1st timer researching Summit

[luckyinpa]

Never researched the summit nor celebrity but in looking for a may/June cruise I see they have the 10 day that gives you 3 days in Bermuda and this sounds great on that basis alone. This would be the most days ive spent at sea. Ive done regal princess and NCL breakaway and bliss. Most recently in haven on bliss. I wont be in a suite if I pick summit as that’s out of my price range but I saw one user’s review of the new summit and it looked great even in the normal verandas. Just as did ½ the number passengers of NCL. Plus I heard NJ is a dream to sail out of and dis/embarking is an important consideration. Any ship can get me to Bermuda but I do value the on board experience. Pools aren’t important to me at all. I think I’ve been in 1 ever. But hot tubs are. I do like the specialty dining on the other ships ive been on. Even recently researched the RCL unlimited plans and was considering a crown loft suite on oasis in June as well. love the uniqueness. It appears summit only has 3 specialty restaurants but since I just usually get the 3 meal deal I guess I’d fit right in.

 

Im guessing princess is more comparable to the summit rather than the big NCL ships and except for the haven I gotta say I much preferred Regal to the NCL ships. It has so much more indoor bad weather space except for the observation decks on bliss. So would it be fair to say princess would be more the experience than NCL , in regards to summit?

 

Also ive priced out the cruise and it appears they really nudge you to paying for all 4 perks. However this seems to pay for itself. If I read this right, its 400 out of pocket and you get free grats, booze, internet and 300 OBC. I have to be wrong, that’s too good a deal. What am I missing?

[bikerunner]

It’s the sale they have going on with the perks it’s a good deal especially if you use them sailed out of Bayonne a bunch of times and it’s a beeeze overall. Haven’t been on summit since refurbished but always like the M class ships which summit is.  Everyone had differing opinions on the differences of celebrity vs others.  I prefer them because I feel it’s more low key, don’t have announcements every hour etc.  found service to be outstanding, I worked in hospitality for a long time so I observe it constantly.  There’s a lot info to be found on them and you have done a lot of research and know what is important to you. 

[Cachecara]

We have sailed on Summit over a half dozen times.  We enjoyed her and have 3 more upcoming cruises booked on her.  So we are Summit partial. 
Have you been to Bermuda before?  It is beautiful and relaxing.  Do keep in mind the weather will be cooler in late May/early June vs summer travel. I only mention this because I enjoy beach and outdoor activity and the Atlantic will still be on the chilly side. 

[davekathy]

31 minutes ago, Cachecara said:

We have sailed on Summit over a half dozen times.  We enjoyed her and have 3 more upcoming cruises booked on her.  So we are Summit partial. 
Have you been to Bermuda before?  It is beautiful and relaxing.  Do keep in mind the weather will be cooler in late May/early June vs summer travel. I only mention this because I enjoy beach and outdoor activity and the Atlantic will still be on the chilly side. 

Have you sailed the Summit since she has been revolutionized? We liked the changes they made to the Summit. However we were surprised Celebrity didn't remodel Cellar Masters. The MDR is a huge improvement in looks/atmosphere. Except we didn't care for the looks of the high back chairs randomly placed in the MDR. The Oceanview Cafe (layout) is a big improvement also. 

[Cachecara]

We have not.  We will be on her twice this year.  And once, so far in 2021. We always hang out in the Martini Bar, so if I want a special wine, I simply take it across the way to the Martini area. 
I have seen photos of the remodel, and they appear lovely.  

[Cruise Raider]

I really wouldn't compare the Summit to the Regal Princess ... it's more like the Coral Princess, IMO.  The Regal would be more comparable to Celebrity's S Class ships.  

I am one that doesn't mind the M Class ships, though.  They are smaller and more intimate to me.  I'd have no problem booking it but it will be a little more subdued than the larger Princess or NCL ships.  

[davy jones]

We are also Celebrity first timers.  We booked Summit for the Newport/Bermuda itinerary.  

 

We have sailed NCL and RCI many times and are looking for more subdued and upscale experiences.  We tried NCL Zuiderdam and were quite pleased.   Others on this board said that Summit would be similar to Zuiderdam, so we booked.  Besides, there is no such thing as a bad cruise.

 

Truth be told though, NCL's standard cabin price with perks and the upcharges did not come near the Celebrity 4 perk price.  In addition, Celebrity's perks are better than the similar NCL offerings.

