We like New Zealand and decided that it would be a good way to go for a short cruise which started in Auckland and finished in Sydney. One of the selling points was that the ship was coming back to Sydney via Eden on the south Coast of NSW.. On the morning of embarkation in Auckland it was a fairly long process because of the corona virus scare - everyone had to have their temperature taken.. But it was handled well and to know that we were considered safe to board the vessel was good news. Our balcony cabin on Deck 6 was OK apart from a slightly restricted view because of the life boats. The balcony furniture was very tatty and one of the chairs was less than safe to 'perch' on. There were a few things around the ship that needed attention. I don't like the idea of a 'minibar' and requested all the things in it be removed. Another thing which really annoys me is that as soon as one sets foot on the ship someone is trying to take your photo, others are endeavouring to make sure one has a drinks package or others are trying their hardest to get one to sign up for extra dining packages or spa treatments etc etc. If I want those things I am quite capable of making my own decisions. The WiFI costs on Celebrity Solstice are beyond belief. No wonder people hightail it off the ship when there are port calls to search for free WiFi. I thought the food in the buffet cafeteria was quite good - a wide variety of food. We never went to the formal dining room. One things I didn't appreciate was the 'music' that constantly bashed one's ears. Why does it have to be so loud and intrusive. Very difficult to hold a good conversation - I guess it's also a way of quickly shunting people through the dining areas. Their system of accounts makes it appear on the in room TV that each person has the same credit. We spoke to one of the desk staff about this and he said that quite a few people had been 'caught out by this'. An easy way to make an extra buck or two for the company. The Captain was quite a good communicator - quite amusing as well. Most of the staff were friendly and our room attendant was efficient and pleasant. The end of the cruise was less than satisfactory. We couldn't dock in Eden because of the corona virus (I understand that). We docked on the evening 19/3 in Sydney but couldn't disembark until the following morning. With everything that was/has been happening with corona virus we would have thought that we all would have been checked before getting off the ship or at least on the dock. But NO - it didn't happen. Something fell down with communication between the ship and NSWhealth/ border control. When we got to the dock we had to sign a form about going into 14 days isolation. Which of course we did and we will be 'in-house' for quite a few more days before that time is up. It was an unhappy ending to an otherwise fairly good trip. Read Less

We flew from London to Auckland via Emirates. Everything ran as per schedule and we arrived in New Zealand 3 days prior to the cruise. It took about an hour or so to go through immigration and customs before leaving the airport. However apart from usual bag checks no other checks like temperature monitoring were being carried out at the airport. We were transferred to our central Auckland hotel called Citylife heritage hotel. We were given a one bedroom suite on one of the top floors of this hotel which had beautiful views of the city and harbour. We had breakfast included at the hotel which was great and there were plenty of restaurants and cafes nearby for lunches and dinners. The hotel was in a great location, situated on the main shopping street, Queen street. Sky tower was 5 mins walk away. We spent the next 3 days sightseeing around Auckland. Took hop on hop off bus to tour around Auckland, went up the sky tower for great views of the city, took a ferry to Devonport for views of Auckland from Mount Victoria. Also visited museum and botanic gardens. On our third day, we took a full day excursion to Rotorua to visit Tepuia and Wai-o-tapu geo-thermal sights. Very interesting day visiting these lovely sites and also saw a kiwi bird at Tepuia. On our return back to Auckland there was heavy rainfall which the country desperately needed after a very dry summer. Thankfully this was the only rainfall we saw in our entire trip. The next morning we did a bit of souvenir shopping on queen street before being picked up by our trasnsfer service to be taken to the dock to check in for the solstice New Zealand cruise. We thought it would take a long time to board the cruise as they were going to do extra checks like temperature monitoring etc. However no sooner we got there, our temperatures were promptly recorded and after getting the all clear, we handed our luggage to one of the porters. We proceeded to the check in area where the queue was minimal and were checked in to board the ship in 10mins. This was one of the fastest boarding we have experienced for a cruise. The whole process from arrival to boarding ship took under half an hour! As soon as we entered this beautiful ship, we were given champagne and asked to proceed to buffet as staterooms were going to be ready by 1pm. There was plenty of food choice for lunch from pizzas to sandwiches to Indian, Mexican, Chinese, vegetarian/vegan etc. After we finished lunch, we went to tour the ship which was similar to the Reflection we had been on 6 months prior to this cruise. 2 outdoor and 1 indoor pools, 2 tier theatre, cinema, casino, plenty of bars and cafes, around 4 speciality restaurants, outdoor screen by lawn area etc. Lovely ship and everything seemed nicely maintained despite a refit scheduled in 2021. We were soon asked to proceed to the staterooms soon after 1pm. Our cabin was a balcony cabin on deck 7 on the starboard side of the ship towards the front elevators. Great location for the theatres, Sky bar and cinema. Bit further to walk for dining areas but we got used to it very soon. When we got to our cabin, all the luggage had already arrived which was great! The cabin was once again very similar to our cabin on celebrity Reflection. Lovely bathroom with shower cubicle with glass doors. Good size balcony with 2 retractable chairs and a table. The room had plenty of storage space, a big sofa and a huge flat screen interactive tv. All in all, a very pleasant cabin which was looked after by our cabin steward Joaquín. The master of the ship, captain Alex, was one of the best captain we have ever had on a cruise. He was hilarious and we eagerly looked forward to his daily announcements. More importantly he kept us reassured and worry-free through out the cruise as we were travelling at a time when the whole world seemed to be affected by the coronavirus. Moreover we saw him regularly saw him and his officers throughout the cruise. We departed Auckland after 6pm soon after the safety drill was completed. We had lovely views of the city as we sailed toward Tauranga, our first stop. We docked in Tauranga next day at 10.30am. As we had booked a 'Hobbiton film set' tour for 12.30pm, we went to explore nearby area in the morning. we hiked up Mt. Maunganui in the morning where we got lovely views of the ship and surrounding area. Went back to ship for 12.30 whereby we took a coach to see the lovely film set where some parts of Lord of Rings and Hobbit trilogies were filmed. Spent around 3 hours at this magical place before returning to the ship around 4.30pm. As the ship was not leaving Tauranga till 10pm, we had local Maui performers come and do a traditional show in the theatre and included Haka dance too. We had a sea day in between followed by 3 consecutive stops. The first stop was Picton in South Island which was extremely picturesque. We had a lovely sunny day and we did a Marlborough train tour to Blenheim which was really a scenic journey passing through many vineyards. We got off at Blenheim and had a few hours to spend in this town before taking train back to Picton. Once we got back, we looked around Picton and the beautiful scenery around the area before taking back shuttle to ship. The next day we tendered in Akaroa. However the tendering process was very quick and efficient. We did a tour to Christchurch. It was a lovely picturesque journey to Christchurch and we had an excellent tour guide/driver who was very informative. When we got there we toured the city on the colourful trams and although the city is still rebuilding from the earthquake around 10 years ago, we loved the city for its vibrant atmosphere. We returned back to the ship and sailed towards Dunedin (Port Chalmers). We were advised by the captain that night that NZ prime minister had announced that all cruise ship ports in NZ would be shutting next day and if anyone entered the country from a foreign country including Australia, they would have to self isolate for 14 days. Hence anyone wishing to get off at Dunedin would be allowed to. This was our last NZ port anyway so we didn't miss any of the NZ ports. However due to the self isolation policy, around 180 guests left the ship in Dunedin. In Dunedin, we had a tour booked to see sights of Dunedin and visit Speights brewery. This was an excellent tour as it covered quite a few areas of Dunedin like botanic gardens, the railway station (most photographed building in all of NZ) and also a very informative trip to the brewery. After the tour of brewery we were given lots of good sized samples of various beers to try. Returned back to ship after 4 hours and then went around Port Chalmers Local area to have a look at this lovely small town. The next day we were visiting the national fjordland area (dusky, doubtful and Milford sounds). As we were not docking there, we were allowed to visit this part of New Zealand. It started off a bit overcast when we cruised through dusky sound but weather kept improving through the day and by the time we got to Milford sound, it was very warm and sunny. The captain gave us a surprise by rotating the ship 360 degrees at Milford sound to view one of the gorgeous waterfalls there so every side of the ship could get great views of the falls. We also saw lots of dolphins sailing alongside the ship once again pointed out by the captain and cruise director. During the sail into other sounds, we also saw seals and plenty of different types of birds. Had a great day visiting all the sounds and our trip to NZ wouldn't have been complete without without visiting these sites. We were supposed to have 2 sea days before docking in Eden. However Australia announced they would be closing all ports to cruise ships. Hence we missed Eden but were given onboard credit for missing that stop. So we ended up with 3 sea days. We were slightly concerned whether we would be allowed to disembark in Sydney but we needn't have worried as captain Alex announced that we were given permission to disembark in Sydney and would be arriving there the night before. However wouldn't be allowed to leave the ship until the scheduled day of departure. So apart from missing Eden, we didn't have any other itinerary changes and were very lucky that everything ran smoothly and no one fell ill onboard. The ship staff were always cleaning around the ship and made sure everyone washed their hands and used hand sanitisers regularly. We dined in main dining room on level 4. Although we were on anytime dining, the hostess Carla (who remembered our names daily) always ensured she was gave us table by the window with the same waiter every night. One of the best hostesses we have seen on a ship. Our head waiter Rejoy was excellent and ensured all our needs were promptly met. His assistant Goolfee was great too but was moved to one of the speciality dining rooms later. However his replacement was great too. Wine steward Paul gave us a good selection wines daily. Since we had outstanding service in main dining room, we didn't need to visit any of the speciality restaurants. However those who visited some of them like Murano, had a great time. Food was great and loved all the choices on menu. All the shows in theatre were great. There were some guest presenters like a British magician, Australian singer and a violinist. All were very talented and enjoyed their shows immensely. The production shows were brilliant and loved all 4 of them. They included 'Rock city', 'Broken strings', 'Amade' and 'Euphoria'. The singers and dancers did a great job and we got to see how they work and train on one of the sea days when we were given a complimtary tour of the backstage areas. The cruise director Kelly did and excellent job and together with her assistant Patrick, they ensured everyone was kept entertained during the various parties on the ship. Loved the balloon launch night and st. Patrick's day party. However disappointed that Abba night was not held in foyer as the charm was lost when it was held in sky lounge. There were quite a few talks, trivial, games and shows organised on the sea days to keep us occupied. However apart from one film shown in theatre on first sea day, no other films were shown in theatre during the cruise which was slightly disappointing. Films were shown on the screen by the lawn and at celebrity central but these are not ideal venues for film screening. Hence I would recommend solstice to show more films in theatre like they had done on our previous cruise on Reflection. Disembarkation ran very smoothly and we were off the ship by 8am in Sydney. We were at the airport by 11am and luckily our flight went on time later that day. Sadly lot of flights were cancelled as the world prepared to lock down due to coronavirus. On the whole, I would highly recommend this cruise to anyone who wants to visit and see sites and sounds of NZ in a relaxed way. We were immensely lucky that everything ran smoothly from start to finish and captain Alex and his team did a marvellous job to keep us safe and entertained through out the trip. Hoping the world can get over this virus quickly and cruises and travel can restart soon. Happy cruising! Read Less

