Wonderful cruise on Summit, but.......

[My4Grandsons]

In regards to the Summit and itbeing deserted at night: I have sailed Celebrity 9 times over 12 years including all the M ships. I was on the Reflection in January yo the Carribean. I too was very disappointed by the older crowd who went to bed at 9. It was like a ghost ship indeed. I am older (63) but very active and enjoy being around younger people who like to hae a good time. I'm not talking about drinking (I'm not much of a drinker) but like peopleand activities.Not much anymore on Celebrity (use tto be) I think they are getting a rep for having n older crowd which is fine if that is their "nitch"

 

I'm even older (68). Was on the March 16th sailing. DH and I felt something was missing. It could have been the lack of energy. If you have sailed Carnival you may know what I mean. Told my DH that we should try the S-class next. No way he said, especially after we saw the Carnival Valor in OSJ on the 24th.

[p2lockhart]

Did anyone have one of these 5 cabins? Would love to know what they are like, if the balconies are extended and see pics. The search engine on the boards does not seem to be working at the moment.

 

Thanks for all the reviews.

[Cruise a holic]

Did anyone have one of these 5 cabins? Would love to know what they are like, if the balconies are extended and see pics. The search engine on the boards does not seem to be working at the moment.

 

Thanks for all the reviews.

On the reflection now. Will review when home. Best celebrity cruise ever! we are in 1552 extended balcony No obstruction. Wonderful! Lawn Club restaurant excellent!:)

[vplsh]

Did anyone have one of these 5 cabins? Would love to know what they are like, if the balconies are extended and see pics. The search engine on the boards does not seem to be working at the moment.

 

Thanks for all the reviews.

 

Here are a few pictures of 1138. The balcony is larger than other cabins. Nice having the new things inside as well, although the cabin isn't any larger.

[warmwinds]

We're in 1138 on a cruise next year on the Infinity. We love the M-class and have never sailed the S, and have never sailed in AQ.

 

However, I thought I read just recently on another review that they felt Blu on the M-class was very loud and crowded (waiters bumping the too-close-together tables), but you made it sound very different from that.

[Jborosara]

We are among the disappointed in Blu crowd especially since it was SO good the year before.... I suspected then and still do that suite guests used Blu as their defacto DR and that space available was not enforced...,rushed loud and cramped. Not relaxing at all

[Jborosara]

We had 1138...huge balcony almost made up for disappointment on blu

[rollnoles2]

Did anyone have one of these 5 cabins? Would love to know what they are like, if the balconies are extended and see pics. The search engine on the boards does not seem to be working at the moment.

 

Thanks for all the reviews.

 

We had cabin 1140. Great balcony! Most of the balcony was in the shade during the day, but there was plenty of room to move to the sunnier section at the end if you wanted to. There were a couple of times the balcony was completely exposed to the sun, but that was only for a short period of time. My mother, in-laws, and teenagers were in Rooms 1113, 1115, and 1117 and complained of noise above them at night. (They said is sounded like kids running on the deck above them.) We never heard anything like that in our aft balcony. We enjoyed listening to the music from the sunset bar below us at sail away and in the evenings. The only night it got loud below us in the bar area was the last night-I guess everyone was partying one last time. :D

 

Here's a picture of the balcony of 1140:

 

More pictures of a Deck 11 AQ room (1115). Sorry I don't have any pictures of the balcony, but it was much narrower. No footstools.

 

 

 

[vermonter16]

Any photos of the balcony in 1115?

[Cruise a holic]

We are among the disappointed in Blu crowd especially since it was SO good the year before.... I suspected then and still do that suite guests used Blu as their defacto DR and that space available was not enforced...,rushed loud and cramped. Not relaxing at all

 

 

We enjoyed Blu on many previous cruises, however since our last reflection cruise (two weeks ago) we have decided going forward, we would book a regular balcony cabin or concierge class if the price is right, as we get perks from being elite members. We will take the specialty dining package with the money we save and never dine in the MDR or Blu.

