Our life on the Edge, 28 April 2019 TA, some photos & video

[vtcruising]

Just now, Silkroad said:

This is an excellent reason for your move from deck 10 to deck 7, Marilyn, but you don’t fool me. I think your real reason is to beat the rest of us to the best seat at the Martini Bar😜 The race is on, ladies😂 Marilyn has a one deck advantage, but I think I can pass her in the stairwell.....

Okay, I didn't fool anyone...gotta run down before all the kale martinis are gone! 😉

[Silkroad]

23 minutes ago, vtcruising said:

When we had lunch at LGB, we had to plan ahead - early light breakfast and dinner at 9:30. After the 2 lunches we had there (my DH and I had exactly what you two had on one of the days), someone had to roll us out. Too much food - but oh so good! 🙂

Ah but we were not as wise as you were. I believe we had a light breakfast, but we followed up our bistro extravaganza with an early dinner at FCG. Oh yes, we were well on our way to packing on the Cruise Five😂

[hcat]

Ha ha... on APEX I will lose the race...we're up  on 9!

I think we will all get a nice walking workout  going from aft to other spaces on the ship...well worth it.

 

Just noticed 7312 EDGE seems to have loungers...hope they stay put! They will be put to good use...

[Silkroad]

Since two of our friends were in a suite & dined at Luminae, our specialty restaurant nights were the only time all six of us dined together. This night was the second of the three. We arrived at Fine Cut Grill, and were seated at a very nice table located away from the plaza, but not at the window. I thought the restaurant was beautiful and airy. Our table shared some sides. I recall mac & cheese, steak fries, asparagus, and sauteed mushrooms. I enjoyed the latter three very much. I had a bone in filet mignon, and DH had the regular filet mignon. We both thought our steaks were excellent. My Caymus cabernet went very well with this meal😀 I can't recall what our friends ordered, but at least one other person also had a filet. Due to the excellent food & service, and the beautiful setting, FCG was well on the way to being our favorite, until someone cranked up the live music in the Grand Foyer (at 7:30) to a volume that rendered normal conversation impossible. Mind you, the band sounded great. If I'd been seated in the Martini Bar with a cocktail, I would have enjoyed it, but I was trying to enjoy a nice dinner with friends whom I rarely have an opportunity to see. This wasn't the fault of the FCG staff, as it was outside their control, but it did put a damper on an otherwise lovely meal. 

 

 

Edited May 21, 2019 by Silkroad

[vtcruising]

Sounds like Apex will be better for those restaurants around the GP (with noise barrier). The bone-in filet looks yummy (and huge)! Caymus makes everything better!

[Silkroad]

This seems like the right time to re-post some information I had previously posted (while still on board) to Vt's excellent Potential Edge Modifications thread. The link to that thread is at the bottom of this post.

 

I had the opportunity to twice speak with the Hotel Director, Niyazi Korkmaz, regarding planned changes for the IVs, as well as planned changes for the RTG Grill & Fine Cut Grill. He said the following (and showed me photos of a frosted bifold door). During our conversations, he said:

 

• Fifty IV cabins already had frosted bifold doors, and the rest will be done soon.
• New chairs (but not tables) are on order for the IV cabins.
• There are no plans to remove the blinds in the IVs.
• An awning will be added to the RTG Grill, but no wind shield panels are planned.
• Panels are being discussed for the FCG (already done on Apex) to reduce noise from the Grand Plaza during dinner.

 

The ship was completely full for our cruise, so all fifty IVs with frosted bifold doors were occupied. Knowing quite a few PAX had intended to disembark early, in Le Havre, I asked Guest Relations if I could see one, if one became free. Fortunately, one did, so Guest Relations arranged for the cabin attendant to let me see the cabin. I was able to spend just a couple minutes in IV cabin 7267, but I got some quick photos. 

 

 

 

 

[Silkroad]

Taken from inside the cabin, bifold doors firmly closed, blind open:

[Silkroad]

Taken from the veranda, bifold doors firmly closed, blind open

[Silkroad]

I think that with smaller - and hopefully more comfortable - chairs, the bifold doors may be easier to open/close without moving furniture. That would allow those who want to avoid using the blind (which turns the cabin into a dark cave IMO) to have privacy for one occupant while the other is on the veranda. BTW the fifty cabins that already have frosted doors are all located on deck 7, aft (both port & starboard).

