Summit Suite - a former True Believer returns after the Haven, Yacht Club and Viking!

[Dr. Cocktail]

 

I thought that it might be interesting to review our recent Summit cruise in a Sky Suite with some comments to  see how it compared to the competition. We had a great time but were less than impressed with most aspects of the refit.

 

My partner and I boarded the Summit on May the 12th.  This was our 33rd cruise with Celebrity with about 250 nights on board  with our last sailing taking place 6 years ago on Summit.

 

There were so many unresolved problems on that cruise that we thought it was really time to branch out and not let our choices be ruled by loyalty. Since then we have sailed numerous times in The Haven, in the Yacht Club, HAL and a few times on Oceania and Ponant.

 

This past year we sailed on Escape, Seaside (twice) and on Viking Sun, all in suites.

 

As soon as Celebrity announced their new Suite Class-and Revolution, we thought that perhaps the time had come to try again.

 

Our first impressions (well, The first 81 seconds) were great until we reached …

 

The Retreat

 

An attractive space with chairs appropriate for really entitled children in Kindergarten. I managed to make a less than graceful Brian Boitano entrance as I went FLYING across the tile floor where detergent had been spilled and not cleaned up as did everyone else despite our warnings. We rarely returned as the room has no focus - no piano, no windows, no bar to hang out on and no promised live music. As it is now, it’s a decent airport lounge.

 

The Haven lounge has comfortable seating and an actual bar whereas MSC has a spectacular two story space with the restaurant on the mezzanine and the bar with performance area on the main level. There is live music every evening from about 5 until 1 am and an outside, forward facing seating area. Viking is “one class” and has no “ship within a ship”.

 

We had a drink and proceeded to our…

 

Sky Suite.

 

Actually quite beautiful. It’s much more handsome than artists’ renderings or photos but clearly designed by a madman (madwoman?) . The refurbishment did not touch the slatted metal ceiling, pot lights or bath tub proper.

 

On the positive side, we liked the colours , the bed and the towels and the AC was great.

 

The negatives:  No full length mirror, only two drawers (not counting bedside tables), minimal storage and what does exist is generally at floor level, a dark bathroom with that wretched high walled tub remaining but now with no grab bars (!), an overlong shower curtain that you partially stand on, no shower soap dish or shelf, made-in-China toiletries (I am assuming that my nether regions will regenerate), average linens and bedside reading lamps UNDER eye level. Not true blackout curtains.  There’s no “internal logic” to the layout - it’s extremely haphazard.

 

Not to mention that we could here EVERYTHING in the corridor and see it too through the unsealed doors at night.

 

My partner NEVER comments on the room - he expects that it will be fine but he actually spoke out loud after the cruise and said: “that’s really the worst cabin we’ve had in a very long time. I didn’t really like anything about it”.

 

Our comparative MSC (YC1) , Haven Spa Suite and Viking Penthouse Veranda offered far superior storage and a more logical layout. All of them had Nespresso machines and the Spa Suite and YC1 far superior linens. The Spa Suite and YC1 also had killer glassed in shower stalls with great pressure and lighting. Toiletries for the competition were all  made in Germany.

 

Our butler, while pleasant, was MIA for the cruise.  On NCL and MSC, the butlers leave all sorts of daily treats that can be tailored to your request. On MSC, the mini-bar is fully complementary and on Viking you're left a daily supply of Toblerone miniatures and three alcohol miniatures.

 

We then proceeded to …..

 

Luminae

 

We had most of our meals here and it was generally very good to excellent. The restaurant manager, Yuksel, ran a tight ship and wasn’t afraid to help out and clear when it got busy.

 

The quality of the food was generally high with one or two clunkers. We usually had fish and even though it was cooked a little past where I like it, the preparations were usually lovely and thoughtful. Our Sommelier, Jennifer, was excellent and never let our glasses run dry. The Deluxe beverage package wine selections were by far the best of all the lines. Service was friendly, polished and always correct.  The biggest miss of the week was a New York Steak that was a bizarre, chemically tenderized piece of mysterious Royal Caribbean meat. I mention it simply because if anyone from Celebrity is reading this, don’t get further ideas!!!

