Suite Life in a New S2 - Review of Summit to Bermuda, 5/19/19

[Alsmez]

DH and I (ages 45 and 42) are back at work after a lovely week on the Summit and I wanted to share our impressions with my fellow Cruise Critics! While we are fans of Celebrity’s S-class ships and have sailed on Equinox, Silhouette and Reflection, this was our first time on Summit (and DH’s first time on a ship of this size; I have sailed previously on Carnival Spirit, which is approximately the same size as Summit). This was also our first time in a Sky Suite, after having sailed in standard balconies, Concierge Class and Aqua Class on S-Class ships.

 

We were lucky enough to book our Sky Suite (S2 room 6124) before the Edge-ification of Summit was announced, at a price only a few hundred dollars higher than Aqua Class. We don’t care to dine in the MDR, and given the limited specialty dining options on Summit, AQ or a Suite were our only options. We went with the SS given the reasonable price, mainly to try Luminae. However, we were delighted to learn a few months later that the ship would be drydocked shortly before our cruise and many suite amenities added (and lucky to pay as little as we did, since the prices went way up after the Revolution was announced and never came back down).

 

Embarkation: We live in NYC so getting to the ship was a breeze – we drove and parked at the pier. There was a medical emergency on Anthem of the Seas which caused a small delay for Summit, but the crew did an AMAZING job of getting the previous passengers off quickly and the ship turned around for us. We were notified on Saturday that embarkation would begin around 2pm, but we ended up boarding around 12:45pm (since we were in a suite we were among the first passengers aboard).

 

The Suite Life and Retreat Lounge: As soon as we embarked, we were directed to the Retreat Lounge to meet our Suite Concierges and check out the new-and-supposedly-improved space. Immediately upon entering, my eye went to the room’s furnishings, all of which were very low and sleek. We are tall (6’0” and 6’3”), so I am used to sitting with my knees at chin-level. However, the furniture was not only low, it was TINY. Like, Barbie Dream House tiny. I wedged my size-12 derriere into one of the quickly-becoming-infamous barrel chairs ONE time, but did not stay there long enough for my husband to take a photo for fear that I would have to be extracted with the Jaws of Life. Furnishings aside, though, the two Concierges (Rhiannon and Mike) were lovely and welcoming and the Retreat staff was obviously on top of things. More on the Retreat Lounge later. Our butler was very nice but not especially visible, and we are pretty low maintenance so we didn’t have any special requests for him. We had to ask twice to get our mini-bar emptied but beyond that, we didn’t need much. I will say I enjoyed my 5pm shrimp cocktail, though! Being able to make an appointment to book a future cruise was also a nice touch, especially since the agent comes to the Retreat Lounge so you can take care of business in relative peace and quiet with a glass of wine in hand. Priority embarkation and disembarkation were fabulous – we were off the ship by 8:45am and back home by 9:30!

 

The Room: We were in Sky Suite 6124 (an S2), located almost exactly halfway between the aft and midship elevators on the starboard side. First the good: the location was fantastic, with easy access to almost everything we wanted (other than the Retreat Sundeck, all the way at the front). The only small quibble with the location was that our balcony overlooked some industrial bits of the ship in addition to lifeboats, so the view straight down was not the most beautiful. It ended up not mattering because we barely used the balcony, but those who spend a lot of time on their balconies might want to be aware of this. Bed was firm but comfortable, with nice crisp percale sheets (the provided down pillows were very limp but we requested and received firmer pillows, which improved things drastically). The towels were thick and absorbent. The air-conditioning was FRIGID, just like DH likes it J. Since we were on the third or fourth sailing since the refurbishment, everything was new and clean.

 

Anyway, at first glance the room appeared light, bright, spacious and nicely-appointed. However, as I made my way into the room I noticed that the desk chair was sitting out in the middle of the room, not tucked away. Why, you ask? Because the chair has immovable arms that are too high to allow it to slide under the desk, of course! Makes perfect sense, right? Unfortunately, this was only the first of about 10,000 bizarrely idiotic design choices made during the Edge-ification. Never having been in an M-Class Sky Suite before I cannot compare it to what was there, but I can say without a doubt that it was the least intelligently-designed room I have ever had on a cruise ship (or hotel, dormitory or treehouse).

 

Every available surface in the room was littered with trays full of décor items. A plant here, a tray of (empty) candle holders there, a coral sculpture across the way – it looked like Joanna Gaines had gone on a manic shopping bender at Target. Our steward had the misfortune to knock on the door when I had two trays full of crap in my hands and reluctantly took them from me, with a look on his face that told me it was NOT his first time having to find a place to store all this junk.

