LIVE!!! - Edge Preview and Maiden Voyage - Dec 6th & 9th - LIVE REVIEW from the EDGE!

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

3 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 

 

I agree, that is just ridiculous.  I just learned on another thread about the window being locked during a light rain.  It's appalling that these IVs are being hyped as the next great shiny thing when it comes to cruise ship verandas.  Not!

 

I hope this info about the window being locked gets around quickly.

 

I'm not paying those kind of prices to sail on a ship where someone else controls my access to my "veranda."  Get a grip, Celebrity.

[ecslady]

3 hours ago, Sandy1975 said:

Thanks. This is absurd IMO. What they are doing is effectively converting the IV verandas to Oceanview rooms. Passengers should have the option to lower the windows at anytime.

 

After I posted this morning about the windows being closed, the window washer came by.  So, I'm guessing the captain closed the windows so all the windows could be washed.  We then left and walked around Key West a bit.  When we returned about 1 PM and we were able to open the window.

[hcat]

On 12/8/2018 at 3:25 PM, mit429 said:

After lunch we made our way down to Eden to grab a cocktail before muster. Quite the impressive space - similar to Two70 on the Quantum Class, but I see what people were saying, it’s also quite different. Eden is really segregated into 3 or 4 distinct spaces, each while being a part of the whole can sort of function independently. The lowest level is the Eden Restaurant - from everything I’ve read and seen, I don’t have a strong interest in dining there, but I really feel like I should, to see it for myself. The mid-level is the main seating and bar area - there are plenty of unique seats and a lot of bartenders. The drinks require a good amount of work, so definitely plan to be patient. Also on the mid-level is Eden Cafe, I’ve yet to be there while it’s open, so I can’t really tell you much about it, but it looks nice and large (the pictures are of Eden Cafe)! On the ramp up to the top area are lots of random seating nooks, they all have menus, which leads me to believe that there will be waiter service throughout. On the upper-most level (which is on Deck 6, but only accessible from within Eden - annoyingly), there are more loungers and seating.

 

If you are ever looking for somewhere to sit, go to Eden; I think there’s enough space for the entire ship to sit in Eden, lol.

 

There are a few $15 cocktails in Eden (for those of you with the Premium Beverage Package), but about half of them are over $15. They’re definitely craft cocktails, with a lot of work put into making them, so in my very humble opinion, they are worth the slight upcharge. We enjoyed our cocktails while walking around and exploring Eden, and then it was time for muster - yay! Our muster station is hands-down the worst muster station I’ve ever had - so if you’re in D2, buckle up! We were assigned to the embarkation lobby on Deck 5, outside the Bulgari, among the wooden statues. Another note, I don’t know if it was just because it was a preview, but muster seemed oddly sporadic, with people moving around and talking during the drill. Celebrity seems to have introduced a new video which is clearly an attempt at getting people to pay more attention. It was partially horrible, partially kind of fun, but mostly just cheesy and an unnecessarily long way to explain some very basic information.

 

Someone asked about muster stations, the list is pictured! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry to repeat all the photos but what is the self service cafeteria looking area.?  You said it is tge EDEN cafe, but it ..looks like a snack area in a  dorm  basement.

Edited December 10, 2018 by hcat

[J18ktleo]

Trying to keep up...we sailed with you but didn't see you anywhere!

Also very disappointed that there was no-one at sail away,..was hoping to meet others!

 

This ship is truly different, very elegant, classy, with a peaceful/quiet feeling I haven't had on any other ships (even Crystal).  The challenge is that the 3 day was filled with industry and corporate people so I'm thinking when we go back onboard next month we will get a 'true feel' of what it's like with the 'general population' onboard!

Am a little disapointed that the only places to get drinks inside are 'basically' the Martini Bar, Casino Bar or The Club, no areas to 'congregate' outside any of the dining rooms.

