Recovering Carnival Cruiser Sails Celebrity - 12/11 Summit Review

[Super27]

Before I start into the review, I'll share a little background. For this cruise, it was me and my fiancé traveling. We are both in our late 30s and overall just look for a relaxing experience on vacation. I've been cruising since 2018, and this was my 2nd cruise on Celebrity, the first being on Equinox earlier this year. Before that, I have 11 Carnival cruises under my belt, so I'll offer a few comparisons to Carnival throughout the review. I booked this cruise on a casino offer for a COMP interior cabin. About 3 weeks before the cruise I put in several MoveUp bids, and we were awarded the upgrade to a veranda cabin for $430 ($215/person).

 

The sailing was a 5-night out of Miami, with scheduled stops in Key West, Bimini, and Nassau. We were unable to port in Bimini due to weather, so it ended up being Key West - Sea Day - Nassau - Sea Day.

 

Embarkation

Embarkation at Port Miami was BY FAR the smoothest embarkation process I've ever experienced. I've always said that Port Miami has embarkation down to a science, and they certainly didn't disappoint this time. We had an 11:00-11:30am arrival appointment. We arrived at about 11:10, and were on the ship by about 11:20. We literally never stopped walking once we entered the terminal - security was a breeze, check-in was just a quick scan of our passport and Xpress Pass on our phones, and then one more scan of the Xpress Pass and a facial recognition scan just prior to stepping on the ship. The only thing I noticed different about the embarkation this time was that they had crewmembers checking the Xpress Pass as soon as we stepped onto the ship and directing everyone straight to their muster stations. While that created a bit of a traffic jam in the gangway because people had already put their passes away, I think it makes a ton of sense to just get everyone to go get muster done. Of course the muster process was painless as usual - we had watched the life jacket video and listened to the emergency signal in the app, so all we had to do was go scan in at our muster station - once the gentleman did the scan and asked if we had any questions, we were on our way.

 

Bottom line is I can't say enough good things about Celebrity's embarkation and muster process. While Carnival has made some significant improvements in their process in recent years as well, Celebrity still has the edge not only for efficiency of the process, but also for the fact that Celebrity allows all passengers to immediately go to the cabins and drop off bags - that is something that Carnival (and some other cruise lines) charge extra for unless you are in a suite.

 

Cabin (Veranda 1022)

Getting this cabin was truly luck of the draw since it was a MoveUp offer, but I have to say I think we really lucked out. There is only one small area of cabins on Deck 10, immediately across from the entrance to the spa. So the hallway was never crowded or noisy. Once you walk out of that hallway, you are right at the entrance to the Solarium and also the stairs and elevators are right there, so the location was extremely convenient. I was initially concerned about noise, but that was not at all an issue. The cabin itself was a standard veranda cabin. It was clean, well-appointed, and everything was in good working order. One area that Celebrity wins in terms of cabins comparing it to Carnival is the bathrooms, and specifically the fact that the showers have glass doors instead of curtains. It did feel like the bathroom on this ship was maybe a bit smaller than in other cabins I've had, but the space in terms of shelving and storage is so well designed that the size didn't feel like an issue. My only complaint on the cabin is that the sliding balcony door was extremely difficult to open; it seemed like something in the lock wasn't quite releasing right. If the weather had been nicer and we wanted to use the balcony more, I'm sure we would've called and had them fix it, but it didn't bother us that much. Also, it wasn't a complaint for me since we don't really use electronics much onboard, but there are only 2 outlets in the cabin, and both are over by the desk. They do not have outlets or USB ports near the bed like some of the newer ships do.

