bigreckster

We always enjoyed our table for two by one of the windows and the service, especially table-side preparations was great! Dining there every evening, the chef would literally prepare any dish for us after the first few nights...even a veal saltimbocca not mentioned on any menu! Hard to believe they covered up the windows. Do hope someone has further comments and also some pictures we could look at???

We've always eaten dinner in Normandie on our Jan cruises and wondered what they have done to the seating in that room when it was retrofitted to Tuscan Grill. We like to dine in comfort and the close seating in Luminae is not really to our liking although the food was excellent for the breakfast and lunch we ate there. Hope someone can give us info. on the new space that is now Tuscan Grill and what they thought of the menu/service/food presentation.:)

Would love to see some pictures of the new Tuscan Grill...we cruise in a RS every Jan. and eat all our dinners in Normandie which is no longer there! Hope that the replacement lives up to that same standard of service and food quality that we have enjoyed over the years. Please, give us some much needed feedback...and how are the Royal Suites given their refurbishment???:)

We were in 6134 on Summit in January and coincidentally we will be in 6140 for Jan. 2017! Both are equally quiet and well located. All the Royal Suites received a complete makeover during the recent drydock so we can't wait to see the new look when we cruise again on Summit. Have a great cruise!:)

We do this cruise out of San Juan every January and would NEVER try a flight out of there that early! Even if everything goes well, the airport lines can be very long for check-in and security ( and as mentioned, the agricultural nonsense stop!)....we always opt for a flight no earlier than 11:30 AM. Don't ruin a great vacation with the angst of trying an earlier flight. best of luck.:):)

Luminae food is terrific but the only drawback for us was the "clostraphobic" closeness of the tables for two throughout the small room. We ate in the specialty restaurant every night on Summit because we like the ambience, the food and also the "privacy" of having our space at dinner. Also, we found the seats in luminae with the "lumbar pillow" to be sort of uncomfortable. Just our opinion and nothing that detracts from the fine cuisine that Luminae offers.

Our recent Royal Suite experience on Summit was perhaps the best in the last 35 or so cruises! The space is wonderful, breakfast delivered by our butler every morning, a bar set-up with my favorite scotch and sweet vermouth, unlimited specialty dining (we ate in Normandy every night and they would prepare literally anything you asked for after the first couple of nights), great service throughout! We've spoiled ourselves with this accommodation for a couple of cruises and it would be hard to go back to Sky Suite or even Celebrity Suite. Everyone has to decide what they are looking for in a cruise and for us, this experience didn't disappoint us. Sorry that the Normandie is being changed to Tuscan Grill and will await updates on what kind of dining experience that will offer us next year.

My wife and I were on this same cruise and being in a Royal Suite, we had unlimited specialty dining included. We do this so we can dine in Normandie every evening. I must say we had the best dining experience there that we've had in probably 35 cruises! Our waiter Ricky:) was excellent and after the second evening they would prepare any dish we requested. The sommelier was also excellent in his nightly recommendations of excellent wines we were unfamiliar with. It is indeed a shame that this venue is being changed to a Tuscan Grill although we did enjoy that menu on another Celebrity ship. We were impressed with the Luminae menu (had lunch the first day, breakfast the last day there) but didn't like the clostraphobic tables set-up and uncomfortable seats at all. It's all a matter of personal choice when dining but we gave up on the MDR experience long ago when overworked wait staff became very impersonal and a table for two was always under the stairs or next to the servers prep station! Still haven't received our comment card via email by the way...sent an email on Celebrity site with all our info, and of course, still no reply! We're booked for the same cruise next year so it will be interesting to see the changes made to Summit, especially in terms of the way they change the Normandie space over to a Tuscan Grill and what that dining experience will be in comparison.

Just returned from Summit and booked for early Jan. of 2017. Thereafter until later in April the ship is booked throughout for charters out of Florida and not available for the regularly scheduled itineraries (it's also scheduled I believe in Feb. to be refurbished and Normandie Restaurant will be converted to a Tuscan Grill.:)

We do this cruise every January and always take a taxi from the hotel to Pan Amer. pier (we always come a day ahead of cruise departure in case bad weather is a factor). Trip is about 20 minutes from the airport and costs about $21.? If you do the cruise shuttle you have to wait for others and are in a cramped bus type conveyance. Just my opinion on this matter.:):)

We started out in a sky suite many cruises ago, then moved up to CS (that bathtub/shower step-up to get into and small bathroom was just impossible!) so we splurged for the Royal Suite with all of the aforementioned amenities as well as a great balcony and shower and we can never go back!!! We dine every night in the specialty restaurant and this upgrade , to us, is certainly been worth the money. We also eat breakfast every morning in the dining room area which is delightful! Everyone has different tastes/needs and you just have to evaluate what it's worth to go to the RS/PS level.:):)

I enjoyed the bottle of Dewars scotch but had the butler trade the vodka for Martini Rossi Sweet Vermouth for my Rob Roys...Celebrity made out on the value of the respective bottles and I was a "happy cruiser",,,never a problem to a bottle switched. Your butler can easily do this.

We were on Summit last month in Royal Suite 6138 and there was no odor or anything else wrong with that cabin. Have been in that Royal Suite as well as others and plan to be there again next year. Enjoy your cruise!

