Review of Celebrity Summit to Bermuda 7/26/13

[reginab1979]

We have cruised with Celebrity 8 times and this was our 5th cruise on The Summit. We normally do not go on cruises during the summer months but this year we decided to give it a try with a July cruise to Bermuda.

 

Leaving from Bayonne, NJ was super easy and once we arrived we were on the ship within 20 minutes. We were in Aqua Class on the 11th floor which are the newer cabins. We had an excellent cabin attendant who was one of the best we've ever had on Celebrity. The first 2 days at sea it rained very hard and because no one was at the pool the ship seemed very crowded. You can't blame Celebrity for that so we just made the best of the other attractions on the ship. Because this was a summer cruise there were many families with children on board. The kids were great and very well behaved and they seemed to enjoy the children's amenities on board. When we got to Bermuda the sun returned. First day we took the ferry to St. Georges and had a great lunch and walked around the town. On our second day we took a Celebrity excursion for snorkeling to Devil's Isle. It was extremely disappointing. Not worth the time or money. Our last day at Bermuda we pretty much stayed on board because of the drama that began to happen and our enjoyment of this cruise started to diminish.

 

Earlier in the week there was a fight in the main dining room between several people. We had heard about it but hadn't seen it ourselves. On our last day in Bermuda a man who was obviously intoxicated began attacking a few people who were sitting by the pool. It was frightening to see and hear. Security was called and the man threatened the lives of the staff. An older woman who witnessed the fight was so scared and upset she was crying. It was sad to see this poor woman. The verbal uproar with this man continued for 3 hours until the Bermuda Police were called and he was escorted off the ship. So many passengers had been threatened and verbally abused by this crazy man so we were so pleased when he was taken off the ship. Unfortunately the Captain of Summit decided to let the man back on the ship after several hours and on Saturday we were at sea and once again the man was carrying on and threatening other passengers. We were extremely disappointed at how this was handled. If we had children I would NOT have permitted them anywhere near the pool area where they could have been hurt by this person. I was shaking because I was sure someone was going to be hurt. For the first time ever I felt like Celebrity had dropped the ball and this seemed like a Carnival Cruise. This event really soured not only our time on Summit but also on Celebrity.

 

The best part of this cruise was the Maryland Boy's Choir who was on the ship for performances in Bermuda. Twice they performed for everyone on the ship. It was wonderful and delightful to hear.

 

Overall the food was as expected and very good. We ate one night at the specialty restaurant Normandy which was excellent. We actually walked out of the entertainment one night because it was the same show we saw last year on our Bermuda cruise. Pretty boring. Our room, 1104, was terrific except for the soot that covers the balcony from the smoke stack. The balcony was filthy after a day at sea and your clothing would be ruined by the soot. We stopped in one night to Michael's Club which was advertised as their "sports bar". They have some excellent craft beers but there is nothing "sporty" about it. I would highly recommend to Celebrity that you get some better sports on the televisions (like baseball) so you can fill this place and sell some of those awesome beers.

 

When we got off the ship in Bayonne we were glad to be home again. We will never sail on the Summit again.

[richsea]

Thanks for sharing! I hav to ask, why will you not sail Summit again?

 

Also, your sailing started on the 26th? Doesn't she sail on Sundays, which would make it the 28th. Just a typo?

[Lois R]

Sorry you had such a bad time:(.......I sailed her earlier this month~

actually the week after you:).....August 4th. Had a wonderfu week:D

We had sun every day and it was hot in Bermuda all week. It was

my 6th time on Summit. I thought the entertainment was terrific

and not bored at all.

 

I did hear you had rainy weather...sorry about that.......Mother Nature

does her own thing for sure.

Again, too bad you didn't have a better cruise. Sounds like the idiot

at the pool was just that....an idiot:eek:

 

Hopefully your next cruise will be better.:)

[reginab1979]

Thanks for sharing! I hav to ask, why will you not sail Summit again?

 

Also, your sailing started on the 26th? Doesn't she sail on Sundays, which would make it the 28th. Just a typo?

 

We would not sail on Summit again because of how the security and officers handled the "problem man" on board. He was threatening to actually kill people. He had physically abused his wife and was taken out of his cabin and given another cabin apart from her. The night he was back on the ship he went into the nightclub, sat down at a table, and threw all the glasses onto the floor with a giant sweep of his arm. Please. This is over the top and he should have been dropped in Bermuda and left there. When he would approach children they would start to cry and run to their parents.

 

To me it's critically important how the officers handle situations especially when you're at sea. Years ago while on Solstice a violent man actually jumped overboard and the Captain and crew saved his life by turning the ship around and going in after him. The crazy man was put into the onboard jail and turned over to the Honduras police the next day. I respected the Captain and how it was handled.

 

I don't want drama like this on a cruise I spent lots of hard earned money which I want to enjoy.

