Summit 8/27/17 Sailing – Live Blog, Photo Blog, Cat Blog, Dog Blog?

Good Evening.

Once again it is time to em-BARK (more on that terrible pun below) on cruise adventures and thusly we begin the increasingly inaccurately-titled Live Blog, which tends to fall apart and become less and less “live” as the days on board roll by.

As usual, I’d like to give a big thank you and shout out to ChiacgoPaul (currently on the President’s Cruise), Arno (who we *just* missed on the Summit!) ,DRJKRetired, Chemmo and all the other frequent Celebrity posters who providefar more accurate commentary than I ever will.

Note: This Blog is rated H for hu-mor. Curmudgeons are hereby advised.

Background:

DW (who I will refer to by her initials XZ just to circumvent convention) and Iate mid 30’s early 40’s with no kids and one cat (and a bonus dog!) who hates it when we go cruising (more on the fur later). We were big Disney fans until their scheduling demands made the spontaneous experience entirely unenjoyable and, for my 40th, we decided to give cruising a try.

Our first trip was in an RS on the Infinity for Halloween in 2015. We came right back for more, booking a RS on the Summit for 2016 and, after that go-around, we were hooked. I managed to actually complete my first “Live” Blog for our last trip in a SS on the Reflection in January of 2017. It can be found here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2442584

This Trip:

While on board the Summit in January of 2016 we were so impressed with the Crew we met (from the Captain’s Club Host on down to the HR Officer) that we booked late summer passage aboard her again for August of 2017 in one of the rear Sky Suites which share furnishing aesthetics with the Penthouse next door.

Goals this go around include:

--Actually visiting Cellar Masters –3 Cruises in and I’ve never been in there!

--Getting Captain Alex to sign our picture with him from the last time we were on the Summit.

--Meeting the Cast of the new productions. When we were on the Reflection this January we stumbled upon the Vlogs of four of the performers and they provided a wonderful insight into life aboard ship. While none of them are on this sailing, we’re looking forward to seeing what the brand new productions have to offer! In case you wish to follow along with some of the Celebrity performer’s latest exploits, they are currently/soon to be on the Equinox, Eclipse and Millennium:

Planet Jerome: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyfzvV8yZKLGGVfLJwCjXIA

Isaac Matthews: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm9zd-ZqvFtaV83qPKMu8iw

Alex Codd: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgPCPqYTj5pfqMJVVRdHQkQ

Duo Destiny: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjZQneUlKSAsJvf1CjDp9Bw

The Cat:

Our cat, on the other hand, hates it when we cruise. However, she is a frequent reader of Cruise Critic and especially loves the bad reviews. Each day, we will review one “Cat Complaint” about the Summit and see, in person, if it’s valid.

The Dog:

On the other paw, Cruise Critic has often times been accused of being too negative. To offset this and give a balanced perspective, we’ve co-opted (dog-napped) our friend’s dog who also reads Cruise Critic, (but only the good reviews) and, each day, he will offer up one ‘Dog Compliment” to see if it still holds water.

A Note on Questions:

One of the most enjoyable features of CC is answering questions for future cruisers. However, to add a wrinkle of unhelpfulness, I will endeavor to ask the least appropriate people I can find. Want to know if Sky Vodka is on the Premium Package? I’ll find one of the Celebrity Singers to pose that question to! Interested in Debarkation Times? Perhaps the Chief Engineer will have some insights.All kidding aside, I’ll do my best to respond quickly, but neither XZ nor I have cell phones, so I’ll be updating from the iLounge whenever possible.

The Self-Indulgent Nature of this Blog:

“But wait! Where are the menus? The dailies? All I see are pictures of your wife in funny hats…what gives?” I have found it far easier to gather up all the paper work and run it through my large format scanner when I get home. It provides crisper, clearer images without any sizing issues. A separate post will be created expressly for providing high-resolution scans of every scrap of paper and menu I can get a hold of – want to know exactly how much of a discount youcan get on a Chocolate Diamond on a port day? We’ll have that information for you, right after we get back!

And Here We Go:

Packing time is now. Luckily, we get to just drive to Bayonne, instead of embracing the unpleasantness that has become flying, so, for once, a leisurely day and evening await us!

The luggage has been spotted…the cat suspects!

