Xport

1 hour ago, twodjs said:

 

2 hours ago, Xport said:

 

Just now, Xport said:

I believe the AquaClass showers--and baths--have been/are being replaced on Millennium and Solstice class ships as part of the "revolution" process.  If they are like those on Edge, you will likely find that...

• The baths, showers, sinks are larger.  Storage is better,  There is a true electrical outlet in the bath.  The glass shower enclosures do a far better job of preventing water from leaking on the bath floor [design already varied between Millennium and Solstice class but the problem was common].
• On Edge, there is a very nice stationary rain shower overhead with a hand-held option.  Shower jets are available but, as I recall, they cannot be used in tandem with either the overhead or hand held showers.  Fixtures are high-end/high quality.
• After 239 nights [17 cruises] in AquaClass before sailing Edge last month---I'll be back aboard for the Transatlantic on Sunday--I liked the shower and bath redesign [though I liked the prior configurations too],

Have never personally had a problem with water pressure on a Celebrity ship.  In the unusual case when the panel-mounted jets seemed sluggish,  I found that either [a] guests had attempted to adjust them beyond their directional capability and they'd not been reset, and/or , the jets had some calcium buildup that diminished water flow.

 

I believe the AquaClass showers--and baths--have been/are being replaced on Millennium and Solstice class ships as part of the "revolution" process.  If they are like those on Edge, you will likely find that...

• The baths, showers, sinks are larger.  Storage is better,  There is a true electrical outlet in the bath.  The glass shower enclosures do a far better job of preventing water from leaking on the bath floor [design already varied between Millennium and Solstice class but the problem was common].
• On Edge, there is a very nice stationary rain shower overhead with a hand-held option.  Shower jets are available but, as I recall, they cannot be used in tandem with either the overhead or hand held showers.  Fixtures are high-end/high quality.
• After 239 nights [17 cruises] in AquaClass before sailing Edge last month---I'll be back aboard for the Transatlantic on Sunday--I liked the shower and bath redesign [though I liked the prior configurations too],

Have never personally had a problem with water pressure on a Celebrity ship.  In the unusual case when the panel-mounted jets seemed sluggish,  I found that either [a] guests had attempted to adjust them beyond their directional capability and they'd not been reset, and/or , the jets had some calcium buildup that diminished water flow.

I'm at top loyalty level in Captain's Club and a big Celebrity cheerleader but--beyond my serious disappointment with the Infinite Veranda concept--I otherwise found things to be desired with the AquaClass cabin I occupied during my first Edge cruise last month [I'll be back in AquaClass--different stateroom--for the Transatlantic on Sunday] and found it questionable as to whether the cabin designers--consulting or within the Royal Caribbean organization--had ever spent a night aboard a cruise ship.  And so, I'm also disappointed that Mr. Abel's comments--as relayed by Cruise Critic--don't mention livability issues [some of which are easily remedied] at its most basic level...