We flew from Sydney to Auckland via Air New Zealand and stayed three nights at the Sofitel property Grand Windsor in Queen St. We had breakfast included and there were plenty of restaurants and cafes nearby for lunches and dinners. The hotel was in a great location. Highly recommend day trip to Waiheke Island (and we would stay overnight when we visit NZ again). We travelled with another couple who had never cruised. This was our fifth cruise with Celebrity (have not travelled with others as we like Celebrity). Our friends were super impressed with cruise life and would agree with the comments that follow. Cruise embarkation smooth and quick; temperatures were checked upon boarding which gave us confidence they were taking the coronavirus seriously. We thought the ship was well maintained noting it is scheduled for refit in 2021. We were in Aqua Class and like to be aft - we were in room 1653 (rear, port side, bed near bath layout). Really liked the aqua spa shower; good size balcony with 2 chairs, footrests and a table. The room had plenty of storage space, a big sofa and a huge flat screen interactive tv. Surprisingly spacious and our cabin steward Achmad did a great job. Our friends were in 1584 (bed near balcony) and were impressed with the size and layout of room. Tauranga - we booked a Viator tour which took us to Rotorua and Hobbiton. Our guide was Peter who was informative and a good driver. A great day! Rotorua was fascinating and Hobbiton where part of Lord of Rings and Hobbit trilogies were filmed was very interesting. Picton - we did a Viator tour for the Marlborough train tour to Blenheim. Scenic journey passing through vineyards and then stopping at Blenheim for a few hours to spend in this town before taking train back to Picton. We enjoyed the train trip but were a bit lost in Blenheim as it was not the quaint country town we were expecting. In hindsight we should have done a wine tour. Akaroa - tendering process was efficient. We did a Viator tour to Christchurch and our guide was Scotty was great. Had lunch in the Riverside Market and would have been happy to spend more time here. We had a pie from The Butchers Pie Shop which we would recommend trying. We hopped off at the far end of Akaroa and walked back to the tenders. NZ prime minister then announced that all cruise ship ports in NZ would be shutting next day but we were lucky and able to disembark at Dunedin where we joined a Viator tour - sights of Dunedin, Larnach Castle and Speights brewery with Russell. Surreal because this was the last tour for these guys and they were trying to work out what it meant for them. We really enjoyed the short stop at the railway station (most photographed building in all of NZ), Larnach Castle and the very informative tour of the brewery with generous tastings available and the chance to pour your own beer. Fjordland area (Dusky, Doubtful and Milford sounds) - very lucky the sun shone and we had a spectacular day. The captain rotated the ship 360 degrees at Milford sound so every side of the ship could get views of the falls. Lots of dolphins sailing alongside the ship from time to time. We missed Eden due the closure of Australian ports but were given onboard credit for missing that stop and hence the shops were busy. We arrived in Sydney the night before disembarkation which gave us an unexpected and spectacular view of our beautiful harbour and the chance to see it at sunrise. We dined mostly in Blu, Murano, Tuscan Grill, Silk Harvest and Sushi on Five. We avoided the Ocean View Cafe and MDR just because they tend to have people sit closer together and we liked the spaciousness of the other restaurants. We loved all our meals and could not fault the presentation, flavour or choice. And the service of the teams in those restaurants was flawless. We had the premium beverage package which was great. Just surprised the choice in the restaurants was quite limited. But we ended up trying wines we wouldn't normally drink. Enjoyed the theatre shows. We loved the Australian singer and violinist. The production shows were well done 'Rock city', 'Broken strings', and 'Euphoria' (our favourite). Spa - knowing the world was being locked down I had my hair coloured, a massage, facial and legs waxed - now the spa is expensive but I was happy with the service I got and it means I don't have to worry about any personal maintenance for 2 months or so! Disembarkation ran very smoothly and we were off the ship by 8am in Sydney and being local home by 9am to commence our self isolation for 14 days as required by our government. Pleased to say we have now completed it and we have not had a hint of illness. Captain Alex was a bit of a comedian and did a great job with his announcements. Overall we loved our cruise and are especially appreciative of the Celebrity Solstice team that made it safe and special. The crew were always cleaning and made sure everyone used hand sanitisers regularly. Knowing the world would change when we disembarked was surreal. A cruise is a great way to see NZ and we hope to do the trip again. Read Less

Even though our trip started under a Coronavirus cloud, we were able to make it just under the wire, with all of the cruise warnings. The Infinity did a wonderful job with near constant cleaning, Purell stations everywhere, temperature checks before boarding. We were able to get a great deal with perks in Aqua class and loved our cabin. Sure, you could tell in some areas that it is ready for a renovation, but that was not an issue in any way. I cannot say enough good things about the crew. We ate almost every meal, breakfast and dinner, in Blu. The food was amazing, and our wait staff became family by the end of the week. Since I had not been on a Celebrity cruise before, I was not familiar with what type of entertainment they would have. But, we didn't have enough time to do everything we wanted. There was always an activity or class in which we could get involved. My cousin loved it so much (it was her first cruise) that we have a deposit down on a future cruise, destination to be determined. Read Less

