Celebrity Summit Reviews

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The reputation of Celebrity Cruise lines had me at high expectations, but the Summit falls short in many areas, mainly in the food, and ambiance. In my past experience, I've had an extremely pleasant experience on a Princess cruise that took me to the Eastern Caribbean and I basically chose this particular cruise due to the ports that the Summit was stopping in the Souther Caribbean (St. Croix, St. Kitts, Dominca, Grenada and St. Thomas). In the simple areas such as food, ambiance, and website that these were areas to work on. Food - Cruises are known for having great food and excelling in the dining experience. My friend and I are foodies and currently live in DC where we can basically walk out and grab a fabulous bite to eat. The food was completely dissapointing and were both appalled that the food in the dining room (we had done anytime dining) was usually salty, covered in a brown sauce, and was nothing to write home about. Aside from the food, our first time in the dining room on formal night we were in there for about 2.5 hours - basically they sat all 8 tables of 2 to our waitress at one time which slammed the service. Another annoying point was the beverage taker would only show in the beginning of service and if you wanted anything else you basically had to chase someone down in the restuarant. On nights we ate later in the night we had much more attentive service, but in the past I've never had a problem. I would like to point out that the fruit and vegetables did not seem fresh at all as the 5 fruits they offered and the salads from the salad bar seemed limp and grayish. My friend and I had one wonderful meal on the boat (we ate at both specialty restuarants at Qsine and Normandie) and it was at Normandie, but then again this was on the last night and there was an empty restaurant. The food in Qsine is impressive and presentation is super amazing, but at times our dishes we ordered were just overcooked or felt like they were cold and then sitting under a heat lamp for awhile. I would like to point out the highlight of the boat, was most definitely the Martini bar, Coffee and Gelato stands - all of course extra. Overall, the food was very dissapointing on the celebrity Summit. Ambiance - the Summit is a remodeled boat. Often we have had people at our table (we would choose to sit in any configuration) and many of the people we have met were impressed with the new renovations on the boat and how they did not recognize the ship at times. But as a first time guest, the interiors were nice, but much maintenance was being done on a regular basis. I cannot say there was a time where I did not see someone painting the exterior of the boat - I completely understand that the sea water is harsh, but I can tell a lot of maintenance is used on a daily basis. In my review of ambiance, I would like to mention my cabin. I had an interior room on the 8 deck, my friend and I did not spend too much time in there was we were always on the top deck or on the side decks on level 4, but I must say I was appalled that there was a hole in the wall of my shower next to the shower dial. While the bathroom did look dated, I would say the rest of the cabin was quite comfortable and had a good layout for such small quarters.

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We just returned from our May 13th cruise to Bermuda. It was our 7th Celebrity cruise and our 4th Summit cruise. This was our first experience on Aqua Class. Based on many of the previous reviews I was frankly a little hesitant about the experience. But I can assure you that this cruise was one of our very favorites. Embarkation was the quickest we've ever experienced. We arrived at the Bayonne Terminal at 10:30 am, dropped off our luggage, parked the car and within 20 minutes we were sitting at the Sunset Bar with a drink in hand. Amazing! Our cabin was 1106 which was one of the new cabins on the 11th floor. Our stateroom attendant was Belinda who was just fabulous. She's had other wonderful reviews here and she deserves them! We really enjoyed the 11th floor because it seems a bit more private and secluded. There is also easy access by stairway to the Sunset Bar (one of our favorite places on the ship). Each day we had 2 or more bottles of Evian water provided for free. The veranda was clean and I never noticed soot coming from the smoke stacks as other people have noted. Our dining each day was in Blu as opposed to the MDR. For us, the "jury is still out" concerning Blu. The service in Blu is exceptional. However I'm not really convinced that the food is all that terrific. We did find out that if there is anything on the MDR menu you can order it in Blu and it will be provided for you there. My husband, who