Summit: Happy, Happy!

[laura1960]

At the entrance to the ship at the Summit gangway, there's a Celebrity employee who greets all returning passengers from shore excursions with "Happy, Happy! Welcome back, sir! Happy happy!"

Well, that's exactly how we felt about the Summit: happy happy! We were on the Aug. 5-12 Summit southbound, and believe me, we were certainly sad sad to leave it.

All in all, it was a GREAT cruise. The Summit is a beautiful ship and well-maintained. The staff was incredibly professional and I truly noticed the attention to detail that I didn't see on previous cruises on Carnival.

Let's see, where to start....

The ports: I think my favorite days were Hubbard Glacier (which technically, isn't a port, since we didn't get off) but it was truly awe-inspiring, and Icy Strait Point, where we took the ship's whale-watching tour and saw about a dozen humpback whales! Icy Strait Point is beautiful and peaceful. Make sure you leave enough time to go for a stroll along the shores before heading out on your excursion or going into Hoonah. Tom (DH) and I saw a trio of sea lions just a few feet from shore on our walk.

 

The service: Impeccable. From the hot chocolate that greets you after every shore exursion, to the cabin stewards greeting you by name as you walk down the halls, it was impressive.

 

The food: Great! Sure, some things were better than others, but all in all, I was impressed with the quality and variety of the food. Desserts were gorgeous to look at, but sometimes were better-looking than better-tasting. We never tried the Normandie, Summit's specialty restaurant, as we were quite pleased with the Cosmopolitan, and our waiters, June and Made, and our tablemates.

 

We had cabin 7032, which is actually a wheelchair-accessible stateroom. We had guaranteed inside, and this is what they gave us, a week before sailing....it was beautiful and sooooo spacious!!!! Neither DH or I use a wheelchair, but from what the Celebrity rep told us, they have several wheelchair accessible cabins available on board, and when all the handicapped people are accomodated, they will sometimes give these cabins out to non-wheelchair users. I understand that there is a rather disturbing trend of non-handicapped people trying to snag one of these cabins for themselves, just for the extra space. We would have gladly given up our cabin if a wheelchair user needed it, but the Celebrity rep assured me that it was not needed. So we got an extra bonus there. I do hope that wheelchair users - or even people who have some difficulty moving about and require walkers, etc., know that these cabins are available and make full use of them.

 

REALLY enjoyed meeting the Cruise Critic folks! Definitely get involved in a roll call before your cruise!

 

Entertainment: was generally superb. We loved the aerialists, Rebecca and Phillippe, who did various and sundry extraordinarily dangerous things, often thirty feet above the audience's heads! Some of the production shows were a bit cheesy, but you sort of expect that sort of thing. The Broadway numbers were incredible, in terms of elaborate sets, costuming, etc. If you have kids, make sure they see the Lion King number in the "Thoroughly Broadway" show....it's incredible. We LOVED A Taste of Cirque du Soleil...my only complaint was that it wasn't long enough. We definitely wanted more! We both wished there was a comedian aboard - there was George Solomon, who was billed as a "variety entertainer" who was funny at times, and a magician, who was amusing, but a real comic would have been nice.

 

Weather in Alaska was gorgeous! We had one day of rain in Juneau, but the rest of the trip was terrific. Slightly overcast, but pleasant temps around 60-70! A long-sleeved shirt and a carried lightweight coat should suffice for shore excursions.

So anyway, we had a great cruise -ask away if you have any questions! Happy Happy!

 

Laura

[C 2 C]

Happy Happy has a clone on every X ship. He brings a smile to your lips whenever you see him. It's tough not to have a good day after breakfast:)

It's great to hear some good reports from Alaska. Do you remember your captain's name?... and the Cruise director?

[dmk]

We met HAppy Happy on our Summit cruise to Hawaii. Isn't he just great. You come back to the ship and there he is "happy, happy" everyone. What a gem!

[kitty9]

Mr Happy Happy is a security officer, and he's just the greatest. We met him for the first time on our Panama Canal cruise last March. I sat with the Celebrity hostess at lunch one day and she told me that he had lost many of his family members in the tsunami. He's a great asset to X and we just loved coming back to the ship to hear his happy happy greetings.

