The Edge: What Are Your Favorite Things?

[vtcruising]

There have been some problems highlighted about the Edge lately, so I thought that people who are looking forward to their Edge cruises and people thinking about sailing the Edge might like to see some of the positives in one thread. To be clear, I don't feel like I'm an "Edge Cheerleader", as I have pointed out the ship's shortcomings from my first days onboard in November and continue to discuss negatives (and positives) of the ship and have discussed many issues with Celebrity personnel.  A cheerleader always cheers for his/her team, overlooking poor performance - I don't feel that is true for me.   Not that cheerleaders are a bad thing, but some discount comments from people they perceive as cheerleaders. 🙂

 

I spent 14 days onboard, in both an IV and Sky Suites, with 7 days in her first sailings and then 7 days in late January. I went onboard in November fully prepared for glitches and some chaos, but the excitement of being onboard right at the beginning was worth it for me. My DH and I went back in January and found many improvements (and other things still needing improvement) and had a wonderful cruise (still with a few issues). I have been following the Edge closely as we have another cruise booked on the Edge, as well as one on the Apex.

 

I would love to hear about other Edge sailors' favorite things, as well as what people think might be a favorite of theirs, if they haven't sailed her yet. It would be nice to have some of the favorite things all in one place!

 

Here are a few of my favorite things:

• Eden: A year ago I never would have guessed that I would like this space so much. The reveal did not do it justice. I had an "aha moment" in there one day when sitting on deck 6 listening to excellent music and watching the wake. Some people were playing games, others at the bar conversing, others were in groups in comfortable seating area chatting with fellow cruisers, some reading and others like me, were enjoying a lovely cocktail, the music and the gorgeous view. All of a sudden I felt at peace and just happy to be there (no, it wasn't just the cocktail 😉) and a feeling that this is what cruising is all about.  

   

   

 

 

 

 

• Listening to great music at the Roof Top Garden (on a non-windy day): Another aha moment of peace and relaxation and what cruising is all about.

Michael Reddon

 

 

• The heated tile beds in the Thermal Suites: Loved the pure relaxation of having not a care in the world while gazing at my little buddies.

 

 

• Dinner on the Magic Carpet (on 5): We had a lovely night - it was magical, with great food, service, drinks and watched the sun set - we still talk about that night.

 

 

First sunset on the Edge on November 25th:

 

This was taken from our IV as the sun was setting and a helicopter was circling the ship for a photo shoot. Very exciting night!

 

 

 

Some quirky things that I love (I liked that X gave up some bucks and some non-revenue space for things like this):

 

Sorry for those who were not fans, but I love the Magic Forrest - I always felt happy in there

 

 

And Mr Edge has a special place in my heart - a magnificent beast!

 

 

And of course, the Faceless Ones were my buddies (this close up shows the multiple layers of wood):

 

 

 

• Strolling around the Edge in the evening: It was so peaceful and beautiful one evening when we took a memorable stroll around the ship, feeling very lucky to be there.

 

From the Sunset Bar:

 

 

 

Some Suite Moments:

 

• Retreat Sundeck: This area is very well done. The loungers are plentiful, it is pretty quiet up there and the drinks and service are great.

 

 

• Breakfast on the Retreat Lounge outside deck: It became a favorite for a bite to eat before an excursion. Very peaceful way to start a busy day (shhh, don't tell anyone - it was usually empty when we were there).

 

 

 

• The beds facing the ocean:  The hype for this did not really interest me - I didn't think it would be a big deal. I was so surprised at how much I liked it. My favorite moment in my ocean-facing bed was when we were leaving port one day and I watched the sailaway in bed (not something I would do all the time, but it did feel very luxurious after a busy day): 

 

 

The Edge officers, staff and crew: They of course made it all happen and we found that 99% of the people were wonderful and did everything they could to make our cruise the best! Here are just a few of the people  - there were many more!!

