1st time cruiser back from the summit--my impressions

[stwatt]

having used these boards heavily in preparing for our first cruise ever, i thought i would give some of my thoughts about our alaskan cruise on the summit from 5-25 to 6-1 (vancouver to seward) i'll try to hit the hot topics that seemed to always get asked. and remember these are just my impressions, opinions, so someone else may have a totally different experience. here goes:

 

DINING: DON'T SWEAT the formal/informal what to wear issue. we saw people dressed from tux/elaborate gowns to folks dressed casually nice. and it did not seem to matter. i would say that on formal nite, suits for men were the norm--not necessarily dark, and i didn't see too many tuxedos. i also saw just a sport coat and slacks and some with no suit or sportcoat at all on formal nite. for ladies, there were some elegant gowns, cocktail dresses, lots of "church outfits", and lots of pantsuit outfits--all on formal nite. men do not have to wear ties on informal nite--straight out of the summit itinerary. since this was my first cruise ever, i have no way to compare it with other destinations, but i suspect the alaska cruises are just more casual. for the record, we wore dark suit/evening gown on formal nites--it was great to get a picture

 

DINING: food quality info--i was somewhat disappointed! there were some really good things(hamburgers in pool cafe, waffles, lobster) but to me the casual dining/buffet areas were on par with a "golden corral" in quality. desserts most of the time looked much better than they tasted. pasta bar was pretty good, made to order breakfast was consistently good. for evening dining, many folks on these boards say to stick with the beef entree and i would agree with that. the temptation at dinner is to order a seafood entree thinking it is alaskan fresh--it's not. overall my impression of the dining was "quantity is the priority, not quality". just my opinion--but there were some very tasty entrees at dinner

 

PORTS OF CALL we booked all of our excursions independently using recommendations from these boards. all excursions were just like people say here, they were great.

ketchikan--we went halibut fishing, i called the guides that many recommended(i can't remember the name) he was booked but he gave me a guy named Tad Mcnabb from "ketchikan Outdoors" he was friendly, put us on the fish, and also made a sightseeing event out of the excursion

juneau--harv and marvs whale watching, 6 people or less on the boats, and absolute great time. their van picks you up, takes you thru juneau pointed out things about the town on way to the small boat harber. on way back the van takes you to mendenhall glacier. the driver recommended the "twisted fish" restaurant right next the the docks. it was great, really fresh seafood.

skagway--train, yukon tour with chilkoot. the train was nice, takes a long time to get thru customs to go to carcross. you have a meal just outside carcross at a place that has a stuffed animal museum, dog sled pups. then you go to emerald lake--it was pretty, but it looked like a big pond to me! this excursion was my least favorite(train was beautiful scenery--but everywhere you look is beautiful scenery up there!!)

 

ONE LAST WORD about the ports--it was so disappointing to see these picturesque little towns spoiled by all the jewelry, gift shops owned by the cruise lines. i know the almighty dollar dictates just about everything, but i didn't realize it would be that bad

 

OVERALL CRUISE IMPRESSION we were with our 11 yr old son, didn't go to many of the entertainment options(always seemed to be tired)so we thought the cruise was just okay. it was a great way to visit multiple places--and after spending another week in alaska after the cruise, it is probably a pretty good value(food and lodging and excursions are really expensive up there) but it didn't just captivate us like we thought it might. we gave the cruise experience a 7 out of 10.

 

hopes this helps--and i probably won't be back to the boards until my next cruise, so if someone asks a question, i may not get to it.

[r5516]

We also just completed the 5/25 to 6/1 cruise. We have completed 6 cruises, 4 aboard Celebrity. Celebrity by far is the best in both food service and related amentites. We elected a post cruise tour to Denali and Fairbanks, the sights were spectacular and the service by Celebrity on the land portion were outstanding.

 

The ship board food service was also outstandiing, we were at the second seating and the menu options were varied and such that neither my wife nor my self ever found it necessary to request one of the optional offerings.

 

While I am not a big desert person, I enjoyed the chocolate cake or ice cream.

 

I would strongly recommend this or a similar cruise to anyone who wants to experience a wide variety of photo opportunites and a little bit of history from the early 1900's.

 

I also enjoyed the pasta station at lunch, the chef was quite adept at preparing shrimp, scallops, tomatoes and mushrooms with garlic then stirring with pasta with a light tomato sauce. this was so tasty that I enjoyed this for several days for lunch.

