THE EDGE

[Himself]

When I posted this I was reporting the ship is visable from the Ft. Lauderdale Camera.  I did not want to start a fight.  I have a frien who travels Celebrity all the time.  He and his wife did not care for the "endless Balcony."  They prefer other class ships offered by Celebrity.

[doone]

23 minutes ago, Himself said:

When I posted this I was reporting the ship is visable from the Ft. Lauderdale Camera.  I did not want to start a fight.  I have a frien who travels Celebrity all the time.  He and his wife did not care for the "endless Balcony."  They prefer other class ships offered by Celebrity.

Understood and thank you Father, it was just nice to see any ship sailing into Ft. Lauderdale.....

[kelmac]

2 hours ago, Himself said:

When I posted this I was reporting the ship is visable from the Ft. Lauderdale Camera.  I did not want to start a fight.  I have a frien who travels Celebrity all the time.  He and his wife did not care for the "endless Balcony."  They prefer other class ships offered by Celebrity.

Many folks don't like the Infinite Balcony on the E-class ships, but my wife and I loved it.  It's really a larger cabin with a total glass wall that you can lower the top half.  Very different from a traditional balcony cabin.  It's very private and creates additional space in the cabin:

 

[iancal]

+1

 

That is exactly the cabin type that we wish to try!  Great for a cool or windy day.   

 

[Damcruiser]

I don't like all the features on Edge but overall I like the design.

[Mickb]

We are lucky enough to have several ships ‘resting’ in 2 of our local bays at the moment. By far the 2 prettiest are Zaandam and Volendam, Nieuw Statendam actually looks surprising good despite the extra decks above the bridge. The Emerald Princess, the Azura and the Ventura ( sisterships for different operators) have to be some of the uglier ships afloat. QM2 is in a class of its own - a true Atlantic liner.  Queen Victoria and Arcadia at least look like ships!

[Rotterdam]

Someone mentioned a benchmark for the shops attractiveness. I appreciate the old liners from the early 1900's to the early 1970's.

They were innovative, some ships of state, spectacular design, service & food. ROTTERDAM V, FRANCE, QE2, ITALIAN LINE were my favorite examples. The officers were the best & very real.

Now the ships are built for cruises not as OCEAN LINERS. The shallow draft & large build out of upper decks do not provide the beat of sailing. Inside the new ships are just floating malls /amusement parks. Staff & quality have been cut. Thousands of passengers as if its BLACK FRIDAY AT MALL OF AMERICA.

And most importantly there is little or no connection to the sea...no full promenade deck, fewer aft pools.

I did sail on a MSC mega ship last year...I only ate in the dining room once out of 13 days, enjoyed breakfast delivered to the cabin, read on my balcony & swam in the aft pool while everyone was eating dinner & going to evening entertainment. 

It was a repo cruise so I didnt have to fly from NYC to Miami for the season.

Now I cruise as transportation mostly.

The big corporations have once again turned something special into a mundane product...just like they did with the airlines.

 

[iancal]

Yes...like the airlines, cruises are now much more affordable.  The average working person can afford both.   Mass market pricing means large ships with many optional spend possibilities.

 

I believe that this actually bothers those who like to feel that they are part of cafe society and traveling in a rarefied environment.  It is aspirational for some but the reality is it is possible to be on one of those ships for as little as a few hundred dollars.  It could be that some of those folks would not be willing to pay yesteryears prices in todays money.

 

Smaller, more traditional style ships are still cruising but far fewer people can afford them and/or are willing to pay the upcharge.   

[Rotterdam]

17 hours ago, Mickb said:

We are lucky enough to have several ships ‘resting’ in 2 of our local bays at the moment. By far the 2 prettiest are Zaandam and Volendam, Nieuw Statendam actually looks surprising good despite the extra decks above the bridge. The Emerald Princess, the Azura and the Ventura ( sisterships for different operators) have to be some of the uglier ships afloat. QM2 is in a class of its own - a true Atlantic liner.  Queen Victoria and Arcadia at least look like ships!

MICKB...QM2 was actually built as a dual purpose ship...the hull is stronger than most modern cruise ships to handle the ATLANTIC OCEAN & yet the draft is less to enable her into smaller ports that older ships cannot enter...this was the downfall of the NORWAY,  ex FRANCE and QE2 ( along w sky rocketing fuel costs).

