EDGE AQUA CLASS REVIEW ....1/27/19, Eastern Carib...by Hcat

[hcat]

Just now, vtcruising said:

Solarium picture from hcat:

Although not part of AQ Class  ..we spend alot of time in the Solarium area..The Pool and hot tub were refreshing &  relaxing.  Space was fairly quiet when we were there.  The Spa Cafe  is now much more  nuts and berries..very dense cakes..but okay for a cup if  tea.

 

Overall...Edge was great for a spa style  birthday get away with dining, shows and music too!

 

MANY THANKS TO VT FOR THE PHOTO ASSISTS!  Owe you big time !

[vtcruising]

Great pictures, hcat! Not sure if you got these pictures since there are usually people in the spa and they get a little nervous when people start taking pictures. I went when it was pretty empty.

 

Maybe you can explain the treatments a bit when you have time? Did they have something explaining all the treatments?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relaxation Room:

Spa Locker Room:

 

 

Edited February 8, 2019 by vtcruising

[vtcruising]

20 minutes ago, hcat said:

Although not part of AQ Class  ..we spend alot of time in the Solarium area..The Pool and hot tub were refreshing &  relaxing.  Space was fairly quiet when we were there.  The Spa Cafe  is now much more  nuts and berries..very dense cakes..but okay for a cup if  tea.

 

Overall...Edge was great for a spa style  birthday get away with dining, shows and music too!

 

MANY THANKS TO VT FOR THE PHOTO ASSISTS!  Owe you big time !

Thanks for taking us with you on your wonderful spa experiences! It sounds so relaxing. 🙂

[hcat]

Vt  thanks for these extra  photos..they are great.

I can explain some of the rooms if anyone has questions.. but they are fairly self executing..like the Salt Room and herbal ...relax, and breathe,,  steam room..sit and sweat, clears out toxins..,drink lots if water before and after!

 

We did not sit in the swing seats,,maybe next time..mostly we were trying to clear out our sinuses..sweat  toxins  out

 

Maybe you can find the spa explanations in X website and pist some here. I wlil look too but you will surely find them first.

 

BIG OOPS!; 

I left out the one space most everyone  loves.The heated loungers.... a nice sep  room on EDGE..facing the sea,, very comfy. Can be affected by sunshine. We really enjoyed them

 

...Hope  the Thermal Suite area stays uncrowded, quiet and spa like!

We will follow reviews before purchasing the full cruise passes for Nov  .Not available yet.

 

I thought it would be great if we had an true  AQUA CLASS CONCIERGE to guide passengers on treatments, options and also insure AQ perks are provided in the stateroom etc

 

also would be fun to have an AQ sailaway party from ine of the  ports out on that great front area..

Edited February 8, 2019 by hcat

[vtcruising]

4 hours ago, hcat said:

One spa related fun event was the ladies daytime pamper party..so much fun and a chance to try products..no hard sell afterwards!  It was so entertaining and we had a ball!

I really wish I had done this - I figured there would be a hard sell so didn't go. I'm glad it was a fun event and will try to do it next time. 🙂

 

 

[vtcruising]

18 minutes ago, hcat said:

I thought it would be great if we had an true  AQUA CLASS CONCIERGE to guide passengers on treatments, options and also insure AQ perks are provided in the stateroom etc

 

also would be fun to have an AQ sailaway party from ine of the  ports out on that great front area..

Great ideas!

 

BTW, what happened to the DH in the spa? Did it involve the big pointy crystal art piece?

[hcat]

12 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

Great ideas!

 

BTW, what happened to the DH in the spa? Did it involve the big pointy crystal art piece?

He stumbled or tripped  on the  corner  of  the base that sticks out....did not fall to the ground.. just a bit of catching his balance,  We reported it in our way out, they took a report..he declined  med help..not needed  but hope everyone watches their step!

Edited February 8, 2019 by hcat

[hcat]

https://www.celebritycruises.com/edge/spa/sea-thermal-suite/

 

This link to the Celebrity website about the Thermal Suites has more photos and an explanation of each therapy room.

 

Hope link works!

[vtcruising]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

https://www.celebritycruises.com/edge/spa/sea-thermal-suite/

 

This link to the Celebrity website about the Thermal Suites has more photos and an explanation of each therapy room.

 

Hope link works!

Thanks! Looks like more info than on there previously.

[vtcruising]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

He stumbled or tripped  on the  corner  of  the base that sticks out....did not fall to the ground.. just a bit of catching his balance,  We reported it in our way out, they took a report..he declined  med help..not needed  but hope everyone watches their step!

Glad he didn't fall and have to go see Dr. Lever. I watched every step on this last cruise!

[Sandy1975]

Question about the cabin (sorry if I miss it). Did you leave the veranda doors open or close? If open, how did the room feel temperature wise?

