Back from AMALFI EDGE Aug 30

[Jesseslola]

This is an honest review from a Royal Caribbean Oasis Class enthusiast.

Celebrity Edge is beautiful.

There were 25 of us, 2 children, 2 seniors, 4 Gen Z, and the rest Millennials

Boarding in Rome– disorganized, there was no sign where the Edge entrance was, we almost entered another ship. We were dropped off in one area, we had to drag our luggage from limo to drop off (outside the building) to the terminal, to a disorganized luggage check in. Then, we have to ask somebody to tell us where we could enter to check in. Once we were in, it was a breeze.

First impression – very modern, did not get the AHH!!! that I was hoping for. Being used to the Oasis class and its grandeur, the ship looked very small. As you enter, there is a pictorial area, then the poured champagne, then you look for your cabin. The chandeliers looked classy, the decors modern. Eden was okay.  There was some kind of incense smell at night that was disturbing.  We left. Roof top garden, beautiful at night, very hot in the morning.

Music – we did NOT find it too loud.

Rooms – beautiful. LOVED the IV. No noise issue, no problem with blinds, always opened the balcony. At one time, there were 25 people having a drink in one IV, laughing and talking for half an hour, we never heard the sound outside the cabin.  We were amazed. Bed was great, pillows were big and fluffy.

Bathrooms – A BIG PLUS, towels need upgrade.

Food – A plus, but we noticed a decline in the last three days of the cruise. We were assigned to Cosmopolitan, but have no issue with trying to get in the other three venues. We loved our Cosmo Waiter - Jonathan and Assistant Waiter-Belen. Book the Magic Carpet as you board.  We cannot get a booking on the second day. We were planning to try the Specialty restaurants but cancelled and went back to Cosmo. Shrimps were small. Asked where we can get bigger shrimps and the waiter said, that is it!! Desserts were okay

Oceanview was very nice, high ceiling and airy. Found it small and some days, one or two buffet counters are closed/empty.  We loved the Pizza and the Pizza chef Ramesh.  We visit him nightly for our last bite. He made special pizza on request from us.

We were lucky to have met Head Sous Chef Jeff. He is in charge of the Specialty Restaurants aboard Edge.  As we sat down for dinner Aug 26, our waiter said, “No Menu” tonite.  We were surprised.  Then came the specialty Filipino food from the kitchen. Chef Jeff made us a dinner we will forever remember!!! Thank you Chef!!!

First Aid – my grandson had a bite that got infected.  We took him to the First aid station. The doctor treated him and gave us the antibiotics – no charge. Thank you Doctor!!

Entertainment and activities – for the seniors who only want to sit around and people watch, this is the ship.  For the rest who wants to be active and busy, this is not the ship. There is nothing to do between 7:00am to dinner.  The activities being offered are so,so and not challenging at all. In other words, boring. There were three groups of entertainers that were amazing..That’s it. 

Children Camp at sea – My grand son (8) and Grand daughter (5) got bored and went only once.  My grandson was placed in a 6-9 (I believe) level and they were doing dinosaurs and coloring. He was so interested in doing robotics. We asked for him to be moved to the next level and they declined.

Staff – A PLUS – our room steward KIMBERLE was an A plus – such a lovely guy, always smiling and accommodating. The staff made our cruise wonderful!!

Tenders – most of the time, the tenders used were from the local suppliers and not the Edge life boat- Semi awful.  Only once I have heard that it was used. Most people in our group who used it said it was nice.

FINALLY – We loved Edge, but because we always travel together, Edge is not the ship for our active members.  And one important thing..if you do not have a drink package, there is only one place to get coffee (self serve) – you have to go to Oceanview.

[vtcruising]

Glad you had a good time overall. I can't believe you got 25 people in one IV! How wonderful that the chef made you a special dinner. Did you all eat together every night?

 

It's too bad that the kids' program didn't work for the grandkids. Others have reported back a positive experience, but it probably depends on the other kids onboard somewhat. Hope they found other things to do.

 

The Spa Cafe (next to Solarium) and Eden Cafe both (Eden 5) had self-serve coffee and tea when we were onboard (Spa Cafe also had healthy bars/snacks and Eden had the lovely cookies and delicious brownies to go with your coffee/tea 🙂). Were those self-serve stations gone or did you just not happen to visit those venues? Hopefully that hasn't changed. 🙂 I can't believe they still had incense there after the complaints - hopefully just left over smells. I hope the Apex will be incense-free!

 

Thanks for the detailed review!!🙂

Edited September 6, 2019 by vtcruising

[hcat]

Thanks for the honest review.  We are not fans of Oasis ( other than the Diamond perks and adult only solarium),  but understand your point of view.

