Observations from the Poop deck

[K12Guy]

12 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

I agree 100%

Of course you would!

[morpheusofthesea]

Well, its Monday morning and am on this delightful balcony enjoying the 19 nautical miles per hour  Capt Kate is doing. Here are some more observations. First and foremost the tongs have disappeared from the bread kiosk and there is a server present. Though we eat all our meals in the Luminae, except for port days when it is generally closed, we like to walk through the Oceanview Cafe (buffet). We stopped to wash our hands, just on principle and just so anyone watching doesn't get all 'bent out of shape'. The staff is so talkative and appreciative. I walk all over the buffet to see what I am missing by not eating there while DW talks away with the delightful staff. I found out why the service is so 'top notch' on the Edge. It is because everyone is seasoned, trained staff from other Celebrity Cruise ships. Celebrity took their best of the best that wanted to transfer to the Edge the opportunity. Alarge group was on the Equinox that are now on Edge. DW tells me her 'sources' told her that Celebrity uses the Equinox as the training center for new employees. Many employees have been 'invited' back but that many "are not ready to return to duty". One very prominent employee in this category is Martin the cruise director on the Equinox who in the meantime has become a father. So for the time being passengers traveling now at half capacity have the best of what cruising has to offer !

[gbphipps]

Is there a separate bag drop for suite passengers or did you drop the dw’s 8 bags off with all the others?  Thank you

[KKB]

12 hours ago, nocl said:

With the wrist band is it possible for someone to take it off and then put it back on without it looking any different or is the locking mechanism single use only?

 

If they are single use and prevent someone from taking it off and putting it back on than the reason for them using that type wrist band is to prevent people from temporarily swapping wrist bands.

I'm guessing those of us vaccinated aren't interested in sharing with anyone not vaccinated...

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

FYI, pastries in Bacio are free to all guests.

[morpheusofthesea]

32 minutes ago, gbphipps said:

Enjoy your cruise with perks reinstated.  That was a harsh way to start your cruise.

So far so good, but you never know until you get your final invoice.

[morpheusofthesea]

The ship is immaculate, everywhere. No discarded drink glasses in the hallways or stairs. No plastics. The bottled Evian water comes in liter glass bottles, the yogurt no longer comes in plastic cups. Its a new ship concept for the environment. At last nights dinner we noticed that at a table nearby, the lady's filet was a bit too rare for her, immediately 3 'dark jackets' swooped in and removed both his and her meals, explaining that 2 new courses are being expedited so they have their meals in tandem. The service is above and beyond in the Retreat. I sense the 'world' is really watching.

[morpheusofthesea]

Celebrity has this new "Always Included" program, which they placed inside the daily 'paper' planner found,still, every evening on your bed along with the 2 chocolates. Please notice that the Indulge Package for $60 per person per day is  included for all guests booked in the Retreat AT NO EXTRA CHARGE. The daily planner is also on the downloaded app, but we still appreciate the paper.

[morpheusofthesea]

33 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

FYI, pastries in Bacio are free to all guests.

This morning the 2 gentlemen ahead of us were asked for their room cards ?   The server typed their cabin number into his register. With ours he saw the color and that was it.  I am afraid to ask for fear of solidifying my already "cheapskate' persona on board.

[morpheusofthesea]

50 minutes ago, gbphipps said:

Is there a separate bag drop for suite passengers or did you drop the dw’s 8 bags off with all the others?  Thank you

Separate. When you pass by the security guard stationed in the middle of the road at terminal 25 and the bow of the ship, stay to the right and pull up to the blue signs at the curb "PRIORITY". The amazing porter yelled at me not to touch my bags, that my vacation has started and she will handle the luggage. We did not have any luggage tags which she had an abundance dripping from her pocket.

[gbphipps]

Just now, morpheusofthesea said:

Separate. When you pass by the security guard stationed in the middle of the road at terminal 25 and the bow of the ship, stay to the right and pull up to the blue signs at the curb "PRIORITY". The amazing porter yelled at me not to touch my bags, that my vacation has started and she will handle the luggage. We did not have any luggage tags which she had an abundance dripping from her pocket.

Thank you for the helpful info!  We will be sure to go to the Priority sign.

