First (and Probably Last) Cruise with Celebrity - Impressions from the Summit 12/19

[Mynki]

Celebrity first timers who didn't come here before cruising to ask whether Concierge Class was worth it. ;)

 

That's a valid point. This is my personal and humble opinion, but there seems to be a perception that Celebrity is a step above other cruise lines, in part possibly because of their 'modern luxury' branding.

 

I suspect many newbies are sucked in by this, whilst thinking their experience will be enhanced by upgrading to concierge class from a regular balcony room.

 

Perhaps this sub forum needs to run the following polls with subsequent discussion so that these people can be better informed :-

 

Does Celebrities interpretation of 'modern luxury' match your own?

 

Concierge Class, is it worth paying the premium for?

 

Aqua Class, is it worth paying the premium for?

 

I know these topics have been done to death, but for new members I think it might help them make better informed choices.

 

Just my two cents as always.

[PNW Traveler]

OP - I understand your food issues on the Summit. I cruise with a medically restricted diet. Most cruise lines make an effort to accommodate dietary restrictions - some better than others. Most staff assigned to kitchen and dining work long hours and are busy just doing their assigned tasks. I know when I make a special request that it will take some time because a staff member must leave their current duties to prepare my special request. Sometimes you must allow a little extra time. The Oceanside Café head chef has been great to work with, walking me around the buffet selections and suggesting which menu items will work and others I should avoid. They have often offered to prepare something special. I take a book and make it a more lingering social time and everything is OK. I appreciate their extra efforts. Preordering in the dining room works for me. There are usually very good options. Yes, the food on a cruise is important. I'm a definite foodie and enjoy adventures in cooking; however, I understand that when I travel I need to be flexible, understanding of others, and not let the occasional bad food experience mar an otherwise wonderful vacation.

[lovemylab]

This is my personal and humble opinion, but there seems to be a perception that Celebrity is a step above other cruise lines, in part possibly because of their 'modern luxury' branding.

 

I agree with this and also mentioned it in another thread.

 

On our last few cruises, we've met several people who were sailing with X for the first time and had booked because they thought it would be a step above other cruise lines. Many commented how they weren't sure if they would return as they didn't feel they received a better overall experience (despite paying more $$).

 

The OPs experience with the buffet was similar to what we encountered on the Summit in 2013. We would often visit in the afternoon only to discover that everything was closed except the pizza and pasta stations (which were often low on food and/or nobody was working at them). When we've cruised on S class ships we never had this problem.

[Cindy]

Thank you for a detailed and very informative review. I have to agree with the most of your negative points (except vegetarian, not applicable and all that :)

 

We just returned from our first Celebrity cruise on Equinox. After 24 cruises on other cruise lines (mostly Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Princess, Norwegian, etc) we decided to try Celebrity as a step up for us in service and ambiance. So we thought.

 

I'm convinced now that there is a LOT more hype about Celebrity as an upscale and more ambient cruise line that it is in reality. OR our expectations were too high.

 

I don't think we will return. I'm sure it will be no loss to Celebrity :)

 

Your post goes to show it really is just a matter of taste and preference. I've cruised with three of the four lines you mentioned as well as Celebrity, and Celebrity would be my first choice based on the cruises we've taken.

 

I've also found that the experience on a cruise line can vary greatly depending on the ship class, the cabin type, itinerary, and the time of year. We were on a disappointing Princess cruise earlier this month -- we didn't think the product we received was a good value compared to other cruises we've taken. I wouldn't, however, rule out Princess in the future because other experiences with them have been better.

[Responder]

That's a valid point. This is my personal and humble opinion, but there seems to be a perception that Celebrity is a step above other cruise lines, in part possibly because of their 'modern luxury' branding.

 

I suspect many newbies are sucked in by this, whilst thinking their experience will be enhanced by upgrading to concierge class from a regular balcony room.

 

Perhaps this sub forum needs to run the following polls with subsequent discussion so that these people can be better informed :-

 

Does Celebrities interpretation of 'modern luxury' match your own?

 

Concierge Class, is it worth paying the premium for?

 

Aqua Class, is it worth paying the premium for?

 

I know these topics have been done to death, but for new members I think it might help them make better informed choices.

 

Just my two cents as always.

 

We just got off the equinox and if not for our having booked a suite along with Luminae

dining for us, we would have probably considered abandoning ship. We have been cruising for 50+ years and have pretty much seen it all.