 

Once I had decluttered, I discovered that the clutter was disguising furniture/storage even less useful than a candle holder on a cruise ship. There were two cabinets under the TV; one useless for anything other than large bulky items due to lack of shelves or drawers, the other holding the mini-bar (which was just large enough that you had to open BOTH cabinet doors to open the mini-bar – pure genius!). The desk was low with two shallow drawers, not even deep enough for my hairbrush. I moved the too-large desk chair to the corner by the mini-bar and the luggage stands from the end of the bed under the desk, so that I could sit on one and use one to hold my makeup case and hairdryer. At least they could be tucked away (and become useful beyond the five minutes they actually held our luggage)! By the way, the outlet on the desk is the only outlet near a mirror that will power a hairdryer, and one of only three American-style outlets in the entire room – the other two are by the nightstands. If you have adapters for European outlets, I recommend you bring them so that you can use the European outlets for charging phones and other small electronics.

 

The closet for hanging clothes was small but adequate for us (we generally pack light), but the two drawers in the closet next to it weren’t large enough for our t-shirts, shorts, bathing suits, gym clothes, etc. – you know, things people don’t typically hang up but DO usually wear on cruises. Luckily they shrunk the safe sitting on the shelves above, so there was plenty of room to pile our socks and underwear next to it (which also created convenient camouflage for the iPad that wouldn’t fit in the safe!). The door to the drawer/safe closet was nice and wide, so that when you had it open there was zero chance of your spouse getting between it and the partition wall – no way they could sneak up on you trying to steal their iPad! Beside this closet there was an empty space with magazine holders stuck to the wall and a 6” deep “bench” whose purpose I still have not ascertained. We used it for stacking used glasses and empty Perrier bottles, but perhaps someone should have told Kelly Hoppen that it would be perfect for holding a tray full of extra throw pillows, since there weren’t enough of those in the room already. Oh wait, did I forget to mention that? Yeah, there were a lot of throw pillows. They mostly lived on the sofa we only used when one of us was waiting for the other to get ready, since it wasn’t like we could see the TV from it or eat a meal on the “table” that went with it.

 

The nightstands had one miniscule drawer (large enough for my glasses and sleeping mask and nothing else) and were topped with the most ridiculous “reading” lamp I have ever seen – it had enormous trays for base and top, taking up half of the surface of the table AND blocking any light from reaching eye level. I am guessing that the designer felt a reading light was unnecessary, though, since they were kind enough to supply a large translucent window from the bathroom on one side of the bed, with no blackout shade. I really enjoyed the glow cast over the entire room at night by the nightlight, until I gave up and unplugged it. Of course, this meant either peeing in the dark or waking up a sleeping spouse with an eyeful of “ambiance” if you had to use the restroom in the middle of the night, but what’s a little bad aim between spouses, right? Once you get used to navigating the room in the dark you will definitely no longer stub your toe on the step leading into the bathroom anyway – it only takes a few days and a fracture or two before you learn.

 

Speaking of the bathroom, here is an actual photo of my 6’3” husband showering in the tub:

 

He only banged his head on the showerhead once or twice per shower and never concussed himself, so it could have been worse. The shortness of the shower was complemented by the oh-so-comfortably high sides of the tub - short people might have a hard time stepping over it and tall people will definitely bang their knees on the fixed glass on either side getting out of it, so there’s something for everyone to enjoy. A complete lack of space to hang towels combined with an unused area (perfect for hanging towels!) beside the toilet and ZERO drawers or shelves (but plenty of décor trays to fill up all the counter space!) was the cherry on this moronic turd sundae. The worst part is that the bathroom is actually fairly large, and with a sensible layout it could have been an incredibly functional space.

 

Lest you think me too negative, I’ll move on to more pleasant parts of our trip, but leave you with this parting note: the reason we rarely used the balcony was because the oversized couch taking up three-quarters of the space wasn’t terribly comfortable (and was usually wet), and the table and chairs weren’t much better. At least there was a tray with a plant on it out there!

