Staff Great but Ship Needs to Retire Don't book room 9042, Cabin review follows. Dated, uncomfortable, obstructed view and Aqua Class Bathroom is a joke. Upon arrival, was astonished at the ease of embarking considering the Corona Virus issue. Didn't seem like much screening and no questions asked. Food just Okay, entertainment bearable. Seems like they hide the talented individual performers in hallways. Val (I think is her name) was super talented but hard to find during non dinner hours. I wasn't thrilled with the fact that passengers could lean over the glass protectors in the food court area exposing Lord knows what to the food. Daytime performers were disappointing-I feel more variety is needed. Current music welcome, This was my 4th time on this ship and most likely my last. You need to know that the staff is excellent though. I hope they all get upgraded to a better ship. On "PERKS" several came with my big "deal" Internet, tips (we always tip individually in addition) and an onboard credit and drink package. Had to upgrade the "free" drink package as it didn't include what we drank! The "free Internet" was an equal joke as I didn't use it, but had to buy extra time to print my boarding passes. Soooo aggravating Read Less

It wasn't our first choice, but I am soo happy with this cruise and the experiences we shared. Leaving and coming back to Sydney Harbour was like night and day. Leaving the port was smooth as the seas beneath us. The ship is magnificent and should be explored in great detail. The cabins are adequate and will serve you well. The food is delicious, not one desire was left unfulfilled. Entertainment was amazing, such a wide selection of shows, movies, and games. If you are strong, turn off your phone and allow the captain to take you on your journey. You will find all the answers you seek if you aren't afraid to follow your pain. If you are reading Captain Nicholas, please employ a maître d' for the disco, the DJ's need all the help they can get. Thank you so very much Celebrity Solstice, till we meet again. Read Less

The Celebrity Reflection is a great ship. The food was excellent. Two of the ports were not worth stopping at, Colon and Limon. Boy was it hot and humid in Cartagena but it is a very nice city. I think the cruise line could have more late night activity for us singles. Martini bar closes about 12:30 and the casino bar closed early also. Where was the dance music after midnight. I met some great people on this cruise and had a few dances with some very special ladies. The shows were great and funny. There was very limited entertainment in the pool area. During sea days there should be lots of music pool side. The TV was very limited. There were no college football games of interest on Saturday. We docked in Colon Panama on a Sunday and the whole town was closed. We could have stayed at sea. Read Less

We took a 4-day cruise out of Sydney to Melbourne on 10/11, than stayed on ship for 12-day cruise 10/15 to east coast of Australia and Great Barrier Reef. We are longtime Celebrity cruisers, and were somewhat disappointed with our transatlantic cruise last Spring on the Celebrity Reflection. But these two cruises fully restored our faith in Celebrity. Excellent and very visible/entertaining captain and crew, impeccable service in main dining room and lunch buffet, as well as in lounges. Food quality and variety were excellent. Entertainment with ship house band and others was varied and outstanding. Most theatre performers were excellent, and there were some very good matinees. Cruise director was energetic and fun, entertaining at a variety of venues during the day and evening.Cabin stewards and size/cleanliness/comfort of our balcony cabin for both cruises were terrific. Ship is in very good condition and well-maintained, even though it’s the oldest of the Solstice-class ships. It’s a mid-size ship (under 3,000), and they managed the tendering at several stops very efficiently. Many of the ship tours for the Barrier Reef are very expensive, and we limited ourselves to a couple, simple city tours (e.g., Melbourne) that were very good and fairly priced. The cities and coastal stops in Australia are beautiful with lots to do—from the exotic to just simple city tours and dining/shopping. Our only real complaint, which is symptomatic of most cruise ships, is the price and quality of drinks/wines, even in drink packages. We had a “classic” as opposed to the “premium” package—didn’t expect the best, but also didn’t expect Celebrity to be serving wines that retail for under $5 in the US (ugh!). And if you don’t specify what liquor you want in your cocktail, they pour the house brand rot-gut. When you’re paying $60 a day, per person, this should not be. Our biggest disappointment, though: having to leave the ship. Read Less

First of all, we had a wonderful experience on the Celebrity Constellation when we sailed August 6, 2019 for a 9 night Greek Cruise, EXCEPT using Flights by Celebrity. I booked 2 Aqua Class rooms for friends and 1 Royal Suite for myself and my friend for a special 50th birthday celebration. We booked this in February 2019. I can not say enough about the Royal suite and our Butler, Ali. We had suite 6133 and he and the stateroom attendant are top notch!! Also a shout out to Joyce in the coffee bar/Michaels club. She’s an absolute delight. Now the issue...I booked this direct with Celebrity for the rooms and the airfare for the Royal Suite and 1 Aqua class room and paid in full in May, when full payment was due. I first found out several weeks before the trip my 1 hr 10 min layover in Chicago to Venice had been reduced to 35 min to change gates and get my luggage aboard. When I called Celebrity they informed me that the change to 35 minutes was an “acceptable” amount of time to find the connecting gate and have my luggage transferred. Since we were meeting friends in Venice for a day and half before the cruise, I was very concerned about the layover time. I called back again to Celebrity to be told I would have to pay Celebrity several hundred dollars to take a flight 2 hours earlier from Charlotte to Chicago through American Airlines. Frustrated, I called American Airlines directly and they changed my flight to the earlier flight with no issue and no charge. Then a couple weeks before leaving I realized Celebrity had me on the very last seat on the plane on one side window, and my friend on the very back of the plane on the opposite side of the plane window to Venice. I booked this in February...I finally called and paid American Airlines direct to change our seats to be together. Then came check in with American Airlines 24 hours in advance. I could only check into Chicago, but not all the way to Venice. We spent over an hour waiting in line at American Airlines ticket counter as we could not do curbside checkin all the way to Venice...The final straw was trying to check in back to Charlotte from Venice 24 hours before the flight. When I could not check in but my friend who did check in with no issue, since he booked his flight directly with American Airlines, he informed me they had 8 first class upgrades available for $500 each. I went to our private concierge agent in Michael’s lounge (since we had the Royal Suite) for assistance sInce I wanted the first class upgrade deal. I was worried by the time we went to check into the airport 3 hours before flight the upgrade offer would be sold out. (No surprise it was sold out). She did everything possible to check us in but could not check us OR previous clients using Flights by Celebrity in when check in was available August 14th. Let me say she went out of her way to help, but when she finally called Flights by Celebrity they told her I could upgrade to first class for over $4,000 one way. She was just as amazed as I was with the response from Flights by Celebrity and mentioned she would email corporate to inform them of the situation, even thought nothing could be done. I paid $1,800 to Celebrity for my round trip flight each person, which I am sure I could have done direct with American Airlines and never had these issues. I wasted 3 hours of our last cruise day dealing with this. We used the spa services, several specialty restaurants for all 7 of us, gambled every night but one, closing down the casino each night and tipping the staff very well during the cruise on top of the prepaid tip package. We also bought a great deal of high end wine as this was a once in a lifetime trip for a few of the 7 that traveled together. The service from Flights by Celebrity was a slap in the face considering the amount of money I spent on that trip for all of us. Oh, by the way, on our return flight from Philly to Charlotte Flights by Celebrity had us both on the last back seats on the plane, but at least this time we were side by side. Never again will I book my flights through this company. I will go directly to the airline for my flights to save all the wasted time, frustration and money. Read Less