 

We really enjoyed our trip.

[joeinsb]

Since Stwatt "probably won't be back" on CC's boards, this is a moot point. But what the heck. Stwatt, I doubt of all those trinket stores ashore are owned by the cruise line. If they were, I don't think Alaska would be taxing cruisers for cluttering up their cutesy towns.

[greatful]

STWATT said "but to me the casual dining/buffet areas were on par with a "golden corral" in quality. desserts most of the time looked much better than they tasted"

 

I'm wondering if he goes to a very upscale Golden Corral, because I thought the Summit food was a lot better than our local Golden Corral which is pretty nasty.

[meyer4two]

We were on the Summit twice & thought the ship was wonderful plus the food was excellent. Did the Alaskan cruise & enjoyed it so much I would do it again. One of the best cruises we took. No complaints here.

[Lois R]

Food is always so subjective. Every cruiser has their own

tastes.

I also think the food is much better than Golden Corral.

 

Actually, the Golden Corral here is...well, lets just say

they spray the plastic sheilds (that cover the food area) while

the food is in place:eek: yikes....talk about unsanitary.

I won't be eating there again anytime soon.

 

To the OP, sorry your cruise sounded only mediocre.

I went to Alaska last summer and had a fantastic time:)

[rebeccalouise]

I've cruised to Alaska four times and find it to be spectacular each time. I have never cruise to Alaska with Celebrity but can't imagine the cruise was just "ok". I don't know if the OP was referring to the ship or the entire experience. Because, I could cruise on a barge to Alaska and have a great time- the scenery is spectacular.

I've cruised on Millenium and Constellation (sister to Summit) and have to say that they are my all-time favorite ships.

So for a cruise newbie- I doubt cruising is his bag. And that is reasonable to say. It isn't for everyone.

[stwatt]

i just thought the more personal opinions, impressions,etc the better for these message boards. my opinions are just that--they're mine and not meant to be a slam to celebrity. i guess i had too lofty a preconceived notion of what to expect. however, my final impressions--despite my "critique" was positive which means there was more "better" than "worse" for us on our cruise

[rebeccalouise]

Of course you are entitled to your opinion. I just think that if you just gave the cruise a 7/10 and came away with a "just okay" feeling- that you probably aren't going to be a big fan of cruising- period.

There are other lines that are more luxurious- Crystal, Oceania, etc. but of the mass market lines- Royal Caribbean, Princess, Carnival, Norwegian, etc.- Celebrity is pretty hard to beat.

As for the food on board- I agree with many of your statements. The hype over the Celebrity food is a bit overblown. It is good food but nothing to write home about. It is uninspired and the desserts are "blah". But the overall cruise experience is wonderful in my view.

[PanamaCanal07]

I also have enjoyed Summit previously. But it is like different strokes for different folks. I can hardly wait to go again

[BobN]

Having sailed on the Summit 5 times and we are booked for # 6 on October 26th to Hawaii, we did the same itenary in April 06. As for the desserts most are good and the cheese cakes are to kill for, almost every day they have a different one. As for the main dishes you will always find some you dont like, you can always ask for a substitute for a dish that you did not care for.

[rebeccalouise]

I never had cheesecake "to kill for" or to die for on Celebrity. Don't even remember cheesecake per se. I love Celebrity but find that their desserts look pretty but are bland. Just my two cents. In fact, this is the one area where I think there is need for improvement.

I was on Royal Caribbean and loved their desserts- as well as Disney and Oceania in the past few months and their desserts were good (not great) but Celebrity's just aren't flavorful IMO.

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I never had cheesecake "to kill for" or to die for on Celebrity. Don't even remember cheesecake per se.

 

Rebecca,

 

You will find them at the lunch buffet dessert station. They have different varieties almost daily. Also, often on the dinner menu in main dining.

[BobN]

As for RCCL we were on the Soverign last October for our 50th anniversary and found that the whole pastery selection was fit only for the trash bin.

We had booked 5 cabins and would never cruise RCCL agaion, they may be the prime owners of Celebrity but in my estimation they may as well compare themselves to the defunct Regency line.

[Nancyquilts]

As for RCCL we were on the Soverign last October for our 50th anniversary and found that the whole pastery selection was fit only for the trash bin.

