Trip Report: Summit to Bermuda, 31/07/16 - 07/08/16, Newbie perspective

[Dreamer68]

Today, I went back to look at your photos again. In post #63, you captioned a photo with the question - Wonder how much it costs to stay here? I can tell you that the photo is of the former 9 Beaches Resort, and from BermudaAttractions.com: in 2010 the resort charged $2176 for a couple for Coco coral cabana for 4 nights during the high season. The low season (Jan - March) rates were lower. The other cabana types come at higher rates.

 

It closed a few years ago for redevelopment and was scheduled to reopen in 2015 but that did not happen. 2017 is next reopening date.

 

9BR is located at Daniels Head west of Somerset Village.

 

 

SBtS

 

Wow. You actually went back to my photos. (We're not worthy! We're not worthy! LOL!) Thanks, SBtS, for actually taking the time to answer that question. $2176/couple for only 4 nights? In 2010? Wow! Hope champagne, caviar, Lobster Thermidor and Chateaubriand steaks were included! We did not venture too close, I was watching the time. Daniel's Head...yup, remember that island on the map. That's around the HMS Vixen, no? I was intrigued by the hotel as it reminded me of these 2 that we've been to in Malaysia.

 

 

There was another hotel/property on stilts...but I believe that one is closed also but having to do with being built close to a farm...and getting the downdraft from there or something? Think I have a picture....different coloured buildings....can't find that photo right now...

 

We enjoyed our cruise and our visit to Bermuda. Definitely will consider a return to both. :)

Save

[CTSandy]

Enjoyed reading your report and the great pictures. Sailing on Summit Aug. 28, not my first cruise to Bermuda, but the first time on Summit. I love Bermuda, so clean, beautiful and so much safer than many other islands. I read that you did the galley tour - is there a charge for this, and if so, do you remember how much? Sounds like something I would like to do. Again, thanks so much for sharing!!

[Dreamer68]

Enjoyed reading your report and the great pictures. Sailing on Summit Aug. 28, not my first cruise to Bermuda, but the first time on Summit. I love Bermuda, so clean, beautiful and so much safer than many other islands. I read that you did the galley tour - is there a charge for this, and if so, do you remember how much? Sounds like something I would like to do. Again, thanks so much for sharing!!

 

Hi CTSandy,

 

So glad you enjoyed the report and photos. The galley tour was on our Day 2, i.e. At Sea 1, in the morning. There was no charge. Yippee! FREE! :) However, it was at 10:30 am and there were other interesting activities at 11:00 am and the Bermuda presentation was at 11:15 am. We were told there'd be only one Bermuda presentation, so, we actually left our galley tour at the tail end....and got to the Bermuda presentation at 11:30am. Sadly, later on, we found that this Bermuda presentation was recorded and could be caught on TV in the cabins....but the Galley tour was...obviously, you had to be there.

 

We arrived at 10:30 am for the Galley tour, told the tour would be about 30 minutes and found that lots of other people were already there with stickers with numbers on them. Turns out, these people had all (most of them) signed up for the Galley tour when it was first advertised over the intercom system, something my girlfriend and I completely missed, and they had been assigned tour group numbers. So, when we got in at 10:30, we were obviously given a number for a group that would start their tour later. So, our tour group was the 4th or 5th group to go into the galley after

 

The whole thing took about 45 minutes and included about 10 minutes of introduction of the executive chef and some Q & A. The tour of the galley itself perhaps took 20 minutes to walk (they tell you to have non-slip footwear)...and we waited perhaps 10 minutes total for the 3-minute intervals between groups before ours was called to start...and then we ended up at the Tuscan Grille for what they called, "The Taste of Summit" where they presented the different specialty dining options on the Summit. Qsine looked the most interesting but sadly, I did not have a chance to try it. Will probably do that when I return. :)

 

My tour group was headed by Chef Tiny (I have a picture of him and mention him in my report). He is a man of very few words so, depending on your group leader, please feel free to ask questions along the way for the full benefit of going behind the scenes. What is so very clear to me is the hard work that happens behind the shimmer and the glitz so that my family and I can enjoy some pampering on a nice vacation. I do my best to remember this before I whine about something small that I did not like. But having said this....stay tuned... I just remembered a mini adventure by DD16 on an elevator that was stuck. Yep. Stuck. On the ship. :eek:

[donaldsc]

Just a quick suggestion. Skipping a line between paragraphs will make your stuff much easier to read.

