Another Great Celebrity Cruise- Summit Review

Copy of my review- wasn't sure if I needed to start another thread??

We have just returned from our last Celebrity cruise and neither of us can imagine how it could have been any better!

This was our 8th Celebrity cruise and the 3rd on the Summit. We have cruised with other lines, but have always thought Celebrity does it just a little better. Our last Summit cruise was just before her dry dock in 2012. We both really liked the changes they have made and as always the staff was great.

Embarkation- Flew into SJU on Friday Jan 3rd- some delays but was able to avoid most of the bad weather, that had many passages not getting to the ship until St. Croix. We spent the night and the entire next day in Old San Juan- we love the feel of old San Juan and didn't board the ship until 5 on Saturday. As a result- we walk to our room (7200) and our bags were there within the hour. We chose a concierge C3 cabin - mostly based on the location. This was our third Concierge type room- can't really say it is worth the up charge if the locations isn't right for you.

We choose Selet dinner because we like to be leisurely and have a table for two. We made reservations each night and were able to stay at the same table (433) and with the same waiter staff. With so many complaints about people not happy with Select we were nervous - Rosemary took great care of us each night.

Food- We don't necessarily cruise for the food- but we do like to have nice meals at night and want an atmosphere of elegance. Here is where Celebrity rises above the rest. The food is always good and is great at times. The Main dinning room has great food and service. We typically follow the waiters recommendations but always have 3 meals to share. This time we were very pleased with the food and preparation. The lamb shank is to die for!! but rest of the meals where great as well. The Cosmopolitan restaurant is always a great experience and the lighting , background music and service has a flare of elegance. Last year we sailed on the Carnival Legend- I really don't want this to be a Carnival bashing but there food and experience in the main dinning room on Celebrity in heads and shoulders above. We had a great time on the Legend but it wasn't up to Celebrity caliber.

Bistro on five- we typically will eat in a fee based restaurant once on the cruise- We ate at the Bistro - twice!! It is only $5 pp and it is very much worth it. The Crepes are amazing and we had the place to ourselves.

Qsine- Ate there once- it was a great experience, it was offered at a discounted price. The presentation was very interesting and the food was great- but there is a lot to eat to be prepared!!

Breakfast we ate in the room- we love being able to have eggs and hot item delivered to the room. This was another issue we had with Carnival- only continental to the room. On the Summit- if you put down 9am it was there hot at 9am. We always tip the room server cash- maybe that helps??

Buffet- We hate buffets!! Having said that - the lunches on the Summit were great. They offer a lot and it is always very fresh.

Enough about he food- the Ship is in great shape and there were always cleaning and doing some type of maintenance on board. The staff were always smiling and inquiring about our experience and if we were enjoying ourselves. That was very nice and I have to say it goes a long way to show that they really want you to have a good time. One note on Captains Club-We are select members and I have to say there didn't seem to be much in way of extras offered?? Maybe we just missed them if they were there. We met a lot of really great people on board. Typically we do our own thing but this past week we were able to connect with some great people everywhere and it was a lot of fun. I also learned a very important life lesson- Don't try to drink beer with a Canadian!! You may hurt yourself!!!! Gordon- your the man

They say experts do the little things well- Here is were Celebrity rises above the rest; when you are heading back to the ship and its hot and you have been in the sun all day- they meet you with a ice cold towel and cold water/punch at the pier. Its a small thing but no others (in my experience) have don that. The service on the ship, everywhere, coffee bar, wine bar, buffet, was all over the top great. We might have waited for a beer during a busy rush but when it came it was cold and we were not forgotten. Crowdedness- The ship sailed full but we never felt it was crowded?? There was always a little space we could find to be alone or a seat to find in the pool, bars, etc.

Entertainment-

We have seen our fair share of cruse boat singing and dancing productions- we typically avoid most of that and do our own thing. However- we did really enjoy Justin Wade the guitarist on the ship. We both think he is the very best musical talent on a cruse ship that we have seen in 17 cruises! His voice is amazing and he did 3 sets each night. A few times his girlfriend ( one of the singers on board) would close with him and it was amazing. We became groupies in a week. Justin is not to be missed if you like acoustic type music.

Islands-

St Croix- Relaxed on the ship and walked around town a bit. We really don't care for St. Croix, this was out third time there and it is just Okay for us.

