Marleycruiser

I agree but unfortunately we are pegged to kids school schedules. 

A few other random thoughts:

1) Early Dining - Moved from 5:30PM to 5PM. While it may not seem like a big deal to some, that extra half hour is killer in terms of getting a family ready for 5PM. There was also no explanation as to why the change.

2) Parking - Has gone up quite a bit. I want to say we paid $150 for the week at the Bayonne Parking Lot but that has not only gone up to $210, but they make you pay at the END of the cruise as opposed to the BEGINING of the cruise like last year. This makes 0 sense and just adds to the lines when leaving the ship. 

Early seating 5PM (which stunk compared to 5:30) and late seating was 7:30. MTD starts at 645PM and I was on the Oasis last week. 

1 hour ago, Doc2725 said:

Did they deliver a paper copy of the Cruise Compass in your room each day? If not, did you request a paper copy? 

They did not deliver a cruise compass each day and we did not ask for it as it was quite easy on the app.

@GetToLivin my thoughts exactly. Like I said for us as a family of four we can only go away based on our school schedule. We have been looking for next year and it looks like we will be doing a land based all inclusive vacation as it is just a far better value. 

I agree @Mum2Mercury.

At some point they are going to lose clientele and are losing sight of what made them successful in the first place. Good food, drinks, and entertainment at a reasonable price point.

Hope I am wrong as a rcl stock owner!

Lastly, I almost didn’t post this mini review as I really didn’t want to get roasted for some of the negative, but true comments. It is reassuring to hear others experience similar instances and perhaps rcl could address some of these issues.

We just got off the Oasis this morning and had a great trip. I will outline my thoughts below and we did the identical ship/itinerary a year ago almost to the day so I will provide commentary on a few different categories. Feel free to ask any questions:

Pro's

1) Internet - We do VROOM and wow is all I can say. While expensive for our family of  ($400ish for the week) it was well worth it in my opinion. The adults and kiddos had relaxing time before bed and all I can say was this was a HUGE improvement over last year. Not one device got kicked out and we never lagged one bit. Thank you Elon Musk.

2) Staff - From our room steward to bartenders, all of the staff we encountered were great. We had IMADE in the main dining room and in the 20 years of cruising I can say he was simply the best waiter we have ever had. He was attentive, and carried his assistant waiter all week. Also another special shout out to Christopher at the Central Park Bar who was an absolute blast and best bartender on the ship. I would say this staff was better than the staff we had last year on the ship. 

3) Ship - While she is definitely getting a bit weathered (room furniture beat up pretty bad, carpets run down in high traffic areas), the crew were constantly maintaining her. It is a work horse of a ship with little to no breaks, but the outside rust in certain areas of the ship is starting to show but this did not detract one bit from our experience. 

4) Cleanliness - This was something we saw throughout the trip. Staff always cleaning up after people's messes, proactively cleaning glass and high traffic areas, making all people wash hands before eating. Was really great and we could truly see how clean the ship.

5) Entertainment - RCL I believe does this the best out of any cruise line. The Aqua Theatre show we saw again and it was performed to perfection. Better than last time we saw it a year ago and same thing with Frozen in Time. The performers were great. I also spent a ton of time on the boardwalk going for carasal rides with the kids.

Cons

1) Drink Package - My wife and I got the package and we won't be doing it again. 1) Far too expensive for us to really "get our money's worth" and (ii) the wine selection that came with the package was nothing short of pathetic. One Cab, One Merlot -THATS IT. My wife ordered Cunundrum every night which was a $3 upcharge and I find it unacceptable for us to pay nearly $1500 for the week and still have to be charged $3 a glass for a $20 bottle. This was not the case last year as there were a few more selections but this is clearly an area that has been impacted by cutbacks.

2) CocoCay - First, love the island. A ton to do and lots of free activities to do as a family; however, we went into the bathrooms near Chill Island and it was worst than a NYC PortaJohn. I asked my wife how the women's bathroom was and she said the same. It was gross and an easy fix for RCL to address.