 

Captain Costas

 

Damien, our superb CD (sorry, didn't get a good picture of him - this was at our CC Roll Call Connections Party):

 

 

Joao, the Retreat Concierge

 

 

Hilario, a butler from a previous cruise, who looked after us some even on these cruises. 🙂

 

 

Denisa, our attentive butler

 

Dusan, waiter extraordinaire in Luminae

 

 

Zha Zha, the most entertaining waiter at FCSH - made our dinners so much fun (and the food was superb!)

 

 

Maike, our other fun waiter, from the RTGG

 

Dr Lever and Miguel, RN - my buddies from Medical

 

 

Okay, I have so many more favorites (I didn't even get to all the amazing meals we had!!), but others should share their favorites. This is my yard today - my next cruise is looking even sweeter!!

 

Edited March 23, 2019 by vtcruising

[Presto2]

Hi again  :-)

 

LOVE this topic and thank you so much for highlighting the positive parts of the ship. Lovely to see beautiful Mr Edge again ;-)

 

Now that we have moved cabins we are really, really looking forward to Edge as so many areas look amazing. She is one beautiful ship.

 

Re the snow ----------- we love the snow and would be happy for you to send it our way as we pay a fortune to go to Lapland to enjoy it each year :-)

 

 

[vtcruising]

11 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

Hi again  🙂

 

LOVE this topic and thank you so much for highlighting the positive parts of the ship. Lovely to see beautiful Mr Edge again 😉

 

Now that we have moved cabins we are really, really looking forward to Edge as so many areas look amazing. She is one beautiful ship.

 

Re the snow ----------- we love the snow and would be happy for you to send it our way as we pay a fortune to go to Lapland to enjoy it each year 🙂

 

 

Can't wait to hear about your favorites after your cruise!

 

Yes, the snow is gorgeous, but we want spring to come!! 🌷

[C-Dragons]

25 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

Can't wait to hear about your favorites after your cruise!

 

Yes, the snow is gorgeous, but we want spring to come!! 🌷

Spring is supposed to be here already, but we woke up this morning to see our yard covered with snow too! 😳 Hopefully it will warm up soon and the weather will be nice for our upcoming TA on the Edge.

You've already covered most of our favorite things, including the staff and our favorite waiter too. 😉  We really loved the new staterooms and spacious bathrooms (though the furniture could be improved). There is so much beautiful artwork throughout the ship, it was a pleasure just to walk around and even ride the elevators. The food was fantastic, from Eden to Luminae, no complaints. And the service we received was the best from the best in X's fleet. We are looking forward to being back on board soon.

 

 

Edited March 23, 2019 by C-Dragons

[bacm]

My favorite part was the Beaty of it all. Floor to ceiling windows everywhere, the openness of it all, just so beautiful.

[vtcruising]

16 minutes ago, bacm said:

My favorite part was the Beaty of it all. Floor to ceiling windows everywhere, the openness of it all, just so beautiful.

I know!  I am cruising on M Class on Saturday - my first cruise since cruising on the Edge. I'm wondering if the Infinity will feel like a comfortable, old friend (and we will welcome the the traditional-type ship) or if we will pine for the edgy Edge? I know we will have fun no matter what, but just wondering .... 🙂

[cgolf1]

Favorites were

 

Magic carpet, great place to relax on sea days with a great view

Gluten Free options being labeled in the buffet! For those that are gf this is a big deal. 

Inside stateroom and shower were the nicest we have encountered so far. 

Resort Pool

Live music around these ship, multiple choices for a good portion of the day

Mr Edge and all the art and little details. Wish we knew you could take the art of the edge book. 

The Celebrity theatre shows were the best we have seen at sea. 

 

Hoping the Apex will have the live music and attention to detail the Edge had. Also hope the scent thing in Eden gets lost when they build the Apex!

 

[hcat]

Adding to the list...other than the Enchanted Forest!

 

EDEN cafe, EDEN bar..EDEN itself.....all nice places by day!

