Celebrity Summit
A Millennium-class cruise ship operated by Celebrity Cruises.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Celebrity Summit is a Millennium-class cruise ship owned and operated by Celebrity Cruises, part of Royal Caribbean Group. Built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire, France, the ship entered service in 2001 and was originally known simply as Summit. Celebrity added the company name to the vessel's name in 2008, creating the current identity, Celebrity Summit. The ship was designed as one of the early large cruise vessels to use gas-turbine propulsion. Its machinery includes two General Electric LM2500+ gas turbines, Rolls-Royce Mermaid azimuthing electric pod propulsion units, and three bow thrusters. The propulsion pods experienced reliability problems early in the ship's career, although later upgrades and operating experience improved their performance. The arrangement helped distinguish the Millennium class from many conventionally powered cruise ships and formed part of Celebrity Cruises' early effort to use a comparatively lower-emission propulsion technology for a large passenger vessel. Celebrity Summit's original interior followed the design language of the Millennium class. One of its restaurants incorporated artifacts associated with the French ocean liner Normandie, including decorative panels and a bronze statue known as La Normandie. Celebrity Cruises had acquired the statue from the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel. The statue was later removed from the main dining room during the ship's 2019 refurbishment. A major refit in 2012 cost approximately US$16 million and added cabins while increasing the ship's gross tonnage to 90,940 and its stated double-occupancy capacity to 2,158 passengers. A further refurbishment in 2019 involved about three weeks in dry dock followed by shipyard work. The project refurbished existing cabins and suites and added 30 cabins, raising the stated double-occupancy capacity to 2,218. The ship has operated a range of seasonal itineraries. Its documented routes have included departures from Bayonne, New Jersey, and San Juan for Bermuda and Caribbean destinations, as well as voyages connecting Vancouver, Seward, Alaska, and San Pedro, California. Planned or announced deployments have also included sailings from Miami to Mexico and the Bahamas. As a long-serving Millennium-class vessel, Celebrity Summit represents Celebrity Cruises' premium ocean-cruise offering for guests seeking resort-style accommodation, dining, entertainment, and port itineraries on a midsize-to-large cruise ship.
History
Celebrity Summit was constructed for Celebrity Cruises by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire, France, and entered service in 2001. It belongs to the Millennium class, a group of Celebrity Cruises ships developed around a design combining premium hospitality spaces with a comparatively advanced gas-turbine propulsion system. At the time, Celebrity Summit was among the large cruise ships using gas turbines as a primary power source, supported by electric pod propulsion and bow thrusters. The vessel originally operated under the shorter name Summit. Celebrity Cruises renamed it Celebrity Summit in 2008 as part of a broader naming convention that placed the brand name before the individual ship name. Its interior included a historical reference to the French liner Normandie. Decorative panels and a bronze statue called La Normandie were displayed in one of the ship's restaurants; the statue had previously been acquired from the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel. The artifact was removed from the main dining room during the 2019 refurbishment. The ship's propulsion system consists of two General Electric LM2500+ gas turbines and two Rolls-Royce Mermaid azimuthing electric pod units, supplemented by three bow thrusters. The pods were unreliable during the early part of the vessel's career, but upgrades and operational experience subsequently improved their reliability. The propulsion arrangement remained a defining technical feature of the ship. Celebrity Summit received a significant refit in 2012. The work included the creation of additional cabins and resulted in reported gross tonnage of 90,940 and double-occupancy capacity of 2,158 passengers. In March 2017, the ship required an unscheduled dry dock to address a propulsion issue. The disruption led to the cancellation of one cruise and the shortening of another. A more extensive refurbishment took place in 2019. Existing cabins and suites were refurbished, and 30 additional cabins were installed. The reported double-occupancy capacity after the project was 2,218. The work also changed elements of the ship's public-area presentation, including the removal of the Normandie statue from the main dining room. The ship has served several regional deployment patterns. Documented operations have included cruises from Bayonne, New Jersey, and San Juan to Bermuda and the Caribbean. Other itineraries have connected Vancouver, Canada, with Seward, Alaska, and San Pedro, California, while some voyages have run from Seward to Vancouver. The vessel has also had planned deployments from Miami to Mexico and the Bahamas. These changes in home port and itinerary reflect the seasonal deployment model common to contemporary cruise fleets. Celebrity Summit has also been associated with notable operational incidents. In summer 2006, the ship arrived in Seward with a dead humpback whale on its bow. In April 2010, passenger Bob Gricius fell overboard and reportedly survived by swimming for approximately 17 hours to Cayo Lobos, near Fajardo, Puerto Rico. These events form part of the ship's documented operational history but do not by themselves establish a broader corporate controversy.