 

DON

[Dreamer68]

Just a quick suggestion. Skipping a line between paragraphs will make your stuff much easier to read.

 

DON

 

Thanks! As you can see, this is my FIRST trip report...it took multiple tries as I had never done this before...and unfortunately, I could not return to edit my first pages. BUT...as you can also see, I figured it out as I went along... plus how to post my photos in a larger format. :) Thanks for reading all the way here. You can actually see on my very first page, I tried editing...but it seems as if the editing mode was/is only available for a very short while and ....voila...it is what it is....unless an experienced CC-er can tell me how to fix the spacing now. SBtS? Charles4515? You're my go-to guys... :D

Edited August 22, 2016 by Dreamer68
addendum

[LA_CA_GAL]

I tried editing...but it seems as if the editing mode was/is only available for a very short while and ....voila...it is what it is....unless an experienced CC-er can tell me how to fix the spacing now. SBtS? Charles4515? You're my go-to guys... :D

 

You only have a short time to edit. I think it is less than 30 minutes after you post.

 

After that, you will not be able to do so.

 

As I always say, paragraphs are our friends.

[easyboy]

Great photos. Whatever difficulties you had when posting, you really handled it well.

[Dreamer68]

Great photos. Whatever difficulties you had when posting, you really handled it well.

 

Thanks very much for the encouragement, easyboy! I DID mention in my title that I was a newbie, right? :D I have been learning lots this first time posting and will not make the newbie mistakes next time around. Ooohhh... I love my self confidence. Sounds like I will be going on a cruise again some day. LOL!!

[sjn911]

This is a superb review of a line I want to take to a place I want to go..there is never enough of a way to say thanks and it is almost like getting to go...Celebrity, even on older ship, looks fabulous to me. And ohhhh Bermuda.

[dkjretired]

Agree with everyone else, great review, great pictures, one of the best in years.

 

Just one minor point, probably just something you missed. Upon boarding Celebrity always has a table set up with the youth counselors to have the kids sign up for the groups. My kids are older now but your comments on the teens are true, they usually meet others and spend their time with them for the cruise and don't necessarily do the group activities. Younger kids usually stay in the groups.

[Dreamer68]

Agree with everyone else, great review, great pictures, one of the best in years.

 

Just one minor point, probably just something you missed. Upon boarding Celebrity always has a table set up with the youth counselors to have the kids sign up for the groups. My kids are older now but your comments on the teens are true, they usually meet others and spend their time with them for the cruise and don't necessarily do the group activities. Younger kids usually stay in the groups.

 

dkjretired, thanks for pointing that out. I probably missed that table set-up. I know my kids very well and so you can be certain that I had eagle eyes scanning the area for Celebrity crew handling welcome for younger cruisers when we boarded. There were a lot of people who hovered around the mimosas and champagnes and the nearby glass elevators but I did not see any tables. I hope others with shy kids that sail after me do not miss that table. :)

 

And I very much appreciate all the encouraging comments about what I have shared, i.e. thoughts, photos, observations. Not just from new cruisers because I know how I was, deep in research mode before traveling, but from frequent cruisers like you, who's seen a lot more cruises than I probably ever will.

[Dreamer68]

This is a superb review of a line I want to take to a place I want to go..there is never enough of a way to say thanks and it is almost like getting to go...Celebrity, even on older ship, looks fabulous to me. And ohhhh Bermuda.

