Our amazing trip to Bermuda on the Summit: pictures, tips, guides, and opinions

[Viva_la_Vida]

Friday, June 6th Continued

 

It was very neat seeing the ships from far away. We had a nice, sunny sail back to the dockyard. I re-upped my bandage and I was starting to feel it a bit more, but still not too bad. We exited the catamaran and headed back for The Summit. Here is a picture I took later of where we boarded the catamaran.

 

DSC_0870 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

Now not to sound like a wimp, but at that point I started to feel my face burn and itch pretty badly. I caught a glimpse of myself in the elevator and the sides of my face where the mask rubbed were bright red. eeek! I was hoping it was just a salt sensitivity but I’ve never had one that badly. I immediately showered and then was feeling pretty crummy between my now-aching right leg/ankle and my burning, itching face. I rested with a towel over my head for about 20 minutes while Marc got ready and by the time I got up, my face was back to normal. Thank goodness! I am guessing I had a reaction to whatever was used to clean the snorkel masks or to the saltwater or both. Marc made the comment that he hoped I had a good first and last time snorkeling, but I really do think I’ll try it again.

 

We grabbed a bite at the buffet and I had a delicious smoothie from the aqua spa cafe. It was yummy but it did take a while to get it. They are free if you have the premium package and there are lots of options from which to choose. After lunch it was back out again. Our plan was to walk to the clocktower mall, a good walk under normal circumstances but impossible with my ankle aching with every step. That gave us the opportunity to try out the trolley. We waited about 10 minutes with some fellow Summit passengers and one was kind enough to point me in the direction of the Dockyard Pharmacy when she heard of my injury. I was so glad she recommended it. It turned out to be a great place not just for pharmaceutical needs, but for inexpensive souvenirs as well. I ended up getting a pack of bandages. I found a natural tea tree oil cream, which I’d never seen in cream form in the states (I’m allergic to the active ingredient in Neosporin). I credit that cream with much faster healing and am going to buy it from now on since I've now found it online. The other stores we stopped in were OK. TIP***I would skip them all in favor of the craft market if you’re limited on time.* We found the dockyard poorly signed and had trouble finding the craft market. I should have bought my map, but I didn’t think of it. I purchased some nice things for our families and then we stopped into The Frog and Onion Pub for a Rum Swizzle. It's located just across from the craft market. You have to go through a grassy courtyard to get to it, or at least we did. It was $12, but I think worth it the one time. There was a man playing the piano and singing and I liked the vibe of the place. Everything was crowded, as expected, since passengers were sticking close to port on the last day. We headed back but were confused about where to get the ferry, so we just walked/hobbled back and snapped some final pictures of Bermuda on our way.

 

Here is the authentic Rum Swizzle from the Frog and Onion Pub. My mouth is watering just looking at it!

IMG_5726 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

DSC_0863 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

DSC_0871 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

In the next picture, I zoomed in on the port side sweet sixteens. They are located where you see the lone man on the balcony. They are the eight balconies above the portholes.

 

DSC_0878 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

[Viva_la_Vida]

For sail away we were right on time leaving. It had gotten cloudy again. The sail away on the aft sunset bar was again graced with the soothing sounds of the 5 O'clock Somewhere Duo. The mood was decidedly more downbeat though. I don't think anyone wanted to leave Bermuda.

 

IMG_5728 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

DSC_0894 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

 

Just after sail away I decided that just for peace of mind, I would head down to the medical facility to get my leg checked out. I was getting kind of freaked out about how much it was hurting, and was pretty sure I needed stitches. There were a couple of people waiting but I was called over to the window within five minutes. I explained what I had done and asked how much it would be to have my leg looked at. The man motioned me around to him and had me sit in his chair. He said that he would be happy to take a look at it, no charge at all. I was very grateful. He cleaned it a bit and said that it was really deep, but that my body was already doing a great job of healing it. He told me what to lookout for infection-wise, gave the OK to the cream I purchased, and I was good to go. His name was Nurse Mel and I am grateful to him for graciously putting my mind at ease. We did have travel insurance and I’m so glad we got it. It would have been very expensive to get stitches. I did end up seeing another doctor in NYC because I started having a lot of swelling and I will be able to file a claim for that once the bill comes, assuming my personal insurance won’t cover it 100%. ***Always get travel insurance. We used an independent comparison website to shop for our policy and it was half the price of the cruise line’s insurance for a lot better and more personalized coverage. You never know what can happen and it’s worth the money to have peace of mind. Always make a copy for yourself and leave a copy behind with a family member as well. **

 

So here I am, pointing to my injury and also the the medical sign. Despite the pain I was in, it felt good to know a medical professional had looked at it and I was a happy camper.

