LIVE from EDGE - 12/9/18 - 7 night Western Caribbean Maiden Voyage

[WonderMan3]

Here is the Daily from Friday.

 

 

[hcat]

Seems like the Spa is a work in progress..No excuse for appointments to be so backed up.. So sorry to hear the Relaxation Rm is too sunny at times! Did they have any flavored waters in there?

 

Did the treatment price  include with any time in the Thermal Suite area? 

 

I always go over the bill carefully because the spa folks make many billing "errors".  When we book on board I have them  write out  the service, price and their initials on the appt card. This has saved much grief with both Steiner and Canyon Ranch,,,Ultimately they are all the same caliber and expect the new entity will follow suit.   The treatments are usually very good...just the business side is disappointing sometimes.

 

We pre booked our spa appts at port pricing.,.doubt we will get any further Elite discounts,  

 

Can't wait to hear about Grand Cayman...the  tender experience,  especially

Edited December 15, 2018 by hcat

[WonderMan3]

4 minutes ago, hcat said:

Seems like the Spa is a work in progress..No excuse for appointments to be so backed up.. So sorry to hear the Relaxation Rm is too sunny at times! Did they have any flavored waters in there?

 

Did the treatment price  include with any time in the Thermal Suite area? 

 

I always go over the bill carefully because the spa folks make many billing "errors".  When we book on board I have them  write out  the service, price and their initials on the appt card. This has saved much grief with both Steiner and Canyon Ranch,,,Ultimately they are all the same caliber and expect the new entity will follow suit.   The treatments are usually very good...just the business side is disappointing sometimes.

 

We pre booked our spa appts at port pricing.,.doubt we will get any further Elite .

discounts,  

 

There is no time in a Thermal Suite area with any treatments. Thst’s the same as the other ships though. There is no Persian Garden access given with treatments.

Edited December 15, 2018 by WonderMan3

[WonderMan3]

On Friday morning we woke at 7 in order to grab some breakfast. I wanted to try Eden Cafe as the little sandwich I had the other day from there was so delicious. While Mike showered I flipped through our online account and noticed that the spa charges were still screwy. While the two charges with the adjusted Elite pricing were correct, my original charge from the masseuse had also suddenly shown up. She had said she had been unable to process it yesterday but somehow it made it through but was now a duplicate charge essentially. This would mean another trip down to reception to resolve.

 

We headed down to Eden Cafe a little after 8. It was totally dead there which was great. There was no waiting to order. I ordered a bacon, egg and cheese on ciabatta which they do a hot press on. Mike had a bear claw which was a flaky pastry filled with chocolate. They have a full coffee station as well as tea and a juice machine. We sat and ate  in one of the Eden lounge areas. We wanted to eat outside as Eden has two side decks but it as way too windy out. The food was good but my sandwich was a totally different creature from what I had ordered a few days before. It was about 3x larger which was a good thing but the cheeses they used on it were totally different so this one wasn’t as good as before but still tasty. I’m not sure how the sandwiches were so different as the woman behind the counter told us they were pre-made. That’s a note for anyone wanting a special order. They won’t do it as Mike wanted to get the same sandwich as me without cheese and that’s when she told us they were pre-made.

 

We enjoyed our breakfast sitting in Eden. The space is massive with all sorts of seating everywhere. It was very quiet and relaxing here. For those who are bemoaning the loss of the forward facing lounge on this ship this space is an excellent replacement. You still get the spectacular sea views (and whether forward or backward you are still looking at the same expanse of ocean). There is lots of seating and places to relax and curl up with a book. I think it would be a great idea for them to reconfigure one of the big shelving units here into a book shelf and also make this the library since there is not one on this ship. You can also sit outdoors although it can get windy. If you go all the way to the end on the port side though we discovered a little cove that is wind protected with great sea views. Overall I was very impressed with this space and definitely recommend checking out both the lounging areas and Eden Cafe.

[chamima]

Adam

Thanks for all of the photos.

That area really looks beautiful!!!

I didn't notice any prices on the menu for Eden - is everything there included in your cruise fare (I refuse to say free when I've paid thousands) or is there an extra charge for their food?

Thanks

[WonderMan3]

So I’m sure some of you have seen photos of this strange art installation on Edge that look like metal trees. It’s even more bizarre walking through it as they have varying lighting and weird sounds that play. We nicknamed it the Haunted Forest like in the Wizard of Oz. 😄

[WonderMan3]

4 minutes ago, chamima said:

Adam

Thanks for all of the photos.

That area really looks beautiful!!!

I didn't notice any prices on the menu for Eden - is everything there included in your cruise fare (I refuse to say free when I've paid thousands) or is there an extra charge for their food?

Thanks

 

Eden Cafe, which has different items for breakfast and lunch is complimentary! Dinner at Eden would be a charge and that is in the lower level with those big tables.

[jagoffee]

55 minutes ago, WonderMan3 said:

 

Eden Cafe, which has different items for breakfast and lunch is complimentary! Dinner at Eden would be a charge and that is in the lower level with those big tables.