 

We had friends who ate in the MDR and they could not have a conversation while sitting next to each other. We don't frequent buffets so no comment.

 

My definition of "Modern Luxury" appears to be pointed toward a younger crowd. For us, what they are now calling music is an oxymoron. Enrichment lectures(?)....not one related to music, art, history...only talks about where to shop and what to buy and what the Spa has to offer...The 4-5th floors constantly filled with tables with so many people around with no room to pass. Mostly junk in any event.

 

Although we are pleased with country club casual dress at night, we saw many in shorts, tank shirts, tennis shoes...along with a few people with no shirts near the receprion desk...all this after 6 pm.

 

We are up in years and fortunately very physically mobile, but I'm afraid our mental mobility doesn't extend to Celebrity's definition of "Modern Luxury."

[karena1]

Sorry you did not enjoy your cruise

 

I can tell you that other than chicken I am a veggie. We have been on Summit as well as many other cruise ships. I have never had an issue getting something to eat. On Summit they brought me vegetables any night I asked for them. They brought me iceberg salads any time I asked for them. They made me veggie curry one night. All I did was ask and I was taken care of. They were fantastic.

 

As far as the buffet - there are so many choices even if you don't eat meat. I never had a problem finding something to eat.

 

Hopefully your next cruise will be better, but as a pretty much veggie, I have to defend the service towards those of us that really do not eat meat or seafood. They could not have been nicer and willing to do whatever to make sure I got what I wanted to eat each night. We were in Select Dining also.

[MOcruiserman]

As Notsomadhatter said

One of the best things, in my experience, about X is their vegetarian options. I always ask for the regular and the veggie menu and between the two there are a multitude of options for every course for dinner. The buffet has always been huge and varied. I'm honestly not sure what you ran into this cruise but here is a list compiled of the veggie menu in the MDR... did you not see these?

 

X Vegetarian Menu - 7 night

 

Menu 1

Appetizers: Blue Cheese Souffle; Mille Feuille of wild mushrooms

Soup: Vegetarian tomato; Japanese vegetable consommé

Salad: Baby spinach; mixed lettuce Daikon radish

Entrée: Orrechiette pasta, porcini mushrooms; vegetable korma

 

Menu 2

Appetizers: Wild mushroom Napolean; Ambrosia of fresh fruit cocktail

Soup: Cream of asparagus; vegetable consommé with root vegetables

Salad: Jicama (cucumbers, watermelon & mint); seasonal greens

Entrée:Fried marsala potatoes; grilled vegetable tart

 

Menu 3

Appetizers: heirloom tomato stuffed endives; grenadine scented pineapple

Soup: tomato and cucumber gazpacho; vegetable consomme

Salad: shaved pear salad breakfast radish; crisp romaine lettuce

Entrée: vegetable paella; Imam Bayadi (eggplant stuffed with ratatouille)

 

Menu 4

Appetizers: marinated grilled eggplant; citrus delight

Soup: Cream of mushroom; vegetable broth

Salad: green leaf and iceberg lettuce; radicchio and watercress

Entrée: toasted Israeli couscous cake; vegetable prima vera lasagna

 

Menu 5

Appetizers: vegetabler summer rolls; fety and fresh fruit

Soup: cream of broccoli; watercress and orange

Salad: Boston lettuce and gorgonzola; market fresh

Entrée: spinach and ricotta ravioli; vegetable cassoulet

 

Menu 6

Appetizers: Supreme of chilled melon Midori; spinach turnover

Soup: market vegetable minestrome; roasted plantain and corn

Salad: sliced tomato and red onion; green leaf and radicchio lettuce

Entrée: Asian tofu stir fry; vegetable spaghetti with marinara sauce

 

Menu 7

Appetizers: marinated bell peppers and Portobello mushroom terrine; fresh papaya. mango and kiwi cocktail

Soup: oven roasted tomato and garlic; creamy chilled Haas avacado

Salad: Asian; crisp garden green

Entrée: stuffed Portobello mushroom; vegetable turnover

 

Although I eat chicken and fish I'm pretty much a veggie and these meals seem YUMMY. I don't think I'll have any problem with food selection on my upcoming Summit cruise.

 

I can't understand how some people can be so picky when it comes to food.

[cruiseerf]

Just off the phone with my friends who were on the Summit December 19th Xmas cruise. I had recommended this to them as a Destination cruise as the Summit like most Millennium class ships has seen better days.....