St. Kitts- Took a taxi to Cockelshell beach for the day. It was great and the island is beautiful If you haven't seen it- the Fort is a must and is a world heritage site.

Dominica- We have been here a few times and didn't want to fight the crowds at the Falls ( they are beautiful though) We relaxed and workout in the morning and found a lone taxi to take us to the gorge in the afternoon. The Gorge is cool and the swim if fun. Although it is not a huge space and it can be crowed.

Grenada- took a water taxi to Grans Anes beach- it was a really fun day and the water/sun didn't disappoint. A note on organized excursions. We have done our fair share of cruise organized trips. I have been disappointed with the sail and snorkel as well as with the dive trips so we tend to do our own thing now. It is person preference-

St Thomas- We love St Thomas and it was another beautiful day. Went to Sapphire beach where we have stayed before. Have to say- it is not in great shape currently. The dive shop and restaurant have close unfortunately . This is a beautiful spot on the island close to Red Hook and the beach is beautiful. I really hope they can get things worked out and back to normal.

Final thoughts-

We both feel fortunate to be able to cruise for a week and escape the cold of the mid-west. We believe that you make your own fun and there really isn't a bad cruise. We have had fun on Carnival, Costa and NCL- however, we both really love Celebrity. It meets our needs with food, flare, and service each time.

If you are planning on sailing on the Summit I am confident you will have a blast. Life is too short and the great times can be hard to find. Take the person or persons you care for most and make some beautiful memories for the week. Trust me, life's issue's and concerns will be there when you return.

Copy of my review- wasn't sure if I needed to start another thread??

 

We have just returned from our last Celebrity cruise and neither of us can imagine how it could have been any better!

 

This was our 8th Celebrity cruise and the 3rd on the Summit. We have cruised with other lines, but have always thought Celebrity does it just a little better. Our last Summit cruise was just before her dry dock in 2012. We both really liked the changes they have made and as always the staff was great.

 

Embarkation- Flew into SJU on Friday Jan 3rd- some delays but was able to avoid most of the bad weather, that had many passages not getting to the ship until St. Croix. We spent the night and the entire next day in Old San Juan- we love the feel of old San Juan and didn't board the ship until 5 on Saturday. As a result- we walk to our room (7200) and our bags were there within the hour. We chose a concierge C3 cabin - mostly based on the location. This was our third Concierge type room- can't really say it is worth the up charge if the locations isn't right for you.

 

We choose Selet dinner because we like to be leisurely and have a table for two. We made reservations each night and were able to stay at the same table (433) and with the same waiter staff. With so many complaints about people not happy with Select we were nervous - Rosemary took great care of us each night.

 

Food- We don't necessarily cruise for the food- but we do like to have nice meals at night and want an atmosphere of elegance. Here is where Celebrity rises above the rest. The food is always good and is great at times. The Main dinning room has great food and service. We typically follow the waiters recommendations but always have 3 meals to share. This time we were very pleased with the food and preparation. The lamb shank is to die for!! but rest of the meals where great as well. The Cosmopolitan restaurant is always a great experience and the lighting , background music and service has a flare of elegance. Last year we sailed on the Carnival Legend- I really don't want this to be a Carnival bashing but there food and experience in the main dinning room on Celebrity in heads and shoulders above. We had a great time on the Legend but it wasn't up to Celebrity caliber.

 

Bistro on five- we typically will eat in a fee based restaurant once on the cruise- We ate at the Bistro - twice!! It is only $5 pp and it is very much worth it. The Crepes are amazing and we had the place to ourselves.

 

Qsine- Ate there once- it was a great experience, it was offered at a discounted price. The presentation was very interesting and the food was great- but there is a lot to eat to be prepared!!

 

Breakfast we ate in the room- we love being able to have eggs and hot item delivered to the room. This was another issue we had with Carnival- only continental to the room. On the Summit- if you put down 9am it was there hot at 9am. We always tip the room server cash- maybe that helps??

 

Buffet- We hate buffets!! Having said that - the lunches on the Summit were great. They offer a lot and it is always very fresh.

