Living on the Edge with vtcruising!: A Live Review!

[Tall-Cruiser]

VT - It's been a pleasure meeting you on these boards. You have been one of the most helpful people I have seen since I joined CC, sharing all your info and photos with us. For some of us that are sailing Celebrity for the very first time, it's been very helpful listening and learning. I am glad that Celebrity saw how much of a fan you are, and recognized you for that. Thank you for going to bat for us, mentioning some of the issues to Celebrity and continuing to answer the many questions. 

 

Many many thanks and Happy Holidays to you and your family. 

 

And for your next cruise, Happy Cruising!

[mit429]

The Edge this morning!

 

Edited December 6, 2018 by mit429

[cruise47]

Vtcruising, please and others, Pleae submit a review of your  EDGE cruises  to CC Review Section .  ASAP, there is only one review and it is not good at all.

 

Thanks

[vtcruising]

10 hours ago, Tall-Cruiser said:

VT - It's been a pleasure meeting you on these boards. You have been one of the most helpful people I have seen since I joined CC, sharing all your info and photos with us. For some of us that are sailing Celebrity for the very first time, it's been very helpful listening and learning. I am glad that Celebrity saw how much of a fan you are, and recognized you for that. Thank you for going to bat for us, mentioning some of the issues to Celebrity and continuing to answer the many questions. 

 

Many many thanks and Happy Holidays to you and your family. 

 

And for your next cruise, Happy Cruising!

Thanks for the nice words!  I love your insights and wit! 🙂

[vtcruising]

1 hour ago, cruise47 said:

Vtcruising, please and others, Pleae submit a review of your  EDGE cruises  to CC Review Section .  ASAP, there is only one review and it is not good at all.

 

Thanks

Okay, thanks for the heads up! I suspect the people who were unhappy may post their reviews first to get it off their chests. 🙂

[vtcruising]

1 hour ago, mit429 said:

The Edge this morning!

 

She looks beautiful and ready for you next lucky people!!

[Pennstateman]

19 hours ago, J18ktleo said:

right now in Kansas City on my way to Fort Lauderdale for tomorrow's sailing. Question, if anybody knows the answer? How stringent are they with the assigned boarding times? We have been assigned 12:30 which is much much later than we have ever gotten on board a ship before! Usually we arrive around 11 and are on board by noon. Wondering if the Edge holds tight to these timings?

You can pretty much board when you get there within reason

Edited December 6, 2018 by Pennstateman

[Bo1953]

3 hours ago, cruise47 said:

Vtcruising, please and others, Pleae submit a review of your  EDGE cruises  to CC Review Section .  ASAP, there is only one review and it is not good at all.

 

Thanks

Well, that reviewer was definitely unhappy about the cabin, but the fitness center faired better... LOL

 

Please remember not everyone is going to like the new product and we must take some comments with a drop of ocean water, as X did their best to disclose information about The Edge in full along with photos.

 

My guess is, she needed not to sail The Edge.

 

Next in the review will be about boarding....

 

I chalk this up to the fact that not everyone will like the ship, the cabins, X etc... That is when you know it is time to move on. With so many issues...

 

bon voyage

[beachbunny6]

12 hours ago, vtcruising said:

I will dream tonight of Pygmy tables,  Tom-Toms and KH pillows while riding a black stallion in a Magic Forest with Faceless people. Hopefully, Gloom, Doom and Bloom will not be there!!😉

 

Marilyn, I just have to tell you that is probably the best and funniest comment you have made here!  I am really glad I did not have a mouth full of coffee when I read it, because my computer surely would have suffered!  

 

You are amazing, and I know for sure I will miss your daily commentary and photos of new discoveries on the amazing Edge!  I remember that you said you had more to post, so I will enjoy that, too.  

 

I hope you had a safe and uneventful journey homeward once you got a flight that actually left FLL, and that things are in order and unscathed at your home.  I am sure your pup missed you both and was very glad to see you!  Speaking, of pup, what ever happened to Lloyd's puppy?  I know you found Mr. EDge, and the new and improved penguin, but what happened to the puppy?  I bet they left him in France because he didn't have his passport.  Poor puppy.  

Thank you again for everything!  See you in person in January!

~Barbara~

[Bo1953]

13 hours ago, vtcruising said:

Yes, Stowe is lovely.

 

Vermont is home so will be nice to snuggle on the couch with the pup in front of the wood stove. 😀

 

I will dream tonight of Pygmy tables,  Tom-Toms and KH pillows while riding a black stallion in a Magic Forest with Faceless people. Hopefully, Gloom, Doom and Bloom will not be there!!😉

 

Please let DH know what you do not want for Christmas.... LOL

 

Safe travels home and bon voyage

[vtcruising]

2 hours ago, beachbunny6 said:

 

Marilyn, I just have to tell you that is probably the best and funniest comment you have made here!  I am really glad I did not have a mouth full of coffee when I read it, because my computer surely would have suffered!  