 

I think that the quality of ingredients is better in The Haven and I love the mini buffet where you can get gorgeous fruits, pastries, charcuterie and breads in addition to the regular breakfast menu. But … and it’s an even bigger butt than mine after a week on board, the menu never changes for lunch, breakfast or dinner.

 

Viking’s dining room is noisy and hectic and the Yacht Club isn’t quite as polished so I have to give the win to Celebrity.

 

We only managed to go a few times because of the weather but we did occasionally visit the …..

 

Outside Retreat

 

Why, oh, why so ship designers hate shade. It’s limited on the YC pool and the Haven but at least there they have tons of big umbrellas.

 

It’s extremely limited on the Retreat and depends on where the sun is. The dining area has a slatted covering that is ridiculous. The area is attractive and the furniture is high quality.

 

The mixed drinks are good quality and served like everyone else but NCL in proper glasses. NCL gives you those horrible disposable plastic glasses.

 

The dining menu is extremely limited in terms of selection and hours. I found my burger to be inedible …. Salty, greasy and woefully undercooked. On the Haven decks, food is generally unavailable but there is outdoor seating in the restaurant.

 

MSC has a full bar with stools for you to become stupid on and a fairly decent breakfast and lunch buffet with afternoon snacks.

 

The staff on Celebrity, NCL and MSC were all super on  deck.

 

Loyalty Program

 

We are Elite +. The benefits are decent but a little inferior to NCL where we get a little less laundry but two specialty dinners, one with a bottle of wine. MSC’s only benefit of value is a dinner in a specialty restaurant.

 

Specialty Restaurants

 

True confession. I’ve NEVER had a good meal at Tuscan Grill so we didn’t go. We had a great waiter at Qsine but the food was Elegant Food Court disguised in different presentations. A nice evening but not a must. In all fairness, Summit can’t compete in this regard with the newer ships. NCL has about 10 specialties on their big ships, some better than others and Seaside has two very good and one superb specialty.

 

Odds and Ends

 

The Oceanview cafe looks great but the floor “windows” are now gone. The selection is very good but many of the items are not the greatest quality and are perhaps over-described.

The “Fromagerie” is where cheddar, jack, and cheesoid substances go to die.

 

When did bologna become an hors’ d'oeuvre?  Many of the events featured rolled up baloney bits with a toothpick. NO.

 

The back of the Martini Bar next to the windows and the Sky Lounge varyingly smelled of mold and mildew. Why this wasn’t addressed in the dry dock is beyond me.

 

I don’t think I encountered a single staff member who wasn’t polite, friendly and helpful.

 

The much touted ABT was not on board.

 

The duty free shop had a superb selection of liquor, particularly a great scotch selection. Far superior to the other lines.

 

Conclusion

 

While I had a great cruise and was happy to return to Celebrity, I would most definitely NOT sail on an M-Class ship. While the food, service and overall vibe were great, the renovations are ultimately ill-conceived and not conducive to providing a “luxury” experience.

 

I am still returning to Equinox to see how an S-Class ship compares.

[George C]

We love suite perks on celebrity, but sky suites are really small l also recently tried a celebrity suite on infinity that was run down. Luminae was close to perfect and we also liked Tuscan grill. Our only other suites are rccl which has great entertainment and suites. Hal has no real suite perks. Looking forward to our first yacht club in November then our royal suite on infinity in February, this is a charter with huge entertainment like America , Jefferson starship, cheap trick and many others. 

[hctkbt]

Very balanced and excellently written review.  Glad Luminae is basically maintaining the standards we experienced apart from the steak which was also always great when we sailed (pre-reno on Constellation/Summit).  Sounds like the Solstice Class mad-designers had a go at the M Class refit for the staterooms!  Oh well.  Still love Celebrity.  And the more we think about MSC, despite the gorgeous Yacht Club, the less interested we are to return given the always tendentious food quality (at lieat from our perspective).

Edited May 24, 2019 by hctkbt
typo

[mnocket]

Thanks for the review.  I was interested in your comparisons to Yacht Club as I have my first YC cruise scheduled for Sept.  I'm just off the Reflection and that's one ship that seems to provide ample shade.