 

While others report good experiences, our embark/debark experiences at Cape Liberty on RCI have not been good.  On embark, it has been over an hour to get from the Cape Liberty entrance to the baggage drop and terrible waits to get through customs at the end of the cruise.   One of them was a partial cause of missing the bus home from the pier.  (The other part was due to a bus company error.)

 

We also lost a car that was flooded in the parking area during Hurricane Sandy.  That was before they opened the parking deck.  We just have bad luck there.  Despite the luck, we are trying again.  I'm hoping that the smaller ship and improvements have been made since our last trip through Cape Liberty two years ago.

[Alsmez]

If you have only sailed larger ships before, you may find Summit somewhat lacking in amenities. We are S-class fans but took our first cruise on Summit last summer, to Bermuda. We enjoyed Bermuda and LOVED sailing from Bayonne (we live in NYC), but Summit herself fell a bit flat for us. The ship never really felt crowded, but it did feel much more cramped than what we are accustomed to on S-class. There is no central atrium and most venues end up being walk-throughs as opposed to being set off to the side of the main "highway" of the ship. We were in a suite and made very good use of the Retreat and Lounge, and I'm not sure where we would have hung out if we didn't have access to those two areas. It wasn't a bad cruise, but we wouldn't choose an M-class ship again (unless we were in a suite AND had a very port-intensive itinerary - sea days were rather boring!).

[davekathy]

19 hours ago, Cachecara said:

We have not.  We will be on her twice this year.  And once, so far in 2021. We always hang out in the Martini Bar, so if I want a special wine, I simply take it across the way to the Martini area. 
I have seen photos of the remodel, and they appear lovely.  

If you liked the Summit pre revolution I'm guessing you'll like the Summit post revolution. 

[luckyinpa]

ive been watching vids and reading a long 30 page review. 

 

it appears there are only single sofas in the veranda and even concierge class. is that true

 

i looked at a daily and imagined myself as just in a veranda and all i see free to eat is the MDR and buffet. pool grill closes at 5.  im not a fine dining person at all but i am used to a bit more variety than that. even haven on NCL i only ate in that restaurant maybe 5 times the entire 8 days i was there. and i loved things like the Local which was a 24 hour bar/cafe type of place.

 

and the tight seating in blu for 2 is  a turn off. i hate being 6 inches from strangers like that. ive even seen pics like that in the MDR but those were up against the window. are there more private seats for 2 in MDR?

 

seems like they are really pushing you to do and UDP plan which starts about 109 if my research is right. or maybe 2 nites id eat in bermuda 🙂 yum swizzle in nachos!!!!!

[luckyinpa]

reviews like this seem common regarding the seating and since you eat everyday it would affect everyone.  anyone have luck waiting for a 'non crowded' 2 top in MDR? 

 

"We are also onboard now and I want to thank you for mentioning the MDR. The spacing of the tables has been a continuing issue for many of us in the MDR at lunch and dinner. First, even before chairs are filled, the spacing is tight in numerous areas. Once people are seated, you really need to figure out how to pass behind the chairs.  

 

At lunch today, we were seated at the railing with a nice view to the lower dining room. We were at a 2 top with another 2 top separated by about 3 inches. The waiters could not get to our table to set anything down and actually reached in front of the diners at the other table to hand us our filled water glasses, bread basket, and plates of food. When we left the table, our neighbors had to get out of their chairs to let us out."

[davekathy]

2 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

reviews like this seem common regarding the seating and since you eat everyday it would affect everyone.  anyone have luck waiting for a 'non crowded' 2 top in MDR? 

 

"We are also onboard now and I want to thank you for mentioning the MDR. The spacing of the tables has been a continuing issue for many of us in the MDR at lunch and dinner. First, even before chairs are filled, the spacing is tight in numerous areas. Once people are seated, you really need to figure out how to pass behind the chairs.  

 

At lunch today, we were seated at the railing with a nice view to the lower dining room. We were at a 2 top with another 2 top separated by about 3 inches. The waiters could not get to our table to set anything down and actually reached in front of the diners at the other table to hand us our filled water glasses, bread basket, and plates of food. When we left the table, our neighbors had to get out of their chairs to let us out."

