Just booked Apex (1st celebrity cruise) - why so much hate for edge class?

[Bo1953]

3 hours ago, SunsetPoint said:

 

Among those who have either sailed and disliked the lack the some traditional amenities or disliked some of the new offerings (such as the Eden performers that some have found to be kind of "creepy"), along with those who've just heard about them and are already forming opinions, there may also be the fear that sometime in the future there may not be a choice of S Class, M Class and Edge Class.... or maybe I'm the only one who worries about that?  When Edge came out, I was slightly intrigued, but looking over the marketing materials was not attracted by the decor or gimmicks.  I was also pretty sticker-shocked, and figured if that was the way (read, "pricing") of the future, I'd be looking at other cruise lines.  Maybe I'll try one of the new ships in the next couple of years if I find a price and itinerary that appeals to me, but I really hope that Celebrity continues to offer us choices between the traditional ships and the new ones, and doesn't phase out traditional cruising as they add new ships to their fleet.

I can tell you that our recent W Caribbean sailing on The Edge, was only $600 (in total) more than a previous sailing on Silhouette two (2) years ago. Not outrageous for us to consider paying the premium for or was it? Pricing for cruises are always changing especially with external and internal pressures and the constant need and desire to sail full... Every line has the same issues, generally.

 

We did get a few price drops along the way as well, which will account for some of the price difference.

 

I also must say that the 'decor' between each class is very different from each other, or so in my eyes and experience. Also, amongst the same classes (M & S) of ships, decors are different, while remaining similar.

 

As far as 'Marketing Materials' go, each cruise line has their shtick to gain passengers, rather that be on older, recent or new vessels. We have to decide what is important or vague or realistic or ???

 

Yes, there will come a time when M Class and S Class of ships will go away, just like Edge Class will go away, without being in corporate planning, who really knows what the future holds the 'older' classes, since most of the ships are being or has been dry docked for up-grades, I think it is safe to say it will be a while before retirement... X has to recoup some of their investment, do you not think? Which means that most of the fares will go up in one manner or another, regardless of the ship.

 

We may be in that group of passengers who enjoy sailing, especially on X and decide what our upper limits will be to book.

 

I accept each of us who book, do so at our own an distinct upper limit and tolerance... also, we have decided that the Caribbean is no longer an area for us... even though we have not seen a lot of it, we are moving on to rest of the world of sailing on X and The Edge to places we have not been, along with quite a few friends too.

 

There is no right or wrong basis for booking a sailing, especially if price is a solid factor... spend vacation money where you feel most comfortable, is my motto.

 

Thank you for your input, regardless.

 

bon voyage

[Oville]

24 minutes ago, cluso said:

Don't want to be on a Floating Hotel.  A cruise ship with plenty of outside/inside spaces to be connected to the ocean.  Wind in my face/views for everyone (Sky Lounge).  Balconies where you control your own interaction with the elements.  Access to all outside locations.  View the birds and sea life.   And be able to take way too many pictures.

Have you sailed on Edge?

[Bo1953]

38 minutes ago, Oville said:

Have you sailed on Edge?

LOL, thanks for the rhetorical question....

 

Obviously not... then pictures are worth 1,000 words and no real feelings behind them in terms of this type of experience..

 

bon voyage

[Denny01]

I love the Sky lounge on S- and M-Class ships, but love the E-Class Eden on the stern with fantastic views. And there is a winding wrapaaround ramp that has many seating areas that are private and very quiet areas we used to play cards in and socialize with a great view. We were able to find great places to sit and relax in the Eden Cafe area and other spots throughout the ship so not sure what the ‘no quiet areas’ is all about. I have major hearin issues as so many of us do and I’m sensitive to load lounges. 

 

As with all new designs, especially with such a radical change as the E-Class is, it may take a while for many to adjust to the changes and what is available that you are ‘use to’ on another ship.

 

If I designed a ship, it would have the E-Class Eden in the aft area and the four dining venues for standard dining plus many Infinite Balconies and the outside deck (with a bit more cover); I’d have the S-Class Sky Lounge and Martini Bar; I’d have the M-Class Solarium Pool. As you can see, I’m cutting out a ton of cabins for the common areas so no company that wants to survie would build it. 

