Summit Cruise Review - 11/26/11

[kelikea]

Hello everyone! My husband and I (both 25 yrs old) booked this cruise a while back, and were so excited when it came time to actually get on the boat. Let me first say that this boat definitely caters a lot to the 55+ crowd. There's nothing wrong with that, but being young ourselves, we noticed that the "club scene" was sparse. We're not huge partiers but it did seem pretty empty at the parties. With the exception of the fruit buffet and dance party on the pool deck. That was really fun. Overall, this cruise was amazing. The best part was the food and service. Everyone was incredibly friendly and every crew member you came across met you with a "good morning" or a "how are you doing." But back to the food. Wow. It was the best I've ever had, and the service in the main dining room was phenomenal. We had a great table, 433, right in the middle, down on the main floor. The whole experience was nice. It was hard to choose our favorite meals.

 

We made 5 stops, which I thought was maybe a little much. We only have 1 day at sea. I'd rather 4 stops and 2 days at sea, but it's okay. We stopped at Bridgetown, Barbados - Castries, St. Lucia - St. John, Antigua - Philipsburg, St. Maarten - and St. Thomas. We had already been to Barbados and Antigua, so it was nice to see 3 new islands.

 

Barbados - We took a taxi from the city center (not the port) to Dover Beach. It is past the popular Carlisle Bay where The Boatyard is. It was a lovely place. Small, quiet beach. Wonderful water. I would recommend walking the 15 minutes or so out of the port and into the town. You can get a better price for taxis outside of the port area. Also, if you did want to go to Carlisle Bay, you could honestly just walk there. It's not much farther passed the city center. After we had our fill of the beach we just took a taxi straight to the boat. I believe taxis were about $10 each way. Pretty good deal.

 

St. Lucia - This was a new island for us so we just got off the boat and started walking around the city a little bit. There's some shopping to do, but it was pretty hot so we wanted to hit the beach and possibly get a little tour of the island. Just so you're aware, you will get asked by a zillion different taxi drivers to take a tour or go to the beach. We paid about $60 for a taxi driver to take us (just us, not packed into a van) on an hour tour, went to a couple lookouts and stopped at a woodworkers shop, then off to Reduit Beach. It was a nice beach, had great views, lovely water as well. There's a guy who sells fruit from a boat, he'll drive up towards the shore and you swim over to him and buy fruit. It was cool. One thing I didn't care for at that beach was the amount of jet skis, boats, and water sports that was going on so close to the shore. It seems like they were all wizzing past you and could almost hit you if they weren't paying attention. Other than that, nice beach.

 

Antigua - We had already been here, and went to Runaway Beach the last time. So we asked where there was solid snorkeling and they said Long Bay. So it was $12 for a couple, each way and we got 2 other couples to take the 20-30 minute drive with us. The taxi driver told us a lot of interesting things as we drove through the middle of the island. Once we got to the beach we rented a few chairs and umbrella and got some sun. We really liked this beach. The snorkeling was so-so, nothing to write home about. There are some little huts that sell souvenirs and a restaurant that you can get decent food (hamburgers, fries). This beach is shared by the Grand Pineapple, a sister resort of Sandals. It was a very pretty beach and not so crowded. We got back to town and did some shopping. There's a lot of shopping to be done here. Seems to be a bigger city.

 

St. Maarten - Our entire dinner table said they were going to Orient Beach in St. Maarten, so we tagged along. It was definitely worth it. If you're looking for a quiet, deserted beach, this is not for you. There's a side of the beach (separated by rocks) for nudists and the other side is for normally-clothed individuals. We ventured over to the nudity side, out of curiosity, and all we found was 55+ without clothes on. Not our cup of tea, so we headed back to the regular side of the beach. It can get pretty crowded on this beach, it's very popular. There are many, many restaurants and chairs/umbrellas to rent. In the crowded section, you can get 2 chairs, an umbrella, and 2 free drinks for $7. It's a good deal but you're packed in pretty tight in that area. So we walked down the beach a bit and found the same gig for $15, but it was much more relaxing and not nearly as crowded. The water has some seaweed stuff flowing up on the shore, it's scratchy, and I didn't care for it, but it didn't ruin my day by any means. We hung out with the people from our table and then headed back to the city to go to the beach there. It was a nice beach there too, not as nice as Orient Beach, but it was close to the boat, right in downtown, and had ladies giving massages. We took advantage of that and all got massages with fresh aloe, right from the plant. It was glorious. It's very close to the port, so we just walked from the downtown area back to the boat. We thought about going to Maho Beach to see the planes land, but they're having a lot of construction and there's traffic at all times. So we opted out of that.

