Summit Dining Review

[flowery]

Most better hotels change sheets every 3 nights or so or have notices e.g. if you want to reuse your towels hang them up, if you want your sheets changed place this notice on the bed.

 

I'm all for being environmentally friendly but yes, I love fresh sheets and frequently change them at home more than once per wk. We sleep better on fresh sheets- don't you?

 

We always tip maids (and room stewards) very well- and sometimes twice per day if we get evening turn down service. I worked one summer as a motel maid and know it's an even harder job than waitressing. I could have asked for them to be changed but I didn't- I just assumed it would be done at least once.

[MicCanberra]

Communication is key.

If I want the sheets changed, I tell the steward. If I want more towels I ask the steward. They will do it no problems at all.:D

[luvs2fly]

Most better hotels change sheets every 3 nights or so or have notices e.g. if you want to reuse your towels hang them up, if you want your sheets changed place this notice on the bed.

 

I'm all for being environmentally friendly but yes, I love fresh sheets and frequently change them at home more than once per wk. We sleep better on fresh sheets- don't you?

 

We always tip maids (and room stewards) very well- and sometimes twice per day if we get evening turn down service. I worked one summer as a motel maid and know it's an even harder job than waitressing. I could have asked for them to be changed but I didn't- I just assumed it would be done at least once.

 

I've never had to ask to have my sheets changed! You are 100% percent right in expecting to have them changed. I've cruised once on celebrity twice on Disney and four times on Oceania. I'm not exactly a seasoned cruiser, but is this the norm with x?

Sleeping in the same sheets all week is not my idea of an ideal vacation! My cruise is coming up,I'm worried that I've wasted a week of vacation time on a cruise line that so far has been disrespectful of my time. Most of my previous cruise has been great! But why is celebrity purposefully neglecting their customers needs.

All complaints on this thread have been more then reasonable! Why do they think it's ok to have sub par servers and inefficient wait staff. Don't get me wrong I had a great time on my last cruise, however the service that I received on the other lines were consistently better. My cruise in feb will determine whether or not I will cruise with them again.

Edited December 6, 2013 by luvs2fly

[MicCanberra]

I've never had to ask to have my sheets changed! You are 100% percent right in expecting to have them changed. I've cruised once on celebrity twice on Disney and four times on Oceania. I'm not exactly a seasoned cruiser, but is this the norm with x?

Sleeping in the same sheets all week is not my idea of an ideal vacation! My cruise is coming up,I'm worried that I've wasted a week of vacation time on a cruise line that so far has been disrespectful of my time. Most of my previous cruise has been great! But why is celebrity purposefully neglecting their customers needs.

All complaints on this thread have been more then reasonable! Why do they think it's ok to have sub par servers and inefficient wait staff. Don't get me wrong I had a great time on my last cruise, however the service that I received on the other lines were consistently better. My cruise in feb will determine whether or not I will cruise with them again.

Don't talk yourself into a bad vacation, I think you need to cruise with X first before you decide if it was a waste of time and money. Enjoy the cruise and don't let the little things ruin it.:D

[flowery]

LOL luvs2fly- you're preaching to the choir. Some here might be "too soon made glad."

Maybe they haven't experienced higher levels of service and don't know what they're missing.

Unfortunately, giving big tips to the room stewards and their assistants hasn't worked for us the last three Celebrity cruises. However, almost everyone has been friendly, smiling, polite etc. I don't think you're in for any major traumas- possibly some mild disappointment.

I would consider switching to Azamara or Oceania for our next cruise (or even a lower priced Crystal itinerary) but the couple we're traveling with next are more budget conscious and probably wouldn't go for it.

 

Here's an important tip: check out your pillows before you go to bed. The ones in our room were shockingly bad but they brought feather pillows the next morning (no one answered the phone at 11p).

Even the Hampton Inn nowadays has decent pillows- and most hotels offer an array of types- as I'm sure you know. The mattresses and sheets though were OK.

I've never stayed in a hotel where you couldn't get someone on the phone at 11p. I almost pressed the "emergency" button- didn't think I was going to be able to sleep :)

The pillows we had initially ranged from totally flat foam (about 1-2 inches thick) to big chunks of foam floating around inside a pillow.

