Edge Dec 6th preview...love at first sight

[ATLgirl15]

While I am active on CC in general, this is my first cruise review.  I’ve never felt it was necessary in the past but given the newness of Edge and the desire for information I thought I would pass along my experience.  This is about our 20^th cruise, the 6^th on Celebrity, predominantly in suites of various levels.  We are late 40-late 50s.  I love the ocean and beach and being outdoors, husband loves blackjack.  So cruises are one of our go-to vacations.

I had very mixed feeling about Edge – when it was first unveiled I thought this is the coolest thing I have ever seen!  Then I started to wonder if it would be so cool that it loses its comfort and practicality.  We went back and forth about sailing or waiting but then ultimately decided the 3 day preview would give us a good overview to determine if we want to spend a week or more on the ship.

Using Blue Chip credits we decided to splurge and book the Edge Villa.  What a treat!  The room is spectacular, butler and attendant amazing, location prime.  I won’t go into too much detail about the room here but if anyone has any questions, ask away.

Given this was only a 3 day preview cruise, we didn’t experience 100% of the ship/dining/entertainment – there just wasn’t enough time.  Also, even though this was a revenue cruise, there were still a lot of Celebrity corporate employees on board – I think it was their internal promotional/incentive trip (hopefully some of the people in the reservation dep’t were on board so they can answer questions when booking).  So public areas were never really crowded during the day.  I also think they were running on an abbreviated entertainment schedule which was fine for the short trip.

Since we only had 3 days we wanted to use every minute possible.  We got to the port around 10:30 and thought we could just hang out in the Retreat port lounge until boarding but they let us on almost immediately.  I think we were the first paying passengers on – the others were all the Celebrity employees.  It was fun to wander around the ship while it was practically empty.  Everyone we encountered was super friendly.

Disembarkation was as easy as embarkation.  We’ve always done the self carry option since they started.  Over the years the line has gotten longer and longer and Edge probably had the longest I’ve ever seen.  But one of the perks of suite life is a priority line.  We were the second couple off the ship and breezed through customs with the new facial recognition machines.

I believe managing expectations is what makes or breaks any experience whether its vacation, restaurant, movie, etc.  Given we went in with mixed expectations we were highly impressed.  All our worries slipped away once we boarded.  The ship is absolutely beautiful.  We love the open concept, high ceilings, different levels within the same deck.  It really produces a nice flow.  All the furniture we used in the common areas was comfortable (which was one of my worries) although I will say the room furniture is a little stiff.  No afternoon naps on the sofa for us!  And cashmere mattress?  I don’t know who named that but clearly they don’t know that cashmere is soft.  Our bed was the firmest I have ever experienced (our attendant put some padding on it after night 1 and that made a huge difference).  But the way they are plugging this luxury mattress, I wouldn’t have expected that would be needed.  But I digress…

We did check out every area of the ship even if we didn’t spend much time there.  Even though we travel in suites, we do not spend most of our time in exclusive suite areas.  We went to the Retreat lounge when we needed concierge assistance but I’d much rather have a drink in an active public area than a quiet room (unless I don’t have the drink package).  I do love the addition of the Retreat sun/pool area.  Royal had the suite sundeck for years and even though there was no pool it was the best place to avoid the crowds and chair hogs.  Ironically on Edge, the Retreat sundeck was the most crowded place we experienced this trip.  And another note about furniture – I initially thought it was so dumb to put rocking chairs on a ship.  But lo and behold, those rockers were my favorite!

Working from the top down, I’ll comment on each area (minus Retreat as that has already been addressed):

Rooftop Garden – what a beautiful, serene area.  If we weren’t in a suite, this would be my outdoor go to place for sure.  It had ample plush seating, open space, pretty views.  Ever since Oasis class I have loved seeing live vegetation on ships.  Yes, s-class has the lawn but it was always in disarray and it was only on the ground.  Love all the plants and herbs in the RTG.  The space was used for various events in the evening, none of which we attended for any long period of time.  Night 1 they played a football game on the big screen, night 2 they had a “rock” concert with dancing, night 3 they screened Casablanca.  They also had some mellow music performers.