I would pick a trip on QE2 OR FRANCE over QM2. I enjoyed my 3 cruises on QM2 but certainly couldn't compare w her predecessors.🚢

 

[Rotterdam]

9 hours ago, iancal said:

Yes...like the airlines, cruises are now much more affordable.  The average working person can afford both.   Mass market pricing means large ships with many optional spend possibilities.

 

I believe that this actually bothers those who like to feel that they are part of cafe society and traveling in a rarefied environment.  It is aspirational for some but the reality is it is possible to be on one of those ships for as little as a few hundred dollars.  It could be that some of those folks would not be willing to pay yesteryears prices in todays money.

 

Smaller, more traditional style ships are still cruising but far fewer people can afford them and/or are willing to pay the upcharge.   

Iancal,

I understand your point.  I have been fortunate  enough to have sailed on ships since the 1970's. Yes back then it was more of a luxury vacation. But even today the cruise lines operate on a class system w different levels of perks based on cabin category. Previously it didnt matter if you sailed in an inside cabin or the top suites..it was all first class.

As far as the airlines are concerned, when jet blue started it had a great product w reasonable fares & good service.  Now it's just another cattle car and I fly w other carriers now.

I'm not an elitist but I believe in quality. I now sail in midship balcony cabins...for the balcony  and make the voyage my own. Probably not corporate marketing version of the ideal targeted customer but at least I still get to sea.

[Roz]

12 hours ago, Rotterdam said:

The big corporations have once again turned something special into a mundane product...just like they did with the airlines.

 

I think it's a good thing that travel, especially international travel, is available to the masses.

[Lady Arwen]

We really enjoyed Edge!  Very innovative and modern.  Eden is extraordinary and we love the deluxe ocean view cabins......huge.  Would sail Edge or Apex any day over some of the older HAL ships.  We are booked on Rotterdam V11 in 2021 sailing in Europe and are very much looking forward to it.  We also love this class of ship since sailing on Koningsdam it’s inaugural year.  Everyone has their favourite ships, even if others dislike it.......eye of the beholder.

[iancal]

GCould it really be that those big corporations simply responded to the market demand for the product.  Those cruise ships are not filled by people who dislike them.

 

We sometimes see posts from older cruisers like ourselves bemoaning the state of mass market cruise lines and yearning for days of old.    

 

In in fact they could have both but they either cannot pay or unwilling to pay what they did years ago in today’s money.  They made the decision to select price over days of old.  Same for airlines.  Fly first class or. business and book something other than a mass market cruise line.  

 

You cannot have both so determine your price point and book accordingly.

Edited November 28, 2020 by iancal

[Himself]

On 11/24/2020 at 6:37 AM, doone said:

Understood and thank you Father, it was just nice to see any ship sailing into Ft. Lauderdale.....

Amen to that!

[Rotterdam]

17 minutes ago, iancal said:

Could it really be that those big corporations simply responded to the market demand for the product.  Those cruise ships are not filled by people who dislike them.

 

We sometimes see posts from older cruisers like ourselves bemoaning the state of mass market cruise lines and yearning for days of old.    

 

In in fact they could have both but they either cannot pay or unwilling to pay what they did years ago in today’s money.  They made the decision to select price over days of old.  Same for airlines.  Fly first class or. business and book something other than a mass market cruise line.  

 

You cannot have both so pick one.

I agree with you...

A couple of years ago only 6% of the population had taken a cruise. W the opening up of the Asian markets these monster ships will be booked solid. Along w price points that make cruising affordable to all.

I / we do prefer qualty over quantity.  

But one thing we do believe is, even  if you put lipstick on a pig...its still a pig.

 

 

[iancal]

Yes...but why complain when the choice is yours and you make your choice accordingly.

 

When we were growing up we never in a million years thought we would be flying to Europe each year or Thailand/Australia in the winter.  But we do.  We have flown first class to Singapore and we have flown coach to SE Asia.  It was all about choice.

 

  When we booked a Scoot flight from Krabi, Thailand to Gold Coast, Australia two years ago for $190 we did not complain that it was in coach or in Singapore Air's discount subsidiary.  We could have made our way to Bangkok or Kuala Lumper, paid ten times more than we did, and had business class seats for the ten hour flight. .  Both options were well within our budget but we made a choice, did not complain, and sucked it up.