 

You are amazing, and I know for sure I will miss your daily commentary and photos of new discoveries on the amazing Edge!  I remember that you said you had more to post, so I will enjoy that, too.  

 

I hope you had a safe and uneventful journey homeward once you got a flight that actually left FLL, and that things are in order and unscathed at your home.  I am sure your pup missed you both and was very glad to see you!  Speaking, of pup, what ever happened to Lloyd's puppy?  I know you found Mr. EDge, and the new and improved penguin, but what happened to the puppy?  I bet they left him in France because he didn't have his passport.  Poor puppy.  

Thank you again for everything!  See you in person in January!

~Barbara~

The puppy and the polar bear were no where to be seen! We will have to look for them in January!

 

We made it home at midnight and was greeted by a dog who did not want us to go to bed. It was a long day, but was good to be home! 😊

[kearney]

VT, Seeing the fact that you had issues on the flight home.... I already have a back up plan. We are using Choice Air and are scheduled to fly in the day of sailing... not what we normally do. So... my plan is to watch the weather and check out potential delays... if things look bad... we will just drive down saturday.. the H with the tickets.... I know that they assure you that you will get on the ship... but when? So I have lined up someone to take care of our dog until out dog sitter house sitter arrives Sunday.  I do not want to miss this sailing. We live in Atlanta and fog often impacts flights...  Glad you made it home safe and sound. If there are things you missed checking out... put out a list.. there are enough of us following this thread that are going to be on the next few sailings... to make the list complete. Of course I will not be trying to check out the brig. 🙂 

[vtcruising]

7 minutes ago, kearney said:

VT, Seeing the fact that you had issues on the flight home.... I already have a back up plan. We are using Choice Air and are scheduled to fly in the day of sailing... not what we normally do. So... my plan is to watch the weather and check out potential delays... if things look bad... we will just drive down saturday.. the H with the tickets.... I know that they assure you that you will get on the ship... but when? So I have lined up someone to take care of our dog until out dog sitter house sitter arrives Sunday.  I do not want to miss this sailing. We live in Atlanta and fog often impacts flights...  Glad you made it home safe and sound. If there are things you missed checking out... put out a list.. there are enough of us following this thread that are going to be on the next few sailings... to make the list complete. Of course I will not be trying to check out the brig. 🙂 

About the only place I didn't go. 😉

 

Yes, it's good to have a back up plan for bad weather. It would break my heart to miss an Edge cruise.

[vtcruising]

On Monday we took a great tour of the ship called "Inside Access Behind the Scenes Tour." It was a two hour tour and cost us $99 PP - it is now $169 PP (I think I got during a flash sale).

Here is the description:

"Start in the Main Dining Room with a little hands-on lesson from the staff, and then, visit the Main Galley to see how our culinary team artfully prepares about 25,000 meals for our guests and crew each and every day. It’s an impressive achievement, especially when you think about all the exotic flavors you get to enjoy in Modern Luxury style aboard your Celebrity Cruise ship. Next up, pop into provisioning for a jaw-dropping look at the sheer volume of ingredients it takes to make it all happen. Here’s a little preview. We go through roughly 8,500 lbs of watermelon on every cruise. Not to mention, 10,000 bananas and 32,000 potatoes (give or take a few). Continue to the Engine Control Room, where expert engineers monitor the ship’s engines and onboard machinery - 24/7. You’ll learn how the engines do more than turn the giant props. They power all our onboard systems, including air-conditioning, refrigeration, plumbing and many others. This is the heart and soul of the cruise ship and you’ll enjoy a rare up-close look at how it operates. Afterwards, go for stroll down I-95, the “main highway” for the crew. It runs down the center of the ship and is named after the longest highway on the U.S. East Coast. Your next stop is Laundry, where thousands of items are cleaned and crisply folded every day– napkins to linens to beach towels. Marvel at massive machines that can hold 264 lbs. of laundry in every load. To put that in perspective, it’s like doing 14 loads of laundry in your machine at home all at once. The tour concludes with a real treat – a visit to the Bridge, where all the ship’s onboard systems are controlled. Step up and witness advanced navigation and communications equipment in action, and scan the sea from the same vantage point your Captain uses to chart the way. "

 

There were 20 people in our group and we met at the pendulum 15 minutes ahead of time to sign waivers. We were asked to wear long pants and closed toe shoes. After the waivers were signed we received a lanyard/badge and hearing piece to hear the guide.

 

 

We went to Normandie first and a dining room person talked to us about the MDRs and showed us the beautiful panels from the Summit (previously from the ship that burned) and talked about the amazing pieces of art in there. He showed us various napkin folding designs.

 

 

 

We then went to Tuscan and a chef spoke with us about the Galleys in the ship. There are 4 MDR galleys, but they are all together and there is some sharing of preparation (since they serve essentially the same menu each night, with each having 6 additional items only served in their restaurant).

