My Review of March 7 Summit

[melgray13]

Celebrity Cruise March 7, Summit

To give you some background, my husband (33 yrs old) and I (31 yrs old) are sunloving vacationers. You can see from our history we discovered cruising a could years ago and have been enjoying exploring the different cruise lines.

Friday – March 6

We arrived at the airport on time and check in was super smooth – KC airport is tiny. Our flight to Atlanta was delayed about 90 mins due to heavy traffic in Atlanta. There were a couple folks that missed connections. Luckily, we had a long lay over and were able to catch our connection in Atlanta and made it to San Juan with no issues. There must have been some other folks that missed their connections – there were about 20 names on the standby list for our flight. We were upgraded to first class which helped make the flight better J

Our flight landed at 9:25. We had our luggage (checked two pieces). Luggage started rolling off the carousel in spurts. Our luggage finally rolled off at 9:55. Porters are available if you need them.

We caught a cab just outside luggage claim. It was very easy with the cab stand that was out front. Two people and 4 suitcases were $24 to the Sheraton in Old San Juan. The ride took about 20 mins – no traffic.

Check in at the Sheraton was a breeze. We were upgraded to a suite. The room was very large. The room was showing some wear – especially in the bathroom. The bed was comfy and we were just there to sleep so no complaints. The balcony was very small (pretty much just enough room for one person to stand). We had a nice view of the port.

We were too tired to put too much effort into food. We split a burger from room service. The menu lists the burger at $12 but it was in actually $13 – no biggie just something to watch if you’re trying to keep to a budget.

Our one complaint, we were planning to try and sleep in the next morning. We called to request a wake up call for 10 am. We were told that 10 am is actually check out time. I guess it’s 10 am for Sat and Sun but noon for the rest of the week.

Saturday, March 7

We were up and out of the room by 10 am. We left our luggage at the hotel. It was a mad house – people checking in and people checking out. We headed out to walk around Old San Juan. The Sheraton is definitely within Old San Juan but you still had to walk a couple of blocks to get to most of the shops/historical area. There are other hotels that are closer to the “action” but it’s still very close.

We didn’t do much buying in Old San Juan – other than water and some essentials from Walgreen’s. It wasn’t from lack of effort – just nothing struck me as a “must have”.

We headed back to the Sheraton to connect our luggage. We left for the boat. We arrived at the pier around 12:30. We didn’t have luggage tags (we upgraded after our documents came). The porters were there and very helpful. They ask to see you sea pass and passports when you walk in the door so have them handy. Our first step was to complete the questionnaire which promised we didn’t have any norovirus symptoms. Next to actual check in – there were separate lines for Concierge Class, Elite, ect. We headed to the Concierge Class and the process was super quick. Just behind the check in was the liquor store. There didn’t seem to be any issue with bringing bottles on board that were purchased in the gift shop.

After you go through the X ray/metal detector and have your photo taken (or avoid it as we prefer) you get to the boat. This was our first wait. We waited a couple minutes to have your picture take to go with your sea pass. We laughed at the women who were freshening makeup and hair for this photo J The last step was to pass your bags through another X ray. There was a celebrity rep to help put the bags through (even wearing white gloves). There were several passengers that were upset about having to go through twice but it was over before you know it.

Finally – on the ship – it’s about 12:50. When you stepped aboard you were offered champagne, mimosas or even just plain orange juice. Rooms weren’t being released until 1:00pm so we went to deck 10 for lunch – I’ll talk about the buffet later.

Next to our room. Due to rate reductions we decided to upgrade to the Concierge Class. And then we changed again to an Aft CC cabin. Here are my general cabin impressions compared to the other staterooms we’ve had:

-less storage than many of our other rooms

-décor was fine – hated the print on the curtains but no a big deal

-poor lighting in the bathroom – on the dark side

-VCR in stateroom

-bed was firm – better once the stateroom attendant added the mattress pad

-the balcony was HUGE

Concierge Class Perks

-Binoculars – didn’t use on this trip but a nice souvenir

-Card Case – nothing we would use again – cheaply made

-Pen/Note pad – nice to have to leave notes during the week and a nice pen

-Fruit – didn’t eat any all week

-Flowers – were a nice touch to brighten up the room; the rose in the bathroom tended to get in the way

-Canapés – not tasty told our attendant to stop brining them

-Champagne – a nice touch

-Tote bag – nice to have

-Stationary – this was the saddest perk of all in my opinion – it was a couple sheets of paper with the X logo and our names – however our names were spelled wrong – oh well not planning to use the paper to write a novel

Tickets for our shore excursions were already in our room. Our luggage arrived at 3pm.