 

St. Thomas - This was by far our favorite spot. I guess I should say the island of St. John was our favorite stop. St. Thomas was nice but we had heard about St. John and decided to take the ferry out there. You can get a ferry ticket for $6, both ways. It's about a 40 minute trip to get there, 40 to get back. But definitely worth it!! Once we got into St. John, we took an open-air, safari-style taxi to Trunk Bay. Best decision ever. It was the most beautiful beach I've ever seen. And I've even been to top 10 beaches in the world. This place rivals all of them. It is such natural beauty, we didn't want to leave. It's $6 per person, each way to take the taxi out there. You can get some amazing pictures on the way, as you have to drive up high and can see the beaches down below. It costs $4 per person to get into Trunk Bay and then if you want to rent snorkel gear, that's $5, which is very reasonable. It's wheel-chair accessible, has clean bathrooms and showers, and a gift shop and snack bar. Other than that, it is undisturbed, gorgeous beach and water. The snorkeling was very good. There are no vendors bothering you either. Most of the island is a national park, so that's why it's kept so nice. We headed back to St. Thomas after our time there and did some shopping. They have a lot of souvenir shopping and there's actually a dock area where personal yachts are. Behind that dock is wonderful stores like Gucci, Coach, Diamond International, Tommy Hillfiger and other top-scale stores. After hanging out there for a while we headed back to the boat.

 

 

 

Other than all the stops we made, we had a great time just being on the boat. We had initially booked a Oceanview room, 2060. We checked in at San Juan and asked if there was any way we could upgrade. So they referred us to another guy and he said he could upgrade us to a balcony for $100 so we instantly agreed to that, and it was the best decision we made! We loved hanging out on our balcony and just enjoying the sailing away from each port. It was amazing to wake up and open the blinds to beautiful islands everyday. The ship does need a little work, it is quite old, but they'll fix everything in January at the dry-dock. I have read reviews with people saying that the ship was disgusting and it ruined their vacation. I don't know how it could ruin their vacation. The ship, yes, needs some work. But not so much that it would ruin my day. Those people are way off base. The ship is still clean and, even with the sometimes dated decor, it is still very nice. My husband just asked if I would mention one thing. We have been on a number of NCL cruises and they have a 24 hr a day restaurant that has everything from burgers to chicken wings to cheesecake and tomato soup. The Summit did not have any such restaurant and my husband was rather disappointed in that, mainly because he realized that there were no chicken wings being offered on the boat. That was his only complaint, haha. It would be nice to have a 24 hr restaurant available, but there is 24 hr room service (still no chicken wings, lol). The shows were nice, I really liked the dancers. They are all so talented. Some of the shows can get a little cheesy, with the silly costumes, but overall it was good. We met and had long chats with a number of the dancers (we're all about the same age) and they are all very cool and happy to talk to the passengers.

 

 

 

 

Overall, this cruise was amazing and a great way to get out of the Pennsylvania cold! We are looking into booking another cruise for next year. What can I say? We're hooked!

[librarylady19]

Thanks for your review. I never understand why people are so down on the Summit. We loved the ship and it's wonderfully staff and can't wait to sail on her again next September.

appreciate your input on St. John- that is exactly what we plan to do during our stop there on Eclipse next week. Hope we can get an early start and beat the cpceiwds. Luckily there is only one other ship in port that day.

Thanks again!

[Azulann]

Thank you fro your detailed review.

 

I too love the food on the Celebrity ships. As one over 55+, it is nice ot see that younger folks can have a good time on Celebrity Ships.

Hope you try one of the S class ships. They have more bars, night clubs and wonderful lawn club etc.

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[Colorado Babe]

Thanks for your great review. I now can go on the summit in a few weeks and not be worried that we're going to regret it.

[kelikea]

You are all very welcome! St. John is definitely a must-see. At least Trunk Bay. My husband and I are definitely interested in trying out the S class ships. Considering how old the Summit is, she was definitely clean and service was top-notch. And Colorado_Babe, enjoy your trip! I had read many bad reviews, along with the good ones, and I was almost discouraged. But if you go into it with an open mind and flexibility, you'll be fine. Have fun!

[cgags47]

To the OP, thank you so much for writing this review. My GF and I, both 25 years old, are booked for the Summit on 4/28/12. The itinerary is great, and price is perfect for a repositioning cruise, so I really couldn't pass it up. Then I started reading reviews about how this might not have been the best decision. Luckily, I stumbled upon your posting today, and I feel a lot more at ease. We aren't the types who need to be dancing until 3:00 am each night, so as long as there is some night life, as well as a casino, I think we should be fine. I have also heard that the food on celebrity is very good, so I am looking forward to that. I'll also have to check on upgrade availability at the port. I would love to go from an oceanview to a balcony! Any more advice for people in our age group about good things to do on the ship?

 

Thanks again!

