A Summit Review

[lovelife]

I love your blog and your pictures. I was on the August 23 sailing also. It was a great week. Captain Kate was indeed on board and introduced at the CC party. (Search Captain Kate here on Cc) some of us posted pics. I think I read on another social media outlet that Captain Kate was also introduced at an Elite party. I saw Captain Kate with Captain Leo all over the ship together. At breakfast at Cafe Biaggio, at Karaoke too.

I understand that Blu has healthy menus, so I guess you didn't try the Top Chef Menu. The short ribs are to die for. A couple of other choices from that menu were excellent also.

 

We loved Cafe Biaggio, we had the classic drink package so any of the coffees were included.

 

Ken Mills, the CD was the same as any CD I ever cruised with on Royal or NCL. A couple of his jokes I've heard before. Lol. But he seemed like a genuinely nice guy, not a stuck up phony.

 

I want to add that I was with some 20 somethings and we had lots of fun with the Activity guys Justin and Jack. I didn't know if Celebrity would keep them engaged, but they had a great time.

 

Thanks for your comments. I haven't gotten to the Blu or food section yet so I'll comment on that later.

[lovelife]

Back to it.

 

It was next to impossible to find loungers in the Solarium on sea days. This is true on all ships we sail and sometimes we stay on the ship if we are in a port we have visited many times in order to use the Solarium sans the crowds. This is what we did at some point each day we were in Bermuda. The thalassotherapy pool was great. On sea days it was a stewing pot of people. There were children in there every time we went although the age requirement is 16.

 

 

 

 

 

Baby Got Back

 

 

Solarium on non-port days

 

[soxfan2013]

Thanks for your comments. No, you are not nuts -- the beds were awful. I did see some well behaved children in Blu. This certainly didn't bother me in the least. I just thought Aqua cabins were strictly limited to two guests. So they let you book four in your cabin?

 

As you mentioned, AQ only allows 2 ppl per room, which inherently limits the number of kids in Blu and otherwise running up and down the corridors in Blu. The kids had their own adjacent room and the ship was able to open the balcony balcony dividers which was great as it created a a jumbo balcony and made the rooms more like adjoining rooms.

[lovelife]

I've seen some discussion on the balcony views so here are some more photos from 9045.

 

Looking down

 

 

Trying to get photos sailing under the bridge

 

 

Around the Ship

 

I love walking the deck

 

 

I also love relaxing on the deck

 

 

Early morning chair hogs - every chair by the pool "saved" at 8:44 a.m. Certainly not unique to Summit as they are everywhere on the sea. :mad:

 

[lovelife]

More Around the Ship:

 

Lovely Revelations

 

 

The loooooooong hallways

 

 

Shuffleboard

 

 

We had some incredible sunsets

 

 

 

Liars Club - Too Funny

 

[lovelife]

More Around the Ship:

 

Another sunset

 

 

Everyone else scattered from the Sunset Bar during an evening rain but we happily sat under cover and had a good ol' time sailing along. "We ain't afraid of no rain."

 

 

I love wet photos

 

[Iamthesea]

As you mentioned, AQ only allows 2 ppl per room, which inherently limits the number of kids in Blu and otherwise running up and down the corridors in Blu. The kids had their own adjacent room and the ship was able to open the balcony balcony dividers which was great as it created a a jumbo balcony and made the rooms more like adjoining rooms.

 

How old are your children that they were allowed to have their own stateroom?.

:confused:

[KidCruze]

How old are your children that they were allowed to have their own stateroom?.

:confused:

 

I'm sure one parent and one child were booked in each room. Sleeping arrangements may change once on board.

[lovelife]

Back to it.

 

Food (and I took lots of photos of food):

 

Sea View Cafe

 

 

This area is very odd in that you have to walk around in a circle to find all the selections. Everything we had here was hit or miss. Some good, some not so good, and almost everything that was supposed to be hot was barely warm or cold. I loved the chicken salad for lunch. My embarkation day dessert was a heavenly carrot cake that was quite memorable.

 

A lunch

 

 

I loved the different dessert theme each day

 

One day it was pies

 

 

Another it was cupcakes and these peanut butter ones were divine

 

 

One day creme brulee - this coffee one was to die for

 

 

I loved the ice cream station and had some most days. One flavor I had never tasted before was cinnamon, and it was wonderful.

 

The pool deck grill provided one of my favorite lunches

 

[Got2Cruise]

More great pictures. I love your rain photos. I really don't remember it raining. Lol

[lovelife]

Ocean View Cafe continued

 

 

 

I Scream - You Scream

 

 

This sign was quite clear but many folks came in swimsuits including young girls in skimpy bikinis. :eek:

 

 

This hand cleaning station for children was adorable. DH couldn't resist.

 

[lovelife]

More great pictures. I love your rain photos. I really don't remember it raining. Lol

 

Thanks. I don't think it lasted long.

[lovelife]

Food continued

 

We were excited to try Blu, a lovely venue for sure and the wait staff is very nice. We usually went early to try and get a two-top by the window. The two-tops are nary a foot apart so there were no private conversations to be had. We never had a wait to get in other than the line at the door.