3) Food/Staff & Dining Cutbacks - Lots of talk about room steward snot coming twice a day and while it was a let down, it wasn't a big deal for us, especially after seeing how spread so thin these guys are (housekeeping). We also saw how spread thin the Main Dining Room was, it was very noticeable and it detracted from the overall experience. We also did not like the cutbacks in the Main Dining Room food. An example is how we use to be able to order shrimp cocktail and French onion soup every night but was no longer the case. We also noticed the food has gone downhill from a year ago. Not sure if this is due to staffing but a lack of a warm meal all week combined with undercooked/overcooked proteins was very obvious.

4) Nick and Diming - This really annoyed me. RCL do you really need to charge $2.50 for popcorn for kids that was mediocre at best? How about Hibachi and the steak house we were considering until we realized pricing. RCL wanted to charge $66/person INCLUDING kids for a Hibachi dinner. This is way more expensive than on land and on land I did not already pay for a cruise and thought it was egregious. Same goes for the steakhouse and our tablemates mentioned Chopt was not good and actually said Park150 was a far better steak and experience. 

In summary, we had a great time as a family. We believe this vacation was a great value for our family of 4 for two ocean view balconies which spent nearly $4500 just for the cruise (plus the drink package and internet so totaled $6200). We were quoted for next year on the Symphony for the same two cabins at $7200. That doesn't include the drink package or the internet package which would be $9K. RCL is positioning themselves as a luxury vacation destination but it is simply not. At that price point I will gladly get on a plane with the family and stay at a resort on an island for a comparable price point. People continue to pay these prices while RCL continue to cut back and that is their decision to do so. 

In conclusion, we will sail RCL but at a certain price point. The convenience of leaving from your own backyard is appealing, but only at a certain price point.

Happy to answer any questions. 

Thank you very much, as I did not know how to do this.

We are doing an oasis trip in July and I was trying to book specialty dining but I am unsure of all the menus for each night. Specifically, we are trying to figure out if Caribbean night is on day three (Sunday).

anybhelp would be appreciated 

I can't stand RCL "sales"..... It is just so deceptive. I just checked for our Oasis sailing and it continues to be what it has been at $75.99 pp/d. Too rich for my blood. 

We will be boarding the Oasis of the Seas in a couple of weeks and have an 11AM check in time. We are a family of 4 and our 2 year old son is not fully vaccinated. I was hoping someone could shed some light on how the testing of children is within the Bayonne Cruise Terminal. I celebrating the 4th when our neighbors, who had gone on the Oasis last month, said they heard some pretty negative things when speaking to fellow passengers (3+ hour wait). I just wanted to mentally prepare myself if that is the case.

Lastly, I am a goody two shoes when it comes to following directions, but I was not going to show up earlier than my 11AM check in. Given I have a child that needs to be tested the day of, should I rethink that strategy?

Thank you all in advance. 

10 hours ago, JessyCruises said:

This is what they have in casino bar.  I will try to get pics at a few different bars.

 

is that the Jose Cuervo you were looking for?

 

 

 

Thank you so much - exactly what I was looking for and enjoying the cruise!

Great review and thank you for taking the time to post. We will be getting on in a month or so, and was wondering if the bar serves Jose Cuervo Gold? It is not listed on the drink package sheet  but I have had a friend who thinks they serve it. Much appreciated if you can confirm or let me know what kind of Tequila's they have "in stock."

5 minutes ago, bhwestgrove said:

Thanks for the honest review Marleycruiser. We’re in a CS in March, and are still hopeful that we’ll enjoy our cruise. Quick question-did they offer Dinner on the Edge separate from the Raw on Five experience? Earlier on there was discussion that there would be one night where the MC would offer a unique menu. Do you know if that happened? If so, any idea on the cost or the menu options? It doesn’t appear to be something that’s able to be booked in advance. Also, any feedback on the ports? We’ll also be on the Eastern itinerary. Thank you in advance!

@bhwestgrove - If there was a special dinner offer, we did not see it.

@ipeeinthepool the answer is simple. Everyone has different tastes and just because I did not like this ship very much, doesn't mean you won't like it. Let me ask you this, why would you pay one price for a Celebrity cruise and 3-4X the price of a Celebrity cruise if you chose Seabourn or Crystal cruise? For the most part you are still cruising a similar itinerary, but paying a much higher price. Why? Different strokes for different folks. 

