Deja Vu all over again....EDGE sailing Eastern Caribbean in S2-8/17-8/24

[#55worktoplay]

Wow, that sure went by fast!

 

Great review once again. The ship looks absolutely beautiful.  
 

Well from what I am reading your prediction of the casino not being so friendly this time was correct!  Too bad, I was hoping you would have been leaving with plenty of winnings. 
 

Great review, thanks for sharing. 
 

Will watch for your next one, shall I guess in about 3 weeks time?

 

I can only cruise vicariously through reviews. I am a mixed vaccine Canadian and am not welcome on any ships from what I understand.  Sucks but it will be resolved sooner or later. In the meantime you can just keep cruising to keep me entertained 😀

 

Thanks!

[CruisinBanka]

Thanks for another great review! Safe travels home.

[KKB]

7 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Well, here we are, back where we started.  What a great cruise.  Will get more specific and provide odd pics and general review/final thoughts later.

 

All you Nor’Easterners stay safe!

 

adiós por ahora

Welcome back!

Being back to work (teacher) the last 2 weeks I've been pretty absent here, so was surprised to see you sailing the Edge again so soon--JEALOUS!

But we are looking at the Edge in October...loved the crew THAT much!

[graphicguy]

Humble thanks to all of you for following along.  The only reason I post here is to hopefully help others to choose, plan and make decisions about the cruise.

 

Some of us here came out of the shutdown with both barrels firing….me being just one! Some had a different experience than me. But, if you couldn’t tell by the posts of both my EDGE cruises, they were fantastic.

 

FINAL THOUGHTS….

 

EDGE

Simply, it is a beautiful ship….probably the nicest I’ve ever been on, and that includes some nice ships like the Anthem of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, NCL Escape, and MSC Merivigila.  The EDGE topped them all.  While I don’t understand the negative I’ve read in these threads about Captain Kate, I believe she’s a probably the crown jewel in the Celebrity Fleet.  I assume Richard Fain knows this, too.  She’s dynamic, personable, clearly a leader.  In addition to being obviously a sterling Mariner, she’s also a communication juggxrnaught, with TikTok, FaceBook, etc presences.  Said it before, I think she’s destined to even bigger things, if Royal Caribbean Holdings knows what they’ve got.  If not, she could easily go anywhere she wants and achieve anything she wants.

 

SERVICE

I know the crew I spoke with were all anxious to get back to work.  Everyone of them I spoke to reiterated similar stories.  They waited, and waited, and waited for the call to get back on board.  When that happened, they didn’t hesitate.  EVERY crew member I ran across, EVERY DAY never failed to say Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening.  They genuinely wanted me to be happy.  That said, there must be some sort of compensation tied to getting good surveys (which I just finished this a.m.).  Without exception, they all asked for my preference of “10s” on the survey, and if I could not give “10s” to let them know how they could make it a “10”.

 

Unfortunately, some tried to hold some crew hostage with that.  I overheard one lady who used the survey as ammunition.  Apparently, when room service brought her coffee one morning, it was “too hot” coming out of the carafe. She was bending the ear about this and the SURVEY to one of the Concierges.  I felt badly for him as he was patiently listening to her litany of complaints (all minor and all petty).  All the while, she was saying she didn’t know how she could give anyone a “10”.  We all know how this works.  Unless there is something egregious that would keep us from giving service personnel “10s”, we understand it’s tied to their reviews, if not their compensation.  So, we gladly do it.  Some people.

 

Bottom line, the service we received was exemplary….across the board.  Best I’ve had on any cruise ship (and that includes sailing in the Haven on NCL and Yacht Club on MSC).  Was it different in the Retreat than it was on the rest of the ship?  Not according to those I spoke with who were staying in different cabins than me.

 

FOOD….you know, this go round I ate in Luminae, Ocenview Cafe, and one of the main dining rooms (Tuscan). Frankly, I enjoyed all of them.  Do you get the same attentive service in the Oceanview Cafe as you get in Luminae?  Of course not.  But, from the food to the service I always felt I got more than I was expecting. We’re there things I didn’t like?  Sure.  Some foods that sounded good, just weren’t agreeable to my palate.  That didn’t mean they were poor.  Just that I didn’t like them (which I’m sure someone else did). IN ALL THE DIFFERENT VENUES, SERVICE WAS AS GOOD OR BETTER THAN I EXPECTED.

