Celebrity Summit – Restricted Items, Muster Drill, iLounge
Celebrity Summit – Restricted Items, Muster Drill, iLounge
Cruising the Southern Caribbean on Celebrity Summit
By Jeannette and Dan Dudek
Restricted Items
Most travelers know the airline rules and regulations regarding carry-on and checked luggage; if not you can have your travel agent explain them to you or look them up on-line at your airlines web page.
However, the rules for cruise ships are different. Celebrity prohibited items include most heat generating devices, including personal hairdryers and travel irons (hair curling/flat irons are an exception, and are allowed). Anything that can be considered a weapon, e.g. knives, fire arms, multi-tool kits, etc. are also not allowed.
All bags are scanned, and for every cruise with about 2,000 guests, a hundred or so bags have items flagged by security. If you have items flagged, you will have to go to the security area (Deck 1 by the Forward Elevators), identify your bag and remove the flagged item. You will either be able to take the item with you, or more likely it will be “confiscated”; and returned to you after your cruise. Note: any items such as a Diver’s Knife will be confiscated, but made available to you anytime you leave the ship to do a dive.
Another reason your bags will be flagged by security is if they contain alcohol. On an initial embarkation day, you are allowed to bring on-board two bottles of wine per stateroom. If at all possible, you should pack these bottles in your carry-on luggage. This will allow your checked bags to be delivered to your stateroom without any delay.
Note: if you are boarding (or re-boarding on a Back-to-Back) the Summit in San Juan, there is a Duty Free shop in the boarding terminal. This shop has reasonably priced wine which can be purchased and carried onto the ship. Remember, two bottles of wine per stateroom are allowed to be carried on during initial cruise departure days.
Muster Drill
Before the ship can depart the dock the first day of your cruise, a mandatory Life Boat Drill will take place. Pay attention during the required drill and remember your mustering location; you are not required to bring your life preserver to this drill. (Note: in the unlikely event of a real emergency, dress warmly [suggest using several layers of clothes], and do not use the elevators.)
Celebrity Summit Muster Drill
Note: Sometimes a ship will offer a discount if you book a Specialty Restaurant on your initial departure day. Just be aware of the time of the Mandatory Life Boat Drill. This drill takes about ½ an hour, and could interfere with your dining experience. A dinner in a Specialty Restaurant requires about 2 ½ hours and you do not want to be rushed or interrupted. The drill for both of our cruises started at 7:45 p.m.
Celebrity Summit iLounge and Internet Access
Celebrity Summit’s iLounge provides the guests with about a dozen Apple PCs for their use 24 hours a day. Knowledgeable crew staff the room from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. most days. Various fee required computer courses are conducted throughout the cruise.
Celebrity Summit iLounge and Internet Access
There are several pricing options for Internet access, ranging from the “In-and-Out” package of 38 minutes for $24.95, i.e. $0.65 per minute; to the “Involved” package of 1666 minutes for $399.95, i.e. $0.24 per minute. Captain’s Club Members get a slight discount.
If you want to use your own Internet device wirelessly, you first go the Celebrity iLounge to set up your account, and then use the “Wireless” menu option to enable wireless access. Once these steps are completed, you can access the Internet from most of the ship’s common areas and your stateroom.
You should be aware that the “speed” of the Internet aboard the ship depends on a number of factors. You can use a number of your package minutes very quickly just checking e-mails. We suggest that you do not try to transmit pictures of your cruise while on the ship; the cost (in minutes) to set up and transmit pictures can be very expensive.
Note: any Internet minutes purchased in a package are usable until 7 a.m. the day of departure; if you are staying on Celebrity Summit for another cruise, i.e. a Back-to-Back, the Internet package you purchased on the first cruise will expire at the end of that first cruise, i.e. you will have to re-register and purchase another Internet package for the second cruise.
Officer Bars
Were you ever curious about the bars on the epaulets of the officer’s jackets? We were, so we asked Celebrity Summit Hotel Director Sheldon Thompson, and he gave the following details:
Number of Bars
|
Number of Bars |
No. of Crew |
Titles | |
|
4 w/ last one a thick bar |
1 |
Master (pictured above, just below section title) | |
|
4 |
3 |
Staff Captain, Chief Engineer & Hotel Director | |
|
3 ½ |
10 |
e.g. Cruise Director, Guest Relations Manager | |
|
3 |
24 |
First Officer, e.g. Inventory Manager | |
|
2 ½ |
17 |
Senior Officer | |
|
2 |
34 |
Two Strip Officer | |
|
1 1/2 |
1 |
One Strip Officer | |
|
1 |
30 |
One Strip Officer | |
Officer Bars and Significance of Color
The Background Color of the Epaulet is also Significant – it indicates the department assignment of the crew member:
- White: Hotel crew (no symbol)
- Black: Marine crew (the epaulet has an anchor symbol)
- Burgundy: Engineering (they have a propeller symbol at the end of their epaulet) – Note: Some believe the color Burgundy is in remembrance of the Engineers that died on the Titanic
- Red: Medical crew (no symbol)
- Green: Environmental crew (their epaulet has an environmental symbol)
Read More of Jeannette and Dan Dudek’s Celebrity Summit Review:
Overview | Pre-Cruise Documentation | San Juan Airports & Embarkation | Sunset Balcony Staterooms | Dining Options | Normandie Specialty Restaurant | Qsine Specialty Restaurant | Excursions | Production Shows | Bridge & Engine Room Operation | Senior Officer Interviews | General Info | Disembarkation in San Juan |
If You Go:
Bio
Jeannette and Dan Dudek travel extensively domestically and internationally; visited over 30 countries; and have been to most U.S. states and Canadian provinces. Jeannette’s career has included teaching elementary school classes; as well as English classes for middle school students; she also as has been a business manager and accountant for several firms. Jeannette’s passion is gourmet cooking and hosting special gatherings for friends and family.
Dan spent his career as an international consultant; assisting large firms implement computerized project and portfolio management systems. Besides international travel, Jeannette and Dan enjoy traveling North America in their RV, as well as handgun competitions, sailing, hunting, hiking, biking and other outdoor sports.
