Is there NOTHING positive about Celebrity any more? (Threads Merged)

[NLH Arizona]

Just when it comes across mean. I know he is all for Celebrity and has valid points, but sometimes I cringe with some of the statements. I just thought it was best to remove the post as that wasn't going to end well. That's all.

...

Edited June 10, 2014 by NLH Arizona

[cle-guy]

For those that want their grandparent or parent's luxury, Crystal is the ships to cruise on. But here is the difference between Crystal and Celebrity:

 

I looked at a 7 day cruise out of Miami for January 2015 in an oceanview cabin and here is the difference. Crystal is $3,160 per person ($6,320 for two) versus Celebrity at $999 per person ($1,998 for two). For $4,322 more, you will get a lot of luxury. I would rather Celebrity keep the prices down and give us Modern Luxury.

 

Now I KNOW I prefer MODERN LUXURY over OLD TIME luxury. that's insanely expensive. White gloves and silver service seem to be quite costly.

 

I'll gladly take a Celebrity suite for the cost of ocean view and take Celebrity's brand of LUXURY any day of the week!

[NLH Arizona]

Now I KNOW I prefer MODERN LUXURY over OLD TIME luxury. that's insanely expensive. White gloves and silver service seem to be quite costly.

 

I'll gladly take a Celebrity suite for the cost of ocean view and take Celebrity's brand of LUXURY any day of the week!

My bad, looked aback at Crystal and that was a 10 day cruise, not 7 days.

 

Anyway, the daily rate on Crystal would be $632 for two, while Celebrity is only $285 for two per day.

 

Glad I looked at Crystal again, as I wouldn't want to give anyone bad information.

[momofmeg]

I'm not asking for a free ride...I pay more for hamburger at the grocery store because I know it's the same hamburger I paid less for 2 years ago. I would also prefer to pay more for the same cruise. Maybe I'm in the monority?

 

You know, I would go for that myself. Unfortunately,it seems many want the deal and the luxury and you just can't have it both ways.

 

 

I do feel money talks in this case by the lower prices for most. You and I are in the minority on that I am afraid.

 

It is kind've sad when you think about it, as most people who can afford to, just suck it up and pay more for the groceries they want instead of settling for cheaper or using less. It is too bad they would not do the same for a cruise huh?

 

You know I used to love cruising. now I just like cruising as it is not the experience it used to be. I do not go as often, since the "wow" is gone. So one day I am going to splurge and go on Azamara since I am saving money by not going as often as I used to go. I need to take that money and put it into a fund,huh? Perhaps you should do that too.

[momofmeg]

All I know is that the Millennium has great stir-fry.

 

That is all. :)

 

Lol! you see the glass half full instead of half empty-good!

 

All I can say if these complainers can point me to mainstream cruise line that is better show me the way!

[20pluscruises]

Lol! you see the glass half full instead of half empty-good!

 

All I can say if these complainers can point me to mainstream cruise line that is better show me the way!

 

I don't think anyone can show you the way to a better mainstream cruise line.....and I think most would just like to keep it that way.

[NLH Arizona]

Lol! you see the glass half full instead of half empty-good!

 

All I can say if these complainers can point me to mainstream cruise line that is better show me the way!

They really can't point us in the direction of another mainstream cruise line with the Celebrity experience at the Celebrity price, that is why they still cruise on Celebrity as well.

[hcat]

For those that want their grandparent or parent's luxury, Crystal is the ships to cruise on. But here is the difference between Crystal and Celebrity:

 

I looked at a 7 day cruise out of Miami for January 2015 in an oceanview cabin and here is the difference. Crystal is $3,160 per person ($6,320 for two) versus Celebrity at $999 per person ($1,998 for two). For $4,322 more, you will get a lot of luxury. I would rather Celebrity keep the prices down and give us Modern Luxury.

 

Oh, now I understand.where some are coming from..had no idea of what others pay on X. For that price I imagine a hot dog is good,. For what we are paying we expect quite a bit more...and have to date been fortunate to receive it from X.....and are hopeful that will continue.

