Currently on the Edge(12/16/18) too much misinformation and craziness on this board!

[kwokpot]

Jewel of the Seas on one side of us, Oasis on the other! 

[pa-annie]

 

What are the demographics on the ship, most of the information I have gleaned so far from these boards seems to be coming from "seasoned" cruisers?  Do you feel that the design/decor, activities (or lack of), and entertainment are more fitting for Millennials than Baby Boomers?

 

Thanks - BZ

[CruiseImage]

She’s looking well from up here 

[ohhbother]

8 hours ago, OriginalBoat said:

 

I'm curious if you have thoughts on what made the Bliss more open?  They both appear to be fully enclosed on the top.  There's a couple differences I can see: the Bliss has some slight openings in the top of the side walls, a solid wall with a door behind, and maybe a slightly lower railing.  "Interior" space seems to be about the same on both ships.  We've got an Edge sailing booked and are considering Bliss for the next one.  I'm trying to decide if it's a trade-off between a convertible space that may be locked vs an always open, but separate area.  Or if there is something more to the way they FEEL.

 

 

It's absolutely a difference in the way they FEEL.

 

I'm going to try to describe it in a way that makes sense. Imagine you're on a standard balcony on a ship. You've stepped outside on a porch, in essence. If you step to the edge of the balcony, you can lean over and see up and down the ship - you can probably see into the balcony on each side of you. Even if your balcony is covered, it can still be sunny at times and windy at times. You experience the elements. That's what our balcony on Bliss (which was covered) was like.

 

On Edge in the IV cabin, you're "flat" against the ship - I don't know how else to describe it. Because you're flush with the ship, you cannot see the "balconies" next to you at all. It's because you're sticking your head out a window and not standing on a porch. It would be comparable to sticking your head out a window in a hotel (assuming hotels had windows that opened, which most don't). Just trying to describe the feel of it.

 

As for space on the balcony, we definitely had much more on the Bliss. We had two comfy chairs and a table large enough to hold plates. We could sit out there, prop our feet up against the glass and read. We spent a lot of time on our balcony on Bliss. Conversely, the footprint of the IV is so tiny. It's packed with furniture that you have to move to get "in" or "out" of the space. I only sat in an IV chair one time during our three-day cruise. There was just nothing interesting about it. I had the same view and was more comfortable sitting on the bed. As I've said in other posts, I did like that the large picture window provides much greater lines of sight from the bed. I wouldn't hesitate to book an IV on a cold-weather cruise for that reason. It would be a lovely way to experience the Norwegian fjords, for instance.

 

I keep going back and forth as to whether to cancel our Edge cruise in April. We have an S1 corner aft booked, and we booked the first week cabins were released, so we have a decent price. But for basically the same price, I could book the Royal Suite on an S-class ship for the same week. Decisions, decisions... I'm not sure what we're going to do, honestly. We have until final payment in January to figure it out. We just weren't "wowed" by the Edge. We were completely "wowed" by the Bliss, however. I'm so excited about our Alaska sailing in the Haven in May. That is one fantastic ship. I was always an NCL snob - in my mind, it was gaudy, had terrible food, etc. I have never been more wrong. Bliss is stunning, the spa with thalassotherapy pool is to die for, and the food in the specialty restaurants is hands down the best we've ever had on any cruise line. I'm not sure I'm an NCL convert, but I am 100% a Bliss convert.

 

 

[Cruise Junky]

4 minutes ago, Staffy said:

She’s looking well from up here 

 

 

Nice Pic Ade.  You're not on her are you?

[CruiseImage]

Just now, Cruise Junky said:

Nice Pic Ade.  You're not on her are you?

 

Oh I wish 😎 - hopefully soon 

[kwokpot]

1 hour ago, pa-annie said:

 

What are the demographics on the ship, most of the information I have gleaned so far from these boards seems to be coming from "seasoned" cruisers?  Do you feel that the design/decor, activities (or lack of), and entertainment are more fitting for Millennials than Baby Boomers?

 

Thanks - BZ

The philosophy of the Edge is less about a particular age group than a lifestyle which transcends age groups. Let me make an analogy to magazines. Do you read Vanity Fair, Dwell, Elle and Elle Decor? Do you know what Art Basel Miami is? The readers of these publications and attendees of these events are who they are marketing the ship to. 