[Ships R Great]

"We had cabin 7032, which is actually a wheelchair-accessible stateroom. We had guaranteed inside, and this is what they gave us, a week before sailing....it was beautiful and sooooo spacious!!!! Neither DH or I use a wheelchair, but from what the Celebrity rep told us, they have several wheelchair accessible cabins available on board, and when all the handicapped people are accomodated, they will sometimes give these cabins out to non-wheelchair users. I understand that there is a rather disturbing trend of non-handicapped people trying to snag one of these cabins for themselves, just for the extra space. We would have gladly given up our cabin if a wheelchair user needed it, but the Celebrity rep assured me that it was not needed. So we got an extra bonus there. I do hope that wheelchair users - or even people who have some difficulty moving about and require walkers, etc., know that these cabins are available and make full use of them."

 

 

Laura, we are in this cabin on our Hawaii cruise in October. We booked it many months ago while on board Zenith. My DH and I both have walking and balance problems so we asked for and got a handicapped cabin. I need it for the bathroom configuration and we did not know if he would be in a wheelchair by the fall or not.

 

Can you give me some info as to noise/motion/etc. problems. Tho I have to admit I like to feel the "motion of the ocean" as the singers and dancers say in their show. Any pictures?

[RLM77]

I understand that there is a rather disturbing trend of non-handicapped people trying to snag one of these cabins for themselves, just for the extra space.

"Rather disturbing" doesn't even begin to describe this behavior. DW has MS and needs a wheelchair if she needs to walk any distance (even moving about the ship can be a problem if she walks too much in a day). But we have agreed to not request a wheelchair cabin unless/until it becomes absolutely necessary. We both think it would be reprehensible to deprive someone who really needs it. The thought of fully mobile people attempting to request one of these cabins just for the extra space turns my stomach. How anyone can be so selfish is completely beyond my ken.

 

I'm glad that the cabin was unneeded and that you were able to enjoy it. I'm also glad that Celebrity holds onto these cabins until shortly before the cruise, and glad that many TA's won't reserve one for their clients unless they confirm a disability.

 

Most of all, we're both thrilled that you loved Summit, as we have three cruises booked on her in the next 14 months!:) (None in a wheelchair cabin!)

[motherchic]

Glad you had such a great cruise.

We also love the Summit.

Our friends got at the last minute a handicap aft cabin, due to know one needing it. They felt, like you that the room was fabulous but they didnt want to take it from anyone who needed it.

I hope Celebrity is always careful and strict when giving out these rooms.

I have had two back surgeries. My car has a handicap sticker but i dont need a room, because i am in no need of a wheelchair accessable room.

Thank yopu for a fun review

Nadine

[bettyonboard]

I loved your review. I am going on my first Alaska, first cruise on Summit, but not until Sept of '07. Your review made me jump up and down and say HAPPY HAPPY! Could you please tell me what you would recommend in the ports as excursions, and maybe what you would do with out next time? I am so Happy happy that you had a great time! Congrats!

[emairs]

Happy Happy was on our Northern European cruise on the Constellation July 2005. Everyone loved him. His good nature was infectious.

 

I certainly hope that he is still on the Summit for our Panama Canal cruise in November.

[JohnVSB]

Laura

 

I just signed on to post my review, we were on the same trip and ditto to everything you said! This was the first cruise for my family all of us agreed that it far exceeded our expectations. We loved coming back on board and seeing Happy Happy. He was a topic of conversation at dinner and at the poker table in the casino.

 

We also skipped the Normandie as we truly enjoyed our tablemates and found the Cosmopolitan food very good. Yes, a couple times the fish was overcooked but the beef was cooked medium rare as requested and the salads and appetizers were excellent.

 

Several outstanding excurions; the bike and brew in Juneau, the only rainy day but it didn't matter, they furnished rain gear and the scenery was beautiful and the beer was great. The snorkeling in Ketichan was incredible! We had never been and some of the people were very experienced, we all had a wonderful time and were able to go as far as we wanted and not worry about holding anyone back since they had a guide to go with the more experienced and one to stay with people who were happy in the shallower water. I'd be happy to provide more info to anyone who is interested. The horseback riding in Skagway thru Southeast tours (the X excursion was closed) was a blast. Southeast provides the transportation to the ranch (with a little too much commentary) but the horseback riding also far exceeded my expectations.