 

Ship in General

Overall, I really liked the Summit. She's definitely an older ship and shows her age here and there, but I found the ship in general to be very well maintained and extremely clean. Although there are not nearly as many food/drink/activity venues as there are on some of the newer ships, the public areas are well laid out and nothing ever felt insanely crowded despite this being a sold out sailing with lots of indoor time due to weather. I did find it strange that this ship does not really have a true "lobby" area like many other ships do. Guest services and shore excursions are down on Deck 3, but there's no lobby bar or really anything else going on down there. The Tuscan Grille is also on Deck 3, but it's in kind of a strange location down a random hallway with cabins. There are a few things noticeably missing that Equinox had. First, there is no dedicated area for the art auctions - there is an "art gallery" on Deck 4, but the auctions actually take place in one of the bars. That made made it a little crowded if you were trying to walk through that area when they were setting up or taking down the auction. Second, there is no library on this ship, which I did find disappointing. It's my understanding that there used to be one, but they took it out a couple years ago (I could be wrong on that, but that's what I was told). I do enjoy going to the library to read or play cards - that could certainly be done in other areas on Deck 4 or 5, but definitely not nearly as quiet. 

 

Food

One of the main reasons I enjoy cruising so much is the wide variety of quality dining options, and the Summit did not disappoint at all in that regard. Overall, I thought the food was above average.

 

Oceanview Cafe - My first comment on the buffet is on the space itself - I really liked the layout of this buffet. All of the stations were small, so there really were never any long lines. VERY different experience from the buffets on Carnival, and I even liked this layout better than the one on Equinox. Food quality was overall very good for a buffet. I tried something from the Indian station each day, and was always impressed. The create-your-own pasta station was also a highlight for me, although that station can get a bit of a line because it is all made to order. It was worth the wait though! They also had a made to order panini station but I did not try that. Pizza was solid, although I have to say I do like Carnival's pizza slightly better both for taste and variety of options. While everything I had from the buffet was good, I will say that as is typical with buffet food, other than the Indian station some of the items were a bit bland. I also probably wouldn't do the carved roast beef again - it was very dry. Might have been more tolerable if they served it with some au jus, but all they had was horseradish. I'm not a huge dessert person, but what I tried was hit or miss - some items like the chocolate mousse pot were very good; others like the red velvet cake were very mediocre. My only other minor complaint with the buffet was that drink service could be slow if you ordered something from the bar, because the waitstaff had to go get it from the Sunset bar outside; there was no dedicated bar inside the buffet itself. 

 

MDR - We had anytime dining, which is served on the lower level (Deck 4) of the Cosmopolitan Restaurant. We typically went to dinner between 7 and 8, and never had to wait for a table. I will say if you go early (like right when they open) be prepared to wait - a LOT of people were lined up all down the hall waiting to get in right at 5:30pm. We ate in the MDR 3 times, and overall I was quite pleased with the food. Starting with appetizers, the Wedge Salad and Escargot were both highlights for me. I actually had the Escargot all 3 nights and it was excellent all 3 times. The shrimp cocktail is typical cruise line shrimp cocktail, aka very small shrimp. But it was good, and they will happily bring more if you want it. The only disappointment in appetizers were the soups. The chilled Thai coconut soup I had high hopes for, but it just missed the mark for me, very bland in my opinion. The French onion soup was just okay; I really appreciated how generous they were with the melted cheese (which was delicious), but the broth itself just really lacked flavor. Entrees they were batting 2 out of 3 for me this time. The prime rib (night 1) and slow braised lamb wrapped in phylo (night 3) were excellent. The steak Dianne (night 4) was not that great - the steak was very tough, and the sauce again lacked in flavor. I will say that the haricot verts, which usually seem like an afterthought, were actually extremely well seasoned and perfectly cooked - still just a bit of crunch, not at all mushy like I've seen on past cruises. For desserts, I had the chilled strawberry soup and the chocolate lava cake. Both were absolutely delicious. While they are very different, I think the lava cake on Celebrity definitely gives Carnival's famous melting cake a run for its money. 

 

Sushi on Five - I had sushi twice on this cruise, and it was excellent both times. The first time was actually at the Cellar Masters bar, where they serve a (very) limited menu from Sushi on Five. I had salmon and tuna nigiri, which were very good. The second visit I sat down for lunch with the full menu. I tried the Alaskan California Roll (snow crab instead of imitation crab stick) and the Temaki Trio (spicy salmon, tuna, and yellowtail), and both rolls were exceptional. The Temaki Trio was probably the best sushi roll I've had in quite some time. Oh, and if you like your cocktails a little spicy, try the Agave Sunrise. It's made with jalapeno infused vodka, and had a great kick to it but was not at all overpowering and still refreshing.

