EDGE, EDEN, MAGIC CARPET: AN UNBIASED REVIEW

[poffles]

 

8 hours ago, eroller said:

I enjoyed the review.  Some seemed like trivial nitpicking but we all have our opinions and this is the place to share them.  

 

I do think all new ship designs come under this scrutiny and in general people find a lot to complain about.  There will always be comparisons with previous classes.  Then as time goes on the ships become accepted and the cruise lines make tweaks along the way.  

 

I've been sailing Celebrity since almost the beginning.  I remember when the M-Class made their debut.  There was lots of scrutiny because they were the first Celebrity ships designed by Royal Caribbean, and they were designed alongside Royal's Radiance Class.  Many felt they were too Royal Caribbean in several respects.  Now they are loved.   

 

Then came the Solstice Class.  People complained as much if not more than what I'm seeing with EDGE.  Only two staircases instead of 3.  Dining room no longer all the way aft.  No more wide promenade deck with great views.  Interlocking cabins that are more narrow with alternate bed placement.  Cabin doors opening out.  Awkward general arrangement in places.  The list went on and on.   Now people love the Solstice Class.   

 

I think the same will happen with EDGE.  Give it time.  

I am sure things will 'settle' over time but I still believe people when they say they will only sail her the once but us humans love to change our minds if enticed enough 🙂.  Perhaps when prices come back to reality, though in saying that I have a cruise booked on Equinox for November (veranda) and since I booked it last December the price has gone up just over $400 pp with nothing to gain and actually that is for a room one category lower.  Maybe it won't stay there but Celebrity definitely seems to be playing with pricing and yes I know that is normal but this one seems to be sticking for some reason.  WOW.  If Celebrity keeps doing this I will definitely seek out alternatives, I love cruising but I don't need all the things they are selling.

 

As for comment above about NCL Epic and the open concept bathroom, I was not a fan but it didn't bother me that much but it was not even close to the many crappy things I experienced on that ship and I have yet to go sail her again (or even NCL again and I loved my prior sailing on the Pearl).  While they sail full, it does not mean that some cruisers aren't lost forever, in the end it comes down to ships sailing full so repeat or new they are making money.  That is the joy of life, we all have choices and thankfully there are many in the cruising (travel) world and clearly that keeps evolving.

 

I think the part that is hardest to balance is the high cost of this ship.  Yes it is new but the prices are ridiculous and given the reviews thus far, it does not seem to justify itself.  Maybe some things they are doing could be dropped (tweaked) in the future and and savings passed off to cruisers.  ie Eden dancers?? I suspect I would be happier sitting there in the evening without 'dancers' wandering around me, not sure how I am going to feel about that.  I would have loved if they had a country bar/pub if that tells you where my heart lies 🙂

Edited February 22, 2019 by poffles

[Caymus88]

On 2/20/2019 at 7:16 PM, marylander2 said:

I know there are now hundreds of reviews about the Edge in CruiseCritic, but I still wanted to share my experience, as promised.

It did happen – we sailed on the Edge.

We are in our 50s, Elite with X, and have sailed about 30 or so times. Both are scientists, former engineers - this should explain why I was so particularly drawn to ship’s design and technical details… We love cruising, and do this minimum twice a year, work does not permit more.

Following all your posts, comments and reviews, I had a lot of fun, and in the past months the anticipation was so overwhelming that it became a distraction. I stopped reading and focused on stuff at work that I had to finish before going for a cruise.

There will be many things that you have read a lot about, some new – and perhaps unusual for some – observations, and some things that may look controversial, but I firmly believe that I deserve a chance to speak, simply because one too many times I’ve heard “Why you are commenting on this-n-that, you did not set your foot on the Edge!”

So I did.

And here goes.

What was the most striking and unusual about this ship?

It is built in non-traditional, perhaps weird for some, way.

There are a lot of places that are curved, rounded, “ovalled”. There are a lot of nooks and crannies, hideaways and coves. There are spiraled staircases, odd passages (Metal Forest) and, quite conveniently, connecting corridors. The Edge has only two elevator sets, and this is actually an issue, because – as many of you already noted – this leads to congestions during rush hours, e.g. before dinner or during early rush for disembarkation in the new port etc. I also can’t get it why the elevators are slow – this adds up to the issue.

The ship is designed – maybe, on purpose? – in the way that you cannot get through from bow to stern on several decks, and someone already mentioned it; this is unusual for traditional cruise ships. Not that it is annoying, but it makes it hard to move about the ship, unless you get to know the restrictions and bypasses.

There are three places inside the Edge that are “airy” – the Theater, then the central opening (with Martini bar dominating) and the Eden, to a certain degree. I can’t count The Club an airy place, to me it resembles a ghastly underground multi-level cemetery from “Interview With The Vampire”. Yes, I get it, it is THE CLUB, the hangout and so on – it should be like that, but I find it a strangely disturbing place. It’s cold, dark, and depressing – I caught myself trying to see the coffins in the wall niches… Again, it’s just me, perhaps.

The rest of the “big space” on the Edge is actually too small, including four jam-packed free restaurants (I cannot call them “main restaurants” because they are crammed and stuffy; plus, some of them, like Cosmopolitan, are very dark – I was laughing when saw many patrons using their cell phone lights to read the menu). To me, the idea of splitting the MDR into four separate rooms did not work - again, cannot call them the “themed restaurants” because no matter how you slice it, only a measly six dishes are “authentical” for each of them, and they do not change, so it is really a décor and the name that differ these eateries from each other.

