The Celebrity Edge first set sail in 2018 as the first of the new Edge class ships and the largest in the Celebrity fleet. The defining feature of Edge is the Infinity Veranda and the Magic Carpet, an orange platform that goes up and down the outside of the ship to help with tendering in ports.
The ship measures 1,004 feet in length and 130,000 gross tonnage. The ship cost a reported $1 Billion. The guest capacity is listed at 2,918; but that is for double occupancy across the 1,467 staterooms. True max capacity is around 3,370. During my sailing in peak Alaska cruise season, the ship had over 3,200 passengers. The crew capacity is 1,320.
You can read my review of the Single Stateroom with Infinite Veranda here.
Magic Carpet & Destination Gateway
Celebrity thought through the embarkation/disembarkation process for stops in ports. The Magic Carpet is a large elevated platform that can be lowered to Deck 2 to allow for smooth tendering.
Here you can see the Magic Carpet at the top on Deck 16. The track for it runs all the way down to the Destination Gateway area on Deck 2.
The Magic Carpet doubles as an additional public space. As my cruise did not have any tender ports, it typically stayed at Deck 16 or 14 as an additional bar and seating area.
The Magic Carpet can also be set up as Dinner on the Edge, an additional specialty dining option for an added cost.
On the interior of Deck 2 is the Destination Gateway. This is a large public area set up with security for easy disembarkation/embarkation while at port. If tendering, this would be the staging area before boarding the tenders from the Magic Carpet.
It is nice to have a devoted space to entering and exiting the ship. I haven’t seen this on any other ship I have been on.
Grand Plaza
The Edge class version of the ship atrium is the Grand Plaza. The Grand Plaza is a mid-ship open space that goes from Deck 3 to Deck 5.
The centerpiece is The Martini Bar with light feature.
At times there is a DJ or live music that fills the Grand Plaza.
On Deck 4 of the Grand Plaza is Café al Bacio — the ship’s main coffee shop (that also serves drinks and complimentary treats).
Also along the Grand Plaza are the specialty dining restaurants Le Grand Bistro (Deck 4), Fine Cut Steakhouse (Deck 5) and Raw on 5 (Deck 5). I didn’t try any of the specialty dining so I can’t give a review of those.
Eden
At the aft of the ship on Deck 5 is Eden; a glassed in venue with views of the wake and a garden theme. Musicians perform in Eden in the afternoon and evening.
Going down to Deck 4 in Eden is the specialty dining Eden Restaurant.
The Eden Bar and Eden Café are on Deck 5. The bar serves standard cocktails as well as Eden exclusive cocktails (that cost around $20 — more than is covered even by the Premium Drink package).
The Eden Café is open for breakfast as well as lunch on sea days. The made to order sandwiches are a highlight, as are the amazing fresh cookies and brownies. While there are three up-charge sandwiches, the rest of the food in the Eden Café is complimentary.
Eden Café was my go-to on sea days.
Deck 6 of Eden has more seating. A ramp leads up to Deck 6 that has a row of seating looking out towards the aft of the ship.
To get to Eden, you pass through an art installation that reminded me of a dark forest.
The Theatre
The Theatre is located forward on Deck 4 and 5.
The Theatre hosts the evening entertainment (production shows, magicians, comedians, pianist, etc) as well as nature and history talks.
The Club
The final venue on the Edge class ship is The Club. Located mid-ship on Deck 4 & 5, The Club hosts trivia, dancing, and other events throughout the cruise.
Dining Rooms
Celebrity has decided to switch up the main dining room into four separate restaurants. On Deck 3 is Normandie (French theme) and Tuscan (Italian theme).
One floor up on Deck 4 is Cosmopolitan which is open for breakfast every day and lunch on sea days in addition to dinner every day.
Next to Cosmopolitan is Cyprus (Greek theme).
All of the restaurants open for dinner at 5:30pm each day. They are all included with your cruise fare. I would strongly recommend you get reservations at the restaurants at guest services first thing upon boarding the cruise.
