ChampionCruiser Posted June 18, 2012 #1 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Well, I feel like the Summit has been popular lately, with many terrific reviews on this board recently. I hope one more won’t hurt! I disembarked this morning in Bayonne (:() and now I’m back in the real world in Miami. I truly enjoyed reading as many reviews as possible before my trip and I look forward to writing my own now. I’ll go ahead and give my usual warning: it’s going to be long. My favorite reviews are detailed with many pictures and I’m going to do my best to follow suit. Here’s a quick spoiler before I get started: this was my favorite cruise to date! I felt that the Summit was the nicest ship I’ve cruised on and Bermuda was the most beautiful place I’ve visited. So, if you’re looking for a happy review, this could be it! Thanks to anyone who is following along and I’m jealous of anyone who is cruising to Bermuda or on the Summit in the future! Thanks again and I hope you enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeaBag Posted June 18, 2012 #2 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Sorry, the links don't work, for me anyway. Glad you enjoyed your cruise on Summit. We enjoyed ours too in 2010. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPurcell58 Posted June 18, 2012 #3 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Looking forward to more. Watched the Summit sail out tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChampionCruiser Posted June 18, 2012 Author #4 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Background This cruise was booked about a year ago for four of us: myself (21), sister (19), aunt, and uncle. This was actually the second of two AMAZING graduation cruises. The first was aboard the Monarch of the Seas last month. The excuse for booking this cruise was my college graduation. I graduated with a B.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering last month and was accepted to a university in Norway for graduate studies in Passenger Ship Design this fall. Clearly, taking a cruise was the only way to celebrate! I chose this cruise for both the cruise line and itinerary. My family likes to try out different lines (8 so far) and Celebrity was the next on the list. I was excited to cruise a “premium” line and compare it to the mass market lines as well as Princess. The fact that the Summit was just refurbished and sailed to Bermuda made it an obvious choice. I’ve always wanted to visit Bermuda and see for myself why there was such hype about this tiny island and I’m definitely glad I did. Before I get started with the review, I’ll give a photo tour of the ship so that will be next. Oh, and please let me know if you have any questions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChampionCruiser Posted June 18, 2012 Author #5 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Sorry, the links don't work, for me anyway. Glad you enjoyed your cruise on Summit. We enjoyed ours too in 2010. I should have clarified. There aren't any links as I'll be posting the review here. I will write one in the review section as well, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeaBag Posted June 18, 2012 #6 Share Posted June 18, 2012 OK, my mistake. I will look forward to your review and all the pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare vickykay Posted June 18, 2012 #7 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Congrats on your graduation! Looking forward to your review and pictures - we leave next sunday on the Summit. Cruised on her two years ago and loved it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocobakerchica Posted June 18, 2012 #8 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Congratulations on your graduation and acceptance(in Norway, how fantastic!), and of course since you'd celebrate with a cruise with that wonderful degree;). I can't wait to hear more of your thoughts and observations. We sail on the Summit in September(my second time), and look forward to seeing the new additions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChampionCruiser Posted June 18, 2012 Author #9 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Thanks for all of the comments! Yes, to say that I'm a cruise ship nerd is now officially an understatement, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librarylady19 Posted June 18, 2012 #10 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Congratulations on your graduation and acceptance(in Norway, how fantastic!), and of course since you'd celebrate with a cruise with that wonderful degree;). I can't wait to hear more of your thoughts and observations. We sail on the Summit in September(my second time), and look forward to seeing the new additions. I second all that! We are on the same cruise as Cocobakerchica. I'm anxiously awaiting your review and photos as this will be our first visit to Bermuda and 2nd time on Summit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChampionCruiser Posted June 18, 2012 Author #11 Share Posted June 18, 2012 The Summit is impressive inside and out and her recent revitalization left her looking like a new ship in most places. I've compared the before and after pictures and I’m very impressed with the changes. Her interior spaces aren’t meant to “wow” like some of the other ships I've seen, as they are much more elegant than glitzy. Nothing is over the top besides a few pieces of... interesting... artwork. I was impressed with the ship throughout and even more impressed with her layout. Finding my way around was never a problem. My goal was to take a picture of every public space on board. I somehow missed a few, but here's what I do have: Grand Foyer At three decks high, the ship’s atrium is small by today’s standards but still impressive. Celebrity Theater The main theater is forward and is a great venue for the production shows. I’ll talk about the entertainment later, but I’ll go ahead and say that I was pleasantly surprised with the quality. I’ve heard that Celebrity lags a bit in this area, but I thought that the shows and guest entertainers were all terrific. Reflections Reflections serves as one of two secondary lounges, along with Rendezvous. I might be the only one, but the two “R” lounges confused me. I might have missed a show because I waited at the wrong one. Oops. Anyways, I thought that this was the most improved area on the ship. I wasn’t a fan of the dangly things I’ve seen in pictures pre-refurb. Michael’s Club I think that this lounge is the coziest space on the Summit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocobakerchica Posted June 18, 2012 #12 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Thanks for all of the comments! Yes, to say that I'm a cruise ship nerd is now officially an understatement, I think. Nerds rule!!