 

Food in the main dining room was barely edible, they sent back multiple items which was their first time on ANY cruise. The wine was terrible with the sommelier who disappeared altogether and then gave my friends attitude when they asked him where he had been? Getting refills of any alcoholic beverages in the MDR was a challenge throughout.

 

The cabins were very run down and they had an "outhouse like" smell permeating their bathrooms for the entire cruise. They also had random noise issues and finally on day 5 the cruise recognized this and offered to move them ....but on day 5?

 

From their previous Solstice class cruises, they felt that not only was the ship run down, but the crew was also not happy or helpful. They felt they were all just plain tired.

 

To add insult to injury, they ordered wine one night to find that Celebrity had run out of the premium package wine. They brought something comparable to "sub in" And then charged them $10 per glass extra as it was over the limit......They did this without notifying them??? This is tricky as many people don't like to ask, is it the same price? And I get the feeling they played on this and took advantage.

 

Overall I am embarrassed that I recommended this cruise and I think Celebrity really needs to get working on the Summit....Not a lot of good news coming off of the boat in far too many reviews. While I don't put full faith in reviews.....I do often find bits and pieces turn out to be true.

 

Wishing everyone better and Safe travels!

[ISABELLA]

My parents (50's) and I (mid-20's) sailed with Celebrity on the Summit this past week (12/19-12/26) to the Caribbean. We have previously sailed with Carnival, Norwegian, and Princess. This was our 5th cruise overall and the first with Celebrity. I thought I'd post on our overall dissatisfaction to help others in their cruise research and to get feedback on whether our perspectives are unreasonable or atypical for Celebrity.

 

Negatives:

1. Dining Service and Selection

My family is vegetarian and this was indicated as such on our meal preferences at time of booking. From the very beginning of the cruise, we were surprised by the lackluster options.

 

Main Dining Room (MDR) - In the MDR, the vegetarian menu only featured 2 entrees on a given day - compared to 8 for other passengers (4 everyday classics, and 4 selections for the day). On all our other cruises, we at least had 4 choices to choose from. On our first time trying the MDR, our family was hoping to have a vegetarian pasta dish of some kind, as a pasta dish with meat was featured on the menu and vegetarian pasta was on the room service menu. They refused to accommodate the request and instead told us to special order for a subsequent day - which we were reluctant to do given the service level. On another day, rather stupidly, the 'vegetarian menu' was missing the pasta dish labeled as vegetarian from the main menu!

 

Buffet - My family often felt a game was being played at the buffet. When returning from a day at shore around 4:30 PM, the only food options open would be the pasta bar and pizza bar - nothing else. This led to long lines and subpar service. At the pizza station for example, given the small 10" or so diameter of the pizza, given mini-slices were picked up faster than they could be made. Why couldn't the diameter be larger and more reasonable? To reduce Celebrity's food costs? Similarly, the wait for garlic bread was often over 30 minutes. In one instance, after being told 7 minutes until the next garlic bread serving, I decided to wait and then was told that garlic bread was not their priority and not to wait - quite rude for something my family is 'addicted' to. In another case (on another day with another crewmember), my father kept on being told a next serving of garlic bread was coming out in 3 minutes repeatedly, and whenever he went back there was none. He decided to wait 30 minutes until they finally brought it out, and of course they burned it such that it was inedible. On another note, the ice cream station decided to close unannounced from around 4:45 to 5:30 PM everyday - right when people were coming back onboard and would appreciate a refresher. Such a long break in service should be mentioned in the daily program - we saw countless people going back and confused given the advertised hours. Of course their for-pay Gelateria never had such 'breaks' from what we could tell.

 

In terms of other food options, not much thought was put into the buffet for lunch and dinner - especially for vegetarians across from the daily pasta, pizza, salad, and sometimes an Indian curry and rice. There would be cheese, etc. for nachos without the nachos themselves. For dessert at dinner on Christmas Eve there were only cupcakes. Really - cupcakes on a holiday cruise, and on Christmas Eve of all days? The one thing we did love about the buffet was the unlimited complimentary fruit punch and lemonade - as there was often nothing but water outside of breakfast on our previous cruises. The family was satisfied with the breakfast service overall.

