Living on the Edge with vtcruising!: A Live Review!

[floridatravelersforlife]

Having an AQ cabin, we were provided these" Open"bottles to drink.  It was disappointing to see that the water is "purified" and not spring water, as in the past.  Also according to the ingredients list it contains potasium bicarbonate, calcium chloride and magnesium chloride. Just like Disani, it tastes odd to us. The Edge tap water actually tasted better.   Either is purified water.   The difference is immaterial to us.  I'd say scrap the bottles.

[8mma]

20 hours ago, MVPinBoynton said:

 

 

I finally got my review done.  Way too many photos, but who's counting.  It took me a week to finish, but it will make my January Edge cruise much less stressful, since I won't need to take too photos and I will be able to relax and really enjoy that amazing ship.  The link to the review on my website is in my signature.  Enjoy!

Mike,  Thanks so much for your amazing review - between you and VT we have it covered!!

[Host Jazzbeau]

9 hours ago, TommyD3 said:

So Celebrity is offloading tens of thousands of used aluminium bottles every week to be recycled? What ever happened to the concept of selling (or giving) passengers a reusable bottle that they would refill at water stations?

 

I would never accept a reusable bottle that I had to refill at the water stations: a sure way to increase your chances of catching noro or some other nasty bug.  I also wonder at all the 'Greens' with their refillable bottles on land: how often do they get a thorough cleaning?  Just give me a brand-new Poland Spring plastic bottle, and I promise to recycle every time!

[vtcruising]

Just got this picture from a friend onboard (citruscruiser)!  😊

 

[BarbarianPaul]

20 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 

I would never accept a reusable bottle that I had to refill at the water stations: a sure way to increase your chances of catching noro or some other nasty bug.  I also wonder at all the 'Greens' with their refillable bottles on land: how often do they get a thorough cleaning?  Just give me a brand-new Poland Spring plastic bottle, and I promise to recycle every time!

Considering the price of onboard bottled water, and the fact that bringing them on is frequently prohibited, those refillable bottles can be quite useful. What other options are there?

[Host Jazzbeau]

24 minutes ago, BarbarianPaul said:

Considering the price of onboard bottled water, and the fact that bringing them on is frequently prohibited, those refillable bottles can be quite useful. What other options are there?

 

Beverage packages and cruise lines that include bottled water.  There are still mass market cruise lines that permit bringing bottled water onboard [not NCL, but that's just one of the reasons we will never cruise with them again].

[vtcruising]

I think this is the thread that someone asked about the Captain's Club breakfast drinks. This is from citruscruiser onboard:

 

[hcat]

On 12/7/2018 at 2:25 AM, OriginalBoat said:

 

 

I think you might have misread that VT.  I'm about 90% sure that the aluminium water bottles are recycled.  The line was, "We incinerate everything." and she probably meant, "We incinerate everything that can't be recycled."

 

 

If they are recycling glass, then they are recycling aluminium.  Most of what we recycle, we do for environmental reasons, or for small savings.  Aluminium is the most economical ($$) recycling.  Making a new can or bottle or whatever from recycled aluminium saves 92-95% of the energy costs of making a new one.  Remember back in the past before recycling was common, the homeless or others down on their luck would still collect cans.

They still collect  aluminum cans in NY...sometimes from the roadside but often from residents  curbside recycling bins.. They take them to the rebate center and cash in...huge bags full!  Quite a cottage industry.

 

We  must pay a deposit on soda cans  and plastic water  bottes and also have to bring them back if we want our deposit back

[hcat]

On 12/7/2018 at 9:40 AM, marylander2 said:

 

In the most of the modern days airports, train stations, even schools etc. there are touchless water bottle fillers; they have sensors that initiate water pouring when you place the bottle on the podium under spigot. Once the bottle is filled, you take it out and the water stops pouring. No contact at all.

I am very surprised that X - and other cruise lines - are still using the old-fashioned push-lever filling stations for drinks in the OVC... This is where the germs are spreading well...

 

Saw them in use today at the Baltimore airport...easy to fill any size bottle..clean...they were popular, Water goes right in..no spills, no breakage,    Using a glass to get water and then transferring it to a container seems like a huge waste of time and very yesterday!

 

 I am confused...Are we getting new or used water bottles, plastic, metal or milk carton style..?  We:will  have the Classic package so what will we be given at the bars etc? We will be in AQ Class, what will our Welcome water  be?