 

Tuscan Grille - We did Tuscan Grille twice, once on night 2 and once on night 5. We had really enjoyed it on Equinox, and found it to be equally good this time around on Summit, at least in terms of food quality. For the first dinner, I did a filet mignon with a side of the lobster rigatoni. The filet was tender and perfectly cooked (rare). The pasta was excellent as well, although just know that their alfredo sauce is VERY rich; I'm not a super heavy eater so I don't think I could handle a full order of that particular dish. My only comment on that meal is that for the filet they literally just bring out a piece of meat on a plate. Obviously you can order sides, but to me there should be at least some kind of garnish to enhance the presentation. For instance Carnival's steakhouse does I believe some roasted garlic, a rosemary sprig, and maybe a tomato or lemon - just something to add a little pizzazz! Our second dinner I did two half orders of pasta. Which, by the way, is something I really like about Tuscan - they will literally do any combination of items you want - meat and pasta, meat and sides, two pastas, etc. But anyway, I did the Short Rib Pappardelle and the Ricotta Gnocchi. The gnocchi was excellent, and the pappardelle was good, but VERY salty to the point that it overpowered the flavors in the sauce. All of the appetizers that we tried at Tuscan were good as well - the house meatballs, the crab cake, the beef carpaccio, and the bruschetta (which, by the way, is not really at all "typical" bruschetta; it's good, but I hope you really like olives because it's very heavy on the kalamata flavor). I will say that while the food and service (more on that later) were both very good, the ambience did not feel nearly as upscale as on Equinox. While that didn't really affect our experience, I probably wouldn't have been thrilled if I had paid extra for a special occasion and expected a significantly more upscale atmosphere than the MDR, because that just wasn't the case here.

 

Pool Grill - Not much to say about this; burgers were solid, buns were fresh, and lines moved quickly. I really do appreciate that Celebrity still has the sauteed mushrooms and onions, which Carnival removed from Guy's Burger Joint. Speaking of Guy's Burgers, one can't help but compare any cruise ship burger to Guy's, and after two cruises on Celebrity it's a split decision between me and my fiance - I still think Guy's are a little better, but she liked Celebrity's better.

 

Spa Cafe - If there was one disappointing food venue on the ship, this was it. The small plates that we tried were not nearly as good as what we had on Equinox a few months ago. Probably the worst single item I had on this cruise was the pesto pasta salad - it was completely flavorless (for comparison, on Equinox, it had actually been my favorite lunch of the entire cruise). I did get one of the smoothies as well - this is included in the premium package, but otherwise is extra $$$. I don't remember the name, but it was essentially kale, coconut water, and mango. The problem is, they put way too much coconut water, and it ended up being more of a juice with some ground up ice - not at all a smoothie consistency. Because of the excess water, that also killed the flavor - I got very little of the kale and zero of the mango flavor. 

 

Room Service - We did room service for breakfast each morning, and it was always delivered on time. The continental breakfast pastries were always nice and fresh, and the coffee was good and hot. One morning we opted for the "premium" breakfast, which is a $10 delivery fee per order (not per person or per item). I thought it was WELL worth it, the omelette I got was hot and fresh, with a nice side of bacon and hash browns. 

