Edge and Equinox

[woneill63]

For those of you who have sailed both class of ships, which do you prefer and why ?  We have only sailed on Celebrity once, Constellation 10 nighter out of Rome back in the summer of 2019, and were very impressed with the overall quality and service aboard.  We are experienced cruisers, with more than 25 cruises on various lines, who are getting older, late 50s now, and booking less cruises with Royal and NCL, and starting to book more with Celebrity.

We have an upcoming 10 day sailing on the Edge in October out of Rome and an 8 night Equinox in late May.  From all my research and reviews that I have read, it looks like the Equinox looks like a better fit for us.  I am very confident that each cruise will be fantastic.

Thoughts and input ?

 

Cheers

[canderson]

Depends a bit on cabin class.  There are some definite differences between 'equivalent' (not quite) cabins between those two ships.

[LGW59]

13 minutes ago, woneill63 said:

For those of you who have sailed both class of ships, which do you prefer and why ?  We have only sailed on Celebrity once, Constellation 10 nighter out of Rome back in the summer of 2019, and were very impressed with the overall quality and service aboard.  We are experienced cruisers, with more than 25 cruises on various lines, who are getting older, late 50s now, and booking less cruises with Royal and NCL, and starting to book more with Celebrity.

We have an upcoming 10 day sailing on the Edge in October out of Rome and an 8 night Equinox in late May.  From all my research and reviews that I have read, it looks like the Equinox looks like a better fit for us.  I am very confident that each cruise will be fantastic.

Thoughts and input ?

 

Cheers

I'm a believer in you don't know unless you try.  That said, you'll get the EDGE lovers and EQUINOX lovers to weigh in.  We each like what we like for specific reasons and you may find many who like both.  I sm an EDGE lover, full disclosure, only other Celebrity ship I've been on is SUMMIT (pre-furb) staff/crew were FANTASTIC in every way!  JUst for me, the modernization, design, layout, asthetic, suites/retreat, combine to make it all such a relaxing vacation and again, the service is amazing.  I am though seriously looking into a SOLSTICE cruise, primarily because of the itinerary, cost though is astonishing.

[jelayne]

They are both excellent.  The Equinox is more traditional, eg 1 MDR vs Edge which has 4 smaller dining rooms; traditional balconies( Equinox)  vs infinite verandas(Edge) 

traditional pools vs pools with a modern feel with some loungers in the pool.  
 

We love both but we have 10 bookings and 7 are on E class, some because of the itinerary but some just because we love the new more modern feel of the E class.

 

[Random Cruizer]

I was on both this summer, well the Apex.  The Apex was truly gorgeous, but I really missed the main dining room experience.  I didn't realize that splitting it up into 4 meant anytime dining in each, not 4 traditional main dining rooms.  That made the dining rooms more like busy restaurants with the tables too close together instead of a cruise ship dinner experience.  Also--on the Equinox, even though it's been fitted out with the retreat, you can still walk all the way around the ship on the Equinox unlike some refurbished ones that block off the front like the new edge class does if you aren't in a suite.  I loved both, and I would take a cruise again on either--but if you love the MDR and being able to walk to the front of the ship coming into port, stick with Equinox unless you will in the retreat.

 

Also--Eden on the Apex was one of my favorite spaces with the ramp up the back of the ship--such a great place to sit and read.

Edited September 23, 2022 by Random Cruizer

[go.without.you]

I've sailed Equinox 4x (my favorite ship) and have also sailed Silhouette and Reflection (all S class ships). In total I have about 9 cruises on the S class in Concierge, Aqua and Retreat. 

 

I finally did Edge in March in the Retreat.  I know I would not like the infinite veranda (my opinion). I usually sail alone so I will only do Aqua or Retreat for the personal attention given in the dining room. I want the same waitstaff every night and that is hard to do in MDR. Here's my breakdown.

 

Equinox: Ship is older but still fresh and up to date after the revolutionizing a few years back. I love the layout of the ship and for me it's the perfect size and amount of passengers.