When the Norwegian Breakaway came to NY, we sailed on her within 6 months of her arriving in NY. Again, we thought the ship design was very poor, and people flow combined with shotty service was something we did not want to do ever again, but why was she sold out the last time we were docked next to her in Bermuda? Again, different strokes for different folks. 

VTcruising answered the bathroom questions and should have been another negative in the ship design. If I recall correctly, Luminae on the Summit was perfectly placed, with a mens and woman room right outside the bathroom with one on each side of the ship (I think the woman was next to Luminae while Mens was next to the MDR entrance).

Agreed staffing did not make sense on Celebrity's flagship ship but it is very evident. 

I think everyone should try her as there are always different strokes for different folks, but there were many people complaining about this ship, more so than I remember on any of my past Celebrity cruises.

Wife is sleeping, and as I sit here on my balcony I think we are glad we tried the Edge, but will stick with M and S class ships, particularly since we can likely spend 3 seven night cruises in a suite for the price of 1 Edge cruise.

Again, this will likely be less of an issue, as I truly feel the ergonomics of supply and demand will prevail and in a years time, pricing will be VERY different. 

Well as I sit here heading back to Fort Lauderdale (somewhere between the Bahamas and Fort Lauderdale) on our last night on the Celebrity Edge,  I thought I would give my brief review on our Eastern Caribbean itinerary. This will be brief and I will try and answer any questions any of you may have but here is my take:

Pro's

1) Ship Condition: We've never been on a brand new ship and its really nice where everything is brand new. 

2) Celebrity Pier in FLL - It is absolutely amazing and if you've ever been out of FLL on RCL, it is a more refined pier that truly remarkable and efficient.

3) Check In - Was a complete breeze. We arrived around noon and were onboard having our drink no more than 20 -25 minutes later. Very efficient.

4) Room - We were booked in a sky suite and this was a HUGE upgrade from our Celebrity Summit suite. I thought the rooms were really well thought out and space fully utilized. 

5) Entertainment - We thought the entertainment was quite good. Many more options than the Summit, but it felt like Celebrity is after a different (and possibly new cruiser) demographic. When I stepped on the Summit, she is more traditional cruising with a more refined experience. The Edge just felt very in your face with a constant push to sell anything from drink packages to photo packages, to specialty restaurants. It just felt very very tacky on Celebrity's part.

6) Weather- Really awesome and relatively smooth sailing on the high seas.

7) Food - Was very good throughout the ship. The buffet had all of the items one could ask for and dinner (all had in Luminae) was very good. 

Cons:

1) Luminae - The last trip we were on was the Celebrity Summit last summer and really enjoyed ourselves. I liked having the ability to order from Blue or from the Main Dining Room and that simply is no longer an option. This was a big let down for us. I would also like to further add that the wine selection on this sailing was quite poor. We paid for the upgraded drink package, but either wines in the UBP were "sold out" of what we asked or they upselled wine which left a poor taste in our mouths.  

2) Understaffed and overworked crew - There are some really hard working staff with amazing attitudes. These people are dedicated and complete tasks with a constant smile, but you could tell they were simply overworked. We got to know a few members (who will remain nameless) and they confirmed what we saw with our two eyes. Most of them told us it is chaos in the background, with some of them being called in for additional shifts because of staffing issues. The best way one put it was, "We need 6 months to figure out a groove of the ship. By the time the Apex comes out, we will have all of these issues sorted out." Made sense to me and shed lots of light on what we experienced, as we rarely saw anyone around the pool asking for drink orders. When I would get up to get a drink or two, I understood why (two bartenders with lots of patrons trying to get that same drink). I feel as though once the UBP came out, there really is no need/benefit for the cruise line to pump out more drinks. 

3) People Flow throughout the ship - Really poor, particularly at the Martini Bar which we LOVED on the Summit. The space here is just poorly utilized and really made the abr have no heart at all. When we were on the Summit, we got to know our bartenders well (on both Summit trips) prior to entering dinner, and then the casino after dinner. Here it just felt like a forced open bar put smack in the middle of the ship without any thought of people flow, and seating around the area. 

