Has Summit really become that bad?

[gi_pam]

We're just off the Summit too.

 

We had a great time. I'll echo a bunch of what was said -

 

Food in Blu, MDR, Qsine and Bistro on 5 was wonderful (we didn't eat in Normandie). We didn't mind the buffet, it wasn't a step up or down from other buffets on cruise ships, we thought. The criticism of the food in the little dishes and cups being not hot was valid, and that some parts of the buffet weren't open on time. But we didn't think the buffet was horrible. Just a buffet. We had one so-so meal in Blu, not sure what was going on there that morning, but the service was awful. We wrote it off as to just a blip in an otherwise great week.

 

Drink packages - I had the Classic, DH upgraded to the Premium. IMHO, the classic does what it needs to do. Basics - several beers, several kinds of wine by the glass (not bad wine, very drinkable), and most mixed drinks/cocktails were all included. I didn't ask about "premium" brands of liquor, I'm not that fussy myself. The martini bar will make smaller versions of a regular martini, an appletini and a cosmo for people on the classic package.

 

Entertainment - the guest entertainers were wonderful, the "stock" singers and dancers were ok. The activities were varied. Some old standards, some new ones.

 

The ship is on the older side, but not in bad shape. New loungers last week!

 

We have never been on Celebrity before, so we have nothing to compare to. But our Summit cruise was as good as our other cruises on Royal and better than our NCL experience. Our Princess cruise was too long ago, I don't remember a lot of the details.

 

I could find things to complain about if I wanted to, but the vacation was overall a great week. No vacation is perfect. I choose not to dwell on the things that don't matter in the end. If I was fussy about what I drink, I would upgrade to the Premium package and avoid the stress. If I hated the buffet, I'd avoid eating there.

 

Don't worry, you'll have a great time!

[richsea]

OK, out of curiosity, I checked the 1st page (25) of Summit member reviews here on Cruise Critic, which, I would assume, are the most recent Here's what I found:

 

5+ stars: 6 reviews

5 stars: 8 reviews

4 stars: 7 reviews

3 stars: 2 reviews

2 stars: 1 review

1 star: 1 review

 

That's 21 out of 25 reviews that were 4 stars or better (Cruise Critic gives Summit 4 stars).

 

I would say the answer to the OP's question is No, Summit has not become that bad

Edited May 20, 2014 by richsea

[mcbutter]

Was on the Summit May 11 - 18. I'll try to sum it up for you using brevity. The ship was very clean and well kept in all areas I was in. The food in MDR ranged from fair to very good. The food in buffet ranged from fair to good. The burgers/hot dogs/fries at the grill were very good. Service in all areas ranged from good to excellent. Food and service are very subjective, so take mine and others attest on the subject, with a grain of salt. If you're asking about the condition of the ship itself, it was extremely clean and nice. Hope you have a wonderful cruise!

[Northern Aurora]

OK, out of curiosity, I checked the 1st page (25) of Summit member reviews here on Cruise Critic, which, I would assume, are the most recent Here's what I found:

 

5+ stars: 6 reviews

5 stars: 8 reviews

4 stars: 7 reviews

3 stars: 2 reviews

2 stars: 1 review

1 star: 1 review

 

That's 21 out of 25 reviews that were 4 stars or better (Cruise Critic gives Summit 4 stars).

 

I would say the answer to the OP's question is No, Summit has not become that bad

 

Hope that the OP thanks you for your research. You were very kind to do so.

[davekathy]

We did a B2B on the Summit March/April 2014. In our opinion we thought the ship, the staff, the food in the MDR (we only ate in the buffet one morning and had the waffles...yum), the entertainment, our Cabin and the ports were all "fantastic". No complaints from us about anything. We've never had a bad Cruise no matter the Cruise Line. Maybe we are just easy to please!

[Texed]

we only ate in the buffet one morning and had the waffles...yum),

 

IMO, that was a good choice. ;)

[Germancruiser]

Just back from the " old " Infinity- about the same age as Summit- since I can´t speak for Summit- I can tell about the Infinity. Summit and Infinity got the same Solstication refit. I sailed Constellation already after she got Solstice stuff. Now Infinty has significant more cabins added. Aqua Class on Deck 11. The former " Notes " Lounge are now cabins on both Deck 6 and Deck 7 . New Cabins on Deck 3 - were the Meetingrooms formerly were located. One can easy regonize were the new cabins are located, since they have different doors. Very interessting- it reduces the space ratio - but it does not in the least feel more crowded! All in all I really like what they have done with Milli- Class ships with the only exception - Michaels Club...!

