Living on the Edge with vtcruising!: A Live Review!

[caroak]

1 hour ago, RICCruisers said:

Caroak - The Deck Plan definitely has 11173 with the bed by the balcony.  I guess it's possible that it is wrong, but then all the  Concierge cabins on the Port side from 11125 - 11195 would be wrong since they alternate.

Thanks for checking and reconfirming what I thought.  I called Celebrity three times and each time I was told the bed is by the bathroom but the agents I spoke to had to put me on hold and check so I wasn't confident with their information.  I found most of their agents are not well informed and lack sufficient training.   I think the bed by the balcony cramps up that area.  The bed by the bathroom at least opens it up more and you can relax on the couch with a view.  Those chairs and tiny table are a joke.  We like breakfast on the veranda when we have to leave early for a tour which will be most days on our Europe cruise.  Might have to eat off a tray on the bed but I never did like breakfast in bed.  

 

Carole

[vtcruising]

2 hours ago, caroak said:

That's something DH would enjoy so I'll keep checking so I can book it for him while I'm enjoying my massage and spa time.  

 

Just want to thank you for all your efforts and all the time you've spent on behalf of all us Edgies.  You've provided a wealth of information, photos and all kinds of useful tips.  Hope you're now warm and snuggly in Vermont and healing from your injury.  I remember those cold winters when I skied at Killington especially those early morning first runs before the mountain was mostly ice.    Now in sunny CA and a cold weather wimp with the skis being hung up for good although I do miss it but getting too old to risk an injury.

 

We've in a Concierge IV - 11173 - and in checking the deck plan it looks like the bed is by the balcony (ug!) but when I've called several times to ask they tell me it's by the bathroom (yeah!).  When you can a change could you check the deck plan.  I defer to your Edge expertise.  Thanks.

 

Carole

Thanks, Carole! I appreciate the kind words. It good day to stay inside and catch up on life. 🙂

 

I agree with RICC and you - it looks like it is bed by the balcony. My concierge turned out to match the deck plans so I think we can count on those more than the X phone reps - they do the best they can, but unfortunately they are not necessarily well-informed about this ship yet.

 

I had a couple of people on my cruises who were in bed by balcony IVs and loved it (and preferred it) - I didn't ask why, but I imagine it is because they like having the living area open when they walk in. Keep an eye out for cabins that open up - good luck!

[vtcruising]

42 minutes ago, caroak said:

Thanks for checking and reconfirming what I thought.  I called Celebrity three times and each time I was told the bed is by the bathroom but the agents I spoke to had to put me on hold and check so I wasn't confident with their information.  I found most of their agents are not well informed and lack sufficient training.   I think the bed by the balcony cramps up that area.  The bed by the bathroom at least opens it up more and you can relax on the couch with a view.  Those chairs and tiny table are a joke.  We like breakfast on the veranda when we have to leave early for a tour which will be most days on our Europe cruise.  Might have to eat off a tray on the bed but I never did like breakfast in bed.  

 

Carole

Let's hope they reconsider the table thing!

[vtcruising]

2 hours ago, hcat said:

 

We also signed up...glad we did...It was pricey but has gone up even more! 

It was very interesting. I wish I had thought to have a list of questions. I did ask quite a few things and my DH did as well. They seemed to enjoy sharing things about the ship. The recycling effort blew me away! They really are doing an amazing job. Being in the control room was a big thrill - I never realized how so many things are inter-related on the ship (like the AC condensation is collected and used in the laundry). The way they make drinking water is fascinating and the whole ballast thing is a very intricate process. Anyway, I'm sure others know all about this stuff, but I enjoyed learning about the workings of the Edge. Of course, being in the bridge and talking with the Captain was amazing! I had to pinch myself!! 😊

[vtcruising]

2 hours ago, JoePDX said:

What a great behind the scenes tour!   Thank you for sharing the details.   It's not listed as available on our April transatlantic, only the backstage tour is available right now which is not nearly as enticing.  But I will keep checking!

 

THANK YOU for sharing your wonderful experiences with all of us - and all your ENTHUSIASM for all things EDGE.

