Celebrity Edge Review

Celebrity Edge's draw lies within its name: it's edgy. Entertainment in the theater is loud and influenced by today's top hits; food venues are straight out of any big city, from a grab-and-go gourmet deli to a reservations-only sushi spot to a high-tech French bistro with an animated dining experience you have to see to believe. The cocktails you'll find in the ship's three-deck spiraling restaurant/lounge/theater called Eden are mind-bendingly one-of-a-kind (speaking of Eden, while it's playful and chill during the day, the complex gets pretty sensual there at night).

The experience on the ship also blends edges -- between indoor and outdoor, between stage and audience. There's so much greenery onboard and so many massive windows, it's easy to feel as though you're outside, even when sitting inside Eden or in your cabin. It's especially true if you're in one of the 918 Infinite Veranda rooms, cabins that can function as an ocean view with solarium, with floor-to-ceiling views and air conditioning or a more traditional balcony with the push of button to lower the top window (the innovation also gives you more space).

In the theater, the stage juts out into the audience and in Eden, performance artists wander around the lounge, drawing people out of their comfort zone and into the show. The Rooftop Garden on the top deck combines the best of the Millennium-class and Solstice-class designs, with a stage for live bands and metallic trees for performers to perch in.

Celebrity Edge didn't just revolutionize cabins, dining and entertainment. The ship has turned tendering -- that often unpleasant experience where you have to board a small boat to get to a port -- into a party. The Magic Carpet is a tennis-court sized moveable deck, kitted out with an open-air lounge, complete with bar and comfy couches and armchairs. From here, it's a breeze to get onto the tenders. Or you can stay to get a drink and watch others get on and off -- talk about people-watching. It's somewhere people actually want to go, rather than escape.

And Magic Carpet isn't just a tender platform. It can be positioned on Decks 5 and 14, where it serves as an eatery or bar. On special days, it climbs to Deck 16 for exclusive brunches and dinners "on the Edge."

With all these changes, there's a good chance past Celebrity cruisers, expecting the quiet sophistication that they've come to know and love from the line, are not going to be thrilled. In fact, many traditional cruisers may have a hard time with the ship. There are no quiet lounges for casual evenings of light music and a drink with friends; there are no musical revues with multiple singers (though there are Las Vegas-style headline act performances). For those who like to eat at the same table and time every night with the same tablemates, space is set aside in only one of the four main dining rooms.

To love this ship, you'll appreciate stylish, contemporary design. You'll need to be tech savvy -- the ship has facial recognition when you board and you can control your room's lights and temp from your phone. You'll probably know what Spotify is, enjoy craft cocktails and DJ-run Miami-style lounges. And you probably won't be traveling with your young children; this is a grown-up ship. This isn't to say that Celebrity Edge is only for those in their 20s and 30s -- in fact, the price point is probably too high for most millennials. But you'll probably have more in common with your millennial kid, niece, nephew or grandkid than you realized.