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Celebrity Summit
Appropriately named, Celebrity Summit will leave you feeling as if you've reached the absolute pinnacle of premium cruising. Large in size yet intimately elegant in ambiance, Celebrity Summit boasts all of the services and amenities that have made Celebrity the preferred choice of avid cruisers around the world. Come aboard and scale the heights of luxury on Celebrity Summit.
Appropriately named, Celebrity Summit will leave you feeling as if you've reached the absolute pinnacle of premium cruising. Large in size yet intimately elegant in ambiance, Celebrity Summit boasts all of the services and amenities that have made Celebrity the preferred choice of avid cruisers around the world. Come aboard and scale the heights of luxury on Celebrity Summit.
Ship Facts
Occupancy: 2,034
Tonnage: 91,000
Length: 965 ft
Beam: 105 ft
Draught: 26 ft
Cruise Speed: 24 kts
Inaugural Date: Oct 01, 2001
Online@Celebrity
We know that you will want to share your cruise experience with your friends and family - before you return home. Visit our onboard Internet café, Online@Celebrity, and send an email.
The Conservatory
Perched high above the sea, the Conservatory is a flourishing, breathtaking garden featuring the exclusive collection of world-renowned floral designer, Emilio Robba.
Words
Highlight your travels with a novel from words, our expansive library.
SS Normandie Restaurant
Savor world-class cuisine prepared tableside as you're surrounded by grandeur reminiscent of ocean liners from an era gone by.
Spa Treatments
Relax in our impressive AquaSpa and let us transport you to a whole new world with treatments inspired by rituals from exotic cultures. Discover a state of complete tranquility in the Persian Garden or spoil yourself with a host of indulgences in the most luxurious spa afloat.
Celebrity Summit Overview
A spectacular experience throughout, Celebrity Summit offers the impeccable service and exceptional amenities of a grand hotel, along with a voyage you'll never forget. This vessel features our
AquaSpaSM, Michael's Club and Cova Café Milano -- to name just a few of the features designed to indulge you, pamper you and exceed your every expectation.
Dining
Normandie Restaurant
Cosmopolitan Restaurant
Cova Café
Entertainment
Fortunes Casino
Michael's Club
Rendezvous Lounge
Celebrity Theater
Champagne and Martini Bar
Notes
Cinema and Conference Center
Other Areas of the Ship
The Conservatory
Emporium Shops
Words
Grand Foyer
Internet Café
Card Room
AquaSpa® by Elemis
Fitness Center
Persian Garden
Waterfall Pool
Shipmates Fun Factory
| Ship Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Year Built | 2001 |
| Year Refurbished | N/A |
| Year Entered Present Fleet | 2001 |
| Previous Name | N/A |
| Country of Registry | Bahamas |
| Tonnage (GRT) | 91,000 |
| Passengers | 2038 |
| Max Passengers | 2450 |
| Passenger Decks | 11 |
| Number of Crew | 915 |
| Officers Nationality | Greek |
| Cruise Staff Nationality | International |
| Staterooms | |
|---|---|
| Total Staterooms | 1019 |
| Suites with balcony | 0 |
| Suites without a balcony | 0 |
| Oceanview without a balcony | 0 |
| Oceanview with balcony | 0 |
| Accommodations inside | 26 |

Select a deck to view the deckplan.
Sports Deck
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Sunrise Deck
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Resort Deck
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Sky Deck
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Panorama Deck
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Vista Deck
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Penthouse Deck
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Entertainment Deck
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Promenade Deck
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Plaza Deck
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Continental Deck
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Sports Deck (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Sunrise Deck (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
Resort Deck (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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- Penthouse Suite - PS
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- Penthouse Suite - PS
Sky Deck (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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- Penthouse Suite - PS
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- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
Panorama Deck (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Vista Deck (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Penthouse Deck (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Entertainment Deck (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Promenade Deck (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Plaza Deck (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Continental Deck (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
Stateroom Key
- Penthouse Suite - PS
- Penthouse Suite - PS
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Activities & Services
Celebrity Cruises fulfills dreams of remarkable, memorable vacations. Our attention-to-detail, as well as a genuine sense of caring for our guests' comfort and well being, encompasses every aspect of a Celebrity cruise.
Our exceptional level of personal service, award-winning cuisine, world-famous amenities and accommodations that are the most spacious at sea, not only ensure an unforgettable cruise experience, but forge a lasting relationship between ourselves and our guests.
| Tipping Policy | Additional for all guests. |
| Onboard Ambiance | Sophisticated |
PS - Penthouse Suite