BLU.. enjoy for  breakfast and dinner (other than loud at early dinner times)

TUSCAN Elite Breakfast...a favorite place..for lite breakfast, great service.

COSMO REST ..enjoyed two lunches there..good menu, good food and good service

CAFE BACCIO..enjoyable..service can be slow so relax a bit!

 SPA...excellent   service  Thermal Suites,,,amazing.  Relaxation Rm , lovely

SOLARIUM....love the pool and hot tubs

GYM...alll new equipment

POOL DECK, esp at night..great White night Deck Party..great DJ

Our Inf Veranda.made room larger, served as a nice Florida room

AQ class stateroom...very spa like bathroom....

The lobby area near Guest Rel has nice seating...nice decor and can be a quiet spot,.

Magic Carpet for am cocktails and views...so peaceful!

Theater...lovely..for early after dinner drinks and good seats!

The All Access Tour was worth the price! Presented by            Excursion Dept top guide...

The music in Grand Foyer  ( that we could hear) was varied and enjoyable

Photographers were excellent...great new technology

Tech person at APPLE ...knowledgeable and helpful even tho we run Android!

AMAZING CD DAMIEN, ACTIVITY DIR BETHANY  AND  ENTIRE STAFF!

 

Hope to explore and enjoy much more when we return in Nov

It's a work in progress but seems headed in the right direction,...hopefully!

Edited March 23, 2019 by hcat

[Bo1953]

Thank you VT and everyone who is contributing to this post!

 

It will go a long way to help me help/prepare the group for our sailing....

 

Also, some who have sailed The Edge previously on our RC are going to put together a list of places which are a must see before we board... places where many of us would never think to go see, but well worth it.

 

We are calling it The Edge Crawl...

 

Thank you all again and look forward to more postings..

 

bon voyage

[vtcruising]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

Adding to the list...other than the Enchanted Forest!

 

EDEN cafe, EDEN bar..EDEN itself.....all nice places by day!

BLU.. enjoy for  breakfast and dinner (other than loud at early dinner times)

TUSCAN Elite Breakfast...a favorite place..for lite breakfast, great service.

COSMO REST ..enjoyed two lunches there..good menu, good food and good service

CAFE BACCIO..enjoyable..service can be slow so relax a bit!

 SPA...excellent   service  Thermal Suites,,,amazing.  Relaxation Rm , lovely

SOLARIUM....love the pool and hot tubs

GYM...alll new equipment

POOL DECK, esp at night..great White night Deck Party..great DJ

Our Inf Veranda.made room larger, served as a nice Florida room

AQ class stateroom...very spa like bathroom....

The lobby area near Guest Rel has nice seating...nice decor and can be a quiet spot,.

Magic Carpet for am cocktails and views...so peaceful!

Theater...lovely..for early after dinner drinks and good seats!

The All Access Tour was worth the price! Presented by            Excursion Dept top guide...

The music in Grand Foyer  ( that we could hear) was varied and enjoyable

Photographers were excellent...great new technology

Tech person at APPLE ...knowledgeable and helpful even tho we run Android!

AMAZING CD DAMIEN, ACTIVITY DIR BETHANY  AND  ENTIRE STAFF!

 

Hope to explore and enjoy much more when we return in Nov

It's a work in progress but seems headed in the right direction,...hopefully!

You reminded me of many things that I had forgotten about - thanks! 🙂

[vtcruising]

49 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

Thank you VT and everyone who is contributing to this post!

 

It will go a long way to help me help/prepare the group for our sailing....

 

Also, some who have sailed The Edge previously on our RC are going to put together a list of places which are a must see before we board... places where many of us would never think to go see, but well worth it.

 

We are calling it The Edge Crawl...

 

Thank you all again and look forward to more postings..

