Celebrity Summit Review

4.0 / 5.0
2,477 reviews

We left the ship saying "That was a great vacation!"

Review for the Southern Caribbean Cruise on Celebrity Summit
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Maya_C
6-10 Cruises • Age 20s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
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Additional details

Sail Date: Jan 2019
Cabin: Ocean View 6

This was our first Caribbean cruise. Though we have been to a dozen islands in the Caribbean over the years, we usually go for 7-10 days to a single island. We chose this cruise because it was going to islands we hadn't visited (Bonaire, Curacao, St. Kitts, and St. Croix) and some we wanted to visit again (Aruba, St. Thomas, Antigua, and Puerto Rico). We have previously sailed on Celebrity and Azamara in Europe, and on HAL to Alaska and Bermuda.

Embarkation in St. Juan was a breeze. We flew in the day of the cruise, arrived around 1:30, took a cab for the 20-minute ride to the port, and were in our stateroom in 15 minutes or less. We knew the Summit was scheduled for drydock within a month, so we expected some glitches. We didn't let them spoil our vacation. The ship had a computer problem that delayed its departure from San Juan for more than 24 hours and necessitated a change in the itinerary. The result was a day in San Juan we hadn’t expected, and only one day instead of two in Aruba. We didn’t mind the change, especially since we were compensated with $200 of OBC. X was getting a jump on remodeling the Summit before drydock, so there was often one elevator in each of the three banks that wasn’t operational while it was given the new Edge-y look. We were on vacation, so waiting a minute longer for an elevator was no biggy. Service from everyone on the ship (cabin attendants, dining room staff, guest relations, etc.) was superb and always given with a smile.

We had Select Dining, generally showed up between 6 and 6:30, and never to wait for a table. Food in the MDR was very good, similar to HAL’s, but service quite slow for tables of six, taking two hours or more for dinner. Though we enjoy sharing a table with other passengers, a couple of times we opted for a table for two in order to get to an event on time. The dining room was crowded with tables and loud to the point that hearing someone across a table for four was difficult. The ambiance was hectic with waiters rushing with trays piled high with plates. No one ever dropped a tray but I cringed a few times when those trays were close to my head.

Cabin Review

Ocean View 6

Cabin 06

This is one of the ocean view cabins that were carved out of the conference center on the starboard side. It was in a great location and extremely quiet. Though it was an adjoining cabin, we heard nothing from the neighboring one. These cabins have a larger window than most OVs on the M-class ships but, at least on the Summit, they have a fatal flaw for some people. The toilet is several inches higher than even handicapped-toilet height, so anyone shorter than 5 foot 4 inches will have their feet dangling when using it. When I mentioned this issue to our cabin attendant, Pamela, she said she’d heard that from other petite women who’d stayed in these rooms. She then managed to locate a stepping stool for me, similar to the kind made for pre-schoolers so they can reach sink faucets. Pamela was a gem of an attendant. Much as I liked the cabin and its location, I would never choose one of these rooms again, unless X lowers the fixture height during the dry dock.

Port Reviews

Curacao

I walked around town, while my husband went to a remote area for birding on his own, getting there and back by cab.

Aruba

Went snorkeling at a beach we reached by public bus.

St. Croix

Went to beach and snorkeled near the port.

Antigua

Visited the cathedral and museum, enjoyed both.

St. Thomas

Took a cab to a beach resort where we'd previously stayed and snorkeled.

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