 

our next two cruises on X come out to 2 and 3 times what some are apparently paying...plus cruise line excursions, spa, onboard shopping, extra dining....and we have done this two and three times a year, sometime more for a period longer than those with recent cruise history..we cruise alone so no group rates either as some may be getting..

 

looks like we and others are subsidizing those who like the Celebity experience but at the same time want to change it. If we all move on to Azamara, etc...I guess prices will rise to offset the new version of Modern Luxury or more no frills cruising lies ahead on X,

 

PS.. I did not place the purple frown on this post..at least not intentionally...

 

..

Edited June 10, 2014 by hcat

[Beachdude]

You're sailing next week, read the thread about those that just got off summit last week. Its 90% positive (OK I admit I have not properly mathematically computed that number, but my reading that thread seems that in almost every instance someone may have had a negative, they had far more positives) in its reviews. So I guess they are not being balanced and must all be cheerleaders too..

 

No, I've been reading their post and I believe most are being truthful, not defensive. As for me, we are trying to understand the food serving situation so we can plan where and when to eat.

 

Here is what I've learned. The buffet for breakfast and lunch is hit or miss and may require a little more time if we are on a schedule. The dining room for breakfast and lunch is not very good and timeliness is unpredictable. Room service has been pretty good. So, for tours that start early in the morning, room service might be the most dependable option according to the post I've been reading. I'm not sure about lunch as far as taste. Some folks like the buffet, some don't. Very few like the dining room for lunch. I would not say it was a 90/10 for and against. A lot of folks prefer the pizza and hamburgers. Hmm.

 

As for dinner, it sounds like everyone likes the dining room and Blue. So we are good there.

 

And most of the ships we have sailed on other lines provide bowls of fruit and snacks, so I am glad for the warning. I might have been one who just grabbed something to eat.

 

If that sounds a little too picky, well experience has taught us a lot of our habits. We use to could count on both buffets and dining rooms to get good tasting breakfast in a timely manner, but we have had some bad experiences the last couple of years on several lines that forced us to either walk out early without eating or get to our tours late. Of course we can change our habits to eat breakfast earlier, but what does that say about ship service. And the comments about the Summit seem to have shown that Celebrity is following that trend. That is why I am following those discussions fairly close. I would even consider eating breakfast in Bermuda if there were any positive comments for it, but nobody has responded to my request.

 

I'm not sure how I was put in the Celebrity haters club, all my questions were specific to the buffet and I don't recall making any negative comments since I have not sailed the Summit yet. In fact, most of the comments early on by the posters were specific to the food services, not the total ship services. Maybe that is just another defensive technique.

 

 

Please stay off the ship, we don't; need your bad attitude bringing the vibe down.

 

I guess I deserve that. I let my emotion get the worst of me. We have different styles that clash, so I will learn to stay out of this situation in the future.

 

You won't see a bad attitude from us on the ship because we are long time cruisers with a lot of experience on several lines and know how to work with adversity. But as I said, I'm by nature pragmatic, so I can usually see the difference between those passing along experiences and those who are bias.

 

I guess it must be strange to most folks here that someone would actually use comments to plan around certain aspects of the ship services, but we do. Over the years we could count on the forum to learn about rooms and find the best choice to fit our cruising habits and desires. It didn't used to be hard to learn about different ships, but it seem like lately the forum members have got very defensive and purposly confuse facts with condesending opinions and conjecture. It's not just the Celebrity forum; I see it on all the boards, especially after a company made a few policy changes. They are all making changes. It will calm down on Celebrity once the new wears off. But just like in this thread, we just have to read a lot more comments to get an accurate picture.

 

I am looking forward to Summit because it seems to be a favorite among Celebrity fans. We are not really fans of any cruise line because each one has so much to offer, but sadly our worst cruising experience are with Celebrity, so it would be nice for this crew to impress us to a typical Celebrity experience.

 

My apologies to those I offended.

 

Burt

Edited June 10, 2014 by Beachdude

[momofmeg]

Oh, now I understand.where some are coming from..had no idea of what others pay on X. For that price I imagine a hot dog is good,. For what we are paying we expect quite a bit more...and have to date been fortunate to receive it from X.....and are hopeful that will continue.