We had been looking forward to our trip on the edge as loyal celebrity cruisers but I have to say it was not the best. I loved our room and Blu restaurant but there are so few venues and the same 3 groups just kept rotating thru the 3 venues. Gone is the world class bar and the grand lobby bar so the only venues are the martini bar, the club and the Eden. Don't think I'll do the edge again but stick to the silhouette class ships. The room had plenty of storage and feels bigger with infinite veranda but I actually missed having an actual veranda. In a way it was a blessing because we had terrible weather but still I missed having an actual veranda. The spa was okay but again, I missed being able to go from our rooms to the spa without having to get on an elevator. Read Less

First - we were very surprised and privileged to be on this particular trip: This was in celebration of International Women's Day and our bridge crew (as well as many department heads) were all women. They refereed to themselves as Oceans 27. Our Captain Kate McCue and her staff were always present throughout the cruise, ready for a quick discussion. Captain Kate also did a Q&A about her journey to her captaincy. A truly remarkable woman!!! As we were just moving out of Ft. Lauderdale, Captain Kate comes on to tell us that du to ocean conditions being a bit rough we were gong to have to slow our journey down to keep both the ship safe and the passengers comfortable. My first thought - can I swim back to the port if I jumped now? Was not looking forward to a rocking cruise! The bad news continued - we were not going to make our port call in Tortola. Not a huge low because now we were going to get a full day in San Juan vs. just a few hours. So all in all good news. We got an extra day to truly experience and explore the Edge. And what a time it was! This ship is incredibly beautiful, stunning, very edgy in design. A very modern, sleek concept - not your typical cruise ship. The stores are a bit high end. The decor and layout of the ship is very pleasing. The restaurants extremely different not only in design but by food choices and cuisines. what is particularly appealing about the restaurant, you hae a choice a four to to go for your select dining. Our group was assigned to Cyprus (the greek themed restaurant) and we all gathered there the fist night. We all splintered off in other directions to try the other restaurants. Absolutely for a very unique experience, try Eden Restaurant! Live performers entertain, the food is beautifully presented and just the experience of the restaurant is worth the upgrade charge. The buffet is as expected. Many good choices. What we enjoyed was the made to order stations (two) Plenty of seating if you walk away from the main area where everyone seems to congregate. The roof top garden was breathtaking with it's sculpture. There's also a big screen up there and plenty of lounge chairs. Also a big screen by the pool area but it is noisier. Highly recommend the adults only pool space if you are not traveling with young ones or teens. The only issue is that since it is glass domed, it does get a bit humid in there and even though the windows do crank open, we didn't see anyone doing this. The walking/jogging track is unusual in that it goes over two decks so you get a good feel for different levels of walking. It is completely outside and the views and fresh air is wonderful. Take the Inside Access Tour!!! Very interesting. Note - you do have to wear long pants and closed shoes. I didn't pick up on this when making the reservation and unfortunately my husband had to back out because all he had was dress shoes and long dress pants, not particularly good for an access tour. You get to tour the provisions area, laundry area, engine control room, crew lounge, galleys and the best part - The Bridge!!! The tour is roughly about two hours and you get earbuds to listen to the tour leader as not to be distracted by other noises. I feel it is a bit pricey at $140 USD per person; it really should be about $50/$75 range. If you can spring the cost (use your ship credit) it is definitely worth it. Entertainment on board - well, not particularly our taste. Again very innovative, contemporary, modern dance, singing and song interpretations. All was okay but again not our taste but the main theater is again something new and different in cruising. The on board arts/crafts, enrichments, were good and fun. Read Less

This is a mixed review. First before I got some facts about our sailing some general comments. We are Elite Celebrity cruisers and chose this sailing and ship as it was last minute and our options were limited. Sailing out of Puerto Rico was wonderful for us (or so we thought) as we spent two lovely days wandering Old San Juan and going to the Bacardi facility for a tour. Boarding the ship everyone's temperature was taken. Check in was immediate as since last year, no lines just scanning of your express pass and your cabins have your sea passes waiting. As our last cruise was on the Reflection, we found ourselves comparing the Summit to our overall experience on the Reflection. Cabin In an AQ midship on Deck 9. There was a huge overhang on right above us which shielded our balcony from the sun which was fine. Was quiet. The colour palette in their refurbished ship was lovely but the cabins had some awkward elements. HATED the chair that replaced the mini sofa as it was way to squishy for two. HATED the obvious last minute small table for this stupid chair as the cabin was not conducive to having breakfast room service. At least they could have had a larger table on the balcony to make up for that. The placement of phone chargers etc could have been better thought out too. BLU and other dining Outstanding management and staff! While the food was delicious, some things seemed to be repeated and the lack of fresh veggies sides continues to be annoying. We chose to eat breakfast at the buffet a few times although Blu's ambiance is so much better. We even asked for the MDR menu a few times for dinner. We ended up doing the seafood lunch at QSine after our ship ended up with two more days (more later). It was a lot of money and too much food but a ice change. It is time Celebrity rethinks its buffet from both a public hygiene and variety point of view. Learn from HAL where no one touches anything and everything is served. As far as variety, we found the salad bar lacking, the cold cuts poor quality, while the fresh bread area outstanding. Hot options could be healthier. While I love Indian food I don't get why it is available every day for lunch and dinner? I would have loved to see wings, ribs, bbq chicken! Aqua Spa was out go for snacks and smoothies. Entertainment and Activities Our sailing clearly had a younger crowd so even for us in our early 60s why Celebrity keeps on using their very talented singers and dancers in some often old school productions is beyond me. Once again HAL (only once but memorable) offers a better range and quality of entertainment. STAFF Captain was amazing and so were all the staff and crew. FINAL COMMENTS Our ship was the last sailing of the Summit before ships had to stop sailing. I believe the crew currently is at sea. We were turned away in San Juan on the day of our intended disembarkation We were told that we were approved by both the CDC and coast guard but after a few hours of negotiation, the government turned us down and we headed to Fort Lauderdale which had preapproved us. This gave us an extra two days at sea, 50% refund and 50% future cruise credit, open bar and free wifi. Great I suppose but.... what angers me about all this is we found out the following after we disembarked 1) the sailing before had someone tested with the virus and now I am reading that our sailing had it did too. Yet not a mention of this by anyone and all passengers continued partying and not confined to their cabins 2) no one was honest with us about the true story and passengers never had our temperatures taken getting off and on the ship at each port or at the end of the cruise. I sent two emails to Celebrity with no response, Not sure how I feel about cruising in the future. Read Less

It was AMAZING hard to know where to start first!!!!!! The Passport Bar hands down the best (3)guys ever!!! They knew our names...what we wanted they were friendly and so much fun!!!! They definitely will be missed....I hope to see them all again very soon.Tuscan restaurant was SUPER yummy!!!! The waiter was very helpful and attentive. I loved everything about this boat!!! The comedians were great!!! Corey being the best!!!!!!! Our night meals were so good!!! The fella that served us wine knew so much about each and everyone of them. He also suggested some really good wines for us. Everything was so........so.....clean! Any bathroom at any point was spotless. The whole group on this boat honestly makes a great team. I told my husband next trip me and him are definitely taking this crusie line (boat) . This was my first time I went with my mother in love and aunt and uncle....I can't wait until next time..... I felt like a princess the whole entire time...spoiled rotten to the core!!!!! Read Less