 

The Ship: Our favorite thing to do once we have unpacked is roam around the ship looking at all of the artwork and getting to know the layout. Summit had quite a few lovely pieces to enjoy, though she naturally couldn’t compare to the S-class in terms of installations or display opportunities. The ship looks good on the surface due to the refurbishment, but IMO the modern décor on an old ship is like bad plastic surgery on a 70-year-old trying to look 40. Summit was obviously built in a different era and although I know she needed to be refurbished, I think trying to Edge-ify her was the wrong solution. Furthermore, while they obviously spent a lot of money on the decorative aspects of the remodel, they ignored important structural elements like the elevators and toilets – things that don’t make for exciting YouTube footage but definitely leave an impression on guests after seven days. The elevators became a running joke amongst the guests – half the buttons didn’t work, the signage was beaten up (obviously original to the ship in some cases!), you were rarely sure if a car was going up or down, and so on. I noticed “Out of Order” signs on public bathrooms several times during the week and there was a distinct dampness to many public areas, including the Sky Lounge (where we also saw a pump and industrial fan).

 

As for the overall layout, we are accustomed to S-class ships and found Summit a little cramped for our liking – we missed the open atrium and the more clearly defined areas for each venue. We also thought it was a little odd that you basically had to search for Tuscan Grill and Qsine – I don’t know that we ever would have found them if we hadn’t gone looking, and once we did find them we never walked by them again (I do understand that this is because they were added during Solsticization and not a part of the original design – but again, this goes back to the bad plastic surgery analogy). All of that said, the ship is very easy to navigate once you get your bearings, and having three elevator and stair banks made moving between floors very easy and fast. The main dining room on the back of the ship is much more elegant than on the S-class ships and I loved the colors of the new décor there.

 

Pools, Spa and Fitness: We liked the layout of the pools and hot tubs and it looked as though there was plenty of seating, although we never try to find loungers at prime times. Speaking of the loungers, I don’t know if they are new with the refurb but they are a broken toe waiting to happen – they have weird bowed legs that stick out much farther than the seat itself, crowding the walkways. Dumb and dangerous. Anyway, I loved the bubbler in the Solarium pool but we were rather annoyed to find that the family hours in the Solarium were in the evenings from 6pm-8pm – this is our favorite time to enjoy the pools while others are at dinner, and it was impossible to do so with the Solarium pool full of kids. Luckily the outdoor pools were all but deserted in the evenings so we stayed out there instead.

 

We toured the Persian Gardens and decided it wasn’t interesting on Summit – we vastly prefer the layout on S-class, especially Reflection. The spa and gym were fine but it was rather annoying to have to walk all the way through the spa, dodging the hard sell, just to get to the gym. We used the gym on our first full day and never made it back.

 

Dining Venues and Lounges: Luminae was our main dining room and I have reviewed the food extensively here:

 

We ate in the buffet for breakfast and lunch a few times and I included commentary on the food in my Luminae review as well – overall, it was fine. However, the layout of Summit’s buffet is a NIGHTMARE. The central kitchen keeps you from seeing at a glance what is available on the other side of the buffet (and it’s not the same stuff on each side), so you are forced to go all the way around the kitchen in a large circle to get an overview. Furthermore, you can enter the buffet from the main entrance at midship (where the circle of food stations “starts” with the ice cream bar if you go clockwise around the kitchen), or you can sneak into the center from the aft elevators. This means you have people trying to merge into the food roundabout from two locations and trying to merge out of it all over the place (since the seating is all along both sides). The drink stations are inconveniently located at points where the walkway is narrower, creating bottlenecks galore. We saw more than one collision between diners and plenty of spilled drinks. Also, there is no real bar or Al Secondo Bacio in the buffet on Summit, so you must depend on (slow) table service or go to the Sunset Bar (also slow) if you want anything to drink other than the basic offerings at the beverage stations. The buffet coffee was awful so we formed the habit of stopping into Café al Bacio for coffee before heading to breakfast.

 

As I mentioned earlier, the Retreat Lounge left a lot to be desired in terms of comfortable seating but it ended up being one of our favorite venues in spite of the furniture. It is divided into two areas: one large seating area, and then a smaller back area with a cold case for sodas and waters, a coffee machine, and a small "prep" bar for the bartender's use. You can walk up to this bar and order a drink if the attendant happens to be back there, but there is no traditional bar seating. We loved being able to stop in and quickly grab a soft drink from the case, but we didn’t spend much time here during the day, preferring to be out on the Retreat Sundeck or elsewhere on the ship for activities like trivia or live music. We spent most of our evenings here though, getting to know Alexandra, the fantastic bartender, and any other suite guests who were there. We also hung out with a couple of officers here (the beverage manager and executive chef) after they dropped in one night and we all hit it off. It was a great quiet place for a nightcap and we had a fantastic time with Alexandra, who is a very talented social facilitator and all around awesome lady.