 

Enough about he food- the Ship is in great shape and there were always cleaning and doing some type of maintenance on board. The staff were always smiling and inquiring about our experience and if we were enjoying ourselves. That was very nice and I have to say it goes a long way to show that they really want you to have a good time. One note on Captains Club-We are select members and I have to say there didn't seem to be much in way of extras offered?? Maybe we just missed them if they were there. We met a lot of really great people on board. Typically we do our own thing but this past week we were able to connect with some great people everywhere and it was a lot of fun. I also learned a very important life lesson- Don't try to drink beer with a Canadian!! You may hurt yourself!!!! Gordon- your the man

 

They say experts do the little things well- Here is were Celebrity rises above the rest; when you are heading back to the ship and its hot and you have been in the sun all day- they meet you with a ice cold towel and cold water/punch at the pier. Its a small thing but no others (in my experience) have don that. The service on the ship, everywhere, coffee bar, wine bar, buffet, was all over the top great. We might have waited for a beer during a busy rush but when it came it was cold and we were not forgotten. Crowdedness- The ship sailed full but we never felt it was crowded?? There was always a little space we could find to be alone or a seat to find in the pool, bars, etc.

 

Entertainment-

We have seen our fair share of cruse boat singing and dancing productions- we typically avoid most of that and do our own thing. However- we did really enjoy Justin Wade the guitarist on the ship. We both think he is the very best musical talent on a cruse ship that we have seen in 17 cruises! His voice is amazing and he did 3 sets each night. A few times his girlfriend ( one of the singers on board) would close with him and it was amazing. We became groupies in a week. Justin is not to be missed if you like acoustic type music.

 

Islands-

 

St Croix- Relaxed on the ship and walked around town a bit. We really don't care for St. Croix, this was out third time there and it is just Okay for us.

 

St. Kitts- Took a taxi to Cockelshell beach for the day. It was great and the island is beautiful If you haven't seen it- the Fort is a must and is a world heritage site.

 

Dominica- We have been here a few times and didn't want to fight the crowds at the Falls ( they are beautiful though) We relaxed and workout in the morning and found a lone taxi to take us to the gorge in the afternoon. The Gorge is cool and the swim if fun. Although it is not a huge space and it can be crowed.

 

Grenada- took a water taxi to Grans Anes beach- it was a really fun day and the water/sun didn't disappoint. A note on organized excursions. We have done our fair share of cruise organized trips. I have been disappointed with the sail and snorkel as well as with the dive trips so we tend to do our own thing now. It is person preference-

 

St Thomas- We love St Thomas and it was another beautiful day. Went to Sapphire beach where we have stayed before. Have to say- it is not in great shape currently. The dive shop and restaurant have close unfortunately . This is a beautiful spot on the island close to Red Hook and the beach is beautiful. I really hope they can get things worked out and back to normal.

 

Final thoughts-

 

We both feel fortunate to be able to cruise for a week and escape the cold of the mid-west. We believe that you make your own fun and there really isn't a bad cruise. We have had fun on Carnival, Costa and NCL- however, we both really love Celebrity. It meets our needs with food, flare, and service each time.

 

If you are planning on sailing on the Summit I am confident you will have a blast. Life is too short and the great times can be hard to find. Take the person or persons you care for most and make some beautiful memories for the week. Trust me, life's issue's and concerns will be there when you return.

Thanks for taking us along on your Cruise. It's refreshing to read positive things about someones Cruise. You've added to our excitement for our March/April 2014 B2B Cruise on the Summit. Is there a Waffle station and if so where? We also don't do buffets but like Celebritys Waffles.

Great review!! Thanks for taking the time to share your cruise with us!:):)

Great review, heading on the Summit for the 3rd time on Feb 8th after 4 nights in PR. The waffle station is aft Deck 10 in the buffet.

Loved PR- you will have a blast and Justin Wade will still be on the ship.

Cant say enough how the Summit exceeded our expectations!!

Can you confine escargot are back on the menu??., love them....

Thank you for the review.

They are and I had them twice- they are great.

Thank you for your review including the outstanding service you received on the Summit.

I have sailed on Celebrity ships 6 times and the same service, quality food, and

well maintained ships are fleet wide.

Will be on the Constellation in one week and look forward to another wonderful cruise.

My last cruise was on the Summit out of San Juan and I enjoyed it so much, I booked it again. The Summit is a great ship.

