some thoughts on the Edge class

[bluejayway327]

Ooh, I'll add to this post as I had similar thoughts. I sailed the Edge in November, and came to the conclusion that I prefer S-class after one cruise on Edge and one on Equinox. I am 30 years old, for what it's worth.

We were in a suite. The Retreat Sundeck was awesome. There's a nice pool and bar, and they even had a little tray with packaged cheap sunglasses if you forgot yours. Very nice touch. Bathrooms were right there and the sundeck has elevator access. We really liked having showers (for the pool) because it was a quick way to cool off--the Equinox sundeck wasn't totally finished so there's no water feature. Still, I preferred having lunch delivered to my lounger on the Equinox, rather than getting up and waiting by the bar for 20 minutes for food. Spoiled person problems, I know. There was a definite lack of shaded space, though I prefer sun myself. 

Luminae on the Edge was not as good as it was on the Equinox. It was very crowded. The Retreat was full on our sailing, and I don't think Luminae was designed well enough for the increase in suites on Edge class. The service wasn't what we were used to (though lord knows they tried; they were swamped) and we were usually pushed towards specialty dining, which we suspected was because it was included in our fare and they wanted to have fewer people in Luminae. While we really enjoyed the specialty dining onboard (the steakhouse was awesome with live music from the martini bar area, we loved the rooftop garden, and Le Petit Chef was a different show from Equinox), we didn't feel like we had that normal "home base" in Luminae with familiar serving staff. 

We also felt like the ship was really segmented. It's possible that we just never encountered people gathering due to the reduced capacity, but it never felt like there was a good central place where people hung out each night. We actually struggled to even find the Magic Carpet, which we only visited at night when the view was darkness, whoops. With Luminae on deck 12 near all the suites, we actually wished it were on deck 5 or somewhere so we had a reason to leave the suite area and see more of the ship? Again, such a spoiled person problem, but it almost felt isolating. 

Eden is a really cool space, though I admit we didn't dine there because the menu seemed complex and cruising is the fanciest thing we do.

Overall, even in suite class, which the ship seems to have been designed for, we still prefer the S-class ships. We do have a sailing booked for Beyond that I'm certainly still looking forward to, especially with the bigger Retreat Sundeck, but overall I wouldn't say Edge class is worth much extra money. 

[mfs2k]

On 12/12/2021 at 12:05 PM, cruzer0007 said:

I admit freely that I (we) could have done more advance research, but I did do some, and my interpretation was wrong

I suspect this will be one of your first considerations in the future when considering a cruise ship. Everyone has different priorities. 

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

8 hours ago, cangelmd said:

I sailed on Edge in an inside cabin in early 2020 and agree with your observations about the bathroom. We had a “deluxe” inside, but it was still tiny. We adapted, and the space was workable for a 7 day cruise. Eden is excellent.

I came away with a different impression of some your other points. No argument with the lack of forward facing space - there isn’t any except the gym. What it does have is one of the most spectacular aft facing spaces at sea with plenty of quiet space for everyone that wanted to take advantage. I also got a different impression of the Magic Carpet. It was only windy at certain times of the day. I have to stay in the shade and on our full cruise, the Solarium was packed. After some exploration, we found a couple of quiet spots, one being the Magic Carpet in the mornings. Only a few people were there before noon and it was lightly, pleasantly breezy, not windy. We spent hours each morning, until people started filtering in, relaxing and looking out over the sea with a view I can’t get in the shade on other Celeb ships except on a balcony. There was also some forward view, depending where you sat. It was windier later in the day on our cruise, and I suspect the direction of the ship affects that as well.

Finally, the walking track is awesome, with an up and down hill part - none of the S class ships have a big loop that goes to the bow like some ships I’ve been on.

 

Our problem with the Magic Carpet was knowing what deck it was on whenever we thought we'd like to access it. Even the ship's app had the deck wrong one night. We never did spend any time there. Maybe on a longer cruise we would make the effort.

[cruzer0007]

8 hours ago, cangelmd said:

I sailed on Edge in an inside cabin in early 2020 and agree with your observations about the bathroom. We had a “deluxe” inside, but it was still tiny. We adapted, and the space was workable for a 7 day cruise. Eden is excellent.