• In-room safes are seriously undersized despite the fact that the space allotted for them is not fully utilized.  I could not store my Microsoft Surface Tablet--11" wide, 7" deep, less than  an inch high--in the safe...  If I'd brought my laptop or my digital camera/lenses along, neither would have fit--alone or together--either.  It's a matter of security.
• When I mentioned the lack of an in-room clock to my Stateroom Attendant, he told me to turn on the TV and tune in to one of the navigation channels!  Really?  What happened to the clocks on the phone--as on other ships--that take up no added space?
• The cabin had two nightstands each with a lamp--the larger stationary, the smaller movable if the very comfortable bed is split into twins--but it is the smaller that is crowded with the phone and a pad with the useful but, to my mind misplaced, USB ports above  At night I'd activate an alarm clock app on my phone and propped it up--with an inch to spare on the already cluttered movable nightstand with the intention of sleeping on the other side of the bed adjacent to the stationary nightstand [copious uncluttered surface to accommodate my glasses, meds, a bottle of water, and the TV remote].  It worked--sort of--but I couldn't see the time on my phone from across the bed without groping around for my glasses.  On future E-Class ships, the USB ports ought be mounted above the larger/less-cluttered stationary nightstand.
• Loved the oversized TV but, without a swivel mounting, one needs to be watching from bed for a direct line of sight.  The sofa is a logical option for propping up/stretching out to watch TV--even if indirectly--but, with the sofa's silly one-armed design oriented toward looking outdoors and no swivel TV mounting, quite an unappealing/uncomfortable option.
• Storage space--particularly drawers, cubbies, and even the otherwise useless tom-tom--is copious [in the well-designed bath too] but the closet hanging space--and its too late to do anything about it from an Edge perspective now--is seriously undersized with too much competing for available space. The very nice robes take up a good bit of space for full-length hanging [somewhat reduced by a utility conduit that runs from the bath into the closet],  But the adjacent "stacked" partial-length rods for hanging shorter clothing were of insufficient height to hang my sports jacket--and I'm not particularly tall--without it draping on the rod below or on the closet floor [which is usually a great place to store laundry needing to be done/shoe in the absence of a top-of-closet shelf].   In AquaClass, a good bit of floor space is further taken up for storage of yoga mats.  I suppose that some may use them but those will be under the bed or removed by my Stateroom Attendant as soon as I board on Sunday.
• Whatever happened to the unobtrusive hooks just outside the bath?  They certainly wouldn't ruin the aesthetic and proved useful while dressing, for day-to-day storage of a robe in use, and for laundry delivery while leaving the hooks on the interior bath door for towels not yet in need of laundering.
• I asked my Stateroom Attendant for a pen to fill out a laundry slip; he offered to get me a golf pencil. I get/support the "Save The Waves" mission but thought this was taking the concept too far and did not otherwise see the same restriction placed upon crew members.  Who wants to fill out a laundry request [now two ply rather than three]--or better yet, one's disembarkation luggage tags--in pencil???  I eventually found a pen in my carry-on and, though I shouldn't have to do so, have already packed one for my upcoming trip.
• During turndown service, my Stateroom Attendant lowered--and I appreciated it--the shade.  But when I returned to the room for the night, the shade would automatically raise to full height the moment I unlocked my stateroom.  I asked the Stateroom Attendant--and I've since come to understand I've had far better--why he bothered to lower it; he responded by saying that his card did not cause the shade to rise after lowering it [as if the disparity was proper] but didn't suggest that I ought contact Maintenance--or offer to do so on my behalf--for reprogramming.
• And finally, there's this.  No, I hadn't been drinking.  And I couldn't possibly make this up.  The top of the desk/vanity table retracts or extends into the adjacent dresser so as to allow the guest [I never touched it] to determine its length.  Very early one morning, I was seated at the desk--hands in lap--checking e-mail and glancing at the news.  All of a sudden--and I didn't otherwise detect it; Edge provided a very smooth ride--the ship apparently started to rock side-to-side and the desk top with my tablet--started to contract/extend, by an inch or two, with the movement.  I initially thought I was delusional!  I was able to reduce the movement a bit--which I also noticed one night while watching TV; by that time it had become funny--by adjusting the outboard legs of the work surface to be truly perpendicular to the floor.  My Stateroom Attendant shrugged it off and said that I was not the first to report it; in any case, it appears to be a design defect.

Please know that I liked--and sometimes loved--the common areas on Edge and I'm not some cranky old guy who boarded with the intent of comparing the ship to those in Millennium and Solstice-Class.  I'm not change-averse/don't live in the past...  And I don't spend inordinate amounts of time in my cabin--an hour or less as I get ready for the day, less than an hour freshening for dinner/the evening--and another hour or less before turning in; otherwise, I'm out and about on sea days and port days.  Let's just say that I found my stateroom somewhat quirky [it was generally comfortable once I adapted or resigned myself to most of them] rather than the norm I've experienced upon first boarding other Celebrity ships--new or remodeled--which I've found to be more thoughtfully designed and more immediately welcoming...