 

The specialty restaurants are wonderful and much better then blu or the MDR:) on all of the ships. The other Aqua class perks do not mean anything to us.

[anchoras]

Were booked on the Summit Febuary 2014 CC Cabin 9146 I continue to hear that they are no the best cabins due to an overhang from above. Any information would be appreciated.

Also we are Diamond on Royal trying Celebrity for 1st time in years, have 123 drink package, what are thoughts about upgrading to premium package, we drink wine and occasional mixed drink....

[Cruise a holic]

Were booked on the Summit Febuary 2014 CC Cabin 9146 I continue to hear that they are no the best cabins due to an overhang from above. Any information would be appreciated.

Also we are Diamond on Royal trying Celebrity for 1st time in years, have 123 drink package, what are thoughts about upgrading to premium package, we drink wine and occasional mixed drink....

 

No pics of the Balcony- However do upgrade to the premium drink package. We did. Those who did not, were not happy. If you do not have the drink package and order for example a Martini, you have to pay for it in full. You get no credit- so the drink will cost $10 to $12. per drink plus tip. Most of the better drinks, are more than $8.00 expecially if you want premium alcohol in your drink. If all you drink is beer, inexpensive wine and house cocktails, the 123 drink package will be adequate. You still get the special coffee, soft drink, fresh squeezed OJ and bottled water.

[miched]

We were on the Summit shortly after the refurb and so called upgrades. We were in AQ and disappointed. Other than the new AQ cabins on the upper deck all they did for the other AQ cabins was replace the shower panel in the former CC cabins. The mattresses needed replacing, and the balcony furniture was sad. Didn't appear as if they did any refurbs to the cabins. The pool area furniture also needed to be replaced and that was May 2012.

 

It is a nice ship but with all of the hoopla about the millions spent on the upgrades I think most of it was on the added cabins, and adding Blu, mostly things to have a AQ class on a M ship. I think because of all the hype people are disappointed that nothing has really been done to areas that need it.

 

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[miched]

Were booked on the Summit Febuary 2014 CC Cabin 9146 I continue to hear that they are no the best cabins due to an overhang from above. Any information would be appreciated.

Also we are Diamond on Royal trying Celebrity for 1st time in years, have 123 drink package, what are thoughts about upgrading to premium package, we drink wine and occasional mixed drink....

 

We upgraded to the premium so we could try everything. We found that the Martinis in the Martini bar are made using top shelf liquor and use different recipes. My wife ordered a Cosmo in the theater and it was different than the one from the Martini bar. Besides being smaller we learned that the other bar use Absolute, and triple sec instead of Grey Goose and Couintrea. We asked about why they tasted better at the Martini Bar and that is what the BT told us. If you have get a martini at any other bar it will cost $6 and within the classic but besides being smaller it will use cheaper liquor.

 

Also found with the Premium package you have more choice of beer and wine, and many of the featured drinks, plus about any mixture of liquor you want in your coffee. I had a frozen coffee drink that had what the server said had the kitchen sink in it, rum, vodka, Kahlua, Baileys, bourbon and tequila.

 

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[catugirl]

I'm a little confused about the preference of Radiance class on RCI. We were on Radiance OTS in July, 2010. I know that was pre-refurbishment, but our main problem was that the food was mediocre and, except for our room steward and the captain, the rest of the crew were surly and unfriendly. Even though we loved the large windows in the lounge, that didn't make up for the food and service. Both Radiance OTS and Celebrity Summit were launched in the same year. Radiance was refurbished in 2011, and Summit was refurbished in 2012, hence my confusion.

[tobias]

Hello all, thanks for all the great info on the Summit. We are booked for the March 8th cruise in 2014. However, this cruise is no longer posted on any travel agency websites and we have heard rumors that Celebrity has chartered this particular cruise to a gay travel agency. Different people have inquired about this to Celebrity but they either say the website is under maintenance (8 weeks??!) or they don't know what's happening. We are planning a March Break holiday with our grandchildren and will be disappointed if it is canceled. Has anyone heard anything about this or know what Celebrity might do for those already booked (over half ship booked prior to this news)? Seems strange they would book a gay cruise during the March Break as it is one of the busiest times of the year and people book very early as a rule. Any info, ideas, help would be appreciated.