 

IMG_5735 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

[Viva_la_Vida]

Friday, June 6th Continued

 

We were back to our room and watching the island slip by in no time.

 

This pic was actually taken from the 10th deck, but I wanted to include it.

DSC_0888 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

IMG_5740 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

I am almost positive that the next few pics are of Fort Catherine and her namesake beach to the left, and the small, populated beach to the right is Tobacco Bay Beach. These are on St. George and those are the sites we were planning to visit, had we not missed the ferry.

 

DSC_0908 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

DSC_0914 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

DSC_0916 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

DSC_0919 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

 

We were also getting ready for formal night. We had made reservations for 5:45 p.m. so we could get back to back early without rushing to meet the 11pm bags-in-hall deadline.

 

 

 

 

[Viva_la_Vida]

I commented earlier and forgot to say how much I was enjoying your review! (sorry for the rudeness!)

 

I know you said you only had the one glitch with the beverage package at the martini bar (inconsistent bartenders w/ the mini versions).

 

Was hoping you could provide insight to any MIXED drinks you recall that were included in the classic package?! (I know you had upgraded, but maybe your husband had some?!) I have searched and most people are worried about the wine inclusions/exclusions. Not a wine drinker, but I do enjoy my mixed cocktails!

 

Thanks so much and looking forward to the rest!

 

Thank you, but I didn't think you rude at all :) For the mixed drinks, I was disappointed more menus weren't available. All the lounges seemed to have them, but the sunset and pool bars did not. I often looked to the daily to get ideas from their specials or looked at what others were drinking around me for inspiration. I didn't really use a menu the whole time except at the Martini bar. DH drank Makers on the rocks almost exclusively, but anytime we ventured for something more exciting we just told the bartenders what package we had and they would give us something that worked. One of the best drinks I had was made by Ricky at the Sunset bar. I just told him I had the premium package and wanted something fruity with passion fruit and rum. I don't know what it was, but it was GOOD. Some of the other mixed drinks I had: bahama mama, dark 'n stormy, rum swizzle, bacardi coconut rum and coke, mojito, pina colada, and mimosas. I did order one non-alcoholic mixed fizzy drink from a menu. I don't remember what it was called, but it was basically a virgin mojito.

[cherylroslyn]

Friday, June 6th

Snorkeling with Jessie James Cruises

 

We ordered room service again with much better results! We had requested the 7:30-8:00 window and we got an apologetic call around 7:40 that it was on its way. I don’t know why they called, but I appreciated it! Sure enough, there was a knock on our door within the minute. We ordered bacon and it was just as pleasantly crisp the second go round. Other items were pretty much repeats except this time, I tried the plain omelette. It was good! No fake egg runny stuff. It wasn’t hot, but it wasn’t cold either. The bagel was good, but they were very small, fyi. Both days we ordered room service we received phone calls asking how the food and service were. That was a very nice touch. We ate and got ready to get off the ship for our snorkel.

 

Here is the daily (The stuff highlighted was done by us):

6-6 Front by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

6-6 Middle by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

6-6 Schedule by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

6-6 Back by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

I wish I had ran into you here before your cruise. I would tell you to write down whatever you want for breakfast and they will bring it.

 

I have gotten eggs bennedict, ham and swiss omellete, poached eggs wit corned beef hash........you name it:)

 

I just write it all out on the menu, in a very detailed fashion and it comes.

[antsnanny]

I wish I had ran into you here before your cruise. I would tell you to write down whatever you want for breakfast and they will bring it.

 

I have gotten eggs bennedict, ham and swiss omellete, poached eggs wit corned beef hash........you name it:)

 

I just write it all out on the menu, in a very detailed fashion and it comes.

 

 

Good to know, thanks… Were sailing on the Summit in September and this will come in handy..

[Viva_la_Vida]

Now, here is where I’m about to drop some controversial opinions. As I posted when first starting this blog, sophistication and class very much appeal to me and I find them synonymous with the Celebrity brand. Part of that is dressing nicely and when the occasion calls, even “formally”. I am the kind of girl who likes to get dolled up sometimes :p. It’s very nice to see others doing the same and I think it fosters a sense of respect, pride, and camaraderie. Call me old school, but that’s just how I feel. I didn’t bust out my prom dress or anything, but I did pack thoughtfully and was mindful of the dress code. Here I am on formal night donning a cocktail dress, pearl earrings, and although you can’t see them, heels (despite my aching ankle!). It wasn’t that difficult to get an extra dress into my suitcase.