I find all Celebrity ships are excellent in almost every way. This was a back to back cruise from Fort Lauderdale to the Eastern Caribbean and then the next week to the Western Caribbean. I remained in the same balcony cabin, so there was no shifting needed. All b2b passengers are required to leave the ship and go through USA customs as the first week ends. It took only a few minutes, and we were back on board. The Equinox had just been through a refit, so everything was new and shiny. The ship is kept in spotless condition for the entire cruise. Room service is outstanding. Your steward knows your name and addresses you that way - how they can remember all of their passengers amazes me. Rooms are tidied immediately after you leave for breakfast. and prepared for the night while you are at dinner. Towels and sheets are changed frequently. The cabins are large and nicely furnished. The shower is good sized, and solid - no floppy shower curtain to contend with. The television is large, and the remote is fairly easy to manage. Your steward will explain it to you if you need help finding programs or your account on line. Dining in the main restaurant offers early and late settings on deck 3, and "any time" dining on deck 4. The menu offers something for everyone, and notes things such as gluten free or sugar free. The "always available" portion of the dinner menu offers my favorite French onion soup, Escargot, and salmon. Enough said! Theater entertainment is shifting toward acrobatics and production numbers several times during a cruise. Other nights feature a comedian or musician or singer. Two shows allow you to enjoy your dinner hour and take in the show either preceding or following. My only bit of concern was the library. The room itself is beautiful and has great lounge chairs and a large number of shelves. The missing part was books! Very few new novels in English could be found. The majority of books were in foreign languages, and had apparently been donated by past passengers. There was no filing system, so you just had to pick up a book and look at a few pages to determine if it was in a language you could read. All lines seem to be letting the idea of a library fade away. And yet you see many passengers reading as they enjoy the pool area or one of the lounges. Bring your own paperbacks if you want to be sure of having something to read. Read Less

There is no doubt Celebrity Edge looks good. All those Kelly Hoppen greys and beiges. But does it feel good? Well not to this seasoned traveller. Celebrity have made a great effort to lower the age demographic of their passengers. They have succeeded - but I think at the expense of the older guest. Take the bars: I want a comfortable lounge to enjoy a drink. The biggest bar is the Martini Bar on Deck 3 but the seating is on the edge of a three-deck high atrium. Yes it looks impressive. But it feels cold and impersonal. The nicest space is the Al Bacio coffee bar lounge on Deck Four. I took to getting a drink from the casino bar (also on deck four) and carryimng it through to the Al Bacio lounge. So I noticed did others. In fact Al Bacio does serve some limited drinks in the evenings and the solution would be to open it as a full bar plus coffee after say 6 o'clock. I and many others in my age group like to hear a pianist or a classical duo. Alas - Edge is an almost non-stop diet of over amplified pop music. Even worse there are designer muzak tapes on a loop in the restaurants - designed presumably by someone who didn't try listening to them every day. The atmosphere on the Magic Carpet - the bit that hangs over the side- was much better. For one thing -- being outside you couldn't hear the music. It is an idyllic place for those balmy evenings in the Med. I got that "all fur coat and no knickers" feel about the Speciality restaurants - especially Eden. It is approached via a dark mirror glass room, negotiating a series of twisted floor-to-ceiling columns and lit only by twinkling ceilng lights. What's that all about? And Aquaclass passengers dining in Blu have to pass through this for every meal. The food itself was good though not exceptional and it certainly wasn't helped by being served by a girl dressed in rags and a man, also in rags, wielding a stick. Adam and Eve? Caliban? Le Petit Chef and friends features overhead projections of animated figures dancing on your plates as they prepare each course. Entertaining - certainly. But sadly the animation food looked a sight better than the food we actually received. Neither restaurant was worth the extra money. On the plus side - the three main non-paying restaurants were all excellent. Great friendly service, a wide choice of dishes all very well presented and tasty. And no gimmicks.The a la carte breakfast in the Cosmopolitan (I think) was particularly enjoyable and a better choice for me than the scrum at the buffet! The cabins are very well designed in general. But I was in a single cabin (and God Bless Celebrity for thinking positively about we solo travellers), Again the Hoppen influence looked good- but there was enough hanging space for clothes but only one shelf (under the safe) and no drawers. What to do with the smalls? And the plus side: The best shower I've ever found on any ship - proper walk-in, no clingy curtains and a powerful spray. Bliss. The single-panel control for everything including the excellent air conditioning, the window and the blinds, was a definite plus and the ability to transform the cabin into an infinity balcony was fun. Other pluses: Embarkation at Civitaveccia was a dream. Almost straight aboard and keys waiting outside the cabins. Disembarkation was equally smooth with lots of staff on hand to guide us all to the correct buses. And as always the biggest plus of all - the cheerful, efficient , friendly staff who are keeping this ship spotlessly clean and who do put the customer first. Especially the younger customer! Read Less

This was our 27th cruise, 1st-time Celebrity Cruise. We couldn't have been happier. My husband and I are 52 years old, we have no kids. I love to have options when we travel. On a cruise there is always the option to do nothing, however, there is not always the option to do everything (except for now!). The Celebrity Edge, aside from the fact that it's absolutely modern and gorgeous, it was so much fun! We were worried about the fun. We had the preconceived notion that this was a company for retirees, people who like it "quiet". This ship had more fun going on than do I dare say it...The Fun ships??!! It did. But there are plenty of quiet spaces as well. Newest movies every night are played at the Rooftop Garden around 10-10:30pm. Multiple Trivia thru-out every single day. Loads of entertainments everywhere, from live singers & bands to the shows in the evening. But my absolute favorite...Silent Disco. Fun for all ages, it's hysterical to watch and a blast to participate in. There is so much going on, it was actually hard to fit it all in. The food was excellent. The 4 main dining rooms were beautiful, try to eat each one if you can, the menus vary slightly per dining room. Le Petite Chef was fun, and delicious, and did I mention fun?? Service was above and beyond, and I'm picky. We had an oceanview room at 200sq ft. and it was very comfortable. 50-55" interactive flat panel TVs on the wall. The beds and pillows were very comfortable. Bottom line we loved it and we booked 2 more future cruises while on board. Hopefully, you'll love it too. Read Less

Went on a far east cruise on the Celebrity Constellation. Firstly, our taxi didn't turn up to take us to the hotel for our overnight stay. When asking anyone from Celebrity Cruises they couldn't help us as they couldn't speak English. (we werent the only ones this happened to) While waiting to check in and board ship in Shanghai, we was shunted from place to place with no where warm to sit. (it was very cold) The staff was amazing so no issues there what so ever !!! But the price on board ship was so extortionate. The WIFI and Excursions was so overpriced. If we hadn't got a drinks package in place, I have no idea what we would have done. The ship docked in cargo type docks in the middle of nowhere. So, if you didn't have an excursion booked then you had nowhere to go. We ended up taking two trips just to get of ship. $49 just take us to Danang for a 4-hr trip which got cut to 3hrs which was not good enough for the amount they were charging. We complained and got a 30% refund. The second one was Singapore night at a glance, which most of it was done on foot and cost a grand total of $99 each for 3.5 hrs long trip. They only had American dollars on boardship. They should have had the relevant monies needed for each port docked at. The food on board was mainly rice type dishes and stir fry, very little of anything English. And you need very long arms to get the things from the back in the buffet. Ridiculous to have to pay to go in speciality restaurants. ( Just my opinion) To top it off we had to wait in airport for our flight home for over 12hrs because of turn around. All in all, very disappointing as this was for our 30th wedding Anniversary and my Husbands 60th Birthday. we saved long and hard for it. A big let down !! Read Less

