Sunset Verandah or Sky Suite - Edge

[Pushka]

I’ve poured through the various threads on this forum and am thinking of booking a Sky Suite and relinquishing a treasured (and already booked out) SV on a Med Cruise in July. 
 

I’ve read all the pros and cons. A Suite is quite an additional amount but we can stretch to that. I have a hold on midship Sky Suite that comes with $1000 USD OBC. Our SV also came with a slightly lesser OBC but still a good amount. 

We don’t have mobility issues but also know the annoyances of forgetting stuff and having to go back to the cabin to retrieve. Husband loves the gym on Celebrity. 

 

This cruise is a port intensive 11 nighter but having been to several of the places before we may stay on the ship to enjoy the quiet. There seem to be a lot of advantages to the suite. We have stayed in Aqua before and loved Blu. Edge obviously has different restaurants (Princess has this config too) and we’ve always enjoyed the offerings in the buffet on Celebrity. On both bookings we have the four perks. 
 

Help please to decide. 😉

[Cruise a holic]

Sky suite without question.  You can get an aft sky suite.  Enjoy all of the perks that come with a suite. However just note aft cabins/suites sometimes get soot based on the direction of the wind

[Pushka]

13 minutes ago, Cruise a holic said:

Sky suite without question.  You can get an aft sky suite.  Enjoy all of the perks that come with a suite. However just note aft cabins/suites sometimes get soot based on the direction of the wind

Hadn’t thought of that! 

[Host Anne]

We have been in both a Sky Suite and aft SV on Edge.  We enjoyed both of them.  The Sky Suite was a Caribbean itinerary while the SV was on a Med itinerary. I wouldn't personally pay for the extra cost of the Sky Suite in the Med. We were off the ship early every morning (except for the two sea days) and were exhausted each evening by the time dinner was over (we tended to eat between 7:30 - 8:00).  So we wouldn't have taken advantage of the real benefits of the Sky Suite (the Retreat; the Retreat Lounge; Luminae - we had friends with us who also had SVs next to us.  

 

We LOVED the Sky Suite in the Caribbean.  Spent a lot of time in the Retreat, enjoyed the larger cabin, but I couldn't justify the upgrade cost on a port intensive itinerary.  I'd rather spend that money on some nice purchases in port cities in the Med.

 

Good luck with your decision and enjoy whatever you do.... 

 

By the way, we had absolutely no soot on our SV in the Med at the end of August.

[Mauidiver]

That’s such a personal question that to me it’s tough to answer.  We had the same dilemma on our upcoming Edge cruise, but we chose the SV over the Sky Suite. 

[vtcruising]

2 hours ago, Pushka said:

I’ve poured through the various threads on this forum and am thinking of booking a Sky Suite and relinquishing a treasured (and already booked out) SV on a Med Cruise in July. 
 

I’ve read all the pros and cons. A Suite is quite an additional amount but we can stretch to that. I have a hold on midship Sky Suite that comes with $1000 USD OBC. Our SV also came with a slightly lesser OBC but still a good amount. 

We don’t have mobility issues but also know the annoyances of forgetting stuff and having to go back to the cabin to retrieve. Husband loves the gym on Celebrity. 

 

This cruise is a port intensive 11 nighter but having been to several of the places before we may stay on the ship to enjoy the quiet. There seem to be a lot of advantages to the suite. We have stayed in Aqua before and loved Blu. Edge obviously has different restaurants (Princess has this config too) and we’ve always enjoyed the offerings in the buffet on Celebrity. On both bookings we have the four perks. 
 

Help please to decide. 😉

I would definitely choose the Sky Suite, if budget allowed, especially if you aren't going to get off the ship in all of the ports. Luminae, the Retreat Lounge and Sundeck are wonderful and special events and pampering by the butler and concierges will likely add to your cruise enjoyment a great deal. The midship Sky Suites are amazing - love the bed facing the water, the bathroom set up, more drawer space and that they are close to elevators to the suite venues. Which one are you holding?