 

Room Service - For Concierge class, our 'afternoon savories' were advertised in-room daily. My family found these on the first evening of the cruise and nearly started eating the mini-sandwiches before I stopped them and decided to check with the stateroom attendant. Turns out that they were not vegetarian, as clearly indicated in our profile, and that the stateroom attendant was not informed of this restriction whatsoever. Another miss by Celebrity. In addition, why is premium orange juice available complimentary for breakfast via room-service but at a charge in the main buffet? Seemed like a game.

 

2. Double the Pricing without the Value

Compared to our previous cruises, we felt the pricing on Celebrity on-board was significantly higher, while providing equivalent or inferior value in return. Here are some examples that irked us:

 

1. Bingo cards are often around $20 on most cruises. Why was the minimum entry $39?

2. Family photographs (boarding, dinners, etc.) are often around $20. These were priced at a 50% premium at $30 on Celebrity.

3. Drink packages were overpriced. (Yes, there's an entire thread on this, but I thought it was worth mentioning again.) On Carnival and others, a non-alcoholic premium package for sodas, juices, and mocktails often went for around $12/day. Why was this priced at an 80% premium on Celebrity at $22/day? I'm aware it included more (e.g. Vitamin Water), but we couldn't justify the splurge as we had on previous cruises.

4. The Gelateria offered scoops of Gelato starting at $4 if I recall right. This seemed like the most under-utilized public area of the ship, given the unwillingness of most to cough up given the ice cream station in the buffet area (when that managed to stay open at least...)

 

I understand that Celebrity is a business and without capitalism, many of us wouldn't be taking a cruise to begin with. However, it just seemed a bit much. We ended up spending the least we have on any cruise on-board because of these differences.

 

3. Safety Drill

Out of all the cruises we've been on, the safety drill on the Summit seemed to be an effort by the crew to just 'check the box'. The lounge for our Muster Station was so packed that no one could hear the start (or end) of the announcements regarding the safety drill. The TV screen was not readily visible to most of the people at the Muster Station. In our previous cruises, we lined up on a deck in an orderly fashion. In addition, when a fellow cruiser accidentally pushed the elevator emergency call button on the last evening of our cruise, it returned a busy signal. Quite comforting...

 

4. Mandatory Prepaid Gratuities & Concierge Class

This was the first cruise where we had no choice but to prepay gratuities given the only dining option available - the Celebrity Select anytime dining. We've had anytime dining on all our other cruises without this requirement. The gratuity was higher at $13.45/day given our stateroom in the Concierge class. Despite the advertising that adjustments were possible with gratuities on Celebrity's website FAQs, the Summit program very clearly stated that no adjustments were possible for those that had prepaid. We would have liked for once to at least reallocate our gratuities given the service level we experienced for dining. Perhaps the service level we experienced was in part due to some staff (e.g. for Select in the MDR) being aware no adjustments were possible - exactly defeating the purpose of a gratuity?

 

Regarding Concierge Class, the differentiation was hard to find value in other than for 'semi-elite' branding. We still waited once over 20 minutes for the MDR at a peak dining time despite the 'preference' supposedly awarded. We never came across the widely advertised pillow menu and only found out about our options by asking the stateroom attendant. Nothing readily obvious for how the shoe shine service worked. We nearly took the pocket-sized binoculars as a gift before deciding to clarify with our stateroom attendant who indicated they were for use during the cruise only. Really seemed like a waste overall, and certainly not worth an increased daily gratuity for.

 

5. Misleading Price Guarantees / False Advertising

Onboard Lowest Authorized Price Guarantee - The shops onboard widely advertise a lowest authorized price / best price guarantee for everything they sell, without any apparent disclaimers. When buying a piece of jewelry under $25 early on in our cruise, we inquired how that worked and we were informed to just bring in any proof from an authorized retailer - even on our phone - and they would have no issues doing an adjustment. A few days later, when we wanted to buy a couple of more of the same item for gifts, I was ready with a screenshot from an authorized online retailer showing a discount on the order of 25%. As soon as we tried to make use of the guarantee, the sales associate was quick to come up with an excuse: no internet pricing or proof on any kind was to be honored. My family felt we were getting the run-around at this point, so we asked for a written copy of where that limitation was stated, as it clearly wasn't in all their advertising. It took a call to a manager and a few minutes of waiting before they could find a pocket-sized card stating the limitation. When asked how one reasonably was to make use of the guarantee, we were told to walk into a shop and take a picture of the item/UPC with the price. What are the chances of finding the same item and taking a picture to prove the lower price in front of a shop owner? Please don't have a guarantee if it's unreasonable to make use of it.