[Ajl437]

Hello all, thanks for all the great info on the Summit. We are booked for the March 8th cruise in 2014. However, this cruise is no longer posted on any travel agency websites and we have heard rumors that Celebrity has chartered this particular cruise to a gay travel agency. Different people have inquired about this to Celebrity but they either say the website is under maintenance (8 weeks??!) or they don't know what's happening. We are planning a March Break holiday with our grandchildren and will be disappointed if it is canceled. Has anyone heard anything about this or know what Celebrity might do for those already booked (over half ship booked prior to this news)? Seems strange they would book a gay cruise during the March Break as it is one of the busiest times of the year and people book very early as a rule. Any info, ideas, help would be appreciated.

 

I am a travel agent and just checked. The March 8th sailing shows as not available for booking. This could mean that the ship has been chartered for those dates. Since the cruise isn't until March 2014, your final payment dates won't be until December this year. If you have the available funds, I would place a refundable deposit on an alternative cruise just in case.

[deksdca]

Thanks for your review & glad that you enjoyed your cruise. It's great to have so many choices when it comes to ships when deciding on a cruise.

 

I am curious how you found disembarkation, & the wait times for custom in San Juan. There have been reports of mojor delays in FLL, & I am wondering how it is in San Juan, since we have an early flight (10:45) when returning on March 30th.

 

Hello. I have been through San Juan three times on my way back to California. I've never had any delay in getting through customs or the airport. I've flown out of SJU on a 9:30 a.m. flight and had plenty of time to sit around at the airport before boarding the plane. Just take the "early off" and carry your own luggage option when disembarking the ship. I only have one small/medium-sized roller bag and a carry-on handbag so this option works great for me. FLL can be a zoo, but again, if you keep it simple, you'll get along fine

[richsea]

Hello. I have been through San Juan three times on my way back to California. I've never had any delay in getting through customs or the airport. I've flown out of SJU on a 9:30 a.m. flight and had plenty of time to sit around at the airport before boarding the plane. Just take the "early off" and carry your own luggage option when disembarking the ship. I only have one small/medium-sized roller bag and a carry-on handbag so this option works great for me. FLL can be a zoo, but again, if you keep it simple, you'll get along fine

 

Thanks deksdca for the info. We just returned from our cruise. I put in for express disembarkation, fully expecting to have to carry our bags off the ship. The disembarkation info said to put our bags out the night before, so we did not have to carry them off. they gave us Green 1 tags, & told us to meet in Rondevous Lounge @ 7:20. We were first off the ship, the luggage area was empty of people, we easily picked out our bags, got in a taxi, & had our bags checked at the airport by 8AM! Security was also a breeze. We could have easily made a 10 AM flight. We are booked on a b2b on Summit next January, & I think we'll book an early flight again!

Btw, it was a great cruise, with good to excellent food, & fantastic service all around, although we never met our stateroom attendant, he was like a phantom, & our room was always done whenever we returned, like magic!

[deksdca]

I'm a little confused about the preference of Radiance class on RCI. We were on Radiance OTS in July, 2010. I know that was pre-refurbishment, but our main problem was that the food was mediocre and, except for our room steward and the captain, the rest of the crew were surly and unfriendly. Even though we loved the large windows in the lounge, that didn't make up for the food and service. Both Radiance OTS and Celebrity Summit were launched in the same year. Radiance was refurbished in 2011, and Summit was refurbished in 2012, hence my confusion.

