Celebrity Summit Live report 4/4/15 - First Luminae and new suite benefits sailing

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Brunch at 10:00 fits right in with our schedule on sea days. We will probably do a light, fruit & yogurt and of course a pastry, breakfast in our suite then be ready for brunch later. There is always the elite breakfast and Café Bacco for coffee & pastry.

[Hows the Serenity]

What is the Elite breakfast please?

 

 

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[MiaPortia]

Hi, Jenna - I just wanted to thank you again for all of the excellent information you have provided to us all; it has been so kind of you to allow us to vicariously experience the new suite benefits!! :)

 

Just to note again my thoughts about lunch in Luminae:

 

As I previously posted, for us, lunching in Luminae -- whether during sea days or while in port -- is an essential element of suite benefits. We sometimes treat “port days” (in whole or in part) as “sea days” and simply prefer to have a quiet lunch onboard after spending several hours out and about. The intimate dining experience that Luminae offers is often the keystone of the cruise experience and should include lunch each day!

 

Also hoping future Luminae dinners will include an interesting "Cheese & Fruit" course! :)

 

Thanks again, Jenna; wishing you smooth sailing, sunny skies, and balmy breezes for all of your future cruises! :)

 

Mia

Edited April 17, 2015 by MiaPortia

[Project_gal]

Jenna

 

Many thanks for your posts from Summit. Do nt work to hard once you disembark!

[kenevenpar]

What is the Elite breakfast please?

 

 

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It is the breakfast scheduled for Captains Club Elite/Elite Plus and Zenith members, in a separate location (not sure where on Summit, Tuscan Grill on Reflection).

Ken

[need2bespoiled]

We've never been to elite breakfasts not our thing *shrug*

 

We have our butler leave coffee (actually cafe latte from Al Bacio) in a carafe to keep it hot and pastries at 7am every morning without knocking. We got this idea on Cruise Critic, I think from Curt and then we're reminded about it by other guests last week. When we wake it's there for us regardless of time we decide to get up. We sometimes add yogurt an oatmeal when we wake and then do brunch later. We like the flexibility and choices. On port days we like breakfast on our balcony, but it doesn't rival the quality in Luminae so that tradition is changing. This week we turned a number of port days into ship days.

 

Having Blu for breakfast isn't a bad option that really hadn't crossed our mind.

 

Oh, that missing cheese course...we've been soooo full by the time we get to dessert, and the pastries and desserts have been so delectable, we haven't thought of it much. I'll try again tonight and see what they say.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[Shirley C]

Today we planned to do a catamaran trip. This is not our normal activity on an island but we wanted to try out this boat / company as we're traveling with family to St Thomas in January and plan to charter the entire catamaran. I emailed them 3-4 days ago for some details and to find out how many people had signed up and they told me us and 4 other but expected a few more but not a crowd.

 

We contacted another couple from our roll call who planned on the same trip to share a private cab we arranged while we were on the island last week. We're not fond of the shared taxi system on St Thomas because they make everyone going to a certain area wait until they're full. If your the first to that taxi you can wait for 15-20+ minutes. I called the arranged taxi and met him right across the street from the shared taxis. He took a bit longer to get there than I hoped but it was a tad cheaper than the shared taxi.

 

When we arrived on the beach to the catamaran and saw it was packed and were told there would be about 30 on board. There barely looked like room to sit so we bailed on plan A and decided on Plan B to go back to Secret Harbor for a mellow day on the beach and the amazing Tuna sashimi nachos at Sunset Grill. I'll get picks when we do lunch, but for now, this is what I'm doing for my last day of vacation

 

(Yes, those are freshly repainted)

 

Tomorrow will be a sad day for sure, as I don't even fly home, it's right to a work trip for me, but we do have a bit of a plan for Old San Juan tomorrow though not sure if we'll do that or be spontaneous.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

 

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Looks like the perfect way to spend the last day of a cruise. Thank you again for all your pics during your cruise. I've thoroughly enjoyed them. I'm looking forward to boarding the Infinity in 10 days and trying out the suite benefits for myself. Safe travels home to you & Dee.

 

Shirley

Edited April 17, 2015 by Shirley C

[Gordoncruickshank]

Jenna

 

I agree that suite guests do have to give feedback to Celebrity about opening times of Luminae. With eleven sea days on our up and coming transpacific, it will be extremely disappointing if breakfast is not included. Although we would attempt NOT to eat three meals a day [probably unsuccessfully], there is no way breakfast is the meal we would skip and 10:00 is far too late for breakfast.