4) Ship Design - Ship is beautiful, but there just doesn't seem to be sincratic flow with people and activities. Things feel a bit cookie cutter and that adds to my point #3 above.  Not as tacky nor as bad, but it felt a bit like the Norwegian Breakaway, where the ship was big, but there was simply not enough open space to handle the volumes of people. Elevators were a perfect example of this, where there simply aren't anywhere near enough elevators given the amount of patrons. The Oasis of the Seas does a great job of people management, by having ample open spaces, split across neighborhood, and adequate elevators for that neighborhood. 

5) Bedding - Horrible! And there were no foam top covers either. I was ok with it, but my wife was not happy, as the mattress was very very firm. 

6) Value for the $ - To us, this was a one and done for the Edge class. Simply too much glitz and glam without thinking about functionality. Staffing issues can be fixed, but ship design cannot. We spent roughly 2.5X what we spent on the Summit last year, and I would bet the house on prices plunging not he Edge in the very near future. 

In summary, we had a good week on the Edge, as a week in the Caribbean is always better than a week at work; however, we did feel a bit disappointed given the amount of money spent for this trip. After tonight's dinner, my wife and I decided to come back to the room a bit earlier given we have an early start tomorrow am to FLL Airport. 

We were RCL snobs for a good 7-8 years, tried 2X CCL which wasn't for us, and then tried NCL 3X which was our least favorite, followed by Princess 4X which was nice but a bit too slow for us. We ended up trying Celebrity again 3 years ago and really fell for the brand. A big upgrade over a CCL/NCL, while enjoying the finer things in life without the glitz and glam. It seems as though Celebrity is taking a different direction with this new family of ships, and if that's the direction they will sail, we will either avoid this class of ships altogether or avoid Celebrity altogether if they implement many of the "Edge" upgrades into their older ships (like the Summit which is due for dry dock).

Happy to answer any questions, and I tried to provide an unbiased review to the best of my ability.

We really wanted Celebrity to hit one out of the park with the Edge, but this was simply a let down. I think if prices were more in line with S class ships, the fall would not be as bad, but if given the choice between an S or even M class ship, I would chose them before the Edge. 

I did not but there was a White Party the second night we were in Bermuda on the top deck which was fun.

We received Helipad invitations initially when leaving NJ but due to inclement weather it was cancelled.

Then again arriving into Bermuda (but far too early for us) and then when leaving Bermuda.

LisaLeone - can you comment on the wine selection. Did you also notice only ‘two’ red wine choices within the Premium Beverage Package? Thank you.

 

 

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There were more than two red wines on hand to offer if you had the premium package, the problem was alot of the selection was "sold out" and were not available for consumption because supplies had not been replenished. An example of this was with Caymus, where they did not have the $75 bottle but did have the "special anniversary" $200 bottle (which we politely declined).

Let me see if I can answer some of the questions posed:

1) Parking was an absolute breeze at Cape Liberty. We drove up around 1030/11AM, dropped our bags off and parked in the parking lot across from where the ship is (not in the parking deck) which we really enjoyed when leaving the ship (it was a complete breeze).

2) No server recommendations, as our server was great. Did not hear or see any complaints either.

Thanks

Thanks for the review. But I am very disappointed about the butler because we are booked in the wheelchair accessible suite next door. :eek: Do you know if there is any chance that she did not have that suite too? I know there is a cut off of cabins where one butler serves and the next one takes over. If not, I'm hoping that her contract will be up by the time of our cruise. :evilsmile:

 

While I knew from the deck plans that the cabin was below the ping pong tables, I didn't realize that smoking was allowed up there. Did you smell any smoke on your balcony or in your room?

 

Could you please tell me more about Elbow beach? Was there any beach wheelchairs there or a boardwalk out to the water and/or down the beach?

 

Also, did Luminae serve lunch on Bermuda departure day (Friday)? And by any chance do you have copies of the dailies?

She did have that suite and I have no idea when her contract is up.

Like I said, she only came around for an additional tip and a 10 rating reminder.

We were in the room next door last year and absolutely loved it. Honestly, I would not sweat the Butler, as I find it a waste. We had canapes last year but none this year (not sure if this was a Celebrity cut back or if it was due to a terrible butler). If she had been good, I would have asked for a shoe shine (in addition to the ice) and she would have gotten a nice tip, but instead she got nothing more than the tips alotted by Celebrity.