 

So how to I get all of that........I cruise on the Silly in Oct-Not 2019; cruise on the Alex Oct-Nov 2020 and the Millie in May 2021, plus work  some more X in when I can. Yup, doing some river cruises and we don’t even talk much about those ships mainly because the itinerancy is the whole point, but with  ocean cruising, the ship is very important.....to me, and Celebrity has a great mix. Thankfully, they built the E-Class to differ from all the others. 

 

Den

 

[ABoatNerd]

Will not patronize any passenger ship that does not have a fully accessible to all forward viewing lounge. Seeing where you are going is a fundamental ship experience.

 

The best cruise experiences for us have been in the forward lounges watching islands emerge from the ocean, observing the many ferries arriving and leaving Dover, seeing Venice start to appear and the passage down the canal to docking, watching the birds hover around the bow of the ship and fly upwards over the lounge with the drafts, and on and on.

 

Essentially not interested in a floating hotel - interesting in a floating ship with hotel attributes and services.

 

 

[phoenix_dream]

I get very annoyed when people attribute negative comments to resistance to change and/or some people just like to complain. It is really insulting to assume that of people when it may not even be close to the truth .  Can anyone argue that all change is good? It isn’t.  Sometimes change is good and sometimes it is anything but. Are we supposed to love all change for the simple reason it is different whether we actually like it or not? Are we supposed to say we love it even if we don’t lest we get accused as complainers? 

 

My first sailing on Edge class is in November on Apex. I am going with an open mind that I will enjoy it overall, while at the same time yes, I am not happy about some of what I’ve heard.  I love libraries. There are none. I love sitting on my balcony for hours reading. I’m hoping what I’ve heard about uncomfortable seating is an exaggeration, but enough people have mentioned it that I’m guessing it’s true. I love the Sky Lounge. Not there.  Again, hoping what’s new and good will outweigh some of these negatives. When I return I will share my views, good and bad and take whatever flaming comes my way.

[cluso]

10 hours ago, Oville said:

Have you sailed on Edge?

No, and I will say I don't "hate" the Edge class, it's just not our cup of tea.  Either is RCCL, Disney, etc.  First cruise ship SS Monterey from Hawaii to LA 1971, first (Celebrity) Chandris Amerikanis 1985.  All kinds of cruises since then to include Tall Ships (Star Clippers, etc), self drive canal boats in Europe, and bareboating.  We are sailors (sailboats, not USN).  We have a boat.  We love being on the water for natures sake.  We do not gamble, shop, or go to shows onboard.  Aside from shore time, most of our waking hours are spent on our balcony.  That includes room service breakfasts on the balcony.  We would not get a suite on Edge, so that rules out most of the outside experience for us.  There are too many other options out there.  Don't worry, be happy!

 

Denny--USAF in Niceville 😎

[Bo1953]

20 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

I get very annoyed when people attribute negative comments to resistance to change and/or some people just like to complain. It is really insulting to assume that of people when it may not even be close to the truth .  Can anyone argue that all change is good? It isn’t.  Sometimes change is good and sometimes it is anything but. Are we supposed to love all change for the simple reason it is different whether we actually like it or not? Are we supposed to say we love it even if we don’t lest we get accused as complainers? 

 

My first sailing on Edge class is in November on Apex. I am going with an open mind that I will enjoy it overall, while at the same time yes, I am not happy about some of what I’ve heard.  I love libraries. There are none. I love sitting on my balcony for hours reading. I’m hoping what I’ve heard about uncomfortable seating is an exaggeration, but enough people have mentioned it that I’m guessing it’s true. I love the Sky Lounge. Not there.  Again, hoping what’s new and good will outweigh some of these negatives. When I return I will share my views, good and bad and take whatever flaming comes my way.

I Am sure you will NOT need an asbestos suit upon writing your review, negative or positive as it will be YOUR first hand experience and knowledge.

 

More often than not, many object to several posters who constantly post their perceived negatives about Edge Class, which is fine generally, yet the repetitive nature of these complaints without first hand experience gets old and boring.

 

We, along with others are quite capable of finding their previous posts and understand that there is no way on the blue waves (or other such colors) and/or white caps that they will ever sail on Edge Class ships (unless there is high water of course) LOL.

 

If there are concerns you may have before the sailing, please post them and those of us who have sailed The Edge will do our best to answer them.