is a very picky eater, did not really enjoy the Blu menu too much. The waiter noticed that he was not finishing his meals and immediately informed the maitre'd who questioned my husband. He informed my husband that they would actually cook something special for him. Amazing. We really enjoyed breakfast each day in Blu. Especially enjoyed the smoothies. We also thought that the food at the buffet was outstanding and was far better than we remembered from previous cruises. If you cannot find something there to eat at lunchtime then you just aren't looking hard enough. A couple nights, (when we really weren't that hungry) we ate dinner at the buffet and enjoyed the pasta and Indian food offerings. It was also very good. Overall the service and cleanliness of Summit is incredible. Whether at the pool or at a bar there are plenty of waiters ready to take your order or clear away a tray. Everyone you meet is pleasant and wonderful to the passengers. They are cleaning that ship non-stop. We thought that the entertainment at the shows had also improved since our last cruise on Summit. The Cruise Director was very nice and imho does not deserve the negative reviews that she often receives here. Our favorite show was Sirens. As I stated before our favorite bar is the Sunset Bar on deck 10 aft. One of the regular servers there is Patrick who knows how to take care of the passengers. We also enjoyed the Martini Bar. Igor is just incredible at making Martini Flights. (Have your camera ready for this one!). Cellar Masters is just so-so. We much rather have Cellar Masters on the S-class ships because it a separate room and not a walk though area. We took the ferry to St. George and Hamilton while we were in Bermuda and especially enjoyed St. George. Watch that sun in Bermuda! You can get seriously burned even if it's overcast. Also, a warning please be VERY careful if you plan on renting a scooter at the Dockyard. A man from our cruise was killed, and his wife was hospitalized in critical condition on a scooter accident. It can be very dangerous. We did have one problem on our cruise concerning our room. On our first night at sea we had a horrible sewer smell coming from the bathroom. It became so bad that it kept us up most of the night. The next morning I went to Kevin the Concierge and informed him of the problem. With 1 hour our cabin was inundated with "white shirts", plumbers and officers who were determined to fix the problem. Both Kevin and the head Maintenance Officer were so apologetic that we had to deal with one night of the sewer smell in our room. I know that I've read about these problems before on Summit but they dealt with it immediately and fixed it. This small incident did not ruin our cruise. In fact the care which the crew dealt with the situation increased our respect and admiration for Celebrity. My advice to you is if this happens in your cabin go to Guest Services or the Concierge and get it fixed. Disembarkation was just as painless as embarkation. My husband said that we wait in line longer at Wal-Mart than we did going through Customs. In conclusion this was a fabulous cruise and one that we enjoyed immensely. We're already booked on our next Summit cruise and can't wait to step back on her again.

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This was first cruise with Celebrity for us (after 3 with Carnival) and overall it was a great experience. My wife upgraded us to Aqua class which was a great move. We walked into the large terminal at Cape Liberty and were ushered to a separate check-in area and were on the ship very quickly. Consistent with other reviews we had read, the new rooms on the 11th deck were smaller than others we had on previous cruises but adequate enough. We had excellent cabin service throughout the cruise and enjoyed the treats that came with Aqua class. We didn't take much advantage of the free spa option that came with Aqua but did enjoy eating in the specialty restaurant, Blu, every night. I had a few nights of difficulty getting drink orders, but once I got our excellent Maitre'd involved, the attention was excellent. I don't think others had any issues -- it seems that once you get started with regular drinks from the same staff, they remember what you want and were very attentive and pleasant. We typically had breakfast at the Waterfall Cafe as the made to order omelets and the plentiful sides were more than adequate. We had lunch just once in the dining area which was fine but we preferred the quick buffet meals of Waterfall and for a fast stop, the pizza and burgers were very good. I hit the gym every morning early so there weren't many lines. My wife did some yoga which she didn't really care for but she loved the spa treatment (massage) that she had. There were some good shows and having the