 

The Retreat Sundeck was a nice place to be if it wasn’t too windy but only if you like sun. I have NO idea why they designed this area with no shade whatsoever. We managed to avoid burning to a crisp by appropriating one of the pod beds with retractable covers, turning it as required to provide shade for the majority of our bodies and covering our feet and legs with towels if necessary. Silas and the rest of the team kept the drinks flowing and their cocktail menu was actually our favorite of any lounge onboard (DH loved the Spiked IPA). The wind was frequently too bad to enjoy this area while we were sailing, though, so I don’t know how much use it sees on sea day-heavy itineraries. They serve lunch up here but with so much wind and no shade, we had no desire to sit and eat a meal. IMO they would be much better off having a selection of chips, nuts, popcorn, etc. up here, just things to nibble on while having a cocktail. We ran down to the Mast Grill a couple of times to get a plate of fries because we were getting a little too tipsy!

 

As for the other lounges, we REALLY missed having a decent Sunset Bar on this cruise – it has historically been one of our favorite places on S-class ships, and when the Retreat Sundeck was too windy it was the only real outdoor option on Summit. There was no shade at Summit’s Sunset Bar, very little seating and by far the worst service at any bar on the ship. It would be nice to have it upstairs where the large TV screen and outdoor movie lounge is, although then there would really be no bar for the buffet. The Pool Bar, Cellar Masters and Rendezvous all had good service, although I thought most of the cocktails were pretty lackluster. We definitely missed World Class Bar’s creative cocktails and infusions as well (and stuck to straight Scotch for our nightcaps at the Retreat Lounge since there is no real cocktail menu there).

 

Itinerary, Activities and Entertainment: With just one stop, there’s not much itinerary to comment upon! I loved Bermuda and would love to go back, either on Celebrity or a land-based vacation. We are professional classical musicians so we typically find the live music and shows on the ship somewhat lacking, and this cruise was no exception. In fact, we left lounges a few times just to avoid the live music (which was frequently amateurish and too loud). We played trivia a few times but beyond that didn’t find many activities of interest. We prefer to do our own thing anyway so no great loss!

 

Shopping and Casino: I am not much of a shopper and rarely buy anything on board, but the selection of merchandise on Summit seemed rather uninspired to me. We did end up buying a few bottles of Scotch from the well-stocked Duty Free shop, just to use up some OBC. I am also not much of a gambler, but since we had OBC, we decided to use some of it to test our luck. The friendly dealers patiently explained not only the games but the process by which I could use promotional chips to gamble and take my winnings in real chips for cash. I managed to turn $250 in promo chips into $230 in real chips at the roulette table and decided that was all my nerves could take! J The casino itself appears to have been ignored by the Revolution and was a bit sad in comparison to the S-class, but the cash spends the same either way!

 

Other Miscellany: We weren’t too bothered by hard sales of drink packages or specialty restaurants on Summit – after the first day everyone seemed to know we had a Premium package/Luminae and left us alone. However, the roaming photographer and incessant push to stop for photos here, there and everywhere was incredibly annoying. We were asked each and every night during dinner in Luminae whether we wanted a photo, in addition to three or four photo stations on the dock. One day they had someone in a dolphin costume outside the buffet trying to get people to take photos – where the hell are we, a Carnival ship? 

 

The mix of passengers on this cruise was very different from what we have experienced in the past, although I think that had to do both with time of year and departure port (we usually sail from Florida in Jan or Feb). There were more children than I expected but an older crowd overall. The Martini Bar was THE place to be on this ship until a certain hour and then everything shut down.

 

Conclusion: We had a good time on this cruise and enjoyed the Suite Life, but I doubt we will choose to sail Summit or the M-class again. The S-class is just much more our speed, and we like the option of having a dining package so we can upgrade dining (and have plenty of specialty options) without paying for a suite or even AQ. If we want a suite experience, we will probably look at alternatives like MSC’s Yacht Club since even Sky Suites have become outrageously expensive since the Revolution.

Edited May 30, 2019 by Alsmez

[jcpc]

Thank you for your very informative review.  I really enjoyed reading it and your writing style is great.  I'm sailing at the end of June and am looking forward to seeing the refurbishment.  But I'm not looking forward to those tiny, teeny, low chairs in the Retreat Lounge.  

[mafig]

I, too, enjoyed reading your review.  Thank you.

[FlorenceItaly]

Wonderful review.  Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a detailed review.  It is greatly appreciated.

[Dr. Cocktail]

A superb review ..... you made me laugh out loud (actually snorted at the "actual photo") and confirmed our findings!