Retreat: I especially like being able to order from the MDR menu in Blu or Luminae. The Retreat deck is lovely but does not have a hot tub, pool or bar area and limited shade but it was never crowded. The staff was very attentive bringing drinks and food and just checking in. The Retreat lounge has a bar with a bartender and other waitstaff which is more personal. There are coolers with sodas and drinks available all the time and light bites certain times of the day.

Rest of ship: The martini bar has the frozen top which is nice after dancing in the silent disco - chill your hands then place on neck to cool down. I have dined in all of the specialty restaurants (except for Petite Chef) and they are always fabulous. I will sit by the pool or in the solarium on port days only because the crowds are gone.

 

Edge: Beautiful ship designed especially with suites in mind. The ship is bigger and holds more passengers. The dining areas were a little confusing and that section of the ship just seemed deserted each time I walked thru (could have been my timing).

Retreat: Luminae was much larger and a bit noisy and you cannot order off the MDR menu but there are certain items available everyday such as French onion soup and escargot. The Retreat lounge has a self serve bar area with wine and other spirits plus non alcoholic beverages - also small bites certain times of the day. The lounge also has an outdoor area with chairs located in the shade. The Retreat deck has plenty of shaded areas and a dedicated bar with bartender plus servers. There are also a few dining tables with chairs in the shade. The Retreat deck menu is the same on all ships. Edge does have hot tubs and a small splash pool with hanging chairs. Retreat deck was crowded on sea days but still plenty of options in the sun or shade.

Rest of ship: I tried one of the 4 regular restaurants and the service and food were wonderful. The martini bar is much larger but missing the chilled top. I did not dine in any of the specialty restaurants but I've heard Eden is wonderful. We checked out the Magic Carpet on a sea day but it was too hot and windy to sit there. The carpet was not used to tender at any of our ports.

 

I hope this helps you decide. 

[hcat]

Enjoy both.two of our favorites..each has its good points!

[Jeremiah1212]

I couldn't say one stands out above the other. They are just different. Extremely different in some ways but there is still a decent amount of familiarity. I prefer the newer look and feel of the E class ships, especially the outdoors decks. After two cruises on Reflection this year, we will be sticking to E class for the foreseeable future unless there is a can't-miss itinerary on an S class ship.

[AstoriaPreppy]

TBH, the Cruise Critic user screeds against the infinite veranda cabins remains one of the most confusing things I’ve ever seen on this site. We sailed on the Edge in Europe in 2019, and found the infinite veranda stateroom one of the best standard staterooms on any cruise line we’ve ever sailed (20+ cruises). There is so. much. space! The bathroom is huge for a non-suite! The IV was a completely usable space when closed, and when opened was… a balcony!

 

Unless one member of your stateroom needs complete darkness in the early morning while the other member of your party wants to be on the balcony starting at 5 am, you’ll be fine. (A bigger question I’d ask is who exactly are these randos with completely different sleep schedules from their partners, but I digress).

 

Anecdotally, we’ve talked to a lot of cruisers on other Celebrity sailings since then, and almost to a person they loved the infinite veranda staterooms, so I just have to assume CC users are vocal outliers. Maybe it’s just social people who hang out at the martini bar and like chatting? No clue, but the griping you find here doesn’t seem to be replicated in the real world. 

 

We also loved the larger Edge, which has incredibly innovative and well-designed spaces that aren’t like other Celebrity ships. We always found the Solstice class to be a bit inward-facing (huge atrium, etc) compared to the Millennium class.  Edge worked extra hard to expand the ocean views, outdoor spaces, and walls of glass throughout the ship. One side of the buffet is just like a huge wall of windows… it’s incredibly impressive. 

 

While we love some features of the Equinox, the staterooms are just fine. We did love the lawn on the Equinox… living in NY and not having a backyard, it reminded us of spending the day in sheep meadow in Central Park, and we spent hours up there. 