 

our next two cruises on X come out to 2 and 3 times what some are apparently paying...plus cruise line excursions, spa, onboard shopping, extra dining....and we have done this two and three times a year, sometime more for a period longer than those with recent cruise history..we cruise alone so no group rates either as some may be getting..

 

Okay you are booking suites, ( at least I hope so if you are paying that) so perhaps you should move up to a better line and book a balcony or mini suite instead.

 

Only once did we go above mainstream. It was on Disney. I have to say a Disney veranda is almost as large as a sky suite, (room not counting balcony is 300 square feet) although the bathtub is smaller like the ones you see on HAL ships in their verandas. I have a feeling you would prefer Azamara.

 

With no young children in our family, Disney was just not worth it to us, but I have a feeling I would feel differently on Azamara.

Edited June 10, 2014 by momofmeg

[momofmeg]

They really can't point us in the direction of another mainstream cruise line with the Celebrity experience at the Celebrity price, that is why they still cruise on Celebrity as well.

 

Nope just go up to Azamara or Oceania. Or bet yet Crystal.

 

I doubt I could ever swing Crystal but Azamara I would go for!

[hcat]

Okay you are booking suites, ( at least I hope so if you are paying that) so perhaps you should move up to a better line and book a balcony or mini suite instead.

 

Only once did we go above mainstream. It was on Disney. I have to say a Disney veranda is almost as large as a sky suite, (room not counting balcony is 300 square feet) although the bathtub is smaller like the ones you see on HAL ships in their verandas. I have a feeling you would prefer Azamara.

 

With no young children in our family, Disney was just not worth it to us, but I have a feeling I would feel differently on Azamara.

 

Sorry those are not suite prices...previously concierge class mid ship balcs and now AQ w/Blu

 

we have no immediate plans to switch...lots of choices for those who want a lesser experience...

 

Happy Cruising,

[NLH Arizona]

Oh, now I understand.where some are coming from..had no idea of what others pay on X. For that price I imagine a hot dog is good,. For what we are paying we expect quite a bit more...and have to date been fortunate to receive it from X.....and are hopeful that will continue.

 

our next two cruises on X come out to 2 and 3 times what some are apparently paying...plus cruise line excursions, spa, onboard shopping, extra dining....and we have done this two and three times a year, sometime more for a period longer than those with recent cruise history..we cruise alone so no group rates either as some may be getting..

 

looks like we and others are subsidizing those who like the Celebity experience but at the same time want to change it. If we all move on to Azamara, etc...I guess prices will rise to offset the new version of Modern Luxury or more no frills cruising lies ahead on X,

 

PS.. I did not place the purple frown on this post..at least not intentionally...

 

..

First off, I hope you saw my additional post. The Crystal cruise was 10 days not 7, so the daily rate on Crystal is $632 for two and Celebrity is $285, still a huge difference. Didn't want wrong information out there.

 

Just like any cruise line, the lower category cabins cost less than the higher priced ones. It is just a fact of life. On my next cruise, I'm in a Concierge Class cabin (I've never sailed in less than a veranda cabin) and a solo, which means I'm paying not only preimum for my cabin, but double because I will be alone and I don't get group rates either. I don't look at it as I'm subsidizing others, I look at it as this is the fare for the cabin I choose to book, everyone can book the inside cabin or oceanview and pay much less if they wish. We all also have the choice to spend our $'s on shore excursions, alternative restaurants, drinks, spa treatments, etc., but it is a choice and one doesn't have to spend money for it if they wish not to.

 

I don't think the prices will rise or there will be less frills (just different frills; more up-to-date and modern), if (as you say) we all move to Azmara, because there will be many new Celebrity customers to take the place of those that move. After all, if you look at the reviews from the majority of the new to Celebrity cruisers, they are very happy with the Celebrity experience.

Edited June 10, 2014 by NLH Arizona

[NLH Arizona]

Nope just go up to Azamara or Oceania. Or bet yet Crystal.

 

I doubt I could ever swing Crystal but Azamara I would go for!

My point was, that the majority are not leaving.

 

If you get the chance to cruise on Crystal, it is worth the extra $'s. I've done many cruises with them and have enjoyed everyone one of them, just as I've enjoyed every Celebrity cruise I've taken.