 

ENTERTAINMENT….this one is what I was most surprised by.  I think I went to EVERY evening show in the Theater.  It came away impressed.  Did not enjoy Divas 3 as much as I thought I would. But, that was more of a function of my tastes.  Not into overly dramatic musical renditions of anything, which is what the show was all about.

 

It surprised me because I always enjoyed the big, bombastic shows on NCL and RCL.  The EDGE shows were smaller, but no less talent rich.  Plus, EDGE had more variety.  If you didn’t like the disco the Martini Bar,  I could go to to EDEN for acoustic music, or spend the afternoon listening to solo artists, or listening to the house band (which was excellent, by the way) with was a  tight 7 piece group that played just about everything.  Martini Bar mixologists gave a show every day.

 

There is not a bad seat in any venue for any show.  This may be a function of only sailing with 1,000 guests.  But, in the theater I sat in various places…upfront, last few rows, up in the balcony….not a bad seat in the house.  Same goes for Martini Bar.

 

Pools were not crowded, no matter if I was at the main pool or the Retreat pool or the Solarium (especially the Solarium).

 

The ship was impeccably clean.  I never saw ONE plate in the hallways from room service.  I didn’t see one stray glass left on one table anywhere on the ship….EVER!  I didn’t even see one smudge or the smallest of stains on the floor.  It’s the cleanest venue of any type I’ve ever seen, where there is always public traipsing through.

 

Again, being in the Retreat, my dis/embarkation was simple and quick.  From what I gathered, it was quite orderly and efficient for everyone else, too.

 

EXCURSIONS

Really didn’t expect much from excursions.  And honestly, they weren’t necessarily all that ambitious. But, I enjoyed them.  NASSAU is what it is.  It’s not ready for Prime Time, IMHO.  It’s a few months away.  We weren’t docked there more than a few hours, anyway.  And, I’m surprised we docked there at all, except maybe there are some contractural arrangements that must be adhered to.  Personally, I‘D rather skip NASSAU for another sea day.  St Martin (sunset catamaran cruise) and St Thomas (Double Decker Bus Tour) were surprisingly enjoyable.  Booked both with Celebrity given I don’t know the protocols in each place, nor what I could have expected for any 3rd party tour.

 

PROTOCOLS

Celebrity is doing this the right way. I know initially there was some confusion about having negative COVID tests to sail.  I think they figured it out quickly, though.  No need for hand wringing.  Rapid ID and PCR tests are accepted.  Vaccines required for anyone over 12 years old (personally, I’d rather they make it a requirement for anyone over 2 years old).  Get used to it.  It’s going to be just like providing proof that you don’t have Noro or any other communicable disease before boarding.  I applaud Celebrity.  They’re getting it done, week in/week out.  And, every sailing they’re getting better at it.

 

THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD

I was shoved aside by NCL.  I was never a Carnival fan (but will sail with a cheap enough rate).  Royal?  It seems they are still trying to get their footing since the start up.  Will probably sit out with them for another year or so.

 

Will try to do a compare/contrast to NCL’s Haven.

 

Celebrity has me. Have to tame my wander lust for a bit.  But, will keep one eye open for any Celebrity “deals” over the next 6-12 months.

 

Will sift through other odd pics and try to answer any questions I may have missed where I can.

 

Thanks to all of you for encouraging me.  👏 

Edited August 22, 2021 by graphicguy

[countess5]

Graphicguy

 

Just wanted to say thanks again for your live thread and summary. I followed you on both cruises and made me more excited about out August 28th Edge cruise in a Sky Suite.  Your comments and thoughts have made it easier to navigate the Retreat life and ship once on board.

 

Until your next live thread,

 

Cheers! 

 

 

[Edward51]

Graphic Guy

 

Thanks so much.  I don’t usually follow live threads but you were fantastic!

 

My best friend and I will be celebrating our 50th anniversary on the Edge Oct 1.  It will be our first suite so thanks for all the tips, pics and good humour.