 

Whenever I stepped into the tub, I would tell my partner (we're both 6 feet tall) : "cover me: I'm going in!"

 

I don't think I got into or out of the tub a single time without banging, hitting or smacking a body part!

[Alsmez]

1 hour ago, jcpc said:

Thank you for your very informative review.  I really enjoyed reading it and your writing style is great.  I'm sailing at the end of June and am looking forward to seeing the refurbishment.  But I'm not looking forward to those tiny, teeny, low chairs in the Retreat Lounge.  

 

Thank you!  I hope you have a great cruise and manage not to get stuck in a barrel chair. Who knows, maybe by June they'll have had enough emergency calls that they'll replace them with something not meant for Smurfs! 🙂

[Alsmez]

4 minutes ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

A superb review ..... you made me laugh out loud (actually snorted at the "actual photo") and confirmed our findings!

 

Whenever I stepped into the tub, I would tell my partner (we're both 6 feet tall) : "cover me: I'm going in!"

 

I don't think I got into or out of the tub a single time without banging, hitting or smacking a body part!

 

Thank you and I'm glad you enjoyed it! The bathroom really is RIDICULOUS for us tall folks - you have to laugh about it or else you'll cry from all of the injuries to your elbows and knees!

[Dr. Cocktail]

Just now, Alsmez said:

 

Thank you and I'm glad you enjoyed it! The bathroom really is RIDICULOUS for us tall folks - you have to laugh about it or else you'll cry from all of the injuries to your elbows and knees!

You can use me as a witness when you're attacked by the people who haven't actually sailed in a Revolutionized Sky Suite!

[hcat]

Great review...made me laught out loud at times! Very good points  made about the decor,  overall condition of the ship etc, (One tip...we travel with mini flashlights for nightime use or gen emergencies)

 

We are booked on Summit for the Bermuda, Charleston Newport itin,., and look forward to a return visit,  having  sailed on her in the past to  the Carib, Hawaii and Bermuda.  We booked more for the itin than the ship...but hope some of the refurbed spaces are nice and fresh!  We will be in the mdr unless we move to AQ class and BLU...,depends on pricing,

[Alsmez]

12 minutes ago, hcat said:

Great review...made me laught out loud at times! Very good points  made about the decor,  overall condition of the ship etc, (One tip...we travel with mini flashlights for nightime use or gen emergencies)

 

We are booked on Summit for the Bermuda, Charleston Newport itin,., and look forward to a return visit,  having  sailed on her in the past to  the Carib, Hawaii and Bermuda.  We booked more for the itin than the ship...but hope some of the refurbed spaces are nice and fresh!  We will be in the mdr unless we move to AQ class and BLU...,depends on pricing,

 

The refurbished spaces do look fresh - I actually find the new color palette very soothing. If you have enjoyed Summit previously I am sure you will still love her!

Edited May 30, 2019 by Alsmez

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Great review!  Sad to see what has happened to my once favorite ship.  Loved your descriptions of the least intelligent design decisions ever.  FYI, those sky suites used to have a very useful walk-in closet.  It took a weirdly uncreative mind to deep six those.  The less about those stupid tubs the better.

 

And, yes, I recommend you try MSC's Yacht Club.  You will enjoy the live music in their fabulous lounge with wonderful ocean views.  There is shade on the private pool deck.  And no danger of getting stuck in a Barbie Dream House pretend chair.  And I believe you will like the YC1 cabins, they are quite intelligently designed.

Edited May 30, 2019 by Happy Cruiser 6143

[Alsmez]

26 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Great review!  Sad to see what has happened to my once favorite ship.  Loved your descriptions of the least intelligent design decisions ever.  FYI, those sky suites used to have a very useful walk-in closet.  It took a weirdly uncreative mind to deep six those.  The less about those stupid tubs the better.

 

And, yes, I recommend you try MSC's Yacht Club.  You will enjoy the live music in their fabulous lounge with wonderful ocean views.  There is shade on the private pool deck.  And no danger of getting stuck in a Barbie Dream House pretend chair.  And I believe you will like the YC1 cabins, they are quite intelligently designed.

 

Thank you! I agree it is very sad to see what they have done to the Sky Suites - I have seen photos of the previous iteration and they looked much more functional. It really does take a special kind of talent to pile one bad decision on top of another. We will definitely take a look at the YC1 cabins when we're ready for a change. Our next cruise is on Solstice BEFORE she gets ruined...er...Revolutionized, so I'm sure we'll enjoy her!

[Fogfog]

TY for your informative review

 

We just got off Infinity (M) for a TA and the storage (pre revol) was sub=par compared to the pre-revolting S class.

