Celebrity Summit - Canada & New England - July 18

[cruiserking]

Cruiserking, I should have a photo-album up with more ship pictures (most of which look much nicer than the one rust photo I've posted) later this week.

 

Great Aaron, I look forward to seeing your pictures of the Summit.

 

Jonathan

[librarylady19]

Thanks for your review. While I would agree that the condition of the balcony is pretty appalling, the good news is that you found the food, cabin condition and service, and entertainment to be good or excellent. I loved Equinox which most definitely hits a home run in all areas, but chose Summit for the southern itinerary and the chance to try a suite.

How did you find the condition of the T Pool?

Looking forward to your photos.

[Atomica]

Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts about the Summit. I don't think the elevator buttons will bother me BUT your balcony railing is awful. One pays good money for a balcony cabin and this can certainly affect the enjoyment. And what is worse is that you reported it and they did not do anything about it. I thought Celebrity leans close to being a premium line. Guess not if they let those type of maintenance issues sink. I don't understand why they have the Summit one of the last ships for a makeover.

 

Will you be posting a link to your album here?

 

I will indeed post a link to my photos here once they're up. The rest of the ship was in good shape overall, but as you say, it is surprising that Summit is one of the last in line for the makeover.

[Atomica]

Atomica

Thank you for your honest and fair assessment of the ship. We'll be boarding in a few weeks for the same cruise and have been reading all the reviews - both good and bad. Looking forward to your photos (thank you in advance). What was your impression of the spa package you purchased. With the pool being free - was it crowded and what about the rooms in the package. Have saied on many HAL ships and have purchased the similiar spa package and most times was the only one in the t-pool or on the heated loungers. Glad to hear the food was good - some reviews have really noted that the food was a huge disappointment. Looking forward to a relaxing cruise with my family so we can reconnect - with two teens we relish family time which is very rare with two working parents and very active teens - seems all we do all year long is pass each other coming and going! Hoping this sailing fits the bill.

 

You're welcome, robertmartha.

 

The spa package was well worth the money. We're huge fans of the hydro-pool and thermal suite areas on HAL's Vista-class ships, but Celebrity Summit offered some features above those on HAL, namely the Turkish bath area, the aromatherapy room, the aromatherapy showers, and the dry heat room (I can't remember the exact name of this room...)

 

While the room is an interior room and lacks the nice views found on the HAL ships, the variety of steam rooms and loungers more than makes up for it.

 

The thermal pool was crowded at certain times, but we found that by going in at 5:30pm, when most people left for early seating dinner, it was relatively uncrowded.

[Atomica]

Bummer. Hopefully you wrote it on the guest survey form at the end. They do read those.

Just curious...how did the food compare to the other lines? If you had to rate each line from best to least good food, how would they compare? I'm a foodie and it's a big part of my cruise experience.

 

Thanks!

Tammy

 

I did indeed!

 

Overall, we felt the food was pretty good - if I had to rate it generally, I'd probably go with this (with the top being the best, the bottom being 'so-so':

 

1. HAL / Cunard

2. Celebrity* (dining room only)

3. Princess / Royal Caribbean

4. NCL, Celebrity* (buffet only)

 

Of course, your mileage may vary - that's just my personal choice. Celebrity was closer to Princess than anything, but their seafood dishes were really quite tasty. The only meal we really felt missed by a long shot was the last evening.

 

One surprise: we all felt Royal Caribbean was tops in terms of sheer variety of food offered in the buffet areas. The Waterfall Cafe on Celebrity, for us, was closer to NCL-quality (not a bad thing - it just wasn't as good or ranging in variety as the other lines.)

[Atomica]

Thanks for your review. While I would agree that the condition of the balcony is pretty appalling, the good news is that you found the food, cabin condition and service, and entertainment to be good or excellent. I loved Equinox which most definitely hits a home run in all areas, but chose Summit for the southern itinerary and the chance to try a suite.

How did you find the condition of the T Pool?

Looking forward to your photos.

 

The T-Pool was good overall, but it too looks as though it could use some TLC. However, this didn't detract from the experience in the same way the condition of the balcony did. Certainly the t-pool area is one of the nicest on any ship I've sailed due to its raised glass roof and ample space.

[LustforLife]

I did indeed!

 

Overall, we felt the food was pretty good - if I had to rate it generally, I'd probably go with this (with the top being the best, the bottom being 'so-so':

 

1. HAL / Cunard

2. Celebrity* (dining room only)

3. Princess / Royal Caribbean

4. NCL, Celebrity* (buffet only)

 

Of course, your mileage may vary - that's just my personal choice. Celebrity was closer to Princess than anything, but their seafood dishes were really quite tasty. The only meal we really felt missed by a long shot was the last evening.