[kwokpot]

21 hours ago, hcat said:

Overall I rate this  thermal suite area a 10 plus compared to other X ships and many resort spas I have visited over the years...

 

.Call me SPA Girl..!

Spa services..these are extra charge services,  not AQ  benefits..but to me they are part of the total experience .

 

I had two  pre booked treatments at port pricing which has now been eliminated.  ( Use Elite duscount instead in the future) Just a basic  Swedish body massage and a Collagen Facial with masque  .no machines.

 

They were  both excellent..I allowed them to change my massage appt time so they gave me extra time. Yay me..  The therapist Eden..how fitting..was very good and I would ask for her if she is onboard in Nov.. I purchased a new product  frangipani monoi salt glow...body scrub.Love that line of frangipani monoi)  I usually buy my Elemis on line but liked Eden so I let her have the sale..and a nice tip!

 

The  facial was very good too. I  had a very experienced thrapist and I have a list of a few things to buy online...avoids conflict with dh!  I have regular facials at home but enjoy change now and then.

 

Thecyreatnent rooms were very nice, spa music, aroma etc..

 

One spa related fun event was the ladies daytime pamper party..so much fun and a chance to try products..no hard sell afterwards!  It was so entertaining and we had a ball!

I'm glad you really enjoyed the Spa on The Edge! For me, an avid user of spas both on sea an on land, I found the Spa lacking and never considered Celebrity's spa efforts as top notch. I think the biggest issue FOR ME was the lack of relaxation areas within the Thermal Suite area. Contrast that with spa offerings from NCL & the new MSC ships (The spa offering on the Meraviglia was really nice) where there are resting areas within the thermal suites. The idea behind it is after sessions within hot areas you want to be able to cool down, relax say 10-15 minutes, and then repeat the hot cycles.

Within the Thermal area on The edge the only place to cool down were a couple of benches, a couple of chairs, and the hanging baskets; no areas to recline and cool down. Furthermore there was no Whirlpool/hot tub/thalassotherapy pool which is a serious omission. I'm not quite sure why these two features weren't added to the spa since there's a huge unused space that's an open deck with nothing but some animal sculptures. I'm not quite sure what the intended use of the space is since there's no chairs, loungers, benches - nothing, just empty wasted space. You can stand out and admire the outside views but at minimum there should be seating spaces provided. 

With regard to the Locker Room, the Men's portion was quite small, smaller than size of S-Class Spa locker rooms and way smaller than M-class locker rooms. Additionally I thought it was quite awkward for the door to the locker room from the Thermal Area to be locked and a key card must be used. To make it even more awkward I don't know why a credit card sized access card was used. For a Thermal suite an access key should be combined into a wrist band that can be worn on your wrist and/or around your ankles. Many people, including ME, DO NOT utilize a robe in thermal suites but only have a swim suit on. It's Always a challenge to find where to keep a credit card-type access key if you don't have pockets anywhere. This simple idea seems to be a challenge for many spas, both sea and land and I'm not sure why. Some cruiselines use keyrings with papertags to indicate the locker #; well paper and wet areas don't mix well as we all know it and usually you struggle to figure out what the locker # is on the key when it's all faded and disintegrating.

 

For me, the spa was aesthetically beautiful but lacking in facilities.    

 

Edited February 9, 2019 by kwokpot

[piper]

I'm confused on the IV - do the windows open to get fresh air?

[kwokpot]

38 minutes ago, piper said:

I'm confused on the IV - do the windows open to get fresh air?

Yes of course, that's the whole point of the IV room. The only time you MAY be prevented from opening it is when the Captain deems it necessary to close for weather or cleaning purposes. The ship can remotely close all IV windows and prevent them from reopening until they deem it OK.

[hcat]

On 2/9/2019 at 11:16 AM, kwokpot said:

I'm glad you really enjoyed the Spa on The Edge! For me, an avid user of spas both on sea an on land, I found the Spa lacking and never considered Celebrity's spa efforts as top notch. I think the biggest issue FOR ME was the lack of relaxation areas within the Thermal Suite area. Contrast that with spa offerings from NCL & the new MSC ships (The spa offering on the Meraviglia was really nice) where there are resting areas within the thermal suites. The idea behind it is after sessions within hot areas you want to be able to cool down, relax say 10-15 minutes, and then repeat the hot cycles.

Within the Thermal area on The edge the only place to cool down were a couple of benches, a couple of chairs, and the hanging baskets; no areas to recline and cool down. Furthermore there was no Whirlpool/hot tub/thalassotherapy pool which is a serious omission. I'm not quite sure why these two features weren't added to the spa since there's a huge unused space that's an open deck with nothing but some animal sculptures. I'm not quite sure what the intended use of the space is since there's no chairs, loungers, benches - nothing, just empty wasted space. You can stand out and admire the outside views but at minimum there should be seating spaces provided. 