 

DSC_0912 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

To follow a formal dress code is harder for men with bulky suit jackets and dress shoes. That being said, it was 100% our choice to go the extra mile to have a couple of fancy formal nights. Had we not wanted to follow these rules, there were lots of other options. As stated in the daily I posted above “If you are more comfortable in casual attire, you are welcomed to dine in Qsine, Deck 11, Oceanview Cafe, Deck 10, Pool Grill, Deck 10, Bistro on 5, Deck 5 or our Specialty Restaurant Normandie, Deck 3. Thank you for your understanding and consideration”.

 

So, what exactly qualifies as “Smart Casual” and “Formal Attire”? According to Celebrity’s FAQs,"Smart Casual & Above" attire includes: Ladies: Skirt or pants (no holes, rips or tears) with a sweater or blouse. Gentlemen: Pants (no holes, rips or tears) with a sports shirt or sweater. Shirts must have sleeves. "Formal" attire includes: Ladies: Cocktail dress, gown, or dressy pantsuit. Gentlemen: Tuxedo, suit, or dinner jacket with slacks. The dress code in Celebrity’s specialty restaurants, including Blu, is “Smart Casual & Above” for every night of the cruise, regardless of the evening dress code in the main restaurant. Note that T-shirts, swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps and pool wear are not allowed in the main restaurant or specialty restaurants at any time.

 

We saw lots of violations of the dress codes on both formal night and regular dining nights in the MDR. It was only men I noticed in violation but I’m sure women did it too. From our table by the railing we could see the majority of the downstairs seating area and I saw several men in polo shirts on formal night, no jacket in sight. That was the first night I really noticed it, but the next night I noticed it again, probably because once you notice something it’s hard not to see it again. This time, there were at least three different men wearing straight up screen print T-shirts and jeans. Maybe jeans are allowed if paired with a nice button down or polo, but with a t-shirt, really!? I don’t think that’s acceptable. Why should some people be allowed to do this when so many others have taken extra care to follow the dress code? It ruins the formal ambience if some are following and some are not. DH agrees with me. He was mad he had to pack a suit when others were slipping in without going to the trouble. Either Celebrity needs to enforce this dress code in the MDR consistently or else get rid of it. Nothing else is acceptable. I’m sure asking someone to change is very embarrassing for that person and that’s not what I want to cause, so I think Celebrity also needs to do a better job of making the dress code obvious. Some ways to do this are signs, something that pops up when you book, or a bigger blurbs in the dailies. Passengers also need to be pro-active and do their own research if they don’t want to be embarrassed by being asked to change. It’s not all Celebrity’s fault.

 

So that’s my rant and 100% my own opinion and something I did share with X on my guest questionnaire at the end of the cruise. It certainly didn’t mess up our dinners, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I just don’t want the practice to continue, or the quality of my vacation experience could be impacted, at least potentially.

 

 

Edited June 23, 2014 by Viva_la_Vida
added paragraph

[Laney219]

Either Celebrity needs to enforce this dress code in the MDR consistently or else get rid of it. Nothing else is acceptable.

 

I have not sailed Celebrity yet. On my Royal cruise in April there was a lady that just came from the gym, walking into the dining room for lunch in a sports bra. Not really appetizing. The hostess asked her to put on her shirt. A white tank top!!!

 

Ultimately I agree w/ your above assessment (at least based on my prior cruises). Unless the line enforces the dress code, people will do what they want when they want!

Edited June 23, 2014 by Laney219

[JandKMom]

Friday, June 6th Continued

 

We were back to our room and watching the island slip by in no time.

 

This pic was actually taken from the 10th deck, but I wanted to include it.

DSC_0888 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

IMG_5740 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

I am almost positive that the next few pics are of Fort Catherine and her namesake beach to the left, and the small, populated beach to the right is Tobacco Bay Beach. These are on St. George and those are the sites we were planning to visit, had we not missed the ferry.

 

DSC_0908 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

DSC_0914 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

DSC_0916 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

DSC_0919 by stancil.boehm, on Flickr

 

 

We were also getting ready for formal night. We had made reservations for 5:45 p.m. so we could get back to back early without rushing to meet the 11pm bags-in-hall deadline.

 

 

 

 

 

First of all, thank you so much- I have told you before but I am loving your review! We are leaving next Sunday for this same trip! The last line here you wrote confuses me though. Isn't the second formal night on Friday night? Return is Sunday morning, correct? So bags in the hall would be the following night, Saturday, correct? Just want to make sure this cruise isn't one day shorter than I thought it was!

