5 Amazing Features on Celebrity Edge No One Is Talking About

After spending 2 nights on Celebrity Edge, it was perfectly clear to me that this is an innovative vessel intent on setting itself apart from the rest of the industry. Plenty of people are talking about the Eden lounge and the Magic Carpet platform, and while they are fresh ideas worthy of attention, I honestly wasn’t blown away by either. Perhaps expectations were too high, but neither seemed like they would be industry game-changers. There are, however, five fantastic features on Celebrity Edge that are wildly underrated, and deserve far more attention.

1. The Pool

Most cruise ship pools are actually quite small (compared to resorts), which makes swimming laps impossible. Not so with the main pool on Edge. It’s 25 yards long and a delight to swim laps in. The surrounding areas are also beautifully designed with attentive waiters and upbeat music. My suggestion: Get to the pool while everyone is having breakfast and you’ll have the pool to yourself.

2. Infinite Verandah

To be fair, this feature was highlighted by many, but reading about it on paper and experiencing it are two completely different things. From the moment I stepped out onto it, it was clear that this is how all future balconies should be designed. Essentially, guests get an extra 40 square feet added to their room, with floor-to-ceiling glass that makes you feel like you are on an oceanfront condo. The ability to press a button and lower the top half to convert into a balcony was a bonus that should appeal to folks who prefer traditional balcony design. (Watch a video on it works here!)

3. Peloton bikes

One of the hottest trends in fitness are Peloton bikes. The bikes connect cyclists to a real-time spinning class with a large display between the handlebars. Essentially, you are biking with thousands of other cyclists around the world while in the middle of the ocean! It reminded me of how excited I was when I first browsed the web from an airplane. The instructors are engaging and music is matched to the tempo of the class. On my cruise, each of the 5 peloton bikes in the gym were being used consistently. One quibble — the bikes require a high bandwidth connection and there were a few times were the connection dropped. Over time, I expect this to improve. 

4. The Celebrity App

Now, we are quite picky about our apps here at Cruiseline.com (Ship Mate is the #1 Cruise App after all), but the Celebrity Cruises app will absolutely make your cruise on Celebrity Edge more enjoyable. Besides the ability to quickly check in during embarkation and check menus at restaurants, the most useful feature of the app is the ability to control aspects of your cabin. Guests can stream music from their Spotify account and have it automatically play in the cabin. We regularly put this feature to use while relaxing on the balcony.

5. The Terminal and Embarkation

Your cruise vacation starts the moment you walk into the terminal. First impressions are essential, and the Celebrity Edge terminal at Port Everglades does not disappoint. Once you get past security, the expansive terminal feels like a boutique hotel lobby (albeit much larger) with refreshments and plenty of comfy places to lounge. We were able to go from curb to our cabin in about 15 minutes — including the time to check in — without feeling rushed or stressed. Had we done the quick check-in option via the app, the check-in time would have been faster.