 

You'll likely have a great cruise with either choice, but I guess I am picturing you on the Retreat Sundeck in a comfortable padded lounger on a gorgeous day, with a great bar, tasty snacks, pool and hot tub nearby...🙂

Edited November 19, 2019 by vtcruising

[George C]

Celebrity has best suite perks , would only cruise celebrity in a suite. Have not done a suite yet that has a retreat sundeck, which seems like another huge perk.

[Lastdance]

For so many reasons mentioned above, we booked an SV for a Med cruise, then a Sky Suite for our Western TA...b2b!  It is always wonderful to have choices.  I have been in a suite for a TA, and saw an SV that looked very appealing for the price!  I never had soot on my corner aft suite balcony across the Atlantic!  

Edited November 19, 2019 by Lastdance

[Miaminice]

Although we book AQ or Suite on other ships, I would stick to the veranda on Edge.

 

We loved the concept with the 4 restaurants and never missed Blu or Luminae on Edge. The other perks are not important to us. So on Edge we would simply save the money to spend it on more trips.

[Cruise a holic]

10 hours ago, Mauidiver said:

That’s such a personal question that to me it’s tough to answer.  We had the same dilemma on our upcoming Edge cruise, but we chose the SV over the Sky Suite. 

Having sailed on the Edge, The suite sun deck is the best of Celebrity ships.  You have a small pool, hot tub, a restaurant for lunch and a nice bar.  Plenty of very comfortable seating.  The suite lounge and Lumanie are also great.  Of course the size of the cabin is also much more comfortable.  Not to mention the other priority perks you get with any suite.  

 

If your budget can swing it, do a sky suite- If not, the aft SV is much better then the infinite balcony cabins.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[mafig]

We have never been in a suite on Celebrity.  We have on MSC and Norwegian, in fact that's the only way we'd go on them.  However, we've always enjoyed Celebrity without feeling the need for a suite.

 

For Edge I was intrigued by the SV's larger balconies, and we always liked the Aft.  We also wanted to try the 4 restaurant concept.

However, we also spent a lot of time in the Sky Lounge on the other X ships and we would probably miss it.

For that main reason, we probably will go with a suite on Edge.

[Cruise a holic]

2 hours ago, mafig said:

We have never been in a suite on Celebrity.  We have on MSC and Norwegian, in fact that's the only way we'd go on them.  However, we've always enjoyed Celebrity without feeling the need for a suite.

 

For Edge I was intrigued by the SV's larger balconies, and we always liked the Aft.  We also wanted to try the 4 restaurant concept.

However, we also spent a lot of time in the Sky Lounge on the other X ships and we would probably miss it.

For that main reason, we probably will go with a suite on Edge.

Just another point try on S1 or S2 on the port side if possible.  The S 3's are on the starboard side and the view can be obstructed by the Magic Carpet-  Also might be noisy.

[Pushka]

I’m still torn! How crowded does the Suite poolside area get compared with the general pool area? I’m thinking actually it might be the location that will sway me to the Suite. I do want a proper balcony and I don’t think there are any alternatives mid ship for the IV?

As an SV it would be quite quick to pop up a couple of flights to the OV buffet for a pre breakfast drink to take back to the room. 

First world problem of course. 
 

Assuming we stay onboard in Santorini and Mykonos as we are doing a small boat cruise there a couple of weeks earlier I’m thinking the ship might be deserted meaning we won’t need to worry about other people around the pool. We’ve also stayed in Santorini so we would be happy to just watch it from the sea this time. 

Edited November 19, 2019 by Pushka

[Host Anne]

The pool on the Retreat deck is small.  More of a plunge pool.  I've attached a photo.  I doubt that this area would be overly crowded on a Med cruise.  There are plenty of chairs up here and we never had an issue finding a place to sit.  

 

Other than suites, there are no other cabins that have regular verandas except for the SVs.  It's actually a reason that sailing the Edge class will be limited for us.  I didn't care for the infinite verandas at all.  I believe they are really large windows.

 

Good luck with your decision.

[sunpsyche]

I would do the suite, personal preference. We love Luminae and not terribly interested in different MDR offerings, though you can try them, along with Blu if in a suite. Our next cruise on Edge in December is in an Aft suite, so best of both worlds. 
 

Go with your gut. You really can’t go wrong. 