I preordered the soda package through the gift section on X’s website. A card arrived which announced our “gift” to ourselves. We went to the bar and redeemed the card for our soda stickers. The nice part of this is we didn’t have to pay the gratuity of 15% just the flat $40 for the package itself.

Spa Tour –

We “toured” the spa. It is on par with other ship spas. We saw the Persian Gardens. It was not as nice as the similar area on Princess. The biggest disappointment was the heated stones were a bench rather than a lounger like Princess. We didn’t elect to join. They do have some Go Smile samples which were nice (in a bowl near reception).

Muster Drill –

As others have stated, the muster drill is now at 5:15. It was pretty painless – it took about 30 mins total.

St Martin –

We’ve been to St Martin several times and have always loved walking around and shopping. We noticed (and heard from several other passengers as well) that prices were not as good as last time we were here and many of the discounts seemed to be gone.

As always, we made sure to stop by The Belgian Chocolate Box – yummy and not to be missed. They will have your chocolates delivered to your ship so you don’t have to worry about carrying them around and melting while you’re in port.

Dominica –

We did the Roseau Valley Treasure Tour with Bumping Tour. We were really looking forward to this tour. We didn’t see Levi all day – there were three guys that took groups on this tour. Everything started out well. The guides met us as described in the confirmation email and they were easy to find. They were wearing grey polos with the website on the back of them. We were divided up into vans. Alvin was our driver.

Let me cut to the heart of the matter – we would not recommend this tour to anyone. There were several issues. First, a lot of things that we talked up in the tour descriptions were let downs. The botanical garden consisted of driving though a small area with some trees and flowers. The sulphur spring was a walk to small bubbling area – nothing like the on St Lucia. Next, our drive Alvin hardly talked during our entire tour. He was more of a driver than guide. The final straw was seeing one of the other drivers smoke a couple of joints during our tour. It was crazy that he was so open and then thought nothing of driving folks around on some vary narrow winding roads. YIKES!!

The small silver lining of the tour was the Titou Gorge. Yes – the water is very refreshing (aka cold) but it was a cool experience.

Grenada –

We toured with Mandoo. Small frustration – were told to meet at 8am but didn’t leave until just after 8:30 am. I wish we would have either started on time or met later. It was a great experience. He knows so much about the country. He is terrific about making sure everyone has an opportunity to take photos. One thing I would point out – during this tour you are definitely paying for Mandoo and his tour guide abilities. The stops that you make are not all that incredible in and of themselves but his descriptions and backgrounds make them more interesting. I don’t think I would recommend this tour for children – not enough to do. I think the best explanation is an interactive lecture. We had a great time but I don’t think this is a tour for everyone.

Tobago –

The cruise director said that Tobago translates in English to “we got off the boat for 20 mins and then got back on to have lunch”. This pretty much summed up our experience.

Barbados –

If you’ve never been to Barbados, it’s a different type of port. When you exit the ship you board a bus to take you to another area where you would find shops, tours, ect. So build a little extra time into your schedules. When you leave the terminal building, there is one line for taxis – a van taxi pulls up and announces a location – ie downtown, Harrison Caves, Malibu Beach, ect and then they fill up the van. It’s a bit confusing but helps keep your cost downs by paying a lower person fee.

We went to Hastings beach on our own. If I remember correctly it was $20 per person round trip. When our driver dropped us off we picked a time for him to pick us up. It was a beautiful beach. Chairs and umbrellas were $5 each. The sand was pure white and the water was crystal clear. There are restrooms and a couple huts for shopping. We would definitely come here again.

Cruise Critic Party –

We registered for the event twice but never got an invitation. L

Main Dining Room –

We were at table 448 - great location – at the base of the stairs on the main floor. Vincent was our waiter and Alex was his assistant. They provided good service all week. We sat with some great couples and enjoyed our time together.

All in all the MDR food wasn’t that special. Just say “no” to any variety of steaks – very poor quality. The rest of the foods were fine. There was a lot of stuff that was a decent quality. However, we didn’t have anything all week that if it were from a regular restaurant that we would be rushing back to have it again. Desserts were also disappointing.

Buffet/Causal Dining –

We thought the buffet was pretty good.

-Waffles – They were definitely good. I wouldn’t say they were life changing but definitely good.