 

And yes it was 7/28 not 7/26. Typo.

 

Gail

[reginab1979]

Sorry you had such a bad time:(.......I sailed her earlier this month~

actually the week after you:).....August 4th. Had a wonderfu week:D

We had sun every day and it was hot in Bermuda all week. It was

my 6th time on Summit. I thought the entertainment was terrific

and not bored at all.

 

I did hear you had rainy weather...sorry about that.......Mother Nature

does her own thing for sure.

Again, too bad you didn't have a better cruise. Sounds like the idiot

at the pool was just that....an idiot:eek:

 

Hopefully your next cruise will be better.:)

 

We will always look forward to our next cruise. And the rain...well...no big deal really. We just spent more time at the Martini Bar! lol :D

[Karen@Steve]

We will always look forward to our next cruise. And the rain...well...no big deal really. We just spent more time at the Martini Bar! lol :D

 

Maybe it would be more benefical to not sail with that captain again since he could move to another ship. Who was the captain on board?

[cruiseacecat]

I would have been very afraid of this man. It is difficult for me to understand why the rights of this clearly disturbed person were put above the rights of the rest of the passengers to have a safe and stress free cruise. This was a clear lack of judgement on the Captains part. Or was it decided in Miami?

[Lois R]

Maybe it would be more benefical to not sail with that captain again since he could move to another ship. Who was the captain on board?

 

Captain Theo was on board.

[Bery]

Thank you for your mini-review. The info you have given about your cabin location, your dining experience and your excursion is helpful to us in choosing our next cruise on the Summit. No doubt you and the other cruisers have been traumatized by this abusive cruiser's threats of violence and his destructive acts. It is bizarre that he was allowed to stay on the ship and continue to pose a danger to cruisers and crew with his violent and unrational behavior. That said, perhaps in the future you may reconsider a future cruise on the Summit. We have never encountered anything as terrible in 13 cruises - 5 on Celebrity. This person should be blackballed forever by Celebrity!

[Cruzinram]

Checked the Bermuda Police web site for info regarding this incident. Couldn't find any report on the web site regarding this. Perhaps a report was not completed. Sounds very strange to me...

[miched]

The problem with A holes like that is they are always get away with their actions.

 

Too bad the captain let him back on board. It probably had to do with the legal department as they are usually consulted before any action is taken.

 

Strange that no one else on that cruise mentioned that incident.

 

 

.

[JerseyGem]

The problem with A holes like that is they are always get away with their actions.

 

Too bad the captain let him back on board. It probably had to do with the legal department as they are usually consulted before any action is taken.

 

Strange that no one else on that cruise mentioned that incident.

 

 

.

 

 

The fight in the MDR was mentioned in another review. It was witnessed by a couple here on Cruise Critic (who posted that they were not happy with the delay in getting security to the MDR nor were they happy to see the man return to the MDR the next night).

 

To the OP- thanks for your review. I would be very frightened to witness any of this- the Captain (and/or the legal department) should have thrown this man off the ship.

[Dave85]

Thank you for your mini-review. The info you have given about your cabin location, your dining experience and your excursion is helpful to us in choosing our next cruise on the Summit. No doubt you and the other cruisers have been traumatized by this abusive cruiser's threats of violence and his destructive acts. It is bizarre that he was allowed to stay on the ship and continue to pose a danger to cruisers and crew with his violent and unrational behavior. That said, perhaps in the future you may reconsider a future cruise on the Summit. We have never encountered anything as terrible in 13 cruises - 5 on Celebrity. This person should be blackballed forever by Celebrity!

 

The problem with A holes like that is they are always get away with their actions.

 

Too bad the captain let him back on board. It probably had to do with the legal department as they are usually consulted before any action is taken.

 

Strange that no one else on that cruise mentioned that incident.

 

 

What a strange situation. I've been on a number of cruises, I can think of at least 5 off the top of my head, where people were kicked off the ship by the Captain for doing far less than it sounds like that creep did. Most of those cruises were on Royal Caribbean where they seem to have very little tolerance for such behavior. I'm also truly surprised that he was allowed back on the ship... sounds like a no-brainer to expel him.

 

Also, I highly doubt the legal department would have been involved. On the contrary, you'd think that if the legal department was involved they'd demand that he stay off the ship. If he was expelled for guest conduct issues (clearly articulated in the cruise contract), which he would have been, there's no legal risk to the cruise line in expelling him.

[Karen@Steve]

I'm sure there is more to the story then anyone, including the OP know. I don't agree with the decision made but then I don't know all the facts or the situation. At least I would have thought they would confine him to his stateroom if he was a danger. Very odd and I hope very isolated.

 

I've sailed with Captain Theo and thought he was great. There must be more to the story and we will probably never know.

[cyntil8ing]

Actually, no, it was not Captain Theo. He came abord the following week. I cannot remember his name.