The way dinner works is that there are three starters and three entrees that are the same every night — that are the same no matter the restaurant. Then there are additional starters and entrees that change every night but are the same across all four restaurants. Finally, each restaurant has three “exclusive” starters and entrees (see the photos below). However, you can order these at any of the four restaurants — so they aren’t really exclusive.
So really the only difference between the four dining rooms is the staff and the decor. You can get the exact same meal no matter which restaurant you find yourself.
I found the food and service to be great. I would say the food is on par with Holland America, though the service wasn’t as polished.
Additional, there is Blu on Deck 5 which is reserved for AquaClass guests, and Luminae on Deck 12 which is reserved for guests in The Retreat.
Casino
The smokeless casino is located at mid-ship on Deck 4. The casino is very large for a ship of this size. There are many slot machines, video poker machines, and table games. The blackjack minimums start at $10. Drinks are free while playing in the casino (no drink package needed), which is not true of other lines I have sailed with.
Oceanview Café (Buffet)
The Oceanview Café buffet is on Deck 14 aft. I only ate there twice (lunch on embarkation day and breakfast on disembarkation day). There were plenty of stations with various options as well as a pizza spot at the very back.
Il Secondo Bacio, a second coffee shop and bar, is located in the buffet area. Across from the coffee counter is the ice cream station for the buffet where you can get complimentary scoops or soft serve.
Resort Deck
The public spaces on Decks 14-16 is known as the Resort Deck. This includes the pools, hot tubs, jogging track, and rooftop garden.
The large pool is at the center of Deck 14. On our Alaska sailing, it was never a problem finding chairs.
Perched above the pool are two hot tubs along the multi-level jogging track.
There is a bar at one end of the pool as well as the Mast Grill, a burger and hot dog counter.
Just beyond the pool at Deck 14 forward is the Solarium. This covered space has the adults only pool and hot tub (though on the cooler weather cruise, kids are allowed from 5-7pm).
The spa is located just off the Solarium. The Spa Café and Juice Bar offers healthier snacks throughout the day as well as fresh juice and smoothies (for an additional charge)
At the aft of Deck 15 you will find the Rooftop Garden and Sunset Bar. The Rooftop Garden is an open space with art and plantings, though during my sailing all the plants had been removed for refurbishment.
There is space to sit, a large video screen, and an open space where they have activities at various times in the day.
Also in the Rooftop Garden is the Rooftop Garden Grill, a specialty dining option. During my sailing, I never saw a single person eating there. Maybe it does better in the evening on warm weather cruises; though we had 80 degree days in Alaska and no one ever ate there.
The they very back of the ship on Deck 15 is the Sunset Bar with views over the wake.
Gym
The Fitness Center is located at forward Deck 15. It is the only freely accessible area with views over the bow.
The Retreat
The Retreat area is reserved for guests in suites and occupies the front section of Deck 16. There is a separate pool, hot tub, and views of the bow. You must have a Retreat coded key to enter this area.
Additional Notes
There is a lot of whimsical art throughout the ship. In addition to some in the photos above, I enjoyed this piece on Deck 3 near Tuscan.
With a few exceptions, the design is more of a modern luxury resort than of a ship. Many of the public spaces reminded me of the Aria in Las Vegas. That isn’t a bad thing at all, but if you are looking for a more “classic” ship experience, you might want to check out Holland America, Cunard, or the Disney Magic.
You won’t find a wrap around promenade on the Edge class ships. There are areas on Deck 5 where you can go outside, but you won’t be able to walk a lap.
I also found it strange that there are only two elevator banks on the ship. Most other ships I’ve sailed on have three elevator banks. This is the largest ship I’ve sailed on, yet had the least amount of elevator locations. This led to crowding in the elevator lobby, in the elevators themselves, and long waits during my sold out cruise.
The biggest controversy of the Edge class ship is the Infinite Verandas. You can read my thoughts on these revolutionary rooms here.
Overall I really enjoyed sailing on the Celebrity Edge. It is elegant and modern. It is not particularly geared towards kids (though there is a kids club and teen center). It is my favorite ship that I have sailed on so far out of nine cruises. You can check out more of my thoughts on the good and bad of the actual cruise here.
Have you sailed on an Edge class ship? Share your experience or questions below.
