VTcruising Is Living On The Edge Again: The LIVE Saga Continues (1/20/19)

[Oville]

14 minutes ago, hcat said:

We are on the EDGE...TOTALLY AMAZING! Love the cabin, love the ship, happy crew and Officers!

 

 Our Roll call Sailaway was  excellent..as was the Cruise Critic Connections party and the Cabin Crawl....

 

best ever big birthday!...great spa day, got an EDGE necklace...amazing show tonight....Kaliedescope..I will try to start some type of review but just so  much fun going on and I feel internet time pressured!

 

Most  of all sincere thanks to you  VT cruiser  for the beautiful birthday card and fabulous gifts you left for me,,.....You are the best...so many  people send their best to you!!! 

Hcat, I can’t be any happier for you.  So glad to read you are having an amazing time and love the cabin.  Sometimes it is best to judge for yourself and ignore the noise.😉. Katie

[OriginalBoat]

On 1/25/2019 at 4:49 PM, hcat said:

 

I also think the Bistro could do take out  sammies by the bakery space  at a lower price during the day..Bet it stays  mostly empty at $25; pp for lunch....til the Petit Chef shows!

 

 

On 1/25/2019 at 10:20 PM, CruisingTheWaves said:

I agree, I would have checked out any type of grab and go spot. but I think it’s only $20pp per lunch at le grand bistro. Planning to try it because there’s 3-4 things alone on that menu I want! Lol.

 

I swear I saw a To-Go menu for Le Grande Bistro with sandwiches in the $5-10 range.  I can't remember where I saw it.

[Oville]

4 minutes ago, OriginalBoat said:

 

 

I swear I saw a To-Go menu for Le Grande Bistro with sandwiches in the $5-10 range.  I can't remember where I saw it.

On our cruise last week the lunch was $20, never saw a To Go menu but I may have missed it.  It certainly wasn’t on the app.

Edited January 29, 2019 by Oville

[vtcruising]

8 hours ago, Reel Love said:

You did not miss it......there was no caller ID on the phones.  I was surprised at this as well as we have always had caller ID on Solstice ships.

Okay, thanks, I wasn't crazy. 😊

[vtcruising]

8 hours ago, kwokpot said:

This! 

I think all the posters that haven't sailed on the Edge yet that have been so turned off by the one entertainment program that they literally won't sail on the ship really is quite nonsensical. As I stated in a previous post the space that is Eden is not just about that controversial evening program but so much more. If you really don't want to see and experience the Edenists then just don't go to the evening show. But to avoid the whole space is really just plain STUPID. 

I agree. A lot of the reason we rebooked was because of Eden - the gorgeous backdrop for music (I have to experience that again), the relaxing, comfy spaces (lots of little private nooks) for relaxing and reading, the friendly bar service (they always find you in your comfy nooks 🙂) and the great complimentary breakfasts and lunches, with space to eat inside and out.

 

The evening is still pretty low key and relaxing (calming background music or live music) until the show starts and people gather. When the show starts, since we have seen most of it, it doesn't matter - there are other shows to watch and dinner to be eaten so we can move on.

 

I have to say that it is now my favorite venue on any cruise ship that I have cruised.

 

 

[vtcruising]

7 hours ago, hcat said:

We are on the EDGE...TOTALLY AMAZING! Love the cabin, love the ship, happy crew and Officers!

 

 Our Roll call Sailaway was  excellent..as was the Cruise Critic Connections party and the Cabin Crawl....

 

best ever big birthday!...great spa day, got an EDGE necklace...amazing show tonight....Kaliedescope..I will try to start some type of review but just so  much fun going on and I feel internet time pressured!

 

Most  of all sincere thanks to you  VT cruiser  for the beautiful birthday card and fabulous gifts you left for me,,.....You are the best...so many  people send their best to you!!! 

I'm so happy that you are enjoying the cruise that you have looked forward to for so long! I am so jealous (but so happy for you) that you received an Edge necklace. If you can send a picture of it, I would love to see it. I just couldn't take the leap until I knew I was going back on the Edge and then I got distracted and forgot after we booked at the last minute.

