Summit or Eclipse ? You're comments please !

[Thechamp555]

Hello, We are a mid-40's couple who are interested in a first cruise. Our choices are within the Celebrity Summit or Eclipse (both sailing early Dec), one western Carribean and the other one Souther Carribean.

 

Which one would you recommend ? The summit is $ 700 less for 2 of us.

 

Thanks

 

Germain:)

[scf1270]

We were recently on the Summit, and will be on the Eclipse in Dec. We have been on the Solstice - which is very similar to the Eclipse, so that is my point of reference.

 

Think about what is most important to you? Here are some things to consider:

Is $700 a good % of your vacation budget, or not an issue?

If the $700 is affordable, would you rather spend it on shore excursions, cabin upgrade, speciality dining, etc...?

What are the ports?

Where does it sail from? What does that mean for ease and expense of transportation to/from your cruise?

 

With ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL I wold choose the Eclipse. We loved our ports and had a really good time and met great people. The ship you choose shouldn't change that. The Summit is a bit tired looking and is not at the top of it's game food and service-wise. We did actually like the size of the Summit very much, and loved the aft cabin (nicer on Summit than Eclipse).

 

You'll probably get very strong opinions from some :rolleyes:, but in the end the only one that counts is yours. Remember: it's a cruise = you can't really make a bad choice :D

 

Hope this helps,

Sara

[sco0437]

I was in the same boat.. trying to decide on the Summit out of San Juan.. or the new Eclipse out of Miami for a spring cruise.

 

I have decided on the Eclipse even though I think I would enjoy some of the southern ports. To me, the Summit is cheaper for a reason and thats because its an older ship in need of some updating. I read many of the reviews on this site which commented on that.

 

I would rather cruise on a new ship. I think you will have better service and food quality also. Being that it's the newest ship of the fleet they will be putting out their best in every way.

 

Whatever you decide.. have fun!

[Thechamp555]

Thanks Sara for you're precious info.

 

The difference in money is not an issue, we sail from Miami and port at Grand Caymans, Rotatan, Costa Maya and Cozumel.

 

This is our 20th wedding anniversay and our first cruise without the teenagers ! :-)

 

So I think we'll choose the eclipse.

 

Germain:o

Quebec

Canada

[nannyny]

Having been on the Summit 3 times, she is still a lovely ship with a great crew. You should read some reviews of the May 30th sailing - all were very good. I wouldn't hesitate sailing on the Summit, she has lots of character and charm left in her.

[Conanc]

Thanks Sara for you're precious info.

 

The difference in money is not an issue, we sail from Miami and port at Grand Caymans, Rotatan, Costa Maya and Cozumel.

 

This is our 20th wedding anniversay and our first cruise without the teenagers ! :-)

 

So I think we'll choose the eclipse.

 

Germain:o

Quebec

Canada

 

You won't be sorry! We LOVED the Solstice and can't wait to try the Eclipse since it's the only S class ship that has QSine.

[noriboating]

The Solstice class (Eclipse) is amazing. It would be my choice. The design and amenities are topnotch. We sailed the Solstice last year and are presently booked on both the Solstice and Eclipse based on that experience....well worth the additional tariff.

[scf1270]

Glad to be of help.

 

We are doing the same Eclipse ports in December, but in a different order. And it's the 1st cruise that we ARE taking the girls on :rolleyes:.

 

Check on flights into both Miami (MIA) and Ft Lauderdale (FLL). For us it is always cheaper to fly into FLL rather than MIA, but I have no idea about your route options. FLL is about 30-40 from the Port of Miami (POM), which is close to downtown. If the flights work for you, there is a shuttle service from FLL to various points in Miami for just $15pp (check the FLL airport website). Also goes from the POM back to FLL for post-cruise flights out.

 

Strongly suggest flying in the day before and staying overnight. A flight delay the day of the cruise could be a disaster. We are also "pro" trip insurance.

 

Once you book your cruise, join your "Roll Call". Just ask if you have questions about that.

 

There are also Threads for Departure Ports and Ports of Call. We have found the CC community to be super friendly and helpful. It's so nice to give back some of the great advice we have benefited from!:D

 

Finally, you can "Subscribe" to a thread by scrolling down belown the first "submit reply" button to the Additional Options box and submitting there.