 

We found EDGE to have great activities and events day and at night .

We had  an amazing CD on our Jan cruise...great white night deck party,   mostly excellent shows  in the state of the art theater...top notch food. Sorry it seems to have "quieted" down so much!

 

Must be hard to travel in such a large group and please everyone...glad you gave it a try.....just as we tried Oasis but came happily back to X...!

[Jesseslola]

Hi vtcruising, Thank you for all the info you extended to Cruise critic family. It helped with all our planning and decisions.

 

Yes, we got 25 people (2 kids) for an evening toast after the renewal. It was fun. Did not stay too long though. 

 

The customer service on board the ship is amazing. Because of our size, they give us an assigned person to bring us all to the tender boat for our excursions.

 

I asked the customer service where else  I can get self serve coffee, she said only at OV and the dining room. Also asked the specialty coffee at deck 4, same response. I should have asked you..lol.

 

Every time we pass by the Eden cafe and the Spa cafe, they were closed. Darn!,

 

 I was so excited to enroll my grands for the robotics and the Xbox, but they were for older kids. We requested him to be moved as he is already in Robotics in camp and considered an advanced gamer. He was denied. He tried it for a day and he was so bored doing the  “dinosaur “ thing. Mid trip, they combined the groups as attendance dropped. The younger kids probably liked the arts and colouring programs.

 

We all ate together nightly, three tables set up for us, unless we come back late from our excursion, then we go to the buffet. It was not hard to get a reservation for 25. We were assigned Cosmopolitan. We loved it there, maybe because of our Waiter and the assistant Waiter. We were offered a discount at the French Brunch from $45.00 to $30.00 for the 25 people. Unfortunately some were going to other venues. It has to be 25 to get the rate.☹️

We loved the X app. Helped with the communication. I don’t know what we will do without it.

[Jesseslola]

Thanks hcat, for large groups, cruises are the best. We create a spreadsheet for every hour every day. With the X app there was no need to do it.

We gather every night at the pizza place at the back of the ship to talk and confirm the next day schedule. The Edge pizza is the best ever!!

 

We have a very active group, all part of a family. We love being together. We try to do one vacation a year together, though it is hard to schedule. We therefore plan a year or 2 in advance. We do land and cruises yearly. 

 

Although the Oasis class offers a lot of activities on board,  we still do excursions at every port. The kids  Y and Z,  got bored during the sea days at the Edge.   All they did was exercise, run and eat. They said they loved the Edge food, and cabins, but does not want to go back.

 

Yes we love the singing and dancing shows, the silent disco, but prefer the Broadway quality shows , the diving and the amazing ice shows of the Oasis class. The Edge theatre singers were amazing, I must say.

 

So therefore, until they add a basketball court, introduce broadway quality shows and high level activities, it will be hard to attract the Gen Y and Z.

[vtcruising]

This was at the Spa Cafe - not sure if they leave this up when closed?

 

 

 

In Eden Cafe -again, not sure when the self-serve stuff is closed:

 

 

 

 

 

[vtcruising]

1 hour ago, Jesseslola said:

Hi vtcruising, Thank you for all the info you extended to Cruise critic family. It helped with all our planning and decisions.

 

Yes, we got 25 people (2 kids) for an evening toast after the renewal. It was fun. Did not stay too long though. 

 

The customer service on board the ship is amazing. Because of our size, they give us an assigned person to bring us all to the tender boat for our excursions.

 

I asked the customer service where else  I can get self serve coffee, she said only at OV and the dining room. Also asked the specialty coffee at deck 4, same response. I should have asked you..lol.

 

Every time we pass by the Eden cafe and the Spa cafe, they were closed. Darn!,

 

 I was so excited to enroll my grands for the robotics and the Xbox, but they were for older kids. We requested him to be moved as he is already in Robotics in camp and considered an advanced gamer. He was denied. He tried it for a day and he was so bored doing the  “dinosaur “ thing. Mid trip, they combined the groups as attendance dropped. The younger kids probably liked the arts and colouring programs.

 

We all ate together nightly, three tables set up for us, unless we come back late from our excursion, then we go to the buffet. It was not hard to get a reservation for 25. We were assigned Cosmopolitan. We loved it there, maybe because of our Waiter and the assistant Waiter. We were offered a discount at the French Brunch from $45.00 to $30.00 for the 25 people. Unfortunately some were going to other venues. It has to be 25 to get the rate.☹️

We loved the X app. Helped with the communication. I don’t know what we will do without it.

