Questions from a 1st time Celebrity cruiser

I am in the planning stage of booking my next cruise which will probably be on the Summit reposition cruise in April 2012. This will be my first time on Celebrity. I have sailed on Princess 5 times and have a few questions about Celebrity. I am sorry if these have been asked before but I can’t find the answers to my questions using the search engine.

1. Does the Summit have Wifi? Does Celebrity offer a special if you Purchase internet minutes on the first day?

2. We prefer anytime dining on Princess but some of the comments I have read on the Celebrity boards is making me lean towards traditional. I realize some of the treads I have been reading may have been old so things may have changed. We usually like to eat between 7:00 and 8:00 and don’t mind having to wait for a table. What concerns me are some of the negative comments I read about overcrowding and service such as cold food. I also noticed that Celebrity doesn’t advertise select dining on their website like Princess does so this also was a red flag for me. Having selected anytime dining on Princess I know that it is not the same experience service wise as traditional and I am fine with that. We just want to eat and get on with our evening. I am not expecting anyone to cut and chew my food. If you have sailed on Princess and attended anytime dinning how does it compare with Celebrity?

3. I am debating which beverage package to choose. Do I prefer a Grey Goose Martini? Yes but I don’t need one. I have read that the costs of drinks in some venues are more than what is allowed on the Premium package? Will I be able to order a beverage that is not on the menu that will fit the price point of the package I choose? I am thinking about getting the Classic Package and wonder if I would be able to get an $8 glass of Cabinet in the MDR with dinner?

4. Can someone explain the future cruise program they have on board? Do I have to book a cruise or can I just purchase a credit and book at a later time? How much will this cost? What are the benefits such as discount or OBC? Does it expire and can I get a refund?

Thank you

I am in the planning stage of booking my next cruise which will probably be on the Summit reposition cruise in April 2012. This will be my first time on Celebrity. I have sailed on Princess 5 times and have a few questions about Celebrity. I am sorry if these have been asked before but I can’t find the answers to my questions using the search engine.

 

1. Does the Summit have Wifi? Does Celebrity offer a special if you Purchase internet minutes on the first day?

 

2. We prefer anytime dining on Princess but some of the comments I have read on the Celebrity boards is making me lean towards traditional. I realize some of the treads I have been reading may have been old so things may have changed. We usually like to eat between 7:00 and 8:00 and don’t mind having to wait for a table. What concerns me are some of the negative comments I read about overcrowding and service such as cold food. I also noticed that Celebrity doesn’t advertise select dining on their website like Princess does so this also was a red flag for me. Having selected anytime dining on Princess I know that it is not the same experience service wise as traditional and I am fine with that. We just want to eat and get on with our evening. I am not expecting anyone to cut and chew my food. If you have sailed on Princess and attended anytime dinning how does it compare with Celebrity?

 

3. I am debating which beverage package to choose. Do I prefer a Grey Goose Martini? Yes but I don’t need one. I have read that the costs of drinks in some venues are more than what is allowed on the Premium package? Will I be able to order a beverage that is not on the menu that will fit the price point of the package I choose? I am thinking about getting the Classic Package and wonder if I would be able to get an $8 glass of Cabinet in the MDR with dinner?

 

4. Can someone explain the future cruise program they have on board? Do I have to book a cruise or can I just purchase a credit and book at a later time? How much will this cost? What are the benefits such as discount or OBC? Does it expire and can I get a refund?

 

Thank you

Welcome to Celebrity Mike! Our first cruise was on the Caribbean Princess, but when we sailed on the Summit back in 2009, we fell in love with the Summit and Celebrity. You will be sailing after the retrofit so it will be more like Celebrity's S class, which is my favorite class on Celebrities line.

1. Yes Celebrity has Wi-fi and yes they have specials if you purchase minutes on the first day.

2. We had anytime dining on Princess but selected traditional on Celebrity and we really love it. We prefer eating at 8:30 so it gives us plenty of time to relax after a day in port and get ready for dinner. We also prefer having the same waiter who gets to know our preferences especially with the beverage packages. I know a lot of people who use "select" dining which is Celebrity's version of anytime and you just choose that when you book your sailing. You have to prepay your tips in order to choose this option. I haven't heard of any problems. The food and service is excellent on the Summit, so no need to worry about that aspect. I wouldn't worry too much about some of the negative reviews you will find. Most people will agree with me that it is excellent.

3. We both purchased the premium alcohol package because we wanted to try out those martinis and other drinks and have the convenience of having everything paid for ahead of time. We were able to get bottled water to take onshore, frozen drinks by the pool, specialty coffee in the morning and after dinner, martinis predinner and with dinner, wine with dinner, san pellegrino water with dinner, drinks with the shows. The premium package covers most drinks up to and including $12. If you get the $8 package, you can order any wine that is $8 or less in the MDR or elsewhere on the ship. If the drink is over the $8 limit, you have to pay full price.

4. If you purchase a future cruise certificate while onboard, you pay a reduced deposit of $100 pp and get a $100 OBC per cabin. You do not have to book a specific cruise. You can leave it open.

I hope this helps answers your questions.

2. We prefer anytime dining on Princess but some of the comments I have read on the Celebrity boards is making me lean towards traditional. I realize some of the treads I have been reading may have been old so things may have changed. We usually like to eat between 7:00 and 8:00 and don’t mind having to wait for a table. What concerns me are some of the negative comments I read about overcrowding and service such as cold food. I also noticed that Celebrity doesn’t advertise select dining on their website like Princess does so this also was a red flag for me. Having selected anytime dining on Princess I know that it is not the same experience service wise as traditional and I am fine with that. We just want to eat and get on with our evening. I am not expecting anyone to cut and chew my food. If you have sailed on Princess and attended anytime dinning how does it compare with Celebrity?

I had Anytime Dining on Sapphire Princess a few years ago and had just been on Celebrity's Millennium Select Dining. I hope my answer helps you in some way.

Celebrity's Select Dining worked flawlessly for me. Never had a problem with walk-ins, or making a reservation online proior to sailing or calling the dining room the day of. My meal times vary from 630 to 8pm and never once did I have to wait more than 5mins at the entrance. Just make sure you go to the Select Dining section of the main dining room, which is located on deck 5. left hand side. The other entrances are for traditional dining.

When comparing to Princess's Anytime Dining, I can't think of too much of a difference.

The Summit is a wonderful ship...and you would be sailing just a few months after it's major refurb. ....so she would be in top-notch condition no doubt !!

We have done both Traditional and Select dining with Celebrity, and Anytime dining on Princess, and though we too love the advantages and camaraderie that develops with your waitstaff and table-mates with Traditional; we also love the convenience of anytime...especially with port-intensive cruises...when we were able to take our time after returning to the ship...and enjoy the sail-aways from port etc. While it is true that the tables in the Select Dining portion of the Dining Room are a bit closer together, that was never an inconvenience...in fact it was often just the opposite, as we were able to converse with other passengers...while enjoying a superb meal. We did reserve a set-time for several dinners, and each of those times we were given the same table, and waitstaff.

We never received cold food...and the service was consistently outstanding !!

Enjoy...You will love the Summit...and Celebrity !!