 

 

The store rooms were amazing - they had to stock extra for these cruises because they don't know what the consumption of each item will  be yet. They used the Reflection as a guide for ordering. There was stuff stacked up everywhere and when we asked how they find anything, he says that each person responsible for certain things knows exactly where those things are located.

This guy was in charge of Provisions

 

 

Recycling was very impressive. They are very careful about using everything again or incinerating down to ash things that can't be recycled. All crew are educated on how to recycle.

 

 

The Engine Control Room was fascinating. We had to be wanded by security (found out who had new hips and knees in the group), bags checked and sign in before going inside.

 

They are not only in charge of the ship's engines, but are in charge of refrigeration, AC, plumbing, recycling water - the heart of the ship. They said that only one person needs to be at the controls.

 

Watch what you are doing - they are watching you!

 

 

We went down I-95 past crew quarters and saw a crew bar and heard about crew life a bit:

 

The laundry was totally amazing and extremely hot - not the job I would take! The towel folder was fun to watch, as well as the sheet mangler (irons the sheets).

 

 

Richard Fain's laundry was being dried:

 

To be continued...

 

 

 

[vtcruising]

They saved the best for last - the bridge - what a thrill that was to see!! We had to go through the same security routine again before going in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Captain Kostas - I jumped in a got a selfie with him - very nice man and good sense of humor.

 

 

A great tour! Lots of time to interact with managers from many areas of the ship.

Edited December 6, 2018 by vtcruising

[beachbunny6]

Wow!  That is the tour we are booked on!  Can't wait!  My only question is:  Did you get to keep the Lanyard and Badge?  That would be awesome!

 

Glad you made it home and seem to be recuperating well.  Hang in there!  You will be back in January!

~Barbara~

[vtcruising]

3 minutes ago, beachbunny6 said:

Wow!  That is the tour we are booked on!  Can't wait!  My only question is:  Did you get to keep the Lanyard and Badge?  That would be awesome!

 

Glad you made it home and seem to be recuperating well.  Hang in there!  You will be back in January!

~Barbara~

Yes, got to keep them both! 😊

[beachbunny6]

1 minute ago, vtcruising said:

Yes, got to keep them both! 😊

 

Thanks!  Great souvenirs!  

 

Then again, could just possibly be the most expensive lanyard I have ever owned.... 

Edited December 6, 2018 by beachbunny6

[caroak]

Can't find an option for booking the Behind the Scenes Tour for our May 25 cruise.  Maybe it's too early or do they only make it available once on board?

 

Carole

[vtcruising]

19 minutes ago, caroak said:

Can't find an option for booking the Behind the Scenes Tour for our May 25 cruise.  Maybe it's too early or do they only make it available once on board?

 

Carole

It may be too early .... They added one to our cruise - ours was 10-12 - there was another one from 9-11 added later. I booked ours a few months in advance and it is showing up on our January cruise.

[vtcruising]

 

34 minutes ago, beachbunny6 said:

 

Thanks!  Great souvenirs!  

 

Then again, could just possibly be the most expensive lanyard I have ever owned.... 

I forgot to say that we got to ask the Captain questions too!!

[caroak]

40 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

It may be too early .... They added one to our cruise - ours was 10-12 - there was another one from 9-11 added later. I booked ours a few months in advance and it is showing up on our January cruise.

That's something DH would enjoy so I'll keep checking so I can book it for him while I'm enjoying my massage and spa time.  

 

Just want to thank you for all your efforts and all the time you've spent on behalf of all us Edgies.  You've provided a wealth of information, photos and all kinds of useful tips.  Hope you're now warm and snuggly in Vermont and healing from your injury.  I remember those cold winters when I skied at Killington especially those early morning first runs before the mountain was mostly ice.    Now in sunny CA and a cold weather wimp with the skis being hung up for good although I do miss it but getting too old to risk an injury.

 

We've in a Concierge IV - 11173 - and in checking the deck plan it looks like the bed is by the balcony (ug!) but when I've called several times to ask they tell me it's by the bathroom (yeah!).  When you can a change could you check the deck plan.  I defer to your Edge expertise.  Thanks.

 

Carole

[JoePDX]

What a great behind the scenes tour!   Thank you for sharing the details.   It's not listed as available on our April transatlantic, only the backstage tour is available right now which is not nearly as enticing.  But I will keep checking!

 

THANK YOU for sharing your wonderful experiences with all of us - and all your ENTHUSIASM for all things EDGE.

 

Joe

[hcat]

2 hours ago, beachbunny6 said:

Wow!  That is the tour we are booked on!  Can't wait!  My only question is:  Did you get to keep the Lanyard and Badge?  That would be awesome!

 

Glad you made it home and seem to be recuperating well.  Hang in there!  You will be back in January!

~Barbara~

 

We also signed up...glad we did...It was pricey but has gone up even more! 

[RICCruisers]

Caroak - The Deck Plan definitely has 11173 with the bed by the balcony.  I guess it's possible that it is wrong, but then all the  Concierge cabins on the Port side from 11125 - 11195 would be wrong since they alternate.