Summit Positives and Negatives, Just OFF the Summit 9-5 LONG

[Terry in NJ]

I've been on 15+ cruises, most recently several on Royal Caribbean and Princess. I'm 52 years old, and travelled with my DH and DD, 13, and two other couples in early 50's.

This is not intended to be a review as such, rather a comparison of what I liked and didn't like about Celebrity.

 

Ok, I'll do this by positives and negatives....

 

Celebrity Summit Positives:

* best dinners by far in a long time, escargot every night, one of us always got it!

* ice cream bar open noon-10pm lots of flavors of sherberts, ice creams, fat frees, soft swirl, it was WONDERFUL!

* great onion rings served EVERY DAY at the pool grill

* eggs benedict every morning on the windjammer buffet at an egg station

(Can you tell food is a big concern ;-) ??!!)

* very friendly staff

* the beds were very comfortable even the pullout for Rachel (We were in steerage, Deck 2 midship)

* they had an amazing string quartet PARADISE, we went to listen to them 2 nights after the shows

* cushions on the deck chairs, and we didn't have to sign out daily for towels

* always a chair around pool I think because there were many seniors on board

* at least 5 drink of the day options for $5 each, how nice!

* age of cruisers, led for a wonderful calm time!

 

Negatives:

* horrible movie scheduling... They had a beautiful cinema and offered ONE choice, twice a day

* no sweet snacks after like 10:00, pizzeria was open til midnight, but no cookie trays or brownies, or ANYTHING else (ok they had the one chocolate buffet Friday night)

* MY TIME DINING WAS AWFUL! You had to make ressies every night. On the FIRST full day, I called in the am for ressies for that night. NOTHING except 5:30 or 8:15. WHAT???

I was able to get 6:15 for every other night. Good lord, I was annoyed. Freestyle means you walk up when you want. You don't have to make ressies. How do you know what time you'll want to eat Thursday pm when it's only Monday? RCCL was awful last summer too. Princess has this down pat. A 7:00 would've been nice at least twice. Oh well.

 

General comments: The ship was beautiful. No worries.

 

It was HOT in Maine and in Halifax, and actually, our guide there said it was the hottest day in 57 years!!!

 

Earl was an adventure to say the least... I heard the Captain say 35 foot seas at one point. At 4 am Sat. we were woken by a glass on the desk crashing and shattering. Other folks told us that their fridges opened and all the contents came rolling out all over the room. Our friends had their ice bucket tossed and water spilled all over. It was the roughest I'd ever seen.

 

The staff could've handled debarkation "amenities" if you will, a bit better.

We docked at noon. We weren't off the ship until 3. Now I know it takes time to get the luggage off etc. That's why I stayed up by the pool until the last possible minute! But they wanted everyone to go to their "departure lounges". Some people were sitting in the same seats for 3-4 hours in their "departure lounges" waiting to be let off.

I heard many people saying Celebrity should've at least offered cookies and soft drinks. Food always helps keep a smile posted.

 

(LUCKILY WE WERE IN THE CELEBRITY THEATRE WITH THE STAFFER "JAMES" AS OUR HOST! He was just a hoot with his British humor and comments. He tried so hard to keep everyone smiling, and even ordered "fish and chips" for the crowd several times, to no avail. THANKS JAMES!)

 

Bottom line, would I cruise Celebrity again?

In a heartbeat! I now have the info to do some better planning on my dining concerns :-).

[C 2 C]

Thanks for the review.

 

Would you be able to name some of the entertainment groups playing throughout the ship?

[dkjretired]

Thank you for your review but I do have to point out one item. Celebrity has never advertised or represented they had anytime dining. In their press releases and web site, etc it clearly states you should make reservations....

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/aboutceleb/pressDetails.do;jsessionid=0000rzr4fn-XlYkvS1wSQ_HphI-:12hdbcveb?pagename=press_room_details&event_date=2009-08-31&event_type=press_release&sequence_code=A

[roe2ship]

Thanks for posting your thoughts on your Summit cruise.

 

Eggs benedict every morning in the buffet....now that sounds great.

[fgc15527]

We too sat in the Celebrity Theater for a long time. James was unbelievable. They should give him a job doing comedy during evening shows.

[mahdnc]

Terry, thanks for posting your comments. Glad to hear you survived!!

