San Juan, Puerto Rico; St.Kitts; Antigua; Martinique; Barbados; Granada; Sea; San Juan; Sea; Barbados; St.Lucia; Antigua; St.Kitts; St. Thomas; San Juan.
Master: Captain Kate McCue; Hotel Dir.: Mario Valentino; GRM.1.: Miguel Cunha; GRM.2.: Cameron Robertson; Cruise Dir.1: Patrick Leynes; Cruise Dir.2: Alejandro Tortorelli; F&B: Cemal Ozcelik; Staff Capt.: Panagiotis Kiousis; Michael's Club Concierge: Anastasia; Suites Officer: Maja (Maya) Davidovic, Butler: Peter; Room Steward: Wayan; Waiters: ONeil, Lazar; MaitreD: Luminae: Charles; Somelier: Matty; Michael’s Club server: Illya; bar server: Collin.
As we descended on San Juan we could see many roofs with blue tarps on top.Our 8:30am EWR Jet Blue flight landed around 12:15pm local time. We got our bags relatively quickly and proceed to find a taxi to get to the pier but were stopped by a Celebrity agent who was offering free transfers to the pier due to the hurricane. It always takes longer when you use ship transfers and this tine was no different. After we placed our luggage tags on our bags for our new stateroom and after about a half hour wait, we were on our way. I will tell you more about the new stateroom later.
As the shuttle drove from the airport we saw many signs of hurricane damage along the way. Some buildings were gutted or collapsed and some trees were still down. As of this writing, 50% of the people remain without power.
We arrived at the pier and proceeded to the "passenger only" line since our luggage went separately to ship in another vehicle just like it used to travel in the old days. Inside, check in lines were longer than normal but remember, we arrived later than we usually do. After a short time at the desk we were escorted to Michael’s Club by one of the future cruise sales people where we meet Anastasia, the club’s concierge and Peter, our butler. We sat for a quick welcome aboard drink. Randi spotted Steve and David from a previous cruise. We said hello than we went to our stateroom to unpack our carry-on luggage.
We have been in the Royal before which has a dining area for meals or just for morning coffee,
as well as a full living room, tv and desk.
The bathroom is nice size with a walk in shower and Jacuzzi.
The bedroom is comfortable with a tv and makeup table.
The deck is spacious with a table and chairs, two lounges and a hot tub.
On our way out we met our stateroom attendant, Wayan. We went back to Michael’s Club and on the way met Maya who is now promoted to Suite Manager. Inside Michael's Club, we met and quickly got into some good conversations with Rob and Sue from the Toronto area. By 5pm and after checking with Anastacia we decided to go the Tuscan Grill in our travel clothes at 6pm since our luggage did not arrive yet.
Dinner was lovely. We ate multiple appetizers and shared a rib eye steak and of course enjoyed some wine all on the house because of the Royal Suite.
Afterwords, we saw the comedian Fred Klett who was real good when our eyes were open, that is. We were obviously tired after a long day and hit the hay after the show.
DAY 2
We just stayed in the shopping area for a few hours. I bought a hat, than we headed back. It was very hot there. Back on board went to Sushi on 5 for lunch where Randi had 2 rolls and I had lobster dumplings and Udon and Dry Creek Chenin blanc.
Afterwords we found a couple of lounges on deck 4 in the quiet and shady side of the ship where we watched the waves and fell asleep for a couple of hours.
That evening we want to Michael’s Club for a drink and then to Luminae for dinner. Randi pre-ordered the escargot, asparagus soup and Halibut. I went with the rack of lamb from the main dining room which was very good.
The show, "Soundtrack" could have been better with stronger singers, but it was entertaining. Randi decided to hit the casino. I decided to hit the bed.
DAY 3
We woke up to coffee being delivered to stateroom and arriving at Antigua. Our Luminae breakfast consisted of a shared bowl of grits then I had eggs Benedict and Randi had eggs Florentine.
We walked around the shops in town and found they had not been affected from hurricane but their sister island Barbuda, was hit very hard. Folks from Antigua were being asked to foster one person from Barbuda due to the total devastation there.
We came back and sunned by pool. Later for lunch at the poolside Grill, Maitre’D Denis got Randi an onion free burger and fries while I got a turkey burger. We drifted into a nice nap under the warm Caribbean sky.
Tonight is evening sheik. Randi and I look pretty good in our island peach colors- others, not so good. LOL. Off to Michael’s club to try a pre-ordered flyte of gin martinis from our server, Illya and a Pino Gregio for Randi. We saw Sue and Rob for a bit,
then went to Luminae for a nice dinner. Matty, our wine steward from Poland brought us a nice Cabernet called Decoy. After dinner we headed to the show to see These Guys, a four man singing group. They were pretty good.
