Celebrity Edge- Major Ship Envy!

[Caribbean Chris]

We sail both lines, and will be on Edge in January and Nieuw Statendam in April. 

 

Both companies have positive aspects. I like Celebrity's modern style trends and suite passenger benefits, but love HAL's more classical ocean-going vessels and wonderful crew.

 

Variety is the spice of life!

[dogo88]

12 minutes ago, Caribbean Chris said:

We sail both lines, and will be on Edge in January and Nieuw Statendam in April. 

 

Both companies have positive aspects. I like Celebrity's modern style trends and suite passenger benefits, but love HAL's more classical ocean-going vessels and wonderful crew.

 

Variety is the spice of life!

Totally agree. We like both lines and will continue to do them. The pros and cons for the two lines is different with a lot of overlap. Good to have choices. 

[mcrcruiser]

1 hour ago, blueboro said:

 

Thanks for your permission...hit a nerve huh???

Why are you here on the HAL board when your loyalty  is for Celebrity ? It is quite obvious

 

 Celebrity & it's parent company RCL have zero ships  sailing on  regular basis from California ports . They have  not been here for a very long time , home porting one of their ships.The last ship home ported was the Mariner of the Seas & that was many years ago . I am Elite + with Celebrity ;but ,my loyalty is now with HAL & Princess because we can cruise with out flying  from 2 southern Ca ports  .Also we can get share holder credits owning Carnival stock .Iti s rather hard to do the same owning RCL stock with all their exclusions . Those share holder credits  are great pluses 

[mcrcruiser]

1 hour ago, stickey_mouse said:

 

I don't doubt you, but please cite your source. 

It came over the internet on cruise critic  

[mcrcruiser]

1 hour ago, sparks247 said:

What about this Ulstein X-bow design............:-)

 

Is this in service with the X fleet ?

[terrydtx]

7 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

Is this in service with the X fleet ?

That is one ugly design!! Looks like it capsized.

[sparks247]

13 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

Is this in service with the X fleet ?

None in X-fleet (as is Celebrity), Aurora Expeditions hase one (Greg Mortimer, see pict) and numerous OSV's are equipped with this X-bow (i.e. inverted bow)

 

[stickey_mouse]

23 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

It came over the internet on cruise critic  

 

So Cruise Critic concluded that "Princess got a better rating than Celebrity"? Please link to the page or wherever you get your information.

[mcrcruiser]

4 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

That is one ugly design!! Looks like it capsized.

 There are  those 2 posters   marketing Celebrity on  this HAL board .  We have sailed  all the Celebrity ships with the exception of their new Edge cruise ship,many times over .  My honest opinion is that HAL  's   new ships would match any Celebrity ship  ;excluding the Edge .  

 We live in close proximity to the port of San  Diego & San  Pedro  . Celebrity temporarily place the  Eclipse to do a round trip Hawaii cruise .when we priced  it out ,it was well over $1000 more that a comparable Princess Hawaii cruise & we got the Carnival share holder OBC . Thus , it is easy to decide to sail both Holland & Princess ships because those 2 cruise lines  suit us the best  .We also find Holland pricing far better than Celebrity pricing & they cruise from our home port of San Diego 

[blueboro]

29 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

Why are you here on the HAL board when your loyalty  is for Celebrity ? It is quite obvious

 

 Celebrity & it's parent company RCL have zero ships  sailing on  regular basis from California ports . They have  not been here for a very long time , home porting one of their ships.The last ship home ported was the Mariner of the Seas & that was many years ago . I am Elite + with Celebrity ;but ,my loyalty is now with HAL & Princess because we can cruise with out flying  from 2 southern Ca ports  .Also we can get share holder credits owning Carnival stock .Iti s rather hard to do the same owning RCL stock with all their exclusions . Those share holder credits  are great pluses 

 

So I shouldn't post because X has no ships on the west coast???  I am on here because we have taken 4 HAL cruises in the past 4 years...for a total of 38 days.  Hope that qualifies me to post.  Understand about why you sail from the West Coast...but I don't.  Just because I prefer the Solstice class ships to the Vista, Signature and Pinnacle class vessels does not mean I am trashing YOU or HAL.

