Seapoint

I appreciate the analysis by the engineers. To give you more information, the loud banging noise at the beginning of the video was the real problem. It constantly made that noise as the ship rolled. There were other, much more muted noises as well, as you hear later in the video.

The noise did not come from the infinite verandah, nor did it seem to come from the ceiling. It was coming from behind the cabin wall, far back in the cabin, next to the wall for the bathroom. However, the noise was not as loud in the bathroom, and my impression was it was coming from behind the cabin wall, about 6 ft up from the floor. That is where it was loudest.

Just got off the Beyond. In every respect one of the very best of my 24 Celebrity cruises, except the nights when the sea was frisky and there was a very loud, repeated banging noise. I was in a solo infinite verandah on 6 on the starboard side .. Only happened in rough seas. Seemed to come from the area where the cabin adjoined the bathroom. Sleepless night.

I went to guest relations, and they indicated I was not alone in having this issue. They took a very full report....I even played them an audio of the noise,(attached) and to their credit I received several follow up calls.  As we then had smoother seas, I dont know if they really fixed the problem.

How about CELEBRITY OPUS.

I was not sure what to expect at Eden.

On my Edge cruise in December, it seemed a very quiet, underused space.

I did not experience any of the way out performances I had read about, just some quiet live music at night. I wonder if my cruise was not typical, or if Celebrity have rethought how to use Eden.

It was as under utilized and empty as the Sky lounge on Solstice class.

One important thing I did not mention was The Club on Edge. This was a very popular, well attended vibrant  space. It was like a sophisticated club which hosted game shows, events, discos, live performances etc.  Think of it as a combination of Quasar and Celebrity Central on Solstice class, but taken to the next level.

I agree the Martini Bar on Solstice class seems to have a lot more atmosphere than the one on Edge, even though on Edge it is in the central hub of the ship. Maybe it lost some intimacy.

Ironically, the design philosophy of Edge is to be more sea facing

Went twice on Edge in December. first time was just ok, second time was disappointing. Ribeye was below average.

On the other hand, Eden was one of the best restaurants ever experienced, on land or sea!

In December I did a cruise on Edge, and in February on Equinox. I have done about 24 cruises on Celebrity.

Both were great cruises on magnificent, well maintained, contemporary, clean ships. Each was great in its own way. These cruises so close together it gave me the opportunity to do some comparisons. I will focus on a few key aspects of my experience.

CABINS

Hands down the cabin (infinite verandah) on Edge was far superior to the refurbished Concierge cabin (balcony) on Equinox.

I know the Infinite verandah has been controversial, but I loved it.

It added space, made the cabin bright and open, and brought the sea closer. It was like a sun terrace.

The bathroom on Edge was much bigger, and really beautiful. Another big difference was the amount of well designed storage space on Edge compared to Equinox. I also liked that you could remotely change the mood lighting in the cabin.

DINING - MDR

I far preferred the MDR on Edge, where they have four smaller restaurants (Italian, French, Greek, American)

Each has three dedicated starters, and three dedicated entrees, in addition to the general menu, plus the regular classics.

On Equinox, the menus had less choices, as the dedicated starters and entrees were not offered. The quality of food also seemed better on Edge.

The ambiance, service and food in the four MDRs on Edge were more like a speciality restaurant experience, compared to the mass MDR on Equinox.

DINING - SPECIALITY.

Murano on Equinox was outstanding. We went there three times.

Eden on Edge was beyond outstanding. We went twice.

Tuscan Grill on Equinox was good.

Fine Cut on Edge was disappointing.

RESORT DECK - POOLS

This area is important to me, as on sea days I like to spend the whole day at the pool.

The main pool deck on Edge is beautiful, with a massive 75 ft pool.

The main pool deck on Equinox is also beautiful, but the pools are very small.

However, the big concern with Edge is the minimal amount of shade on the pool deck.

It is hard to fathom how the same management who approved the resort deck design on the Solstice class, with its abundant shade, approved the design on Edge.

On Solstice class, they went out of their way to provide a lot of shade. By my estimate, there are 200 loungers in the shade from the deck above, and shade was even provided for the loungers outside the Solarium, and on the deck above the pool deck.

