Potential Edge Modifications Revealed By Cruise Critic Editor

[Bo1953]

1 minute ago, vtcruising said:

Please let us know how the Kale Bar is in November! 😉

I Am sure our friends traveling with us will join CC just to talk about it.... LOL

 

bon appetite and bon voyage

[vtcruising]

1 minute ago, hcat said:

Sorry ... my mistake..it was suggested by VOLK...wrong V logo..diff color V!

No worries! I like your idea better!!🙂

[TommyD3]

6 hours ago, Oville said:

It was very interesting to hear that the Edge has rated number 1 fleet wide in the past 8 weeks of Celebrities post cruise surveys.  Also, the IV cabins are receiving high marks.

 

Thanks Jenn for your review and sharing the videos.

WOW !!!

My post cruise survey after my March Edge cruise had the lowest scores of any Celebrity cruise since they started the electronic surveys !!!

[Oville]

12 minutes ago, TommyD3 said:

WOW !!!

My post cruise survey after my March Edge cruise had the lowest scores of any Celebrity cruise since they started the electronic surveys !!!

I’m only reporting what I heard on Jenn’s videos by someone from corporate and the Captain.

Edited April 26, 2019 by Oville

[ipeeinthepool]

12 hours ago, Oville said:

It was very interesting to hear that the Edge has rated number 1 fleet wide in the past 8 weeks of Celebrities post cruise surveys.  Also, the IV cabins are receiving high marks.

 

Really?  Do you think that makes sense?  There are two conflicting pieces of information.  First Celebrity has announced they are making several changes to Edge because they missed the mark and then second hand information from a video that says "We're Number 1".  Somehow I doubt that Celebrity has announced these changes to the Edge because they were number 1 in the fleet.  The only way the Edge could be Number 1 in the fleet for the past 8 weeks is if the other ships didn't send out their surveys or the Russians counted the votes.

[DYKWIA]

8 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

Really?  Do you think that makes sense?  There are two conflicting pieces of information.  First Celebrity has announced they are making several changes to Edge because they missed the mark and then second hand information from a video that says "We're Number 1".  Somehow I doubt that Celebrity has announced these changes to the Edge because they were number 1 in the fleet.  The only way the Edge could be Number 1 in the fleet for the past 8 weeks is if the other ships didn't send out their surveys or the Russians counted the votes.

 

Promoting the fact that Edge is the best reviewed ship is one way to try and increase sales

[vtcruising]

On 4/25/2019 at 3:48 PM, CC Help Jenn said:

 

Thanks for linking this here 🙂 

Thank you for taking the time to videotape and upload the Cruise Critic Connections party Q+A with the Edge officers and Shoreside Exec Staff. It was very interesting!

[ipeeinthepool]

I watched the videos and they were interesting and I have gained some insight into Celebrity intention with the IV balconies on the Edge.   I never really heard it explained the way the shoreside exec explained the concept.  Celebrity determined that people were only using the balconies 20% of the time and they wanted to increase that utilization.  Their thinking was that they will take the balcony space and convert into cabin space.  In effect they determined that cabin space was more important than balcony space.  This explains why the balcony area is so small, not even large enough for a small table for breakfast or lunch let alone a reclining chair.  It seems to me that Celebrity did not value the importance  of the 20% of the time that people spend on the balconies.  They ignored how much many people enjoy having breakfast or lunch on the balconies.  They discounted how important it is to have a space to escape while someone else is resting in the cabin.  They also lost the real feel of the balcony with the IV balconies and they did not appreciate how important that is to many of us.  In short, they confirmed what so many of us have expressed, the IV balconies were really designed as ocean view rooms with a larger window.  It will be interesting to see how the market reacts to the IV concept in the long run.  Perhaps it will attract more first time cruisers, but for many of us the IV concept does not provide the balcony experience we expect.

[ipeeinthepool]

I also listened to the Q&A about entertainment.  I think Celebrity has missed the mark for entertainment.  CC is filled with lots of discussion about the decline in the level of entertainment, particularly in the theatre as well as desire for entertainment throughout the ship.  What's the answer?  The American Ballet Theatre on the Summit and presumably spreading throughout the fleet.   The Exec tells us this fits their modern luxury brand.  You've got to be kidding me.  I'm sure that there will be people that flame me that like ballet, but there is no way on earth the majority of cruise passengers will enjoy evening ballet performances.  I'm not sure I've ever heard anything that misses the mark more than ballet  as a featured element of entertainment on a cruise ship.

[ipeeinthepool]

As I listened to the Q&A about suites and room categories on the Edge it reminded me that Celebrity is putting more emphasis on the Suite Life and not the experience for the vast majority of the passengers.  I'm not a suite passenger, but I forgot they doubled the amount of suites on the Edge and really put the emphasis on the Retreat and the suite experience.  BTW, do suites have IV balconies?  I believe the suite life is much better on the Edge to the detriment of the majority of the passengers.   There is only so much open deck space on a ship,  maybe the Retreat area took the space that used to be allocated for shade.   Celebrity will likely be able to command much higher prices for suites on the Edge but I just don't see the higher prices warranted for the other categories.  It will be interesting to see how long it takes the market to adjust.

[vtcruising]

We have been debating the IV question for 2 years on CC since introduced. It was obvious that some would like them and some wouldn’t and the jury is out if enough people will like them enough to keep booking them when they are at a reasonable cost.  