[NLH Arizona]

Here is what I've learned. The buffet for breakfast and lunch is hit or miss and may require a little more time if we are on a schedule. The dining room for breakfast and lunch is not very good and timeliness is unpredictable. Room service has been pretty good. So, for tours that start early in the morning, room service might be the most dependable option according to the post I've been reading. I'm not sure about lunch as far as taste. Some folks like the buffet, some don't. Very few like the dining room for lunch. I would not say it was a 90/10 for and against. A lot of folks prefer the pizza and hamburgers. Hmm.

 

Burt, have you read the reviews in the review section of Cruise Critic? There are many different opinions as to the dining. I just looked at the first 5 or so, a few really didn't go into detail, but here are a few that did:

 

• The food in the Main Dining Room for dinner was terrific as was our service.
  
• We did the buffet for lunch every day and loved the new little baskets, bowls and pans. The food was very good but I would have liked a little more variety. They did expand the carving/meats section and the cheese section during lunch. They also have pizza, pasta, sandwiches, a pool side grill with hamburgers, hot dogs, fries and waffles with chicken (which I had never seen before). Le'ts just say I gained a lot of weight on this cruise.
  
• The MDR food was quite good most nights - the appetizers and soups were consistently very good, and main courses were mostly as good. The lobster on lobster night was excellent, as was the scallop appetizer that night. The duck that I had on lobster night was very good too, but not as good as the excellent lobster that my wife had. Steaks in the dining room were hit & miss - the tournedos and prime rib were excellent, but the classic menu steak was borderline edible.
  
• The buffet was quite nice - the stir fry station was very good, the pizza was excellent, the little baskets of food felt more upscale than a typical buffet and allowed for some items that are unusual at buffets: fajitas, breakfast sandwiches, etc. The various sausages available at all meals were good, the waffles at breakfast were a treat. I really think Celebrity is onto something with these little baskets of food - not only does it seem more upscale and in keeping with the idea behind their QSine restaurant, but it seems more sanitary to avoid using tongs/scoopers wherever possible. My only complaint would be that the pasta bar area was quite bland and the pasta not particularly well cooked. They need to spruce that up somehow.
  
• We did have one breakfast at the Buffet and two lunches there as well... While there was much to select from it did, at times, cool off by the time you got to your seat. We also had 3 lunches in the MDR and found them to be acceptable, nothing really different or unique.
  
• The buffet was borderline. I didn't care for the food served in little metal bowls and baskets and most of it did not look appetizing. There really wasn't the variety they have had in the past. Most of the food stations served the same items if they were even open. The sushi station didn't open until 5:30. In the past it opened at 4:00 and had a much larger variety.
  

As you can see there was good and bad opinions with regard to dining and this is just the first 5 or so reviews for the Summit. I guess I look it as who do I believe, because people's expectations are different. I choose to believe what I see and experience over what others are saying. If I go in with a preconceived notion that it is going to be lousy, then it probably will be, but if I go in with an open mind, I might just like it a whole lot more.

 

I hope you enjoy your cruise on the Summit. I'll be on her in January and am looking forward to it.

 

Good cruising!

[Beachdude]

Burt, have you read the reviews in the review section of Cruise Critic? There are many different opinions as to the dining. I just looked at the first 5 or so, a few really didn't go into detail, but here are a few that did:

 

Good cruising!

 

No not there, but I've been reading on the Celebrity forums over the last three or four weeks. Celebrity has obviously made a big change in their food services and it is hard to track exactly what changes where. The buffet started off chaotic with cold food and just a general bad opinion. It seems they are improving week by week, but there are still mix opinions.

 

One thing that really stuck out to me are the comments of wasting more food because you have to take the additional food items on a plate to get what you desire. Along with that are the comments of less varieties of deserts at lunch. Sally and I like to take a small piece of serveral deserts and share them so as not to waste food. We don't like to waste food. It surprise me that some folks found that silly. But, there was one comment of approaching the situation as eating family style. That may be a solution depending on what is being served on each plate. But it does require more coordination between Sally and I for picking our food.

 

I have not seen any comments of improvement with breakfast and lunch in the dining room. We will likely not even consider the dining room except for evening unless the other options don't work out, which I don't expect.

