Summit Review - May 27th

[Poconolady]

Trying to decide about this cruise. We have sailed in aqua on S class ships but never on a an M class. Do the M class Aqua cabins have the upgraded showers like the S class? Dh is absolutely in love with those showers!

[cms204]

We thought the Violinist looked very interesting, but the time of his performance didn't end up working for us. I heard pretty good things about him though.

[Coupe]

We just got back from teh 5/27 sailing as well; this was our 3rd time on Summit on this itinerary. I agree CMS204 on most of what was said; this was our first time in Aqua Class and there will be no going back; Blu was fantastic - both food and service. Normandie is a favorite and did not disappoint this time ether. We also did Quisine which we enjoyed much more than when we went on Silhouette probably because they didn't have to roll us out the door and we tempored our ordering with what we really liked best from the last time.

 

I do have a few not so positive comments. The coffee in the Oceanview is undrinkable, this certainly didn't ruin the trip but it shouldn't be that hard to get a decent cup of office; sludge comes to mind!

 

As I mentioned above, this was our third time on Summit and I kinda felt like service has slipped a bit; some of the staff was disengaged and some surley; it didn't ruin our cruise it it isn't what it was.

 

We were in one of the new AQ cabins on deck 11. Our cabin door also didn't close by itself, you had to push it closed from the inside or pull it closed from the outside. They couldn't figure out what was wrong with it - again not really a big deal in the scheme of things. Also, there was a real issue with water on the balcony; I'm no engineer but if you have a drain on the balcony (and there was one) the water should actually drain, and it doesn't it just sits there until it evaporates, that was annoying, not really for me because I just hopped over it but my husband has a bad hip and he had some issues with that puddle.

 

All in all, we had a great time but it wasn't as perfect as it was the last 2 years.

 

I was on this cruise and I agree that the workers were often disengaged and sometimes surley. Especially in the buffet area. I think that area is very understaffed.

[dln929]

Wow. This is really wonderful, getting all this "inside" info on the Summit! My husband and I love a good craft beer so it's good to get the lay of the land as it were. We'd have been a little disappointed to have gone on board expecting to get a bottle of something interesting with our lunch and finding otherwise. Now we know to adjust our expectations accordingly. Although I still think it's rather odd not to have Michael's available more hours. It's not like they wouldn't have us beer lovers lined up ready to partake... ;)

[CateW]

Trying to decide about this cruise. We have sailed in aqua on S class ships but never on a an M class. Do the M class Aqua cabins have the upgraded showers like the S class? Dh is absolutely in love with those showers!

 

Yes, they are and were great!

[avid]

Comments interspersed below

We just got back from teh 5/27 sailing as well; this was our 3rd time on Summit on this itinerary. I agree CMS204 on most of what was said; this was our first time in Aqua Class and there will be no going back; Blu was fantastic - both food and service. Normandie is a favorite and did not disappoint this time ether. We also did Quisine which we enjoyed much more than when we went on Silhouette probably because they didn't have to roll us out the door and we tempored our ordering with what we really liked best from the last time.

 

:) in full agreement (our third and best cruise to Bermuda..first on Summit)

 

I do have a few not so positive comments. The coffee in the Oceanview is undrinkable, this certainly didn't ruin the trip but it shouldn't be that hard to get a decent cup of office; sludge comes to mind!

 

:eek: that's when the drink package came in handy at the Cafe Bacio..maybe that's how it's intended:rolleyes:

 

As I mentioned above, this was our third time on Summit and I kinda felt like service has slipped a bit; some of the staff was disengaged and some surley; it didn't ruin our cruise it it isn't what it was.

 

:mad: agree that I observed several exceptions to the generally good service..

 

We were in one of the new AQ cabins on deck 11. Our cabin ...... Also, there was a real issue with water on the balcony; I'm no engineer but if you have a drain on the balcony (and there was one) the water should actually drain, and it doesn't it just sits there until it evaporates, that was annoying, not really for me because I just hopped over it but my husband has a bad hip and he had some issues with that puddle.