I came away with a different impression of some your other points. No argument with the lack of forward facing space - there isn’t any except the gym. What it does have is one of the most spectacular aft facing spaces at sea with plenty of quiet space for everyone that wanted to take advantage. I also got a different impression of the Magic Carpet. It was only windy at certain times of the day. I have to stay in the shade and on our full cruise, the Solarium was packed. After some exploration, we found a couple of quiet spots, one being the Magic Carpet in the mornings. Only a few people were there before noon and it was lightly, pleasantly breezy, not windy. We spent hours each morning, until people started filtering in, relaxing and looking out over the sea with a view I can’t get in the shade on other Celeb ships except on a balcony. There was also some forward view, depending where you sat. It was windier later in the day on our cruise, and I suspect the direction of the ship affects that as well.

Finally, the walking track is awesome, with an up and down hill part - none of the S class ships have a big loop that goes to the bow like some ships I’ve been on.

 

we also had a deluxe inside, incase that matters regarding the amenities of the cabin, I should have been more clear about that, but I considered it a pretty standard/basic cabin in my simpleton way of assessing that stuff.   Also agree about the spectacular views in the rear (in the Eden space). It reminded me of the RCCL Quantum class, they also have a nice window wall in the aft of those ships.  About the magic carpet, your experience sounds much more pleasant, so now I am thinking perhaps the weather conditions on our trip are a more primary factor on my dislikes. Perhaps I did not give that enough consideration.  The orientation of the ship with respect to the sun could also be a big factor in my dislike of the warmth we felt on mid day explorations there.  All in all, it is a nice idea, and I am thankful that somebody (ie Celebrity) continues pushing the envelope to find new ways to "wow" the crowd, and its probably down to personal preference rather than a failed innovation.  The magic carpet is certainly unique, and its a great concept and is really cool ... I just wish it was not so windy out there but maybe on a subsequent cruise it wouldn't be.

[zitsky]

On 12/12/2021 at 6:11 PM, marieps said:

Your impressions of Apex mirror mine of the Edge.  I did find the Eden restaurant, when closed, was a nice card spot.  Beautiful wake view.  You just had to climb the stairs each time to get a cocktail.  I believe it's been posted that the Gen-X cruiser is the favored demo, hence quiet spots like a card room and library are out of favor.

 

Hey just wait a minute there!  I'm Gen X and I prefer a quiet place to sit.

 

And do I understand right?  You don't control your Infinite Veranda?  The bridge does?

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

21 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

Hey just wait a minute there!  I'm Gen X and I prefer a quiet place to sit.

 

And do I understand right?  You don't control your Infinite Veranda?  The bridge does?

 

The bridge can control whether or not you can lower your window.

[D C]

27 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

Hey just wait a minute there!  I'm Gen X and I prefer a quiet place to sit.

 

And do I understand right?  You don't control your Infinite Veranda?  The bridge does?

You very much control your infinite veranda with a control panel in your room.

 

Perhaps there exists somewhere else on the ship the ability to prevent you from doing so, but I've never heard of such authority being used. 

[LGW59]

4 minutes ago, D C said:

You very much control your infinite veranda with a control panel in your room.

 

Perhaps there exists somewhere else on the ship the ability to prevent you from doing so, but I've never heard of such authority being used. 

The bridge has the authority and they DO exercise it

[kearney]

On 12/12/2021 at 5:17 PM, Silvery Seas Cruiser said:

So totally agree with this. I had a nagging knee injury on Apex and found Eden beautiful but just too painful to negotiate. All those stairs and steps and ramps. Oh my! Plus agree about the low slung chairs. With my aching knee, getting out of the chairs was an issue. But not just in Eden, Many chairs in public areas were too low for me to exit comfortably. 

 

This is a big complaint of mine for Celebrity in general and it seems to get worse as they revolutionize the line. DH detached his quad and has several partially successful surgeries. He now rents a scooter to get around... but the chairs in the public areas are too low, too deep and often have no arms. In the cabins many have chaise lounges vs a proper height sofa. I was one of the many commenting on Edges design issues prior to the maiden launches... when I saw the cabin design I decided to pack bed risers to raise the cabin's chaise to a suitable height. But I shouldn't have to carry those around to make chairs in public areas high enough. I can't tell you how many passengers we have run into with knee issues.

Like an earlier post.... we tried out the elevator in Eden and found it impossible to exit if going from the top deck to the middle one. Now it might work for a wheelchair... not sure. And having to go up and down several elevators to get from our cabin to the martini bar was a hassle. Now I liked the larger elevators and wider public hallways. 

 

[CruiserRob]

9 hours ago, zitsky said:

 

Does Eden have a bar that is open in the morning?

