DisneyJen

While we haven't stayed in an inside cabin on Celebrity we have sailed in Aqua Class. On our previous Summit and our Equinox sailings we found the Celebrity Crew outstanding. Glad you liked the photo of the boys. They weren't to happy this afternoon.

Thanks for the tips on the HDMI ports and the offer of tech support @Jim_Iain!

Thanks @asnaleah! One of the things I think we will like about Luminae on the Summit is the ability to order from the MDR and Blu menus. DJ"s DH isn't an adventurous dinner but was able to find something he liked each night while in Blu on the Equinox. We both worked our way through college in the restaurant business so we really appreciate good service.

Thanks for the suggestions @George C! I suspect we will spend most of our outdoor time on on balcony. Neither one of us are huge pool people. We might try the Retreat for lunch one day in port. We did Tuscan and Murano's when we were on the Equinox. We loved Murano's but Tuscan was just meh. I still don't get the concept for Le Petite Chef but who knows we may try it since it is included.

Good afternoon all from Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania! What a whirlwind morning and early afternoon of packing and rechecking packing. Like @baggal since we are driving to the port I am sure we over packed. Our niece (AKA our dog sitter ) arrived right on time. The pups were happy to see her but they weren't happy to see the suitcases by the garage door. Waze is showing up arriving at the Liberty Internal Airport Marriott at 5:41 p.m. Our game plan after check in is to decompress. We lived in Dutchess County, New York for several years so going into the city, especially on a Saturday night, isn't a priority for us. This time tomorrow we'll be getting ready for sail away!

Congratulations and thanks @Kteacher🥂 Sounds like you enjoyed the Veuve dinner as well! Your ears must be ringing @Jim_Iain ... Inspector Gadget (AKA Dr. Logi AKA @DJ's DH) has started phase two of packing which includes HDMI cables and all other possible modes of connection and communication. I told him to add the Firestick so we can watch youtubetv. "Genius" was his reply🤣 We're in search of our "suite" spot on a mainstream line as we love SeaDream. The only problem, first world of course, is that they spend a short time in the Caribbean and when they sail those dates don't work for the "retired" one. So this test drive, if you will, is how the "ship within a ship" concept works for us. We don't need all the bells and whistles ... We need a place to reconnect and recharge.

This is our first suite on Celebrity but I suspect it won't be our last! We are looking forward to lounging and dining on that balcony.

@Lena11033 you will appreciate this: @Jim_Iain ... I have been following Charla @GenerationX. I was sharing her photos from the Veuve Dinner with @DJ's DH as an enticement. I am sure you and Iain will have an incredible trip. @RosieRoo ... Congratulations 🥂 On most evenings we plan on enjoying a pre-dinner drink in the Retreat. Here's a hint on how to identify us. @DJ's DHsays ... "I was six-foot four when I married her. She's beaten me down to five-foot eight. She's still five-foot nine 🤣"

Thanks @peanut head! We are so ready 🥂

Thanks for following along @asnaleah and @vickykay! The first phase of packing, which includes negotiations on how many pairs of shoes does one REALLY need, has begun in earnest. I have convinced @DJ's DH that if I take four pair of shoes he needs just four pair.🤣 DJ's DH has returned from what he hopes is the last of pre-cruise errands. Here are his supervisors patiently waiting at the CVS drive through ... Firstly, a trip to CVS to procure our insurance policy against covid ... paxlovoid. I am so thankful that my rheumatologist is so proactive. I had to chuckle at his IM to me about the script: "I spoke with 1 of our infectious disease doctors. Given the supply this medication is more than adequate these days, he felt given a prescription to have on hand if you get diagnosed with COVID make sense especially since cruises are still considered high risk activities." Secondly, a trip to the local Wegman's to procure four bottle of champers for our vacation mimosas. When I spoke with the Alex the Shoreside Concierge last week I requested that one of our two bottle of spirits be the secret ingredient for our Grand Mimosas .... Grand Marnier! Following the recommendations of @chemmo and @bnurick I have printed out the requests I made of the Shoreside Concierge for our PRH/Butler. The notes, along with printed copies of our Bermuda Travel Authorization, and Covid tests are all in a folder waiting to go. Our vaccines and US passports along with some cash are also in the folder as well since we learned our lesson after reading about@Jim_Iain's passport misadventure!