By contrast, on Edge there is really no shade under the high and narrow jogging path on the port side. There were 16 loungers in the shade on the port side near the entrance to the Solarium. On the Starboard side, there are a similar number of loungers in the shade near the entrance to Oceanview Cafe. While there is an overhanging deck on the starboard side, the shaded space underneath is exclusively used for the for-fee cabanas. On my cruise, those cabanas were never occupied. So the very limited shade space is wasted. I really urge Celebrity to give up the minimal revenue from the cabanas and use that shaded space for loungers. The danger of cancer from over exposure to the sun has been well documented.

OTHER

The Solariums on both are similar and beautiful spaces.

Entertainment was similar on both ships

The Oceanview cafes were equal.

Net, I enjoyed both but preferred the Edge, with the huge caveat about the minimal shade at the pool.

Did Eden twice on the Edge.

Over 25 celebrity cruises, and this was by far the best speciality dining experience!

Food, menu, service, ambiance all first class.

While this was my first cruise on the Edge class, I have done over 40 cruises, about half on Celebrity, and I would rate it one of the best!

The use of TECHNOLOGY was evident everywhere. It was my first experience of the new EMBARKATION system, and it literally took only a couple of pain free minutes from arrival at Terminal 25 to being on board. In particular, it was so convenient to be able to immediately drop hand luggage in the cabin. I also liked the Celebrity App, which worked well.

The SHIP overall was even better than I had expected. It takes the Solstice class to the next level:

RESORT DECK is very beautiful, with an amazing 75 ft pool! However, and this was the biggest negative in my opinion, there is very little shade, especially compared to Solstice class. I like to spend a lot of time on the pool deck, but believe it is ill advised to be in the sun for long periods. The high walking track deprives the port side of shade, while on the starboard side the shaded area is taken by the always empty cabanas. There are about 14 shaded seats on the port side near the entrance to the Solarium, and a small number on starboard near the entrance to Ocean Cafe. On the deck above, there is a small area with shade on the starboard side. This space has table tennis on port side. So, with 3,000 passengers, good luck finding a seat in the shade.

On my cruise, I never saw the Cabanas occupied. I strongly urge Celebrity to use this under-utilized space to provide some sorely needed shaded pool chairs on Resort deck .

The FOOD was the best I have had on Celebrity. In particular, I liked the brilliant idea of converting the space for the MDR into four smaller, unique restaurants. (Greek, Italian, French, American). In particular, we loved the Cypress restaurant. Great menu selections, great service, great ambience in all four. In fact, these restaurants were of Speciality Restaurant standard.

We also went to Eden Restaurant, which was by far the best speciality restaurant experience we have ever had on Celebrity. Also went to Fine Cut Steakhouse, which to our surprise was our least favored restaurant, below the MDRs.

The ENTERTAINMENT was typical for Celebrity,. The theater is amazing, very high tech, with its seating in the round. A big step forward. Mention must be made of Lewis, our energetic and engaging cruise director, who tailored the cruise entertainment perfectly to his audience. In particular, while lively, the music was never deafening, as I have experienced on some other Celebrity ships. A very successful and popular venue is The Club, with lots of fun activities throughout the day. A big improvement over Pulsar and the comedy venue on Solstice class.

The CABIN. I had an infinite verandah, which I know has been controversial. Frankly, I liked it a lot. It made the cabin bright and bigger. My only issue was that you had to hold the button to raise and lower the window, instead of it being one touch. The cabin is a much better design than those on the Solstice Class, with a huge amount of storage space, and a large, well designed bathroom.

I thought the Magic Carpet would be a gimmick, but it was a great extension to the Resort Deck, and was very popular.

Capt Tasos was the captain, and he clearly runs an efficient ship with a happy crew. As a passenger, you can experience the difference when you are on a happy ship. He was very visible, and has an incredible sense of humor, even participating in the Liars Club show!

Another change was to the Lawn Club and Sunset Bar area. They added a big screen to the lawn area between the funnels, which showed soccer the whole cruise. I never saw anyone watching it. I also never saw anyone using the private cabanas. Surprisingly, I did not see them doing a movie under the stars on the grass at night.They could make it a fun event with wine, picnic, blankets  etc.

The bocce grass areas on the port and starboard sides of the aft funnel  have now become shaded seating areas, providing attractive extra seating areas with plantings for the Sunset bar. I saw quite a few people using this area, which previously was not utilized. A good addition.

We were on the Feb 14th ABC cruise, the first after the dry dock. The good news is that everything was done...no painting and finishing touches on this "maiden" voyage. Changes are mainly carpets, curtains, fabrics etc.

The changes are an EVOLUTION, not a REVOLUTION. Nevertheless, it is generally a good evolution.