[mdv31616]

Terry, thanks very much for an insightful and honest review. We sail on the Summit 9/12. Interesting reviews re Select Dining and late night dessert. Heat may be better than rain/fog though.

[robertmartha]

Thanks for you positives and negatives (nice format for the review). I was on the same sailing with my two teen DD's (13, 15) and my DH. We spent the extra money for adjoining rooms = two bathrooms and extra space, which made getting ready for dinner and outings sweet! Here are my takes on some more positives that we experienced:

1) Decor of the ship, it was very tasteful and understated, (I did not miss the mishmosh that we found on the HAL Zuiderdam).

2) The ship may have had a few smatters of rust spots on the decks, but it's overall condition was clean and well kept, they were painting at every port.

3) We loved the lounge entertainment, there was always a nice selection to choose from while relaxing pre and post dinner.

4) The staff was extreamly friendly, they just didn't nod hello as they passed you, they would ask "how are you enjoying your cruise?"

5) The thermal spa (Persian Gardens-extra charge) was usually empty and very relaxing, (it would have been greatly improved if it had an ocean view).

6) The dinner at the Normandie was well worth the charge. Service and food were great.

7) Aqua Spa Cafe was a nice alternative.

And now for some negatives:

1) The daily activities were limited, and usually related to the spa and gym. More times than not, we felt there was nothing to do on the ship that interested us. We did attend two lectures that were very informative. The movie selection at the cinema was minimal, and the in room movies were overpriced $9.99 - $11.99

2) On the fence about Select Dining...we had a 7:00 standing, but were not seated untill 7:15-7:30.

3) The Waterfall (Lido) Cafe had a poor lunch and dinner selection. The sandwich, pizza, and pasta were the only interesting selections. The hot buffet was very Asian/Indian insired, (not to my taste). Breakfast was the best, but they had 5 breakfast bacons/sausage and not one of them turkey. We did enjoy the grill by the pool...the fries, onion rings, and nachos were wonderful for a lunchtime snack.

4) Celebrity looses lots of points on disembarkation! We found ourselves in the Cinema (Concierge Class) with drinks and pastry....for eternity. It was very restrictive because once seated, you had to disrupt a row of other passengers to move about. We were there from 11:00 till 2:15 when our color was finally called. Once called we were in our car within 20 minutes. They have to come up with a better alternative than corraling guests.

 

We had a wonderful time in ports and only booked one shore tour through the ship (Bar Harbor-Bike Arcadia), we were told it was 5 miles, it turned out to be 10....in the heat it was exhausting! Ollies Trollys in Bar Harbor was also entertaining and worth the one hour tour, as was the Lobster Roll at the Thirsty Whale! We found our way to the Portland Art Museum which was worth the hike. Portland itself had little to offer us unless we wanted to eat Lobster and drink. We took the FRED (Free Ride Everywhere Downtown) in Halifax to the Citadel, and then meandered down to the Maritime Museum and back to the ship. Enjoyable day, not too much walking, (but it was hot out). Note* the FRED filled up quickly at the ship, and passengers were turned away (it runs every 40 minutes-plan accordingly).

 

Saturday morning at 2 am the ship was a rocking and a rolling!! This was the start of a very rough morning. Things were falling, and crashing throughout the ship. Our neighbor heard from the captain that at one point there were 50 foot swells...and it felt like it! We could not enjoy much on this day as the pools were empty, and outer/upper decks were roped closed for safety. The Barf bags were out about the ship....and the public areas seemed deserted for the better part of the morning.

 

We've cruised on Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Premier, and Holland America. I would say that Celebrity and Holland America were on par with each other regarding ships and excursions, HAL gets the edge on activities and service in MHO.

We would cruise Celebrity again if the itinarary and ship were interesting.

[Woobstr112G]

Thanks for taking the time to post your review.....:):):)

 

Bob

[TeaBag]

Informative reviews. Thank you for taking the time to post them.

[librarylady19]

Thanks for the up to the minute reviews. So glad you all returned safely after that "wild ride."

Nice to know that the food and entertainment are decent; hope this continues on the Caribbean itineraries. We like late seating so not concerned about Select Dining times as others may be. Can't wait to try Normandie.

[Terry in NJ]

Hello again!

House Entertainment:

Pool band: Magnitude, they were fine, did exactly what we needed around the pool!