 

Oh no, now I'm really scaring you! My husband likes weird, flat, foam pillows so he was OK with his.

[luvs2fly]

LOL luvs2fly- you're preaching to the choir. Some here might be "too soon made glad."

Maybe they haven't experienced higher levels of service and don't know what they're missing.

Unfortunately, giving big tips to the room stewards and their assistants hasn't worked for us the last three Celebrity cruises. However, almost everyone has been friendly, smiling, polite etc. I don't think you're in for any major traumas- possibly some mild disappointment.

I would consider switching to Azamara or Oceania for our next cruise (or even a lower priced Crystal itinerary) but the couple we're traveling with next are more budget conscious and probably wouldn't go for it.

 

Here's an important tip: check out your pillows before you go to bed. The ones in our room were shockingly bad but they brought feather pillows the next morning (no one answered the phone at 11p).

Even the Hampton Inn nowadays has decent pillows- and most hotels offer an array of types- as I'm sure you know. The mattresses and sheets though were OK.

I've never stayed in a hotel where you couldn't get someone on the phone at 11p. I almost pressed the "emergency" button- didn't think I was going to be able to sleep :)

The pillows we had initially ranged from totally flat foam (about 1-2 inches thick) to big chunks of foam floating around inside a pillow.

 

Oh no, now I'm really scaring you! My husband likes weird, flat, foam pillows so he was OK with his.

 

Thanks, for all of your advice! My husband commutes from Memphis to San Fran and we only take one vacation a year for ourselves. I'm not going to split hairs on minor issues! However on issues of basic service we will!

We booked with celebrity because we liked their smoking policy and the fact that I felt like the crypt keeper on our last few cruises on Oceania . I'm looking forward to our vacation, but I'm hearing so many of the same complaints that we experienced on our last cruise.

It's weird how people think it's ok to just except the fact that you have to fetch your own drinks and ask for basic amenities, like sheet changes! Really?

My credit card company has been bribing me with ridiculous points for my opinion! When ever I review any purchase I make, I'm rewarded with a bunch of points. Celebrity may not care how their customers feel. Apparently chase does!

As I've stated before I will be on summit in feb. I will give a photo review of my cruise! It will be fair and balanced. I'll be ordering an egg sandwich every morning for breakfast! If they treat me the same way they did on the last cruise, you will see a picture of x's service . If they fail to deliver my beverages in a timely manor, I will report exactly how long it took to receive my drink. If their service improves you will hear me rave.

It's my one week a year with my husband. No kids, no nannies just us! We are paying quite a bit more for our child care then we are for our cruise and we are just looking for quiet time. It's wired that last week when I tried check into the Marriott in Nashville , my room was not ready on time. After calling my credit card company for another hotel. I received my room at the Marriott immediately.

All blame is on their corporate office. They need to set policies and make certain that their employees follow any and all guidelines. If they choose to neglect their customers they can deal with the consequences. I'll just give a crappy report to chase and to my corporate travel liaison. If all is good then they will receive glowing reviews!

[MicCanberra]

Good luck and I hope you have a good cruise.:D

[flowery]

Lovs2fly- I understand- my husband also used to take very little time off and it was especially important to us that we had deluxe, non hassle accommodations.

 

We loved the Azamara cruise we took in 2011. I've been looking on their CC board and many people comment on the "warm and cozy feel" from the staff. And people seem to prefer Azamara in many respects over Oceania?

 

Celebrity still has many nice touches. I find the ships very attractive, love the friendly greeting from the security staff on exit and return to the ship and the icy washcloths and drinks they hand out at sweltering ports.

 

The other passengers we've met have for the most part been fun, friendly, well traveled, very interesting backgrounds and we've gotten some great travel tips from them. The ship has a nice laid back feel. We don't like bringing formal clothes on vacation- another reason for us to go with Aqua Class the next time since the specialty restaurants were disappointing.

 

Do you have a Chase Sapphire card? That's interesting that they are soliciting reviews.

[antsnanny]

I'm shocked. I never thought I would see the day that people were complaining about X's food and service. I have a 14 day cruise planned Sept , 2014 and I am considering finding another cruise line at this point.. It seems that every one of the comments regarding the Summit's food is the same, this is terrible news. I don't expect much but at least decent service and food. I will be watching the boards and if Celebrity doesn't do something, Im jumping ship!

