some thoughts on the Edge class

[LGW59]

4 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We did both an Equinox and Edge cruise this summer from FLL in the Retreat, we loved both ships but having the Luminae, Retreat Lounge and Deck all with in 3 or 4 decks made a huge difference and we are all in for doing only E Class in the Retreat for the future. We have 1 Apex in 2023 and 2 or 3 Edge cruises in 2024 booked or planned all in Sky Suites.  If all goes right, we could be on the Edge for 39 continuous nights in 2024. The Beyond will even be better with all 3 Retreat facilities in the top 2 decks.

Those 2024 cruises you have booked look amazing.  If you do all 39 days do you know how many total sea days?

[terrydtx]

2 hours ago, LGW59 said:

Those 2024 cruises you have booked look amazing.  If you do all 39 days do you know how many total sea days?

The 12-night NZ cruise has 4 sea days plus 3 days of cruising the sounds and bays, the 9-night Australia wine cruise has 4 sea days and the 3rd leg to Hawaii has not been released but the 2023 on the Eclipse has 11 sea days out of 18 days.  So, we could have 22 sea days total. Being in the Retreat will be nice with so many sea days.

[SNJCruisers]

8 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

I'm not sure this would solve LGW concerns, it appears that LGW had more issues with the people and not the ship.

I guess you're right.  All people that cruise on Carnival are low life scum and the Royal moniker calling Carnival the Walmart of the Seas must be true. 🤔

[SNJCruisers]

9 hours ago, mahdnc said:

 

Our very first cruise was an inside cabin on a Carnival ship (Jubilee). 

Same here (1986)

[cruzer0007]

7 hours ago, behtyas said:

My only immediate comment is that the Magic Carpet is apparently EXTREMELY bright when looking AT the ship..?

 

While returning to port at night on the Edge, we passed the Apex sailing out. Our cabin lit up nearly like a spotlight so we peeked out the curtains to see Apex's Magic Carpet lighting not only us up, but what felt like half the sea (exaggerating). Not sure if that was just a friendly little "competition" between the two ships, but even after we passed, it was very easy to see exactly how much Apex was illuminating everything around it from its MC lights!

That light is indeed very substantial, almost obnoxious in some respects.  We were on the Apex, and in the evening  we could always clearly detect a purple haze around that area of the ship when out in the darkness of sea.  Then, when we sailed out of San Juan late in the evening, the effect is so substantial that in otherwise total darkness, the side of the El Morrow fort is illuminated enough that its possible to get some really cool photos, I pasted one here.   I can only say I would not want to be on another ship docked next door to that side of an E-class vessel at night.

 

[mahdnc]

1 hour ago, SNJCruisers said:

Same here (1986)

 

1991. We were on this sailing:

https://www.sabbycat.com/total-eclipse-of-the-sun-from-the-carnival-jubilee/

Edited December 18, 2021 by mahdnc

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, SNJCruisers said:

I guess you're right.  All people that cruise on Carnival are low life scum and the Royal moniker calling Carnival the Walmart of the Seas must be true. 🤔

That is not at all what I or Ipee said.  You do tend to go over the top when/if one does not totally agree with your cruise line views 

[SNJCruisers]

1 hour ago, mahdnc said:

 

1991. We were on this sailing:

https://www.sabbycat.com/total-eclipse-of-the-sun-from-the-carnival-jubilee/

My sailing was one of their first in July of 1986.  I booked it through Singles world and had a male stranger as a roommate.

[SNJCruisers]

1 hour ago, LGW59 said:

That is not at all what I or Ipee said.  You do tend to go over the top when/if one does not totally agree with your cruise line views 

I was surprised by some of the posts in the thread that had the same anti Carnival sentiment.  I personally have not had  a bad cruise out of the 35 I've been on.  Of course some have been better than others, but I have never written off any of the cruise lines I have sailed on, or any cruise line that I have never sailed on, which is totally opposite of the feelings of some on here and many on the RCI boards.

[Oville]

12 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

I was surprised by some of the posts in the thread that had the same anti Carnival sentiment.  I personally have not had  a bad cruise out of the 35 I've been on.  Of course some have been better than others, but I have never written off any of the cruise lines I have sailed on, or any cruise line that I have never sailed on, which is totally opposite of the feelings of some on here and many on the RCI boards.

We’ve been on 2 Carnival cruises and I’m embarrassed to admit it.  They were both out of NY and still can’t believe we went on the second.

BTW, this is a Celebrity site and the OP comments were about the Edge.  Not directing this only to you but all others including me. Let’s stay on topic.