I'm not sure what time it opens, perhaps someone else can answer.

[kearney]

21 hours ago, helen haywood said:

You mentioned steps to the bar so that was what I was talking about.  If you are talking about the Eden dinner restaurant, you are correct that there are steps down to it.  Having never eaten there I don’t know for certain but surely there is an accessible access to the restaurant?  But perhaps that is the elevator that people say can’t really accommodate a mobility scooter.

 

I’m still in Georgia.  I became a Crazy Cat Lady last year…

I am trying to recall.. but that might be why they have a small elevator that goes three decks... starts at the top and goes to the main level and down to the restaurant. The problem...going from memory..is that if you get on..on the top level... you can not get off on the main level...because exit is a right angle... perhaps a wheelchair can make the turn..if no one else is on the elevator...  When we tried it.. we had to go from the top to the restaurant to get off... I can't recall what we did from the restaurant.. we may have had to go back to the top and take the ramp down... not sure. In any event ..it was not friendly to a scooter. I think to get to the restaurant... there are stairs and the small elevator... but it has been a few years

[goofysmom99]

The last time I cruised the Baltic was in 2014 on the Constellation.  After that cruise, jumped onto a different ship and added a Norway cruise after it.  Today I looked for fjords and Baltic cruises and, whew, thank goodness the Silhouette is available.  And so is the Apex.  I checked its itinerary; it arrives in Stockholm at 11:00 AM.  The sail-ins to Stockholm and into the Norwegian fjords are highlights of my personal cruising history.  The forward view is magnificent.  I think it's kind of sad that the Apex is doing this.  Nothing like looking out the side of your IV at the rock walls of the fjords with your TV on so you can see the forward view.  And missing the breathtaking forward scenery sailing into Stockholm in the morning is so wrong.  If someone's never sailed into Stockholm or cruised the fjords, I suppose they won't know what they're missing without the Sky Lounge or a forward facing deck (captain can spin the ship in Alaska; Norway & Stockholm, no).  Edge class is OK for the Caribbean I guess, but for scenic cruising, like Stockholm, fjords, Montenegro, in my opinion, X is doing a disservice to the majority of the pax on the ship.  

[SNJCruisers]

9 hours ago, bluejayway327 said:

Eden is a really cool space, though I admit we didn't dine there because the menu seemed complex and cruising is the fanciest thing we do.

 We do have a sailing booked for Beyond that I'm certainly still looking forward to

Hopefully Beyond takes a page from Apex and has a normal menu at Eden for dinner, unlike the A/B choices that are a little "foo foo" at Eden on the Edge.

We cruised on the Edge in January of 2020 and took a hard pass on the menu at Eden.  But the new menu at Eden on the Apex is more our style.  Heard good things about the Maine lobster casserole.

[retiredTed]

7 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

Hopefully Beyond takes a page from Apex and has a normal menu at Eden for dinner, unlike the A/B choices that are a little "foo foo" at Eden on the Edge.

We cruised on the Edge in January of 2020 and took a hard pass on the menu at Eden.  But the new menu at Eden on the Apex is more our style.  Heard good things about the Maine lobster casserole.

We spent time in Eden but I recall that the speciality restaurant surcharge combined with a menu that didn't get us very excited left us with the question... why would we dine there when we could dine at the steakhouse for the same money?

[Miaminice]

1 hour ago, retiredTed said:

We spent time in Eden but I recall that the speciality restaurant surcharge combined with a menu that didn't get us very excited left us with the question... why would we dine there when we could dine at the steakhouse for the same money?

 

Because Eden is better than a generic steakhouse 🤷‍♀️😉

 

Food in Eden on Apex was fantastic! The Fine Cut - nothing special...

[DaKahuna]

18 minutes ago, Miaminice said:

 

Because Eden is better than a generic steakhouse 🤷‍♀️😉

 

Food in Eden on Apex was fantastic! The Fine Cut - nothing special...

That may very well be for Apex.  Just like @SNJCruisers, the menu for Eden on the Edge did not appeal to us at all.  We prefer more simplistic and straightforward dishes. 

Edited December 15, 2021 by DaKahuna

[mfs2k]

14 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

That may very well be for Apex.  Just like @SNJCruisers, the menu for Eden on the Edge did not appeal to us at all.  We prefer more simplistic and straightforward dishes. 

It’s nice to have so many options since we all have varying tastes. And $55 per person for an upgraded experience is worth it to me on vacation to experience a different restaurant.   35 years ago when I started cruising our only options were the main dining room or the lido deck buffet. Choices are good. 