RS - Royal Suite


CS - Celebrity Suite


SS - Sky Suite


CC - Concierge Class Stateroom


2A - Deluxe Ocean View Stateroom with Veranda


2B - Deluxe Ocean View Stateroom with Veranda


2C - Deluxe Ocean View Stateroom with Veranda


FV - Family Ocean View Stateroom with Veranda


04 - OceanView Stateroom


05 - Ocean View Stateroom


06 - Ocean View Stateroom


07 - Ocean View Stateroom


08 - Ocean View Stateroom


09 - Interior Stateroom


10 - Interior Stateroom


11 - Interior Stateroom


12 - Interior Stateroom


PS - Penthouse Suite (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
RS - Royal Suite (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
CS - Celebrity Suite (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
S1 - Sky Suite (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
S2 - Sky Suite (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
C1 - Concierge Class Stateroom (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
C2 - Concierge Class Stateroom (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
C3 - Concierge Class Stateroom (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
FV - Family Ocean View Stateroom with Veranda (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
2A - Deluxe Ocean View Stateroom with Veranda (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
2B - Deluxe Ocean View Stateroom with Veranda (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
2C - Deluxe Ocean View Stateroom with Veranda (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
04 - Ocean View Stateroom (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
05 - Ocean View Stateroom (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
06 - Ocean View Stateroom (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
07 - Ocean View Stateroom (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
08 - Ocean View Stateroom (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
09 - Inside Stateroom (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
10 - Inside Stateroom (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
11 - Inside Stateroom (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
12 - Inside Stateroom (4/17/10 - 4/23/11)
Celebrity Soltice sailing
cruise to nowhere - 11/2008
The Celebrity Soltice is a classy lady
On Promenade Deck the shops on the Boulevard are like being in shops at a 5 Star hotels. Very impressive. The Wine Cellar (very nice), The Fortunes Casino, there was Roulette, Craps, Poker tables,(Texas Hold'em, Black Jack, Caribbean Poker, 3 Card Poker) and the minimum was $5.00 and $10.00 depending on the table, as well as slot machines from .01 to $5.00. Martini Bar (not as impressive as I thought it would be) Iced over bar area .
The Tuscan Grill - lovely open atmosphere overlooking the stern of the ship. Murano's small, intimate atmosphere, very nicely appointed. Before arriving at either of the these restaurants is the charming Ensemble lounge/bar. Very nicely appointed in creams and purple, very regal. The foyer you pass thru to the Ensemble lounge was very dark with floral wallpaper and the tiles in the floor actually had ants traveling towards the floral arrangements on the wall. (no not real ants) Micheals Club very European, quiet and intimate.
Also on Entertainment Deck is the Art Gallery, very impressive. Everywhere on this deck the vases and art pieces were displayed. More shops.
Yes, it is truly the real thing, green grass. Area wasn't really being used other than people taking off there shoes and walking on the grass.
Adjacent to the Lawn Club is the Hot Glass Show.
I appreciate the opportunity to have sailed on the Soltice. All in all the ship is really quite lovely, but for me it was not a WOW! In talking with other agents onboard from all over the U.S., as well as Canada and Europe, the consensus was the same.
Pros: Very easy to get around. No hidden corners.
Cons: Boarding the steep incline to the ship.
Reviewer Recommended? y
Millennium
Eastern Caribbean - 2/2007
Still at the top of their game for service.
Millennium still has the best specialty dinning I've had on any cruise ship. However, they could use a few new itineraries. It's the same old destinations out of Ft. Lauderdale year after year. The ship is also showing some wear and tear, such as a few missing tiles around the pool, etc. Celebrity's service to their passengers is alway the best, as is the entertainment night after night.
Pros: Best specialty dinning and service in all categories
Cons: Itineraries.
Reviewer Recommended? y
Galaxy Panama Canal
- 1/2005
I was fortunate enough to sail on the Galaxy to the Panama Canal. This was a 12 night cruise with stops in Jamaica, Mexico, Grand Cayman Costa Rica and the beautiful Panama Canal.
This was not my first cruise, so as an experienced cruiser I was expecting a lot. And I got it. She was marvelous. Her staterooms were spotless as well as all the public areas. The staff was beyond good. The ratio is about 2 to 1 and it showed.
The food was very French, which I enjoyed. The shows in the evenings were above standard.
When I sailed on her she was due for refurbishing but it was hard to complain about minor problems. The crew kept the ship spotless and were so attentive to your every need.
I have since sailed on two other Celebrity ships but the Galaxy will always be my favorite.
Pros:
Cons:
Reviewer Recommended? y
Around Cape Horn on Celebrity's Infinity
- /
Bigger ships ride the waves better in the rough seas around Cape Horn at the tip of South America. Celebrity gives great value for higher end cruising.
We traveled around Cape Horn on Infinity which was one of the larger ships sailing in this destination. A Millennium-class vessel at 91,000 tons she was triple the size of another ship that was shadowing us (that I'd sailed on also in Scandinavia--Norwegian Crown; a nice little but older ship). You could tell that the Crown was having a rougher time in those waters: her bow would disappear below the crest of the waves and reappear high above the crest. But then she didn't have the modern stabilizers that most ships of the last 10 years or so have.
On the other hand, our Infinity was riding the waves with only nominal "rocking & rolling" ...it was noticeable, we'd walk in the usual zig zag fashion but I saw no one having trouble with it. After seeing the movies with old sailing ships struggling through these infamous waters, I think I would have been disappointed if we got to Cape Horn and had it smooth as glass!
Infinity is a wonderful ship with fewer than 2000 people on board, she's about 25% larger than ships that carry 30% more people. For people that want a step up, or for high end cruisers who want 90% the cruise value of the top end (in my opinion) for 50% the cost, Celebrity is an incredible value.
Pros: Stable, smooth cruising with excellent features.
Cons: If you like intimate and small; it's nearly intimate but certainly not small.
Reviewer Recommended? y
Unforgettable
Eastern Caribbean - 3/2009
At the Waterfall Cafe, we found a lot of dirty plates, dirty trays and dirty spoons and forks. The glasses had grease.
We talked with other passengers and they said that they had a similar experience and as us they said they will not recommend Summit Celebrity to anybody.
We hope you will make arrangements to fix all these problems.
All this happened January 16 to January 23, 2010.
Pros: Cabin;Food;Staff;
Cons: Clean;Staff;Food;
Reviewer Recommended? N
My First Wonder!
Southern Caribbean - 2/2009
Cruising with 3 people I taught with years ago. Don't know why I was invited but I'm so glad I was and am booked for another cruise with them next month!
The entire time I felt I was treated like Royalty. The room stewardess, the waiter and assistant waiter....everyone I came in contact with had a smile and a "can I help you?" attitude.
The food was wonderful - I actually got a kitchen tour just for asking my waiter! Freshly baked bread every day! We also had an anniversary meal in the "$30 more restaurant" (I can't remember the name) but it was NOT worth the extra $. We had a relatively early seating, as our regular seating was the early one....maybe that's why. But I noticed some other diners who were seated later were having a much better experience than we were. I would have complained but my friends were having their anniversary celebration and I didn't want to taint it.
