LauraA61090391

The perk that set this cruise apart from all others we have taken (14 in the past 5 yrs.) was the "Free Classic Beverage Package."  While we did not consume nearly as much as we thought we would, it was so very nice to enjoy a cocktail whenever desired and not have to worry about the mounting expense.  The bar staff was extrememly accommodating, friendly, and at times very entertaining.

The Summit was immaculate and the crew worked diligently to polish every banister, doorway and trim to eliminate any smudge.  Outside areas were kept pristine.  We thought our balcony cabin was very nice.

The food in the main dining room and buffett was excellent and the servers extremely efficient and friendly.  The production show entertainment was the best group we have seen on any cruise.

Bermuda has now become my favorite island, and I have cruised the entire Carribbean and Hawaii !  It was so very clean and provided quite a feeling of safety.  Horseshoe Bay was nothing short of stupendous.

The only negatives about this cruise were:

The port at Bayonne, NJ needs renovating and the process used to board passengers was chaotic.  After waiting for more than two hours, a person began calling boarding numbers using a bullhorn which very few could hear.  Once our number was finally called, we had to board a shuttle bus to carry us to the ship. 

Celebrity needs to restrict smoking to fewer areas and those areas need NOT be located in commonly traveled areas.  Princess restricts mokers to a longe or two which have doors that are kept closed. Ideally, I would like to see smoking banned entirely as I will never understand why one person's nasty addiction is allowed to endanger the health and well being of another, but . . .

The Summit's buffet area needs better organization. I cannot tell you how many times I had to search for a specific item only to find it only being offered on the other side, in the other room, at the opposite end.  The coffee and orange juice machines needed to be refilled more often as some became empty during four different breakfasts.

Excluding the ship's singers and dancers, the theater entertainment and musicians (other than the "house" band) was mediocre at best.  The single guitarist should have played more in the highest deck bar, which was totally empty at 10:00 pm, rather than at poolside.  His music was mellow and enjoyable but pool music should be upbeat.  We also would have liked the opportunity to view a good movie in the theater or some other venue.

The cruise on this ship to this island was wonderful and we plan to repeat this experience in the next couple of years.

The Nieuw Amsterdam is one of our favorite ships, so we were already off to a good start.  We sail often with Holland America because we like their ships and absolutely love their private island, Half Moon Cay.  On this cruise we enjoyed our "Duck Tour" in Grand Cayman and thoroughly enjoyed Key West.  We were not impressed with Cozumel, although the cocoa factory tour was interesting.  Overall, it was a good experience.

We did this same cruise last year, same time.  We really like Bermuda's weather and sites.  Horseshoe Bay is breathtaking, St. Georges Island is interesting, and the Bermuda Historical Museum was a very nice surprise.  We also took a sunset cruise.