 

IMO, the current chairs are quite uncomfortable, not because of the size, but because the angle of the back placed undue strain on my lower back. They have no neck support (as the chairs on M & S class do) which placed undue strain on my neck. I had to sit upright, not using the back at all, much like a Victorian lady wearing a corset lol. My hope is that they'll be replaced with chairs like the ones that have been on M & S class verandas for the past few years. I'll post a photo demonstrating how massive the current chairs are.

 

Here is a photo of our 24" and 26" luggage occupying the chairs. Though uncomfortable, they were at least useful for packing😂

[Silkroad]

I also had the opportunity to twice discuss entertainment with the CD, Damian de Lorenzis. I first highly praised one of the shows, which was the best Celebrity production show I've seen since my first cruise (on Millennium in 2006). Everything worked. Timing, performance, story. DH & I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I managed to completely lose myself in the performance. Excellent job by Damian, musicians, cast, and backstage crew (more on this production will be in my review).

 

I also praised the fantastic Celebrity Theatre Musicians, and told Damian I'd love to see them perform their own music around the ship. He said that sometimes happens, but this cruise had a lot of guest musicians.

 

I mentioned that many of us like varied music & productions, and that we hoped X would continue to balance the golden oldies with music of the present & recent past. He quite naturally couldn't commit to any path, but did say that the musicians (house band etc) are trained to "read the audience" on each cruise, and adapt their performance choices to the audience. We shall see. I guess we'll need to keep commenting on what we like & dislike, and hope for the best.

 

This ends my re-posting information from the other thread. I'll continue with the rest of the days and topics once I return from a loooong walk in the park. I'm still burning off that lunch lol...

[Lastdance]

2 hours ago, vtcruising said:

I saw some pictures last year with the flared firewall on each side of the two center SV's that looks like it makes the two center cabin balconies bigger than average on 7, 8 and maybe slightly bigger on 9 and the cabins on either side of the center two cabins on 7 and 8 look smaller than average to me.  The rest look the same and good-sized, but maybe not as big as the balconies as those 4 cabins (7315, 7312, 8323, 8314).

 

When I saw this picture with balcony furniture (I added the cabin numbers), it really looked like that is a reality. If you look at 7312 with 2 loungers and plenty of room for chairs and compare it to 7310 and 7313 - it looks like there isn't much more room than for the two chairs and table. I saw a picture of 7313 and it indeed does look narrower (probably same depth).  Also, if you look at the white wall next to the slider, you can see the difference in the width to gauge the width of the balcony. If you look at deck 10, 11, 12, the SVs all look about the same width and are the normal-sized ones (9 center may be a bit bigger and the two next to the center ones a tiny bit smaller - it appears that there is still a bit of a flare in the firewall on 9). 

 

Anyway, I think 7315 and 7312 likely have the largest balconies, with 8323 and 8314 next and probably 9311 and 9312 a little bigger than average.  I realize that the view won't be as nice down that low, but having 3 deck 7 aft and 1 deck 8 aft reviews that didn't have noise issues, I decided to go with the larger balcony. Party central!! 🙂

 

 

I can see exactly what you are saying.  Very interesting indeed!  Thanks so much for clarifying and posting ...

[Silkroad]

Day 8 - at sea

[Silkroad]

This was our last sea day before reaching the Azores. It was also the day we had the best Golden Margaritas of the cruise, at the Martini Bar, of course. Yum. We had another lovely dinner with friends, in Cosmopolitan, after which we headed to the theater for the 9:30 production show. The show was named A Hot Summer Night's Dream, and DH & I enjoyed it very much indeed. Unlike every other production show we've seen since our first Celebrity cruise (in 2006) this one worked. The timing, music, projected backdrop, acrobatics, acting, dancing, and lighting coalesced into something charming, entertaining, and yes, a little magical. Well done, CD Damian, theater cast & theater orchestra! You've restored our faith in the potential of the Celebrity theater. I wish I had gotten video of some of the show, but honestly, I was too interested in the antics of the cast🙂

[vtcruising]

