Nashna

I did not use the restrooms. They are located right there at the entrance to the beach, there were also showers available outside.

We were on the Edge and visited Grand Cayman last week. We left the ship around 10:00am. When you get off the ship, you will see folks with signs stating shuttle to the beach. The shuttles all go to Public Beach. We had to wait for the shuttle to fill up...every seat including the fold down middle seats were taken. The driver collected $7.00 cash from each person. It was about a 15 minute ride. Upon arrival, our shuttle was met by an individual who was selling chairs and umbrellas curbside. The cost was $30.00 for two chairs and one umbrella. We gave him the money along with several other passengers and followed him to his beach spot. There were five or six rows of umbrellas and chairs. The umbrellas were so low that you had to bend down to sit in the chair. The front row was taken, so all we saw from our chairs was a little bit of water in between the umbrellas. The next chairs were immediately next to us. The row in front and in back was just wide enough to walk by. We quickly discovered that purchasing the chairs without viewing was a big mistake as the spot next to us was spacious, had front row seating available and the umbrellas were higher so you could see under them. The other spaces were controlled by another vendor so we were stuck. The price was the same. Be sure to check out the seating before you pay. The beach was very crowded, noisy and hectic. There were four ships in port that day. There was food to purchase from individuals cooking right at the entrance to the beach area. The water was clear and entering was simple. There was a little bit of rocks for a few feet after you got in, but the rocks were not excessively rough. There were lots of jet skis, banana boats and floats. We stayed about two hours and returned to the place where we had been dropped off right at the entrance to the beach. There were lots of shuttles. Again, we waited for about 10 minutes until our shuttle filled up. Friends who had arrived around 9:15am said it was delightful until around 11:00am when the crowds arrived. I had read reports suggesting the best spot to go to the Public Beach was closest to the Westin. This was not an option for the beach shuttles originating at the pier. We did not see any taxis in the pier area so the shuttle was the only option.

We ordered coffee every morning on our recent Apex & Edge sailings. The RS waiter introduced himself on the first day and said he would be bringing us our order each day. We have never had an assigned RS waiter. He was delightful. One of our shipmates wasn't aware of the charge and was shocked when she called to order a coke and was told of the $9.95 charge, plus tip. She had an injured foot and was attempting to avoid a walk to the nearest bar. She opted to be thirsty. Another OP mentioned that X would probably revaluate in six months and go back to the old way. If you look at my signature, you will see my latest cruise booking. It was going to be on Beyond next January. The food selection and quality, combined with the nickel and diming forced me to decide on another option. If you take a look at the Oceania Board, you will see many are jumping ship.

Thank you all for the information. We will be first timers on Oceania and I have lots of questions.

We just got off the Edge on Friday. We had planned on booking another Celebrity cruise. However, the food selection and quality on Edge was so poor, we booked the Vista instead. I totally agree, the product pushing in the Spa was outrageous.

I just got off Celebrity's Edge on an 11-night cruise. The dinner buffet has been reduced to one section. Celebrity claims that it is because most people were not using the dinner buffet and they were wasting too much food. Food costs are such a big ticket item for cruise lines and they are affected by the same price increases that we all experience. Reducing the buffet items and quality is one way to cut costs.

Thank you. That is great information. My husband can't drink alcohol...he does enjoy the many non-alcoholic wine and spirts that are now available. We will check closer to our January. 2024 sailing to see what Oceania offers onboard. If they don't offer these options, we will just make a stop at Total wine after we land the day prior to the cruise.

On the MSC website they state that the automatic tipping charge is $14.50 per person, per day. Is there an additional charge for passengers sailing in the Yacht Club or is it just assumed we would voluntarily tip extra?

We sailed on the Apex the week prior to our Edge cruise. We were on the 9th floor in a sunset veranda and had no problem with the soot issue. We really liked that location. You should be fine.

We sailed on Apex last January and fell in love with the Edge Class ships. We immediately booked this cruise and a previous cruise on the Apex the week prior. This cruise was fantastic... except for the food selection and quality. The difference in food quality in one year was disappointing. When speaking with other passengers, the food options and quality were the main topics that were discussed. Since higher-priced fish (tilapia was featured), filet mignon, and prime rib were not offered, we decided to spend the $65.00 per person to go to Fine Cut. While my husband's filet was very good, my prime rib was not. When the Maitre de asked why I ate so little, I told him the meat was very tough. I frequently prepare prime rib at home. It is virtually impossible to ruin the meat if you are cooking with prime or choice prime rib. This was not a fine cut. Despite the food, we had a very enjoyable cruise. Captain Tosas is the most entertaining and charming master of the ship. He also has a fantastic sense of humor, which was displayed at the Liars Club Night. The cruise director, Guiseppe, was full of fun and made a great duo with the captain. The entertainment was varied and kept us going to the shows. One comedian, Tommy Green, Jr., was very funny, and I was happy to see him perform several times. The singers and performers throughout the ship were excellent. I loved the varied entertainment options. We did think that the Edge theatre was not as well designed as was the Apex. I'm sure improvements were made from the original design. In fact, the Edge might benefit from some upgrades throughout the ship in the next few years to bring it up to speed with the others in it's class. Our stateroom was a Sunset Veranda on the 12th deck. I should have heeded the soot and noise reviews of this floor that I read on Cruise Critic. The scraping of chairs started around 600 am and continued until 9:00 pm. The aft location is directly under the outdoor seating area of the Oceanfront Cafe, so this notice is unavoidable. In addition, the ship seemed to be spewing a lot of soot. Our balcony was covered with it. In the middle of the cruise, the balcony was closed to us for a few hours for deep cleaning. It was spotless for a few hours; until the soot fell again. Our room steward, Devendra was first-rate. He anticipated our needs and was friendly and efficient. Our room was always cleaned when we returned from breakfast. We thought the service was excellent throughout the ship. We were greeted with friendly smiles by all. If it were not for the poor food selection and quality, we would have given the Edge a 5-star rating.

