Celebrity Edge Aug 9th, 2023 - Iceland & Ireland

[boynton621]

Just booked cruise - first time on the Edge

Counting the days

 

[jwlane]

You'll probably get more response taking this to a Roll Call for that sailing.

[Beachlover1989]

There's a Roll Call already for this sailing, but it's on Apex, not Edge.

[GRBlizz]

We're on it too, but it's the Apex 😄

[SbbquilterUT]

Just returned from it - hope your cruise is as wonderful as ours was.

[GRBlizz]

1 hour ago, SbbquilterUT said:

Just returned from it - hope your cruise is as wonderful as ours was.

Ooh, tell us everything! We have it booked for next year. Highlights, don't miss, don't bother, anything!

[SbbquilterUT]

1 hour ago, GRBlizz said:

Ooh, tell us everything! We have it booked for next year. Highlights, don't miss, don't bother, anything!

Quick response as I intend to do a better job in a review.  

Fly in early enough to enjoy Amsterdam - excellent city to walk and explore while getting used to the time zone change.  We choose to fly carry on only and it worked fine for us.  We take the train from Schipol to Centraal Station (€6pp) and walk the two blocks to the Doubletree hotel.  If you need anything there is s small grocery store in the next building to the hotel.  Cruise morning you are a short 10-15" walk to the ship if you want.  Easiest boarding ever - maybe 15" until we were in our cabin.  Apex is gorgeous and our Deluxe Interior on deck 11 was roomy and wonderful to sleep in.  we had eaten a large breakfast so avoided the Oceanview that lunch crowd.  There is a Cafe Al Bacio on 4 was my morning haunt and quiet early.  There is another in the Oceanview which has longer lines as it is the bar as well.  Food was fine though a bit repetitive after 19 days but as always the breads and croissants were lovely.  We did try eating up there one evening and it was just a reheat of lunch and not very nice.  The four dining rooms were each nice but I missed getting to know staff as we moved through.  Staff was working hard but they are still understaffed and service was sometimes spotty.  Food was fine and sometimes very good.  Raw on 5 and Prime Cut were the specialty restaurants were tried and both were very nice.  My big negative was the spa experience did not match the price point of a fine spa.  The therapist was great and the deep tissue massage what I needed.  But you were sent a note and a very skimpy robe to come to the spa with just the robe on and bring your change of clothes as you did not have access to the changing room or any part of the Thermal spa.  The relaxation room pre-treatment was so small and full that there was not even a place to sit while I waited, just not what I had anticipated after being in other nice spas on vacation.
 

Was anticipating some rough seas sailing so far north but we were fortunate this sailing.  It was very warm in Amsterdam so could enjoy sail away from high up on deck 15 ( also the hot tubs outside there are great for sailaway).  About an hour and a half later you will go through the lock to the North Sea, I found that interesting.  
 

Akureyri - charming little town that you dock right in.  We walked off and found a bank ATM just 2 blocks away.  Had reservations with Saga Travel for the Lake My'vatn tour (small group van) which was our coldest wettest weather but we got to see everything (needed gloves, hat, scarf and layers with rain coat on top).  Iceland sites are a bit of a distance apart so tours last 8-9 hours.  Our guide shared so much information about Iceland and the people to pass the time.  We chose to walk to a restaurant in town for a celebration dinner - can highly recommend Rub23.  By the time we finished dinner the rain was gone and we had sunshine and blue skies the rest of our time there.   There is a charming Main Street of shops as well as a botanical garden all within close proximity to the ship that we explored the next morning before we sailed.  Got some of the famous Iceland Salted licorice - DH hated it, so more for me.
 

Our next stop was Reykjavik.  We again toured with Saga Travels on a Golden Circle tour - pretty much your best bet with any of the companies offering tours as you go to all the same places and it is busier than the cities in the north.  The falls are stunning as expected with opportunities to walk a bit at the National Park and falls.  The weather was pretty mild so a long sleeve shirt and rain coat was all we needed along with our hiking pants which we wore every day.  That evening we treated ourselves with a trip to Sky Lagoon - newer, smaller, fewer tourists (but no blue water)  than Blue Lagoon.  Easy trip by bus from the port to the bus station, then change of bus to the site.  The time there flew and we loved the relaxation.  And you must plan to go in to Reykjavik the next morning to walk the streets and see the iconic church and waterfront.

 

Belfast - we booked a Tour with a Local Black cab tour which was very enlightening about the history of Northern Ireland and the Troubles.  Finished up with a pub lunch at the Morningstar before returning to the ship.  Our Tour Guide did not take credit card so he took us to a bank ATM to get pounds.

 

Cork is lovely - I would love to do a driving tour of Ireland (both parts) after the taste we got on this cruise.  You catch a train to the city right at the ship and we met our local guide.  We saw so much and I wish had much more time at that port to go in to some of the sites we walked by.  That holds true for each of the Ireland stops, not long enough.  We also visited E. Dunnemore and enjoyed a sunny, warm day to roam this little community and walk along the seaside cliffs.

 

If you can think of more specifics, please ask.  We were fortunate to stay on for the 7 night Norway cruise and I can highly recommend it to see yet another beautiful country.