This brings me to the Oceanview café (OVC).

Here again, this is a strange place, because it is unbalanced, in my view. There is plenty of seating, and even at peak times you can find a place, but this is done by sacrificing the actual buffet space, which becomes packed at peak times, so it is tough to maneuver through the crowd with your hands busy with plates-glasses – and yet, if it is a rush hour, your luck to find a free seating could bring you all the way to almost midship… So if you have difficulty of moving freely, it is a problem. We did not have an issue with making 2-3 trips back-n-forth, as we are fit and active, and in fact this helps to burn the calories 🙂

This setup is somewhat different from the S-class and quite different from the M one, which I personally like more.

Ample seating space is good, and there were a few nice novelties, like multiple (not only at the entrance) bar-like tables, and one-sided long tables along the windows.

Once I started with eateries, let’s talk about the food.

Perhaps for those folks who never sailed (or started sailing just recently) with X, the food on the Edge is great, but I noticed three things, that instantly would tell an experienced cruiser: there are corner-cuttings in many places.

1) Quality of the food is not even remotely as good as many of you remember from the century break or earlier for X. It is not even comparable with several S-ships that we sailed recently. It is OK at best, but nothing great, like the food that we had in OVC during spring’s cruise to the Northern capitals on Silhouette.

2) Corner-cutting was obvious in the taste and quality of soups and entrees in the OVC, and desserts especially. Presentation was superb – kudos to patissiers – but the taste was bland because of the mediocre quality of the ingredients; you can clearly taste the difference in the same-looking piece of Opera cake in the specialty restaurant and the OVC. That cake even has different number of layers (!!!) for specialty restaurant and for OVC –8-9 vs 5 – and the OVC one does not have crunchy caramel pieces in it… You may say “freak”, but I don’t care 🙂 It proves me right.

3) Do you ever pay attention to the odor of the eatery, just when you cross the door sill? Fine ones have a nice, alluring smell of spices, fresh baked bread, or grilled meat. Chain restaurants, like Olive Garden or Applebee’s, have in addition an odor of burning (cheap) cooking oil, plus annoying and obstinate smell of disinfectant... The low-end eateries have a persistent smell of wet, stinky rags. This is how the OVC smelled a couple of days into the sailing, and no matter how nicely the food presentation was done, or how helpful and smiling the stuff was, the feel of a cheap mom-and-pop old diner was spoiling it all.

We ended up taking the food (at lunch time) to our “balcony” and eating there.

I put “balcony” in quotation marks for the same reason as many of us feel bamboozled with the design of IV cabins. We had a deluxe OV room with veranda (1A), at the aft. While having a real sliding door and a “balcony” was a great thing, the size of it was not enough to place there anything bigger than two rope chairs and the “older brother of tom-tom”, the coffee table with flip top… and even then, it was impossible to move the chairs a few inches sidewise. But the chairs are actually not bad to seat on; regardless of their odd look, I was impressed.

This brings me to the functionality and décor of the cabin itself. Too much already was said about the “Hoppillows”, K. Hoppen’s decorative pillows. They flood the room, they are everywhere. I stacked them in the corner and forbid the attendant to place them back on the bed. I leave aside the hygienic matter (I am sorry, but I doubt that the covers are actually laundered between the cruises, forget being changed like the bed linen, once in 3 days or so…); just the sheer amount of them – I think, 12 or something like that – was scary.

Also gone to the corner was a white vase (it occupies way too much space on the drawer top, and together with the lamp bolted smack in the middle of it, the space on the top was enough only for a couple of mid-sized plates arriving with room service). I also hid in the corner an infamous piece of coral, which freed a space for room keys/watch/rings etc. in the niche where the coral was placed by design.

Now comes a tale about the electric outlet box.

From the very beginning, the first time I saw this live “addition” to artistic renderings of the Edge staterooms, I was puzzled – why would one need to hide the sockets inside the box?? It proudly sits – again, using a lot of precious space – on the fridge top and is a sore spot for an eye, even though it is made of white plastic that supposed to blend in with the décor… At some point I realized that there is no place for the set of outlets and USB ports on the side wall – the space is tight because the fridge sits tucked well and to mount the set on the outside wall of the fridge cabinet is not possible. Besides, all electrical wiring in the room is done OUTSIDE the walls, in crown moldings, positioned along the corners between ceiling and walls (I used these, by the way, to place the hooks for hangers, hat, etc., by jamming one side of S-hook in the gap of molding and ceiling (hint!). There are no hooks in the cabin, aside of two on the bathroom door).

Long story short, the only space for outlets would be on the TOP of the drawer chest/fridge cabinet, and then accidental spills would be a fire hazard. Thus, the little electric treasure chest was built… I also question its functionality, because the slots for wires are not in alignment with the actual sockets inside, and for bigger plugs (I live in Singapore and have these painfully large…) the wire just cannot pass through the slot because it is not centered with the socket.

I apologize for ranting a lot about the “treasure chest” but really, this is a very odd thing for otherwise supposedly well-designed staterooms of the Edge.

The size of the room itself is relatively adequate. I actually want to meet and to chat with that individual who thought that bringing king size beds in 200 sq ft room is a great idea. Seriously. Our room had a layout with the bed next to the closet; one day I actually tried to stand upright in the passage between bed footing and wall-mounted TV – and failed. It literally is as wide as the standard hanger (I placed one in there and took a picture). I feel sorry for the folks with scooters or wheelchairs; it is only 15-16 in wide! Ginormous bed seems to dominate the room… and by the way, 50-in TV can be watched only while lying down on it, because you just cannot see much from the sofa – and there is no swivel console for TV, which obviously cannot be mounted there for the lack of space.

