Photo Review: Celebrity Summit 2/1/14 Southern Caribbean

[HeatherC430]

Find the 'Quick Links' tab next to the 'Log Out' top right. Under 'miscellaneous' you will see the 'Subscribed Threads' tab. Click it and every thread you have posted on will come up. There will be a time you will need to check off some and go to the tab at the bottom and 'delete' following them.

 

Thanks Wallie! No doubt that will be an easier way to keep up with the threads! :)

 

I'll return the favor with how to post photos within the posts (instead of as attachments) regarding your comments on the St. Maarten thread - It really is super easy! Once you add your photos to an online photo hosting site (I use Snapfish - but there are plenty of others like Photobucket, etc), all you have to do is use the copy/paste feature and put the photo within your "reply to thread" box. HadI know just how easy this was to do, I would have been including photos in all my reviews in the past!

[HeatherC430]

Heather, thank you very much for the informative review. We are sailing on the Summit on April 12th... same itinerary and also our first Celebrity cruise. We are looking forward to it with great anticipationl, and your pictures and review were fun to read.

 

Kim

 

You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed reading! I have no doubt you'll enjoy your upcoming cruise on the Summit! Happy cruising! :)

[HeatherC430]

Nice review!! We were on the Summit last April during Spring Break. This was our first Celebrity cruise. We chose it for some new ports.....Grenada and Dominica. We sailed with our teenage children. We had previously sailed quite a few times on Royal Caribbean, Carnival, NCL, and Princess. While we don't care for NCL and Carnival we really liked Royal Caribbean and Princess......until sailing with Celebrity. Even my kids said that Celebrity is their favorite! We have decided to sail Celebrity again this year for Spring Break this time on the Silhouette. My husband and kids climbed the volcano in St Kitts. My husband had climbed it on a previous cruise but said that this time it was MUCH more difficult. Kudos to you for doing it!! We are going to St a Kitts again this year, but no more volcanos. This time it is my turn with the kids and we are going zip lining!! Hope I survive!! Have fun on your future cruises!! I'm sure you will!!!Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

I'm with you...no more volcano hikes for me! Unless I get verification in advance of it being a mild climb! We zip lined in Belize - you'll be fine! On the first run/zip line it was really scary not knowing what to expect, but every time after that it's alot of fun! The best part is that you don't have to exert any physical activity - you just hang on & fly through the treetops! Enjoy!

[HeatherC430]

Thank you for taking the time to post a review with pictures. I appreciated your positive glass half full attitude.

 

We will be taking our first Celebrity cruise in November. Holland America has been our cruise line of choice in the past as we prefer the older quieter demographics. Our children are grown. I recently took a Carnival cruise and I agree about the passenger profile. I would describe it as Carnival is more of a beer crowd and Celebrity sounds like more of a wine crowd. I loved my Carnival cruise it was just a different vibe.

 

Looking forward to your next review.

 

You're quite welcome. Honestly, other than an extreme disaster (or maybe the cruise line loosing my luggage on embarkation day!) there isn't alot that could happen to make me have a bad cruise! Even the cruises that aren't on the top of our list have left us with still having a great time. Even with things crop up during the course of the cruise that maybe aren't ideal, it all comes down to how you view it and react to it. We always make the best of all situations (both in everyday life and while cruising).

 

I would agree with your analogy of Carnival being more of a beer crowd - and Celebrity being more of a wine crowd. Even though I drink beer on the regular (and never wine) I still feel that my demographics and cruising style are better met on Celebrity. We've enjoyed all of our Carnival cruises, it's just more of rowdier crowd - at times that can be both good and bad. I suppose I'm just maturing and my cruising has evolved. :)

 

I look forward to writing my next photo review as well. This is addicting! :D

[HeatherC430]

Since this is such a hot topic on cruise critic over the past few days – and since I didn’t mention this anywhere on my review – I’ll go on record, that I didn’t experience ANY LOUD music on my week onboard the Summit. Everywhere we encountered music onboard; it was at an appropriate volume. As a 30-something ex-Carnival cruiser I think Celebrity did a good job of having a mix of music offerings onboard that appealed to the broad spectrum of age ranges as well as musical tastes. I think Celebrity is doing a good job of appealing to the younger demographic as well as still satisfying the needs of their classic X cruiser.

 

My past experiences (in terms of the volume of music) are night and day between Celebrity & Carnival in terms of volume (primarily on the Lido deck). Trust me when I tell you that my cruise onboard the Breeze (while it’s a great ship) you literally couldn’t hear someone even yelling while the DJ was playing on the Lido deck!

 

Disclaimer: I’m afraid to post any response on the heated threads for fear of being flamed. :D

[wallie5446]

 

Disclaimer: I’m afraid to post any response on the heated threads for fear of being flamed. :D

 

Oh such a wise young Lady:D

[dexter48]

Thanks for the great review. We were also on the same cruise you just reviewed. It was a great time. We are booked for the other portion of this Summit cruise next March.

You can always check your dining room table when you first board the ship. Usually, they have a section in the Rendevouz lounge where the Maitre d' will help you with seating for dinner.