Agee some two tops can be close. We always do two tops (including our recent Summit cruise) in the MDR/SD and have never experienced anything like what you are describing.  But we always scope out the MDR when we first board the ship, find what we consider a good table for two (location) and request it for the entire cruise (SD). Our requests have always been honored as we do SD at the same time each evening. 

[ghstudio]

Don't overthink the choice.....Princess and Celebrity are very comparable each being better in some areas than others and even that is subjective.  We've been on both a number of times and cruises can be very different even on the same ship.  We book based on itinerary, finding a cabin we like at an "affordable" (laugh) price.  We have sailed in Aqua and eaten at Blu on Celebrity, but we find the MDR just as good.  We will be in Club Class for the first time on the Regal later this year...but we find the MDR good on Princess.  Food is subjective and very variable....and every cruise is different.  We don't like Celebrity "ensemble" entertainment", but that doesn't mean you won't like it....subjective....and so on.  

 

The only way to find out if YOU like Celebrity and their M-class ships is to try one. We actually are starting to book HAL on their 1000 passenger ships....but that's due to itineraries that are more interesting to us (visiting Greenland, etc) and small ships are a nice way to cruise.    

 

If the summit itinerary works for you.....and you book a cabin away from noise sources (as you would on any ship), book it and you will have a great cruise.....

[volk904]

We have sailed on the Summit twice with a 3rd trip coming up. 
I would say Celebrity is run similar to princess but the Ship is closer to the Ruby or Crown class. Great ship but is not filled with all the newer high tech options new ships have.  That said most of the cruises it does have lots of port days so we don’t consider that an issue. In Bermuda it is really more like a floating hotel where you come and go as you please for several days.  

[Denny01]

Haven’t been on the Summit after refurb, but been on the Bermuda and Canada itineraries on Her. Summit is a perfect ship for this run. Celebrity has guest speakers join them on cruises that have days at sea such as the Bermuda run. And that adds a great deal. I’ve been on the very large ships and I’m not big on them; S-Class is about as big as I’d want to go and Summit/M-Class is a classic cruise ship.

 

The OP said they weren’t big on pools, but loved hot tubs. Celebrity M-Class ships such as Summit has the inside Solarium Pool which is my favorite at-sea pool. Usually adult only and free. Much like a large hot tub! Warm saltwater. Steel tubes on the side that form lounges with bubbles coming up through them as you lay on it. Fantastic. We get a Forward SR just below this so we can zip up in the morning and enjoy it. Perfect for the at-sea times.

 

I’d strongly recommend Summit. enjoy.

 

Den

[luckyinpa]

20 minutes ago, ghstudio said:

Don't overthink the choice.....

 

i started a thread to determine which ncl breakaway spa  haven cabins have a pole in the middle of the room vs those that dont.  i always over think 🙂  but that was my 1st cruise

 

yes i do like the summit itinerary but it's competing with the suite on oasis of the seas (duplicate of itinerary i just went on but id love to see that ship). then carnival pride does bermuda and while i realize their only suite perk is the room itself, it definitely has more food choices than the the summit (not necessarily better, just more). and the balcony room is pretty cheap on carnival too. sunshine also does a 9 day that is in bermuda one night for a cheap price but i havent research that ship at all.  i have a short window for the next cruise so that limits my options

 

then there's new ncl encore but thats over 8K for haven and near 5 just for balcony

 

the smaller royal ships have hamilton/st george cruises too. so this would be one big spreadsheet if i entertained them all. i dont know know how you people that dont mind flying to cruises can choose from it all!

 

 

[luckyinpa]

3 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

Haven’t been on the Summit after refurb, but been on the Bermuda and Canada itineraries on Her. Summit is a perfect ship for this run. Celebrity has guest speakers join them on cruises that have days at sea such as the Bermuda run. And that adds a great deal. I’ve been on the very large ships and I’m not big on them; S-Class is about as big as I’d want to go and Summit/M-Class is a classic cruise ship.

 

The OP said they weren’t big on pools, but loved hot tubs. Celebrity M-Class ships such as Summit has the inside Solarium Pool which is my favorite at-sea pool. Usually adult only and free. Much like a large hot tub! Warm saltwater. Steel tubes on the side that form lounges with bubbles coming up through them as you lay on it. Fantastic. We get a Forward SR just below this so we can zip up in the morning and enjoy it. Perfect for the at-sea times.

