FM

Informative review - well done.

Should be ok - just use magnetic tape which you can find at Michael's ...

If you want to see door decorations, google "Disney cabin door decorations" under Images; as this will be our first non-Disney cruise in years, going to miss it a bit - lol …

On ‎1‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 11:09 AM, slei15 said:

... The shopping on this ship was also a big complaint from many people. The shops are way too high end, and there is none of the typical $10 sales, cheap t-shirts, etc. that many people like to use for souvenirs, mementos, etc. Don't even think about looking for an inch of gold; the only one you will find is at Tiffany's for thousands of dollars!

Hilarious re: the inch of gold … high end shops though?  We all may have 'champagne dreams and caviar wishes' … but to afford it is another matter …

On ‎1‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 11:09 AM, slei15 said:

... We also found the buffet food to be quite good, although sometimes a bit out there. One day for lunch there was an Indian/Italian fusion station which had Chicken Tikka Lasagna.  It was slightly weird, but an interesting combination. The one area we felt could use a bit of work was the desserts. I don’t know if it was a combination of being too full from the appetizers and entrees, or if they really didn’t look that appealing, but I think we only ordered dessert in the dining room twice. We did go up to the buffet for dessert a few times, but nothing stood out as a must have (besides the after 8 ice cream and the double chocolate chip cookies).

Looking forward to sampling the 'bit out here' and 'slightly weird' … lol

On ‎1‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 11:09 AM, slei15 said:

 

Bar Service

There were plenty of bar servers all around the different venues, and waits for drinks were not long at all. The bartenders at the martini bar were entertaining and poured very strong drinks. We had the Premium Beverage Package, and thoroughly took advantage of it.  A couple things were slightly disappointing with it however; the craft drinks in Eden that were supposed to be the highlight of the area were almost all priced out of the packages.  Sure we could have paid a couple dollars for them, but it just didn’t seem right to have to. Around the pool area there were servers constantly around taking orders and cleaning up empty glasses and plates.  The other thing to keep in mind is that the ship has zero disposable plastic items. The paper straws are terrible, I would suggest bringing your own reusable straw if you like a straw. Also, there are no more plastic water bottles. The premium waters are in heavy glass bottles, and the standard bottles of water are in 16 oz aluminum cans.

Do you know if they have soft drinks by the can available?

On ‎1‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 11:09 AM, slei15 said:

 

We spent the week trying to figure out who this ship was being targeted to. Based on the entertainment, design, and technology, it definitely felt more geared towards our generation, however; when you see the prices of the cruise as well as the onboard shopping prices, etc., it seems to be more geared towards an older demographic with more disposable income. After talking to many senior officers through the week, we seem to have narrowed it down to the following target…Multi-generational families sailing together, teenagers and up sailing with their parents and grandparents.

Boy … remember what it used to be like to be part of the younger generation - lol -

On ‎1‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 9:28 AM, DaCruiseBug said:

 

Dining: We had the 6:00pm set dining but every night we dined at a different restaurant and showed up anytime between 6:00pm and 7:30pm and never had to wait. Checked in with the host and always got a table right away (usually by a window).

 

Feel free to ask any questions -

Good to hear … did you have a favorite?

On ‎12‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 1:34 PM, kearney said:

 

 

Re: the scooter, do you know what model of Pride the scooter was ...

Re: the CPAP, does Celebrity offer distilled water or did you bring your own ...

Thanks

Am going with just the one device package as it is unlikely we will both be on the internet at the same time.  However am looking at bringing along a wireless travel router with hotspot mode on our vacation to see if how well that option will work …

23 hours ago, kelmac said:

Next November my wife and I are chaining together several cruises.  One of these cruises is on the Edge, and if we we're to book an OV cabin with two addition perks the cost is $1841 per person.  Well, the week before we are on the Crystal Symphony, which is all-inclusive and a luxury line, is running $1782 per person in an OV cabin.  Both of these cruises are 7 nights out of south Florida.  The Edge is new and the Symphony has been around a while, but after our Edge cruise we are on the Nieuw Statendam, and it runs $806 per person OV (no perks) and it's a new ship.  I can mix the dates up and sequences up, but the pricing is the same.

 

We have 30 cruises with Celebrity and love the brand, but........,

Kel

 

 

Almost made the switch to the Nieuw Statendam from the Edge on our upcoming cruise later this year due to the significant cost savings.  The Statendam would offer a regular balcony vs an IV cabin, more 'in our wheelhouse' entertainment options such the Rolling Stone Rock Room and Billboard Onboard vs Eden, a thalassotherapy pool etc.  One concern though is the angle of the toilet so close to the shower stall in the Statendam verandah staterooms.  In the end, decided to go with the Edge and experience it ourselves.  :)

Well reasoned and written review … bravo!