[h20cruzer]

Good for you. As with most posts its the opinion of the poster. If I see a post I dont like, I just move on. Some people are so mean spirited on CC, not sure why we are all here because we love cruising and why one persons opinion is better than anothers I will never know why.

Loved, loved, loved your review. I will be sailing the Summit on May 4, so I found a lot of good information.

Norma

[gelo7]

Great review.

[Sfdtiller]

Great review, and echo your sentiments about loving celebrity and feeling right at home after so many carnival cruises. If you can find a decent deal in Aqua class I highly suggest you give it a try. Blu was excellent, and made it worth the extra $ we paid. Much healthier food and a much more fine dining feel. Never wore ties, just nice pants and button up shirts. We currently have Panama Canal booked next year, but am hoping to do a Bermuda trip this summer and hoping to see my new favorite server Florentina when I get my morning coffees!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[sperkins921]

I know. I told my DH that taxi ride was supposed to be $19 plus an extra $1/per bag. Once en route to the port, we both agreed it was worth paying double to not waste time in that line - sketchy or not! lol :)

 

Wow - that is a small world! We loved the Breeze! The best IMO of all Carnival's fleet.

 

I'll be asking you a TON of questions (and likely checking out your carnival reviews as that was who I sailed my first cruise with) so be prepared ;) We are sailing this iten next Feb, and so I'm researching now. Just got off the Connie a few weeks ago...

 

So the first questions are:

With whom did you fly in on?

What is the all aboard/cut off time to be on the ship on embarkation day in SJU?

How far from the airport to the port?

You mentioned the cruise line shuttle- how would I book that, and how much was it?

 

I think that's everything for now... TIA!!

[alreadypacked]

Really enjoyed your review!! Thanks so much!

 

I could never do all of those strenuous excursions though, but I enjoyed them vicariously through you!:)

[sprshop]

:)Thanks, Heather, for your review and pictures. It will be our first cruise on celebrity and the Summit. I am doing a b/b on the Summit (same itinerary) and your report makes me feel more at ease.

 

Happy daylight savings:):D

Susan

[NOT2DIVAISH]

Your post is fantastic! Very thorough! I am looking to do something fun and exciting in St. Kitts- never been and debating between catamaran and the hike. I've hiked a lot and do a ton of mud runs but I am questioning whether or not I want to do something so strenuous on a vacation and during a week of buffet eating! :)

 

 

Thanks for your review- totally helped with my decision!!

[HeatherC430]

I'll be asking you a TON of questions (and likely checking out your carnival reviews as that was who I sailed my first cruise with) so be prepared ;) We are sailing this iten next Feb, and so I'm researching now. Just got off the Connie a few weeks ago...

 

So the first questions are:

With whom did you fly in on?

What is the all aboard/cut off time to be on the ship on embarkation day in SJU?

How far from the airport to the port?

You mentioned the cruise line shuttle- how would I book that, and how much was it?

 

 

With whom did you fly in on?

We flew to San Juan on Southwest. We flew home on US Air.

 

What is the all aboard/cut off time to be on the ship on embarkation day in SJU?

Our paperwork said you need to be onboard by 7:00pm

 

How far from the airport to the port?

Our taxi ride was approximately 15 minutes if I had to guess.

 

You mentioned the cruise line shuttle- how would I book that, and how much was it?

You can book the shuttle directly through Celebrity’s website (or your TA if that’s how you booked your cruise). The cost of the Celebrity shuttle from the airport to port in San Juan is $36 per person. It is much cheaper to just take a taxi, but you may have to contend with the taxi line like we did if you chose that option.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions, I’m happy to help.

[HeatherC430]

Loved, loved, loved your review. I will be sailing the Summit on May 4, so I found a lot of good information.

Norma

 

:)Thanks, Heather, for your review and pictures. It will be our first cruise on celebrity and the Summit. I am doing a b/b on the Summit (same itinerary) and your report makes me feel more at ease.

 

Happy daylight savings:):D

Susan

 

What a small world! I see you that you both will be aboard the Summit on the May 4th sailing - that's the day I'll be debarking the Summit on my next cruise! I have no doubt this upcoming cruise will be just as great as my last one! I'm really looking forward to going to Bermuda for the first time too! Thanks again for your kind words & enjoy your cruises!

[screwsmcernst]

What a great review! I loved all the information and all the pictures. We will be sailing the Summit next January. We will be visiting the other S.C. ports. We have sailed the Summit 5 years ago, so I am really happy to read that the ship is still in good shape.

Have a great time on your Bermuda cruise. Can't wait to read that one. :)

[HeatherC430]

Really enjoyed your review!! Thanks so much!

 

I could never do all of those strenuous excursions though, but I enjoyed them vicariously through you!:)

 

I like to think of them as "memorable" instead of "strenuous"! lol

 

I'm not going to lie, I'm looking forward to much relaxing on the beach and shopping on my next cruise! That gives me another year to rest us for next winter's adventures! :D

[miched]

Once back onboard, we showered and got ready for dinner. But first, we stopped by the Lido pool bar for a drink. In the picture below is a mango daiquiri – my favorite! One thing I noticed that Celebrity did pretty much every time I ordered a frozen/blended drink; they added another shot of rum around or on the top of the drink. Normally on Carnival, you can bank on these frozen beverages containing very little alcohol, however, with this Celebrity technique of drink making, you could taste and feel the alcohol with each drink (which was nice).

