EDGE REVIEWS POSTED...not very positive!

[hcat]

10 hours ago, marylander2 said:

...and they already are, judging by several comments I've stumbled over. 

However, I am curious to learn what - in your view - defines a "young refined cruiser"? 🙂

 

I was using the term from someone else who posted that this was who Celebrity was trying to attract...and to me that term and EDEN don't jibe!

 

 

 

[marylander2]

5 hours ago, kearney said:

I think it is difficult to go after a market that is into texting, instagram, video gaming and techno music while also satisfying a market that is either less interested in these or perhaps even hostile towards the whole internet of everything concept and electronic everything. So it will be difficult to attract new people and keep the old... you are going to offend someone... the question is can you hold onto enough while attracting more than you lose.  It will be interesting to watch this experiment. To be honest I am glad to be on an early sailing so I can see the original concept before it goes through further transformation. One thing I find interesting is getting rid of basketball... which involves people interacting LIVE with other people and essentially replacing this old school physical activity with those bikes where you interact online with people biking. Even the pool is designed for laps a solitary activity... vs volleyball.  So the technology oriented can come on a ship and still succeed in minimal interaction... and not miss a beat on their phones....   I wonder if there is a market for a non tech ship with no internet... expect perhaps for emergencies. ... where you have to interact....  Given the focus on technology..it is odd that they include sprites... seems that does not appeal to either end of the spectrum.. Well it will be interesting to experience

 

All good points, especially about games as a mean to connect people onboard. Wow, basketball... You are right, and I thought about the same once I have found out that the Edge is the first from the last ten or so ships by X that will not have the court! I just did not think about it the way you did - that it is one of the obsolete spaces for the "young refined cruiser", it should go away together with any other games (in your sense, with the activities connecting people). I personally have made a lot of good friends on the court, I play all my life, and have a good fistful of X medals for different challenges on the court (those with blue ribbons) - from tournaments on M ships where they had a full court, to really tough games on S ships (because of the odd location of the courts! Who decided to place them right above the bow?? Open to all and every wind...). It's just sad that the new concept is crossing out games and competitions whatsoever.

As to your generous comment "So it will be difficult to attract new people and keep the old... you are going to offend someone... the question is can you hold onto enough while attracting more than you lose." -- I very much doubt that X is doing this transition the right way. Edge is in each and every corner of the ship different from what the "old crude cruisers" like me got used to while onboard of X ship. I still am looking forward to taste it, as you all, and can't wait to get there. It could "revolutionize" my approach to cruising, because despite my passion in sports, I still am an introvert, oddly enough - so it might work for me... What is scary in the X approach, and this is what you perhaps are not taking into account, is that they want to administer the "edgefecation" concept (sorry again for made up word) to ALL fleet, and that in my book is not the right way of keeping the old while attracting the new. I am nervous about that. Luckily, this is not an industry-wide approach, and with X prices going up daily, I would easily take parts with it and switch to O or HAL or MSC. I wish the X and RC a ton of success, but I hate to be  handled like an old, scratched basketball that is tossed in the garage corner, because young refined kids in the family have got a brand new shiny one...

 

[marylander2]

4 hours ago, hcat said:

I was using the term from someone else who posted that this was who Celebrity was trying to attract...and to me that term and EDEN don't jibe!

I look forward to socialize with the Edenists. Maybe we could form a team to compete against the team of theater actors in bag tossing...

[MizDemeanor]

I think the experience is a personal one reagrless of the age. It's important ot note though that the group labeled Millenials do worry less about money so paying for something that say a Baby Boomer might think is too much but may not be too much for a Millenial, who cares less about value or about savings for anything important in th future. They pay rents that would be mortgages that we would say no way to. 

 

If you like the ship sail it, if you don't, just dont' go no matter what your age is. You decide. 

Edited December 14, 2018 by MizDemeanor

[TeeRick]

On 12/14/2018 at 10:22 AM, Pennstateman said:

We see no need to change what we are doing.

 

Sincerely,

FW Woolworth

Sears

Kmart

 

Yeah add Blockbuster, Oldsmobile, PanAm, TWA, and dozens more.

