Overall Score

BERLITZ'S RATING
	Possible	Achieved
Entertainment	100	76
Cruise	400	316
Ship	500	443
Accommodation	200	180
Food	400	326
Service	400	320

How this score is created

Summit is a sister ship to Constellation, Infinity and Millennium. Jon Bannenberg (famous as a mega-yacht designer) designed the exterior that has a royal blue and white hull, although it has actually turned out to look extremely ungainly. This is the third Celebrity Cruises ship to be fitted with a “pod” propulsion system (and controllable pitch propellers) coupled with a quiet, smokeless gas turbine powerplant; two GE gas turbines provide engine power while a single GE steam turbine drives the electricity generators.

One neat feature is a conservatory which includes many seats set in a botanical environment of flowers, plants, tress, mini-gardens and fountains, designed by the award-winning floral designer Emilio Robba of Paris. It is located directly in front of the main funnel and has glass walls that overlook the ship’s side.

Inside, the ship has the high-class decor and materials and public rooms that have made the existing ships in the fleet so popular and user-friendly. The atrium spans 11 decks. It is capped with a glass dome, and four glass elevators travel through the port side of the atrium.

Facilities include a combination Cinema/Conference Center, an expansive shopping arcade, with 14,500 sq. ft (1,300 sq. meters) of retail store space, a lavish four-decks-high showlounge with the latest in staging and lighting equipment, a two-level library (one level for English-language books; a second level for books in other languages), a card room, a music room, and a combination observation lounge/disco­theque. Michael’s Club (originally a cigar smoker’s haven), is now a piano lounge/bar. Gaming facilities include the ship’s overly large Fortunes Casino, with blackjack, roulette, and slot machines, and lots of bright lights and action. Families will appreciate the Fun Factory (for children) and The Tower (for teenagers). Children’s counselors and youth activities staff provide a wide range of supervised activities.

The ship’s two seating dining and two shows, sadly, detract from an other­wise excellent product, and this ship (with sisters Constellation, Infinity and Millennium) provides the very best of the ships in the Premium segment of the market, offering a taste of luxury to those who book the largest suites.

There is no wrap-around wooden promenade deck outdoors. There are cushioned pads for poolside sunloungers only, but not for chairs on other outside decks. Trying to reach Cabin Service or the Guest Relations Desk to answer the phone (to order breakfast, for example, if you don’t want to do so via the interactive television) is a matter of luck, timing and patience.

Berlitz Guide © Apa Publishing 2008