Summit vs Breakaway

[cruisebrat15]

I have never sailed Celebrity but have many times on NCL how do they compare? If I take the beverage package and on board credit on Celebrity can on board credit go to daily gratuities? How are the shows? Is water and coffee included with beverage package? How formal do you have to dress for dinner?

[Kamloops50]

Summit and Breakaway are totally two different types and age of ships.

NCL and Celebrity are totally different type of cruise experience.

Yes you can use OBC to buy the beverage package if you buy on board. The classic drink cover coffee , tea , water and alcoholic drinks up to $8.

Buy with the Go Best and get internet , OBC , free gratuities and Ultimate Beverage package.

There are lower packages that give you a choice of 1 or 2 perks.

[Fish Lover]

I have never sailed Celebrity but have many times on NCL how do they compare? If I take the beverage package and on board credit on Celebrity can on board credit go to daily gratuities? How are the shows? Is water and coffee included with beverage package? How formal do you have to dress for dinner?

 

1) Summit is far smaller, geared to an older clientele, has better food, and fewer gimmicky things like water slides. Summit is more upscale experience. My kids (young adults) far prefer Summit.

2) yes, you can use OBC to pay gratuities.

3)Shows are..eh. Individual performers that come and go are much better than the production shows. I don't attend them anymore.

4) your questions on beverage packages is too broad. What is included (and the brand) depends upon what package and what level. In general, regular coffee is complimentary in the restaurants and buffet and bottled water (unbranded) is available with the classic package . More info can be found here:

http://www.celebritycruises.com/onboard-celebrity/onboard-beverage-packages?

pagename=onboard_beverage_packages_overview

5) you can dress up as much as you want. There are 2 dressier "chic" nights on the Bermuda run. The description for dress is found here:

http://www.celebritycruises.com/frequently-asked-questions#faq478

[champagne123]

Totally agree! Two totally different ships. Summit, for great food, service, serenity, and relaxation. Breakaway for entertainment, bells and whistles and kids...kids....kids. :cool:

[ECCruise]

Having sailed hundreds of days on both NCL and =X=, I would call them different, but in no way totally different. Mainstream cruise lines, both.

Obviously, Breakaway is much newer than Summit. More activities, especially for families. More announcements than Summit (only once a day on =X=) but that doesn't stop the hawking on Celebrity for Specialty dining, overpriced watches and assorted bling.

Honestly think food is a toss-up. NCL food has improved over the years while =X= food, while still fine, is but a shadow of its former self. Wouldn't make a decision based on food.

Entertainment much better, and varied, on NCL.

If price is the same, beverage package offers more on NCL, but excludes specialty coffees, which are included on =X=.

Same price? I would go with =X= when all the shooting is done. After that, I would let price decide since you are going to the same place (Bermuda). even the same dock (King's Wharf).

[keep on cruisin]

We have sailed both, and are booked on both again. For Breakaway we were in the Haven on both sailings, and feel it is neccesary if you want to be able to sit in a pool. Pools very small for the amount of people on the ship.

 

On the Summit we had a standard balcony room and did not miss any of the Haven perks. We found the pool on the Summit to be more accessible as well as the adult only indoor pool. While I had no complaints about the food on the Breakaway I would say we found the main restaurant on the Summit to be a touch above for selection and taste. Service was very good on both for the most part.

 

 

Our son who had just turned 13 a few days prior to his sailing on the Breakaway was not thrilled with the teen club but did like the slides. He had a better time with the kids and pools on Summit(we never saw him until curfew). To be fair on this point he was close to 2 years older so more comfortable with the older kids this trip. We will see how he feels after November by which time he will have been on both again.

 

 

We have enjoyed both ships, but they a different. I prefer the Summit to the Breakaway overall and would probably not be doing the Breakaway again if we didn't have future cruise credits. Both of which are able to be used on this trip.

 

 

We will move up to gold after this next sailing on Breakaway. So we will have to see what we decide about more sailings with them. Those decisions though will be more corporate issues as compared to the ship, as we like the ships on NCL but have not liked the direction of the company since the change in upper management.

 

 

If you have any specific questions about either ship I would be happy to try to answer.

Edited May 8, 2017 by keep on cruisin

[cruisebrat15]

Thanks for the replies! Since it will only be hubby and I we are going to give the Summit a try!

[dkjretired]

Thanks for the replies! Since it will only be hubby and I we are going to give the Summit a try!

 

Agree with all the above comments except the one about the kids. If you go in the summer, (starting late June), there will be loads of families on board with lots of kids. Plenty of kids

[WeLuv2Cruz13]

We were on Summit to Bermuda two years ago in June. It was awesome. We did aqua class. We were docked with the Breakaway and the people we ran into said great ship but lines, lines, lines. They had to make reservations for the shows, dinners, everything. Pools were jammed. They all said how big it was but didn't have room to accommodate all the people. Hearing that we were very happy we went with the Summit. Going on the Equinox next month with our son this time. Can't wait.

[denatravels]

Totally agree! Two totally different ships. Summit, for great food, service, serenity, and relaxation. Breakaway for entertainment, bells and whistles and kids...kids....kids. :cool:

 

 

I found the service and food to be overall better on Breakaway. (To be fair, I did half free and half specialty on breakaway and no specialty on celebrity-- but only sent food back on celebrity, never on breakaway). The pool area on summit was far superior, but the adults only on breakaway was awesome!