[miched]

40 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:I found out why the service is so 'top notch' on the Edge. It is because everyone is seasoned, trained staff from other Celebrity Cruise ships. Celebrity took their best of the best that wanted to transfer to the Edge the opportunity. Alarge group was on the Equinox that are now on Edge. DW tells me her 'sources' told her that Celebrity uses the Equinox as the training center for new employees. Many employees have been 'invited' back but that many "are not ready to return to duty". One very prominent employee in this category is Martin the cruise director on the Equinox who in the meantime has become a father. So for the time being passengers traveling now at half capacity have the best of what cruising has to offer !

We were on the Edge in 2019.   We talked to some employees that said it was their first time ever working on a cruise ship.  Some were BTs and others were servers.  
 

On ships other than the Edge class passengers also think that AQ and above get the best of the best.   Not always true .   We had one cabin AQ attendant that was very new. It was also her first time on a ship.   We had basically tell her everything that should have been in our cabin.  
 

Another time we had a terrible server in Blu.  He would get orders mixed up between tables, and just forget about the diners.   The whole area that he was serving got very bad service.  Everyone in the area asked to see the manager.   We told him our issues.   He said the server was a new hire and he would address it.   He had another server take care of us and we didn’t see that server again.  

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[mk960072]

On 7/4/2021 at 11:54 AM, morpheusofthesea said:

Presently on board the Celebrity Edge for its second US sailing from Port Everglades, Florida. Most everything is back to normal. No testing at the port for the vaccinated. No temperature checks. No social distancing. Though sailing about 50% capacity people crowded together, sitting at bars and theatre. Luminae is open for lunch even though we are in port, Nassau. Shops are still closed from what I can see from balcony. Menus in Luminea are the hard leather bound ones we all have experienced pre-covid. Ocean View Cafe, the buffet is mostly served stations, with a series of hand washing sinks before entering. The first stall were rolls and bread which I noticed no staff server and the once ubiquitous and infamous self-serve tongs. No shady lounges on the Retreat Sun deck. The only shady cabanas for rent are sofas and tables, no lounges and no view of the ocean, and not much privacy. No Lawn Club Alcoves. Fabulous reports last week of this Edge's sailing piqued our curiosity and we found a cancellation in the Retreat CS category 48 hours before sailing. Though we were assigned a very late boarding time an hour before sailing, we discovered when we got to the Port Everglades entrance the security passed us through with a quick look at our passports and vaccination cards. There was a long line formed outside terminal 25 to get into the terminal. Retreat guests still have their priority entrance and did not have to wait in any line. We were on in 15 minutes. It took an extra minute each to attach wrist ribbons that do not contact trace only distinguishes a vaccinated from the unvacs. We all wore face masks beginning at the entry to the port and mid way up the gangway a masked officer stop us and proclaimed we no longer needed to wear masks from this point on. In spite of our late assigned boarding time of 4:30 we were able to make lunch, as normal, in the Luminae embarkation day. Again, The Retreat has its advantages. We were able to get on board and go directly to our cabin to drop off carry-ons and pick up our key cards outside the cabin.

so no cabanas or shady loungers in the Retreat area? 

 

[nocl]

2 hours ago, KKB said:

I'm guessing those of us vaccinated aren't interested in sharing with anyone not vaccinated...

if there were some members of the same party that were not vaccinated they might be tempted to trade for specific activities.

[morpheusofthesea]

2 hours ago, miched said:

We were on the Edge in 2019.   We talked to some employees that said it was their first time ever working on a cruise ship.  Some were BTs and others were servers.  

I think you will find a "Brave New World" post covid on board the Celebrity Edge. We have been completely 'taken' with this ship in only 24 hours. Yes it is our first time on the Edge and like everyone else in this cruising world, booked and cancelled on everything else. Since we only live 1/2 hours drive from Port Everglades we took advantage of a Retreat opening on line 48 hours prior to sailing. We are happy we did. It appears we cannot take full advantage of the promotions for future booking on board without first cancelling already booked Celebrity cruises (booked through to April 2023). Firstly because this past 15 months our TA has been through too much already with all the cancelled trips and secondly because we do not want to have a chance we lose the specific cabins we already booked on the other Celebrity ships. This shut down of cruising has made a lot of changes I suspect from our cruising days prior to covid. Of course, everything I am observing is coming from staff on board today. These appear to be the 'creme de la creme' of dedicated Celebrity personnel.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

3 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

This morning the 2 gentlemen ahead of us were asked for their room cards ?   The server typed their cabin number into his register. With ours he saw the color and that was it.  I am afraid to ask for fear of solidifying my already "cheapskate' persona on board.