I wanted to use HDMI cable to hook up my laptop to TV, but when I called the Guest Relations, asking how can I connect laptop to it, I was told with the stern voice that “NOTHING should be connected to TV!”. Strange.

Let’s go to the bathroom.

Others are saying that the Edge bathrooms are bigger. I actually measured it, and it is about the same as on S-class. The difference is in the ANGLES. The wall separating bathroom and cabin (mirror on one side, closet on the other) is not perpendicular to the cabin wall. Edge shower stall is bigger because they protruded the far corner of it into the utility block, which is located between the bathroom and the hallway outside. Normally, it is rectangular, but on the Edge it is almost triangle, which gives more room for the shower stall – it is indeed bigger than on S-ships. They also bulged out the round part of it (with the door), and this created a problem: because the curvature is changed, there is no way to use the sliding doors like on S-ships, and thus they are forced to use the swinging door; when you open it after showering, it is so wide that it hits the counter… water running down the door is dripping on the floor, and the only solution is to cover the whole floor with a spare towel, not just the floor mat.

They use stationary dispensers for shampoo/shower gel/conditioner that are locked on the wall. I feel that the personal care product selection was done by a person who never actually bothered to try the chosen products him/herself with the ship-produced water, because – get this – neither shampoo nor bath gel produce ANY SUDS… They just don’t lather at all! Instead, when you apply any of these things, you feel a thin film on the skin, like glycerol, only it is harder to wash away.

Whoever approved these particular products for the Edge, has to be fired because at least he/she should know that cruise ship uses mostly (if not all) desalinated water, and it is VERY soft… These shampoo and bath gel are clearly wrong for the use with soft water.

I may sound nit-picking, but these are small things that eventually could become quite annoying when bundled…

However, I also can say many positive things about the cabin and the ship overall.

The individual air conditioning system for each cabin is a superb idea, and it is especially great when you want to breathe the sea air while sleeping: it does not turn in while the balcony door is open. Once the door is shut, the a/c works very efficiently and can be easily controlled from the control display or phone app. It works in cycles, just like the home a/c system, not continuously as on S-ships (by the way, I spoke to the Edge Chief Engineer and he said that even on S-class ships the a/c is NOT linked to other rooms or – more so – hallway, as somebody told me earlier in the Edge message board).

Astonishingly, for a seven-day cruise – especially, Caribbean – there is plenty of space to store your stuff, and I was particularly happy with extra space in the bathroom: tons of shelving, plus a big drawer under the sink. Speaking of which, it is very convenient to use, not as awkward as on S-ships where I constantly bang my forehead with the crane-like faucet. Yes, the closet is perhaps half the size of the older X ships (by the way, the safe in it is really tiny!) – however, we are not coming to Caribbean cruise with the tux and a bunch of evening gowns.

The Edge cabin had the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in – both at sea and on land. Hard, balanced, great pillows. Perfect for me, except I don’t need a bed where four of me can sleep without touching elbows. I am six feet tall, and yet there were a few spare inches of bed at my feet… total waste of space.

The ship has amazing stability, at least during the long hauls at sea days I never felt ship rocking much, and I am very sensitive to the motion.

The Edge has a fantastic set of workout equipment, I enjoyed the gym every morning and had restored the sense of the muscles that I already forgot about a while back :). My DW is an avid jogger/walker, and she says that the jogging track on the Edge is great.

The TV is superb, the quality of satellite reception at times was of the level I have not experienced on cruise ship before. I watched two NBA games (ESPN), and it was as crisp and as smooth as if I was watching them back home.

A few words about the solarium and the pool.

The number of loungers around the pool area if ample enough to accommodate all cruisers, I think. However, it creates a problem – and I have never seen this before on cruise ships – the pool staff sets the chairs so close to each other that there is literally no space to even slide between them, and – as many already noted – there are no small tables next to the loungers for drinks/personal items. It is all about spacing and demand, as in the OVC as well.

I cannot rationalize why the designers neglected the fact that there is no shade at all on the pool deck. A few canopies here and there, like on S-ships, would have been very easy to install, but… Yes, there small pockets under the upper deck cantilever at the deck corners, but the air there is stagnant and many people were avoiding them. There is a thin strip of shade formed by the jogging track above but it is narrow, and it was funny to see how people were moving their loungers trying to catch up with the shade if they stayed long.

The whole pool deck was scorching hot during sea days, and the amount of the sunscreen crèmes that people were using was so overwhelming, that it formed a film – I kid you not – on the pool surface with lots of tiny rainbow bubbles from the sunscreen surfactants!

Yet another oddity on pool deck is cabanas area. Again, many reviewers already mentioned this, but I wanted to say as well – this restriction of free passage through the six cabanas is nonsense; either let people go through it freely, or create a parallel way outside, move loungers closer to the pool. I also feel sorry for patrons who paid a fortune to get a cabana, and yet there were people who ignored the sign “private function” at the entrance to cabanas area and roamed through…

We are not interested (much) in the entertainment while cruising – prefer a relaxing, quiet time onboard, but we stop by the Theater every now and then to check out the shows. I would say that the Edge shows are entertaining enough for us to stick with them for more than our usual 15-20 minutes – they are quite modern and utilize the possibilities of an amazing equipment and podium fully. The cast is professional enough, nothing superb, but alright. The only complain is the decibel level – most of the times, it was very loud.

