Georgia_Peaches

2 minutes ago, michigancruiser0715 said:

 

No, I’m fortunate enough to be able to afford to cruise again and the cost isn’t the principle in the matter - it’s the fact that they were clear as mud with how to use the credit and made me feel like I was asking for the moon and stars, when all I wanted was a real explanation and for them to honor what was written on paper. I also was less than impressed with the customer service regarding the situation, but oh well. I’ve had Comcast cable so I suppose I’ve dealt with worse customer service. 

 

You’re absolutely correct, at the end of the day I get a discounted cruise.

Got it...I completely understand.  I laughed out loud with the Comcast comment!

4 hours ago, michigancruiser0715 said:

 

Anyway, NCL credited our accounts with a 100% credit toward a future cruise because of the troubles. This was unexpected as it’s in the cruise contract that things like this may happen and they technically don’t owe us a dime. So, we were grateful to get anything. 

 

 

Ok, so I just want to clarify, and I'm not trying to be combative, really, I'm not.  But I believe the statement above says it all...in your own words.  You weren't expecting a dime and yet you got a voucher for another cruise.  So you get to cruise again...not completely for free because there's some fees, but you get a do over for a fraction of the cost.  I think that's awesome!  

18 hours ago, graphicguy said:

^^^^^^^

 

I still can’t see how the dealers would know how much is in the tip boxes at the ed of the day to say someone skimmed.  

 

Hospitality industry feeds off making you want to tip them, and tip them a lot.  Who does or doesn’t know what hospitality people will do or say to up their tips?

I get what you're saying...if the box isn't opened in the presence of the dealers, then how do they know that the house took 60%? 

And just to clarify, if you tip extra to make up for the difference taken by the house, how does that not have to go into "the box"?  Extra tips go directly into the dealer's pocket?  Either way, I stick with the slots...that way nobody loses except for me.  😳

And to those who say service industry workers will say anything to vie for extra tips...IDK...maybe some, but I think most just hope to be tipped fairly and to be appreciated for the work they do.

5 hours ago, cheryl525 said:

We are using the Free Air with our upcoming April Cruise - they put us on Delta there and back. I chose our seats when I received the booking information. 

Did you have a say in the flight times?  My hesitation with using the Choice Air is that we disembark at 9 AM and catch a flight that leaves at 10PM...

The retractable roof was never opened on our voyage back in November.  The courtyard is climate controlled and really pleasant.  Though we didn't spend a lot of time on the private sun deck, it was never full when we were there.  I'm sure this differs from trip to trip.  The only annoyance for me inside the Haven courtyard was the piped in background music.  I found it to be quite loud and no matter where I tried to go to catch a little nap, I couldn't seem to get away from a speaker.  

We had no issues with either embarkation or debarkation.  We were in the Haven as well.  There were lots of people in the "warehouse" for lack of a better word but lines were moving.  There wasn't much of a separation between the Haven check in line and the others but we were on the second sailing out of NOLA so they may have perfected it by now.  The Haven holding area is very sad...dingy and uninviting.  Fortunately, we weren't in that space for long.  For disembarkation, we walked off with our bags and had a Haven staff member escort us right up to security.  Took about 15 minutes from Haven lobby to parking lot.  

Thank you for your detailed review.  Really appreciate the pictures and dining/bar details.  So glad you had a good experience..this is encouraging!

I think I would be inclined to stay with the stateroom I booked.  You've picked your location based on things that are important to you and you give up that luxury with the bidding program.  As you say, you may end up with a nicer room but in a less desirable location.  We chose AQ a few years ago because of the Persian Gardens access that came with the category.  I believe you'd lose that if you were upgraded to the SS.  That's something to check on.  Good luck!

3 hours ago, TeeRick said:

There are posters who offer their opinions (which is their right) on Edge but are basing it on other peoples opinions while having no actual experience themselves.  Those are the ones that I personally choose to value less and I certainly would not cancel a cruise based on their comments.