Some background on me to begin. I’m a 32 year old heterosexual male bachelor. Celebrity Edge was my 16th cruise overall, and the 9th that I’ve taken with Celebrity. Like many of my cruises, I sailed with my 76 yr old father who has some health issues. —And although, it’s a cruise to spend some father/son time together as we live in different states, he usually goes to bed quite early, and I enjoy the night life well into the wee hours of the morning… So, inevitably It ends up becoming a “singles” cruise for me. Before, I review the actual ship, and give you a very detailed breakdown of what I saw, experienced, and everything that this cruise has to offer, It’s important for anyone not familiar with Celebrity, to understand what this cruise line is about… “Virgin” Celebrity cruisers are always surprised(some negatively, and mostly positively about the differences between Celebrity and other lines. This line is not for kids(although they’re allowed). —There are no slides, or virtually anything similar to a Carnival or Disney ship. This is a sleek modern line that charges a little more to have the luxury’s and the lack of headaches that other “mainstream” cruise lines deal with. So, if you are looking for the family cruise with ice cream for the kids, and strollers everywhere, THIS IS NOT FOR YOU. If you’re looking for the Carnival-Walmart (affordable booze cruise), THIS IS NOT FOR YOU. This is a sophisticated line that balances fun, copious amounts of alcohol, aesthetics, sex appeal, and adult-geared entertainment. I’ve always thought that the line does a remarkable job at appealing to successful millennials(such as me) all the way up through baby boomers, into seniors. There’s simply a “cool” factor to Celebrity that’s hard to describe. —After experiencing the Eastern Caribbean Inaugural cruise on Edge, I think that this ship embodies everything that’s cool about this line. Enjoy the review below! THE PASSENGERS AND CREW: A+ As previously mentioned, Celebrity is a little bit of a different crowd from your typical cruise lines. You’ll usually find slightly more affluence, and people willing to spend a few extra dollars for a higher level of service and fun. Edge embodies Celebrity’s attempt to appease their traditional baby boomer, and older crowds, while also attracting successful millennials. Edge nails this delicate balance! ***Although, I have no data to back up my numbers…. I would guess that the age of passengers on the ship was 15% elderly, 25% Baby Boomers, 25% Gen X, 20 % Millennials, and 15% Gen Z / children. 75% of passengers were American, 10% were Canadian, 10% were Latin-American, and 5% from elsewhere in the world. I was shocked at how balanced the crowd was. Also, tons of single millennials on the ship to hang out/flirt with. I’m not saying that I was necessarily looking for a “target rich” environment… But It certainly makes things more interesting if you catch my drift. Crew: I can’t say enough great things about the Edge crew! These people, no matter whether they’re a stateroom attendant, buffet bus boy, or an officer were simply perfect. –They’ve mastered the art of service. I would give you specific examples, but we’d be here all day. THE SHIP ITSELF Overall grade: A+ I’m like a mosquito in a nudist colony, (I don’t know where to strike first)… After taking 16 cruises on 12 different ships, it’s going to be hard for any other ship to beat Edge from a pure aesthetics standpoint. The ship is absolutely gorgeous. The entire ship is a work of art. If anyone complains about the design of the ship, they’re simply stale people. The Interior: Beginning with the main promenade which covers decks 3, 4, and 5. This area like most ships, is the main interior gathering point, or crossroads of the ship. Also, you can see what’s going on, on each of the aforementioned decks... The famed celebrity martini bar is at the heart of this on deck 3. They’ve increased the size of the martini bar, along with the seating area’s and tables surrounding it…Above the bar is a massive light fixture capable of syncing to whatever song is playing, or general light shows and tone changes. It’s seriously a work of art, and a good conversation piece. My only complaint about the martini bar is that it’s no longer an “ice bar”—Not sure why Edge’s designers scrapped this very popular feature from the solstice class ships. Continuing, the ship features a number of super premium shops on board. Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton, and others. While these shops were fun to window shop at, and tease cruisers with outrageous price tags, I don’t think Celebrity is very concerned with how much people actually shop at these stores. It’s almost like they’re going for a “wow factor” with the level of store’s on board. I found the duty free, and general gift shops much smaller and not quite as well stocked. Almost like a, “well… I guess we have to have these shops, so lets put it here” type of mentality. —Not a big negative, just an observation. The Pool Deck: A+ I think Edge hit’s a homerun with the redesigned pool deck. I found the main pool deck spacious and ascetically pleasing. There’s really 3 decks to enjoy around the main pool. Deck 14(which is the pool itself), Deck 15 just overlooking the pool deck, and finally deck 16 (which is the sun deck)… Like most cruises, deck chairs fill up quickly with towel clips, bags, and magazines holding chairs for sometimes hours before they’re actually occupied. But, I legitimately found very little overcrowding on any of the pool decks(including the actual pool deck 14). There was always available lounge chairs at any time of day(including sea days). The pool deck really embodies a Miami modern theme without being too over the top. The martini glass hot tubs above several corners of the pool provide an extra vacation luxury feel. Gone are the cumbersome stages for “sexiest legs contests”, or “bingo trivia”. -There’s a subtle live band for a portion of the day, and a D.J. For other parts of the day. It has a really relaxing, yet cool feeling. It looks different from any other pool deck that you’ve experienced. Magic Carpet: B+ Although the magic carpet is cool, and certainly a conversation piece… I didn’t think it was nearly one of the main attractions of this incredible ship. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very unique. It’s fun to experience it either on deck 16(where it typically rests for most of the day), or on deck 3 where it makes several shorter stints throughout the evening. But, it’s relatively small, and there were may times throughout the cruise that it was occupied with the sign “private function”, and unavailable. The CEO of Celebrity was on the ship for the first 3 days of the cruise, so this could’ve been a reason why. Also, my stateroom on Deck 12 was right in between the two orange beams of the Magic Carpet. So, I got to witness it’s ascension and descent multiple times. Keep Eden Weird: A+ Strap in… Because this is where this review gets fun. Eden is strange AF. -Even as I try to explain it to you, I’m not sure the you’ll truly grasp what I’m saying until you experience it for yourself. The area of the ship is truly remarkably unique. It’s almost like a fancy greenhouse with great cocktails, impeccable lighting, and like nothing else you’ve ever experienced at sea. From the early evening hours, there’s boozing, and weird fairy-like entertainers and acrobats performing around you. Although they’re somewhat interactive, and certainly a good icebreaker(if you’re single like me). But the real Eden fun doesn’t start until 10PM. From 10P-12M, there’s a show filled with acrobats, strange sounds, bells, and bizarre interaction between a dozen or so actors, and you. For instance, I’m sitting with a younger 20-something newlywed couple that I befriended on the ship…A fairy comes up to me and asks, “what do they call you”? —I responded ‘Matthew’….”What do they call you?” “I’m Zoom—Nice to meet you.” ….Then in my southern gentlemanly baritone Louisiana voice, I say “Pleasure”. (As-in pleasure to meet you). Zoom then responds “Nice to meet you Pleasure Matthew. I got a surprise for you later”???. Then there’s queens who walk around in full extravagant costumes. Along with the (god of time) “Chronos” who sends sound/shock waves throughout the venue. Basically, to wrap up Eden… It’s somewhere between Alice in Wonderland, a Scientology novel, and an LSD trip that takes place in a beautiful glass atrium overlooking the sea. YOLO… Embrace it for what it is(entertainment). I have a feeling that there will be very mixed reviews on it. One thing that cannot be argued about Eden(It has the best speciality cocktails that I’ve ever enjoyed at sea). It’s setting and what they did with the space is nothing short of remarkable. Roof Top Garden: A Loved it! Very unique with the artwork tree-like structures. Lots of seating and very cool green spaces and live plants ETC…. They also have bands and D.J.’s playing (mostly in the late afternoon/evening hours). Great place to watch sunset, and enjoy an early evening cocktail… Also well lit at night. This clearly replaces “the lawn” from the solstice class ships. The Main Theater: A- Very spacious, very nice. It has arguably the largest performance stage that I’ve seen at sea. However, the biggest improvement/innovation that the Edge theater has that no other theater that I’ve ever experienced has, are massive LED screens that surround the entire stage and provide additional scenery and set themes to each show/performance. One small knock is that the theater lacks organization… There’s three levels that are only accessible by two floor entrances. So, many elderly or disabled people with wheelchairs or power scooters could not access the bottom floor. In addition, they added loose seats and bar tables on the first floor that are kind’ve disorganized and facing different directions, and are smashed close together. --It’s almost like after they built the theater, they said, “we’re not going have enough seating, so lets throw these extra 200 chairs in here over on the side. —Not a big deal. Bars: A+ They give Angola and San Quintin a run for the money on the amount of bars. No problem utilizing my premium drink package…. Credit to Celebrity for clearly preparing better for large crowds. RARELY ever waited for more than a min to get a drink. To Wrap Up the actual Ship Section: There are many nooks, crannies, and small spaces between and around the areas that I’ve described that are very nice and worth seeing. But In the interest of not writing forever, I’ll let you discover them for yourselves once you see the ship. SPECIALTY RESTAURANTS, MAIN DINING ROOMS, & BUFFET Had a chance to eat at 4 of the specialty restaurants. All of them were excellent from a pure culinary perspective. And most were even better with the extra experiences and atmosphere’s that they provided. IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER: 1.) Roof Top Garden Grill: A- Delicious BBQ in a cool outdoor setting that would remind other celebrity loyalists of the “The Lawn Club Grill” on some solstice class ships. The difference is that this has more of a traditional American BBQ menu. Chili, brisket, ribs, wings, etc… 2.) Le Petite Chef: A+ Truly the most unique experience in specialty dinning that I’ve ever had at sea. Your whole table becomes an animated screen with little chefs who prepare your food right there on your table. The little chefs explain what you are about to eat and how it’s prepared. Then the actual food is placed by a waiter onto your plate. It’s a pre-set menu with one French dish, Italian dish, American dish, and a Japanese dessert. All four dishes were delicious. Pretty sure the menu changes sometimes. 3.) Fine Cut Steakhouse: B+ Very traditional looking steakhouse that you could experience in most large US cities. The food was pretty good. I had the ribeye, and a new lady friend had the filet. Both were pretty good. However, I must admit that I’ve had better steaks on other ships. —Nothing really stands out about Fine Cut, other than great views of the main promenade because of being on the 5th floor mid-ship. That’s the reason that they got the score I gave them. 4.) Eden Restaurant: A+ Interesting and delicious. Like the main part of Eden, the restaurant has the mythical characters walking around and performing as you eat. Also, the menu has a pre-set 6 courses that you can choose 1 from each side of the menu for each course. So, you order 6 Items out of 12 possibilities. There’s steak, lobster, various fish dishes, etc… Main Dinning Rooms: A We ate at 3 of the main dinning rooms. Cosmopolitan, Normandy, and Cypress. All very consistently good, and great service. I tried to eat something unique to each menu at each restaurant. Cosmopolitan has more fancy cuisine, Normandy has more comfort food, and Cypress has Greek Food. Buffet: Excellent. Good choices for breakfast and lots of variety. Pretty typical for a mega ship buffet, but added variety. Did not eat lunch or dinner here during cruise. ENTERTAINMENT: Without a doubt, the most controversial aspect of Edge, that I expect the most disagreements on is the Entertainment(mainly in the main theater). One small negative that cruisers who take maiden/inaugural voyages should understand is that there will be kinks to work out. Nothing is more prevalent of that statement than the entertainment on Edge. Two shows were impacted by sound issues that the cruise director openly apologized for…Including a situation to where all the lights and power went out during the middle of a show. Major credit to the singers and dancers who showed remarkable professionalism and finished the song via a-cappella until power was restored. Unfortunately, inconsistency is the best that I can give the shows on Edge. “HYPE” is by far the best theatrical show on the ship. —One of the best shows that I’ve ever seen at sea in fact. On the other hand, the show “PURPOSE” was an embarrassment to the cruise industry. Wayyyyyy too much political undertones, and “we are the world, we are the children” BS. —I get it that Celebrity has made their gains in the industry by taking risks and being innovative. But, this simply was a little much…and I’m a millennial. I heard NUMEROUS people(both young, old, different races ETC chatting and rolling their eyes over “Purpose”). —I’m sure some think that it was great…. But I’m on vacation. The last thing that I want to talk or hear about at sea is race, religion, politics, or anything going on in the world. —Like come on, that’s a cardinal rule of cruising and vacationing in general. That being said, the singers and dancers of all shows were excellent! The comedian on the ship was absolutely hilarious! If pinned down to give an overall score of the entertainment, I would grade it as a “B-“. I love Celebrity, and always have. -The line is the reason why I love cruising! But, MSC’s newer ships’ entertainment simply kicks Celebrity’s ass in this one department. IN CLOSING: Bottom line, Celebrity Edge managed to deliver on some of the most anticipated and unrealistic expectations in the history of cruising! I credit their staff, and their company on creating a masterful experience! That being said, this cruise was not perfect. (What cruise is?) --They still have some things to work on which is to be expected of ANY new ship. Also, outside of HYPE, the comedian, and Eden, they need to take a serious look at a few of their theater shows. I fully expect “Purpose” to be scrapped from the routine soon. If they’re able to address some of that, I think you’d be flirting with a perfect cruise. In my opinion, it’s the coolest ship, on the coolest cruise line in the world. I’ll see you on the Edge again soon… Matthew from New Orleans, Louisiana Read Less

