Summit Revolution

[jchipgcs]

21 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

Why is it so hard for cruisers who are booked, but have yet to sail on Celebrity, to understand the disappointment long time cruisers have over changes that have downgraded the enjoyment of being in your cabin.  It's not about the change in colors or décor, rather the lack of functionality in the décor and amenities. For example, a shower that used to have a bar for women to use to shave their legs is now gone. No where to put Celebrity's bath products, let alone a place to put your own in the shower. What used to be a sofa for 2 to enjoy is now an over sized chair.  Used to be able to enjoy breakfast on the balcony or on your coffee table; now both are gone. We have 3 cruises booked in Royal Suites, all on ships that will have undergone the Revolution.  We have no plans on cancelling them but hope Celebrity fixes some of the misses. If not, we will express our disappointment.

Personally, I am sympathetic to the concerns like yours...and others.  I haven't been on Celebrity since Constellation way back in 2005, so being booked for my trip on Summit in less than two weeks, I'm quite excited to try Celebrity out again and compare to all the other lines I've been sailing since my long ago X trip.  I will say though, that there have been so many complaints and criticisms of both functionality and dislike for the style that it kind of creates a downer for people.  When the majority of what you're hearing is negative I'll say for me personally it HAS taken a bit of the wind out of my sails regarding my excitement about my trip.    

[hcat]

Best approach is to see how it works for you...not everyone has the same needs or critiques.

[MizDemeanor]

14 minutes ago, jchipgcs said:

Personally, I am sympathetic to the concerns like yours...and others.  I haven't been on Celebrity since Constellation way back in 2005, so being booked for my trip on Summit in less than two weeks, I'm quite excited to try Celebrity out again and compare to all the other lines I've been sailing since my long ago X trip.  I will say though, that there have been so many complaints and criticisms of both functionality and dislike for the style that it kind of creates a downer for people.  When the majority of what you're hearing is negative I'll say for me personally it HAS taken a bit of the wind out of my sails regarding my excitement about my trip.    

 

I am not thrilled about some aspects of the ship, but I did chose this ship for the Itinerary, so I hope that the food and the service make up for some of the issues. 

 

I'm sure I won't be cooking, making my bed, walking my dogs, or dare I use that dirty word...working. 

 

I am a bit miffed right now though as I am not sure I can get the weight of my luggage down and I only have another day to get that issue resolved. If there is one thing I do not like about cruising its the luggage weight factor whe we fly.

 

Poor me, right? 🤣

[Luv2Crus40]

The Summit is one of my favorite ships.   It always had a special ambiance.  From photos I think for public areas it will be very enjoyable for you.   We will just miss some of the niceties we used to have in the cabins.  Bon Voyage! Enjoy your cruise!

[MizDemeanor]

1 minute ago, Luv2Crus40 said:

The Summit is one of my favorite ships.   It always had a special ambiance.  From photos I think for public areas it will be very enjoyable for you.   We will just miss some of the niceties we used to have in the cabins.  Bon Voyage! Enjoy your cruise!

 

I think you are right about the public areas. 

 

Thanks!!! 

[Jim_Iain]

33 minutes ago, jchipgcs said:

Personally, I am sympathetic to the concerns like yours...and others.  I haven't been on Celebrity since Constellation way back in 2005, so being booked for my trip on Summit in less than two weeks, I'm quite excited to try Celebrity out again and compare to all the other lines I've been sailing since my long ago X trip.  I will say though, that there have been so many complaints and criticisms of both functionality and dislike for the style that it kind of creates a downer for people.  When the majority of what you're hearing is negative I'll say for me personally it HAS taken a bit of the wind out of my sails regarding my excitement about my trip.    

 

I have to agree with you.   While I understand and can emphasize with some members disappointment.   The negativity and REPEATED griping on this thread has gotten to the point that I'm finding it a downer and no longer logging onto this thread.  

 

Don't get me wrong.   I'm a big fan of constructive criticism, but when I read the exact same complaint from the exact same people over and over and over again on this and numerous other threads I have a tendency to tune out and either select to ignore the poster or just not read it. 

 

This is one of the main reason so many previous CC have moved away from this site in lieu of other forums. The increasing negativity not just on this thread but across Celebrity Cruise Critic board is truly troubling.