Placing towels, etc. on the chairs early in the day seems so unfair, but I must confess that we did it on the only at sea day. It was a wonderful day....this coming cruise has 2 at sea days; I am curious how we'll handle them this time, and on a Carnival cruise.
The entertainment was fabulous! We caught every show. There was an a cappella group that sang at various bars around the ship. We enjoyed them immensely.
We only took one planned excursion: a whale watch. It was a nice experience; didn't see many whales.
On each island we found a taxi driver who agreed to give us a tour....this worked well when we figured out we needed to ask if there was air conditioning in the vehicle. Our best tour was on Dominica. Tobago was a waste of time, except sitting at a local "bar" and having a Red Stripe....
I felt absolutely footloose and fancy free and pampered.
My husband is coming with us this time; I am so looking forward to being in a tropical climate away from Ohio snow with him!
Pros: Activities;Cabin;Clean;Entertain;Food;Staff;Itin;
Cons:
Reviewer Recommended? Y
Celebrity Summit With Kids
Mediterranean - 6/2008
We had a great time!
PRE-CRUISE/EMBARKATION: We flew Delta from PHX-ATL-VCE and arrived the day before the cruise around 11 am. We had decided to splurge on a water taxi to our hotel, Locanda Orseolo, provided that we could be taken directly to the hotel's canal side entrance rather than St. Mark's Square. Upon arrival at Marco Polo airport, we went to the Venezia water company's desk in the airport terminal. We were told that because of the tides we couldn't go directly to the hotel but had to be dropped off at St. Mark's. Knowing that low tides cannot occur at noon, we decided to walk with our bags out to where the water taxis depart. We asked again there and found someone willing to take us directly to the hotel. Thanks to tips we've read on Cruise Critic, we told the driver we wanted to take the "scenic route" through the Grand Canal rather than the shorter more direct route. We agreed on a price of 120 Euros. We had a very nice trip through the Grand Canal and then to Canal Orseolo, where we arrived at the "water window" for our hotel, Locanda Orseolo. The driver knocked on the window and it was opened by Igor, who immediately greeted us by name. Our luggage was handed in through the window and we then climbed in ourselves.
We picked Locanda Orseolo based on the great reviews it has received on Cruise Critic and TripAdvisor. We were not disappointed. We had Room 14, which is a 2 room suite that looks out onto the canal. The first room had two twin beds and the second room had a king bed and a nice bathroom. The hotel is charming, ideally located, and the staff could not have been friendlier. We only wish we had arranged to stay two nights instead of just one. We dropped off our bags and set off for some immediate sightseeing in Venice, including a visit to St. Mark's Cathedral. We returned later to meet a couple from our Cruise Critic Roll Call who were also staying at Locanda Orseolo. We all went to dinner together that evening. We had hoped to take an evening gondola ride but it started to rain so we ended up at Harry's Bar for overpriced bellinis.
The next day we had a nice breakfast at Locanda Orseolo including their famous crepes. We did more sightseeing in Venice, including the Secret Doge's Tour. We also took a lovely gondola ride. Finally it was time to go to the ship. We shared a water taxi from the hotel with the couple from our Roll Call. This time we made the mistake of not fixing the price ahead of time, and not asking to be taken on the shorter, direct route. So we ended up with another scenic trip from the hotel through the Grand Canal to the cruise terminal, at a cost of 110 Euros. We got to the cruise terminal around 4 pm and were able to board quickly and easily.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS OF THE SUMMIT: We have been on the Infinity to Alaska so we were familiar with the layout of the ship. We really like the size and layout of the M-class ships better than our other favorite line, Princess. We had connecting staterooms (6093 and 6095 -- Category 2C) located midship on Deck 6. Because we have young children, we also liked the fact that we could have cabins that connected with an interior door, which is virtually impossible to find on Princess. I do prefer the location of the closets in the Princess staterooms, though, because you don't block the doorway when you use the closet. Our rooms were clean and comfortable and we liked our room steward, Rolando, who made sure to always greet us by name.
DINING: Dinner the first evening was open seating. The next night we went to the dining room for our regular seating. We had main seating and Table 440. We had requested a table for 4 but they led us to a table for 8. I immediately started to panic. I was worried that we would be seated with people who would not like being seated with children. But just as I was fretting about that, another family was seated at our table with two children ages 6 and 10 (ours are 7 and 11). Kudos to Celebrity for matching us up so nicely. We had excellent service every night from our waiter Cecil and his assistant Sam. We are used to Anytime Dining on Princess, but we enjoyed getting to know our wait staff and not having to bother with reservations. We thought that overall the dining room food was good to very good, and pretty comparable to what we have had on Princess. Salads were a weak point in my opinion. They always had fancy descriptions but usually didn't consist of much.
As for desserts our comments go both ways. On the plus side, the desserts routinely showed freshness, richness of ingredients, and the execution of a skilled pastry chef. Sometimes on Princess (particularly the buffet) we find the desserts to have a supermarket "slice of sheet cake" quality. Not here. On the minus side, we felt that the breadth of the offerings, while wide, was skewed towards mousses, Napoleon cake-type dishes and éclair- type pastries, with not enough in the pie, cobbler and fruit varieties. On these cruises you can eat a lot of puff pastry.
One night we ate in the Normandie and thoroughly enjoyed it. We always dine in the specialty restaurants on Princess and we found both the Normandie and the SS United States (on the Infinity) to be far superior to Sabatini's and Sterling Steakhouse, in terms of the service and the food itself. I had the filet mignon with truffle sauce, and DH had the rack of lamb. Both were excellent and of course the goat cheese soufflé was heavenly. The whole experience took 3 hours, probably about 30 minutes longer than was really necessary, but very enjoyable nonetheless.
We were quite happy with the Waterfall Café for breakfast and lunch (when not in port). We especially liked the waffles at breakfast and the Asian food available at lunch. The Waterfall Café had a much better selection of food, and the food itself was definitely superior to the food we've encountered at the buffet on Princess. The burger grill at the pool was also surprisingly good compared to our prior cruise experiences.
We also thought that overall the service onboard was excellent, professional but also very friendly. In addition to our wait staff and room steward, we had especially good service from the Fun Factory staff and at the Cova Café, which became one of our regular stops. One of the hidden gems on these ships is the pastry bar at Cova Café, which has free, delicious, still-warm pastries in the mornings and both savories and desserts in the afternoons. Cova Café is also a great place to get Gourmet Bites, the late night passed hors d'oeuvres and sweets.
LA FLAVA: According to John Howell, the Cruise Director, this is a new concept for Mediterranean cruises. The night we were in Naples, the ship put on a big Mediterranean buffet poolside on Decks 10 and 11, with lots of extra tables and chairs for outside dining. Everyone was encouraged to wear white (or togas) and there was a band and dancing. The dining room was also open if you wanted to eat at your regular seating. It was very pleasant to sit outside and watch the sailaway from Naples.