 

 

What you need to do is ask for a rum float, with lead in the pencil. Lead in the pencil is when they put the straw (s) in the glass and fill the straw with rum. This also adds a little more to the rum float as some will not make it into the straw.

 

 

 

 

The drinks on Carnival don't even compare to those on X. Carnival relies too much on mixes. My wife ordered a mudslide on Carnival. We were the only customers sitting there. She took a carton of mix, added the liquor and ice and put it into a blender. Then poured the drink. There was still about 1/2 as much left in the blender. I asked if my wife could have the rest and she said no and poured it down the drain. I then asked why not as 1/3 of the liquor that we paid for was being wasted. She said because that would be another drink. We sat there about another 15 minutes and seen others come to the bar and leave without ordering. I think she was the reason that the bar was empty. Not the friendliest BT, but the drinks were also bad.

 

. 🍸🍻

[miched]

It was delicious! I drink my fair share of Mango rum too at our pool bar in the summertime! If you like Mango rum you’ll love this drink! I didn’t meet a frozen drink on the Summit that I didn’t like! There was another drink I got (but didn’t get a picture of) that was really good too. I saw several people with them onboard and asked one of the bartenders what it was, they said a Bushwhacker. To me, it tasted like a frozen white Russian with chocolate syrup swirled in – I’m still not sure what’s in it, but would strongly recommend that one too if you’re interested.

 

In the coffee shop I would get a frozen blended coffee with Baileys, vodka, rum, and Kahlua. The servers would refer to it as the drink with the kitchen sink. They would go down nice and easy but really sneak up on you.

 

There is a place in St Thomas that is a little bar in a souvenir shop that also serves the Bushwacker. I was watching them make it and copying top down the ingredients and the owner said sir you can't do that and then handed me a printed copy of how to make it. Here are it is

 

Bushwacker

 

2 oz Baileys,

 

1/2 oz vodka,

 

1/2 oz white rum,

 

1/2 oz Kalhlua

 

1/2 oz Amaretto,

 

1 oz dark creme de coca,

 

splash of frangelica.

 

Add ice and blend.

 

The place is called the 19th hole #27 Main St.

 

It is a good place to get one instead of taking the tram to the top of the hill.

 

You can also make one at home or as suggested get it on board.

 

Edited March 13, 2014 by miched

[HeatherC430]

What you need to do is ask for a rum float, with lead in the pencil. Lead in the pencil is when they put the straw (s) in the glass and fill the straw with rum. This also adds a little more to the rum float as some will not make it into the straw.

 

The drinks on Carnival don't even compare to those on X. Carnival relies too much on mixes. My wife ordered a mudslide on Carnival. We were the only customers sitting there. She took a carton of mix, added the liquor and ice and put it into a blender. Then poured the drink. There was still about 1/2 as much left in the blender. I asked if my wife could have the rest and she said no and poured it down the drain. I then asked why not as 1/3 of the liquor that we paid for was being wasted. She said because that would be another drink. We sat there about another 15 minutes and seen others come to the bar and leave without ordering. I think she was the reason that the bar was empty. Not the friendliest BT, but the drinks were also bad.

 

.

 

"lead in the pencil"...it took me a minute to get it! lol

 

I will agree that the frozen and mixed drinks on Celebrity are much better than on Carnival (and by "better" I mean "stronger") :D

[kdog3ss]

Thanks for the great review Heather. My wife and I, brother and sister-in-law are sailing the Summit in December, same itinerary and really looking forward to it after seeing all of the great pictures. And I think you should take a close lock at the lens of your camera. I think someone painted a rainbow on it........

[cavdad78]

I too, want to say thank you HeatherC430. Awesome review and thanks for the pictures. Really enjoyed the pics and review of cabin 9001, as that is the cabin that we will be staying in next December.

[HeatherC430]

Thanks for the great review Heather. My wife and I, brother and sister-in-law are sailing the Summit in December, same itinerary and really looking forward to it after seeing all of the great pictures. And I think you should take a close lock at the lens of your camera. I think someone painted a rainbow on it........

 

Thank you! I'm glad I could help! It was a great itinerary! Enjoy your cruise! And the rainbows all week really were pretty awesome!

[HeatherC430]

I too, want to say thank you HeatherC430. Awesome review and thanks for the pictures. Really enjoyed the pics and review of cabin 9001, as that is the cabin that we will be staying in next December.

 

Thank you for the kind words! I think you'll feel the same way about the room as us! We loved the extra space! We didn't even miss having a balcony! We found it to be a great value! We didn't hesitate to book that same room for next year's cruise on the Summit! I sure hope I don't have problems getting a comparable room like this on future sailings! Enjoy! I had a hard time finding info and pictures on this room prior to sailing which is why I wanted to make sure I thoroughly posted about the room.