One of my favorite unique touches on Celebrity- you can go to your room immediately after boarding to grab your Sea Pass and drop off your bags. You can’t fully use the room right away but just having that ability is a huge plus to me. The biggest stand out for me has always been the crew. Celebrity crew are the absolute best compared to some of the other major lines
Like the review....we have sailed on other lines but now go Celebrity.....just done a transatlantic from port everglades to Barcelona on the new ship Ascent on April14,2024....have a 14 day booked for 2025 on Equinox.....which will be our 10th cruise with Celebrity.We enjoyed the new balcony as it makes your room bigger but enjoy the older balcony as well . The staff on Celebrity is really great and are always helpful......Celebrity for us!!!!!
We were on that same crossing and it was FANTASTIC!! Our infinite veranda was awesome, but so was the weather. Not humid at all. If people are unsure, they just have to see where their itinerary is taking them. If they are going in the Caribbean during the late summer, skip the infinite veranda. More northern sailing, take it! Loved everything about the cruise and can't wait to sail with them again.
We are booked on the same transatlantic in 2025. We are staying in a Sky Suite, so also get to eat in Luminae and Blu. We even added on the following cruise from Rome to Turkey and Greek Islands. We so loved our 10 day cruise on the Beyond in April that we booked this cruise. Can’t wait!
Hey Tanner! Great video, I have only sailed Celebrity once and have another coming in 2025 (sailed on Carnival the most), but I have to say your assessment is pretty spot on in my opinion. I think it could be boiled down to they simply treat you like an adult - even when bringing alcohol back from port, we went to check our bottles as is customary on a cruise and they asked if we were taking them home or planning on consuming them. When we said we're taking them home they told us to just take them to our room. It was a breath of fresh air to be treated like an adult and feel some sense of them trusting you to act like one. Even though they are not as kid focused as Carnival, my young son had such a good time he was in tears on debarkation day. We have sailed Carnival many times and while sad he had to get off the ship he never cried about it.
Good review. You didn't mention the 4 included themed MDRs on the Celebrity Edge class. I thought it was definitely the same quality as specialty dining on the Ascent.
This is a really good point. I've sailed on the Apex three times and found the food in the MDRs to be great quality and found you don't really need to pay extra for the speciality restaurants. That being said, the speciality restaurants are even further above and provide an exceptional meal and service.
Not only are those 4 MDRs better than any single one on the older ships (or on any other cruise line in the premium category), but their buffet is about the best at sea. Such incredible choices, and it features different food themes daily. And lots of seafood! Included great ice cream & sundaes.
Yes. I always find your videos helpful. It's rarely repetitive like some others and well done. Love the countdowns. I continue to live vicariously thru all my blogger families. I would enjoy cruising so much more with at least a girlfriend. I was telling the Eat Sleep Cruise guy I liked his videos too cause like you he does a video once every two weeks or so. But he corrected me and told me he does one weekly. But he agreed he's a fan of your work too. All the Best.
One more thing. I wanted to ask you if you know about Card Depot and if their cruise vouchers are reliable or trustworthy. I am not seeing any of those AARP vouchers since I joined this year.
@@CruzelycomI must be looking in the wrong section. I just looked on my AARP app under cruise travel benefits and don't see anything for Celebrity vouchers.
Our first cruise when we got back into cruising was on the Celebrity Reflection 2:50 back before it was blue. It was a mediteranean cruise which was good in itself. It was an older and smaller ship but EVERYTHING was better than Royal Carribean or Carnival. The dining room was better. The buffet was better. The public restrooms ALL had an attendant that constantly cleaned them. You could go anywhere and get sealed bottles of water to take back to your cabin without a drinks package. I thought this was the norm for all cruise lines, but no... I want to go on their newer bigger ships really bad.
Good review. I have tried three other cruise lines but there is no comparison, Celebrity is head and shoulders above any other 5/5.5 star cruise lines. My one gripe, post pandemic, is the deterioration in the food in the main restaurant. I hope that on my next cruise (on Celebrity Millennium in December) proves that the new President has genuinely listened to customers and brought it back to the previous high standard.
Every point you made was spot on. I’ve sailed on Edge and Apex. Then on Silhouette. Silhouette was fine, but not where near the same quality as the Edge Class. And I sail in The Retreat, which on Edge Class, is so much more ‘over the top’ luxury. My first 12 cruises were on Royal and I enjoyed them all. In retirement, at a bit older age, I really appreciate the Celebrity/Edge class product. I had to subscribe after watching this. Really a great review.