What an excellent addition.  Your pictures of the Eden area are as amazing as is the whole area.  The fact that is is open to everyone should be pleasing to a lot of people.  

[WonderMan3]

31 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

What an excellent addition.  Your pictures of the Eden area are as amazing as is the whole area.  The fact that is is open to everyone should be pleasing to a lot of people.  

 

I agree and I really think that Celebrity had it in mind that since they were giving all the front deck space to Suites and spa that they needed a mainly free space where everyone could get fantastic sea views.

[WonderMan3]

After we finished in Eden we went back to our cabin to change into our swim trunks and headed out to the main pool. There was hardly anyone there likely due to the fact that it was pretty windy. It actually proved to be too breezy to go into the water so we just relaxed for awhile. And to answer someone’s earlier question, yes, they do have veggie burgers at Mast Grill.

[BridgeBabe]

Quick question...We are getting ready to pay our final payment on our b2b.for the 2nd week...after reading all the information, is 2 weeks too much?  Or is my hope they will add loungers and a table to the Aft S1's a spit in the wind??. 2 days to decide!

We continue to see saw!

 

[WonderMan3]

16 minutes ago, BridgeBabe said:

Quick question...We are getting ready to pay our final payment on our b2b.for the 2nd week...after reading all the information, is 2 weeks too much?  Or is my hope they will add loungers and a table to the Aft S1's a spit in the wind??. 2 days to decide!

We continue to see saw!

 

 

I think 2 weeks is needed on this ship. We actually wish we had another week as we didn't get to try everything. With 1 week you feel a little more rushed especially if you decide to go ashore at every port. We only did 2 of 4 ports (very briefly off ship at a third) and that gave us more time to enjoy the ship.

 

They won't be adding loungers to any S1s as a permanent inclusion as they have never done that with S-class aft s1s. (I've been in them 3 times and never had a lounger on my balcony). Now you may find one there from a previous guest and you can also ask for one. At least one guest got one so far but I also know of another guest who was denied. I have read in another thread here that supposedly someone asked a Celebrity rep if you can request one in advance and they said yes but I would take that with a grain of salt. I've had the services of a shoreside concierge before with requests like a mattress topper only to get onboard and them have no record of the request. We had no lounger on our current deck but I did put the rocker out there and that was very comfortable. Any lounger they would bring down I assume would be from the pool deck and they aren't that comfortable anyway. The Retreat has plenty of very comfortable loungers and other furniture with lovely forward views of the sea. I personally would not toss away a cruise on this ship over not having a lounger on the balcony.

[WonderMan3]

After we returned from the pool deck we got our stuff together in preparation for going ashore in Grand Cayman. Eli had contacted us the day before to ask us if we wanted to use priority debarking and we said yes. He called us at 11am and said he would come down and meet us at our cabin. He took us over to the elevators where another butler was holding one. Another couple joined us and Eli took us down to deck 2. They elevator was locked off so it didn't stop on any floors. There was only a small line when we got down to deck 2 and they were already boarding the tender. Boarding from the Magic Carpet was great. You do still have that gap between the tender and the ship where it can move back and forth or up and down so you still have to watch your step. I took a short video of what it's like to board from the Magic Carpet.

[Lastdance]

44 minutes ago, BridgeBabe said:

Quick question...We are getting ready to pay our final payment on our b2b.for the 2nd week...after reading all the information, is 2 weeks too much?  Or is my hope they will add loungers and a table to the Aft S1's a spit in the wind??. 2 days to decide!

We continue to see saw!

 

 

Personally, I would ask your concierge and butler, especially having an S1 aft with all that room.  Yes, situations are different for everyone, but you are paying a premium price, along with being on the ship for a b2b.  I am also in the same type cabin For the TA.  My TA is putting in a request for two loungers, as I was told that would be possible.  So, please give it a try.  If they are not there, follow up on it.  I am sure we will hear more about this situation on CC.

 

Not hyjacking your thread at all, Adam, but just sharing my information and thought process, nothing more...please do not be offended...

[cruiserchuck]

I was happy to read your review of Le Grand Bistro.  We always liked eating at the Bistro on 5 back in the day.  It sounds like they have gone back to that idea, but in a grander way.  I almost never see anyone eating in Sushi on 5, and since I do not like sushi, i have never tried it.

[WonderMan3]

Here are some photos of the Destination Gateway area on Deck 2 and inside the lifeboat tenders. They really did a nice job with this point of exit/entry. There are bathrooms just before you enter the security area and there is a dedicated station for water. Also, when returning to the ship there is a “secret” sliding door right next to the security area wth a stairway that will take you right up to deck 3 without walking down the hall to the elevators. The lifeboats were great. Very comfortable and such an improvement to the tender experience.

[kearney]

Can someone with a scooter get onto the tender? 

[jagoffee]

3 hours ago, WonderMan3 said:

 

I agree and I really think that Celebrity had it in mind that since they were giving all the front deck space to Suites and spa that they needed a mainly free space where everyone could get fantastic sea views.

From your pictures, it might be superior to the Sky Lounge space. Except for dancing, trivia, and the Elite cocktail party, the Sky Lounge seems underutilized based on my observation.  I did like to hide there sometimes during the day.