The Celebrity Edge I think was very innovative and for the most part very spacious. The Eden, lounge in the back of the ship, felt very relaxing without loud music and was able to find quiet spaces to read and watch the ocean pass by. There was occasional entertainment throughout the day. The evening entertainment was every interactive with the passengers. However, the Eden show was the same every night I sat in a different part of the lounge and saw different aspects of the show I did not see the night before. The specialty dining in the Eden was very good but pricy but still well worth the price. The Petite Chief, another specialty dining experience, was well worth the money and very entertaining. We only had to tender once but the first 2 hours there were long lines to get on the tender but if one did not have to get off the ship right away (i.e., shore excursion) and could wait the lines to get on the tender were only a few minutes. The tender waiting area was vast in space was easy to get on and off the tender without feeling like you were in a sardine can. The theatre is set up more like Theatre in the Round, but the cutting edge shows where lacking. I feel the entertainment on the other Celebrity ships was much better. At times I felt the service staff to be lacking. There were times I was in the Martini bar and waited for an unusual amount of time being served with wait staff passing me by. Finally, I had to track down a waiter to place my order. In the complimentary restaurants the service varied from excellent to very slow. Finally, the check-in process was very simple and easy. The Edge uses online check-in prior to leaving home so when you get to the terminal and past security instead of going to the check-in counter you presented your check-in documents on your cell phone which is scanned along with passport verification. It was that easy but then I got to the terminal prior to the rush of passengers arriving. My only issue was with the initial boarding. For the most part all activities in the terminal are handled by contract personnel and not Celebrity. I found the person handling the boarding announcements to be extremely rude. When the boarding process was not going her way, she rudely announced that she would stop board until passengers stepped back and did not crowd the boarding lanes. There was no friendliness about her announcements but more of demanding. She could have handled the situation much better in a friendlier tone and requesting more of cooperation then demanding. Finally, will I take Celebrity Eden again…probably not. It is a beautiful ship and I took the ship only to experience the new class of ship. I am a big fan of Celebrity, but I found I preferred the smaller class of ships; those ships under 700 passengers. One other note about Celebrity and the other sister ships (Royal Caribbean and Azamara Club); unlike most other cruise lines if I book as a solo but must pay the double rate at least these brands give you credit for double booking with their rewards programs. The policy on other cruise lines is even if you book and pay for a stateroom for double occupancy but only one person stays in the room you only get credit for one person in their rewards system. I know some people are not concerned about a cruise lines rewards system but when you cruise as my as I do it comes in very handy. Read Less

Just had a 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Equinox. Everything went extremely smoothly, from the taste and variety of the food at the Oceanview and the main dining room, to the cleanliness and politeness of the staff at the restaurants. Dan France as the cruise director was the best as well. Cristine being his deputy are a great team to entertain us. Some of the entertainers, however, were mediocre at best. The onboard entertainers were impressive. Too bad the acrobats steals the show most of the times from the singers even though the singers were great. The cabin steward was good. However, I saw some stains on the leather sofa, crumbs on the table out on the balcony, and the shower room have soap and water stains. The embark and disembark also extremely smoothly. The ports, however, for eastern Caribbean can be better choices. While Nassau and San Juan were good, Punta Cana and Charlotte Amalie is just really for the beaches and some shopping. Maybe slightly more developed ports? Overall, the whole experience is superb. Read Less

