Summit - 6N Costal Cruise / Concierge Room 8069

[crusinthrough]

Recapping my recent Celebrity Summit cruise.  I added the stateroom number in the title so future cruisers could avoid this room. 

 

I've been a Celebrity cruiser for a while but had never experienced their M-Class ships but it was on my bucket list. In the past I booked Summit and Millennium cruises post-pandemic but eventually canceled them for better options either or Celebrity or another line. My last cruise with Celebrity was on the Beyond in April 2023 in the Retreat. While I previously enjoyed the perks of the Retreat, the current pricing especially for solo cruisers no longer appeals to me.

 

I've  switched my loyalty to Virgin Voyages. Their cuisine is exceptional, they offer numerous activities for solo travelers, and the overall energy is refreshing. I recently completed an 8-night trip with Virgin Voyages that I booked when cruise operations were restarting, benefiting from great prices and numerous promotions. Sadly, those deals have diminished as prices have escalated and promotions are less frequent.

 

Back to Celebrity, I had originally planned this trip as part of a back-to-back cruises. I would spend a night in Vancouver and then embark on the Celebrity Edge on Saturday for a 6-night Alaska Dawes sailing. The deal for the Edge was attractive: a single Infinite Veranda stateroom with an "All Included" package for around $1500, enhanced by some enticing Black Friday promotions like the new Celebrity X package upgrade.  It was a tough decision to let go of this booking, but as a night owl, the thought of getting off the ship in the cooler mornings for an excursion would be difficult.   I’ve sailed on the Edge before, and after my experience, the Edge would have been the better choice.

 

Price was decent on this one for a Concierge class room.  There was no triple single occupancy.  I typically don't bother with Concierge class but it was less than $100 more than a verandah and is two extra Captain Club points per night. I put in a Move Up offer to Aqua class for $75 pp.  The max bid was $150 pp.  I received an unsuccessful email three days before the cruise.  A month before the cruise there were a lot of AQ rooms available.  Then they all disappeared.  

 

Speaking of prices here is an example of Celebrity’s ridiculous prices.  There are three speciality restaurants on the Summit, Le Petit, Tuscan Grill and Sushi on 5. 

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I took a risk and flew in on the day of the cruise. It was going to be a short flight, and I opted to skip the hassle of a pre-cruise hotel stay. Complicating matters, I had to go on a last-minute business trip and didn’t get home until 10:00 PM the night before the cruise.  It was hectic trying to unpack and repack. I'm not organized enough to have pre-packed my cruise outfits before leaving for my work trip. 

 

I packed and decided not to go to sleep.  I didn't think I would get up in time.  Delta flight boarded at 5:30 AM and I was in LAX by 8:30 AM.  Early flights are tough.  Pre-ordered breakfast for my flight, which was good enough.  I was recently on United and the breakfast was awful.  I'm sticking with Delta.  

 

In LAX you have to take a free shuttle to a taxi and ride share area. I wasted about 30 min trying to figure out why Uber or Lyft wouldn’t connect me with a driver.  I finally went back inside to the information booth and was informed of the shuttle. 

 

Once in the staging area, I waited 5 min for a Uber.  The ride to the World Pier was about 30 minutes and cost $32 pre tip.  The Summit was the only major cruise line in port.  

 

 

Edited May 11 by crusinthrough

[crusinthrough]

I arrived at the port around 10:40AM.  My boarding time was 11:30 AM.  

 

Boarding went smoothly.  The last minute trip threw me off and to forget to print my luggage tags and get small bills for tips. The porter took my name and gave me a plastic luggage tag. I tipped him through Cash App. After walking inside to check in, I realized I didn't have a boarding pass because I opted for a cash account, which prevented me from progressing past the credit card stage during the online check-in process. 

 

Note on using a cash account: I started with $200 in onboard credit (OBC). I used some of this for a spa visit and spent $40 in the gift shop, which left a balance on my OBC. The only other charges were for gratuities. By the third day, Guest Services began calling my room several times a day and even left letters under my door requesting that I add a credit card to my file. The calls became so frequent and disruptive that I eventually took the phone off the hook.