It is good to hear that large groups are given special prices, guidance on the tenders and special dinner.  I personally think going to lunch at Le Grand Bistro is a better deal - $20PP - we could barely walk out of there - everything was so good! They were still doing breakfasts when we were there for $10 and could choose crepes, pastries, egg dishes and much more. $45 seems too much for the brunch and even $30 a bit much.

 

Some day I hope to have a multi-generational cruise with our family. It sounds like fun!

[hcat]

I love that  Fields and Select  brand tea..no charge,  but also like the  tea forte in Cafe Bacio..covered on the Classic package

 

Glad X is  able to cater to large family groups... many like reunions etc

Was yours a vow renewal?  I must agree that Oasis has more for  kids and a  variety of experiences all ages. We are more spa and Solarium oriented for daytime when we cruise and were okay with the music and shows at night.  

 

Dh enjoyed solving  all the wooden  puzzles and games in EDEN each afternoon , and they had a presentation on fibronocci ( sic) numbers

 

What is the French buffet?

What is the age cut off for the STEM activities?

Edited September 7, 2019 by hcat

[Presto2]

Welcome home, hope you had a great time and are managing to get over the post cruise blues --- we're still sulking here :-(

[Jesseslola]

The 45.00 dollars was for the Grand Bistro Seafood Brunch. That was also the lobster night. Five of us were going to go for it, but they said it is a package deal. So we went to OV. OV had the mussels and fried calamari, and at dinner, it was eat all you can escargot, shrimps, steak and lobster for our table. I was disappointed at the shrimp size.

 

All we need to do is ask what we wanted nicely, and our waiter and Chef Jeff accommodated us. Our waiter even got us pasta from the other dining room. That was very nice of him. They deserved the very fat tip and a10 on the survey !!!

 

 It was a Vow Renewal at Santorini, our group leader asked for help to be led out at a certain time. From then on, she would come to our meeting area and help us with tendering.  

 

My grand is in between the  age cut off. We saw all the toys that were used and he was not interested. Maybe at the later dates it might have became better, but he did not have the patience. To give you an idea, at 7, he can do complicated LEGO for 15 year olds by himself. Maybe if they moved him, he would have enjoyed.

 

 We did Cafe Bacio as we had OBC to use. We also enjoyed their cookies and goodies.

 

Urgh, we missed the spa cafe😩

[Jesseslola]

Hi Presto2, I was hoping to meet you on board. I hope you did not encounter a big noisy oriental group. No, we do not speak our native language, most of this kids were born and raised in Canada. But we laughed a lot. We were the ones with the coordinated outfits all the time.. white, chic, Hawaiian, living on the Edge t-shirts, Raptors, etc.

 

We loved the App. You can open different conversation groups. We seldom used the phones. We just need to check our I phones very often. It was easy to manage 25 in the ship. The ship is small and safe.  If we need to meet, we just use the app and everybody is there. On land, we have to stay together all the time, and that was a headache considering different interests.

 

We used Orange to connect on land. 20k was too much. My grand d used it to connect to boyfriend every minute she can..oh young luv! She can connect while on port, on the ship and the connection was great. It was very useful in Rome and Paris and all the Greek island stops. We were able to connect to the Philippines clearly.

 

What dining room did you frequent?

 

After the cruise, we spent another 5 days in Paris. We were going around Paris in sea legs..missing Edge so much.

 

After 20 days, I think we were ready to go home. My daughter created a separate server for pictures. We will view them today as the rest of the family will view them in their own time. Then all will meet next week for the final viewing, then we will all be crying😭

 

Our next trip on Symphony April 2020 is what is keeping us up..still missing Edge!!

[vtcruising]

39 minutes ago, Jesseslola said:

The 45.00 dollars was for the Grand Bistro Seafood Brunch. That was also the lobster night. Five of us were going to go for it, but they said it is a package deal. So we went to OV. OV had the mussels and fried calamari, and at dinner, it was eat all you can escargot, shrimps, steak and lobster for our table. I was disappointed at the shrimp size.

 

All we need to do is ask what we wanted nicely, and our waiter and Chef Jeff accommodated us. Our waiter even got us pasta from the other dining room. That was very nice of him. They deserved the very fat tip and a10 on the survey !!!

 

 It was a Vow Renewal at Santorini, our group leader asked for help to be led out at a certain time. From then on, she would come to our meeting area and help us with tendering.  

 

My grand is in between the  age cut off. We saw all the toys that were used and he was not interested. Maybe at the later dates it might have became better, but he did not have the patience. To give you an idea, at 7, he can do complicated LEGO for 15 year olds by himself. Maybe if they moved him, he would have enjoyed.