-Salad bar – VERY good

-Daily specials – every meal there were different “features” – weren’t real impressed with any of them

-Pasta bar – a definite miss – saucy were on the watery side

-Sushi/Stir Fry – It’s not available the first night but for the rest of the week. There isn’t a big variety but it is very tasty and a great afternoon snack.

-Dessert – cookies were pretty good, the rest were not that special

-Pizza – again won’t win an award but was tasty – offered daily “specials”

-Burgers – also good, mushrooms and other toppings were a nice touch

Activities –

We thought the activities group was the poorest we’ve seen on any ship. It didn’t ruin our cruise by any means but they were less organized and lower energy than the other cruises we’ve been on in the past.

Normandie –

We prepaid for Friday Night a couple weeks ago. When we go on board, we had a message to call the Normandie. There was a private event and we had to change our reservation to another night so we went with Tuesday. We were told we would receive a confirmation notice. As of lunch on Tuesday, no confirmation so we called. They had us down for Wednesday. They were able to switch us back to Tuesday night.

Actually dinner was good. The food was better than the MRD and the service was outstanding. They told us they are using a new menu – only a couple weeks old. The lobster dish was terrific.

When we got back to the room we checked the account and saw that we had been charged the service fee again. We had to go down to guest relations with our print out showing payment to get it reserved.

Casino –

We loved that the casino didn’t allow smoking. We found the slots very forgiving, especially for a ship casino. I won just under $600 on a quarter machine and defiantly came out ahead.

Internet –

We found the speed to be faster than on most of the other ships we’ve been on. It’s not as fast as home but it’s a big improvement.

Entertainment –

Elk Island and Martin Strings were pretty good. The only group we didn’t really care for was Port Authority (A Capella Group)

Ship Board Account –

We received a mid trip print out in our room. You could also check your account anytime on TV. However, we were not provided with a final print out on our last day which was disappointing.

Disembarkation –

Smooth experience. They do ask to see your passports just after you leave the ship – you are divided into two lines – US and non US. There was only one interaction with a customs agent rather than a separate customs and immigration check point.

There is a taxi stand just outside again like at the airport. It was easy to get a taxi and be on our way.

We stayed over Saturday at La Concha. It is a beautiful modern hotel. The rooms were on the small side but very comfortable. There was a band at a near by hotel which you could hear in your room at night – not the most ideal. The hotel was sold out but they had a room for me at 10:30 am.

Getting to the airport was also easy. Make sure you stop and have your luggage scanned by the USDA before you take it to check with the airlines.

Overall, we had a great experience with X. I still call Princess my favorite but would definitely sail with X again.

My fingers are tired to typing. I’m sure there are things I’ve forgotten to include. Let me know if you have any questions.

[macaroni]

What do you mean that you were "charged the service fee again"? Also, what cabin did you have? Was the beach in Barbados crowded? We like beaches that the cruise crowd doesn't go to. Did you try the Waterfall grill?

[melgray13]

What do you mean that you were "charged the service fee again"? Also, what cabin did you have? Was the beach in Barbados crowded? We like beaches that the cruise crowd doesn't go to. Did you try the Waterfall grill?

 

We paid the service fee when we booked online ahead of time. But the charge was also posted to our ship account so in short - we would be paying twice for one meal :)

 

We were in 7212.

 

There were people on the beach in Barbados but it wasn't crowded. It was great!

 

Sorry - no Waterfall Grill experinces.

[Relayer4]

Thanks for the review. We have scheduled a private hiking tour of Dominica with Levi, so I'm hoping we have better results. I'm surprised because everything I've read about Bumping Tours has been positive. How was Grenada's landscape compared with Dominica? We are opting for a beach day in Grenada at La Saggesse rather than more island exploring with a guide. For the longest time I was unsure of what to do in Grenada. Based on the tour you took there, I'm confident with our decisions.

[macaroni]

We are thinking of doing the tour with SEafari to the underwater sculpture park in Grenada. Anyone done that?

[Mrs_Tiki]

Relayer4,

 

We were on the same Summit sailing as Melgray, although we did not have a chance to meet her. I had heard from others on her tour that day that they were disappointed. We had a much different experience with Bumpiing Tours. We had done the Rousseau Valley Treasures tour with one of Levi's other guides (actually the one who lit up with Melgray's group) last year and loved it so much that we booked something more ambituous this year.

 

This year, we were with Levi on the tour that included Middleham Falls, Titou Gorge and Trafalgar Falls. We had originally arranged for a private tour with Levi for me, DH and two teenagers. He contacted us well in advance and asked if he could add others to our tour, because one of his guides had gone "off-island" and he was short-handed. This ended up being fine with us. Levi told us that he typically leads the tour we took this year, and the other guides do the shorter one.