 

Celebrity's 48-Hour Best Price Guarantee - Celebrity on its website advertises a 48-hour guarantee after final payment on either promotions or the price paid for the cruise, regardless of the travel agent you booked with. We saw an offer advertising more OBC, so we filled out the form. No confirmation was received of the request after submittal, and a week passed with no update. On calling Celebrity, at first we were given the run-around and told to call our TA (who had nothing to do with the guarantee), then told to allow 48-hours from the time of form submission for a response (which had way passed), after which we were put on hold and informed the request had been denied (what a surprise). We're not as upset on the denial as we are about the lack of communication on the request, and clear terms stating how the policy worked. Seemed like another advertising tactic that was not honored.

 

Positives:

To be fair and balanced, there were some outstanding parts of our cruise that we enjoyed as follows:

 

1. Evening Entertainment

My family thoroughly enjoyed the evening entertainment. The Celebrity Summit dancers were overall fantastic, as were their Hollywood-style shows. The magic show of the cruise, iMagic, was a modern take on magic using prevalent technology. The a cappella group, Blue Jupiter, was highly unconventional for a cruise and quite interesting to see.

 

2. Room layout, organization, and maintenance

The amount of storage space in our stateroom was unparalleled, simply put. The layout of the room was such that the third bed could be fully in place and there was just enough space for someone to squeeze by into the balcony. On some previous cruises, the sofa bed went wall-to-wall such that the balcony became useless except for evenings. In addition, the shower was the largest we've seen of all our cruises. We could relax and unwind in the shower comfortably just like at home. For once our stateroom was nearly maintenance-free except for the mini-bar fridge not cooling that properly.

 

3. Service at Ports of Call

We were pleased by the iced towels and flavored water provided when returning to the ship at each port of call. In one case, we saw crewmembers going out with a stack of umbrellas all the way to the entrance to the ship area so that fellow passengers could minimize getting wet. This was a nice touch we haven't seen on our previous cruises, but perhaps this is standard for the Caribbean given competition.

 

Overall, we certainly did not have a horrible cruise, but neither did the cruise live up to our expectations. If we would do it again, we would certainly choose a competing cruise line given the concerns indicated. I hope this thorough review of our experience is useful.

 

Welcome to Celebrity! The home of Modern Luxury.

[RobotsRock]

As Notsomadhatter said

 

Although I eat chicken and fish I'm pretty much a veggie and these meals seem YUMMY. I don't think I'll have any problem with food selection on my upcoming Summit cruise.

 

I can't understand how some people can be so picky when it comes to food.

 

From the replies, I feel too much emphasis is being put on the vegetarian aspect of my review versus the rest. I never said those entrees were in poor quality or not suitable for vegetarians. However, having two options daily in the MDR is a bit less compared to competitors (without further special requests). That was the main nature of my concern for the MDR.

 

Regarding the premium OJ available for room service but not in the buffet - there was no indication on our room service ordering form that the premium OJ or what items were part of the expanded Concierge menu. That differentiation could have avoided that confusion to begin with. We thought the room service menu we had was just regular as nothing was marked as special for Concierge, even at the top of the menu.

 

My main concerns in the dining review section were around the service - especially in the buffet. To reiterate:

 

1. Is it acceptable for the ice cream station to close 4:45 PM to 5:30 PM daily unannounced while being advertised as open in the daily program from 12 noon to 10 PM? Never seen such a discrepancy on our previous cruises - and people would love ice cream coming back from excursions.

 

2. Is it reasonable to ask for garlic bread from the pizza station and continually be told it is coming out, and then when you wait on the side, being told it's not their priority and not to wait? Or wait 30 minutes and specifically get it burnt after being told 3 minutes repeatedly? With this happening day after day when that's a favorite item for my family?

 

3. Is it reasonable to expect more than cupcakes for dessert in the buffet for any dinner, especially on Christmas Eve? How about having nachos out when you're showing nacho cheese in the buffet? We saw countless cruisers having to ask for these 'common sense' gaps.

 

If these three concerns are being 'picky' when these gaps occurred daily, I'm not sure if cruising standards are declining.

 

Most of the dining concerns were actually relayed to one of the dining directors very politely and factually when she stopped by in the buffet at our table mid-cruise, and no follow-up despite taking our information.