DRESS CODE. We felt that the dress code was followed pretty faithfully in the dining room. We've read a lot of heated discussion about the dress code outside the dining room. Yes, on formal night we did see people in casual attire in the internet café, the photo gallery, the shops, etc. Nobody seemed concerned. We also saw a few people in what I would call "smart casual" attire at the shows. Frankly, the shows were never full (perhaps due to the busy itinerary) so I couldn't imagine them turning anyone away. Also, nobody was dressed sloppily - just not formally. What really struck us, however, was that on formal nights there were a lot of empty seats in the dining room, and that increased with each formal night so that by the time of the third formal night, there were quite a few tables that were empty or near empty. We felt sorry for people at two tables near us. Both were tables for 8 but one had only 2 people present and another had only 3. The port intensive itinerary presumably affected the turnout.
ENTERTAINMENT. On our one prior Celebrity cruise (Alaska in 2006) we thought that the production shows were inferior to Princess. This time they were excellent. But there were a lot of them—maybe 5 of the 12 nights there was a "Hits of Broadway"-type show. If you like these shows (and we do, to a point), they did a good job. Aside from that the shows consisted of two vocalists, a pianist, and one comic. The pianist was Hyperion Knight and he was very accomplished and entertaining. While Princess offers multiple show venues, the Celebrity Theater is the only venue for anything besides small lounge-type acts. On the plus side, there were always plenty of seats available at the shows, so one could plan to show up at the 9 pm show at 8:59 and be assured of a decent seat. Also, because we were determined to get the kids to bed every night by 10 or 11, we didn't see the late night shows and can't report on them.
CONDITION OF THE SHIP. One thing we'd like people to take away from this review is: don't believe everything you hear or read. Or: some people just like to complain. If one's standard is a ship in mint, maiden-voyage condition, then, sure, one can find disappointment, because tiny cosmetic imperfections accumulate over the years, even with constant maintenance. But if one judges the ship the way that one would judge a hotel on land, it's just fine.
FUN FACTORY/CRUISING THE MED WITH KIDS: The Fun Factory was excellent. They told us there were 330 kids on board, including 170 teens and the rest in the 1-12 age range. Our 7 year old wanted to spend every available moment in the Fun Factory. Our 11 year old didn't spend quite as much time there, but did enjoy activities like the scavenger hunt, foosball, karaoke, etc. One of the reasons we opted for a lot of private tours was that we figured it would make it easier to tour the ports with kids. For the most part, that was true. Also, these ports almost all involved lots of walking over cobblestone streets with lots and lots of stairs and steep inclines. We were glad we didn't have to deal with a stroller. We felt like we got quite a workout every day (and therefore deserved dessert every night, LOL).
DISEMBARKATION. No complaints here. We had a Celebrity transfer to the
Barcelona airport. We had a 1 pm flight. The transfer went smoothly. Then however we had to wait in an hour long Delta line to check in. More Delta snafus followed in Atlanta, but that's not Celebrity's fault and we made it home exhausted and jet lagged but very happy with our cruise experience.
PORTS OF CALL:
VENICE: The ship spends the first night in Venice. On Tuesday we took the Celebrity shuttle to St. Mark's Square. The shuttle costs $20 pp, but they didn't charge us for the kids, which was much appreciated. We walked to the Bell Tower and took in the panoramic view from there. We then walked to the Guggenheim, which we should've checked on first because it was closed. So we went instead to the Accademia museum. We then walked around the Rialto Bridge and market areas where our kids were amazed by the variety of unfamiliar vegetables, meats and fish. In particular, we saw an entire shop devoted to varieties of horse meat. We fed some bread to the pigeons at St. Mark's Square and took the shuttle back to the ship.
Sailaway from Venice was spectacular. The ship was docked with the starboard side facing Venice, so everyone lined up there for the view. But after the ship backed out of the dock, it turned so that the port side had the view of Venice for the actual sailaway. The Captain opened the helipad for an additional viewing area. It was a very memorable experience.
The next port was DUBROVNIK. This was supposed to be a tender stop but the Captain was able to dock. We paid $10 pp to take the Celebrity shuttle bus to the walled fortress. We walked the wall and took in the incredibly picturesque views. Afterward we went back to the ship for lunch and dropped the kids off in the Fun Factory. We then returned on the shuttle to do a little shopping and wandering through the streets. We didn't appreciate until we got there what a nice port stop Dubrovnik is. You can easily enjoy it on your own without needing a tour.
SANTORINI: This was the only port where we used a Celebrity shore excursion. We took the trip to Oia and Fira, which includes a stop at a winery. Santorini was hot and the sun was intense. Arm yourself with hats and sunblock! It's quite beautiful, though. Afterward we took the cable car back down the mountain and returned to the ship.
ATHENS: We had booked a private tour with Spiros taxi service. Spiros sent his colleague Dimitris who met us at 7:45 am. (We knew from email exchanges to expect Dimitris.) Dimitris was an excellent driver and was one of the highlights of our trip. Our first stop was the Acropolis. We got there quickly and beat most of the crowds. We saw the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena, etc. On our way back down, we passed the busloads of Celebrity tours trudging up the hill. Next we went to the Temple of Zeus, and then the Olympic Stadium. All along the way Dimitris provided us with helpful and entertaining commentary and stopped at several picturesque vistas for photo ops. We also went to the Royal Palace where we saw the changing of the guard. We went to the top of a hill (not sure of the name) with an incredible panoramic view of the city, including the Acropolis. Dimitris took us to a small Greek restaurant for lunch and then we went to the archeological museum where we saw artifacts from the Neolithic through classical ages. We then went to the Plaka for some shopping. If I were to do it over, I would've skipped the Plaka because to me it was just lots of cheap touristy stuff I didn't want to buy, and I would've preferred to spend more time seeing the ruins. We were surprised by the tremendous amount of graffiti in Athens. But we were very satisfied with our tour and returned to the ship around 4 pm, which gave us time to get cleaned up and ready for dinner.
NAPLES: We arranged private tours for Naples, Rome and Florence with RomeinLimo. They gave us a bit of a discount for booking all three tours with them. We shared these tours with a couple we met on the Roll Call, so there were 6 of us. Our driver was waiting for us at the dock with a Mercedes minivan. As we drove through Naples, we certainly saw evidence of their garbage strike. Our tour took us first to Positano, then Sorrento where we had lunch, and finally to Pompeii. The minivan was configured so that one row of seats faced backward, which proved to be a problem on the extremely winding roads around Positano and Sorrento (reminiscent of Highway 1 in California). At least two of us had to ride facing backwards and whoever was in those seats felt carsick. So we had to keep taking turns. If you have any tendency toward being carsick on winding roads, make sure they don't give you a van with rear facing seats!
After our experience in Athens with Dimitris, we were hoping to hear interesting commentary from the driver about the Amalfi Coast and the area around Naples, Positano and Sorrento. Our driver was certainly polite and professional, but was apparently not inclined or prepared to give us any commentary. We know that these are drivers, not actual guides, so we can't complain that he wasn't doing his job. But we had high expectations after all the rave reviews we'd read. Anyway, we had a nice lunch in Sorrento and took that opportunity to call Duman of RomeinLimo and request that for our next stop (Rome) we have a driver who would give us a little more information.