 

One surprise: we all felt Royal Caribbean was tops in terms of sheer variety of food offered in the buffet areas. The Waterfall Cafe on Celebrity, for us, was closer to NCL-quality (not a bad thing - it just wasn't as good or ranging in variety as the other lines.)

 

The food has declined a bit on Celebrity since they changed the main chef that oversees all the ships. Still a bit better than RCI but not as top dog as they used to be.

[madelinerose]

Looking forward to your photos. Glad to hear there were some good aspects of your cruise. ;)

[hcat]

Glad to hear about the busses-- I assume there are adequate luggage berths underneath-- and that we can take our personal carry ons with us onto the bus itself???? Bayonne will be a new experience for us-- but nice we don't have to fly!

 

our trip is to Bermuda so we plan to eat out in the port a few times-- so no need for the alt casual dining....

 

Did you take any treatments in the Spa? Hope that is in good repair--looking forward to using that!

 

When is Summit due for it's makeover? We actually cancelled a trip on Infinity b/c it was going to be the last trip before it's makeover & we thought things would be let go..

 

.

[roe2ship]

One surprise: we all felt Royal Caribbean was tops in terms of sheer variety of food offered in the buffet areas. The Waterfall Cafe on Celebrity, for us, was closer to NCL-quality (not a bad thing - it just wasn't as good or ranging in variety as the other lines.)

Interesting....our first RCI cruise the buffet was good however the second time on RCI (different ship) the buffet had the same offerings daily and most of the time the food was just lukewarm and some items were cold.

 

When is Summit due for it's makeover?

 

.

January 7, 2012.

[hcat]

2012 is a ways off so they'll have to keep up with maintenance & having the correct amount of chairs til then... The Bermuda itin is new for them & I am sure they want to keep that one filled!!!

[Atomica]

I finally have my Celebrity Summit photos up! They can be viewed here:

 

http://web.me.com/atomicaaron/ATP2/Celebrity_Summit/Celebrity_Summit.html

 

A much longer review of our cruise can be found on my blog at:

 

http://fromthedeckchair.blogspot.com/

[robertmartha]

Atomica

Great photo's. Thanks again for posting. Ship looks to be in great shape (except for the rust). We'll are leaving at the end of the month on the same cruise - will report back our experience as well. Last several cruises have been on HAL so it will be an interesting comparison for us.

[Solstice23]

As I mentioned in the earlier thread for this particular cruise...it was a good cruise, but certainly not up to all the Celebrity hoopla I've always heard and read. Food was average (to below, in several cases) and everything else was fine, but certainly not better than any NCL or Royal Caribbean cruise.

 

We have sailed on Summit many times, and we had booked the Summit for this coming march but then switched to the Eclipse because we know that the summit will be a waiting duck until it is solstized. Although I have heard some good comments on Service etc it still was not enough for us to sail on her again until the reno is done.

 

A few things, I have sailed on Celebrity Many times, an although not perfect they were all better then our RCCL, Princess NCL cruises. Furthermore When we sailed last summer the Canada New ENgland cruise on the Caribbean Princess it was the most casual non formal cruise exp we have ever had, still enjoyed the ports but just felt like we were to dressed up day and night and our choice of beverages before dinner were not as easy to find either it was an odd feeling compared to our Celebrity cruises.

 

I do feel it may not be the best choice for X to let the summit continue to let the summit take the hit, but when they have the Century, Solstice, Eclipse, Equinox and Constellation all in amazing to excellent shape I dont see what they can do scheduling wise to get the summit fixed until the Dry dock that is worked around sailings and dry dock availability.

 

I also notice the price for a cruise on Summit over this summer and into the Caribbean season half the price of all the other Celebrity ships! For example in March, November and February when looking for my mom the Summit Sky suites were like almost half price on same week as Solstice class 7 night. For example 1350 including taxes Sky suite 2 versus 2332 Sky suite 2 on Solstice or eclipse that week. When we looked at a sky suite for the bermuda sailing in July versus going to the Equinox med trip we booked the summit price was lower then we have ever seen.

 

If you give up on a cruiseline when going on one of the oldest ships thats been slated for total renovation then its your loss from seeing the line at its best. The Solstice class hands down cleans up in our opinion compared even to the Oasis, and the Caribbean Princess our 2 most recent cruises off Celebrity.

[mahdnc]

Aaron, thanks for posting the pictures as well as your review and comments. We will be boarding Summit tomorrow. We got into NYC a few days ago and I regret not packing some sandpaper and varnish in case we need to spiff up our balcony railing!

