Thoughts from a First Timer on Celebrity Cruises

[LabMom57]

We just return from a 12-day sailing from Sydney to Auckland on the Celebrity Edge. We have sailed on other cruise lines and usually book a veranda cabin. When we booked this cruise it was due to the itinerary, which turned out very well. We arrived early in Sydney and got to enjoy that city before the cruise. We also had a few days in Auckland after the cruise.

 

What we loved:

- We bit the bullet and bit on an upgrade to an Aqua Sky Suite. No butler but you do have the Retreat Lounge, Retreat pool and sundeck, and Luminae. Having the Retreat class access made the trip for us. This was because we love to drink wine and in Luminae, the Retreat Lounge, and the Retreat Pool bar, there was never an upcharge on the wine. This might not mean much to you, but on this itinerary wines nearly all outside of our package. There was only 1 chardonnay that was within the limit but the bars didn't carry it. 

- Service in Luminae was outstanding at every meal.

- Cafe al Baccio and il Secundo make excellent capuccinos and it WAS included in our classic drinks package.

- Water bottles were plentiful every day. I drink a lot of water and having it rationed with a limited on number of drinks per day is annoying. (Yes, I do use tap water if I have ice cubes.)

- Medical providers. I became ill and needed treatment on the ship. This accomplished with no problem including the 2 medications I needed. I thought the cost was reasonable for out of network provider and medication. I do have medical travel insurance so will try to get reimbursed but it won't be devastating if that doesn't work.

- Viewing the sounds was fantastic. We thoroughly enjoyed that part of the cruise.

- The sail on the ship was wonderful. Waves hitting the bow did not bang due to the design, and ship stabilization is fabulous.

 

What we didn't love:

- Prices for drinks. In Eden bar, the martini's were $24 and in Martini's bar they were $20. When we were on Holland America in August, the same drinks were all included in the Have it All package -- no upcharges. This was my top complaint.

- Oceanview Cafe buffet is self serve. Post COVID, I hate using utensils used by others.

- Inability to get reservations for any of the 4 main dining rooms using the app -- ever. I would have liked to try them but they were apparently totally booked up before the cruise.

- Shore excursions:  Hit or miss. My main issue with these was that the descriptions were often very wrong. Example: Seal Safari Coastal Tour. It was pleasant enough but given the price, 15 minutes spent looking at half dozen seals and 3 hours spent driving back and forth did not make me happy. We drove through farm land with windmills on it. This might be nice for some but it looks exactly like Eastern Washington. I would have preferred more information to make a better choice. 

- Venues were PACKED. I thought having multiple bars and music locations would mean we could find one to enjoy. We did -- in the Retreat. Don't try to drink in Martini's. The place is always packed and good luck getting service anywhere other than the bar.

 

What surprised us:

- The carpet in the hallways was visibly dirty. They need to be replaced or professionally cleaned.

- The Cruise Director, Guisseppe, was fabulous. He's over the top but in a good way.

- The ship's production shows were very good.

- The 7:30 show was full every night.

 

There are pros and cons for all cruise ships and cruise lines. We choose based on itinerary, cost, and value in that order. This cruise wound up costing us much more than originally planned but we had a good time. I don't think we will ever sail on such a large ship again but I'm glad we did it.

 

I hope these thoughts help someone.

 

 

[Octavias]

We are scheduled to cruise on the Edge in May.  Thank you for sharing your takeaways, gives us an idea what to expect.  Hope they clean those carpets!  
 

 

[helen haywood]

15 minutes ago, LabMom57 said:

I drink a lot of water and having it rationed with a limited on number of drinks per day is annoying.

None of Celebrity’s beverage packages, Classic or Premium, limit your water consumption or your alcohol consumption.

 

Are you saying you didn’t go to any of the four MDRs because you couldn’t get a reservation on the app?  You do not need a reservation.

[mahdnc]

LabMom, thank you for posting your review.  It was an interesting read.

[NMTraveller]

56 minutes ago, LabMom57 said:

 

- Venues were PACKED. I thought having multiple bars and music locations would mean we could find one to enjoy. We did -- in the Retreat. Don't try to drink in Martini's. The place is always packed and good luck getting service anywhere other than the bar.

 

Yep.  Try S class less packed and M class even less than S.  

[worldtraveller]

How was disembarkation in Auckland? 

[Cruise till you drop]

Appreciate your review and agree with most of your review although we don’t mind the OVC self serve given the elaborate hand washing station at the entrance of E class ships.

 

We’ve sailed on Edge twice and will be on Beyond in Jan 2025 and really like the size and passenger capacity of the E class.  

[WestLakeGirl]

On 2/18/2024 at 7:42 PM, helen haywood said:

None of Celebrity’s beverage packages, Classic or Premium, limit your water consumption or your alcohol consumption.

 

 

I believe that the OP was saying that water was plentifully available. When they have cruised on other lines where there were limitations, it was annoying to them

[NutsAboutGolf]

2 hours ago, Cruise till you drop said:

Appreciate your review and agree with most of your review although we don’t mind the OVC self serve given the elaborate hand washing station at the entrance of E class ships.

 

We’ve sailed on Edge twice and will be on Beyond in Jan 2025 and really like the size and passenger capacity of the E class.  

 

It would be nice if everyone used them, wishful thinking I suppose

[LabMom57]

On 7/6/2024 at 4:48 AM, worldtraveller said:

How was disembarkation in Auckland? 

 

It was fine, really unremarkable. We stayed in Auckland a few days, so we were not in a rush. I rarely have issues with disembarkation. It's embarkation that is often so chaotic.

[nimiq]

LabMom57 First it’s was great reading your review and much appreciated. 
Just for your info no reservation is needed in the 4 MDR you can show up anytime as well and decide which line is the shortest and I’m sure you be seated in less than 15 minutes. It’s unfortunate you didn’t try any of the 4 MDR as they are all so nice.
The good part is I’m sure the food in Luminae surpasses the one in the MDR. 

I also think by having that extra bar « World Class Bar » on the last 2 E class ships helps with the issue of always having that Martini bar over crowded. Also for anyone that loves whiskey and Old fashions the Craft Social bar is great. I do agree with you that the drinks are expensive especially if you don’t have a higher drink package and Eden drinks aren’t that great but that area is one of my favorite quiet place for a before dinner drink. 
 

I don’t know what other cruise line you have done previously but we don’t find many of them with smaller newer ships anymore. 
 

I personally love the E class and love going back to them but don’t mind the S or M class as well. 
 

Thanks again 

Sea Ya 

‘Eric 

[KKB]

@LabMom57 Thx for the review.

Eclass is our fav!

Martinis ARE available under the classic plan--they just make you a smaller version.

Holland has 2 levels of drink packages like Celebrity--with a similar max price point. 

I guess there have always been a small selection of drinks with upcharges even over the premium package max on all lines.

MDR reservations--simply go ask at the front desk of any restaurant.

[zitsky]

Thank you for posting this!  We have only done 4/5 cruises with Celebrity and we’ve enjoyed all of them.  The only negative are some port terminals that are disorganized which makes the boarding process long.  Valparaiso is not even a stop any more.

 

We did River and ocean with Viking and one NCL cruise before finding Celebrity.  It’s good to hear something positive!