[D C]

We won't sail on Edge again. Infinite Verandas are a non-starter, and there are a number of other things we dislike about the ship's layout.  Even with traditional balconies, it would be at the bottom of our preference list. 

[OT-Miami]

We sailed once on Edge and twice on Equinox (pre and post partial revolution). We did not try the Infinite Veranda, opting for the Sunset Veranda on Edge, so our experiences on both ships have been with traditional balcony cabins.  The Edge bathroom was very spacious for a non-suite veranda cabin.

 

Obviously, Edge is a newer ship with a very modern décor.  Equinox received a partial revolution in 2019, which updated many of the common areas and upper-class cabins, but most of the cabins only received a basic refresh. Our Equinox cabin had new bedding but the same tired carpet and worn couch.

 

We found Edge to have fewer bars for just enjoying after dinner, basically Martini Bar (which is great by the way), Eden (also very enjoyable) and of course Sunset Bar.  Our only experience with the Magic Carpet was as a bar during the day, and it was really nice to sit out and watch the sea go by.  On Equinox we really enjoy live music at Ensemble Lounge, World Class Bar, and Craft Social, in addition to Martini Bar, Passport Bar and Sunset Bar, plus Sky Observation Lounge. 

 

There is no public space at the front of Edge – all of the forward areas are reserved for the exclusive use of Retreat guests or Aqua class guests. Deck 12 forward on Equinox has the Spa Veranda, which is a great place at the front of the ship for sail-away that is open to everyone. 

 

The four MDR’s on Edge are all different and beautiful, we enjoyed them all, but they might not be as enjoyable for those who prefer to have the same wait staff each night. The food was very good on both ships and we received excellent service all around.

 

I honestly don’t think you can go wrong with either ship, but if I had to choose a favorite it would be Equinox. HTH 😊

[JBare]

1 hour ago, OT-Miami said:

The four MDR’s on Edge are all different and beautiful, we enjoyed them all, but they might not be as enjoyable for those who prefer to have the same wait staff each night. The food was very good on both ships and we received excellent service all around.

 

I agree with all of your comments but I would replace Equinox with Silhouette .

Just so you know Edge class ships still do traditional dining (6.30pm or 8.30pm), you can have the same table and staff every night and walk past all the queues straight to your table and choose your menu from any of the other three dining rooms.

[JBare]

3 hours ago, Random Cruizer said:

I didn't realize that splitting it up into 4 meant anytime dining in each, not 4 traditional main dining rooms.  That made the dining rooms more like busy restaurants with the tables too close together instead of a cruise ship dinner experience. 

The four main dining rooms do both anytime and traditional seating for those that want it. Just as in the S class MDR you can be allocated a table in one of the four and stay there all cruise if you wish. They are attractive locations and we found many suite guests choosing to dine there causing longer queues for anytime dining.

 

[Random Cruizer]

7 minutes ago, JBare said:

The four main dining rooms do both anytime and traditional seating for those that want it. Just as in the S class MDR you can be allocated a table in one of the four and stay there all cruise if you wish. They are attractive locations and we found many suite guests choosing to dine there causing longer queues for anytime dining.

 

 

That's not really how it works.  I was on the Apex.  Dining meant having to watch large parties coming in and out during your entire meal, walking behind your chair, etc.  It meant listening to wait staff explain deserts on one side of you, appetizers on the other, and main courses to the big table of 8 behind you.

 

Yes--you can have your set time/set table--but since most of the rest of the diners aren't doing that--your meal is ruined.

 

It was NOTHING like the MDR on Equinox where you not only meet people all eating all the courses at the same time you are, but can watch the well-oiled machine that is the wait staff make it all work.  I was fascinated by how that wait staff worked in the traditional MDR.  The 4 split MDRs on Edge class was NOTHING like that.  I had the 2 experiences about 7 weeks apart.