[Silkroad]

50 minutes ago, jchipgcs said:

Personally, I am sympathetic to the concerns like yours...and others.  I haven't been on Celebrity since Constellation way back in 2005, so being booked for my trip on Summit in less than two weeks, I'm quite excited to try Celebrity out again and compare to all the other lines I've been sailing since my long ago X trip.  I will say though, that there have been so many complaints and criticisms of both functionality and dislike for the style that it kind of creates a downer for people.  When the majority of what you're hearing is negative I'll say for me personally it HAS taken a bit of the wind out of my sails regarding my excitement about my trip.    

I can certainly understand your feelings. I’ve struggled with the same feelings for my upcoming Edge cruise. I’ve been very excited watching the build, and have looked forward to experiencing the beautiful art and architecture on her,  but have been very disheartened upon reading negative reviews about my cabin class and some of the venues. Fortunately, there have been plenty of positive reviews to offset the negative.

 

There have been numerous reviews written by people who have sailed on Summit or Millennium since their “Revolution”, and many of them have been positive. I hope you have seen those. I also hope you realize that these ships are well loved, and that even if we dislike some of the furniture or decor changes, many of us who have posted on this thread have cruises booked on these ships. I’m booked on a future b2b on Millennium, and I’m thrilled about the updates to the OVC and other public venues. I hope you’ll come back to let us know how you liked Summit, and I wish you a wonderful cruise😊

Edited April 4, 2019 by Silkroad

[MizDemeanor]

I think that many, many cruisers are becoming much more discerning as a result of the massive changes. IMO its less about complaining than it is about being much more discerning and really digging deep and questioning if this is a good fit any longer, particularly when to have this sort of questioning was not part of a cruise decision with this line in the past. 

 

It's an entirely new game and I think its a very evaluative period. Maybe in another year this aspect will have resovled itself and some stay and some go, but for now, it seems astute for past guests to be much more discerning about what they are buying into for their vacation experience.

Edited April 4, 2019 by MizDemeanor

[jchipgcs]

Jim_Lain, Silkroad and MizDemeanor...

 

Thanks to all of y’all for the replies.  Jim, you’re not going anywhere so stay put with us!  We’ll keep slanting to the positive!

I’ll definitely report back on how I like Summit.  I’m pretty go with the flow and have a “make it work” mentality so I’m sure the design flaws won’t have a big effect on me.  I like the decor of the remodel.  Are there things that aren’t my taste, for sure, but overall I like it a lot.  

 

What I’m most curious to see if I like is how “crowded” things feel.  I hate crowds, lines, buffets.  We’ve been cruising mostly MSC Yacht Club which maxes out at about 180 guests in that private area of the ship and Windstar with 200-ish guests total on the ship.  With MSC Yacht Club, all the private areas are behind a locked entrance.  So the private pool/sun deck, lounge, restaurant and cabins are clustered together.  So I find with them, I barely experience the rest of the ship and somewhat feel like I’m missing out. With Summit, we did splurge and pick a CS suite but the private areas are split in different locations.  I’m HOPING that being that way I’ll have a bit of the best of both worlds.  Be forced to get around and experience the ship more but sneak away to quiet areas if things get a bit too crowded for me.    

[pd7277]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I have to agree with you.   While I understand and can emphasize with some members disappointment.   The negativity and REPEATED griping on this thread has gotten to the point that I'm finding it a downer and no longer logging onto this thread.  

 

This is one of the main reason so many previous CC have moved away from this site in lieu of other forums. The increasing negativity not just on this thread but across Celebrity Cruise Critic board is truly troubling.

I have to agree.  There are people that have commented on this thread so many times I cannot count. 

 

Hopefully, the next posts are those from new cruisers with updates on rooms, furnishings, dining and improvements, not the continued bashings of those things already stomped to death.

[avrey97]

3 hours ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

 It's not about the change in colors or décor, rather the lack of functionality in the décor and amenities. For example, a shower that used to have a bar for women to use to shave their legs is now gone. No where to put Celebrity's bath products, let alone a place to put your own in the shower.

...... I’m not sure what gave you the impression these were no longer there, as my cabin (C1) had everything you lamented was gone. (You cant quite tell by my picture but the basket to store products is on the side wall opposite the shower head.)

We spent a lot of time in our cabin. Had breakfast on our veranda every morning, was the table smaller, yes, but it still fit a large tray for two. 