We'll see...  I fully realize that not all of my observations are shared by other guests and I know that the die is cast on much of Edge's design...  But to my mind, there are some things that X can be considering--without significant expense or protracted time frames--in terms of making guest-focused improvements to Edge cabins now and in terms of planning/implementing future E-Class builds. 

1 hour ago, cangelmd said:

 

Perhaps someone can find it, but I swear I read in someone's review or other Edge thread, that a crew member in the Rooftop Garden told them that some sort of windbreaks were going to be installed as soon as was possible, because the restaurant was not being utilized to the extent that they expected, and wind was the constant complaint.

Maybe someone can find that thread, or maybe that just isn't true.

I am the one who reported that the Maitre 'D at Roof Top Garden Grill told me--while aboard Edge last month--that the restaurant would be enclosed to address wind and soot issues...  And in fact, he told me that he was expecting that the work would be completed before I reboard Edge this Sunday for the Transatlantic...

You will find my related comment--it wasn't a review--as post #21 in Jenn's thread...  She subsequently reported--in the same thread--that the work had not been completed while she was aboard but did not further mention the issue or project status [that I noted] in the context of discussions with Brian Abel...

Most often, TripAdvisor--parent company to Cruise Critic [okay to mention here]--has far more information with tons of reviews relative to inquiries such as yours...  I'm an avid traveler and, after looking at Celebrity's offerings, TripAdvisor is my "go to" website for deciding what I want to do and, as appropriate, where/with whom I want to do it...

1 hour ago, vtcruising said:

Captain Costas was the Captain on our 4 Edge cruises:

 

 

 

I believe that Captain Kate will be onboard in August and take over in September?

I last sailed with Captain Costas aboard Equinox--it was a thirty night B2B in Europe--during September/October 2016...  At the time, he had just been appointed as "take out" Captain on Edge and was bursting with excitement [I had dinner with him twice] relative to his new--and very different--assignment....

He is extremely capable...  Quite social/visible...  And just the nicest guy...

7 hours ago, Welland said:

So I am asking anyone who is presently on board if you could kindly provide the "In the Spotlight" information of Senior Officers.

When I was aboard Edge last month, they had stopped publishing “In The Spotlight” bios via paper and instead posted them via the TV.

If starting Edge’s Transatlantic on Sunday, see you aboard!

27 minutes ago, mac_tlc said:

We were on the Edge last week and it was Captain Dimitri's last week. He did not mention the next Captain by name but indicated that it was the same Captain that brought the Edge out when it began sailing.

Captain is now Costas Nestoroudis; he did indeed bring Edge out.  Before that lengthy special assignment, he was one of the Masters aboard Equinox.

1 hour ago, 1025cruise said:

You might try the Hawaii ports of call forum.

And TripAdvisor [which is the parent company of Cruise Critic]...

Have sailed Celebrity quite often and--to the best of my knowledge--none of their ships feature a bridge cam or webcam...

Not a code I recognize but it is possible that the code to which you refer may be one that is only used for pricing and/or promotions in certain markets (such as Australia)...

While you may get a relevant response here from someone who recognizes the code as an international one or from a fellow Australian, I too respectfully suggest  that you phone on Tuesday—time is seemingly not of the essence—so as to be sure you get an accurate understanding of the terms of your reservation.

When you upgraded to AquaClass, your dining room would have been reassigned to Blu...

You may arrange to dine in any of the four main dining rooms on a Select Dining basis if that is your preference but I seriously doubt that the MDR reservations that you made prior to the upgrade are still on record [AquaClass guests cannot reserve the MDR online]...  Though not absolutely necessary to do so, I find it best--once aboard-- to have the Maitre 'D in Blu make those MDR reservations for me so as to expedite seating upon arrival. 