Here is my review of the Celebrity Edge. TERMINAL & BOARDING - Terminal 25, is the brand new, flashy, Celebrity Edge gateway to all things new. Since we were on the inaugural cruise, the ship was only about half full, so boarding was super simple. We had pre-registered for everything, we showed our documents, passports and were quickly boarded. Speaking of which, disembarkation was simple. They have an eye reader, and you look at the screen, it identifies you and voila, you are off. It was very effective for embarkation and disembarkation. This was impressive. Initial thoughts…..This ship is truly amazing and beautiful and technologically advanced! ONBOARD - Once we boarded Celebrity Edge, we were handed some wine or champagne, and then had to return the glass, and could meander around the various venues and to our cabin. We went to our cabin to see what the new design was all about. CABIN – The cabin is elegant, well laid out and simply beautiful. The large window showing the outdoors is quite amazing. Instead of seeing a small half view as you normally would, you get an entire window of outdoors. There are doors where the actual balcony would normally be. You can keep those closed or open them up. There is a window shade you can open or close. The window is electronic and can be opened with the push of a button. Once the window is open, it seemed that the air conditioning would shut off, which made it quite stuffy. As such, we honestly didn’t use the balcony much, however, this was such a short trip, we were trying to pack in as much as we could. It was a neat feature, but that is the one downfall to me. I prefer go outside and sit on my actual balcony. Some people may love it, but a big balcony has always been a preference of mine. I did see a panoramic oceanview room, and personally, to save money, I would go with that cabin because I’m not sure how often I would open the window. The suite level categories do offer an actual balcony as you would normally see onboard. If you can afford the suite levels, the Villas and the sky suites were really nice, and then you have the extra options of the relaxation areas with loungers and bar not accessible to everyone. The iconic suites and other suite options were absolutely outstanding. We were fortunate to be able to see them, and they would be amazing and you wouldn’t even need to leave your cabin! Celebrity designers did a nice job with closet space, drawer space, and the electronics box to charge up electronics We had a large screen TV, sofa and bed. In addition, you have a big bathroom, nice glass enclosed shower, and the shower has a bar for the ladies to shave, which was a nice touch. Since we were in an aqua suite, all the shampoo, conditioner, soap and moisturizer were included. The rooms are technology at its best. It uses a smartphone app to control everything from the room temperature to the blackout curtain that can be raised or lowered. There is also a Eurpean plug. The aqua cabins are “spa” category cabins for other lines, so that provides you with the extra amenities of going to the spa and lounging on the heated chairs, you get a slight discount on cost of spa treatments, you also have access to many of the spa areas. VENUES – Magic Carpet. This was a really cool concept, but it does not move while you are inside it. It moves and then they open it up so you can go inside. It allows private events, or when they want to allow more space at venues, and also helps with disembarkation at ports. SHOPPING – They offer many of the nicest shopping venues onboard. You have Coach stores, Bulova, Gucci, Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Cartier, among many others. BARS – There is a Martini bar to meet up with others or to watch people. There was a nice Sunset bar on the aft that we also enjoyed. There was also a bar near the pool area which made some delicious drinks! COFFEE shop – there is a coffee shop and a bistro that overlook the atrium. DINING - The Oceanview Café is a very lovely place to enjoy your food. I should mention that before you enter, they now have a wash station to clean your hands, which is a very nice touch. The buffet is located on deck 14 and has a nice open feel and it offers an airy feeling. There are multiple food stations with varying options for different tastes. We mainly used this area for breakfast, and there was everything from pastries and breads to eggs, omelettes, bacon, sausage, waffles (which Steve raved about), fruits and anything else you could possibly imagine. The food was very good, and the wait staff would bring you drinks if needed, and were very quick to clean up messes. We didn’t get to try many of the restaurants, however, there are many! We ate in the Cosmopolitan dining room, and the food was delicious and the staff were imepeccable and we really enjoyed interacting with them. They also have: Normandie for French fare, Cyprus for Mediterranean dishes, Cosmopolitan is “global-inspired,” The Tuscan serves up Italian selections. All of the venues, as well as Eden Cafe and Mast Grill – are complimentary. The Mast grill seemed to offer any of the hot dogs and hamburger options many like to grab while onboard. Specialty dining for a fee was also an option: Le Grand Bistro, French $25/person; Raw seafood; Rooftop Garden Grill (American BBQ $45/person); Fine cut steakhouse ($55/person) and Eden ($65/person) at night. The La Petit Bistro also offers $45/person with a 3D animation. Blu and Lumininae are available to Aquaclass and suite guests. EDEN – During the daytime, this is a jungle themed venue and it is really beautiful. At night, it is the most bizarre experience I’ve encountered. I am honestly not sure what they were trying to do, and I tried to keep an open mind, but it was just weird. They dance around and try to get the audience to participate as well. They look a bit sadistic and evil. As I was sitting in the chair watching, one came up from behind and whispered in my ear which I wasn’t expecting. Another one of the dancers kept trying to get me up to dance. As much as I love to dance, I was NOT getting near him. Lol It was just creepy to me. I’ll be anxious to hear what others think about this venue. It isn’t my cup of tea. ENTERTAINMENT – We saw the show Hype which is a musical journey, and we thoroughly enjoyed this. The entertainment team did a great job. We missed the Jewelry Box, but it was a technology and acrobatics show that many indicated was impressive. SPACE ONBOARD If you want to relax, you will find a myriad of spaces onboard the Celebrity Edge. There are multiple areas with chairs and loungers where you can just rest and relax. Most of these are found on decks 3, 4, 5. The Rooftop Garden area was one of my favorite places to escape. It provides beautiful views, and the space doesn’t even feel like you are on a ship. It also has music periodically, and they have a large screen television. POOL The Edge pool was innovative and had loungers you could lay in, which was very nice. There are also some hanging chairs and two hot tubs that look like champagne glasses. The techno music played seemed a bit odd for the crowd that I believe they are trying to entice, but those things may change with time. Spa We took the tour of the spa, and they have an amazing gym, with all sorts of treadmills, stairclimbers, bikes, and anything you could desire. They also offer all sorts of classes with different types of workouts from a bungee workout to others. That was a neat idea. They also offer various massages that I hadn’t seen on other lines, such as one you lay on a sheet with warm sand while the massage therapist provides your massage. They also had a zero gravity chair for a massage. In summary, my take is that this ship is for those who enjoy technology, want a more adult experience without the skating rinks, waterslides, and kid activities. Anyone wanting to have a wonderful time and get away from it all would likely enjoy the Edge. I was thoroughly impressed, and I believe anyone who experiences it will enjoy. In my opinion, those you enjoy Royal Caribbean and NCL would be most likely to enjoy this ship. If you have enjoyed Princess ships and want to try something a bit more techno, then this is the ship for you! Read Less

I am a widow and a repeat passenger with Celebrity. This was my first cruise on the Equinox. I was part of a singles group on board. Celebrity staff was helpful, professional and always smiling. Captain Kate is the most awesome and hands on Captain that I have ever sailed with. It was a privilege to be a passenger on 'her' ship. Food is subjective, but for the most part, I enjoyed all of my meals. The buffet is excellent for a buffet; the Main Dining Room had excellent food and great service. Had dinner twice at the Tuscan Grille. Worth the upcharge. I had a Concierge Class Cabin which I shared with a friend from the singles group. Plenty of storage for two females. I did not go to many shows, but enjoyed the ones I attended. I took one excursion through the cruiseline - Bonaire Beach Bash and tour with l lunch. Excellent. I also took the All Access Tour. Very educational and lots of fun. I had accidentally booked duplicate tours and the Shore Excursion desk - especially Arisleidy - was helpful, smiling, professional and took care of the duplications without any negativity. She was also the tour guide for the All Access Tis our. Again, All Smiles. Captain Kate has a great sense of humor, is easy to understand on the public address system, is personable, and is seen all over the ship (always with a smile and willing to talk to passengers). Once I was at Cafe Al Bacio, and she was serving the pastries and taking coffee orders! I have never seen a Captain do that. I hope to sail with her again! Read Less

First time I sailed with Celebrity Cruises and it was absolutely amazing. It was worth every penny. We were treated first class, the service was second to none. All staff were welcoming and friendly. The atmosphere on the ship was like one big happy family from both staff and guest. The food was of a high standard and a wide variety, fresh and taste was excellent. We were spoilt for choice. Certainly amazed at the standard of cleanliness and the whole operations of the ship. The rooms were spacious, clean and the steward assigned to the room was ver attentive and was very helpful. The facilities met every need of each gues. A variety of activities when at sea, you could do as much or as little as you want. If you take a cruise with Celebrity you will not be disappointed. Good selection of islands stops and use local transport. Highly recommended it will be a cruise liner/company I will be using again. Well done, i applaud you all for all you hard work and having a smile each day. GREAT!!!! Read Less

