pink tulip

We are just off the Edge and we both dressed up EVERY night! DH wore a jacket each night but the last and did not feel out of place. I was pleasantly surprised that most dressed very nicely especially on chic nights. Dress in what makes you feel the most elevated.

I don't have photos but here is the video we took as we dropped our bags. It wasn't 100% ready at the time but still looked good. Cruise Room video.MOV Cruise Room video.MOV

We were thinking of trying Royal next. I have always been deterred because of the kids and the 6000 guests and the logistics that go with that. But I think we are ready to try it. The Edge, from what I was told, was at 80% capacity which I believe is 3500 and it never felt crowded except at the pool on sea days. I would like to sail an itinerary I don't really care about so we can make it all about the ship and really take advantage of all that Royal offers for fun.

After 7 years off from cruising we (husband and another couple) sailed on the Edge November 11-21. This was to use up our credit from the canceled cruise on the Refection in March 2020. We are in our mid forties and our friends in their fifty's. My husband and I have cruised only 8 times before, mostly with Celebrity but also on Holland America, Princess and Carnival. Needless to say we were very excited to be aboard Celebrity once again after such a long hiatus. Despite the threat of tropical storm Nicole possibly delaying our flights from Canada we embarked on schedule with the sun shining. I thought I would share my thoughts on our experience since I so enjoy reading others here on Cruise Critic. We stayed in room 8104 which is at the very front of the ship in a deluxe ocean view. I really quite liked the room itself with the huge floor to ceiling window that offered amazing views, especially as we entered ports. It felt a bit bigger than the average room because of the slant of the window. However we have always stayed midship before and being this far forward you do indeed feel the ship move a lot more. It was also quite rocky the first few days on board, probably due to the residual effects of the storm. This worried me but despite really feeling the ship move, with our Dramamine tablets ingested we were fine. Also being that far forward meant more walking as most things are at the rear of the ship. Another thing to note is were were right above staff quarters and after talking to a few they mentioned they have a staff bar near there and the noise in the early morning hours of partying got so bad our friends, who were two door down, eventually moved to another room after several complaints to customer service. I didn't notice it too badly from our room but I also wore earplugs. When the ship is entering and especially leaving port it is very loud with lots of shaking. This also wasn't a huge issue for me and I learned to expect it but my husband was not impressed, another reason to move midship for next time. I was very impressed with the storage! We don't pack light and there was a space for everything! Bathrooms were fabulous! Our room strewed was great and one of things I absolutely love about cruising is literally every time you come back to your room its been fixed up! Perfection!! The room our friends moved into was a verandah stateroom. None of us really liked the new design with just the window that opens. Personally I would not book this room, there is just something about a traditional balcony that is superior but I know lots love them. Perhaps a sunset verandah might be nice next time! The Edge is beautifully decorated and I enjoyed all the artwork and also the design of Eden. The haunted forest (what we called it) you walk through to get to Eden was also great fun! The martini bar was nice too but I miss the ice covered bar in the older ships. Although this space is lively and elegant it doesn't offer the wow factor found on other ships that have much larger atriums and glass elevators and massive staircases etc. You just felt like you were in a hotel lobby bar. A nice hotel but it wasn't impressive. Most nights the crowd spilled into the café space that was just above. This space offered comfortable seating and you could still enjoy the entertainment from the martini bar but you were unable to order anything but what the coffee shop offered in the form of beverages. I don't understand why they can't bring martinis or other drinks when that bar is so close. We didn't participate or join many of the activities in the club because we were usually eating from about 8-1030 each night and napping and getting ready before that. We did make it to the ABBA sing along which was great fun! But other then that I cannot comment on the other activities offered. We made it to two shows. The Billy Joel entertainer and the final show called Colors. I'm sorry to say I was very disappointed in the entertainment. Even the singers in the martini bar were just ok. The Billy Joel show was underwhelming and probably the worst performer I have heard sing his songs. The singing in the mini musical Colors was almost unbearable. The aerialists were the best part. I guess I just remember the entertainment being better, its definitely not Broadway. It would be a nice addition for Celebrity to add a comedy lounge and a late night comedian to perform after the late show. I miss the piano bars on the older ships as they were my favorite place to go after dinner. We did hit the casino a few nights for some roulette and actually didn't break the bank. But most importantly had great fun and the staff there was amazing! The acoustic performances in Eden was the best entertainment by far on this sailing, it always drew a crowd. In regards to Celebrities new dining arrangements...we had anytime dining but made reservations for each night to eat in the four restaurants twice. We chose anytime dining hoping to get a 7/7:30 reservation as 6 is too early and 830 a tad late. This was not possible. I'm not sure if they just don't allow for reservations at those times or we just didn't book early enough (about two months out). So we ended up eating at 8 or 830 anyway. I really am not a fan of the four restaurants replacing the two level dining room with the grand staircase I loved to walk down each night. I miss sitting at the same assigned table with the few others you would get to know throughout the cruise and all discuss what you did that day. I miss having the same wait staff that knows your preferences after the first few nights, I miss the baked Alaska performance on the last night and the huge buffet they would put out with ice and food sculptors. The service in the main dining rooms ranged from average to abysmal. The 'sommeliers" were definitely not trained and really offered nothing but slow service. This is with exception in Eden and the Steakhouse. We dined at Eden twice and the Steakhouse once. We absolutely loved them both for their menu and service. Eden's dishes were art and the cocktails worth the upcharge. The steakhouse mac and cheese was the best I have ever had! We tried to reserve again but they were all booked up. The food in the main dining rooms was also very good but the poor service took away from the whole experience. The French onion soup was a group favorite. Book the specialty restaurants you won't be disappointed! But I would suggest getting your reservations before you board. One more thing to note about food on this ship, between 11am and 12pm there is no where to eat except maybe the mast grill which in itself is lacking. This was extremely frustrating for me as I don't necessarily want to get up early for breakfast. At no time on any cruise ship should you be without several options for food. With a few adjustments Celebrity could remedy this. Have a panini, cold salad and soup bar in Eden available from 10am-midnight they have the space use it! Have the pizza also available 10am-1am. Have the juice bar in the pool area also open at least from 7am-6pm. The mast grill should offer more options such as wings, nacho's chicken fingers, smokies. The rooftop grill was never open. Raw on 5 seemed empty most of the time. Perhaps use the space for takeout sushi and an oyster champagne bar. The buffet offered plenty of delicious options but it was the same options everyday for breakfast lunch and dinner. Maybe switch it up a bit? Perhaps this is a staffing issue and in future sailing it will improve. My husband and I enjoy dressing up each night and we were really looking forward taking advantage of all the photo opportunity's Celebrity provides. Unfortunately the photographers were not what I remember. There used to be so many more options, locations and backgrounds. Several of our pictures had closed eyes or something else that could have been adjusted if they would have taken the time to care. They just kept pushing for the photo shoot that was a huge upcharge. On sea days it was a challenge but not impossible to find a chair. We didn't get in the pool or hot tubs. There was always someone around with a cart offering drinks which was greatly appreciated. The sunset bar and the the magic carpet were wonderful and the bar staff in both were efficient and friendly. Sunset offered so many comfy places to sit and enjoy the ocean. The back of the ship has always been my favorite! I did a spa pass on our second last sea day and really enjoyed it. The spa was quiet and beautifully designed with lots of options to relax in. I would defiantly do this again. All in all it was so nice to experience cruising again! Perhaps because it was so early in the season many staff were still in training but despite the lack of experience you could tell they were all trying their best. As the Caribbean cruising season continues the staff will become more efficient. I do miss the old Celebrity ways however it was a fabulous holiday with many happy memories and we will sail Celebrity again, just maybe on an older ship. Not sure of the Edge class is for us.