But the attention to detail throughout the ship and in the staterooms was really interesting like the little shelves in the public bathrooms above the toilet to set your glass or phone down.

And the fresh flowers EVERYWHERE was wonderful!

I think they need to 'rethink' the handwashing stations at Oceanview, I rarely saw anyone there and most people just walked on by...when we had it on (I think it was ) Quantum they had staff there to steer the guests into that area...will see how it changes!

And they really need more drink stations in the Oceanview...plus interesting that the back, where the pizza is, is only used for pizza, closed at breakfast, such a waste!

Again, I think a lot will change once the general cruising crowd boards.

 

I met with someone from corporate and had a looooong talk.  She said this is the new 'vision' from Celebrity, higher priced, higher class...if the ship doesn't sell out they'll sail without...no more price reductions...let's see how that works if the economy changes.  

 

I'll be back on next month with a group of 22...that'll be the true test!

But we did book a TA for Oct 2020 on Apex...

[Sandy1975]

26 minutes ago, ecslady said:

 

After I posted this morning about the windows being closed, the window washer came by.  So, I'm guessing the captain closed the windows so all the windows could be washed.  We then left and walked around Key West a bit.  When we returned about 1 PM and we were able to open the window.

Thanks for the update.  It makes me feel better that at least there is a reason for it. Hopefully it doesn't impact too much.

[cruisingnewtoit]

17 minutes ago, J18ktleo said:

I met with someone from corporate and had a looooong talk.  She said this is the new 'vision' from Celebrity, higher priced, higher class...if the ship doesn't sell out they'll sail without...no more price reductions...let's see how that works if the economy changes.  

Lol well I guess the Edge is out of my future. I hope this new high priced/high class will only be true for the newer ships going forward. I love the size of the main pool.

 

I am going on my first Celebrity cruise in April on the  Summit after it comes out of dry dock.

[EatonDoolittle]

1 hour ago, J18ktleo said:

 

I met with someone from corporate and had a looooong talk.  She said this is the new 'vision' from Celebrity, higher priced, higher class...if the ship doesn't sell out they'll sail without...no more price reductions...let's see how that works if the economy changes.  

 

 

Well, that's one way to weed out the jeans and T shirt crowd that migrated over from Royal Caribbean when the loyalty status match came into play. 

[cruise kitty]

To the OP:  thanks for taking us along, enjoying your photos & narration :)   I'll follow you on IG

 

 

[hcat]

Love hearing there will be fresh flowers...that's a big positive for me..Already ordered some for the cabin..hope they will be beautiful in the  lighted niche !

[kearney]

5 hours ago, J18ktleo said:

 

 

I met with someone from corporate and had a looooong talk.  She said this is the new 'vision' from Celebrity, higher priced, higher class...if the ship doesn't sell out they'll sail without...no more price reductions...let's see how that works if the economy changes.  

 

 

I wondered if that was the strategy.... been tracking prices... took a big jump around June... came down a tad (talking maiden voyages...not others)... Also tracked cabin availability for IV.... found that new enrollments slowed down noticeably but prices remained high and near the end with over 125 IV remaining... prices popped slightly higher again... it was clear that they did not want to necessarily fill the ship if that meant showing the need to drop prices.  I am looking forward to the sailing... but with the market having a long way to go to recover loses... well I will be looking for an alternative...Frankly Elite perks are being chipped away and frankly not all that great to hold me.. I may try Princess next... but I will keep my spreadsheet going and see if I note a strategy change... I have noticed other ship prices being higher... than what I was able to get just a few months ago... thanks for confirming my observations... Kinda cool that my old analytical skills still working...

[Host Jazzbeau]

5 hours ago, J18ktleo said:

This ship is truly different, very elegant, classy, with a peaceful/quiet feeling I haven't had on any other ships (even Crystal).

 

Viking Ocean ships have the most elegant, classy, peaceful feeling we have yet experienced [including Azamara and Crystal].  Their itineraries are not very adventuresome IMHO, but neither is Celebrity.  Otherwise, with Celebrity's new Edge pricing structure, Viking is worth a comparison.