[madelinerose]

Aaron, thank you for the photos and your great blog.

 

I'm glad to hear you liked Eventi, as I'm a big Kimpton fan. ;)

[cruiserking]

Aaron,

 

Thank you for your beautiful pictures of the Summit. I also enjoyed your terrific shots of the Silver Shadow and the Rotterdam. Great snap of the Summit in Saint John on Shipparade.

 

Jonathan

[Atomica]

We have sailed on Summit many times, and we had booked the Summit for this coming march but then switched to the Eclipse because we know that the summit will be a waiting duck until it is solstized. Although I have heard some good comments on Service etc it still was not enough for us to sail on her again until the reno is done.

 

A few things, I have sailed on Celebrity Many times, an although not perfect they were all better then our RCCL, Princess NCL cruises. Furthermore When we sailed last summer the Canada New ENgland cruise on the Caribbean Princess it was the most casual non formal cruise exp we have ever had, still enjoyed the ports but just felt like we were to dressed up day and night and our choice of beverages before dinner were not as easy to find either it was an odd feeling compared to our Celebrity cruises.

 

I do feel it may not be the best choice for X to let the summit continue to let the summit take the hit, but when they have the Century, Solstice, Eclipse, Equinox and Constellation all in amazing to excellent shape I dont see what they can do scheduling wise to get the summit fixed until the Dry dock that is worked around sailings and dry dock availability.

 

I also notice the price for a cruise on Summit over this summer and into the Caribbean season half the price of all the other Celebrity ships! For example in March, November and February when looking for my mom the Summit Sky suites were like almost half price on same week as Solstice class 7 night. For example 1350 including taxes Sky suite 2 versus 2332 Sky suite 2 on Solstice or eclipse that week. When we looked at a sky suite for the bermuda sailing in July versus going to the Equinox med trip we booked the summit price was lower then we have ever seen.

 

If you give up on a cruiseline when going on one of the oldest ships thats been slated for total renovation then its your loss from seeing the line at its best. The Solstice class hands down cleans up in our opinion compared even to the Oasis, and the Caribbean Princess our 2 most recent cruises off Celebrity.

 

Thanks for the great comments. We were originally booked on the Century, believe it or not, to Europe, but decided to do something a little closer to home this year. I'd seen the Summit for many years docked here in Vancouver and always thought it looked beautiful.

 

I don't think I'll give up on Celebrity, but I was disappointed - I'm still adamant that the unmistakable success Celebrity has with the Solstice class is fantastic, but it shouldn't come at the expense of the rest of the fleet.

 

But, I'd still like to try Solstice, so you never know...maybe it'll win me over!

[Atomica]

mahdnc: I sure hope you don't have to do any sanding! The rep I spoke to on Monday assured me that they're going to fix the problem, so I'm hoping that begins now. But do enjoy New York and the Summit!

 

madelinerose: Thanks so much for the kind words. I'd never stayed at a Kimpton hotel before, but I can see why you're a big fan of them - my stay at the Eventi really blew me away.

 

cruiserking: Jonathan, glad you enjoyed the photos of Summit, Silver Shadow, and the Rotterdam. I hope to have other ships up soon...if only there were more hours in the day!

[roe2ship]

I finally have my Celebrity Summit photos up! They can be viewed here:

 

http://web.me.com/atomicaaron/ATP2/Celebrity_Summit/Celebrity_Summit.html

 

A much longer review of our cruise can be found on my blog at:

 

http://fromthedeckchair.blogspot.com/

 

Great photos....thank you so much for posting. At the elevators, is the glass there on all decks?? I would love that! That large table in Normandie looks awesome, perfect for my family!

[roe2ship]

 

I do feel it may not be the best choice for X to let the summit continue to let the summit take the hit, but when they have the Century, Solstice, Eclipse, Equinox and Constellation all in amazing to excellent shape I dont see what they can do scheduling wise to get the summit fixed until the Dry dock that is worked around sailings and dry dock availability.

 

I also notice the price for a cruise on Summit over this summer and into the Caribbean season half the price of all the other Celebrity ships!

 

These ships better be in excellent shape....three of them are brand new and the other one just got its makeover. If Celebrity was really concerned to get the Summit fixed, they could have easily prepared the schedule that way. It doesn't make any sense that they decided to do the Connie first.

 

As for prices on the Summit over the Summer, that is simply not true. Prices are very high and even this year, Summit out of NJ was priced higher in just about every category than the Solstice from FLL. This is usually the case when sailing from the NJ/NY area especially in the Summer months.