Glad you liked it. Once you go with the Edge class, it's hard to go back to a "normal" ship. The only quibble is the infinite balconies. Apart from that, they are spectacular.
Oh dear! We have had one cruise and it was on celebrity Constellation. We loved it so much. We had a veranda and would like one again but if we try a newer ship we could never afford a veranda. Wondering if an inside cabin on a newer ship would be ok as we might be out of our cabin more on a newer ship? Thoughts?
Have had 4 Celebrity cruises in the past 2 years and a b2b next year. Been on Mellinium and Soltice, edge next year. As a Celebrity Cruiser we would like it to stay non family friendly stick to the other Ships. I like my water park on land. And I have not paid for any Specialty restaurants on Celebrity yet !
We recently sailed on Celebrity’s Apex in an Infinite Veranda cabin. The Infinite Veranda (kind of like sitting in a sun room) worked really well with this itinerary…you could sit in the balcony area watching the scenery go by without freezing and could get fresh air if the weather was nicer. I do *not* think it would work well in hotter climates, especially since the A/C shuts off when the window is down and the sun room aspect concentrates the heat from sunlight.
I have been on all 3 classes of ships on celebrity. The edge class is incredible. More of a boutique hotel at sea. I only sail Aqua class or Retreat for the most amenities. I am sailing Princess next month, and the new Premier package with them is hard to beat.
I have cruised Celebrity many times and usually enjoyed it. I can assure you the Solstice class is nothing like Royal Caribbean. Personally, I don't care for the Edge class ships. I tried Royal Caribbean out of Galveston last week and couldn't wait to get off.
Tanner, your synopsis is spot on. I've sailed on all of the (new) EDGE class ships and am booked on first two sailings of the new XCEL for '25. With 44 Celebrity cruises I can attest to your observations... especially about the guests. Celebrity is more akin to Target where Royal more closely matches Walmart. #45 on CELEBRITY (tenth on Beyond) in The Retreat to celebrate my 74th b'day coming up in October. I cruise Xclusively on Celebrity as I make my way to ZENITH (their top loyalty level). Solstice class is still very current, albeit it not as revolutionary as Edge series.
I think Celebrity is more like Kohl's, not Target! Jealous over your huge number of cruises! We finally reached Elite so are WAY behind you. Will have first Millennium experience on the Summit in a few weeks. Like the idea of modernized but smaller, more intimate.
I disagree with your first take. I'm a long-time Celebrity cruiser and it is the Solstice that feels definitely Celebrity where the Edge ship feels like some other ship. If you don't have that background with Celebrity you don't realize that. And the Edge (Apex, Beyond, Ascent, Xcel) isn't the best ship for everyone. It all depends on what you value in a cruise. All the specialty restaurants on the Edge are just bigger versions of what the Solstice introduced. Blu, Raw on 5, Q-sine/Bistro with Le Petit Chef, all came from Solstice. The Martini Bar came from the Solstice class. The Solstice class is very much a Celebrity and not an RCL type of product because the spaces on the ship evolved from the Millennium class that evolved from the Century class that evolved from the Horizon class. You're not familiar with these classes so that's where someone else recognizes them that are. The Edge really isn't all that much like a Celebrity cruise. It does the MSC/NCL "ship within a ship" thing so you end up with a large area of the ship only going to suite passengers. So, while the Solstice class has an observation lounge that offers great views and a nightclub and a huge areas with sections to do multiple things, the Edge ships put this in a much smaller area with no windows called "the Club" The Edge class also has no real lounges so they changed the Martini Bar to where the Passport Bar is on the Solstice and put dancing there to make a lot of noise in that area when it is active. The Solstice class can at least put some of that in the observation lounge but have gone to making the foyer very noisy as well. I wouldn't recommend an Edge class to everyone because it is new. The decor uses the same taupe based neutral colors and muted colors as a lot of modern ships without the more rich and vibrant colors of the earlier ships.The ship is about tech so of course it is the latest tech in the theater. But the ship will sail for 25-30 more years so it won't always be the latest tech. Ships can't be the latest is the best because it has the highest tech because that changes very soon. They need character. The Solstice has that character that the Edge ships lack. They look like a nice hotel somewhere where the Solstice can transport you back to the 1920s-1950s style with more evocative spaces. I don't find the character in the Edge class ships to be what Celebrity had in their earlier classes. They're for a different clientele. It's fine for foodies and those that love entertainment shows. But they took out areas of the ship that I value like the observation lounge, libraries, Ensemble Lounge, Hideaway and they have Eden which is another performance area and eatery. So, it's whatever floats your boat.