So I would not in the least be concered about the Summit- I sailed her prior Solstice , but would not hestitate for a second to board her again. Sadly she is only sailing out of San Juan now- which is inconviniend comeing from Europe!

Edited May 21, 2014 by Germancruiser

[antsnanny]

I think a lot of the complaints are about the buffet which I think are valid. They are implementing something new on the Summit, Im sure that at some point Celebrity will get it right but for our cruise the buffet food was not too good and sometimes cold. We did love the pizza and stuck to that most days. Our overall cruise on the Summit May 11 was very good, as always I feel the service is excellent, the entertainment was good and the classic drink package was fine for me, DH did upgrade so that he would try wines he normally wouldn't order. Im pretty sure you will enjoy your cruise and I'm sure you will agree that your captain is the best at sea! Please don't miss his show, the last sea day, you won't be sorry!

Enjoy and smooth sailing.

[20pluscruises]

IMO, that was a good choice. ;)

 

The man loves his waffles! :):):)

[jd1966]

We saw alot of the same chronic griping about the Century prior to our cruise in April! The result, another great Celebrity cruise!

[Mikeandme]

DH and I returned from the 5-4 and 5-11 cruises and loved everything! That new buffet is quite appealing in its appearance, and I found myself wandering about staring at everything. I usually enjoy salad for lunch, and the salad bar had a large selection of nice choices. My plate was quite heavy by the time I got done filling it! I did manage to take one of those little metal pans once or twice. My food was hot and delicious, but I sadly lost control for a bit. I came home 2 pounds bigger than when I left home. The ship is gorgeous, and the staff was friendly and helpful. I think you'll have a great time, and I wish I were joining you! The only negative was leaving, and even that was quite painless. It was the easiest disembarkation we've ever experienced, and the embarkation was also very quick. There is a new routine for lunch when boarding which, I think, is very nice. Many folks will go to Oceanview Café, but Aqua Class passengers are invited to Blu for brunch, suite passengers are invited to Normandie, and passengers in transit go to Bistro on 5. That means significantly fewer passengers are in the buffet at this time. If I sound like I only ate, well, I'm ashamed to say I did a lot of that. DH and I tried to dance it off each evening and were somewhat successful. The ship looks great, and we're already booked for b2b next year, which we'll once again do with friends.

 

Prepare to love your vacation! You've made a good choice by booking the Summit.

[H2OH!]

It will be fine. If you look for the problems you will find them.

 

We were on Summit, albeit, a year ago, and it was wonderful. :)

 

Happy sailing.

[CruisingChick]

It will be fine. If you look for the problems you will find them.

 

We were on Summit, albeit, a year ago, and it was wonderful. :)

 

Happy sailing.

 

We were on Summit twice last year. Even with my DH getting noro on our second Summit cruise we still had a great time on both. That's why we booked this cruise for May 25th.

 

All these changes on Summit are VERY RECENT. Within the last few weeks. That's the only reason I have been worried.

 

Thanks Mikeandme for the post and reassurance.

[antsnanny]

We saw alot of the same chronic griping about the Century prior to our cruise in April! The result, another great Celebrity cruise!

 

Where do you see chronic griping? We were on the ship and the new concept in the buffet is not good, would you rather we all pretend it was great and not say anything so that it could go fleet wide? I think not!!

[antsnanny]

We were on Summit twice last year. Even with my DH getting noro on our second Summit cruise we still had a great time on both. That's why we booked this cruise for May 25th.

 

All these changes on Summit are VERY RECENT. Within the last few weeks. That's the only reason I have been worried.

 

Thanks Mikeandme for the post and reassurance.

Your right the changes are very recent and I would not let them ruin your cruise. DH and I decided it was easier to get a slice of pizza which was very good.