 

 

The menus were interesting and we always managed to find something to order, but after a while I longed for some "regular" menu items. I really liked the bread selections.

 

 

These were on the table every evening and I loved them

 

 

The first night was a disaster regarding service. We didn't get our entree for 60 minutes after arriving and never had our water glasses refilled. It got better day by day although there always seemed to be some delay with something. One evening we asked to get an item off the main dining room menu and were given an emphatic NO - it was not allowed (another wrong read).

 

Some various dishes

 

Crab cake I believe

 

 

Salads

 

 

[lovelife]

More Blu food

 

DH's dinner (no beef for me)

 

 

My seafood with no sauce - the sauce had onions in it and I hate onions - so it was bland.

 

 

Some kind of appetizer that was very good

 

 

More salads

 

 

 

I believe this was called chocolate melting cake or something. It was Heavenly.

 

[lovelife]

DH's beef dinner

 

 

My marvelous fish dinner

 

 

DH's beef dinner

 

 

My lobster. Lobster is my very favorite food but this was covered with an apricot sauce. It was good but I prefer my lobster with drawn butter.

 

 

You know the drill - his beef, my fish - and good fish it was

 

 

[lovelife]

More Blu food

 

DH's beef

 

 

My chicken (and you thought it was going to be fish). Had it without the sauce because of the onion issue and it was awful. A chicken leg with little pancakes stuck in it.

 

 

Good strawberry and caramel cheesecakes

 

 

Edited September 9, 2015 by lovelife

[lovelife]

More Blu food

 

Breakfast in Blu was very good. We ate some in Blu and some in the buffet. In Blu I tried three of the tiny smoothies. The flavors were odd and they were served warm so I asked for a glass of ice and put the smoothie in it which helped.

 

 

DH's breakfast

 

 

My breakfast. I was happy as a clam until day three when they erroneously loaded my omelette with onions. :(

 

[lovelife]

Food continued:

 

We had a complimentary dinner at Qsine the second night. What an experience!! Unique for sure and I really loved it; DH not so much. I would never have paid $90 to try it, but since it was free..........

 

 

Everything was ordered via iPads

 

 

Shrimp

 

 

Crab cake?

 

 

Don't remember what is was but it was good

 

 

Salad

 

[lovelife]

Qsine continued

 

Yummy bread

 

 

DH turned up his nose at these baby food-like veggies but I thought they were divine and so perfectly seasoned and devoured most of them.

 

 

Sorry for the crummy photos. I'll blame it on the lighting. As the meal progressed,the lights were dimmed way too low and it was hard to see the food.

 

DH's Painter's Steak

 

 

A lobster souffle for me - tasted like it had onions in it although they said no - I didn't care for it

 

 

As dessert time arrived, a boisterous group disrupted the whole experience for everyone in the restaurant. To get away from the noise, I took my dessert of beignets to go. Oh my, were they delicious.

 

DH had "build your own" cupcakes

 

 

Way too dark to see, but the waiter brought around a field of colorful covered strawberries. So good. I do recommend trying this restaurant. The food is exciting and the service great.

 

[cherylroslyn]

Great review, wonderful pictures. I am wondering if you tried to get some sauce made without the onions?

 

I had heard they are accommodating with food allergies and such. I hope they are because my daughter is gluten intolerant. and she will need sauce without gluten.

[lovelife]

Food continued:

 

By the final night we had a hankering for some familiar comfort food and wanted to try the main dining room. There was no way to inquire with the Blu maitre d as it was after breakfast and he wouldn't return until dinner. We were not provided a number for Sead, the Elite concierge, so I called Guest Services to connect me and I was on hold for eight minutes waiting on Sead to answer -- he never did. Although they took my cabin number for a callback, I never got it (bad move - no tip for him). A nice person at Guest Services eventually got us a select time reservation. We both agreed it was the best meal of the cruise.

 

I'll try to finish this up later this evening as I am packing for my nine-night cruise departing tomorrow.

 

DH's Steak

 

 

My Gnocchi

 

[lovelife]

Great review, wonderful pictures. I am wondering if you tried to get some sauce made without the onions?

 

I had heard they are accommodating with food allergies and such. I hope they are because my daughter is gluten intolerant. and she will need sauce without gluten.

 

Thanks. A different sauce wasn't offered and I didn't think to ask for something special. I guess since I'm paying thousands of dollars to cruise I should at least give it a try. Thank you for the suggestion.

[CanadaDeb]

Thanks so much for sharing your cruise with us. We are on the Summit later this year...this is a great warm up!

[lovelife]

Thanks so much for sharing your cruise with us. We are on the Summit later this year...this is a great warm up!

 

My pleasure. Do enjoy your cruise!

[lovelife]

Port of Bermuda:

 

The Norwegian Breakaway was there the entire time Summit was.

 

 

We were starboard side to Kings Wharf

 

 

 

 

 

That baby got back too!