 

:D just loved our Aqua 11 starboard with its easy access to the aft bar:Dmust agree about the balcony puddles..and pity the poor souls sailing in mostly rain this week...next time it's Aqua 11 again..but definitely one of the 5 aft staterooms with larger balconies and better overhang!

 

[avid]

We thought the Violinist looked very interesting, but the time of his performance didn't end up working for us. I heard pretty good things about him though.

 

Thought that the jazz violinist http://www.dougcameron.com/ was a terrific musician and engaging performer..enjoyed both his shows immensely

[avid]

Sorry we missed each other..

I agree with the OP that this was a wonderful cruise. I found the food and service to be terrific, and the ship (other than the floor tiles and shower stall of my bathroom, which were grimy and moldy) looked brand new. We ate in both Qsine and Normandie and found both to be worthy of the additional cost - in different ways. Normandie is fine dining at its finest; Qsine is funky food fun.

Found the staff to be very friendly, courteous, efficient and helpful. Really had no complaints and will not hesitate to cruise with Celebrity (and on the Summit) again.

Also recommend my cabin 7175: not one of the "sweet 16" but has an extra large balcony and great location.

Getting on/off the ship was quite easy ... only wish I didn't leave some clothes on board (I was using the small closet above the TV and forgot to pack that stuff).

Of course, it did help that we had mostly glorious days weather-wise, with the exception of two mornings of rain. Bermuda is simply a botanical garden, and a joy to visit - even for the tenth time! P.S. to the OP: you really should go to the lesser known south shore beaches to experience the true beauty of the pink sands.

[avid]

This is our first Celebrity cruise and we booked an AquaClass on Deck 11, 1107. Anyone know any specifics/pictures of this room?

Purchased the beverage packages today while they are on sale. Premium for me as I enjoy the varieties of martinis and hope to work my way through the offerings, and a Classic for DH as he is more of a Jack/Coke guy.

Looking forward to Blu, the reviews have been mixed but I believe it will be worth it! Anyone have hints about what not to miss on the Blu menu?

Marilyn

 

All the non aft aqua 11 staterooms are the same

I previously posted links to some photos here http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1637019 :D

We made good use of the drink package but alas missed out on the 10% discount and paid over $1600 for the 4 of us..nevertheless..I believe be got the better of them with this deal:cool:

Blu was great ( though we only dined there on 4 evenings and 2 breakfasts..since we went to QSine TWICE:D and had a special occasion in MDR SELECT DINING once on formal night..which was awful with poor service and mediocre food :eek: For Blu..my only constructive suggestion is for the second formal night request the Lobster from the MDR..as Blu's preparation was strange ..mostly lobster shell with a very small tail portion inserted with some strange spicy dressing..the MDR version is a traditional decent size tail..that was so tasty..I had TWO!:D otherwise Blu was great service and food worthy of specialty dining!

[CateW]

Comments interspersed below

 

Actually, we booked one of those aft balconies, same cruise next year!

[portofrome]

Glad you enjoyed your cruise. Thanks for the review.

[littleshells]

Great review. DH and I are heading out on the Summit in August and we booked the premium beverage package as well. I am glad you mentioned that you felt it was worth it, even being in port 3 days, that was a concern of mine.

 

I am a little disappointed about the craft beers being hard to come by but I'll live. I will probably drink many frozen concoctions and martinis. I also love the idea of doing your own wine tasting. I am not too into wine but since it's included in the package I see this as my chance to sample and find one I love. We'll see!

[g8rfan94]

Very informative review. Thanks for taking the time to post it. DW and I are taking the Summit to Bermuda on July 1st and really cannot wait. We haven't been on the Summit before, but we've been on the Milllennium and this appears to be very similar.

 

We also plan on getting a beverage package, but since neither of us are heavy drinkers, we are just going with the Premium Non-Alcohol package. That will give us all of the cappuccinos in the cafe and non-alcoholic daquiries we could possibly want without worrying about a huge bill at the end. It worked out very well for us on our last cruise.