 

Bars

We had the premium drink package, and I'd definitely say we got our money's worth out of it. We probably spent the most time at the Rendezvous Lounge. They almost always had live music in there during the evenings, and it was a very relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. There is a small dance floor which several people took advantage of. It's all more mellow music though - no rock or party music here! Service at the bar and from waitstaff was generally pretty quick even when they got crowded. If you go on Summit anytime soon, Geneva was my favorite bartender onboard - she does Cafe al Bacio during the day and Rendezvous and the Casino Bar in the evenings. We also tried the Martini Bar, and I was actually much more impressed with it on this ship than I was on Equinox. It does get VERY crowded though, so if you want a seat at the bar you'd better get there early. Cellar Masters, on the other hand, never seemed crowded at all, but also didn't have as much entertainment in terms of live music as the Rendezvous did. All of that said, the single best drink I had onboard didn't even come from a "bar" per say - it was the salted caramel martini from Cafe al Bacio! If you're at all into boozy coffee drinks, you MUST give that one a try!

 

Casino

Other than the food, the other main reason I cruise is to gamble. And while I certainly enjoyed my time in the casino on Summit, I have to say that after two Celebrity cruises I just find their overall casino experience to be rather disappointing. First of all, the casino on Summit is TINY. The variety of slot machines is utterly unimpressive, and there are absolutely no video poker machines of any kind. I've NEVER been in a land-based or cruise casino with NO video poker, so that was a real eye-opener (and not in a good way). Second, while the casinos on Carnival always have different events going on, that wasn't the case on Summit (or Equinox for that matter). They had a blackjack tournament one day (which just created a huge crowd around the ONE table they used in the tiny casino), and a drawing for free play another night. I actually was one of the lucky winners of that and got $25 in promotional chips. The hostess, She, was really nice and very approachable, but it just doesn't seem like Celebrity encourages them to do as much interaction as Carnival does. The hours of the casino were also very strange. I'm well aware that they have to be in international waters to open, and I'm not sure if they have different types of licenses or anything like that between cruise lines, but I can state with certainty that Carnival opens their casinos WAY earlier after leaving a port than they did on this ship. They also had tables that were rarely open the entire cruise, for instance the $25 blackjack table didn't open until very late, and even more bizarrely the craps table didn't open until 7:30pm even on sea days, which was a huge disappointment to me. 

 

The positive about the casino was definitely the staff. Dealers were all very good and very friendly, which honestly is part of what really makes or breaks the experience. Oh, and for the record the entire casino is no smoking and no vaping.

 

Service

As with our previous Celebrity cruise, I really can't say anything but good things about the service on Summit. Every crewmember we encountered was friendly and attentive towards guests' needs. Our room stewardess did a great job keeping everything neat and tidy, and was incredibly efficient about getting the room made up while we were out even if we were only gone for a brief period of time. We also really like the twice-daily service with the evening turndown and chocolates on the pillows - something like that really doesn't seem like a big deal in the scheme of things, but it just makes the experience feel more "special."

 

Service in the restaurants was consistently good. Our MDR team was pleasant enough, very efficient, and attentive without being overbearing, but it seemed like they maybe were a little overwhelmed with the number of tables they had, as they really didn't make any attempt at conversation beyond the most basic of pleasantries, nor did they address us by name on subsequent nights (I feel a snob even typing that, but maybe I've just lucked out with great waitstaff on cruises in the past because it's now something I'm used to!).  Our waiters at Tuscan Grille and Sushi on Five were much more friendly and outgoing, and both really made those dining experiences feel just a bit more elevated. 

 

Debarkation

The debarkation process was also a breeze. We did self-assist, but didn't rush to get off. We had a leisurely breakfast in the MDR (which was very tasty), and then just walked right off. Port Miami uses the facial recognition so if you have a passport you don't have to go through customs. 

 

Overall Impressions (and other random comments)

Long story short, we really enjoyed the Summit and I would absolutely recommend sailing on her if you're looking for a relaxing vacation. There are definitely limited activities compared to the larger and newer ships, so if you're someone who always likes to have something to do or somewhere to go, you may get bored on this ship. It also doesn't seem like much of a family-friendly ship to me; they do have kids' clubs, but that's about it. There were VERY few children on this sailing anyway.