We are booked in Summit for the Dublin to Boston via Iceland-Greenland... and it sounds like it will be far worse with the new furniture. That stupid desk chair may have to go on the balcony!

The bathroom storage was already poor pre-revolting--and we used the desk cupboard for part of that-so where does one store toiletries?Cosmetics? medications? if the bathroom has none?

 

Agree the M class OVC buffet is awkward in design compared to S class. 

 

Having stayed 2 weeks in one of the aft cabins on 11--right above the sunset bar-- and under that rooftop movie venue.. We can tell you the noise level from that movie deck made it impossible to sit on our balcony. AND when the "entertainment" at 1/3/5pm on the sunset bar set up--the competing cacophony was unbearable. 

 

TY for your thoughts. 

 

With these "improvements" at Celebrity--we have booked a B2B on MSC YC. The YC rooms compare in size to a SS. Not sure that the food is the same-- it's worth a try to find our for ourselves

 

[vtcruising]

Thanks for the review! It was helpful and fun to read. I don't know what your day job is, but you really need to get hired as a cruise comedian. I almost choked on my tea when I saw the bathtub picture. 😉

 

We have an S1 on the Infinity next March before her facelift. I was initially disappointed that it wouldn't be refreshed by then, but now it sounds like we will be better off with the dated design and worn furniture. The descriptions of the new S1 do not sound like improvements, with less storage, poorly thought out furniture and lots of knickknacks.  It will be a little sad to say good bye to the old M Class, though looking forward to enjoying the refurbishments as a whole.

 

We will be on the redone Millie after that, but in an aft concierge, since it is an Alaskan cruise. I have been watching the Sky Suites on that cruise (mostly to have the Retreat Sundeck as another option for seeing the sights), but will now definitely stick to my C1, with the huge aft covered balcony.  It will be nice to have the refreshed veranda cabin (they look pretty nice) and to enjoy the other updates on the ship.

[Alsmez]

3 hours ago, Fogfog said:

 

The bathroom storage was already poor pre-revolting--and we used the desk cupboard for part of that-so where does one store toiletries?Cosmetics? medications? if the bathroom has none?

 

With these "improvements" at Celebrity--we have booked a B2B on MSC YC. The YC rooms compare in size to a SS. Not sure that the food is the same-- it's worth a try to find our for ourselves

 

Toiletries and cosmetics were a challenge. I usually use the desk area to dry my hair and put on makeup so DH can use the bath (and that's what I did this time as well), but there really wasn't a good place to store anything other than small items. My hairbrushes, hair dryer, hairspray, etc were all too large to fit in the very small, shallow desk drawers. I moved the two luggage stands under the desk and used one as a chair and put my hair dryer and toiletry case on the other, just so they could be tucked away during the day. Hairspray can and brushes had to sit on the desk. The drawers were just deep enough to hold small cosmetics and jewelry.

 

DH left his toiletry case in the bathroom, sitting on the counter, and just fished things out as he needed them. The tray holding water glasses was large enough for toothbrushes and toothpaste, my contact lens case, and not much else. 

 

One other annoyance was the hand soap - they supplied a bar of soap and a deep, non-self-draining dish that immediately turned into an unusable, mucky mess. WHY no liquid hand soap? I moved the shower gel bottle (a pump) to the counter and used that for hand soap instead. Since the bath is so small I had no trouble reaching it when I wanted to use it in the shower too, lol. Our steward kept moving it back to the shower until he finally caught on that I wanted it to live on the sink counter. Surely I am not the first person to do this, so I'm not sure why he didn't just bring another bottle, but whatever - it wasn't worth leaving a note, and we rarely saw him or our butler.

[Alsmez]

2 hours ago, vtcruising said:

Thanks for the review! It was helpful and fun to read. I don't know what your day job is, but you really need to get hired as a cruise comedian. I almost choked on my tea when I saw the bathtub picture. 😉

 

We have an S1 on the Infinity next March before her facelift. I was initially disappointed that it wouldn't be refreshed by then, but now it sounds like we will be better off with the dated design and worn furniture. The descriptions of the new S1 do not sound like improvements, with less storage, poorly thought out furniture and lots of knickknacks.  It will be a little sad to say good bye to the old M Class, though looking forward to enjoying the refurbishments as a whole.

 

We will be on the redone Millie after that, but in an aft concierge, since it is an Alaskan cruise. I have been watching the Sky Suites on that cruise (mostly to have the Retreat Sundeck as another option for seeing the sights), but will now definitely stick to my C1, with the huge aft covered balcony.  It will be nice to have the refreshed veranda cabin (they look pretty nice) and to enjoy the other updates on the ship.

