The Celebrity Summit recently marked a quarter century with Celebrity Cruises, having been delivered to the brand on August 31, 2001.
As the third ship in Celebrity’s Millennium class, the vessel was built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in St. Nazaire, France.
Following a transatlantic crossing with no guests onboard, the Summit began its inaugural season in Fort Lauderdale on October 1, 2001.
The inaugural sailing for the 1,950-passenger ship was an 11-night voyage to the Western Caribbean and Florida, with calls in Key West, Cozumel, Puerto Limón, Colón and Grand Cayman.
Sailing roundtrip from Port Everglades, the vessel offered 10- and 11-night cruises throughout that first season.
Beyond the Western Caribbean, the Summit’s early itineraries also featured Eastern Caribbean calls in St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Kitts, St. Thomas and more.
In 2002, the ship repositioned to the West Coast for Panama Canal and Hawaii sailings, followed by a summer season in Alaska.
The Summit kept to a similar deployment pattern until 2008, when it made its European debut with a season in the Mediterranean.
Over the years, the ship has also sailed to Bermuda, Canada, New England and the Bahamas.
In 2019, the Summit underwent a major refurbishment as part of the Celebrity Revolution fleet modernization program.
The 91,000-ton ship emerged from the project with redesigned staterooms, reimagined restaurants and upgraded bars and lounges.
Since returning to Alaska in 2021, the Summit has spent most of its time in North America, Bermuda and the Caribbean.
Looking ahead, the ship is scheduled to sail from Tampa for the 2026-27 winter season before heading back to Alaska for the summer of 2027.