We had booked 5 cabins and would never cruise RCCL agaion, they may be the prime owners of Celebrity but in my estimation they may as well compare themselves to the defunct Regency line.

I wouldn't compare them to Regency - at least the public facilities aren't held together with duct tape on RCCL. And we even enjoyed our two cruises on Regency - we knew what we were getting. But we like RCCL better - have over 10 cruises on them (and even an aft balcony once - that was really living.) Nancy

[Mary El]

I have to agree with stwatt in most cases. We were on the same cruise, and did the return back to Vancouver on 1 June. We are Elite members and have cruised with Celebrity 20+ times (that’s “real” cruises, and not the extra points you get with longer cruises and booking either suites or CC cabins). The menu has changed and you can see the differences now Michele Roux is gone. Hardly any vegetables are served with your main course, which is great if you are on the Atkins diet. We did not eat at the casual dining for dinner but did eat at the buffet for breakfast and lunch, most times. The waffles are great, but the rest has become rather blah. I ordered the filet mignon on the second leg and it was inedible. If I dropped the steak on the floor it would have made a dent on in it. The lobster was tasteless, not Maine lobster. I did hear from the Executive Chef that the menu in the Normandie will also be changing.

 

No more chocolates at the Cova Café with your cappuccino. I noticed that no longer are peanuts or other small snacks available in the lounges (Martini Bar, Rondez Vous Lounge). The bean counters in Miami have taken over.

 

As for the entertainment, we also did not go the shows. However, the guitarist who played many times in the Cova Café (Jefferson Ang), and the quartet of singers, the Dischords who also played at the Cova were outstanding. The Dischords drew a standing room only crowd when they were signing. As for the Cruise Director, I better not voice my real opinion here since this is a family message board. Suffice it to say he was not to been seen, and when seen was full of himself. I sure would like to know why on the second leg of our cruise, at the second formal night why Auld Lang Syne was not sung. Maybe having the Celebrity Orchestra play for an extra 3 minutes costs extra money.

 

She is right about the picturesque towns being ruined by the stores that Celebrity and other cruise lines shill. We have cruised Alaska before and have noticed the takeover of the stores that you see all around the Caribbean. I overheard a woman in Skagway, a resident, who is petitioning the Governor about how so many of the stores are from out of town, and apparently, according to her, do not pay city taxes. The local residents have to pony up for the city upkeep. We shopped mainly in Alaskan owned businesses. Diamonds International etc, pay a hefty price to be advertised (shilled) by the cruise lines and the small businesses just can’t afford to be advertised by the cruise lines.

 

But one last word in defense of Celebrity: the crew are still outstanding. Our cabin steward, and dinner wait staff were wonderful.

 

I know I will probably be blasted for posting some of my negative comments here. But I really have noticed many subtle changes with Celebrity now.

[rebeccalouise]

The diningroom was the same before Micheal Roux abandoned ship. I was on Constellation last year (April 2006) and they do not serve any vegetables with the main courses. You get a salad and then meat and potatoes. I noticed this then. I do not remember even one truly memorable meal- including lobster.

But having said all this- the service is excellent. My tablemates have always been great and the dining experience is a true experience. So, I love dressing for dinner. In a way, I am glad that I would rather bask in the conversation rather than gorge myself on sumptuous cuisine.

The best thing I have had on Celebrity are their sticky buns (to die for) in the buffet (served every third day or so). The spa cuisine is very nice and loved the rice pudding. I also love my cheeseburgers by the pool.

 

I still rate Celebrity #1 of all the lines I have sailed. Oceania came a close second. I value service and crew friendliness higher than fine dining. I work in a restaurant and can eat whatever I want for free. So food isn't the reason I cruise. If people think that Celebrity is going to be gourmet- think again. But their midnight buffet and pool side buffets are spectacular! And don't miss the island party poolside- it is great!

[hdawson]

In defese of Golden Corall, ours is great. Home style cooking. The fried chicken is great, meat loaf like my grandma's, lots of fresh fruit, many salad options, so-so deserts but lots of choices, real mashed potatoes, and complementary coffee with desert. And they don't put tons of food out to set on the steamtable all at once. Very good and a great value.

 

Now based on my five Celebrity cruises, GC doesn't even rate.

[RoseM]

My daughter and I were on the Summit March l7th....14 day RT to Hawaii.