John Winters, a guitarist, didn't see him

Tom Listebarger, a pianist singer, didn't see him

As mentioned, the Paradise String Quartet, WONDERFUL

Elk Island Quartet, overheard them a few times, jazzy rock I think would describe it

Neptunes, the a cappella group, also very good

Headliners:

Cecil Parker, a terrific singer. He put on a great show. We made friends with Cecil right at embarkation on the Rutgers bus, then had lunch with him, and met him several times on the cruise. What a nice guy and really funny too. We saw him in the buffet breakfast line on Halifax day, when replying to what we were doing and said the Titanic tour, he immediately quipped "how appropriate". (Ok, maybe you had to be there, but everyone on the ship was so so worried about the seas the next two days.)

Magician Adam Trent, very good.

Joe Mulligan, an improv comedy guy, he was VERY good

The Celebrity Singers and Dancers: This troupe was brand new to the ship as the headliners. All brand new shows and costumes (Cecil told us.)... I mention that because I read in another thread someone said that there was no stage scenery... I wonder if it made it onboard last Sunday, just a thought.

There were two female and two male lead sings that were just incredible. They had lovely strong voices; goosebump alert for the Broadway Show!

 

I thought about the evening sweets, and realized, maybe there were some desserts out in the Cova Cafe. They always had a nice breakfast offering, and I saw desserts there in the afternoon. So maybe there were some out in the evening as well.

 

Another thing we liked was the selection of beverages out at the drink stations up at the Waterfall Grill, (the windjammer). There was always fruit punch, lemonade, ice tea, and sometimes, a guava punch. At breakfast they also had apple and orange juice. That might not seem like a big thing to some, but on RCCL I think, in the evening you could only get ice tea and coffee up there.

 

And yes, we had heard that reservations were strongly suggested for My Time Dining. That is why I reserved the first night online before the trip and tried the FIRST morning to make other ressies. It was just booked already with no good choices. So that's my suggestion to others, pick a good time and make ressies online through the Celebrity website. (6:45 is great if you want to catch the shows, they are either 8:45 or 9:00.)

[C 2 C]

Thanks Terry. I really appreciate the list.

[DENNAS]

Thanks Terry in NJ. Well done and very informative !

 

Just two quick questions, what were your favorite dinners?

 

Were you crazy scared when the storm woke you up Sat a.m.?

 

WOW, you rode on a Rutgers Bus ? We are RUTGERS FANS... GO R.U !!

[rjg41]

50 foot seas? Another passenger was telling people on Saturday, 70 feet. By the time some finish telling the story they'll be 100 feet. Didn't happen. I personally talked to the first officer (second in command). He said seas maxed out at 35-37 feet. Based on what I saw sounds about right. Any old seaman out there will attest that 50 feet would not have been pretty. 70 feet wound have been ugly.

 

See my other post at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1268126

[Terry in NJ]

You are welcome Xcellent!

 

Ok, favorite dinners for Dennas:

1. The ribeye steak, although I had to cut around a bit of fat which is common in ribeyes, it was so tender and seasoned wonderfully.

2. The veal cordon bleu, YUM

3. My daughter loved the turkey parmesano

4. The lamb chops were divine

 

Go RUTGERS, what high school team did they beat again last week?

(HA HA KIDDING, I'm a kidder. I'm a law school alum and my husband works the football and men's BB games. I'm just jaded.)

[Terry in NJ]

No, I wasn't really scared when things started crashing at 4am.

I was more worried my daughter might get sick, which she didn't.

But I did get NERVOUS when we discovered that our window was leaking! (DD's jacket got stained with rusty water but our cabin steward immediately offered to get it cleaned.) I had my husband banging on the window to make sure it wouldn't fall out! Too funny. But again, we were on deck 2 and at one point the waves were crashing as high as our window!

It was a minor leak though, enough to get the window "ledge" wet, but stopped as the waves died down.

 

My husband started feeling queasy Sat am watching the ship talent show and then playing bingo. We were in the Celebrity Theatre FORWARD for 2 hours for the back to back events.

He barely made it to the end of bingo! Otherwise we were all ok. He and I took bonine, my DD did not.

[Denny01]

Appreciate the great reviews - and Terry, they weren't that long, you should read some others! Yours was to the point and covered areas that other posters would be interested in and care about. And you added enough personal info that helped put things into perspective.

 

Good to hear from multiple reviwers they enjoyed the dining overall. We go aboard the Millie in 10 days - but who is counting!