 

Edited November 28, 2020 by iancal

[Himself]

The APEX is currently in Ft. Lauderdale!

[rafinmd]

According to the port the Apex is "confirmed" to leave at 1700 (1600 Central time) but we know how how reliable that is.  I guess Port Everglades cam is off line so there will be no toots.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Apex leaving now.

 

Roy

[aliaschief]

Just hope PTZTV can survive the crisis.

[rkacruiser]

There has been an attempt to meet a "happy medium" between those of us who remember sailing the seven seas during the mid-years of the 20th Century and 2020 by some of the cruise lines.  I think.  

 

For HAL, think what has developed:  Neptune, Signature, Vista Suites, specialty restaurants with Sel de Mar maybe meeting the current pinnacle of such:  all, while still keeping a cruise experience for whatever level of accommodation one desires at a reasonable price.  Not all of this "evolution" of the product has been seamless and without some poor executive decisions along the way.  That's the way companies work.  Anyone remember the Edsel?  That didn't work out well for Ford; its Mustang did!

 

Not having cruised on what are now considered the luxury or ultra-luxury cruise lines, I don't have an opinion.

 

But, I do think that the concept of Yacht Club by MSC appeals to those of us who would like a "taste"--and my "taste" was just that on MSC Meraviglia in January--of a return to "yesteryear".  

 

No knowledge of other "ultra-premium" cruise products that are "out there" like NCL's Haven, but Yacht Club did not disappoint for this cruiser.  HAL might want to consider such in a future new build.  it provides a cruise experience at a level that is "different" than the usual.  

 

The clock is not going to be turned back to the ocean sailing experiences of the 1950's, the 1960's, and earlier.  If any of the cruise companies choose to do so, (and I think some have been trying to do so), a 21st Century version of such experiences is possible.  

[aliaschief]

16 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

There has been an attempt to meet a "happy medium" between those of us who remember sailing the seven seas during the mid-years of the 20th Century and 2020 by some of the cruise lines.  I think.  

 

For HAL, think what has developed:  Neptune, Signature, Vista Suites, specialty restaurants with Sel de Mar maybe meeting the current pinnacle of such:  all, while still keeping a cruise experience for whatever level of accommodation one desires at a reasonable price.  Not all of this "evolution" of the product has been seamless and without some poor executive decisions along the way.  That's the way companies work.  Anyone remember the Edsel?  That didn't work out well for Ford; its Mustang did!

 

Not having cruised on what are now considered the luxury or ultra-luxury cruise lines, I don't have an opinion.

 

But, I do think that the concept of Yacht Club by MSC appeals to those of us who would like a "taste"--and my "taste" was just that on MSC Meraviglia in January--of a return to "yesteryear".  

 

No knowledge of other "ultra-premium" cruise products that are "out there" like NCL's Haven, but Yacht Club did not disappoint for this cruiser.  HAL might want to consider such in a future new build.  it provides a cruise experience at a level that is "different" than the usual.  

 

The clock is not going to be turned back to the ocean sailing experiences of the 1950's, the 1960's, and earlier.  If any of the cruise companies choose to do so, (and I think some have been trying to do so), a 21st Century version of such experiences is possible.  
 

 

Well said my friend. Hell, I would sail on a garbage scow right now to be back at sea! One of John Milton’s famous poems ended “we also serve who wait.” 
So we await. Getting older and time is running out and precious.

 

In the meantime volunteering and helping those in need.

 

B.

[rkacruiser]

32 minutes ago, aliaschief said:

Getting older and time is running out and precious.

 

In the meantime volunteering and helping those in need.

 

 

Yes to sentence number one.  Yes to sentence number two.  

 

This stage of my "Golden Years" is proving to be different than what I expected.  

 

Truly best wishes for your wife and you, aliaschief, for a pleasant Holiday season, a Merry Christmas, and a 2021 that will bring us to normality.  Whatever that normality may be.  

[Doubt It]

This class of Celebrity ship does not have a forward viewing area. Really, no way to see where you are going. 

That is not acceptable what so ever. What rot!

 

[Lady Arwen]

9 hours ago, Doubt It said:

This class of Celebrity ship does not have a forward viewing area. Really, no way to see where you are going. 

That is not acceptable what so ever. What rot!

 

Then please just choose another ship that suits you.  This class of ships suits many folks just fine.