Edited December 20, 2018 by kwokpot

[Jim_Iain]

14 hours ago, WonderMan3 said:

 

It was moved from port side to starboard side. Before it was a small stairway up from the pool deck on the port side of the pool bar, now it is a small stairway up from the pool deck on the starboard side above the Mast Grill. The main difference is where it was before was just a dead end deck. This new deck has a stairway in the middle of it going to the deck above. I posted photos of the new location in my live from thread towards the end of it.

 

There is also still a smoking area on starboard side by the Sunset Bar.

Thanks much.    I'm not a smoker but my spouse is so was interesting on how things were changing.

 

[FM]

16 hours ago, Tao Diva said:

I've seen a lot of people saying things like "EDEN is okay, but not for me". But from what I've read, I think I might be exactly the person who EDEN is perfect for. I can't wait to visit EDEN, ask the dragonfly eater if she has tried crickets, dance the night away with Edenites as an alien in Club Andromeda, and charge my crystals in the crystalarium.  My DD and I refer to the ship as "SpaShip EDGE" (a play on the word "spaceship" and a reference to the fact we booked AquaClass to take advantage of the new-age SEA spa.) We refer to the dramatically lit, tubular martini bar as the ship's "warp core". The theatre is the "holodeck" and the Destination Gateway is the "transporter room". 

I realize that a large part of the cruising population are nautical traditionalists who appreciate reserved refinements and understated elegance. That's great! But I'll be cruising as a sci-fi/fantasy water-nerd. I'm ready to suspend reality and contribute my own imagination to the innovations of the EDGE. 

Now it's getting me to think about booking a Star Trek cruise with NCL  … Engage!

[FM]

 

1 hour ago, ohhbother said:

Conversely, the footprint of the IV is so tiny. It's packed with furniture that you have to move to get "in" or "out" of the space. I only sat in an IV chair one time during our three-day cruise. There was just nothing interesting about it. I had the same view and was more comfortable sitting on the bed. As I've said in other posts, I did like that the large picture window provides much greater lines of sight from the bed. I wouldn't hesitate to book an IV on a cold-weather cruise for that reason. It would be a lovely way to experience the Norwegian fjords, for instance.

 

I keep going back and forth as to whether to cancel our Edge cruise in April. We have an S1 corner aft booked, and we booked the first week cabins were released, so we have a decent price. But for basically the same price, I could book the Royal Suite on an S-class ship for the same week. Decisions, decisions... I'm not sure what we're going to do, honestly. We have until final payment in January to figure it out. We just weren't "wowed" by the Edge. We were completely "wowed" by the Bliss, however. I'm so excited about our Alaska sailing in the Haven in May. That is one fantastic ship. I was always an NCL snob - in my mind, it was gaudy, had terrible food, etc. I have never been more wrong. Bliss is stunning, the spa with thalassotherapy pool is to die for, and the food in the specialty restaurants is hands down the best we've ever had on any cruise line. I'm not sure I'm an NCL convert, but I am 100% a Bliss convert.

 

 

A well reasoned analysis … thanks …

[TeeRick]

Norwegian Bliss has over 500 reviews on CC and is at about 3.5 /5.0 star rating.  Edge is 3.0 stars with 29 reviews. When Bliss first sailed some of the early reviews were pretty bad.  I wonder what rating Edge will have after 500 reviews?  It will be interesting.  For comparison Celebrity's next newest ship is Reflection which is rated 4 stars after 1685 reviews.

[suec12]

I've read most of the posts - saw very little mention of food! dining room(s) - I think  the OP is not suite or AQ - comments on food please? did you do select dining and try some of the different DR's.

[lola2013]

Loving your review so far!  Can't wait for the rest.

 

My family and I will be sailing on Jewel of the Seas in May and Edge next December.  It's fun to see them side by side today in St. Maarten.

[hcat]

12 hours ago, villauk said:

 

Sounds like a few have received the free cruise offer. I wonder if that’s X’s new policy then: don’t heavily reduce the pricing (then it still appears that the new ship is full and demanding high pricing for future cruisers), but give offers out of free cruises to entice gamblers? Just a thought 🤔.