Sunset Bar – we only walked through here at various time and other than sail away never saw any crowds.  The space is definitely different than the other ships – seems longer and narrower but to me it seemed larger overall and with more seating.  Maybe it was also the higher ceilings that gave that perspective.

Jogging track – OMG this was one of our top 5 favorite parts of Edge!  Seriously.  Whoever came up with the figure 8 design was genius.  It was always a pet peeve on other ships to just circle the pool deck getting caught behind someone slowly meandering to their lounge chair, passing through the smoking area and round and round again.  This track was longer and had different views over the pool, around the RTG.  Loved it!

Pool deck – loved the design and openness.  It’s amazing what a difference it makes to have the next deck 2 stories up instead of 1.  Much more natural light coming through.  The artwork on the walls added a nice touch.  We didn’t swim at main pool or solarium.  But chairs were plentiful as well as towels.

Magic carpet – I know many people think its gimmicky and maybe it’s just the geeky, engineering part of me but I find it fascinating.  All I kept thinking when I was there was “we are hanging off the side of a ship!”  The space is large and cozy and we were fortunate with good weather and never had any wind issues.

Gym – for the first time ever I did not spend any time here.  It smelled like newly installed rubber mats so we just used the jogging track instead.

Spa – beautifully done.  We toured the thermal suite and it was lovely – a nice step up from Persian Garden.  But with just 3 days on board we didn’t want to lose the time, especially at $59 for a day pass.  And no more free Elite port day ☹.  We did have massages which were nice but the therapists really push the products at the end which was a turn off.  I heard someone else at the pool complaining about the same thing.

Eden – this seems to be the most controversial part of the ship and rightfully so.  It’s beautiful and well designed and once again has those tiered areas which I love.  But from an entertainment perspective it is just weird.  We went the first night to see what it was all about and stayed maybe 30 minutes.  It reminded me of mid summer nights dream with the sprites wondering about the forest causing a stir.  So it became our joke the rest of the cruise “let’s go to Eden and see what the sprites are up to.”  There was always some “performing” throughout the day.  During the day it was a nice relaxed space for hanging out – my one complaint is it always smelled like incense and that didn’t sit well with my belly.

Secret Garden – no that’s not the official name but it’s what I call the deck outside of Eden.  It’s on the deck map but not marked as anything and I think very few people discovered it.  But it’s a huge covered area with lots of loungey seating and bright mosaic painted walls.  Soooo cozy and quiet.  Check it out!

Casino – seems pretty standard compared to the other ships.  As I mentioned in another post, the table chairs are awful but we were told they were just temporary.  I like how they did the casino bar here – its connected to the casino but also open to the grand plaza so it seems more like a destination than just a place to service casino players.  Supposedly it’s also their sports bar with multiple TVs.  But seating is limited.

Theater – we saw one show – Jewelry Box – and it was good.  The round stage is nice and perfect for the Cirque type shows but it might be limiting for others.

The Club – I guess this a multi purpose space so I’m not sure what it will be used for all the time.  They had some strange club type parties here.  So we went from Eden with the medieval sprites to a futuristic dance club with Matrix like characters.  We were told all the entertainment on the Edge will be new and the only thing they are bringing over from the other ships is the silent disco (which we don’t like).

Grand Plaza and Martini Bar – another controversial space.  I saw the designer interviewed and he said he was making it like an Italian piazza where it’s the center of activity with all the restaurants and cafes surrounding it.  I think he achieved what he set out to.  I know a lot of people have complained about it but as frequent European travelers we appreciate the design.  The martini bar is no longer its own space like s and m class but the center of the plaza and looks more like the passport bar but with the martini menu.  Besides the giant chandelier above, the actual bar is plain – no iced top.  But they did have flowers in blocks of ice that melted over the course of the night which looked pretty cool.  This was definitely the life of the ship, especially at pre-dinner time.  Plenty of seating all around the area (in tiers again).  There is a wood floor area that I guess may be used as a dance floor or stage for certain events by clearing out the chairs.  But it’s nice that its used for seating when an event isn’t going on.  It was always a challenge to sit around the grand foyer on s class.