 

I'm glad we are sailing now instead of a month ago so the crew had time to make improvements. We will see how it goes. This is just personal, but I don't think serving good pizza is a complement to ship food service. That to me is like saying the softserve icecream is to die for.

 

We will see. We aren't that hard to please, but food taste and quality service make a difference when trying to decide between to ships.

 

Burt

Edited June 10, 2014 by Beachdude

[NLH Arizona]

No not there, but I've been reading on the Celebrity forums over the last three or four weeks. Celebrity has obviously made a big change in their food services and it is hard to track exactly what changes where. The buffet started off chaotic with cold food and just a general bad opinion. It seems they are improving week by week, but there are still mix opinions.

 

One thing that really stuck out to me are the comments of wasting more food because you have to take the additional food items on a plate to get what you desire. Along with that are the comments of less varieties of deserts at lunch. Sally and I like to take a small piece of serveral deserts and share them so as not to waste food. We don't like to waste food. It surprise me that some folks found that silly. But, there was one comment of approaching the situation as eating family style. That may be a solution depending on what is being served on each plate. But it does require more coordination between Sally and I for picking our food.

 

I have not seen any comments of improvement with breakfast and lunch in the dining room. We will likely not even consider the dining room except for evening unless the other options don't work out, which I don't expect.

 

I'm glad we are sailing now instead of a month ago so the crew had time to make improvements. We will see how it goes. This is just personal, but I don't think serving good pizza is a complement to ship food service. That to me is like saying the softserve icecream is to die for.

 

We will see. We aren't that hard to please, but food taste and quality service make a difference when trying to decide between to ships.

 

Burt

I would suggest reading the reviews in the review section, you'll get a wider ranger of passengers reporting.

 

I don't like wasting food as well, it drives me crazy to see folks load up their plates and then not eat it. Maybe the baskets will solve this to some degree.

 

I'm not a big MDR person for breakfast and lunch, I like to eat and run, so can't speak to that.

 

I think that every time there are changes, there is a period where they get things worked out. It is so much easier to put pencil and paper to something and think that it is great, it is another thing to actually put it in effect and see the good and bad. From the more recent posts, it seems as Celebrity is making adjustments for the better on the buffet.

 

Please enjoy your cruise and make sure you come back and let us all know how your experience was.

[chamima]

Oh, now I understand.where some are coming from..had no idea of what others pay on X. For that price I imagine a hot dog is good,. For what we are paying we expect quite a bit more...and have to date been fortunate to receive it from X.....and are hopeful that will continue.

 

our next two cruises on X come out to 2 and 3 times what some are apparently paying...plus cruise line excursions, spa, onboard shopping, extra dining....and we have done this two and three times a year, sometime more for a period longer than those with recent cruise history..we cruise alone so no group rates either as some may be getting..

 

looks like we and others are subsidizing those who like the Celebity experience but at the same time want to change it. If we all move on to Azamara, etc...I guess prices will rise to offset the new version of Modern Luxury or more no frills cruising lies ahead on X,

 

PS.. I did not place the purple frown on this post..at least not intentionally...

 

..

 

Sorry those are not suite prices...previously concierge class mid ship balcs and now AQ w/Blu

 

we have no immediate plans to switch...lots of choices for those who want a lesser experience...

 

Happy Cruising,

 

Just wanted to let you know that we, too, are paying two to three times what some on here are posting.

We also sail in Aqua and probably at prime times of the year.

I subscribe to a website that shows current and previous prices for our sailing and our cabin and we often are paying near the original low price for our cabin.

I read of those low, low fares and often wonder if they are accurate.

[momofmeg]

Sorry those are not suite prices...previously concierge class mid ship balcs and now AQ w/Blu

 

we have no immediate plans to switch...lots of choices for those who want a lesser experience...

 

Happy Cruising,

 

Well we could have booked concierge for $1100 each for a 7 day Silhouette Thanksgiving week. I just did not see the need to spend $200 extra a person for flowers,fruit, and afternoon snacks. Blu was slightly higher at $1250 a person when we booked. Our daughter is in the room with us so that would not had worked for us this cruise.