Agree with all the points you made, Benjamin. We sailed on Equinox in Oct 2023, then Reflection in Jan 2024. We followed that up with back-to-back TransAtlantic and Norway cruises on Apex in May 2024. Equinox and Reflection were very comfortable ships, with lots of quiet space to seek out if you want to get away from the noise. Apex was generally flashier and noisier for the most part. Parts of it were fun, but overall it was not as great of a cruise experience as we had hoped. The technology on Apex was pretty cool, but that grew old quickly. Celebrity did away with the Observation lounge, hideaway and library on Apex. Well, they say they have a library, but it's an obvious afterthought, a nook off the Guest Services lobby. Eden is not a suitable substitute for the Observation lounge... you can only see where you've been not where you're going. Seeing where you're going is a perquisite reserved for suite guests. I found the 'ship in a ship' concept infuriating, especially since all that forward deck space was wasted when suite guests seemed to stay below most of the time. The food on the three Celebrity ships we've sailed was okay, though not as good as the food on Princess. The La Petit Chef was a standout from an entertainment perspective, and the food was good, but probably not good enough to warrant the high fee. That goes for all of the specialty dining venues we tried; very good but not worth a fee that's three to four times more than on other cruise lines. In September 2024 we sailed on Emerald Princess for the third time, after cruising Celebrity four times in a row. Princess has its own issues, but in general it was a very relaxing and comfortable cruise experience. The one thing I give the nod to the Celebrity Solstice class over Princess is the quiet spaces, like the Observation lounge, the two-level library, the Ensemble Lounge, and Hideaway. The Skywalker Lounge on Princess is a good getaway spot during the day, but it again faces aft, like Eden on Apex. My wife loved the craft activities on the Solstice ships, but she also loves the formal tea on Princess. We'll probably continue to sail both lines (already booked on Equinox in Sept 2025), but we probably won't sail another Edge class ship unless we just can't get the itinerary another way.
@@sraul7658 Yes, thank you. Regarding Princess, it looks like the Sphere Class Princess ships have a lot of issues. So I hope that's not the direction Princess is going in. They too are featuring a very active "Grand Piazza" but it may have quieter spaces to go to. There's a Wheelhouse bar but it's not as rich looking and I think the nightclub is gone The dome area is undersized and people are asked to leave it so they can set up acrobatic type of nightly shows (very popular now). I don't think Princess or Celebrity need to keep expanding their fleets and compromising their identity. Your product is your product. You don't need to change it for "younger" people because they will become "older" and some will seek out your identified product. HAL and Cunard are better at retaining their product partly because they don't expand their fleets as much. Sure, they may not always deliver their A product to their customer. But their ship design and content is not drastically changing and that's a positive.
I have been on Millennium and Solstice. I was very impressed with the high level of service on Millennium and how well they kept up their ships. I was on the Solstice for two weeks last month on separate cruises and the level of service really just did not measure up to a premium line. I was not excited about the food in the MDR as seems more limited. And I do NOT like the Oceanview Cafe as it is just too crowded during the ENTIRE meal period. Personally, I think in terms of service and food quality, HAL has the edge. A year ago, I preferred Celebrity. Celebrity has an image issue. For the less experienced cruiser, you watch all of the great Celebrity influencers with their emphasis on the Edge class chips. However, you get on the smaller older ships and you find that a lot of the features do not exist. It is like booking a Marriott hotel and finding out that it is a Fairfield.
There are a LOT of features on the previous classes that don't exist on the Edge class ships. And the Solstice and Edge class are basically the same size of ship if you're a non-suite passenger.
Love Edge class ship but can't stand infinite veranda, so much that I now have to settle for fewer nights cruises on older ships which is fine although I prefer longer cruises.
The infinite veranda is a bit... weird. I think it's something that the concept (let's make the whole room a balcony!) sounds great on paper but in reality you can't beat being actually outside.
This is why we took the $$$ plunge to get a Sky Suite. It really has a wide balcony, a spacious room and bathroom. Plus two additional restaurants that are basically specialty restaurant quality. And the private lounge, concierges, butlers, and sun deck areas are lovely. Premier Wi-Fi and drinks package are included, but the prices for Retreat cabins have just gone through the roof recently, so we will have to try an IV for ourselves.
