Celebrity Cruises embraces its fleet of modern luxury, with fourteen ships, three distinct ship classes, and over 300 destinations. Celebrity Edge brought the fleet to the next level in late 2018 as the first in her class. Now the award-winning ship has two, soon to be three, sister ships. So let us dive in and explore more the vessel offers.
The Edge class of ships are like no other at sea, stemming back down to Celebrity Edge. From the start, the ship is unique as it was designed entirely through virtual reality and 3D. Edge has a cruising speed of 21.1 knots and comes in at 129,500 gross registered tons. The vessel travels the world as it has Mediterranean summers and Caribbean winters. However, this will soon change as the ship heads down to Australia in late 2023.
When boarding Celebrity Edge, guests embark through the Grand Plaza, which is the ship's heart. The Grand Plaza is always bustling with action with a grand chandelier and three-story atrium-type venue. In addition, the Martini Bar offers special shows featuring the tricks of the bartenders while various other musicians rotate throughout the plaza. There are also four eateries wrapped around the Grand Plaza, including Le Grand Bistro, Raw on 5, and the Fine Cut Steakhouse, all upcharge, and Café al Bacio, the coffee and snack bar. Lastly, the Casino Bar also surrounds the venue.
Eden is the place to venture for passengers looking to sneak away to enjoy a calm, nature-inspired venue. You can span three decks while encapsulated by floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to the ship's wake views and listening to live musicians in a room that lives. Eden offers two restaurants, one a specialty restaurant and the other a grab-and-go buffet-style eatery. Eden was designed with an outward-facing concept to allow one to connect with the world around them.
The Resort deck offers some of the most unique venues on the ship. One of the most prominent points of interest on the Celebrity Edge would be the Magic Carpet. This first-at-sea concept is cantilevered off the ship's side, resting on Deck 14, and can be found on other decks. For my sailing, the Magic Carpet was used as a lounge with plenty of seating, including a bar to suit any of your requests. On a day requiring guests to tender to shore, the Magic Carpet can be lowered to sea level. While the Resort Deck also offers an outward-facing pool area and the Solarium, which is an enclosed pool space for adults only, it also boasts the Rooftop Garden. Imagine a park full of plants with a large screen for movies under the stars. The Rooftop Garden Grill is also perfect for those sunset sail-away days. Speaking of sunsets, the infamous Sunset Bar has also been enlarged, creating even more space aft of the ship.
While the ship has plenty to offer, the dining selections never end. I haven't mentioned yet that four main dining rooms are included in the cruise fare (Normandie, Tuscan, Cyprus, and Cosmopolitan), which offer different signature menus tailored to each restaurant. The Oceanview Café also boasts loads of different options to suit any craving from the buffet. Some other dining options include Mast Grill (included) and Spa Café (included). Undoubtedly, there is an endless amount of food consumed each sailing.
Entertainment aboard the Edge seems never to end as well. The options are endless, from three different production shows (Kaleidoscope, A Hot Summer Night's Dream, and Colors of Life) to late-night game shows and trivia. There can also be live music found throughout the ship. Celebrity also brings on comedians and other performers to add a bit of spice to their regular entertainment.
Overall, the Celebrity Edge proved to be a showstopper for the cruising industry and truly upped the level of design that cruisers expect. Celebrity Edge checks every box through entertainment, service, and dining to deliver a once-in-a-lifetime holiday.
Have you cruised on the Celebrity Edge? What was your experience like? What would you look forward to the most? Which venue seems to be the most intriguing?