Photo gallery – we experienced the new electronic system last month on Symphony so we knew exactly how to use it.  We took lots of pictures on day 1 – photographers were all around the ship.  They always asked for our room number in case the facial recognition didn’t work.  But this was one of the glitches that happens on a new sailing (actually we expected more as they work through the learning curve so we were pleasantly surprised-again, manage expectations).  Several of our photos were not linked and not even showing up on the main search function.  They did eventually find some but not all.  It’s OK, we usually only buy 1 or 2 so it was no big deal.

Guest Relations – I mentioned in another thread about adding a book swap.  It was known that there wouldn’t be a library on Edge but a small book exchange would be nice and this area has some extra capacity to put up some bookshelves.  Maybe I’m just a dinosaur but I love real books and based on what I have seen on Celebrity in the past, so do most passengers.  Maybe they are gearing this ship toward the electronic generation and I get that so I understand no library.  But throw us a bone here – give us a few shelves.  We’ll take care of stocking them.

We didn’t get off the ship in port so I didn’t get to the destination getaway while it was open.  I meant to but just forgot.  BUT, my luggage was flagged upon boarding and sent to the “naughty room” which turned out to be the destination getaway.  So I got a quick glimpse as I was retrieving my bag (it was just my hair flat iron, not a rice cooker, so nothing was confiscated).

Since we had unlimited specialty dining we wanted to take advantage of all the new places while they were “free.”  But you know how it goes…the best laid plans.  We skipped Luminae entirely - just spent 10 days there in September.  We usually have breakfast in the room and this trip was no exception, especially with such a nice one!

Rooftop Garden Grill - we started here with lunch on boarding day.  Food was good, scenery nice.  But they need some sun shades.  Luckily we were the first ones there and got the one table that had some partial shade.  But I can’t imagine it would be a popular choice on a hot day sunny day.

Fine Cut Steakhouse – by far the best.  I’ll preface by saying we are very picky about steak – we have tons of top steakhouses in Atlanta that we frequent.  I have always avoided steak on cruises because they were never good quality and always overcooked no matter how you ordered them.  But they finally did it right with Fine Cut.  I had the bone in filet and John had the lamb chops which he said were the best he’s ever had.  Service was impeccable as would be expected with fine dining.  We were seated at a table 2 rows from the railing to the Grand Foyer and had no issues with the music being too loud.  To us it felt like good background music.  When I left I told the server I want to eat here every night.

Oceanview – so I already gave up on my “only specialty dining” plan.  We just wanted something smaller for lunch.  Food seems on par with their other ships.  We ate on the outdoor deck in back which seems larger than s class.

Dinner on the Edge – we were lucky enough to get a spot which is hard to come by.  And we were lucky with weather not canceling it.  We had no idea what to expect food wise as we were told it was “chef’s choice” but we wanted the experience.  We were on deck 14 and it was lovely.  We were welcomed with Champagne – the real stuff, not sparkling wine.  It was buffet with 3 tables of food.  One table with a cold seafood tower of lobster tails, shrimp, king crab legs, caviar, fresh carved Iberian ham and cheeses.  Another table had a whole suckling pig and some antipasto salads.  The hot food was Spanish themed with lobster empanadas, seafood soup, tostones, beef and plantain lasagna and more.  Lots of food!  Ok, if you aren’t really into seafood you might not be happy.

Eden café – again, skipping the specialty dining.  This is an awesome lunch spot.  The selection is more than I expected and very tasty.  They have outdoor tables too so I didn’t have to smell the incense. 

