Live from the Celebrity Summit, 12/11-12/16/23

[VintageCheap]

One of my favorite "Live From" bloggers @MeganGC1983over on the Carnival board is a hard act to follow.  She is a good writer, but flies in or drives in day of departure, and maxes out the beverage package.  I am too old for both of those activities.

 

We were in Florida for a lovely cruise on the Connie and just got back.  12 days is nice, 14 is better.  I was of course cruise shopping based on price and spotted this run- excellent ship and ports and $249 Ocean View.  I was able to find decent one way flights back, and waited until we got to Tampa to cancel the back half of our cheap round trip tickets.  Airlines hate this but I was surprised to get half our fares back.

 

The idea was to rent a car at the Tampa port and drive down.  Avis was 15 cars short due to late returns.  Hertz filed police reports on these - I get why 🙂

 

Anyhow we made it, and are at the lovely and hip Hotel Indigo.  Dinner was yummy - hand made pizza (note the correct lack of a uniform 1/2  inch layer of cheese) and appetizers from Venezuela.  The chef was so surprised to get an order he came out to see us. Indigo Hotels are required to serve up to date locally inspired food but people assume it is 1987 hotel cuisine. 

 

Speaking of 1987 we missed the memo to pay extra to be on a newer ship.

 

Edited December 11, 2023 by VintageCheap

[darsura]

Thanks for posting and will be following.  We will be on the Summit in April for the first time, having sailed all her sisters ☺️.  

[r2h2]

Thanks for doing this!  We will be boarding Summit on 12/16 so looking forward to your observations and photos. Thank you

[VintageCheap]

We liked the Indigo and Brickell area of Miami.  The hotel has a cute rear patio/pool.  Breakfast was good. Room windows opened which I like.

 

Back in the day we liked the Mariott South Beach.

 

Boarding was effort and largely line less. 

 

The Sunset Grill seemed updated vs the Connie.  Some key food groups were found.  PIzza can be ruined by not being hand tossed.  Not here.

 

No stage in Reflections.

[hcat]

switched to this thread..looking forward to another great review!

[VintageCheap]

Our room, on the same floor, two, was updated.  More outlets, and good changes. 

[VintageCheap]

So the good news - the updated areas are nice.  The bad news- the library has poofed.  It is a bank of new inside cabins now.  The iCafe has moved to three.  It may not (and the meeting areas on three) be a refuge from piped in music.

 

The passenger vibe is way different. This is a five day cruise.  Not many kids, but more first timers.  More energy certainly. 

 

Wine prices are up vs. Connie. A guess is beverage sales are up 🙂

 

 

[DMS1]

@VintageCheap  Thanks for the updates, we are going on a Summit 4-nighter in February.

I would be interested to see wine prices/selection at Cellar Masters. We have the Premium but even that looks limited. Also interested to see MDR menus if possible.

Enjoy your vacay!

 

 

[MeganGC1983]

Following along! Have a great cruise! 

[mahdnc]

I’m following as well. We will be on Summit in five months. 

[jlovely]

Just got off the Summit yesterday as you boarded. Enjoy the cruise! If you see Yoga and Eunice in the MDR, tell them Jenn & Raphael say hello! They were AMAZING! 

[jlovely]

13 hours ago, DMS1 said:

@VintageCheap  Thanks for the updates, we are going on a Summit 4-nighter in February.

I would be interested to see wine prices/selection at Cellar Masters. We have the Premium but even that looks limited. Also interested to see MDR menus if possible.

Enjoy your vacay!

 

 

 

We just got off yesterday and noticed that there are wines they had at the bar and in the back rooms that weren't on the printed menus. A few times I asked for a 'great cabernet that's on the premium menu' and was given something off menu. All of the menus seemed VERY limited!

 

Same in the MDR. They always only had the same 1 wine that was in the Premium price range but brought out a separate wine menu as well as offered other suggestions. 

[VintageCheap]

18 hours ago, DMS1 said:

@VintageCheap  Thanks for the updates, we are going on a Summit 4-nighter in February.

I would be interested to see wine prices/selection at Cellar Masters. We have the Premium but even that looks limited. Also interested to see MDR menus if possible.

Enjoy your vacay!

 

 

Scones were observed in Sunset at 3:30 exactly....

 

 

[VintageCheap]

Key West was good again.  And not 95F.  We took the free city bus to the Southernmost Beach Cafe.  Where you are on the beach.  Yummy food as always. 

 

We walked over to the marina area.  So leave the ship, go straight and gently left.  Lots of nice yacht harbor bars on the docks or nearby.   Most opened at 1130.  The menus looked good.  If it is beach wear shopping you seek, Key West is the place.  We stocked up on flag belts and sun hats.

 

Back aboard, the updated cabin layout is amazing.  Note there is just one hand towel bar, and the right hand bedside light switch is too far to reach from bed.

 

The deck plan has an error- the promenade deck is on the sides only and does not include the bow. 

 

 

 

[VintageCheap]

Hint of wind and weather ahead from our Captain.  The dock in Bimini is open to the sea. 

