Contributer CIARAN MULLIGAN aka The Fabulous Traveller stepped on board the new Celebrity Edge for a cruise around the Caribbean…
This Caribbean cruise was recommended by good friend of mine in the Travel Industry and even though the cost was a little pricey, I was told it would be fabulous.
So last Easter I headed off to Miami flying direct from Dublin with Aer Lingus, to board the new magnificent Celebrity Edge in Fort Lauderdale. We would be visiting Key West, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Puerto Costa Maya and back to Fort Lauderdale.
Before we boarded the ship we decided to stay two nights in the one Hotel in Miami South Beach. I have to say I love South Beach and I love this hotel even more. It is absolutely fabulous and highly recommend staying here if you are ever visiting Miami.
Fort Lauderdale is one of the ports used by cruise companies for Caribbean cruises. The drive to Fort Lauderdale takes about 30 mins and I would recommend if you are basing yourself in Miami, book via the Lyft or Uber app for the cheapest taxi deals.
As we arrived in Fort Lauderdale terminal, our bags were happily taken from us and off we headed to check in/board the ship. I was a little surprised that given the class of the cabin (Sky Suite) there was no VIP welcome from Celebrity. Nobody to greet you, no fast track option through security, no priority boarding for the Suite Class guests and no one to greet us on board to show us to our suite.
When we arrived in our Sky Suite a complimentary bottle of bubbly was kindly waiting for us. The Sky Suite was a decent size with an average size balcony. The bathroom had a sunken bath which was nice and spacious. We had to wait a few hours before our Butler arrived but he was extremely helpful and managed to get us most of the speciality restaurants we were looking for. The Magic Carpet (one of the highlights of the ship) was already booked out by the time he tried to book, which was a little disappointing. My advice is, if you are booking Celebrity Edge then get on the ship as early as possible in order to book the speciality restaurants at the time you want, including the Magic Carpet.
The décor on The Edge (which was designed by the wonderful Kelly Hoppen) is absolutely fabulous but what I also liked about the ship is that it is small enough to get around easily without having to walk for miles.
The Retreat is an exclusive area for Suite Class Guests with its own private access. Your suite is outside of the Retreat (which is different from cruise companies) so you would access this area for Sunbathing or the Retreat Bar or Snack Dining area. The Retreat has its own small pool and jacuzzi and was very enjoyable to relax in. Just to note that food is served at certain times in the Retreat area so if you want anything outside those times you need to visit the café outside the retreat area. The Retreat also had a lounge downstairs for guests who could get coffee and croissants in the morning, but at other times this lounge was pretty empty and not used very much.
One of the big compliments I can give about the ship apart from the decor is the quality of the food. We visited at least five different speciality restaurants during our weeklong cruise and loved all of them. One of my favourite restaurants was the Le Petit Chef which projects images of petit chefs cooking your various courses on your empty plate and when the food is ready, it gets delivered by your waiter/waitress. Another fabulous restaurant was the suite class restaurant Luminere which we visited each morning for a la carte breakfast and its one that you really look forward to visiting. The service in this restaurant was excellent and the team look after us each morning. Other restaurants worth visiting on the ship include Fine Cut Steakhouse (delicious), Raw on 5, Rooftop Garden Grill (eating outside is always enjoyable) and Eden restaurant in the beautiful indoor garden setting.
If you enjoy shows and love entertainment, then you are in for a different experience on the Edge. This ship is targeting the younger and more affluent customer, yet the mix of clientele on the ship still varies in age profile. There is no big show that you see on other ships like Cirque du Soleil or one of the other big musicals. Celebrity Edge has created its own version of a Cirque du Soleil show which runs in Eden each evening, The Club which hosts virtual activities for the kids during the day, games shows in the evening and turns into a nightclub after hours.
If fitness is your thing on holidays then it is worth noting that Celebrity Edge has a magnificent gym which overlooks the front of the ship and has all the equipment of any large gym. The Edge also has a fabulous spa which we used on a number of occasions including the massage treatments.
Celebrity Edge is a magnificent ship, the décor is fabulous with unique designs throughout the ship. One of its biggest attractions is the Magic Carpet which moves between different decks at different times of the day.
So did I feel the ship was Fabulous? Yes the décor, the design and the restaurants were absolutely fabulous.