Do we know if all those who receive offers Blue Chop Club or those who gamble?  But it does look like want to fill the ships!

[hcat]

3 hours ago, Cruise Junky said:

3 hours ago, Staffy said:

She’s looking well from up here 

What ship is on the left? Looks bigger, more cluttered .

[Cruise Junky]

1 minute ago, hcat said:

 

With the race track, looks like NCL Bliss.

[hcat]

3 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

With the race track, looks like NCL Bliss.

Thanks..not anything we's enjoy

Diff strokes for diff folks

[hcat]

7 hours ago, kwokpot said:

I'll give a more detailed description of my day pass at the spa(no treatment) but I was comparing only the Thermal suite spa portion of Ncl's Breakaway Class to the thermal suites on the Edge and S-class Celebrity. A quick comment is that on the Edge not enough space was devoted just for to relaxation (there are no regular loungers(non-heated) within the Thermal suite. There are the hanging basket chairs and a couple of chairs close to the thermal suite entrance along with a small bench area and that's it for seating. Of course you have the 11 heated tile loungers. Part of the spa experience are areas to relax and cool down between session in the steam & sauna. Also just to have areas to relax, read, nap that doesn't involve hot or cold. 

The other misstep is not including a whirlpool or thalassotherapy pool. That can easily be remedied by placing one on the outdoor deck that's in front of Thermal suite which as a thermal suite guest you have access to. It's a huge space and there's nothing there besides a sculpture of polar bears. No loungers there either. No sure why the space is so large if you're not going to do anything with it - not even seating! 

Wasn't there a Relaxation Room with a view adjacent to the thermal suite and treatment areas,...? We were told that is still there as an AQ Class perk

 

We would prefer nappers  go there than on the few  heated loungers!..they  usually have  a 20 min suggested limit

[kkmiausa]

3 hours ago, ohhbother said:

 

It's absolutely a difference in the way they FEEL.

 

I'm going to try to describe it in a way that makes sense. Imagine you're on a standard balcony on a ship. You've stepped outside on a porch, in essence. If you step to the edge of the balcony, you can lean over and see up and down the ship - you can probably see into the balcony on each side of you. Even if your balcony is covered, it can still be sunny at times and windy at times. You experience the elements. That's what our balcony on Bliss (which was covered) was like.

 

On Edge in the IV cabin, you're "flat" against the ship - I don't know how else to describe it. Because you're flush with the ship, you cannot see the "balconies" next to you at all. It's because you're sticking your head out a window and not standing on a porch. It would be comparable to sticking your head out a window in a hotel (assuming hotels had windows that opened, which most don't). Just trying to describe the feel of it.

 

As for space on the balcony, we definitely had much more on the Bliss. We had two comfy chairs and a table large enough to hold plates. We could sit out there, prop our feet up against the glass and read. We spent a lot of time on our balcony on Bliss. Conversely, the footprint of the IV is so tiny. It's packed with furniture that you have to move to get "in" or "out" of the space. I only sat in an IV chair one time during our three-day cruise. There was just nothing interesting about it. I had the same view and was more comfortable sitting on the bed. As I've said in other posts, I did like that the large picture window provides much greater lines of sight from the bed. I wouldn't hesitate to book an IV on a cold-weather cruise for that reason. It would be a lovely way to experience the Norwegian fjords, for instance.

 

I keep going back and forth as to whether to cancel our Edge cruise in April. We have an S1 corner aft booked, and we booked the first week cabins were released, so we have a decent price. But for basically the same price, I could book the Royal Suite on an S-class ship for the same week. Decisions, decisions... I'm not sure what we're going to do, honestly. We have until final payment in January to figure it out. We just weren't "wowed" by the Edge. We were completely "wowed" by the Bliss, however. I'm so excited about our Alaska sailing in the Haven in May. That is one fantastic ship. I was always an NCL snob - in my mind, it was gaudy, had terrible food, etc. I have never been more wrong. Bliss is stunning, the spa with thalassotherapy pool is to die for, and the food in the specialty restaurants is hands down the best we've ever had on any cruise line. I'm not sure I'm an NCL convert, but I am 100% a Bliss convert.