We were visiting Miami from Northern Ireland. We took our flight from Dublin direct with Aer Lingus to Miami 5 days before the cruise, this allowed us a few days to explore the Miami and Fort Lauderdale area. We picked up a hire car for our stay before the cruise then returned it to MIA on the embarkation day. TIP - the taxi drivers are a bit crazy and the set fare seems to be $27 from the airport to Port of Miami. I recommend an Uber - this works out at around $14 and a much comfier ride - head to the car rental ground transportation level and your Uber will find you. Moving on to the cruise, we arrived at the Port of Miami around 11:30am, at this point hopped out of the taxi and had a very awkward greeting from a baggage collector who moved our bags away and immediately turned to us and said "We will load your bags for you, so I will accept tips now and ensure your bags arrive safely". Being a British tourist in a foreign country I gave him $5 for our 3 bags as I wanted to make sure they would definitely get on the ship. TOP TIP – have some small cash handy when you get to the port, by chance I happened to have a $5 in my pocket or it would have been awkward. Next we walked through a quick security check, nothing much to report, just a standard TSA like check but not as strict and then a very quick visit to receive our XpressPass cards and a check of our passports. We have British passports however there were no visa requirements for the countries we were visiting (obviously just ensure you have an ESTA for landing in Miami!). We then proceeded into the ship and did what anyone else would do, headed to the buffet. We skipped breakfast so were very ready for our buffet lunch. The range of food the Oceanview Café had was excellent, pizza stations, carvery’s, Indian and meat stations. We found a nice area out at the back with lovely views of Miami, including the AA arena and the Miami Causeway. Whilst we were eating an announcement came over to PA to say rooms were ready 45 minutes ahead of schedule, we were excited as we had booked a balcony room, number 7125. After 2 or 3 lunches each we decided to check out the room, the Atrium of the ship is incredible, I have previously sailed with Princess and NCL, I was told Celebrity were one of the best and they didn’t disappoint. Being from the UK we have been beat up financially by Brexit and the exchange rates so any opportunity to save money was welcome, we ended up booking a balcony room through a US company cheaper than an inside cabin on the Celebrity Website. I won’t go into huge details about the room but it was a decent size, big sofa that was used the whole week to hold the cases, an extremely comfortable bed and the balcony which was used for about 2 hours every day, my happy place. Room pictures are attached. The first stop was Key West, we booked a Trolley tour for $25 each which was nice to see around however with the benefit of hindsight we would have just hopped off the boat and walked up Duvall Street. Next was a day at sea to explore the ship, we visited the iLounge, being an Apple fanboy this delighted me. We also headed to the front of the boat where it was quieter to sunbathe (this is up 2 floors and I don’t believe there is a lift). You have more space here compared to the poolside however food is further away….burns a few calories I guess. Costa Maya – this stop was kind of poor and we had been warned about this. Our initial intention was to visit the Mayan ruins however when we began researching it showed that we were over 2 hours away. We decided we would go on shore; it was odd as we left the ship around 10am and already a lot of people were walking back to the ship telling us “not to bother”. We took a dander around the town and it was ok for souvenirs but it seemed the general consensus was that it is a stop that should no longer be on the route, this came from crew and guests. The following day we visited Cozumel, we were told this was the better Mexican stop out of the 2. Our initial intention was to go to the beach and explore from there however my wife kept asking about the excursions. In the end we decided to go to Dolphin Discovery and swim with the dolphins. I liked this area as the dolphins had loads of space in the sea to swim. The cost was $89 and it is treated like a dolphin swim with a beach area afterwards. The one thing that really grinded my gears was during the experience there is a huge push on photographs, one single photograph was $80! I thought it was pesos at the start when I first read the sign. TOP TIP – if you do this experience ask them for the online link and you can buy the photos for up to 2 weeks afterwards, they are approximately 75% off. A CD of photographs was $165 which is atrocious. The beach area was pleasant and it included food & beverage whilst at the facility which was just ok but all in all we were very pleased at the experience only costing $89. We took the bus back to the port and explored a few of the shops in the port; this was a lot nicer than the shops in Costa Maya. The next day we were in Grand Cayman, I had been there about 15 years before. We walked off the boat and purchased a bus trip for $25 each which took us around the island. TOP TIP – we wanted to Jet Ski at 7 mile beach and it was $100 for 30 minutes at the port to book. When you get to the beach most of the vendors sell this for $40 - $50 for half an hour so better than half price. The bus took us to Hell and a little shop of novelties; it let us see around the Island a little and gave us a good history of the Island. We hopped off the bus at 7 mile beach to stay there for a few hours and it was genuinely the best beach we have ever experienced. We have been to California, Hawaii, Portugal and Spain however this beach had the clearest water and it was the prettiest beach we have been to. After jet skiing we swam for a while, some snorkelling and sunbathed for a while. About 2 hours before we had to be back on board we started to look around for how to get back to the boat, luckily all the taxis and busses meet up at the beach car park, we were taken back to the port for only $2.50 each. There are small stalls at the port again for souvenirs and drinks; we felt the prices were pretty good too. Leaving Grand Cayman was sad as it was our last stop on the cruise; we still had a day at sea ahead of us before we got back to Miami. When we got back to Miami it was a very civilised process, we left the hefty luggage out the night before and we were given our “waiting area”. We did not go to the meeting area, we went to get breakfast first and at that point our number was called so we wrapped up and headed off the ship. We picked up our luggage and got in the queue for immigration, this was very slow. The CBP conduct a “light” check of the passports and didn’t ask many questions but we did notice those that requested porters at the luggage area walked to the front of the immigration queue. We grabbed an uber at that point and headed to MIA. Entertainment In regards to entertainment there was a stand-up comedian, a puppeteer, a Paul McCartney tribute show and the ship’s crew show. I hope I don’t offend anyone but I felt the ship’s crew show was poor, we really didn’t enjoy it, and it felt like a super budget restrained Cirque performance. The performers are trying hard but we couldn’t help but feel that another stand-up comedian or perhaps a varied music performance would work better. The stand-up comedians were excellent, genuinely brilliant and usually a full house. The Paul McCartney performance was very well played, a little dull at times and a lot of empty seats however the guys were very talented. Food The Oceanview café was the most impressive buffet we have used at sea, the food variation was excellent. It was nice to have Indian & Chinese dishes (even proper British bacon at breakfast!). The evening meals were at Silhouette, the service was wonderful and the food was delicious. There are static items on the menu and then one or 2 dishes per course are changed daily, a little more variation would really help but that’s a very minor thing as there were plenty of options. As a British couple we really enjoyed afternoon tea every day between 3pm and 430pm I believe it was, the scones and cakes were delightful. Room On our last cruise we had an inside cabin on the NCL Epic, so this room was a big upgrade for us. The balcony has very comfortable recliner chairs and a table which is nice for breakfast (menu is left on the door handle with your time preference) and our door locked tight so we didn’t have any outside noise at night. The bed was very comfortable and there was significant space underneath the bed for suitcases, the sofa was sizeable however I would assume most use it to hold their cases if not unpacking. A sizable wardrobe, safe, fridge and TV, the TV channels are enough for background noise, mostly news channels for some reason but best not to sit in the cabin watching TV on a cruise! The bathroom was very spacious, a good shower and plenty of storage. Stops I enjoyed all the stops except Costa Maya; perhaps it is my own mistake but I just didn’t enjoy it. Had we been able to go to the beach it could have been excellent however they are having a big sea weed issue at the moment so a lot of the beaches smell bad and you are unable to go in the ocean. Key West is a wonderful first stop, I hadn’t been there for over 18 years and had a great time, Grand Cayman was superb for the beach alone and the locals are very friendly. Service I could write a huge piece on this but my general impression is that EVERY staff member went above and beyond. Having worked in service delivery for 10 years I value this trait highly, Celebrity impressed on every single level. The waiters in the dining room were world class and the room attendants were friendly and thorough. I could write a long list of names but the whole crew is superb, the head Chef from Bergamo in Italy introduced himself to us one night. I congratulated him on the excellent display of his staff and food. Ship The Celebrity Equinox ship has been in service since 2009, we were told that the ship is due for a refurb sometime in the near future. I wouldn’t say that it would be overly necessary, I would say that the equinox has another 2 or 3 years before that would be required. The rooms are still in good form, the pool area, gym and shopping areas are very modern, the foyer is beautifully designed with glass elevators and the ship is very easy to navigate. Read Less