 

Thank you! I've never considered a career in stand up but after seeing what passes for funny on cruises, maybe I should give it a go! 🤣

 

I didn't see an S1 so I don't know for sure if they are the same as the S2, but if they are I think you will be much happier with your aft balcony for Alaska. We are on Solstice to Alaska next year in AQ and I am keeping an eye on suites as well, but she will not have been refurbished when we sail. I don't know if the refurbished Sky Suites will be the same on S-class as on Summit, but if they are we won't book one again.

[vtcruising]

16 minutes ago, Alsmez said:

One other annoyance was the hand soap - they supplied a bar of soap and a deep, non-self-draining dish that immediately turned into an unusable, mucky mess. WHY no liquid hand soap? I moved the shower gel bottle (a pump) to the counter and used that for hand soap instead. Since the bath is so small I had no trouble reaching it when I wanted to use it in the shower too, lol. Our steward kept moving it back to the shower until he finally caught on that I wanted it to live on the sink counter. Surely I am not the first person to do this, so I'm not sure why he didn't just bring another bottle, but whatever - it wasn't worth leaving a note, and we rarely saw him or our butler.

We finally did the same thing on the Edge. The oatmeal soap just turned to mush on out first Edge cruises, When we went back in January, the cabin steward had found a pretty good solution to keep it from getting mushy (see below), but we didn't like the feel of the soap. We had our own shampoo, conditioner and soap for the shower and the next time will bring foam soap for the bathroom sink. At least the bathrooms were large and well- designed in the Edge Sky Suites (once the leaky showers were fixed 😉).

 

Edited May 31, 2019 by vtcruising

[orchestrapal]

Very much enjoyed reading your review.

You made my day by confirming our cancellation.

I am now convinced Celebrity Suites new or old are not for us.

Thank you!

[Alsmez]

20 minutes ago, orchestrapal said:

Very much enjoyed reading your review.

You made my day by confirming our cancellation.

I am now convinced Celebrity Suites new or old are not for us.

Thank you!

 

Thanks! Personally, I wouldn't mind trying an old Sky Suite, just for comparison purposes, but I wouldn't choose a new one again. I hope you enjoy whatever vacation you've chosen to replace yours!

[orchestrapal]

7 minutes ago, Alsmez said:

 

Thanks! Personally, I wouldn't mind trying an old Sky Suite, just for comparison purposes, but I wouldn't choose a new one again. I hope you enjoy whatever vacation you've chosen to replace yours!

 

Thanks, we’ll stick to Crystal, Oceania and Viking where we know we’ll be happy. 

[Alsmez]

1 hour ago, vtcruising said:

We finally did the same thing on the Edge. The oatmeal soap just turned to mush on out first Edge cruises, When we went back in January, the cabin steward had found a pretty good solution to keep it from getting mushy (see below), but we didn't like the feel of the soap. We had our own shampoo, conditioner and soap for the shower and the next time will bring foam soap for the bathroom sink. At least the bathrooms were large and well- designed in the Edge Sky Suites (once the leaky showers were fixed 😉).

 

Really, how hard is it for Celebrity to see that this is a problem and just switch to liquid hand soap? I would think there would be a lot less waste anyway, given that they can't reuse those bars and no one gets through a whole one in a week, not to mention the packaging that gets thrown away. Silly.

[MJSailors]

Thank you, Alsmez for writing a thoughtful and forthright review of the Summit after the “Edgeification “.

My DH and I have sailed on the Summit to Bermuda twice,the later cruise was last July.

We were in a C1 cabin.

While there was some wear on the upholstery,we found the cabin comfortable with plenty of storage space. Our steward kept us supplied with tubes of Gilcrest & Soames toiletries,which we appreciated very much. My 6 foot husband had no issues with the shower either.

We found the public areas of the ship to be in good condition.

While we had a few dinners in the MDR,we ended up going to the buffet for dinner while we were in Bermuda. We found that we could get around the buffet easily when it was not crowded and they had maps of the buffet on large screens in different areas to show the location of the food stations. 

Did they remove those screens with the refurb? We found them to be helpful.

We were considering the 14 day Summit cruise from Bayonne to New England and Quebec. We were considering an upgrade to an Aqua Class or Sky Suite. After reading about your impression of the cabin, I am not so sure that we would be comfortable in a Sky Suite accommodation.

