Edge vs Equinox

[MNSUE]

Hi,  Im new and we live in Minnesota. Ive sailed once on Carnival (25 years ago) and Im REALLY excited to go again. My husband KJ is a first timer full of trepidation but loves me enough (apparently) to give it a try.  lol  I have narrowed down our trip to February 15th or the 22nd 2020 and the Western Caribbean; What we cant decide is which ship to take: Edge or Equinox. Both sale from Fort Lauderdale; Both have the same itinerary and both are pretty close to the same price. Can you guys, who have been on both, tell me which one you favor and why? Also are there any rooms on the 6th or 7th level that should be avoided due to noise? Im hoping to get a balcony, but there are so many categories of balcony Im also having a hard time deciding on what KIND of balcony room I should get. 

1. which ship you like best and why?

2. Any areas or specific rooms to avoid noise on Deck 6 & 7?

3. What kind of balcony room do you reserve and why? And what side is best?

 

Thanks for your help!

Sue

[NantahalaCruiser]

54 minutes ago, MNSUE said:

Hi,  Im new and we live in Minnesota. Ive sailed once on Carnival (25 years ago) and Im REALLY excited to go again. My husband KJ is a first timer full of trepidation but loves me enough (apparently) to give it a try.  lol  I have narrowed down our trip to February 15th or the 22nd 2020 and the Western Caribbean; What we cant decide is which ship to take: Edge or Equinox. Both sale from Fort Lauderdale; Both have the same itinerary and both are pretty close to the same price. Can you guys, who have been on both, tell me which one you favor and why? Also are there any rooms on the 6th or 7th level that should be avoided due to noise? Im hoping to get a balcony, but there are so many categories of balcony Im also having a hard time deciding on what KIND of balcony room I should get. 

1. which ship you like best and why?

2. Any areas or specific rooms to avoid noise on Deck 6 & 7?

3. What kind of balcony room do you reserve and why? And what side is best?

 

Thanks for your help!

Sue

Just be sure you have a full understanding of the Infinite Balcony on the Edge which is not a standard balcony - instead having an extended area of the cabin with a window that opens half way - since the Infinite Balcony is the primary balcony on the Edge. Some loved it, some say they hated it.

 

Although I have not sailed on the Edge, the full description of the Infinite Balcony is enough to turn me off! Thus I would personally choose the S-class ship, Equinox.

 

If you wish to have an upscale experience, consider booking an Aqua Class cabin with its own special restaurant - Blu.  IMO avoid the Concierge Class since there are not enough added features to justify the additional cost.

 

With standard balconies on the Equinox, look for the balconies on the slanted portion of the area near the main elevators since they have extra large balconies. On deck 8, I recommend cabins 8279, 8283, 8252 & 8256 with balconies over twice the size of a regular balcony (most recently sailed in 8283 from Amsterdam to Barcelona on the Reflection.) Cabins 8253, 8257, 8226 & 8230 also have twice the size of a regular balcony but face into the wind - your choice of a forward/side view with the wind or an aft/side view without the wind. The other eight cabins on the forward and aft slants have balconies that are about 50% larger than regular balconies. The cabins immediately below on deck 7 also have the same 100%+ or 50% larger balconies, so are also a great choice.

 

IMO port or starboard makes no difference on most cruises. Avoid deck 6 since there are public areas below rather than cabins.

 

Have a wonderful cruise.

Edited November 10, 2019 by NantahalaCruiser

[Doctor G]

I have been on both ships this year, and you cannot go wrong with either one.  I loved the Edge and appreciated how different the decor, etc. is from the Equinox.  However, since you do not have prior experience with Celebrity ships, the difference would not be noticeable for you. For balconies, some people do not like the Infinite Veranda on Edge.  I was in a Sky Suite so I had a regular veranda, but I'm sure I would like the Infinite Veranda.  I think having 4 main dining rooms on the Edge is a great feature.  They are each smaller than the usual dining rooms and have a variety of menus.  The crew is exceptional on both ships. Equinox is my favorite S class ship and Edge is my favorite ship overall.  I don't know of a reason for there to be a problem with any cabins on decks 6 & 7.  It is best to have cabins above and below you.  If there is any issue with motion sickness, midship is best.  I personally prefer aft cabins, but they do not suit everyone.  If your cabin is aft on either ship, it is a long walk to the elevators.  Happy sailing.  You will have a great experience no matter which ship you choose.

 

Carolyn

[mickey89]

I would definitely choose S class ship ahead of Edge, hate the Infinity Veranda.

I wouldn’t choose Equinox, it has been degraded for non suite guest by making deck 16 out of bounds.
Look at Reflection (degrade is planned for 2023) and choose deck 7 and above cabin for non obstructed views. I would not choose Aqua, too expensive unless you intend using spa frequently.  Go for cheapest balcony and purchase Specialty dining for the cruise, it will work out cheaper than Aqua and you could dine in Murano every evening, heaven.

