Certainly not a perfect cruise, and the cruise industry is still experiencing some hiccups as it works to get back to full steam, but I really give them a lot of credit. They work so hard so that you can have a good experience. I appreciate all their efforts. And I think your experience is what you make it. I had a great time visiting new places in the mostly beautiful crisp Fall weather (important to me as I’m from South Florida), and a great time hanging out with friends I’d met on a previous cruise. Just enjoy the ride!
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Embarkation was organized, but, after Checkin, everyone had to wait in close quarters for quite awhile (maybe an hour?) before boarding was allowed.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Main dining room was not as organized as it’s been in past sailings and we had to eat late every night (anytime timing) largely due to a large organized group sailing on the cruise that seemed to take priority. And then service was usually slow for dinner. Other than a couple of meals, however, the food in main dining and buffet was good.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The usual activities. I used the fitness center. I only got to sit it the Solarium area once the entire cruise because it was always full with no seats available.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Enjoyed the solo guitarist Kyle Tace (I think that’s his last name). String performers were good. Comedian was okay, but not for everyone.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Room steward was excellent and several of the bar servers took great care of us. Service often slow for dinner in main dining room. Still not fully staffed, but they are working very hard.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Love the Summit. Like the size and design. Some areas showing some wear - chairs up in the Sky Lounge could use a refresh.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Even though I was stuck in an inside cabin this cruise, it was very nice, adequate size and very clean. Location was also good (down the hall from Guest Services). Close to main areas, so easy to get around. And quiet.
Ship tip
I was probably generous in my review, but I think you still need to have patience cruising these days. Even though they may be back to full guest capacity, they are not fully staffed up yet. But they really do work very hard doing their jobs and trying to make sure you enjoy your cruise. I was happy to be cruising and chose to enjoy my experience despite a few shortcomings. I think your experience is what you make it.
Port area is good. It was a rainy day and I was less than thrilled with my excursion, but port was fine. Excursion was Best of Portland and Kennebunkport Village. We appeared to be the last of at least seven other bus loads of people in Kennebunkport and only had an hour and 15 min before we had to be back on the bus. But because there were already so many other buses there, the restaurants had an hour and longer wait. So you really didn’t have time for a sit down lunch and shopping. I managed to hover in the bar area of one restaurant until someone got up. So I got a seat and was able to order lunch. But that was eat. No other time to look around town.
You have to take a tender into this port. Beautiful, gorgeous area. It was a beautiful day. Had a great excursion to Acadia National Park (Intimate Acadia National Park tour - small tour), and still had time to get a great lunch at West Street Cafe and do some shopping and walking around.
I’ve visited Halifax before, so I’d been to Peggy’s Cove (a must see) and Colonial Lunenburg (a UNESCO world heritage site). So this time I did the Annapolis County Wine Tour - a small group tour. We visited three local wineries and sampled the wine. A fun day and beautiful countryside.
Beautiful, clean city. And very picturesque. It was cold and windy (in the 40s and windy), but it was a sunny day. Did Hop on Hop Off bus around town, had a great lunch in Old Town and enjoyed walking around the shops. It was Canadian Thanksgiving, so a lot of restaurants were closed, but we still found a place to go.
Sydney got hit by Hurricane Fiona and was closed to cruise ships for awhile due to no power, but I believe we were the first ship back in port. I did an excursion to Baddeck, a little village that was home to Alexander Graham Bell on Cape Breton. Scenic ride there. Visited the Alexander Graham Bell museum and walked around the little village and the waterfront area. Had a nice lunch at the Freight Shed. Beautiful day.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