[flowery]

Ants- I thought the food quality in the MDR on the Summit was superior to food we had on the Millennium and the Constellation. Or maybe we just got lucky with what we ordered.

We are very picky foodies- at home we frequent mostly ethnic hole in the walls or farm to table restaurants with fresh ingredients.

I was disappointed in the food in the specialty restaurants but not the MDR.

 

Celebrity does need to work on their service, however. There's no excuse for someone not manning at least a "front desk" phone at all hours when you have 2,000 passengers on board. Obtaining drinks shouldn't be a hassle.

 

If you like your itinerary I wouldn't worry about it. I'm not sure what we could switch to at the same price point. I'm leery of Holland America although friends say their food is comparable and have enjoyed their cruises. Isn't the Holland America demographic quite old? Azamara, our first choice, is significantly more expensive and they no longer have 7 day cruises.

 

Celebrity's prices haven't gone up much? Sailing with them is quite a bargain but I'm in favor of raising prices a bit if that's what it takes to hire more people or improve staff morale.

 

For those of you who have cruised Holland America recently, how is the service?

[luvs2fly]

Lovs2fly- I understand- my husband also used to take very little time off and it was especially important to us that we had deluxe, non hassle accommodations.

 

We loved the Azamara cruise we took in 2011. I've been looking on their CC board and many people comment on the "warm and cozy feel" from the staff. And people seem to prefer Azamara in many respects over Oceania?

 

Celebrity still has many nice touches. I find the ships very attractive, love the friendly greeting from the security staff on exit and return to the ship and the icy washcloths and drinks they hand out at sweltering ports.

 

The other passengers we've met have for the most part been fun, friendly, well traveled, very interesting backgrounds and we've gotten some great travel tips from them. The ship has a nice laid back feel. We don't like bringing formal clothes on vacation- another reason for us to go with Aqua Class the next time since the specialty restaurants were disappointing.

 

Do you have a Chase Sapphire card? That's interesting that they are soliciting reviews.

 

Thanks, so much for all of the info! My husband and I are planning a family cruise for this summer! We really did enjoy our cruise on X. We book for itineraries not for ships. We will not negotiate on hygienic issues or basic customer service.

We will see how this cruise goes before we book with x again! It's tempting to book with their promos. I'm hoping our cruise on x last year was a fluke. We were looking at the Italian Renaissance cruise this summer.

I'm a little surprised at the interest my credit card company has in some of my spending habits. They are mostly interested in my travel, dining and spa experiences.

[Kathie44]

I always choose the main seating in the MDR. Last Feb. on Summit, the food was great, as usual, but the service was slower than usual. I blame it on too many tables for the waiters to serve, not on the waiters themselves. It seemed that there were tables crammed into every nook and cranny, making it hard to navigate around them, even for able-bodied people.

7 weeks from today we are leaving for Ft. Laud. and sailing on the 26th for a W. Carib. cruise on Silhouette, our first time on that class of ship. I'm hoping the service will be back to normal.

Edited December 7, 2013 by Kathie44

[antsnanny]

Ants- I thought the food quality in the MDR on the Summit was superior to food we had on the Millennium and the Constellation. Or maybe we just got lucky with what we ordered.

We are very picky foodies- at home we frequent mostly ethnic hole in the walls or farm to table restaurants with fresh ingredients.

I was disappointed in the food in the specialty restaurants but not the MDR.

 

Celebrity does need to work on their service, however. There's no excuse for someone not manning at least a "front desk" phone at all hours when you have 2,000 passengers on board. Obtaining drinks shouldn't be a hassle.

 

If you like your itinerary I wouldn't worry about it. I'm not sure what we could switch to at the same price point. I'm leery of Holland America although friends say their food is comparable and have enjoyed their cruises. Isn't the Holland America demographic quite old? Azamara, our first choice, is significantly more expensive and they no longer have 7 day cruises.

 

Celebrity's prices haven't gone up much? Sailing with them is quite a bargain but I'm in favor of raising prices a bit if that's what it takes to hire more people or improve staff morale.