Edited June 23, 2014 by JandKMom

[forceten]

Great pictures and review. Wish we could have met up with ya on the boat. As I read though and look at the pictures I kinda relive the week again. It's like being back on vacation, if only for a minute :D

 

 

We ate in blu every night, which is smart casual. I saw some people dress up formal on the two formal nights, but I stayed in shoes, slacks and a polo shirt. Which was nice :)

 

Only time I broke the so called rules was sunday the first day. The luggage just never seemed to want to get to our room (until 8pm that night) but we were hungry and ate at blu at 6pm. I was in jeans and a tshirt with a design.

 

It might have been my imagination but I don't think so - I saw a few other people look me up and down and I could see they were unhappy I was dressed like that. Had anyone said anything I would have just told them if they would like to go help celebrity find my clothes I would be more than happy to change into smart casual clothes.

 

We saw people break the dress code with tshirts and jeans for dinner throughout the week - they seemed relaxed on enforcing the dress code which was ok by us. We knew ahead of time using blu we didn't have to bring formal clothing. If we used the mdr on formal nights I would have brought a sport jacket.

Edited June 23, 2014 by forceten

[Viva_la_Vida]

First of all, thank you so much- I have told you before but I am loving your review! We are leaving next Sunday for this same trip! The last line here you wrote confuses me though. Isn't the second formal night on Friday night? Return is Sunday morning, correct? So bags in the hall would be the following night, Saturday, correct? Just want to make sure this cruise isn't one day shorter than I thought it was!

 

 

Oops! I messed up! You're right, I was one day early with the statement about packing. No worries, no disembarkation until Sunday.

 

Thanks again! Glad you're enjoying.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JandKMom]

Oops! I messed up! You're right, I was one day early with the statement about packing. No worries, no disembarkation until Sunday.

 

Thanks again! Glad you're enjoying.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Thanks! Got worried there for a second:). And thanks for your comments about the formal nights. I bought my two sons, ages 10 and 13, suits and dress shoes to wear especially for the formal nights. The way kids grow, they will probably not have an opportunity to wear them again. I also spent money getting the pants shortened. They weren't so thrilled with the idea, but I insisted that this was the dress code and we had to abide. What kind of a lesson is this teaching them if they then see adults not abiding by the dress code? I personally think it is fun to dress up and I am looking forward to it!

[Viva_la_Vida]

Thanks! Got worried there for a second:). And thanks for your comments about the formal nights. I bought my two sons, ages 10 and 13, suits and dress shoes to wear especially for the formal nights. The way kids grow, they will probably not have an opportunity to wear them again. I also spent money getting the pants shortened. They weren't so thrilled with the idea, but I insisted that this was the dress code and we had to abide. What kind of a lesson is this teaching them if they then see adults not abiding by the dress code? I personally think it is fun to dress up and I am looking forward to it!

 

 

They will be so handsome! Make sure you get a family picture. There are some nice backdrops set up all over the boat :)

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rkacruiser]

Dress code violations are becoming an issue on many main stream cruise lines.

 

I do not disagree with your opinions.

 

I will never forget being seated in my tuxedo next to a couple in t-shirts, shorts, and flip-flops in the theater for a cast show on Star Princess in 2006. Gee, I wonder why I have not been a cruiser on Princess ships since?

[miched]

We had a great time at the Frog and Onion. We were ther last year and the year before. They had a happy hour with rum Swizzles and Dark and Stormys for $5.50.

 

Got back on ship and they also had a daily HH special for the same drinks for basically the same price or cheaper with a BYGO.

 

One thing to remember about the drinks in Bernuda is that the TIP is included in the price or bill. Many don't realize this and add more to it thus tipping twice plus tipping on the tip.

 

One of the bartenders told me that the swizzle is basically a rum punch, and most drinks are just variations of another. EX a Mai Tai is a rum punch with almond syrup (Orgeat) added as an example.

 

 

🍸🍻🍺

[Winesome]

We had a great time at the Frog and Onion. We were ther last year and the year before. They had a happy hour with rum Swizzles and Dark and Stormys for $5.50.

 

Got back on ship and they also had a daily HH special for the same drinks for basically the same price or cheaper with a BYGO.

 

One thing to remember about the drinks in Bernuda is that the TIP is included in the price or bill. Many don't realize this and add more to it thus tipping twice plus tipping on the tip.