[TommyD3]

Question about the wines. Many are $60 a bottle but then some of those are $17 a glass (within premium) and some $19 a glass ($2.40 surcharge). How do they justify the different price per glass with the same price per bottle? Will be onboard starting Saturday. Thanks !!!

[gordiej]

1 hour ago, TommyD3 said:

Question about the wines. Many are $60 a bottle but then some of those are $17 a glass (within premium) and some $19 a glass ($2.40 surcharge). How do they justify the different price per glass with the same price per bottle? Will be onboard starting Saturday. Thanks !!!

There's a whole separate thread about how the pricing often doesn't make any sense.  

 

 

[VintageCheap]

I read the wine price thread.  Might be over the pay grade of the onboard team.  One idea from the thread - is there an off list supply aboard?  I can try to ask. 

 

Decision time on docking off Bimini.  We are getting a little help from the island on the 3' waves.  The channel is narrow, but there are no whitecaps and more like 1-2 footers by the pier.  He paused a bit but is backing in.  Forecast is 5' dropping to 4'.  🙂

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by VintageCheap

[VintageCheap]

I have done this myself.  The wind app /forecast/eyeball is favorable but did not consult the weather radar.  Oops- big front coming and fast across our path.  Serious wind gusts, we are headed back out.

 

[VintageCheap]

New plan.  Dock closed.  Sea day today, Nassau tomorrow, sea day Friday.  Six foot plus seas, six -seven Beuforts + rain now.

 

No doubt a scramble in the galley - 1000 more for lunch 🙂

Edited December 13, 2023 by VintageCheap

[SRch]

We just got off equinox on the 30th and the price of conundrum red was $14 + gratuity. Red Caymus was $32. So wow Conundrum has gone up $5 in a short time period.

[VintageCheap]

39 minutes ago, SRch said:

We just got off equinox on the 30th and the price of conundrum red was $14 + gratuity. Red Caymus was $32. So wow Conundrum has gone up $5 in a short time period.

Not surprising.  I met Andres so can ask him.

 

We got a call to be sure to visit the MDR.  Lunch was fine, service a bit scattered. Dinner was good and service also.  They do well on soups and fish.  More menu options would be nice.

 

The house band was loud and fast.  We got in a dance or two with the Duo.

 

The ship gets another drydock for pool area and other touch up. 

 

Summit feels slightly more jolly aboard than Connie.  I saw quite a few crew from Africa.  Those economies there are in rough shape.  A few contracts and crew get world class hotel operations training.  Good on a resume.  This seems very positive for crew and the lines. 

 

Very gusty storm/gale force cross wind and a narrow channel at Bimini.  Case closed.  Radar is a good invention at sea in storms. 

 

Toast Event. No actual toast was served 🙂

 

 

Edited December 14, 2023 by VintageCheap

[VintageCheap]

We were the first into Nassau.  I can sit in this port and watch the ships all day. The new cruise terminal is nice and safe.  And you can go a few blocks beyond to the new water park / beach and public beach area.

 

We went toward Atlantis on Bay Street.  The Green Parrot is in a marina and had two things I could not find on the ship- Conch and Buffalo Chicken.

 

It has a local /Island vibe. 

Edited December 14, 2023 by VintageCheap

[alexandria]

Just wondering...when embarking on our recent Summit cruise we noticed a number of the cushions on the furniture in the rooftop terrace area had no covers.  They were just very dingy yellow/orange bare foam without the covers.  (A few others had covers on the cushions that were threadbare but many others were in pretty decent shape).  The covers on the bare foam cushions were not replaced during our five night cruise (why they even left the bare foam on the furniture instead of storing it until recovered was something I couldn't figure out).

 

Did they ever replace the covers on those cushions? 

[VintageCheap]

1 hour ago, alexandria said:

Just wondering...when embarking on our recent Summit cruise we noticed a number of the cushions on the furniture in the rooftop terrace area had no covers.  They were just very dingy yellow/orange bare foam without the covers.  (A few others had covers on the cushions that were threadbare but many others were in pretty decent shape).  The covers on the bare foam cushions were not replaced during our five night cruise (why they even left the bare foam on the furniture instead of storing it until recovered was something I couldn't figure out).

 

Did they ever replace the covers on those cushions? 

The cushions seem in decent shape.  The hot sun on black fabric cannot be good.  And some have been lost to high wind up there.  Pro Tip: On sailboats, bolster cushions have 18 inch rear straps and marine brass plated snaps.  Skip the hook and loop tape. 

 

We stopped at Concierge - can a guest sit in a 3rd floor meeting room to read at say 0500 to escape the multiple conflicting  sources  (not making this up) of piped in music?  She said probably- they are in use during business hours.

 

We walked by but did not again sample the High Tea goodies.  Bits of rain now but a nice day.

 

The British Colonial got a coat of paint but a lovely feature- the thatched beach umbrellas- are gone.  The reported Soft Open this week is delayed.  The idea Nassau is unsafe for cruise guests is incorrect.