A couple of times, when we hang around the pool, the “cruise director deputies” were organizing game contests – they screamed so loud, and the music pumped up so strong that some people were leaving the sun deck. Again, cannot understand why the cruise director staff feel that “fun” must be a synonym of “tear my eardrums”. The quality of challenges used in the games is disputable, I personally felt that people who were brave enough to participate had a few good drinks before stepping up… but hey, they had fun, I guess. I felt like on Carnival cruise.

This brings me to Eden.

I have mixed feelings about the place. I really like the whole concept – using the aft on three decks level, with a lot of space, glass wall, uneven cutoffs and so on is a great idea. However, I question the way they use the place. Again, this is my personal opinion, but I liked the opportunity to hang out there during sea days after lunch; even a few nooks outside, with plenty of chairs, were great. I was not a big fan of evening show there, for a few reasons (it is repetitive, it is NOT engaging, the “Edenists” – I felt that way – are uncomfortable with themselves performing the acts they don’t enjoy etc.); the Eden restaurant menu is pretentious and most definitely does not deserve money charged for the dishes there… But I hope that eventually it all settles down, and Eden will become a place to be on Edge. Not the Magic Carpet, which I think is the overhyped and weird concept. There is nothing special about it, honestly. Yes, no other ship has that, but hey, X ships also do not have zip lines and brightly painted sliding pool tubes – does this make Carnival, Norwegian or RCCL more appealing ships than X? I stepped there a few times, had a drink, looked down. That’s it. People this is only a bump-out on the deck, nothing more. Imagine if decks 5, 16, and 2 had a bulged-out expansion of otherwise straight deck – would it be magical? I doubt. They do not allow to RIDE on that platform up and down, and this instantly kills the fun and the meaning of “magic carpet”. The most use of it is perhaps for tendering, but on our cruise we didn’t have tender-served ports.

A few words about crew.

Obviously, X wanted to bring the best there, on the Edge. This is their dog and pony show. I have met 3-4 guys and gals from other X ships, and when I spoke to them, their reactions were mixed; however, one comment was almost identical – they are extremely overworked… The shifts are long, and – for some reason – they feel that the crew is understaffed. Was this done intentionally, or just because the Edge is a novelty and X tries to learn things on the go as well – don’t know. But I spoke to a girl at one of the long-working stations at OVC, and she looked totally drained. SIXTEEN HOURS long shift. Imagine that.

I ranted long enough, I believe. It’s all about the hype. I was soooo excited to get there, and when I did, I learned a lot and saw a lot, that’s why I wanted to share all this with you. I hope that those who reached this point of my review have enjoyed it.

Lastly, I think that bringing into a highly competitive cruise industry a product like Edge needs more adaptivity than commanding. You cannot expect people to get to love something right away because you tell them – “love it!”. It needs to be done carefully, otherwise you lose devotees not only from this Edge ship but from X in general. Of course, there will be newcomers, and X ships will be full (well, almost full…) but guess what, Oceania who has perhaps the best “returnees” percentage throughout the whole fleet, does gosh darn well without flying a Magic Carpet…

That’s why the average review level about the Edge (out of over 200 now) is 3 out of 5. People don’t like being pushed and showed.

Thank you.

Great review.  I agreed with 90 % of your review.  I like the non weird shows.i e comedians, Marcus etc.  Eden is underutilized but a nice space.  If people were allowed to ride the MC I would have had peeping toms. Several times a day  

we found the food quality to be below their other ships also

Edited February 22, 2019 by Caymus88

[eroller]

1 hour ago, poffles said:

 

 

 

I think the part that is hardest to balance is the high cost of this ship.  Yes it is new but the prices are ridiculous and given the reviews thus far, it does not seem to justify itself.   🙂

 

 

I agree the prices for EDGE are way out of hand.  I mean in a way good for Celebrity being able to garner those kinds of per diems, but no mass-market ship is worth those prices to me.  I'm sailing on NIEUW STATENDAM on Sunday.  I would have liked to book EDGE as I LOVE sailing on new prototype ships and I prefer Celebrity,  but I'm afraid $2800 pp for a balcony on a 7-day milkrun Caribbean cruise is nuts.  I can sail on Silversea for that!  Mind you it includes 4 perks but still.  I'm paying about 1/3 of that cost for NIEUW STATENDAM, another brand new ship.  I'll wail to sail on EDGE when the hype subsides (probably when sister ships are in service) and the onboard product is tweaked (and it will be).  

Edited February 22, 2019 by eroller

[eroller]

2 hours ago, Gracie115 said:

 

 

I've also been sailing Celebrity since well before the "M" class debuted and I must say that I never read the kind of negative reviews you are referring to and the "S" class had amazing reviews, and in fact, for us, brought us BACK to Celebrity after having stayed away for 4-5 years.  The Edge reviews are much more negative at this point than for either of the other classes. 

 

 

I think people have short memories, what can I say.  I sailed on one of the first SOLSTICE cruises.  Lots and lots of complaints from Celebrity regulars.  I also followed the entire construction of the ship and was active on CC that entire time.  Lots of moaning and groaning on CC about all the things I mentioned in a previous post and then some.  

