planning and research, I remembered that we were on vacation and not to stress about the schedule. This means I have still plenty to see should I return to this island. :)

Thanks for taking the time to review your cruise. My wife and I sailed Summit in June of this year and your review is bringing back very happy memories of a great vacation. Happy Cruising! Bob and Linda

Here are more from our Day 2 activities: St. George's and South Shore beaches

Last few photos of our beach day! Absolutely spectacular island!

Forgot one sunset photo from Day 2 and here are Day 3 adventures for us.

Thank you for the great review. Will be on the Summit at end of month myself.

You mentioned the push to sell beverage packages on board. Were they offering any discounts on them? (Received an email offering 10% off, if I purchase before sailing. I'd like to try a package, but a bit to pricey for me)

- Debarkation

o We were given forms to fill out around mid-cruise. See photo. The instructions were very clear. The process went somewhat closely according to schedule (add 10 minutes for my group) on the boat but somebody must have mis-managed the summer schedule for the customs and immigration officers because there were only 3 out of 20 booths opened to process 2500 passengers leaving the Summit. Maybe there were a whole lot more officers for the Breakaway that docked before the Summit and then they all went on break but yeah, it took a good 45 minutes to an hour to get through the line after getting off the boat. No nice doggies to ensure there were no food taken off the cruise.

Here are links to the debarkation info sheets they gave us plus other interesting documents about Bermuda on Day 1 at port as well as Day 2 of the Olympics. I did not notice the "newspapers" any earlier during the cruise.

Debark 1 - https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B54UuJHl8HiZUnhzaHB0aU10RHc

Debark 2 - https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B54UuJHl8HiZdGl4UjlxeUZnaFE

Extra island info - https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B54UuJHl8HiZYnVfLXpwTy1zUGM

Papers USA - https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B54UuJHl8HiZcFF1YmhKSkU4YVk

Papers Canada - https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B54UuJHl8HiZck9jZmVmZVlWN1E

Outstanding, very complete report, thanks!

Thank you so much for posting this! MY DW and I will be on the Summit going to Bermuda very soon and your information is very informative, entertaining and helpful!!

Great review ! Looking forward to reading more:)

Overall, this was a fabulous family vacation. Yes, even without the water slides, rock climbing walls and mini-putts of other mega ships. This was a week of somebody else cooking and cleaning instead of me plus a spectacular island for a few days…how can this picture be wrong?! Our kids were not hyper-scheduled. We actually spent time together and we did it our way. That's the key, I think. Everyone has their own opinion of what makes a great vacation. At the end of the day, you have to know yourself, do the research and then pick what is BEST for you and your family....not for somebody else. You're good. And they're good. No judgement. Just VACATION!! :D

A special shoutout to all the hardworking crew members, especially the room stewards who memorized our names and faces by the very first evening, opening my door for me all the time (smiley-faced Jesse - great conversation about once living below poverty line with you & ever helpful Nigel who even tried to make a Chinese-speaking first time cruiser feel at home by introducing me to them) to the waiters and waitresses who knew our preferences by the 2nd evening (Basilio and Yokasta, we love you!)…not forgetting Donovan who topped up everyone’s morning coffee with his special blend of “sunshine-y” day smile and songs at the Oceanview Café….a magnificent group of people.

Yes, the Summit might have shown her age here and there. And yes, there were no fancy-pants stuff for older teens but the Summit graced us with good to fantastic food, cheery smiles, jokes and wisdom from inside the Captain's head, clean surroundings, over 200 options for activities in one week, one breathtaking 3-day stop at a stunning island....really, why should I complain. Thank you to all! Now that I've sailed the Atlantic during "hurricane" season, I am no longer petrified and will indeed be open to other sailings from the Eastern seaboard.