 

sjn911....truly, what wonderful encouragement for my newbie eyes to read. THANK YOU! :) I did my best to offer a balanced look at this trip. I also quoted Shakespeare somewhere along this report about how "expectations" may be the root of all heartaches? With all my research, I was intentional about not crossing the line from gleeful anticipation to haughty expectations.

 

Yes. The food was not utterly superb at every single meal. Yes, there was rust on board this older ship. Yes, a couple of evening shows left me feeling "meh". And yes, I even got rained on by a Bermudian downpour (the bus stop at Horseshoe Bay just wasn't big enough to cover 20+ people).

 

BUT....somebody else (led by people from Chef schools, nonetheless) cooked all my meals for me and somebody else served me and did the dishes. Somebody vacuumed my room every day and made my bed and left me chocolates every evening. Some of the performers had me in stitches in laughter and others reminded me how I would never win, "America's Got Talent". The downpour? Just like the tropical showers I grew up with 12 time zones away. A burst of water for a short while...and the sun comes out minutes after.

 

In the end, I was happy because one day being taken care off on this cruise or standing on the stunning beaches of Bermuda (you saw my photos), beats one regular working day of my life HANDS DOWN!! PS - and I even love my job.

 

THANK YOU again for your encouraging words. Have a splendid trip to Bermuda someday soon. :)

Edited August 24, 2016 by Dreamer68
typo

[easyboy]

Thanks very much for the encouragement, easyboy! I DID mention in my title that I was a newbie, right? :D I have been learning lots this first time posting and will not make the newbie mistakes next time around. Ooohhh... I love my self confidence. Sounds like I will be going on a cruise again some day. LOL!!

More power to you!!!

[Dreamer68]

So, I mentioned that I would write about some drama my DD16 encountered on the Summit. One afternoon. she was in one of the glass elevators when it got stuck in between floors. :eek: Yep. Horrors!

 

Thankfully, I heard, there was an adult in the elevator, a woman. She had her own daughter with her (looked about 12 as per my DD). The adult called for help via the emergency call button. According to my DD, help arrived within a couple of minutes. Somebody pried open the doors and the 3 of them climbed out.

 

I asked my DD if she was freaked out by her experience. She said no but the woman with her did....freak out, I mean. She said the lady's daughter was far calmer than her mom who had very colourful language to utter about the situation and about the cruise ship and line. I asked my daughter why she was so calm about this "misadventure". DD said, "Mom. It's a glass elevator. I can see out. Besides, somebody came in like 2 minutes. There was no time to freak out, really. It was no big deal. Don't know why that lady was so mad."

 

Personally, I think it's a rather big deal being stuck in an elevator and I may have not responded as calmly as my daughter but I was proud of DD for staying rational and appreciating that help did not take too long to arrive. The incident did not stop her from enjoying the rest of her cruise and I did not worry either that other things were going to fall apart. Pheee-eww! :D

 

So, that's our teeny bit of "drama" to contribute to this cruise. :) Hope the other lady in this unfortunate incident recovered from this drama and had a great cruise otherwise.

[hogwildcruzers]

Best review and attitude of all the reviews I have ever read in my 11 years on CC.....we will be sailing to Bermuda on the Summit in May for our 12 year anniversary and your review and photos just made us want this time to get here faster, beautiful photos by the way!....thanks for the time it took for such an awesome review!

[Dreamer68]

Best review and attitude of all the reviews I have ever read in my 11 years on CC.....we will be sailing to Bermuda on the Summit in May for our 12 year anniversary and your review and photos just made us want this time to get here faster, beautiful photos by the way!....thanks for the time it took for such an awesome review!