[yvrdave]

Celebrity Edge review **

To begin, we have done about 70 cruises, half with Celebrity.  This was our 7^th cruise on Celebrity this year.  We prefer cruising with Celebrity and were looking forward to the new ships and new itineraries.  We booked the 3-day cruise and the 7-day Inaugural cruise.  We had an infinite veranda cabin first and an inside cabin on the 7-day because the cabins were about twice the cost of the cabins we had on the Equinox and Harmony that we were on just before the Edge.  The new Terminal 25 was beautiful and very efficient.  It was very quick to check in and board immediately.  The ship décor is very nice and modern.  The cabins also are nice if you like the grey color scheme.  A few dislikes with our cabin are that the beds are very firm.  My wife complained she couldn’t sleep very well on it and had back pains in the morning.  Would be nice if they would have a pillow top mattress instead.  Think about bringing your own foam topper as none are available!!  FYI, the IV verandas are 4 ½ feet deep vs 6 ½ feet on the S class ships.  Therefore, only room for 2 small chairs and an 18” table.  Did love the 50” TV at the foot of the bed.  And a surprise one night when a passenger mistook our room for hers and her card opened our door!

The food was very good everywhere.  We ate in each of the beautiful 4 main dining rooms.   Service was very good except for the first night when our main entrée had not arrived after waiting an hour and a half.  So, we went up to the OceanView Café where there was lots of choices and very nice seating areas.  At the entrance to the OVC are multiple hand washing stations which few people actually used.  There was no one to direct you to “wash your hands” as they do on the Princess Regal.  The OVC was also great for breakfast and lunch.  They have combined the Gelateria and the ice cream station into just the one place in the OVC, offering 10 choices of which 2 were gelato for $4 a scoop. 

On the Edge, Celebrity has cut down on several things like paper.  We didn’t get the usual list of officers on board with the daily program.  No more Sudoku, crossword puzzles or extra daily programs to get from the guest relations area.  Instead, the programs, activities and menus are all on the Celebrity App for your phone.  Be sure to download the App.  Note, it may use up your battery more quickly. 

No more libraries.  I’ve heard that the libraries will be removed from all ships to make space for more inside cabins.

Gone also, are the morning stretch and ab classes on the Edge although they were on the Equinox and Harmony.  No proper scale in the gym.  My wife wasn’t very happy!

We really missed having a place like the Sky Lounge to meet other Elites during Happy Hour.  Instead, the forward top level has been developed into a “retreat” area for the people in suites.  Instead, for drinks you go to any bar (except Eden and the Magic Carpet) or restaurant between 5 and 7 PM for the 3 drinks loaded on your pass card.  We did like having one or two of the drinks with dinner.

We did not like any of the evening shows.  Yes, the actors, dancers and singers did their very best but we didn’t like the music/songs.  Perhaps the new design of the stage limits the type of shows they can do.  Also, the Celebrity orchestra is mostly hidden off stage.  The shows on the Harmony (RCCL) were fantastic and very good on the Equinox.  We did hear some nice music the last day at sea by 3 bands that played in Eden.  However, we didn’t like the other strange music and activities in Eden.  It’s a beautiful area but would have preferred having a grand piano in Eden with some fine soft jazz and classic songs. 

The piano in the main Grand Plaza was seldom played.  Instead of being a nice area to relax and listen to nice music, it is totally filled with chairs around the Martini Bar and Grand Plaza and gets very noisy.  At Happy Hour time it is jammed with people trying to get their drinks which could take about 15 minutes as there were only a couple of waiters.  Not sure why we couldn’t get Happy Hour drinks in Eden.  It’s a nice area although the main entrance to Eden is very dark and very congested with funny sculptures that serve no purpose.

All in all, we won’t be going back on the Edge.  It just isn’t a good value for us.  I just hope they don’t screw up the M and S class ships or we’ll have to switch to other cruise lines.

[B-Rizzle]

On 12/14/2018 at 4:11 PM, marylander2 said:

I look forward to socialize with the Edenists. Maybe we could form a team to compete against the team of theater actors in bag tossing...

 

Right? I feel like the entertainers are doing their job, and it is our job to play along and complete the concept. It wasn't fun for my Ex when he played Santa and my son stopped believing.  (though I think he had it coming!!! hehe)

[marylander2]

Just now, B-Rizzle said:

 

Right? I feel like the entertainers are doing their job, and it is our job to play along and complete the concept. It wasn't fun for my Ex when he played Santa and my son stopped believing.  (though I think he had it coming!!! hehe)

Makes me wonder - would it crush the Eden actors if I tell them that Fairies are imaginary and do not exist...