We are in the process of reserving our first Oceania cruise. Are non-alcoholic wine or spirits available onboard?

No, we were in a Sunset Balcony on both ships. The decline in food was noticeable compared to our very good experience on Apex in January 2022.

We have sailed on MSC in the Yacht Club and totally enjoyed the experience. We are sailing from NYC on MSC in the Yacht Club on an 11-day New England/Canada sailing for just $8200.00 for two. Be sure to get your Gold status confirmed, before you reserve your cruise to receive an additional 5% off the sailing.

We are in the process of booking an Oceania cruise instead of Beyond for next January. We can get a penthouse on Oceania for a lower price than the retreat on Beyond for a similar itinerary. We have not sailed Oceania, but friends report that the food choice and quality is excellent. Our recent dining experience on the Apex and Edge resulted in us looking for alternatives. We absolutely enjoyed the crew, outstanding service, and the fabulous entertainment we experienced on our recent Celebrity sailings. What a shame that food quality and selection make us reluctant to return.

We had lobster tails on the last formal night. They were tiny. I only eat Maine lobster, so I didn't try it. The tail was one of the smallest I have seen served.

Just came back on Friday from a 7-Day Apex, followed by an 11-day Edge sailing. The meal quality and selections in the MDR for dinner were the same on both ships...dismal. The NY Strip steak was so thin, the chefs had a difficult time cooking it as ordered. Filet mignon or Prime Rib was not offered in the MDR. My Prime Rib in First Cut was not a prime or choice piece of meat. It was tough. When the Maitre de said he would talk to the chef, I advised him that the meat was cooked perfectly, the fault was in the cut of meat he was given to cook. I have never heard so many people complain about meal selection and quality. It was a shame as other than the food; the cruise was outstanding in every way. We sailed on Apex last January and were so pleased with our voyage that we immediately booked again. We had intended to book a Beyond sailing for next year. Now, I am inclined to wait to hear of meal quality and selection improvements before I book another Celebrity sailing.

I booked online via Whatsap. I did have some questions for the resort and used this e-mail: restaurants@avilabeachhotel.com.

I am happy to report that the Avila Beach Club (Pen Restaurant) is wonderful. It is a great bargain at just $10.00 per person. We opted to walk to Avila which was a big mistake. It took us 45 to 50 minutes. Once we got by the main tourist areas, the sidewalks were uneven and at times, we had to walk in the roads. Save yourself the time and effort and take a taxi from the pier for just $10.00 per person. When you need to return to the ship, just ask the desk clerk to call you a taxi. The beach area is spotless. It is not a surf beach. The beach is protected by rocks. There were plenty of chairs and umbrellas. Bar service was available, and the staff was friendly. Reservations are simple to make online. Your confirmation comes from the Pen Restaurant...not Avila. Do not come here without reservations. As we were checking in, two different groups were turned away without reservations.

So glad she made it! You two must have been a wreck all day. Sorry to hear that you were not happy with the Apex service. We were on her last January and the service was excellent. Of course, we dined in Blu and that might have made a difference. We opted for a Sunset Veranda this time, so no Blu. I'll report back!

I get the system. I grew up with a loving dad who was an expert at the palm. I checked out our sailing and the ONLY reservation currently available at Prime Cut or Eden available for the eleven days was 9:30pm... except for the first night 8:00pm available at Prime Cut. Since I am not a fan of stress on a vacation, I have cancelled our 3-night Speiclaty dining package, confirmed the 8:00pm for just one night, and will be stress free walking onto the cruise. We have access to fine dining in the Washington DC area. I'd much rather focus on the cruise experience than worry about where we are dining or rushing to board to be first in line.

Our sailing is almost sold out. The Retreat has been totally booked for months. I don't see this working under those circumstances. We will try it, but I am not hopeful.

We have purchased the three-night Speiclaty dining Package. Since we can't make reservations until we board, what is the best way to do so? Should we go to the individual restaurants? Is there a central location to make reservations? We are only interested in dining at Prime Cut and Eden.

I'll be sure to let you know. I hope it is a great option as I now have about 14 people from my Edge cruise going to Avila when we dock.

Our Apex cruise on the 14th has a 10:00pm departure from San Juan. We typically don't eat dinner in the OVC. However, we planned to do so in San Juan as we would be coming back late from a tour. It will be interesting to see if the offerings are as skimpy on a late port departure day, knowing how many people will not be dining in the MDR.

I think X is probably happy not to have to do the Meet & Greets. Several times I went to them and 40 people had signed up, but 12 actually showed up. Many times, there were more officers there than CC members. I think the M & G ship has sailed.