N
nypisces
Guest
Just back from the 1/23 Summit sailing (first on Celebrity), and now consider myself a Celebrity convert, after 13 cruises with HAL.
At embarkation, confirmed that we had been upgraded from a Cat. 6 to a 2C (with verandah, our first), so needless to say, the trip got off to a terrific start! THANK YOU CELEBRITY!! If this is a marketing ploy, lemme tell ya - it worked! My fear that things might go downhill from there were unfounded; this was the most wonderful trip of all!
The crew were the friendliest we've had the pleasure to sail with; the weather was sheer perfection (although Celebrity had nothing to do with that!), the service everywhere was outstanding, the ship is absolutely stunning, and the food - well, let's just say I'll be Slim Fast-ing for the next few weeks!
Waiters to assist you in the buffet area were a really nice touch, especially as I was travelling with my 75 year-old mom, who while stable on land, sometimes had trouble balancing her tray while the ship was moving. And roaming waiters with coffee and danish in the morning - HAL, are you listening?? Never saw either service offered in their buffet areas and really appreciated this on Summit.
A few things to note:
It was a bit of a hike from where we were dropped off at embarkation to where you actually enter the terminal. There was a jam at the security machines, but once through those, we were on the ship within minutes, and eagerly accepted the glass of chilled champagne once on board!
If you choose to sit out on Deck 11 (one above the pool deck), make sure to pick-up towels on Deck 10 before heading upstairs - there are none available on Deck 11. Found this area less crowded with fewer chair hogs, who were out in force! On sea days. you could still find a chair on Deck 11 up until 10:00 or so, but after that, they were scarce. Hint: If you climb all the way up to Deck 12 near the funnel, there are always chairs available, even on sea days...but it can get a bit windy up there!
The Spa Cafe and Cova Cafe were wonderful. Ate lunch in the Spa Cafe every day - great variety and food always seemed more fresh than in the buffet area. Poached salmon, grilled chicken salads, veggie sushi, tuna nicoise salads and great low calorie desserts. Even munched on a whole, fresh papaya one afternoon! Cova offered terrific pastries and loaves every afternoon to accompany the excellent frozen capuccinos. It is due to these 2 venues that I would rate the food a notch above HAL - dining room food, IMHO, was comparable but I do think that HAL has a more extensive selection in their breakfast and lunch buffets.
We had excellent service from our dining room team, who more than compensated for the less-than-desireable table location (upper level towards the entrance of the dining room). Although this spot made us feel somewhat removed from the center of things, we never thought about changing, thanks to the wonderful service and our dining companions. PS - brought 3 bottles of wine and 1 bottle of champagne to dinner; was only charged the $12.00 corkage fee once!
Don't miss the 2:30pm Sorbet Parade pool-side on sea days. Lovely flavors and wonderfully refreshing. The cold towels upon arrival back on the ship from ports were also a nice touch.
With such perfect weather and feeling so totally relaxed, we missed quite a few things - the Normandie, the sushi bar, the Persian Gardens, the art auctions, trivia contests - but will be sure to check them all out on our next Summit trip, which I'm already starting to think about!
Suffice to say, we were completely thrilled with our Summit experience and I too am completely envious of all of you with upcoming cruises aboard her. Be warned, you will not want to leave!
Will post a more 'official' type review shortly. Meanwhile, if you have any questions, ask away!
Happy cruising!
At embarkation, confirmed that we had been upgraded from a Cat. 6 to a 2C (with verandah, our first), so needless to say, the trip got off to a terrific start! THANK YOU CELEBRITY!! If this is a marketing ploy, lemme tell ya - it worked! My fear that things might go downhill from there were unfounded; this was the most wonderful trip of all!
The crew were the friendliest we've had the pleasure to sail with; the weather was sheer perfection (although Celebrity had nothing to do with that!), the service everywhere was outstanding, the ship is absolutely stunning, and the food - well, let's just say I'll be Slim Fast-ing for the next few weeks!
Waiters to assist you in the buffet area were a really nice touch, especially as I was travelling with my 75 year-old mom, who while stable on land, sometimes had trouble balancing her tray while the ship was moving. And roaming waiters with coffee and danish in the morning - HAL, are you listening?? Never saw either service offered in their buffet areas and really appreciated this on Summit.
A few things to note:
It was a bit of a hike from where we were dropped off at embarkation to where you actually enter the terminal. There was a jam at the security machines, but once through those, we were on the ship within minutes, and eagerly accepted the glass of chilled champagne once on board!
If you choose to sit out on Deck 11 (one above the pool deck), make sure to pick-up towels on Deck 10 before heading upstairs - there are none available on Deck 11. Found this area less crowded with fewer chair hogs, who were out in force! On sea days. you could still find a chair on Deck 11 up until 10:00 or so, but after that, they were scarce. Hint: If you climb all the way up to Deck 12 near the funnel, there are always chairs available, even on sea days...but it can get a bit windy up there!
The Spa Cafe and Cova Cafe were wonderful. Ate lunch in the Spa Cafe every day - great variety and food always seemed more fresh than in the buffet area. Poached salmon, grilled chicken salads, veggie sushi, tuna nicoise salads and great low calorie desserts. Even munched on a whole, fresh papaya one afternoon! Cova offered terrific pastries and loaves every afternoon to accompany the excellent frozen capuccinos. It is due to these 2 venues that I would rate the food a notch above HAL - dining room food, IMHO, was comparable but I do think that HAL has a more extensive selection in their breakfast and lunch buffets.
We had excellent service from our dining room team, who more than compensated for the less-than-desireable table location (upper level towards the entrance of the dining room). Although this spot made us feel somewhat removed from the center of things, we never thought about changing, thanks to the wonderful service and our dining companions. PS - brought 3 bottles of wine and 1 bottle of champagne to dinner; was only charged the $12.00 corkage fee once!
Don't miss the 2:30pm Sorbet Parade pool-side on sea days. Lovely flavors and wonderfully refreshing. The cold towels upon arrival back on the ship from ports were also a nice touch.
With such perfect weather and feeling so totally relaxed, we missed quite a few things - the Normandie, the sushi bar, the Persian Gardens, the art auctions, trivia contests - but will be sure to check them all out on our next Summit trip, which I'm already starting to think about!
Suffice to say, we were completely thrilled with our Summit experience and I too am completely envious of all of you with upcoming cruises aboard her. Be warned, you will not want to leave!
Will post a more 'official' type review shortly. Meanwhile, if you have any questions, ask away!
Happy cruising!