 

Joe

Hope you are able to do it! 🙂

[JoePDX]

3 hours ago, JoePDX said:

What a great behind the scenes tour!   Thank you for sharing the details.   It's not listed as available on our April transatlantic, only the backstage tour is available right now which is not nearly as enticing.  But I will keep checking!

 

THANK YOU for sharing your wonderful experiences with all of us - and all your ENTHUSIASM for all things EDGE.

 

Joe

 

38 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

Hope you are able to do it! 🙂

 

I do too.   I called X today and the rep thought it might be due to it being a transatlantic that they are not offering it.   Anyway, I'll keep checking!   Fingers crossed.

 

Joe

[vtcruising]

2 minutes ago, JoePDX said:

 

 

I do too.   I called X today and the rep thought it might be due to it being a transatlantic that they are not offering it.   Anyway, I'll keep checking!   Fingers crossed.

 

Joe

Weird, it was done on a sea day for us and there are a lot of sea days on a TA! 🙂  Hope they add it soon!

[MVPinBoynton]

Marilyn, that Behind the Scenes tour looks very nice.  It was quite comprehensive.  You must be having withdraws, after being on the ship so much.  But January is almost here.  I hope you get to relax on that cruise.  

 

I finally got my review done.  Way too many photos, but who's counting.  It took me a week to finish, but it will make my January Edge cruise much less stressful, since I won't need to take too photos and I will be able to relax and really enjoy that amazing ship.  The link to the review on my website is in my signature.  Enjoy!

[vtcruising]

My buddy, Citruscruiser, sent me this today (she is back onboard). People were asking for maps onboard and they said to use the app because they are cutting down on paper use. It looks like they gave in and developed a map. 🙂

 

[vtcruising]

Citruscruiser also said that she tried her ipad (regular size) in the safe today and it does not fit.

[vtcruising]

23 minutes ago, MVPinBoynton said:

Marilyn, that Behind the Scenes tour looks very nice.  It was quite comprehensive.  You must be having withdraws, after being on the ship so much.  But January is almost here.  I hope you get to relax on that cruise.  

 

I finally got my review done.  Way too many photos, but who's counting.  It took me a week to finish, but it will make my January Edge cruise much less stressful, since I won't need to take too photos and I will be able to relax and really enjoy that amazing ship.  The link to the review on my website is in my signature.  Enjoy!

Amazing job, Mike! Thanks so much! I don't know how you had time to eat and sleep. You have done us all a big service by putting all this info together. I hope you will be able to relax in January!! 😊

[TommyD3]

Wondering about the new aluminum water bottles and how they are more environmentally friendly than the old plastic water bottles. Are the new aluminium water bottles refilled? Are they incinerated? I know at least on land the plastic bottles are shredded and reused. I would think it is much harder to shred a metal bottle !!!

[vtcruising]

27 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

Amazing job, Mike! Thanks so much! I don't know how you had time to eat and sleep. You have done us all a big service by putting all this info together. I hope you will be able to relax in January!! 😊

Also, we enjoyed meeting you and your DW onboard - Henry keeps talking about what a character she is!

 

PS: They did the launch tours again on the 3 night preview so maybe they will continue them into January for your cruise. 🙂

[MVPinBoynton]

4 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

Also, we enjoyed meeting you and your DW onboard - Henry keeps talking about what a character she is!

 

PS: They did the launch tours again on the 3 night preview so maybe they will continue them into January for your cruise. 🙂

We thoroughly enjoyed meeting you and Henry and talking all about the Edge.  I wish you were on the Jan 13 cruise instead of the 20th.

[volk904]

On ‎11‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 8:55 PM, vtcruising said:

I think someone asked a while ago about the forward deluxe ocean view cabins (front of ship) window size. My info says that they are large, full height windows, so sound pretty big! 🙂

I has asked for a picture of the standard Oceanview cabins on level 3,

[vtcruising]

3 hours ago, TommyD3 said:

Wondering about the new aluminum water bottles and how they are more environmentally friendly than the old plastic water bottles. Are the new aluminium water bottles refilled? Are they incinerated? I know at least on land the plastic bottles are shredded and reused. I would think it is much harder to shred a metal bottle !!!

