Wonderful anniversary cruise with a few notes
Celebrity Edge Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 10
7 Night Alaska Dawes Glacier (Seattle Roundtrip)
Sail date: August 02, 2024
Ship: Celebrity Edge
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 6102
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 2 months ago
Review summary
My husband and I have been on several Alaskan cruises, nearly all of them with Celebrity, so we were very excited to check our their new Edge. First let me say that Celebrity quality is stellar and even disappointments are tolerable thanks to their amazing staff, service, food quality, cleanliness, and aesthetic. We've never been disappointed before, so we were very surprised this time. When I booked our room, I booked as "balcony guarantee" because even as there's a note it could be partially obstructed, it has always previously meant just a beam or having the life boats directly below or something. This "porthole balcony" should not be considered or charged as a balcony at all. In addition to the rounded shape cutting off view, the side of the ship juts out about 10ft, and there's another section of the front of the ship cutting off more of the view. We paid more for this cruise than any other, for about 40% of the view. It would've been more cost effective to pay for a porthole window room. We were also toward the very front of the ship, room 6102, and yet the sound proofing wasn't great. We could hear thumping and vibration of music from the Grand Plaza in our room. And there was cigarette smoke wafting into our room at all hours of the day and night. I don't know if we were near a smoking section or just had inconsiderate neighbors, but we've never experienced this on any other ship. All that said, the staff and crew, food, room attendant, and entertainment were definitely Celebrity quality, which is to say, stellar. We were disappointed to find that the Edge lacked the forward Skylounge, as it was one of our favorite places to watch for whales or just enjoy the scenery, but Eden at the aft was beautiful and enjoyable. Having the main dining room split into 4 different restaurants was pretty interesting, but I was disappointed that the decor didn't lean into the themes very much. They were otherwise beautiful with lots of great seating options, and the food as always was interesting and delicious. Alaska is worth doing on any ship, but only Celebrity has Brent Nixon and Mary Amanda Fairchild, whose infectious passion can get even the most apathetic traveler excited to get out there and explore!Embarkation
Embarkation was the fastest we've ever experienced
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
The master chef must be a creative genius because there were foods and flavor combinations were amazing! Everything was always sparkling clean, and the staff was kind and willing to help at all times.
Onboard Activities
There were so many fun and interesting things to do on the ship! My only note is that children's hours in the solarium should at the very least be enforced. The entire rest of the ship is allowed for children, and the previously adults-only solarium should be the sanctuary it was intended. My husband and I tried 4 separate times to go into the solarium to enjoy the hot tubs, but there were always people in there with children running and climbing on everything and being loud. The hours were not enforced by any of the staff.
Entertainment
The entertainment was amazing. We've been fans of Brent Nixon and Mary Amanda Fairchild since we first saw their talks on an Alaskan cruise many years ago. They are flawless and infectiously passionate, and always get us excited for Alaskan nature, history, and art!
We also really enjoyed Jessica Jane, the magician. She was enigmatic and very fun to watch. Seeing her perform the famous Houdini straight jacket escape was amazing!
Service and Staff
All staff and crew were very friendly and did their jobs so well. Our room attendant was so nice and we never wanted or needed for anything, we always had fresh towels and ice, and the room was always left as clean as the day we settled in.
Ship Quality
The common areas were sparkling and spacious, with ample seating for the comfort of people of any size.
Cabin / Stateroom
When I booked our room, I booked as "balcony guarantee" because even as there's a note it could be partially obstructed, it has always previously meant a beam or having the life boats directly below or something. This "porthole balcony" should not be considered or charged as a balcony at all. In addition to the rounded shape cutting off view, the side of the ship juts out about 10ft, and there's another section of the front of the ship cutting off more of the view. We paid more for this cruise than any other, for about 40% of the view and a large reduction in size of the actual balcony space, as the chairs would only fit sidewise and not directly facing outward. It would've been more cost effective to pay for a porthole window room. We were also toward the very front of the ship, room 6102, and yet the sound proofing wasn't great. We could hear the thumping and vibration of music from the Grand Plaza in our room. And there was cigarette smoke wafting into our room at all hours of the day and night. I don't know if we were near a smoking section or just had inconsiderate neighbors, but we've never experienced this on any other ship.
Otherwise, the room was always clean thanks to our wonderful attendant, and there was plenty of space for the 2 of us.
Ship tip
If you want a balcony, or want to book a balcony guarantee, specify that it is not a "porthole balcony". The view/obstruction was more than 50% and should not be charged as a balcony room.
Thumbs up
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Ports of call
Ketchikan is a fun place to walk around, especially Creek Street which has lots of native and local art, and you can often see spotted seals, salmon, and eagles below the boardwalk.
We went on a whale watching tour with Eagle One Tours. We've been on many whale watching trips, so we knew a little what to expect. However, we were disappointed. The captain and assistant didn't really give us information about the surrounding areas or about whales/humpbacks at all. The captain also cut across wake several times causing most of us to be soaked. We mostly didn't mind because it was unusually hot for Ketchikan, but it was less Hey let's do this thing to cool down, and more reckless driving. We also spent a lot of time looking for one single whale. I completely understand that you can't control nature, but this whale didn't act like any other we'd seen before, a bit lethargic, and neither the captain or assistant seemed to have much knowledge at all. I would not recommend them.
CRUISE ENDICOTT ARM & DAWES GLACIER
Juneu is amazing! We've loved whale watching or visiting sled dogs, etc. More favorites in town: Heritage Coffee and their mint chip gelato, Heritage Museum that has beautiful art and history presented in an easy to understand way, Rainy Retreat Books (usually has a dog), Sticky Pig food truck has a reindeer dog better than Red Dog Saloon, and Narrows bar always has interesting cocktails
I cannot overstate how excited we were that Skagway is open for visitors this season! We love to walk the shops, share a dough boy, visit all the historical markers, and enjoy a cider or beer in the back garden of Klondike Brewing Company. We have also loved the Skagway Train ride and gold panning in the past.
Disembarkation
Easy and efficient, sad to go hone!