I completely agree.  I would never cancel (or book) a cruise based on opinions of those who have never even experienced the ship, itinerary, excursion etc. for themselves.  And you can certainly find many arm chair experts on these boards who offer up opinions about which they have no personal experience.  For me, canceling boiled down to the apprehension I felt (as opposed to excitement) over some of the Edgeisms that have been reported as fact (like the impractical balcony furniture), rather than opinion.  I had to weigh the cost against what I think I would find disappointing and decided to take a wait and see approach.  My DH has "caught" me continuing to explore Edge reviews and pictures/videos and is concerned that I have regrets about canceling.  I don't have any right now but it's not going to stop me from continuing to draw from the experiences and excitement of others who will embark on the Edge.  I'm really rooting for this ship but would rather see for myself and a lower price point which I think would make having even a little bit of disappointment easier to swallow.

17 hours ago, Presto2 said:

 

 

We will go and make the most of it

 

 

 

 

I KNOW you will have a fabulous time!  By all reports and pictures, the ship is absolutely beautiful.  Had we moved forward with final payment, we would have found things to love and enjoy.  Fortunately, we had time on our side so that we could make a more informed decision about going now, or waiting until later.  

As someone else mentioned, it may behoove Celebrity to keep each class of ship, E, S, and M as unique classes within the fleet so that customers have options when choosing the Celebrity product.

I've followed along with some pretty thorough and balanced reviews of the recently launched Celebrity Edge.  I am ever so appreciative of the comprehensive pictures, details, and even personalized answers to individual questions that have been provided by VTCruising and a few others.  It pains me to admit that the closer I got to final payment, which was 12/26, the less excited I felt about this ship.  And that's HUGE considering that on any given day, I'd trade my first born for an opportunity to get away on a cruise...ok, well maybe not my first born, but you get the idea.  After reading everything I could get my eyes on, I remained troubled about spending $7k on an S2 on the Edge.  Recent pricing for my March 31 sailing on Edge has S2's at $5500pp so by those prices, my $7k was a pretty good deal (we booked in August, 2017).  But later in the year (2019), DH and I are booked in a RS on Silhouette for 9 nights and the cost of that is still less than current S2 pricing on Edge.  There are certain things I've come to count on when traveling on an S class ship and in a suite...that I don't think have quite translated over to the Edge.  To name a few... 

• a balcony table that's big enough to have breakfast
• balcony loungers or comfortable seating
• a ship library
• intimate cocktail lounge areas ideal for conversation
• reasonable charge for Thermal suite pass

So, for now at least, I'm going to back off the Edge and wait a while to see how both reviews and prices shape up over the next year.  Maybe by then the price will have stabilized along with some of the reported issues so that we can consider her again in the future. Many thanks to those who have taken precious vacation time to document their journey.  I will continue to read and follow along and wish all my fellow X cruisers safe travels.

Thank you for the information.  I spent the better part of an evening researching the Seaside and have also put a temporary hold on a YC suite.  Final payment for the spring break itinerary is 12/29.  So the dilemma is whether or not to keep our reservation on the Edge for the same time frame (final payment is 12/26) or cancel it and go with Seaside.  Both ships offer mixed reviews...but MSC is $1700 cheaper and offers $325 OBC while Edge has $1025 OBC.  I guess a discussion for a different thread...but again, thank you for the feedback!

Am considering giving MCS Yacht Club a try as have seen on some NCL boards that it has a better all around product than their Haven.  Was wondering if you could outline the Yacht Club experience as it relates:

• embarkation/debarkation
• butler experience
• YC private areas
• any additional perks you enjoyed

Thank you so much! 

Our last 7 nighter on Breakaway had 4 ports and 2 sea days.  We didn't get off the ship in Belize because we prefer more sea days.  I think there is a lot of behinds the scenes stuff that goes on with planning for ports and the logistics associated with the scheduling.  So I'm not sure they're doing it because they can, I think it has  more to do with what's available at the time the itineraries are built.  But I could be way off.  For me, more sea days are a bonus so I've never really taken the time to investigate the inner workings.  Maybe look into a small ship?  Good luck...

On 12/10/2018 at 4:42 AM, Sara_smile said:

You are not correct.  They had no special passes to enter the Haven.  As someone else pointed out, the inaugural Alaskan Bliss cruise was packed with NCL VIP's, etc.  They assumed because they had a prior VIP treatment it was going to happen again as if they are that special.  That is a huge clarifier that needs pointed out.  Adrian was shooing Haven guests to Margaritaville because there was no room.  Why would non-Haven guests with no prior authorization be allowed in dine in the Haven.