 

Notice that I didn't comment on ports; the reason is that we missed port in Bimini due to storms, I don't get off the ship in Nassau (been there, done that a million times), and all we did in Key West was walk through some souvenir shops. So we did not do any excursions or activities worthy of discussion. We also didn't get to enjoy as much pool or hot tub time as usual because of the wind and rain - it was just not a nice week at all. A lot of time spent inside, hence my comment above about this ship being a little boring if you prefer constant activities. I'll admit, I would have been going a little crazy if I wasn't the type that could just sit and read a book all day.

 

Finally, I'll comment on the crowd onboard. Like I said, very few kids, and the few that I saw were all well-behaved. Overall the crowd very much skewed older, but we did not feel like we were "too young" or in any way out of place, there were a lot of 30s and 40s couples onboard. Folks definitely seemed like they were having a good time, and there was none of the belligerent and at times violent behavior that we routinely saw on Carnival (the reason we gave up on them). I will say that I unfortunately saw far more rude and just plain inconsiderate behavior than I expected, particularly directed towards the crew. I know that folks were disappointed with the weather, so I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe that just soured their mood, but that's still no excuse to take that out on the crew. I worked in the travel industry for many years, so I'm probably more observant/sensitive to this than most...my message is just even if you're having a bad day and the weather is lousy, just remember the crew is doing their best so please be kind to them!

 

Two cruises in, and two more booked with Celebrity, and I think we've found our new go-to cruise line. I was slightly concerned after previous comments I saw about "cutbacks" on Celebrity, but I frankly didn't feel that anything was really lacking in our experience - it still very much felt like an elevated experience compared to other vacation options, and it's obvious that the crewmembers on Summit work very hard to create an upscale experience. We are trying Retreat for the first time in February on Reflection, so very excited to see what new experiences await us there!

 

Thanks for coming along on the review, and feel free to ask any questions and I'll try to answer them!

Edited December 19, 2023 by Super27

[wanderlust58]

What a lovely, thorough, well-written, and useful review!  Thanks very much.  After a recent less-than-adequate trip on the Constellation, I was looking to Virgin, Atlas, and/or Azamara for our next trips.  But, your review is piquing my interest in staying with Celebrity.  Maybe our bad experience was more a function of the ship, its staff and entertainment rather than an across-the-board lapse in Celebrity's standards.  Thanks for offering us hope!

[Cruise a holic]

Thanks for sharing.  We enjoyed our cruises on the Summit as well.  Now, we typically sail on the S and E class.  The Retreat on the reflection will be a great experience for you both.  Next try one of the new E class ships.  Enjoy your cruises.

[hcat]

Excellent review! Thanks for taking the time to  cover just about everything.. Did you see any shows?

 

I think you will enjoy Reflection and agree you should consider an E Class ship..Happy Sails!

[Super27]

3 hours ago, hcat said:

Excellent review! Thanks for taking the time to  cover just about everything.. Did you see any shows?

 

I think you will enjoy Reflection and agree you should consider an E Class ship..Happy Sails!

Yes, we saw the Soundtrack show in the main theatre, and I was really impressed with it! The cast was very talented and I love the fact that Celebrity still does live music for their stage shows. We had intended to go to some of the other performances, but lost track of time at the blackjack table...oops.

[AstoriaPreppy]

Some fascinating 

14 hours ago, Super27 said:

Speaking of Guy's Burgers, one can't help but compare any cruise ship burger to Guy's, and after two cruises on Celebrity it's a split decision between me and my fiance - I still think Guy's are a little better, but she liked Celebrity's better.

 

Great review, but this is literally the first time I've ever heard someone say a Celebrity mast grill burger is better than Guy's burgers on Carnival! That's the hottest of hot takes!

[kwokpot]

Thank you for a concise and thorough review. As a prolific casino Comp cruiser (my husband is the gambler in the family) you nailed it on the head regarding Celebrity vs Carnival casinos and their respective casino programs.  

[Super27]

2 hours ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

Some fascinating 

 

Great review, but this is literally the first time I've ever heard someone say a Celebrity mast grill burger is better than Guy's burgers on Carnival! That's the hottest of hot takes!

