A Bermuda Cruise in Review: Summit (with pics!)

[RCKM43]

Do you remember if the whole ship had open dining the 1st night. Last year we had early seating but they had changed their policy and the 1st night on the Bermuda cruises were open seating.

[ChampionCruiser]

We spent a good portion of the afternoon on deck. All signs of gloominess were thankfully gone and it was a beautiful day.

 

 

It was VERY windy, though, and a bit chilly! There weren’t many people lying out at all because of it. You can see that in this picture.

 

That antennae isn’t supposed to look like that :).

 

 

 

My sister and I still enjoyed our last afternoon on board the Summit and were sad to head down for our final dinner. All three of my dished were amazing: the spinach turnover, gnocchi al Quattro formaggi, and cheesecake.

 

We had to thank our wait staff for helping to make our cruise such a great one!

 

 

That basically wrapped up the cruise. The farewell variety show was enjoyable but the packing definitely wasn’t! It’s always hard to end a cruise that you’ve been looking forward to for so long, but it also gives you the opportunity to start thinking about your next one!

 

Next up: Debarkation

[ChampionCruiser]

Do you remember if the whole ship had open dining the 1st night. Last year we had early seating but they had changed their policy and the 1st night on the Bermuda cruises were open seating.

 

No, the first night wasn't any different. We had early seating with our usual wait team.

[ChampionCruiser]

Debarkation

 

The gloomy weather was back for our return to NY. I woke up early to watch us pull in and saw that we were joined by the QM2 in the distance.

 

 

The cruise ended on as good a note as possible. If I HAVE to get off the ship, I want to do so as soon and smoothly as possible and that’s what happened. This was without question the easiest debarkation ever. I had filled out the early debarkation request form earlier in the week (I had a flight back to Miami) and we were placed in group 1.

 

We were told to meet in Rendezvous at 8:15 but I’m glad we got there early. We were called to debark just before 8 and were literally off the ship at 8:10. I don’t think it could have gone any better.

 

It wasn’t long before I was flying over the coast of my home state, NC, on my way back to my temporary home in Miami.

 

 

And now here I am a week later! It seems like forever since my cruise but I’m glad I got to share my experiences here.

[ChampionCruiser]

Wrap-up

 

In case I wasn’t positive enough throughout the review, I’ll say it again: this was my favorite cruise to date. Nearly everything was as perfect as possible, from the ship to the crew to Bermuda. The difference between Celebrity and the other lines I’ve sailed on is pretty clear. I felt that the food was far better than the other lines and the service was on par with what we’ve experienced with Royal and Princess. The ship is beautiful and there is constant upkeep everywhere. Oh, and I liked Bermuda….a lot :).

 

It was the little things that really made Celebrity stand out, though. These weren’t things that make or break a cruise but they add up. The free champagne, chocolates at turndown, cloth towels in the public restrooms, open deck towel rentals, complimentary totes and umbrellas, and refreshments and cool towels at the pier are all small enhancements that add up to a great experience.

 

I can’t wait to sail on Celebrity and cruise to Bermuda again and I hope you all enjoy your future cruises! Please let me know if there are any other questions.

 

Up Next: I can’t wait to find out :D

[Lois R]

Thanks for sharing your experience with us and glad you had such

a good time too:)

[TheSubmariner]

Thanks for your hard work putting this together. I am on the exact cruise next Sunday ... :D

[quicklabs]

Thanks for your hard work putting this together. I am on the exact cruise next Sunday ... :D

 

And we're right there with you, Submariner!

[nicebbern]

We spent a good portion of the afternoon on deck. All signs of gloominess were thankfully gone and it was a beautiful day.

 

 

It was VERY windy, though, and a bit chilly! There weren’t many people lying out at all because of it. You can see that in this picture.

 

That antennae isn’t supposed to look like that :).

 

 

 

My sister and I still enjoyed our last afternoon on board the Summit and were sad to head down for our final dinner. All three of my dished were amazing: the spinach turnover, gnocchi al Quattro formaggi, and cheesecake.

 

We had to thank our wait staff for helping to make our cruise such a great one!

 

 

That basically wrapped up the cruise. The farewell variety show was enjoyable but the packing definitely wasn’t! It’s always hard to end a cruise that you’ve been looking forward to for so long, but it also gives you the opportunity to start thinking about your next one!

 

Next up: Debarkation

 

Thank you for posting such a wonderful display of photos throughout your thread!:)

[sswright]

Wonderful pictorial review. Looking very forward to our trip in 3 weeks.

[librarylady19]

Thanks again for a marvelous review. I'm so happy you shared your experiences and wonderful photos with us. I can't wait to see it all for myself soon. We must have done similar research, as we had pretty much the same itinerary planned for our time in Bermuda so it was great to read and see how that worked out for you.

[tortoni]

Loved your review. Thank you so much.

[cocobakerchica]

What a great finale! Thanks again for taking the time to post such a picture filled review. It's really helped to ramp up my excitement at my upcoming cruise, and to get back to one of my most favorite places in this part of the world(which is tough, because I have a LOT of favorite places around these parts;)). I'm glad you and your enjoyed yourselves, and best of luck to you and your studies in Norway.

 

cbc

[Robynljt]

Thanks for your review! I will let you know if I am able to get the ornament. We were on the Oasis in November. This trip will certainly be quite different, but I'm certain amazing! The last time we cruised to Bermuda it was on the Horizon and we loved it.

[Lew's cruise]

Thank you for taking the time and effort to write such a wonderful and informative review. We are on the Summit at the end of August and your review has us "raring" to go.

Lew

[lbullard]

Day 3 - At Sea

 

The second sea day was almost identical to the first: beautiful weather, lounge chairs, and no complaints :). I was prepared to handle really rough seas in the Atlantic but both days were pretty calm.

