How Sweet Will The Suite Life Be On The Edge?

I will be in a non-suite cabin on my first cruise on the Edge so will get a taste of how it feels to not have access to a pretty good sized area of the ship (2 night pre-preview cruise so will only have a taste). I was lucky to book sky suites on other cruises before the prices went through the roof, but will likely be in non-suite cabins thereafter unless prices drop.

As some people may be thinking about booking a suite on the Edge and the info has been coming out little by little, I thought I would try to organize some of the info about the suite life on the Edge that we know about to date (also a good excuse for me to learn all that I can). Some people may be just tuning in after booking a suite so are looking for more information. Example: Some friends who booked an Edge suite on one of our cruises back in March 2017 have not kept up on all of the reveals and recently reconnected with me. A "concierge" (some people have X vacation planning "specialists" or whatever they call them now) told them that there would not be a Michael's Lounge on the Edge so no free drinks for suite people and did not know about or forgot to tell them about the Retreat. It made me realize that not everyone who has booked a suite knows what benefits they have on the Edge.

We have heard a lot about the suite life on the Edge right from the beginning. Of the 1497 cabins, 176 or 12% will be suites, with 146 Sky Suites. This will be the first Celebrity ship to have an exclusive suite sun deck (The Retreat), with more to follow as the Revolution changes each M and S Class ship. It will also carry over the suite dining room, Luminae at the Retreat and suite lounge (The Retreat Lounge – presently Michael’s on other X ships). All are positioned forward on decks 12, 15 and 16.

There are new types of suites, the Iconic and Edge Villa, as well as the old favorites of Penthouse, Royal and Celebrity Suites and Sky Suites. I won’t focus on the suites themselves, but on the actual suite experience that they have announced so far.

Pre-Cruise: If in a Celebrity Suite and above (what seems to happen now with Celebrity), you should receive a call from the shore concierge within a couple of weeks prior to the cruise. They can help get your needs and desires taken care of before you board (type of liquor and beverages in room for upper level suites, reservations, special requests, etc.)

Embarkation:

"Terminal 25 (T25) will offer Suite Class guests an entirely separate experience along the path to The Retreat, with an exclusive lounge, elevator lobbies, screening areas and even a private rooftop terrace." Suite guests will receive some sort of electronic means to enter the Retreat.

After boarding the ship, suite guests will be brought to the Retreat (if desired), which has a Retreat Lounge on Deck 15.

"The Retreat Lounge, open around the clock, touches the sea on both the port- and starboard sides, offering seemingly endless ocean views. Inside, Hoppen has created a warm and inviting space that has the air of a sophisticated sunroom. In The Retreat Lounge, guests will have access to their dedicated concierge who’ll make any arrangements they may need – both on and off the ship. They will also enjoy complimentary beverages, gourmet bites, live entertainment, and a comfortable place to read the latest best-seller, catch up on current events, watch the big game, or just kick their feet up and relax.

The Retreat concierges there (likely more than one) will help you with any questions, dining reservations (butler can also do), shore excursions, special requests and much more. They are usually very busy that first day, so you may need to wait a bit.

There is a complimentary bar and likely some tasty bites when you board. The bar will have top shelf liquors and quality wines and beer - if it is like Michael's Clubs on other X ships, they will stock what you like there, within reason. There are also coolers with water, sparkling water and soft drinks that is self-serve, likely 24/7 or at least all day/evening. There is a small sundeck off from the Retreat Lounge (28 seats).

There is a breakfast reportedly served in The Retreat Lounge (if like Michael's Club on other X ships, it is pastries, bagels/lox type things). There is an afternoon tea on other X ships and they have mentioned cocktail hour in the Retreat Lounge, which on other ships, has fancy hors d'oeuvres served. They will likely have a self-serve coffee, latte, cappucinno, tea maker, if like other ships.

You can also head up to Deck 16 to the Retreat Sundeck.