 

 We have our own  metal  water bottles we use for biking and we'll bring those along but it looks like we may have to bring some  bottled Fiji water with us... Not sure I trust the new Celebrity product!  Was not impressed with  LLP reasoning for using her niece's chouce!

Edited December 8, 2018 by hcat

[kearney]

On 12/7/2018 at 6:59 PM, vtcruising said:

Just got this picture from a friend onboard (citruscruiser)!  😊

 

I wondered if they would do any Christmas decorations... since the ship is so new.... nice to see them get into holiday spirit.

[bigbenboys]

On 11/28/2018 at 7:38 PM, mit429 said:

VT - thanks for the review so far ... curious as to how you're finding the WiFi is holding up while you're underway. 

 

I figure there are *a lot* of people aboard making use of the onboard WiFi system, so I'm curious as to if it's straining at all? 

 

Do you feel it similar to the other ships with Xcelerate WiFi, is it faster? slower? 

 

Thanks!

I watched a video on YouTube that each cabin has its own router in the closet. That is better than in the hallway.

[vtcruising]

3 minutes ago, bigbenboys said:

I watched a video on YouTube that each cabin has its own router in the closet. That is better than in the hallway.

That makes sense - I have never had such good Wi-Fi on a ship. I left it on from the minute we boarded until it died at about 7AM on debarkation day and it never failed me. 🙂

 

Is this it in the upper right hand corner (this was a corner cabinet in an S1)?

 

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Thanks Marilyn for the wonderful review and pictures. We're in 9305 corner aft S1 in September. Hoping the balcony furniture is improved before then. 

 

My DH can't eat any fish or seafood. Do you know...or can you find out...if there would be any options for him?

We'd love to go for the experience as it looks amazing. 

[MVPinBoynton]

40 minutes ago, bigbenboys said:

I watched a video on YouTube that each cabin has its own router in the closet. That is better than in the hallway.

 

I am glad you mentioned that.  Here is a pic one of the closets in an Infinite Veranda.  I hadn't paid attention to the white box until you just mentioned it.  I zoomed in on the original pic and it says Cisco on it, so it is a router.

[vtcruising]

27 minutes ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

Thanks Marilyn for the wonderful review and pictures. We're in 9305 corner aft S1 in September. Hoping the balcony furniture is improved before then. 

 

My DH can't eat any fish or seafood. Do you know...or can you find out...if there would be any options for him?

We'd love to go for the experience as it looks amazing. 

Yes, let's hope the balcony furniture has improved by then!

 

Which restaurant were you talking about?

[suzyluvs2cruise]

56 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

Yes, let's hope the balcony furniture has improved by then!

 

Which restaurant were you talking about?

Sorry....meant to say Eden. 

[kearney]

Well, I sale in less than a week... so I decided to check on cabin availability. Interestingly the inside cabins are virtually sold out... same with ocean view... except for a few on the other side of the wall from the atrium (probably noise worries). The lower cost suites are mostly gone along with almost all Aqua.. a few lower ranked cabins there. When it comes to Concierge class the low end sold out... but still quite a few of the more expensive C class cabins... same for E class... the E4s virtually gone. Prices are higher than a few months ago.. so these are unlikely to fill in next few days... interesting. So concept generally filling up on low end... the high end suites generally available... about half of the villas... both the top end are their (I am sure the CEO wold be willing to stay someplace else should those get booked... perhaps she is in one of the few villas that have sold. Anyway.. I thought it was interesting following stateroom sales

 

[vtcruising]

3 hours ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

Thanks Marilyn for the wonderful review and pictures. We're in 9305 corner aft S1 in September. Hoping the balcony furniture is improved before then. 

 

My DH can't eat any fish or seafood. Do you know...or can you find out...if there would be any options for him?

We'd love to go for the experience as it looks amazing. 

Sorry, I'm not onboard now. They must have vegetarian options at least. Maybe someone onboard can ask. if not, I've had good luck emailing this address with similar questions:

celebrityonetouch@celebrity.com

 

[marylander2]

VT (and citrucruiser!), thanks for posting up the CC drinks menu for breakfast, it is in Tuscan, right? How about the menu for plates/entrees for CC Elite breakfast - is there a change in the Edge menu for that, or are these the same platters as before on S/M class ships?