 

For those of you who have cruised Holland America recently, how is the service?

Thanks for some good news. Its disappointing because Celebrity use to have the best food and service of all of the cruise lines that we've sailed on. Im not that fussy but people are saying you cant even enjoy a drink with dinner because you cant get one, that's of some concern to me. We sailed on the Summit a few years ago and I felt the food and service did go downhill but somehow I thought after they refurbished her things would change. I do like traditional dining so maybe thats the way to go.

Any other people happy with the food and service on Summit?

[antsnanny]

I always choose the main seating in the MDR. Last Feb. on Summit, the food was great, as usual, but the service was slower than usual. I blame it on too many tables for the waiters to serve, not on the waiters themselves. It seemed that there were tables crammed into every nook and cranny, making it hard to navigate around them, even for able-bodied people.

7 weeks from today we are leaving for Ft. Laud. and sailing on the 26th for a W. Carib. cruise on Silhouette, our first time on that class of ship. I'm hoping the service will be back to normal.

 

Im jealous, I love the Silhouette. I thought the food and service was ok still not up to par with what I am use to with Celebrity. We use to look forward to dinner, we always grew very fond of our waiter and assistant waiter, so much so that on the last day of the cruise we always felt sad saying good by... Unfortunately, its not like that anymore.

[TommyD3]

I always choose the main seating in the MDR. Last Feb. on Summit, the food was great, as usual, but the service was slower than usual. I blame it on too many tables for the waiters to serve, not on the waiters themselves. It seemed that there were tables crammed into every nook and cranny, making it hard to navigate around them, even for able-bodied people.

7 weeks from today we are leaving for Ft. Laud. and sailing on the 26th for a W. Carib. cruise on Silhouette, our first time on that class of ship. I'm hoping the service will be back to normal.

 

Beware, I have been on every ship in the fleet many times and the service on the Solstice class ships is the worst. Unfortunately because there are more passengers they assign more passengers per waiter.

 

We were on the Century for 30 days last month and it has the best service in the fleet. Even the Hotel director admitted it was because they have the best crew to guest ratio - because of fewer passengers.

[flowery]

That's really interesting about the Century and your opinion of the S class ships...have never sailed on one of the S-class.

 

We're usually so busy with excursions- at night just want to relax and have a nice dinner with decent service.. I'm going to start taking the guest surveys more seriously and also be more proactive with the room stewards in the future.. as far as dining service, speaking directly to the waiters doesn't help.. and also you want to relax and not get too stirred up or make a scene by complaining to the dining room mgr. It's almost comical in a way...

 

I still can't see getting locked into a set dining time but might have to accept it in the future if we continue sailing with Celebrity.

 

I don't remember having these beverage issues on the Millennium or the Constellation..

 

I do think the staff is probably overworked and underpaid. Are the room stewards supposed to be on call at all times? That's an unrealistic standard! Or do they share "call"?

[MicCanberra]

Beware, I have been on every ship in the fleet many times and the service on the Solstice class ships is the worst. Unfortunately because there are more passengers they assign more passengers per waiter.

 

We were on the Century for 30 days last month and it has the best service in the fleet. Even the Hotel director admitted it was because they have the best crew to guest ratio - because of fewer passengers.

 

That is great news, we will be on her next year.:D

[Kathie44]

I always choose main seating because it's my regular dinner time and I am diabetic, so I need to keep to my usual schedule. Also, I like having the same wait staff every night and, for the most part, the same dining companions. In 15 cruises, there have been only a few that I was ready to throw overboard, lol.

In 5 sailings on Summit, I have not had a real problem getting drinks from the bar waiter or wine from the wine steward. I don't usually drink wine, but sometimes use the discount coupon if there is a special occasion. Once on the last cruise, the bar waiter was late and the waiter actually got drinks for us.

7 weeks from today we will be at sea on Silhouette. Here's hoping the service and food are as good as I expect.

RE: C-Class--I have not sailed Century, but did 2 cruises each on Mercury and Galaxy. I almost cried when they left the fleet. I would not have any qualms at all doing a Century cruise.

