Host Andy - Live From Summit

Hi Everyone !

I wanted to write a quick note to let you know that everything has been awesome so far onboard Summit.

The only negative, was the embarkation. We arrived at the pier (Pier 25) in Ft Lauderdale. Usually, Summit uses Pier 18. The best way to describe it, was sheer pandemonium. We needed wheelchair assistance for my parents, and there were neither wheelchairs, nor, anyone to assist us at the pier. This is VERY unlike Celebrity. To make matters worse, the staff at the pier was not helpful at all. One man, who said he was a supervisor, when I asked for assistance, said to me “what do you want me to do”. This is by far, the worst embarkation experience, I have ever had with Celebrity.

Fortunately, after waiting about 30 minutes, some assistance did arrive, and everything went well, once we got onboard.

Once onboard the ship, everything has been outstanding. The food, service, entertainment, and weather have all been excellent. I have been fortunate to run into many staff and Officers, whom I have known from previous sailings. It has been great to see them again !

I know that many have asked about Sasha, who is an Assistant Maitre’d with Celebrity, and is very well liked. Fortunately, Sasha has rejoined Summit on this sailing, and we are thrilled to have him as our Assistant Maitre’d for this Cruise.

Tonight is White Night. I will share my thoughts later this week, or when I get back home. One thing I did hear from John Howell, the Cruise Director, is they are making a big effort to keep the Bar at the Edge of the Earth, open more hours each Cruise. I know many have said that the hours were very limited, but I hear it is open much more, starting this sailing. Congratulations to Celebrity for listening to the complaints, and doing something about it !

That’s about it for now. I will try to post more, later on in the Cruise.

Andy - I'm sorry to hear about the problems during embarkation, but I'm glad everything improved once you got onboard. I'm looking forward to hearing more about the ship, I've still got almost a year before I'll be on the Summit for the first time, but I love hearing about her.

Terri

Sasha is the best Maitre' d ever! Too bad I missed him by a week!

Don't post too often Andy- those internet charges are extremely steep....one of my major complaints.

Don't miss the Masquerade Ball- the contortionist that performs does so only that evening and she is brilliant!

Suzanne

Hello Andy. :)

Hi Andy.....

Other than embarkation, glad all is well with our favorite ship! Hope you have a great cruise. We'll be on her May 6 - San Diego to Vancouver.

Two questions please:

We're having difficulty trying to get a reservation for the Normandie. Is there a problem? Also, is Zanna still onboard?

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!

M&M's

Hi, Andy. I sincerely hope that your all's cruise is GREAT! I know that you will enjoy every minute. Have you had a chance to use you Cell Phone yet? HA, HA, from a post this week. Keep in touch and have a blast.

Andy - Can you tell us how much of the observation lounge is available to passengers during the day, like for sitting and watching the world go by? I'm interested since we are booked on Summit to Alaska in Sept. Thanks.

Ken

Andy,

I'd appreciate knowing if Wi-Fi is available. We're booked on the 5/6 to Alaska.

TIA,

Fred

Andy, Have a wonderful cruise. I also am anxious to hear about using the lounge during the day. Enjoy. :)

What a difference a week makes, or 11 days to be exact. We left the Summit as you were about to board. Embarkation was a breeze for us 11 days earlier, as it was for the Millennium the week prior to that.

Having said that the disembarkation was much more crowded and disorganised as we left the Summit than it had been for leaving the Millennium.

Glad to hear the ship is as we left it. The Summit and its crew were terrific. Hopefully we will get the chance to sail her again.

We were fortunate to have Sasha on our first X cruise on the Mercury in Feb this year. I will be on the Summit in Sept, so not sure if he will still be there.

Great to hear...We'll be on her in September to Mexican Riviera, and are eager to hear EVERYTHING!

Andy,

Since you know the maitre'd on your ship, do you think you could find our from him what ship the Julio (maitre'd) is on. We have sailed with him twice before, have gotten to know hm fairly well and will be on the Millennium in May and were wondering if were on that ship. Also, would it be possible to find out who the matire'd at the Olympic is.

Thanks and have a wonderful cruise.

Dear Andy

Sorry to hear your embarkation was such a nightmare - I think the trick is to get there really early before the buses arrive! If you see Gabriel who is an assistant waiter and his chef d'equipe please give them love from the Rowdy table! They will know what we mean!

We had a birthday party for gabriels 40th birthday whilst on board - hats flutes and dancing bands!

Have a wonderful time - I really envy you Summit is great - cant wait for the 2007 schedules to come out as we couldnt get onboard in 2006!

Jan and Roger (akaPrewelli)

Have a great cruise,Andy! CLSmith

Nice to see you're on a cruise. We are sailing on the Jewel of the Seas this Saturday. Enjoy the rest of your voyage!

Rick.

Hi Andy! Hope your cruise goes well! I just got off the Horizon yesterday and it was not fun arriving back in DC with 50ish degree weather and flip-flops! :D I guess it was wishful thinking on my part that the warm weather would travel home with me! :)

Keep us updated .... but don't post too often..... I had a 50 dollar internet charge on my seapass account from one CC post and a few emails to my sister to assure her that I was alive~! LOL!:D Be sure to have a martini for all of us landlocked back home!

Gina

Hi Andy and anyone who may know....

We will be on the 11 nite Summit next week, and were wondering what night the Island Party was held.? We are thinking of booking the Normandy and do not want to miss the late nite party on deck, with great music and all the wonderful fruit.

Thanks for your help..

Jacque

Andy,

Does the Summit maintain Eastern Daylight Savings time throughout the voyage, or is ship's time adjusted port by port as situation arises?

Thank you!

Abigailinmaine,

Celebrity adjusts ship time to port time

Rick,

On last weeks cruise on the Summit we maintained East Daylight Savings time for the whole trip.

Yet the week before on the Millennium we changed our clocks to match the ports.

I guess it maybe depends on the captain.

Thank you, Rick and Scotsman,

I phoned Celebrity and they said they think (they THINK???) the ship maintains Eastern Daylight Savings time.

I'm sailing next week and trying to line up an independent shore trip in Grand Cayman that departs at 0830 Grand Cayman time. Celebrity itinerary shows arrival in GC at 0800. So . . . if that's 0800 EDT, it should be 0700 Grand Cayman time, which should leave 1.5 hours to tender ashore. Does this sound right? I'm trying to keep it all straight here, arrghhhh!!!!

Andy, would you be so kind as to chase down the Captain and confirm <g>?

Thanks so much!

Abigailinmaine

I may be confusing the issue but I think GC is one hour ahead of Eastern Daylight Savings. So if the ship says 8:00am then it is really 9:00am on land.

Perhaps someone else could confirm this. One of our new CC friends had this same issue when arranging to meet a friend of their's on land.

I sympathise with your dilemma and hope it is resolved soon.

Andy,

Sorry to hear your embarkation didn't go so well. As you know we were on the same sailing.

We arrived at the port about 10:45 and were almost first in line when they opened the doors. Embarkation was a breeze for us! The doors opened at 11:00 and we were onboard by 11:15! It was extremely fast and efficent for us. But then we didn't have any special needs like your party did. Celebrity should have handled that better for you. Shame on them.

Andy - Can you tell us how much of the observation lounge is available to passengers during the day, like for sitting and watching the world go by? I'm interested since we are booked on Summit to Alaska in Sept. Thanks.

 

Ken

We were on the same cruise as Andy and you will not be happy to know that the best seats in the observation lounge (formerly Revelations now Bar at the Edge of the earth) have been taken up by "beds" for the dumb Cirque du Soliel

experience. While the lounge is open during the day, IMO there is not much point in going up there during the day.