Live From the Summit from SJ 11/16

[Steelers0854]

12 hours ago, Peter118 said:

Many thanks for such a well written description of your journey. I feel as though i just experienced a well deserved "break" from the rat race...no wait, you got to enjoy it and I'm jealous...but I enjoyed following along.

 

Have never been on a cruise and will be on the Summit this February with the same ports of call. While you have definitely taken me through the entire week covering just about everything I would want to know about the ship I am unclear of one thing that I'm sure you could clear up for us.

 

We have the late dinner in the MDR (8:30), sail away is I believe about the same time and from what we understand there is a party of some sorts by the pool. Would you be able to give us an idea of when this party begins so we, @njsweetie and I, can either change dinner that evening or simply not be concerned about the overlap and do dinner as planned. If the party starts at 8 then I would probably just keep the 8:30 but what do I know...never been on a ship...LOL

 

I guess more importantly...forgetting the party, is "sail away" something you do not want to miss?

we are the wrong people to ask about this one. We almost never do sailaways on deck. It’s one of the reasons we get a balcony. We grab drinks and enjoy our own little piece of the ship. 
 

my only exceptions to this would be in Alaska, San Fran under the golden gate etc. 

[MEcruzr]

We usually do sail away on our verandah or go to a preplanned cruise critic sail away gathering. I've never attended anything by the pool. I much prefer a gathering where people are interested in talking to each other, like a cc gathering, than a large ship-wide party where you end up talking with just the person you came with. If I'm doing to do that, I'll do it on our quiet verandah with a drink in hand!

[MartinsCruise]

On 11/25/2019 at 8:43 AM, Peter118 said:

Many thanks for such a well written description of your journey. I feel as though i just experienced a well deserved "break" from the rat race...no wait, you got to enjoy it and I'm jealous...but I enjoyed following along.

 

Have never been on a cruise and will be on the Summit this February with the same ports of call. While you have definitely taken me through the entire week covering just about everything I would want to know about the ship I am unclear of one thing that I'm sure you could clear up for us.

 

We have the late dinner in the MDR (8:30), sail away is I believe about the same time and from what we understand there is a party of some sorts by the pool. Would you be able to give us an idea of when this party begins so we, @njsweetie and I, can either change dinner that evening or simply not be concerned about the overlap and do dinner as planned. If the party starts at 8 then I would probably just keep the 8:30 but what do I know...never been on a ship...LOL

 

I guess more importantly...forgetting the party, is "sail away" something you do not want to miss?

We were also on this sailing along with the two prior to it.  I never get tired of sailing out of San Juan in the evening so we always make sure that we have dinner before sail away so we can be on our veranda or at the Sunset Bar.  Set dining at 8:30 makes this impossible unless you eat at a specialty restaurant or the buffet that evening.  The pool party for sail away is not a big deal to us.  Either way I'm sure you'll have a wonderful cruise!

[Peter118]

2 hours ago, MartinsCruise said:

 I never get tired of sailing out of San Juan in the evening so we always make sure that we have dinner before sail away so we can be on our veranda or at the Sunset Bar.  Set dining at 8:30 makes this impossible

Thank you, this was helpful. I guess you can’t have your cake and eat it too. 
My vote would be to be in position to experience sail away since we only leave San Juan once and we can eat pretty much whenever. 

 

[The Mommy]

Sorry if I have missed this information but can I ask if the CD was good on your sailing please?

Thank you for the review - we sail on 14th January 2020

[doxiegal]

On ‎11‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 9:30 AM, Steelers0854 said:

This was my only disappointment of the whole cruise. We sailed Nov 2nd -9th. And the buffet food, never really changed. No Mexican, ( which was strange) usually only carved beef at night. Hardly anything changed. The last night they had a variety but it was the last night. It was a bit boring.
 

Maybe it’s because we have had all port days but we haven’t seen much what You described. Haven’t seen any Mexican food, no cooked to order seafood, and the salad bar is always there but has never had any different offerings. Yes, they have a pasta station, sandwich station, and that variety is nice. 
 

I guess I should have clarified my earlier post. The hot dishes along the buffet almost never change. The carved meat option does. But I’ve seen the same hot dishes just about every day. Would be nice to have some rotation. On Princess they will have theme days, Mexican, Chinese, German, etc. that brings some variety into the meal. 

 

[Steelers0854]

On 11/28/2019 at 6:09 AM, The Mommy said:

Sorry if I have missed this information but can I ask if the CD was good on your sailing please?

Thank you for the review - we sail on 14th January 2020

Carlos was the CD and to be honest I wasn’t overly impressed. He seemed kind of scattered all week. Granted it was his second week on board so maybe that contributed to it. Also I felt there weren’t enough activities and performances on board. They need more live music IMO. 

[Holly2]

Thanks for your posts. We are boarding in a couple weeks.

did you try the Aqua Spa cafe?   They have been cutting back their menu so wondering what was still being offered.  It has always been my go for lunch. 

[katgio50]

1 hour ago, Steelers0854 said:

Carlos was the CD and to be honest I wasn’t overly impressed. He seemed kind of scattered all week. Granted it was his second week on board so maybe that contributed to it. Also I felt there weren’t enough activities and performances on board. They need more live music IMO. 