We are booked on the Ascent this Feb and I was so excited. However, we were randomly assigned Late Seating in the dining rooms. I called to see if it could be changed or if we could just show up and take our chances earlier. I was told NOPE. You either eat at 8:30 or you eat at the buffet. Is this your experience -anyone?
I've never had an issue showing up to eat whenever. Sometimes you have to go to a specific dining room, but never been turned away. I can't eat at 8:30 at night.
I'd say that Celebrity's new ships (Edge class) are a step above in swankiness. Celebrity also seems to be pricier overall. Princess seems a bit more subdued if you're looking for real relaxed and less expensive. Both are much more chilled out for someone that's used to Carnival or Royal Caribbean.
Do a comparison of the stocks. RCL is over TEN TIMES more value that Carnival (who owns Princess). Same for NCL. I sailed ONCE on Princess and wasn't impressed enough to leave a FCD, coming up on 45 aboard Celebrity. Every one has been Xceptional. Xtraordinary. Xcellent. Your Xpectations will be Xceeded.
All of the RCCL lines now status match. The points are separate, but if you gain status with one line, you can match it on another. It has some quirks (not all the benefits are available if you matched), but overall its a great deal if you sail primarily on one but want to occasionally sail on one of their other lines.
Not a fan of the infinite balcony. They should just remove the sliders and continue the room decor to the large window. Might as well book an oceanview room.
That is not a bad thing, it saves energy as does the smooth sides. Hundreds of partitions were a huge air drag. Celebrity is VERY COMMITTED to making their fleet the most 'Green' fleet afloat. Do you leave your AC on with the windows open at home?
Even with a drinks package it won't buy you a decent cocktail on Celebrity at the moment, you pay the difference plus 20%. Love Celebrity but it's become quite expensive since it's changed It"s package options.
@@mackellar829It’s still a set menu of drinks, non of which I enjoy. I had the classic beverage package on my recent Japan cruise on Millennium and many of the top shelf brands were extra charges as the classic only gives you $10 drink price allowance. I am Elite Plus on CC and Diamond Plus in Royal Caribbean CA with no match.
Sailed with them years ago Worst cruise line I’ve ever been on Rooms are so small they round the beds so you can get around them? Then at night your feet stick out one side ?
We like celebrity a lot, but don’t like the big difference they have between the classes on the ship, I found it annoying, when told no, you must go down steps to that restaurant, really?
That wasn't my experience at all. If they were, I'd just glare at them through my monocle and give them a tap with my walking cane made from rhinoceros horn.
@@Cruzelycom That DOES happen both on Celebrity and Holland America. You don't get as much of it on Celebrity as they tend to segregate themselves in their own private areas.
One of my favorite unique touches on Celebrity- you can go to your room immediately after boarding to grab your Sea Pass and drop off your bags. You can’t fully use the room right away but just having that ability is a huge plus to me. The biggest stand out for me has always been the crew. Celebrity crew are the absolute best compared to some of the other major lines
Like the review....we have sailed on other lines but now go Celebrity.....just done a transatlantic from port everglades to Barcelona on the new ship Ascent on April14,2024....have a 14 day booked for 2025 on Equinox.....which will be our 10th cruise with Celebrity.We enjoyed the new balcony as it makes your room bigger but enjoy the older balcony as well . The staff on Celebrity is really great and are always helpful......Celebrity for us!!!!!
We were on that same crossing and it was FANTASTIC!! Our infinite veranda was awesome, but so was the weather. Not humid at all. If people are unsure, they just have to see where their itinerary is taking them. If they are going in the Caribbean during the late summer, skip the infinite veranda. More northern sailing, take it! Loved everything about the cruise and can't wait to sail with them again.
We are booked on the same transatlantic in 2025. We are staying in a Sky Suite, so also get to eat in Luminae and Blu. We even added on the following cruise from Rome to Turkey and Greek Islands. We so loved our 10 day cruise on the Beyond in April that we booked this cruise. Can’t wait!
Hey Tanner! Great video, I have only sailed Celebrity once and have another coming in 2025 (sailed on Carnival the most), but I have to say your assessment is pretty spot on in my opinion. I think it could be boiled down to they simply treat you like an adult - even when bringing alcohol back from port, we went to check our bottles as is customary on a cruise and they asked if we were taking them home or planning on consuming them. When we said we're taking them home they told us to just take them to our room. It was a breath of fresh air to be treated like an adult and feel some sense of them trusting you to act like one. Even though they are not as kid focused as Carnival, my young son had such a good time he was in tears on debarkation day. We have sailed Carnival many times and while sad he had to get off the ship he never cried about it.