With regard to the Locker Room, the Men's portion was quite small, smaller than size of S-Class Spa locker rooms and way smaller than M-class locker rooms. Additionally I thought it was quite awkward for the door to the locker room from the Thermal Area to be locked and a key card must be used. To make it even more awkward I don't know why a credit card sized access card was used. For a Thermal suite an access key should be combined into a wrist band that can be worn on your wrist and/or around your ankles. Many people, including ME, DO NOT utilize a robe in thermal suites but only have a swim suit on. It's Always a challenge to find where to keep a credit card-type access key if you don't have pockets anywhere. This simple idea seems to be a challenge for many spas, both sea and land and I'm not sure why. Some cruiselines use keyrings with papertags to indicate the locker #; well paper and wet areas don't mix well as we all know it and usually you struggle to figure out what the locker # is on the key when it's all faded and disintegrating.

 

For me, the spa was aesthetically beautiful but lacking in facilities.    

 

Interesting points...

We have not,  and likely will not be on MSC or NCL so any comparative discussion  from me is not possible. But I accept that you prefer those spa areas for reasons stated.

 

I have a small spa bag on a string that can go anywhere so not as many issues with the cards ,  just the swimsuit, towel and spa bag in treatment rooms. The ladies locker room was  excellent,  in my opinion. Did not ask dh to check the gents.

 

I do agree 1,000% about the lack of a T pool....totally necessary in any  top spa and was  very disappointed when we learned there would not be one on EDGE .

 

Other than that for  me  it was a hit.....and a factor that would be a positive if we book again after Nov .. esp if it does not become overcrowded!

 

.

 

.

[hcat]

On 2/9/2019 at 9:02 AM, Sandy1975 said:

Question about the cabin (sorry if I miss it). Did you leave the veranda doors open or close? If open, how did the room feel temperature wise?

 

We tried  closing the doors once..a total misfit with the space and the chairs and too cumbersome to manipulate on their track.

 

We left the  veranda doors open and oriented the chairs and table inward...like a seating alcove in a small Florida room.  We opened  the outer window to take photos or catch a breeze,  turning the chairs or  standing or lying on the bed to look outward,.

 

  After awhile the humidity could be felt  coming inside so we closed things up again.  The idea may have been great  on paper but in the execution, it failed..too small a space to ever function as  planned.

 

The couch  or divan was also useless...too low and  a scratchy matetial and sooo many pillows.  TV did not swivel so could only be watched from the bed...not much to watch anyhow!

 

We never ordered room service,  but enjoyed the room anyhow...as a place to rest regroup and relax. That's all we needed!

[piper]

Any ladies with long hair - how is the ship supplied shampoo/conditioner? Hoping not the have to bring any. 

TIA

[hcat]

I bring my own hair  products but in AQ they had CO Bigelow hair and shower product..in large plastic pump containers. ( no small ones to take home!) One bar soap.

 

  I loved the body lotion..we use that in our vacation home..very refreshing!

 

I think non AQ  and suites may use something else.

[piper]

Thanks! We are in AQ class!

[hcat]

44 minutes ago, piper said:

Thanks! We are in AQ class!

Enjoy it!

  We were so involved with exploring the ship, a few parties, cabin crawl, spa appts, excursions, etc, we did not take full advantage of the AQ Thermal Suite perk...only went once.   Suggest you try it more than once...it is great , plus the Relaxation. Room was excellent.

 

We'll return to EDGE next fall but not in AQ.  Doing less of a spa trip...more ports , MDR dining and just the Solarium and outdoor pool...

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[piper]

We plan on spending some time in the thermal suite!  I wish they had the mineral pool with the super powerful jets/fountains like we had on HAL. 

[hcat]

Big miss for this spa...For months we were held in suspense about a T pool...but none was included. Should have been... Solarium pool is nice but not a  mineral T pool

[Radio]

Wow, Thank you hcat for such a detailed review. I think that an Aqua Class might be in my future.

I was scheduled to sail Edge in Feb 2019, but had to change it due to work. I will be sailing "LIVE" on Celebrity Summit this May.

 

Thanks again for the nice review.

 

Radio

😉😉

[gordylad]

Great reviews and glad you enjoyed the "ocean view room" 😉

[Lovecruising50]

Hi, BLU is decorated beautifully and the staff was great!!!!!  Two issues, having been on the Silhouette, I was expecting a lot more from the EDGE.  The food is better in the BLU on the Silhouette.  Also as you notice from HCAT's pictures the shades are down.  There is a reason for that - NO VIEW!!!!!.  The bad location is due to the accommodation of the new suite classes and the Eden. On the Silhouette the shades are up because there is a beautiful view of the ocean.  Besides the infinite balconies being a joke, the AQUA class got the short end of the stick when it comes to BLU.

Edited March 29, 2019 by Lovecruising50