 

Went halibut fishing in Icy Strait (another beautiful day), lotsa fun, only caught 1 fish each. A little pricy at $229 + $20 for license but we still enjoyed.

 

My wife and daughter (20) went flightseeing in Juneau and enjoyed OK. She also went on the Eagle Preserve flightseeing in Skagway and they both enjoyed very, very much.

 

Overall the trip was a total delight, the wait staff was great and our room was always impecibly clean.

 

Thought George Solomon was lame but enjoyed the other entertainment, especially the aerialist and Cirque de Solei and Carl Andrews the comedian/magician.

 

There was a large cross section of people/ages on board, fewer seniors than I expected and more children and several honeymooners.

We were on the 8th deck, CC and would recommend the conceirge class. We really enjoyed the extras each day. The choice of pillows alone would have sold me. Our adult children (23 and 20) were in an inside cabin and their service was not as nice, not a complaint, but by comparison, our glass were replaced everytime we used them (sometimes 2-3 times a day), theirs were replaced once during the week. A few other similar type things but don't want to dwell on the negative, just want to point out the differences.

 

Hated the sales pitches at the Aqua spa but will save that rant for another post.

 

All in all, a wonderful, wonderful vacation, one I will fondly remember forever.

 

Sorry we missed the cruise critic get together, next time we won't.

 

Glad to answer any questions, and will remain. . . . Happy, Happy!

 

john

[laura1960]

RLM,

 

I agree that the trend of fully mobile people trying to get one of these rooms for themselves is despicable. Believe me, I wouldn't have dreamed of getting this room if a differently-abled person needed it. My father-in-law uses a wheelchair, and it just chaps my hide when people park in the handicapped spots and say, "Oh, it's just for a minute." Grrrrrr. But that's another story.

Ships R Great, we didn't feel excess motion in the stateroom - it was a good location. Very convenient to Celebrity Theatre and my favorite place, the T-pool! It's a bit of a hike to the Cosmopolitan, but here's how to avoid that if you need to: Take the elevator to a higher deck, which is shorter. Walk from the forward elevator to the aft, then take elevator down to deck 4, for the Cosmo restaurant. I tried to take the stairs as much as possible to work off my sins at the buffet, but if you have difficulty walking long distances, it might work.

I have pictures, but can't insert them into my post here. I have two Kodakgallery.com albums ready to share of our cruise on the Summit, so if you'd like email me at laura@sonic.net and I'd be happy to send them to you.

I don't remember the captain's name, but the cruise director was Martin Bashar...very nice fellow.

Any other questions, just ask away.

[jmh928]

We also were on the Constellation Baltic cruise in 7/05 with Happy, Happy. On this year's British Isles/Norway cruise, he was the first person we were looking for as we got on board. Unfortunately, he wasn't there this year.

[C 2 C]

Does anyone remember the name of the captain/master on Summit?

He is the only person missing form the summary of all the captain's names on Celebrity.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=395732

[rjg41]

There is not a clone of "Happy, Happy", it is only one man. Of course their assignments move them from ship to ship. The other great one is Sol, the buffet area greater. We have been lucky enough to sail with each of them twice.

 

While these two are exceptional, they are a product of a cruise line that encourages and rewards great service and happy passengers. We are on Star Princess(picked for itnierary) in a few weeks. I just read a thread about this lacking on that ship. While our preferred line is Celebrity, we did do Coral Princess a few years back. It had its' pluses and minuses. We hope the Star comments are not an indication of what Carnival has done to Princess since.

[Ine]

<<<There is not a clone of "Happy, Happy", it is only one man. Of course their assignments move them from ship to ship. The other great one is Sol, the buffet area greater. We have been lucky enough to sail with each of them twice.>>>

 

Happy, Happy was on Summit in March to Hawaii.

As was Salmoudin, better known as SAL. Not only the buffet-greeter, but also our table-waiter.

We still talk about him, great person.

Once you met one or both of them, you will never forget them.

[Ine]

Remember Sal?

[PatC]

Sal we on our Summit Hawaii cruise in March and he was without a doubt the "happiest" guy around. He faithfully greeted everyone, dressed in the garb of the day at the buffet during lunch. BUT - it was ALOHA!!!!:)

 

To be honest, by the time we got off the ship Aloha was the last word we wanted to hear, especially getting OFF!