 There was more than enough storage for both of us (one of us being a teen girl that changes up to 3 times a day no less lol) Nothing fell from  any of the open shelving despite some heavy rocking at times. 

And believe it or not, we never once felt sad or down despite the drab, bland decor of the room.

 

In fact, it felt fresh, clean warm and modern. But most of all FUNCTIONAL. 

 

Believe me, I’m not coming down on anyone with reservations about the changes. But I do wish some people would have more of an open mind.  

 

 

[PhoenixCruiser]

Change is hard, probably even harder for those who have decades of the same environments and experiences.

Perhaps some don't realize they continue to repeat their comments over and over?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[goofysmom99]

I drool at the dinner table, too.

[Donut23]

9 hours ago, Finnrox said:

Now that is funny!  It is amazing to me how so many people appear to be bound and determined to be upset about cosmetic changes and improvements, to the point where they want to cancel a cruise over it.  If the absence of a coffee table or updated colors is going to ruin all of the enjoyment that a cruise is supposed to bring, then maybe everyone would be better off if you make the choice to cancel your cruise.

 

 

Personally, I appreciate all the comments here - good and bad.  I am so much more prepared for my cruise because of them.

 

Cancel our cruise? I doubt it.  However, there are many choices of cruises out there.  If a beloved product changes and no longer meets our needs, you are darn right I’ll find something else that does.

 

i travel on my cruises on an EVC scooter following an accident 10 years ago.  I’m plenty capable of making lemonaid out of lemons.  I prefer Sparkly and Happy surroundings not drab prision grey.

 

Keep talking everybody.  I will soak it all in.

 

Watch out all you 1 September Summit cruisers.  You will know it’s me when you hear the laughter, giggles and tiny bell!  Only 150 days!

 

 

[D C]

12 hours ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

Why is it so hard for cruisers who are booked, but have yet to sail on Celebrity, to understand the disappointment long time cruisers have over changes that have downgraded the enjoyment of being in your cabin.  It's not about the change in colors or décor, rather the lack of functionality in the décor and amenities. For example, a shower that used to have a bar for women to use to shave their legs is now gone. No where to put Celebrity's bath products, let alone a place to put your own in the shower. What used to be a sofa for 2 to enjoy is now an over sized chair.  Used to be able to enjoy breakfast on the balcony or on your coffee table; now both are gone. We have 3 cruises booked in Royal Suites, all on ships that will have undergone the Revolution.  We have no plans on cancelling them but hope Celebrity fixes some of the misses. If not, we will express our disappointment.

Agreed. 

Personal opinions about the style of the refurb are neither right nor wrong.   

 

The changes in functionality that noticeably affect the actual guest experience are perfectly valid points that celebrity should be made aware of. 

[cgolf1]

13 hours ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

Why is it so hard for cruisers who are booked, but have yet to sail on Celebrity, to understand the disappointment long time cruisers have over changes that have downgraded the enjoyment of being in your cabin.  It's not about the change in colors or décor, rather the lack of functionality in the décor and amenities. For example, a shower that used to have a bar for women to use to shave their legs is now gone. No where to put Celebrity's bath products, let alone a place to put your own in the shower. What used to be a sofa for 2 to enjoy is now an over sized chair.  Used to be able to enjoy breakfast on the balcony or on your coffee table; now both are gone. We have 3 cruises booked in Royal Suites, all on ships that will have undergone the Revolution.  We have no plans on cancelling them but hope Celebrity fixes some of the misses. If not, we will express our disappointment.

 

I can't speak to the revolution that is going on, we haven't sailed any of the other Celebrity ships pre revolution,  but I like what I have seen so far. As for the Edge which started all this craziness, being a new to Celebrity cruiser at the time, it was annoying reading that the ship was essentially deemed a failure by many before it was even built. This made it tougher to get excited about our upcoming trip. There was a lot of things that loyal Celebrity cruisers felt should have been designed to meet their needs, not what Celebrity felt the market they were chasing wanted, time will tell if it is an overall success. I mostly gave up reading those posts about the Edge, but it really did have me on the fence before final payment of switching back to RCCL, glad we didn't. I guess some of us new to Celebrity folks picked a bad time to join this board, because the Edge and Revolution appears to be a controversial massive makeover to the fleet which obviously leads to strong opinions on both sides:)

 

I guess my take now is the cruise lines can do whatever they wan't and if I don't like it my money goes elsewhere. I was a bit in your shoes when Disney raised their prices at one point, 9 nights one year was cheaper than 6 nights the next same ship and time frame, and we decided to move on. 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2019 by cgolf1

[lkneller]

I appreciate the information and especially the photos posted.  