3 hours ago, Lastdance said:

I can see exactly what you are saying.  Very interesting indeed!  Thanks so much for clarifying and posting

Sorry to go off topic, but thought I would post this for Sunset Veranda fans:

 

[Silkroad]

Day 9 - Ponta Delgada, Azores

[hcat]

3 hours ago, Silkroad said:

This was our last sea day before reaching the Azores. It was also the day we had the best Golden Margaritas of the cruise, at the Martini Bar, of course. Yum. We had another lovely dinner with friends, in Cosmopolitan, after which we headed to the theater for the 9:30 production show. The show was named A Hot Summer Night's Dream, and DH & I enjoyed it very much indeed. Unlike every other production show we've seen since our first Celebrity cruise (in 2006) this one worked. The timing, music, projected backdrop, acrobatics, acting, dancing, and lighting coalesced into something charming, entertaining, and yes, a little magical. Well done, CD Damian, theater cast & theater orchestra! You've restored our faith in the potential of the Celebrity theater. I wish I had gotten video of some of the show, but honestly, I was too interested in the antics of the cast🙂

 

Looks great..We missed seeing  it last  time...I think it was the last night...its on our next must  see list!

[Silkroad]

4 minutes ago, hcat said:

 

Looks great..We missed seeing  it last  time...I think it was the last night...its on our next must  see list!

I hope you have the same cast & theater orchestra! I don't know how frequently they move from ship to ship, but this group really seemed to mesh in a way that not all groups do. Fingers crossed🌺

[cgolf1]

9 hours ago, Silkroad said:

I also had the opportunity to twice discuss entertainment with the CD, Damian de Lorenzis. I first highly praised one of the shows, which was the best Celebrity production show I've seen since my first cruise (on Millennium in 2006). Everything worked. Timing, performance, story. DH & I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I managed to completely lose myself in the performance. Excellent job by Damian, musicians, cast, and backstage crew (more on this production will be in my review).

 

I also praised the fantastic Celebrity Theatre Musicians, and told Damian I'd love to see them perform their own music around the ship. He said that sometimes happens, but this cruise had a lot of guest musicians.

 

I mentioned that many of us like varied music & productions, and that we hoped X would continue to balance the golden oldies with music of the present & recent past. He quite naturally couldn't commit to any path, but did say that the musicians (house band etc) are trained to "read the audience" on each cruise, and adapt their performance choices to the audience. We shall see. I guess we'll need to keep commenting on what we like & dislike, and hope for the best.

 

This ends my re-posting information from the other thread. I'll continue with the rest of the days and topics once I return from a loooong walk in the park. I'm still burning off that lunch lol...

 

This is my fear. Because we were in 10% of young couples on the cruise, being generous on the percentage, my guess is they would have played more golden oldies. Maybe by 2021 there will be more younger couples onboard so there is a better mix of music, leaning more towards current. 

 

We thought the music and shows, minus Eden, were just about perfect and needed no changes;) Unfortunately I was one of few. 

Edited May 22, 2019 by cgolf1

[hcat]

8 hours ago, cgolf1 said:

 

This is my fear. Because we were in 10% of young couples on the cruise, being generous on the percentage, my guess is they would have played more golden oldies. Maybe by 2021 there will be more younger couples onboard so there is a better mix of music, leaning more towards current. 

 

We thought the music and shows, minus Eden, were just about perfect and needed no changes;) Unfortunately I was one of few. 

DJ on our Jan EDGE cruise was awesome...mostly current music, some new to us,  but  he threw in sime Beatles....and other Classics too.

[vtcruising]

8 hours ago, cgolf1 said:

 

This is my fear. Because we were in 10% of young couples on the cruise, being generous on the percentage, my guess is they would have played more golden oldies. Maybe by 2021 there will be more younger couples onboard so there is a better mix of music, leaning more towards current. 

 

We thought the music and shows, minus Eden, were just about perfect and needed no changes;) Unfortunately I was one of few. 

It is hard to predict right now, IMO. The TA's have generally an older crowd and they will make sure to have some entertainment geared to what traditionally the older crowd might like. I don't necessarily fit that mold and am happy to see a lot of variety in the TA dailies. When Damian took over, things changed in a major way onboard, so I have hope that they will continue to offer a variety of entertainment for varied tastes.