 

I am still unclear - and no one actually had commented on this with certainty - about menu changes in MDRs. Are they rotated as per industry standards (10- or 14-day rotation menus), or stay the same in all 4 MDRs for the length of the cruise?? Somewhere in the booing reviews I've seen the comment that they are NOT changed daily, and this is not about Signature dishes or Specialty dishes but the bulk menus... But the reviewer was on 3-day cruise, and I am wondering about this first commercial trip.

Sorry to be inquisitive but food during the cruise is a big deal for me as this is perhaps 2-3 times a year chance for me to eat restaurant quality meat; where I am now (SE Asia), meat is over the roof expensive and even if one can afford it, the way they prepare it here is not as tasty as back in the sweet home... So I try to thoroughly enjoy steaks-fillet mignons-ribs etc etc while onboard, and if the MDR menu is the same every night, it will be a huge minus in my book for the value of this Edge "innovation".

I know that X had added a number of "pay extra" eating venues, but (as with the increased pricing for all alcohol-based drinks on Edge and skimping on the Elite CC member happy hours) this is nothing but the obvious way to rip more bucks from cruisers. As many of you have already said, with the jacked up cost of the over-hyped cruising on the Edge PLUS drinks PLUS specialty restaurants PLUS water/juices cost it almost certainly makes sense to deviate to Oceania/Azamara or even to higher all-inclusive lines...

[Bo1953]

18 hours ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

Thanks Marilyn for the wonderful review and pictures. We're in 9305 corner aft S1 in September. Hoping the balcony furniture is improved before then. 

 

My DH can't eat any fish or seafood. Do you know...or can you find out...if there would be any options for him?

We'd love to go for the experience as it looks amazing. 

I do not think DH has to worry about this at all. Just let the Maitre d' know as soon as possible before dining so they can make arrangements...

 

The only issues I have experienced on X about dietary requirements is that the Chef's think I want the same set of three (3) meals every day!! LOL

 

Now I ask them to change it up everyday and that has worked in all eating venues, for me.

 

bon appetite and bon voyage

[Nemanoxer]

Though I found some downsides for me, which were specifically the app,  restricted areas for events, still a little lack of top notch service and the on board prices, EDGE was a major success for me. But I had a very good price for a very good stateroom, I was just really lucky (still not sure if I did not catch some kind of error fare or something).

 

I would go back in a minute, and I would love it. BUT the prices are just too high, higher than on some ultra luxury cruises. And for solo travelers like me, the surcharges are discrimination at its purest, as I am not one of those who CHOOSE to go alone. I will not go again before I find reasonable prices. And if that means I can never go again, that will be the way it goes. Been there already, felt right that way.

Edited December 10, 2018 by Nemanoxer

[vtcruising]

9 hours ago, marylander2 said:

VT (and citrucruiser!), thanks for posting up the CC drinks menu for breakfast, it is in Tuscan, right? How about the menu for plates/entrees for CC Elite breakfast - is there a change in the Edge menu for that, or are these the same platters as before on S/M class ships?

 

I am still unclear - and no one actually had commented on this with certainty - about menu changes in MDRs. Are they rotated as per industry standards (10- or 14-day rotation menus), or stay the same in all 4 MDRs for the length of the cruise?? Somewhere in the booing reviews I've seen the comment that they are NOT changed daily, and this is not about Signature dishes or Specialty dishes but the bulk menus... But the reviewer was on 3-day cruise, and I am wondering about this first commercial trip.

Sorry to be inquisitive but food during the cruise is a big deal for me as this is perhaps 2-3 times a year chance for me to eat restaurant quality meat; where I am now (SE Asia), meat is over the roof expensive and even if one can afford it, the way they prepare it here is not as tasty as back in the sweet home... So I try to thoroughly enjoy steaks-fillet mignons-ribs etc etc while onboard, and if the MDR menu is the same every night, it will be a huge minus in my book for the value of this Edge "innovation".

I know that X had added a number of "pay extra" eating venues, but (as with the increased pricing for all alcohol-based drinks on Edge and skimping on the Elite CC member happy hours) this is nothing but the obvious way to rip more bucks from cruisers. As many of you have already said, with the jacked up cost of the over-hyped cruising on the Edge PLUS drinks PLUS specialty restaurants PLUS water/juices cost it almost certainly makes sense to deviate to Oceania/Azamara or even to higher all-inclusive lines...

I didn't attend the CC breakfast so am not sure about what is available. Yes, it was in Tuscan Restaurant on our cruise.