[Host Jazzbeau]

17 minutes ago, kearney said:

I wondered if that was the strategy.... been tracking prices... took a big jump around June... came down a tad (talking maiden voyages...not others)... Also tracked cabin availability for IV.... found that new enrollments slowed down noticeably but prices remained high and near the end with over 125 IV remaining... prices popped slightly higher again... it was clear that they did not want to necessarily fill the ship if that meant showing the need to drop prices.  I am looking forward to the sailing... but with the market having a long way to go to recover loses... well I will be looking for an alternative...Frankly Elite perks are being chipped away and frankly not all that great to hold me.. I may try Princess next... but I will keep my spreadsheet going and see if I note a strategy change... I have noticed other ship prices being higher... than what I was able to get just a few months ago... thanks for confirming my observations... Kinda cool that my old analytical skills still working...

 

Here's a graph of S1 pricing on the Jan. 20 Edge cruise.  Except for three odd, brief, shallow dips it has been UP UP UP.  As of today, 12 of the 52 S1 suites are available [also 19 of 66 S2s and 4 of 28 S3s, but none of the higher suites], and Celebrity seems willing to let them go empty rather than have a fire sale.

[Ma Bell]

If that is their new strategy that means they are overcharging everyone. Good luck with that continuing into the future.

 

I wonder how long present management will last.

[jagoffee]

43 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 

Here's a graph of S1 pricing on the Jan. 20 Edge cruise.  Except for three odd, brief, shallow dips it has been UP UP UP.  As of today, 12 of the 52 S1 suites are available [also 19 of 66 S2s and 4 of 28 S3s, but none of the higher suites], and Celebrity seems willing to let them go empty rather than have a fire sale.

Might be a great opportunity for people to bid with the Move Up process.

 

What does the chart look like for the lower level non suite cabins?

 

I was comparing suite pricing on the Edge class and the Solstice Class for January 2021 after the new release.  Generally the Edge suite prices per day is 1.5 X the equivalent Solstice Class suites.  The Solstice Class suite pricing is significantly higher than previous years after the new releases.

[jagoffee]

13 minutes ago, Ma Bell said:

If that is their new strategy that means they are overcharging everyone. Good luck with that continuing into the future.

 

I wonder how long present management will last.

A very long time if they can maintain the higher suite margins which must be very profitable.  

[kearney]

7 hours ago, jagoffee said:

 

What does the chart look like for the lower level non suite cabins?

 

 Okay, excel on my Mac is different than it was on my PC.... why do they have to mess with it... it has been a while since I have charted anything... but here goes... prices since late April '18 for E3. Sorry I did not track consistently... but if I recall correctly I started when I noticed the large jump in June.

 

[kearney]

I had been eye balling IV availability... but did not note it until November... Note how the lower grade cabins (Higher number) have moved better than the higher grade.... Also the Sunset Verandas sold out some time ago and same is true for the 1A and 1B ocean view with veranda cabins.... The traditional cabins... although there are fewer of them... have been sold out quite a while. Key thing to note is that this and pricing chart are for the Dec 16 sailing which is one of the cheapest sailings despite being a 'maiden voyage' with all the hoop la that goes with that ...of course returning home the day before Christmas could be a factor... but if I recall (I did not track) the Dec 9 sailing followed a similar pattern

[kearney]

Let say they could fill these roughly 150 remaining cabins with an average price of $1500/pp... that is lost revenue of $450,000. Of course... too late to do so. I wish I had track the number of cabins remaining early to see when the slow down in sales occurred. 

[Sandy1975]

9 hours ago, kearney said:

I have noticed other ship prices being higher... than what I was able to get just a few months ago... thanks for confirming my observations... Kinda cool that my old analytical skills still working...