So here we are on a Friday afternoon, the day before we make the four-hour drive to Cape Liberty, with items still to cross off the checklist and bags still to be packed. All the “normal” pre-cruise rituals (hair cuts, banking, dog sitting arrangements, etc.) took place on the regular timeline. This morning we took our mandatory pre-boarding Covid test with OnPoint. We both were negative. I never thought I would be so happy to see just one line on a test strip.🤣 Packing has commenced as I was afraid to jinx the trip by packing too soon. Our game plan is to leave tomorrow after lunch for our overnight stay at the Newark Liberty International Marriott. We have an 11:30 a.m. check-in time at Cape Liberty.

Welcome to my return to cruise reporting in the new world!🥂 On this cruise, DH ( DJ’s DH) and I will celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary, his belated-by-a-year 60th birthday, his so called “retirement” and my 60th birthday. Since he “retired” in March 2021 he has been teaching full-time at our alma mater (We Are ... Penn State) as well as consulting internationally for the automotive industry. His area of expertise … Supply Chain … I kid you not. We will be sailing on the Celebrity Summit in a Royal Suite from Cape Liberty to Bermuda and back. This will be my second time and his first time on the Summit. Since our last cruise three years ago on the Celebrity Equinox, we have sold a house, moved 300 miles, lived in a townhouse while our “retirement/dream” home was being built, moved into said home, changed careers from executive in the corporate world to teaching professor in the academic world and moved a family member into a memory care facility near our new home since we are his medical and financial representatives. Stress … what stress. Sometime in early May I was able to find a cruise on the Summit in Aqua Class that worked logistically for us since we had multiple issues at play (see above). A few weeks later, fare stalker that I am, I found availability in a Royal Suite for our sailing. Let’s just say it was easy to persuade my fiscally responsible DH to upgrade … although I think he might have misunderstood the cost per person versus in total. Cruising isn’t new for us (in no chronological order): Six SeaDream Yacht Club, which is our favorite cruise line. Two in a Commodore Suite and four in a Yacht Club Stateroom. Five Royal Caribbean - First one as a young married couple in an inside cabin we share with my parents. Four in a Junior Suite. Four Princess all in Deluxe Verandah. Two HAL - One in Deluxe Derandah and one in a Neptune Suite. Two Celebrity both in Aqua. One Seabourn in a Suite. One Disney in a Deluxe verandah We have been blessed to visit many of this Caribbean islands on cruise, sailboat and land-based vacations. For us, the destination is the ship ... not the ports.

DH and I used OnPoint this morning for our Summit cruise that leaves on Sunday. We entered our insurance info and our ID the day before. The whole process took less than 15 minutes. We received a link to our results plus a PDF that we have printer out. Would definitely use again!

When the Shoreside Concierge called last week I did let her know. I'll gentle remind folks when we are on board.

Thanks @Jim_Iain! We will be in a RS next week so I guess I can let the Retreat Staff and maitre d know as well.

Sounds like a wonderful evening @GenerationX! Do you know who I need to talk to about food allergies for the Veuve dinner? The sea bass crudo and caviar would be a problem for me. TIA!

@Holly g Thanks for the update on masking and crowd levels. DH and I board next Sunday 🤞 Are any passengers masking?

@GenerationX Wishing you a magical and Happy Birthday Charla! Here's to another trip around the sun🥂

Thanks for posting an update @BratDet. Hope you, your DH and @Quik2flip's DH a speedy recovery. We board on Sunday. Just added Dayquil and Nyquil to the list of things to pack.

Thanks for the great reporting @GenerationX! Please let Sommeliers Genesis and Michael that we will be boarding next Sunday and will be signing up for the Veuve dinner 🥂 We are staying in a RS so we will let the Retreat team know as well. Thanks for the great info @PaulaW. Poor DH doesn't have the same "status" as I do since I have been known to take my Mom our cruises instead of him 🥰

Thanks so much for the live report @tulok and @BratDet! Hopefully we board a week from tomorrow🤞 So appreciate your taking out time from your vacation to share your opinions/observations with us. Safe travels home🥂

So excited for a Live Review from Summit! We board in two weeks🥂

Thanks so much Brian! Will follow accordingly 🙂

@bnurick DH and I are very interested in the Veuve Dinner during our July 31 sailing. We were the only couple who signed up for it on the Equinox when we last cruised before the shutdown. Should I inquire about the dinner in the Retreat Lounge? Not sure who Enrique is. Thanks again!

We are scheduled on the July 31 Summit sailing, FWIW ... DH, who is a professor of Supply Chain at a top 10 US university, says that the supply chain issues will continue into at least the first quarter of 2024. We figure it's better to deal with the shortages on a cruise than on staycation 🙂