I sailed on all of the Celebrity classes of ship. They are all beautiful and I love sailing on them.
Good review. You didn't mention the 4 included themed MDRs on the Celebrity Edge class. I thought it was definitely the same quality as specialty dining on the Ascent.
This is a really good point. I've sailed on the Apex three times and found the food in the MDRs to be great quality and found you don't really need to pay extra for the speciality restaurants. That being said, the speciality restaurants are even further above and provide an exceptional meal and service.
Enjoyed the the 4 MDRs on the Ascent also.
I loved all of the MDR’s on Celebrity Beyond this past June. 🤤😋 couldn’t believe the food was all included.
And free pizza until 1 or 2am which is a lot better than RC imo
Not only are those 4 MDRs better than any single one on the older ships (or on any other cruise line in the premium category), but their buffet is about the best at sea. Such incredible choices, and it features different food themes daily. And lots of seafood! Included great ice cream & sundaes.
Yes. I always find your videos helpful. It's rarely repetitive like some others and well done. Love the countdowns. I continue to live vicariously thru all my blogger families. I would enjoy cruising so much more with at least a girlfriend. I was telling the Eat Sleep Cruise guy I liked his videos too cause like you he does a video once every two weeks or so. But he corrected me and told me he does one weekly. But he agreed he's a fan of your work too. All the Best.
One more thing. I wanted to ask you if you know about Card Depot and if their cruise vouchers are reliable or trustworthy. I am not seeing any of those AARP vouchers since I joined this year.
Can confirm that the Celebrity cards are on AARP. Also, I've met the Eat, Sleep, Cruise folks a couple of times -- great people!
@@CruzelycomYup. They just had a tour of the Aqua build in Italy. Tony and some others were there as well
@@CruzelycomI must be looking in the wrong section. I just looked on my AARP app under cruise travel benefits and don't see anything for Celebrity vouchers.
Our first cruise when we got back into cruising was on the Celebrity Reflection 2:50 back before it was blue. It was a mediteranean cruise which was good in itself. It was an older and smaller ship but EVERYTHING was better than Royal Carribean or Carnival. The dining room was better. The buffet was better. The public restrooms ALL had an attendant that constantly cleaned them. You could go anywhere and get sealed bottles of water to take back to your cabin without a drinks package. I thought this was the norm for all cruise lines, but no... I want to go on their newer bigger ships really bad.
Good review. I have tried three other cruise lines but there is no comparison, Celebrity is head and shoulders above any other 5/5.5 star cruise lines. My one gripe, post pandemic, is the deterioration in the food in the main restaurant. I hope that on my next cruise (on Celebrity Millennium in December) proves that the new President has genuinely listened to customers and brought it back to the previous high standard.
Every point you made was spot on. I’ve sailed on Edge and Apex. Then on Silhouette. Silhouette was fine, but not where near the same quality as the Edge Class. And I sail in The Retreat, which on Edge Class, is so much more ‘over the top’ luxury. My first 12 cruises were on Royal and I enjoyed them all. In retirement, at a bit older age, I really appreciate the Celebrity/Edge class product. I had to subscribe after watching this. Really a great review.
Glad you liked it. Once you go with the Edge class, it's hard to go back to a "normal" ship. The only quibble is the infinite balconies. Apart from that, they are spectacular.
Oh dear! We have had one cruise and it was on celebrity Constellation. We loved it so much. We had a veranda and would like one again but if we try a newer ship we could never afford a veranda. Wondering if an inside cabin on a newer ship would be ok as we might be out of our cabin more on a newer ship? Thoughts?
Ps. We are both young 70 year olds. lol.
Have had 4 Celebrity cruises in the past 2 years and a b2b next year. Been on Mellinium and Soltice, edge next year.
As a Celebrity Cruiser we would like it to stay non family friendly stick to the other Ships. I like my water park on land.
And I have not paid for any Specialty restaurants on Celebrity yet !
We are going on Celebrity Edge for 22 days on a back to back in January to Australia NZ
We recently sailed on Celebrity’s Apex in an Infinite Veranda cabin. The Infinite Veranda (kind of like sitting in a sun room) worked really well with this itinerary…you could sit in the balcony area watching the scenery go by without freezing and could get fresh air if the weather was nicer. I do *not* think it would work well in hotter climates, especially since the A/C shuts off when the window is down and the sun room aspect concentrates the heat from sunlight.