While I've seen minor exceptions in which currency exchange has not been available aboard ship, such transactions can typically be accomplished--within reason, sometimes there are upper limits on transaction size--at Guest Relations.  You are correct, the exchange will not be at the most favorable rates [for larger purchases or larger foreign currency purchases, credit card rates or ATM withdrawal rates can be better depending on the terms of your cards] but--when amounts are not large--convenience, at least for me in terms of securing "walking around" cash,  matters.
 

Please know that, as is true at many land-based currency exchanges, Celebrity will only issue and redeem foreign paper currency and not coin.  Some currencies--surely true for both Euros and Pounds--use coins at higher denominations than we use in The United States.  Though your instinct may be to pay for shoreside purchases with paper notes, you might want to exhaust your foreign coins first unless you want to bring home a collection of them.

If using credit cards in Europe, know that Visa tends to be most readily accepted while American Express is less commonly accepted...  Be sure to let your credit card issuers [and/or bank if you might use an ATM card] of your travel plans in advance of departure so as to reduce suspicion that your cards may have been compromised.

12 hours ago, dkjretired said:

Keep in mind for anyone going to Normandy this year, it is the 75th anniversary. Prices will probably be higher and should have heavy crowds. I remember previous anniversaries people got cancelled for dignitaries.

10 hours ago, Airrace said:

Yes you will have limited access to many sites and many roads will be closed. Just be aware if you are near there on D Day it will be crowded, but you will experience many people re creating the D Day invasion. They have people jumping out of airplanes, military trucks, tanks, etc.

-----

i think on D Day the only spot you will have trouble getting into see is the Americans cemetery as that is usually were they hold the ceremony for the dignitaries 

The Edge Transatlantic will call at Le Havre on Sunday, 12 May...

Based upon my research, the D-Day Festival--reenactments, a wide array of related events--will be held from 25 May through 16 June with the memorial by heads of state, dignitaries, and World War II veterans [by prior registration] on the 75th anniversary itself [6 June].

That said, I expect that the Normandy sites are apt to be quite crowded during our visit...

• In addition to Edge, Crown Princess and MSC Orchestra are also scheduled to be at Le Havre on 12 May.  Not all guests will choose to tour Normandy but the three ships--with over 9,000 passengers--do create the highest projected cruise ship visitor load at Le Havre during the entire month.
• During December 2017/January 2018 we contacted eight of the best-regarded tour operators in the area--one I'd used and liked in 2011, several based upon recommendations from friends, a few others based upon favorable TripAdvisor reviews--to reserve a small-group private tour.  One advised that, with bookings by [primarily] veteran groups, we were at least six months late in our inquiry; some never responded at all.
• Celebrity initially offered two big-bus Normandy tours; the original poster is correct in that there was not a lot of detail to assess content or differentiate them.  During the first week of April 2018, they added a small group option [I've done them and preferred them--they tend to afford more interaction with the guide and to be more nimble/cover a bit more--at other destinations in the past]; we booked immediately and are glad we did as the price steadily increased--by more than 75%--before selling out.

Though I expect a more hectic experience this time than I had 8+ years ago, I'm really eager to return to Normandy--it's always memorable--for this milestone anniversary. 

24 minutes ago, Welland said:

Do not know about screens on walls.   On the other ships it is a two sided piece of paper that is inserted into the daily planner and in the rooms on arrival day.  As well they are normally available at Guest Relations desk.  However I heard that they do not do this on the Edge.   I was told you can view it on your tv screen in your room.  Perhaps you can take a photo that would be readable or provide the names from that listing.

 

Thanks. 

You are correct; the officer line-up/bios are not printed/delivered with the embarkation day daily on Edge...  Supposedly, the info was available via the TV but--perhaps I just missed it--was never able to find them while aboard last month...

15 minutes ago, Silkroad said:

Thanks! That’s great news. We have plans to dine there, and hope we’ll not end up wearing one another’s food and beverages😂  See you at sail away😎

Having read early reviews that mentioned wind issues, I strategically reserved my dinner at The Rooftop Garden Grill so as to coincide with our late port call--we didn't sail until 11:00--in San Juan...  As luck would have it, the weather that evening was glorious with moderate temperatures, low humidity, and a light breeze; it could not have been nicer...