 

I’d strongly recommend Summit. enjoy.

 

Den

 

i wasnt aware that was an inside pool. just thought was covered. though isnt adult only a redundancy on a summit cruise? how many kids really do go on them?  

 

would you say on hot sea days more are at the topside pool vs in the indoor hot tub? i am not a fan of any pool crowd no matter what the vessel. period. 

[Alsmez]

2 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

would you say on hot sea days more are at the topside pool vs in the indoor hot tub?

 

In our experience the outdoor pools were crowded during the day, but the Solarium pool was generally not too bad. We usually headed up to the outdoor area after 5pm, when the early dining folks were out of the way, and had no trouble getting an empty hot tub (and quick service from the Pool Bar)!

[ghstudio]

42 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

 

i started a thread to determine which ncl breakaway spa  haven cabins have a pole in the middle of the room vs those that dont.  i always over think 🙂  but that was my 1st cruise

 

yes i do like the summit itinerary but it's competing with the suite on oasis of the seas

 

That would be an easy decision for us....we will never cruise on a 6000 passenger ship....we want a cruise not a resort.

 

Carnival and NCL are not in the same league....stick with Princess, Celebrity, HAL and RCL.  Of course if you really value night life and the party scene....ignore this statement.

[kenevenpar]

1 hour ago, luckyinpa said:

 

i wasnt aware that was an inside pool. just thought was covered. though isnt adult only a redundancy on a summit cruise? how many kids really do go on them?  

 

would you say on hot sea days more are at the topside pool vs in the indoor hot tub? i am not a fan of any pool crowd no matter what the vessel. period. 

 

The solarium and main pool are next to each other, and the regular pool has more pax as there is much more space and families are limited to this space.

 

There are no children in the solarium.  May, not very many children, June could have more depending on school schedules.  Many families travel on the Bermuda cruises.  All in all, it is usually less children than RCL, NCL or Princess for comparable times of the year.  Of course, every cruise could differ greatly.

[Cachecara]

The last time we did Summit to Bermuda was July 2018.  There were about 500 kids onboard.  On our past Bermuda cruises on Summit, there were far less children.  So you never know. 

[luckyinpa]

would cabins under the solarium be noisy? those are the only aqua class left if i decided on that type. 

 

normally i'm 100% against cabins under public areas

 

also there are 3 aft concierge left deck 9 but i recall someone here telling me because of bar noise they arent desirable

[luckyinpa]

6 hours ago, davekathy said:

Agee some two tops can be close. We always do two tops (including our recent Summit cruise) in the MDR/SD and have never experienced anything like what you are describing.  But we always scope out the MDR when we first board the ship, find what we consider a good table for two (location) and request it for the entire cruise (SD). Our requests have always been honored as we do SD at the same time each evening. 

 

i had no idea you can choose your table. is this at set dining or anytime

[luckyinpa]

ive been doing my research and in the cosmo mdr indeed the 2 tops are on top of each other. so thats accurate. in one pic of blu i saw online there are 4 sets of 2 coming out from the window

 

but while i knew the line skews towards the not so young crowd, ive really seen the not young people in the videos. i doubt she would care but my gf is only 34 and she may win the youngest cruiser contest 🙂

 

ive been tryign to dig thru my memory banks and only time i remember being so close together is in princess club class. they squeezed you in there really good. wasnt worth it anyway and i'm glad i got the upsell. no way worth full price. below par service for what the cost is. 

 

will have to send pics and vids to my gf to see her opinion. i did watch a video with qsine and the menu definitely interested me. tuscan i could try at least 1 or 2x.  also i see celebrity is like royal in that they hide all their pricing until you book. i found a general article saying is 109 for 3 special dinners. is this right . love or hate NCL all their pricing is up front and on their website without need to book or log in. you cannot even get royal drink pack pricing until you book. that every ship is different is nuts! 

[davekathy]

2 hours ago, luckyinpa said:

 

i had no idea you can choose your table. is this at set dining or anytime

Select Dining (SD). We use to do the same when we did Traditional Dining (TD). The best time to set it up is early on embarkation. The key to it is have early reservations for the same time every evening. Our personal preference is we'd rather sit close to another two top than sit shoulder to shoulder sharing a larger table. There are other reason also. 

Edited January 17, 2020 by davekathy