[Cruise a holic]

Thanks for the information.  We will also be sailing on the Equinox in a few months and will look forward to the refit.  However, I do not understand why you haven't considered othe S class ships as IMO the Silly and Reflection are the cream of the celebrity crop.  We also have enjoyed the Edge and suggest you try it. 

 

Have been on Royal and enjoy the suite perks and you should also give then a try- try the Oasis class as those are the best IMO.  Also have sailed

in the Haven on the Breakaway.  While the haven was nice- if you leave it, the ship is so poorly designed it is like being in steerage do to the crowding. 

 

Hope the Equinox  suite experience is a great experience for all.  I would enjoy trying the summit again, but a Celebrity suite or higher.

Edited May 24, 2019 by Cruise a holic

[Dr. Cocktail]

GeorgeC: HAL is now launching private dining in their ships for suites

 

HCTKBT: Thanks!

 

Mnocket: You will love the YC - the best value in cruising today!

 

Cruise a holic:  Sailing on Equinox because it's going where we want to be when we want to be! I'd love to try the new ships as I have sailed on the Equinox three times....

[George C]

7 minutes ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

GeorgeC: HAL is now launching private dining in their ships for suites

 

HCTKBT: Thanks!

 

Mnocket: You will love the YC - the best value in cruising today!

 

Cruise a holic:  Sailing on Equinox because it's going where we want to be when we want to be! I'd love to try the new ships as I have sailed on the Equinox three times....

Thanks for info, do you know if hal is 

going to add liquor to suite lounge?

[TeeRick]

Thanks for your review.  You sailed Summit which had a retrofit Suite Lounge. Basically Michael's Club with new furniture.  Also a retrofit outside suite area.  Perhaps the other ships you compare to had Suite areas designed from the initial launch (Yacht Club and The Haven).  I wonder if you would like Edge or Apex better? 

[Cruising89143]

Thanks for your review. Nicely written. Since we now live full time on the west coast and RCI/X seems bent on ignoring west coast cruisers compared to their competition we have decided to try the Norwegian Bliss in October. We are booked in the Haven so we want to see how it stacks up against X suite categories. We have an X cruise booked again next year but it will be a TA. We do enjoy X. 

[Dr. Cocktail]

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

Thanks for your review.  You sailed Summit which had a retrofit Suite Lounge. Basically Michael's Club with new furniture.  Also a retrofit outside suite area.  Perhaps the other ships you compare to had Suite areas designed from the initial launch (Yacht Club and The Haven).  I wonder if you would like Edge or Apex better? 

 

Hey TeeRick:

 

I wish it was Michael's Club with new furniture! They removed the main focal areas of the lounge, namely the piano and the bar. As I said, there's really no reason to spend time there unless your ego needs massaging with the knowledge that it's "exclusive".

 

The outside area could have been great with a canvas covering on the dining area and some pergolas or umbrellas.

[Dr. Cocktail]

1 hour ago, cruisingator2 said:

Thanks for your review. Nicely written. Since we now live full time on the west coast and RCI/X seems bent on ignoring west coast cruisers compared to their competition we have decided to try the Norwegian Bliss in October. We are booked in the Haven so we want to see how it stacks up against X suite categories. We have an X cruise booked again next year but it will be a TA. We do enjoy X. 

 

I have heard great things about the Bliss Haven ... lots of lounge space, observation lounge  and large outdoor space with umbrellas!

[JFontaine]

42 minutes ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

 

I wish it was Michael's Club with new furniture! They removed the main focal areas of the lounge, namely the piano and the bar. As I said, there's really no reason to spend time there unless your ego needs massaging with the knowledge that it's "exclusive".

 

Some people like a quiet place for a drink with quick service, no massaging necessary. 

[Want2Cruise 701]

2 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Thanks for your review.  You sailed Summit which had a retrofit Suite Lounge. Basically Michael's Club with new furniture.  Also a retrofit outside suite area.  Perhaps the other ships you compare to had Suite areas designed from the initial launch (Yacht Club and The Haven).  I wonder if you would like Edge or Apex better? 

I sailed the Summit recently in April after the refit, and everything Dr. Cocktail said was "spot on".  My 5th time on the Summit too.