[TeeRick]

There are previous and recent threads on this exact topic.

 

 

[Purplsmurf]

We had the same predicament with out upcoming cruise. We have already sailed on Equinox twice, but we just aren’t impressed with the infinite veranda on Edge. I haven’t been on the ship, but am hesitant to book it. We went with the Equinox. It will be our third time on it. Yes, they did make deck 16 (or somewhere around there) a retreat for suite guests, but we never went to that area anyway so really didn’t matter to us. Not a whole lot up there that we would miss. If you do go with the Equinox I would definitely look for a cabin on the slant of the hump midship that have bigger balconies. We always book those and LOVE them. We booked Concierge for our next cruise because it was actually cheaper than a Veranda. We love the MDR so need to spend the extra (usually quite a bit more) money for Aqua class. Not too thrilled with the location of those cabins either. As far as specialty restaurants go, we did our first one on our recent TA. We were given a 2 for 1 discount so only paid $45. It was very good, but we just can’t justify spending that much money on specialty restaurants when the MDR is delicious! That’s just our opinion. We would probably never do it again. Whichever ship you choose I’m sure you will have a FABULOUS time!....one more thing....Go Gophers! Ski-U-Mah! 😃

[Reel Love]

Having sailed both the Equinox and the Edge, my personal preference for a Caribbean itinerary would be Equinox.  Loved both ships, just my personal preference to have a "real" balcony as opposed to the Infinite Balcony when sailing in warm climate.  We love the heat and really enjoy having the actual balcony to sit out on.  Just wasn't the same to sit beside an "open window" on the Edge in the Caribbean.  We book Deck 8 or 9 usually, so I can't help with the noise questions re: Deck 6 or 7.  We also book the slant on the hump due to the much larger balcony.  Good Luck and please let us know what you decide 😊

[hiccups]

I’d spend some time on YouTube and check out the various videos of the two ships to get an idea of each of them, and see if one might appeal to you more based on appearance.
 

We had our first cruise on X on Equinox in June in a “hump” balcony cabin, meaning it had an extra deep balcony that could fit a lounge chair.  We really liked Equinox and would sail on her again.  We ate in Murano one night, but were fine eating in the MDR the rest of the time.  Personally, as a new cruiser, I would try the MDR and see what you think of the food before spending money on specialty dining.

 

We also have upcoming cruises booked on Summit and Edge in the next five months.  I like the idea of the four dining rooms on Edge, and we don’t spend so much time on our balcony that we’re bothered by the idea of the infinite balcony.

 

Personally, for me if the price is similar, I’d try Edge simply because it’s a newer ship.  But my guess is for your “almost” first cruise, you’ll be fine with either.  
 

No matter what cruise line we’re on, we don’t book cabins above or below public areas so there’s no issue with noise.  You may also want to stay a couple cabins away from the elevators for the same reason.

Edited November 10, 2019 by hiccups

[Villcruise]

I would not book a cabin on deck six as it is just above a busy public deck.  Seven would be much quieter.  Also, I agree you would most likely prefer the Equinox with a true balcony vs the Infinite balcony.  We have sailed on all of the S class except the Equinox ( which we will be doing a b2b on in January) and out of over 40 cruises those are our favorites.

[Cruisegirl6]

Although I haven't been on Celebrity yet (been on 92 cruises but because we are diamond plus on Royal, that makes us Elite Plus on Celebrity) we are currently booked on the Edge for this December, our first Celebrity cruise.  With this being said, my sister/brother in law are diamond on RC and they tried their first Celebrity cruise two months ago and went on the Equinox....they loved it!  My brother in law who always finds negative/fault could not find one thing wrong with the Equinox!  They loved it so much they are currently on the transatlantic sailing on the Edge a two week cruise which the Edge gets back to Ft. Lauderdale this coming Friday.

 

They love the Edge also, but said there are more music venues and many more bars on the Equinox.  They loved the Observation lounge forward on the Equinox, but the Edge has the Eden on the aft.  The Edge gives you choices of MDR's, so you can try all four and be in a different dining rooms.

 

They said the Edge is more subdue in coloring where the Equinox has yellows, blues, reds more color.

 

I chose the Edge because I prefer newer ships  but I get on the Equinox sometime next year too.

 

Bathrooms on the Edge are much larger they said.  They went to check out my cabin and sent me photos of the hallway and I am on deck 6.  There is NOTHING wrong with deck 6 and they met people that had cabins on deck 6 and everything all quiet.  You have staterooms above you so there won't be any noise.  I also chose deck 6 because I can walk down 1-3 flight of stairs and not need the elevator alot of the times, which is nice.  The casino is on deck 4 easy walk down the stairs from deck 6.  I also think its centrally located.