We had a nice lunch in Sorrento. We had arranged with RomeinLimo for a private guide for Pompeii. We picked her up in Sorrento after lunch and she rode out to Pompeii with us. Word must have filtered back about our call to Duman, because the guide said that she understood we wanted to hear about Sorrento. So she filled us in on Sorrento before moving into her remarks about Pompeii. We arrived in Pompeii and she took the six of us on a private guided tour. Pompeii is fascinating and not to be missed.
ROME: Once again our RomeinLimo driver met us at the dock. Duman certainly came through on our request for a more talkative driver. Mauro was wonderful and we would highly recommend him as a driver. He gave us a brief history of the founding of Rome as we drove from the port to the City and basically kept up a running commentary (in a helpful, entertaining way) at every opportunity. We encountered bad traffic on the way into Rome and immediately fell behind schedule. We finally arrived at the Coliseum and Constantine Arch. Mauro hustled us out of the car and dashed over to the ticket line at the Forum to get us tickets. We were actually going to the Coliseum, not the Forum, but when we got up to the entrance to the Coliseum we understood why Mauro had bought our tickets at the Forum - much shorter ticket line. We breezed in past the huge ticket line (but immediately some of us got bogged down in the women's restroom line). We spent about 45 minutes at the Coliseum.
From the Coliseum, Mauro drove us over to the site of the Circus Maximus (chariot races, etc.) and we also saw a view of the Forum from above. He then drove us past the building that was the Fascist headquarters where Mussolini would stand on a balcony window and give speeches. We sort of zoomed past the Mouth of Truth and some other sites I couldn't keep up with. Mauro then drove us into a sort of courtyard with lots of diplomatic cars that turned out to be the site of the Knights of the Order of Malta, which is a Catholic order that is its own sovereign entity and has its own diplomatic relations with other countries. We saw various persons buzzing around in very impressive robes, capes, medals, etc. Apparently Mauro knew there would be activity there because it was St. John the Baptist Day.
Our next stop was Trevi Fountain. We also drove by the Spanish Steps and the Pantheon but didn't have time to stop. We grabbed a quick lunch at a panini shop and then met our private guide (again arranged by RomeinLimo) for the Vatican. Our guide, Sara, then took us on a brief tour of the Vatican, including the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. Sara was a good guide and gave us lots of information, but there just isn't time to do this port justice! All too soon we were driving back to the port. On the drive back, Mauro gave us his personal recipe and tips for making our own limoncello. If you are looking for a driver in Rome, ask for Mauro!
FLORENCE: Florence was the last of our tours with RomeinLimo. As in Naples, our driver was polite and professional but not talkative and didn't offer any tips or suggestions. Our first stop was Michelangelo Square with a beautiful view of the City of Florence and the Ponte Vecchio. We then went to the Accademia to see the statue of David and also the Bound Slaves. After that we went to the Uffizi. RomeinLimo had taken care of advance reservations for us and our driver showed us where to buy our tickets and enter. In retrospect, we should've been better prepared for what we wanted to see in the Uffizi. We spent a lot of time wandering sort of aimlessly. We got to the end and realized we'd somehow missed the Botticelli rooms and had to backtrack to see the Birth of Venus as well as Da Vinci's Adoration of the Magi. These museums don't seem to give out the sort of helpful maps we're used to in the US, so come prepared with your own map or guide book. Other people from our Roll Call brought their own audio guides on MP3 players, and that seems like a great idea we'll try next time.
After the Uffizi we grabbed a quick lunch and bought some souvenir Christmas ornaments. We then went to the Baptistery and saw the famous doors by Ghiberti known as the "gates of Paradise." We looked at the outside of the Duomo but didn't have time to go inside because we had to move on to visit Pisa and the famous Leaning Tower. As with our visit to Rome, I felt that we just didn't have nearly enough time to explore this beautiful city. If I were to do it over (and were limited to just one day) I'd come better prepared with a list of what I wanted to see and be assertive with the driver about it. We sort of passively went where the driver took us and I think we didn't make the best use of our limited time.
VILLEFRANCHE/NICE: Our final port was Nice. This time we shared a tour with two couples so there were 8 of us. The tour company we used was Med-Tour and our driver was named Janic or Yanick (not sure of spelling). He was an excellent tour guide. He first drove us to Nice, which is France's 5th largest city. We parked by the market and courthouse and walked through the market area. We then drove to St. Paul, a charming medieval fortress that has been turned into boutiques and art galleries. Our 7 year old bought a stuffed toy seal in one of the gift shops. Yanick told us that St. Paul is a big hangout for movie stars.
We then drove to Monaco. Yanick explained that Monaco is the name of the state, the name of the capital, and the name of one of the 5 districts of the state of Monaco. Monte Carlo is another of the 5 districts in the state of Monaco. We made our daughter leave her stuffed seal in the car while we had a nice lunch at a restaurant near the Grand Palace. We then toured the Grand Palace, which involved an audio guided tour of the grand apartments and public reception rooms. It's an impressive palace and I would recommend a visit. We then went to the Cathedral and saw the graves of Princess Grace and Prince Ranier. We returned to the car where we discovered that in cleaning out the car Yanick had inadvertently thrown out the toy seal. Many loud tears followed. Yanick assured our daughter that he knew where the seal was and could retrieve it, even if he had to jump in! He then took us over to Monte Carlo where some of our group went to the Grand Casino and the rest of us did some shopping and gaping at the expensive yachts. We met back up with Yanick who had miraculously retrieved the seal and assured himself of a big tip.
Lastly we drove to Eze, which Yanick told us was founded by the Moors. Eze seemed similar to St. Paul but with more restaurants and hotels in addition to boutiques and art galleries. We had a nice stroll through Eze and then returned to the ship. After all the museums we'd visited in Italy and Greece, it was nice to end with a tour that was pure sightseeing and shopping!
Pros: Great cruise
Cons: None
Reviewer Recommended? Y
Celebrity
Alaska - 8/2002
Alaska is an amazing destination full of majestic scenery and a voyage there on Summit adds to the beauty of the experience.
I never really had a strong desire to go to Alaska. I pictured it as a cold, desolate place covered with nothing but ice and dangerous wild animals roaming about. Besides, I rationalized, isnÂ’t it dark there most of the time? What can you see in the dark?
I could not have been more wrong. After my recent northbound Vancouver to Seward cruise aboard CelebrityÂ’s GTS Summit at the end of August, 2002, I canÂ’t wait to return to Alaska and see some of the sites that I didnÂ’t have time to see on this trip.
Chris, (my significant other and traveling companion), and I had heard wonderful things about Vancouver, British Columbia, so we decided to fly in two days before the cruise departure to do a little sightseeing. We stayed at the Pan Pacific Hotel, which is built literally on top of the cruise ship pier! As a matter of fact, I could look out the window of our room on the 12th floor and see the bow of the Summit when she was docked. The Pan Pacific is a beautiful hotel and to make a good thing even better, the bellman picked up our luggage on embarkation day and made sure it was placed in the proper location to be loaded on to the ship. We didnÂ’t see it again until it was delivered to our stateroom! It was a great treat not to have to haul our luggage through security and wonder when to tip and which person to tip.