 

The way I look at the MDR menus is as follows:

All 4 restaurants have the same 14 day rotation of menus like they always have (Celebrity Signature 14 day menu). All four restaurants have the every day favorites (Classics) - the same every day in all four restaurants-  the same as usual. So, just the same as always, except you get an additional 6 items specific to each restaurant that don't change (Exclusives). So, we all  get the same choices as usual, though get an additional 24 items to choose from if you eat in all 4 MDRs (6 new regional items in each of 4 MDRs). I had dinner in Cyprus and it was like dining in a specialty - the food, service and ambiance were excellent

 

So far, there have only been 2 and 3 night cruises so yes, there may have been some repeats? I know I was on 3 of those and there were repeats in Luminae, but they were different cruises so I didn't count it against them. Also, the apps are not necessarily accurate at this time, so don't go by that.  Now that we have our first 7 night cruise underway, we will see for sure if they cycle through 7 different menus for dinner (Celebrity Signature 14 day menu that is the same in all MDRs). I am quite sure that if they want to stay in business, they will do so!🙂

 

Edited December 10, 2018 by vtcruising

[RaynJeffnOhio]

Thanks VT, and other contributors, so much for all the valuable information you've provided.  I get my chance this Sunday... and have one question I've not seen answered anywhere.  Since this thread is so busy, and has many watchers, I thought I'd post it here.

I'm a runner, and can't wait to try the track and gym on Edge.  On other Celebrity ships, I had access to a changing room, shower and steam sauna, with the gym.  I'm wondering if these amenities are available to all gym users on the Edge, or just part of the Aqua/Spa package?  We usually do Aqua, though not this trip.

[Jim_Iain]

15 hours ago, marylander2 said:

VT (and citrucruiser!), thanks for posting up the CC drinks menu for breakfast, it is in Tuscan, right? How about the menu for plates/entrees for CC Elite breakfast - is there a change in the Edge menu for that, or are these the same platters as before on S/M class ships?

 

I am still unclear - and no one actually had commented on this with certainty - about menu changes in MDRs. Are they rotated as per industry standards (10- or 14-day rotation menus), or stay the same in all 4 MDRs for the length of the cruise?? Somewhere in the booing reviews I've seen the comment that they are NOT changed daily, and this is not about Signature dishes or Specialty dishes but the bulk menus... But the reviewer was on 3-day cruise, and I am wondering about this first commercial trip.

Sorry to be inquisitive but food during the cruise is a big deal for me as this is perhaps 2-3 times a year chance for me to eat restaurant quality meat; where I am now (SE Asia), meat is over the roof expensive and even if one can afford it, the way they prepare it here is not as tasty as back in the sweet home... So I try to thoroughly enjoy steaks-fillet mignons-ribs etc etc while onboard, and if the MDR menu is the same every night, it will be a huge minus in my book for the value of this Edge "innovation".

I know that X had added a number of "pay extra" eating venues, but (as with the increased pricing for all alcohol-based drinks on Edge and skimping on the Elite CC member happy hours) this is nothing but the obvious way to rip more bucks from cruisers. As many of you have already said, with the jacked up cost of the over-hyped cruising on the Edge PLUS drinks PLUS specialty restaurants PLUS water/juices cost it almost certainly makes sense to deviate to Oceania/Azamara or even to higher all-inclusive lines...

 

From what I can see Edge does rotate the 14 menus (plus the addition of the 20% unique items to each dining room.  Would really recommend you download the Celebrity App and read the menus.   The App currently has menus loaded until middle of February. 

 

I was just checking and it appears they are repeating the same 7 day menu on the 7 day cruises.   Maybe someone on a B2B could confirm.    At least the app will give you an idea of what to expect.   Looks like lots of beef selections. 

Edited December 10, 2018 by Jim_Iain

[BarbarianPaul]

8 hours ago, Nemanoxer said:

Though I found some downsides for me, which were specifically the app,  restricted areas for events, still a little lack of top notch service and the on board prices, EDGE was a major success for me. But I had a very good price for a very good stateroom, I was just really lucky (still not sure if I did not catch some kind of error fare or something).

 

I would go back in a minute, and I would love it. BUT the prices are just too high, higher than on some ultra luxury cruises. And for solo travelers like me, the surcharges are discrimination at its purest, as I am not one of those who CHOOSE to go alone. I will not go again before I find reasonable prices. And if that means I can never go again, that will be the way it goes. Been there already, felt right that way.

Aren’t there lines that offer cabins for singles?