It is a little inconsistent. Some areas are now in cool greys, such as staterooms, corridors, the entire lobby area. Others are still red/orange, such as the theatre, MDR, Ocean Cafe, Ensemble Lounge.

A matter of taste, but I think the original library was far more attractive with its walls of books, rather then the new one, with it's cheap looking smoky mirrors.

One of the biggest changes is the conversion of the card room and iLounge to cabins. However, if you were not familiar with the ship, the impact on the design of the soaring atrium is not a disaster. The iLounge was relocated near the shops.

I am ok with suite passengers getting extra amenities. No one used Michaels, so converting it to the Retreat lounge is no loss. Neither is losing the Solstice deck, or part of the MDR to Luminae. On the other hand, gating off access to the front part of Deck 15 is an issue. There is now no forward facing open deck for regular passengers. Worse then that, the only way to get from the port side of deck 15 to starboard and visa versa is to climb down all the steps to the Mast Grill/Mast bar, then up the other side!!

You need your suite ship card to open the front part of deck 15 and for the Solstice deck.

The Silhouette is still a magnificent, well planned ship, with a great crew. We had an amazing cruise.

BTW one of the highlights was Le Petite Chef! Was great fun, great food and very entertaining.

I think great 4 letter names are OPUS, ACME, ULTRA.  Maybe go three letters, eg ZEN. (For Asian market??) or MAX? (A super sized Edge class).

It does not make sense to move away from the four letter names...how will BEYOND fit on the funnel??  Perhaps the next generation will not be clones of EDGE and APEX, and have many improvements including more room on the funnel??😂

Are there umbrellas/palapas for shade at both beaches?

We have a day in Curacao and want a nice beach with chairs, shade and good swimming. Snorkeling a plus, but not essential.

Considering Blue Bay Beach and Mambo Beach.

Which do you recommend? What are pros and cons?

When is the Silhouette undergoing the Celebrity Revolution refurb?

The section of the Celebrity website about the Silhouette says January 2020, but the timeline section for the Celebrity Revolution on the website says February 2020???!!!!

We are planning to be on board in February, so whether its  Jan or Feb makes a difference.

These are items which are missing from the menu and would be appropriate in my opinion on the Waves menu, and would give an alternative to a heavy entree, or hamburgers/hotdogs. They would help compensate for the afternoon "gap" problem caused by The Terrace closing at 2pm. On Celebrity, there are always good alternatives offered at the Ocean View Cafe throughout the afternoon..

To answer another question, at night The Terrace offers a similar menu to the MDR menu for that night, but with additional items specially prepared to order on the grill. It is a good alternative to the MDR at night.

Waves menu:

BURGERS

Classic

Swiss

Texan

Wagyu

Maguro

Alaskan

Veggie

SANDWICHES

Grilled Panini

Cuban

Reuben

Surf & Turf

HOT DOGS

Classic

Mexican

ENTREES

Mahi Mahi

Salmon

Cajun Chicken

SALAD Bar ...very limited and basic.

MISSING

Chicken salad

Tuna Salad

Egg salad

Grilled Chicken sandwich.

Just returned from the Insignia, which was our 6th cruise on Oceania.

I really fully agree with the Bradpole's review. It fully reflects our excellent experience on the ship. He really nailed the experience.

In particular, Oceania is to be congratulated on a brilliant refurbishment. They kept what was best of the original decor, and added a contemporary flair. It does not look like a ship that is 20 years old. A matter of taste, but we loved the blues and grays...very appropriate for a ship. With the fresh orchids growing in many places, it was like a small, contemporary Ritz Carlton! And that is high praise.

One event which really stood out was the culinary demo by the Exec chef. The man had a personality to rival Gordon Ramsey! Was highly interactive and entertaining. Also special mention of the enrichment lecturer, Sandy Cares. Dynamic, fun and informative.

One criticism of Oceania is that their restaurant hours are not in sync with time on shore. For example, if one goes touring or to a beach, and returns mid afternoon, the choices are very poor. Lunch in the Terrace closes at 2pm. While Waves is open till 4pm, its selection is primarily meat (hamburgers). The salad bar at Waves is very limited. It would be great if it included  tuna salad, egg salad, or chicken salad, so one could make a sandwich or bagel after the beach. Tea is not a solution, as its mainly carbs and sugar. ( Choice of 4 sandwiches, cakes and scones). On Celebrity, the Ocean Cafe has some selections the whole afternoon.