 

I'm surprised at your bad experience on the Radiance. I've sailed twice on it over the past three years and had a good experience. You must have caught it at a bad time. The Radiance underwent a refurb two years ago in May. I was on it right before it went into drydock. I've taken 20 cruises over the last 5 years, mostly on RCI ships, and only on a couple of them did I think the food was above "ordinary" in quality. That's the nature of the dining room food. It is presented elegantly and looks far more beautiful than it tastes. I think they try to go down the middle of the road so as to not offend anybody. RCI changed their menus last November and the bill-of-fare has improved a little. I sailed on the Celebrity Millennium last May and thought the food there was just a small cut above ordinary; however, I liked the "Bistro on Five" very much, but then it's a "specialty" restaurant where the food is not mass produced.

[tobias]

Thanks for checking. We already have 15 people including 5 children booked for this itinerary. Pretty hard to get everyone rebooked, money aside. Also have accessible concierge booked for my husband which I probably wouldn't get now. And we have the free drink package so switching companies isn't an option although if Celebrity pulls this fast one we sure won't be booking Celebrity anymore even though they have always been our favourite. Checked for alternative cruises and only found two. One is on Reflection and other on Silouette both out of Ft Lauderdale and both more money per cabin than Summit. I wish they would clarify things we could move forward.

[deksdca]

Thanks deksdca for the info. We just returned from our cruise. I put in for express disembarkation, fully expecting to have to carry our bags off the ship. The disembarkation info said to put our bags out the night before, so we did not have to carry them off. they gave us Green 1 tags, & told us to meet in Rondevous Lounge @ 7:20. We were first off the ship, the luggage area was empty of people, we easily picked out our bags, got in a taxi, & had our bags checked at the airport by 8AM! Security was also a breeze. We could have easily made a 10 AM flight. We are booked on a b2b on Summit next January, & I think we'll book an early flight again!

Btw, it was a great cruise, with good to excellent food, & fantastic service all around, although we never met our stateroom attendant, he was like a phantom, & our room was always done whenever we returned, like magic!

 

I'm glad to read that you had a good time on the Summit. I, too, have gotten the Green No. 1 luggage tags but did not use them and just dragged my bag around myself. However, like your experience, I noticed the baggage area was quiet when I went though it and I thought that I could have had my bag delivered to the pier instead. It took about 10 minutes to get to the airport and I was there, like you, about 8:00. It drives me nuts that the cruise lines all insist that you don't take a flight out until around noon; but I've always ignored that and never had a problem getting out mid-morning.

Incidentally, I'm taking a Summit cruise this October. I've been on the Millennium but am curious to know if the Summit will be the same experience. I'm used to RCI ship experiences and I found the Millennium a bit boring, much like another person on this forum wrote of the Summit. Will it be as quiet as the above-mentioned person said?

[richsea]

...Incidentally, I'm taking a Summit cruise this October. I've been on the Millennium but am curious to know if the Summit will be the same experience. I'm used to RCI ship experiences and I found the Millennium a bit boring, much like another person on this forum wrote of the Summit. Will it be as quiet as the above-mentioned person said?

 

I'm afraid that if you are looking for RCI-like night life on Celebrity, you will be disappointed, unless you sail with a lot of families. Millennium & Summit are very much alike. Last week, it being spring break, there were many families, thus the age group was younger than a normal X cruise, & there was a more active nightlife. It's not that they don't schedule anything for later in the evening, but that there are fewer who take advantage of what is scheduled. If you're with a group, you will probably have a better time.

We sailed RC one time, on Explorer, & noticed a big difference in nighttime vibe, & much more going on at night. I'm not crazy about the "mall feeling" I get with the promenade, or boulevard, or whatever they call it. I felt like I was a my local shopping mall. But that's why it's great to have so many choices; so we can pick & choose what we want. Don't know where you are saling on Summit, but if it's out of Bayonne, why not sail the Explorer? I think she is doing 10 days at that time. Whichever you choose, have a great time!

[deksdca]

We have just returned today from our cruise on Summit, calling at Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St Maarten and St Thomas; we had a wonderful time. We were in Aqua class cabin 1109 (port) , although the balcony overhang is less than deck 9 it is perfectly adequate for shade and there is NO noise from above. We loved our cabin and had great views of the sky and sea. Also no problem with temperature control in the room. The bed was super comfortable.