Departure Day
Embarkation in Vancouver was a breeze. After passing through what I considered to be a thorough security check with an X-ray scan of carry-on bags and a walk through the metal detector, we proceeded to a prominently marked area to line up to wait for our documents to be checked and to receive our onboard ID/credit card. Since we are CaptainÂ’s Club members (CelebrityÂ’s frequent passenger program) and had booked a Sky Suite for this voyage, we were in a somewhat shorter line specifically designated for CaptainÂ’s Club members and passengers occupying suites. We had arrived at the dock early enough to be near the front of this line and chatted with a Celebrity employee who was stationed at the front of the line to answer any questions and ensure that the passengers had the proper documents in hand before they proceeded to the actual check-in desk. This helpful service tended to keep the line moving more quickly. When we proceeded to the check-in desk, we presented our documents and it was a simple and quick matter to receive our room key/ID/credit card. We were also introduced to Zarah Bongelli, the SummitÂ’s Social Hostess, who invited us to call her if there was anything we needed during the course of the cruise. That was a first for me! I later decided the introduction took place because Chris and I (and two other friends who were traveling with us) were all wearing CruiseReport.com shirts and caps. But I digress. During the embarkation process, each passenger is issued a numbered slip of paper that indicated boarding priority. While you waited for your group to be called, there was a Spa representative in the waiting area taking appointments for spa services during the week. What a great idea! When your group number is called, you line up to go through Canadian Customs/Immigration, which involved showing your passport to the Customs official. Celebrity really has their act together when it comes to embarkation in Vancouver.
Understated Elegance
The GTS Summit is a beautiful ship on the outside, so I expected nothing less on the inside. I was not disappointed! We boarded the ship on Deck 3 where we were immediately surrounded by elegance. This is the area where the Guest Services desk and the Shore Excursion desk are located. The marble staircase descending into this lobby area was grand indeed! Beautiful gold fabric flowed down from the floors above and draped around various columns throughout the lobby. In addition, there was art work everywhere.
After having our pre-cruise picture taken on the gangway, we were welcomed aboard by the Hotel Manager and escorted to our suite by a smiling, uniformed, white-gloved staff member who insisted on carrying our hand-luggage. Once we arrived at our suite (6121 on Penthouse Deck), we were given an orientation about all its amenities and features and any questions we had were answered efficiently and professionally. I was amazed that our suite was cleaned and ready for occupancy since we boarded so early (11:30 am). We soon met our cabin steward, Fabian, and our butler, Jonathan, both of whom turned out to be extremely competent, friendly, and efficient. Fabian was in charge of anything to do with the room and its contents, while Jonathan was in charge of any food or beverage requests that we might have. Jonathan also served afternoon tea and evening pre-dinner hors dÂ’ oeuvres to us in our suite each day.
The Sky Suite
And what a nice suite it was! I had been accustomed to Carnival’s “in your face” reds, yellows and oranges. It was so nice to walk into a room tastefully appointed in soothing colors. The carpet was a muted sea-foam green with pale gold and white flecks making small diamond patterns throughout. In front of the sliding glass door leading to the teak veranda, there was a sitting area with a comfortable couch covered in a companion fabric to that on the bed and complete with four yellow and peach loose throw pillows matching those on the bed. There was a club chair, a glass cocktail table set with two place settings, linen napkins and a crystal bowl of fresh fruit which was replenished daily. The suite was equipped with a mini-bar and a DVD player located in the entertainment center beneath the 25-inch color TV. The comfortable king-sized bed was covered with a beautiful pale green/ivory harlequin-checked duvet cover which was removed when the bed was turned down each evening, extra bed pillows covered in matching shams, a down comforter which was left on the bed at night and peach and yellow loose throw pillows. Except for one wall that was covered with floor to ceiling mirrors, the walls of the suite were paneled in a rich wood that was repeated on the four closet doors in the entryway. This paneling was inset with a large diamond pattern made from the same wood except that the grain was going the opposite way. The marble-topped vanity/desk, made from the same wood as the walls, had a large mirror mounted on the wall above it and two sconces, one on each side of the mirror, provided additional lighting in the room. There were two storage cabinets, one on each end under the desk. These storage areas had two shelves with lots of room for storing anything that didn’t fit in the large lighted walk-in closet or the 5-drawer chest found in the closet. I think this was the largest closet that I have ever had access to on a cruise ship. The closet was stocked with plenty of hangers (even those with the clips for hanging skirts) and even had a shoe rack that held about a dozen pair of shoes! Two terrycloth Celebrity bathrobes were hanging there for our use while onboard. Additional drawer space was available in the marble-topped nightstands located on either side of the bed.
The well-lighted bathroom was a nice size for a cruise ship bathroom, constructed entirely of marble (except for the toilet) with a combination tub/shower with removable showerhead for handheld use. One word of caution: be careful when stepping into or out of the tub! The sides of the tub are extremely high and it is a big step down. There were additional shelves and storage areas under the sink and vanity and more built into the wall opposite the sink and vanity. Suffice it to say, there was more than enough storage space in this suite. My favorite part of the bathroom was the 2x5 foot window built into the shower and looking into the bedroom. You could look out the sliding glass door at the beautiful scenery going by while taking a shower! This window was covered by a mini-blind that you could open and close automatically by a pressing a switch mounted opposite the toilet. Toiletries consisting of soap, lotion, mouthwash, and shampoo/conditioner were replenished daily. A hair dryer was mounted on one wall. Towels were replaced as needed on a twice daily basis.
The suite had more than ample lighting with seven recessed “can-type” fixtures in the ceiling, a bedside lamp on each nightstand, two sconce lights over the vanity/desk, an entryway light and a closet light that illuminated when you opened a closet door. Lighting controls were conveniently located on the wall above the bed in addition to other places throughout the room. There was also the natural light that came in through the double sliding glass door. This door was covered by a sheer fabric for privacy and a heavy drapery fabric that served as a blackout drape when fully closed.
Because of the less than balmy temperatures, we didnÂ’t spend much time on the veranda. I would love to have this same cabin category in the Caribbean where the teak deck and real wood furniture with nice fabric cushions could be more readily enjoyed. Overall, I was very pleased with our beautiful and comfortable Sky Suite.
The Constellation Dining Room
We opted for early seating (6:00 pm) in the dining room at a table for four, which included our traveling companions. In my opinion, 6:00 is far too early for dinner and 8:30 pm is too late for dinner. There were two occasions where Chris and I barely made it back to the ship from shore excursions in time to get to the dining room for dinner. Also, being in a Sky Suite, we were served afternoon tea with sandwiches and cookies and evening appetizers each day. If we indulged in this luxury, we wouldn’t be hungry for dinner. Most of the time, we weren’t even in the cabin when this service took place, but most of the time Jonathan would leave us a sample of each day’s “goodies”. My advice to you if you book a Sky Suite is to opt for late seating so you can fully enjoy all the perks that come with the Suite.