 

The pastries have always been free.  Perhaps the gentlemen in front of you were also having coffee.  There is a charge for coffee.

[graphicguy]

@morpheusofthesea

 

Thanks so much for bringing us along.  Sounds like your expectations are being exceeded.  That's always good to hear.  Excited to read about the rest.

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, mk960072 said:

so no cabanas or shady loungers in the Retreat area? 

 

No. But I am so happy with my balcony, I will make my cabin my "Retreat". My butler came into my cabin while I was out on the balcony typing my observations. She tapped ever so lightly on the closed sliding glass door (I knew immediately it was not DW) and asked me if there was anything I wanted. The only thing that popped into my mind was if the Edge had any of the delicious scones that Celebrity's Michael's Club use to offer at tea time. She said that they still offer those scones at 3:30 tea time in the Retreat Lounge. She said she will bring them by to the cabin for me. I couldn't say no, I'll go to the Retreat lounge like everyone else at 3:30. I just had to give her something to do for me. Sometimes one just has to 'bite the bullet' and just let people go out of their way for you. (That is why I bring extra cash$$$ for the end of the cruise even if I have prepaid gratuities).

[morpheusofthesea]

4 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

The pastries have always been free.  Perhaps the gentlemen in front of you were also having coffee.  There is a charge for coffee.

Perhaps you are correct. I went to Bacio and asked. All the attendant wanted to see was my card. I said I know my card is everything included, free. I just want to know about all the other passengers. He said it all depends on your beverage package, let me see your card. I said my card is not important to my question. I just want to know if everything (I pointed to the pastries) is free for everybody? He garbled under his facemask that there was a charge. I will ask my butler when she brings me my scones this afternoon. But you may be correct, those gentlemen did get drinks.

[morpheusofthesea]

Even the ubiquitous golden yellow redtide is a delight to see once again.

[KKB]

4 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Perhaps you are correct. I went to Bacio and asked. All the attendant wanted to see was my card. I said I know my card is everything included, free. I just want to know about all the other passengers. He said it all depends on your beverage package, let me see your card. I said my card is not important to my question. I just want to know if everything (I pointed to the pastries) is free for everybody? He garbled under his facemask that there was a charge. I will ask my butler when she brings me my scones this afternoon. But you may be correct, those gentlemen did get drinks.

Pastries at Bacio are free.

Coffees cost if don't have a premium drink package (or are in a suite😉)

[Fouremco]

32 minutes ago, KKB said:

Pastries at Bacio are free.

Coffees cost if don't have a premium drink package (or are in a suite😉)

A Classic Beverage Package also gets you free specialty coffee.

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/content/dam/celebrity/pdf/05_07_SP_Beverage-Package-Flyer_051721.pdf

[Miaminice]

49 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Perhaps you are correct. I went to Bacio and asked. All the attendant wanted to see was my card. I said I know my card is everything included, free. I just want to know about all the other passengers. He said it all depends on your beverage package, let me see your card. I said my card is not important to my question. I just want to know if everything (I pointed to the pastries) is free for everybody? He garbled under his facemask that there was a charge. I will ask my butler when she brings me my scones this afternoon. But you may be correct, those gentlemen did get drinks.

His answer is correct in regards of coffee. Depending on sour package it can be free or not.

 

Pastries are free for all regardless of package and stateroom type.

 

[morpheusofthesea]

42 minutes ago, KKB said:

Pastries at Bacio are free.

Coffees cost if don't have a premium drink package (or are in a suite😉)

Yes, just finished our scones and asked our butler to clarify. All pastries at any coffee location (did not know there was more than Bacio coffee) are free for everyone regardless of drink package. The scones have been approved upon as well on Edge, they are bite size now.

[C-Dragons]

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said:

. This shut down of cruising has made a lot of changes I suspect from our cruising days prior to covid. Of course, everything I am observing is coming from staff on board today. These appear to be the 'creme de la creme' of dedicated Celebrity personnel.

Your observation is correct. The Edge, and now the Apex too, do have the best staff.