 

The new Retreat Lounge is considerably more than just "Michaels Club with new furniture" as you say.  It's a complete overhaul and redesign of space.  It in no way resembles Michaels Club as we knew.  They should have just kept the existing space and updated it with paint, color, carpet and comfortable furniture that functions and that is intended for adults not child size.  A new bar would have been great.  The piano I could take or leave but an area for entertainment would have been beneficial.  The new space I would not visit again.  It's not an inviting, relaxing atmosphere that makes you want to spent any time in.

 

The Retreat sundeck is a great concept.  We loved it there.  Furniture was great.  Service was excellent.  Drinks great.  Menu a bit limited but was adequate.  It's the shade that was the BIG issue.  It gets extremely hot up there especially when the ship is in port.  It's not pleasant to eat a meal at a table while baking in the hot sun.  It was hard to lay out and read with the sun too.  I was in the hot tub several times to cool off.  They did keep that at a lower comfortable temp.

 

Suite storage space.  They took away a whole wardrobe to store clothing and replaced it with a decorative nothing step ledge???  Only two drawers.  The rest was at the floor shelving in cabinets???  No full length mirror, no place to hold your soaps and toiletries in the bathroom.  They forgot to add the shelf holder???  No bedside lamp whereas all the other cabin types had them???

 

You DON'T need a brand new ship with a Suite Concept to fix the above.  Have you sailed the Millie or Summit since the revolution?  I have and will not sail another MClass ship again even in a non-suite.  I did not like the new OceanView Café layout either or the new Sunset Bar with the new furniture and lack of shade there too. 

 

 

[dkjretired]

If there is no bar, where do you get drinks.

 

Also, I know I’m not alone but one of Celebrity’s biggest bonehead moves in the past few years was removing the Murano type restaurants from the M class ships.

[Cruise a holic]

Did someone say no bar in Michael’s club?  We used to enjoy drinks and high tea

[marycruz]

17 hours ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

 

 

I thought that it might be interesting to review our recent Summit cruise in a Sky Suite with some comments to  see how it compared to the competition. We had a great time but were less than impressed with most aspects of the refit.

 

My partner and I boarded the Summit on May the 12th.  This was our 33rd cruise with Celebrity with about 250 nights on board  with our last sailing taking place 6 years ago on Summit.

 

There were so many unresolved problems on that cruise that we thought it was really time to branch out and not let our choices be ruled by loyalty. Since then we have sailed numerous times in The Haven, in the Yacht Club, HAL and a few times on Oceania and Ponant.

 

This past year we sailed on Escape, Seaside (twice) and on Viking Sun, all in suites.

 

As soon as Celebrity announced their new Suite Class-and Revolution, we thought that perhaps the time had come to try again.

 

Our first impressions (well, The first 81 seconds) were great until we reached …

 

The Retreat

 

An attractive space with chairs appropriate for really entitled children in Kindergarten. I managed to make a less than graceful Brian Boitano entrance as I went FLYING across the tile floor where detergent had been spilled and not cleaned up as did everyone else despite our warnings. We rarely returned as the room has no focus - no piano, no windows, no bar to hang out on and no promised live music. As it is now, it’s a decent airport lounge.

 

The Haven lounge has comfortable seating and an actual bar whereas MSC has a spectacular two story space with the restaurant on the mezzanine and the bar with performance area on the main level. There is live music every evening from about 5 until 1 am and an outside, forward facing seating area. Viking is “one class” and has no “ship within a ship”.

 

We had a drink and proceeded to our…

 

Sky Suite.

 

Actually quite beautiful. It’s much more handsome than artists’ renderings or photos but clearly designed by a madman (madwoman?) . The refurbishment did not touch the slatted metal ceiling, pot lights or bath tub proper.

 

On the positive side, we liked the colours , the bed and the towels and the AC was great.

 

The negatives:  No full length mirror, only two drawers (not counting bedside tables), minimal storage and what does exist is generally at floor level, a dark bathroom with that wretched high walled tub remaining but now with no grab bars (!), an overlong shower curtain that you partially stand on, no shower soap dish or shelf, made-in-China toiletries (I am assuming that my nether regions will regenerate), average linens and bedside reading lamps UNDER eye level. Not true blackout curtains.  There’s no “internal logic” to the layout - it’s extremely haphazard.