 

Yeah I thought she was crazy when she said that...I won't tell her that though since I have to live with her 🤣

[Learningtocruise1]

Awesome review!  We will be on Summit next week, our first Celebrity cruise (Princess, HAL, Regent, and RCL previously). 

 

How was the Wi-Fi, particularly on sea days? Any issues?

[Super27]

1 hour ago, Learningtocruise1 said:

Awesome review!  We will be on Summit next week, our first Celebrity cruise (Princess, HAL, Regent, and RCL previously). 

 

How was the Wi-Fi, particularly on sea days? Any issues?

 

I did not have wi-fi, but my fiance did and she used it throughout the cruise without any issues. She wasn't streaming full TV shows or movies, but was able to stream videos on social media and news sites and things like that.

[Shiba_Lover]

When you say NO video poker on summit - you mean no "decent" video poker - or literally NO video poker at all?  My husband may kill me since I have him booked on 16 nights on the summit, and it used to have video poker.

[Super27]

1 hour ago, Shiba_Lover said:

When you say NO video poker on summit - you mean no "decent" video poker - or literally NO video poker at all?  My husband may kill me since I have him booked on 16 nights on the summit, and it used to have video poker.

There were no video poker machines at all. 

[Honolulu Blue]

@Super27: Thank you for your review. As someone who took 10 Carnival cruises before embarking on Celebrity for the first time, I can relate to your perspective. I do have some notes:

 

* On Carnival, Platinum and Diamond passengers are allowed to go to their cabins and drop off carried on luggage before they officially open. This has been true fir several years.

* I haven't witnessed guest bad behavior of any significance on Carnival or Celebrity. Perhaps this says more about where I like to hang out and when than about the type of customers that typically sail on these cruise lines.

* I'm pretty sure the Summit has video poker. Certainly her near twin the Millennium did when I sailed in her last year:

* I didn't think the Summit's casino was notably small by cruise ship standards

 

P.S. I'll be on the Summit in March, so I'll be sure to check out the video poker, or lack of VP, when I get there.

 

Edited December 21, 2023 by Honolulu Blue

[Super27]

11 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

@Super27: Thank you for your review. As someone who took 10 Carnival cruises before embarking on Celebrity for the first time, I can relate to your perspective. I do have some notes:

 

* On Carnival, Platinum and Diamond passengers are allowed to go to their cabins and drop off carried on luggage before they officially open. This has been true fir several years.

* I haven't witnessed guest bad behavior of any significance on Carnival or Celebrity. Perhaps this says more about where I like to hang out and when than about the type of customers that typically sail on these cruise lines.

* I'm pretty sure the Summit has video poker. Certainly her near twin the Millennium did when I sailed in her last year:

* I didn't think the Summit's casino was notably small by cruise ship standards

 

P.S. I'll be on the Summit in March, so I'll be sure to check out the video poker, or lack of VP, when I get there.

 

 

From reading some of the casino groups on FB, it's sounding like maybe they are removing and then eventually replacing some of the video poker machines. I'm really hoping that's the case...but last week there were definitely no VP machines. I did ask at one point while onboard and the dealer just kind of rolled her eyes and was like yeah everybody is asking. 

[Knights on the Beach]

Thank you for the comparison; we're looking forward to our first Celebrity cruise but it's still a little over a year away. Our recent cruises have been on newer Carnival ships that do have glass shower doors. 🙂

[Honolulu Blue]

25 minutes ago, Super27 said:

 

From reading some of the casino groups on FB, it's sounding like maybe they are removing and then eventually replacing some of the video poker machines. I'm really hoping that's the case...but last week there were definitely no VP machines. I did ask at one point while onboard and the dealer just kind of rolled her eyes and was like yeah everybody is asking. 

Thanks. It must be a recent development. I hope it's just a replacement cycle.