dancers do their thing and teach others in the Revelations Lounge was a nice touch. The highlight may have been the pianist, who was excellent. (His playing along to Lady Gaga video was great). We couldn't get enough of Nestor Santurio, whose personality, showmanship and Spanish guitar flair were amazing enough for my wife to buy his CDs. We met some great couples on this trip and shared the first day with a couple on an all day taxi tour of Bermuda. I had read much about blue flag taxis but didn't see any like that on the pier. I did see a sign held up by Duke, who I had read about, as he was waiting for someone who had reserved him. I talked to him about it and he said to just talk to them and go with someone you felt comfortable with. Our riding companion was astute enough to observe the vehicles while we were waiting to get off the ship so he picked out one who had a very nice vehicle. She turned out to be an excellent tour guide and we got to see a little of everything on the island. With 2 couples, it worked out that we paid about the same as a ship excursion but got more time and were able to "customize" it. (Example: Two of us were golfers and we spent some time at Port Royal and Southampton courses). Of course we had to stop at the renowned Swizzle Inn for lunch. We had an open ended day, but I would suggest people specify the max time if they want to limit the expense. We were all flexible and she was good enough that we were planning to tip her 20 per couple but since she was closer to 7 hours and charged for 8 we did 10 each so it worked out like 7 ? 1/2 with tip. I tlaked to one couple who had done such a tour by themsleves and I think without doubling up, it might be better to do the ship excursion. We planned to take the ferry to St. Georges on Day 2 but it was full so we got on the Hamilton ferry but decided that we didn't want to take the bus over so just had a short day there. There were still things to do on the ship and the eating was expensive in Bermuda so we were content to take it easy. On the last day we spent time at the Dockyard area in King's Wharf. While my wife was checking out the glass making, I wandered over to Snorkel Beach. It was drizzling so there was no charge that day and soon the clouds opened up. I regret not going there once -- looked like a nice little area to get wet and have something to eat and drink. The Bermudans really needed the rain for their drinking water so we weren't that upset that the last day was shortened. We decided to have breakfast in Blu the last morning instead of Waterfall and except for getting one last chance to see many of the friends we had made, it was a bad decision food wise. They were just not ready to handle all those people in such a short time and service was slow and orders were messed up. It didn't detract from the wonderful evenings we'd had, but they need to address that. Disembarking was delayed slightly, possibly due to some unfortunate health-related events (there may have been a passenger death), but once it got going it was super smooth. Off the ships, found our bags, customs was very well organized and Cape Liberty and in no time at all we got to our car and headed back home.

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We had a great time on this ship and the entire trip some points and suggestions to note: 1. Qsine restuarant is a must!! We went twice! Loved the atmosphere, service and food! 2. Great array of food, we are quite picky eaters and we were able to find more than enough food to please us. The room service is quick efficient. 3. The staff was all over the ship at all times ready and willing to assist with every need. They were very kind and always visible. 4. Rooms were excellent. Although some in our party was disturbed by the lack of towel art to greet us on the beds - this was not an issue for us. We preferred the service and the other ammentities. 5. Great suggestion I got from this site..take a power strip if you have many electronics. We can 2 cameras, a Nook, wireless headsets,etc. The power strip came in handy thanks who ever suggested it!! 6. The beverage package is per person NOT per couple!! But it is a great deal no matter which one you choose. We did the premium non alcohol one and it was great, vitamin water, evian, smoothies, coffee, tea, etc. all were included. 7. The Gelati station was a favorite of mine.... 8. Pic and pay for your own excursions...they are way too over priced when going through the ship. 9. Bring a lanyard for your ship card as they don't give you one like other ships..they gave a bag instead - which we didn't use. 10. The gym fills up quickly even though its a nice size with lots of equipment - we went really early to get what we wanted!!! Lastly, enjoy your trip!!!! I'm sure i forgot a lot of good stuff.