We originally had Eden booked for dinner but ended up canceling.  We were never thrilled with the food selection but wanted the experience.  But we experience it enough outside of dining hours and felt like we didn’t need to be stuck there for 2 hours.  So hopefully someone else got our time slot who really wanted it.  Since it was a 3 day sailing reservations were hard to come by.  Makes sense – there are the same amount of passengers as a 7 day cruise and the same amount who want specialty dining but less than half the days to allocate them.  The Retreat concierge and our butler worked all day trying to get us back into Fine Cut and were ultimately successful.  We ended up at the same table, same server and another excellent meal.  We didn’t get to eat at Raw but I gather our DOTE seafood all came from there.  We skipped Le Petite Chef because they are rolling that out fleet wide and will have plenty of opportunities to try it. 

Overall we thought the ship décor was very tasteful.  Yes there is a lot of grey and beige but I think that makes the accents stand out even more.  There are little details everywhere on walls, ceilings, free standing.  The whole ship is like a museum with interesting pieces everywhere, some subtle enough to miss.  This is the part no one is seeing in the pictures.  You have to be on the ship to appreciate how it all works together.  I had no issues with getting my bearings and learning the layout within the first day.  Smoking areas were done right.  They were separated but not isolated.  I very much appreciated not having to walk through a smoky area on my way to someplace else.  But they weren’t tucked into a dark corner either.

Will the Edge be for everyone?  Of course not.  But it will be for us.  And so will s-class.  It’s not an either or in my opinion – we like some variety.  But it saddens me when I hear people turn against Celebrity in total.  There are 9 (not counting Galapagos specific) other ships out there.  The Edge is cutting edge – it’s a complete change from their s and m class.  In today’s business environment you have to stay ahead of the curve – you need more than a 5 year plan, you need a 20 year plan.  You need to figure out the trends and stay competitive.  Otherwise you end up like Blockbuster.  You have to be willing to take chances and possibly fail.  Edge will prosper but I think it will evolve as feedback comes in.  But that’s what progress is all about.  The only way to succeed is to try.  A lot of people feel that Celebrity has turned its back on its core customer base.  I don’t think it has…yet.  I think that test will be when we see the Revolution (or Edgification as I prefer to call it) of the other ships.  We know the décor will change and suite areas added but as long as the activity and main venues still exist then I think Celebrity can be a cruise line for everyone.  The level of service and care has not changed.

I’m sure I missed some things even though this is incredibly long.  Please feel free to ask me specific questions.  Or just add comments.  Happy sailing to those of you booked on Edge!

[ATLgirl15]

jogging track RTG section

pool deck art

Cosmopolitan entrance ceiling

The secret garden

Magic carpet sailaway

DOTE buffet

holiday décor

 

[Texed]

Thanks for posting.  😊

[hcat]

Nice review., well written,,,some good tips. Thanks for sharing.

Guess you had a great  cabin...would you book it again?

 

We will be in AQ class and later on in a Sunset Veranda..It .willl be fun to compare them.   Remains to be seen if we'll stick with EDGE class after that...Entertainment  and other things would have to be more traditional and we would always prefer a real balcony with a footrest for our chairs!

[ATLgirl15]

I would love to sail in the villa again but doubt we will ever get enough Blue Chip credits to cover 7 days!  It was nice while it lasted...

[hcat]

9 minutes ago, ATLgirl15 said:

I would love to sail in the villa again but doubt we will ever get enough Blue Chip credits to cover 7 days!  It was nice while it lasted...

You never know...lady luck can strike at anytime!

[Host Jazzbeau]

The Fine Cut menu has some items that are listed as "Premium Cuts."  I assume they cost extra, but no prices are shown on the menus I have seen.  Do you recall?

[ATLgirl15]

 

16 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

The Fine Cut menu has some items that are listed as "Premium Cuts."  I assume they cost extra, but no prices are shown on the menus I have seen.  Do you recall?

I don’t recall seeing additional prices on the menu for the “premium” items but can’t say for certain there weren’t any. 

[vtcruising]

I asked and the premium items in FCSH were all included!  I assumed they would have an extra cost. I had the bone -in filet mignon booth times - cooked to perfection. Will be back in there Jan 20th and will have the same thing (and the scallops appetizer!).