 

If you are considering this tour, be advised that the hike to Middleham Falls is not easy. DH and I are in our forties and are in very good physical condition, and it was about as much as we wanted to do. Proper footwear is essential, because the terrain is rough, there are several slippery slopes, and you are in and out of the water. DH wore closed-toe Tevas, and the girls and I wore Chacos. Others on our tour wore running shoes and socks, which were fine for the hike, but looked pretty soggy and uncomfortable after swimming. With all of the climbing and rocks, swimming barefoot is NOT an option.

 

Against Levi's recommendation, an older couple (mid-60's, but in good physical condition) insisted on this tour. Although they were able to complete the hike, the wife required assistance from Levi and the other men. Levi was very conscientious about making sure that someone (usually him or my DH) were near her to help her.

 

I don't want to discourage anyone, just want to be sure you know what you have signed on for! After a 75 minute scenic hike through the rainforest, we were rewarded with the sight of a spectacular waterfall and deep pool beneath it. Some decided to stop at an observation platform and were nice to take pictures for the rest of us. It was a pretty difficult climb down a rocky hillside to get to the pool. DH and our daughter's friend had a great time swimming in the pool and diving off the rock ledges surrounding it. Unfortunately, DD was having trouble breathing (asthma), and I watched with her from the edge.

 

Trafalgar Falls is also beautiful and much easier to get to, which makes it more crowded. It became less congested when we continued on past the observation deck to the hot springs leading into one of the pools, which was neat. Beware, the rocks are covered in algae and very slippery! There was a local man smoking pot (with a passenger from our ship, but not on our tour) in one of the caves near the hot springs. Levi ran him off, but when we returned, he was back (with a diffierent Summit passenger!)

 

I agree with Melgray, Titou Gorge is a great experience. Again, swimming against the current near the waterfall was difficult, but Levi requested that we all wear flotation belts and offered additional assistance to those who needed it. For those unable to swim against the current to get to the fall, he towed them using a ring and a rope in his teeth.

 

We opted to skip Champagne Reef snorkeling this year, since we had done it last year. Levi offered to drop those who didn't want to snorkel back at the ship and continue on with the rest, but everyone in the group decided to call it a day. We had met Levi at 7:30 am and got back to the ship around 3:15 pm.

 

Another tip: Levi does not include lunch in his tours, in order to leave more time to see the sights of the island. He does provide bottled wated and local Kubili beer. I would recommend taking along protein bars, nuts, or some other sort of pre-packaged snack to hold you over until you get back to the ship.

[sanjay]

If you are considering this tour, be advised that the hike to Middleham Falls is not easy..

 

 

can i ask what the price of this tour is?

 

it sounds great!

[Mrs_Tiki]

sanjay,

 

I think that it depends on the size of the group, but was $60 per person for us. There were 12 on our tour.

[McCruzers]

Where is the Belgian chocolate Store?

[Relayer4]

Mrs Tiki, that was a great response. I signed us up 2 months ago and was quoted at $220 for the two of us. We plan to hit Middleham Falls and Champagne Reef during this tour. All your advice is appreciated. We are in our late 40's and usually do a fair amount of hiking when on vacation. I'm not sure how you would compare Dominica to Yosemite, Rocky Mountain or Acadia National Parks. I know it will be wet. We have already purchased Keen's for this cruise, and specifically the tour in Dominica. My only concern is comfortably packing our snorkeling gear for Champagne Reef. I personally don't care if the guide "lights up". If it was 25 years ago I might be tempted :) I just want my money's worth with seeing beautiful spots and getting back to the ship in one piece.

[melgray13]

Where is the Belgian chocolate Store?

 

It's one of the recommended stores from the ship - you can find it on the shopping map. Enjoy!

[SusaninCali]

Celebrity Cruise March 7, Summit

 

We split a burger from room service. The menu lists the burger at $12 but it was in actually $13 – no biggie just something to watch if you’re trying to keep to a budget.

 

 

 

:eek: You had to pay for a burger from room service? I thought room service food was included. Is this something new?

[cruisemuse13]

:eek: You had to pay for a burger from room service? I thought room service food was included. Is this something new?

the burger in question was from the room service at the Sheraton, not the ship.

[Longboysfan]

What pier did you end up at to get on the ship?

 

The ones in town or across the harbor?