Our cruise left Fort Lauderdale on March 6th, 2020 and on the morning of March 7th we found ourselves at a dock in Miami apparently so we could offload the corpse of a guest who chose to rapidly ascend several decks without the benefit of an elevator and landed on a lifeboat. That should have been a tip-off that this wasn't going to be the vacation of a lifetime. OK, so we leave Miami after the body is removed from the ship and head towards the A-B-C islands when it becomes apparent that something else is wrong because we turned around then turned again and slowed way down for several hours. The captain made an announcement about having to return back to Miami (again) for a "medical emergency" (mind immediately thinks Coronavirus and the captain's announcement without any details wasn't at all reassuring that it wasn't virus related). He could have easily said it wasn't virus related and put everyone's minds at ease but didn't. Morning of the 8th we are back at the same dock in Miami when a seemingly fine looking couple disembark the ship, pause to take selfies on the dock and then get into a yellow cab and drive off. Certainly didn't appear to be a life and death emergency that would require a ship with nearly 3000 passengers plus crew to turn around and waste another day at sea. The only relief was that there was apparently not a virus issue otherwise we would assume they would not have allowed them to leave without masks, gloves, and other protective gear or get into a yellow cab. We were once again off towards the A-B-C islands where we were told we would arrive at Curacao on the afternoon of Tuesday 3/10. Due to high winds and rough seas we were late getting to the first port and arrived at 6PM, just after shops had closed. Next two days we had pleasant enough port calls in Bonaire and Aruba but because of the two returns to Miami our stop at Grand Cayman was canceled and we were to spend the next two days at sea in order to return to FLL on the morning of 15th. As the days progressed the news from home was getting worse and worse and while my wife and I had booked two more consecutive cruises on the ship the experience thusfar had us second thinking the wisdom of this so on the morning of March 12th I went to guest services and asked what my options were. I was told I could cancel the next two cruises and receive a future cruise credit (FCC) but I had to do so by the end of that day or I would receive no credit and no refund. I noted that the virus issues were getting very bad back home and that our president had declared a national emergency and that at least two cruise lines had already announced they were canceling future cruises and offering their guests refunds asked if I could instead get a refund and I was told that celebrity would not be cancelling the next cruise and my only choice would be to either go on the cruise, cancel that day and accept a FCC or risk losing all our money if we later decided not to go. We reluctantly decided to cancel and rushed to book air travel home on Sunday (at full fare). Less than 24 hours later I received a text saying Celebrity is suspending all cruises and because they cancelled any guests booked would receive either 125% of their fare as FCC or a refund of 100% as well as return airfare for anyone left at the port due to the cancellation. I was then told that because we canceled the day before (under the duress of being told we had to) that we were not eligible for this offer. I feel we were misled (either intentionally or unintentionally) and pressured into canceling because Celebrity knew if we cancelled they would get out from having to refund our money and pay our airfare home. Now I really don't want to ever cruise on Celebrity again. We're 4 star mariners on Holland America and if we decide to ever cruise again it will be on HAL. One last important thing. Celebrity still has passengers handle all of the food/service utensils at the buffet which is very unsanitary. In this age of virus, there is no excuse for this other than cutting corners on crew by not wanting to pay people to serve the food. HAL has crew members handle all of the food and serving utensils at the buffet and it is a much safer system. For this reason alone I would not return to Celebrity. My wife and I are now voluntarily self-isolating at home hoping we don't develop any illness from either the cruise (and its unsanitary food service) or the flight back. We may never go on another cruise again because of how this was handled by Celebrity. Read Less

When it was time for me to board my only choice was to either lose my $3,000 or take a chance and board this ship. Now we’re stuck in rough waters while they take care of a medical emergency, the third one, supposedly not related to the Coronavirus. Even though I know for sure they have rooms open, because the cruise is definitely not sold out, they will not give me a less turbulent room. Sure they’ll take down my room number and lie that they are checking into it, but no one ever gets back to you. I’m taking Dramamine and also wearing a motion sickness watch and still nauseas from the waves. I’m just not sure this ship is built correctly as I’ve never experienced this level of turbulence on any cruise before this. Of course now that we’ve boarded they are offering others to cancel and get a credit for a future cruise. If you are reading this do it now! They are out of hand sanitizer in many areas of the ship already. The elevators have dysfunctional doors that close quickly and forcefully before you’ve had a chance to enter but these are minor issues compared to the ship not being able to handle the rough seas. Do yourself a favor and cancel now before you too are a prisoner forced to stay in a turbulent room for an undetermined amount of time. We have been at sea for three days already and at this point there is no guarantee we will be allowed to disembark at any point. You do not need the stress. The only positive things have been the staff is exceptionally friendly and the Abraham seminars have been fantastic which is why I’m not giving this ship 0 stars. I know partially this is not their fault but telling me three times that they are looking into finding me a less turbulent room, and then never getting back to me is inexcusable. This is not a vacation at this point, it’s shear torture. Whatever you do never allow them to put you in a forward or aft room at the ends of the boat. It’s really quite terrible and you will get very little sleep. Read Less

We chose this Celebrity cruise based on prior experience sailing on Reflection, which was extremely good. However, we were disappointed with the Silhouette. The ship itself is nice, and while there are many good staff, we were surprised by the number of staff that were dismissive and rude. The food was average at best. Service and standards were definitely not up to par with what we experienced on the Reflection. The childrens play area for 3 and under had minimal operating hours. We returned to the port of miami twice, each time sailing over 10 hours back to the port for medical emergencies. Due to this we did receive a large onboard credit and a promised 25 percent cruise fare refund (although it has yet to post to anyone's bank account) which was much appreciated. Spa experience was very good, despite front desk staff actually scolding us for booking a promotion, stating they had no availability for the facial portion, as if it were our responsibility to manage their schedule. We were actually ignored more than once at various bars when attempting to place drink orders ( bars were not busy at the time) and staff at buffet was often dismissive. Future cruise office staff was beyond rude, which cemented our decision not to book a future cruise at this time, and definitely not on the Silhouette. Read Less

Very good experience with Celebrity. Cruise program was 2 days at sea dep F.L., for Aruba. Due to onboard accident? and illness for one passenger, ship had to return to Miami twice, before setting course south. Due to the delay, Intinerary had to be changed, so we were setting course to Curaçao. Arrived after 4 days at SEA. Top service onboard. Cayman Island intinerary cancelled. We got compensated for that. Two days before arrival F.L. we experienced that many flights from Miami/F.L. to Europe became cancelled due to the corona situation. Our flight cancelled, but outstanding service from Celebrity, rearranged our booking, so we left Miami only one hour later than originaly planned. Again, many thanks to Celebrity for excellent and effective service. We had a very nice cruise, but circumstances as mentioned, did not give us 100% of what we expected prior to the cruise. Celebrity and RCCL are still our favourites. Read Less

Even upgrading to Aqua Class Didn't help. Room service didn't answer the phone!; Canyon Ranch spa was not near as advertised, it was dirty and smelly, and service was non-existent. Complaints wire answered with: You call room service and just let it ring: what do you expect when there's only one person answering the phone. Security procedures coming back onboard really killed the moment, and we lost a sweater. We got the run-around for two days to no avail, even after management saying "Security will call you back within one hour." The embarkation team didn't offer to take our luggage, and mostly ignored passengers, mostly sitting down! They were unavailable for questions and service. The "shows" were mostly awful. The health did shops were only open limited hours, but plenty of bars were open all the time. Getting bottled water was even challenging. Didn't expect to have to forage for and port water daily - and we were signed up for Premium Beverage service. Room service actually LIED, we found it later, and said they don't provide bottled water, even with expensive premium drink Package! And they were disrespectful. As a bonus, the last day turned into a captive-audience, prideful demonstration of gay and lesbian power, complete with YMCA-Spinning DJ and gay men all over each other in the pool and on deck chairs. Or you could go to your cabin and order room service. It was not advertised as a gay and lesbian cruise. The overall value, especially given that we upgraded, was absolutely terrible. This was our first and last cruise EVER. Read Less