 

Sailing Summit in May in FV cabin.  Had same cabin in 2010 and 2011 and best part of cruise for me was just lounging on the balcony.  I assumed this balcony would sill have loungers when I booked this cabin!  

 

Someone did post a picture that showed 2 lounge chairs on the FV balcony and that made me feel better.  Picture also showed upgraded flooring on balcony which looked much nicer than it was before. 

 

Planning to bring a few throw pillow slips along.  Won't add much to luggage bulk.  Can insert folded towels once on board, and can provide extra comfort on chairs,  and add color to cabin. easy to bring along and can  serve multiple uses.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

[Ereggae]

11 hours ago, pd7277 said:

Hopefully, the next posts are those from new cruisers with updates on rooms, furnishings, dining and improvements, not the continued bashings of those things already stomped to death. 

Coming soon.  Just a few more days.

[WandHinTX]

20 hours ago, FlorenceItaly said:

Someone on another post called Celebrity and the rep says we are no longer able to "pay the difference" in cost if we have the classic package and order a drink from the premium menu drink.  Do you know if this has changed?  We are hoping the rep is misinformed!

We sail Saturday with the Classic package, so I did just call to confirm this is not accurate. You are able to pay the difference for any and all drinks over the allotted $9 covered cost in the package. This rep does appear to have been misinformed.

 

W

[wpgcycler]

17 hours ago, MizDemeanor said:

 

 Thankfully these boards and in particular this thread are helping those decide if they will sail or if they won't. 

 

 

 

 

 

Sort of. Let me share my experience if I may.

 

Even though my wife and I started traveling more than 40 years ago, we did not even consider a cruise until just 5 years ago. For good or bad, I'm the type of traveler that researches everything prior to a trip, rarely leaving anything to chance. When I (almost) spontaneously decided to try a cruise, it didn't take me long to discover cruisecritic as a source of first hand information from experienced cruisers. I latched onto a then recent review by a respected cc member which was not only extremely informative but also particularly complimentary of both the Celebrity ship and cruise as a whole. I booked right away.

 

I then spent the next 4 months in somewhat of a state of buyers remorse as I read post after post on cruisecritic about unsatisfactory experiences on Celebrity ships. Luckily there were enough positive posts to somewhat balance the negative. I should also point out that many of the posts I read were not just tainted by a lack of objectivity, but were downright and demonstrably inaccurate. I will also add that there was very little correlation between amount of cruise experience of the posters and the degree to which they were either dissatisfied or delighted - there were easily as many new to Celebrity haters as there were seasoned Celebrity boosters. Nonetheless, we stuck with the plan and proceeded to enjoy what was one of our most memorable weeks in more than 4 decades of travel. I wrote of our experience here: 

 

Far more notable than my opening post in that thread, IMO, is the number of comments from experienced Celebrity cruisers who were relieved to hear a positive review which more closely resembled their own Celebrity experiences than the countless disparaging views, many full of largely unjustified whinging.

 

Which is, I suppose, a long way of saying the picture I posted of the Volga Boatmen hauling the "Summit" up the river is no  more ridiculous or "harsh" than some of the totally over the top, sky (suite) is falling comments posted by those who seemingly cannot adapt to change of any sort. It's important that everyone reading this forum understand that there are many views of the value Celebrity delivers and, in the end, only their own actual experience will give them a truly meaningful picture.

[jhophop]

2 hours ago, lkneller said:

I appreciate the information and especially the photos posted.  

 

Sailing Summit in May in FV cabin.  Had same cabin in 2010 and 2011 and best part of cruise for me was just lounging on the balcony.  I assumed this balcony would sill have loungers when I booked this cabin!  

 

Someone did post a picture that showed 2 lounge chairs on the FV balcony and that made me feel better.  Picture also showed upgraded flooring on balcony which looked much nicer than it was before. 