[eroller]

3 hours ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

 

 

From Dec 2008 - Feb 2009, Solstice reviews came in as follows:

 

51 Positive - 89%

5 Mixed - 9%

1 Negative - 2%

 

From Dec 2018 - Feb 2019, Edge reviews have come in as follows:

 

96 Positive - 45%

66 Mixed - 31%

53 Negative - 25%

 

 

 

 

 

A lot less reviews 10 years ago.  CC was smaller and I don't think as many people wrote reviews.  I was here and there was PLENTY of complaining on these boards about CELEBRITY SOLSTICE.  All the things I previously mentioned and then some.  I also sailed on one of the first cruises and it was loaded with complainers, mostly Celebrity regulars.  As for the M-Class, a huge complaint was the decline in cuisine after Royal Caribbean took over Celebrity.  Personally I don't believe it's ever achieved pre-Royal Caribbean levels.  Anyway believe whatever you want as will I.  

 

In general people are resistant to change.  The Edge Class represents a lot of change.  Some good and some not good.  Celebrity will tweak things for sure as they receive feedback.  They did the same with the M-Class and Solstice Class.  I do think Royal Caribbean/Celebrity listen to customer feedback.  Dynamic Dining introduced on the Quantum Class is a great example.  They spent a lot of time and money on the concept which was supposed to role out to the entire fleet.  Eventually they completely retreated from the idea based on customer feedback.  I'm guessing 10 years from now when the next class of Celebrity ship takes to the seas people will be saying "it's not like EDGE" and "it's not the Celebrity we know".  Same story with every new class of ship that gets introduced.  

Edited February 22, 2019 by eroller

[Gracie115]

12 minutes ago, eroller said:

 

 

I think people have short memories, what can I say.  I sailed on one of the first SOLSTICE cruises.  Lots and lots of complaints from Celebrity regulars.  I also followed the entire construction of the ship and was active on CC that entire time.  Lots of moaning and groaning on CC about all the things I mentioned in a previous post and then some.  

 

 

We sailed on Solstice in early 2010 and mostly because of the wonderful reviews we read right here.  We hadn't been on a Celebrity ship since 2005.  I am sure there were some negative reviews, there always are but we were thrilled with the "S" class and I recall most here were too.  I've been an active member of CC since 2004.

 

I don't dispute your statement that some of the reviews about Edge are all about how different it is and many don't like change.  I've never been on the Edge so have no opinion, BUT I can say I've never read as much negative reaction as I have to this ship...….so I have my doubts about whether that will result in people eventually warming up to the Edge concept.

[eroller]

11 minutes ago, Gracie115 said:

 

 

We sailed on Solstice in early 2010 and mostly because of the wonderful reviews we read right here.  We hadn't been on a Celebrity ship since 2005.  I am sure there were some negative reviews, there always are but we were thrilled with the "S" class and I recall most here were too.  I've been an active member of CC since 2004.

 

 

 

 

That is great.  My recollection is quite different.  I sailed her in 2008.  Lots and lots of complaints about crowding, only two elevator banks, no open promenade deck, skinny interlocking cabin design, doors opening out, too small a pool area, the Lawn wasting space, not enough deck space (they did remove the fountain on future ships to create more space), poor layout, low quality dining room food, etc. etc.  The list went on and on. 

 

What I'm seeing with EDGE is pretty much the same.  It's a new prototype ship with a very different design.  The same was true of the Solstice Class at the time.  It's different from previous classes and people are going to compare like they always do.  As with any new ship some things are going to be a win and others will have to be tweaked.  It's all about trying out new concepts, and personally I'm thinking that Royal Caribbean/Celebrity are a company that takes risks.  They help make the cruise industry a very interesting choice.  If you don't like Edge that is fine.  Sail on the M-Class and Solstice-Class.   Looks like they will be around for a while with all the upgrades they are receiving.  

Edited February 22, 2019 by eroller

[marylander2]

I believe I started CC right about the time when the Solstice was yet in the docks, and honestly I do not recall moaning and groaning as big as about the Edge. On the contrary, overall positiveness was almost troubling, and mind you, X did not do as aggressive of a media push about Solstice as it does these days about Edge. What I am saying is that I always feel cautious when read artificially overhyped company's selloff in the media, and then read the REAL stuff from cruisers... This was not the case with S-class, I went on it with no second thoughts, fell in love with Solstice from the first (second to inaugural) cruise and never had any doubts to come back.

Why would I wait for my feelings for Edge to settle?? They won't, I know it. As I said earlier in reply to teerick's question, I would probably consider sailing on Edge again ONLY if the itinerary seems right and prices are not on the level of Silversea or Seabourn. But for that very reason I would sail on RCCL or Princess - no offense, I tried them both and never had a desire to return because it is simply not my thing... unless it would be a cruise, say, in Kiribati... then I may consider.

[eroller]

20 minutes ago, marylander2 said:

I believe I started CC right about the time when the Solstice was yet in the docks, and honestly I do not recall moaning and groaning as big as about the Edge. On the contrary, overall positiveness was almost troubling, and mind you, X did not do as aggressive of a media push about Solstice as it does these days about Edge. What I am saying is that I always feel cautious when read artificially overhyped company's selloff in the media, and then read the REAL stuff from cruisers... This was not the case with S-class, I went on it with no second thoughts, fell in love with Solstice from the first (second to inaugural) cruise and never had any doubts to come back.

Why would I wait for my feelings for Edge to settle?? They won't, I know it. As I said earlier in reply to teerick's question, I would probably consider sailing on Edge again ONLY if the itinerary seems right and prices are not on the level of Silversea or Seabourn. But for that very reason I would sail on RCCL or Princess - no offense, I tried them both and never had a desire to return because it is simply not my thing... unless it would be a cruise, say, in Kiribati... then I may consider.