Celebrity Reflection Delivers a Relatively Good Cruise, but did not take enough precautions for Coronavirus March 2 - March 13, 2020 - This is the second time we cruised Reflection, since it was new (2012) when we spent two weeks back to back on her. Our 11 day cruise this time was better since there was not a repeat of meals and shows during the 11 days.The ship has aged well and was in good shape. Embarkation: Very efficient, except if you needed a wheel chair assist to get on. People needing wheel chairs to get on were relegated to the back of the first floor, near the elevators and waited a long time because there were too few helpers to wheel them onto the ship. Shows: We read complaints about shows before getting on and could not disagree more. Each night was a completely different, entertaining show including the Celebrity Singers and Dancers ( 4 shows ) an Elton John Impersonator who not only sang well but was a master pianist; a tribute group to Paul McCartney; Rock and Soul show ( terrific ); Comedians; Hypnotist, etc. High marks for entertainment and no repeats. Food: Aside from the "5 pack" of Specialty Restaurants we bought, we ate in Opus 4 table 504 served by Billy of Indonesia and Charles Emmanuel of Philippines. The service Billy and Charles gave was superb. We mostly ate at 8 PM, when it was less crowded, and easy to get a table without reservations. Somehow we avoided the long waiting lines. Food in the main DR was pretty good, with standard choices like Shrimp Cocktail, French Onion Soup ( a Celebrity and RCL standard) and Escargot which were available every night. The strip steak available each night was not as good ... tough. Plenty of fish dishes, pork, veal, lamb. But surprising, we never had prime rib on the menu. Kudos to Reflection for having "real", delicious sorbet available each day. Other desserts are also pretty good, as well as delicious french bread/a variety of bread dips at the table in the evening. Not so good on Reflection and poor throughout the ship is Italian Food ( sauces, pasta, etc.) with exception of pizza in Oceanview Cafe and flatbread pizza in Lawn Club Grill ( it was terrific). On sea days, served lunch in Opus (deck 4) was very good, and not crowded. We dined at Murano specialty restaurant twice and the food is superb. Try the out of this world "goat cheese souffle". Also recommended ... Dover Sole, Chateaubriand for two. Tuscan was a major disappointment. Hubby's Filet Mignon was overcooked. He sent it back. My Veal Marsala was truly vile ... thick slabs of veal shoulder, smothered in a black sauce. I took one bite and pushed it aside. Like I said, Italian Food is a weakness on this ship. The Lawn Club Grille was very good with enormous steaks, wide choice of sides, salad bar and terrific flat bread as a starter for everyone. Were it not for someone coming into Opus one night "hawking" Qsine, which used to be highly concocted tapas style dishes, we would not have known that Celebrity completely changed the menu to a four course meal that includes delightful digital table graphics announcing each dish. If you have not experienced it ... highly recommend it. The food, which includes lobster tails and filet mignon main course, was very good, with entertainment value for diners. Try to buy your specialty restaurant pack before getting on board to achieve a discount. Oceanview Cafe food (deck 14) was very mediocre, morning, noon and night. Repetitive, plain, poor choices. Given the fact that Corona virus coverage was starting to ramp up all over the world, we were shocked that guests could touch serving utensils at all serving stations in Oceanview Cafe and that all condiments were left on the table for all to touch. Cafe Al Bacio has free pastries that look enticing, enough to get you to sit down and order pay for coffee. Unfortunately the pastries look better than they taste. Twice, we tried the Macadamia nut coffees which were rock hard stale and needed to be dunked in hot coffee to revive them. Sushi on five: Is strictly a la cart, lunch and dinner and has sushi and other specialties for non-sushi fans: Udon Noodle Soup; Dumplings and Shrimp Tempura. We found the food only fair, not worth the price. Cabin: Our standard balcony cabin in the front, close to elevator with a full-sized couch was spacious enough with full size shower. At 194 sq feet, they were still building ships 8 years ago with spacious rooms and balconies. Not so today. The cabin was in pretty good shape, ... but not clean. Greasy smears on the door, cabinetry and dust on tabletops, had us cleaning with the Clorox wipes we brought aboard. Our cabin cleaning crew did not do a good job, which surprised us. I spoke to our cabin stewart when we first got to the room and his comment was "Quite frankly I am exhausted". That explained why dirty bar glasses sat on the counter for three days, and the sliding door and glass railing were coated with salt when we first got to the cabin. Tours: We purchased the "Carriage Ride" through old town in Cartagena and really enjoyed it. It was also $20 cheaper pp by buying several weeks before the cruise. The Old Town area and much of what we saw in Cartagena was charming. Bright colorful, period buildings, with much more modern high rise buildings outside of old town. At the port is a don't miss gardens with Parrots, Peacocks, Ant Eaters and other animals. Don't miss the only Red Parrot who walks on the ground and tries to bite your toes. While entertaining, it is not fun when it connects with someone with open sandals. We saw him nail an elderly lady in sandals. Ouch! Shopping: While there is quite a selection of expensive handbags, jewelry, and full priced Chicos and more expensive clothing on board, there was a lack of more moderate priced items to bring back as gifts. Also the ship had a poor selection of toiletries should you have forgotten something. Movies: There were indeed movies everyday and some new ones ( Bombshell; Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood). But for some reason they started to show, half way through the cruise, very old movies. . Movie rentals in the cabins were outrageously priced at $14.99. "Nightmare" Disembarkation: We reported to our meeting area at 8:30 AM, as instructed, and finally made our way off the ship to the street at 11 AM. Once you stepped one foot out of the ship you encountered massive lines, holdups like we have never seen. The ship blamed it on too few customs agents showing up that day. Throngs of "Seniors" and other passengers had to stand in line for hours, waiting to go through check points. It was the worst we have ever experienced on any cruise. Overall, the ship/crew avoided even mentioning Corona and we saw very little extra measures to contain germs. Read Less

Celebrity Reflection March 2 to March 13, 2020 Ft. Lauderdale, Cartagena Columbia, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Georgetown Grand Cayman Number of Cruises – 28 Cruises on Celebrity – 7 Sea Fever I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by; And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking, And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking. I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied; And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying, And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying. I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life, To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife; And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover, And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over. The poem is Sea Fever by John Masefield and I learned it in the fourth grade. While it was first published in 1902 when sailing was quite different, it evokes in me the desire likely shared by all my fellow cruisers on why we seek a cruising vacation. Sadly, it appears that the Corona virus will prevent all of us from satisfying our “sea fever” for several months. My wife, Joanne and I really like Celebrity and Solstice-class ships in particular. I don’t think you can assemble a much nicer Caribbean itinerary than this one. There was a Veterans Day sale last November that had a good price which included four perks. We stepped on the Reflection with a $300 on-board credit, a premium beverage package, free wi-fi and gratuities. My wife and I later agreed we didn’t need the wi-fi as it kept us too connected to the “real world.” This was our first cruise with a beverage package. I found it a very nice luxury to order a Macallan, a Café Americano, or a glass of nice wine without mentally adding that to our bill. You just present your Sea Pass card and it came back with your beverage and not even a receipt to sign. PRO TIP: Slip your cocktail server a few dollars when you first order and your glass will never be empty. We booked dinner for the first night at the Tuscan Grill at the aft of the ship. It’s a wonderful dining experience that allows you to view the lights of Florida as you sail southeast. Crisscrossing the Caribbean resulted in several sea days which were wonderful. The Caribbean, for most of our days, sported white caps indicating a wind speed of 20-25 mph and produced a nice rolling motion on the ship. One day it was quite pronounced and when we went to the Oceanview Café on deck 14 it was very rocky. I wobble around using a cane and I had my wife fix me a salad plate for lunch as I didn’t want fellow passengers erroneously thinking I was abusing my premium beverage package with a face plant. This was our first time in Cartagena. The ship ties up at an industrial pier where you dock next to container ships and there is really nothing within walking distance. We signed up for the Cartagena Panoramic Sightseeing excursion. The tour stops at the massive Fortress of San Felipe de Barajas for a photo-op, a shopping arcade and the naval museum. The drive through the old walled city is reminiscent of Old San Juan or even New Orleans. The “new city” of Cartagena would remind you of Miami Beach. The most acute memory of the tour is the insane traffic. One-way streets seem to be just a suggestion for drivers and I will be unable to complain about Atlanta’s traffic with this experience. We had an overnight port stay in Aruba and dined in the Lawn Club Grill while enjoying sunset. While the ambiance of the open-air venue was lovely, I didn’t find anything about the pizzas, salad bar or grilled steaks that warranted the extra charge. In Bonaire, we booked the North and South Highlights excursion. The tour guide was very good and we viewed loads of flamingos and saw the salt ponds which produce the islands only export. I was amazed how interesting it was to see how giant pools of evaporating sea water produce the salt we use. A very worthwhile tour. Dinner this evening was in the Murano which is by far, one of the most marvelously decadent experiences you can have anywhere. Put the Murano on your cruising bucket list. Our cruise director, Rich Clesen, was everywhere all week and personally bid all the passengers, adieu, upon departure. He did a great job and I “accidentally” photo-bombed him and his assistant when they were taping a daily show one afternoon in the shops aboard. Comedian, Kevin Jordan was very good with humor directed to the average age aboard and which would be lost to Gen-Xers or younger. Magician Ryan Joyce put on an amazing magic show in the Reflection Theater one night and followed the next afternoon with a hypnosis program. While he had 20 participants “under” on stage, he gave them a hypnotic suggestion to never drink and drive in addition to all the crazy routines they obeyed. He said he does that for every show. Uptown Funk performed one night and we’ve seen them three times now on Celebrity. I always enjoy the show. In all aspects, it was a wonderful 12 days and while our next cruise is scheduled for December, we’ll likely be back on Celebrity sooner when the health authorities signal an all clear. Read Less