 

Heck, granted there was a huge price drop 2 years ago as everyone got scared of the Med becasue of the Costa disaster, but we had a skysuite for $2000 a person and that was a 12 day cruise. Before that we were paying $1600 each for a balcony which later because of price drop we upgraded to Spa for the same price. Then we decided for a little more why not have a skysuite. We spent less than $200 a person a day for a skysuite.

 

Unless you are adding in your airline tickets and on onboard spending, all I can say is your travel agent is taking you to the cleaners. That is not Celebrity's fault though, so why blame them.

 

Just to add, that cruise 2 years ago was our 30th anniversary celebration which is the only reason why we upgraded to a sky suite. I was not impressed with it outside of enjoying the wake of the ship. Our butler forgot to get our dinner reservations and we had to go a different night, (wanted to do it on a sea day evening) and when we tried to make reservations on our own, we were told because we were in a suite, he had to do it. He also forgot to get hubby's suit pressed, so we were late the first formal night. for some fool reason hubby still tipped him above suggested amount.

 

As far as the rest of the suite experience, I am just as happy in a shower as a tub. yes, we had larger TV but our bed was further away so we needed a larger TV. I feel balcony rooms are a sufficient size for us. Afternoon tea in our room was not that good in my mind. I won't do that again-however, maybe for our 35th we will try Azamara.

 

If that had been my first Celebrity experience I would have been disappointed too. However, I know the balcony rooms are a good value for our money and roomy enough for 3 people, I am happy with them. I know not to splurge for better on Celebrity now.

Edited June 10, 2014 by momofmeg

[momofmeg]

Just wanted to let you know that we, too, are paying two to three times what some on here are posting.

We also sail in Aqua and probably at prime times of the year.

I subscribe to a website that shows current and previous prices for our sailing and our cabin and we often are paying near the original low price for our cabin.

I read of those low, low fares and often wonder if they are accurate.

 

Yes, they are. You watch for price drops and call your Travel agent. Fro example we had first booked a 5 day in concierge on the Connie Thanksgiving week since our daughter is with us and one the Connie that means a larger room.

 

In order to cruise with her we have to do it that week as she teaches in our county school system. That week is normally higher.

 

When we saw the price drop back in April i think, we called our agent and switched cruises. the Silhouette had gone up $100 a person since then and the funny thing is, the Connie has gone up $200 a person. Lol!

 

Anyway you can't expect your travel agent to do that for you, YOU have to do that. although some agents do inform their customers if they regularly book cruises through them. Our last agent did that for us but she retired last year. This agent, this is only the second cruise we have booked through her.

[momofmeg]

My point was, that the majority are not leaving.

 

If you get the chance to cruise on Crystal, it is worth the extra $'s. I've done many cruises with them and have enjoyed everyone one of them, just as I've enjoyed every Celebrity cruise I've taken.

 

I am not going anywhere lol! Maybe for our 35th we will do Azamara.

[chamima]

Just wanted to let you know that we, too, are paying two to three times what some on here are posting.

We also sail in Aqua and probably at prime times of the year.

I subscribe to a website that shows current and previous prices for our sailing and our cabin and we often are paying near the original low price for our cabin.

I read of those low, low fares and often wonder if they are accurate.

 

Yes, they are. You watch for price drops and call your Travel agent. Fro example we had first booked a 5 day in concierge on the Connie Thanksgiving week since our daughter is with us and one the Connie that means a larger room.

 

In order to cruise with her we have to do it that week as she teaches in our county school system. That week is normally higher.

 

When we saw the price drop back in April i think, we called our agent and switched cruises. the Silhouette had gone up $100 a person since then and the funny thing is, the Connie has gone up $200 a person. Lol!

 

Anyway you can't expect your travel agent to do that for you, YOU have to do that. although some agents do inform their customers if they regularly book cruises through them. Our last agent did that for us but she retired last year. This agent, this is only the second cruise we have booked through her.

 

I check every day!

We cruise in February and for the last two years and so far for 2015 the price has gone no where but UP. If we booked our next cruise now it would cost almost double what we originally paid.

[momofmeg]

I check every day!