 

 

 

My experience on Solstice in 2008 was meh.  The entire group I was with felt the same way.  The ship felt crowded, it was hard to get deck chairs, and the food and service left something to be desired. The MDR seemed way too big.  There was no instant love that is for sure.  In fact I didn't return until a few years later, and only then did the Solstice Class grow on me.  There are still things about the ships I don't like, and by no means do I think they are the best ships sailing today, but overall I like them and Celebrity has made a lot of tweaks/improvements along the way since 2008.  More to come.    

 

I sail all the cruise lines and frequent all the message boards on CC, especially where a new class of ship is concerned.  They all tend to receive a lot of negative comments on CC, some more than others, and usually from "regulars" that don't like to see changes to "their" cruise line.  What I'm seeing with Edge is nothing new, and like all the others it will die down and EDGE and her sisters will find a place in the cruise industry, and probably become quite popular with perhaps a new breed of cruiser.  I think already the ship is probably the most popular and sought after currently sailing.  That too will die down.  Most cruisers don't read CC, so negative reviews will have little impact on her popularity.  Per diems moving forward will be a true test to her popularity.  Right now they are through the roof.  Overinflated for sure IMO.   I've had a few good friends sail on EDGE, ship aficionados like myself, and they were pretty impressed (especially by the design and attention to design detail) but all agreed it's overpriced, but that is market driven of course.   

Edited February 22, 2019 by eroller

[goofysmom99]

I also cruised on the 11-30-2008 Solstice with a bunch of other CC friends, many of whom are Zeniths now.  We all liked the S-class AND M-class and kept coming back for more.  We're still coming back for more.  Much as I would love to see Eden and all the many other features the Edge offers, price and mid-ship balcony determine my willingness to part with cruise funds and since mid-ship balcony isn't available on E-class no matter the price, that won't be in my future.  

Edited February 22, 2019 by goofysmom99

[UnorigionalName]

5 hours ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

Did M and S class ships receive more criticism before the inaugural, in anticipation?  I'm hoping that they didn't have empty cabins and free cabins for casino players, but maybe prices weren't as spiked.  

 

From Dec 2008 - Feb 2009, Solstice reviews came in as follows:

 

51 Positive - 89%

5 Mixed - 9%

1 Negative - 2%

 

From Dec 2018 - Feb 2019, Edge reviews have come in as follows:

 

96 Positive - 45%

66 Mixed - 31%

53 Negative - 25%

 

 

 

 

Instagram tags: 

#celebrityedge: 16,619 posts

#celebritysolstice: 67 posts

 

🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

 

guess the sterotype about HAL might be true:

#nieuwstatendam: 2,423 posts

 

but there is some ways to catch up still:

#symphonyoftheseas: 66,861

#mscseaview: 58,387 posts

#norwegianbliss: 26,366 posts

#carnivalhorizon: 26,166 posts

Edited February 22, 2019 by UnorigionalName

[mnocket]

On 2/21/2019 at 9:53 AM, Quo Vadis? said:

Proof once again that the early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese.

 

We hope that many of the issues will be resolved, including a boring Caribbean itinerary before we decide to pay for the experience.  But then the Scarlett Lady might be a place to look for a different experience than Celebrity's press release:

 

If you don't like the changes introduced on the Edge, you are definitely not going to like Virgin.  I was excited about Virgin entering the cruising market and have been following the Virgin thread on CC.  Let's just say I am no longer excited.  I won't go into detail here, but if you're interested just wonder on over to the Virgin board and see what you think.

[TeeRick]

9 hours ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

Did M and S class ships receive more criticism before the inaugural, in anticipation?  I'm hoping that they didn't have empty cabins and free cabins for casino players, but maybe prices weren't as spiked.  

 

From Dec 2008 - Feb 2009, Solstice reviews came in as follows:

 

51 Positive - 89%

5 Mixed - 9%

1 Negative - 2%

 

From Dec 2018 - Feb 2019, Edge reviews have come in as follows:

 

96 Positive - 45%

66 Mixed - 31%

53 Negative - 25%

 

 

 

Interesting but how exactly did you come up with this data?  Did you have to decide to call a review Positive, Mixed or Negative?  What was the criteria?

[Silkroad]

6 hours ago, eroller said:

 

 

I think people have short memories, what can I say.  I sailed on one of the first SOLSTICE cruises.  Lots and lots of complaints from Celebrity regulars.  I also followed the entire construction of the ship and was active on CC that entire time.  Lots of moaning and groaning on CC about all the things I mentioned in a previous post and then some.  

I agree. There was an incredible amount of criticism about Solstice class in the early years. In fact, some people complained about the storage above the bed right up to the present. Now some people are bemoaning the lack of storage above the bed on Edge😂 Having sailed on both M-class (pre and post Solsticization) & S-class recently, I can safely say I like (and dislike) aspects of both classes. I’m sure I’ll feel the same about Edge. This is not meant to discount Marylander2’s opinion (or that of any other Edge reviewer). I value balanced reviews, but I’ll form my own opinion once I sail on Edge myself. I do agree that the current prices are ridiculous, but I booked the morning her schedule was opened to Captain’s Club members.

Edited February 22, 2019 by Silkroad

[Stateroom_Sailor]

50 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Interesting but how exactly did you come up with this data?  Did you have to decide to call a review Positive, Mixed or Negative?  What was the criteria?

 

I used 4 and 5 star reviews as "Positive", 3 star reviews as "Mixed", and 1 and 2 star reviews as "Negative".  Edge was easy because the totals represent what's current.  Solstice, I went back up and added up the initial 3 months.  CC didn't use stars in their reviews when Millennium came out, so would be difficult figure out.

