Celebrity Edge AC or SS?

[sweep2907]

First ever time on celebrity and I have booked Aqua Class for 2021. However we are both wondering now if The Retreat and added benefits will be right up our street. Anyone who has been on The Edge, would you recommend that extra investment? I've read in some reviews about lack of inside bars and long wait times for a drink but does anyone else think that is a big problem? I'm always happy to wait a little while when on holiday. Thanks in advance for any help tips or advice.

[George C]

We haven’t sailed on edge yet but booked for April. I just love Celebrity suite perks even before the retreat, restaurant Luminae is excellent both food and service it is as good as specialty restaurants. Also suite lounge is also great , plus butler and concierge.

[bigbenboys]

We cruised on the Edge March 2019 in a S1 mid ship.We enjoyed our suite. I did not like Luminae on the Edge. It was large and seemed more like a European Bistro. On the Edge you can not order off the MDR menu in Luminae. I have heard good things about Blu. Down side you dont have the view of the water like the other class ships. I myself dont plan on booking Edge class ships. If family wants too for some reason, it will not be in suite class.

[jelayne]

We have been on the Edge in Aqua Class and Blu (Aqua class dining room) was excellent.  The ship is beautiful, Eden is a great place if you want to sit inside and watch the water outside in addition to the pool area the Roof Top garden is another good place to see a movie, grab a drink or just relax.

 

We are not fond the the Infinite veranda cabin - with the exception of Suites,  Sunset Verandas and a few 1B's all other cabins including Aqua are infinite verandas.  You have a floor to ceiling window that the top half can be lower but there is no exterior veranda.

 

If price isn't a we would book a Suite for the larger cabin, the true veranda and access to the Retreat (we were able to visit it and it was very nice).  The  Edge has a lot of Suites so Luminae is large and friends said it was frequently loud and crowded.   

[C-Dragons]

We sailed twice on the Edge, in aft Sky suites which have nice large verandahs, and enjoyed all the amenities of the Retreat. Luminae is wonderful, the service is top notch, and the food is very good. 

[miched]

If the price differential isn’t that great or outrageous the suite also special embarkation and disembarkation privileges and priorities.   You also are able to dine in Luminae for lunch on embarkation instead of having to go to the pig trough for lunch fighting the crowds

 

Aqua gives unlimited access to the Persian Garden that is nice but not somewhere that you may utilize everyday.   
 

We were in AQ on the Edge and liked everything about it.   The suite would have been $2000 more pp for a 7 day cruise and we couldn’t justify it.  We got a great deal for a SS on the Apex in a suite with all the perks for $1900 for a 7 day cruise and booked it.   AQ was $200 less with 2 perks.   You need to look at the prices.   The ship is the same no matter what cabin you received in.   If you don’t have it you don’t miss it 

 

You being a first time cruiser will be impressed no matter what category you were in on Celebrity.  We sailed over 30 cruises on other mass cruise lines and the first cruise we did on Celebrity we were impressed as soon as we stepped on board.   We were given a welcome aboard glass of  sparkling wine and then  went WOW.    Everything just got better.   Have sailed over 25 cruises with them none with the others that we enjoyed and had a lot of fun with.  Cannot say anything bad about the other cruise lines, we now prefer Celebrity as it suites us. 
 

happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
 

 

[Mike45LC]

We sailed on the Edge, Aqua Class.  Blu is a restaurant reserved for Aqua Class.  Vey nice space and service.  Blu does allow you to select from the Main Dining Room menus.  BigBen above said that on the Edge, you can not order off the MDR menu in Luminae, which would be a big disappointment to me.  Even though I could order from the MDR menus in Blu, I instead went to the various MDRs because it was our first trip on Edge and I needed to experience each of the MDRs.  As Aqua, we were treated very nicely in all of the MDRs, as well as at Blu.

 

We were on a very port-intensive trip and were unable to take advantage of most of the Aqua benefits.  Kind of a waste!  Because of this, I was unwilling to pay for the upgrade to a suite -- we were up early every day to get off the ship for our private tour, back to the ship to get ready for dinner and the evening's entertainment.  I didn't find that I had enough time to really get to know the Edge well enough in our seven days!  In particular, I had far too little time to spend in the Eden for its entertainment, and too little time for the spa.

 

I did not care for the "infinite veranda", largely due to the name.  Call it a "picture window cabin" instead, because there is no veranda.  But I would not pay suite prices primarily for the real balcony, on a port-intensive cruise.

 

[BCHappyGal]

WE have sailed on the EDGE twice in an S1 and an S3 (Sky Suites)  and YES I would recommend spending the $$ so that you can enjoy the benefits of the suite class... The Retreat is wonderful,,, and the attentive service of the staff in the Retreat great,, always ready with a smile and your order be it food or drinks...  

Love the Luminea .. enjoy Eden but could not tear myself away from Luminea to try eating in Eden...

Also if you let your waiter know if you particularly want a certain item of food he will do his best to see that you are accomodated (meaning let him know ahead of time)..  I love fresh berries for desert so our waiter made sure I had that almost every night... even remembered from one cruise to the next.

Our Butler was great and made sure our fridge was stocked with the drink of our choice...  

 

My only complaint was 7 days on teh EDGE was jsut too short consequently I bboked the Apex for January of 2021 as a B2B to give me 14 days... have had to L&S that to 2022 DARN 

 

I need a cruise!!

[C-Dragons]

2 hours ago, BCHappyGal said:

 

My only complaint was 7 days on teh EDGE was jsut too short consequently I bboked the Apex for January of 2021 as a B2B to give me 14 days... have had to L&S that to 2022 DARN 

 

I need a cruise!!

Yes, I agree! 7 days on the Edge is definitely too short. B2B's are the way to go. 😊

[LGW59]

Agree, IMO SS is the way to go if you are able.  S3 for us and we loved it and all of the perks, fantastic ship, service and food, love the Luminae!

[sweep2907]

All really helpful info everyone. One question I raised was waiting times for drinks particularly in martini bar? Anyone find it a real issue?

[LGW59]

1 minute ago, sweep2907 said:

All really helpful info everyone. One question I raised was waiting times for drinks particularly in martini bar? Anyone find it a real issue?

For us, we found was totally dependent on time of day, if just after a show empties from the theatre, long wait and crowded, so we would just find another bar to enjoy.  

[George C]

42 minutes ago, sweep2907 said:

All really helpful info everyone. One question I raised was waiting times for drinks particularly in martini bar? Anyone find it a real issue?

Martini bar can be really crowded. One of the great perks in suites is when that is crowded you can got to the suite bar on edge is the retreat they make excellent drinks and martinis with really quick service.