 

Either way you go you make a great choice. 

[micheleata]

I have been on the Equinox 3 times and loved it.   Was going to book again,  but found The Edge Infinity Veranda Deck 6, 10% obstruction for $1100 each, includes the 4 perks and the extra $100 OBC per person.   I could not pass it up, and can judge the veranda for myself now.     So excited for March now!

 

Deck 6 on both ships have obstructed views for most cabins.  How much of an obstruction depends on the room #.  I think rooms on the hump are unobstructed for deck 6.     We like mid ship, close to the elevators.   One February we had very rough seas for almost 3 days,  it was terrible in the theater, so I don't think I would like to be up front, just in case.   

 

Either ship you pick will be great.    Let us know.   Also in pricing hotels for Feb/Mar they are mostly 250+, if that sways your decision any.

[hcat]

EDGE is more cutting edge and fresh and maybe too out there for first timers

 For a first Celeb cruise, I'd pick Equinox .. a more traditional cruise ship layout...Book .AQ Class... includes dining in BLU ( smaller venue than mdr)  and access to Persian Gardens and  extra Cap Club credits to build perks.  

 

Both ships are great!

[39august]

I have to agree with the poster who said for first time cruisers i would NOT pay extra for the Aqua cabin. They  usually cost quite a bit more than a regular balcony cabin. You should try the main dining room and the buffet for meals. If you want you can also try a specialty restaurant for a fee. You will save enough money over the Aqua class cabin to probably eat there a couple of times and still save money.  Haven't been on Edge but love the Equinox. 

[LSKC]

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

There are previous and recent threads on this exact topic.

 

yes this was my post and predicament. We ended up booking Edge and the price came down considerably for our sailing so we ended up in a Balcony IV for a very good price. We like modern art and contemporary design so the EDGE was more appealing to us visually. Not really a reason to pick one over the other but in the end "new" won out for us. We would like to try Equinox too but will likely wait until it gets its full "revolutionized" makeover....unless the price was right I suppose.

 

[Cruise a holic]

We enjoyed both ships and are again booked on each.  The edge is very different. Love the ability to dine in multiple dining rooms with anytime dining.  Everything about the ship was great.  Loved the equinox also.  It is a more traditional ship.  
 

We didn’t like the infinite balcony and were lucky enough to move to a sky suite on board.  However the aft balcony cabins are great and traditional balcony cabins

 

I think you will enjoy either ship

[villauk]

2 hours ago, Cruisegirl6 said:

Although I haven't been on Celebrity yet (been on 92 cruises but because we are diamond plus on Royal, that makes us Elite Plus on Celebrity)

 

 

You won’t be Elite Plus on X because the reciprocal status only goes to Elite if you are Diamond or above on Royal, and then you can only obtain further status by accumulating points on the particular line.

[hiccups]

2 hours ago, micheleata said:

I have been on the Equinox 3 times and loved it.   Was going to book again,  but found The Edge Infinity Veranda Deck 6, 10% obstruction for $1100 each, includes the 4 perks and the extra $100 OBC per person.   I could not pass it up, and can judge the veranda for myself now.     So excited for March now!

That's a fantastic deal--even better than we got for an Edge IV in April!  Booked an E4 with the one category upgrade, so Deck 7 unobstructed, for $1302 PP.  It was only $25 more PP than Equinox for that same week, so a no-brainer for us to try a new ship.

[MNSUE]

Thanks everyone! I think we will go with Equinox. The only thing left for a balcony room, however, is partial obstructed and obstructed between 7 & 9. Any suggestions about THAT? lmao  Next available is for $250 more pp for concierge.

[Cruise a holic]

You get some perks and an extra point.  Otherwise same room

[NantahalaCruiser]

29 minutes ago, MNSUE said:

Thanks everyone! I think we will go with Equinox. The only thing left for a balcony room, however, is partial obstructed and obstructed between 7 & 9. Any suggestions about THAT? lmao  Next available is for $250 more pp for concierge.

What date? 2/22/20 has numerous balcony cabins available. Even some of the slant cabins (7245 or 8283) with the huge balcony for only $150pp more than the lowest cost balcony.

[luvincruising]

  When you are looking at the available cabins, I would suggest also looking at the cruisedeckplans site.  If there are pros or cons to a particular cabin, they will be notated.  For some of the deck 7 balconies, you may have a problem with looking down on the lifeboats instead of the ocean [a slight obstruction].  The lifeboats are on deck 5.

 

  I would concur with NantahalaCruiser's cabin suggestions.

 

Have a great cruise.