 

 

It was a little warmer than the day before and the pool deck was more crowded. Notice how empty the pool is, though. The water was COLD! My sister and I swam for about five minutes before running to the T-pool to warm up. That was actually our only time in the waterfall pool.

 

 

After that experiment we headed back to our deck 12 spot to enjoy the sunshine away from the crowd. We also went to the first karaoke show of the cruise (which is always fun to watch) as well as a couple of music events before the evening. Dinner was again good (predictable, right?) and I ordered the beef ragout (great), lemon-pepper chicken pasta (good), and crepe suzette (I thought it was delicious but others found it WAY too sweet).

 

The entertainer for the night was a guest comedian who was pretty funny (and clean). Unlike the night before, my sister and I stayed up late with “Dancing with the Stripes” (which was a ton of fun) and the late night dance party.

 

It was another GREAT day at sea but I was definitely ready for Bermuda!

 

Be warned, there are MANY more pictures to come. I couldn’t stop taking them on the island :).

 

Next up: Day 4, Bermuda!

 

Where there any specials that we should be aware and ready to take advantage of the first day on the boat....internet time, spa...drinks?

[lbullard]

I can understand why this beach is Bermuda’s most popular. It’s much larger than the others we saw and it is, of course, gorgeous. We picked a spot to put our chairs away from the crowd and cooled off before exploring the rest of the beach.

 

This is what I imagined when I thought of Bermuda.

 

 

Most of the rocks were fairly easy to scale (even barefoot) but you definitely have to be careful. If you’re willing to do it you’ll have some great views of the bay.

 

 

We grabbed a quick lunch at the grill before exploring the other side of the beach. They served basic American food at reasonable-ish prices and it was good enough for us.

 

Did you rent chairs....cost?

[lady_mac]

Thank you so much for doing this. I'll be cruising to Bermuda in

 

September so this was a great preview.

 

Congratulations on your graduation & good luck in Norway. You'll do well!!

[Coolcruise02]

Great review and pictures!

[Mapleleaf5]

The announcement that the rooms were ready came soon after and we headed down to deck 6. As I said before, I chose cabin 6035, which is one of the “sweet sixteen” balcony rooms.

 

It was a bit tight for four adults, but we’ve stayed in MUCH smaller and were used to it. I was amazed at the amount of storage, though. All four of us fit our clothes in the closet and drawers. I’m used to living out of my suitcase on cruises, so it was a welcome change.

 

The new carpeting and furnishings were nice.

 

 

The bathroom was an ordinary cruise ship one, complete with the dreaded shower curtain rather than sliding door.

 

 

The highlight of the cabin, though, was the balcony! It was easily twice as big as the regular balconies at the same price. These balconies are partly covered and partly open to those above, so that is one thing to keep in mind.

 

This was taken the next day, but it should give you an idea of what to expect.

 

 

Along with its size, I really liked that you can look straight down at water from the balcony. Most balconies on the ship look down on life boats.

 

 

Here was our view facing aft. It gives a good comparison to some other balconies.

 

 

Does the couch open into single or double?

 

Thanks

[ThursdaysChild]

One word on the appearance of the Bayonne port. All of the NJ destinations viewed by those who are not residents have been designed to be unattractive - the Turnpike, Newark Airport, Bayonne, the Meadowlands. Our state is full - there is no more room, and we actively discourage anyone from moving here so you don't get to see the beautiful beaches, green fields and farms or rolling hills and mountains. We try to foster the impression that the state is one vast oil refinery. ;)

 

Shhhh, NewSalt, you've already said too much. :eek: Everyone living outside of NJ: please ignore everything she wrote. Not a green field or beautiful beach to be found here. Move along, please. :rolleyes:

[csplunk]

Congratulations! Thanks for posting all the pictures. I'll be sailing next year and looking forward to your review. Nice to know ahead of time what things to do and see.

[cocobakerchica]

Shhhh, NewSalt, you've already said too much. :eek: Everyone living outside of NJ: please ignore everything she wrote. Not a green field or beautiful beach to be found here. Move along, please. :rolleyes:

 

Yep, nothing but endless highways, buried industrial waste, and some swamp gas here in NJ....no gorgeous parks, great shopping, and no sales tax on clothing here...dang, now I did it! :eek:

[ThursdaysChild]

Wrap-up

 

In case I wasn’t positive enough throughout the review, I’ll say it again: this was my favorite cruise to date. Nearly everything was as perfect as possible, from the ship to the crew to Bermuda. The difference between Celebrity and the other lines I’ve sailed on is pretty clear. I felt that the food was far better than the other lines and the service was on par with what we’ve experienced with Royal and Princess. The ship is beautiful and there is constant upkeep everywhere. Oh, and I liked Bermuda….a lot :).

 

It was the little things that really made Celebrity stand out, though. These weren’t things that make or break a cruise but they add up. The free champagne, chocolates at turndown, cloth towels in the public restrooms, open deck towel rentals, complimentary totes and umbrellas, and refreshments and cool towels at the pier are all small enhancements that add up to a great experience.

 

I can’t wait to sail on Celebrity and cruise to Bermuda again and I hope you all enjoy your future cruises! Please let me know if there are any other questions.

 

Up Next: I can’t wait to find out :D

 

Thank you so much for a wonderful and informative review. I'm looking forward to my Bermuda cruise on Summit in September, and your review has tripled my anticipation. Good luck to you, and Happy Cruising!

[ChampionCruiser]

Wow, I thought my review was "dead" so I didn't check today! Thanks AGAIN and I'm glad it helped get some of you excited for your upcoming cruises :D.