We took a taxi to the Miami airport after disembarking the Edge last week. I think it was pier 25. No problem finding one, there was a long lineup of them waiting by the cruise transfer busses. Cost $75 plus tip. Uber might have been cheaper but the cab was so easy we just hopped in. It a was a bigger SUV which could easily accommodate all our luggage. We were however one of the last to leave the ship around 930am so there were not huge crowds to contend with.

We are cruising the Edge next week and I was wondering if I should bring magnetic hooks for the walls? Are they still magnetic like the older ships were? Any extra storage suggestions from the pro cruisers?

I often peruse the pages of Cruise Critic before our cruises but almost never chime in, leaving the shared information to the expert cruisers and those that want to express their opinion. I know that dress code is a hot topic and people feel very strongly about it. I feel compelled, this time, to share mine... We have had the experience of sailing when the dress code for the formal nights (back then) were enforced. our first cruise was with Celebrity when my husband and I were 29 and 30. I personally LOVED the experience!! Every cruise since we have always dressed up, my husband in suits and me in gowns at least half of the time. The other half is still dressy, maybe a sundress or cocktail or at the very least dressy pants and shirt. That being said we haven't cruised for about 7 years so I was sad to see that the idea of dressing up is actually extremely unpopular and worried my experience would be effected when we sail next month. Why would it be effected you ask? Well I love to see people gussied up and looking elegant. If everyone just dresses like they are going to a pizza place for dinner then to me then your experience will be such. I have decided though that it is what it is and there is no point making a big deal about it since it seems the majority have spoken and Celebrity has listened. It is clear most do not want to dress up for various reasons, none of which make sense to me personally because I love it! I don't mind over packing and asking for 20 extra hangers and bringing 6 pairs of heels and loads of jewelry, it has always been one of my favorite parts of cruising and despite the dress code being quite casual I will continue to wear gowns to dinner. You do you; what makes you feel the most elevated. Just as I'm sure heads will shake at my extravagance mine will shake at the lack of effort but in the end everyone will be happy doing their own thing. 😉