Celebrity Summit

The 2001-built Celebrity Summit cruise ship is the third Millennium-class vessel in the Celebrity Cruises fleet, alongside sisterships Constellation, Infinity, and Millennium. Celebrity Summit was scheduled for her "Celebrity Revolution" drydock refurbishment on March 23, 2019.

The vessel (IMO number 9192387) is currently Malta-flagged (MMSI 249047000) and registered in Valletta.

History - construction and ownership

Celebrity Cruises was established in 1988 as the Greece-based Chandris Line (which operated cruise ships between 1974 and 1996). In 1997, Royal Caribbean International (RCI) merged with "Celebrity Cruises Ltd" to form "Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd" (RCCL). The iconic "X" on Celebrity ship funnels is the Greek letter chi, symbolizing "Chandris." Common features across Celebrity ships include glass-walled aft dining rooms, specialty restaurants and lounges, large atrium lobbies, a high percentage of balcony staterooms, expansive sundecks with pools, The Retreat (adults-only sundeck with pool, Jacuzzi, cabanas, and bar), Rooftop Terrace (outdoor lounge/restaurant/cinema), full-service spas with thermal suites, and premium retail shops.

The 2,200-passenger Celebrity Summit was built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in St Nazaire, France and launched as "GTS Summit." She was renamed "Celebrity Summit" in 2008. One of her unique features is a dining venue decorated with original ornamentation from the SS Normandie, including the bronze statue "La Normandie," purchased in 2001 from the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami, Florida.

Decks and Cabins

Celebrity Summit staterooms (1,079 total across 28 categories) include 50 Suites, 573 Balcony, 244 Oceanview, and 212 Inside cabins. Most staterooms measure 170 ft² / 16 m², and about 60% feature a private step-out balcony (typically sized at 40 ft² / 4 m²). There are 26 wheelchair-accessible cabins. The largest accommodations are the Penthouse Suites, sized at 1,430 ft² / 133 m² with a 1,100 ft² / 102 m² wraparound terrace.

The ship has 12 passenger decks, including 8 with staterooms.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

The two-level Cosmopolitan Restaurant features elegant décor highlighted by the 7-foot bronze statue "La Normandie," depicting a woman draped like the goddess Athena. Sculpted by Art Deco artist Leon-Georges Baudry, the statue originally adorned the smoking room of the SS Normandie. The venue also features a dramatic staircase and a two-deck glass wall offering panoramic views. Blu is an exclusive dining venue for AquaClass guests, offering spa-inspired cuisine with lighter fare and smaller portions. The Oceanview Café serves buffet-style breakfast, lunch, and dinner with carving stations, pasta, pizza, antipasti, omelets, and international dishes including British and Indian specialties.

Complete list of Celebrity Summit restaurants and food venues:

• Normandie Restaurant (134-seat reservations-only specialty venue offering French and American cuisine, a Five Senses tasting menu, Champagne High Tea, live cooking demonstrations, and a wine cellar annex). Replaced in 2016 by Tuscan Grille (Italian steakhouse serving fresh pasta, Italian cocktails and wines, and dry-aged USDA steaks).
• Cosmopolitan Restaurant (1,111-seat aft dining room with open seating for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and two fixed dinner seatings at 6:00 and 8:30 p.m.)
• Bistro on Five (60-seat all-you-can-eat creperie, open for lunch and dinner with table service)
• Blu (102-seat AquaClass-only venue, reservations required; suite guests may dine based on availability)
• AquaSpa Café (122-seat self-service health-focused venue located in the Solarium; open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
• Waterfall Café & Grill (679-seat indoor/outdoor buffet open from 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. for all meals)
• Mast Bar (poolside burger bar with complimentary lunch options)
• Qsine (84-seat specialty dinner venue, reservations recommended)
• Rooftop Terrace (added in 2016 on Deck 12) – an outdoor bar lounge with modular furniture and cabanas, transformed at night with lighting and a large LED screen for movies and themed dining experiences

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Celebrity Summit offers a calm and refined atmosphere. A highlight is her partnership with Cirque du Soleil for immersive evening experiences featuring music, visual effects, specialty cocktails, and hors d'oeuvres. The ship also features a state-of-the-art gym and 16 treatment rooms. The Aquadome and Riviera area includes four pools, two air beds, six whirlpools, a bandstand, dance floor, sun shop, and buffet for poolside snacks. Recreational activities include basketball, football, table tennis, volleyball, a golf simulator, and a jogging track.