[Jman1118]

I was also on the cruise and have to agree with you about the muster drill. It shouldn't take 45+ minutes to conduct it, but I guess I am spoiled cruising with Royal Caribbean where they scan your seapass card instead of trying to call out names in a crowded casino. I also agree that the buffet was lacking. Went in there for breakfast and the selection felt limited. The food was cold and not very good.

We got really good service in the MDR, but that may of had to due to the fact that we had 20 people in our group. We also had really good service in Qsine and the food in both the MDR and Qsine was excellent.

Not to hijack your thread, but there are two things that I thought were lacking that you may have noticed as well: The lack of things to do onboard after the show ended and the lack of things to do during the sea day. I felt that Celebrity could have done more in these areas especially with all these families traveling aboard.

[RobotsRock]

I was also on the cruise and have to agree with you about the muster drill. It shouldn't take 45+ minutes to conduct it, but I guess I am spoiled cruising with Royal Caribbean where they scan your seapass card instead of trying to call out names in a crowded casino. I also agree that the buffet was lacking. Went in there for breakfast and the selection felt limited. The food was cold and not very good.

We got really good service in the MDR, but that may of had to due to the fact that we had 20 people in our group. We also had really good service in Qsine and the food in both the MDR and Qsine was excellent.

Not to hijack your thread, but there are two things that I thought were lacking that you may have noticed as well: The lack of things to do onboard after the show ended and the lack of things to do during the sea day. I felt that Celebrity could have done more in these areas especially with all these families traveling aboard.

 

Yes, we noticed the lack of things after the show ended and those on sea day as well. We're more of a family that keeps to ourselves, so that wasn't as a big deal to us, but I can certainly agree.

 

Regarding those that said prepaid gratuities are adjustable, attached is the proof from our daily program stating specifically not to even bother. Because of this wording we felt we didn't have a chance despite our experience.

[Iceman999]

We just came back off this cruise as well. This was our second with Celebrity, sixth overall. Both times with Celebrity we have gone on their older ships; that won't be happening again. The cruises were OK, but did not "exceed our expectations" like the newer RCL ships. I will consider giving them one more try on a Solstice class ship.

 

The Muster drill was the longest and most uncomfortable one we have ever done.

 

The cabin was showing its age, but was actually quite good. We had a Concierge cabin, because we booked very late and they were the same price as a regular Balcony cabin.

 

We ate in the MDR and some meals were good, while others were Meh. We have always been able to find a favorite bar where we can sit at the bar and enjoy chatting to whoever shows up; Summit bars weren't really set up for that, unless you count the Martini bar with the really loud electro-dance music drowning out the chance for conversation. FYI, we are not of "early bird special dining age", but it was way too loud.

 

We have always enjoyed the music trivia sessions in the early evening; some fun and a drink before dinner. Why did Summit have them mid afternoon while you are still out on port trips? We attended the CC meet and greet along with just a handful of others - really badly timed; we didn't hear about a second date.

 

We don't attend the typical cruise "Hooray for Hollywood" type shows, so we were pleasantly surprised that the Xmas eve show wasn't too tacky and actually had a few very well thought out pieces. We thought the magic show was quite good and the musical comedian was OK.

 

We found the staff to generally be very pleasant and genuinely trying to do what they could for you.

 

So to summarize, when we get asked about this cruise, we can only say, "it was OK". That is not what we expect from a company promoting a Premium Cruising Experience.

[CruisingChick]

I am sorry to hear you did not enjoy your first Celebrity cruise.

 

While we are not vegetarians, our son is and my husband was interested in the vegetarian options that Celebrity offers in case he wants to sail with us. We could not get our waiter to bring us the vegetarian menu in the MDR during dinner. He did one night and then kept forgetting during the rest of the cruise and looked "upset" when my DH asked.

 

I think with the cutbacks in service and food that this is one part that has suffered.

 

I also agree drink package prices are high and that the food offerings in the buffet after 2:30 PM are very limited.

 

Our last 2 cruises were on RCL and we were shocked when most days the Windjammer was open for lunch until 3:30 or 4:30 PM. Plus they have food all day long down in the Cafe Promenade area. Very different from Celebrity.

Edited December 30, 2015 by CruisingChick

[Jman1118]

We just came back off this cruise as well. This was our second with Celebrity, sixth overall. Both times with Celebrity we have gone on their older ships; that won't be happening again. The cruises were OK, but did not "exceed our expectations" like the newer RCL ships. I will consider giving them one more try on a Solstice class ship.