Thanks dk - I will be following along as we are on Summit August 2018....

bon voyage to you and xz

We'll be there too!!! Hopefully we'll meet over drinks. BTW for whatever it's worth...he's a dog person, I'm a cat lover! See ya tomorrow!!!

Terri & Steve

Honoured to see my name next to some mighty CC characters in your introduction!

Love your cat, looks very much like one we called 'Splodge' who 'adopted' us some years ago. We were very concerned about this little cat we spotted in the mornings looking for food in the scraps we had thrown out for the birds. She would balance on the patio table and look longingly into our kitchen.... We started inviting her into the kitchen to 'warm up' and started saving bits of ham etc for her...It was a few weeks before we found out she had breakfast with us, lunch over the road (named Susie) and then returned home in the evenings (named Tinker) and worried her owners because she hardly ate anything!

Looking forward to following your posts, nice to have some humour in a thread...we can on CC take life too seriously at times....We loved our time on the Summit. Really hope you enjoy your Sky Suite.

Have a great time. I loved your first post.

Enjoy which I suspect you will.

Keith

Off to a great start. Board the Summit in four weeks so looking forward to the feline and canine insights.

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On the ship, 11:10 AM sipping wine.in Michaels Club..

Bernadette

On the ship, 11:10 AM sipping wine.in Michaels Club..

 

Bernadette

We're in Luminae drinking the same!

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Oh Joy, this looks like fun!!

Love the humor and offbeat nature of your first post. Can't wait to hear more - on the Summit next April for my first ever cruise!

Absolutely loved your Reflection review so will be following this one closely as well. Enjoy the cruise (although I have no doubt that you will).

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Thanks for sharing.

Nice start. Will be following along.

We just got off the Summit yesterday. It was a great cruise in every way!! Will be going again!!!

Have a wonderful time!!!

Summit heading back (last night) to evacuate passenger, won't affect our arrival in Bermuda though.

The filet mignon in Luminae was amazingly good!

Bernadette

I'll be following along.

Question if you could find the answer too - are cans of soda included again in the classic alcohol package? Feel free to ask the bathroom cleaner, I'm sure she knows.

thanks.

Since one of your goals is to go to cellar masters you picked a perfect bartender. We just got off yesterday. Arie was the best! Tell him the Jack Honey and Coke people say hi (BF and his friend emptied the bar). I recommend the Sancerre. I drank him out of that by Friday.

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Looking forward to this review! We sail on Summit in 4 weeks.

can you PLEASE let me know if they offer Luggage Valet out of EWR, I am cruising 9/3 and would love to not have to handle luggage until back at Midway. My flight home is 12:30 on 9/10.

Thanks

BomanW:)

We just got off the Summit yesterday. It was a great cruise in every way!! Will be going again!!!

Have a wonderful time!!!

Do you remember if they offered Luggage Valet from Newark Airport? ?? We cruise the Summit on 9/3 and would sure like to use it for our 12:30 flight from EWR to MDW on 9/10. Thanks

Following along for the ride. We board in only 106 days!

One question too-- if someone on board gets around to meandering past Cafe Al Bacio in the afternoon, please let us know if they have brought back the black and white cookies? :D

Thanks

Jed

Jed, I'll check for those cookies.

We've sped up to get to Bermuda earlier for ANOTHER medical evacuation. We are really moving along!

We had a great cabin crawl- we had all kinds of cabins...

Bernadette

I'll be following along.

 

Question if you could find the answer too - are cans of soda included again in the classic alcohol package? Feel free to ask the bathroom cleaner, I'm sure she knows.

 

thanks.

On 8/20 sailing orders for diet Coke were always filled with a can. Fountain wasn't even offered. Classic beverage. I don't know if diet Coke is an option on the gun. I thought it was standard.

Looking forward to this review! We sail on Summit in 4 weeks.

Just sailed Summit July 7th - 16th so if you need to know anything let me know, maybe I can help. You can ask on our Roll Call board.

The OP has not posted in 3 days. I hope he is okay.

Following along for the ride. We board in only 106 days!

 

One question too-- if someone on board gets around to meandering past Cafe Al Bacio in the afternoon, please let us know if they have brought back the black and white cookies? :D

 

Thanks

Jed

I haven't seen any yet but will keep looking for you. Been just basic chocolate chip, oatmeal, coconut, macadamia, peanut butter.

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