Edited September 23, 2022 by Random Cruizer

[JBare]

9 minutes ago, Random Cruizer said:

 

That's not really how it works.  I was on the Apex.  Dining meant having to watch large parties coming in and out during your entire meal, walking behind your chair, etc.  It meant listening to wait staff explain deserts on one side of you, appetizers on the other, and main courses to the big table of 8 behind you.

 It's certainly how it worked for us on both the Edge and Beyond in a quiet section , you seem to have been unfortunate. To us it seemed that there were different sections of the dining rooms for anytime and traditional dining.

Edited September 23, 2022 by JBare

[Random Cruizer]

That said--showing up right when the dining room opens made it calmer--but I still felt isolated from everyone.  Now I was traveling solo--perhaps if I was in a party of 2 or larger, I wouldn't care that they turned it into a restaurant instead of a dining room.

 

And as you say--there are quiet sections, and I took to eating against the back wall.  But that's hardly the same as the traditional MDR experience.

[southernbreezes]

17 hours ago, woneill63 said:

For those of you who have sailed both class of ships, which do you prefer and why ?  We have only sailed on Celebrity once, Constellation 10 nighter out of Rome back in the summer of 2019, and were very impressed with the overall quality and service aboard.  We are experienced cruisers, with more than 25 cruises on various lines, who are getting older, late 50s now, and booking less cruises with Royal and NCL, and starting to book more with Celebrity.

We have an upcoming 10 day sailing on the Edge in October out of Rome and an 8 night Equinox in late May.  From all my research and reviews that I have read, it looks like the Equinox looks like a better fit for us.  I am very confident that each cruise will be fantastic.

Thoughts and input ?

 

Cheers

I have cruised on the Equinox 5 times loved it but...After being on the Edge in July I prefer the Edge Class Ships, it was beautiful. The only one thing I liked better on the S Class Ships was the Martini Bar.

You can see below I have Cruised on a lot of ships.  Royals ships just got to be to big more like a floating amusement park.

[aidanht]

We have been on the Edge once and S-class ships 12+ times.  We are usually in a veranda cabin (aqua if it’s not too pricey) but our last two have been in Sky Suites on the Edge and the Reflection, so we can compare those cabins directly.

 

There are many things we loved about the Edge.  The ship is gorgeous.  Eden is wonderful.  The Sky Suite design that lets you see the ocean from the bathroom is genius. We loved the Retreat.  
 

That said, we both agreed we strongly prefer S-class overall. For us, it is mostly about our evening routine. We love going to a smaller, quieter bar for pre dinner drinks and then sitting in the Ensemble Lounge listening to live, mellow music. We really missed that on the Edge. We did not enjoy the large, loud Martini Bar area at all, although we know others love it.  
 

Our Edge cruise was still wonderful and if we didn’t already have an idea of what our cruise evenings should be like, I don’t think we’d have hesitated to go back. So go on both, have a wonderful time, and see which one suits  you better.  

[D C]

10 hours ago, aidanht said:

We have been on the Edge once and S-class ships 12+ times.  We are usually in a veranda cabin (aqua if it’s not too pricey) but our last two have been in Sky Suites on the Edge and the Reflection, so we can compare those cabins directly.

 

There are many things we loved about the Edge.  The ship is gorgeous.  Eden is wonderful.  The Sky Suite design that lets you see the ocean from the bathroom is genius. We loved the Retreat.  
 

That said, we both agreed we strongly prefer S-class overall. For us, it is mostly about our evening routine. We love going to a smaller, quieter bar for pre dinner drinks and then sitting in the Ensemble Lounge listening to live, mellow music. We really missed that on the Edge. We did not enjoy the large, loud Martini Bar area at all, although we know others love it.  
 

Our Edge cruise was still wonderful and if we didn’t already have an idea of what our cruise evenings should be like, I don’t think we’d have hesitated to go back. So go on both, have a wonderful time, and see which one suits  you better.  

Glad to see we're not alone! 

Pre-dinner drink? There isn't anywhere comparable to ensemble or cellar masters.  We had a group of 20 that met pre-dinner in ensemble every night.  No such luck on the Edge.  The loud open martini bar area that infects so many other places is poor design. 