I agree- We were thinking of going on the Reflection this past week but I really didn't want to do 2 consecutive days at sea- Im sure the ship is beautiful but I like the size of the Summit- very manageable

Anyone run into a waiter named Gorge from Hondoras on the Summit. He usually works in the Select section of MDR, and greets cruisers at the buffet. Last year he remembered my wife and I from 2 years ago, wondering if he will be there in Feb.

Copy of my review- wasn't sure if I needed to start another thread??

 

We have just returned from our last Celebrity cruise and neither of us can imagine how it could have been any better!

 

This was our 8th Celebrity cruise and the 3rd on the Summit. We have cruised with other lines, but have always thought Celebrity does it just a little better. Our last Summit cruise was just before her dry dock in 2012. We both really liked the changes they have made and as always the staff was great.

 

Embarkation- Flew into SJU on Friday Jan 3rd- some delays but was able to avoid most of the bad weather, that had many passages not getting to the ship until St. Croix. We spent the night and the entire next day in Old San Juan- we love the feel of old San Juan and didn't board the ship until 5 on Saturday. As a result- we walk to our room (7200) and our bags were there within the hour. We chose a concierge C3 cabin - mostly based on the location. This was our third Concierge type room- can't really say it is worth the up charge if the locations isn't right for you.

 

We choose Selet dinner because we like to be leisurely and have a table for two. We made reservations each night and were able to stay at the same table (433) and with the same waiter staff. With so many complaints about people not happy with Select we were nervous - Rosemary took great care of us each night.

 

Food- We don't necessarily cruise for the food- but we do like to have nice meals at night and want an atmosphere of elegance. Here is where Celebrity rises above the rest. The food is always good and is great at times. The Main dinning room has great food and service. We typically follow the waiters recommendations but always have 3 meals to share. This time we were very pleased with the food and preparation. The lamb shank is to die for!! but rest of the meals where great as well. The Cosmopolitan restaurant is always a great experience and the lighting , background music and service has a flare of elegance. Last year we sailed on the Carnival Legend- I really don't want this to be a Carnival bashing but there food and experience in the main dinning room on Celebrity in heads and shoulders above. We had a great time on the Legend but it wasn't up to Celebrity caliber.

 

Bistro on five- we typically will eat in a fee based restaurant once on the cruise- We ate at the Bistro - twice!! It is only $5 pp and it is very much worth it. The Crepes are amazing and we had the place to ourselves.

 

Qsine- Ate there once- it was a great experience, it was offered at a discounted price. The presentation was very interesting and the food was great- but there is a lot to eat to be prepared!!

 

Breakfast we ate in the room- we love being able to have eggs and hot item delivered to the room. This was another issue we had with Carnival- only continental to the room. On the Summit- if you put down 9am it was there hot at 9am. We always tip the room server cash- maybe that helps??

 

Buffet- We hate buffets!! Having said that - the lunches on the Summit were great. They offer a lot and it is always very fresh.

 

Enough about he food- the Ship is in great shape and there were always cleaning and doing some type of maintenance on board. The staff were always smiling and inquiring about our experience and if we were enjoying ourselves. That was very nice and I have to say it goes a long way to show that they really want you to have a good time. One note on Captains Club-We are select members and I have to say there didn't seem to be much in way of extras offered?? Maybe we just missed them if they were there. We met a lot of really great people on board. Typically we do our own thing but this past week we were able to connect with some great people everywhere and it was a lot of fun. I also learned a very important life lesson- Don't try to drink beer with a Canadian!! You may hurt yourself!!!! Gordon- your the man

 

They say experts do the little things well- Here is were Celebrity rises above the rest; when you are heading back to the ship and its hot and you have been in the sun all day- they meet you with a ice cold towel and cold water/punch at the pier. Its a small thing but no others (in my experience) have don that. The service on the ship, everywhere, coffee bar, wine bar, buffet, was all over the top great. We might have waited for a beer during a busy rush but when it came it was cold and we were not forgotten. Crowdedness- The ship sailed full but we never felt it was crowded?? There was always a little space we could find to be alone or a seat to find in the pool, bars, etc.

 

Entertainment-

We have seen our fair share of cruse boat singing and dancing productions- we typically avoid most of that and do our own thing. However- we did really enjoy Justin Wade the guitarist on the ship. We both think he is the very best musical talent on a cruse ship that we have seen in 17 cruises! His voice is amazing and he did 3 sets each night. A few times his girlfriend ( one of the singers on board) would close with him and it was amazing. We became groupies in a week. Justin is not to be missed if you like acoustic type music.