[judatt]

We just got off the Summit on Saturday, Dec 7. We have never done Select dining as we really enjoy a large table and getting to know some new people as well as getting to know our waiter and assistant waiter. We do often go to a specialty dining venue but on this cruise we enjoyed our table mates and waiter and assistant waiter so much we did not go to Normandie or QSine. We did go to Bistro on 5 for lunch and it was excellent as usual.

 

We had a table for 8. 2 of the 8 wanted water with no ice. 6 had water with ice and 4 of the 8 often had wine but sometimes did not. A couple had coffee and a couple had cappucino's with dessert. After the first night both our waiter and particularly our assistant waiter knew exactly what everyone wanted and gave us what we wanted without even asking. The Sommelier seemed to do a great job as well.

 

I thought the food was fine - sure there were a couple of things that probably could have been done better but when I think about serving 1,000 dinners at the same time they do a great job.

 

This was our third time on the Summit and I'll go back again any day.

[antsnanny]

We just got off the Summit on Saturday, Dec 7. We have never done Select dining as we really enjoy a large table and getting to know some new people as well as getting to know our waiter and assistant waiter. We do often go to a specialty dining venue but on this cruise we enjoyed our table mates and waiter and assistant waiter so much we did not go to Normandie or QSine. We did go to Bistro on 5 for lunch and it was excellent as usual.

 

We had a table for 8. 2 of the 8 wanted water with no ice. 6 had water with ice and 4 of the 8 often had wine but sometimes did not. A couple had coffee and a couple had cappucino's with dessert. After the first night both our waiter and particularly our assistant waiter knew exactly what everyone wanted and gave us what we wanted without even asking. The Sommelier seemed to do a great job as well.

 

I thought the food was fine - sure there were a couple of things that probably could have been done better but when I think about serving 1,000 dinners at the same time they do a great job.

 

This was our third time on the Summit and I'll go back again any day.

 

judatt, posts like yours make me happy. I am really beginning to worry about the food and service on the Summit as more than not the reviews have been pretty bad. I hope more and more good people report the same as you.

[picaflores]

We were on the Summit for Thanksgiving week, we thought the food was very good.

Variety in the buffet, fresh, different, dined in the MDR several times, thought it was very good too. Just thought the lobster wasn't great, which to me is minor, with all the other options to choose from.

We had a great cruise, it was our 6th, did Norwegian, Princess, and Royal Caribbean, we thought this was the best one yet!

We'll go back on the Summit in a heartbeat!!!

[MicCanberra]

The quality of food and other similar subjects can be very subjective as some people re very fussy eaters and others are not. I think you will only know for sure when you try it yourself. If you have cruised X before, I am sure that the overall food quality/experience will be basically the same.:D

[whatevergoes]

Cruised Summit May 2013 and chose Select Dining and were very happy. Loved our waiter and assistant and table first night and requested them for duration of the cruise. Praised them first night and assumed them they would be taken care of and they bent over backwards for us every night. No problems getting drinks and service was great. Tipped them cash the last night and thoroughly enjoyed the MDR the nights we went. People love to be appreciated and respected and they will exceed your expectations. I've found that to be true in all walks of life.

[MicCanberra]

Cruised Summit May 2013 and chose Select Dining and were very happy. Loved our waiter and assistant and table first night and requested them for duration of the cruise. Praised them first night and assumed them they would be taken care of and they bent over backwards for us every night. No problems getting drinks and service was great. Tipped them cash the last night and thoroughly enjoyed the MDR the nights we went. People love to be appreciated and respected and they will exceed your expectations. I've found that to be true in all walks of life.

I agree. :D

Edited December 10, 2013 by MicCanberra

[antsnanny]

We were on the Summit for Thanksgiving week, we thought the food was very good.

Variety in the buffet, fresh, different, dined in the MDR several times, thought it was very good too. Just thought the lobster wasn't great, which to me is minor, with all the other options to choose from.

We had a great cruise, it was our 6th, did Norwegian, Princess, and Royal Caribbean, we thought this was the best one yet!

We'll go back on the Summit in a heartbeat!!!

 

Great news, I love Celebrity and love the itinerary we chose for September.. I have always found the food to be outstanding to very good and the same for the service. Its also very true about these things being very subjective.