Originally selected to celebrate a friend's 50th birthday party on a ship with an awesome destination, few kids, no rowdy and lewd drunk guest, and various elegant accommodations. Although the elegancy was very well presented, there were very few small kids, and all the guests seemed to be mature and well behaved the ship's leadership itself is what spoiled the cruise. I don't feel that the Celebrity Equinox under its leadership of Captain Dimitrios Manetas is an honest ship. Very little empathy was given for cancelling a Marquee destination on my 7 days 3 destinations trip leaving me with 5 days at sea and only two stops. I understand natural disasters may change an itinerary but this Captain had very poor insight into making a decision early enough to plan empathic entertainment accommodations or a replacement port. The ship set sail on Saturday and the port (San Juan Puerto Rico) was cancelled in less than 48 hours after sailing with prior knowledge that a storm was in the area. The evenings entertainment was not reasonably boosted up to give an impression of being sorrowful that the port was closed. The Cruise Director Maarten Breuls offered the same schedule of entertainment as if nothing had changed with the exception of adding a glass blowing presentation that was previously offered and shown again in the days following the cancelled port. I do not believe that Captain Manetas understands that destination is an important point of consideration when picking a cruise. When a desirable destination is found most of the other stops along the way becomes least important. If the St. Maartin or St. Thomas ports were closed I don't feel it would have made as much of a difference as having the most desirable port, San Juan closed. There was also a medical emergency on the ship. The Captain and his Guest Relations Officer tried to use the excuse of "saving a passenger's life" as a reason the guests should be understanding of the San Juan destination being cancelled. The storm I can understand but it is the ship's responsibility to respond to medical emergencies while attempting to continue on with the ship's itinerary. The Captain repeatedly made it appear as the passengers chose to "save the life of another guest" and not go to San Juan. Although I would want the ship to respond to my family and friends' medical emergency I certainly would not want to interrupt the vacation of over a 1000 other passengers to the point that their itinerary is drastically changed as I know ships are trained and equipped to deal with these emergencies. The Captain did not even offer a substantial On Board Credit to make up for having an additional day at sea. Whatever the reason for cancelling the port stop rather it be weather or a medical emergency the Captain did not try to accommodate or refund the other passengers. It appears the when the destination port loses all the guests and their shopping money the Celebrity ship wins their shopping and entertainment funds. The Captain won more money for Equinox buy cancelling San Juan and not offering any On Board Credit refunds. This is a very dishonest practice that I would not want my family and friends exposed to if given another choice. As a former guest of various cruise ships Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. should be embarrassed by the poor mapping and weather foresight of Captain Manetas and the very limited entertainment offerings from Maarten Breuls on a day when a popular destination was cancelled. I was able to enjoy the Specialty Dining options: The Tuscan restaurant was elegant and the food was great but to be honest I could not remember it as much as when I came from the Murano French restaurant. The Maitre D' at the Murano was fabulous! The five or maybe it was seven course meal kept coming. We were so full we wanted to run out. The food was so delicious we couldn't leave any behind. The Maitre D' in the Silk Harvest Asian restaurant was also very friendly and accommodating to our needs. We loved the way he suggested food items that we would have not chosen before he suggested them with no risk of having something else if we did not like them. the entertainment on the ship in the Equinox theatre was good but not as great as I have seen on less expensive ships such as on mid level Carnival and NCL. The live entertainment was poor. They had a one act that was always seeming to be playing and the singer had some style with she sang the songs in an off tempo and pitch on purpose. Everyone I heard commenting were wondering if she thought that was cool. Unique isn't always creative. To be honest is was annoying. There was no R&B, Soul, or Pop live bands. If they think there was - shame on them. Again, I've seen better bands on least expensive ships. These acts were so mundane I thought they were for senior citizen home entertainment. There were very little things to do for the young and/or chic crowd that was not very pretentious unless you were at the World Class Bar or Martini bar. This is a very dressy crowd from 5 PM on which is fine but if you were not yet ready for that you had very few spots to go for other types of entertainment and activities. They force you into cliques and the biggest crowd is the expensive watch buying and premium liquor sipping groups. Very Boogie. No outside on the deck dances for adults and club goers and GET THIS not a single barbecue deck party. The only open air food service near the pool only served burgers and fries. To get food or drinks near the main pool was a hassle and a trip. No on screen projections or outside bands near the the pool on a risen center stage like other ships. If you were about the pool then be about the pool and keep out of the way of the big spenders who dominated the rest of the floors near the grand stairway. ALL day long all you hear is promotions to upgrade your drink package. If you do not plan to get wasted or near wasted every day of the trip its probably not the best purchase to make. Buy if you are a big drinker and can drink for several days straight. On this ship ou might need to when they give you extra days at sea. Read Less

i would definitely go back on this ship the staff were so friendly and couldnt do enough for you and the ship was spotlessly clean the entertainment was superb very professional done the food was amazing in the buffet style or the fine dining we tried the italian restaurant we were not impressed by this as the pasta was either too thick or calimari over cooked. staff were nice though. would recommend this ship . our room maid was julliann who was just brilliant nothing was a problem to her. we did the excursion at st martens which was really good and interesting worth the money, our cabin was slightly small for three ladies in it but the beds were comfy enough one of us had to sleep on sofa even though we all paid the same money but the balcony was great would def get a balcony next time . Read Less

I wanted to try it, never been...luxurious, impeccable service, very friendly. Entertainment was beyond expectation, and I am very discerning. Great singers, stand-up comedy was excellent. I was a bit confused with dining though, didn't realise I was going to be on a potentially different table every night, as I had no set time. Wish there was a table for people travelling on their own, I had dinners by myself sometime, which I did not like. I realise there was a bar where people on their own could meet, my fault I did not investigate. People were generally friendly. I also felt that all beverages could be included in the drinks package, i.e. water, coffee, wine, beer etc., instead of separate packages for separate drinks. On the whole, I enjoyed it very much, very luxurious, swimming pools were packed for my liking, but that is to be expected. The only downside was disembarkation, it was shambles once you got off the ship. Very organised getting off, but I was taking a shuttle to Miami, and there was no sign where to go, so I missed two shuttles before I found the right place to wait. The customs were very slow, two officers initially for all those people! If that was faster, it would have been perfect. Read Less

I needed to get out of town for a couple of days and this cruise was the perfect opportunity to enjoy a couple of nights of spoiled adventure. I chose the Royal Suite, however, I was upgraded to the Penthouse suite the night before the cruise. Amazing! The room was absolutely everything I could hope for. Lots of space and room to relax, the balcony was 1000 square feet with a bath tub. We docked in Nassau, however, we stayed on the ship and ordered room service and enjoyed the automatic player on the piano. The scenery and atmosphere of the room was absolutely perfect. The cabins steward and the butler were right on top of things and they really treated us special. The shoreside team had all our goodies waiting for us when we arrived. The butler came and got us from Michaels club when our room was ready, a very nice touch! The ship was clean and well laid out. There wasn't a lot of time to do everything, but, the stand up comedy was funny, the casino was busy and the music was excellent. Tuscan Grille was one of the best dinners of my life, the steak was amazing! Qsuine was pretty good, but I wish I would have went to Luminae instead. Luminae for breakfast was simply stunning. Read Less