 

Thanks for the great review. You might have seen on the suite thread that when I visited all of the suites on the Trade and Press cruises, I liked the Edge Villa the best. So pretty and inviting!

Edited December 14, 2018 by vtcruising

[ATLgirl15]

11 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

Thanks for the great review. You might have seen on the suite thread that when I visited all of the suites on the Trade and Press cruises, I liked the Edge Villa the best. So pretty and inviting!

I did just read that!  It really was a special room. The way they did the L shaped window line was a fantastic idea to let all the light in. I will say the stairs took some getting used to since we live in a one story home. But it was worth it 🙂. 

I also remember you commenting on how great Zaza was at fine cut. We had him both nights too and loved him. 

Edited December 14, 2018 by ATLgirl15

[vtcruising]

5 minutes ago, ATLgirl15 said:

I did just read that!  It really was a special room. The way they did the L shaped window line was a fantastic idea to let all the light in. I will say the stairs took some getting used to since we live in a one story home. But it was worth it 🙂. 

I also remember you commenting on how great Zaza was at fine cut. We had him both nights too and loved him. 

He's the best waiter! We had him in Tuscan Grill a few times on the Reflection, I believe.

[Freestyle Cruiser]

 

A few questions. 

 

Did you enjoy having the 2 doors to enter the retreat? 

 

Was the 2nd floor closet, which I see is in the hall, roomy and  easy to access?

 

Were the loungers easy to access by the tub or did you move them?

 

I see there is no balcony cover, so was lack of shade on the balcony an issue? Or wind?

 

Since the 2nd floor bedroom had a half glass wall by the stairs, is there a sound issue, say if someone was watching tv downstairs and you wanted to sleep upstairs?

 

Thanks in advance. Ageee it is a beautiful cabin. 

[TeeRick]

Thanks for the detailed and balanced review.  If you did not like the Edge Villa I would start to worry!

[ATLgirl15]

Freestyle,

 

yes we we did like that second door upstairs and used it quite a bit.  Actually it’s the second and third door because first there is the regular door and then an exterior door that seals since it’s opening to the outside.  It’s was convenient when going to the retreat pool or the jogging track.  The only issue we ran into was one day we exited upstairs and I guess our attendant was watching for us to leave the main door so he could make up the room but he didn’t see us.  No biggie for us but I think he was worried that it wasn’t done.  We’re pretty laid back but I guess others suite guests might be a little more discerning. 

 

The upstairs closet was very spacious.  There were 2 double door cabinets and 2 single door cabinets so plenty of room.  Although one of those was used by the attendant to store all the throw pillows at night 🙂. The hallway is wide so even if you have the doors open someone can walk around.  One was all shelves with a safe (we only used the downstairs safe but nice to have options). One was only hanging for your long items and 2 were combo.  Downstairs had a closet too - I kept my shoes there.  

 

Celebrity had alrady rearranged the balcony furniture before we boarded.  The sofa was by the hot tub and the loungers by the living room facing sideways.  I’ll post pics in next post.  I moved the little side table next to the rocker in front of the sofa and it all seemed to work very nicely.  Sun wasn’t an issue but I guess we were always out there when we were sailing the right direction.  No issues with wind any more so than a regular stateroom balcony. I think the high side walls help a lot.

 

yes, you can hear the TV downstairs if you are in bed.  I always go to sleep first so I can say for certainty.  But luckily it doesn’t bother me.  I can fall asleep anywhere.  Heck, I didn’t even know there was an earthquake the other day.  

 

Let me me know if you have any other questions.  I posted some more detail on another thread where someone was thinking of canceling her villa (that was part of the title if you search for it). 

[ATLgirl15]

[Freestyle Cruiser]

Atlgirl15

 

Thank you for the info and photos. It’s nice to see shade on the balcony. I guess that will vary depending on sailing direction. Looks like the loungers are more accessible now. 

 

So so glad you enjoyed the EV.  I gotta find a way to snag one of those rooms.

Maybe a “go fund me”.  Ha Ha. 