[woneill63]

Wow, a lot of replies, and I appreciate each and every one !  The room situation is basically apples to apples, Edge sunset veranda as opposed to an Equinox balcony stateroom, not much difference if any.  My wife does tend to sleep in each morning when we don't have an earlier excursion booked, at least until 10 am.  While I usually get up around 7, get some exercise, then breakfast, and read a book on the balcony.  This is why we always book balcony rooms, she can stay in bed, in relative darkness, while I am occupied on the balcony.  I have not heard the best things about an iv stateroom, so we will continue to book 'true' balcony rooms.

We always prefer to get a late dining time, 8 or 8:30, this seems to give us more time during the day for excursions and a visit to the pool, usually a nap from 4:30 to 6.  Then cocktails before dinner or a show in the main theater.  On the Constellation, we almost always met up with friends at the Rendezvous Lounge before dinner for a drink and entertainment.  After dinner we usually had drinks at the martini bar.  

Looking at the deck plans, it looks like the Edge has 6 bars for 2900 cruisers, while the Equinox has 11 bars for 2800.  The two newest Edge class ships, Beyond and Ascent, have corrected this shortcoming by adding at least two more bars.  I don't understand why Celebrity would push for all inclusive pricing and then reduce the number of bars to service their clientele.  On almost all of our cruises, we get the drink package, so, yes, we do enjoy our cocktails while cruising.

The area of the Edge that I am most intrigued by is easily Eden.  After we drop off our carry on baggage in our room, we are heading directly there to check it out and have lunch.  We purchased the three night dining package, and will probably dine at Eden twice and Fine Cut once.  

I know that both cruises will be spectacular in their own way and will be cruising with an open mind towards both type ships finer points.  

 

Cheers !

[deliver42]

We've cruised on the Equinox and loved it so much that we're booked ok her again for a 10 night December of 2023. This coming December, we're booked on the Beyond, but in a  aft balcony to avoid the Infinity verandahs.

[southernbreezes]

On 9/25/2022 at 1:06 AM, woneill63 said:

 

Looking at the deck plans, it looks like the Edge has 6 bars for 2900 cruisers, while the Equinox has 11 bars for 2800.  The two newest Edge class ships, Beyond and Ascent, have corrected this shortcoming by adding at least two more bars.   

 

Cheers !

The Edge has at least 10 bars all are larger than those on the S-class ships. The Reflection lounge is gone but it was a lot of wasted space, no one in there most of the time the view was great but boring IMO.

 

https://postcardjar.com/guide-to-bars-on-the-celebrity-cruises-edge/

 

 

 

Edited September 26, 2022 by southernbreezes

[D C]

9 minutes ago, southernbreezes said:

The Edge has at least 10 bars all are larger than those on the S-class ships. The Reflection lounge is gone but it was a lot of wasted space, no one in there most of the time the view was great but boring IMO.

 

 

Equinox vs Edge:
Quasar = The Club
Ensemble = Eden
Martini Bar = Martini Bar
Casino Bar = Casino Bar
Pool Bar = Pool Bar
Sunset Bar = Sunset Bar
Cellar Masters = (missing)
Mast Bar = (missing)
Sky Lounge = (missing)
World Class Bar = (missing)
Passport Bar = (missing)

Oceanview Bar = (missing)
(missing) = Magic Carpet
 

That's a lot of missing on the Edge, and a lot of those are smaller venues. 

[basil1]

I have sailed on Equinox several times but never Edge. We want to sail on one of the new ships but apparently you have to book a year in advance to be able to get a balcony cabin (unless booking a suite). Just posting this because others who want a balcony but don't want to spring for a suite might find the same situation.

[d9704011]

We have been on both ships more than once.  Celebrty Edge is a beautiful ship but my preference is Celebrity Equinox.  I like veradah cabins and being to sit outdoors; those are in short supply on Edge and with window controls being remote, it's possible that the 'open air' experience won't be readily available.