[Ipeeinthepools]

2 hours ago, Oville said:

... BTW, this is a Celebrity site and the OP comments were about the Edge.  Not directing this only to you but all others including me. Let’s stay on topic.

 

Ok, let me recap.  

 

The Edge is a great ship for suite guests.  Celebrity did a great job for the suite guests designing a "ship within a ship"

 

The Edge may not be a great ship for non-suite guests.  The layout of the ship limits access to a lot of valuable space at the front and top of the ship for the exclusive use of the suite guests.  There are very few conventional balconies on the E-class ships.  The infinite veranda (IV) balconies are not true balconies.  The IV balconies have a sliding window that can be opened to effectively turn the entire cabin into an open area.  This may be acceptable for people that do not use the conventional balcony very often but has been a disappointment for those spend a lot of time on the balcony.  There is a small area that can be closed off to simulate a true balcony but the furniture has been miniaturized and not very comfortable.  Celebrity has also eliminated any large table so there isn't a convenient way to have a meal on your balcony.   The bridge can override the control of the window and prevent the window from opening.  

 

The Edge class ships have very well designed bathrooms in all classes.

 

The Edge has a multi-purpose platform that hangs off the side of the ship that can be used as a bar, dining room or a platform for accessing tenders.  Many find this platform ugly and wind often limits use of the platform for dining.

 

The Edge has a well design open area at the rear of the ship that many find enjoyable.  However interactive entertainment has not been success with many passengers.

 

Now we can restart the discussion ....

[cruisefam38]

Ipeeinthepools entry is so matter of fact and on topic, it is controversial.

I object.

Strenuously. 

[TeeRick]

17 hours ago, cunn9004 said:

 

😭

🤧

[TeeRick]

On 12/12/2021 at 8:53 PM, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I suspect you are correct.  I fully expect them to move the two M class ships that haven't been Hoppenized out of the fleet.

Yes likely at some point.  Right now there are lots of sidelined cruise ships and many others are sailing at low capacity numbers and low revenue or even sailing at a loss.  So Celebrity might not find a ready market or the right price for these two ships.  As you are well aware, there have been reports of M-Class ships being on the market for the past several years.  It is clear that Celebrity is making a huge bet on E-Class now and in the future.  It will likely hold onto S-Class and keep these ships in good condition.  So we shall see what happens to M-Class. This is kind of what happened with Century Class.   But I would miss M-Class if sold.  

[TeeRick]

3 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

Ok, let me recap.  

 

The Edge is a great ship for suite guests.  Celebrity did a great job for the suite guests designing a "ship within a ship"

 

The Edge may not be a great ship for non-suite guests.  The layout of the ship limits access to a lot of valuable space at the front and top of the ship for the exclusive use of the suite guests.  There are very few conventional balconies on the E-class ships.  The infinite veranda (IV) balconies are not true balconies.  The IV balconies have a sliding window that can be opened to effectively turn the entire cabin into an open area.  This may be acceptable for people that do not use the conventional balcony very often but has been a disappointment for those spend a lot of time on the balcony.  There is a small area that can be closed off to simulate a true balcony but the furniture has been miniaturized and not very comfortable.  Celebrity has also eliminated any large table so there isn't a convenient way to have a meal on your balcony.   The bridge can override the control of the window and prevent the window from opening.  

 

The Edge class ships have very well designed bathrooms in all classes.

 

The Edge has a multi-purpose platform that hangs off the side of the ship that can be used as a bar, dining room or a platform for accessing tenders.  Many find this platform ugly and wind often limits use of the platform for dining.

 

The Edge has a well design open area at the rear of the ship that many find enjoyable.  However interactive entertainment has not been success with many passengers.

 

Now we can restart the discussion ....

Your recap is overall pretty accurate (for me anyway).  Yet many other people cruise on EDGE & APEX, and BEYOND will be the same or higher demand.  Most of these ships' cabins are non-suites, so lots of cruisers in IV's now and in the future.  It seems that some (not all) of the more experienced Celebrity customers prefer M- and S-class sips with traditional balconies.  But E-Class was not designed for them (us).  It was designed for new and future cruising customers and for high-priced suite customers.  Your perspective accurately represents many of the traditional (and perhaps older) Celebrity customer base.  But not everybody.  Many people here are very positive about E-Class.  So Celebrity did hit the mark for many.  As for me, when I sail suites, E-Class ships are great.  But interesting, not for Mrs. Tee Rick.  She did not like Edge even though we were in a CS.