[kelikea]

Cgags47 - Well as far as the casino goes, it's just okay. I don't know how much a casino is important to you. It's the smallest one I've been in. Oh, and my husband wasn't pleased about this, they have a 5% charge if you take out money from the casino. We've been on a number of NCL cruises and you can take out up to a certain amount everyday and aren't charged anything extra. Not so on Celebrity. Other than that, we hung out in the casino a little, played some blackjack and roulette. It felt kind of cramped in there. They will have dancing somewhere on the boat every night. One night there was a fruit buffet/dance party on the pool deck, that was fun. The band leads you out in all these dances. The chocolate buffet is awesome! They have an amazing display of chocolate, cheese, fruits, desserts up in the "club" and then start a dance party after. You will always have people dancing, just maybe not a lot, and not as much our age. But somehow, all the young people tend to gravitate towards each other. We lucked out by sitting at a table with one awesome, young couple. We hung out with them the rest of the cruise and are planning a cruise for next year. My husband is very outgoing (especially with a little liquid inspiration) and we met a lot of people. So keep an open mind and you will always find something to do!

[cgags47]

Thanks for the info!! The more I read on here, especially reviews like yours, the more I look forward to the sailing. As far as the casino, we won't gamble every night, probably only 2 or 3 times, so I don't think we'll mind the "cozy-ness", as long as we can get a spot at the craps table. Looking forward to the difference in nightlife, expecting a more relaxing atmosphere. Plus, with the addition of Solstice features, there will probably be more things to do as well. Now all I need is that balcony upgrade at the port ;), and a good group of people at the dinner table!! Thanks again for your help!

[63galaxie]

Our first (and only) time to St. John, we took the ferry also. Loved that part of the trip! We rented a car (in advance) and drove until we found a private cove. Miraculously deserted, no facilities, but our own little piece of heaven for a few hours. The water was perfect. Felt like we were the only ones on the planet.

 

Planning another trip to St. John on next year's cruise stop. Might just take the taxi this year.

 

Can't wait to sale on Summit for the first time too.

[daliflor]

FYI

 

There was a SPECIAL run by Celebrity (not sure but I believe it recently run out) for a $99.00 upgrade on certain sailings in the Caribbean (including Summit and Eclipse Holiday cruises) -> from interior cabin to OV or from OV to Veranda.

 

May want to call Celebrity (or your TA) to see if it's still on and applicable to your particular sailing. If not, as the OP suggested, don't give up as of yet and try again at Check-in... and never know, so GOOD LUCK !!!

[phoenix_dream]

My DH and I (along with my adult son) were on the same cruise - I guess you could say we were some of the 55+ (just wondering - is that the cut-off point for old age??:confused: )

 

But seriously, we also had a great time. Rumors of the ship being dirty or in bad shape are vastly overstated in my opinion. I agree - the ship needs some fixing up but there was nothing in bad shape, and I thought overall it was very clean.

 

I thought the food ranged from good to excellent. We did not have a bad meal. In fact, a couple of meals I had were some of the best I ever had on any of my 20 Celebrity cruises (specifically the beef short ribs, and then the beef short rib lasagna - yum yum).

 

We thought the production shows were so-so, but we really liked the comedian and the impressionist. Both were excellent.

 

I thought there were more young people on this cruise than usually on Celebrity. I know there were very many people from Puerto Rico - they must have had a special pricing. I couldn't care less for the most part. My only issue (and it is a minor one) is that they had a latin band in the Rendevouz Lounge every night and while I love that type of music, for us non-Puerto Ricans it was a bit much after awhile. It would have been nicer to have a mix of music. I did not like how Celebrity catered to just one group of passengers in that way, especially when probably 60%+ of the passengers were from the rest of the world. Minor complaint in the scheme of things. Overall it was a wonderful cruise

[SusieV]

Cgags47 - Well as far as the casino goes, it's just okay. I don't know how much a casino is important to you. It's the smallest one I've been in. Oh, and my husband wasn't pleased about this, they have a 5% charge if you take out money from the casino.

 

The charge is actually 3%. We just bring traveller's cheques to circumvent it. I believe they will waive the charge if you are a frequent/heavy gambler. We tend to go to the casino every night after dinner but we've never taken cash out since the charge was enacted so can't say for sure.

[kelikea]

Phoenix Dream, I agree with you about the latin music. I am actually half Hispanic, I don't speak Spanish, and I do enjoy some latin music from time to time. But it was definitely overkill on this boat. The music didn't sound bad or anything, it's just, most people were not Hispanic and I heard people complaining about the music a lot.

 

I had mentioned at the very end of my review that we were looking into booking another cruise. Well we did! We're going on the Carnival Liberty on Nov. 17 for Thanksgiving. Actually with another couple that we met on the Summit cruise. We chose it because of the itinerary and the price. My husband and I have been on a Carnival cruise before, back when we were just dating, and it was fun for us. We were both 21 and it was spring break so we had a great time. The food on the Summit definitely spoiled us, and I already have accepted that the food on the Carnival Liberty won't be as good. That's okay though! I will not let it effect my vacation!