Look forward to meeting you aboard very soon!

12 hours ago, vtcruising said:

 

1) I am interested in changes in Apex - changes in Infinite Veranda size and bifold door, coffee tables in cabins and better balcony furniture for sky suites, wind shields for Magic Carpet and Roof Top Garden, full bar in the Retreat Lounge (instead of just bar service).

 

 

3 hours ago, Silkroad said:

We board on the 28th for the TA, so I look forward to reading your impressions. I also look forward to hearing how Celebrity will address the issues VT mentioned in her post.

 

 

3 hours ago, hcat said:

For us, lack of shade and wind barriers outside were issues, and there's a  need for  better acoustics in public areas and BLU...

3 hours ago, Silkroad said:

I would like to know if Celebrity intends to install wind screens for the Magic Carpet and Rooftop Garden on Edge herself.

I had dinner at The Rooftop Garden Grill while aboard Edge from 10 to 17 March...  During a conversation with the Maitre 'D, he told me that plans are already underway to enclose the restaurant [not sure if that means just wind barriers or some sort of roof for all-weather guest dining shelter, in hindsight, I should have asked] to address wind and soot [when I arrived, the staff was cleaning the white upholstered chairs] issues...  And in fact, he told me he thought the work might well be completed before I board again two weeks from today for the Transatlantic...

We'll see!

“Extend Your Stay” not an option in The United States...

Connecting cabins on Solstice, Equinox, Eclipse and Silhouette use the vestibule approach...  On Reflection, connecting cabins are joined via a door between the stateroom interiors.

50 minutes ago, BecciBoo said:

I am excited to be booked, but long time coming (2021)  As long as Al Bacio hasn't changed I'll be good, I spend almost the entire  morning there! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM  And then I frequented the Sushi on Five every afternoon for their exquisite tuna appetizer.  Me and my cruise bud ordered it every day and took it to our Sunset Veranda on Solstice for happy hour.  Please tell me it's still available!

 

 

From what I've seen there is so much wasted space...i.e. the Forest area.  People are so annoyed with that. That could be bright and airy and better used.  They could install large umbrellas or some stable shade cloth up in the garden.  Hope that is addressed before we go.  These friends are next to us on deck 8 again, hope the verandas can still be opened and joined.

Sorry but the Infinite Verandahs on Edge cannot be opened/joined...

10 minutes ago, FlorenceItaly said:

one bottle per person

Actually, the allowance is two bottles per stateroom; solo cruisers may carry the same two bottles aboard.

As an Elite member in Captain’s Club, you will be considered as a Diamond member in Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society.  If not aware, Diamond members are granted a nice discount if booking a balcony cabin; it is worth enrolling in C&A before booking if you’re planning to book a verandah stateroom...

26 minutes ago, 2Long2NxtCrz said:

As I'm still very new to Celebrity, I have a few comments/questions about everything needing to be routed through my TA.

 

1) My TA specifically told me to work with the cruiseline for booking airline tickets as the TA has an additional $25 charge to book it and she said why bother and have a middleman in the way.  (This was RCCL, btw, and they did coordinate with my TA and got me flights and itinerary that I couldn't have gotten if I'd booked it myself.  But I feel like it's the same company and probably representative.)

Your Travel Agent probably should have been more explicit in her instructions...

To the best of my knowledge, Flights By Celebrity  is a subcontractor to Celebrity [and under different references, for purchase of air by guests sailing on sister lines Azamara and Royal Caribbean]…  Please see the following link...  You should be able to book via their website or via a phone call to Flights By Celebrity without involvement of your Travel Agent [some find the commission on the air fare too small to be bothered and, as you've learned, charge a service fee] who arranged your cruise; I have done so frequently--under identical circumstances--with success,

https://www.celebritycruises.com/company/customer-support/help-and-faqs/pre-cruise/flights-by-celebrity