[vtcruising]

14 hours ago, Pushka said:

I’m still torn! How crowded does the Suite poolside area get compared with the general pool area? I’m thinking actually it might be the location that will sway me to the Suite. I do want a proper balcony and I don’t think there are any alternatives mid ship for the IV?

As an SV it would be quite quick to pop up a couple of flights to the OV buffet for a pre breakfast drink to take back to the room. 

First world problem of course. 
 

Assuming we stay onboard in Santorini and Mykonos as we are doing a small boat cruise there a couple of weeks earlier I’m thinking the ship might be deserted meaning we won’t need to worry about other people around the pool. We’ve also stayed in Santorini so we would be happy to just watch it from the sea this time. 

When the Retreat was first announced and later the number of seats revealed, I was concerned about crowding because of the large number of suites. I was pleasantly surprised on my cruises that it was never crowded, though sea days were more vibrant than others. I follow most Edge reviews and have personally not seen an issue with crowding on the Retreat, though could have missed some.

 

There are two distinct areas, one which allows people to be near the bar, pool, hot tub where it might be more vibrant, and the "back forty" (around the Solarium dome), where it was always quiet and peaceful when I was up there (with bar service). We almost always got a double lounger near the pool and bar area.  I never felt overwhelmed with a crowd and am very sensitive to that (and why I'm not one to sit by the main pool - my DH likes to and I sometimes join him, but I prefer quieter areas to hang out and read).

 

You won't do laps in the pool, but it is certainly big enough for what it was designed for - to cool down (and personally I wouldn't want it to take up more seating space). When I was onboard, at most, 6-8 were in the pool, others sitting on the edge with their feet in the pool, while others would be sipping cocktails in the basket chairs overlooking the pool and 2-3 others would be relaxing in the hot tub. The bar area was pretty quiet when we were up there, with a couple of people at the bar chatting with the bar tender and others having lunch at the tables. To me, it is Zen space, similar in feeling to the Solarium when it isn't crowded, except for being able to be in the sun, if desired.

 

I booked a suite yesterday on M Class and went through a similar dilemma - I ended up pricing out both the perfect S1 and the perfect AQ (one of 5 in aft on 11) and looked at the price difference once I accounted for the 4 perks, the extra OBC for the suite and came up with the actual price difference. I then thought about the other benefits (embarkation ease, Luminae Restaurant, Retreat Lounge and special events and invitations, Retreat Sundeck with padded loungers and not having to find and maintain a lounger and having bar and food service up there, butlers and concierges to help make things happen, easier tender and debarkation experience, etc., etc., in addition to a larger stateroom, bathroom and balcony) and felt that all of that was worth that extra amount. Sometimes it comes down in the other direction for me - it just isn't worth it.

 

It comes down to if you will be perfectly happy with what you have or if you feel you want to splurge on this cruise for more space, more options and more pampering.

 

Good luck making the decision. When you do, I recommend not looking back and second guessing yourself - just move forward to planning your wonderful cruise! 🙂

 

 

 

 

Edited November 20, 2019 by vtcruising

[Pushka]

Great post @vtcruising  Sumarised it in nutshell. I’m dreadful at second guessing a decision once I’ve made it. 

Is the area above the Solarium hot? And is it open to fresh air? We were on a Princess Ship that had an area above the enclosed pool and it was awful. Like a humid sweat box. It was open to all passengers but no one went there. We just needed to find a place to sit as weather was awful on a sea day and the usual places were packed. It was the kind of place where if you went to sleep you woke with a crushing headache. 

 

I expect we will have at least two tender ports, Mykonos and Santorini. Even if we didn’t do a tour this time I’m looking forward to getting on to a tender as I love the opportunity to take photos of the ship from the water. 
 

The area does sound very similar to The Sanctuary on Princess Ships which is an extra pay for. We did love that space. 

Edited November 20, 2019 by Pushka

[vtcruising]

2 hours ago, Pushka said:

Great post @vtcruising  Sumarised it in nutshell. I’m dreadful at second guessing a decision once I’ve made it. 

Is the area above the Solarium hot? And is it open to fresh air? We were on a Princess Ship that had an area above the enclosed pool and it was awful. Like a humid sweat box. It was open to all passengers but no one went there. We just needed to find a place to sit as weather was awful on a sea day and the usual places were packed. It was the kind of place where if you went to sleep you woke with a crushing headache. 