After reading many of the comments re: the Edge since its inaugural, there was quite a bit of humming and hawing over the past month re the IV booking made back in June 2017.  Was contemplating the new HA Nieuw Statendam and the RCL Harmony of the Seas,  which both depart on the same date as our sailing but finally decided "what the hay" and made final payment last week.  Might as well just go and experience it ourselves.  We had a great experience on our first Celebrity cruise aboard the Silhouette oh so many years ago and am hopeful that the Edge will continue that tradition … :)

12 minutes ago, jelayne said:

OP here reporting back on the Can you hang s curtain?

The answer is YES and it works pretty well.

i am sitting on our IV with the shade about 40% raised and DH is happily sleeping in.

I purchased a 63”x40” blackout curtain from Walmart $10 & had some magnetic hooks. Here’s the result .  The 2nd & 3rd are dark and I edited them to add some light.  Don’t know that a curtain would work with the bed by the balcony, but for those with the bed by the bath is works just fine

 

 

Brilliant !

 

On ‎1‎/‎3‎/‎2019 at 11:58 AM, Crew News said:

 

It is not the same for the Nieuw Amsterdam.  I discovered that I do not have a photo of the Konigsdam but here is one of the NA showing lots of knee room:

 

Oops .. apologies … meant the Nieuw Statendam … which has the same configuration as the Koningsdam …

On ‎1‎/‎1‎/‎2019 at 12:09 PM, Crew News said:

 

Using the face of a clock as a reference, I would say your knees would be between the 10:00 and 11:00 position.  I will have a photo sometime today to post here.

 … guess it's the same on the Nieuw Amsterdam then … a shame as would have love to tried the new HA ships …

Thanks all …

Re: the Unlimited Internet Package for Single Device … is it tied to one particular device for the whole cruise … or is it more like only one device can be used at a time?

Re: the Classic Beverage Package … when it says frozen drinks are included, does that include smoothies?  Are canned and fountain soft drinks also included?  What kind of mocktails (virgin drinks) can one get aboard Celebrity (other than Virgin Pina Colada's, Virgin Mary's, Shirley Temples - lol, … ) …  

13 hours ago, bacm said:

What is the pricing for these cabanas? Is the pricing listed on the Celebrity website?

Look under Dining and Beverage … for a Edge Cabana (up to 4 guests) $400 USD/person … for a Edge Split Cabana (up to 2 guests) $200 USD/person …

Unfortunately all booked for our sailing so far …

On ‎12‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 5:22 AM, Cruise a holic said:

We will be in an infinite veranda stateroom in a few days.  I think based on many opinions, we should have booked a picture window cabin and saved our money- the IV really doesn't seem functional.  

 

I like the cabin to be cool-so if the AC shuts off when the IV is open, with the folding doors closed, sounds like a poor design IMO.  Fortunately, we have the Deluxe Beverage package- which I will use!!  So perhaps the IV will be fine.   LOL

Look forward to hearing how you like the IV.  As you have noted, we also like to be able to retreat to a cool cabin after spending as much time as we want on a verandah … I can't see that being feasible with an IV, as the cabin temp will quickly match the outdoor temp the longer you have the window open.  The question is how quickly the AC kicks in and cools the cabin down to a more comfortable temperature, especially if it is very hot and humid outside … that has me reconsidering the IV choice …

15 hours ago, Cruzaholic41 said:

 

I stayed in a Sky Suite on deck 10.  The balcony had the IV design. It was different but I really liked it.  With the balcony glass raised and the doors open, it made an already spacious suite even roomier. Plus, the decor was very modern, which I like. 

 

Dining was better because one area where Celebrity kills HAL is suite perks. The suites dining room, Luminae, was excellent. I’d say the lido buffet quality is equal. However, it’s an islands design on Edge so there are almost no lines. 

 

What I really liked about Edge over HAL - and this includes Solstice Class - is how modern they are. It starts with the interactive TVs in the rooms with the ability to order room service, view your account and look at your photos. 

Thank you.  Did you notice if the stateroom became too warm when you had the balcony glass lowered if it was hot out and whether it took a while for the AC to kick in to cool the room down again?