 

Of course there are few items which we cannot change i.e. library (even though I did see a book cart in Eden on my sailing), forward views for everyone aboard (even though if one were in a suite, then The Retreat is available and also the gym and spa offers some forward views).

 

Yes, X did mix it up with this class of ships.

 

bon voyage

[C-Dragons]

47 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

 

Yes, X did mix it up with this class of ships.

 

bon voyage

Yes, and we are so happy they did. 😊

[NMTraveller]

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/getreviews.cfm?action=ship&ShipID=1130

 

The OP can answer his own question by looking at all 515 reviews of people who did sail.

[Madio]

21 hours ago, fragilek said:

I noticed the no sky lounge but felt that the carpet sort of (may be not completely) made up for that as it had stunning views and was always pretty quite.  We found more quite areas on this ship than on Infinity (however, we did Infinity at the height of the summer hols in the med).  Correct no coffee table in  room but we had both a small side table and the table on the veranda that easily moved to info of sofa if required.  We also brought a blow up foot stool so we could lounge back comfortably on our IV .

Don't do gift shops on any ship unless I have run out of Chanel perfume lol (as we found it was much cheaper on board than in any shop in EU or in duty free.

Loved huge TV with free movies being in front of bed as could lie in bed with amazing view (bed next to IV).

 

For us the biggest blunder was no light warning on balcony when it was unlocked by captain so if locked you have to keep getting up out of bed to go try it to see if unlocked again - we liked it down through the night so if it got locked we couldn't keep getting up to try see if it had been released yet

Will go on Amazon to see if they have your blow-up footstools.  Great idea!  We like to relax with our feet up.  Thanks!

[Madio]

We are in our 70's,  both with quite a bit of arthritis, going on the March 15 Edge cruise. All the comments about the uncomfortable furniture,  and loud raucous music have us a little intimidated.  Hence, the above-mentioned blow-up footstools sound great, and I immediately threw 2 pairs of ear plugs in my toiletry bag.  We always find a way to have fun, so we're trying to stay open-minded, and look at it as a new adventure. 

[fragilek]

3 minutes ago, Madio said:

We are in our 70's,  both with quite a bit of arthritis, going on the March 15 Edge cruise. All the comments about the uncomfortable furniture,  and loud raucous music have us a little intimidated.  Hence, the above-mentioned blow-up footstools sound great, and I immediately threw 2 pairs of ear plugs in my toiletry bag.  We always find a way to have fun, so we're trying to stay open-minded, and look at it as a new adventure. 

 I honestly found this the most peaceful ship we have ever sail ( expect bar round the main pool area).  There a many places to just chill out in total silence inside and the sunset bar was almost always half empty during the day sat may a hr sprawled out across  sofas reading here listening to waves and wind.  Lunch outside in the shade was also quite quite always tables no waiting.  The main martini bar always had music on but not load enough to drown out have a conversation (expect for 15 mins when the martini show is on about 8.30-8.45 ish).  And was only really busy on one evening for the silent disco (but would be very quite and quite bazaar to just sit and watch lol

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

On 1/24/2020 at 6:00 PM, helen haywood said:

In response to the OP, if you do not like Edge, do not cancel another Celebrity sailing on an M or S Class ship...Edge is so different from Celebrity’s other classes of ships that I really felt I was on another cruiseline!!  I kept catching myself saying “Wow!  This is so different from Celebrity!”

Actually I think that was me who has a Reflection cruise booked for summer 2021.

 

So you found the service different on Edge compared to the others? That is what I meant by deciding if it is a new cruise line for me to rotate into options. Not so much style of ship. But service and especially how well they handle food allergies (gluten-free due to a wheat allergy) will figure into my decision to keep it or not.

[keesar]

On 1/24/2020 at 1:55 PM, Docbizarro said:

I’m a loyal royal but just booked a apex cruise for 2021 because of a really good price and wanted to see what royal’s “premium” line was like since the price I got was comparable with Royal’s 

 

i figured Apex being a brand new ship was a slam dunk. Since I booked I’ve come across this forum and have noticed a trend of people being negative about the edge class but I haven’t seen concrete reasons why.

 

I’ve sailed on Allure (Oasis), Grandeur (Vision) and Independence (Freedom) and have enjoyed all three with Royal. I enjoy the old smaller ships and the new modern ones.
 

is the problem that it’s more modern and steering away from traditional cruising?