We were on the same sailing and I have to agree.  I thought Carlos was very repetitive and out of his element.

[Steelers0854]

1 hour ago, Holly2 said:

Thanks for your posts. We are boarding in a couple weeks.

did you try the Aqua Spa cafe?   They have been cutting back their menu so wondering what was still being offered.  It has always been my go for lunch. 

 

 

We swung by a few times, and i just paid attention to the offerings at the counter and didn’t really look at the menu as much as I should have.  Just they always had fruit and good small salads out to pick from.

[Holly2]

thanks. You used to be able to order poached salmon or tuna.  Realize won’t be on the ship much for lunch anyway.

 

what is-the salt room in Persian garden?  

[Steelers0854]

10 hours ago, Holly2 said:

thanks. You used to be able to order poached salmon or tuna.  Realize won’t be on the ship much for lunch anyway.

 

what is-the salt room in Persian garden?  

 

It’s a sauna that has salt rocks in it, very refreshing when you come out and helps exfoliate the skin. 

[Holly2]

Thanks. Sounds great. Can’t wait.

[cruisingnewtoit]

I agree live music was lacking. I really liked Carlos, he was energetic & fun. 

[luckyinpa]

On 11/24/2019 at 8:44 AM, Steelers0854 said:

Is Aqua Class worth it?

 

In short, for most people, I don’t believe so (a perspective from sailing just on the Summit), but YMMV.

 

Let’s break this down, the 2 real benefits here are Blu and the Persian Gardens.  All the stuff that comes with it: afternoon canapés (meh at best), spa concierge (you mean the lady that answers the spa number that everyone dials?), “upgraded” toiletries (maybe someone can tell the difference), and better shower head (they all dispense water), and the other little bits and pieces along the way have no real additional value, to us.

 

Blu and the Persian Gardens is where it gets interesting.  Let’s start with the Persian Gardens.  We used it twice in 7 days, both times having it completely to ourselves.  I hate to see what it looked like on a Sea Day because they have loungers for 6 people and I guarantee you more people have access to the place than that.  It was ok, the sauna was nice, but you spend 2 hours in 7 days here and it was just ok.  And we really tried to use it because we did literally nothing else but relax the entire week.  I know on some other ships its in a much more desirable location with better views, and I am sure we would have used it more then, but then again so would everyone else lol.

 

Blu is what really gets me stuck.  The food and service were fantastic.  But i also had food throughout the week from the MDR and it was equal to, if not better, than the food in Blu.  The service is where i get stuck, and it really revolves around how they were with DW’s allergies.  She doesn’t make a fuss about her allergies, and doesn’t like to ask a lot.  When we were on Carnival she didn’t get a lot.  She basically had chicken and rice every night for dinner and that was it.   Now don’t get me wrong, they were very concerned and attentive about her allergies, but they also in no way shape or form proactively went out of their way to do anything for her.  Should she have asked, sure, but then comes Joe from Blu.  Now whether this service is unique to Joe, to Blu or to Celebrity I cant answer that question.  If this is what we can expect every time from Blu, we will only book Aqua Class and above as that alone is worth the price of entry.  But if its not, then the dining room would be just fine and we can use the money elsewhere.

 

In doing some brief searches online it seems Aqua Class can be anywhere from $200pp for 7 nights to more than $600pp for 7 nights depending on the itinerary.  For me, other than the one area stated above, its just not worth it.  Just my 2 cents.

 

And yes, I have recognized Joe in every way I could.  I spoke with Orlando, the Food and Beverage Director, emailed Celebrity, and put him on the post cruise survey.

 

love this summary and had to let you know. im new to celebrity and wasnt aware of the full perks of the classes. the pic above of blu was also an eye opener. i hate 2 tops lined up so close, i expect that in the buffet. but it is what it is.  do they just fill them in or do they try to scatter fill them in ? probably full at dinner regardless. 

 

6 loungers in the garden is just wow. great info! im considering the 10 day bermuda cruise so will take this into consideration

[Holly2]

There is a sauna anyone can use in the changing room.  I didn’t find the Persian Garden appealing because of the lack  of windows; nothing gardenlike.
you might want to-compare Blu menus with MDR.

[piggiepuff]

 

We haven't done Celebrity before and we are heading out to get on the Summit in 10 days!  I have a couple questions and I'm sorry if they've already been asked/answered.

1.  Does anyone know if the Caesar salad tastes like fish?  I know that's how it's "supposed" to taste, but where I'm from, that's just not how it tastes and I don't like fish...

2.  Is there soft-serve ice cream at the buffet?

3.  I know there's gelato but what is the cost?  

 

Thanks!

[guilga]

12 minutes ago, piggiepuff said:

 

We haven't done Celebrity before and we are heading out to get on the Summit in 10 days!  I have a couple questions and I'm sorry if they've already been asked/answered.

1.  Does anyone know if the Caesar salad tastes like fish?  I know that's how it's "supposed" to taste, but where I'm from, that's just not how it tastes and I don't like fish...