"The chic atmosphere of The Retreat Sundeck rivals any high-end resort. This spacious outdoor lounge area, which includes The Retreat Pool and The Retreat Pool Bar, makes it easy to unplug with plush, stylish furniture, a full-sized

pool, and a hot tub. Guests can relax in hanging chairs while the water laps beneath their feet or lay back in the shaded resort-style cabanas and soak up the nearly 240-degree panoramic views on the forward end of the ship. Dedicated Pool Butlers are at service to make sure guests’ every whim is tended to – poolside cocktails from the The Retreat Pool Bar, which one-ups even the coolest Ibiza bar, fresh towels, refreshing treats, etc. The Retreat Sundeck is a private paradise aboard a floating paradise."

It appears that the pool bar up there is not complimentary. I chatted with an X rep recently and she explained that, since suite guests get Go Best with a free Premium Alcohol Package (actually the 3 night Preview cruises do not), they can get free drinks up to $15 on the Premium package and pay the difference above that at the Retreat Sundeck Pool Bar. I am not sure if they will let people take the free drinks out of the Retreat Lounge like they do on some X ships.

There appears to be an old VW bus with an open top filled with beverages on the Sundeck (not sure if all non-alcoholic drinks). Not sure if this was an idea that never materialized, but there are a few pictures of it out there.

After catching some rays, you could go to Luminae for lunch on Deck 12 (usually open from about 11:30-1:30 on embarkation day). The lunches in other Luminae restaurants are wonderful - not sure if the menu will change at all on the Edge.

"Luminae at The Retreat boasts an exciting design concept, with more than 117 linear feet of floor-to-ceiling windows, offering endless views and highlighting Hoppen’s award-winning style. Not only is the restaurant exclusive, its menus are as well. Crafted by Celebrity’s own Michelin-starred Chef Cornelius Gallagher, the modern, eclectic cuisine served here is not available anywhere else on board."

Luminae is for suite guests - breakfast and dinner served every day and lunch on sea days. It is a walk in restaurant. Suite guests can invite non-suite guests to dine there, for a fee, based on availability ($10 B, $20 L, $30 D). It can placed on the suite guest's bill or the non-suite guest's bill. The food and service are generally excellent there. The menu has fewer choices than the Main Dining Room, but they are very accommodating with special requests.

FAST FACTS / F E ATURES

• The Retreat Sundeck Total Square Footage: 12,701 sq. ft.

o Seating Capacity: 190

o Pool – 16.8 ft. L X 10.9 ft. W X 4 ft. D

o Bar – 19 ft. long, seats eight

• The Retreat Lounge Total Square Footage: 2,756 sq. ft., plus an 829 sq. ft. outdoor terrace with connection to the Suite Sun Deck – a total of 3,585 sq. ft.

o Seating Capacity: 100 Seats Indoor + 28 Seats Outdoor

• Luminae @ The Retreat Total Square Footage: 4,133 sq. ft.

o Seating Capacity: 170 Seats

The Retreat concierges send invitations for special events onboard, such as helipad sailaways, ship's tours, special music or other special events in the Retreat Lounge. Although Sky Suites and Celebrity Suites are included in all of the suite areas, the upper suites receive some additional benefits that are outlined in the sheet below (all suites, including the Sky and Celebrity suites also almost always receive Go Best so receive Premium Alcohol pkg, free unlimited internet, free gratuities, $300 OBC).

Suites have butlers who can help you with reservations, meals served in your suite (we have had dinners on the balcony served course by course, buy may depend upon their workload), serve Cafe al Bacio coffee/cappucinno in the suite in the morning, work with guests services on issues (such as plumbing/mechanical problems with the suite, errors on your bill, etc.), set up parties in your suite and much, much more (can unpack for you, if you really want that). The Retreat concierges and butlers often work together to make things happen.

http://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/17057213_Suites_Amenities_Grid_2017.pdf

Note that the upper suites usually receive more attention to their wants/needs, which makes sense since they may be paying $20-50,000. That said, we have only been in Sky and Celebrity suites and have always felt pampered (and nicely pampered in AQ on the last 2 cruises).

There is reserved suite seating in the theater on Chic nights (there are some tables and chairs up front in the Edge Theatre - maybe for upper suites, VIPs?).

Suite guests have preference for booking specialty dining.

Suite guests receive priority tendering.

Suite guests get priority luggage delivery.

