Celebrity Summit - Southern Caribbean Cruise
We had booked a Concierge Class cabin on Celebrity Summit, one of Celebrity’s smaller ships, but recently refurbished. The line was short at check-in and the formalities over in a matter of minutes, though before boarding we took advantage of stocking up on some wine at the duty free shop.
Once on board we found our cabin easily, dropped our bags, and set off exploring the ship. Just before sailing time it’s a hive of activity, particularly around the excursion desks and the speciality restaurants. We had already decided we would try eating at the various restaurants on offer other than the main dining room, but would leave reservations until later in the week.
We were able to enjoy anytime dining on the ship which meant we could turn up at any time, either request a table for two, or if we were feeling adventurous, share with others. The first night we had a table to ourselves and had a very nice evening. The menu on the ship changes daily and you'd be hard pushed not to find something you'd like to try. On the menu is a selection of favourites like steak, chicken or salmon at every sitting, so if you don’t want to have to think about it, you can order something you'd know you'd like.
The cruise provided a happy balance between a couple of longer sea days and shorter days visiting the islands, from the very quiet St Criox U.S.V.I to the bustling Granada or St Thomas.
We managed a shore dive in St Croix, which took place in heavy rain, so we didn’t miss much of the island. We took the Celebrity shore excursions around St Kitts and Grenada, and a snorkelling boat trip in Roseau. In St Thomas we disembarked and walked into town from the pier. On returning to the ship, the crew are waiting with towels and drinks so you can cool off a little before boarding.
We found the ship itself to be just about the right size. Being one of the older ships in the fleet, it was never crowded, and you could always find a sun bed, or a more isolated spot on deck.
We decided to go to the wine connoisseur dinner where you are presented with several courses, each accompanied by a wine, and we thought it was good value. The food, wine and company were excellent. We ate breakfast everywhere from the main dining room to the rooftop cafe and the buffet restaurant. We never had trouble finding tables or having to make those hard decisions between a healthy yoghurt or bacon sarnie (bacon sarnie wins every time).
On our penultimate evening on the cruise we decided to try Q-Sine, where you order from an iPad menu and each dish is imaginatively served. Even the cupcake desserts came with their own icing bags and decorations, a great idea for kids and adults alike.
All too quickly the cruise was over. For us it was just about the right amount of time to spend on a ship. The cabin was clean and we had great, attentive staff looking after us. I found it strange to be able to lie in bed tune into ESPN and watch Newcastle United play live on my TV in the stateroom, and we won too!
After docking in San Juan, we had arranged a further three nights at the Hilton Condado Villas. The hotel was nice with good facilities, and its own little beach area. Although it was a little way from San Juan Old Town, you could get a taxi and make the $20 trip in 10 minutes.
We totally enjoyed our 10 nights away in the Caribbean, and would recommend Celebrity to anyone thinking of a cruise.