 

 We did Cafe Bacio as we had OBC to use. We also enjoyed their cookies and goodies.

 

Urgh, we missed the spa cafe😩

Love the idea of your Santorini vow renewal. We must plan to do something like that for our next big one. We did have Mark Lindsay (lead from Paul Revere and the Raiders, if anyone remembers them), do a small group vow renewal in Luminae on a Flower Power Cruise. It was very sweet as he sang a lovely love song to us while playing his guitar. We were all dressed in our hippie clothes and had cake and champagne. Very cool, but thinking of doing something special when we sail the Beyond. 🙂

 

Now that I have thought about it, we would have the same age-appropriate issue with one of ours - same age and also does adult Legos, was reviewing square roots with me at 5 and reading whole Harry Potter books at 6. He might not fit in age-wise with their activities, but hopefully would still find things to enjoy.

 

I now can see why the Le Grand Bistro Brunch was $45, if it was seafood - $30 PP would have been a steal! Too bad you couldn't do it. I will have to watch out for it on upcoming Edge and Apex cruises.  If you have pictures of any menus, it would be great, especially the LGB Seafood Buffet and the Lobster dinner. Also, if you have any pictures of regular MDR menus, that would be great (just one, as I am doing some comparing).

 

Hope your PEM (Post-Edge Melancholy) is easing....😉

Edited September 7, 2019 by vtcruising

[Jesseslola]

Wow, that was romantic❤️❤️,

 

Originally, they booked a renewal on the Edge. It was expensive considering there is no “private” dinner area. She booked the magic carpet but did not get it. So she hired a wedding coordinator from Santorini. Beautiful, overlooking the blue seas and the lunch was amazing! I don’t know how much she spent (apparently Santorini is so expensive ) but looking at the photographers pictures, it was worth it.

 

Ha, ha, I don’t think my PEM will ease, just this morning, I was crying for my cafe latte and pastry..

 

I will continue to follow you, VT, until I recover. Although our group is not going back to celebrity, I have not closed myself to the idea.

 

As far as pictures are concerned, I need to wait for everybody’s  pictures to be posted in our server. Don’t know when as everybody is back to life!

[vtcruising]

3 minutes ago, Jesseslola said:

I will continue to follow you, VT, until I recover. Although our group is not going back to celebrity, I have not closed myself to the idea.

Sounds like you may need to sneak away for an Edge or Apex cruise without the family (they need never know). 😉

Edited September 7, 2019 by vtcruising

[Jesseslola]

Ha ha, we are all attached and hard to separate.. we’ll see.

 

It is my first Saturday after coming back, I should be doing housework, but I am posting.. what does it tell you? Lol🥴 (that’s my I miss you Edge look)

 

[Presto2]

4 hours ago, Jesseslola said:

Hi Presto2, I was hoping to meet you on board. I hope you did not encounter a big noisy oriental group. No, we do not speak our native language, most of this kids were born and raised in Canada. But we laughed a lot. We were the ones with the coordinated outfits all the time.. white, chic, Hawaiian, living on the Edge t-shirts, Raptors, etc

 

What dining room did you frequent?

 

 

We can remember seeing folk with those t-shirts - not sure if it was you though :-) We saw some big, noisy UK and UK groups but no oriental groups so must have missed you ;-)

We ate at the FCS, the buffet twice (when we were worn out), LPC and all of the 4 different dining areas.

We had a wonderful time and a week later we still can not believe just how wonderful that cruise was - one to remember forever for all of the right reasons.

(I still miss Mr Edge …)

[Presto2]

3 hours ago, Jesseslola said:

As far as pictures are concerned, I need to wait for everybody’s  pictures to be posted in our server. Don’t know when as everybody is back to life!

 

Know the feeling - we have hit the floor running. Have loads to post on the Edge cabin info thread and some photos. Will get round to it when things calm down and we have downloaded them all from the camera and phone !

[Lastdance]

You and your large group sound just like my cousin, Kathy.  The bigger the group the better; they have done both Adriatic and Alaskan cruises, but with Princess.  My DH and I were unable to attend due to work, but the group loved it!  

 

Glad that overall you you enjoyed Edge.  My DH and I loved the Edge and all its funky places onboard.  We enjoy quieter venues and doing excursions mostly by ourselves or in small groups.  The Edge was a good fit for us and our four friends.  I am booked with three friends leaving from Rome next May.  This will be my first cruise without my DH...

 

Thanks so so much for your balanced review.

[hcat]

Vow renewal on Santorini...wow! 

 

Our 3 yr old gs is very bright..smartest in his class but often  poorly behaved ..!  Love  him to pieces.

 

Enjoy your family cruising...very special.