14 night Southern Caribbean Cruise – Miami 04/03/2018 This was our very first cruise, we travelled with friends who had also never cruised before, only spoken to friends who were seasoned cruisers. So it was with some trepidation, that we embarked on our first Caribbean cruise. Our trepidation in vain, when we arrived at the check-in desk. From that point to arriving at our the state room the embarkation couldn’t have been more simpler. For the 14 nights on board, the service from all the staff was exceptional. Our room attendant Jose, was superb, the waiting table staff in the dining rooms was also exceptional, knowledgeable about the menu’s and the wine lists, the bar staff all around the ship were all first class. The ship its self, exceeded expectations, pictures online didn’t do it justice. We spoke to many people on-board during our vacation, and all said we has “ set the bar high” for our first cruise with Celebrity, so I guess we will be booking our next cruise with Celebrity. There are a couple of things I would mention as some constructive criticisms. The shore excursions are expensive, Try some of the local taxi drivers on the islands, far more flexible with timings form coming back to the ship if you don’t want to stay on the beach all day !! The internet package is expensive for the Wi-Fi service you receive, very poor in places, especially in the state rooms where most people would want to make their private calls / facetime family back home, this is the one place where Wi-Fi should be easily available. The Classic drinks package does not cover enough of the basic drinks people would normally have, which then forces customers to upgrade to the premium package, an understandable move by Celebrity, but customers should be told or give a sample of the drink packages menus when booking their trips. I booked through Igloo.com, who when questioned said the Classic drinks package would suffice, it didn’t by a long way, we ended up upgrading to the premium drinks package. All this said, the whole trip was exceptional from beginning to end, a truly brilliant vacation, and a wonderful experience. Thank you Celebrity Cruises Read Less

This was a wonderful cruise with wonderful wildlife. We had 2 nights in Quito beforehand with a tour on the 2nd day around Quito and to the Middle of the World Museum which was brilliant. When we got to Baltra, we were met at the jetty by a sea lion chilling in the sun and loads of iguanas, crabs and pelicans. We then took the zodiac to the Xpedition which was a fun start to the cruise. We were then kitted out in our wetsuits (over our clothes which looked hilarious). We then chilled for the rest of the day. The ship was looking a bit tired and I understand a new one is being brought into the fleet, so I'm not sure if the Xpedition is being removed. However, this didn't detract from the holiday and the staff were all wonderful. Our room was maybe smaller than ones we've had before, but we were hardly ever in it so it didn't matter. We didn't feel the ship rocking at all. Each evening we would have a talk about what the options were for the following day. There was usually a short hike or a long hike. The long hike was actually only about 1.5 miles so wasn't arduous at all. Each day there was usually the chance to go either snorkelling from the beach or deep sea snorkelling where you had to jump in off the zodiac. The snorkelling was amazing with sea lions coming right up to your face, loads of fish and lots of white tipped sharks and hammerhead sharks. The sharks all tended to swim at the bottom of the ocean so we didn't get close to them (luckily!). The food on the ship was good and in the afternoon when you got back from your trip or snorkelling there were little sandwiches and cakes and a drink waiting for you. There were always biscuits or cakes on the bar as well. There wasn't really any activities, but there was a BBQ on the deck one evening and a Crossing the Equator party. There was karaoke a few nights and a trivia quiz one night. After disembarkation we carried on to do Machu Picchu as part of the holiday with Celebrity and this was absolutely amazing. All-in-all I would recommend the cruise to anyone over the age of 40 (there was no-one on the ship younger than this). We felt young and we were in our early 50's. Most evenings everyone would just sit around chatting, which was lovely and we met loads of people. Read Less

The CREW makes the difference.... And we realize that dry dock timing matters on when things are fresh and updated. Crew service was excellent. Very welcoming. The ship is in great condition-- both the public rooms and cabins...including carpeting, wall coverings and finishes. MDR food is underwhelming... and some items are very much "cafeteria" quality. Specialty restaurants are outstanding... Cafe--deck 14 serves plenty of options for breakfast and lunch... Stage shows are just "ok"... Second Visiting comedian was excellent--funny without being debased and profane The visiting jazz ensemble was outstanding....Hope we run into them again on another sailing Embarkation-- easy at FtL Concierge Lunch on embarkation in MDR was nice after the hustle of getting onboard. Select Dining is awkward and trying to group with other passengers is a huge problem. Service at the bars is excellent Martini Bar was monopolized by a traveling "group" of 35+ so we didn't get to enjoy it Debarkation-- Ship was late into port--and then it seemed delayed to be cleared. We suspect it was just a matter of port congestion-- 5 ships in port Not sure what benefit there is to Concierge Class for Debarkation vs Self-portage Read Less

I chose this cruise as Celebrity have a good name and the price was right. Boarding was fine and went to lunch immediately, but the usual first day packed buffet so difficult to find a seat. Attended the muster which dragged on for far longer than necessary. The cabin was ok if a little small. Celebrity only supply a bar of soap in the bathroom, how mean is that!! One hardly wants to share one bar of soap with a friend. We had brought our own shower gel in case this happened. Surely a luxury line can do better? The ship itself was great. Comfortable and inviting public areas with plenty of places to sit. Everything was kept spotlessly clean and everyone made to use the hand gel before entering the buffet, not so much the restaurant. The food was varied with plenty of choice and good quality. Fantastic burgers from the pool bar, although the lines could be long. I thought the specialty restaurants were way overpriced at $45 ahead so didn't try them. The service was excellent from all members of staff, particularity in the coffee shop (Phillip and another younger guy) and main dining room (Tasha and team). There were plenty of sun beds and we even got one on sea days after a time spent looking. The itinerary was ok but unfortunately we missed Key West due to strong winds preventing us from docking, nobody's fault. Other ports were Costa Maya, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. The main problem was the lack of atmosphere at night with little to do. A lot of passengers had the drinks package and seemed to enjoy this at the pool bar during the day, meaning quiet bars at night. A couple of nights they had a silent disco which was great fun. The main disco had the usual Mr attitude DJ who couldn' t read his audience. When most people are over 50 they like 70s music rather than rap!! We attended an Elite cocktail party one night to mix and mingle with the officers but got the impression they would rather mix and mingle with themselves, at least from the one we spoke to. All in all an ok cruise but expected something more. I would recommend Celebrity though for the service and food. Read Less

Celebrity Solstice 14/01/18 – 8 day New Caledonia Embarkation: Excellent embarkation - 15min, welcome champagne on arrival what could be better. Ship information: Absolutely beautiful ship, very tastefully decorated and it was kept spotlessly clean. I especially liked the grass area on deck 15, just stunning and a real treat to have grass between your toes at sea. There were also lots of shady areas outside and a beautiful adults only pool area. Cabin: I chose a Concierge cabin (AFT) 9378. It was a fabulous cabin and had a beautiful bathroom. There was heaps of storage but there wasn’t as much hanging space as I’ve had on other cruises. Be warned, there is no balcony roof so you are in the weather and the outdoor furniture is very weathered. The curtains were a little torn and need replacing. Service: The crew are amazing on this ship and generally seem very happy. Fantastic 39 yr old captain: Tasos Kefetzis, played basketball with kids and table tennis in the atrium, he was very visible and had a great sense of humour. My cabin steward: Kifec kept my room very clean and serviced it twice daily anticipating my needs. The staff in the Martini bar were true entertainers and a special mention goes to Abibi and Kopi. Port tender process the best I’ve had - very well organised. Dining: The food on this ship was excellent. I had some lovely sushi on the first night at Sushi on 5. The buffet was very clean with a great selection of food. I chose the anytime (Select) dining option in the main dining room. It also had delicious food and I discovered you could ask for an Indian menu – great curries. Riedel glassware in the restaurants.Beautiful cocktails in World Class bar and great coffee in the d’ Bacio Café. Entertainment: Excellent vocalists in the production shows. The production show Amade was fabulous, as was the Rock show. The magic show was also of high standard and very funny. There was always something fun going on – pool parties, great music and dancing in the atrium, cooking demonstrations etc. Disembarkation: Smooth – I chose to take off my own bags as I had an early flight Small Negatives: If you don’t have a drinks package drinks are very expensive and in US dollars. As I was in a Concierge class cabin, there were too many in room phone messages. Read Less