[stickey_mouse]

6 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

 There are  those 2 posters   marketing Celebrity on  this HAL board 

 

Just in case you're referring to me, I'm not marketing anything. I just wanted to point out that both HAL and Celebrity have new ships debuting within weeks of each other, and I'm envious of the one I'm not currently booked with. I have no brand loyalty and like to give every option a try. 

[sparks247]

25 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

That is one ugly design!! Looks like it capsized.

 

Agree, but has certain advantages:

 

X Bow Hull Design vs Conventional Hull Design 

X-bow is a “backward sloping bow” or an inverted ship bow design which is used for increasing the fuel efficiency and safety of the vessel at sea. As the name suggests, the inverted bow design has its farthest point at the extreme point of the vessel (towards the waterline) which gives a continuous sharp bow shape to the hull. The sharp design at the extreme front helps the vessel to cut through the waves and improve overall stability, especially in heavy waves.

[blueboro]

11 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

 There are  those 2 posters   marketing Celebrity on  this HAL board .  We have sailed  all the Celebrity ships with the exception of their new Edge cruise ship,many times over .  My honest opinion is that HAL  's   new ships would match any Celebrity ship  ;excluding the Edge .  

 We live in close proximity to the port of San  Diego & San  Pedro  . Celebrity temporarily place the  Eclipse to do a round trip Hawaii cruise .when we priced  it out ,it was well over $1000 more that a comparable Princess Hawaii cruise & we got the Carnival share holder OBC . Thus , it is easy to decide to sail both Holland & Princess ships because those 2 cruise lines  suit us the best  .We also find Holland pricing far better than Celebrity pricing & they cruise from our home port of San Diego 

 

Guess I am one of the "offending" posters.  I have posted for years on the HAL board along with X and others...sorry I didn't get prior approval.

[cruisemom42]

 

3 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

Then stick with the X ships .  We love our HAL fleet .

 

38 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

Why are you here on the HAL board when your loyalty  is for Celebrity ? It is quite obvious

 

 

There is no reason why we cannot engage in discussions comparing the pros and cons of various other cruise lines related to HAL's offerings. I've learned a lot in the past from such discussions.

 

Only the truly blindered think that one single cruise line is perfect. The introduction of a new Celebrity class of ships is certainly well worth discussing, since many of the design features that first appeared in their Solstice class ships are now being copied by other lines, including HAL in her newest class of ships.

 

Many of us cruise with more than one line. Loving HAL's fleet does not mean you can't love things about other cruise lines too.

 

[mcrcruiser]

12 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

 

 

There is no reason why we cannot engage in discussions comparing the pros and cons of various other cruise lines related to HAL's offerings. I've learned a lot in the past from such discussions.

 

Only the truly blindered think that one single cruise line is perfect. The introduction of a new Celebrity class of ships is certainly well worth discussing, since many of the design features that first appeared in their Solstice class ships are now being copied by other lines, including HAL in her newest class of ships.

 

Many of us cruise with more than one line. Loving HAL's fleet does not mean you can't love things about other cruise lines too.

 

We agree that  Celebrity ships can be discussed ;however ,when things that I  post are constantly challenged ,it tells me where those posters are coming from .  Marketing Celebrity on a Holland America forum  is out of place.IMVHO

 A in depth discussion about the Celebrity Edge or Soltice class  or the Millenium class ships should be discussed in the Celebrity forum   & they can compare those ships to any cruise line they want .

 

 The Facts speak loudly when Celebrity charges way higher prices for comparable sailing vs  both HAL & Princess ships . We have studied  various cruises & compared all 3 lines  ,Celebrity always  is at a  higher daily rate . 