 

Denny

[Crafting2Cruise]

Terry, I have not cruised with celebrity but thinking about booking one for Jan.

Reading your pros and cons I noticed how long debarkation took.... can you tell me if celebrity does express walk off ( when you take your own luggage off)?

[warmwinds]

I was wondering about the parking lot at the pier - so many people come from the tri-state area that I wonder what they did with their cars when they showed up and no one had left from the prior week because they were still on board! The lot had looked pretty full to us when we sailed away, I really don't think they had room for double the amount of cars.

 

We took this same cruise end of June and our seas were like glass almost every day - it really is such a crapshoot and I'm so sorry you had to endure the terrible weather.

[loum140]

We were on this cruise as well. I concur with most of Terry's comments, especially about the iBroadway Show. It was spectacular!

 

Re: Select Dining...we did not make any reservations in advance because as Terry said, with 4 scheduled ports of call, you can't predict exactly when you'll want to eat. However, only once did we have to wait before being seated (7:15 - 7:30) Generally, we arrived about that time and were accomodated, either at a table for two or a shared-6. As Terry said, the steak was really good, but better steak knives would have been appreciated!

 

At the breakfast buffet, there were 4-5 kinds of poached eggs, including "Scotch Eggs", which were served on a toasted English muffin and topped with a slice of smoked salmon. Buffet Tip: Don't stop at the first station. Most items were repeated and while one omelet station had about 7 people on line, the next one was empty!

 

Another tip: UNsweetened ice tea was only available at one beverage station, about 180 degrees from where you enter. (DH only found out on day 5)

 

There was no lack of lounge chairs, however a great many were on deck 11 (one up from the pool) and these chairs had no shade. And it was over 90 degrees each day, so they went begging most of the time.

 

Staff was wonderful and friendly as Terry said. Some minor cosmetic issues but on the whole the ship looked terrific. Loved the scrap booking classes and line dancing at the pool with the fabulous James. He's a real star!!

 

It was our first on Celebrity, but will not be our last.

 

Marsha

[kath816]

Thanks for the great review Terry. It sounds like you made the best of the rocky situation. How was the mood when the itinerary was changed throughout the ship? Your daughter was the only one not to get seasick? It's nice to hear the crew was so friendly. That was not entirely the case with all of the crew on our Princess cruise several months ago. Great tips, and makes me want to consider Celebrity again.

[Zubsin]

Thanks for your review. We are back on the Summit in April. Donna

[Terry in NJ]

CRAFTING2CRUISE and Warmwinds:

Yes, there was a walk off option, carrying your own luggage, and really, I don't think debarkation was that bad. The ship docked at noon and we were off at 3. If the ship got in at 6, we'd be off by 9 or 9:30. The problem was because everyone ran to their debarkation lounges too early but that is what they thought they were supposed to do. So if they ran down at 10, they may have been sitting there for 5 hours. Eeks. Even the family/friends we travelled with went down an hour before us. And they KNOW I'm the "cruise diva" :) but didn't listen to me that it wasn't necessary yet.

 

Oddly enough, I saw plenty of parking spots in the lot. I was looking for that as well, when we got off. I thought it might be manaical but it really wasn't.

 

My DH, who is pretty tired of cruising, slipped, and said he would absolutely cruise on Celebrity again. (Inside I was WOO-HOOING like you couldn't believe :D:D:D !) But then of course he quickly amended his statement, "uh, after Rachel gets out of college". Well that's in 9 years and believe me, I'm not waiting that long!!!!!

[Terry in NJ]

Kath816, didn't we cruise on the Star a few years back ;)?

(And the Radiance, and the Grand, and the..... !!!!)

 

I didn't notice any grumbling at all about ditching Saint John's and going early to Halifax. Remember, everyone was pretty much on edge about where Earl was going and how we'd be affected. Maybe my fellow cruisers robertmartha, rjg41, loum140 or fgc15527 can comment on that.... I think everyone just wanted to get out of Earl's way. And out of our group of 7 only my DD and I were not affected by seasickness. Two were MIA all of Friday and two were a little green half the day. MY DH was mildly sick, but beat it. Hey, miss an ice cream? Not that guy!

 

Also Jonathon, cruiserking.... Waiting anxiously for your follow up report, you did a lovely job while we were still onboard!