Jump to content

A Bermuda Cruise in Review: Summit (with pics!)


ChampionCruiser

Recommended Posts

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!

 

7390549660_18281d8f56.jpg

 

Thanks again and I hope you enjoy!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

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

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

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.

 

7390282512_3962836b14.jpg

 

 

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.

 

7390348292_b99d9287cc.jpg

 

 

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.

 

7390300152_0bdc7e6537.jpg

 

7390306604_21189a61ce.jpg

 

 

Michael’s Club

 

I think that this lounge is the coziest space on the Summit.

 

7390354286_3f156a7df2.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

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.

 

7390286750_a0021baf20.jpg

 

 

Qsine

 

I’m sure dining here is a blast.

 

7390327376_71de881e02.jpg

 

 

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.

 

7390292442_d577ff2e05.jpg

 

Bistro on Five

 

It wasn’t hard to take a picture of this space without people because it almost always seemed empty.

 

7390424514_e91edc5461.jpg

 

 

Blu

 

This was one of the new venues on board.

 

7390421704_f813951d9f.jpg

 

 

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!

 

7390432098_e0acb70765.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Martini Bar and Crush

 

These two bars were a neat addition. They bring a lively atmosphere to the Grand Foyer and were very popular.

 

7390314240_1d89be2d69.jpg

 

 

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!

 

7390400368_dc7ab27e22.jpg

 

 

Cellar Masters

 

This was another venue that I rarely visited.

 

7390386834_3e30f97c7e.jpg

 

 

Photo Gallery

 

There’s not too much to say about this one, but the photo staff were very nice, helpful, and not TOO pushy.

 

7390310408_8fce2567b4.jpg

 

 

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?

 

7390436478_f9756bb0ee.jpg

 

 

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...

 

7390370834_805f315a8a.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

 

7390358314_4852dd4f21.jpg

 

 

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.

 

7390373316_45fda0ef3f.jpg

 

7390455508_bc661e4bc5.jpg

 

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.

 

7390388942_9d25092291.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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:

 

7390407800_ae4321be2f.jpg

 

Deck 12, fwd:

 

7390403674_36f8b1f90a.jpg

 

Even though it doesn’t wrap around the ship, the promenade was a nice place to stroll and keep in the shade.

 

7390319610_8daf361ffe.jpg

 

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.

 

7390451352_73ee730bb8.jpg

 

7390330036_1029dbfc39.jpg

 

7390443794_790db71d14.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here are a few random shots throughout the ship to end with. If you can’t tell, I was extremely impressed with everything.

 

7390439522_8e7288c066.jpg

 

7390323208_be6ef2a852.jpg

 

7390392988_d29762c9f8.jpg

 

 

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

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

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

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

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...