 

The Muster drill was the longest and most uncomfortable one we have ever done.

 

The cabin was showing its age, but was actually quite good. We had a Concierge cabin, because we booked very late and they were the same price as a regular Balcony cabin.

 

We ate in the MDR and some meals were good, while others were Meh. We have always been able to find a favorite bar where we can sit at the bar and enjoy chatting to whoever shows up; Summit bars weren't really set up for that, unless you count the Martini bar with the really loud electro-dance music drowning out the chance for conversation. FYI, we are not of "early bird special dining age", but it was way too loud.

 

We have always enjoyed the music trivia sessions in the early evening; some fun and a drink before dinner. Why did Summit have them mid afternoon while you are still out on port trips? We attended the CC meet and greet along with just a handful of others - really badly timed; we didn't hear about a second date.

 

We don't attend the typical cruise "Hooray for Hollywood" type shows, so we were pleasantly surprised that the Xmas eve show wasn't too tacky and actually had a few very well thought out pieces. We thought the magic show was quite good and the musical comedian was OK.

 

We found the staff to generally be very pleasant and genuinely trying to do what they could for you.

 

So to summarize, when we get asked about this cruise, we can only say, "it was OK". That is not what we expect from a company promoting a Premium Cruising Experience.

 

I agree. It didn't feel like a "premium experience" I think our family will be sticking with Royal Caribbean from now on. I can't really compare the Summit to the last ship we were on (Allure of the Seas) but I can say that Royal has way more activities to do compared to Celebrity.

[We're The Groupnors]

Regarding the premium OJ available for room service but not in the buffet - there was no indication on our room service ordering form that the premium OJ or what items were part of the expanded Concierge menu. That differentiation could have avoided that confusion to begin with. We thought the room service menu we had was just regular as nothing was marked as special for Concierge, even at the top of the menu.

 

In fairness to the cruise line, the Breakfast Card in the cabins does make a differentiation between the juices offered, and specifically offers both orange juice, and premium orange juice; your choice. It also has other "premium" choices not available in regular balcony cabins. The card does not note that it has special choices for Concierge Class, but the descriptions of the cabin amenities when booking does offer an expanded room service menu as a feature.

 

As for the rest of your review, I do feel it was balanced, and to each there own. If you find other lines are better suited to your dining needs and tastes I respect that. It's a wonderful thing to have choice in this world, and an equally wonderful thing that there are so many different types of people in the world!

 

Happy cruising.

[KKB]

Might have just been this one cruise...or just the Summit (tho certainly a number of things you were dissatisfied with are probably line-wide)

 

Our first RCCL cruise was the Adventure of the Seas, MX Riviera. Honestly, had I not won another RCCL cruise while on that cruise, we would not have been quick to sail RCCL again. Mostly the lack of planned activities throughout the day. (and we won't be doing MX Riviera again!)

 

Luckily we won a trip on the Allure--WOW WOW WOW! The BEST ship we have ever sailed, we absolutely LOVED everything about this cruise!

 

SO goes to show...I try not to pass judgement on an entire brand based on one experience.

[seasearider]

 

 

 

We attended the CC meet and greet along with just a handful of others - really badly timed; we didn't hear about a second date.

 

Just curious, since this is your first post on CC how did you sign up for the Meet and Greet?

[dutchclogs]

Just curious, since this is your first post on CC how did you sign up for the Meet and Greet?

 

Not everyone posts on the roll call, it is possible to have registered though.

[gail8]

We have cruised Celebrity and the Summit many times and our December cruise was disappointing on the Summit. Everything just a little off and we had decided to try Aqua Class and it was nothing special...I think we were expecting too much. We booked very early and didn't pay the crazy price it was going for 4 months before our cruise..if we had I would have been very upset. It wasn't a bad cruise just didn't have the shine others have had. We did have some very cold unappetizing meals in Blu but great meals in the buffet, Normandy and Qsine. I think a lot of what you say was the same sentiment we heard onboard. Thanks for your review it is important that everyone has the chance to hear good and bad so they can make informed decisions. We are cruising Celebrity again in Europe on the Reflection in May. I am going in with different expectations based on the reviews and our last experience so we will see. Thanks again for your honest review.

Gail

[ShawninFL]

This is proof that not all cruise lines are the same to all individuals, even with the same experiences.