I have been on all 3 classes of ships on celebrity. The edge class is incredible. More of a boutique hotel at sea. I only sail Aqua class or Retreat for the most amenities. I am sailing Princess next month, and the new Premier package with them is hard to beat.
I will cruise with Celebrity. I'm sold 😊
With the infinite balconies, if you open the window, the air conditioning shuts off.
I have cruised Celebrity many times and usually enjoyed it. I can assure you the Solstice class is nothing like Royal Caribbean. Personally, I don't care for the Edge class ships. I tried Royal Caribbean out of Galveston last week and couldn't wait to get off.
Nothing like Royal Caribbean. I agree. And I think the Edge ships are vastly overrated.
Tanner, your synopsis is spot on. I've sailed on all of the (new) EDGE class ships and am booked on first two sailings of the new XCEL for '25. With 44 Celebrity cruises I can attest to your observations... especially about the guests. Celebrity is more akin to Target where Royal more closely matches Walmart. #45 on CELEBRITY (tenth on Beyond) in The Retreat to celebrate my 74th b'day coming up in October. I cruise Xclusively on Celebrity as I make my way to ZENITH (their top loyalty level). Solstice class is still very current, albeit it not as revolutionary as Edge series.
I think Celebrity is more like Kohl's, not Target! Jealous over your huge number of cruises! We finally reached Elite so are WAY behind you. Will have first Millennium experience on the Summit in a few weeks. Like the idea of modernized but smaller, more intimate.
I am to be on her Dec. 8-15. Being an Oldgoat I have never been on this class ship. Was on the Eurodam last May and liked it.
I disagree with your first take. I'm a long-time Celebrity cruiser and it is the Solstice that feels definitely Celebrity where the Edge ship feels like some other ship. If you don't have that background with Celebrity you don't realize that. And the Edge (Apex, Beyond, Ascent, Xcel) isn't the best ship for everyone. It all depends on what you value in a cruise.
All the specialty restaurants on the Edge are just bigger versions of what the Solstice introduced. Blu, Raw on 5, Q-sine/Bistro with Le Petit Chef, all came from Solstice. The Martini Bar came from the Solstice class. The Solstice class is very much a Celebrity and not an RCL type of product because the spaces on the ship evolved from the Millennium class that evolved from the Century class that evolved from the Horizon class. You're not familiar with these classes so that's where someone else recognizes them that are.
The Edge really isn't all that much like a Celebrity cruise. It does the MSC/NCL "ship within a ship" thing so you end up with a large area of the ship only going to suite passengers. So, while the Solstice class has an observation lounge that offers great views and a nightclub and a huge areas with sections to do multiple things, the Edge ships put this in a much smaller area with no windows called "the Club" The Edge class also has no real lounges so they changed the Martini Bar to where the Passport Bar is on the Solstice and put dancing there to make a lot of noise in that area when it is active. The Solstice class can at least put some of that in the observation lounge but have gone to making the foyer very noisy as well.
I wouldn't recommend an Edge class to everyone because it is new. The decor uses the same taupe based neutral colors and muted colors as a lot of modern ships without the more rich and vibrant colors of the earlier ships.The ship is about tech so of course it is the latest tech in the theater. But the ship will sail for 25-30 more years so it won't always be the latest tech. Ships can't be the latest is the best because it has the highest tech because that changes very soon. They need character. The Solstice has that character that the Edge ships lack. They look like a nice hotel somewhere where the Solstice can transport you back to the 1920s-1950s style with more evocative spaces. I don't find the character in the Edge class ships to be what Celebrity had in their earlier classes. They're for a different clientele. It's fine for foodies and those that love entertainment shows. But they took out areas of the ship that I value like the observation lounge, libraries, Ensemble Lounge, Hideaway and they have Eden which is another performance area and eatery. So, it's whatever floats your boat.
Agree with all the points you made, Benjamin. We sailed on Equinox in Oct 2023, then Reflection in Jan 2024. We followed that up with back-to-back TransAtlantic and Norway cruises on Apex in May 2024. Equinox and Reflection were very comfortable ships, with lots of quiet space to seek out if you want to get away from the noise. Apex was generally flashier and noisier for the most part. Parts of it were fun, but overall it was not as great of a cruise experience as we had hoped.