Shows far better on breakaway. Drink packages nice on both!

 

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[DaniDanielle]

Have to say I would not go on Breakaway again unless we book the Haven. We like to go to the pools and Breakaway has a poorly designed pool area. Rope course and slides are fun though. We are going on Summit for the first time in 6 years so we shall see what has changed!

 

 

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[fvalanzola@gmail.com]

Was on Breakaway last year, taking Summit this coming August. Breakaway was nice, but big with lots of lines. Had ultimate drink package, but did not include specialty coffee or bottled water. Embarkation and disembarking were long. N

 

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[Cruisin KLS]

DH and I are in our 40's with no kids. Having cruised both Summit and Breakaway our preference is definitely Summit.

 

Shows on the Breakaway - They have a few more modern, better produced, big name productions that we enjoyed. Shows on Summit are pretty basic - comedian, magician, Broadway dance numbers.

 

Most bars on Breakaway are in the interior of the ship. On our Caribbean cruises, we like to spend as much time enjoying the outdoors. On Summit we spend a lot of evenings in the Sunset bar listening to the live music and enjoying the sea breeze.

 

Service and food on Summit were a step up from Breakaway in our opinion. We ate dinner on our most recent Summit cruise most nights in the buffet. Grill selections of steak, chicken and salmon cooked on demand are a great option. Then you can choose to eat indoor or outdoor. Breakaway was nice in that DH did not have to wear pants to dinner every night in the dining venues. This was the only plus for us.

 

We don't cruise for the water slides and rope courses. We cruise mostly for live entertainment and outdoor seating venues. Summit covers that for us.

 

 

 

 

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[captdave]

We did the May 8, 2016 Mother's Day Cruise on the Summit Aqua 1 Cabin 1140, Cape Liberty to Bermuda (cabin by the stern flagpole). We love the Summit to Bermuda, the Breakaway would not be our 1st chose (or second).

 

I got some nice shots of the Breakaway and Summit in Bermuda. Sadly, no one on the Breakaway shot the Summit with more than a iPhone.

 

 

 

 

 

CaptDave

[bboop51]

We've done the Summit twice (Aqua Class) and the Breakaway once (we are booked for cruise # three on the Summit coming up.) We said never again for the Breakaway even though it is cheaper. We found the crowd on the Summit to be more friendly, the pace to be way less hectic and the food to be better. The food on the Breakaway was fine, as was the service. But not as good as the Summit. We also found leaving from NY vs NJ to be less desirable. Each to their own.

[captdave]

We've done the Summit twice (Aqua Class) and the Breakaway once (we are booked for cruise # three on the Summit coming up.) We said never again for the Breakaway even though it is cheaper. We found the crowd on the Summit to be more friendly, the pace to be way less hectic and the food to be better. The food on the Breakaway was fine, as was the service. But not as good as the Summit. We also found leaving from NY vs NJ to be less desirable. Each to their own.

 

I have done Summit Aqua 1 Cabin 1140 to Bermuda twice, will do it again.

 

The only bad part about Bermuda is when you run into Inside 2's from the Breakaway, some are not the nicest people. You couldn't pay me to take the Breakaway, NYC is not a friendly place.

 

I love photographing the Breakaway in Bermuda, that's it.

 

If you disagree with my comments about NYC please Google Search, Most Unfriendly City in USA / Worst Airports in USA / Most Unfriendly People in USA. I was attacked on the street shooting Radio City Christmas week. I was heading to shoot the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center. NYC People are special.

 

 

 

CaptDave

[Staci0615]

Did the Breakaway a few years back cruising on the Summit this August. While I am a NCL cruiser ( about 7 so far) I found the Breakaway to be crowded and hectic. The shows were good but the hours for the rock wall and the ropes course made it difficult to enjoy more than once. The food was fine, ate in one speciality venue but nothing super impressed me. I have sailed on Celebrity once in 2003 but that was a European Baltic 14 day cruise so I am expecting this to be very different. That being said I am looking forward to a smaller ship with less crowds so that this becomes more of a vacation and less like a trip to Disney.

 

 

 

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[bboop51]

I have done Summit Aqua 1 Cabin 1140 to Bermuda twice, will do it again.

 

The only bad part about Bermuda is when you run into Inside 2's from the Breakaway, some are not the nicest people. You couldn't pay me to take the Breakaway, NYC is not a friendly place.

 

I love photographing the Breakaway in Bermuda, that's it.

 

If you disagree with my comments about NYC please Google Search, Most Unfriendly City in USA / Worst Airports in USA / Most Unfriendly People in USA. I was attacked on the street shooting Radio City Christmas week. I was heading to shoot the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center. NYC People are special.

 

 

 

CaptDave

 

Interesting observation about NYC. While I rarely paint everyone from somewhere with a broad brush.. hubby spend quite a few weekends in NYC photographing various races. One year on Marathon weekend he was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet :o. Nothing like this ever happened to him anywhere else went.

 

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[DaniDanielle]

I do not think everyone on the Breakaway is from New York. Lots of people come from Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New Jersey as well as those who come in from other states. There are miserable people everywhere. Unfortunately you had a bad experience but many have not. We are from Staten Island and we are very friendly people here. Granted, we are not like Manhattan but we are New Yorkers. The Summit also has many local people sailing on her and I'msure most of the are okay people...