 

I'm sorry you were disappointed with your cruise. All of us understand the amount of our hard earned money that we spend for our vacation and it's very disappointing to be unhappy with the experience after it's over.

 

All the best on your future trips.

[Fish Lover]

Thank you for your support. I just saw this after I posted my last reply and indeed have somewhat regretted posting my review, but hope others post as well. Exchanging information is the only way we can improve our future cruises, in addition to speaking with our wallets of course.

 

You should not in any way regret or apologize for your post. Celebrity is by no means a perfect cruiseline, and they have lowered their standards sufficiently over the years to barely qualify as one of the better crusielines.

Furthermore, the current CEO has definately made some very unwlecome changes both from a customer service persepctive and from a crusing experience perspective.

 

It is quite possible to enjoy a cruise and yet be critical of things that fall short. It would be nice if Celebrity ocassionally took note.

 

Some people who frequent this board so much it boggles the mind, seem to take it personally when someone posts complaints. (The same people always seem to insist that they know the answers to everything as well, which surprise,,,they don't). Your opinion is of value and its possible that Celebrity is just not the best match for you and your family.

Edited January 3, 2016 by Fish Lover
spelling

[K.T.B.]

If anything, this thread is showing me that I am very glad that I'm an omnivore! :)

[marie61]

Sounds like you were not happy with your Celebrity experience, maybe some other line would work better for you. Fortunately we all have a lot of choices. With regards to your comments:

 

The dining staff will accommodate your special dietary needs. Notify them on your first day. We had a table mate on Celebrity (not one of our party) who had special dietary needs. The server at our table brought him a menu for the next day at the end of the meal and he pre-selected what he wanted, how it was to be cooked, and any other needs. He told me everything was served to him as requested, no complaints. However, I have had the Vegetarian selection in the MDR on several occasions and thought it was very good.

 

You can order the cheese plate for afternoon snacks in Concierge. We have done it many times. Not a piece of meat in sight!

 

You will always find long lines everywhere when the excursions return on any cruise line.

 

We have always adjusted our pre-paid gratuities without any hassle. You do need to go to the Guest Relations desk aboard, at least a day before you disembark, and they will be happy to adjust them in any manner you wish. I do it on every Celebrity cruise.

 

Pizza is served in smaller pieces, not to reduce costs, but to reduce waste! They will give you as many pieces as you request.

 

If you wanted something special on Christmas eve, go to Bacacio Bakery, it is complimentary and never a wait. Since this was your first cruise on Celebrity, maybe you didn't know about that.

 

Did you miss the HUGE salad bar at the buffet? My daughter is vegetarian and she finds the vegetarian selections are more than enough at the buffet.

 

The orange juice at the buffet is for everyone despite their stateroom category. You get "fresh squeezed" in your Concierge stateroom as part of your stateroom amenities along with an expanded room service menu that you can order to suit a vegetarian diet.

 

The Safety drill on Celebrity and Princess are exactly the same, in one big mass, but both have staff interspersed to help as needed. If you thought you missed something in the safety drill, just ask one of the staff at the end of the drill and they will be happy to go over every detail with you. I've seen it happen.

 

The beverage package on Celebrity includes soda in a can. On Princess, it is soda from a dispenser. Yes, the beverage package on Celebrity does include a lot of those high end designer bottled waters. Sometimes it is less expensive to purchase your soda by the can rather than a package, as we often do. Or you can bring your own canned soda board if you wish even from the excursions.

 

Your stateroom steward can be a wealth of information if you just ask. He/she can resolve most of your confusion before it becomes an irritation.

 

I understand your disappointment. Cruise lines have different cultures and procedures and can be a disappointment if it is not what you are used to. Hopefully, you will find a cruise line that will suit your expectations better.

 

Great answer to his complaints! Thank you.

 

I shake my head when I read these posts...really? First world problems.

 

You paid for this cruise...if you are unhappy, feel free to choose another cruise line. good luck with finding your perfect match.

[MOcruiserman]

Great answer to his complaints! Thank you.

 

I shake my head when I read these posts...really? First world problems.

 

You paid for this cruise...if you are unhappy, feel free to choose another cruise line. good luck with finding your perfect match.

I've gone on three cruises and enjoyed each one, while realizing that none was "perfect". I expect I'll feel the same way about the Summit. There is a saying, "the perfect is the enemy of the good."