 

We have actually enjoyed lunch in the specialty restaurants on our last few cruises with just a light snack for dinner to break up the routine. I just cannot see brunch working for us and we cannot be the only people.

 

I have to agree with Sue that a brunch with no breakfast is absolutely useless for us. My wife is diabetic and needs to eat shortly after she rises. There is no way she can wait until 10am. I am usually on the balcony from around 6 sorting out whatever work needs attended to so breakfast needs to be in th 8-8.30 range for us. We will have to revert back to Blu these days.

 

The lack of a formal lunch doesn't really bother me too much. I understand that it was advertised but all we want at lunchtime is something fairly light. There is no way we could do breakfast plus two multi course meals. Even doing that I very rarely have space for desert so I don't feel we will miss this. We can always go to the bistro (now that we know that it is a "specialty" and therefore free) but we won't do that every day either.

 

Thanks for all the hard work Jenna. It has kept us amused over the past two weeks. I can see I will have to work on these menus to identify possibilities for my wife to eat. She is not in any way adventurous with food I am afraid. Me I can eat almost anything on these menus (which is why I had to get a slightly larger kilt for my last cruise!!)

 

Gordon

 

 

Gordon

[need2bespoiled]

I don't think special meals are an issue. Dee ordered lobster special (no butter even though it was "butter poached") last night, no big deal. Yesterday at brunch a gentlemen ordered a fish dish but wanted it with chicken. It came as he wanted and he seemed pleased.

 

They're definitely willing to accommodate special requests or allow ordering of MDR left side.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

 

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[JFontaine]

On last week's Reflection cruise, the brunch (no breakfast or lunch) Luminae days were the two formal nights (seven day cruise). Both formal nights were sea days, but there was also another day and 2/3 at sea, and on those days breakfast and lunch were served. The restaurant manager described the brunch as being on "formal nights" days.

[need2bespoiled]

On last week's Reflection cruise, the brunch (no breakfast or lunch) Luminae days were the two formal nights (seven day cruise). Both formal nights were sea days, but there was also another day and 2/3 at sea, and on those days breakfast and lunch were served. The restaurant manager described the brunch as being on "formal nights" days.

 

 

This makes some sense and something I've been wondering about. We only had 1 sea day each cruise.

 

It still doesn't solve the lunch kissing on port days.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

 

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[jules57]

Hi Jenna

 

Very much enjoyed your postings. Did Michaels Club serve a light breakfast and lunch on sea days?

[bigbenboys]

During the suite benefits Q & A with the Celebrity rep, it was stated that the suite dining would be open even on port days. I'm disappointed to hear that they've changed this perk. The Summit sails some fairly port-intensive itineraries in the Caribbean - very few sea days.

 

Sounds like more cutbacks before it is up and running.

[koolforkatz]

I have 5 sea days in a row on Monday's Hawaii-Vancouver cruise. I will report back how it works out on the Solstice.

 

I am also going to try requesting cheese for dessert in Luminae. Cheese is always my preference over sweets in both MDR and Blu. I will let others know how it worked out for me.

[junetraveler2014]

Jenna & Dee,

 

Thank you so very, very much for sharing your adventures with us! Dh and I have enjoyed every minute and the photos were a story in themselves. Want to wish you a wonderful "NEXT CRUISE". Will let you know about how the "Suite Perks" have evolved starting the end of May when we will be sailing. Have a safe trip home. New York is stating to show green, almost ready to plant. Daffodils are not out yet. Thank you again for your story, has us excited about our future trip.

Best Regards,

Gary & Victoria:D:cool:

[need2bespoiled]

Hi Jenna

 

Very much enjoyed your postings. Did Michaels Club serve a light breakfast and lunch on sea days?

 

The only breakfast we've seen in Michael's Club is on disembarkation day, but that is because we don't generally got there in the morning unless it is a tender port or a customs port that will cause lines getting off. I'm sorry to say but what they put out for "breakfast" is a joke. Tins of small muffins and bagels that would make the Hampton Inn look like luxury.

 

I've never seen lunch served or offered and doubt we would eat it. It's just not set up that way. It isn't like the true business class or higher end hotel lounge that serves 5 meal presentations a day.