With regards to Ping Pong, never heard anything from above (now two years in a row), and never smelled smoke EVER. My wife has a big allergy to smoke and she is quite sensitive. The fact there is no smoking in the cabins is a huge plus.

There was no lunch in Luminae on Friday (day we left Bermuda), and no wheelchairs at Elbow Beach Club (although they could have had them hidden), but definitely no boardwalk leading to the beach, only parallel to the resort.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Handicap accesible. I absolutely loved the cabin location as it is one floor below the buffet/bar.

Many are concerned with common space above, but we heard no noise as the cabin is located above the ping pong table/smoker section.

Hope that helps.

9121....

Did Elbow Beach on our own and it was pricey.

Cab to Elbow Beach was 60 with tip (the guy at the pier told us it would be 40).

Once there, we went to Elbow Beach Hotel (look for Navy blue umbrella's) and rented two chairs and an umbrella for $100. The place itself is really nice, clean, and there were very few people there. To us, it was worth it as they had both indoor and outdoor showers.One thing to note, is they made everyone buy a chair (so in my brother in laws instance he had to spend $150).

We then had lunch and for the 5 of us came out to mid $200's for a sandwich and a drink.

On the way back to the ship, we went to the center of town where the cab ride was only $20 + a ferry ride ticket back to the ship. We calculated it to be slightly cheaper but we had to wait for the ferry to arrive, offload, and onload.

Ship entertainment/music was not good. There was no calypso music near the pool and I wish Celebrity stepped up their game on entertainment in general which was lacking. The flip side to that argument is there was only one shipwide announcement per day compared to other cruise lines that are constantly trying to push Bingo etc...

Just returned from the Celebrity Summit cruise to Bermuda and had a good time. It was myself and wife in one room, and my brother in law and his wife/child (17) in another room. While I won't do a full review, I will give you some thoughts on our trip as I always thoroughly enjoyed when others reported back. If you have any specific questions, I will be more than happy to answer. Here is my take:

Positives

Pier Check In - As usual, pier check in was an absolute breeze and we were on the sip within 15 minutes of going through security and checking in for our SeaPass cards.

Suite Experience - We have mixed thoughts about doing a suite again but there are really nice perks by being in a suite such as, express check in/check out (which was a huge bonus when getting back to NJ), Michael's Club (always nice to just get away from the masses), and Luminae were definitely a highlight of our cruise where the food and service were top notch.

Michael's Club Staff- Anastasia and the other bartender from Eastern Europe were top notch. Anastasia was a huge upgrade from the previous host we had on the same sailing/ship nearly a year ago. Anastasia was engaging, helpful, and it was the little things that really made her shine. An example of this would be when we first got on the ship and how she took the time to set us up with internet. Another example is how we chartered a boat in Bermuda to go Marlin Fishing and reached out to Bermuda while on the ship to make sure things all went smoothly. The other bartender was FANTASTIC, remembered our name and our drink order by day 2. Truly remarkable.

Luminae Host- He is from Eastern Europe and was absolutely fantastic. He led by example, ensured things went smooth for the dining room, and when things got busy, you saw him clearing plates and a true team player.

Service - I would say the service overall was fantastic. This is a smaller ship (one of the smallest we have ever sailed on), but there is a certain vibe of the crew that make this work. Practically everyone on the ship always greets you with a smile and this is one of the few ships that you actually feel like the workers are actually happy.

Food: The food in the buffet was great. There was a great amount of variety and always something to please everyone. I also think the grill in the stern of the ship on deck 10 was AMAZING. You can have a cooked to order steak, pork chop, or salmon cooked ot order and then eat it 20 feet away while watching the wake of the ship with a drink in hand.

Martini Bar - This was a huge hit on the ship this year and last year. Poput is a great bartender, who not only makes great drinks, but gets to know his clientale. By day 2 he had our drink orders ready, and was just a great pre and post dinner bar to have a cocktail.

Bermuda: We love Bermuda and have done it now 4X. We decided to go to Elbow Beach and it was nothing short of breath taking. We really loved the fact there were absolutely no crowds (contrary to Horshoe Bay). We loved the fact the ship docked here for 2.5 days.