 

Like Countess5 said, I look forward to following your next live stream.

[graphicguy]

I did end up getting a day pass to the spa.  NICE SPA.  

 

 

[graphicguy]

THE CLUB.....

[graphicguy]

CD and her Staff.....

[graphicguy]

Martini Glass Hot Tub....

[graphicguy]

Royal does the same, but Celebrity really does them one better regarding art on board.  As an aside, it's so nice not to have a barrage of messages on the cabin phone for art auctions........

 

 

[graphicguy]

Every morning when I woke up, I walked out to my balcony to see the crew maneuvering the ship and observing conditions from this perch, which was just above and just to the left of my cabin (10102).

 

Like clockwork, they'd wave.....

[LGW59]

2 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Royal does the same, but Celebrity really does them one better regarding art on board.  As an aside, it's so nice not to have a barrage of messages on the cabin phone for art auctions........

 

 

What type of camera do you use?  Your photos are truly professional quality!

[graphicguy]

Crown Bay at sunset was stunningly beautiful....

[graphicguy]

[graphicguy]

[graphicguy]

Another thing I like, no crazy T-Shirt sales, $10 watch sales, costume jewelry sales clogging up the aisles.  I don't usually shop in the stores that are on the EDGE, but they are definitely a cut above and resemble more a Rodeo Drive atmosphere.  That said, I never saw one person in the Bulgari nor Cartier stores, either.

[graphicguy]

One of Captain Kate's daily 10:00 a.m. announcements while I was busy sucking down java in the Retreat Lounge.  I sort of got into the routine of having "2nds" for coffee in the Lounge for these announcements to dissipate the "fog" from the night before (danged drink packages 😉 ).

[graphicguy]

15 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

What type of camera do you use?  Your photos are truly professional quality!

Thank you!  Nothing fancy really.  

 

For videos, I used my GoPro 8.  For pics, I just use my iPhone 11 Pro.  Amazing how good video cameras and the photos you can get on iPhones have become.

[graphicguy]

These wooden statues are around the corner from the EDEN entrance.  Every time I came around the corner, I was taken aback.  Couldn't figure out why, until I looked at them more closely.  The are multi-angled.  So, no matter which way you look at them, or where you approach them, they always seem to be looking directly at you.

Edited August 22, 2021 by graphicguy

[graphicguy]

Martini Bar Shows.....

[Cruising89143]

Thanks for the great review. Glad that you enjoyed Celebrity and the Edge once again.
 

Very disturbing to read comments about people complaining about something like coffee that is too hot. Really? Get a life and realize who fortunate you are to be able to afford to cruise. I detest people who talk down to crew members. Karma! 

[graphicguy]

1 minute ago, cruisingator2 said:

Thanks for the great review. Glad that you enjoyed Celebrity and the Edge once again.
 

Very disturbing to read comments about people complaining about something like coffee that is too hot. Really? Get a life and realize who fortunate you are to be able to afford to cruise. I detest people who talk down to crew members. Karma! 

We think alike in that regard.  I only heard a couple of the guests talking down to the crew.  One was "coffee lady".  The other was someone in Luminae stating her fish had too much salt.  Waiter profusely apologized and said he wold bring her another serving and tell the chef to use less salt.  It could not have been more than 5 minutes later he brought out another dish.  Lady berated him again telling him she was no longer hungry and to just take it back.  

 

Not that it mattered, but I made eye contact and did the "wrinkled brow stare" at her.  I'm sure it didn't matter to her.  On subsequent nights, I requested another table further away from here whenever I saw her.  

[CruisinBanka]

Thank you Graphicguy for your great thread and summary! Love your writing style. Totally enjoyed sailing along with you and you have us psyched to get on the Edge 8/28 for our B2B!!! 

[Smmessineo]

Thanks for another great travelogue, Graphicguy ! As someone who is devoted to Celebrity already, it's nice to see the ship and staff  through the eyes of a new Celebrity fan.  You have to sail on an S-Class ship sometime. The design of these ships is great! ( also, the Equinox does great varied  itineraries in the Caribbean year round). 

Your posts, and those of other recent voyagers, have made the wait for our next cruise less painful 😀

 

Edited August 22, 2021 by Smmessineo