This article explains the bottled water in aluminum  from Open Water.  Scroll down to "The Women Behind the Water."  The aluminum cans are incinerated.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2018/11/30/billion-dollar-cruise-ship-celebrity-edge-launch-women/#702394045780

 

I didn't think I would like drinking from them, but actually preferred them to plastic or glass.

[OriginalBoat]

5 hours ago, TommyD3 said:

Wondering about the new aluminum water bottles and how they are more environmentally friendly than the old plastic water bottles. Are the new aluminium water bottles refilled? Are they incinerated? I know at least on land the plastic bottles are shredded and reused. I would think it is much harder to shred a metal bottle !!!

 

2 hours ago, vtcruising said:

This article explains the bottled water in aluminum  from Open Water.  Scroll down to "The Women Behind the Water."  The aluminum cans are incinerated.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2018/11/30/billion-dollar-cruise-ship-celebrity-edge-launch-women/#702394045780

 

I didn't think I would like drinking from them, but actually preferred them to plastic or glass.

 

I think you might have misread that VT.  I'm about 90% sure that the aluminium water bottles are recycled.  The line was, "We incinerate everything." and she probably meant, "We incinerate everything that can't be recycled."

 

12 hours ago, vtcruising said:

Recycling was very impressive. They are very careful about using everything again or incinerating down to ash things that can't be recycled. All crew are educated on how to recycle.

 

If they are recycling glass, then they are recycling aluminium.  Most of what we recycle, we do for environmental reasons, or for small savings.  Aluminium is the most economical ($$) recycling.  Making a new can or bottle or whatever from recycled aluminium saves 92-95% of the energy costs of making a new one.  Remember back in the past before recycling was common, the homeless or others down on their luck would still collect cans.

[marylander2]

6 hours ago, vtcruising said:

This article explains the bottled water in aluminum  from Open Water.  Scroll down to "The Women Behind the Water."  The aluminum cans are incinerated.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2018/11/30/billion-dollar-cruise-ship-celebrity-edge-launch-women/#702394045780

 

I didn't think I would like drinking from them, but actually preferred them to plastic or glass.

I am sorry to reply to this noble experiment with a touch of skepticism...

 

I am a PhD chemist with an initial degree in plastics, I also do know a thing or two about the pollution of the planet etc., so I do not really get it - how "incinerating everything" concept of which LLP so proudly states in the cited link is better for using aluminum bottles vs plastic ones? You burn it anyway! Mind you, these bottles are NOT CANS, they are thicker and harder to melt... And this is the key difference - aluminum cannot be fully incinerated at least in the sense of zero footprint (in green planet sense).

Anyway, I do not want to lecture you ... but the last thing I wanted to mention about the advantage of aluminum over plastic ON LAND is that aluminum cans can be recycled FAR BETTER than the currently used plastic - 50% vs 10-20% in favor of the metal. All the rest about incineration - I truly beg your pardon - makes me chuckle...

 

You wanna see HOW and WHY the planet will suffer from the plastic in the World Ocean?? Come and observe how the modern days Asia dumps their wastes EVERYWHERE in the waters. You live in the US and think that a pinch of that plastic that travels from LA or NY to the ocean would make a difference... Try Philippines or Thailand or Vietnam, or Indonesia... I am not talking about China. 

THIS - NOT YOU - WILL BRING THE OCEAN DOWN.

Sorry for being bitter but I live in Asia for over 10 years and I know for real that all the noble efforts out in the West are just a cry in the forest. And currently there is no way to stop this pollution...

[TommyD3]

So Celebrity is offloading tens of thousands of used aluminium bottles every week to be recycled? What ever happened to the concept of selling (or giving) passengers a reusable bottle that they would refill at water stations?