Everything onboard Celebrity is always great, but this itinerary was not my favorite. The people onboard were also different as there was a huge mix of Argentina/EU/Americans, etc. People from all over the world that spoke other languages. Everything in the ports was just far to get to as it is such a remote place in the world. The days of cruising were excellent and would definitely recommend them including Cape Horn, Glacier Ave, Chilean Fjords, etc. All around, this cruise was just strange. The people weren't that friendly,including the staff - until - we were all stranded at sea outside the port of Chile, where we were denied entry. After that happened, everyone - cruisers and crew, became very friendly and we had the best service out there! Captain Leo was amazing with his communication and announcements helping to calm the passengers. We spent 15 additional days onboard and those were very fun! We had tons of activities and were able to experience life at sea. Read Less

I chose the cruise because the destinations were clearly going to feature lots of natural history and animals ... and beautiful views of the Chilean fjords and Magellan channel. They didnt disappoint. Also, it seemed to have the right balance of sea to land days and I'd heard very good things about Celebrity. The entertainment was amazing and we grew very fond of the cruise director (Alejandro -- so funny and quick witted), our wait staff (great recommendations on entrees and wine), and our room attendant. We were on the cruise that was extended about 2 weeks and the staff and company went beyond generous in taking care of us and making sure we were well informed every step of the way. I'm going to look for Celebrity cruises in the future because this was so wonderful. I also loved the solarium and gym ... went there every sea day ... and indulged myself on fabulous hamburgers and the best fries I've every eaten. Read Less

We chose this because we wanted to cruise around South America. By the time we got to our destination, Chile,they would not let us disembark so we had to travel to San Diego. this added another 15 days to the trip. Celebrity Cruise line and the staff of the Eclipse made the extra time memorable. We felt well taken care of. There were new shows and talks to keep us entertained. Celebrity made all our arrangements to fly home.Going through customs was a breeze. The captain and cruise director made this trip a pleasure. When we cruise again it will be with Celebrity. We have traveled on 4 other lines and have never been treated so well treated. We mostly ate in the buffet. The food there was good. They had an end of cruise party for us before Chile, and when that did not work out they had another end of cruise party at the actual end. Everyone was upbeat and very helpful. Read Less

Bar staff is totally underwhelming. Always waited in line to get a drink, always, any time any area. Infinity balcony is not a balcony, it's a window. I for one would prefer to actually be outside on a balcony. Food was very good, had select dining, went to all the venues and never had a wait. We had a concierge cabin and had prepaid for transportation to airport as we had an early flight. After asking concierge multiple times if we needed a ticket of some sort for the transportation we were told no, it's all set someone will meet you when you disembark. Having sailed on HAL we were used to things of this sort being taken care of. After asking several of the ship personnel about transportation we were finally told to get on one of the buses, if they ask for money get off and find another one. Movie selection was abysmal without having to pay extra. Our last cruise on HAL we had several choices of recent movies at no additional cost. Having said that with the 4 free PERKS this was a bargain Read Less

This was our 2nd cruise with Celebrity and were very much looking forward to the ship after all of the marketing hype we had seen. The ship did not disappoint. The decor was simply stunning, sleek, modern, and bright. We spent a lot of time just taking in the many unique spaces. It was a feast for the eyes. Some cruisers remarked that the ship was too compartmentalized. The spaces were broken up but not in a way that made us feel boxed in. Like others, I wasn't sure how I felt about the infinity balcony -- it was spectacular for opening up the room, but hard to achieve that 'sitting out on the balcony feel'. We finally figured out that by closing the French doors in behind us, we could somewhat mimic the balcony experience, but unfortunately could not easily see the horizon when seated, as the bottom of the window frame was directly at eye level. In addition to the decor, we loved Celebrity's attention the to detail. The room lighting was varied and beautiful, the pool was very inviting. Hand washing stations at the buffet were a welcome addition, especially with conovid-19. I appreciated that we didn't have to walk though a smokey casino, that there was plenty of seating both inside and out and that the running track was well designed. The food was excellent; typically Celebrity-- lots of choice, flavors and in abundance. It's so good that you won't feel compelled to take in a specialty restaurant. We did however pay 95 pp to dine on the magic carpet which we thought would be an unforgettable experience. Unfortunately it was extremely windy that night and the staff did not seem prepared to deal with such high winds, as glasses crashed to the floor all around us and as a result plates were sometimes served cold. We dont typically expect Celebrity entertainment to be as good as other lines. However they created a lot of varied performances all over the ship. We found the Eden evolution and guest artists Vox Fortuna to be amazing. Live band kareoke was a great twist. Congrats Celebrity on greening your operations -- aluminum water bottles, reefillabe toiletries, paper straws -- these were great to see. Let's keep going by replacing plastic smoothie cups and travel coffee cups with resuables. Also was nice to hear that the ship does not emit much sulphur but the white plumes are not just steam as the marketing says -- they still emit plenty of C02. Iconic class (fuel cell) sounds promising though. Glad to finally see cruising heading in the right direction. We're the type of ppl to use an app over paper, but discovered that the app was not up-to-date compared to the paper itinerary. We ended up unfortunately waiting for activities that had been relocated or rescheduled. The app is still great but please keep the content up-to-date Celebrity. Was super awesome to have a female captain. Wow. How wonderful was it to see a strong female leader at the top of her game in a male dominated industry. We also learned that on international womens day would, the Edge would have an all female bridge crew. Incredible. A few tips for 1st time cruisers: 1. Unpack : there is lots of space. We discovered extra cupboards next to bathroom on day6. 2. Look for discounted food on day 1. We got 30 per cent off Fine Cut resto. 3. Silent disco is fun. A few tips for 1st time Celebrity cuisers: 1. Expect an older crowd (I would have guessed that 65 was the avg age) 2. Expect a slower pace; activities were not well attended, but were still enjoyable. 3. Enjoy sitting in the multiple beautiful spaces. Other ships don't have nearly as many unique places to sit and take in the splendid scenery. Enjoy the Edge for all it has to offer. Read Less