Last advice - for those who chose Select dining in the MDR, I highly recommend that you go online to reserve your preferred mealtimes. Figure out what your daily schedule might look like, even on port days, and you will not run into long lines and get upset unnecessarily. It pays to do your homework, IMHO. Worst case scenario, enjoy the extensive buffet with different themes each night - no wait, no reservations and please, no whining on vacation. LOL!! Peace out, folks!:D

PS - we used cabs on Day 1 and 3 in Bermuda and a one-day pass for Day 2. Our 16 year old qualified for half day prices. :)

Sorry...forgot one more thing. While researching, I decided to bring a few board games for our group. That worked out beautifully as some of us spent our time playing board games with each other. I was at the Summit library the very first day to check for board games but I only found one uninteresting one. Here is a collage of spots we found for our "gaming", not including our cabins :)... we were respectful with the space at Oceanview Café...using it only during non-meal times...and as for the lounge area near the casino/Martini bar, we actually used it DURING lunch time when people were at the café eating.... LOL!! I know. I know. Some people will think me lame for bringing board games but hey, I DID say earlier that you have to know your family and do your research and choose the best for your own gang, right? ;) Enjoy your cruise on the Summit, folks! We loved it!

Thank you for the great review. Will be on the Summit at end of month myself.

 

You mentioned the push to sell beverage packages on board. Were they offering any discounts on them? (Received an email offering 10% off, if I purchase before sailing. I'd like to try a package, but a bit to pricey for me)

Hi jobu,

The other couple traveling with us are drinkers. What with the 4 cabins between our party of 8, our group carried 7 bottles of wine onboard. That plus the 1 or 2 cocktails/beer per adult in their group was plenty fine for them. You'd really have to drink lots to completely enjoy the package....PLUS, the packages are quite specific about what alcohol is included so, do browse the forum for some fancy schmancy calculations frequent cruisers have made.

That said, I do not recall discounts on the packages the first few days. I just know that they would pro-rate your days if you bought your package later. Like if you decided on Day 4 of your cruise to get it, you'd be paying half, I believe. The internet package though was discounted during the 2nd half of the cruise. Half off 2nd user.

The daily cocktail (you can see it on my Summit daily), is about USD8. I was interested in the coffees at Café Al Bacio and they ranged between USD4 and USD6...more for the ones with alcohol. I thought that was actually quite decent, considering I am very frugal. :)

- Bermuda

o

The son filleted our catch and the captain let us off at a local restaurant which cooked up our catch. Delish! Again, as per rules, I can't tell you who they are unless you ask. :)

What "rules" are you referring to?

On all of my reviews I name the provider.

We did the Summit in June, and also had a wonderful time. One of my all time favorite excursions was jet skis at Somerset.

This was such a long review I forgot to post a few photos to go with what I was saying. Here is a copy of what's going on in St. George's.....and another, not so clear is one of the bus information available right where the ship docks. Like I said, there is a forum contributor, SBtS, who has the best schedule photos.

Oh, and if you buy any local food, be sure to finish eating it off the ship. Coming back in, there was a line-up as somebody's stash of fresh fruit was confiscated and ceremoniously dumped into a big garbage bin right after the metal detectors.

I don't know if I forgot anything else....oh yeah, also posting photos of the fish we saw snorkeling when we were out on our own boat. And the very fun pool volleyball game between the Capt & officers and the passengers (think I got one of the Capt. lunging for the ball). and one photo of the entertainment cast doing double duty at the Revelations Lounge in the late evening around 10:30 pm. Oh and AbbaMania was AWESOME on the last night! :D

What "rules" are you referring to?

 

On all of my reviews I name the provider.

 

We did the Summit in June, and also had a wonderful time. One of my all time favorite excursions was jet skis at Somerset.

I read the FAQ guidelines....this is what you find under "Tour Guide Recommendations", hence my efforts to do the right thing when writing my report :) I am only posting names IN RESPONSE to a request for that specific info so if anybody wants specifics, ask, so I may tell. LOL!!:

Tour Guide Recommendations

We welcome the legitimate review or recommendation of tour operators, guides, property & business owners in ports of call. You must post your recommendation in response to a request for that specific information or your post will be removed without notice.

Outstanding, very complete report, thanks!

Thanks, Bob! You are sooooo blessed to have been on so many cruises. I hope that if that is in my future, that I will never become a cynic waiting to be further impressed and simply enjoy the gift that IS a cruise. :)

Hmmm.....too bad my photos are just thumbnails...wonder how I can share them better... is this how you do it?

Looking for a better way to share my photos. Let's see if I understood some tips correctly....

So this is what arrival looked like in Bermuda. I had spent some weeks enjoying the Port Bermuda Webcam before traveling and was very impressed with one "Willy Freeman" whose team handles the lines when the ships come in. Here's a collage.