[librarylady19]

I finally have my Celebrity Summit photos up! They can be viewed here:

 

http://web.me.com/atomicaaron/ATP2/Celebrity_Summit/Celebrity_Summit.html

 

A much longer review of our cruise can be found on my blog at:

 

http://fromthedeckchair.blogspot.com/

 

Thank you so much for the wonderful photos and your full review of your cruise on the Summit. Your photos have really put me at ease in regards to the ship's condition. Although Summit is obviously not as new and modern as the S Class ships, it seems to have a very classy look. Some of the lounges and the Cova cafe in particular look more appealing to me than their counterparts on Equinox. I can't wait to judge for myself in December.

Please let us know what you hear back from Celebrity in response to your concerns.

[Atomica]

Great photos....thank you so much for posting. At the elevators, is the glass there on all decks?? I would love that! That large table in Normandie looks awesome, perfect for my family!

 

Only the midship elevators are glass-enclosed, but they really are spectacular. We found ourselves using them quite a bit despite the fact we were closer to the forward elevator bank.

[ChiSquare8]

Aaron:

 

Thank you so much for the photos and review!

 

I am hopefully sailing on the Summit 8/15/10.

 

I just got off the Veendam to Bermuda last week and I was very very disappointed with HAL (my first HAL cruise). The ship was in very poor condition (even after 2009 refurbishment) with significant air conditioning problems along with elevator problems. I food was just OK and the buffet was disappointing (isn't HAL known for their Lido buffet?). The service was wonderful and I enjoyed the library and the Promenade Deck. Overall on a scale of 1-10, I would give Veendam/HAL a 6.5-7! Not what I was expecting! The Pinnacle Grill was a disgrace in both food quality and serivce.

 

I have been on about 20 Celebrity Cruises (not sailed X in about 4 years), Princess, RCL, and NCL. I found Princess to be the closest match to Celebrity so far. I am just hoping that Celebrity did not slide .....................................................

 

 

I was looking forward to HAL's elaborate ice cream bar??? All it was was Jack and Jill ice cream with a choice of 2 sauces and 2 toppings. What was the ice cream bar like on the Summit? Also, did you eat at the Aqua Spa Cafe? Was it open during embarkation? Did the ship use its own tenders in Bar Harbor or did they charter a larger ferry form Bar HArbor?

 

I am beginning to think cruise lines are putting their weakest ships on the east coast due to prime itineraries/ports. If so they seize to realize that it is giving people a negative taste of supposedly "premium" cruise lines. I am also thing the economy may be causing cruise lines to cut on their food quality (I was surprised that HAL had very very limited fresh fruit at the buffet) and ship maintenance? Huge errors...............................

 

Thank you for the time you took for your review and photos; I know how you feel being disappointed in a cruise! Wishful thinking there will be better reports tomorrow.

[Atomica]

I was looking forward to HAL's elaborate ice cream bar??? All it was was Jack and Jill ice cream with a choice of 2 sauces and 2 toppings. What was the ice cream bar like on the Summit? Also, did you eat at the Aqua Spa Cafe? Was it open during embarkation? Did the ship use its own tenders in Bar Harbor or did they charter a larger ferry form Bar HArbor?

 

I am beginning to think cruise lines are putting their weakest ships on the east coast due to prime itineraries/ports. If so they seize to realize that it is giving people a negative taste of supposedly "premium" cruise lines. I am also thing the economy may be causing cruise lines to cut on their food quality (I was surprised that HAL had very very limited fresh fruit at the buffet) and ship maintenance? Huge errors...............................

 

Thank you for the time you took for your review and photos; I know how you feel being disappointed in a cruise! Wishful thinking there will be better reports tomorrow.

 

I'm glad my photos and review were helpful, but sorry to hear you had a bad experience on Veendam. We had two nice Coastal cruises on her a few years back. It's interesting you mention the fresh fruit at the buffet - we did a 1-day repo on the Rotterdam in May and were impressed at how much fresh fruit there was. HAL usually does do a pretty good buffet setup, so it is strange that was lacking. I wonder if they're experiencing sourcing or cost issues on the East coast? (though I will say Summit certainly didn't lack in that department)

 

I heard about the AC issues on the Veendam and certainly hope they can get that fixed - you don't want that to fail while sailing out of NYC.

 

The ice cream bar on the Summit had six or so different kinds of ice cream and sorbet - if I remember correctly, sometimes the flavors changed, and sometimes they stayed the same. I had it once, and it was pretty good.

 

I never did eat at the Aqua Spa Cafe. We took a peek in there for breakfast one morning, but the selection was mainly limited to croissants and pastries. I don't recall if it was open on embarkation day or not.

 

The ship used its own tenders in Bar Harbor, and tendering was a fairly painless process - in fact, it was one of the smoothest experiences we've had.