 

[ATLgirl15]

VT, what did you think of the Royal suite?  Did the living room seem long and narrow and balcony tiny?  Can you access the balcony from the “sunroom” or only from the bedroom?  We didn’t get to see any other cabins on our cruise and would have loved to see the ones we are more likely to sail in next time.  I’m one of the few people who like the newer Celebrity suite layout but It seems like bathroom is just as small as it is on s class.

[Jim_Iain]

Thanks for taking the time to post a well rounded review.   Enjoyed both your commentary and pictures. 

[Silkroad]

Thanks for your comprehensive review, ATLgirl15. I had the same thoughts when I saw photos of the walking/jogging track. I'm really looking forward to using it! I'm VERY sorry to hear about the constant scent of incense in Eden. That's an allergy trigger I don't need. The public spaces and the art look fabulous in photos and videos. I agree with your thoughts regarding businesses needing to adapt & evolve to remain relevant & profitable (just as we humans need to adapt & evolve over the course of our lives). That said, I do hope they listen to comments made by early Edge passengers, and modify things that are universally disliked.

[ATLgirl15]

I think Celebrity is good about listening. I was following threads starting with the media/industry sailings and they already started making adjustments by the time I sailed. They always stress filling out the surveys so they must use hem something!

Edited December 14, 2018 by ATLgirl15

[vtcruising]

5 hours ago, ATLgirl15 said:

VT, what did you think of the Royal suite?  Did the living room seem long and narrow and balcony tiny?  Can you access the balcony from the “sunroom” or only from the bedroom?  We didn’t get to see any other cabins on our cruise and would have loved to see the ones we are more likely to sail in next time.  I’m one of the few people who like the newer Celebrity suite layout but It seems like bathroom is just as small as it is on s class.

I didn't think it was long and narrow because it does bump out at the kitchen area. The balcony is smallish, with an overhang with poles (72 sq ft). It has nice chairs, but not loungers on the balcony. After reviewing a video, I don't believe there is a door between the loggia and the balcony. You can see at 2:53 on the video below that there is a handle on the slider to the bedroom, but I don't see a handle on the loggia window (need to freeze it to see). 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPKQblgP3jg

 

Here are a couple of additional pictures that I took:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shower:

 

 

Half bath:

 

walk in closet:

 

 

I feel like the bathroom is quite large (and very nice), but maybe some of that space could have been used for the bedroom or living room. I love the floors in the suite and the loggia looks inviting, but I would rather have the balcony space and have a lounger on the balcony. One person has mentioned the decorative grill next to the couch as obstructing their view of the ocean. 

 

I like the bigger balcony better on the new CS design, but that bathroom and dressing area was cut up and the flow just not as nice. I also liked the little dinette they had on the original design.

Edited December 14, 2018 by vtcruising

[hcat]

Some of those Escher floors look dangerous!

[vtcruising]

4 minutes ago, hcat said:

Some of those Escher floors look dangerous!

Ha ha! Luckily, they look flat when you look down. It really wouldn't have looked good if I had taken another header  - right into the decorative grill -type divider in the RS!  That would have left an interesting pattern on my face.  😉

Edited December 15, 2018 by vtcruising

[ATLgirl15]

Thanks for the room evaluation.  I don’t think any one room is great-each has good features but overall can’t decide.  It seems like the sky suite has a nicer bathroom than Celebrity suite and better balcony than Royal.  I agree that second decorative grill seems unnecessary.  The one after the dining area makes sense but why divide the living area and loggia.  

[vtcruising]

6 minutes ago, ATLgirl15 said:

Thanks for the room evaluation.  I don’t think any one room is great-each has good features but overall can’t decide.  It seems like the sky suite has a nicer bathroom than Celebrity suite and better balcony than Royal.  I agree that second decorative grill seems unnecessary.  The one after the dining area makes sense but why divide the living area and loggia.  

True, there seem to be pluses and minuses for all. The RS is very nice - I could live with the balcony - we would be able to read and dine on the balcony, and since the Retreat is upstairs, we could go up there for lounging in the sun. Maybe someday....🙂