 

Don't worry about taking time from your precious cruise experience to post - enjoy your time onboard and tell us all about it later!

 

I'm glad Mr Bill was able to pass along your birthday gifts. We had lots of fun chatting with him and with his DW.

 

Hope you continue to have the best birthday cruise ever! It sounds like the perfect birthday for an Edgie!! 😊

[dodger1964]

8 hours ago, kwokpot said:

This! 

I think all the posters that haven't sailed on the Edge yet that have been so turned off by the one entertainment program that they literally won't sail on the ship really is quite nonsensical. As I stated in a previous post the space that is Eden is not just about that controversial evening program but so much more. If you really don't want to see and experience the Edenists then just don't go to the evening show. But to avoid the whole space is really just plain STUPID. 

Maybe the thought of paying twice the cost of comparable cruise is what really turned them off and the IV fake balcony fiasco is also contributing factor.  

[Bo1953]

7 hours ago, hcat said:

We are on the EDGE...TOTALLY AMAZING! Love the cabin, love the ship, happy crew and Officers!

 

 Our Roll call Sailaway was  excellent..as was the Cruise Critic Connections party and the Cabin Crawl....

 

best ever big birthday!...great spa day, got an EDGE necklace...amazing show tonight....Kaliedescope..I will try to start some type of review but just so  much fun going on and I feel internet time pressured!

 

Most  of all sincere thanks to you  VT cruiser  for the beautiful birthday card and fabulous gifts you left for me,,.....You are the best...so many  people send their best to you!!! 

h - so happy for you!

 

Sounds like most of your trepidations have melted away...

 

Keep us up to date on how you are making out and enjoying, especially if you try Eden...

 

bon voyage

[Bo1953]

8 minutes ago, dodger1964 said:

Maybe the thought of paying twice the cost of comparable cruise is what really turned them off and the IV fake balcony fiasco is also contributing factor.  

Well, if true, very good for the rest of us...

 

bon voyage

[angelhelly]

7 hours ago, Oville said:

On our cruise last week the lunch was $20, never saw a To Go menu but I may have missed it.  It certainly wasn’t on the app.

The to go menu is on a chalkboard behind the podium.

 

We went to the grand bistro for lunch twice under the recommendation of chef Christos.  The first time, it was so amazing. He was overseeing service that day and came to talk to us. He was disappointed that we did not get the burger as he said it is one of the best thing on the ship. 

 

So behold, we decided on the last sea day to skip luminae and go again. Gosh he was right. My husband is a real burger snob (he put the blame of being from Chicago) and he said it was the best burger he ever had. 

 

So yeah. Try it. Worth it. 'Nuff said.

[dides]

49 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

I agree. A lot of the reason we rebooked was because of Eden - the gorgeous backdrop for music (I have to experience that again), the relaxing, comfy spaces (lots of little private nooks) for relaxing and reading,

 

....I have to say that it is now my favorite venue on any cruise ship that I have cruised.

 

Yes Eden is a lovely daytime venue - if you find the right spot! We actually found a lot of the furniture wasn't that comfortable and hard to get up from. It's as though they went to a huge furniture warehouse and picked out random stuff that matched a colour scheme! Also it's a bit too inward facing compared to say the 270 lounge on the RCI Quantum class-ships. We had to crane our necks for a glimpse of the wake from the sofas up on deck 6 - it would be nice to be able have more spots to sit with a book and look out at the sea.

[vtcruising]

24 minutes ago, dides said:

 

Yes Eden is a lovely daytime venue - if you find the right spot! We actually found a lot of the furniture wasn't that comfortable and hard to get up from. It's as though they went to a huge furniture warehouse and picked out random stuff that matched a colour scheme! Also it's a bit too inward facing compared to say the 270 lounge on the RCI Quantum class-ships. We had to crane our necks for a glimpse of the wake from the sofas up on deck 6 - it would be nice to be able have more spots to sit with a book and look out at the sea.