 

The higher costs for cruising on Edge is a major factor for many. I can take a 7 day cruise on Equinox for a little more than half of what I would have pay on the Edge for the same week.  Not worth it to me.   There is no Sky Lounge to relax and the infinite verandas are not appealing to some.

 

On the Reviews on Cruise Critic, the S-class ships have over 50% Excellent ratings versus  Excellent ratings of 30% on the Edge.  

[Justalone]

23 hours ago, Denny01 said:

I love the Sky lounge on S- and M-Class ships, but love the E-Class Eden on the stern with fantastic views. And there is a winding wrapaaround ramp that has many seating areas that are private and very quiet areas we used to play cards in and socialize with a great view. We were able to find great places to sit and relax in the Eden Cafe area and other spots throughout the ship so not sure what the ‘no quiet areas’ is all about. I have major hearin issues as so many of us do and I’m sensitive to load lounges. 

 

As with all new designs, especially with such a radical change as the E-Class is, it may take a while for many to adjust to the changes and what is available that you are ‘use to’ on another ship.

 

If I designed a ship, it would have the E-Class Eden in the aft area and the four dining venues for standard dining plus many Infinite Balconies and the outside deck (with a bit more cover); I’d have the S-Class Sky Lounge and Martini Bar; I’d have the M-Class Solarium Pool. As you can see, I’m cutting out a ton of cabins for the common areas so no company that wants to survie would build it. 

 

So how to I get all of that........I cruise on the Silly in Oct-Not 2019; cruise on the Alex Oct-Nov 2020 and the Millie in May 2021, plus work  some more X in when I can. Yup, doing some river cruises and we don’t even talk much about those ships mainly because the itinerancy is the whole point, but with  ocean cruising, the ship is very important.....to me, and Celebrity has a great mix. Thankfully, they built the E-Class to differ from all the others. 

 

Den

 

New to cruising.
So, what is the Silly, Alex, and Millie?

Edited January 26, 2020 by Justalone

[Denny01]

1 hour ago, Justalone said:

New to cruising.
So, what is the Silly, Alex, and Millie?

I’m sorry about that. Silly is the Silhouette (S-Class Celebrity ship), Alex should have been Apex (newest E-Class) and Millie is the Millinium  (M-Class). 

 

I get too cute sometimes.

 

Den

[yorky]

On 1/24/2020 at 6:55 PM, Docbizarro said:

I’m a loyal royal but just booked a apex cruise for 2021 because of a really good price and wanted to see what royal’s “premium” line was like since the price I got was comparable with Royal’s 

 

i figured Apex being a brand new ship was a slam dunk. Since I booked I’ve come across this forum and have noticed a trend of people being negative about the edge class but I haven’t seen concrete reasons why.

 

I’ve sailed on Allure (Oasis), Grandeur (Vision) and Independence (Freedom) and have enjoyed all three with Royal. I enjoy the old smaller ships and the new modern ones.
 

is the problem that it’s more modern and steering away from traditional cruising?

Have you taken a look at the reviews of Edge on cruise critic. In my view this gives a pretty accurate overall view of peoples experiences of the ship with many of the positives and negatives. You will always have people on here who will say you can’t have a view until you cruise on the ship which I personally don’t agree with ( there is so much information online these days) However given that these are actual experiences and the ship has now built up a good number of reviews what it shows is it’s still way behind the level of positive feedback for the S class ships. Make of that what you will.

[drakes2]

25 minutes ago, yorky said:

Have you taken a look at the reviews of Edge on cruise critic. In my view this gives a pretty accurate overall view of peoples experiences of the ship with many of the positives and negatives. You will always have people on here who will say you can’t have a view until you cruise on the ship which I personally don’t agree with ( there is so much information online these days) However given that these are actual experiences and the ship has now built up a good number of reviews what it shows is it’s still way behind the level of positive feedback for the S class ships. Make of that what you will.

I love the S class ships. Sailed on all but solstice numerous time. My favourites are Eclipse and Equinox although the service on Silhouette cant be beat, sailed on her 4 times. Looking forward to the Apex even though the experience may be different theres something about being on a brand new ship. Heard a few negatives about the hard sofas but we're not in the cabin long enough to sit on the sofa. 