Our dining room experience was wonderful! This was one of the few cruises where weÂ’ve eaten in the dining room every night other than when we had reservations to eat in the alternate dining venue. Our waiter, Sebastiao, and his assistant, DeWald, were the best wait team IÂ’ve ever experienced. Add the sommelier, Mikala, and the bar waitress, Rina, to the mix and the result was just about perfect. The attention to detail that this group of staff members incorporated into their service was impeccable. Mikala always had a good suggestion for a wine to complement the dinner. Rina not only remembered our names, but also our drink orders from night to night. It was amazing to see Rina in different areas of the ship and always be greeted with a smile and by name! Our tablemates had purchased a card that entitled them to unlimited soft drinks during the cruise and Rina always had their soft drink of choice waiting at the dinner table for them when they arrived. Even better, they never had to order a refill. She always came by with another glass of soda before they had even finished the first. Now thatÂ’s service!
Sebastiao, our waiter, made recommendations regarding the best entrees each night and was seldom wrong. I’m not a big eater and seldom eat meat or fish, but everyone else at the table sampled some of everything and raved about the food. I found all the soups to be delicious. The crab legs and the lamb received particularly rave reviews from everyone else at the table. Sebastiao always offered additional portions and served them with a smile. On our first night in the dining room, I ordered soup and salad and no entrée. Sebastiao seemed genuinely concerned and asked me why I didn’t order an entrée. After I told him that I was a finicky eater, he always had a suggestion for an alternate dish for me and if I declined, he brought me a large salad instead of just the dinner salad everyone else received. No request was refused. DeWald, our assistant waiter who was from South Africa and had personality plus. kept our water glasses and iced tea glasses full, and made sure we always had a selection of breads on the table. And everything was accomplished with a smile. One evening, the headwaiter for the dining room came by our table to introduce himself and chat. When he asked if there was anything we needed, I promptly told him that I would like to have a banana split for dessert. He smiled and told me that he would see what he could do. Lo and behold, the next night I was served a banana split for dessert. Of course, it was not a banana split in the true sense of banana split but it did have a banana and ice cream, and the fact that they made the effort really impressed me.
The dining room itself was two-levels high and tastefully decorated. The floor-to-ceiling windows on the aft wall were stunning and offered a wonderful view. One thing I noticed about the Constellation dining room was that it was much quieter than most ship dining rooms of its size. The clanging of dishes that was so annoying in the Carnival Spirit dining room was not present here. You could actually carry on a conversation with others at your table. Even though our waiter and assistant waiter had several other tables for which they were responsible, we never felt rushed from one course to the next and always finished in ample time to make it to the Celebrity Theatre for the eveningÂ’s show.
I only ate breakfast once in the dining room and found the service to be slow.
The Waterfall Café and Grill
If you don’t want to eat in the dining room, you can always opt for the Waterfall Café and Grill on Deck 10. Breakfast and lunch are served buffet style with an additional omelet station for breakfast and a pasta station for lunch. In addition, each day at lunch, there was a specialty fare offered in an area at one end of the café area – Tex-Mex, Indian, barbecue, etc. We accidentally discovered this when we were wandering around the Waterfall trying to decide whether to eat on the buffet or to go out to the Pool Grill for hot dogs, hamburgers or chicken sandwiches. If you drink a lot of soft drinks, it is worth the cost to purchase a drink ticket that is valid for the entire cruise. Tea, coffee, lemonade and fruit punch are complimentary in the Waterfall Café, but soft drinks are not. Here’s a helpful tip for anyone who opts for the omelet bar at breakfast or the pasta bar at lunch: stop at the regular buffet line first and get a tray and eating utensils.
I particularly enjoyed the fresh fruit and bread selections each day from the lunch buffet. The hot dog I ate (yes, I eat hot dogs occasionally!) from the Pool Grill was very tasty. At various times throughout the day, the Waterfall Café is the place to go for pizza, frozen yogurt, bouillon, and casual afternoon tea. In the evening, the Waterfall Café becomes an alternative dining venue. If you just don’t feel like leaving your room, the option of room service is always available.
The Normandie Restaurant
Dinner in the Normandie is an experience that shouldnÂ’t be missed. This elegant restaurant is modeled after the dining room on the S.S. Normandie, a French vessel which sank in New York harbor in the 1940Â’s. The cuisine reflects that served on the original S.S. Normandie and is decidedly continental with an emphasis on French dishes. We had a table for six, and the other five said their meal was excellent. While IÂ’m not a fan of the type of food served in the Normandie and personally felt the whole experience took far too long, I enjoyed myself, nevertheless. There is an additional $25.00 per person charge added to your onboard account, but the cost is well worth it for the dining experience, which consists of a four-course meal and lasts anywhere from two and one-half to three and one-half hours. There was a trio playing, too loudly in my opinion, and a small dance floor.
Celebrity Theatre
This is the main entertainment venue on the ship and was designed so that there was really not a bad seat in the house, no matter which of the three levels you chose to occupy. The audio/visual system was state-of-the-art. The Celebrity musicians and the Celebrity singers and dancers were a very talented bunch and performed their hearts out in every show in which they appeared. On our voyage, there were four big production shows, a couple of comedians, a juggler and a classical piano player/comedian. This room was also used for Jackpot Bingo, enrichment lectures, and audience participation games such as the “Newlywed and Not So Newlywed Game”. Don’t worry if you miss out on something going on in the Celebrity Theatre. Celebrity records these events for replay (over and over again!) via the Celebrity Channel on your stateroom TV.
The Salon at the AquaSpa
While waiting to board the ship in Vancouver, I had booked two salon appointments for At Sea days, one for a manicure and the other for a scalp/neck/shoulder massage/hair style combination. Salon services are fairly expensive to begin with and what I didn’t know is that they automatically add 10% “service charge” to your bill “for your convenience”. I was accustomed to the person who rendered the service telling me “tip is not included in case you want to add one.” However, on GTS Summit, the person who has taken care of you hands you a ticket to sign that already has the tip added in. The only reason I know this is because I read the fine print at the bottom of the receipt! So, chances are some people are double tipping, which works out great for the people working in the salon. That being said, my experiences in the salon were great. The manicure included a hand massage and words can’t describe the feeling of sitting in a comfortable chair with your feet propped up, looking out floor to ceiling windows at some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, all the while having your head, neck and shoulders massaged with fragrant oil! I enjoyed the salon so much, I opted to have my growing-out haircut modified while onboard.