 

bon voyage

I like the idea of the Edge Crawl! Make sure that you put that in your review. It may become a ritual for Edge newbies. 🙂

 

Does your group have the secret staircase from the Grand Plaza in back of the Martini Bar down to Destination Gateway?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Oville]

What we’ve like so far:

 

Fine Cuts

Rooftop Grill without the wind

Solarium

Retreat Lounge

Retreat Pool Bar

Eden, everything except the late show

Art Work

IV cabin

Aft S1 cabin

Drinks on the Magic Carpet

Cosmo

Luminae

The Club

 

Looking forward in a couple of weeks to trying for the first time:

 

Le Grand Bistro for breakfast and lunch

Le Petit Chef

Raw on Five

Blu

Taking in a show or two.

 

Katie

[hcat]

Here is a  spot for those who like shade and very comfy loungers...a bit away from the crowds..,It is on oppisite side of the pool burger cafe and smoking area upstairs.  You access it by going upstairs on opp side.It overlooks the pool area. Very comfy loungers, sea views, shade!   Sometimes the band would play from up there..get there early and Shhhh.   A non suite retreat!

 

Now that we have the art book and cards,  we will map out an art tour for ourselves modeled on tours  offered on other ships!  Some we did not understand fully but were intriguing,  many we enjoyed,  and some we hated...like the  one with the pierced head near one of the dining rooms...We will also review Vt cruisers  EDGE art thread for guidance.

 

enjoying this thread!  

 

[vtcruising]

10 minutes ago, Oville said:

What we’ve like so far:

 

Fine Cuts

Rooftop Grill without the wind

Solarium

Retreat Lounge

Retreat Pool Bar

Eden, everything except the late show

Art Work

IV cabin

Aft S1 cabin

Drinks on the Magic Carpet

Cosmo

Luminae

The Club

 

Looking forward in a couple of weeks to trying for the first time:

 

Le Grand Bistro for breakfast and lunch

Le Petit Chef

Raw on Five

Blu

Taking in a show or two.

 

Katie

Katie: If the DH suddenly can't go for some reason, I will be returning from our cruise into FLL on 4/6 and will have time to do some laundry and then join you. Not wishing that he'll get a virus or anything, but just in case you need someone ....😉

[Bo1953]

37 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

I like the idea of the Edge Crawl! Make sure that you put that in your review. It may become a ritual for Edge newbies. 🙂

 

Does your group have the secret staircase from the Grand Plaza in back of the Martini Bar down to Destination Gateway?

 

v - I do now!

 

Thank you and bon voyage

[vtcruising]

10 minutes ago, hcat said:

Here is a  spot for those who like shade and very comfy loungers...a bit away from the crowds..,It is on oppisite side of the pool burger cafe and smoking area upstairs.  You access it by going upstairs on opp side.It overlooks the pool area. Very comfy loungers, sea views, shade!   Sometimes the band would play from up there..get there early and Shhhh.   A non suite retreat!

 

Now that we have the art book and cards,  we will map out an art tour for ourselves modeled on tours  offered on other ships!  Some we did not understand fully but were intriguing,  many we enjoyed,  and some we hated...like the  one with the pierced head near one of the dining rooms...We will also review Vt cruisers  EDGE art thread for guidance.

 

enjoying this thread!  

 

Oooh, an Edge Art Crawl - a great idea. We really should write an Edge for Newbies manual. 😉

 

Your secret area used to be the smoking side on our first cruises and then switched to the other side after the ventilation system pulled all the smoke in and spewed it out somewhere near people.

 

Area is up the stairs

 

What it used to look like

 

No glassed elevators, but I loved this view after getting off the elevator by the pool:

 

 

I loved the staircase by Blu with the pendulum:

 

 

 

Oh, I also liked these OVC counters to eat while facing the ocean!

 

 

[Oville]

3 hours ago, vtcruising said:

Katie: If the DH suddenly can't go for some reason, I will be returning from our cruise into FLL on 4/6 and will have time to do some laundry and then join you. Not wishing that he'll get a virus or anything, but just in case you need someone ....😉

Ha, ha Marilyn.  We’ll be in an AQ cabin so would have to hide you under the bed. Are you already on Infinity or is that next weekend?

