I didn't think I'd be back.

[josie724]

When we did this cruise I had booked a CC deck 7 but since the previous cruiser was a heavy smoker and the steward (Francoise!)wasn't that good (he left a huge container of butts on the balcony for a welcome to the cruise present) we were moved to an AQ cabin. The location was not as good and did not have cabins above/below but the perks (Blu) and steward were great.

 

If you did an AQ you would have the private dining area. No casino while docked so can't compare that. Smoking on HAL balcony's and not suppose to on Celebrity makes the in port 3 days easier if you use your balcony a lot.

 

Since it's in port for 3 days you won't find a lot of congestion as people are in and out at random times rather than set times.

 

I loved where the ship docked rather than downtown. Great rum cake. Don't come back without it. Seriously. Don't.

 

AQ was sold out, so we could only hold a C3 concierge class balcony cabin mid ship. I'm a bit confused the Celebrity site says no smoking cabins, can people smoke on the balcony? The only negative about the cabin we choose is that it's an adjoining cabin. But I'd rather have that mid ship than and aft cabin without an adjoining door.

 

OYE...you had to tell me about the rum cake????? If it's anything like the one in the Cayman's I am in BIG trouble....I lost 30lbs since last year, and this will be the LAST THING I should come home with. :D

 

Thanks for your reply, very helpful.

[josie724]

So good to see you here, Josie. Even if you don't book a cruise, chime in!

 

 

Thanks, you would think I'd be reading and posting more on the Celebrity forums, but here I am, where I feel comfortable. :)

[VioletHorse]

We did the Summit to Bermuda last year and loved it.

 

The overall experience ship wise was similar to HAL, but HAL does have superior staff in terms of the friendly and helpful factors. For example, we'd brought 2 bottles of wine to enjoy on our balcony but didn't bring a corkscrew. We asked the room steward if he could get a corkscrew, and he told us no, he did not have access to one. Wow. We've never had a problem getting one on HAL.

 

The staff on the Summit are polite and a bit reserved, and not overly friendly but that's just the difference betweeen cruiselines. HAL definitely wins in the food category, both in the buffet and MDR. We had an Aqua Class room which gave access to dining in Blu which was very good in contrast to the Summit MDR.

 

Since sailing on the Summit last year there have been a number of changes onboard which I did not experience, but be aware that all cruisers on many cruiselines complain about cutbacks in food quality, entertainment and staffing, and Celebrity is right there with those same issues.

 

The Summit is an older ship which went through a major refurb a couple of years ago, and we found it to be comfortable and well maintained.

 

I liked being at the Dockyards as there are shops, restaurants, art galleries and museums - lots to do as opposed to Hamilton. In fact we never made it to Hamilton. I'd been there once before, and that was enough for me.

 

To be honest I've been trying to convince DH to go on the 8/31 sailing, but since we did Alaska on the Volendam a couple of months ago (an excellent cruise BTW) he's reluctant to get onboard another cruise ship this year. It violates his 1 cruise per year rule.

[VioletHorse]

AQ was sold out, so we could only hold a C3 concierge class balcony cabin mid ship. I'm a bit confused the Celebrity site says no smoking cabins, can people smoke on the balcony? The only negative about the cabin we choose is that it's an adjoining cabin. But I'd rather have that mid ship than and aft cabin without an adjoining door.

 

OYE...you had to tell me about the rum cake????? If it's anything like the one in the Cayman's I am in BIG trouble....I lost 30lbs since last year, and this will be the LAST THING I should come home with. :D

 

Thanks for your reply, very helpful.

 

/COLOR]

 

There is no smoking on any balcony on Celebrity. Their smoking policy is one of the most restricitve of any cruise line.

 

And the rum cakes are to die for - so many flavor variations to choose from!

[josie724]

There is no smoking on any balcony on Celebrity. Their smoking policy is one of the most restricitve of any cruise line.

 

And the rum cakes are to die for - so many flavor variations to choose from!

 

 

That works for me, we are reformed smokers....the worst kind :D

[Typhoon1]

Both lines are similar premium cruise lines, I'd be happy to book a cruise on either.

[sportsmum]

There is no smoking on any balcony on Celebrity. Their smoking policy is one of the most restricitve of any cruise line.

 

And the rum cakes are to die for - so many flavor variations to choose from!

 

Right - no smoking on the balcony. We had a cabin where that was not enforced and the steward didn't clean it up before we got on. That's why we were moved to an AQ that was empty after sailaway.

 

Rum cakes - I dream of those rum cakes. And, you don't have to chance it. There are samples of every single one of them and you can go back and back and back and back........Everybody got a rum cake when I got home. :D

[sportsmum]

Celebrity and all others:

 

Cruise ship gambling casinos will no longer be closed, as they had been for many years until October 2013. In that month, Bermuda's Members of Parliament changed the law, to allow them to remain open, after prolonged intensive lobbying from cruise ship lines who had pointed out that this restriction applied nowhere else in the cruise ship world. MPs enacted Bermuda's Cruise Ship (Casino) Act 2013. On-board casinos can now operate between 9pm and 5am, in return for a license fee per ship payable to the Bermuda Government. However, smaller ships capable of berthing in Hamilton and St Georges, with a passenger capacity not exceeding 2,000, would not be charged a licence fee, because Bermuda has so far failed to attract smaller, high-end cruise ships, and that the exemption could encourage more visits. Bermuda Tourism research has indicated that the majority of visiting cruise passengers return to their ship by 9pm and, by this time, most of Bermuda's retail shops are closed. Cruise ships have to be in port for one night or more to qualify. The use of the casino is to be limited to passengers on board the ship only. No local residents or visitors to the ship will be allowed to participate in casino activities. Most cruise ships derive their on-board revenue mainly through their casinos and shops.

 

Thank you! We took almost a whole year off from traveling so I am catching up now. Whole house reno's will do that !!

[Xport]

re: casino's. Good to know! Thank you. I know this is the HAL board but do you know if Celebrity's casino would then be allowed to operate as well? They don't dock in Hamilton.

 

That the casino on Celebrity Summit has been open during evenings while docked in Bermuda this season...

[josie724]

Well we are now booked on the Summit. I will report back here to let you all know how it compared to our NA cruise. I will miss chatting with all of you about our upcoming cruise. Thanks all for the info. And who knows.....we may like this itinerary so much that we will book with HAL out of Boston to Bermuda next year,;) then I can come back home (here) and chat with all of you. :)

[summersigh]

Well we are now booked on the Summit. I will report back here to let you all know how it compared to our NA cruise. I will miss chatting with all of you about our upcoming cruise. Thanks all for the info. And who knows.....we may like this itinerary so much that we will book with HAL out of Boston to Bermuda next year,;) then I can come back home (here) and chat with all of you. :)

 

Stick around afterwards Josie ... knowing what questions you might have had answered on this HAL board you'll have a lot to share with the newest newbies.

I'll be looking forward to your comparison posts. :)

[awhfy]

No smoking on any balcony & no smoking in the casino on Celebrity. Enjoy your rum cake(s).

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[josie724]

No smoking on any balcony & no smoking in the casino on Celebrity. Enjoy your rum cake(s).

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

 

That works for me...I'm a reformed smoker.....the worst kind ;)