As you may have seen on Snapchat this past Sunday (username: astylishsideprj), I had the opportunity to spend the day on the Celebrity Cruise Summit ship! I've never been on a cruise before, and had no idea what to expect, but I'll admit I did have a bit of a preconceived notion about cruises. In my mind they were a little cheesy, for an older crowd, and the food was the type of food you would expect at an all-inclusive Mexican resort. Read: inedible. HOWEVER, my mind was totally blown away by Celebrity Cruises and all that they have to offer. Let me take you through a play by play of my afternoon spent aboard the Summit!
11:15am Ohhh I get a special ID card. And I also get reminded 37 times that I must have it on at all times. Security on this ship is the real deal.
11:30am Our group is led up to the upper deck of the ship, which has the most stunning views of NYC (the Summit is docked for half of the year in Bayonne, NJ). There are cabanas and lounge chairs everywhere, and we are greeted with the newest version of Veuve Cliquot, called Cliquot Rich. Bonus points to Celebrity Cruises, because as you all know by now, my one true love is Veuve (ha! I crack myself up). They are the only cruise line in the country to carry this special new champagne, and it is absolutely amazing!
11:45am Did someone say stunning views of NYC? Allie, you better get your camera out! "Take one of me looking out at the city!!"
12:00pm I am introduced to Captain Kate McCue, the first American female cruise ship captain. She is so sweet, and just such an inspirational woman! I hope to cruise with her in the future! PS check out her Instagram, @captainkatemccue :)
12:30pm We are led inside for a brunch prepared by Michelin-starred chef Cornelius Gallagher, who is the associate VP of food and beverage operations for Celebrity. Let's just say my previous thoughts on cruise food were completely uninformed. This brunch was something you could expect in a five star NYC restaurant. Amazing and unique egg dishes, cheeses, meats, breads, and pastries. There was even a sushi and oyster bar!! While mimosas were my drink of choice, I heard the Bloody Mary's were amazing (I've listed the recipe below for ya'll!). They even smoked the glasses! I definitely did not leave this brunch hungry.
1:30pm On to our next activity! We are led downstairs to the Italian restaurant on board for a wine blending class, turned wine blending competition with Blendtique Wines! It's a good thing finance and math wiz Elena was in our group to calculate our custom blend, because all Dana, Allie, and myself are good for at this point is drinking the wine ;)
2:15pm The judges are tasting each groups custom blend. Fingers crossed ours wins! We named it M.A.D.E. NYC for each of our initials (Mollie, Allie, Dana, Elena)!
2:25pm Wait... Did they just say the winner is M.A.D.E. NYC?! OMG WE WON!!!
2:26pm Should we all quit our jobs and open a wine company??
2:27pm Probably not. But we do have bragging rights for awhile.
2:30pm It's almost time to leave! But not before I'm served a latte with my face printed on it! There was literally a photo of me printed on the top of the latte. I've seen some crazy latte art before, but nothing like this. Celebrity Cruises is one of the only places you can see this kind of technology. They create the image of your face with coffee grounds! It was such a personalized and unique touch, which by now I have come to learn is what Celebrity Cruises is all about.
2:35pm It's officially time to go, the Summit is leaving in a few hours for Bermuda. I spend a good amount of time brainstorming ways to stay on the ship...
2:45pm I've got nothing. Mostly because I forgot to pack a swimsuit and the weeks change of clothes that I would need for a cruise. Next time I will be much more prepared ;)
A huge THANK YOU to Celebrity Cruises for hosting such a fabulous event! If you are looking into booking a cruise in the near future, I can't recommend them enough!
Have any of ya'll ever been on a cruise? I would love to hear more!