 

The initial booking of the Edge had more reasonable pricing and many people booked at those rates to try out a new ship, but when those initial lower-priced cruises are done and if the prices remain high, I think the demographic may change. It's hard to predict, but we can only hope they continue to offer a good range of entertainment. I enjoyed the older and much of the more current music and liked giving things I'm unfamiliar with a chance. That was the beauty of our January cruise (with Damian) - there were choices! I hope he, or someone of his caliber, continues as CD on the Edge Class.

Edited May 22, 2019 by vtcruising

[Silkroad]

11 hours ago, cgolf1 said:

 

This is my fear. Because we were in 10% of young couples on the cruise, being generous on the percentage, my guess is they would have played more golden oldies. Maybe by 2021 there will be more younger couples onboard so there is a better mix of music, leaning more towards current. 

 

We thought the music and shows, minus Eden, were just about perfect and needed no changes;) Unfortunately I was one of few. 

Oh no! I was hoping to reassure you by posting what Damian told me. Damian said the house musicians were trained to "read passengers" in response to me telling him that many of us were hoping Celebrity would continue trending the live music to the present & recent past. As Vt said, the general consensus on CC is that TAs skew older, probably because it's so difficult for those of us who aren't retired to take long cruises. This was my second TA, and I would agree that the passengers skewed older on both. Though not the youngest passengers on either one, I would guess we were among the youngest quarter or third of the passengers. It's clear that Celebrity wants to continue to bring new energy to the live music, and I don't expect they'll drop that idea. We're booked on Edge for the Greek Isles next year, and I'm confident the live music will still have something for everyone, but will aim a bit lower on the age spectrum. I wasn't unhappy with the live music on this cruise. More on music later...

Edited May 22, 2019 by Silkroad

[cgolf1]

22 minutes ago, Silkroad said:

Oh no! I was hoping to reassure you by posting what Damian told me. Damian said the house musicians were trained to "read passengers" in response to me telling him that many of us were hoping Celebrity would continue trending the live music to the present & recent past. As Vt said, the general consensus on CC is that TAs skew older, probably because it's so difficult for those of us who aren't retired to take long cruises. This was my second TA, and I would agree that the passengers skewed older on both. Though not the youngest passengers on either one, I would guess we were among the youngest quarter or third of the passengers. It's clear that Celebrity wants to continue to bring new energy to the live music, and I don't expect they'll drop that idea. We're booked on Edge for the Greek Isles next year, and I'm confident the live music will still have something for everyone, but will aim a bit lower on the age spectrum. I wasn't unhappy with the live music on this cruise. More on music later...

 

You did a little bit:) our cruise in January I would conservatively estimate was 65 to 70 percent retired folks. Could be the time of year too with kids in school?

 

I am sure the Apex will be fine, we can adapt:) I will have my forward facing view so life will be great:)

[Silkroad]

Today we docked in Ponta Delgada. We had the closer berth, so the town was an easy walk. This was a new port for us, so we chose to explore the town on our own. We had our third, and last, specialty dining reservation this night, in Eden.

 

After exiting the ship, we walked along the beautiful seafront promenade to the Fort Sao Bras, a fort that has been converted to a military museum. Walking back toward the ship, we checked out the interesting old town buildings, including the town gates. We then walked up to the Mae de Deus Chappel, which was closed, but from the grounds we had a brilliant view of the town, the surrounding areas, and the harbor. Will post more  photos shortly...

 

Edited May 22, 2019 by Silkroad

[Lastdance]

Thought I would add a few photos from our tour...one clean and gorgeous island...another UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The guide said that the weather clears about 10% iof the year...and it was clear the day before!  Some of the trees that grow quickly are cedar.  They were planted due to their fast growth potential and to help erosion.

Edited May 22, 2019 by Lastdance

[Silkroad]

As you can see from Suzy's photos in the previous post, our friends lucked out on the weather for their tour of part of the island. We decided we'd rather spend our day walking instead of touring in a vehicle, so all of us were pleased with the way we spent our day.

 

The weather was changeable all day, but we were fortunate to have only partly cloudy skies instead of rain during our exploration of the town.