 

I was in the dining room for the altercation. It took place at late seating the second or third day of the cruise. It was very concerning. Lots of yelling and two guys up in each other's face. Passengers hanging over the rails from the upper level watching like we were in high school. I was just waiting for the chants of "Fight! Fight!."

 

Security took a long, long time to show up. Both parties were 'talked to' while still in the dining room, instead of being removed immediately and order restored. It was not handled well.

 

I heard about, but did not actually see, the 9:00am drunk guy that got tossed off the ship, so I won't comment on rumors.

 

I returned for a second Bermuda cruise on 8/11 and as far as I know, there were no problems. We had great cruises both weeks. But I do agree with the OP that security procedures should be reviewed.

[Lois R]

Hi Cindy, thanks for correcting me. I thought Capt Theo had been on the

ship for most of the summer....my bad:o

 

I didn't see it but I spoke with a couple who were across the aisle from

my dinnertable and they saw folks being removed from our cruise too

(August 4th sailing)....seems tempers got out of hand from more than

one Bermuda cruise this season:eek:

[CruisingChick]

I didn't see it but I spoke with a couple who were across the aisle from my dinner table and they saw folks being removed from our cruise too (August 4th sailing)....seems tempers got out of hand from more than

one Bermuda cruise this season:eek:

 

Thank goodness I went in May. No problems then.

[cyntil8ing]

seems tempers got out of hand from more than

one Bermuda cruise this season:eek:

 

One of my dinner table companions was a TA on a fam trip. It was her first Celebrity cruise. She did witness the threatening guy at the pool area as well as the dining room near-brawl. She blamed it on the low prices this season. She thought everyone wanted to be on the new Breakaway so Celebrity was having to discount heavily. I don't agree that the low prices brings out the low class.

 

I always blame it on the alcohol. It's those free Classic Beverage packages! All the amateurs are drinking heavily. :)

[reginab1979]

One of my dinner table companions was a TA on a fam trip. It was her first Celebrity cruise. She did witness the threatening guy at the pool area as well as the dining room near-brawl. She blamed it on the low prices this season. She thought everyone wanted to be on the new Breakaway so Celebrity was having to discount heavily. I don't agree that the low prices brings out the low class.

 

I always blame it on the alcohol. It's those free Classic Beverage packages! All the amateurs are drinking heavily. :)

 

I met the woman who is a travel agent and we talked quite a bit. I remember her saying what she thought was causing the problems. She was a very nice lady and recommended we try different cruise lines. It's a shame she had such a bad experience on Celebrity. No doubt she will steer her clients away from Celebrity in the future.

 

Gail

[CruisingChick]

I remember her saying what she thought was causing the problems.

 

Gail

 

Okay, so what did she think was causing the problems?

[reginab1979]

Checked the Bermuda Police web site for info regarding this incident. Couldn't find any report on the web site regarding this. Perhaps a report was not completed. Sounds very strange to me...

 

When the man was escorted off the ship by the Bermuda Police he was taken right outside on the dock. The captain of Summit joined them and the police, captain and ship security spoke to the man for 2 hours outside. He was then let back onto the ship and the drama began again the next day. Security told a friend of ours on the ship, (who's wife was hurt by the man), that he was back and was taking his "meds" now so he would be ok. We were also told that the problem person was related to one of the entertainers on board so this might have been why he was permitted to return.

[reginab1979]

Okay, so what did she think was causing the problems?

 

Not sure if I totally agree with her assessment. She was convinced that the security problems were caused by the "lower class of people on board". And this was caused by the lowering of fares to fill the boat.

 

As for me, I thought the people we met on board were wonderful. We met many who we consider friends and are keeping in contact with. The majority of passengers seemed to be from New York and New Jersey which is "home" to us. Lots of Yankee's caps on board. ;)

 

Bottom line I felt it was a lack of security that lead to the problems. On previous Celebrity cruises we saw security right on top of problems before they got out of hand. Not this cruise.

 

Gail

[CruisingChick]

Not sure if I totally agree with her assessment. She was convinced that the security problems were caused by the "lower class of people on board". And this was caused by the lowering of fares to fill the boat.

 

As for me, I thought the people we met on board were wonderful. We met many who we consider friends and are keeping in contact with. The majority of passengers seemed to be from New York and New Jersey which is "home" to us. Lots of Yankee's caps on board. ;)

 

Bottom line I felt it was a lack of security that lead to the problems. On previous Celebrity cruises we saw security right on top of problems before they got out of hand. Not this cruise.

 

Gail

 

Thanks for the answer. Well my husband would have been right at home with his Yankee cap on (life long fans).

[akowilm]

We had a disruptive pax on our Millenium cruise last year and she was put in quarantine in a separate cabin with a security detail at her door until she was put off in Jamaica. Her boyfriend remained on the ship (strange situation) and she had to make her way back to the States alone.