Ship Design: I never really felt crammed on the ship and we thought the Summit really handles traffic well. We spoke to multiple people who were on the NCL Escape and all had very nasty things to say about their cruise. Most of the issues all dealt with the fact there were too many people. I was on the NCL Breakway a few years ago, and it was by far the worst cruise ship we have ever been on, but not because of too many people, but because of poor ship design. We have been on the Oasis and Allure of the Seas and there are far more people that are on these ships, and never once did it feel crowded. The NCL Escape/Breakaway are terrible in design and I will not sail them unless I am in the Heavan.

Negatives

Wine Selection - We had the UBP and were really dissapointed with the wine selection this cruise. There were only two red wines (yes I counted) that we were able to select that were either in stock or within our $15 per glass alottment.

Sommelier in Luminae - Or shall I say experienced waitor. This individual is not a sommelier but claimed to be one. Last year we had Maggy, who was an absolute delight and a highlight of our cruise. She always paired our meal, made helpful selections which expanded our pallets, and was nothing short of fantastic. This go around, our sommelier was not well trained, asked if we wanted red or white, and was nothing more than a waitor. We did not make mention of it to anyone as we just went with the flow but we believe Celebrity's cut back in wine selection coupled with little to no training is the result we obtained.

Butler - We never met our Butler until day 5 of the cruise (yes day 5). She was absolutely the worst Butler (Tatyana) we have ever experienced on any cruise line. My wife met her while entering the room and she introduced herself to her while I was in the shower. About 30 minutes later, we were having a drink in Michaels when my wife told me that was our butler. Thinking she owuld introduce herself, she never did until the night before we arrived in NJ and her asking me how it is important she gets a 10 for service and to please fill out the survey. I responded with, "Do you really want me to fill out that survery card?" I think she realized I wasn't quite happy, she smiled and walked away. Our Room Steward on the other hand, was fantastic (Fransico). We really don't ask for much, other than ice around 6PM. The second night there was no ice, and I saw Fransico who said he told Tatyana but then said "I will take care of it myself." I tipped him early on in the cruise, and after the cruise as he was great. Tatyana on the other hand was horrendous.

Understaffed - Last year we saw multiple people roaming the decks asking for drink orders etc. This year it was a complete ghost town. We would see one of the bartenders rotate and make 3 rounds per day with their drink cart and that was it. We know this because we sat near the bar. I guess with all the drink packages bought, there is little incentive for the cruise line to push more product on patrons which have already paid.

Deck Police (Or lack there of) - Chair hogs were in full swing and Celebrity really needs to do a better at montioring this. In the solarium there were guests that would leave personal belongings for hours at a time without any reprucssions. Others we saw take multiple seats in the solorium and then take a second set of seats in the sun out on the pool deck. Given there was no deck enforcement, there did this multiple days.

Ship Condition - While in most public areas the ship looked fine, she is looking very tired. There was rust all throughout our balcony, on the outside of the ship, and in our bathroom there was a mold issue. In the buffet area there were chairs which should have been thrown away, and the bedding/mattresses have seen better days. She is up for refurbishment in March of 2019 where she will undergo a major renovation. I spoke with the captain about this and he said they were going to add at close to 50 suites and redo Michaels and Luminae.

In conclusion, we had a good time on the Celebrity Summit. While not as good as last year, we thought it was a solid 7 out of 10 stars. We think we will take a break from the Summit as the value for us simple isn't there. We were charged a 5 star price with our Suite while receiving 3.5 star service. If there was another ship (Solstice Class) that would come to Bermuda, I would give it a shot for the sheer reason we love BErmuda and enjoy Celebrity, unfortunately, the Captain confirm the Summit will not be going anywhere until at least 2020.

Hope this helps, as I tried to give an honest review of the Summit.

we are sailing the celebrity summit and we’re just told there isn’t a waiver parents can fill out for a 18 year old to drink a beer or glass of wine.... is this true?

We are on celebrity summit out of Bayonne to Bermuda.

Thank you

I am scheduled to go on the celebrity summit tomorrow out of Bayonne, does anyone remember what time they start boarding (I believe it is around 1030).

Also- anyone traveling tomorrow please be aware that the Bayonne bridge is closed.