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Itinerary: San Juan – At Sea – Barbados – St. Lucia –
Antigua – St.Maarten – St. Thomas -
San Juan
Date: March 31, 2012 –
April 7, 2012
Celebrity’s Summit entered into service in
late 2001 but has just undergone the “Solsticizing” refit earlier this year in
an intensive 4 week dry dock. “Solsticizing” is the term coined by Celebrity
to describe the major refits they are doing to the 4 Millennium Class ships in
which the newest features and venues from the very popular and new Solstice
Class of ships are added. It’s amazing the changes that were accomplished in 4
weeks’ time. The ship is, for all intents and purposes, new…again.
Upon embarkation, you are greeted with a
glass of champagne or mimosa by white gloved staff. From there you enter the
very elegant main lobby atrium stretching from deck 3 to 5. Deck three is the
true lobby level with the front office, etc. and decks four and five look down
into the marble floor and staircase. From there you are directed to your
stateroom which is ready upon boarding. Overall, this was a fantastic first
impression.
My stateroom was a standard balcony and was
very well appointed. The room had the standard amenities of in cabin safe, ship
to shore phone, and a flat screen LCD interactive television. The interactive
TV is a nice feature which allows you to order room service, wine service, shore
excursions, view your bill, order pay per view movies, etc. right from your
stateroom. Inspected the bathroom and saw the large shower and very nice bath
amenities, including cotton swabs and balls, tissues, and soaps, shampoos,
lotions and conditioners.
I made my way around the ship to discover
the many dining venues, bars, lounges, pools, spa and salon.
DINING
The food onboard the Summit really exceeded
my expectation in all venues. From the buffets to the specialty restaurants,
the food was very good if not excellent.
Oceanview Café - The Oceanview Café
is the Summit’s buffet dining venue and is located on Deck 10 Aft, easily
accessible from the pool and elevators. This restaurant is open daily for
breakfast, lunch and dinner. Of special note is the poached egg station during
breakfast hours where many variations of eggs benedict are served as well as the
sushi, stir fry and curry served each evening from 5:30 – 9:30. We found it
perfect to enjoy some sushi and a beverage as we watched the islands in the
distance sailing away daily.
Cosmopolitan Restaurant – The ship’s
main dining room on Decks 4 & 5 is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This
very elegant dining room is on the aft of the vessel and provides a great view
of the ocean. The food in the main dining room was excellent. Of particular
note here is the Sea Day brunch which was a magnificent display and featured
everything from eggs to lobster bisque, desert stations, fresh squeezed orange
juice and champagne, smoked salmon and mackerel and fresh breads and pastries.
This is a “do not miss” event.
Blu – Blu is the AquaClass Restaurant
which was added during the Solsticizing as were the AquaClass Staterooms. This
restaurant is reserved for guests that book AquaClass staterooms. It is open
for breakfast and dinner and AquaClass passengers may bring a guest (based on
availability) for a nominal charge. The menu here is healthy and tasty and the
dining room itself is most impressive with the blue and white décor.
Bistro on Five – Another restaurant
that was added in the dry dock, the Bistro on Five is a Creperie and is open
most days from 6:00am until 2:00am. Soups and salads are also available here,
but the crepes are the way to go. From breakfast crepes to dessert crepes, the
Bistro on Five is a fantastic alternative for breakfast, lunch or dinner. A
five dollar surcharge applies – well worth it.
Normandie – Located on deck 3,
Normandie is a contemporary French inspired restaurant featuring excellent
service and food. This specialty restaurant does have a forty dollar surcharge
and is open nightly from 6:00pm to 10:00pm and reservations are required. The
food here was fantastic as was the expanded wine list. This is a full on dining
experience and to truly take it in is about two and half hours’ time.
Qsine –“Uniquely Unordinary” is how
Celebrity describes Qsine. It is a fitting description as this restaurant
features everything from Filet Mignon to Middle Eastern fares to cupcake
construction kits, to sushi on a stick…Guests are given an iPad from which you
place wine, cocktail and food orders. This specialty restaurant is open from
6:00pm to 10:00pm nightly and also carries a forty dollar surcharge and requires
reservations. This too is a “not to miss” experience when sailing on Summit.
ENTERTAINING
The entertainment on Celebrity Summit was
very good. I particularly enjoyed the Caribbean Party Band “Fusion” which
played nightly as well as the solo guitarist Andrew and pianist Liz that played
at Café al Bacio and Michaels Club. The production shows were impressive both
physically and technically as well. The cruise staff is also energetic and the
ship’s officers are interacting with the guests in ways I had not seen
previously: Officer vs. Guest volleyball in the pool, officers and guests
dance contests, officers’ night in the casino. The staff is out nightly and
even the Captain makes a nightly stroll through the venues to greet guests.
BARS AND LOUNGES
Café al Bacio – this bar features the
best coffee on the ship (at additional cost) and also the Gelateria is across
from it on Deck 5. This is a very nice spot for a coffee or bar drink either in
the day or evening. The solo pianist and guitarist also play here nightly.
Cellar Masters – The innovative wine
tasting bar was added during the Solsticizing and allows you to sample many reds
and whites of varying budgets. Highly recommend!
Martini & Crush – The very popular
ice covered martini bar. The bartenders stack the glasses 3 rows high and pour
the libations 4 and 5 at a time. An impressive venue with great martinis.
Michael’s Club – The very popular
Celebrity staple is now one of the only Craft Beer bars at sea. About 50
different craft beers are available. The ship also uses Michaels for specialty
sporting event viewing with a large flat screen TV as we were on for the NCAA
men’s and women’s basketball championships and both were featured in Michael’s.
Rendezvous Lounge – Great bar for
live music on Deck 4 midship. Live jazz bands were the highlight of the week.
Revelations Nightclub – Featuring
panoramic ocean views and located on Deck 11 forward, Revelations is the late
night disco but also home to the live band. This room is a great place to watch
it all go by with the floor to ceiling windows. This is also a great room for
a private event.
Sunset Bar and Pool Deck – Deck 10
midship on the pool deck. The Sunset Bar is open 9 to 9 daily and is the best
spot to grab a drink while lounging at the pool or hot tub or even partying up
on the deck at one of the sail away parties. The pool deck at night when the
band is playing is definitely the place to be. Lots of energy, great sound and
lights and the Caribbean wind in your hair. I truly enjoyed the pool deck both
day and night.
Fortunes Casino – Located on Deck 4
the Fortunes Casino features many slots and all the table games you would expect
from a Las Vegas casino. Also the Fortunes Casino Bar is a great spot to relax
and watch the action.
IN SUMMARY
I was very impressed with the Celebrity
Summit. The ship is in great form and the staff and service are excellent. The
Southern Caribbean itinerary was excellent as well. Overall, the Celebrity
product is definitely upscale but not stuffy. Celebrity is a great fit for a
corporate incentive program and the Summit in particular will deliver. |
