This 91,000-ton cruise ship from Celebrity Cruises is a 965-ft vessel accommodating 2,034 passengers at double occupancy with an international crew of 999 under the command of an international crew. Built in 2001 as a sister ship in the much-acclaimed Millennium class, the Summit benefits from a few minor improvements to her chic and elegant interior.
Royal Caribbean bought Celebrity Cruises from the Chandris family; the line originally included the Horizon and Zenith, which have been sold out of the fleet. While planned by Chandris, the Century class began sailing for Royal Caribbean beginning with the first build in 1995. Celebrity as a prefix has been added recently to all the ships. The present Millennium-class quartet carried on the initial success on a larger scale but with no decline in quality.
Most passengers are North American with South Americans joining for the weekly southern Caribbean itineraries in winter. The overall age is lower than for the longer Mediterranean cruises. Families also tend to be present in larger numbers in winter, especially around the holidays, but the facilities are certainly adequate for the numbers. Bar tabs get a 15% levy for gratuities and passengers may pay the cabin and wait staff individually with envelopes supplied by the line, or have them added to the final bill at the rate of about US$10 per day per person.
San Juan is the winter base for the weekly southern Caribbean itineraries. In the spring and fall, the ship makes 14-day transatlantic positioning cruises between San Juan and Barcelona, and the per diem rates for these voyages tend to be lower than the regular programs. In the Mediterranean, 12-night cruises ply between Barcelona and Venice, calling at ports in France, Italy, Greece and Croatia. Some itineraries also include the Turkish ports of Kusadasi for the ruins at Ephesus or Istanbul. These are port-intensive cruises with a few sea days as well.
Celebrity has a long partnership with The Wedding Experience, through which it has offered onboard vow renewals at sea and in-port wedding ceremonies. Now that seven of the eight Celebrity ships—and the two Azamara ships—have been re-registered to Malta, the captains have the jurisdiction to perform legal marriages at sea while the cruises are underway.
Despite the ship's size, most public rooms manage to be large while still maintaining a human scale, and the extensive collection of original artwork onboard is impressive. The ship's heart is a three-story atrium highlighted with gold-onyx stairs lit from below. Gold lace curtains line the side, and the Cova Cafe di Milano, with its pastries and extra charge premium coffees, rings one deck. Drinks are available here, too. The forward-facing Revelations observation lounge with extra-high floor-to-ceiling windows successfully doubles as a peaceful daytime lounge and nightclub. The Conservatory replaces the space of the Sports Bar onboard the Millennium, with vines and exotic flowers twining up trellises and demonstrations in flower arranging. Michael's Club is a private and traditional looking piano bar that might have been designed for a London Hotel. The ship's Martini and Champagne Bar is an improvement in decor over Millennium's, and Rendezvous Lounge one deck below is dark with its plum and deep green furniture. Both serve as pre-dinner drink venues.
There is a large and well-designed circular three-story show lounge forward, a bustling casino, Internet cafe, two-story library and similarly sized CD library, and an extensive shopping area called The Emporium offers name brands for sale. The highly sophistcated spa offers all the treatments and facilities imanginable, and the supplemental charge Persian Gardens, mysterious spa rooms with dim and ever changing light patterns, are an amazing experience. Aft is the hydrotherapy pool crowned by an arched glass of windows, where healthy spa meals are served at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Two outdoor pools and four whirlpools form the centerpieces for the lido area. Sports facilties include basketball, volleyball, a golf simulator and a jogging track, where five times around equals a mile. While many families find the ship a satisfactory choice, the slightly more refined atmosphere keeps the numbers below those generally found on less glamorous competitors. Facilities include a Sea Mates Fun Factory for three age groups, a video arcade room and teen lounge.
For dining, the two-sitting Cosmopolitan Restaurant is graced by a seven-foot mid-1930s bronze statue named La Normandie that was once onboard the French transatlantic liner Normandie. That ship provides the most attrractive theme to the 134-seat Normandie restaurant, with artifacts and two gold lacquer panels saved from the ship when she caught fire and burned in New York in February 1942. The three-hour dinner here, complete with tableside preparation, is a 'must do' and carries a US$25 premium. Be sure to reserve early. The Waterfall Cafe and Grill serves buffet-style all day with pasta and pizza stations, and one section gets dressed up at night for informal dinners. The main course is chosen from a menu and wait-served, while the rest of the meal is chosen from the buffet. Service retains a European feel and is more sophisticated than found on mass-market ships.
Cabins tend to be generous in size, and all feature hair dryers, interactive TVs for showing films, getting the news, ordering room service, checking one's bill and even gambling, plus, minibars with a charge and safes. Of the cabins, 80% are outside, and 74% of those feature balconies. Several suites are some of the largest afloat with expansive verandas. While there are 20 price categories, the cabins fall into three general areas—standard, concierge class and suites. The middle designation is new, and while the cabins are no more that the better standard ones, there are lots of additional amenties along with the services of a concierge to book restaurant reservations and spa treatments.
Celebrity Summit's brilliant interior design, generally more upscale atmosphere, and European ambience make this ship an excellent choice for those who wish to experience a premium product at extremely competitive and reasonable prices. The line is less expensive than Oceania and Holland America yet offers roughly the same premium level standards. There are certainly some parallels with Crystal, too, in dining and sophiticated ambience.
