The Celebrity cruise revolution has arrived in Europe and, on a two-day glimpse of Celebrity Edge in Southampton, media and travel agents were blown away by a ship which lived up to expectations in almost every way, writes SeaView editor David Simpson.
I hesitatingly say almost because, while the ship itself justifies its claim to be revolutionary with amazing design and a Wow factor that covers everything from cuisine to comfort, the one area that, for my part, was lacking was service. And, I regret to say, I heard the same from others on board.
Celebrity Edge has a Wow factor that covers everything from cuisine to comfort
This is not applicable to the whole ship, I might add, and may have been a one-off as those on board were not paying guests. But my experience ranged from disinterested and slowwwww in Café Al Bacio to couldn’t care less in the magnificent Eden lounge where guests were forced to visit the bar and ask for attention. And this was when the Eden wasn’t particularly busy.
Service was slow at the Cafe Al Bacio, above, and without a smile in the Eden Lounge, below
Hopefully as Celebrity Edge is now in the warmer climes of Europe, spending the summer sailing between Rome and Barcelona, the service will have perked up to match the exacting standards of the ship itself.
Now the good stuff! I have rarely if ever been so comfortable on a vessel, from stateroom to restaurant to wide open public spaces where the 3,000 guests can stretch out on the finest quality seating.
The designers who put together such an extraordinary array of furnishings deserve a medal. Even the chairs on the infinite balcony of our AquaClass stateroom were divine.
And, yes, I did say infinite balcony. This is just one feature of the revolution, integrating the usual outside balcony into the stateroom giving it a much roomier feel.
With the touch of a button the doors fold away and your entire living space becomes your balcony, with uninterrupted views.
AquaClass staterooms, above, have uninterrupted views thanks to infinite balconies, while the shower rooms, below, are extremely spacious
The stateroom boasted all mod cons, with an electronic panel governing the lights and electric balcony window and blackout blind, and the large flatscreen TV offered an HD picture that leapt off the screen.
The shower room was extremely spacious and well thought out, although I was a little disappointed by the absence of a shaving mirror.
Beyond the stateroom door is a world of opportunity, whether visiting the spa, the rooftop garden, sunning yourself on the resort deck or taking a tour, interspersed with a multitude of dining outlets.
As well as the four main Cosmopolitan (American), Tuscan (Italian), Normandie (French) and Cyprus (Greek) restaurants, and the expansive self-service Oceanview Cafe on Deck 14 offering a vast array of mouthwatering international options, fine dining can be found at the likes of Blu, the Fine Cut Steakhouse, Raw on 5 (Japanese) and Le Petit Chef, which uses mind-blowing technology that brings your tabletop to life with animated characters. It may costs an additional $55, but the experience is worth every cent. Oh yes, the set four-course meal is also sublime.
For those with deeper pockets, there is a wide variety of suites – from the new 2,500 sq ft two-bedroom Iconic Suite, the two-storey Edge Villas to the entry-level Sky Suites.
All have access to an exclusive sanctuary, The Retreat, with its own lounge with personal concierge, private dining at The Luminae, and a sundeck, pool and bar.
The Retreat sundeck is for the exclusive use of quests lucky enough to be staying in one of the wide range of suites
The most innovative of all the game-changing features on Edge is The Magic Carpet – an engineering masterpiece designed, and succeeding, in taking all the stress out of boarding tenders when being transferred from ship to shore.
The state-of-the-art embarkation station becomes an extension the Destination Gateway on Deck 2 where guests step straight on to luxury, air-conditioned Edge Launches offering bucket seats and large windows for stunning sea-level views.
But each day the world’s first cantilevered, floating platform ascends the side to the very top of the ship with various changes of identity.
On Deck 5, The Magic Carpet expands the speciality restaurant, Raw on 5, to offer open air dining, and on Deck 14 it becomes an extension of the relaxing main pool area before finally ascending two more decks where it morphs into the unique Dinner on the (very) Edge experience.
The revolutionary Magic Carpet takes the stress out of boarding state-of-the-art tenders, below, while also converting into a panoramic restaurant, above
In a quiet moment with Jo Rzymowska, Celebrity’s managing director for the UK and Ireland, she told me the line doesn’t give its ships star-rating, but when prompted further, admitted that Celebrity Edge is being targeted at the more affluent cruiser and placed the flagship in the 5*-plus bracket.
Judging on the fairly hefty prices of everyday extras when you fancy coffee and cake, a cocktail or pre-dinner glass of wine in the bar or a night at a speciality restaurant, even affluent guests would still be advised to keep tabs on their spending to avoid an unpleasant surprise at the end of the cruise.
Celebrity Edge is the first of five Edge-class ships. Number two, Celebrity Apex, arrives in April 2020 and will be named and based in Southampton.
Celebrity Cruises: 0800 441 4054 or visit www.celebritycruises.co.uk