The technology on Apex was pretty cool, but that grew old quickly. Celebrity did away with the Observation lounge, hideaway and library on Apex. Well, they say they have a library, but it's an obvious afterthought, a nook off the Guest Services lobby. Eden is not a suitable substitute for the Observation lounge... you can only see where you've been not where you're going. Seeing where you're going is a perquisite reserved for suite guests. I found the 'ship in a ship' concept infuriating, especially since all that forward deck space was wasted when suite guests seemed to stay below most of the time.
The food on the three Celebrity ships we've sailed was okay, though not as good as the food on Princess. The La Petit Chef was a standout from an entertainment perspective, and the food was good, but probably not good enough to warrant the high fee. That goes for all of the specialty dining venues we tried; very good but not worth a fee that's three to four times more than on other cruise lines.
In September 2024 we sailed on Emerald Princess for the third time, after cruising Celebrity four times in a row. Princess has its own issues, but in general it was a very relaxing and comfortable cruise experience. The one thing I give the nod to the Celebrity Solstice class over Princess is the quiet spaces, like the Observation lounge, the two-level library, the Ensemble Lounge, and Hideaway. The Skywalker Lounge on Princess is a good getaway spot during the day, but it again faces aft, like Eden on Apex.
My wife loved the craft activities on the Solstice ships, but she also loves the formal tea on Princess. We'll probably continue to sail both lines (already booked on Equinox in Sept 2025), but we probably won't sail another Edge class ship unless we just can't get the itinerary another way.
@@sraul7658 Yes, thank you. Regarding Princess, it looks like the Sphere Class Princess ships have a lot of issues. So I hope that's not the direction Princess is going in. They too are featuring a very active "Grand Piazza" but it may have quieter spaces to go to. There's a Wheelhouse bar but it's not as rich looking and I think the nightclub is gone The dome area is undersized and people are asked to leave it so they can set up acrobatic type of nightly shows (very popular now).
I don't think Princess or Celebrity need to keep expanding their fleets and compromising their identity. Your product is your product. You don't need to change it for "younger" people because they will become "older" and some will seek out your identified product. HAL and Cunard are better at retaining their product partly because they don't expand their fleets as much. Sure, they may not always deliver their A product to their customer. But their ship design and content is not drastically changing and that's a positive.
Love Celebrity❤
Really appreciate your very informative video. I know we won’t regret booking Celebrity cruise on May 2025 Best of Scandinavia.
Read the reviews. I was surprised how negative many were for this particular itinerary with Celebrity Apex, I believe.
Thanks for your video!
Thank you for the information.
I have been on Millennium and Solstice. I was very impressed with the high level of service on Millennium and how well they kept up their ships. I was on the Solstice for two weeks last month on separate cruises and the level of service really just did not measure up to a premium line. I was not excited about the food in the MDR as seems more limited. And I do NOT like the Oceanview Cafe as it is just too crowded during the ENTIRE meal period. Personally, I think in terms of service and food quality, HAL has the edge. A year ago, I preferred Celebrity.
Celebrity has an image issue. For the less experienced cruiser, you watch all of the great Celebrity influencers with their emphasis on the Edge class chips. However, you get on the smaller older ships and you find that a lot of the features do not exist. It is like booking a Marriott hotel and finding out that it is a Fairfield.
There are a LOT of features on the previous classes that don't exist on the Edge class ships. And the Solstice and Edge class are basically the same size of ship if you're a non-suite passenger.
Love Edge class ship but can't stand infinite veranda, so much that I now have to settle for fewer nights cruises on older ships which is fine although I prefer longer cruises.
The infinite veranda is a bit... weird. I think it's something that the concept (let's make the whole room a balcony!) sounds great on paper but in reality you can't beat being actually outside.
This is why we took the $$$ plunge to get a Sky Suite. It really has a wide balcony, a spacious room and bathroom. Plus two additional restaurants that are basically specialty restaurant quality. And the private lounge, concierges, butlers, and sun deck areas are lovely. Premier Wi-Fi and drinks package are included, but the prices for Retreat cabins have just gone through the roof recently, so we will have to try an IV for ourselves.
We are booked on the Ascent this Feb and I was so excited. However, we were randomly assigned Late Seating in the dining rooms. I called to see if it could be changed or if we could just show up and take our chances earlier. I was told NOPE. You either eat at 8:30 or you eat at the buffet. Is this your experience -anyone?
I've never had an issue showing up to eat whenever. Sometimes you have to go to a specific dining room, but never been turned away. I can't eat at 8:30 at night.