Having cruised RCCL three times before, we selected this as our first cruise with Celebrity because the Caribbean itinerary didn't include a proprietary resort like Castaway Cay or or Perfect Day at Cococay. We travelled with two other couples all over 50 year of age. This cruise was great for our demographic, but this ship is definitely not ideal for families with kids. We saw very few children or teens, as almost all passengers were 45-75. On the other hand, one plus was we never saw any passengers who were out-of-hand or drunk. The food was as good as any we have had on a ship. The Oceanview buffet in particular was a notch above RCCL. In addition to the usual fare, it has specialty dishes like coq au vin, beef bourguinon, etc. It was so good that one night we opted to eat there for dinner instead of a formal dining room. And we enjoyed all four of the standard dining rooms, which more or less were the same except for a few "signature" dishes and decor. We felt no need to pay more for specialty dining. We got an interior cabin on the 10th floor aft side, cabin 10263, which we were very pleased with. Our room attendant Jaime was absolutely incredible, pampering us without ever missing a beat. We tipped him accordingly. Our friends paid to upgrade to the "infinite veranda", which was nice - but probably not worth the increased cost for us. It's not a typical balcony, but instead a bump-out with a sliding window. In that regard, one drawback is that this ship has a lot of 6-8' glass panels along outside deck railings, that are designed for safety, but I feel they cut you off from the ocean too much. It's like watching a baseball game behind the net. Lawyers have to ruin everything! The entertainment was pretty good. The house band was great, especially the singers, dancers, and acrobats. I wish they featured the pianist, trumpet, and trombone more though. Only the sax player got featured in any of the concerts we attended and she could really bring it. The comedians were better than expected, and had very clean humor which we often would laugh out loud to. They were at their best when the comics interacted (or attempted to) with people in the audience. We saw three touring acts: "Vox Fortura", "December '63", and "Our Lady Valentine". We enjoyed the powerful singing of Vox Fortura, but I thought My Lady Valentine wasn't any better than the house musicians -- who I thought were very talented and had a great repertoire. The house drummer was very good, but for some reason switched from an acoustic set to an electric drum kit for Our Lady Valentine, and the toms and cymbals all sounded very artificial. My favorite act was December '63, who did great renditions of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The only problem was that during December '63 I couldn't hear the piano at all, even though the theatre is world class. So there seem to be some bugs with the sound crew that puzzled me. We went to see the acrobats and dancers as much as we could. They are simply amazing and leave you wondering why you can't even touch your toes. Getting on and off was a breeze, and very well planned. Hand washing stations were everywhere. The ship was very clean and new. As far as the layout - there seems to be a lot of unused and poorly planned spaces. The Retreat is for suite customers only and takes up key space on the forward side which was rarely used, and makes it hard to get around. For this reason, the walking/running track winds around on multiple levels and sometimes you have to use it just to get around the upper decks. Also the cabanas are next to the pool but cost hundreds of dollars to rent per day, so they mostly sat empty. Things are very compartmentalized on the ship, which makes it a little hard to get used to, because there is no main drag going down the middle of the ship with all kinds of shops like some big ships. The solarium was nice, but chairs were in short supply between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on sea days. Our main complaint was the lack of poolside service. If you wanted a drink you had to go find an open bar and usually wait. Their phone app was very useful, but one great enhancement would be for customers to be able to order a drink on it from any location on the ship, and have it brought to you. The fitness center was superb, but we didn't use the spa. We went on a couple excursions, and our favorite was the Key Lime bicycling tour in Key West. The guide really educated us about the local history, and the slice of Key Lime pie (okay ... slices) were heavenly. We were a little surprised Covid-19 screening seemed lax at check in, but we had a great time and would definitely recommend this cruise for friends without kids. Overall, I rate this cruise as "excellent" and a very good value. Read Less

I was ready to go back to Celebrity after taking about 20 years off. I felt I was too young at the time for the passengers back then. Well, now at 58 I truly enjoyed the Edge and the changes away from the cruising cult. I had the 4 perk package with an Aqua Class cabin. I was thrilled that I was never asked to sign a check, even at the specialty restaurants. The restaurant concept was like eating at a new restaurant every night which we did except for 2 nights at Blu. We also did Fine Cut and The Edge dinner on the Magic Carpet. Spa was great, no pressure. I loved the new infinity veranda room. Made the room larger when the shutter was open. Also, you were able to keep the window open all night long if you wanted to hear the motion of the ocean. Embarkation and Debarkation was amazing. I had never gotten on or off a ship that fast. The crew was very friendly on the entire ship. Only complaint from me is once again people hogging up the deck chairs and never sitting in them. I was traveling with a friend and if you got out to the pool after 9am it was impossible to find a deck chair together. I wish any cruise line would make this a priority. Read Less

I read a lot of reviews both positive and negative about the Edge and decided I would go with an open mind. Glad I did. Six of us traveling on this western Caribbean cruise. Our cabin was on Deck 11, 11232, Concierge Class. The room exceeded our expectations. Roomy with more than enough storage. Loved the IV concept instead of the open balcony which we normally reserve. On blustery drizzly days we were able to keep the window open and relax in that area. Cabin did not overheat or become too hot. Nicole our room attendant was amazing. Highly visible and extremely competent. We ate at various dining venues: oceanview cafe buffet, Tuscan dining room for dinner & captains club breakfasts, specialty restaurant Fine Cut Steakhouse. All provided excellent food choices and service. Sugar free desserts were sadly lacking at most meals which was an issue for one of our traveling companions, We loved the theater in the round concept and enjoyed all the shows. This was only our 2nd Celebrity cruise and 1st one on Edge. All our cruising has been done on RC. Capt Kate was probably the most visible Capt from all the cruses we've taken. Her daily updates were both humorous and informative. I guess one of my few negatives is that the public rooms in the evening are much too small for the crowds, same for the bars. The positives far outweigh the negatives. We enjoyed this ship so much that we booked another cruise next year on her sister ship Apex. Read Less