 

I expect we will have at least two tender ports, Mykonos and Santorini. Even if we didn’t do a tour this time I’m looking forward to getting on to a tender as I love the opportunity to take photos of the ship from the water. 
 

The area does sound very similar to The Sanctuary on Princess Ships which is an extra pay for. We did love that space. 

Our cruises weren't extremely hot, but never felt too hot up there, and not any more humid than the pool deck, I would think. There is wind protection, but I still felt a breeze if windy.

[Pushka]

I’ll just close out this question. We initially kept our Aft SV as we had only paid a $10 deposit. There were plenty of Sky Suites available. Just wasn’t sure if the price differential was enough to make me jump to a Suite. 
 

Then in Australia over the last couple of weeks there have been some sales. Price dropped around $3000 in successive sales which then made the Sky suite the same price as the SV stateroom that I’d originally booked. So I released the SV and booked a Sky suite. And then the suite price dropped again. I’m a happy camper in a suite now for no extra outlay. Given the suites aren’t selling well currently I think I can get more price drops. 
 

Thankyou to everyone for their contributions. They helped a lot.  And poignant to see vtcruising be as helpful as we all remembered her to be. 

Edited December 20, 2019 by Pushka

[mafig]

Pushka,  You're in a S3?  or other?

If it's an S3, could you tell me what deck.  Your opinion?

 

 

[Cruise a holic]

6 hours ago, Pushka said:

I’ll just close out this question. We initially kept our Aft SV as we had only paid a $10 deposit. There were plenty of Sky Suites available. Just wasn’t sure if the price differential was enough to make me jump to a Suite. 
 

Then in Australia over the last couple of weeks there have been some sales. Price dropped around $3000 in successive sales which then made the Sky suite the same price as the SV stateroom that I’d originally booked. So I released the SV and booked a Sky suite. And then the suite price dropped again. I’m a happy camper in a suite now for no extra outlay. Given the suites aren’t selling well currently I think I can get more price drops. 
 

Thankyou to everyone for their contributions. They helped a lot.  And poignant to see vtcruising be as helpful as we all remembered her to be. 

Probably an S3 as they are the least expensive and many people prefer the S2 or S1.  Some S3's are in the path or railings of the magic carpet.  But to be in a Suite and get the perks is well worth it!  Enjoy your cruise

[bkbarrym]

2 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

Probably an S3 as they are the least expensive and many people prefer the S2 or S1.  Some S3's are in the path or railings of the magic carpet.  But to be in a Suite and get the perks is well worth it!  Enjoy your cruise

From the deck plan it looks as though "all" the S3s are starboard midship in the path of the MC.

[Pushka]

3 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

Probably an S3 as they are the least expensive and many people prefer the S2 or S1.  Some S3's are in the path or railings of the magic carpet.  But to be in a Suite and get the perks is well worth it!  Enjoy your cruise

Thankyou - the Retreat sold it for us and I imagine time will be spent there, the gym, the dining rooms and in port. We will stay onboard in several of the ports we have travelled to on land trips and spent a few days there prior. This includes Santorini, Athens, and having been to Katakolon twice on a cruise then no need to return. I can imagine Santorini will look splendid from the retreat. Anywhere I guess 

The only Sky’s sold out are the S1’s. Pretty much all the S3’s are available - they will probably sell those as guarantee ‘somethings’ except those on Deck 11 I think it was. And many S2’s available which is what we booked. It seems a weird selling cruise. The high end suites are sold out with only Royal, Celebrity and Sky’s available. 
 

There was only $300 difference between S2 and S3 and it was no choice to choose the best S2 with the lovely room configuration and bathroom window. 

Edited December 20, 2019 by Pushka

[Texed]

1 hour ago, Pushka said:

And many S2’s available which is what we booked. It seems a weird selling cruise. 

There was only $300 difference between S2 and S3 and it was no choice to choose the best S2 with the lovely room configuration and bathroom window. 

 

Pushka,

Congratulations on grabbing a S2.  😊

[Cruise a holic]

You will love the retreat!  Going on the edge again in March