May 31-June 6 Summit Sailing to Bermuda

[bumperoo]

This was a cruise of many firsts -- First time on Celebrity and First time out of Bayonne and First time to Bermuda. My husband and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary on this cruise.

A week prior to sailing we were offered a chance to upgrade to Aqua from our regular veranda cabin. We decided this could be another first for us so jumped at the opportunity. We sailed in Cabin 1131.

Since we live outside of Philadelphia, the trip to Bayonne only took 90 minutes and was a really pleasant experience. We arrived at 10:15. My husband dropped me and the luggage off, parked the car, rode the shuttle and we were efficiently checked in and on the ship by 10:45 -- pretty impressive!

We toured the ship and enjoyed our first meal in the Oceanview Cafe. Not only was the meal delicious but the Oceanview seating was a nice way to start our cruise.

At 1:00, we were invited to go to our stateroom, Our Aqua class cabin was right above the Oceanview Cafe and we used the steps from the Sunset Bar for easy access to our room. The location was perfect and very quiet. We sat on our balcony and enjoyed romantic star gazing. It was easy to grab a cocktail whenever we wanted to and bring them to our balcony. We wandered the ship until Muster Drill and then met up with fellow CCers for a damp SailAway. It was great to put faces to the names of those I had chatted with,

We had another chance to meet up at the Cruise Critic Connections Party -- a great way to break the ice, Wine-O planned a slot pull which was lots of fun and we even won a few dollars after all the cheers and camaraderie.

We unpacked and found ample space for all our clothing, shoes and stuff. We met our stewards and had them empty our mini bar for us. The furnishings in our room were in good condition and the shower jets were awesome after long days touring. I had brought my own toiletries and was glad I did because we usually only got a small tube of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel -- not enough for two people. I like to shower in the morning and then again before dinner. I even would leave the empties on the sink but our quota seemed to be one a day.

We did need maintenance twice when the toilet stopped working and the electricity failed but both incidents were taken care of promptly.

Our sea days were filled with lots of activities. There was Trivia twice a day, cooking demos, water color instructions, lectures and games sponsored by the activities team. There was a port versus starboard series of fun events.

Our breakfasts were all eaten in Blu -- same menu every day but lots of choices. At lunch, we would either grab something poolside or go to the buffet. Dinners were all in Blu. The service was extraordinary but there are a lot of lamb and duck offerings which I don't eat. So, I found myself eating the every night offering of steak twice and the salmon. They have escargot, shrimp cocktail, French onion soup, New York Strip steak and salmon every night. Aqua cabins get a menu for canapé delivery, but we only ordered them once -- they weren't very appealing to us.

I didn't really like the feel of the Persian Garden, so never used it. The pool area was nice and the hot tubs were a nice temperature. We had no problem getting chairs but we are not picky about where we sit. However, there are lots of chair hogs and seat saved.

We enjoyed the nightly shows. "Stars in their eyes" and "iHollywood" featured the Summit singers and dancers. The A Capella Group Voice Plat were fantastic as was the iMagic Show. We found the earlier show was less crowded and we found better seating.

We had the classic beverage package and had no need to upgrade. My husband loves beer and was happy with Heineken Leffe, and Franziskoner. I drank lots of different rum drinks made with both Goslings and Meyers -- Dark and Stormy, Rum Swizzle, Bahama Mama -- to name a few. We had some nice choices of wine at dinner.

Our disembark was efficient and easy to navigate. I plan go write about what we did in Bermuda on the Bermuda Port Board.

Thanks to everyone who helped me with planning and it was great fun meeting so many friendly people on the Summit. Hope to sail with done of you in the future!

[Jetswdo]

Stars in their eyes vs. I Hollywood? Which is the one with the acrobats?

Is one of the shows better than the other? Thanks for the review.

[bumperoo]

The iHollywood show was the better of the two. The costumes and special effects were more dramatic. The cast is the same in both -- The Summit singers and dancers. There is an aerial duo as part of the troupe and they incorporate their talents into the shows (both). They used ribbons and body balancing in their acts. The singers had great voices and the choreography was executed very nicely.

Ken Mills did state that the group had just come aboard for our sailing, so their energy level was pretty high.

Stars was performed on Monday (formal night) and iHollywood on Saturday night.

[Azulann]

Thank you for your review as a first time Celebrity cruiser.

Once you have an aft cabin with a balcony overlooking the wake, it is hard to choose another cabin. I prefer an aft cabin.:D

I am glad to hear you found the classic beverage package just fine for your needs.

[sarahc78]

Loving your review! Sounds like you had a great time!

[bumperoo]

Azulann-- we had an aft cabin in Alaska and I fell in love just like you mentioned. On summit, Deck 11 is fabulous for going down the stairs and having the Sunset bar and entrance to Oceanview right there.

[Redtravel]

I was also on that cruise. It was my 3rd time on the Summit. I had a fabulous time. The new terminal at Port Liberty is excellent. The new facility is a vast improvement over the old one. Embarkation and disembarkation was quick. No lines waiting for the shuttle bus. Luckily, it did not rain. The loading area is uncovered. I have 2 more cruises booked on the Summit.

[bumperoo]

Redtravel -- have to agree with you the terminal was fantastic! The whole embarkation and disembarkation were effortless, the lines minimal and service great! We really were lucky to have such a wonderful cruise. The weather in Bermuda was perfect. We had a great time and I would return to the Summit in the future.