Edited December 18, 2021 by TeeRick

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

10 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Yes likely at some point.  Right now there are lots of sidelined cruise ships and many others are sailing at low capacity numbers and low revenue or even sailing at a loss.  So Celebrity might not find a ready market or the right price for these two ships.  As you are well aware, there have been reports of M-Class ships being on the market for the past several years.  It is clear that Celebrity is making a huge bet on E-Class now and in the future.  It will likely hold onto S-Class and keep these ships in good condition.  So we shall see what happens to M-Class. This is kind of what happened with Century Class.   But I would miss M-Class if sold.  

 

I would definitely miss the M class if they were all sold.  All my cruises next year are on the Summit.  My speculation is that they might shed the two which have not yet been Hoppenized.  

[TeeRick]

1 minute ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I would definitely miss the M class if they were all sold.  All my cruises next year are on the Summit.  My speculation is that they might shed the two which have not yet been Hoppenized.  

Yes I do hope along with you that they keep a couple of M-Class ships for us!

[terrydtx]

Glad to be back on topic. For the foreseeable future the E Class ships are going to be Celebrity's primary new ships class, 2 currently sailing and 1 launching next year and 1 in 2024, plus a 2 more on the drawing board for 2026 and beyond. After our first Edge cruise in a suite, I can see, for customers, who love the retreat, the E Class is the best product currently on any mainstream cruise line.  The other IV cabins are definitely controversial, but after reading many threads on this topic since 2018 when the Edge was launched, I think a slim majority of Celebrity customers do like the concept. If this isn't true Celebrity would not continue building them. I am not a fan of IV, and wouldn't want an IV cabin but, I am also now a Retreat only Celebrity customer so the E Class ships will be our primary mainstream cruise line.  Outside of the IV cabins, the Edge and Apex are beautifully built ships inside and out, with so much more to offer all classes of cabins like 4 MDR concepts and more specialty restaurant choices than any of the current M and S class ships. We loved our first cruise on an S Class ship, Equinox, but the Edge blew us away. So much so we are throwing away our 3-star HAL status and will no longer cruise with them after our Oosterdam cruise next year, after which we will be 4 Star with them. 

 

My sister who is Elite Plus with Celebrity said earlier this year she and my BIL would not cruise on the Edge because of the IV balconies, most of their previous Celebrity cruises had been in Aqua. That was until this summer when she pooled a whole bunch of FCC and booked a Villa Suite in August for their first Retreat cabin. Like us, she fell in love with both the ship and the Retreat and now will only book the Retreat in E Class ships. She has a cruise booked on the Beyond next year and will be on the Edge with us in 2024 for New Zealand.

 

BTW speaking of HAL, when they announced several years ago their new Pinnacle class of ships with about 2700 passenger capacity, many HAL CC members were about as critical of them as many here are of the E Class ships. The biggest criticism was that HAL was getting away from their smaller ship model that they think made HAL a good cruise choice. We have not been on any of the new HAL ships but some friends I know love them. 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2021 by terrydtx

[Ipeeinthepools]

45 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Your recap is overall pretty accurate (for me anyway).  Yet many other people cruise on EDGE & APEX, and BEYOND will be the same or higher demand.  Most of these ships' cabins are non-suites, so lots of cruisers in IV's now and in the future.  It seems that some (not all) of the more experienced Celebrity customers prefer M- and S-class sips with traditional balconies.  But E-Class was not designed for them (us).  It was designed for new and future cruising customers and for high-priced suite customers.  Your perspective accurately represents many of the traditional (and perhaps older) Celebrity customer base.  But not everybody.  Many people here are very positive about E-Class.  So Celebrity did hit the mark for many.  As for me, when I sail suites, E-Class ships are great.  But interesting, not for Mrs. Tee Rick.  She did not like Edge even though we were in a CS.

 

It will be interesting, perhaps Celebrity did make a good decision with the E-class design.  The E-class ships certainly represent the shiny new object and many people just like something new.  The IV balconies and the resulting smaller furniture are probably the biggest issue for me.  It would have been nice if Celebrity would have followed the MSC design and have a combination of both IV and regular balconies.  However perhaps you have highlighted the issue, maybe most people really don't use their balconies very much so it really doesn't bother them and they like the effect of a larger cabin.  If that's the case Celebrity has made a good decision for the company.  But for me, it leaves me out in the cold.  The result for us will likely be that we will gradually move over to HAL to continue sailing with real balconies.   We have friends that really like HAL and many of their itineraries look interesting and they really like the new class of ships.