Complete list of Celebrity Summit lounges, clubs, and entertainment venues for all ages:

• Summit Theatre (900-seat main show lounge hosting musicals, trivia, bingo, movies, and classes)
• Summit Atrium “Grand Foyer” (three-deck open space with live music)
• Michael’s Club (piano bar), Martini Bar, Crush Bar (featuring a 12-seat ice table)
• Photo Gallery & Shop
• Summit Fortunes Casino
• Celebrity iLounge (24-hour Internet center and Apple store; offers enrichment classes)
• Rendez-Vous Lounge & Nightclub
• The Emporium (Atrium shops offering duty-free items, luxury brands, and logo merchandise)
• Café al Bacio & Gelateria (63-seat a la carte coffee and dessert bar with Italian Gelato)
• Cellar Masters (24-hour wine bar with Enomatic dispensers and Sommelier consultations)
• Art Gallery, Library, and Cinema
• Acupuncture Treatment Room; AquaSpa & Fitness Center with Persian Garden (Thermal Suite with rain shower, steam room, sauna, heated loungers), treatment rooms, beauty salon, Solarium, and AquaSpa Café
• Fitness Center with aerobics studio
• Solarium Pool (adults-only Thalassotherapy and lap pool, 2 whirlpools)
• Waterfall Pool (kids splash pool, 4 whirlpools, outdoor bar, and grill)
• Sunset Bar (alfresco venue with cigars)
• Revelations Lounge (observation lounge by day, dance club by night)
• Kids Clubs by age: Fun Factory (3-11), Shipmates (3-5), Cadets (6-8), Ensigns (9-11); activities include crafts, parties, games, movies, scavenger hunts
• X-Club (teen lounge and disco), Video Arcade
• Shuffleboard, table tennis, jogging track, outdoor sports court, and Sun Deck

In 2023, Celebrity introduced pickleball courts fleetwide. Complimentary equipment (nets, paddles, balls) is provided. Playing times are scheduled separately for adults and families (children 6+). Court locations vary by ship class—on EDGE-class: Rooftop Garden (Deck 15), on SOLSTICE-class: Sports Deck (Deck 15), on MILLENNIUM-class: Multi-Sports Court (Deck 12).

Itineraries

Celebrity Summit's itinerary program includes 7-day Caribbean roundtrips from San Juan, Puerto Rico. During the summer, she sails to Bermuda from Cape Liberty, New Jersey, and also operates Fall Foliage cruises to Canada and New England.

In 2017, Summit introduced Bermuda voyages from Bayonne NJ and a 9-day Canada-New England route. In 2018, she homeported in Fort Lauderdale, offering 4-day cruises to Key West and Nassau, and 5-day sailings to Key West and Cozumel.

In 2019, her expanded North American season featured 19 destinations across 7 countries, with more than 12-hour stays in 39 ports and record 56 extended stops. New 10-day summer itineraries included Charleston SC and Bermuda. A 7-day Bermuda cruise also included Newport RI and a sail-by of Liberty Island. In August, she operated two 14-day Transatlantic cruises—NYC to Dublin and return—marking Celebrity's debut in Greenland (Prins Christian Sund, Qaqortoq). After summer, she homeported in Boston for 10- to 12-day Canada/New England cruises.