 

Not to mention that we could here EVERYTHING in the corridor and see it too through the unsealed doors at night.

 

My partner NEVER comments on the room - he expects that it will be fine but he actually spoke out loud after the cruise and said: “that’s really the worst cabin we’ve had in a very long time. I didn’t really like anything about it”.

 

Our comparative MSC (YC1) , Haven Spa Suite and Viking Penthouse Veranda offered far superior storage and a more logical layout. All of them had Nespresso machines and the Spa Suite and YC1 far superior linens. The Spa Suite and YC1 also had killer glassed in shower stalls with great pressure and lighting. Toiletries for the competition were all  made in Germany.

 

Our butler, while pleasant, was MIA for the cruise.  On NCL and MSC, the butlers leave all sorts of daily treats that can be tailored to your request. On MSC, the mini-bar is fully complementary and on Viking you're left a daily supply of Toblerone miniatures and three alcohol miniatures.

 

We then proceeded to …..

 

Luminae

 

We had most of our meals here and it was generally very good to excellent. The restaurant manager, Yuksel, ran a tight ship and wasn’t afraid to help out and clear when it got busy.

 

The quality of the food was generally high with one or two clunkers. We usually had fish and even though it was cooked a little past where I like it, the preparations were usually lovely and thoughtful. Our Sommelier, Jennifer, was excellent and never let our glasses run dry. The Deluxe beverage package wine selections were by far the best of all the lines. Service was friendly, polished and always correct.  The biggest miss of the week was a New York Steak that was a bizarre, chemically tenderized piece of mysterious Royal Caribbean meat. I mention it simply because if anyone from Celebrity is reading this, don’t get further ideas!!!

 

I think that the quality of ingredients is better in The Haven and I love the mini buffet where you can get gorgeous fruits, pastries, charcuterie and breads in addition to the regular breakfast menu. But … and it’s an even bigger butt than mine after a week on board, the menu never changes for lunch, breakfast or dinner.

 

Viking’s dining room is noisy and hectic and the Yacht Club isn’t quite as polished so I have to give the win to Celebrity.

 

We only managed to go a few times because of the weather but we did occasionally visit the …..

 

Outside Retreat

 

Why, oh, why so ship designers hate shade. It’s limited on the YC pool and the Haven but at least there they have tons of big umbrellas.

 

It’s extremely limited on the Retreat and depends on where the sun is. The dining area has a slatted covering that is ridiculous. The area is attractive and the furniture is high quality.

 

The mixed drinks are good quality and served like everyone else but NCL in proper glasses. NCL gives you those horrible disposable plastic glasses.

 

The dining menu is extremely limited in terms of selection and hours. I found my burger to be inedible …. Salty, greasy and woefully undercooked. On the Haven decks, food is generally unavailable but there is outdoor seating in the restaurant.

 

MSC has a full bar with stools for you to become stupid on and a fairly decent breakfast and lunch buffet with afternoon snacks.

 

The staff on Celebrity, NCL and MSC were all super on  deck.

 

Loyalty Program

 

We are Elite +. The benefits are decent but a little inferior to NCL where we get a little less laundry but two specialty dinners, one with a bottle of wine. MSC’s only benefit of value is a dinner in a specialty restaurant.

 

Specialty Restaurants

 

True confession. I’ve NEVER had a good meal at Tuscan Grill so we didn’t go. We had a great waiter at Qsine but the food was Elegant Food Court disguised in different presentations. A nice evening but not a must. In all fairness, Summit can’t compete in this regard with the newer ships. NCL has about 10 specialties on their big ships, some better than others and Seaside has two very good and one superb specialty.

 

Odds and Ends

 

The Oceanview cafe looks great but the floor “windows” are now gone. The selection is very good but many of the items are not the greatest quality and are perhaps over-described.

The “Fromagerie” is where cheddar, jack, and cheesoid substances go to die.

 

When did bologna become an hors’ d'oeuvre?  Many of the events featured rolled up baloney bits with a toothpick. NO.

 

The back of the Martini Bar next to the windows and the Sky Lounge varyingly smelled of mold and mildew. Why this wasn’t addressed in the dry dock is beyond me.

