Celebrity Edge: 2-night cruise from Southampton

I was very lucky to win a stateroom for two-nights on the Celebrity Edge from 13th to 15th May. This wonderful new ship was launched in December and was making her debut in Southampton. The size is 13,818 tons and carries 2,918 passengers. The ship's design blew me away and far exceeded my expectations. I have travelled on all class of Celebrity ships and this one is certainly innovative.

The concept of the new Infinite Balcony is good as it is part of the stateroom but you can close it off if you wish. A glass window drops down half way by the touch of a button to create the balcony. These balconies are 23% bigger than the ones on the Solstice Class ships and they have a spacious shower room. There is plenty of drawer space but the downside is a limited hanging space for dresses.

I was very lucky to be upgraded to a Royal Suite which was amazing and very spacious. Suite guests have their own restaurant, Lumiere and have access to The Retreat area which includes a private sun deck with a pool, hot tubs and a bar. The Retreat lounge serves drinks and canapes and afternoon tea and is open 24/7. I looked round all the suites and the accommodation from the Sky Suite to the fantastic Iconic suite was very spacious. There are 4 main dining rooms – Cosmopolitan, Tuscan, Normandie and Cyprus Restaurants. Each have their own select menu options and all offer the same signature dishes. If you choose Anytime Dining you can each in any of these. If you choose a fixed dining you will be allocated one of the four restaurants. There is also Blu restaurant for Aqua Class guests. Speciality restaurants which have a cover charge include the Fine Cut Steakhouse, Le Grand Bistro, Le Petit Chef, Raw on 5 at the Magic Carpet, Rooftop Grill and Eden Restaurant. The self service, Ocean View Café is open throughout the day and late into the evening. There are numerous bars including the Martini Bar and Café Il Bacio for coffees, cakes etc. The spa is large and has a Thermal Suite made up of eight different spaces. There is also a large, well equipped Gym.

One special feature is The Magic Carpet reaching up to 13 floors. When at the top on Deck 16, it is turned into Dinner on the Edge restaurant. At lunchtime, it is positioned on Deck 5 for lunch and drinks. It is also used as a disembarkation platform on Deck 2, when required. Another new concept is Eden which is a chill-out location during the day and a showtime area in the evening and is also home to the Eden restaurant. It is a bright and airy venue spanning 3 floors. The theatre is very contemporary with an open circular stage and no curtains. The two shows I saw were first-class productions. There is a nightclub called The Club and a children’s club called The Camp at Sea.

The resort deck has an open-air pool with big TV screen and there is a comfortable covered solarium area which also has a pool. The Rooftop garden is very beautiful with eye catching sculpures. Another area is the Grand Plaza which covers 3 floors and opens up the restaurants and bars. This tended to be noisy at night when a disco was playing but very lively for the young at heart. The Martini bar is in this location.

To sum up, this is a beautiful, modern ship with something for everyone. Some of the features and the modern décor of shades of grey should attract a younger cliental but there is something to appeal to everyone. I would certainly sail on the Edge again!