[autumn lass]

We have recently booked 2 cruises one on Apex in April and one on Silhouette to the Med in August, both from Southampton. We have sailed Eclipse from Southampton in the past. We are in our 70’s and are boarding Apex with an open mind, we love the library so are sad that’s not on Apex but will look forward to exploring the ship. We got a good deal on an S2 on Apex so have The Retreat to look forward to and Aqua on Silhouette(we like Blu). I have allergies so the smaller restaurants are ideal for me. Looking forward to both cruises.

[Silkroad]

22 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/getreviews.cfm?action=ship&ShipID=1130

 

The OP can answer his own question by looking at all 515 reviews of people who did sail.

There are also numerous reviews (including my own) that were written live (or not so live) on threads instead of within the CC review template. 

[cgolf1]

On 1/25/2020 at 8:23 AM, phoenix_dream said:

I get very annoyed when people attribute negative comments to resistance to change and/or some people just like to complain. It is really insulting to assume that of people when it may not even be close to the truth .  Can anyone argue that all change is good? It isn’t.  Sometimes change is good and sometimes it is anything but. Are we supposed to love all change for the simple reason it is different whether we actually like it or not? Are we supposed to say we love it even if we don’t lest we get accused as complainers? 

 

My first sailing on Edge class is in November on Apex. I am going with an open mind that I will enjoy it overall, while at the same time yes, I am not happy about some of what I’ve heard.  I love libraries. There are none. I love sitting on my balcony for hours reading. I’m hoping what I’ve heard about uncomfortable seating is an exaggeration, but enough people have mentioned it that I’m guessing it’s true. I love the Sky Lounge. Not there.  Again, hoping what’s new and good will outweigh some of these negatives. When I return I will share my views, good and bad and take whatever flaming comes my way.

The problem with the Edge was that before she was half built people were bashing the design, without ever stepping foot on the ship. I almost cancelled but was glad we didn’t. Probably my favorite ship so far. It was far from perfect, but for us it worked. 
 

I will be curious how the Apex is. Having heard of some the program changes, the live music now may not be as appealing as the mostly current music played when we were on board.

[Silkroad]

On 1/24/2020 at 7:11 PM, Oville said:

I’m not trying to persuade you but the inaugural cruise you took on Edge in December ‘18 and the Edge today are very different experience.  We sailed last week and yes there is no library.  However trivia is alive and well, al Bacio is a quiet space during the day, Eden by day is very relaxing and a great way to watch the sea go by.  The Edenist are only in Eden and do two shows per cruise at 10:15 per cruise.  They do make appearances during dinner in the Eden Restaurant but every 30 minutes probably for a 3 minute performance and we did not see them interacting with guests.  I believe that Eden now has an elevator from deck 5 down to 4.

 

As I said, not trying to change your mind but it is a very different cruise experience 13+ months later.

I agree. There were actually many changes between the inaugural cruise and the spring TA, and more changes were in progress at that time. I expect to see many positive differences between my April 2019 and May 2020 cruises, and perhaps more changes on Apex in November. To the naysayers, who are certainly entitled to their opinions, I would say that Edge class is neither S-class nor M-class, nor is it meant to be. I find each class unique and beautiful in its own way, and I have always (a few glitches and annoyances aside) enjoyed my cruises on each of them. 

Edited January 26, 2020 by Silkroad

[C-Dragons]

13 hours ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Actually I think that was me who has a Reflection cruise booked for summer 2021.

 

So you found the service different on Edge compared to the others? That is what I meant by deciding if it is a new cruise line for me to rotate into options. Not so much style of ship. But service and especially how well they handle food allergies (gluten-free due to a wheat allergy) will figure into my decision to keep it or not.

We found the service on our 2 Edge cruises to be just as good, maybe even a little better than that on the Reflection (which we have sailed 7 times). X transferred their best crew members to their newest ship, and most of those will transfer to Apex when she comes into service. 
I have food allergies too, and never had a problem. I hope you will keep your reservation and go with an open mind. The E-class ships may be different, but the crew and their service is still top notch.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

13 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

We found the service on our 2 Edge cruises to be just as good, maybe even a little better than that on the Reflection (which we have sailed 7 times). X transferred their best crew members to their newest ship, and most of those will transfer to Apex when she comes into service. 
I have food allergies too, and never had a problem. I hope you will keep your reservation and go with an open mind. The E-class ships may be different, but the crew and their service is still top notch.

Oh Edge is happening. That is in 3 weeks. 🙂