My final pmt is coming up so I was looking at other options for the same time frame. There is a 9 day SouthernCaribbean cruise on Silhouette that I priced months ago in C3 and the price is about 400 more total and only 1 perk than when I priced it 6 months ago. Not a big difference but is trending up with lots of availability. Other ships are also higher than in the past. Add to that airline tickets that have been through the roof for Mar / Apr and cruising will become less frequent for us.

[kearney]

We had booked Reflection March cruise which hits some ports we have not been to... but final pmt was due... well today. Between DH mobility (thinking about knee replacement)... market and well the price... decided to cancel... well actually since we booked onboard... had $200 deposit... shifted cruise to a September Equinox... nothing special itinerary... and price higher than we have paid in past..but better than the Reflection cruise. DH has not gotten off the ship for last several cruises... so my question was why pay a premium to go to places we havent been to...if we are not getting off the boat!  We met a nice couple during captains cocktail hour... in sky lounge... lounge and orgnized cocktail hour now gone.... anyway they highly recommended Princess. So I am seriously considering a trial..if DH does not do knee surgery in the next few months.  But we shall see... maybe Edge will blow us away.

[buggins0402]

On 12/8/2018 at 3:23 PM, mit429 said:

 

 

Since you are a Soul Cyclist, I hope you give the Pelotons a spin and report back how it works.  Fee? Quality of the streaming?

Edited December 11, 2018 by buggins0402

[kearney]

10 hours ago, Ma Bell said:

If that is their new strategy that means they are overcharging everyone. Good luck with that continuing into the future.

 

I wonder how long present management will last.

If people are willing and able to pay..they are not over charging. I hope that they can fill the suites at those high prices... would allow discounting at lower end... if they wanted... but they don't seem to. My fear is the Edgification of the rest of the line... what does that mean... will sky lounge go? What about those nice areas that loyal users.. not necessarily the new target... love... the old school library, game room (card games vs electronic games) etc. Fortunately the redone Equinox will be out before my final payment... by a week or so... So we will know more then

[RaynJeffnOhio]

Wow, awesome information!  Thanks for sharing.  We get to board the 16th.  Just a couple quick questions I hope you or others can answer.  Does the gym have a locker/changing room with a steam sauna, like the other Celebrity ships (separate from the SPA fee area?)  Can't wait to try the track and treadmills, hopefully with a steam.  Also, using the Celeb App on free wifi...how is that kept separate from free or purchased outside wifi minutes (Elite 90 mins in our case)?  Thanks for any info you can provide.  Enjoy!!  -Ray

[nyflgal@yahoo.com]

Loving your reviews & pics!  I am booked on Jan 13 2019, 33 more Days😎

i am disappointed to see there is no water feature in Solarium, it made it feel like a rainforest & helped to drown out any unpleasant noise (chatting, etc) looks like Cruise Critic crew will need to find a Larger sail away venue, the sunset bar looks quite small.  I was on Eclipse TA Apr 2018 & the larger Sunset was very crowded for sail away.

could you confirm if there are the round rattan loungers w/umbrella shade like in previous S class ships.

 

thx much for your detailed info & great pics,  Happy Cruising🛳😎🍹

[cmhdoogalsatsea]

1 hour ago, RaynJeffnOhio said:

Wow, awesome information!  Thanks for sharing.  We get to board the 16th.  Just a couple quick questions I hope you or others can answer.  Does the gym have a locker/changing room with a steam sauna, like the other Celebrity ships (separate from the SPA fee area?)  Can't wait to try the track and treadmills, hopefully with a steam.  Also, using the Celeb App on free wifi...how is that kept separate from free or purchased outside wifi minutes (Elite 90 mins in our case)?  Thanks for any info you can provide.  Enjoy!!  -Ray

At least on Reflection,Summit and Equinox  its just the sauna that's free and in the dressing rooms.Steam is in the PG

Edited December 11, 2018 by cmhdoogalsatsea