We cruise in February and for the last two years and so far for 2015 the price has gone no where but UP. If we booked our next cruise now it would cost almost double what we originally paid.

 

You know, price does come into it, but if we need to we will book an inside or an oceanvniew if we really want the ports.

 

am just pleased to be doing a 7 day on Celebrity that week with our daughter as we were doing the cruise mainly to do a trip with her. The last time we did a 7 day during the school year with our daughter since she started teaching, it was NCL Sun, before that NCL Pearl, because that was what was affordable when she could go. We enjoyed the Pearl okay but we disliked the Sun.

 

When we originally booked our cruise last November (2013) it was between the Connie and RCI Brilliance of the seas-both were 5 days that did Cozumel and key West. We chose the Connie because for $50 a person more we could book concierge and have a larger room. Brilliance of the seas had balcony cabins for that same price as Connie's reg. balconies, but only 165 square feet ( I think), tight for 3 people, and to go up to a superior balcony it was $150 a person.

 

When they had the price drop in late April we switched as we will have better ports. We have not been to San Juan since 2000. St. Marteen was 2005. We have never been to St. Barts-so a definite win for us to switch!

[antsnanny]

Burt, have you read the reviews in the review section of Cruise Critic? There are many different opinions as to the dining. I just looked at the first 5 or so, a few really didn't go into detail, but here are a few that did:

 

• The food in the Main Dining Room for dinner was terrific as was our service.
  
• We did the buffet for lunch every day and loved the new little baskets, bowls and pans. The food was very good but I would have liked a little more variety. They did expand the carving/meats section and the cheese section during lunch. They also have pizza, pasta, sandwiches, a pool side grill with hamburgers, hot dogs, fries and waffles with chicken (which I had never seen before). Le'ts just say I gained a lot of weight on this cruise.
  
• The MDR food was quite good most nights - the appetizers and soups were consistently very good, and main courses were mostly as good. The lobster on lobster night was excellent, as was the scallop appetizer that night. The duck that I had on lobster night was very good too, but not as good as the excellent lobster that my wife had. Steaks in the dining room were hit & miss - the tournedos and prime rib were excellent, but the classic menu steak was borderline edible.
  
• The buffet was quite nice - the stir fry station was very good, the pizza was excellent, the little baskets of food felt more upscale than a typical buffet and allowed for some items that are unusual at buffets: fajitas, breakfast sandwiches, etc. The various sausages available at all meals were good, the waffles at breakfast were a treat. I really think Celebrity is onto something with these little baskets of food - not only does it seem more upscale and in keeping with the idea behind their QSine restaurant, but it seems more sanitary to avoid using tongs/scoopers wherever possible. My only complaint would be that the pasta bar area was quite bland and the pasta not particularly well cooked. They need to spruce that up somehow.
  
• We did have one breakfast at the Buffet and two lunches there as well... While there was much to select from it did, at times, cool off by the time you got to your seat. We also had 3 lunches in the MDR and found them to be acceptable, nothing really different or unique.
  
• The buffet was borderline. I didn't care for the food served in little metal bowls and baskets and most of it did not look appetizing. There really wasn't the variety they have had in the past. Most of the food stations served the same items if they were even open. The sushi station didn't open until 5:30. In the past it opened at 4:00 and had a much larger variety.
  

As you can see there was good and bad opinions with regard to dining and this is just the first 5 or so reviews for the Summit. I guess I look it as who do I believe, because people's expectations are different. I choose to believe what I see and experience over what others are saying. If I go in with a preconceived notion that it is going to be lousy, then it probably will be, but if I go in with an open mind, I might just like it a whole lot more.

 

I hope you enjoy your cruise on the Summit. I'll be on her in January and am looking forward to it.

 

Good cruising!

 

There we're lots more who went into great detail who did not care for the food on the Summit!

[NLH Arizona]

There we're lots more who went into great detail who did not care for the food on the Summit!

I quoted the first 5 or so reviews, they sure looked pretty good to me. Especially liked the comment from one reviewer that said the baskets made it feel more upscale. I guess it just shows that there is always a difference of opinions; some will like it and some won't. I'm excited to experience the Summit again in January. Sorry you didn't like it.

Edited June 11, 2014 by NLH Arizona