[jetertorre]

Mel-

 

Your note on Tobago was kind of cryptic. Can you elaborate? I'll be there in a few weeks and I'm just trying to figure out what to do that day.

 

Thanks!

[cruisinsusin]

Hi Macaroni, we attempted to snorkel at the underwater sculpture park in Grenada on our recent Summit cruise but the water was too cloudy from recent weather fronts, and apparently had been that way for several days before our visit.

[signman]

Did you get the bill yet for the Binoculars you mistakenly took from your stateroom? Did you take the umbrella too?

 

Neither of these are souvenirs. They are there for your convenience to be used as needed. Only the tote bag is yours to take home.

[melgray13]

Mel-

 

Your note on Tobago was kind of cryptic. Can you elaborate? I'll be there in a few weeks and I'm just trying to figure out what to do that day.

 

Thanks!

 

We did get off the ship for a few minutes (about 20) and walked around down town. Not much to see.

 

If I were you, I'd recommend you take a tour or head to the beach. I just wouldn't call Tobago a "do it yourself" island.

 

Our tablemates went to the beach and had a fantastic time.

[melgray13]

Did you get the bill yet for the Binoculars you mistakenly took from your stateroom? Did you take the umbrella too?

 

Neither of these are souvenirs. They are there for your convenience to be used as needed. Only the tote bag is yours to take home.

 

Intersting - nope no bill yet :) and we didnt' take the umbrella

[macaroni]

Hi Macaroni, we attempted to snorkel at the underwater sculpture park in Grenada on our recent Summit cruise but the water was too cloudy from recent weather fronts, and apparently had been that way for several days before our visit.

 

Did you get there with a tour? We found Seafari that does it. I am a little concerned about how rough the water might be. I heard it is in the open waters. Can you comment on that? I am prone to motion sickness.

[Tiki_Man]

I did this as a Scuba Dive tour last year. There are 6 different (at least at that time only 6) "pieces" placed on the bottom. 5 of them are set in between coral ridges about 20 ft in depth. The largest one is "circle of children" in about 15 ft of water on sandy bottom.

 

This is quite a ways from shore, several hundred yds and it was choppy the day we dove. Just depends on the wind.

 

Got to admit, it was nothing outstanding. A metal figure on a bike, a metal man sitting at a desk with a typewriter, a witchy looking woman, etc.

 

If you are free-diving, not much time to explore and not really that great of a sight.

 

Wish I had better things to say, but just wanted to give my honest opinion.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

Tiki

[cruisinsusin]

Macaroni, We booked with native spirit ( divinggrenada.com) for a snorkel trip- they also do dive trips. The water was rough and if you are prone to seasickness, I would be hesitant to recommend it. Some of our party who do not normally get seasick had some symptoms.

[C 2 C]

Celebrity Cruise March 7, Summit

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

I attempt to keep a chart of certain staff members and entertainers on board.

Would you be able to assist in updating the Who's On Board List:

 

Arno

 

SHIP………………………………………

Date………………………………………

MASTER……………………………….

Alternate Master…………………………

Staff Captain…………………………….

Chief Engineer……………………………

Hotel Director……………………………..

Cruise Director……………………………

Activities Manager………………………..

Restaurant Manager……………………….

Assistant Maitre d'……………………………

F&B Manager…………………………….

Bar Manager………………………………

Front Office Manager……………………….

Future Sales Manager………………………

CC Host(ess)…………………………………

Party Band…………………………………….

Rendezvous……………………………………

String Quartet………………………………….

Michael's Club…………………………………

Acappella Group………………………………

Guitarist………………………………………..

[lovetocruise99]

I did this as a Scuba Dive tour last year. There are 6 different (at least at that time only 6) "pieces" placed on the bottom. 5 of them are set in between coral ridges about 20 ft in depth. The largest one is "circle of children" in about 15 ft of water on sandy bottom.

 

This is quite a ways from shore, several hundred yds and it was choppy the day we dove. Just depends on the wind.

 

Got to admit, it was nothing outstanding. A metal figure on a bike, a metal man sitting at a desk with a typewriter, a witchy looking woman, etc.

 

If you are free-diving, not much time to explore and not really that great of a sight.

 

Wish I had better things to say, but just wanted to give my honest opinion.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

Tiki

 

There is a video of this on youtube. It looks kind of creepy....

[baby]

Hi

 

Thinking of do a cruise on the millie after its renovations are done

 

what was the night life and shows like were there people in the lounges at night and what types of music did they have

 

thanks

 

carol