 

Let the planning begin!

Sara

[kittyluvrnurse]

Having sailed Solstice followed by MILLENNIUM, I would never never sail an old ship again. I'm sorry to offend you die-hard M-class fans, but my expectations were so high after being on Solstice, I was SO let down on Mille. And this was after its dry dock. Service, food, atmosphere, couldn't be matched!

[kymbakitty]

You won't be sorry! We LOVED the Solstice and can't wait to try the Eclipse since it's the only S class ship that has QSine.

 

I'm sorry.....but I can't figure out what "QSine" stands for.....

 

Dawn

[tally10]

We sailed on the Eclipse this past May for the inaugural Baltic sailing and she is a beautiful ship. We have not been on the Summit, but have been on the sister/twin Constellation three times. The Constellation needed a major refurb when we sailed on her and we thought she was rather plain. Our Eclipse sailing was the best cruise we have ever taken and we had done that itinerary twice before and still enjoyed the whole experience My only issue was that we wish they had had a "casual dining boulevard" that the M class ships have for those of us who do not want to dress up for formal night. The buffet on formal nights was rather poor. We have signed on for another Eclipse cruise while on the ship. It would be worth the extra $$ for us.

[kymbakitty]

....My only issue was that we wish they had had a "casual dining boulevard" that the M class ships have for those of us who do not want to dress up for formal night. The buffet on formal nights was rather poor. We have signed on for another Eclipse cruise while on the ship. It would be worth the extra $$ for us.

 

Don't you have the option of speciality dining, sans formal wear, on formal evenings?

 

This is how it works on Princess....

 

Dawn

[baffy]

Qsine = Cuisine

[CathyCruises]

Don't you have the option of speciality dining, sans formal wear, on formal evenings?

 

This is how it works on Princess....

 

Dawn

 

Speciality dining venues have the same dress code as the rest of the ship, so if it's formal night, it's formal!

 

There is the buffet, which is limited, or room service. On the M class ships they have a separate casual dining spot in the buffet area but set up with tableclothes and waiters-in-training. They have a nice menu and request a $2 tip/pp. Not sure if they have this on S class but I doubt it.

[fgc15527]

Sailing Eclipse in February and very much looking forward to our balcony room. Sailed Summit in June. Positives for Summit: Indoor pool area (thalmotherapy) that is so wonderfully heated with special jets....Cova Cafe before dinner which has tappas bar and great entertainment. We found Summit food great. Wine sommelier served us some great wine. We are foodies and are difficult to please. Ship is a bit tired but crew made up for ship's appearance.

[Texed]

I like both of them. We sailed Summit in March, and got off of Eclipse in July. :)

[kitkat9438]

Welcome to cruising and cruise critic!! You've come to the right place for all of your questions about cruising.

 

We cruised on the Summit last December with the southern itinerary and absolutely loved it. We thought the service and food were outstanding and just love that southern itinerary. One of my favorite ports to sail out of is San Juan because you can see more islands on your cruise, plus San Juan is also a beautiful port. My favorite itinerary is also the southern one, which has some of the most beautiful beaches we have ever seen.

 

We are booked on the Eclipse for the December western itinerary and are really looking forward to trying out the new ship. That being said, I would not hesitate to sail on the Summit again. It might be a little older, but we had no complaints at all and it's the cruise that made us fall in love with Celebrity.

 

There are a lot of things to consider when deciding on a cruise. Cost, itinerary and ship. The cost of the Eclipse in December started out much higher, but is now around the same price range we paid for the Summit and we are traveling in Aqua class.

 

Sara has given you some great tips. Since you've chosen the Eclipse, I would also recommend you fly into Miami or FLL the night before. Check the airfares, because Continental was more expensive going into Miami instead of FLL, but the price came down and now it's around the same. We'd rather not worry about driving 30-45 minutes to get to Miami after we land. I can recommend going to lastminutetravel.com and getting the Intercontinental Miami for your precruise hotel. It's on the bay by the port and you can see the cruise ship out your window the next morning. I got my room for $84 and it's normally over $300 for that hotel as it's rated 5 stars. If you go to that website, put in downtown, 5 stars and it will be the first hotel that pops up. You won't see a name, but if you click on details, at the bottom of the page will show a map. Click on birds eye view and you will see the hotel and it will say Chopin Street, which is where the hotel is at.