[Rob the Cruiser]

On 12/14/2018 at 8:16 AM, Jesseslola said:

I am sure most readers will not like this, but here is my one cent:

 

Before I start, I would like to make sure that everybody understands that appreciation towards the loyals cannot be understated. Without them, there is no cruising industry. 

 

But, business is business.

 

A lot of my friends are in the higher level of the Celebrity/ RC status rating. Guess what, they get the BEST discounts available, allowing to go 3-5 times a year.

The younger cruisers in my group pay top dollars and are able to cruise 2x a year. They do not have loyalty levels because they do not stick to one cruise line. They try everything and not ready to be a “loyal” to one. 

 

This group is what I believe Celebrity is trying to attract.

 

It is not because Celebrity or any cruise line is trying to ignore their loyals, but that they need to pay the bills. The loyals are still very important to them, as we other passengers acknowledge that. Celebrity is trying to get new passengers to become loyals one day, when they current loyals are enjoying their even wonderful cruises in heaven.

 

We are Elite Plus and don't seem to be getting the BEST discounts available. The only discounts we get are incentives from our TA. Please ask your friends how to get these BEST discounts. 

[MizDemeanor]

No more morning stretch....not good. 

[teltrainer]

On 12/14/2018 at 10:22 AM, Pennstateman said:

We see no need to change what we are doing.

 

Sincerely,

FW Woolworth

Sears

Kmart

...and these "hot" tech companies that failed:  https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/failed-tech-companies-most-notable/

[cruisesport]

There are NO discounts for being elite or elite plus. 

[cruise47]

On 12/14/2018 at 12:23 PM, kwokpot said:

If you go to a high end resort in south Beach (W Hotel, SLS, Faena Hotel) You WILL NOT find a basketball court anywhere. THOSE hotels are the EXACT experience Celebrity is trying to duplicate with The Edge. 

I agree with your observation. Good point.

[Pennstateman]

1 hour ago, MizDemeanor said:

No more morning stretch....not good. 

 

Morning belch will still be held however, every hour, on the hour 6am to noon

[hcat]

Will we be able to get print outs of the daily schedules in our room, at Guest Rel or  from the computer center?  We have an outdated Androud  tablet  and phones and Celeb bans certain Samsung phones from the ship...just read that in our e docs!

 

We keep the phones in the safe and  will use the tablet to read..and do the daily sudoku ....no longer supplied by GR,,

[vtcruising]

40 minutes ago, hcat said:

Will we be able to get print outs of the daily schedules in our room, at Guest Rel or  from the computer center?  We have an outdated Androud  tablet  and phones and Celeb bans certain Samsung phones from the ship...just read that in our e docs!

 

We keep the phones in the safe and  will use the tablet to read..and do the daily sudoku ....no longer supplied by GR,,

We received one at night when stateroom was made up. Tried to get a second one because my app didn’t seem correct and my DH had our daily. They were a little reluctant at GS to give me another as they said they were moving away from paper. She did find one for me. It may be different now that they’ve had some feedback?

Edited December 20, 2018 by vtcruising

[TeeRick]

3 hours ago, cruisesport said:

There are NO discounts for being elite or elite plus. 

You just have the personal satisfaction of knowing you spent a lifetime of money for Celebrity cruises to get you to Elite+.  Not enough for you? LOL.

[hcat]

9 hours ago, B-Rizzle said:

 

Right? I feel like the entertainers are doing their job, and it is our job to play along and complete the concept. It wasn't fun for my Ex when he played Santa and my son stopped believing.  (though I think he had it coming!!! hehe)

 

When I pay  lots of  hard earned money for a Modern Luxury Cruise, I don't see where it is my job to "play along".  This is not billed as a role playing trip.

 

If a show  or other entertainment is not to my liking I  leave.... discreetly if possible.

 

If you pay for the EDEN experience and  sign on for the dinner/ show then yes..you are part of the show   ..and should join the fun.

[Bo1953]

5 hours ago, cruisesport said:

There are NO discounts for being elite or elite plus. 

Are there no discounts for the internet packages, specialty dining and/or laundry plus a few other things?

 

I thought there were...

 

bon voyage

[Stateroom_Sailor]

6 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

Are there no discounts for the internet packages, specialty dining and/or laundry plus a few other things?

 

I thought there were...

 

bon voyage

 

I believe there are discounts on Galapagos, 10% or so.

[ecslady]

3 hours ago, hcat said:

 

When I pay  lots of  hard earned money for a Modern Luxury Cruise, I don't see where it is my job to "play along".  This is not billed as a role playing trip.

