Aug 7th W-E-W Caribbean Edge Cruise - B3B

[Ipeeinthepools]

Ken, 

 

Please let us know when you board.

 

Thanks. 

P

[Ken the cruiser]

We boarded at 7:45. Yay!! 😎

 

[Spif Barwunkel]

Ken, you are always upbeat, sensible, positive and a glass-half-full kind of guy. I'm thinking that your cruise is going to be exactly that kind of experience. Edge is fun and she welcomes all aboard who enjoy the familiar ambiance, with perhaps a bit of a twist to the typical theme. I don't know whether or not you have enjoyed her carriage in the past. Given the opportunity to strut her stuff, Edge will not disappoint. I'm sure you'll give her every opportunity to show you a good time.

 

Fair-minded winds and easy-going seas. The order is placed.   

 

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

@Ken the cruiser What time is departure or have they told you? Assuming everyone is already going to MDR and other places to eat. 

[Ipeeinthepools]

26 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We boarded at 7:45. Yay!! 😎

 

 

Enjoy

[Ken the cruiser]

26 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Ken, you are always upbeat, sensible, positive and a glass-half-full kind of guy. I'm thinking that your cruise is going to be exactly that kind of experience. Edge is fun and she welcomes all aboard who enjoy the familiar ambiance, with perhaps a bit of a twist to the typical theme. I don't know whether or not you have enjoyed her carriage in the past. Given the opportunity to strut her stuff, Edge will not disappoint. I'm sure you'll give her every opportunity to show you a good time.

 

Fair-minded winds and easy-going seas. The order is placed.   

 

Thank you for those kind words and I’m sure we’re going to have a GREAT time and this will be our first time on the Edge!! 😎

[Locobill49]

2 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

No estimates given yet although we are seeing folks disembark the ship. Even though the below picture looks crowded, there is usually at least one chair between groups and so far most folks are doing well to keep their masks on. 
 

I only count about a dozen people actually wearing a mask!

 

[middlehaitch]

Just heard the bridge confirm a 23:30 departure with the port (I'm watching the webcam).

Have a great cruise, cruise, cruise.

 

Cheers, h🥂

[helen haywood]

 

[Ken the cruiser]

2 hours ago, Locobill49 said:

I only count about a dozen people actually wearing a mask!

 

I apologize. After I posted that I looked around again and some folks seemed to be getting a little more relaxed about wearing the mask after having been asked to wear them while in the terminal for a couple of hours. Of course, being around folks that have been both vaccinated as well as testing negative for COVID within the past 3 days probably helped them feel a little more secure.

 

My mask wound up in my pocket after we boarded and as of right now, there is no requirement I'm aware of for vaccinated folks to wear it while onboard. We also were not issued wristbands or tracebands. 

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, helen haywood said:

 

I love Styx. Thanks!! 😎

[Ipeeinthepools]

1 minute ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I apologize. After I posted that I looked around again and some folks seemed to be getting a little more relaxed about wearing the mask after having been asked to wear them while in the terminal for a couple of hours. Of course, being around folks that have been both vaccinated as well as testing negative for COVID within the past 3 days probably helped them feel a little more secure.

 

My mask wound up in my pocket after we boarded and as of right now, there is no requirement I'm aware of for vaccinated folks to wear it while onboard. We also were not issued wristbands or tracebands. 

 

Amore important question... Were you able to get a late dinner?

[Ken the cruiser]

Just now, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

Amore important question... Were you able to get a late dinner?

We were. The Luminae was staying open late tonight because of the late boarding, so we were able to have a wonderful meal as well as go to a 10:30 pm comedy show in the main theater!

[Ken the cruiser]

We finally set sail around 12:45 am Sunday morning. We also received the following compensation letter which should make a lot of folks onboard very happy! Simply put,

 

"All guests will be provided an onboard credit (OBC) in the amount of one day's cruise fare, based on the cruise rate you paid before taxes. Your OBC will be applied directly to your guest account and may be spent any way you like onboard. Any unused portions will be issued as a refund to your original form of payment, at the end of the cruise."