In the morning our ship stopped in Martinique and our coffee came around 7 while we were getting dressed. We had a tour planned for 9am. We enjoyed a nice Luminae breakfast and headed to the pier. Randi caught a few more winks on the 45 minute bus ride.
Tonight was Qsine dinner at 8 again, all complimentary because of the Royal Suite. We had multiple dishes without onions for Randi. All the dishes with the wine were very delicious.
DAY 5
DAY 6
Granada is the port of call today. Picturesque and colorful, we went for a walk through town and ended
We tried to do lunch in the Oceanview Café and attempted finding something for Randi to eat safely ourselves, then found a Maitre’D who was not very helpful. Thankfully, Charles came to the rescue at the right time. He went down to the galley and made an onion free chicken salad, for Randi. He’s the best Maitre’D we have had by far.
We got dressed for cocktails and dinner. Randi stopped in the casino for a bit as I met up with Sue and Rob and eventually, Mr. Al. We found out that Albert will reach his second Zenith status in two weeks. What a celebration it will be. We are approximately 500 points away from reaching our first Zenith status.
Thanksgiving dinner was just lovely with Turkey and all the trimmings and best, no clean up. We met the Executive Chef this evening, who has been making all the special sauces, sides and entrees for Randi during the trip.
After dinner we returned to Michael’s club for some conversation and a night cap then headed to bed, but first we passed by Rob and Sue dancing the night away in the Rendezvous.
DAY 7
Today is the last full day, of the 1st cruise, as we motor toward San Juan. Seas have been constantly calm this cruise. The best is there is no packing, no fuss, just enjoying the ride there. Had breakfast, lunch and dinner in Luminae and thanked our service people for what they do for us. Randi got a couple sets of perfumes from the shops on board and we played bingo but did not win. Nor did we win in the drawings for the ipad or the lottery. We spent some time in Michael’s Club in-between stints but quickly called it a night around 11.
DAY 8
Turn around day is today. We docked in San Juan about 5 am. I was up, and seemed to have enough sleep and was working on this blog. Around 7, I woke Randi. Breakfast service would be finished by 8. After saying goodbye to Kay and Dianne we went up to get our passports and paperwork and enjoyed an hour in the warm San Juan shade on a lounge by the pool.
We strolled into the Revelations Lounge to meet the Customs official and while waiting, we booked the Tuscan Grill again for 6pm tonight. I guess we were finished with customs by about 10:45 so we went back to the pool since all the fire doors to the staterooms were locked. We said hello to some crew members on deck that recognized that we stayed on as back to back cruisers.
About noontime, Randi suggested lunch at Luminae. We enjoyed some fish skewers and she also had some fried chicken, with our wine. On the way out we introduced ourselves to passengers Kelly and Kimberley. We thought we recognized him from a previous cruise but that turned out not to be the case. We later found out they were in the Penthouse to celebrate her 50th.
After lunch, we showed Cristina and John our suite. They loved it and in turn they showed us theirs which was the same as Pat and Rod’s from last cruise. Afterwords we returned to our lounges to rest but I was the only one to sleep as Randi read her book.
We had a quick drink in Michael’s club at 5:30 then strolled to the Tuscan Grill for appetizers and the Porterhouse steak. The steak was good but in my estimation, not worth the additional charge of $18. The rib eye on last cruise was just as tasty. Dinner was put on hold for the muster drill but afterwords we returned for some dessert and coffee. Nice night.
DAY 9
Today we are on our way sailing back to Bridgetown Barbados. I woke up around 6:30am, just before another beautiful sunrise. Weather is warm and comfortable with some wind but smooth seas. I called to get some coffee and muffins delivered by Peter, our butler.
Luminae breakfast was next, then off to stroll the ship. Went to casino to watch Randi play but while there, I put in $20 and took out $75. High Roller! Lunch was in Luminae. We saw this cute three year old (visual: she holds 3 fingers up) little girl who was not shy at all. We rested on the open deck in the shade until the sun became too much for us so we went back to stateroom.
Randi thought it may be a good time to book a new cruise for us, the Hert’s and the Barrack’s. Although the 2019 spring repo cruise on Summit was not out yet, we “phantom” booked an existing cruise to get the on board credit. On the way to Michael’s club we took a possible
Christmas card picture in the Rendezvous, then met the gang in the club and soon after the Captain walked in and sat with us for a while. She is just lovely, exciting and outgoing. Enjoyed another Luminae dinner and made a reservation with Charles for Dinner for 4 tomorrow as the Brown’s wanted to join us. There is a $30 PP cover charge. Before heading to Michael’s for a nightcap, we caught them dancing again in the Rendezvous Lounge.