Celebrity Summit’s 2023 itinerary program (August to October) included 11-night one-way voyages between Boston MA and Quebec City, visiting New England and Canadian ports, including Rockland ME (fleet debut) and overnight stays in Quebec City. Later in the season, she offered 7- to 10-night Bermuda roundtrips from New York (Cape Liberty Bayonne), with stops in Newport RI, Charleston SC, and Martha's Vineyard. Following Bermuda, two 12-night cruises visited Iceland and Greenland—eastbound from NYC and westbound from Reykjavik, Iceland.

The vessel (Chantiers de l’Atlantique yard, hull number T31) has a volume of 91,003 GT, a DWT of 11,788 tons, and a maximum draft of 8.3 m. The powerplant features twin gas turbine generators (two General Electric/GE gas turbines) with a combined power output of 50 MW. The registered shipowner is CELEBRITY SUMMIT INC, while the vessel is operated by CELEBRITY CRUISES INC.

Celebrity Cruises' Summit is part of the Millennium-class, along with her sisterships Constellation, Infinity, and Millennium.

Originally named "GTS Summit," she is the third Millennium-class vessel, with her inaugural cruise (maiden voyage) on October 1, 2001.

The Summit cruise ship underwent a major drydock refurbishment ("Solsticized") in January 2012. During the 3-week drydock, all public areas and staterooms were renovated, with 60 new cabins and 107 AquaClass cabins added. AquaClass guests enjoy complimentary access to the Blu specialty restaurant and the Persian Garden thermal suite. Cabin bathrooms feature Hansgrohe spa showers. Other Solstice-class upgrades included the transformation of the Champagne Bar into the Martini Bar, replacement of the Conservatory Lounge with Qsine, and conversion of the Internet Café into the iLounge.

A unique feature of the Summit is that her main dining room is adorned with original ornamentation and panels from the SS Normandie (a 1932-built ocean liner), including the "LA NORMANDIE" bronze statue, purchased from the Fontainebleau Hotel in 2001.

Celebrity Summit refurbishment 2019 review

The ship’s most recent drydock was held from January 6–26, 2025, at the Freeport Bahamas Grand Bahama Shipyard. The project focused primarily on routine maintenance and classification works, machinery overhauls, hull cleaning and repainting, and general hotel upkeep.

The March 2019 drydock (also at Grand Bahama Shipyard) resulted in the following updates:

The vessel received Celebrity's new color scheme on the hull and superstructure.

All passenger staterooms were redesigned in collaboration with Hirsch Bedner Associates (USA) and Kelly Hoppen (UK), creating a boutique hotel atmosphere. Cabins were upgraded with "Celebrity eXhale" bedding featuring cashmere mattresses, RFID electronic locks, Xcelerate high-speed Internet, and Bluetooth functionality.

Qsine Restaurant was completely redesigned to offer "Le Petit Chef," a virtual dining and entertainment experience created by Skullmapping and presented by TableMation Studios—exclusive to Celebrity Cruises.

The Main Dining Rooms, Oceanview Café (buffet), and Sunset Bar were redesigned and updated with new textures and finishes.

The spa was expanded with an upgraded SEA Thermal Suite.

The retail area was enhanced with luxury brands, including Hublot (Swiss watches) and Shinola (watches, jewelry, and leather goods).

Luminae Restaurant (exclusive to suite guests) was redesigned, and new custom menus by Chef Cornelius Gallagher were introduced.

The Retreat, an adults-only sundeck, was added, featuring a full-size swimming pool, Jacuzzi, whirlpool, private cabanas, padded loungers, and poolside bar service offering food and beverages.

Most public venues, including all bars and lounges, were renovated. Notable updates included the Passport Bar (Atrium lounge) and the Gastrobar (featuring over 40 craft beers).

The refurbishment project was overseen by Trimline (UK).

Summit became the second ship in the fleet (after Millennium) to be upgraded under the "Celebrity Revolution" renovation program, which was budgeted at USD 500 million and scheduled from 2019 to 2023.