While on the subject of food, it is noteworthy that the number of choices in the MDR for dinner are very limited, especially if you exclude seafood and pork. Actually, The Terrace has a better selection at night, as delicious chops are always available on the grill.

We had a Penthouse suite, and it had been beautifully redone.

Service at all times was first class.

Would happily book another cruise on any of the Oceania ships.

I get it..beyond the edge is infinity

Has Celebrity announced the names of Edge III and IV?

I know Edge II is the Celebrity Apex.

Any thoughts on four-letter names which denote shape/angle/aspiration?

Celebrity Axis ? (WWII connotations?)

Celebrity Epic (NCL?)

Other suggestions?

We recently did Caribbean cruises on the Riviera and Silhouette. This was our fifth cruise on Oceania, and we are Elite Plus on Celebrity. Both cruises were excellent, but there are some interesting differences when you compare the experiences.

THE SHIPS

They are about the same age. Riviera entered service in 2012, and Silhouette in 2011. Silhouette is twice the size of Riviera (122,400 tons/2886 passengers vs 66,084 tons/1250 passengers). Yet they feel a full generation apart. Silhouette seems far more modern, and conceptually more advanced, then Riviera. Riviera is comfortable and homey. Silhouette is simply stunning. The biggest miss in the design of Riviera is the absence of a lively central hub. The Lobby on Silhouette rises several decks, and is surrounded by bars, lounges and restaurants. It is lively. Other modern ships, eg Viking, have a living central hub. Riviera does not. There is no promenade deck on Riviera.

ACCOMODATION

As we had a suite on Riviera, and verandah cabin on Silhouette, it is not fair to compare. As others have noted, storage space is somewhat limited in the S-Class cabins.The suite on Riviera was very well designed. Bedding, towels etc were far superior.

FOOD

Oceania claims "The Finest Cuisine At Sea". Celebrity also takes pride in its cuisine. This was my experience:

Breakfast - Oceanview Cafe (Silhouette) was far, far superior to Terrace Cafe.(Riviera). Far more choice on Silhouette. For example, Silhouette had a large choice of Eggs Benedict each day (Salmon, Ham, Veg etc), Riviera only ham. Silhouette also innovated each day, eg a donut bar on one day.

Lunch- Very poor on Oceania. Very limited choices. Silhouette had a very big choice. Also, island layout on Silhouette was far better. Also innovated at lunch, eg a gravlax bar one day. Food quality was equal on Silhouette and Riviera.

Dinner - MDR choice and quality was equal. Both menus are somewhat limited.

Speciality Restaurants - Far superior on Riviera. Jacques, Polo Grill and Toscana all outstanding food and service. On Silhouette, we had a very good steak at Lawn Club Grill, but Tuscan Grill was no better then MDR, and Murano was not as good as it used to be.

Service hours - something always open and available on Silhouette, for example if you got back to the ship mid afternoon. This was a problem on Riviera. Mid afternoon, only option was a hamburger or room service. Tea at 4pm was not as good as it used to be.

Coffee - Lattes at Baristas on Riviera were far better than the ones at Cafe Al Bacio on Silhouette.

ENTERTAINMENT

Some years ago, we had a terrible cruise on Reflection, where the music from the Miami DJs was so loud that you could not sit at the pool or walk through the lobby. We actually stayed away from Celebrity for a few years after that experience. Well, I am very pleased to say that the music on Silhouette at the pool, in the lobby, at the shows was lively but at a reasonable volume. The shows on Riviera tended to be more old-fashioned Broadway , whereas shows on Silhouette were more modern and innovative.

SERVICE

Excellent on both ships

PAX

On Silhouette, majority were born in the 1950's and 1940's. Perhaps just slightly older on Riviera.

CHAIR HOGS

Alive and well on Silhouette. On sea days, by 7am, ALL the loungers in the shade on the non-smoking side of the pool were covered in towels!! There was never a problem getting a shady lounger on Riviera.

NET

Both were excellent vacations. Each has some pros and cons. I would happily sail on either ship again.

We recently did Caribbean cruises on the Riviera and Silhouette. This was our fifth cruise on Oceania, and we are Elite Plus on Celebrity. Both cruises were excellent, but there are some interesting differences when you compare the experiences.