There are many other perks listed in the brochure (link above). Note: Michael's Club is called the Retreat on the Edge.

Edge suite disembarkation hasn't been discussed yet, but hopefully will have a similar experience as other X ships. That includes having the Retreat Lounge for comfortable waiting to disembark, an escort off the ship and special customs line. We have had complimentary Luggage Valet in suites in ports where that is done, but not sure that is still happening for all suites (you leave your luggage outside your door the last night and it is on the carousel at your home airport when you arrive.

Unique to Edge suites:

If traveling with a group, if some people in the group are in a connecting suite, any people in their group in a non-suite connecting to that suite will receive access to The Retreat, but with no other suite amenities, including butler service.

There are 8 Family Suites, available only during Christmas and New Years sailings:

The Celebrity Family Suites (2 pairs CS- C2) and Sky Family Suites (6 pairs SV + S1) are only available during Christmas and New Year’s Eve sailings. The brochure will identify that the rooms can convert to family suites. To book, you must to call Reservations as these suites will be held back. Note if they do not sell we will recategorize to the original categories.

So, the Suite Life looks pretty good to me, though it comes at a high price for now. Once reports come back from the first cruises we will see if people feel it is worth it. It will also be good to hear about life in non-suites to see if having more area for suites impacts others. Hopefully, there will be so much to see, do eat and drink all over the ship, that all will have wonderful Edge cruises.

I'm sure there is much more info out there, but this is a start. Others can chime in with other info about the suite life on other X ships or things I have missed regarding the Edge.

My vision for this thread is that it is to discuss the suite experience so we can share info as we get it. I know it is tempting to get into a debate about whether or not Celebrity should have the separate suite areas, but since there are others great threads with that on-going discussion, maybe we could stick to discussing the suite life for this one? I know it is hard to separate the two, so won't hold it against anyone, if it goes that way. (smiley face)

Very informative with lots and lots of good information for those in suites. Looking forward to meeting you on the Edge.:)

This was a great read. We are in a royal suite in March, but haven’t really paid attention the last year as we weren’t sure we wanted to do the cruise. Lots of info here I didn’t know about and answered some questions my parents have been having about the cruise and what’s included in the royal suite.

Thanks Vtcruising! Great to have so much detailed info. We have a suite booked, but still unsure if we will pay the steep price tag

Love the specs on the Retreat sundeck. Have been very curious on the # of people it could accommodate with the large number of suites. Your specs seem to indicate at best only half the suite guests could have seats there. Not sure how many spaces will be additional fee cabanas since I expect they will even charge extra in the retreat.

We have found that NCL Haven and the MSC Seaside have plenty of seating for the suites. The Seaside had a huge amount of space just no shade. Not sure we can say the same for the Edge space. We would spend quite a bit of time there and don't feel any suite guests should be shortchanged in space at the ultra premium prices.

I realize that not everyone will sit out there but these specs do give reason to pause that the space may not be sufficient, but time will tell.

We have some relatives who recently booked Sky Suites for one of the 3-night preview cruises and the Go Better Best etc. was NOT available to them. The Celebrity agent was certain it would not be offered again before the cruise takes place. Disappointed about that!

We have some relatives who recently booked Sky Suites for one of the 3-night preview cruises and the Go Better Best etc. was NOT available to them. The Celebrity agent was certain it would not be offered again before the cruise takes place. Disappointed about that!

It was offered for the first few days they went on sale and I was able to get it luckily. There may be another flash sale before the cruise with 20% off the beverage packages. If not, there’s always the Retreat Lounge, Hopefully we can take drinks out of the lounge.😃

Thanks Vtcruising! Great to have so much detailed info. We have a suite booked, but still unsure if we will pay the steep price tag

 

Love the specs on the Retreat sundeck. Have been very curious on the # of people it could accommodate with the large number of suites. Your specs seem to indicate at best only half the suite guests could have seats there. Not sure how many spaces will be additional fee cabanas since I expect they will even charge extra in the retreat.

 

We have found that NCL Haven and the MSC Seaside have plenty of seating for the suites. The Seaside had a huge amount of space just no shade. Not sure we can say the same for the Edge space. We would spend quite a bit of time there and don't feel any suite guests should be shortchanged in space at the ultra premium prices.