@@Cruzelycom Thank you!! I really enjoy your cruise tips. Keep em coming!
Tanner, curious how you would compare Celebrity to Princess since they are both premium lines owned by corporations with a mass market line. Thanks.
I'd say that Celebrity's new ships (Edge class) are a step above in swankiness. Celebrity also seems to be pricier overall. Princess seems a bit more subdued if you're looking for real relaxed and less expensive.
Both are much more chilled out for someone that's used to Carnival or Royal Caribbean.
Do a comparison of the stocks. RCL is over TEN TIMES more value that Carnival (who owns Princess). Same for NCL. I sailed ONCE on Princess and wasn't impressed enough to leave a FCD, coming up on 45 aboard Celebrity. Every one has been Xceptional. Xtraordinary. Xcellent. Your Xpectations will be Xceeded.
Thanks. Very informative. 😊
Spot on
We were hoping to sail on the EDGE this year
Do you accumulate points with Celebrity that combine with Royal Caribbean, or are they treated as two separate cruise lines..?
All of the RCCL lines now status match. The points are separate, but if you gain status with one line, you can match it on another. It has some quirks (not all the benefits are available if you matched), but overall its a great deal if you sail primarily on one but want to occasionally sail on one of their other lines.
Celebrity and royal points are used at a certain. Level for both
yes you get points on Celebrity,3 points for balcony cabin per day and 5 per day with a concierge class.
I was Maiden Voyage elite on Ascent. You are MEH 😕 Celebrity attracts a very grounded clientele. Some passengers are incredibly wealthy, true.
Thank you so much , going on the Reflection this upcoming Friday from Ft Lauderdale
Not a fan of the infinite balcony. They should just remove the sliders and continue the room decor to the large window.
Might as well book an oceanview room.
One problem with infinite veranda cabins in warm-weather areas is that the AC shuts off when the window is open.
That is not a bad thing, it saves energy as does the smooth sides. Hundreds of partitions were a huge air drag. Celebrity is VERY COMMITTED to making their fleet the most 'Green' fleet afloat. Do you leave your AC on with the windows open at home?
Once they start building new mid size ships instead of the mega ships, I will cruise on the new ships.
If you like the Sunset Bar....well then the Magic Carpet is just ..........(I'll let you finish Tanner)
I honestly liked the Sunset Bar more because it felt more spacious and more like a hangout.
@@CruzelycomBut we had a horrible time finding any seats there at all during most afternoons or evenings on the Beyond. Just TOO popular!
Even with a drinks package it won't buy you a decent cocktail on Celebrity at the moment, you pay the difference plus 20%. Love Celebrity but it's become quite expensive since it's changed It"s package options.
My Elite Plus (and even Elite) offers a very wide range of cocktails & brands from 5-7, gratis.
@@mackellar829It’s still a set menu of drinks, non of which I enjoy. I had the classic beverage package on my recent Japan cruise on Millennium and many of the top shelf brands were extra charges as the classic only gives you $10 drink price allowance. I am Elite Plus on CC and Diamond Plus in Royal Caribbean CA with no match.
Biggest gripe: RCCL and Celebrity points don't combine! Come on man...
Now they do!
@@karenjensen2345 I see that they share benefits across to the matching tier. But each line adds up its points separately no?
Sailed with them years ago
Worst cruise line I’ve ever been on
Rooms are so small they round the beds so you can get around them? Then at night your feet stick out one side ?
Wow, I had the same exact issue with the bed. It's a weird quirk, but I CANNOT sleep with my feet over the end. It kept me up on a recent cruise.
@@Cruzelycom Agreed. I sleep on the edge of the bed and every night, my wife would clip my foot waking me up. It was an annoyance.
Subscribe Karlo dost 😂😂😂❤❤❤
We like celebrity a lot, but don’t like the big difference they have between the classes on the ship, I found it annoying, when told no, you must go down steps to that restaurant, really?
I’ve sailed celebrity to only have snooty passengers being rude
That wasn't my experience at all. If they were, I'd just glare at them through my monocle and give them a tap with my walking cane made from rhinoceros horn.
@@Cruzelycomthis is the way. 😂
Obviously you've mistaken, manners, style, elegance, upscale, class and sophistication for snooty. Perhaps you're more suited to Carnival.
@@Cruzelycom That DOES happen both on Celebrity and Holland America. You don't get as much of it on Celebrity as they tend to segregate themselves in their own private areas.