 

 We have sailed many cruise lines & each has it's own points & qualities .  But ,as things change  ,age ,disposable income ,where one lives ;as examples  ,the ships & lines they sail also tend to change

 

  

 

 

 

  

[cruisemom42]

1 minute ago, mcrcruiser said:

 The Facts speak loudly when Celebrity charges way higher prices for comparable sailing vs  both HAL & Princess ships . We have studied  various cruises & compared all 3 lines  ,Celebrity always  is at a  higher daily rate . 

  

 But what are the 'facts'?  If Celebrity is charging more -- and apparently getting more -- for their sailings than HAL and Princess, isn't it worth a discussion of what they are doing well in regard to ship design versus their competitors?

 

While I agree that HAL has some of the best itineraries of the mass market cruise lines, they also have quite a few older, smaller ships that despite being loved by many are gradually going to have to be replaced. We've seen three newer, larger ships introduced in the last several years -- and as I already said, these ships certainly incorporate design elements that Celebrity introduced.

 

These discussions are highly relevant, and people should not be chastised or made to feel unwelcome here for posting their comments. 

[stickey_mouse]

10 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

We agree that  Celebrity ships can be discussed ;however ,when things that I  post are constantly challenged ,it tells me where those posters are coming from .  Marketing Celebrity on a Holland America forum  is out of place.IMVHO

 A in depth discussion about the Celebrity Edge or Soltice class  or the Millenium class ships should be discussed in the Celebrity forum   & they can compare those ships to any cruise line they want .

 

 The Facts speak loudly when Celebrity charges way higher prices for comparable sailing vs  both HAL & Princess ships . We have studied  various cruises & compared all 3 lines  ,Celebrity always  is at a  higher daily rate . 

 

 

 

  

 

Herein lies the problem. You speak of 'facts,' when they're actually just opinions. When someone states something as fact that simply isn't true, I will challenge that no matter what they're arguing about. Trust me, I'm not marketing anything. I'm declaring my opinion, and nobody else has to adopt it. A discussion of Edge is NOT out of place in the HAL forum, as it is a direct competitor, and comparing the two lines is helpful to people trying to decide between them. 

 

And by the way, you state that Celebrity's charging more is a mark against the company. Demand raises price, so they must be doing something right. Celebrity isn't worse because it's more expensive. That logic makes no sense. 

[mcrcruiser]

7 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 But what are the 'facts'?  If Celebrity is charging more -- and apparently getting more -- for their sailings than HAL and Princess, isn't it worth a discussion of what they are doing well in regard to ship design versus their competitors?

 

While I agree that HAL has some of the best itineraries of the mass market cruise lines, they also have quite a few older, smaller ships that despite being loved by many are gradually going to have to be replaced. We've seen three newer, larger ships introduced in the last several years -- and as I already said, these ships certainly incorporate design elements that Celebrity introduced.

 

These discussions are highly relevant, and people should not be chastised or made to feel unwelcome here for posting their comments. 

Still in my opinion  I see a marketing effort  .  

Yes HAL will be replacing  their older ships ,just like other cruise lines have had to do . Also ,the main line cruising industry is & has been moving to larger ships so they  get  more profits .  The theme is the large ships & how much more the cruise lines can get their pax to spend on board  vs on shore  . We have sailed small ,medium & the giant ships . They all are different & they all have different appeals .

 

 Now that I spent enough time on this issue ,it is time to go to the GYM 

 

 

[mcrcruiser]

9 minutes ago, stickey_mouse said:

 

Herein lies the problem. You speak of 'facts,' when they're actually just opinions. When someone states something as fact that simply isn't true, I will challenge that no matter what they're arguing about. Trust me, I'm not marketing anything. I'm declaring my opinion, and nobody else has to adopt it. A discussion of Edge is NOT out of place in the HAL forum, as it is a direct competitor, and comparing the two lines is helpful to people trying to decide between them. 