Although I stopped watching at about 10 minutes in, I gathered that they were escorted to the Haven via special access from the pier.  Seems like this error began with the private escort to the Haven area and this was, in their view, interpreted as special access.  They should have never been taken there prior to verifying with the Haven concierge, in this case Adrian.

On 12/19/2018 at 12:37 PM, ohhbother said:

 

I feel qualified to speak to this, as I sailed in a balcony cabin on Bliss in October and an IV cabin on Edge in December. To me, there is no comparison. Bliss has balconies. Edge has oceanview cabins with windows that open. You step outdoors on Bliss. You do not in an IV cabin on Edge. I'm a pretty loyal Celebrity cruiser, but Bliss is a better ship than Edge, in my humble opinion. We're booked in an S1 for a week on Edge in April for a week in the Haven on Bliss in May -- looking forward to comparing them again. I never expected to like Bliss more (it was our first NCL cruise), but I did. We'll see if our experiences this spring change that opinion.

WOW!  You almost took the words right out of my mouth.  We were on Breakaway in the Haven over Thanksgiving and that experience left me thinking that I never expected to like it more than Celebrity...but I did.  We are on the Edge in an S2 over spring break...and like you, I will be making a comparison and going from there.

The maddening lesson to be learned here, by all cruisers, (unfortunately, at the OP's expense) is that one can assume nothing.  The notice received by the OP gave a number to call in the event of questions.  By reading this thread I've learned that despite my 20+ years of cruising, I might have easily done as the OP did: decide that a 5 day trip wasn't cost effective, taken what I thought was a 2-day refund and the 5-night loss and try again at a later time.  NOW I know to call the number and ask questions....even if I think I already know the answers.  Bottom line...always call the number.  OP, the circumstances are unfortunate.  Despite many of the comments here, the misunderstanding could have happened to anyone.

56 minutes ago, Costa canary said:

This sounds good , are you drinking this on the rocks or frozen ? 

My favorite cocktail is a strawberry margarita on the rocks .

No, this is definitely on the rocks and with a nice salt rim.

19 minutes ago, Monica887 said:

Good tip, though they're sold out already for my date.

 

Through the cruise line for the water park looks like $600 for a family of four. 

$600 for a family of four is less than it used to be (I've seen it for $200 PP)...but still very expensive.  The Comfort Inn will be about half that.  Keep checking for cancellations.  Something may become available.  This is truly the least expensive option I've found.  Keep in mind that although the passes are included in the price of the room, you have to go to Atlantis Coral Tower excursion desk to get your wrist bands...which is a little trek from the Comfort Inn.  I hope you find tickets.  If we do noting else, we go to Atlantis so the Kids (now grown ups) can spend the day in the water park.

I was introduced to the "Golden Margarita" on Breakaway.  My new favorite drink:

• golden tequila
• splash of sour mix
• splash of OJ
• twist of lime
• Grand marnier topper

I must confess... if there’s a pause in the flow of the line, I’ve been known to snatch a few pieces of bacon. 

Was on Breakaway over Thanksgiving and found embarkation to very much as you described...chaotic.  I chalked it up to the shore side staff being new.  As for the service on your sailing, I do know that many, many ship crew ended their contract when we returned and a new crew boarded for the 11/25 sailing...just the week prior to yours.  (we actually saw them lined up in the ship yard waiting to process into the ship as we disembarked.) The lack of service may have been a result of the new crew and the associated learning curve.  We were also in the Haven and experienced excellent service in those areas as well.  It's a bummer that folks got sick.  Thanks for the review!

Just off Breakaway in November. Did not get a Haven concierge pre-cruise phone call. You can reach out in advance if you have special requests that need to be arranged in advance. We found our Haven experience to be exceptional and wanted for nothing. 

Am I the only one wondering how someone else’s lock got on the OP’s luggage?  What did I miss?

I bring 2 bathing suit tops and 3 bottoms that I can mix and match.  I bring several casual dresses that can be worn ashore, as a cover up, or to dinner.  I bring some athletic wear and a couple pair of flowing pants that give me room to grow .  I always bring one more outfit than I actually need so I can have options.  Shoes:  silver sandals, black sandals, sneakers, flip flops for the pool.  Have a fabulous time on your first cruise!