 

I realize that not everyone will sit out there but these specs do give reason to pause that the space may not be sufficient, but time will tell.

No, my impression is that the cabanas in the Retreat are just part of the seating choices - no charge. I am hopeful that being able to seat half the number of suite guests will work because even on sea days we will be spread out doing different things all over the ship. We probably won’t spend a lot of time there and the huge suites will have huge balconies with privacy so maybe won’t be there much. I can see it potentially getting more crowded on sea days, but we will have to see. Let’s hope they used other similar ships’ data to calculate the number😃

Have a suite scheduled in Jan. on Edge and again on Summit in June post rehab. Will be interesting to see the difference.

Vt. Thanks for the info, had a wonderful time in Vermont this past weekend. Different wedding, never saw a bride due a zip line across a pond in her wedding dress.

Have a suite scheduled in Jan. on Edge and again on Summit in June post rehab. Will be interesting to see the difference.

 

Vt. Thanks for the info, had a wonderful time in Vermont this past weekend. Different wedding, never saw a bride due a zip line across a pond in her wedding dress.

Note to self: Don't take a sip of tea before reading CC posts! I almost choked to death. ;)

I get very envious about those who move to warmer climes, but why would I want to leave this funky, but beautiful place? :D

One thing that I forgot to put in the info above is that I had a long talk with someone Celebrity yesterday. She was a One Touch person who seemed very knowledgeable about the Edge. We had a great talk about the Magic Carpet, The Retreat, Eden, the amazing art that will be onboard and the preview cruises - it was fun to talk to another Edge fan. :D I asked if there would be a smoking area in the Retreat. She said "no" very definitively. We will see when we board.

Very informative with lots and lots of good information for those in suites. Looking forward to meeting you on the Edge.:)

Likewise - it can't come soon enough! :D

Marylin-

Thanks for your sweet (suite) summary! Looking forward to our CS in January. I am surprised that the bar on the Retreat sundeck will not be complimentary. This seems a bit strange and logistically awkward. One can simply just go into the Retreat Lounge and carry out a drink to the sundeck area. So maybe they will reconsider. But not too much to complain about the suite life on Edge. Yes pricey but hopefully worth every penny.

Marylin-

Thanks for your sweet (suite) summary! Looking forward to our CS in January. I am surprised that the bar on the Retreat sundeck will not be complimentary. This seems a bit strange and logistically awkward. One can simply just go into the Retreat Lounge and carry out a drink to the sundeck area. So maybe they will reconsider. But not too much to complain about the suite life on Edge. Yes pricey but hopefully worth every penny.

I agree. There is another quote that I found that described the whole Retreat as complimentary. I will try to find it. The person I talked to was from X’s Pre Cruise Corporate Guest Relations Team. She seemed to be at a much different level than typical phone help. I had sent an email with questions to One Touch and this was a call back. She had researched all of my questions and then when I asked more she put me on hold and asked others. She said there was a Reveal Team member in the office so she could ask them questions. We talked for 30 minutes or more - great service from Celebrity!

Anyway, on my 3 night cruises most didnt get Go Best for suites or any perks (I was lucky and got it that first day they went on sale). It will be especially awkward for them the first day if this is true. I think the cheapest suites were about $4000 for 3 days without Go Best.

The blurb about the Retreat lounge says “complimentary beverages” but to me that doesn’t necessarily mean wine and mixed drinks. The renderings show soft drinks in the cases, so I figured that’s what tbe wording meant. What specifically makes you think alcoholic drinks are free (all the time?) in the lounge?

The blurb about the Retreat lounge says “complimentary beverages” but to me that doesn’t necessarily mean wine and mixed drinks. The renderings show soft drinks in the cases, so I figured that’s what tbe wording meant. What specifically makes you think alcoholic drinks are free (all the time?) in the lounge?

All Michael’s Clubs have free drinks (and have lovely high end stuff) - the person on the phone said that would be the same in the Retreat Lounge on the Edge, just not at the Retreat Pool Bar.