 

I hadn’t heard the 20% figure but found it interesting - that’s about right for us and we want to enjoy that 20%. We enjoyed the IV, but will likely continue to book open balconies as we like full sun. Others have enjoyed the IVs and some may prefer to have a “private sunroom” concept, with option to have it open, with more privacy and quiet and less direct sun. 

 

The room service breakfast on the balcony really wasn’t missed for us on the Edge because of the plethora of great places to have breakfast on the Edge. It would be good to have the option though, so I hope they ditch the Kings and have a larger balcony with a real table for Edge 3, if they continue the IV concept. In the meantime, the options are endless - if the IV isn’t a good match for someone, they can move on and try another class of cabin or a different ship. 

 

The ballet will be on Millennium and Summit, to begin with, I believe (introduced as a Revolution thing). I’m not sure if the Edge stage is built for ballet - it seems smallish because it is round, but not sure. Anyway, I wouldn’t book a cruise to see a ballet, but I would likely enjoy seeing it since we live in a rural area and don’t have as much access to that type of performance. 

 

As as far as their talk of the most positive reviews for X being for the Edge over the last 8 weeks, I am always skeptical with those types of announcements, but suppose it could be true as the ratings are slowly going up here. I think half the problem may have been expectations about the IV and staff unprepared to help guests with issues. The ship has generated a lot of positive excitement as well, and with the 4 MDRs being popular,  all the other wonderful restaurants and just being fresh and different (offering archery, drone racing, the amazing theater, great musicians, the wonderful Destination Gateway for ports, compelling art, for example) may be boosting ratings on the post cruise evals. If there are enough positives, they may be more forgiving of the IV issues. Im pretty sure most cruise lines use the saying “highest rated ship” in their advertising - the Flower Power cruise charter described the Infinity as “highest rated ship” in one of their ads. 🙂

 

 

[volk904]

I will be happy with just another bar and just threw the sports bar put because.  

I never heard that 20% thought X used before but I can see what they were thinking. 

 

i think where they missed is that when people are spending there 20% on the balcony enjoying the fresh air and ocean view the are doing what they cannot do at home and it is why they paid for the balcony.   The other 80% of the time many people are in their cabin they much if the time they are sleeping, cleaning up or change for another activity.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hcat]

Maybe they could do a sports bar  near the casino..get rid of a high priced jewelry store...or maybe add to the  upper level of the Club which already has a downstairs bar..  they could do a few big screens add some pub tables... Have craft beer  and maybe even a  self levelling pool table!

[villauk]

10 minutes ago, hcat said:

and maybe even a  self levelling pool table!

 

Royal we’re offering those as innovative on their Radiance class ships about 12-15 years ago!

[Oville]

5 minutes ago, hcat said:

Maybe they could do a sports bar  near the casino..get rid of a high priced jewelry store...or maybe add to the  upper level of the Club which already has a downstairs bar..  they could do a few big screens add some pub tables... Have craft beer  and maybe even a  self levelling pool table!

Good idea.  I think it is currently semi used as a sports bar.  I’ve noticed football games on there live and last cruise the Masters but I don’t think they advertise it for that use.

[ipeeinthepool]

48 minutes ago, volk904 said:

….i think where they missed is that when people are spending there 20% on the balcony enjoying the fresh air and ocean view the are doing what they cannot do at home and it is why they paid for the balcony.   The other 80% of the time many people are in their cabin they much if the time they are sleeping, cleaning up or change for another activity.  

 

I guess Celebrity decided that if you are going to do something you can't do at home it should be the ballet 😉

[vtcruising]

1 hour ago, villauk said:

 

Royal we’re offering those as innovative on their Radiance class ships about 12-15 years ago!

I remember them well. Pretty cool.🙂

[Oville]

58 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

I remember them well. Pretty cool.🙂

If you play pool, 😉

[hcat]

2 hours ago, villauk said:

 

Royal we’re offering those as innovative on their Radiance class ships about 12-15 years ago!

We enjoyed them!!

[hcat]

1 hour ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

I guess Celebrity decided that if you are going to do something you can't do at home it should be the ballet 😉

You know what they say: "A little culture can't hurt!"

Sorry it is not on the schedule of our Summit cruise..we like the ballet.

[hcat]

2 hours ago, Oville said:

Good idea.  I think it is currently semi used as a sports bar.  I’ve noticed football games on there live and last cruise the Masters but I don’t think they advertise it for that use.

We did not spend time there.. on our cruise they had day- time games and  entertainment at night but we never made it to any of it,, not enough time.

Heard there was a good evening with the Celeb band/ mini orchestra

 

Anyone know if Andromeda is still ongoing,,,?  Sounded  like it would be wierd and boring.,double whammy! Past our bedtime anyhow..

[vtcruising]

26 minutes ago, Oville said:

If you play pool, 😉

Oh, you didn't know about my pool shark years? 😉

[vtcruising]

[Oville]

16 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

Thanks Marilyn for posting this.  Bon Voyage to you all.  Katie

Edited April 28, 2019 by Oville

[Oville]

1 hour ago, vtcruising said:

Oh, you didn't know about my pool shark years? 😉

Apparently not.😉

 

 I tried when we were first married, same bad result as golf, what ball?   😖😖😭

Edited April 28, 2019 by Oville