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Embarkation; 3 stars Even though the cruise didn't leave until 8:30pm, we were able to get on around noon. Baggage drop off and porters aren't really a Celebrity issue but the porters were very aggressive seeking tips. Check in was a little slow. There was a family in front of us that was obviously having some issues but we weren't offered the chance to move to another line. Once on board we were greeted with the very welcoming sparkling wine or mimosa. Ship; 3 stars The ship looked good. We've never been on the Summit so I can't really weigh in on a post-refurbishment comparison. The public areas looked new and fresh. The layout of some areas, though, looked like the Solsticization was shoe-horned in. For instance, the Revelations Lounge no longer has a full sweeping view ahead and the Cellar Masters isn't in a cellar or separate room but a pass through area near the MDR. The music was sometimes too loud and often not appropriate for the setting. For instance Cellar Masters often had a techno beat which just seems "off" for a wine bar area. Our Deck 11 Aqua Class cabin was new. The room and balcony seemed smaller than the same class cabins on Solstice class ships but it was big enough. There were two chairs and a table but no footstools on the balcony. The balcony also had doors on the dividers that would be nice if you were traveling with another couple next door. The cabin had a safe and Wi-Fi reception was fine. It also has the new shower head typical of Aqua Class and glass doors. The shower had a clothes line and bottled shampoo and conditioner. The wall at the foot of the bed was one big mirror which was a little odd. The layout of the closet doors at the entrance didn't mesh well with the door to the bathroom just opposite the closets; it became a little bit of a maze if one of us had a closet door open and one was opening the bathroom door. The toilet didn't always flush the first time. Our room steward just told us to wait ten minutes and try again. Sometimes it took 20 minutes but eventually it worked. I know others had problems too, so proactive concern and attention from the staff and management was in order but not forthcoming. Staff; 3 stars Service was mixed. The assistant waiter in Blu, Mustafa, was excellent. The sommelier in Cellar Masters (Laurentio--sp?) was good. As noted, our cabin steward was not apologetic about the toilet problem, but she and her assistant kept the room in great shape. The sommelier in Blu was efficient and the waiters there were as well. For some reason we had two different waiters even though we had the same section each night. Breakfast in Blu was quite slow on a couple mornings. The Martini Bar seemed unnaturally quiet every time I went by. Other bars seemed good. The service in QSine, Bistro on 5 and Cafe al Bacio was good, although the Cafe staff often seemed quite busy and could use another hand. Casino staff was fine. We had to work with Guest Relations on an issue and they did a good job as did the Captains Club staffer. Overall though, the staff seemed less friendly than on other Celebrity ships. Food and beverage; 4 stars We ate in Blu every night except once in QSine. The food in Blu was really very good, from appetizer to dessert. I realize food is subjective but we both really liked it. Dinner is QSine was also very good. Room service breakfast one morning was a real low light. It arrived on time and the coffee was hot, but the eggs, pancakes and toast were all cold; there was no butter or jam; and they delivered the wrong juice. Breakfast and lunch in the Waterfall Cafe was average. We had two lunches in Bistro on 5 and both were good. (It's a good place to go on embarkation day.) We had the premium beverage package and thought it worked very well. We might not have saved money but we probably came close. Our wine glasses never were empty for long at dinner. We also bought the discount card for the Enomatic Wine Dispenser and that was handy although we didn't save all that much ($5 on a $50 card) and I'm not sure I'd do it again. Mixed drinks on the ship were well made. Itinerary; 4 stars The ship left from San Juan, then visited St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Tortola and Bermuda before ending in Bayonne. These are good islands and having an overnight in Bermuda is a nice change of pace (we were there from about 2pm one day to 5pm the next). Tortola was a brief stop though only about 8am to 2pm. We took Celebrity excursions on St. Thomas (cat trip and snorkeling), Tortola (Jost van Dyke) and Bermuda (night trip in a glass bottom boat) that were good. Entertainment; 4 stars We only went to one of the shows that was a review of movie music. We both enjoyed it. The a capella group was good and the Spanish guitarist, Nestor Santurio, was especially good. There was another guitarist who was not as good. Disembarkation; 3 stars We had to be out of our cabins by 7am. Aqua class guests were invited to Michaels Club on disembarkation morning for coffee and pastries. However, Michaels Club didn't open until 8 and there was no coffee or pastries offered. We asked for 9:00am disembarkation and we were off the ship around 9 and through Customs and at the pick-up area around 9:45. Overall; 3 stars Great dining in Blu, the itinerary and entertainment couldn't sustain an overall 4 star rating. There were another other misses such as the toilets, room service, the stateroom layout and size, and the music in the lounges.

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