DAY 10
Slept in a little later, but still made breakfast by 9. Next was our pool time where there were less the a dozen people there including Gary in the background. Everyone was ashore in Barbados. We did the hot tub, and sun for a while and some shade.
We had lunch in Sushi on 5. Randi has a new favorite there, shrimp tempura roll. Later, we went back to our deck to lounge around.
We had to fix a few things with Anastasia. Charles said Randi cannot do Taste of Film because most of the food is prepared with onions so we cancelled. We also cancelled the Nevis Beach break but I asked her to let us know the ferry schedule so we can go and explore ourselves. She is still trying to adjust our captains’ club points for this and the previous cruise as they are still incorrect.
We missed taking our Christmas photo tonight by the Christmas tree but went to Michael’s club to have a cocktail with the crew.
The Browns joined us in Lumanae for dinner tonight and what a nice time we had. While the meal was excellent, so was the conversation and the company. After a nightcap in Michael’s it was time to say goodnight.
DAY 11
Today’s routine was similar to yesterdays. After a quick Lumanae breakfast, we were at the pool by 10 and stayed for about 90 minutes, showered, then lunch then onto shore to St Lucia. Randi and I decided to get Oneil some presents for his soon-to-be 5 year old daughter which we will give him tonight. Randi looked for her perfume and found one “discounted” by 15% which was exactly the same price as on Antigua. When she found the second also discounted by 15% she asked for an additional discount. She was told you were already getting a 30% discount! Go figure. It’s the new math.
When we came back we spent some time in the library reading books and being on line. We also got to see one of the fine ladies of the past. The Zenith was in port with us. It's always good to see our second ship we sailed on, once again.
Later we went to Michael’s because the officers would be there tonight. The regular gang was there including Mr. Albert. Soon we saw the Captain, her staff captain, Mario the Hotel Director, the Food & Beverage Manager and more. It was a lovely evening where we got to chat with everyone and take some pictures. The Captain had to leave because she was opening a new line of her nautical jewelry on deck 5.
Dinner at Luminae was very nice. This is where we spotted Mario hosting a guest with a service dog for dinner who later we met and found his name to be Lawrence. After dinner we went back to Michael’s and chatted until about 11.
DAY 12
This morning was a mirror image of yesterday. After lunch at Sushi on 5, which by the way I now have had all the bowl/soup dishes. All were excellent.
We visited Antigua for the 2nd time. We got a bunch of shirts and Randi broke down and got her perfume. We killed more time walking around the stores and markets but eventually went to
Café al Bacio for a Affogato which is espresso and chocolate syrup served over gelato in a martini glass. Yummy! Christina turned us onto this.
Back at the stateroom around 4:30 we cleaned up for the evening. We took a few more possible Christmas card pictures, and walked the ship looking for items to spend our non-refundable money on. Randi eventually made her way to fortunes casino and I, to Michael’s. She got some money back. I got a drink and some conversation. We found out that Danuta will be back on board as Hotel Director next cruise. We are sorry we missed her. Next we went to see the comedy and the many voices of Mike Wilson. It was a pretty good act.
Dinner was great again; tuna for me halibut for Randi. Then we went back to Michael’s to close our evening.
DAY 13
Today we are back to St Kitts but we are going to Nevis by ferry and see what it is like. Once ashore on St Kitts, it was a 5 minute walk to the ferry and a $10 per person fare. The ferry left just after the 9:30 scheduled time and arrived around 45 minutes later. We sat upstairs and outside enjoying the sun and breeze. Not much to walk and see in Charlestown, since Nevis is known for its beaches and that it is the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton.
But we did stop and see the Jewish cemetery which I believe dates back to 1677. After walking a bit more we had seen as much as there was to see and headed back for the noontime ferry.
Check this out. Look how Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas dwarfs the Celebrity Summit in size. It looks like you could fit two Summits inside,
By 1pm we were grabbing pizza and paninis on the back of deck 10 with an amazing view of St Kitts. Later, we decided on getting a jump on packing and filled two checked bags. Then it was reading and relaxing time on the deck.
We showered, shaved and dressed for tonight’s festivities. The first stop was the casino to use up some on board credit. I began at the roulette table and Randi at the slots. I was doing well and got back all my promotional chips that I was given plus $25.
Randi got my attention by saying, “I won the $1000 jack pot.” Whew, a good night for both of us. Now if we can get rid of the rest of the credit tomorrow, we’ll be all set.