 

One of the bartenders told me that the swizzle is basically a rum punch, and most drinks are just variations of another. EX a Mai Tai is a rum punch with almond syrup (Orgeat) added as an example

🍸🍻🍺

So what you are on vacation, on a island...you could tip a little extra, other than whats on the bill...and what they will pay tax on, its not gonna break your budget is it!!!!!

[cherylroslyn]

Thanks! Got worried there for a second:). And thanks for your comments about the formal nights. I bought my two sons, ages 10 and 13, suits and dress shoes to wear especially for the formal nights. The way kids grow, they will probably not have an opportunity to wear them again. I also spent money getting the pants shortened. They weren't so thrilled with the idea, but I insisted that this was the dress code and we had to abide. What kind of a lesson is this teaching them if they then see adults not abiding by the dress code? I personally think it is fun to dress up and I am looking forward to it!

Good for you.

 

Now remember to get nice family pictures on those nights, try to put money aside for one of the professional shots, because they do a really great job even though they are pricy. They will work with your family posing you and they usually have a lot of different backgrounds to choose from throughout the ship.

[Eiansmomma]

Good for you.

 

Now remember to get nice family pictures on those nights, try to put money aside for one of the professional shots, because they do a really great job even though they are pricy. They will work with your family posing you and they usually have a lot of different backgrounds to choose from throughout the ship.

 

We had awesome family pictures taken on our last cruise! We bought one of our whole family and one of just the kids! Well worth the $$

[miched]

So what you are on vacation, on a island...you could tip a little extra, other than whats on the bill...and what they will pay tax on, its not gonna break your budget is it!!!!!

 

I don't care about how big of a spender you are, it is your money. I am letting others know becasue they may not have the bankroll that you do or don't have.

I have also heard people remark when getting ready to leave the bar after they paid their bill that they didn't realize that the tip was included and ended up really over tipping because it close to being 40% and it was a big mistake.

 

If you read many other threads there is a lot of conversation about tipping and many that complain about the automatic 15% for the drinks that are purchased on board.

 

💰🍸🍻🍺

[Patrick IL.]

I must say I really enjoyed your review! Very well written, positive and wonderful pictures! While we have sailed on a dozen or so X cruises, we have yet to due Bermuda yet. We just may have to build that into our future plans!

[Susie51]

Great review and pics!

[Viva_la_Vida]

We had a great time at the Frog and Onion. We were ther last year and the year before. They had a happy hour with rum Swizzles and Dark and Stormys for $5.50.

 

Got back on ship and they also had a daily HH special for the same drinks for basically the same price or cheaper with a BYGO.

 

One thing to remember about the drinks in Bernuda is that the TIP is included in the price or bill. Many don't realize this and add more to it thus tipping twice plus tipping on the tip.

 

One of the bartenders told me that the swizzle is basically a rum punch, and most drinks are just variations of another. EX a Mai Tai is a rum punch with almond syrup (Orgeat) added as an example.

 

 

🍸🍻🍺

 

Good to know they have a Happy Hour. I'll have to try that next June. We found that they made the included gratuity very obvious with larger text on the receipt that said "included gratuity". That being said, I'm sure there were still those who either didn't notice or who were feeling extra generous.

[Viva_la_Vida]

I relish and enjoy your review and pics. You have a gift with words and a real talent with descriptions....

This cruise to Bermuda seems like a very good option for us, who have to make a 12h flight to New York, and then south, to Miami, etc., if we want to see some exotic places. Leaving from New Jersey and "saving" another flight is quite appealing to me :D

Thank you for taking precious time from your holiday to "entertain" us. Enjoy the rest of the cruise, I'll keep reading till "the END" ;)

 

Dani[ela]

 

Thank you, Dani! That would be a time saver after a 12h flight, wow! In addition to Bermuda as an option, a lot of RCL routes go from New York down to the Caribbean. I think Norwegian does out of Boston as well. Thanks for sticking with me ;)

[Beachdude]

Thank you, Dani! That would be a time saver after a 12h flight, wow! In addition to Bermuda as an option, a lot of RCL routes go from New York down to the Caribbean. I think Norwegian does out of Boston as well. Thanks for sticking with me ;)

 

Boston would be a fun visit.

 

Burt

[Laney219]

Thank you, Dani! That would be a time saver after a 12h flight, wow! In addition to Bermuda as an option, a lot of RCL routes go from New York down to the Caribbean. I think Norwegian does out of Boston as well. Thanks for sticking with me ;)

 

FWIW:

 

NCL and Carnival NYC. RCL leaves from Bayonne on different days than X. RCL and Carnival also sail from Baltimore.