Exquisite Ship!

Very easy embarkation, no long lines. Very well coordinated with good communication. The major issue is the distance between the parking garage and the terminal which is around a quarter mile. Maybe not a problem for some and in some weather, but have any type of mobility problem or even a sore foot/knee/hip, or have one of Florida’s monsoon-like rainstorms and it seems like it’s in the next county! A couple of those stretch golf cart type trams circulating would go a long way in making their parking facility an option for a second cruise. As it stands, our money will go to an off-site parking lot with pickup and delivery service for our next cruise.

OMG! Where to start?! The Martini Bar and it’s staff, led by Senior Flair Bartender Dewa, is fabulous. They not only mix perfectly delicious drinks, but every one of them has an amazing memory for names and drink preferences. How do they remember so many people and their drinks for a week, then erase them on Sunday and start all over again? The Flair Bartenders are also very talented with entertaining bottle and shaker juggling routines as well as pouring 10 or 15 mini martinis at once. It’s a sight to behold! We only had lunch once in the buffet, and it was quite good. What impressed us most was the fact that each item was served by the staff - cruisers weren’t pawing through the dishes and leaving a mess! That’s the very reason I hate buffets. We ate in all four of the complimentary restaurants, and the food and service was outstanding. Each restaurant is uniquely decorated and beautiful, but each is also subtly divided into three sections to make it much more intimate and comfortable. Each menu is divided into three sections. One section, classics, is the same in every restaurant every day. Another section is particular to that restaurant and the same every day. The third section changes every day. Every dish we had was tasty and cooked to perfection. Beef Wellington done perfectly. Flaky yet moist fish. Tender lamb chops. Succulent scallops. Delicate pork scaloppine. And the wine was delicious and generously poured. We upgraded one level up from the classic beverage package once we boarded and it was only $10 per day plus gratuity ($84 total) per person, and we didn’t both have to do it. So glad I did, as each martini I wanted would have been a $7 up charge, and the good wine wasn’t on the classic package. My husband didn’t upgrade, and they gave him the better wine anyway. We didn’t dine in any of the specialty restaurants since we were so happy with the food, service and ambiance in the main restaurants. If you’ve never been to Le Petit Chef, it’s a fun dinner experience with the animations on your table and your plate. We had lunch at the Mast Grill on the pool deck two days. They have french fries, hot dogs, hamburgers, turkey burgers, and meatless patties. They will cook your burgers to order if you like. I just had what they had precooked, and it was nice and juicy. They had the usual cold toppings plus sautéed mushrooms and onions. I don’t remember what was in the third hot pot.

The solarium was beautiful and tranquil, and had the spa juice bar and light bites right in the corner along with an Americano coffee and decaf maker. The martini glass shaped hot tubs that overlook the main pool were relaxing 😎! The magic Carpet was a great place to gather with friends at the bar, at high tables or in comfortable seating areas. It was mostly found on deck 14 or 16. I did go to the fitness center but hadn’t stopped at a bar that early in the morning to get a water, so couldn’t stay long. The only source of water I found there was a small drinking fountain and I wasn’t able to get adequate hydration from it. The outdoor track is on deck 15&16, two lanes. One lane is marked for walkers and the other for runners. If the ship had been full, it would have been a bottleneck at the entrance to the rooftop garden restaurant. As it was, they had placed two chairs outside the entrance that were sitting in one lane of the track. The rooftop garden is beautiful, with dozens of semi-private seating areas. EDEN I’d a very laid back place during the day. You can get a light breakfast or lunch at the cafe which is included in your cruise fare. There is a lot of greenery throughout, seating on multiple levels, and a ramp with seating along the aft windows. There is also a bar. The pool in the solarium has a wide ledge and ledge lounger chairs so you can sit slightly in the water as you relax. This ship is definitely geared toward the mature traveler. There are no sporty activities like rock walls, rope courses, water slides, etc.

The musicians we saw and heard in the various public venues on board were quite talented and performed a wide range of music.

No children with us. In fact, we only saw three while on this cruise, but heard mention of a fourth.

Isn’t there a way to rate higher than five stars??? Our room steward, Jan, was so very meticulous! Our cabin looked like we were the first to inhabit it and everything was spotless. We’d leave the room and he’d do his magic twice a day. If our personal belongings weren’t on the desk and the bathroom shelves, I’d think it was a vacant cabin. I’ve already raved about the Flair Bartenders at the Martini Bar, but the crew everywhere was exceptionally friendly and engaging. We interacted with guest services a couple times, and they were phenomenal. I spoke with cleaning staff throughout the ship to applaud the very thorough job they were doing. Each of them took a moment to ask if I was enjoying the cruise and wish me well. We spoke with supervisors or managers in dining rooms and bars, and every one of them took the time to have a conversation about our experiences or whatever was on our minds. Celebrity certainly has done a superior job of training their crew in communication skills, which prevents the majority of problems!

Again in this facet, I want to rate higher than a five! Everywhere I looked on the Edge I found another example of the artistic attention to detail and thoughtfulness that has gone into the design of this ship. From the actual art pieces on the walls to the various materials used, to the coordination of ceiling and flooring, to chair and table styles, to light fixtures, to plants, to sculptural elements, to video murals, it’s a feast for the eyes and always a new discovery awaiting the alert. This is the cleanest ship I’ve ever had the good fortune to be on. Day and night, I see crew members wiping, polishing, dusting, mopping, straightening, disinfecting. I usually hesitate to use the public bathrooms on ships, but after using the first one I didn’t have any qualms about it. Every one of them was spotlessly clean and well stocked. I don’t think there was a fingerprint anywhere. And I got a kick out of the holographic flowers tumbling along the sink when I approached to wash my hands. Just that little extra attention to detail that is found all over the Edge!

We’ve stayed in much larger cabins, but the layout and convenience of this one was very good. Jan kept the cabin immaculately clean throughout the week. There was plenty of cupboard storage and lots of hangers in the spacious closet with room for long hangups, short hangups and drawer storage. The bureau drawers were wide, and each was divided down the middle which made for better organization. The lighting in the room was controlled by the touchpad on the wall or in the Celebrity app. The bedding was nice, though I don’t really appreciate a duvet as it’s too heavy. I prefer a sheet and light blanket. Ended up folding it up into a pile and sleeping with just the sheet most of the time. The mattress was quite comfortable, and the pillows weren’t too stinky yet-one of my pet peeves! Can’t stand a stinking sweaty smelling pillow! Gross!

Oh so easy! Went to a leisurely and delicious breakfast in the Cosmopolitan dining room, then waited in beautiful Eden for our tag number to be called. They were about 10 minutes behind the published schedule, so no complaint. Very easy to find our luggage in the terminal, then through “customs” (no check) and out the door. Too bad celebrity couldn’t control the monsoon weather, or make the parking garage closer! There should be a tram or small shuttle to the parking garage! Husband got wet getting to the car, and we both got thoroughly soaked in the downpour getting the bags loaded.