 

57 vs 215 reviews, likely represents the growth of CC, the capacity of each ship, and the tech savviness of the passengers at the time.  There would have been more WWII Gen in 2008.

[Caymus88]

6 hours ago, eroller said:

 

 

 

My experience on Solstice in 2008 was meh.  The entire group I was with felt the same way.  The ship felt crowded, it was hard to get deck chairs, and the food and service left something to be desired. The MDR seemed way too big.  There was no instant love that is for sure.  In fact I didn't return until a few years later, and only then did the Solstice Class grow on me.  There are still things about the ships I don't like, and by no means do I think they are the best ships sailing today, but overall I like them and Celebrity has made a lot of tweaks/improvements along the way since 2008.  More to come.    

 

I sail all the cruise lines and frequent all the message boards on CC, especially where a new class of ship is concerned.  They all tend to receive a lot of negative comments on CC, some more than others, and usually from "regulars" that don't like to see changes to "their" cruise line.  What I'm seeing with Edge is nothing new, and like all the others it will die down and EDGE and her sisters will find a place in the cruise industry, and probably become quite popular with perhaps a new breed of cruiser.  I think already the ship is probably the most popular and sought after currently sailing.  That too will die down.  Most cruisers don't read CC, so negative reviews will have little impact on her popularity.  Per diems moving forward will be a true test to her popularity.  Right now they are through the roof.  Overinflated for sure IMO.   I've had a few good friends sail on EDGE, ship aficionados like myself, and they were pretty impressed (especially by the design and attention to design detail) but all agreed it's overpriced, but that is market driven of course.   

Edge is not sailing full. There have been many empty cabins

Usually a new ship is fully booked with a waiting list.

Casinos were able to offer basically free cabins to high rollers

X needs to tweak a lot

Edited February 22, 2019 by Caymus88

[hcat]

19 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

"by the way what is the purpose of putting such a low seat in the room... uncomfortable as hell... I actually brought 3" risers to raise it to a decent level... alas it did not make it more comfortable."

 

Perhaps that is where all those Kelly Hoppen pillows could be put to use.    Although they're probably not comfortable either.  At least one could be higher up and uncomfortable rather than low down and uncomfortable.  Celebrity does not have a good history with those couches.  The ones on S class are a decent height but absolutely uncomfortable to sit on.

We also had the low to the ground setee.. Above it , is the low ceiling AC ductwork..and then a low hung  large picture..Seemed off balance to me for the sake of the picture...a higher  setee could probably work with a smaller picture or none at all.

 

In any case, it was a very scratchy fabric so no one sat on it...We were able to store the  AQ exercise mats under the setee..no room to make use of them in the cabin!

 

We did okay with the oversized bed but a queen would fit much better in the standard IV room....bed by Veranda.  I requested a non cashmere mattress due to allergy way ahead of time, ...but we never received one.. Luckily,  I had no issues with allergies but the linens are not as soft as previous ones...

 

These are not deal breakers for us but we believe 2 on EDGE will be enough for us..next EDGE  sailing is Nov so we'll have more time on board

 

...As much as I  loved the thermal suite area, we overall prefer traditional ship layouts and entertainment!

[Stateroom_Sailor]

6 hours ago, eroller said:

My experience on Solstice in 2008 was meh.  The entire group I was with felt the same way.  

 

You may have been in more of a negative bubble at the time. That's not to say that there wasn't negative anticipation, or some complaining onboard, but based on the reviews, people overwhelmingly liked it.

 

Part of the problem is that some X cruisers are glass is half full type people, or enjoy getting worked up and complaining.  This was obvious a few years ago when X cut fresh squeezed OJ from the buffet, and the response was over the top.  "How much more of this can we take?  What cruise line should we jump to?"

 

Is Edge is the next "Fresh Squeezed OJ", or is the response more seriously?  It may be difficult to tell.

[eroller]

1 hour ago, Caymus88 said:

Edge is not sailing full. There have been many empty cabins

Usually a new ship is fully booked with a waiting list.

Casinos were able to offer basically free cabins to high rollers

X needs to tweak a lot

 

 

Full are not full prices are incredibly high and Celebrity is not budging on yields.  

[eroller]

52 minutes ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

You may have been in more of a negative bubble at the time. That's not to say that there wasn't negative anticipation, or some complaining onboard, but based on the reviews, people overwhelmingly liked it.

 

Part of the problem is that some X cruisers are glass is half full type people, or enjoy getting worked up and complaining.  This was obvious a few years ago when X cut fresh squeezed OJ from the buffet, and the response was over the top.  "How much more of this can we take?  What cruise line should we jump to?"

 

Is Edge is the next "Fresh Squeezed OJ", or is the response more seriously?  It may be difficult to tell.

 

 

Definitely not it.  I was super excited for Solstice.  Maybe too much.  Expectations were high and I followed every aspect of the ship's building and launch, just like I have with EDGE and many, many other new build prototypes from many cruise lines.  The actual ship left me and my friends meh.  It just wasn't a great experience and the ship did have a lot of issues.  Many onboard shared those same feelings, and regardless of what the CC reviews say, these boards were filled with criticism of MANY things when the ship first came out.

