SUMMIT: 1/16/05 Ft. Lauderdale

[Apelila]

We prepared for our first cruise by researching the SUMMIT and reading cruise critic. This was our 20 yr. Ann. and we have a great amount of traveling abroad experience. We didn't recieve the "touted" champagne white glove reception/nor shown to our suite when we boarded around 1pm. Our first stop was to make 3 dinner reservations at the NORMANDIE. We were very rudely treated and arrogantly told by SAM AIVARAS, "No" to each request; only to be corrected later by our "outstanding" butler:Desmond. Our Bon Voyage order was lost: again corrected by Desmond/Melvyn. (We will be refunded someday). Our excursions were cancelled to make matters worse. The Normandie became the "Cirque du Soleil" for our trip, as the menu changed that evening, creating complete chaos. French service and basic dinning traditions...were void. Sommelier's didn't have time to decante expensives wines properly due to their additional jobs serviceing water/drinks to guests?? In total we believe CELEBRITY, was greatly over-rated in every area. When considering a suite with Celebrity or a simple balcony with Crystal cruise line; we never antisapated the over all quality the Summit lacked outside the suite. At disembarkment, other couples ackonwledged their same disappointment as ours but, encouraged us to try another cruise line. After all the time and effort we put into the planning, we did our part but, Celebrity did not live up to the ratings in Conde Nast. Sorry Celebrity Cruise Critic members; we truely wanted and tried to love what you love: Cruising Celebrity. Health, happiness and Bon Voyage to all...........

[trvlcarib]

This was exactly what I was talking about when we got off on the 16th. There was something missing. It isn't as upscale as we once remember. Hopefully it will get better!

[Bingo]

My wife and I, my Brother and his wife were on the same cruise but by your description, we may not have been. Was that the Summit with 1 “T” or 2?

 

You said: “We didn't recieve the "touted" champagne white glove reception/nor shown to our suite when we boarded around 1pm.”

 

We arrived about 30 minutes before you did and were offered bubbly but declined. So I am surprised it was not there. Did you enter the main door or the crew’s entrance?

 

You Said: “Our first stop was to make 3 dinner reservations at the NORMANDIE. We were very rudely treated and arrogantly told by SAM AIVARAS, "No" to each request;”

 

We ate at the buffet when we first arrived and then went to make reservations for 1 night at the Normandie. So I figure we made the reservation about 30 minutes after you did. We were able to get our first choice. I tried to make the reservation before we cruised but was told by Captains club that they could not contact the ship for this “one” cruise because of technical difficulties. So if we were told NO to our request when we arrived, we were ready to say “but you should have an email from Captains Club with our request. We did not need to do that.

 

You said “Our excursions were cancelled to make matters worse.”

 

We had our 2:00pm excursion on Grand Cayman canceled also. We had hung around the pier/shops area most of the morning and then showed up 15 minutes before the snorkel tour was to have started and was told it was canceled. When we got back to the cabin there was a phone message, left 1 hour before the tour was schedualed for, saying it was canceled. This did ruin our day as we would have taken one of the $15/pp tours of the island that were offered as you got off the ship or found something else to fill our whole day. This was our only disappointment of the cruise. I did make up for it that night by having a triple shrimp cocktail instead of a double.

 

You said: “Sommelier's didn't have time to decante expensives wines properly due to their additional jobs servicing water/drinks to guests??”

 

Was this in the Normandie? Our wine server was very good and I didn’t think he was too busy. His only job was as a sommelier. Gung a Din he was not. We had a very good white wine. I think it was number 113 on the wine list but cannot remember exactly if that was the number. It was $25.00.

 

I am sorry you did not have a great time. I have been on about 7 cruises before Summit and the Wife had been on 2. This by far was our best cruise to date.

 

Dan

 

One other tidbit our waiter mentioned 1 evening was about them adding Ciurque and the soon to be departure of both Horizon and Zenith.

[gizmodog]

I for one am very disturbed by many of the negative reviews that I have been reading on the Celebrity board. Many of the board members still do not want to hear any negativity regarding Celebrity but in the year or so that I have been reading posts there are a larger and larger number of discontented cruisers.

I too have loved my Celebrity cruises, but I must say that I too have noticed the downward spiral in many areas on Celebrity ships. I still love to cruise and am booked on the Summit to Hawaii, but for the price increases that Celebrity has implemented you would think that the service and overall experience should be better and that is not what I am hearing nor have I experienced.

I am sorry for the original posters bad experience and I hope that they do not give up cruising over it. I hope Celebrity reads these boards and are picking up the same sentiments that I am picking up reading many of these posts.