[Cruise a holic]

DH and I returned from the 5-4 and 5-11 cruises and loved everything! That new buffet is quite appealing in its appearance, and I found myself wandering about staring at everything. I usually enjoy salad for lunch, and the salad bar had a large selection of nice choices. My plate was quite heavy by the time I got done filling it! I did manage to take one of those little metal pans once or twice. My food was hot and delicious, but I sadly lost control for a bit. I came home 2 pounds bigger than when I left home. The ship is gorgeous, and the staff was friendly and helpful. I think you'll have a great time, and I wish I were joining you! The only negative was leaving, and even that was quite painless. It was the easiest disembarkation we've ever experienced, and the embarkation was also very quick. There is a new routine for lunch when boarding which, I think, is very nice. Many folks will go to Oceanview Café, but Aqua Class passengers are invited to Blu for brunch, suite passengers are invited to Normandie, and passengers in transit go to Bistro on 5. That means significantly fewer passengers are in the buffet at this time. If I sound like I only ate, well, I'm ashamed to say I did a lot of that. DH and I tried to dance it off each evening and were somewhat successful. The ship looks great, and we're already booked for b2b next year, which we'll once again do with friends.

 

Prepare to love your vacation! You've made a good choice by booking the Summit.

 

Hi

We will be sailing on the Summit in a Suite in August. New lunch venue is the Normandie for lunch? I didn't know that. I assume when we register that the staff will advise us as to the location for lunch. We used to go to Bistro on Five but will have to change our tradition. Are you aware of any new "suite perks" that are available this year?

 

Thanks

[mompolo]

We were on the Summit in Oct/Nov 2013 and it was wonderful. Best food of any cruise we were on. We aren't buffet people, and that seems to be the spot most of the complaints were about.

 

Go - have a great time!!

[CruisingChick]

Your right the changes are very recent and I would not let them ruin your cruise. DH and I decided it was easier to get a slice of pizza which was very good.

 

Yea, I hate to have it ruin my cruise, but I don't sail Celebrity to eat Pizza (don't want that to sound bad, but we eat enough of it at home). One of the reasons we fell in love with Celebrity was the food, quality and variety.

 

Back in the good old days there would be times we'd run back to the ship for lunch (this was when the MDR was open almost every day) because the lunches were so good, some of them even better than the dinners. I guess I must be old now because I long for those "good old days."

[Beachdude]

Yea, I hate to have it ruin my cruise, but I don't sail Celebrity to eat Pizza (don't want that to sound bad, but we eat enough of it at home). One of the reasons we fell in love with Celebrity was the food, quality and variety.

 

Ya, pizza, burgers and hotdogs. We also cruise to eat well and I worry that good food is becoming a thing of the past for cruising. It's not just Celebrity, the other lines are cutting down as well.

 

We are doing more land vacations these days because cruising is loosing its appeal with the changes the last few years. We decided to try Celebrity last year because they seemed to be the cruise line that still had some of the old style elegance and food service that we like from the cruising experience. But even Celebrity is changing. We still like to cruise now and then, maybe we need to go way out of the norm and try river cruises or something.

 

Burt

[antsnanny]

Yea, I hate to have it ruin my cruise, but I don't sail Celebrity to eat Pizza (don't want that to sound bad, but we eat enough of it at home). One of the reasons we fell in love with Celebrity was the food, quality and variety.

 

Back in the good old days there would be times we'd run back to the ship for lunch (this was when the MDR was open almost every day) because the lunches were so good, some of them even better than the dinners. I guess I must be old now because I long for those "good old days."

 

I remember them as well but everything has changed and we go with the flow. Im pretty sure that Celebrity will improve on the buffet, I would imagine those surveys reflected how the passengers felt about their new concept…

[NLH Arizona]

Ya, pizza, burgers and hotdogs. We also cruise to eat well and I worry that good food is becoming a thing of the past for cruising. It's not just Celebrity, the other lines are cutting down as well.

 

We are doing more land vacations these days because cruising is loosing its appeal with the changes the last few years. We decided to try Celebrity last year because they seemed to be the cruise line that still had some of the old style elegance and food service that we like from the cruising experience. But even Celebrity is changing. We still like to cruise now and then, maybe we need to go way out of the norm and try river cruises or something.

 

Burt

You might want to look into Crystal; very elegant and great food.