 

 

Along with all the information compiled, the fact that not being in a suite restricted parts of the ship you could not use, and the pricing is what caused us to do what you are considering. Instead of upgrading at last minute prices to a sky suite we switched to a new sailing on Reflection and booked the Royal Suite for very similar pricing with all the added perks you get with the RS.   I may be wrong but will post here if I am.

[WonderMan3]

16 minutes ago, kkmiausa said:

Along with all the information compiled, the fact that not being in a suite restricted parts of the ship you could not use, and the pricing is what caused us to do what you are considering. Instead of upgrading at last minute prices to a sky suite we switched to a new sailing on Reflection and booked the Royal Suite for very similar pricing with all the added perks you get with the RS.   I may be wrong but will post here if I am.

 

I'm confused. If you are in a suite why would suites having restricted access for certain areas be a barrier for you? You would have access to those areas. I understand if pricing was a motivation but not the other rationale. Also, Reflection has areas that restrict access too like Luminae, Blu and Michael's Club.

[djh]

8 hours ago, kwokpot said:

$10 3 card poker
$15 blackjack
$10 Texas hold em

These were the minimums last night (12/19) around 6:45pm right after the casino reopened after leaving Tortola. 

 

7 hours ago, kwokpot said:

Jewel of the Seas on one side of us, Oasis on the other! 

 

8 hours ago, kwokpot said:

$10 3 card poker
$15 blackjack
$10 Texas hold em

These were the minimums last night (12/19) around 6:45pm right after the casino reopened after leaving Tortola. 

Thanks so much for the info and safe travels!

[hcat]

3 hours ago, kwokpot said:

The philosophy of the Edge is less about a particular age group than a lifestyle which transcends age groups. Let me make an analogy to magazines. Do you read Vanity Fair, Dwell, Elle and Elle Decor? Do you know what Art Basel Miami is? The readers of these publications and attendees of these events are who they are marketing the ship to. 

 

Well they  did not screen  my reading list, lifestyle or  hotel choices,  but  took my money  quick enough for 2 cruises on EDGE,  and  thanked me for coming back ! 

 

We cruise to broaden our horizons..not limit them!

[kkmiausa]

24 minutes ago, WonderMan3 said:

 

I'm confused. If you are in a suite why would suites having restricted access for certain areas be a barrier for you? You would have access to those areas. I understand if pricing was a motivation but not the other rationale. Also, Reflection has areas that restrict access too like Luminae, Blu and Michael's Club.

We had booked the sunset veranda, not a suite, and the price for a sky suite switch was almost double on the Edge  7 day Eastern  but we were able to book  a RS for what I think will be a cruise more geared to our expectations for only a few thousand more than the Sky Suite on Edge for 7 days whereas we have a 10 day now with a far better itinerary.

[kwokpot]

2 hours ago, hcat said:

Wasn't there a Relaxation Room with a view adjacent to the thermal suite and treatment areas,...? We were told that is still there as an AQ Class perk

 

We would prefer nappers  go there than on the few  heated loungers!..they  usually have  a 20 min suggested limit

Generally relaxation rooms are not inside the Thermal Suites but outside of them and are primarily meant as pre and post treatment waiting areas. While you can certainly relax in them without having a treatment it's not meant for in between sauna and steam sessions. I frequent both land based and ship based spas so I know how the setup of a good spa is. Qua Spa at Caesars Palace Las Vegas is one of the gold standard for men's spa. 

Edited December 20, 2018 by kwokpot

[hcat]

8 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Generally relaxation rooms are not inside the Thermal Suites but outside of them and are primarily meant as pre and post treatment waiting areas. While you can certainly relax in them without having a treatment it's not meant for in between sauna and steam sessions. I frequent both land based and ship based spas so I know how the setup of a good spa is. Qua Spa at Caesars Palace Las Vegas is one of the gold standard for men's spa. 

Oh...sorry I thought you did not notice the relaxation room and was trying to be helpful

..yes  the R  room on X ships..S Class have been used for pre and post treatment but we enjoy the space other times

 

Have been to many spas..they are all diff...part of the fun ! Enjoy!