 

Happy, happy danced at all the *****-deck parties and was one of the people learning the hula. He would stand on the steps below the Mast Bar when everyone was taking lessons and hula along with them, in his security uniform. He is a credit to the cruise line. Of course after 3 times on Summit we believe it is the friendliest ship at sea.

[xtopher_66]

Happy, Happy....

[laura1960]

That's him! That's Mr. Happy Happy!

 

Laura

[vegasmar10]

We cruised the Summit 12/2005 through Panama Canal and our Master was...

Captain Panagiotis Skylogiannis

(it was a mouthful to say!!)

We are sailing on the Summit on 12/3/06 to Hawaii. Not sure if he is still the Master/Captain.

If you have done the Hawaii cruise, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. What to do on the islands, how and what to pack, is it cold on the ocean crossing days, how did you get from airport to port, etc. My email is vegasmar10@yahoo.com for any info. Thanks:)

Marilyn

[PatC]

Hi Marilyn

 

We sailed Summit in March. Our Captain was Dimitri but I think he was either leaving or changing ships. He was WONDERFUL, young, very active with the pasengers and just all around great.

 

We flew into LA the day before we sailed and stayed in San Pedro at the Holiday Inn. Not the best but clean and very near the port. They had transportation to the ship (which you could see from the hotel) but it was very unorganized about getting you there. You had a horrible wait and they only ran 2 shuttles. They needed at least 3 more as the hotel was full of guests sailing. Then they took the one and sent it up to Long Beach with passengers. That really made it horrible. We made it though so who cared by that time.

 

As far as Hawaii, you are going to be in Maui a longer time than we were. We wished we could have spent more time there. Through our wonderful cruise critic group one of the men organized a bus trip on Oahu to Pearl Harbor, a tour of the city and then Punchbowl. It was terrific. We had a great bus driver who knew exactly what to do and where to go.

 

On Maui we took the whale watching/dolphin watching tour. It was run by the Pacific Oceanographic Institute but was a trip thru the cruise line. We were there at the tail end of the whale migration and we did get to see whales, dolphins and sting rays very close to our boat.

 

In Kuai we did the luncheon luau and that was terrific. Many took the night luau in Oahu but we didn't. After the long day touring the Arizona, Missouri and Pearl Harbor (if you haven't been there you MUST go), we were really beat so we walked in the small mall right next to the dock (Aloha Tower). We met friends, shopped a little and then had a drink at Don Ho's place right on the dock. It was great since I was ready to get back to the ship and it was right there.

 

The ship sailed between the islands at night so almost our entire cc group ate at the casual dining that night. Again, one of the men in our group contacted Celeb and made the arrangements. It was really nice since we all had different seating times for dinner during the cruise and this time we ate together. Made it great since we sailed by the volcano and saw the most magnificent sight. The lava pouring down the side of the mountain and hitting the ocean at night is another awesome sight.

 

Any question ask away. I'll try to think answer whatever I can.

 

You'll love Hawaii.

 

Pat

[vegasmar10]

Hi Pat,

Thanks for your feedback. We really appreciate the info!

[bonbon663]

:D It's nice to hear a good news story!! I'm so happy happy you had a good time. Way too often lately it's only the bad news stories that make it to the top of the list.

 

Thanks for the review. I'm hoping to get back on Alaska next year.:)

[laura1960]

Yes, Captain Skylogiannis is still on the Summit - he was our captain during our Alaska cruise.

I'm originally from Hawaii, and while I've never been there as a cruise passenger, there's TONS of stuff to see. A very popular tourist destination (locals like it too!) is Haunama Bay for snorkeling and just hanging out. Here are some pics:

 

http://www.pbase.com/aukipa/haunama_bay

 

Mind you, it will be very crowded. But the sheer number of fish you'll see is worth it. You don't even have to snorkel if you don't want to; you can literally walk a few yards out and be surrounded by fish.

If you can get up to Mt. Haleakela on Maui, do it - it's stunning and so worth it for the views. Kauai is beautiful, green and lush - get to the Fern Grotto if you can.

Ask if you have other questions!

 

Laura