 

Thanks for all your help over the last few years.  It was your pix that convinced us we must try the Grand Bistro for breakfast and lunch on our next cruise.  Also, we will lunch at the Rooftop Grill while in port, no more flying beers and salads.  Katie

Edited March 24, 2019 by Oville

[vtcruising]

21 minutes ago, Oville said:

Ha, ha Marilyn.  We’ll be in an AQ cabin so would have to hide you under the bed. Are you already on Infinity or is that next weekend?

 

Thanks for all your help over the last few years.  It was your pix that convinced us we must try the Grand Bistro for breakfast and lunch on our next cruise.  Also, we will lunch at the Rooftop Grill while in port, no more flying beers and salads.  Katie

Our cruise leaves the 30th - starting to get excited!

 

I wish you had gotten a video of the flying dinner at the RTGG, though I'm sure that wasn't your first thought when the beer flew at you and your salad flew over to another guest. Hopefully you will have a great day the next time.  I really envy you guys! 🙂

[OceanCruise]

Loved the color palette of the Edge, the relaxing Retreat Lounge, the roomy Sky Suite bathroom, the overall design of the theater (even though it was too small to accomodate the 9:00 show), entertaining/personable Captain, the long tables facing window in OceanView Cafe, Luminae, Chef's Market Discovery Tour in Cozumel

 

Didn't like: had issues with special needs disability requests, mediocre butler, expensive shops, theater too small, Deal or No Deal, The Club was too dark and dreary, no special events for suite guests or in the Retreat (except a singer one night), weird production shows

[vtcruising]

1 hour ago, OceanCruise said:

Loved the color palette of the Edge, the relaxing Retreat Lounge, the roomy Sky Suite bathroom, the overall design of the theater (even though it was too small to accomodate the 9:00 show), entertaining/personable Captain, the long tables facing window in OceanView Cafe, Luminae, Chef's Market Discovery Tour in Cozumel

 

Didn't like: had issues with special needs disability requests, mediocre butler, expensive shops, theater too small, Deal or No Deal, The Club was too dark and dreary, no special events for suite guests or in the Retreat (except a singer one night), weird production shows

We also did the Chef's Market Tour in Cozumel and enjoyed it very much. Do you remember which Chef you had on your tour? Where did you have dinner that night on the Edge? How was the menu? Our Chef had so many courses that we couldn't fit another bite and didn't have the last two courses. 🙂

[OceanCruise]

3 hours ago, vtcruising said:

We also did the Chef's Market Tour in Cozumel and enjoyed it very much. Do you remember which Chef you had on your tour? Where did you have dinner that night on the Edge? How was the menu? Our Chef had so many courses that we couldn't fit another bite and didn't have the last two courses. 🙂

We had Armando who was actually from Cozumel. We had the excursion dinner in Cyprus. It was really loud in there and we could not hear the people at the other end of our table. The food was great (except for the cactus) but we couldn't finish it all --it was a lot of courses! 

[vtcruising]

59 minutes ago, OceanCruise said:

We had Armando who was actually from Cozumel. We had the excursion dinner in Cyprus. It was really loud in there and we could not hear the people at the other end of our table. The food was great (except for the cactus) but we couldn't finish it all --it was a lot of courses! 

We also had dinner in Cyprus at 2 big tables in the back. It was a bit loud back there, but I felt more sorry for the poor couples who were seated next to 2 tables of 9-10 people. Our chef was Greek and did a great job, but that must have been wonderful to have someone from Cozumel.

 

We had some fresh grilled fish and the tacos were superb, but when he served the chateaubriand with mole sauce, I almost cried since I was so full (we had already had appetizers and a lovely soup before the 3 entrees and don't even talk about dessert). 😉

 

 

 

Edited March 24, 2019 by vtcruising