We do this cruise every Jan. out of San Juan....you will make a noon flight easily if all goes according to norm. Be sure to ask for early time debarkation and then when you get to the custom/luggage area be sure to get a porter to take your luggage (they have a special line that is very much easier/shorter than the others to customs agents and will take you to the head of the taxi line also! The ride to the airport is less than 30 minutes and yes, be sure to take all your bags thru the agriculture check station or you won't be able to check in at your airline (this whole check seems totally inane but it is mandatory and you need those little stickers affixed on all bags!). I only wish our flight back to NJ was at noon...it keeps being pushed back later and later! Have a great cruise!:):)

We did the chef's table about a year or so ago on Summit...four couples plus a member of the exec. crew. Think the cost was $220??? We started with wine in the Normandie "vault room" and then moved to a table in the galley. A noisy but interesting venue except for those with their backs to the "action" in the kitchen. The head chef made a "lame" effort to shuffle a few pans to cook our sauce for the entrée but was absent most of the time...food was prepared elsewhere in the galley and served with all the wine you could consume. The food was good but not as good as we had each evening in the Normandie. Yes, the cookbook is huge! Also got a group picture. The best part of the evening was the wonderful interaction among the 8 of us at the table...luck of the draw there..we would not do it again however. It seemed like an expensive outing with food that didn't live up to expectations.

We were in a Royal Suite last month on Summit. Just told the concierge as we were led aboard to Michael's Club to wait for our cabin to be cleared that we wanted to eat in Normandie every night and she took care of it immediately with the specialty M.D. Didn't know at the time that it was called the "ultimate Dining Package" but knew we didn't want to eat in the main DR with all the noise, commotion and where the tables for two are located. We had a great dining experience every evening and they will custom make entrees not on the menu after the first few nights! Was worth the extra cost to us and we're set to do it again next Jan. and booked the same suite too!

Went out of FLL on the Solstice a year ago and it was the the worst disembarkation in 30 + cruises! Long lines, outside, then inside the terminal with only 2 customs agents on duty...then the chaotic scene at the cab stand! By all means, carry off your own luggage as soon as possible and hope for the best. We will never use this port of exit again! It seems that the big RCCL mega-ships at the adjacent new terminal have no problems at all and everyone can exit quickly. The terminal Celebrity ships use is archaic and ill-equipped for a fast, expeditious disembarkation!

Just returned from the Summit in a Royal Suite and opted to eat in the Normandie spec. dining every night because the noise and bedlam of the MDR is just not for us. I don't want to sit at a large table with strangers, I want a level of service like fine restaurants provide and I paid handsomely for that, in addition to the suite cost! We never saw but a few people in Bistro on 5 during the entire week which makes me wonder whether this venue is really as popular as some have indicated. I'd definitely be in favor of an alternative venue for dinner for suite passengers because that's what you're paying the extra fee for...same as airline seats, seats at a Broadway show or any other facet of vacation experience. Seems that there has to be a way to alleviate the strain on Blu dining facility and they are looking for ways to address that. As for those who decry the alleged move toward a "Cunard class system", you get what you pay for in this life...in the end, it's all about business and profitability on the part of any cruise line...just check the prices on the all- inclusives like Regents and Silverseas for a comparison.

Just recently off the Summit...if you walk-off with your luggage you can be out around 7 AM if ship is cleared...trip to the airport in the "speedy" taxi is about 15 or 20 minutes and yes, be sure to go thru the agricultural inspection route before checking in at your airline...if everything goes smoothly, it's very doable at that hour but one never knows what snags will arise!

Just off the Summit a week ago and ate in Normandie every night. They were more than willing to make anything you wanted after the first few nights and we had veal saltimbocca one evening and steak Diane another, given they had a day's notice to prepare. They do have their own dedicated galley for that venue on this ship and the service was the best we have ever had in 30 cruises! Didn't miss the "hurried" and noisy main dining room environment at all and this was one of the best dining experiences we've enjoyed on any ship.:)

Last week in San Juan, there were literally hundreds of people in line to pass through customs (2 agents) but we got a porter and went through their dedicated line of another 2 customs agents with about a dozen people passing through...literally no wait! It definitely was worth the tip and he also led us to the head of the line to get a cab to the airport...took only a couple of minutes!

Just returned from the Summit and already booked for next Jan! The ship is in excellent condition...we were in a Royal Suite and everything was in order. If you are looking for flaws as some people indicate, I'm sure you could find fault with something but the crew is friendly and outgoing, the food in Normandie every night was outstanding and the itinerary is one of he best to be had. Enjoy!!!:)::)

We were in a celebrity suite on the Summit in Jan. and when one of of our hard-sided suitcases arrived to the suite... it had a foot-long crack through the side of it. We mentioned it to our butler and then figured we'd be luggage shopping in St. Thomas! Well, the suitcase disappeared only to re-appear with epoxy completely mending the crack so we could get home with it and we were informed that a $100 OBC was forthcoming for the damages! All due to the intervention of our butler! In a Royal Suite this coming Jan. and know we will be well taken care of on the Summit...that's why we return every year!:)

We did the Chef's table on Summit in Jan. The best part was the interesting people we dined with (a couple from England, a couple from Amsterdam and another couple from California). Nothing special about the meal itself....yes, it was in the galley next to the head chef's office but we were dissapointed that he actually didn't do any of the food preparation really. The wine started in the Normandie wine room and progressed course by course throughout the meal. The cookbook is huge...tough packing it away for the trip home. An interesting and somewhat pricey evening that I don't think we would do again.

My wife needs a gluten free diet and we have always found Celebrity to be most accomodating (we're CC Elite with 30+ cruises under our belt and just did Summit in Jan. to the Carib.). Yes, your first stop once on board should be to see the m'D. (he's usually set up in the Rendezvous Lounge) and he will see that you are attended to by the asst. M'D. in your section. You'll get the menu for the following night at each dinnertime and can choose from it...some items are just not doable, but most things they can make special for you. They'll also have gluten-free bread at each meal...a real treat that my wife savors! Our M'D. even followed-up on us in the specialty restaurant both nights we ate there to be sure everything was prepared gluten-free for her. Relax and have a great cruise!:)