 

Do CC member reviews have any impact on me?  Nope.  I've been a member of CC too long.  I enjoy the reviews but I don't put too much weight on the opinions of total strangers.  I take it all with a grain of salt and form my own opinions.  It's one reason why I'm not willing to jump on the "EDGE sucks" bandwagon.  I'll make my own determination.  The reviews for MSC SEASIDE were horrible.  Didn't stop me from going and being excited to try out this amazing new ship design.  I loved my cruise on her.  In general, I've found CC filled with two extremes.  Those that do nothing but bicker and complain about every possible detail, and those that are cheerleaders for "their" line and will defend it to the death.  I automatically discard any review that is all glowing or all negative.  It's extremely rare that in reality that is ever the case.  Usually there is always some good and some bad.  Never perfect and never all bad regardless of ship and cruise line.    

 

I certainly don't claim EDGE is perfect.  Not by a long shot.  No ship is.  I don't think it's all negative either.  In fact there is so much I love about EDGE from what I've seen.  I'm almost certain I would absolutely love to sail on her.  But that won't happen until prices become more realistic.    

Edited February 22, 2019 by eroller

[poffles]

2 hours ago, Caymus88 said:

Edge is not sailing full. There have been many empty cabins

Usually a new ship is fully booked with a waiting list.

Casinos were able to offer basically free cabins to high rollers

X needs to tweak a lot

I want to add that the free cabins were not only to high rollers, my friend who got the free inside room is FARRRRRRRRRRRR from that, is one tier from the bottom on their scale of players and qualifies for next to nothing so that should tell you something.

 

Edited to add that I am totally good with that !!!!!  I get to sail the Edge for free (well 220 taxes for the two of us) WOOT WOOT!  Hang tight for my thoughts in 4 weeks from Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Edited February 22, 2019 by poffles

[marylander2]

I think the core problem - and the key difference between Solstice and Edge in their early sailings in terms of reviews - is the IV cabins. No matter how people meh'd or booed Solstice novelties, the staterooms on her were about the same (ok, with minor tweaks) compared to M-ships.

Edge's IV concept is a major flop, X fell face down with it, let's admit it. Only a handful of reviewers that I've read were neutral or positive about the IV staterooms. Overwhelming majority is totally pffffting it.

This is what makes the bulk of "3 out of 5" star rating for Edge, and this is something that cannot be changed; it is not K Hoppen rocking chair in the suites...

This will determine Edge's fate, I believe.

[eroller]

1 hour ago, poffles said:

I want to add that the free cabins were not only to high rollers, my friend who got the free inside room is FARRRRRRRRRRRR from that, is one tier from the bottom on their scale of players and qualifies for next to nothing so that should tell you something.

 

Edited to add that I am totally good with that !!!!!  I get to sail the Edge for free (well 220 taxes for the two of us) WOOT WOOT!  Hang tight for my thoughts in 4 weeks from Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

 

A free cruise on probably the world's most popular ship right now?  Bravo!  Enjoy! 

[eroller]

17 minutes ago, marylander2 said:

I think the core problem - and the key difference between Solstice and Edge in their early sailings in terms of reviews - is the IV cabins. No matter how people meh'd or booed Solstice novelties, the staterooms on her were about the same (ok, with minor tweaks) compared to M-ships.

Edge's IV concept is a major flop, X fell face down with it, let's admit it. Only a handful of reviewers that I've read were neutral or positive about the IV staterooms. Overwhelming majority is totally pffffting it.

This is what makes the bulk of "3 out of 5" star rating for Edge, and this is something that cannot be changed; it is not K Hoppen rocking chair in the suites...

This will determine Edge's fate, I believe.

 

 

As a person who thrives on technology and also doesn't spend hours on end on the balcony, I think I will really like them.  I like having more interior space in the cabin, and also pushing a button for the window to drop and blind to close.  I think that is really cool.  Of course I have not experience it myself so I can't say for sure, but it's the same concept that many riverboats in Europe use so I kind of know what to expect.  I'm a huge pool person as well, so that massive pool on EDGE (by ship standards anyway) is really appealing to me.  I have to admit I hate those private cabanas taking up prime space on the starboard side of the pool deck.  Stupid stupid stupid.  I think that would annoy me far more than the cabin balconies.  

 

In the long term I don't think the IV's will have any impact on the popularity of EDGE.  People will just deal with them like they deal with other things on ships that may not be to their liking.  The Voyager Class has all steel enclosed balconies but the ships are still very popular.  If the ship goes where they want, and it's within the budget, I think people will still book in droves because they love a new ship with lots of bells and whistles no matter what.  

 

What will be interesting to watch is if we see the idea take off to other cruise lines (Royal Caribbean is studying it for their new Icon Class), or if it remains something completely unique to the Edge Class of ships, which in itself may make them something of a novelty that people want to try.  

Edited February 23, 2019 by eroller

[goofysmom99]

24 minutes ago, marylander2 said:

I think the core problem - and the key difference between Solstice and Edge in their early sailings in terms of reviews - is the IV cabins. No matter how people meh'd or booed Solstice novelties, the staterooms on her were about the same (ok, with minor tweaks) compared to M-ships.

Edge's IV concept is a major flop, X fell face down with it, let's admit it. Only a handful of reviewers that I've read were neutral or positive about the IV staterooms. Overwhelming majority is totally pffffting it.

This is what makes the bulk of "3 out of 5" star rating for Edge, and this is something that cannot be changed; it is not K Hoppen rocking chair in the suites...

This will determine Edge's fate, I believe.

 

I think I equate an IV cabin to the difference between being out on my back porch and enjoying the breeze vs. sitting by the open living room window and looking out.  Without another open window/door, there's no breeze.  Much like a happy dog, I like a steady breeze (my own personal summer = also traveling with little USB powered fan to use on every ship's nightstand).