I'm sure it isn't for everyone - I liked the mismatched look (not for my own house, but liked it there, with its quirky vibe). I found many comfortable seats and hopefully others liked the ones that didn't work for me (I would have loved to take home one of those 3 color leather loungers - or at least leather look - I'm sure others found them uncomfortable, but I was in the zone in one of those 🙂). We also liked that there were plenty of coffee tables. I guess we lucked out in getting outward facing seats every time we went (always seemed to have empty seats on the walkway that had outward facing seats, if we didn't get seats on 5 or 6). Maybe we were there at less busy times? 🙂

Edited January 29, 2019 by vtcruising

[dides]

13 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

I'm sure it isn't for everyone - I liked the mismatched look (not for my own house, but liked it there, with its quirky vibe). I found many comfortable seats and hopefully others liked the ones that didn't work for me (I would have loved to take home one of those 3 color leather loungers - or at least leather look - I'm sure others found them uncomfortable, but I was in the zone in one of those 🙂). We also liked that there were plenty of coffee tables. I guess we lucked out in getting outward facing seats every time we went (always seemed to have empty seats on the walkway that had outward facing seats, if we didn't get seats on 5 or 6). Maybe we were there at less busy times? 🙂

Yes we tried a few down seats in the main area and a leather lounger was the first of the 'uh-oh you are going to have to help me get  up!' culprits  🙂  They draw you in!   Our safest spot was at the back behind those huge wicker chairs. 

Edited January 29, 2019 by dides

[vtcruising]

59 minutes ago, angelhelly said:

The to go menu is on a chalkboard behind the podium.

 

We went to the grand bistro for lunch twice under the recommendation of chef Christos.  The first time, it was so amazing. He was overseeing service that day and came to talk to us. He was disappointed that we did not get the burger as he said it is one of the best thing on the ship. 

 

So behold, we decided on the last sea day to skip luminae and go again. Gosh he was right. My husband is a real burger snob (he put the blame of being from Chicago) and he said it was the best burger he ever had. 

 

So yeah. Try it. Worth it. 'Nuff said.

They had writing on the cases with prices too, if I remember correctly. This picture is from a non-revenue cruise so no prices are listed. I think the sandwiches were in the $5 range - not sure about baguettes, pastries and cheese in the To Go section. It all looked good!

 

Wish we had tried the burger. We ate lunch there 3 times and it wasn't enough! Another good reason to return. 😉

 

 

 

 

[vtcruising]

31 minutes ago, dides said:

Yes we tried a few down seats in the main area and a leather lounger was the first of the 'uh-oh you are going to have to help me get  up!' culprits  🙂  They draw you in!   Our safest spot was at the back behind those huge wicker chairs. 

LOL! Maybe that's why I didn't want to leave! 😉

[MVPinBoynton]

38 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

I'm sure it isn't for everyone - I liked the mismatched look (not for my own house, but liked it there, with its quirky vibe). I found many comfortable seats and hopefully others liked the ones that didn't work for me (I would have loved to take home one of those 3 color leather loungers - or at least leather look - I'm sure others found them uncomfortable, but I was in the zone in one of those 🙂). We also liked that there were plenty of coffee tables. I guess we lucked out in getting outward facing seats every time we went (always seemed to have empty seats on the walkway that had outward facing seats, if we didn't get seats on 5 or 6). Maybe we were there at less busy times? 🙂

 

I agree with you on the deck 6 seats being the best for seeing the show and just the great aft view.  For the evening show, the good seats on 5 around the stage were taken, so I had to get one that was a row behind the good seats.  The couch was comfortable enough, but because it was facing away from the stage and people were in front of me, it was difficult to see what was happening on the stage and I had to turn sideways on the couch.  But there was plenty of entertainers to watch that weren't on the stage.  I did like how the entertainers interacted with the audience.  It made the show feel very friendly.  I also don't know if they changed their behavior or I have just gotten used to Eden; but the entertainers didn't seem to be spaced out on the recent cruise.  I do believe that everything on the Edge is improving.  I do hope that something can be done to make the IV veranda more appealing.  With most of the cabins being IV's on the ship, it is an important feature that needs to perfected to make the Edge class successful.

[hcat]

10 hours ago, Oville said:

Hcat, I can’t be any happier for you.  So glad to read you are having an amazing time and love the cabin.  Sometimes it is best to judge for yourself and ignore the noise.😉. Katie

Agree...best to see for oneself.but all the posts did help us avoid some  pitfalls..btw..the gym floor has uneven floors..lots of folks of stumbling there!