[vtcruising]

5 hours ago, OriginalBoat said:

 

 

I think you might have misread that VT.  I'm about 90% sure that the aluminium water bottles are recycled.  The line was, "We incinerate everything." and she probably meant, "We incinerate everything that can't be recycled."

 

 

If they are recycling glass, then they are recycling aluminium.  Most of what we recycle, we do for environmental reasons, or for small savings.  Aluminium is the most economical ($$) recycling.  Making a new can or bottle or whatever from recycled aluminium saves 92-95% of the energy costs of making a new one.  Remember back in the past before recycling was common, the homeless or others down on their luck would still collect cans.

Thanks! That makes more sense. They talked about it in one of the Q&A's and it sounded like a good idea, but that was with the CEO's. I was able to talk with the recycling officer on the ship's tour and see the incinerator (and they incinerate anything they can't recycle and that ash goes to approved areas only). It didn't make sense that they wouldn't recycle the aluminum - I only skimmed the article so thanks for correcting me. They are doing an amazing job of recycling and appear to be truly committed.  Talking with those on the front line, you could feel the pride (I don't remember the exact amount, but they recycle all but a tiny percentage).

Edited December 7, 2018 by vtcruising

[marylander2]

1 hour ago, TommyD3 said:

So Celebrity is offloading tens of thousands of used aluminium bottles every week to be recycled? What ever happened to the concept of selling (or giving) passengers a reusable bottle that they would refill at water stations?

 

You know the answer to this question yourself - they want to make a profit from everything, including the water... I don't know the price of those aluminum "sustainable water bottles" yet (but I bet they won't sell it cheaper than previously used Evian (1.0 L) which was - correct me if I am wrong! - about 5 USD a pop...) So why would X encourage to re-use these aluminum bottles, if they easily could cell the new ones for 3 USD or so "for a noble cause" of recycling???  

[kearney]

2 minutes ago, marylander2 said:

 

You know the answer to this question yourself - they want to make a profit from everything, including the water... I don't know the price of those aluminum "sustainable water bottles" yet (but I bet they won't sell it cheaper than previously used Evian (1.0 L) which was - correct me if I am wrong! - about 5 USD a pop...) So why would X encourage to re-use these aluminum bottles, if they easily could cell the new ones for 3 USD or so "for a noble cause" of recycling???  

Another reason is where do you refill water bottle without cross contamination? They don't want you doing it in the ocean view cafe.. not sure what you can do to avoid the mouth of the bottle from touching water source... 

[marylander2]

4 minutes ago, kearney said:

Another reason is where do you refill water bottle without cross contamination? They don't want you doing it in the ocean view cafe.. not sure what you can do to avoid the mouth of the bottle from touching water source... 

 

In the most of the modern days airports, train stations, even schools etc. there are touchless water bottle fillers; they have sensors that initiate water pouring when you place the bottle on the podium under spigot. Once the bottle is filled, you take it out and the water stops pouring. No contact at all.

I am very surprised that X - and other cruise lines - are still using the old-fashioned push-lever filling stations for drinks in the OVC... This is where the germs are spreading well...

[Silkroad]

14 minutes ago, kearney said:

Another reason is where do you refill water bottle without cross contamination? They don't want you doing it in the ocean view cafe.. not sure what you can do to avoid the mouth of the bottle from touching water source... 

You can't, at least with the current Celebrity water dispensers. That's why everyone is supposed to use a clean glass to obtain water at the water source, and transfer water from that glass to their reusable containers. Since I have observed far too many people disregarding that common sense rule, I will continue to purchase packaged water. 

Edited December 7, 2018 by Silkroad

[kearney]

4 minutes ago, marylander2 said:

 

In the most of the modern days airports, train stations, even schools etc. there are touchless water bottle fillers; they have sensors that initiate water pouring when you place the bottle on the podium under spigot. Once the bottle is filled, you take it out and the water stops pouring. No contact at all.

I am very surprised that X - and other cruise lines - are still using the old-fashioned push-lever filling stations for drinks in the OVC... This is where the germs are spreading well...

This is good to know and you raise a good point.... this could be an option... idea for Apex and remodeling S and M class.