I started for Michael’s. First I saw Sheri and Len there who
introduced me to a real nice guy, Lawrence. He was with his service dog, biscuit. He was a very interesting fellow I thought. Randi soon arrived and also thought the same. Sue and Rob followed in rounding out the group.
Dinner in Luninae was nice. It was lobster night. Randi had her lobster in cream sauce and mine was enormous from the main dining room. Umm, Umm, good. We went back to Michael’s to kibitz some more. They started teasing me that my eyes were shutting down so we said our good nights and went back to the stateroom.
DAY 14
Welcome to the beautiful island of St Thomas. We are one of the first ships back in port after the hurricane. We’ll see if we notice any damage as we walk to town. As we approached docks end, I noticed a sign saying 2 miles to town. Normally we can do this walk but in the heat of the Caribbean we decided to taxi in. We looked for a watch band for Randi’s watch but she will have to get it on-line since it was not readily available on any of the islands. She got a few mouse pads for the guys at work at the flea market and we went back to the ship with a lady from Israel.
Now it is time to do most of the packing so the rest of the day will be free. Afterwards, we grabbed a bite at Sushi on 5 and saw Charina there. We told her we would mention how good a server she was in our questioner. The second day in the restaurant she recognized us and called us by name and remembered about Randi's allergy.
We chilled on the deck until shower time; than we went to the casino to win back some of our money. I started with $65 of theirs and won back $45. All in all we did well in the casino on this trip.
We went to do some last night reminiscing with the Michael’s gang then went to the "last supper" in Luminae. It was another wonderful meal. Charles and Oneil were very excited since they would be going home tomorrow. Oneil would be home in Jamaica on Sunday while Charles would be back in India on Monday. Although he lives in India now he is originally from Portugal. We went back to Michael’s after dinner to say goodbye to everyone.
DAY 15
I was up early on disembarkation day and saw a beautiful moon set over a mostly, still dark, San Juan due to the hurricane. We said our goodbyes to the wonderful Lumanae staff and left them our coffee creamers. Then, onto Michael’s club for the comfortable wait to get off ship which we finally did around 9:30. After saying goodbye, Anastasia escorted us to the elevator and off the Summit for the last time, this cruise anyway.
The pier and porter service went smoothly as did the taxi ride. The airport porter was wonderful, getting our bags, bringing them through agriculture inspection and back to load up for us. I guess we got finished and began sitting in our seats around 10:30. Now all we have to do is wait for our 2:10pm flight home to Newark.
We had lunch at the airport in Popeye’s. It wasn't bad but it wasn’t Lumanae. LOL. The flight home seemed speedy. After a wonderfully relaxing cruise, it is great to be home.
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I waned to share my on line survey that I sent in to Celebrity after the cruises ended:
I waned to share my on line survey that I sent in to Celebrity after the cruises ended:
We had a fabulous back to back, two week cruise aboard Summit,
Excellence on this ship starts from the Captain down. We have sailed with Captain Kate a few times prior and she continues to amaze us with her confidence, approachability, visibility, outwardness, articulate and humorous talks and her care for her crew and her pax. We've seen some of those characteristics passed on to some special crew members that I would also like to mention.
First, we find Luminae to be an overly exceptional restaurant, thanks to the executive chef and also because of our Maitre'D, Charles. Charles would continually, go above and beyond, and out of his way to help my wife Randi deal with her onion allergy. His excellent service was not only present in Lumanae every day, for two or three meals per day, but also in the Oceanview when other Maitre'Ds would be less effective. Charles was our best Maitre'D in more then our 20 years of cruising!
Secondly and also in Lumanae, Oneil, our waiter, was the simply best you can get! Always a gentleman, consummate server, over skilled in listening and communication, and suggestion giving, Oneil was always, mistake free, Oneil is the paramount server and staff like him is one of the reasons we keep coming back to Celebrity.
Third, we took advantage of Sushi on 5 for about 6 or 7 lunches and wine while we were on board for the two weeks. Please see the wine list. One server stood out in our mind the first time she served us, and even more, the second time we dined with her since she actually remembered our names. Her name was Charina. With her attention to detail, we only had to tell her the first time of the onion allergy and she never forgot and helped us to make our meal choices. She is someone who stands out in our minds and should make the cruise line proud.
There were many other crew who were always willing to help, but these three people stand out in our minds and we were very lucky to have them. They were instrumental to help us to enjoy our cruise. If you would indulge me, I would personally, along with my wife like to recommend them for promotion. They deserve it!
Very truly yours,
Mark DeGennaro
elite plus
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