 

Wow! The quote from the movie, Wayne's World, "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!" comes to mind. :D

 

Thank you so very much, Steve and Sherri, for your wonderful affirmation. 11 years of reading reviews? Wow. I AM a newbie here. I was just doing my best to share my observations while being mindful that going on a cruise for a family holiday is essentially, a GIFT! I am in awe of how much you have cruised. I hope that if I am ever that blessed, that I find a way to to make decent suggestions for any improvements needed (think I shared some here) as well as continue to celebrate that I am actually on yet, another cruise. :)

 

As for the photos, I am so very pleased you have enjoyed them. They were my way of giving back/ paying it forward to all the newbies considering visiting Bermuda. What a spectacular looking island with nice, nice people. Have a wonderful, wonderful cruise in May next year and Happy 12th Anniversary!!! :)

Edited August 26, 2016 by Dreamer68
typos

[Dreamer68]

I just noticed that my photo of the Unfinished Church in St. George's disappeared as I was meddling around with its link so here it is again...a gigantic church it would have been considering the population of St. George's... fascinating story of why it was not completed...

 

 

And here is my collage of the Summit's pools. There is an "indoor" one for adults only. Yes, even for us who don't pay the really big bucks. On the ship's tour, they said it was for 18 and up but on the sign, it says 16 and up. Called "Serenity Pool"...you can guess why.... no noisy kids around. There were of groups of older teens though spending LOTS of time in the jacuzzi. And if you are wondering how I got it to look so empty on a fully booked cruise...well, this was the final morning...I was enroute to breakfast at 7 am....

 

There was one raised eyebrow for me about this area. The smoking are is located somewhere near the aft of the pool deck. Strangely enough, further back from there, in an alcove of sorts, is where they place the ping pong tables which many kids and youth use.... my DD13 went a few times to play and he said that he could smell the smoke from the smokers. I wonder if there is somewhere else to put the ping pong table, although, considering the lightweight of the ping pong ball, I am guessing, the answer is no. Ya win some, ya lose some.

 

 

And here is the cast doing double duty one evening at the Revelations Lounge. I think I was not supposed to take photos of the shows in the Celebrity Theater but my eyes did not notice that I was not supposed to take other photos of them performing. Besides, I did not use any flash photography and I was way back, almost at the window, almost 30 feet away. :)

 

 

Enroute to Hamilton from St. George's on the public bus. So comfortable. Air conditioned.

 

 

And this was the view from my cabin's balcony, for 3 days. What. A. Treat! Hope everyone reading this has a wonderful trip to Bermuda, no matter which ship you take.

 

[AnnetteSC]

Hi Dreamer68! So happy to know you had a great time!! Your review is outstanding and you're such a kind person that it shows through your writing. :)

I have to write mine yet (been a little busy since we got back). My cruise was mostly good, except for a couple of incidents that I'll explain when I write my review.

Gorgeous pictures too, by the way! Great job!

[Dreamer68]

Hi Dreamer68! So happy to know you had a great time!! Your review is outstanding and you're such a kind person that it shows through your writing. :)

I have to write mine yet (been a little busy since we got back). My cruise was mostly good, except for a couple of incidents that I'll explain when I write my review.

Gorgeous pictures too, by the way! Great job!

 

AnnetteSC!! Hi!!!! Welcome back! Do you know I thought of you twice on my cruise? My research for my family so paralleled yours, I felt you were a kindred spirit... hahaha! I thought of you when we did our South Shore beach combing day. I watched out for the Portuguese Men of War....thankfully, none...and I wished the same for you the following week, that there would be none! :) And then on disembarkation day, I thought of you and your family getting ready to come on board and I wished for you a good and safe trip, the way my family had.

 

I heard about your luggage being held through an quick update you made somewhere on the forum. I look forward to reading what happened.

 

Thanks for appreciating how I wrote my review. Some of the stuff I've read prior to the cruise simply reminded me to be mindful of what #firstworldproblems are and find ways not to sweat the small stuff. Living a few years below poverty line helps tremendously with my mindset too. Still, I DID point out some ares where improvements can be made so it's not like I was completely deaf and blind during my cruise. Hahaha! :D

 

Glad you enjoyed my photos. I love them too! LOL!!!! Take care and be well.