 

Thanks for all the well wishes. I look forward to seeing updates and more info on other cruises that are less port intensive. Our next booked cruise is at the end of Summit's Bermuds season so it has the unique sea day / in one port itinerary but it looks like my work schedule will mean we have to cancel it. Then we have a 15 day cruise with only 6 sea days in December. It will be interesting to see how things shake out by then.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[jcpc]

Hi Jenna,

 

Hope you don't have to cancel that Bermuda Summit sailing. We're also booked on that sailing and I was looking forward to meeting you.

 

Janice

[cruza]

This makes some sense and something I've been wondering about. We only had 1 sea day each cruise.

 

It still doesn't solve the lunch kissing on port days.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

Jenna - thanks a lot for wonderful review and pictures!

I have a question: if you are in suite, can you still go to Blu for breakfast (and dinner for the nights when menu looks better than Luminae)?

Thanks,

 

Mike

[Texed]

Spoiled,

 

Thanks for posting. Sorry you won't be on our South America cruise. :)

[hulamoon]

Jenna - thanks a lot for wonderful review and pictures!

I have a question: if you are in suite, can you still go to Blu for breakfast (and dinner for the nights when menu looks better than Luminae)?

Thanks,

 

Mike

 

It has been true and I expect it will continue to be true.

[need2bespoiled]

Just a quick note but not my last.

 

Again, sorry for the typos. Most of this was posted from my phone, with fat fingers, and in dim light of Luminae, so proofreading, while done is tough.

 

A few more interesting points to note, including some comments about dinner and another new piece of information not about Luminae but about suite benefits.

 

We had dinner with friends we met earlier in the cruise but no pics as it was a social affair ;) (Hello Heather, hope you had a safe trip home, you know where to find me and Maryanne) who said they ordered a cheese course the night before, but it seemed more like the MDR version and less like the Murano version. Incidentally, dinner was excellent. While everyone else seemed to like the Mango and Chestnut cream bite, i though the cream had the consistency of paste, even if it tasted ok, I couldn't eat it. I really hope I'm not spoiling some of these bites for everyone by creating pre-conceived ideas. The soup was good, though Heather's was not as hot as she would like. Three people ordered a wedge which was no where on the menu. It was served slightly deconstructed but in a more traditional way than the one the previous night that was on the menu. I still like the fried rice as a light meal. The fish was a winner with not one person out of the three who ordered it leaving any morsels on their plates. I think Bojan our waiter might have lost a finger when he went to take a plate with a bit left on it (not by me of course).

 

The room was PACKED at 8:00p tonight, barely a seat open. One party was VERY loud and even though they were in the back corner they clearly disturbed many diners including us. One couple left before ordering. It bordered on me saying something, but once they received their first course and had something in their mouths the level did come down a bit.

 

No guarantees on truise. Everyone onboard was given OBC immediately and later we were givhe accuracy of the following information, how long it will last or if posting it here is such a smart idea, but if I post it, no one will tell, right? Back in November we did a back to back on Millennium in Asia. The second cruise was a bit of a problem child as 4 ports were cancelled the night before the cen additional future cruise credit. We already had quite a bit of OBC so when I went to get some out in cash at the casino, I wrote off the fact I was not being charged the 5% to the fact that the cruise had its fair share of problems and it was waived for everyone or maybe the fact they I smiled and looked cute that night :rolleyes: Tonight I was taking out some cash for tips, and maybe a little bit more fun at the casino ;) (it was a good night :D ) and wasn't charged the 5% either. I asked and was told the percentage was waived for "Michael's Club Members". An interesting tidbit, not a huge deal, but good to know.

 

Dee doesn't want to go to Old San Juan in the morning so we're going to stay onboard as long as we can (which I think will be about 9:45) and then go to the airport for our 2pm flights, but of course we're going to head to Luminae at 7:45. Hours are 6:30a-8:00a. I'm going to try and write my summary from the airport while we wait and everything is fresh in my mind. I actually made some notes for our post cruise survey which will help me remember my thoughts.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[need2bespoiled]

It has been true and I expect it will continue to be true.

 

As has been noted on other threads, suite guests can dine in Blu or the MDR, they really can dine anywhere they'd like, whether they pay will depend on the level of suite. Blu of course has no cover.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[need2bespoiled]

Hi Jenna,

 

Hope you don't have to cancel that Bermuda Summit sailing. We're also booked on that sailing and I was looking forward to meeting you.