[odysee]

Just posted this under another topic before I saw this one.  I am repeating it here since it seems a better place :
 

I love the S class ships for many reasons as a lot of other passengers do as I gather from these forums.

Therefore I have always wondered why X switched to Edge class and so stubornly sticks with it despite lots of complaints and even suggestions for improvements are ignored ?

Also the German product is superior to the ships made in France.

So why the change, is it just a matter of price ?

[LGW59]

21 minutes ago, odysee said:

Just posted this under another topic before I saw this one.  I am repeating it here since it seems a better place :
 

I love the S class ships for many reasons as a lot of other passengers do as I gather from these forums.

Therefore I have always wondered why X switched to Edge class and so stubornly sticks with it despite lots of complaints and even suggestions for improvements are ignored ?

Also the German product is superior to the ships made in France.

So why the change, is it just a matter of price ?

I think that regardless of where the ships are built, they are simply following the architect/designer blue prints provided to them  by each line.

[jagoffee]

1 hour ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

It will be interesting, perhaps Celebrity did make a good decision with the E-class design.  The E-class ships certainly represent the shiny new object and many people just like something new.  The IV balconies and the resulting smaller furniture are probably the biggest issue for me.  It would have been nice if Celebrity would have followed the MSC design and have a combination of both IV and regular balconies.  However perhaps you have highlighted the issue, maybe most people really don't use their balconies very much so it really doesn't bother them and they like the effect of a larger cabin.  If that's the case Celebrity has made a good decision for the company.  But for me, it leaves me out in the cold.  The result for us will likely be that we will gradually move over to HAL to continue sailing with real balconies.   We have friends that really like HAL and many of their itineraries look interesting and they really like the new class of ships.

I am not sure from your post if you have ever cruised on the Edge Class.  Have you?

 

I ask because I thought there were a lot of cool features on the Apex.  I was wondering if you disagreed.  

[terrydtx]

35 minutes ago, odysee said:

Just posted this under another topic before I saw this one.  I am repeating it here since it seems a better place :
 

I love the S class ships for many reasons as a lot of other passengers do as I gather from these forums.

Therefore I have always wondered why X switched to Edge class and so stubornly sticks with it despite lots of complaints and even suggestions for improvements are ignored ?

Also the German product is superior to the ships made in France.

So why the change, is it just a matter of price ?

As in any forum people who are dissatisfied with a product are prone to write and complain much more. As I have stated prior, I have to believe that there is a majority of past E Class passengers who like the IV concept or Celebrity would not continue to build them.  It would be wrong to make Corporate decisions based on comments by all of us in CC, which really doesn't represent the total of all Celebrity E Class customers, in fact we are a small minority. I am not a fan of IV, but I love the E Class ships overall and whether you agree or not they are the future for now of Celebrity ships.

[Brucemcdou]

On 12/12/2021 at 7:25 AM, CruiserRob said:

I've never understood why ship designers devote prime forward looking real estate to the gym.

As someone who goes to the gym most mornings on a cruise I admit I LOVE this design feature.  We get coffee and a small bite delivered from room service then head to the gym - a workout with sunshine all around makes a great start to the day!  We were recently on Harmony OTS (Royal Caribbean Oasis Class) and the gym is down on deck 6 with side facing windows and I hated that aspect of it - still an awesome large gym but it may as well be in some strip mall somewhere with the limited view of the water.  Glad to see that Celebrity at least still keeps this aspect of ship design.

 

I think traditionally the top decks, especially forward, were seen as less desirable due to the increased motion.  The M-class ships put the largest suites low and toward the aft on deck 6.  Celebrity is just following other cruise lines' lead in putting the expensive  suites high up.  

[LGW59]

4 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

As in any forum people who are dissatisfied with a product are prone to write and complain much more. As I have stated prior, I have to believe that there is a majority of past E Class passengers who like the IV concept or Celebrity would not continue to build them.  It would be wrong to make Corporate decisions based on comments by all of us in CC, which really doesn't represent the total of all Celebrity E Class customers, in fact we are a small minority. I am not a fan of IV, but I love the E Class ships overall and whether you agree or not they are the future for now of Celebrity ships.

At 62 yo, I don’t think I am the “target” demographic that Celebrity had in mind designing E-Class ships.  Having only stayed in a SS/Retreat, they totally hit my sweet spot as well as in the overall design of the entire ship.  A passenger I met on board did invite us to see their IV suite, which they loved, I thought it was very nice as well.  Sitting at that open window enjoying a libation and listening to the sea would be very relaxing, provided the captain did not lock the window 🙄.