 

All of the cabins are basically the same size on the Eclipse, but some have a much larger balcony. These are on the "hump". Here's a list for the good cabin numbers you can look for on your itinerary.

 

Resort Deck: 2105, 2109, 2106, 2110

Penthouse Deck: 1547, 1552, 1601, 1605, 1606, 1610

Sky Deck: 1075, 1044, 1231, 1243, 1247, 1108, 1120, 1124

Panorama Deck: 9155, 9192, 9209, 9215, 9237, 9241, 9266, 9270, 9292, 9296

Vista Deck: 8199, 8162, 8255, 8259, 8281, 8285, 8228, 8232, 8254, 8258

Sunrise Deck: 7159, 7206, 7215, 7219, 7241, 7245, 7260, 7264, 7286, 7290

Continental Deck: 6155, 6156, 6209, 6215, 6237, 6241, 6210, 6214, 6236, 6240

 

If you go with Concierge class, you will get a lot of extras, including an extra cruise credit to go towards your captain's club benefits. You can really use those since this is your first cruise. We went for Aqua class to make it that much more special and it includes free bottled water, tea and free access to the Persian Gardens and relaxation room, part of the spa. You also have nicer linens, balcony furniture, showers, a great pillow menu, etc.

Here's a couple of great links to pictures of the Eclipse. Check out the different accomodation pictures and the rest of the ship. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

http://www.depping-design.de/test/thumbnails.php?album=139

http://lisaandystravelmemories.shutterfly.com/celebrityeclipsejune1st2010/127

http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Eclipse-Tour-4.html

[Redtravel]

I was torn also between Equinox and Millenium in January. The winner was Millenium because I like to be warm when I board and during the entire cruise. I've sailed out of Miami in December and been frozen more than once. Used to do the Xmas vacation cruises with the kids. We've even hit cold weather in Key West. We have sailed out of San Juan many times and always enjoyed the warm weather. I've been on Millenium and liked it. I also love the therapy pool which they don't have on the soltice type ships. The price was also fantastic. However, it was the warmth than was our deciding feature. My sailing on Millenium is almost sold out.

[Leafpeeper]

We are sailing Summit for our first Celebrity cruise. We will be having dinner at the specialty restaurant on formal night but won't be dressing formal. I don't mind leaving the main dining room to those who enjoy formal attire, but I'm not eating in a buffet.

 

Specialty restaurants have never given us any problems on formal night. We've noticed about half the passengers dress smart casual in the specialty restaurants. Then again, I've noticed that fewer and fewer passengers are dressing in formal attire in the main dining room too.

 

We'll have to see if Celebrity is strict about enforcing the formal attire in the specialty restauarnt.

[GeorgiaPeach51]

I'm sorry.....but I can't figure out what "QSine" stands for.....

 

Dawn

 

It's the new specialty restaurant. Very innovative. Do a search and you'll probably pull up info. Also read the Cruise Critic review...not the member one, but the 'official" one...it should give you info on the food, etc.

[librarylady19]

We are sailing Summit for our first Celebrity cruise. We will be having dinner at the specialty restaurant on formal night but won't be dressing formal. I don't mind leaving the main dining room to those who enjoy formal attire, but I'm not eating in a buffet.

 

Specialty restaurants have never given us any problems on formal night. We've noticed about half the passengers dress smart casual in the specialty restaurants. Then again, I've noticed that fewer and fewer passengers are dressing in formal attire in the main dining room too.

 

We'll have to see if Celebrity is strict about enforcing the formal attire in the specialty restauarnt.

Part of the ambience of the specialty restaurant is the formal atmosphere. This is not the buffet alternative to the MDR. I think you should follow the dress code for the rest of the ship that evening and not thumb your nose at convention. There are some of us who enjoy dressing up and enjoying a special experience, that is part of what you are signing up for in the specialty restaurant. This may not be the case on the S Class ships as Silk Harvest, Qsine & even Murano are not as "formal and traditional" as the older specialty restaurants.