16 hours ago, jabcruiser said:

You cannot sit straight on unless you are under maybe 5'3".  I am 5'6 and couldn't as glass shower enclosure blocks your knees.  

Jane

Thank you … that is so weird … don't know if I would like that … or if it would be difficult for individuals with mobility issues to sit at an angle …

One thing I realized is that when you lower the window to access the outside, that if it is quite hot outside then all the hot air will come flooding into your stateroom.  Does closing the French doors mitigate any increase in stateroom temp?  Does the AC kick in and quickly cool off the room when the temp increases significantly?  With a traditional verandah, one could just pop out and check things out, then retreat back into an already cool stateroom; that wouldn't be the case with the IV correct?  Thanks …

Nice review … thanks …

On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 8:19 AM, Cruzaholic41 said:

I’m fresh off Edge and all I can say is - wow!  Celebrity was far ahead of HAL with Solstice Class and they just distanced themselves even farther with Edge. 

 

I’ve also cruised K’dam twice. Nice ship but not on the level of Solstice or Edge. Not even close. Celebrity’s newer ships are stunning. 

Did you stay in a IV stateroom?  How was the dining experience compared to the K'dam, particularly re the buffet?  What did you prefer on the Edge more than HA?  Thanks

On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 7:12 AM, beachbunny6 said:

I am sailing on the January 20th voyage of Edge and looking forward to it very much.  I am sure that she has some wonderful attributes, too.  She is just different from what HAL Mariners are used to, and that is not necessarily bad, just different.

 

Darn it … would have loved to hear your review of the Edge compared to the Nieuw Statendam before mid-January - lol - as final payment for our Edge cruise is due then.  The Statendam sailing on the same date and a verandah stateroom is over $2K cheaper than the IV room aboard the Edge …

I

On ‎12‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 4:45 AM, jabcruiser said:

Room:  Yes the toilet seat is somewhat annoying but really no big deal. 

Is it the angle of the toilet … as it appears somewhat crowded on the one side ...

Come on … a bathrobe while going to get food??  …

Thank you so much kearney for your feedback … much appreciated.

Looking at renting a transportable electric scooter from Scootaround for the cruise … have rented this type of scooter before while at Disneyworld, as it is easily (at least for me) broken down into several pieces and can be thrown into the back of our rental SUV.  So if the bed in the cabin is by the bathroom, I could break the scooter down and park it in the sitting area by the IV.  I too would be livid that the charger was not functioning for the duration of your cruise and would expect some sort of refund for that issue.

Several years ago we were looking at Viking Cruises and their first Ocean cruises in the Caribbean.  One caveat though was that they do not accommodate motorized scooters, even though it was the first of several brand new vessels they had commissioned.  A tad surprising considering … thought about renting a transport chair … but in the end we ended choosing a different itinerary / ship.

It has been enlightening reading the reviews of others re: the Edge.  Don't know if we were expecting something mind-blowing like the new mega-ships from RCL or something understated or refined like Viking or Holland America … it seems the Edge is somewhat different (have to admit the IV concept was what made us book the Edge for next year).  Took a look at Holland's brand new Nieuw Statendam which had its inaugural sailing this month also … surprised to see we could get a regular Verandah stateroom for about half the price of the IV cabin we have aboard the Edge … tempting …

2 hours ago, kearney said:

just got back from the 12/16 sailing. This trip DH rented a scooter.... so we decided to explore and one of the first places we went to was Eden. We took the ramp up to deck 6. I recalled that there was discussion early on that they would have an elevator and I noticed it when we originally entered on deck 5. However... is you have a scooter  you can go from deck 6 to deck 4 BUT you can not get off on deck 5 because the door is perpendicular to the scooter (which takes up virtually all of the space. Once on deck 4 the space is tight so it is impractical in my opinion to go to deck 4 during dinner.  Now DH had the larger scooter..so perhaps the small one might work in elevator... but I suspect it may take a few minutes to go back and forth doing a k turn to get out). Also if you have knee issues... my worst fears on the seating in and entering Eden were realized... almost all but a very few are low, deep and have virtually no arms to help you get out of them. DH stayed in his scooter during our one brief visit. He might have been able to sit on a bench on the ramp..... but we did not come back to try that..

Were you staying in an IV stateroom and if so was there enough room between the edge of the bed and the wall to scoot through?  How was navigating the rest of the Edge on the scooter - is  there room outside the dining rooms to park you scooter when you go in for dinner?  Thanks for any insights you may have re: your DH experiences with a scooter aboard the Edge …