Thoughts on our first E class cruise

[bebe08]

Just back from 10 days in the Caribbean on the Edge.  While we have sailed with X several times this was our first E class sailing. None of the ports were new to us...it was all about the ship.   We were really excited to try a new ship but I have to say I stressed over our decision to book an IV based on the extraordinary amount of discussion surrounding them.  DH was sure he would love the IV...I was on the fence.  But I figured the only way to know if we would like it is to try it.

 

IV:  So I will get this out of the way and give my thoughts on the IV first:  And it turns out I neither loved it nor hated it lol!  FWIW we always kept the bifold doors opened.  Pros this made the room feel bigger and brighter.  I loved the view when we walked into our room 🙂  It was great to be able to stretch out on the bed and see that spectacular view.   We opened the window occassionally to take pictures and feel the breeze.  Cons as others had mentioned your room heats up pretty quickly as the AC shuts off when the window is open.  While this is understandable, it doesn't allow you to use it the way you would a traditional verandah.  It really is more of a sunroom than a verandah.  Would I book one again?  Yes...but not a "must have".  We have an upcoming cruise to Hawaii on the Edge and booked a sunset verandah which was actually cheaper than an IV.  

 

General layout:  It still felt like "coming home" to be on an X ship and didn't take us long to find our way around.  We absolutely loved Eden...it is just beautiful and a great place to eat, drink, relax, or sit and read.    The thing about Eden is its out of the way so you have to make a point to go there.  Which is also one of its charms 🙂 

 

Loved the layout of the grand plaza with the martini bar as part of it and the entertainment can be heard from the deck above at Al Bacio.  Al Bacio has always been one of our favourite places on the ship and it still is.  It is more open and seems to have more seating which is great. 

 

The theatre is better designed...less obstructed views from pillars although there are still some spots where view is slightly obstructed on the 2nd level when watching the aerial performers due to the overhang. 

 

The solarium is also another fave of ours and we enjoyed it on the Edge.  It has one big hot tub instead of 2 smaller ones and the overall shape is better for placement of loungers.  We spent 2 sea days there and although both times it looked full when we got there we did manage to find chairs both times.  

 

We never use the main pool or hot tubs, but it did seem odd that the hot tubs are 2 decks up from the main pool.  Not very convenient.

 

There is a neat jogging/walking track although it isn't well marked all along the track.  Still a nice addition.

 

The spa seems similar and we had an enjoyable couples massage.  We had a tour of the Thermal Suite but didn't bother to book it.  Not worth it without a T Pool. Love the Tpools on both HAL and NCL in their thermal suites. 

 

Dining:  We had select dining and made reservations in advance for the 4 MDRs as we wanted to experience them all.  We also ate in speciality restaurants:  Eden, Steakhouse, Rooftop Grill and Le Grand Bistro.  We had a reservation for Petit Chef but cancelled it when we saw the menu.  Main course was beef short ribs which didn't appeal and the optional menu was fish.  For the upcharge I expected more.  We have eaten in Petit Chef on other ships and the menu was much more appealing. 

 

Eden was  our favourite for dinner.  Absolutely delicious and excellent service.  We also ate lunch at the Eden Cafe one day (no upcharge) which is only open on sea days.  A great place for a bite to eat at lunch and they even have desserts (warm cookies!!) and coffee.  The steakhouse was also very enjoyable and a close 2nd.  The Rooftop Grill was amazing for the views, but the food was just average.  Interestngly there is no way to somewhat close it in during inclement weather. Thankfully we had nice weather when we were up there. 

 

On embarkation day we headed to Le Grand Bistro for lunch...there is an upcharge of $30 pp but we had heard it was a great option on embarkation day to avoid the crowds at OVC.  It was an excellent choice and well worth the upcharge.  We enjoyed it so much we went back on the last sea day.  It brought back memories of the old Bistro on Five that we used to love 🙂  It is so great to see a version of this back 🙂  

 

The 4 MDR concept is good and does make for a more enjoyable dining experience. We ate breakfast in the MDR a few times as well.   I can't say we had a favourite out of the 4.  We only had what I would call bad service twice in a MDR...it happens.  The food was decent, some hits some misses.  

 

OVC we went to a couple of times for breakfast and lunch.  Great to see all the new handwashing stations.  I liked the Pizza section being somewhat separate at one end of the OVC.  It does seem like there should be a bar there are well...it is a long walk to the bar at the entrance of the OVC.  All meals we ate in OVC were great...food was fresh and hot and very enjoyable.  There is also a "scoops" place for both ice cream and cookies (free) and gelato (upcharge) in the OVC.  Delicious ice cream but long line ups to get it.  There is no gelato place near Al Bacio.  We didn't go for dinner so can't comment on that.  

 

We did room service for breakfast once and it was very good.  Food arrived on time and nice and hot.

 

Entertainment:  our go to pre-dinner was always the Ensemble bar for drinks and live music.  We wondered if we would miss that.  We didn't.  We enjoyed the live music from the Grand Plaza and although not as quiet as Ensemble it was never overly loud. 

 

For a really laid back vibe Eden bar is the place to go (even if you aren't eating there).  The Eden bar menu is expensive...drinks in the $20 range.  We had the classic package and had no trouble getting drinks from the Eden bar that were covered by our package.    They feature live acoustic music and it never seemed crowded. 

 

We went to The Club once for 80s night.  Live entertainment and dancing was a lot of fun.  This venue seems to host a variety of activities. 

 

Lastly the theatre...we went to most of the evening shows and enjoyed them all.  The guest entertainers were all very good.  The Production shows were good although we expected more from the A Hot Summer Night's Dream show based on all the hype.  It was just ok.  There was a Liars club in the theatre later one night and it was hilarious.  There was also an entertaining talk one morning by the CD Guiseppe on what its like to live on a cruise ship.  Sadly we missed a similar talk by Captain Tasos which we heard was great.   Which brings me to....

 

Staff:  WOW!!!!  Absolutely loved Captain Tasos and CD Guiseppe!! They were so entertaining and visible around the ship 🙂  Our Cabin attendant was fantastic and took great care of us 🙂  I don't think I have ever been on a ship where the common washrooms were kept so clean...almost everytime I went in there was an attendant cleaning.  Absolutely spotless as was the whole ship.  Staff around the ship were very friendly and other than twice in MDR, service was excellent.  

 

We loved our first sailing on Edge and looking forward to being back on her again!!

 

One last thing:  @OrcaGirlwrote an amazing live report of this cruise...she covers way more than I did and is definitely worth a read if you want more info.

 

Any questions I am happy to try to answer.

[lola2013]

Happy to hear that you enjoyed Edge.  You will love the SV.  Amazing views of the wake!

[Jim_Iain]

Thanks for your review.    We've never seen the IV rooms but booked an Aqua IV for my SIL and BIL for a British Isle cruise we are on.   They have never been on a cruise so no per-conceived comparison.    I'm looking forward to seeing it when we visit their room.

 

 

[Projunior]

We have 17 cruises on X. Boarding the Edge on Thursday for our very first on E-class. Thank you for your timely comments and insights.

[TeeRick]

Thanks for your review!

[mac_tlc]

Thank you for your review. Have to agree on a number of points -- Eden, Le Grand Bistro, Solarium .....

 

mac_tlc

[kwokpot]

Thank you for your review. It was comprehensive and to the point. I think you fairly judged all the aspects of the ship. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.