- 2019
Cabin and suite refurbishment
[1]The ship underwent a substantial refurbishment that updated cabins and suites and added 30 cabins.
- 2017
Unscheduled propulsion dry dock
[1]A propulsion problem led to an unscheduled dry dock, a canceled cruise, and a shortened cruise.
- 2012
Capacity expansion refit
[1]A reported US$16 million refit added cabins and increased the vessel's tonnage and passenger capacity.
- 2010
Passenger overboard survival
[1]Passenger Bob Gricius fell overboard and was reported to have reached Cayo Lobos after approximately 17 hours in the water.
- 2008
Ship renamed Celebrity Summit
[1]The vessel formerly known as Summit adopted the Celebrity Summit name.
- 2006
Arrival in Seward with whale on bow
[1]Celebrity Summit arrived in Seward, Alaska, with a dead humpback whale on its bow.
- 2001
Construction and entry into service
[1]Chantiers de l'Atlantique completed the Millennium-class ship at Saint-Nazaire, France, for Celebrity Cruises.
Products and positioning
Premium cruise ship offering multi-day leisure voyages, onboard hospitality, dining, entertainment, and destination-based itineraries.
Millennium-class cruise ship · 2001
Celebrity Summit
Celebrity Summit is a large ocean-going passenger ship offering accommodation, restaurants, public lounges, entertainment, and cruise activities. Its itineraries have included Bermuda, the Caribbean, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, and the Bahamas. The ship is notable for gas-turbine machinery, electric pod propulsion, and multiple rounds of cabin and public-area refurbishment. It serves as an individual vessel and a branded hospitality product within Celebrity Cruises' fleet.
Brand decisions
2019
Comprehensive refurbishmentGeneration changeBackground
Celebrity Cruises undertook another shipyard program to refresh guest accommodation and expand available cabins.
Action taken
Existing cabins and suites were refurbished and 30 new cabins were added. The Normandie statue was removed from the main dining room.
Aftermath
The reported double-occupancy capacity increased to 2,218 passengers.
2017
Unscheduled propulsion repairOtherBackground
A propulsion problem required the ship to leave its normal schedule for technical work.
Action taken
Celebrity Summit entered an unscheduled dry dock for propulsion-related work.
Aftermath
One cruise was canceled and another was shortened.
2012
Capacity-expanding refitGeneration changeBackground
Celebrity Cruises invested in updating the ship and increasing its accommodation inventory.
Action taken
The company carried out a reported US$16 million refit that added cabins and increased gross tonnage and double-occupancy capacity.
Aftermath
The reported capacity rose to 2,158 passengers at double occupancy and gross tonnage to 90,940.
Refit cost. US$16 million (2012 refit)
2008
Adoption of the Celebrity Summit nameStrategyBackground
The ship had originally entered service as Summit, while Celebrity Cruises increasingly used a consistent brand prefix across its fleet.
Action taken
The vessel was renamed Celebrity Summit.
Aftermath
The renamed ship continued operating as a Celebrity Cruises Millennium-class vessel.
Recent events
- 2019
Celebrity Summit undergoes 2019 refurbishment[1]
Product generation
The ship spent approximately three weeks in dry dock and additional time at a shipyard for cabin and suite refurbishment and the addition of 30 cabins.
- 2017
Propulsion issue causes unscheduled dry dock[1]
Other
Celebrity Summit underwent an unscheduled dry-dock period because of a propulsion problem. One cruise was canceled and another was shortened.
- 2012
Celebrity Summit receives major 2012 refit[1]
Product generation
A refit added cabins and increased the ship's gross tonnage and reported double-occupancy capacity.
- 2008
Summit renamed Celebrity Summit[1]
Other
Celebrity Cruises added the company's name prefix to the vessel, changing Summit's official service name to Celebrity Summit.
- 2001
Celebrity Summit enters service after construction in France[1]
Product launch
The Millennium-class ship was built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire and entered Celebrity Cruises' fleet under the name Summit.
Sources1 sources
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