2.  Is there soft-serve ice cream at the buffet?

3.  I know there's gelato but what is the cost?  

 

Thanks!

1- It tastes slightly like fish, but not overtly. It varies from a ship to another and from one sailing to another in my experience, I've gone from outstanding Caesar salad to watery and bland ones. Try it once, maybe with the dressing on the side?, and you'll see for yourself. It's on the everyday menu of the MDR and when it's good, I end up having it almost every day.

2- The is no soft ice cream at the buffet, but there's ice cream served by a crew member. It's done in house and pretty good. I remember seeing soft-serve near the mast grill on a sailing, but I don't think it's on every ship.

3- Gelato is nothing to write home about in my opinion, it's the same quality as their ice cream. Not worth the upcharge in my opinion, I've only had it as a loyalty perk (starting on your second cruisem, you get a free scoop). It's probably around 4-5$ for a scoop.

[wrk2cruise]

48 minutes ago, piggiepuff said:

Is there soft-serve ice cream at the buffet?

 

Yes it's behind the ice cream counter on the starboard side just inside the entrance.  It's not self serve, the server behind the counter will get you a dish or a cone.

[TeaBag]

In the oceanview buffet, there is a station for make your own Caesar salad.  You could take some dressing on the side from there.

Aqua Spa cafe does not have the wonderful cooked items any longer.  I do love their caprese salad though and you can take as many as you want.

One other thing, the pastries at Al baccio are free even if you don't buy coffee.

[Holly2]

I miss the poached salmon at the Aquaspa cafe (not  just for Aqua spa cabins) but they do a nice salmon salad and have great bread sticks.

[sdnich]

On 11/25/2019 at 6:31 PM, Steelers0854 said:

we are the wrong people to ask about this one. We almost never do sailaways on deck. It’s one of the reasons we get a balcony. We grab drinks and enjoy our own little piece of the ship. 
 

my only exceptions to this would be in Alaska, San Fran under the golden gate etc. 

We have a cruise from Vancouver next year to LA and I didn’t think about the sail under the Golden gate Bridge that just became a big plus to doing the West Coast considering we live on the West Coast but have not been to some of the ports looking forward to it!! We have Boston to Quebec in September and have an aft AQ ! very excited about all those sailaways.

Thank you also for the great review will be sailing on the summit in September I just went through your whole review this morning before work!!

Edited January 16, 2020 by sdnich

[Steelers0854]

On 1/16/2020 at 12:51 PM, sdnich said:

We have a cruise from Vancouver next year to LA and I didn’t think about the sail under the Golden gate Bridge that just became a big plus to doing the West Coast considering we live on the West Coast but have not been to some of the ports looking forward to it!! We have Boston to Quebec in September and have an aft AQ ! very excited about all those sailaways.

Thank you also for the great review will be sailing on the summit in September I just went through your whole review this morning before work!!

 

Glad you enjoyed it!  We loved the ship, you will have a great time!

 

On 1/15/2020 at 2:55 PM, piggiepuff said:

 

We haven't done Celebrity before and we are heading out to get on the Summit in 10 days!  I have a couple questions and I'm sorry if they've already been asked/answered.

1.  Does anyone know if the Caesar salad tastes like fish?  I know that's how it's "supposed" to taste, but where I'm from, that's just not how it tastes and I don't like fish...

2.  Is there soft-serve ice cream at the buffet?

3.  I know there's gelato but what is the cost?  

 

Thanks!

 

2. The buffet has great ice cream, while not self service they will happily scoop as much as you want with no shaming 🙂

3. Do not under any circumstances pay for gelato.  Not only was it not kept at the right temp so it looked melted, but between the buffet and MDR you will get much better quality for free.

 

On 1/15/2020 at 1:12 PM, luckyinpa said:

 

love this summary and had to let you know. im new to celebrity and wasnt aware of the full perks of the classes. the pic above of blu was also an eye opener. i hate 2 tops lined up so close, i expect that in the buffet. but it is what it is.  do they just fill them in or do they try to scatter fill them in ? probably full at dinner regardless. 

 

6 loungers in the garden is just wow. great info! im considering the 10 day bermuda cruise so will take this into consideration

 

We are early eaters, so we go there when they opened right at 5:30 with about 4 other couples every night. They generally try and seat you in the exact same seat, or atleast with the same wait staff each night.  That said they do a good job in spacing people out.  The dining room was never full, even when we left around 7pm still plenty of seats available.  

[Swordfish1949]

Great review folks....many thanks

[luckyinpa]

On 11/24/2019 at 2:03 PM, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

Thanks for your review.  I just don't understand why Celebrity can't grasp this concept.  It's so simple.  And would make the cabin attendants' jobs so much easier.  MSC YC has a button you push that lights up to let your assistant butler know your room is ready to be made up.

NCL has this. its fantastic. we were in haven and barely saw the steward yet everything was impeccably and quickly done. its like he literally had a spy cam on our room and knew how to service it. the little lights outside the cabin were a great addition to the ships and since summits rooms were down to the studs i dont know why they couldnt implement this.