 

Islands-

 

St Croix- Relaxed on the ship and walked around town a bit. We really don't care for St. Croix, this was out third time there and it is just Okay for us.

 

St. Kitts- Took a taxi to Cockelshell beach for the day. It was great and the island is beautiful If you haven't seen it- the Fort is a must and is a world heritage site.

 

Dominica- We have been here a few times and didn't want to fight the crowds at the Falls ( they are beautiful though) We relaxed and workout in the morning and found a lone taxi to take us to the gorge in the afternoon. The Gorge is cool and the swim if fun. Although it is not a huge space and it can be crowed.

 

Grenada- took a water taxi to Grans Anes beach- it was a really fun day and the water/sun didn't disappoint. A note on organized excursions. We have done our fair share of cruise organized trips. I have been disappointed with the sail and snorkel as well as with the dive trips so we tend to do our own thing now. It is person preference-

 

St Thomas- We love St Thomas and it was another beautiful day. Went to Sapphire beach where we have stayed before. Have to say- it is not in great shape currently. The dive shop and restaurant have close unfortunately . This is a beautiful spot on the island close to Red Hook and the beach is beautiful. I really hope they can get things worked out and back to normal.

Final thoughts-

 

We both feel fortunate to be able to cruise for a week and escape the cold of the mid-west. We believe that you make your own fun and there really isn't a bad cruise. We have had fun on Carnival, Costa and NCL- however, we both really love Celebrity. It meets our needs with food, flare, and service each time.

 

If you are planning on sailing on the Summit I am confident you will have a blast. Life is too short and the great times can be hard to find. Take the person or persons you care for most and make some beautiful memories for the week. Trust me, life's issue's and concerns will be there when you return.

We did this same itinerary on a b2b in November. I stayed in a Sapphire condo, (for work) last January for three weeks :D and it was kinda sad looking at first. The Homeowners Association apparently had some problem with the management company years ago, so there is no longer a lobby, or restaurant, etc. They did seem to be doing some work to it, though...

There is a BBQ/bar stand most days in between two of the buildings, where they grill burgers, chicken, etc, make painkillers, etc. Follow your nose to the bbq smell. Also, there is a restaurant up the hill from the marina that is very good. Pool area is still perfect, altho it is not for cruise passengers to use.

Yes- the Food stand and beer station is great and will bring it to your chair on the beach!!

It is really a beautiful beach and location with a great view- I hope they all work things out- lots of upside

Thank you for your review. We are going in a few weeks! I'm looking forward to hearing the guitarist you mentioned. Did he play in several different venues, or was he always in the same place?

There are times he plays at the Coffee bar with the pianist but other times he is down in Michael bar- a great place with an expansive beer menu

Great! Thanks for the quick reply!

Our very first Celebrity cruise was on the Summit. Loved it!! Thanks for your review.

Thanks for such a positive review. We'll be on Summit on Saturday :eek:

Post some photos if you can! Great to hear you liked the food. I was getting worried after reading several negative reviews.

What did you eat at QSine? I'm excited to try it.

Great review. We have been on the Summitt twice and have always had a wonderful cruise. So nice to read your positive comments. It seems that so many people expect a ten year old ship to be brand new and then disappoint themselves instead of enjoying their cruise. So glad you enjoyed your cruise.

Thank you so much for the review. Do you know of Justin will be there on March 22? We have a group of 17 sailing that week on the Summit and your review sounds wonderful and Justin seems to be icing on the cake.

Yes- he should be there through April of this year.

He was most definetly the icing on the cake

You will have a blast- sadly we are back to work now- but is was a great week away

Hi, thanks for the review. Do you remember what the dress codes are for the evenings on the cruise? When is the formal nite? Other than the formal nite, what are the recomended dress of the day? We are just trying to figure out how many evenings, a suit would be recommeded for the guys. Thank you.

We sailed Summit to Bermuda last May and on the Formal night I asked for a lobster dinner and a steak dinner because I wanted Surf N Turf and I was told by my waiter I had to begin eating the first meal before he could order me the second. Is that what you had to do or was my waiter incorrect ? Thanks