Thanks. I haven’t been on Celebrity since they switched Michaels Club over to just suites.

This sheet from December indicates that Celebrity Suites and Sky Suites don’t get the drink package or specialty dining the way the higher ones do. So it seems you’d really want to book when a Go Best is offered, and feel a little sad if you missed out on that.

https://widgety-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/2017/12/05/12/17/06/2b54d698-df20-4aaa-a7d2-5843766803ea/Suite%20Class%20brochure.pdf

Thanks. I haven’t been on Celebrity since they switched Michaels Club over to just suites.

 

This sheet from December indicates that Celebrity Suites and Sky Suites don’t get the drink package or specialty dining the way the higher ones do. So it seems you’d really want to book when a Go Best is offered, and feel a little sad if you missed out on that.

https://widgety-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/2017/12/05/12/17/06/2b54d698-df20-4aaa-a7d2-5843766803ea/Suite%20Class%20brochure.pdf

All suites right now usually get Go Best automatically (as other cabins get 1-2 perks depending on the sale). It has been that way for > a year because I got it “for free” when I booked my 7 night Edge cruises in March 2017. When they first offered the 3 night preview cruises the Go Best was included for suites so I was able to get it, but they took it away within a few days and it never came back. They also don’t offer Go Best as something to purchase for those cruises.

What a great post with lots of great info. I noticed that you said that Celebrity Suite and above should expect a call from a concierge a couple of weeks before sailing. Does this mean that Sky Suites will not be contacted ahead of time to help plan bookings, etc.?

What a great post with lots of great info. I noticed that you said that Celebrity Suite and above should expect a call from a concierge a couple of weeks before sailing. Does this mean that Sky Suites will not be contacted ahead of time to help plan bookings, etc.?

That’s what I’ve determined from the main boards from other X ships. Maybe Edge will be different, but with 176 suites, I won’t hold my breath. 😃

What a great post with lots of great info. I noticed that you said that Celebrity Suite and above should expect a call from a concierge a couple of weeks before sailing. Does this mean that Sky Suites will not be contacted ahead of time to help plan bookings, etc.?

Celebrity suites and above receive a complimentary bar set up in their staterooms (Sky suites do not receive this service). The shoreside Concierge calls a few weeks before departure to confirm your choice of alcohol and mixers. They will also assist with any special requests and reservations for specialty dining, etc..

All suites right now usually get Go Best automatically (as other cabins get 1-2 perks depending on the sale). It has been that way for > a year because I got it “for free” when I booked my 7 night Edge cruises in March 2017. When they first offered the 3 night preview cruises the Go Best was included for suites so I was able to get it, but they took it away within a few days and it never came back. They also don’t offer Go Best as something to purchase for those cruises.

The Go Best Promo has never been offered to Suites on Trans-Atlantic or Trans-Pacific cruises.

Another change on Edge is a new class of suite, S3, which is under the MC. We have one for Dec. 6. So far as no Go Best, we're staying on for the Dec. 9 cruise, though not in a suite, so find no reason to leave The Retreat during the 3 days as we will have a week to see everything else. We didn't book a suite for the second leg as the prices are nuts. For that kind of money we could probably go on Regent and have even more benefits on the luxury ship.

Celebrity suites and above receive a complimentary bar set up in their staterooms (Sky suites do not receive this service). The shoreside Concierge calls a few weeks before departure to confirm your choice of alcohol and mixers. They will also assist with any special requests and reservations for specialty dining, etc..

Wow! When did CS start getting bar set ups? Must be new. 😃

Another change on Edge is a new class of suite, S3, which is under the MC. We have one for Dec. 6. So far as no Go Best, we're staying on for the Dec. 9 cruise, though not in a suite, so find no reason to leave The Retreat during the 3 days as we will have a week to see everything else. We didn't book a suite for the second leg as the prices are nuts. For that kind of money we could probably go on Regent and have even more benefits on the luxury ship.

Not sure what you meant by this. We have an S3 booked for the Jan. 20 sailing and our invoice says "GO BEST."

Not sure what you meant by this. We have an S3 booked for the Jan. 20 sailing and our invoice says "GO BEST."

Same here for following week...