Other Areas of Interest
No cruise ship would be complete without its casino and Summit has a good one. Fortunes Casino contained over 200 slot machines, a black jack table, a roulette wheel, a craps table, a Caribbean stud poker table and a Let It Ride table. There was a bar in the casino and bar wait staff roaming through the crowds taking drink orders. I stuck to the slot machines and won some and lost some. I was very aware of lots of bells and lights going off throughout the casino, so I can only surmise that someone was winning big! I didnÂ’t notice the cigarette smoke as much in this casino as I did on the Carnival Spirit and Carnival Destiny.
Cova Café de Milano was a beautiful area with a tea room atmosphere that offered gourmet and fancy coffee drinks, hot chocolate and other beverages/cocktails, as well. Beautiful and yummy pastries were available from the patisserie on the other side of the room from the coffee bar. There was a player piano from which melodic rhythms emanated even when its ivories were not being “tickled” by an onboard Celebrity entertainer. Cova Café was a very nice place to relax and chat over a beverage and pastry selection. This was Chris’s place of choice for AM coffee.
Located aft on Deck 5 on opposite sides of the ship, the Martini Bar and the Champagne Bar were two great places to meet for a drink before dinner. I always sat in the Martini Bar because it was located on the non-smoking side of the ship. It was no problem ordering from the Champagne Bar while in the Martini Bar or vice versa. I donÂ’t drink martinis, but they certainly offered a wide and varied selection of that potent potable! Of course, caviar was available to order with your champagne. The Rendez-Vous Lounge on Deck 4 was also a popular pre-dinner meeting place where you could listen to live musical entertainment while enjoying a pre-meal cocktail.
Celebrity has made sure that there are ample places to sit all around the ship in case you just want to stop and read or people watch. I enjoyed trying out all the various “art work seating” around the ship. These “chairs” were actual sculptures of a variety of shapes that made comfortable seating as well as an art statement! And speaking of art, the GTS Summit has more than its share of beautiful pieces of art displayed throughout the ship including corridors and stair landings. It was a pleasure to walk around the ship and just look at the art. I attended one of the onboard art auctions held by Park West, but the area where the auction was held was too small and crowded and they didn’t serve unlimited free champagne like Carnival did at their art auctions. And, yes, I did make some champagne-influenced purchases at the Carnival art auction on the Destiny!
The library, Words, occupied two levels that were connected by a spiral staircase. Each level has comfortable seating areas and books that can be checked out at certain times of the day. Notes is the 2-level musical listening room, complete with comfortable chairs and headphones and CDs that can be checked out. The fabrics used on the furniture and for the window treatments in both Words and Notes were understated and elegant, but certainly not “fussy”. Each area presented an inviting atmosphere that encouraged people to sit down and linger for a while. I enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere of both of these rooms.
Like most new (and some not-so-new) ships, Summit has an Internet Café. I must say that Online@Celebrity is the most beautiful Internet Café that I’ve seen on any ship that I’ve sailed. You can send and receive email or surf the Net for $.50 a minute using your Celebrity Signature Card, or if you use the Internet a lot, sign up for unlimited use for the entire cruise for $100.00. The only problem we had is that you could not always get connected, especially when leaving port. Celebrity also offers computer classes during the cruise! If you travel with your own laptop computer, you can contact Guest Relations who will have a Connect@Sea kit brought to your cabin to connect your laptop to the Internet.
Fun Things To Do
You canÂ’t be bored while onboard the GTS Summit, unless you really want to be. Basketball, volleyball, darts, paddle ball, shuffleboard, jogging on the jogging track on Deck 11, table tennis, wine tasting, cooking demonstrations, trivia contests, golfing in the golf simulator, watching recently-released movies in the Celebrity Cinema, cultural enrichment lectures, and dancing the night away in the beautiful room-with-a view, Revelations disco, are just some of the many activities available for your participation throughout the cruise. And, did I mention shopping? The Emporium on Deck 5 is made up of a variety of fine shops offering such items as candy, Celebrity logo attire, fine jewelry, formal attire and accessories, Fossil watches, Tommy Hilfiger clothing, porcelain figurines, perfume, liquor and cigarettes. Each day during the cruise brings a different sale on items found in The Emporium shops. The kids have not been forgotten either. The Fun Factory and Arcade are great places for kids to hang out.
Don’t miss out on the Shore Excursion opportunities. Our most difficult task was deciding how to narrow our choices down since we wanted to experience them all. We did an 11-mile mountain bike tour in Ketchikan, rode horses in Skagway and went on a whale-watching trip in Juneau. I would recommend all of these excursions plus the helicopter “flight seeing” and the train ride in Skagway. On my next Alaskan cruise, I plan to look into the cruise lines’ pre- and post land packages to extend my adventure. We stayed in Anchorage for two days after our cruise, rented a car and did some exploring on our own, which was a lot of fun.
I thoroughly enjoyed my trip aboard Summit. It seems fitting to visit such a beautiful destination as Alaska while sailing aboard such a beautiful ship as GTS Summit. The service was excellent and the staff friendly, the food was delicious, the onboard activities plentiful. I highly recommend that you take a trip to Alaska, or anywhere for that matter, aboard CelebrityÂ’s GTS Summit.
Pros: Service, staff, Sky Suite
Cons: Couldn
Reviewer Recommended? Y
Alaskan Summit
Alaska - 8/2002
The Summit combines big ship features with small ship service. This could be the best way to see Alaska!
The very word “Summit” invokes an expectation of something special, something grand, something “above” the norm. Celebrity Cruises delivers on this expectation with the third in its series of Millennium Class vessels. Launched in 2001, the GTS Summit is designed to accommodate 1,950 passengers with a Gross Registered Tonnage of 91,000. As a result, she has a significantly higher interior space to passenger ratio compared to other ships in her category. Even though not the largest cruise ship afloat, Summit is about as big a ship as you will see squeeze through the Panama Canal with a beam of 105 feet and a length of 965 feet. The introduction of the gigantic mega ships like sister company Royal Caribbean’s Voyager Class ships at 138,000 tons might make a novice cruiser think that a mere 91,000 tons is going to be “small” in comparison, but don’t be fooled. Summit is a behemoth and would have been considered the largest cruise ship afloat just a few years ago.
The SummitÂ’s exterior has a sophisticated, regal appearance with her dark blue hull trimmed in gold contrasting with the white upper decks that give the ship a sleeker appearance. As you approach her, you get the sense that this is a really big luxury liner, not just a huge cruise ship. We soon found that this feeling is carried through to the interior space as well.
CelebrityÂ’s embarkation process in VancouverÂ’s Canada Place went very smoothly. We walked from our hotel room in the Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver to the pier at 11:30am hoping for an early CaptainÂ’s Club Member embarkation. We were not disappointed. Within 10 minutes, we were whisked through a special CaptainÂ’s Club line, checked through immigration (required for cruises embarking from Canada to US), given our room keys and directed to board the Summit.
Pros: Personal, attentive staff, exceptional dining, beautiful ship
Cons: None
Reviewer Recommended? Y
56 Offers Found.

4/5