 

This was what we really loved about the cruise: BLU, amazing food and great ambiance; quiet atmosphere on the ship with very few announcements and no hard sell of drinks, photographs; talks by crew .. star gazing with navigation officer was great. He turned the bow lights out and the dark sky was filled with stars ---- galley tour ----- engineering officer talk, could have visited the engine room if we had asked at guest relations; early morning breakfast outside in Oceanview cafe; Crewners a Capella group wonderful; excursions on all the islands were well done and worth the money.

 

BUT....this is why I will probably opt for Royal Caribbean Radiance Class in the future: ships are about the same size and RCI ships are more visually pleasing inside and out. I missed the glass and great views from lounges. Summit lacked the evening atmosphere of being able to listen to a good pianist or singer, the Summit was pretty quiet at night, I am not a party person, but there was no one around. Summit's pool deck area is OK but as someone mentioned, the chairs on Decks 11 and12 are in need of replacing. the thalassotherapy pool on Summit is nice, but old looking.

 

So anyone going on Summit, don't worry, you will have a marvelous time, but if you have been mostly on Royal Caribbean before, you might find that the Summit ship itself does not compare favorably, although the cruise experience is still wonderful. I might try Solstice class in the future, although I liked the smaller ship.

 

I'm glad to see your remarks about the difference between RCI ships and the Summit. I sailed on its sister, the Millennium, last May, and though it wasn't a bad time, I kept thinking to myself that I much preferred the Radiance Class of ships on RCI. I thought the trip on the Millennium was kind of boring, though I'm not a drinker or a party person. However, the weather outside was cold and windy so everybody had to stay inside and couldn't go outside on deck much at all. The Thalosstherapy Pool was the best thing and I liked the string quartet that played in the Centrum every afternoon. But like you, I found the public areas to be too quiet when it was only about 9:30 p.m. and everything was closing!

 

I'm booked on a 7-day repositioning cruise on the Summit this October going to San Juan from Bayonne, NJ, and I'm a little afraid I'm going to find the trip to be more quiet than I'd like to see, like the Millennium. I love cruising and the atmosphere inherent with it, and don't need excitement, per se; but I'm a night person and don't want to see the place roll up the decks and turn off the lights at 9:00. I'm booked in a Sky Suite so I hope that will keep me company if the public areas turn into a tomb.

[Cruise a holic]

I'm afraid that if you are looking for RCI-like night life on Celebrity, you will be disappointed, unless you sail with a lot of families. Millennium & Summit are very much alike. Last week, it being spring break, there were many families, thus the age group was younger than a normal X cruise, & there was a more active nightlife. It's not that they don't schedule anything for later in the evening, but that there are fewer who take advantage of what is scheduled. If you're with a group, you will probably have a better time.

We sailed RC one time, on Explorer, & noticed a big difference in nighttime vibe, & much more going on at night. I'm not crazy about the "mall feeling" I get with the promenade, or boulevard, or whatever they call it. I felt like I was a my local shopping mall. But that's why it's great to have so many choices; so we can pick & choose what we want. Don't know where you are saling on Summit, but if it's out of Bayonne, why not sail the Explorer? I think she is doing 10 days at that time. Whichever you choose, have a great time!

 

Having sailed on many ships, RC and Celebrity, including the Summit, I think you should try the Solstice Class Ships. They are wonderful! In addition, the Freedom Class on RC as well as the Oasis Class ships are the best that RC has to offer. If you liked the Radiance class, I think you will flip over the other two. You can do as much or as little as you want to on the bigger ships. In addition, contrary to what you might think, the crowd control is excellent on RC Oasis class ships. You never feel a crowd (except late in the day at the pool) and have countless types of entertainment.

 

IMO I now am sold that "bigger and newer is better"!

 

This is despite having a pending Summit cruise for the third time! It works great if you like Bermuda and want to sail from the Northeast.