 

And by the way, you state that Celebrity's charging more is a mark against the company. Demand raises price, so they must be doing something right. Celebrity isn't worse because it's more expensive. That logic makes no sense. 

  ROTFL 

[Stateroom_Sailor]

There seems to be more excitement about The Edge over here, than on the actual Celebrity forum.

 

Some of what I see from Edge I like, other parts look like hipster themed.  I can't believe they're reintroducing "Dynamic Dining" on Celebrity, after all the failings on RCCL.  Hopefully it's not a reservation nightmare, and everyone doesn't gravitate towards one restaurant.  At least the dining venue options are more "foodie".

 

 

[a.madruga]

Like some out there we have no loyalty to one main cruise company, having been on X, RCCL, NCL, CCL, PRINCESS AND HAL..

At the present time we have come to like HAL a great deal, customer service, the lido, hydro pool, smaller crowds (well behaved

too, most of them) none smoking casino...

[stickey_mouse]

22 minutes ago, a.madruga said:

none smoking casino...

 

I hope this becomes standard on all HAL ships! 

[RDC1]

14 hours ago, blueboro said:

 

Really only about 150 passengers larger than the K-Dam and S-Dam...but X ship is larger than HAL.  While we like HAL, we REALLY like the fact that X Solstice class are so open and roomy with high ceilings and a more open flow and feel.

also noisier. the open design means that music carries throughout the space, even when one wants to get away from it.

Edited December 4, 2018 by RDC1

[RDC1]

11 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

We agree that  Celebrity ships can be discussed ;however ,when things that I  post are constantly challenged ,it tells me where those posters are coming from .  Marketing Celebrity on a Holland America forum  is out of place.IMVHO

 A in depth discussion about the Celebrity Edge or Soltice class  or the Millenium class ships should be discussed in the Celebrity forum   & they can compare those ships to any cruise line they want .

 

 The Facts speak loudly when Celebrity charges way higher prices for comparable sailing vs  both HAL & Princess ships . We have studied  various cruises & compared all 3 lines  ,Celebrity always  is at a  higher daily rate . 

 

 We have sailed many cruise lines & each has it's own points & qualities .  But ,as things change  ,age ,disposable income ,where one lives ;as examples  ,the ships & lines they sail also tend to change

 

  

 

 

 

  

not too sure about that. if you look at market research data and compare the ratio of percent of industry revenue over percent of industry passengers. a measure of revenue per passenger. The ratio for Princess and Celebrity is similar around 1.3 to 1.4. HAL has a slightly higher ratio at 1.6 to 1.8 range. That would indicate more revenue per passenger on HAL than on Celebrity. Though the smaller ship size (less economically efficient) would mean similar profit levels.

 

to put these numbers in perspective the ratios for crystal, regent and Seaborne are in the 6.0 to 6.5 range.

Edited December 4, 2018 by RDC1

[killsport]

Back to the original topic -- Edge vs HAL ships. I think Celebrity may have gone "South Beach" on this one - lots of sizzle but not much meat. The Infinite Balcony concept is a great idea, but very poor in practice. In effect, it is an oceanview with a window that slides down. This has a few considerable failures.

1. The shades are on the outer wall, so one person cannot enjoy the balcony while another sleeps in darkness.

2. The fresh breezes (that I personally love) are not there, as the balcony is a box with an opening on one side (front), rather than openings on four sides (left, right, top, front).

Additionally, the costs (not only the cruise fare) are not in line with the value -- some venues' beverages are not included in the beverage packages (even the premium) and the specialty restaurants are crazy expensive.

Although I'm Elite on Celebrity, I don't see going on an Edge-class ship any time soon. I hope the "Edgification" of the rest of the fleet doesn't ruin it.

And now I'm looking forward to our next cruise on the Nieuw Statendam. The fare was acceptable, the ship looks beautiful, and I remember fondly the great crew service on HAL (although that was a decade ago).

So, for those with ship envy... Enjoy! To each their own!