 

Planning to bring a few throw pillow slips along.  Won't add much to luggage bulk.  Can insert folded towels once on board, and can provide extra comfort on chairs,  and add color to cabin. easy to bring along and can  serve multiple uses.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

I am staying in a FV on April 13th sailing of Summit.  I can post some photos of anything specifically you would like to see.

 

I also posted about the X rep stating the most likely incorrect information about not being able to "pay the difference" for drink upgrade and will report back post cruise!

[reecesavage]

31 minutes ago, wpgcycler said:

Sort of. Let me share my experience if I may.

 

Even though my wife and I started traveling more than 40 years ago, we did not even consider a cruise until just 5 years ago. For good or bad, I'm the type of traveler that researches everything prior to a trip, rarely leaving anything to chance. When I (almost) spontaneously decided to try a cruise, it didn't take me long to discover cruisecritic as a source of first hand information from experienced cruisers. I latched onto a then recent review by a respected cc member which was not only extremely informative but also particularly complimentary of both the Celebrity ship and cruise as a whole. I booked right away.

 

I then spent the next 4 months in somewhat of a state of buyers remorse as I read post after post on cruisecritic about unsatisfactory experiences on Celebrity ships. Luckily there were enough positive posts to somewhat balance the negative. I should also point out that many of the posts I read were not just tainted by a lack of objectivity, but were downright and demonstrably inaccurate. I will also add that there was very little correlation between amount of cruise experience of the posters and the degree to which they were either dissatisfied or delighted - there were easily as many new to Celebrity haters as there were seasoned Celebrity boosters. Nonetheless, we stuck with the plan and proceeded to enjoy what was one of our most memorable weeks in more than 4 decades of travel. I wrote of our experience here: 

 

Far more notable than my opening post in that thread, IMO, is the number of comments from experienced Celebrity cruisers who were relieved to hear a positive review which more closely resembled their own Celebrity experiences than the countless disparaging views, many full of largely unjustified whinging.

 

Which is, I suppose, a long way of saying the picture I posted of the Volga Boatmen hauling the "Summit" up the river is no  more ridiculous or "harsh" than some of the totally over the top, sky (suite) is falling comments posted by those who seemingly cannot adapt to change of any sort. It's important that everyone reading this forum understand that there are many views of the value Celebrity delivers and, in the end, only their own actual experience will give them a truly meaningful picture.

 

Thank you so much for this post. I can't like it enough. We loved our cruises on Reflection and Equinox. They were the best vacations we've ever had. I'm looking forward to sailing on Summit in Dec 2020 as well. I love the revolution, and the M class cabins were looking very dated IMO.  

[wpgcycler]

46 minutes ago, reecesavage said:

 

Thank you so much for this post. I can't like it enough. We loved our cruises on Reflection and Equinox. They were the best vacations we've ever had. I'm looking forward to sailing on Summit in Dec 2020 as well. I love the revolution, and the M class cabins were looking very dated IMO.  

My pleasure. Also had a great cruise on Eclipse in 2016 and looking forward to our Reflection cruise in January - we convinced 3 other couples (cruise virgins) to join us this time!

[ScubaDo]

We are on our last leg of the trip heading toward SJU. The ship is really beautiful. The pictures do not do it justice. Our room is lovely. Very comfortable. The new beds are great. Yes the sofa is a little straight up, but still very nice. The staff have been great. The food is consistent and good. You can always find something you will like. The bath/shower in the CS still sucks but oh well the water flow is good. The toilet is very high, but again oh well. We have really enjoyed the ship and think most everyone else will too. Happy sailing.

[XtaSea]

I've been following this thread because we love the Summit and we have a CS booked on her for Feb. 2020. When photos began to appear I took note of the comments claiming the new color schemes are dull, drab and unimaginative. We've had a CS on S Class ships (Equinox, Solstice) before, so I brought up some of my photos of those suites and, to be honest, the color schemes were basically shades of beige and brown with a few splashes of terra cotta here and there for a color pop...nothing you'd call "vibrant." But it was very spacious and very relaxing. Plus, I think gray is the new beige, right? IMO the new design looks classy and comfortable. I anticipate our upcoming cruise will provide as much enjoyment as our past cruises, and if climbing in and out of the shower becomes exhausting, we'll recover in the Retreat Lounge or drink in hand on our narrow veranda.