Will post more when we are  off the ship.

[nednrom]

9 hours ago, Oville said:

On our cruise last week the lunch was $20, never saw a To Go menu but I may have missed it.  It certainly wasn’t on the app.

 

I asked about a To-Go menu at the Raw on 5 since we could not get a reservation for lunch and dinner.  We were told no To-Go menus on ship.

[hcat]

Will post a pic of the EDGE necklace..its the one with the pool looking middle part  not the MC one..My pics from last night are on the camera but I,ll take one later with the tablet. Was talking with some of the Women Officers ( girl power!)  And the noticed it right away! They loved it!

 

The new cruise dir is phenomenal..!!!

 

KALIESCOPE show in the theater was SRO..we got seat upstairs next to the suite res area,  show was amazing..DO NOT MISS IT,..we wil try Eden soon but tonight is  up at the Rooftop  and then a White night pool party

[nednrom]

51 minutes ago, hcat said:

Will post a pic of the EDGE necklace..its the one with the pool looking middle part  not the MC one..My pics from last night are on the camera but I,ll take one later with the tablet. Was talking with some of the Women Officers ( girl power!)  And the noticed it right away! They loved it!

 

The new cruise dir is phenomenal..!!!

 

KALIESCOPE show in the theater was SRO..we got seat upstairs next to the suite res area,  show was amazing..DO NOT MISS IT,..we wil try Eden soon but tonight is  up at the Rooftop  and then a White night pool party

 

I agree - Damien is great!  The shows get even better if you can imagine, I thought Kaleidoscope was the weakest of them all!  I'm glad it was SRO, we had people walk out of the shows which I thought was rude since they are very talented and try so hard.

We didn't have time to go the club really and see Hypno and other night activities/parties there.  If you get a chance can you report on those please?

Have a blast tonight - we mainly stayed at the White Night Pool party and danced, Rooftop was a bit windy, hope it's better for you all.

 

[alishac]

14 hours ago, vtcruising said:

angelhelly, did you hear that the St Maarten one was cancelled last time and might be cancelled this week as well?  Chef Krystos wasn't sure why, but thought it had to do with the local company that did the St Maarten tour part. That was an excellent tour too - I hope that they will be able to continue with it.

I am doing the Eastern itinerary in March and could have sworn that I saw the St. Maarten tour in my cruise planner previously, but I just checked and it's no longer there. Bummer, it sounds like it would have been a great one. 

[vtcruising]

I  wanted to finish reporting on the last two days of the cruise before organizing my overall review. Friday, Day # 6 - Grand Cayman:

 

 

We treated it like a sea day since they weren't taking the new launches out (luckily we rode in them in November). Damien had mentioned that it was because the GC tenders could hold more people and it would be faster. In the Q&A with the Captain, he mentioned it having something to do with having to be facing in a certain direction because the MC (and launch platform) are on the starboard side - the wind direction will affect whether they can safely maneuver the launches up to the platform. At least that was my understanding of his explanation.

 

We went to Luminae for breakfast since Chef Christos had said he goes there for omelets. I had asked him his favorite restaurants on the ship and he said he goes to Cafe al Bacio for his cappuccino, Luminae for omelets, Le Grand Bistro for the burger and FCSH for a steak or Raw on 5 for some seafood. He sounded like he liked it all. 🙂  The omelets are good in Luminae, but not as tasty as I expected. He must choose better fillings.

 

 

We had a sunny, non-windy day and, like Katie, I was happy that we stayed on the ship and enjoyed the Edge in the gorgeous weather. I was able to enjoy the lounger on the balcony in full sun. It was lovely out there, reading and watching the tenders go back and forth. I could hear the Royal ship frequent announcements and appreciated even more that X has so few announcements.

 

 

 

 

 

I do have a special place in my heart for the closest ship, Empress of the Seas (was Nordic Empress at that time, though a Royal ship), that I sailed on 3 times, the first Royal cruises for us. We took our 4 kids on that ship and what a time we had! They still talk about all of our adventures. She looked old and small, compared to the Edge, but still looked in great shape.