 

I don’t think I encountered a single staff member who wasn’t polite, friendly and helpful.

 

The much touted ABT was not on board.

 

The duty free shop had a superb selection of liquor, particularly a great scotch selection. Far superior to the other lines.

 

Conclusion

 

While I had a great cruise and was happy to return to Celebrity, I would most definitely NOT sail on an M-Class ship. While the food, service and overall vibe were great, the renovations are ultimately ill-conceived and not conducive to providing a “luxury” experience.

 

I am still returning to Equinox to see how an S-Class ship compares.

Thanks for letting us know about all these missteps or shortcomings, whatever you want to call them.  We currently have two cruises booked in a sky suite and for the first time in all the years of sailing Celebrity are not

looking forward to sailing on it.

 

I have the same question  as someone below.  If there is no bar in the old Michael's Club, did they also remove the drink service?

 

Also, there is a review in the review section where the poster says there was a glass partition getting into the tub and they had to reach around that to hold onto the shower pole to get in and out of the tub.  They had a picture of it and tbey didn't show a shower curtain.  I guess because of the glass.   They also had a sky suite (S1).  Anyway, I'm wondering if there are different arrangements in the different sky suites?   Did you  have an S1 or S2?  I've never seen any difference in the two but maybe now there is?   Also others have said they had room on the sink area for toiletries and some people say there is not.  Also in one of the reviews they stated they had 4 drawers still in the closet but others say there are only 2 as you stated.

 

Hopefully they will fix some of this.   Sounds like they made some dangerous areas in the retrofit (tubs and flooring).

 

[Cruise a holic]

Another question. We used to book 6145 or 46. The S1’s next to the penthouse with the huge green marble bathroom.  Wonder if they were redone 

Edited May 24, 2019 by Cruise a holic

[Dr. Cocktail]

58 minutes ago, Want2Cruise 701 said:

No full length mirror, no place to hold your soaps and toiletries in the bathroom.  They forgot to add the shelf holder??? 

 

 

At least I had read some previous reviews and took a suction cup soap dish!

[Dr. Cocktail]

49 minutes ago, dkjretired said:

If there is no bar, where do you get drinks.

.

They bring the drinks to you.

 

No logic but I love a bar with stools and all the liquors visible.

[Cruising89143]

2 hours ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

 

I have heard great things about the Bliss Haven ... lots of lounge space, observation lounge  and large outdoor space with umbrellas!

 

Thanks. I will be sure to report back about the ship and Haven in general. 

[dkjretired]

16 minutes ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

They bring the drinks to you.

 

No logic but I love a bar with stools and all the liquors visible.

 

Thanks, same here

[cruise47]

To the OP, thanks for that awesome review and the way you compared each cruise line suite category. Excellent. Good Food for Thought.

[Dr. Cocktail]

1 hour ago, marycruz said:

 

 

Also, there is a review in the review section where the poster says there was a glass partition getting into the tub and they had to reach around that to hold onto the shower pole to get in and out of the tub.  They had a picture of it and tbey didn't show a shower curtain.  I guess because of the glass.   They also had a sky suite (S1).  Anyway, I'm wondering if there are different arrangements in the different sky suites?   Did you  have an S1 or S2?  I've never seen any difference in the two but maybe now there is?   Also others have said they had room on the sink area for toiletries and some people say there is not.  Also in one of the reviews they stated they had 4 drawers still in the closet but others say there are only 2 as you stated.

 

Hopefully they will fix some of this.   Sounds like they made some dangerous areas in the retrofit (tubs and flooring).

 

1 hour ago, marycruz said:

 

I will respond fully and try to post some bathroom photos when not at work!

[marycruz]

32 minutes ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

 

I will respond fully and try to post some bathroom photos when not at work!

 

Great and thanks!

[Dr. Cocktail]

50 minutes ago, marycruz said:

 

Great and thanks!

 

The crazy high tub has  glass openings on either side - you climb in over the center.   There's nothing to hang onto. The storage area is opposite to the vanity behind the bathroom door.  From my understanding as you stated, some cabins have the extra storage and some don't  - I don't know if there's a particular reason. We were in an S2. I think that S1's simply have a bigger balcony.

 

 

Edited May 24, 2019 by Dr. Cocktail