[CTSandy]

My last cruise on Summit (September 2023), I spent a lot of time playing video poker - there was a bank of them as you came into the casino from the martini bar.  There were also several single line machines at the other entrance to the casino.  Apparently, from what I have been reading, Celebrity is replacing them gradually with newer video poker machines.  I am hoping this is the case instead of just gutting the video poker inventory.  I’ve been playing video poker on Celebrity cruises for many years and many of their existing video poker machines had issues like poor monitors, buttons that stuck, etc. so they may be updating.  I have four cruises booked between February and June and if there’s no video poker I won’t be spending my usual time and budget in the casino.

[janabelle61]

I was on Summit for 10 nights after Thanksgiving and the Video Poker machines were either turned off or out of service the entire time.  I never figured out what they were doing, but am hopeful that they were upgrading them rather than getting rid of them.

[Dittos]

Excellent review of the Dec 11th cruise.  We were also on board that same cruise.  We upgraded to Aquaclass and were able to eat in the Blu restaurant.  The meals were some of the best I've had on a cruise!  No need to do the specialty restaurants.  I did find certain areas of the Summit needed maintenance.  The thermal suite was a big letdown.  It did not even look like the pictures on the website. The pictures on Celebrity's website were obviously from another ship!  Cannot believe they can get away with such false advertising.  All in all, we just finished cruising with Carnival as well, but still feel like the food, entertainment, and service on Celebrity are so much better.

[RobertoF]

Going on the Summit in a couple of weeks and I sure hope they have video poker or I am going to be spending way too much time at the roulette table.

[Shiba_Lover]

9 hours ago, RobertoF said:

Going on the Summit in a couple of weeks and I sure hope they have video poker or I am going to be spending way too much time at the roulette table.

Maybe you can please report back if this is just a temporary situation while they are being replaced.

[RobertoF]

On Summit now and can report unfortunately no video poker and nobody seems to know when the machines will be back. ☹️

[RobertoF]

I have more info on the video poker mystery. I spoke with a casino manager last night. He said the Summit would not be getting the machines back. He also said video poker is being phased out fleet wide! 😬 According to him the machines are really old and they keep breaking down and Celebrity cannot get the parts to fix them. He did say they were going to get other "similar" machines but I asked whether these machines would be video poker and he indicated no but they would be electronic versions of certain games (he was a little cryptic on this answer -- maybe Celebrity is still deciding which machines to buy). I really hope video poker does not start disappearing from other ships, but based on what this casino manager told me that seems to be the future unfortunately.

[Honolulu Blue]

50 minutes ago, RobertoF said:

I have more info on the video poker mystery. I spoke with a casino manager last night. He said the Summit would not be getting the machines back. He also said video poker is being phased out fleet wide! 😬 According to him the machines are really old and they keep breaking down and Celebrity cannot get the parts to fix them. He did say they were going to get other "similar" machines but I asked whether these machines would be video poker and he indicated no but they would be electronic versions of certain games (he was a little cryptic on this answer -- maybe Celebrity is still deciding which machines to buy). I really hope video poker does not start disappearing from other ships, but based on what this casino manager told me that seems to be the future unfortunately.

Thanks for sharing.  This makes me sad, because I like to play video poker occasionally.  On the other hand, the pay schedules of VP on those machines (and all the ones I've seen on other cruise ships regardless of cruise line) are so bad that I'm inclined to say "good riddance". 

 

As for replacements, maybe they're thinking of replacing it with something like the game I saw on another ship on another cruise line:

 

 

It's a little hard to see, but it has versions of blackjack, craps, roulette, and baccarat.  The payouts for even money bets on this game were around 90 cents on the dollar, so they're instant throwouts for me.  Blackjack paid 6:5 for BJs, but all other wins paid full even money.  Not the worst game in the house.

[RobertoF]

That type of machine would seem to be consistent with what the casino manager indicated to me.  I guess we will have to wait and see.  I played some slots even though I don't really enjoy them much.  Summit had loads of slots that all look alike to me.  I have seen those electronic roulette games that seem like fun (but I have never played them).  I agree that the poker odds were terrible but I like to play poker so at least they were fun to play.  Having electronic versions of table games is not a terrible idea but it does not substitute for poker.