 

I checked in and was advised to have a seat.  I did not notice a separate area for Retreat but I also was not paying much attention.  Retreat, Priority Access and Elites were called first.  Up an escalator and I was walking up the gangway at 10:58.  

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My first impression getting on the ship was meh.  There was no wow factor.  I went to my room to drop off my bag. I can't remember when the rooms were ready.  I don't recall there being an announcement but I was also in the dining room after 12:30.  

 

The ship reminds me of Holland America Eurodmn with the location of the elevators and brown wood cabin doors.  

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The MDR opened at 12:30 for Concierge class and Priority Access guests.  

 

Headed to the Martini Bar for a drink.  Usually a highlight on the S Class ship but it was an eye sore on the Summit.  The bartender joked it was global warming but Celebrity needs to do better especially with the prices.  The issues was never resolved during the cruise.  Maybe it will get fixed in Alaska.  

 

 

Edited May 11 by crusinthrough

[crusinthrough]

There were a few spots of solid ice for a first drink picture. A cucumber mint martini.  I asked for a short glass to walk around.  

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Walked around the ship a bit to waste time then headed to lunch. I saw all the typical Celebrity venues but everything seems close to each other and not spread out like on bigger ships.

 

Lunch was served in the Cosmopolitan Restaurant on deck 4.  This was the best meal I had on the cruise.  

 

I was skeptical on the butternut squash soup but it was tasty.  I also had the caesar salad starter.  The Moroccan braised short ribs were cooked perfectly.  I swapped the couscous for mashed potatoes.  

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After lunch I headed to back to my room.  The new decor is relaxing.  

 

There was a bottle of un-chilled inexpensive ($5.99 at Total wine) champagne waiting.   This felt like a let down after Virgin Voyages, which serves Moet  Champagne flutes would have been a nice touch.  

 

The Good

- Location - a short walk aft or forward.  Oceanview is on deck 10.  I walked up and down.  

- There was a crew area right across from room but I never heard any noise.  

- I appreciated having a light on the balcony.  New ships did away with the light.

- Lots of hangers 

- Seems like ample drawer space.  I don't unpack my bag so I cannot comment on space. 

 

The Bad

- This room was noisy.  

- It sounded like something was dripping in the bathroom all day.  In the middle of the night I checked the sink several times but there was no water dripping and the sink was dry.  I couldn't figure it out but it was very annoying.

- Then there was creaking and a banging sound when the ship was moving.  Unfortunately, the waves were high and the ship was rocking this trip.  The noise never stopped. 

- Looking at the mirror drove me insane.  It's time for a replacement.  

- The safe is tiny.

 

There was a robe in the room.  I think this is a concierge class amenity.  

 

Edited May 11 by crusinthrough

[crusinthrough]

The balcony was spacious especially compared to Princess. There were two lounge chairs but no foot rest. Honestly it was too cold to sit out there.  I enjoyed the natural light in the morning and seeing the sunrise/sunset. 

Edited May 11 by crusinthrough

[crusinthrough]

Bigelow - body wash, shampoo and conditioner in shower and hand lotion in the bathroom.

[crusinthrough]

I think this bag is an amenity with Concierge class or maybe it's in every room.  

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This chain may be a Captain Club amenity.  

Edited May 11 by crusinthrough

[crusinthrough]

One lamp on the nightstand by the bed has a 110V outlet.  There are two 110V outlets, one 220V and two USB plugs available  on the wall in the desk area. 

[crusinthrough]

The wall was busting at the seams. This is right under the tv so hard to ignore. 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

14 minutes ago, crusinthrough said:

This chain may be a Captain Club amenity.  

No, I think that's given to everyone. You get the charms to go in every day.

[crusinthrough]

The Satellite tv didn't work much on this trip.  I spent more time than normal in my room this trip and a working tv would have been nice. 

[crusinthrough]

Just now, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

No, I think that's given to everyone. You get the charms to go in every day.

Thank you for the clarification.  

[crusinthrough]

I forgot to mention that rooms are serviced two times a day.