[Petoonya]

Gizmo,

We all perceive life a little differently and the same goes for cruises. Maybe the original poster really belongs on Crystal Cruise line. Perhaps their "great amount of travel abroad" was at a far more luxurious level than a mainstream cruise line can offer.

 

I just did Infinity Hawaii in December and have cruised all the X ships except Zenith and Horizon- it was one of the very best experiences I have had cruising. And I rebooked Summit- I see some things X is doing not as well in the last few cruises, but other things X is doing even better. I still feel I got terrific bang for my buck.

 

It will be interesting to see what you feel after your Summit trip- I hope it's satisfied and relaxed. :)

[Zigster]

My husband and I were on the same cruise as Bingo and Apelia, and I agree with Bingo, the cruise was wonderful. We had the same experience trying to prebook the Normandie and were told there was a problem w/the computer. When we got on board champagne awaited us, however we were not escorted to our cabin as we arrived around 11 a.m. We were advised to walk around the ship buffet would be ready at noon and our cabin approx. 1:00. (It was ready prior to 12:00). We went to the Normandie and our reservation had been made by Captain's Club after all and we even booked an additional night. At our Normandie dinner, we had a glass of wine with each course so no problems there. The only complaint that I did have was that our luggage didn't arrive until about 4:30. I'm sorry about your bad cruise experience, but don't give up - we had an unpleasant cruise on Century in November and were not looking forward to our Summit trip, but I'm so happy that we didn't cancel as it has been our best cruise of our 9 on Celebrity. We're looking forward to giving the Century another chance on our cruise in October.

[Apelila]

Dear Sir or Mr. Bingo,

Perhaps we arrived 30 min. before or after you arrived. We were shown via a line for suites and then guided on to the ship by the main entry/casino. We did not go to the "buffet for lunch" but, as advised by these very cruise critic suggestions as our first stop to make our reservations for the Normandie. Sam Aivaras, at the Normandie told us "No" to each request at approx. 1:00-1:15 pm. The Summit concerige and our butler confirmed each reservation within the hour afterward so it truely wasn't an issue afterward. We should have left reservations up to our butler? Our Bon Voyage order was lost yes..our 20 yr. ann champage-2 orders of flowers-shrimp-nuts ect...."lost". Yes, the Jamaica boat tour cancelled as well as, Cozumel. Grand Cayman we were guests of the Hyatt and had a wonderful time/experience. At the Normandie; "Roman" from Bulgaria was our Sommelier/speciality for vintage. It's true. Celebrity expects their Sommelier's to service guests in the Normandie cocktails as well as, water in addition to wine service. Nowhere else is this the case. The wine we wanted decanted propertly was a Chateau Lynch Bages 1990.....due to the noise/time our Sommelier settled on a 1995. The manager apologized several times during our meals, as he was having a nervious break-down during the various changes Michel Roux installed that week. French service was void during our cruise. Our experience was fine, not french, not traditional. We enjoied our time, after looking so forward to this cruise. We generally give conde Nast a second look when it comes to suggestions on new experiences. Cruise critic people are wonderful and I had only hoped to have "loved" this experience as much as, they love Celebrity. Iam sorry our cruise experience disappointed you.

[Apelila]

P.S/ Mr. Bingo,

You are correct. Our sommelier Roman from Bulgaria signed a wine list for us and bin 113: Veneto from Italy; Soave Classico Superiore D.O.C. Masi, Agricola S.F.A. 2000/2002 Lovely nose, fruity and well-balanced with long persistence. Our request was bin 392. We are glad you enjoied your selection. We had only hoped to enjoied ours; not that that the 1995 was bad......Bordeaux in Pauillac is wonderful. We wish you all the best. Salute.

[pema]

I for one am very disturbed by many of the negative reviews that I have been reading on the Celebrity board. Many of the board members still do not want to hear any negativity regarding Celebrity but in the year or so that I have been reading posts there are a larger and larger number of discontented cruisers.

I too have loved my Celebrity cruises, but I must say that I too have noticed the downward spiral in many areas on Celebrity ships. I still love to cruise and am booked on the Summit to Hawaii, but for the price increases that Celebrity has implemented you would think that the service and overall experience should be better and that is not what I am hearing nor have I experienced.

I am sorry for the original posters bad experience and I hope that they do not give up cruising over it. I hope Celebrity reads these boards and are picking up the same sentiments that I am picking up reading many of these posts.

We too are going to Hawaii on the Summit. 4/9/06

We are 16 in all and are anxiously awaiting to set sail.

We have booked the Holiday Inn in San Pedro Ca. for 4/8/06

All transfers included.

I pray ALL of this is the right move.

I seem to be in charge and do NOT want anyone upset with me especially my sister and her husband. I love them dearly and wouldn't want a cruise to change our relationship.

any input would be greatly appreciated

Peggy