Edited August 28, 2016 by Dreamer68

[AnnetteSC]

That's so nice of you to think of me, Dreamer68! I also thought of you and wondered how you liked your cruise. Kindred spirits for sure! :)

[clr315]

Thanks for sharing! Can you share the menus or did I miss them?

[Dreamer68]

Thanks for sharing! Can you share the menus or did I miss them?

 

Hi clr315,

 

You're welcome. I shared the menus. It's post #40 of this thread, currently located on Page 2 or 3, that's where the link is and somebody else had quoted that link again, a bit further on in their response to me. I don't know why the page number keeps changing. Hmmm....

 

As with all the documents I have shared here, my guess is Celebrity does change things around every now and then, so, they are meant to simply give people an idea what they might get but certainly, nothing here is written in stone. :)

[AnnetteSC]

Dreamer68, I think I saw a souffle for dessert in one of your pictures. I'm jealous since we didn't get one in our weekly choices. That is the one dessert I indulge in on a cruise. Was so looking forward to one but it was never offered.

[Dreamer68]

Dreamer68, I think I saw a souffle for dessert in one of your pictures. I'm jealous since we didn't get one in our weekly choices. That is the one dessert I indulge in on a cruise. Was so looking forward to one but it was never offered.

 

AnnetteSC, your eagle eyes and your food knowledge served you well. Indeed! The soufflé dessert was offered on the final evening (I went back to my photo folder to check for the sequence of photos). It came with a bowl of crème anglaise, as you saw in the photo. The combination of piping hot soufflé with the cold custard cream...oh yum.....what a delightful end for a final meal at the MDR. If I had not been so full, I would have asked for another! LOL!! So sorry you did not get to choose it. Did you get to try the savoury cheese soufflé appetizer earlier in the week? I liked it but not nearly as much as the dessert one which was more memorable....one of those where you close your eyes and just savour each morsel, y'know? When I go out to eat, I generally choose something I would not cook at home. I mean, I can attempt a soufflé but why risk it, AND my hopes at being deflated?

 

Did you also get the complimentary cocktails one evening? Not sure if it was Evening Chic 2 or the evening we left Bermuda....maybe the latter because they had to soothe our sadness at leaving the island...hahaha! And on Sea Day 3, our waiter surprised the table with the special dessert trio from the kitchen...it had a molten lava cake on it, a scoop of moka ice cream and hmmm what was the 3rd thing, oh yeah, caramelized banana with caramel sauce? Did you get that plate? We were all welcomed to still choose something from the menu.

 

I loved this about eating at the MDR. We could all ask for seconds if we wanted. A bunch of us did, with the appetizers that we liked. I was very pleased to see my kids trying new things...and only resorted to the "Classic" options once or twice. Our waiters Basilio and Yokasta were so very discreet and professional when serving us. The kids were all awed when they would take the folded white napkins every evening from the table and do their "flick" for the napkins to land perfectly on the kids' laps. I honestly enjoyed us all dressing up (a bit more than our usual) for dinner.

 

I have some more food photos but I promised my family that I would relax the rule we normally have and only take photos of MY choices. Because I review on Tripadvisor, my kids and hubby know that the first thing that happens when the meal arrives at a restaurant is that Mom has to take a photo before we can eat. Hahahahahaha!!

 

Take care, AnnetteSC. So lovely "chatting" with you here. Time to go on a date night with your hubby for that soufflé ;)

[AnnetteSC]

You are too funny, Dreamer 68! :) Unfortunately, no, we did not get the things you mentioned. There was a blue cheese souffle as an appetizer one night and many of us ordered it. It was awful! It had no taste at all. Blue cheese has a strong flavor so you'd expect a little "punch" of flavor in your bite. Well, it was totally bland with no flavor of anything at all.

I finally wrote my review and posted it here on CC if you want to read my experiences.

And, yes, I'm a bit of a food critic since I love to cook and I've been published twice in cookbooks. ;)

When my hubby and I went on our Mediterranean cruise 15 years ago on the inaugural sailing of the Golden Princess, souffles were on the menu every night. I miss that!