[cms204]

The beer thing was a small disappointment, but cellar masters and the martini bar were great with the package. We mostly ordered from Igor, Jennifer, and Elena at the martini bar, and they were great. If you got tired of the martinis on the menu, they would ask you what you liked and make something similar. If you didn't love it, they would pour out a little and make it stronger/sweeter/fruitier depending on yoru tastes.

 

In cellar masters, they couldn't do a straight up wine tasting, but if you sit at the bar and explain that you are on the package, they will keep pouring and you can start with some whites and work towards reds. The server in there now is very knowledgable and really made the trip for us. Unfortunately (fortunately for him) this current sailing is his last week on the Summit, as he is pursuing other opportunities. But I am sure whoever they replace him with will do a good job as well.

 

I am not really a coffee drinker, but I indulged on this trip and tried most of the specialty coffees at Cafe al Bacio. On top of that they had several hot teas (of very good quality) as well as a couple of iced tea and iced coffee options. If you have the alcoholic package, try the Aspen. If you are doing the non-alcoholic, make sure to give the Affogato a try.

[Andy]

Hi Cms,

 

Thank you for your review. I'm glad that you had an excellent Cruise on Summit. If you haven't done so already, I hope you will submit your review to our Member Reviews Section : http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/

 

Welcome Home !

[Coupe]

While there were a lot of negative vibes I picked up on the ship as I posted a little earlier in this thread, I will say a few positive things. It is a beautiful ship. I had three steaks from different places during the week and they were all perfectly cooked and delicious. The pizza is pretty tasty. Getting on and off the boat is pretty painless.

 

Qsine is major fun and a lot of good food. i would suggest if there is only two of you to find a couple of friends to share. We were so stuffed after dinner that we couldn't fit in the elevators and just rolled down the stairs to our room. If the ship was listing a little that night, then we are the reason. Oh yea, we still managed to eat breakfast in the morning.

 

Poached eggs are great every morning. The brand of tea that they offer is very good. Even when things aren't perfect, you're on a cruise so it isn't that bad!

[wolc879]

Interesting that you mentioned the music in Michael's as I forgot some comments on the music generally. First, that awful new age/techno crap that they play in the dining room has to go. Really made me think of our Bermuda trip last year on HAL's Veendam, where a string quartet serenaded us every evening.

Second, don't miss Doug Cameron, jazz violinist. You may not think it's something you'll enjoy, but you will ... very entertaining showman.

Also, we went to the Jamison's whiskey tasting in Michaels ... a great bargain and very informative and fun.

 

Do you know if Doug is going to continue to appear on the ship in the future ?

We are sailing on the Summitt June 17th...would love to see the show.

[cms204]

Hi Cms,

 

Thank you for your review. I'm glad that you had an excellent Cruise on Summit. If you haven't done so already, I hope you will submit your review to our Member Reviews Section : http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/

 

Welcome Home !

 

 

Just did!

[sunor]

Thanks cms204 for the great review. We love the Summit and have been on her many times. We will be doing the NE/Can 14 night cruise in Sept. Can you tell me if the beds looked like they had been changed, they were in bad need of it.

 

Thank you

 

Suz

[cms204]

Can you tell me if the beds looked like they had been changed, they were in bad need of it.

Suz

 

This was our first trip on the Summit, so I do not have anything to compare the beds to, but I did not notice anything wrong with the look of the beds, so I imagine they are not the same ones you experienced.

[K.T.B.]

Thank you for the review!

 

And, avid, thank you for the links of pictures! I've been looking for some and it shows me exactly what to expect. Now I need to find some of our cabin (1104). :)

[avid]

Thank you for the review!

 

And, avid, thank you for the links of pictures! I've been looking for some and it shows me exactly what to expect. Now I need to find some of our cabin (1104). :)

 

 

Here is 1100

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showp...6&postcount=56

And its balcony

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showp...7&postcount=57

_______

avi

[avid]

Here is 1100

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showp...6&postcount=56

And its balcony

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showp...7&postcount=57

_______

avi

 

Dont know what happened to pix of 1100 :eek:

but here are 1132

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=33295124&postcount=37