 

Janice

 

We're not sure yet, We were planning on cancelling, then Dee really enjoyed this cruise but I scheduled a trip on top of it, so we need to juggle a bunch of things.

 

Spoiled,

 

Thanks for posting. Sorry you won't be on our South America cruise. :)

 

We're booked on the one before through the Canal which we are definitely doing, the one after that you're on, we're also booked on but probably won't happen as it is over Christmas and New Years and Dee wants to be home, PLUS I've booked a cruise to Cuba with friends that departs on 1/1

 

A number of people have introduced themselves to me on the 4/11 cruise who were reading this thread from the week before. Thanks for saying hello! Feel free to call me out or say BS if you don't agree with ANYTHING I've written. One person's (mostly subjective) opinion is certainly not the only one!

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[Project_gal]

No guarantees on truise. Everyone onboard was given OBC immediately and later we were givhe accuracy of the following information, how long it will last or if posting it here is such a smart idea, but if I post it, no one will tell, right? Back in November we did a back to back on Millennium in Asia. The second cruise was a bit of a problem child as 4 ports were cancelled the night before the cen additional future cruise credit. We already had quite a bit of OBC so when I went to get some out in cash at the casino, I wrote off the fact I was not being charged the 5% to the fact that the cruise had its fair share of problems and it was waived for everyone or maybe the fact they I smiled and looked cute that night :rolleyes: Tonight I was taking out some cash for tips, and maybe a little bit more fun at the casino ;) (it was a good night :D ) and wasn't charged the 5% either. I asked and was told the percentage was waived for "Michael's Club Members". An interesting tidbit, not a huge deal, but good to know.

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

Jenna

 

This may well be correct. A few years ago, someone posted on Cruise Critic that there was a letter in their RS on embarkation on a Millennium Class ship

[can no longer remember which one] that there was no fee to withdraw cash at the Casino for them. I took a copy of the post with me on our next cruise which was also in a RS [M-class].

 

We also received the same letter. The letter is not only about the withdrawal fee and looked/looks like some of the junk mail you get. I would not have read it all if it had not been for the post on CC.

 

I honestly cannot remember if we tried to withdraw cash at the Casino on that cruise.

 

On our next cruise after that [probably Eclipse in a PH but memory is hazy on when this all happened - we really do not have a problem spending our OBC!], we again received the same letter. My husband did want to withdraw cash to use in the Casino [it was a cruise when he was donating a fair amount to the Casino benevolent fund] and took the letter with him.

 

It did not go smoothly [despite the letter saying that the "Casino manager", rather than the Hotel Director, had made the concession]. The cashier refused so my husband asked to speak to her supervisor. He refused so .... well you get the idea. He kept going up the food chain until he spoke to the Casino Manager who grudgingly allowed the withdrawal. Do you get me wrong, my husband was treated very well while this was happening. He was asked to take a seat, brought a beverage [coffee, I think] and spoken to very well but kept being told "no".

 

Anyone who had sailed in a PH knows that "no" is not a word that you hear very often, if at all. If "no" is the answer, it is more usual just to hear nothing more about the subject - it is ignored [at least in our experience - there has never been anything we were really bothered about and have not force the issue expect for withdrawing money from the Casino].

 

I believe [again, hazy memory] my husband may have then withdraw cash in the Casino again without any problem.

 

I think all this happened in 2012/13 [New Year cruise] but I may have the dates wrong. Fairly certain the we did not get the letter in 2013 [December] and definite we did not get it in 2014 [November but that cruise was very disorganised because of a last minute itinerary change.

 

We WILL find out if it is true on our next cruise because we have a huge amount of OBC - much of it purchased OBC - and will withdraw cash for additional gratuities if we can do this without penalty.

 

[Jenna, apologies for the long post if you are reading this on your phone!]

[Project_gal]

We're booked on the one before through the Canal which we are definitely doing, the one after that you're on, we're also booked on but probably won't happen as it is over Christmas and New Years and Dee wants to be home, PLUS I've booked a cruise to Cuba with friends that departs on 1/1

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

Jenna

 

We have really been warned off a Christmas/New Year cruise to South America by very many crew on Infinity. It is something we really planned to do and thought that having a RS or PH and eating in the Specialty Restaurants we could avoid the unpleasantness. We were strongly advised that was not likely to be the case.