This is a unique ship. Some will like it and some won't--as we found when we talked to other cruisers over breakfast. Some people like the experience of the large dining room instead of the smaller rooms on the Edge.
Be sure to visit Eden on the back of the ship. I don't know why they wasted that space, but it is unique!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
The Edge has its own new port, and it is very user-friendly. We had arranged for a wheelchair, and we checked in right where we got the wheelchair, almost at the edge of the parking lot.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
If you like the large two-story dining room, you will be disappointed. Instead, there are four smaller dining rooms, each with a slightly different menu. (We went to all 4 over the 7 nights.) The 8 of us thought we had signed up for an early seating, but upon arrival we found that we had "any time dining". It proved to be a problem getting a table for 8 without a long wait, so after the first night we started arriving at the restaurant at 5:45 and were seated quickly.
The food is what we have come to expect on a cruise--excellent. The service was very good, but since we were not at the same table every night we did not get to know the wait staff, and they didn't know us. I would prefer a regular time in the same restaurant every night. Perhaps the Normandie restaurant on deck 3 was our slight favorite.
Because there is no large dining room you do not experience the song-and-dance night(s) by the wait staff. That may or may not appeal to you; I got tired of it after several cruises.
We ate at the "Fine Cut" specialty restaurant one night. It was excellent, but not worth the $50+ upcharge per person. That is a waste of money in my opinion. One of our crowd said that the steak she got in the Normandie was as good as the specialty restaurant steak.
Rooftop Garden Grill
1 out of 5
This is a pay-extra grill. I don't know about its quality because I do not like the idea of paying more on a cruise that is highly priced to start with.
Fine Cut Steakhouse
3 out of 5
Great steak, but not at all worth the inflated price.
Eden Café
1 out of 5
This cafe is available only to suites guests.
Oceanview Café
5 out of 5
It was among the best general cafes that we have experienced on cruises. Several dishes were available to be cooked to order.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
There are activities for the under-30 or -40 crowd around the pool, with very loud music. Our age 50+ group found an area well away from that. There was no piano bar or "easy listening" area even though the cruisers on the ship seemed to be closer to retirement than "kids".
I enjoyed some talks by a speaker from NASA, and the presentation by the ship's captain was fun and informative.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
As stated above, the music onboard seems suited to a younger crowd than was aboard. No piano bar or easy-listening area. The comedians and magician in the theater were very good, we thought.
The theater is smaller than on most cruise ships and the stage is probably not suitable for the big productions that are sometimes featured. We did not go to the final production, which was the only one which might be considered a big production.
Rooftop Garden
4 out of 5
Great place to sit and relax, although I wish there were more shady spots available on a hot Caribbean cruise.The music was often too loud for me, and it was not what I would call relaxing music. The one lady who played live for an hour or so in the afternoon was excellent.
Children's Programs
No children in our group, and there were fewer than a dozen under-20 kids on board.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Excellent. As good as we have experienced on our 20+ cruises.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Different!!!
1. No large atrium--this one covers 4 decks rather than the normal 7 or 8.
2. As stated above, no large dining room.
3. A few areas are reserved for suites-only guests. This was not a problem, though.
4. There is no lounge on the front of the ship with which to view the ocean--although the suites-only crowd did have one, I think.
5. As a runner, I LOVED the track. It is a figure-8 design that goes up one deck and back down. 4.5 laps per mile.
6. Restrooms are plentiful, and I think that every one has an attendant.
7. We had a cabin with a window. I think that everyone we spoke to who had "infinite balcony" rooms said that those rooms were nothing special, that they would rather have the regular balcony.
8. The Rooftop Garden is unique and beautiful. It has comfortable couches and live plants throughout. I think that the scarcity of shade kept it from being crowded. An hour-or-so of live music each day (that was not too loud!). Try the Rooftop Garden. The cafe there has an extra charge for its food, though. The Sunset Bar is nearby.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabins set the Edge apart. First, the showers are actually large enough to move in! The bathrooms compare to a second bath in a small house, I think. There are many drawers and cubbyholes for storage. Importantly, there is actually enough room between the foot of the bed and the wall that a person can fit through! The TV is the largest we have seen on a cruise--probably 48 inches. And there is a large selection of channels, including 2 ESPN's (international--not much US college B'ball) and 3 or more news stations. I enjoyed the channel that discussed the ship and its construction. A good selection of free movies, and many more for a charge.
Ship tip
Don't pay the extra for an infinite balcony. Get a window room or one with a real balcony.
The facial-recognition feature meant that we did not have to go through the Federal questioning about where we were from and where we are going and what we had done.
I forgot to mention the Magic Carpet, which is bar that hangs over the side of the ship. It is sometimes on deck 16, or 15, or 5. It is emptied of people before being moved. Another unique feature of the Edge.
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