 

Previously had sailed on the Mercury 2005. The food wasn't as good as on the Mercury but I didn't complain about it..I've found that even in restaurants you go to all the time sometimes the food tastes different. Also there were different opinions at the table about the food. People have different tastes....my daughter & I don't eat the same things, I Like to try things I don't get at "home", she sticks to things she likes. At our table one lady had the waiter bring a plate of 4 different kinds of vegetables every night along with her entre...for desert, she usually had ice cream with a bowl of Mixed berries.

 

One night they had two entres I wanted, one being the little lamb chops. when I told the waiter I couldn't deceide, he brought my steak and a plate of chops for the table for who ever wanted them. It doesn't get much better than that for service.

 

I tried all of the places on the ship that had food....no compaints!!

 

I've been on 16 cruises with 4 cruise lines....and Celebrity is the one for me. I have another one booked for this year to Alaska, and one next year to Mexico.

[stwatt]

since i kind of stirred this up, i totally agree that the service, waiters, attendents,etc was great. that was certainly a treat. our golden corral is also pretty good(when it's fresh) but not great and that is what i was implying in my original post. the pool cafe was also very good(hamburgers).

[hdawson]

It appears that the burgers at the pool are fresh beef rather than the typical frozen patties. They really are very good.

[Mouthdoc]

Recently off the Infinity Alaska 5/27. We did have chocolates with coffee in the Cova Cafe and peanuts, etc. in the lounges. The food, much better than Golden Corral, but not gourmet - just my opinion.

[CAPRI]

I was thinking about posting a review in a few days...just got home from the 6/1 sailing. Family had a great time, hubby and kids said it was their favorite cruise ever. But, I hate to say this , especially to all those that feel really attatched to Celebrity, I think we liked the cruise so much beacuse of the destination more than anything else. Alaska was so beautiful; we'd been before , but not recently and never with such great weather. We had such great excursions at each port, mostly with advice from these boards and getting rental cars.

 

But, being our first cruise on Celebrity, I think I was just expecting too much. I think somehow after reading all the superlatives for every catagory (food, cabins, service, spa, entertainment etc etc) I just built up in my head some kind of unrealistic idea. Because I will be honest here, if it werent for the destination and the great weather, I would not be ranking this ship so highly on the list.

I felt a great deal of disappointment with the appearance of the cabin and the condition of the bed and bedding among other things.

 

Sorry to go off topic there, back to the topic at hand... as to the food, I would have to say for me it was mostly very good, esp in the Cosmopolitan. But not suberb. Definately not. Normandie was superb. One or two entrees in the Cosmo ( rack of lamb comes to mind) were superb. The rest, I would put in the good to just fine catagory. Of course the waffles and almond croissants fall into the superb catagory, how could they not?

The buffet food was...well, buffet food. Im not surprised, I dont know why I expected anything better. Its hard to do buffet food that doesnt taste like what it is. But for some reason I did have a notion before boarding , I guess from all I'd read, that even the buffet would somehow be fabulous. Reality check. lol.

 

Maybe Im just an odd duck, but my main disappointments were actually service related. I havent ever seen anyone mention it, so I hesitate to, but truthfully I was surprised by the demeanor and comportment of many of the crew members. By crew, I dont actually mean cabin stewards, dining room waiters etc. They were all wonderful. I mean supervisors, officers, well, not sure how to say this correctly, I guess I mean those who seemed to come from Europe. Anyway, not really anything dramatic (well, one or two incidents lol) but mostly just little things, things Ive seen on other ships, just unexpected on this one.

We are booked for the 15 day Hawaii on Summit this Christmas. Sigh. Not sure how I feel about that at the moment. Think I'll let some time go by and my experiences settle before I think too much about this upcoming cruise on Summit again.

 

Cheers

Lisa

[Lois R]

Hi Lisa, your comments are interesting. Can you explain

them in a bit more detail? What happened with the Supervisors

and Officers? Did you have run-ins with them?

Just curious really.

 

Glad your family had a good time though.:)

[rebeccalouise]

It sounds like the vibe is different on Summit than Millenium and Constellation. I have sailed both those ships recently and loved every minute on board both vessels- very much.

I am doing Millenium in Europe and the vessel is probably going to be secondary to the ports of call. But I am really happy to be sailing Millenium.

 

It is strange to me to hear such lukewarm reports on Summit. Has anyone else noticed a difference between Summit and the other Millenium class ships?