 

 

My DH went to the Thermal Spa with his day pass and enjoyed reading on a heated tile lounger and trying out the saunas, etc. He enjoyed his time there, but felt that an explanation of the 8 different experiences by the staff would have been nice. He tried different things, but didn't really know much about them. I told him he should have asked - they were very happy to explain things when I went (I guess it's similar to not asking for directions when he's lost 😉). Does anyone know if they have a written explanation of the 8 experiences (I know they don't like to use paper, but even putting it in the app would be nice)?  He did have a nice, relaxing morning up there.

 

We headed up to the Retreat sundeck for more sun. It was pretty quiet up there and we enjoyed a double lounger in full sun and soon had cocktails delivered. We decided to have a bite to eat up there in the glorious sun so ordered shrimp cocktails and Chicken Caesars. These were smaller in size, but just enough for us since we had had a Luminae breakfast.

 

 

 

After enjoying the sun for a while. we headed to Eden to see what was happening. They were serving lunch so we couldn't resist trying a few things (after our light pre-lunch 😉). They had a nice selection of sandwiches, salads, soups, the daily carved sandwich and desserts. They have coffee, teas, ice water, iced tea, apple juice, orange juice and lemonade there as well.

 

We sat outside in the sun and saw Katie and DH also enjoying lunch out there. As I gaze at the thermometer and the snow outside, I wish I could be there right now! 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MVPinBoynton]

Marilyn,

Did you get to try the Snowflake Martini?

[Presto2]

13 hours ago, hcat said:

We are on the EDGE...TOTALLY AMAZING! Love the cabin, love the ship, happy crew and Officers!

 

 Our Roll call Sailaway was  excellent..as was the Cruise Critic Connections party and the Cabin Crawl....

 

best ever big birthday!...great spa day, got an EDGE necklace...amazing show tonight....Kaliedescope..I will try to start some type of review but just so  much fun going on and I feel internet time pressured!

 

Most  of all sincere thanks to you  VT cruiser  for the beautiful birthday card and fabulous gifts you left for me,,.....You are the best...so many  people send their best to you!!! 

 

That post gave me a BIG smile ! So pleased you are enjoying yourself -- can feel the excitement coming through my PC !

What a lovely thought re the birthday gift -- hope you had a great birthday !

[vtcruising]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

Will post a pic of the EDGE necklace..its the one with the pool looking middle part  not the MC one..My pics from last night are on the camera but I,ll take one later with the tablet. Was talking with some of the Women Officers ( girl power!)  And the noticed it right away! They loved it!

 

The new cruise dir is phenomenal..!!!

 

KALIESCOPE show in the theater was SRO..we got seat upstairs next to the suite res area,  show was amazing..DO NOT MISS IT,..we wil try Eden soon but tonight is  up at the Rooftop  and then a White night pool party

We liked Damien very much. Very visible and personable. At the Cruise Critic meet and greet, he spoke and the Guest Relations Director spoke and then they asked if there was a spokesperson for our roll call who wanted to say a few words. They all pointed to me, but I was taken by surprise and sort of smiled and waved. I felt terrible afterward, as no one from our group thanked them for the party. Anyway, Damien made his way over to me and said "Marilyn" and shook my hand. He thanked me for my work on Cruise Critic and said a few kind words. I then thanked him for having the Cruise Critic party. Whenever he saw me in the hallway or at an event, he said hi after that. He's a nice guy and a great CD. As I said before, the Guest Relations Director, Cameron Robertson, came over and talked for 20 minutes or more. He was very engaged and interested in what I had to say. He turned out to be very visible during this cruise. He was the guy who did the raw/cooked egg game with Damien in the Club during the Live show and ended up with egg all over his head and down his uniform. A very funny, personable guy, with a Scottish brogue.

 

If the theater is full, the tables and chairs down by the stage on either side are usually empty. I enjoyed sitting there. It wasn't crowded and I think we got better bar service there since we were easy to get to. 🙂

 

Can't wait to see your necklace! Enjoy the rest of your day and night!!