If,in fact,we do consider such a cruise, we would probably book a Conceierge cabin.

But, I would like to read some reviews of that cabin level before we make a final decision.

I have been reading a number of CC reviews that mention Kelly Hoppen as the designer of the Edge and the refurbs of other Celebrity ships.

To say that her design concepts were mis-guided is apparently being kind regarding her efforts.

But, here is a question. Wasn’t there a committee that reviewed her design and gave input to the final implementation of her design,ie choosing empty candlesticks to be placed in a cruise ship cabin ?

Or was this designer so convincing that there was something like the “Emperor’s New Clothes” affect that the people in charge at Celebrity were convinced that her design was absolutely the best?

I am thinking that in the next few years,many of the furnishings and decorative touches will be replaced either because of wear and /or customer satisfaction.

In the meantime, my DH and I will still consider Celebrity for a NE cruise, but we will also consider Princess as they offer a similar itinerary leaving from Red Hook Brooklyn.

 

[Alsmez]

24 minutes ago, MJSailors said:

 

While we had a few dinners in the MDR,we ended up going to the buffet for dinner while we were in Bermuda. We found that we could get around the buffet easily when it was not crowded and they had maps of the buffet on large screens in different areas to show the location of the food stations. 

Did they remove those screens with the refurb? We found them to be helpful.

We were considering the 14 day Summit cruise from Bayonne to New England and Quebec. We were considering an upgrade to an Aqua Class or Sky Suite. After reading about your impression of the cabin, I am not so sure that we would be comfortable in a Sky Suite accommodation.

If,in fact,we do consider such a cruise, we would probably book a Conceierge cabin.

 

To say that her design concepts were mis-guided is apparently being kind regarding her efforts.

But, here is a question. Wasn’t there a committee that reviewed her design and gave input to the final implementation of her design,ie choosing empty candlesticks to be placed in a cruise ship cabin ?

Or was this designer so convincing that there was something like the “Emperor’s New Clothes” affect that the people in charge at Celebrity were convinced that her design was absolutely the best?

I am thinking that in the next few years,many of the furnishings and decorative touches will be replaced either because of wear and /or customer satisfaction.

 

 

There were a couple of large screens showing the location of the various stations in the buffet, and once we had figured out the lay of the land, we knew where to go for things that never changed, like pizza, ice cream, etc. The problem for me was that if you wanted to see everything on offer before making a decision, you had to make a complete lap around the kitchen because the stations that changed daily were all over the place. We were also never sure whether there would be stations that had duplicates of what was available on a station we had already seen. I just felt like it led to a lot of aimless wandering (and I was as guilty as anyone else of that) in an area that had insufficient aisle space to allow people carrying trays of food and drink to pass easily. The servers carrying drinks also couldn't avoid the buffet lap itself, as it was the only path from wherever they were getting drinks to the seating areas. 

 

The S-class layout, while not perfect, is MUCH easier to navigate and allows for clear sightlines of well-marked stations. You can tell at a glance, without ever entering the food area itself, where everything is and the signage gives you a good idea of what type of food will be on every hot table AND where the duplicates might be. Bar servers never need to enter the food area because they can use the side aisles and beverage stations are located off to the side, keeping drink spills to a minimum.

 

As for Kelly Hoppen - I think you are right about the Emperor's New Clothes syndrome. As the complaints keep rolling in, I have a feeling you are right that they will have to replace these things quickly. In fact, I noticed that the desk/cabinets/closets in our suite were made from what looks like the same material as the furniture in my office, which was completely remodeled a year ago. My desk and file cabinets already look TERRIBLE, with chips and blemishes all over the edges and corners. I fear these ships will suffer the same fate. 

Edited May 31, 2019 by Alsmez

[goofysmom99]

The M-Class buffet layouts are restricted due to having aft elevators.  

[MJSailors]

I do understand about walking around in the buffet area to locate different dishes.It could get a bit confusing.

We did like the sandwich making area near the Sunset bar for lunch and the grill options there for dinner where your entree selection would be freshly grilled. Also, we liked to sit at the Sunset Bar for aft views. But,now I have read that there is no cover over that area,therefore no shade. Again,what were they thinking ?!

I do understand your comment about trying to modernize a classic-style ship as performing a facelift on a seventy year old and expecting the results to look like a forty year old.

Fine if they wanted the Edge class to have a different,sleek,modern look,but for the existing Celebrity ships,they could have done a refreshment while keeping the style of the ship intact.

Oh well, they didn’t consult with us,so it is what  it is !

Wishing you good days and further enjoyable travels !