<lol> I'm so nerdy about so many things, it's not funny(actually, it is kinda funny come to think of it...), so enjoy the nerdiness! After all, a smart nerd works has a career in their particular nerd fixation, so nerdiness can be fulfilling and profitable<lol>. You'll be just fine;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChampionCruiser Posted June 18, 2012 Author #13 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Cosmopolitan Restaurant The main dining room is gorgeous. We chose the early seating traditional dining since we always enjoy getting to know our waiters. We almost dined in Qsine one night but decided against it. We couldn’t justify paying extra when we were more than impressed with the food and service here. Qsine I’m sure dining here is a blast. Normandie The artifacts from the Normandie are neat to see, even if you don’t dine here. I liked the fact that the statue in the main dining room was from that liner as well. Bistro on Five It wasn’t hard to take a picture of this space without people because it almost always seemed empty. Blu This was one of the new venues on board. Café al Bacio I’m not a coffee drinker, but I did enjoy the complimentary pastries. I’m not sure if many knew that they were free of charge, because I rarely saw passengers getting them. The almond croissants were my favorite! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChampionCruiser Posted June 18, 2012 Author #14 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Martini Bar and Crush These two bars were a neat addition. They bring a lively atmosphere to the Grand Foyer and were very popular. Aquaspa and Gym I won’t lie. I only came in here this morning before disembarking to snap a picture. There were too many other things to do during the week! Cellar Masters This was another venue that I rarely visited. Photo Gallery There’s not too much to say about this one, but the photo staff were very nice, helpful, and not TOO pushy. Emporium Again, this is pretty straight forward. My only disappointment was that they didn’t sell any Summit ornaments. I have a ship ornament from every cruise but they assured me that they had none. Is this normal for Celebrity or were they just out? Library The two-deck library was a nice place for those looking for peace and quiet. I saw more than one person napping here throughout the week... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChampionCruiser Posted June 18, 2012 Author #15 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Casino The casino is a typical shipboard one. My favorite thing about it was that I didn’t gag from smoke every time I entered. Waterfall Pool The pool deck was one of my favorites. The padded lounge chairs were nice, but they are taken quickly. Plan on waking up early if you want one of the cushioned lounging beds. I never saw a vacant one when we were at sea. Solarium I loved the solarium and its T-pool! The temperature seldom reached above 80 on the entire cruise, so it was nice having this as a backup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChampionCruiser Posted June 18, 2012 Author #16 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Other Decks As with other ships, there are more than enough loungers available IF you are willing to venture away from the pools! My sister and I spent most of our time reading on the new deck 12 aft area (above the newly added cabins) and deck 12 forward. Deck 12, aft: Deck 12, fwd: Even though it doesn’t wrap around the ship, the promenade was a nice place to stroll and keep in the shade. I've always found the Millennium class ships to be very “cool” to explore and look at. With their glass and features, they are still futuristic-looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChampionCruiser Posted June 18, 2012 Author #17 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Here are a few random shots throughout the ship to end with. If you can’t tell, I was extremely impressed with everything. That wraps up the tour of the ship! I missed a few spots (Rendezvous, iLounge, Oceanview Cafe….) but hopefully it gives you a good idea of what the Summit looks like now. I’ll be back tomorrow with the start of the actual review! Up next: Day 1: Bayonne, New Jersey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
satchiesmom Posted June 18, 2012 #18 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Wonderful pictures, I'm eagerly anticipating the rest of your review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocobakerchica Posted June 18, 2012 #19 Share Posted June 18, 2012 I'm actually a little shocked that Bistro on 5 was empty on your trip, because I plan to be in there as much as possible(I'm a professional baker and lifelong food nerd<lol>), as well as Cellar Masters(budding wine nerd). I also appreciate the photos, and I agree, the "Solstisizing" looks fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare erewhon Posted June 18, 2012 #20 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Thanks for your reports and fantastic photos. Congratulations on your graduation and acceptance for post graduate studies in Norway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivavegas Posted June 18, 2012 #21 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Nice review! Congrats on your graduation! Thanks for sharing the information!:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare vickykay Posted June 18, 2012 #22 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Enjoyed all your pictures. Try and talk your family into a Baltic cruise while you are in Norway (unless have already gone on one). We were on the Constellation a couple of years ago and it was a trip of a lifetime. Be prepared, the prices in Norway make London look cheap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendon Posted June 18, 2012 #23 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Great review! We are considering this cruise next month. BTW, where did you do your undergraduate work? My son is currently going to SUNY Maritime for marine engineering and he is wrapping up his 45 day sea term on the training ship across the Atlantic. If he is up to it, we will be booking the Summitt to Bermuda for a pleasure cruise....a break from the regiment of his working cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giantfan725 Posted June 18, 2012 #24 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Great report!!!!! Thank you very much. Can't wait to hear/see more..... I am sailing on the Summit in 13 days!!!!!! This will be my first cruise ever and I am very excited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librarylady19 Posted June 18, 2012 #25 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Love your photos and looking forward to reading about your experiences on the ship. hope you have soon food photos to o clued. I am happy to hear Bistro on 5 wasn't crowded.....more room for us:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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