Last Updated on June 22, 2020 by tripcentral
Buoy oh buoy do you feel like a celebrity on Celebrity Cruises! Travel agent Miranda Mawdsley recently had the opportunity to be on board the Celebrity Summit after being “revolutionized.” Here’s what she had to say.
The ship sailed out from Cape Liberty cruise port in New Jersey. After a couple of nights at sea, we spent three whole days in Bermuda!
I flew out of Billy Bishop airport on a Porter flight. It’s really neat to fly out of Toronto Island and it is such a great little airport. The Porter flight was great – they still serve drinks in glass cups and complimentary snacks from wicker baskets. The flight was only an hour and a half. Because of their small planes, Porter was so quick getting luggage off the flight. I have actually never retrieved luggage so quickly. I had my bags the second I went to the baggage claim.
When I got to Newark Airport, I took an Uber to Cape Liberty. It cost roughly $20-25 USD each way.
Check-in for the cruise was very quick and stress free! I would say the entire process took about 10-15 minutes. I was welcomed on board with champagne. Every crew member was saying hello and welcoming you on board. Staterooms were ready right away and my luggage was delivered to my room shortly after. The staterooms are beautiful with lots of storage space. I was lucky enough to have a balcony cabin.
It’s very neat to sail out of New Jersey and to see lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty as you sail away. The ship got permission from NYC’s port authority to cruise around Statue of Liberty for a bit before we headed off to sea to take pictures.
It goes without saying that the food/drinks were fantastic. Every meal I had was so delicious. If you wanted five things off the dinner menu, you could have just that. The waiters in the Cosmopolitan dining room were very knowledgeable about the food they were serving each night and always recommended the best dishes. I was very impressed with the waiters and bartenders on board. Eventually I was being greeted by name and the bartenders remembered what I liked to drink. They really pay attention to detail!
The buffet called “The Oceanview Cafe” was fantastic, too, offering great views and a variety of food to choose from. Each day they were serving something different, such as British, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, and local cuisine. Even though the ship was at capacity, there was lots of room and food to go around and with minimal line-ups.
The entertainment was fantastic with something to do each hour of the day. You couldn’t be bored on board as they had shows and live music playing every night. There was also a great casino. I think it is safe to say it is not as child-focused as some of the other cruise lines (although they provide the great kids’ clubs for all ages).
Bermuda is Bermudaful! It is such a fantastic island. The beaches are absolutely stunning. The streets are very colonial-like. The buildings are very colorful and each one stands out next to another. The island is very clean and so lush.
Bermuda is a very pricey island, which makes cruising there worth a lot of value when you do not have to pay for your food/drink while visiting. While in Bermuda, they had a big cricket game going on and that was such a cool experience (Somerset VS St. George’s). The whole island gets so passionate about this sport. People were camping and BBQing near the cricket field a couple days prior to the game.
To get around, I purchased a bus/ferry ticket for two days that takes you all over the island. It cost about 15 USD per day. One of the days I went snorkeling in some of the clearest waters I have ever seen. The guide fed the fish dog food (because it floats), so the fish would just jump right out of the water. I even had a couple of fish eat from the palm of my hand. I saw a couple of sea turtles pop up beside the boat along the way to snorkel and also saw a few shipwrecks.
After having gone on this cruise, I really realized how passionate people are about this cruise line. They love it for it’s smaller size and impeccable service. They go for this ship (no matter the destination) and quite often do back-to-back cruises.
Miranda’s top 5 things to do in Bermuda
Beaches
It goes without saying that Bermuda is home to some of the world’s most iconic beaches and is famous for it’s light pink sand. Some popular must see beaches on the island are: Horseshoe Bay, Glass Beach, Church Bay, South Shore Park, Warwick Long Bay Beach, Tabacco Bay & Jobson’s Cove Beach.
Crystal & Fantasy Caves
Crystal & Fantasy Caves are some of Bermuda’s famous natural wonders offering stalagmites, crystal clear pools, waterfalls that were founded by two teenagers named Carl Gibbons and Edgar Hollis in 1907. You can can purchase a combination ticket for $35 USD per adult (children age 12 and under are $12 USD and children under 5 are free).
Catamaran/ Snorkeling tours
There are an abundance of tour companies offering catamaran/ snorkeling tours. Bermuda is home to a large stretch of stunning coral reefs, sea turtles, whales, and it’s copious shipwrecks which makes for some fantastic snorkeling. The tours are roughly $80-100 USD per adult.
Rent a Scooter
Renting scooters are a fantastic and quick way to see the island. The rentals range from $40-50 USD a day. Visitors do not require a drivers’ license to rent a scooter in Bermuda. However by local law, a minimum age of 18 is required and this may be verified by the rental shop.
Cup Match
I was very thankful to take part in one of Bermuda’s biggest event of the year, “cup match,” a cricket game that takes place between two islands – St George’s and Somerset. The whole island gets very passionate about this sport. Lots of locals and tourists can be seen enjoying beach parties, concerts, and food and drinks days before the actual cricket game takes place.
Intrigued? Call Miranda to learn more at 1-800-665-4981 ext 7369.