[Pennstateman]

Did you happen to notice if there is much space to sit outside without sun?

[lighthousemom]

 There are quite a lot of shady spots in the Solarium. No sun, no wind, not hot. Perfect for a nap.

[Pennstateman]

18 minutes ago, lighthousemom said:

 There are quite a lot of shady spots in the Solarium. No sun, no wind, not hot. Perfect for a nap.

Ah forgot about the solarium.  Thanks for talking me down from the edge, errrr, ledge

Edited December 15, 2018 by Pennstateman

[TomMMD]

On 12/9/2018 at 3:17 PM, WonderMan3 said:

 

So I did get an answer on this one. Even though it stated in the Edge spa FAQ that the Elite perk would be honored for the Thermal Suite it is NOT being honored on board. You can only get a 10% discount on a daily pass. That was a bummer as I wanted to try it out but have no interest in paying the prices they are charging.

I just finished going through your “Live From....” thread.

 

Thanks.  Well done.  We are on the Jan 13 sailing.   And, getting eager.

 

For the same itinerary, would you choose Edge Class, Solstice Class, or (maybe) Millenum?

 

 

[BridgeBabe]

Your info helped a lot!  I think we could make a case for loungers since we are both "OLD" and DH had double hip replacement.. but we will see how that works out.  The table is actually more important to us since we love breakfast on the veranda...but lets see what happens...I know we have a HUGE veranda so maybe we can wrangle something??

I think we will bite the bullet and do it! Your review had a huge impact on our decision and I do appreciate all the time you have

given to it! My many thanks to all the great reviewers out there!😍

[WonderMan3]

For our day in Grand Cayman on Friday I booked us a cabana at the Royal Palms Beach Club on 7 Mile Beach as it got good reviews on Trip Advisor. To get there you need to take a taxi from the port. The taxis doing a beach run will call out Royal Palms as the first beach stop. Taxi cost is $5pp each way. It costs $2pp to enter Royal Palms. Since we reserved a cabana we didn’t have to pay that fee. Once inside you meet up with a staff member and they check you name on a list and then let you choose from pretty much any cabana on the beach. Some were blocked off though and she said those had been specifically reserved. I think if you book a larger party, maybe 4 or more then you can choose a specific cabana. The cabanas include a group of chaise loungers and a big dining table with four chairs. Some cabanas are enclosed on three sides while ours only had curtains on two sides and a wood back. This meant that the sun could get into the cabana easily. We had to move the table around as it was huge and took up most of the cabana space so we could pull our loungers into the shade of the cabana. It was awkward and we kept having to move our chairs around as the sun moved. It cost $125 for this cabana. It wasn’t really worth it in the end as we still were dealing with sun issues and no food or drink were included. It woukd’ve been much cheaper for us to just rent chairs and umbrellas.

 

Food and drink were outrageously expensive; around $18 for a 20 oz. cocktail. I included the menu with the pricing (you have to convert from Cayman dollars). The food was well prepared though. They are militantly strict thoughabout you bringing in your own food or drink. They search your bags as you enter. There was nothing on my confirmation about this though. We had packed some flavored zero calorie waters and a can of nuts from the ship. They tried to confiscate all of them until Mike told them he was diabetic and needed zero sugar drinks. Besides the beach there is a pool available as well as shower and changing facilities and restrooms. Staff is friendly and readily available. It got pretty loud while we were there from music blasting from the bar. Our cabana was also in a horrible location we discovered about an hour in as it was right by a path used to deliver and pick up jet skis to the water. A truck kept coming in and out to move the jet skis and had smelly exhaust. Behind our cabana was where the jet skis were stored and worked on. They were apparently refueling them or maintaining them as nasty diesel fumes kept wafting into our cabana. The beach itself was pretty nice. There were some rocks and shells along the rack line but then sandy beyond that with just a scattered large rock here and there. Water was a nice comfortable temperature and felt great on a hot, humid day. Not sure if we would come back here again. We always struggle finding a good place on 7 Mile Beach so not sure what we will do next time we visit.

 

We stayed at the club almost 3 hours. Taxis were waiting in their parking area and it was a quick ride back to the pier for another $5pp. At the pier we just missed a tender but there was another along in under 10 minutes. When we approached the ship the skies opened up with a downpour. Thankfully the Magic Carpet was there with its roof to keep us 99% dry. We headed back to the cabin to shower and change. While Mike was showering I had to go down to the front desk to deal with the extra spa charge on our account. When I got there the agent said our account had been shut down due to us not having a credit card on file. That was why the spa couldn’t reverse all the charges on our account apparently. That was weird because I had put the credit card in during the check in process online. I was remembering though that they did not verify our credit card information at the terminal in Fort Lauderdale. I didn’t have a card on me so I said we would come back with it.

[WonderMan3]

46 minutes ago, TomMMD said:

I just finished going through your “Live From....” thread.

 

Thanks.  Well done.  We are on the Jan 13 sailing.   And, getting eager.

 

For the same itinerary, would you choose Edge Class, Solstice Class, or (maybe) Millenum?

 

 

For which itinerary?