 

[Ipeeinthepools]

4 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We finally set sail around 12:45 am Sunday morning. We also received the following compensation letter which should make a lot of folks onboard very happy! Simply put,

 

"All guests will be provided an onboard credit (OBC) in the amount of one day's cruise fare, based on the cruise rate you paid before taxes. Your OBC will be applied directly to your guest account and may be spent any way you like onboard. Any unused portions will be issued as a refund to your original form of payment, at the end of the cruise."

 

 

A very nice gesture by Celebrity for something that was completely out of their control.  

[Ken the cruiser]

For those interested I did an internet speed test this modning and the download speed this was a rate of 2.45 mbps in our cabin, which is more that sufficient for checking email and surfing the net and posting stuff like this.

[cricketts]

9 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We finally set sail around 12:45 am Sunday morning. We also received the following compensation letter which should make a lot of folks onboard very happy! Simply put,

 

"All guests will be provided an onboard credit (OBC) in the amount of one day's cruise fare, based on the cruise rate you paid before taxes. Your OBC will be applied directly to your guest account and may be spent any way you like onboard. Any unused portions will be issued as a refund to your original form of payment, at the end of the cruise."

 

 

Certainly this goes a long way to building customer satisfaction and good will.

Enjoy!!

[Ken the cruiser]

OK, I’ve been anxiously waiting to see how the Internet service is on our SS balcony where I like to sit when we’re back in the cabin. So, here’s what I found. If I sit in a balcony chair with the sliding glass door closed, there is no reception. However, if I slide the door open 4-5” and sit near the opening like I’m doing right now, I get all 3 bars. Yay!! As they say, where there is a will there is a way! 😎
 

Also, I did some research to possibly understand what caused the 9+ hour delay at Grand Turk Island on the last cruise. I heard a few weird rumors, but I believe the diversion to the island was caused by a relatively young person with a medical emergency. However, the 9+ hour delay at the island was caused by paperwork approval associated with making an emergency stop. In the past it was not unusual for a sick passenger to be offloaded with the ship setting sail shortly afterwards. However, in today’s environment that’s not so easily accomplished and the approval process can be an extended on, especially if it’s at midnight when the the ship arrives. At least this the most feasible reason rather than some of the other odd ball reasons heard from other passengers. 

Edited August 8, 2021 by Ken the cruiser

[TeeRick]

@Ken the cruiser

Have a wonderful cruise!

TeeRick

[Ken the cruiser]

This is what I’ve been waiting 17 months for, and it feels just as relaxing as I remember it was! 😎

 

 

[Jeremiah1212]

21 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Also, I did some research to possibly understand what caused the 9+ hour delay at Grand Turk Island on the last cruise. I heard a few weird rumors, but I believe the diversion to the island was caused by a relatively young person with a medical emergency. However, the 9+ hour delay at the island was caused by paperwork approval associated with making an emergency stop. In the past it was not unusual for a sick passenger to be offloaded with the ship setting sail shortly afterwards. However, in today’s environment that’s not so easily accomplished and the approval process can be an extended on, especially if it’s at midnight when the the ship arrives. At least this the most feasible reason rather than some of the other odd ball reasons heard from other passengers. 

 

The ship stopped near Grand Turk somewhere around midnight (?) but the jet that evacuated the passenger didn't even leave Tampa until 7:15am (edt). Very shortly after the jet landed, the ship was on the move again.

 

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N60LJ/history/20210806/1100Z/KTPA/MBGT

[TeeRick]

7 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

This is what I’ve been waiting 17 months for, and it feels just as relaxing as I remember it was! 😎

 

 

Your light is out of the tunnel!😊

[Ken the cruiser]

5 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Your light is out of the tunnel!😊

😂😂😂 It sure is and those 17 months are fading fast in my rearview mirror with the hope of continued sunny skies for everyone not yet able to start cruising again! 😎

 

Edited August 8, 2021 by Ken the cruiser

[countess5]

Can’t wait for our August 28th Edge cruise to get out of the tunnel.

 

Thank you to all who have gone before us and shared your experiences so we all learn and know what to expect! 

 

Cheers! 

[Irene225]

Thank you for taking the time to share

your trip with us!