THE SHIPS

They are about the same age. Riviera entered service in 2012, and Silhouette in 2011. Silhouette is twice the size of Riviera (122,400 tons/2886 passengers vs 66,084 tons/1250 passengers). Yet they feel a full generation apart. Silhouette seems far more modern, and conceptually more advanced, then Riviera. Riviera is comfortable and homey. Silhouette is simply stunning. The biggest miss in the design of Riviera is the absence of a lively central hub. The Lobby on Silhouette rises several decks, and is surrounded by bars, lounges and restaurants. It is lively. Other modern ships, eg Viking, have a living central hub. Riviera does not. There is no promenade deck on Riviera.

ACCOMODATION

As we had a suite on Riviera, and verandah cabin on Silhouette, it is not fair to compare. As others have noted, storage space is somewhat limited in the S-Class cabins.The suite on Riviera was very well designed. Bedding, towels etc were far superior.

FOOD

Oceania claims "The Finest Cuisine At Sea". Celebrity also takes pride in its cuisine. This was my experience:

Breakfast - Oceanview Cafe (Silhouette) was far, far superior to Terrace Cafe.(Riviera). Far more choice on Silhouette. For example, Silhouette had a large choice of Eggs Benedict each day (Salmon, Ham, Veg etc), Riviera only ham. Silhouette also innovated each day, eg a donut bar on one day.

Lunch- Very poor on Oceania. Very limited choices. Silhouette had a very big choice. Also, island layout on Silhouette was far better. Also innovated at lunch, eg a gravlax bar one day. Food quality was equal on Silhouette and Riviera.

Dinner - MDR choice and quality was equal. Both menus are somewhat limited.

Speciality Restaurants - Far superior on Riviera. Jacques, Polo Grill and Toscana all outstanding food and service. On Silhouette, we had a very good steak at Lawn Club Grill, but Tuscan Grill was no better then MDR, and Murano was not as good as it used to be.

Service hours - something always open and available on Silhouette, for example if you got back to the ship mid afternoon. This was a problem on Riviera. Mid afternoon, only option was a hamburger or room service. Tea at 4pm was not as good as it used to be.

Coffee - Lattes at Baristas on Riviera were far better than the ones at Cafe Al Bacio on Silhouette.

ENTERTAINMENT

Some years ago, we had a terrible cruise on Reflection, where the music from the Miami DJs was so loud that you could not sit at the pool or walk through the lobby. We actually stayed away from Celebrity for a few years after that experience. Well, I am very pleased to say that the music on Silhouette at the pool, in the lobby, at the shows was lively but at a reasonable volume. The shows on Riviera tended to be more old-fashioned Broadway , whereas shows on Silhouette were more modern and innovative.

SERVICE

Excellent on both ships

PAX

On Silhouette, majority were born in the 1950's and 1940's. Perhaps just slightly older on Riviera.

CHAIR HOGS

Alive and well on Silhouette. On sea days, by 7am, ALL the loungers in the shade on the non-smoking side of the pool were covered in towels!! There was never a problem getting a shady lounger on Riviera.

NET

Both were excellent vacations. Each has some pros and cons. I would happily sail on either ship again.

Does anyone know why they added the very bumpy yellow strips ( about 2 ft wide) to the narrow sidewalk to the taxi stand? The problem is that it makes it far more difficult to pull your luggage, as the bumps work as an impediment to your progress, making a long walk even more difficult. Remember, when you disembark, you are loaded down with all your luggage.

We just completed an outstanding 12 day cruise in the Caribbean on the Silhouette. We returned on Friday, and were pleased to see we would be docked at the new Terminal 25 in Ft Lauderdale. We had read a lot about how great it was, and looked forward to using it.

Two important points of warning about disembarking this very badly designed facility:

1)The walk from the gangway to the area with the luggage is incredibly far. I do not see how older or disabled passengers can walk this very long distance. A moving walkway is needed.

2) Once you exit the terminal, the taxi stand is a very far distance away. To make matters worse, you need to cross a busy road to get to the taxis. And if all this is not bad enough, the sidewalk leading to the taxi stand has a bumpy yellow insert, which makes it very difficult to drag wheeled luggage. Surely the architects realized most passengers take taxis from the terminal, and are burdened with all their luggage!!

It may be pretty, but it is very impractical for disembarking.

I have not experienced it for embarkation.

Thanks for a great review.

Question - my wife and I like to spend a lot of time at the main pool area, but we have to be in the shade.

The S Class ships have a lot of shade areas around the pool. Looking at pics of E class, I don't see shade. (Except the cabanas).Please advise. This would be a deal breaker for us.

Is there shade at the Retreat pool?