 

If a show  or other entertainment is not to my liking I  leave.... discreetly if possible.

 

If you pay for the EDEN experience and  sign on for the dinner/ show then yes..you are part of the show   ..and should join the fun.

 

I do not think if you dine at Eden you are part of the show.  From what I saw, it seemed that the edenists picked on people that sat close to the center platform in Eden. When I watched it, they picked 4 people that were sitting close by, whispered something in their ears, and then had them sit on that center platform and close their eyes, while the edenists ran around the room and rang their bells. Not really sure what that was all about, the only thing I could come up with, is they wanted everyone to think they hypnotized those four people. I gave up and left after that.

[hcat]

31 minutes ago, ecslady said:

 

I do not think if you dine at Eden you are part of the show.  From what I saw, it seemed that the edenists picked on people that sat close to the center platform in Eden. When I watched it, they picked 4 people that were sitting close by, whispered something in their ears, and then had them sit on that center platform and close their eyes, while the edenists ran around the room and rang their bells. Not really sure what that was all about, the only thing I could come up with, is they wanted everyone to think they hypnotized those four people. I gave up and left after that.

Oh..I had impression everyone  there was fair game..Was the dinner good, at least,?

[ecslady]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

Oh..I had impression everyone  there was fair game..Was the dinner good, at least,?

 

I did not eat dinner in Eden, only watched the Edenists for about 20 minutes or so. The Eden Restaurant is one deck down from the main performance area. There are some much longer videos on You Tube that will give you an idea of what to expect.  just type in Edge Eden Experience and it should bring up some good ones. 

 

Personally, I don't think Eden will last long, especially If Edge has a lot of repeat cruisers. It's  kind of a been there, done that kind of thing IMO. But who knows.

Edited December 21, 2018 by ecslady

[TeeRick]

17 hours ago, hcat said:

 

When I pay  lots of  hard earned money for a Modern Luxury Cruise, I don't see where it is my job to "play along".  This is not billed as a role playing trip.

 

If a show  or other entertainment is not to my liking I  leave.... discreetly if possible.

 

If you pay for the EDEN experience and  sign on for the dinner/ show then yes..you are part of the show   ..and should join the fun.

 

Hi hcat.  From your numerous posts here it seems you have decided that Eden is not for you.  Is that presumptive?  We have already decided to not spend money to dine in Eden but we will check it out anyway for ourselves.  Certainly have a few drinks there during our cruise since it seems to be one of the only indoor bars onboard.  I don't think the fairies in there will bother much with me anyway!  If they do I really won't care too much one way or another as long as they don't spill my drink.  Sort of like the Goofy character giving me a hug years ago when I took my kids to Disney World.  

[nednrom]

On 12/14/2018 at 11:44 AM, kearney said:

I think it is difficult to go after a market that is into texting, instagram, video gaming and techno music while also satisfying a market that is either less interested in these or perhaps even hostile towards the whole internet of everything concept and electronic everything. So it will be difficult to attract new people and keep the old... you are going to offend someone... the question is can you hold onto enough while attracting more than you lose.  It will be interesting to watch this experiment. To be honest I am glad to be on an early sailing so I can see the original concept before it goes through further transformation. One thing I find interesting is getting rid of basketball... which involves people interacting LIVE with other people and essentially replacing this old school physical activity with those bikes where you interact online with people biking. Even the pool is designed for laps a solitary activity... vs volleyball.  So the technology oriented can come on a ship and still succeed in minimal interaction... and not miss a beat on their phones....   I wonder if there is a market for a non tech ship with no internet... expect perhaps for emergencies. ... where you have to interact....  Given the focus on technology..it is odd that they include sprites... seems that does not appeal to either end of the spectrum.. Well it will be interesting to experience

 

 

 I work with technology so I have never shied away from it - what bothers me is the dependence solely on technology - even at dinner with Le Petit Chef.  We perpetuate the market of instagram and videogaming.  We "oohh and ahhh" over dinner instead of having a conversation. We, well maybe I, at 52 criticize that kids today seem to have a additional appendage attached called a cell phone that they must attend to every few minutes which is now apparently being encouraged on cruises.  I, on the other hand, want to disconnect from the world and create memories on a cruise. Not that I play trivia that much, but I would want to play in with others in the same room not on my smart phone. The X cruise will be a new experience another memory - hopefully one that will be remembered as a positive experience that we will want to repeat.