[shipfriend_max]

Hi,

 

who the hell is just complaining again??? :mad::mad:

 

We have been on Summit in March 2013 and April 2014 and really liked the ship - it was in a very good shape, the food had a very good quality and the service was overally good as well - so IMHO there are NO reasons to complain!

 

Just look forward to that beautiful ship and have a nice cruise. :)

[cajjgt]

WRONG,WRONG, Celebrity did not change the terms of the package that you received for FREE. You still get the drinks that they advertised up to the limits of the package. Yes, some of the prices went up but so did the prices of everything else in this world. REPEAT, you will still get your cocktails up to the $8.00 limit, but it might not be the same brand that you would like it to be. If you don't feel that you can live with something that you received for FREE then just pop for the extra $11.50/day and drink to your hearts content. All you have to do is knock down a couple of those premium drinks and you will get more than your moneys worth.

 

I believe I said they raised the prices and I paid for the cruise and chose that package and nothing is FREE! I am not getting what I thought I was paying for! If they change the liquors/beers, then yes the package has changed too. However, I did speak with a customer rep last night who said that all the original liquors I had thought were in the package still are so at this point I will believe what Celebrity is telling me!:D

[Mikeandme]

Hi

We will be sailing on the Summit in a Suite in August. New lunch venue is the Normandie for lunch? I didn't know that. I assume when we register that the staff will advise us as to the location for lunch. We used to go to Bistro on Five but will have to change our tradition. Are you aware of any new "suite perks" that are available this year?

 

Thanks

DH and I sailed in a CS. We enjoyed some of the new suite perks but doubt that we will use all of them in the future. That said, one has a choice, and choices are good. Upon boarding, you will be directed to Michael's Club and then to Normandie for embarkation brunch. It is lovely and quiet in there. Some of the new suite perks only apply to CS and above, so I'm not entirely certain if that brunch extends to Sky Suites, but I believe it does. What does not include Sky Suites is Michael's Club along with it's Concierge. On the Summit, that is Cesar Saenz. He certainly was a big help while we were on board, and even prior to our boarding. We didn't avail ourselves of escorted boarding with Cesar, but he did go back and forth between Michael's Club and the cruise terminal to do this. We then went to Normandie for that leisurely, quiet, elegant brunch. We had the option to go to Normandie for our in-transit brunch but chose, instead, to go to Bistro on 5, which all in-transit passengers do. The services at Michael's Club are very nice. It serves as a 24-hour lounge for CS and higher suite guests and hosts continental breakfast, evening cocktail hour, and the services of Cesar during specified hours. You will be given a phone number for him where you can page him at any time. Also, drinks are available, from what I could tell, whenever you wanted them. Bottled water was also available, and I saw people taking it to their cabins. It is a very nice service. Cesar arranged for my friends, who were not in suites but were sailing with me, to dine at a particular table in Cosmopolitan Restaurant. Nobody had to stand in line to arrange this. Cesar's job is to keep you from having to stand in line to do anything, and he does this very well. He will also escort you from the ship during disembarkation, and your luggage will be offloaded in the first group. We got off later, and our luggage was waiting for us. We were invited to tour the bridge but declined due to a conflict. We didn't want to miss lunch with our friends. Also, we were invited to dine at the Staff Captain's table, which we did do. I believe Cesar might have had something to do with this, although I'm not certain. If you are in a CS or above, you will appreciate having Cesar. We certainly did. Next year, there will be a dining room exclusively for CS and above. I don't know how much we'll use this, but it is, once again, a choice. No friends or relatives not staying in a CS or above will be allowed in, and it will be small. The same is true of Michael's Club right now. We spent very little time in Michael's Club because of this, and we tended to go to Revelations for the Elite cocktail hour in order to be with our friends. Prepare to be pampered, and prepare to enjoy your cruise whether or not you are in a CS or above. You will enjoy it even in an inside stateroom.

[celebrityprincess]

I love the Summit. It is older and showing a little wear and tear, but it is warm and charming and the service is wonderful. For a week or two out of my year, I don't have to think about cleaning the bathroom, making my bed, buying groceries, cooking my meals, doing the dishes, and on and on. Wonderful people from all over the world do all that for me and become friends as well. I can't wait until it's time to board the Summit again. :)