[DaKahuna]

1 minute ago, mfs2k said:

It’s nice to have so many options since we all have varying tastes. And $55 per person for an upgraded experience is worth it to me on vacation to experience a different restaurant.   35 years ago when I started cruising our only options were the main dining room or the lido deck buffet. Choices are good. 

Do not get me wrong, I agree that the money for a speciality restaurant is well spent.  However, I would not spend it on the Eden on Edge because there was nothing on the menu I saw that justified paying the up charge.  
 

We are on the Reflection where we ate in Tuscan last week and have a Reservation in Murano for tonight.  

[mfs2k]

9 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

Do not get me wrong, I agree that the money for a speciality restaurant is well spent.  However, I would not spend it on the Eden on Edge because there was nothing on the menu I saw that justified paying the up charge.  
 

We are on the Reflection where we ate in Tuscan last week and have a Reservation in Murano for tonight.  

Glad you have restaurants you like. I loved Tuscan and Murano on Equinox. Enjoy!!

[Nashna]

On 12/12/2021 at 5:36 PM, marieps said:

She's a TA.  Did you expect her to complain?

As a retired manager of a large travel agency, I can tell can tell you that most experienced agents will look very critically at a new ship.  

[Miaminice]

45 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

Do not get me wrong, I agree that the money for a speciality restaurant is well spent.  However, I would not spend it on the Eden on Edge because there was nothing on the menu I saw that justified paying the up charge.  
 

We are on the Reflection where we ate in Tuscan last week and have a Reservation in Murano for tonight.  

 

The way you feel about Eden we feel about Tuscan... disappointed too many times.
Plus, from a European´s point of view, it´s neither Italian nor steakhouse.

Murano OTOH is our favorite. Enjoy!

Edited December 15, 2021 by Miaminice

[zitsky]

1 minute ago, Miaminice said:

 

The way you feel about Eden we feel about Tuscan... disappointed too many times.
Plus, from a European´s point of view, it´s neither Italian nor steakhouse.

Murano OTOH is our favorite. Enjoy!

 

Tuscan Grille is Italian steakhouse?

Murano is French? (Sounds Italian)

[cluso]

12 hours ago, D C said:

You very much control your infinite veranda with a control panel in your room.

 

Perhaps there exists somewhere else on the ship the ability to prevent you from doing so, but I've never heard of such authority being used. 

 

If you pull up earlier threads on the Edge sailings, you will see lots of examples of the bridge disabling/overriding the infinite verandas.  The Edge class is definitely not for us. 

[Miaminice]

9 minutes ago, cluso said:

 

If you pull up earlier threads on the Edge sailings, you will see lots of examples of the bridge disabling/overriding the infinite verandas.  The Edge class is definitely not for us. 

 

Happened to us ONE single time on a cruise in a pretty stormy night when the windows were closed. We can live with that 🤷‍♀️
On the contrary... I did not have to get up to do it 🙂

[micheleg]

We loved out time on the Edge, however as those have previously said, the accessibility issues were hard to deal with.  I too was on a scooter.  Dining at Eden was difficult, especially getting down in the elevator.  I had to get off my scooter, go down with my husband and the Matre' D brought the scooter down.  Then he insisted of giving us the walking tour of Eden, and I kept looking at him like he was nuts and just wanted to be seated.  Same going up.  We had to go first and then he brought the scooter up.  It was not easy getting it out of that elevator.

 

Chairs were difficult for me as well.  Most if not all had arms, too low, and I couldn't get in them.  If I did get in them, I couldn't get out without help from my husband.  Same for the theater.  There was no bench seating.  I couldn't fit in the seats, so I had to go to the top row of the theater on the 2nd level and sit on my scooter and watch.  My husband sat at the bar seats in the back so at least we could be next to each other.  I asked some Officers if they could bring me an armless chair and they just looked at me perplexed and disappeared.  Steps up to the pool and another one of those silly elevators?  I just didn't get it.

 

Stores were hard to navigate as well.  I don't know.  Someone really missed the mark thinking this through from an ADA perspective.  However, points on the accessible cabin.  Other than having to bring up an armless chair for the balcony, beautiful. 

 

I miss the fine dining of Murano.   We're doing a B2B on the Apex in April.  Now that I know what I'm up against, I think I'll be better prepared.  Edge class beautiful and fun to be on something new, however, I'd sail on any of the Solstice class ships a hundred times over.