If you can't enjoy this ship...maybe it's you

Hi All

First want to thank the boards for all the helpful info before the cruise!

Our family had a wonderful time on the beautiful Edge.

Boarding: (4.0/5): Apparently the port in Rome does not let cars close to the ships. So our car service drop us off in a parking lot and we then had to take a bus over. It all ended up okay. Probably the only knock here is that we were not aware of this issue. Past that, once we got to the port everything went smoothly.

Rooms: (4.25/5) Beautiful room. The only issue was noise. We could hear movement pretty often above us which made it hard to fall asleep some nights.

Housekeeping: (5.0/5) Genuinely friendly, super attentive.

MDR's: (4.25/5) Loved the concept of 4 MDR's. It's definitely is nice to have the change of look/menu. The staff again was GREAT in each location. The food was above average in all. Nothing stood out as over-the-top but certainly all above average.

Specialty:

Eden: (3.5/5) Just not our cup of tea, I guess.

Fine Cut: (3.5/5) First off read the reviews about it being loud - but it WAS loud. This doesn't seem like a big deal, but once you're there it is. The food was fine, but nothing you couldn't get in many restaurants in every major city.

Rooftop Grill: (4.5/5) 2nd biggest surprise for us. When the weather is right, this is a great place to eat. Unlike fine cut for example that you can do anywhere, finding a nice place to sit outside and eat good food is a treat. Well done!

Le Petit Chef: (5.0/5.0) WOW, what fun! This was our #1 surprise as we almost skipped it. This was BY FAR OUR FAVORITE dinner on the Edge. It's done in 2 seatings so your experience all as a group - which is not something I seek out - but is SUPER FUN. We actually were sitting next to someone from Silicon Valley and they said people just don't realize how special this technology is. The room was like a party, we all had an absolute ball. The staff gives extra energy to the room. The food would not necessarily be what I would pick, but we all LOVED IT because of course these little chefs made it for us!! There was very little signage for this, in fact we had to ask someone where this dinner was. The reason we went was because another couple at the pool said it was the best dinner of theirs. Here's the biggest compliment, on our last night we all decided to go back a 2nd time (we tried some items from the alternative menu) and if anything enjoyed it even more because we all saw little bits of the amazing animations that we didn't pick up the first time. Plus we got to see 2 different chefs win the night which was super fun. BIG CONGRATS TO CELEBRITY for giving us a night(s) we will remember.

Entertainment: (4.5/5) The shows were a little hit and miss, but overall kept us entertained. Probably the biggest issue was early on they had a group called Barricade Boys and they were great, so it was hard to keep that level up - but overall good.

Ports: (4.5/5) Beautiful locations. I will say that we hired private cars/tours on our own and were very happy with all of them. I'm not sure how it would be if we went through Celebrity or just fended for ourselves. So I guess the take-a-way is to look for local companies with very good reviews.

Drinks: (4.0/5) We are not huge drinkers (1-2 a day) so we did not do a drink package. The prices were fine. The only knock is that different locations within the ship did not make the same drink the same way which seem like an easy fix.

Everything else was really well done. The ship is absolutely beautiful. Each staff member is nicer than the next. You couldn't go 20 feet without hearing some wonderful live music. I cannot fathom how someone could give this ship anything but a lovely review.

Thank you Celebrity, we look forward to many more family cruises making wonderful memories.