This review is long but subtitled for reference. The review is not a comparison to any other ships only intended to share information and experiences we had on our March Western Caribbean cruise. We had Aqua category and all (4) perks plus the Drink package upgrade. We did not have children with us. We did not have access to the Retreat (Suites) area, we experienced only the Stone Massage and did not visit all the onboard restaurants. Finally, we would take a cruise on the Celebrity EDGE again. EMBARKATION - was easy but could use some signage for guests to know where to move to and lines to be in for security. They released passengers in waves to proceed upstairs and pass through Security. There was an “expedited” line that you needed to have on your ticket in-hand and they used facial recognition (which you provide before arriving) as the only documentation to pass through the detectors. After you pass through the detectors you are directed to sit on a bench area but then moved to a different bench area. Passengers needing assistance boarded first. Then the Concierge category boarded before Aqua. But then in the middle of boarding Concierge they called for ALL Expedited passengers (us) to board apparently regardless of category. Got to our room easily and quickly once Boarding began – maybe 10-15 minutes and we were in our room. We were in our room at 11:00am. AQUA CATEGORY ROOMS – the rooms are physically pretty much same as other EDGE Veranda rooms. The King size bed is very comfortable. The stateroom room was very quiet all times of the day – never heard anyone next door or above or below. The room technology works as expected although there are switches all over for whatever you might want to control. The shower is very nice – (5) shower heads. The heated mirror keeps the bathroom very warm. Did not notice any “Aroma Therapy” in the room but, the lotion and bath products did offer some pleasant mild scents. The bathroom is ample in size even for two people together. You do have (2) robes and a hair dryer included. The bed location was back near the bathroom which left the area near the Verandah as the main living area. We found this orientation most desirable and learned that on the Starboard side of the ship; as you face the room doors, the door on the left (more toward the front of the ship) will have the bed location near the bathroom as we had; cabin #9262. We were not sure if we would like the EDGE style verandah compared to other ships. As we lived with it and became accustom to the differences we decided it functions very well. Verandah seating was available to us in any weather; wind, sun, hot or cold. On a hot and windy day at sea you could choose to open the upper half and experience the elements or close it and be seated at the edge looking over the water and distant views while being very comfortable. There is a significant increase in the privacy afforded you by the subsumed verandah space. A cool experience is to turn on the verandah overhead light and close the folding French doors at night – the frosted glass creates a beautiful setting inside the stateroom. The French doors also provide privacy inside the stateroom should you find yourself docked across from another ship or hotel. You do not have the feeling of “openness” afforded the traditional verandahs but with the window completely lowered it offered a similar experience but with the added benefits mentioned here. There is not sufficient room for a lounge chair or two on the verandah but the deck chairs and table work well. The only real disadvantage we found was the divider between the upper and lower glass was at “eye level” for anyone of average height. If you wish to view across to the horizon you had to sit straight upright or slouch in the deck chairs. Traditional verandah railings can present a similar experience. PERKS – We selected an Aqua Category room with all (4) Perks plus the Beverages and More upgrade. We had a wide selection of premium beverages including a daily replenished Mini-fridge for no additional charge or gratuity, although we did tip occasionally in addition to the pre-paid when warranted. There were no additional charges with exception of some wines and spirits beyond “premium” or if you ordered a bottle of wine from their list. SEAPASS CARD – attach it to your body because it is used for everything on board and to get on or off the ship. For example, if you order a drink that costs more than the pre-paid package you purchased - when the card is used by the bartender the charge will be found on your folio at the end of the cruise and then be charged to your credit card. NAVIGATING THE SHIP – was confusing for the first couple days, as to what was on which floor. The interior ship design is “fluid” meaning it flows from one area to the next but not in lengthy straight lines of sight. Along the paths from aft to stern are many points of interest that you eventually learn to correlate with desired destinations. The EDGE is not a very large ship so a walk from one end to the other is a daily event, usually often and there are only about (6) decks of public areas to learn. Navigating the upper two decks with the multilevel jogging track that splits the deck is a bit of a challenge at first finding access points to the elevator banks. There are directions posted everywhere for anyone who prefers to read. GOING ASHORE – was efficient and effortless. Using the facial recognition technology made the process of going ashore quick and without the need of a Passport. ELEVATORS – there are two banks of elevators – one forward and one aft with six elevators in each bank. The elevators are well marked with where you are and where you might want to go. They are large and operation is quick. INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DESIGN – We loved the interior design of the EDGE. It’s definitely “new”, contemporary, fluid, beautiful color pallets throughout, eclectic, open, and easily navigated. Many features are interwoven into the design that help define specific areas of interest for guests. There are also décor features intent to make a statement amidst the warmer colors. Many different materials have been used to decorate walls and ceilings and to create pseudo walls. There was even much attention given to the floor designs. The overall feeling is one of an “upscale” environment that we found appealing and comfortable. SERVICE – was evident everywhere we went onboard. Not only was the service always available but the attitude of the individuals providing the service was upbeat and pleasant – at least 95% of the time. This included every service member we experienced while onboard the ship. INSIDE SHIP TOUR – was well worth the cost and time. The tour took about 2 ½ hours. You were able to see a couple of the kitchens, a spirits room, a pantry, a crew lounging room, the laundry room, the engine room and the Bridge. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to meet Captain Kate and her cat on the Bridge. You also saw a lot of activities as everything was in constant motion as you walked from one end of the ship to the other along what they refer to as “Route 95” that extends the length of the center of the ship on Deck 2. By the end of the tour you will wonder how it is all possible - on any cruise ship. GRAND PLAZA – includes the Martini Bar and all the tables surrounding the central (Piazza) area. The Martini bar is small and exasperating the issue is the size of the chairs at the bar. The chairs are wide and comfortable but the space only accommodates a limited number of chairs. In addition, a third of the bar is for standing with a few high chairs. If you want to sit at the bar get their early or be lucky enough to grab a seat if someone near you happens to leave the bar. The bar top is not iced but the bartenders periodically put on a great bottle and shaker show – very entertaining. There is musical and vocal entertainment each day in the Grand Plaza which can be watched from the floor or from above from the surrounding floor overlooking banisters. ENTERTAINMENT – music seemed inconsistent with the quality of the ship. It was marginal in all the venues. There were however, some shows in the CLUB and EDEN that were quite entertaining and worth the time to be in the audience. THERMAL SPA ROOMS – were very nice and we enjoyed them all one afternoon. The Quartz and Salt rooms were completely un-eventful but the other rooms really functioned well – very nicely done. The thermal beds offer a beautiful view out over the ship’s bow and there is a deck you can go out on to enjoy more of the views. The use of the Thermal Spa rooms was included with the Aqua Category room – a nice to have benefit. There are a number of Treatment rooms, of all different types available for additional costs. Access to the Thermal Spa rooms was easy for Aqua guests – you simply exchanged your Seapass for their key card before entering the rooms. POOLS – were usually very busy areas on the ship. The main pool is large and has a lot of lounges around and some in the water to enjoy. But as usual you have guests who feel they have purchased the lounges and own them for the entire voyage by laying claim with towels and clips. Celebrity does not enforce the “not in use” policies. There is an adults only pool in the cellarium which is much smaller and seems to attract an older demographic than the main pool. There is a 3rd pool in the Retreat that we did not have access to which is exclusive to Suite guests. MAGIC CARPET – was not all that was hyped but it was interesting and enjoyable in good weather. The wind often curtails use of the outboard platform which becomes totally susceptible to the wind. There is plenty of cocktail seating available and there is a bar. We never had the occasion to be onboard the platform other than when it was on Deck 14. Dinner is served here one night but advance reservations are required and must be made when onboard. It is an experience to enjoy. OCEAN VIEW CAFE – the Buffet was open by the time we got there around11:30. A number of island stations and more stations along the walls. Plenty of selection of everything. Nice open feel to the Buffet and especially the dining areas along the perimeter of the ship. Abundant tables and chairs all around the two-story glass windows. A Pizza station in the rear of the dining area with great pizza selection hot from the oven. CAFE AL BACIO - provides a great place to relax and enjoy a variety of non-alcoholic beverages, although there are coffees with spirts. Comfortable and casual large lounge where servers will take you order and bring it to your table. There are also about (18) varieties of pastries to select from to accompany your coffee. BLU RESTAURANT - where we didn’t need reservations and was only available to Aqua and Suite category passengers is an excellent venue. Well decorated and not very large with plenty of staff. Interesting menu selection that varies each day with some staples each day. The wine list although pretty good vineyard selection offered no older vintages and only a few older than 2017. The restaurant is not loud and very comfortable seating. EDEN RESTAURANT – provided our party of (4) with the finest meal we enjoyed on the ship. When looking over the menu and making our reservation we were skeptical of the EDEN based on the menu selection descriptions. Our dinner took no less than (3) hours. Each of the five courses were prepared to perfection. The food kept your interest and were small enough to try more than one per course. The food and service were exceptional, including the sommelier. The preparation and attention to presentation detail is what you might identify with a fine Test Kitchen. EDEN CAFE – offered a small assortment sandwiches and salads that were tasty and offered a pleasant area inside EDEN or outside to eat. There were also juices and teas available, as well as coffee. CYPRUS RESTAURANT – was good but neither the service or food were as good as expected for a restaurant offering their specialty Mediterranean seafood selections. Some entrées were better than others so it’s still worth having meals here. The dining room is nicely decorated and it doesn’t feel crowded. RAW ON 5 RESTAURANT – was a real disappointment for all of us. The menu selection is relegated to basic Asian and seafood selections that could be found at any Asian or average seafood restaurant. Only one Asian beer was available and they had to go somewhere else for it. The rolls were presented nicely, as was the Negri but, the selections were void of what should have been opportunities to demonstrate culinary capabilities. In addition, to the mediocre menu selections, the atmosphere was loud due to the proximity and openness to the Grand Plaza with evening entertainment performances. Overall, “Raw on 5” needs a Celebrity “re-make” with an objective to make a statement worthy of being on the Edge. “Raw on 5” is simply not consistent with the standards demonstrated at the other restaurants on the ship. SPA CAFE & JUICE BAR – offered interesting cold lite fare for lunch and breakfast. There were 10-12 different selections to choose from that were continually being refreshed. There were also 4-5 juices pre-mixed that were very good or you could have them prepare one of a half-dozen based on ingredients listed at the juice bar or if you have a concoction you prefer they will blend accordingly. Here you have to pay for the juices unless you one of the Celebrity packages that include the juice bar. There are also coffee, tea, dispensed juices and milk available. DISEMBARKATION – was not quite as well orchestrated as embarkation but it did move along quickly. We had luggage tag for Group #11 – 7:45 meet at the Theater. We were up at 6:00am, got cleaned up and packed up the final few items into our carry-on bags. Left the room and went to BLU for a quick lite breakfast. We headed toward our gathering spot in the Theater – Lvl 5. On the way there we passed the disembarkation doors so we stopped and waited for our number to be called - #11 – rather than proceeding to the theater as the doorways were completely clear. Soon after we decided to just walk-off (@8:00am) and on the way down they announced all baggage Groups 1 thru 15 were ready. We easily found the row with our luggage then found a Porter. The Porter took our luggage and we followed him to the pick-up point for “Park-n-Go”. The van dropped us off at our car and we headed out for 595 East then to I95 north. Reaching I95 at 9:00am. Read Less

My husband and I just returned from a week on the Edge. After reading the reviews I was concerned that maybe we should have stuck with a Solstice class ship. I worried for nothing! We were in Aqua class so this may not apply everywhere but unlike the reviews, there was beautiful bath products including body lotion, not plain wrap as I had read. Also, Elite level guests can have drinks from 5 to 7 in any bar except the Magic carpet and are not relegated to the Club lounge which can be a bit dark. The ship is beautifully decorated with interesting and fun areas and furniture. Eden is a fantastic place and the show very different and exciting. We loved the infinity balcony. You can lower it just a bit all night and hear the ocean and if too windy, you can have it up and look out....can't do this on a traditional balcony. Best of all was the entertainment. we went to at least 2 performances every night with music we loved...Jersey boys, mowtown, elvis, ABBA...there were younger passengers but the music was for everyone. Blu was as good as ever as was the service. of course, all they say about Captain Kate is true...she is the best. We can't wait to go again! Read Less