Celebrity Edge

By "Commodore" Camille Pepe Sperrazza

The Celebrity Edge is a gorgeous, ultra-modern ship with great food and Celebrity's excellent service. Everything about my Presidents' Week 2019 sailing is picture-perfect, including the weather.

There are two important things to know about the design of the ship to avoid some minor disappointment - the first is that the "new" balconies are more like windows than traditional balconies. Press a button, and the window comes down from the top, letting in the ocean breeze. But you won't feel the air from the sides as you are still secure inside your room. The advantage, of course, is a stateroom with more space as you are not stepping out on to a balcony. Instead, two very cozy chairs face the huge wall-sized window, providing a view that looks forward. Love it for the extra living space or hate it because it isn't a traditional balcony - the choice is yours.

The second potential flaw is that many of the balcony staterooms, including the top concierge cabins, have obstructed views when looking out the window to the sides and above. This is particularly true on the starboard side, where The Magic Carpet (a mobile platform) makes its way up and down the ship. Celebrity doesn't consider these rooms "obstructed" because the forward view is not impacted - but cabins are being reclassified as we sail.

Having purchased the 5-night specialty dining package, we are on a culinary journey.

The results:

My favorite is Le Petit Chef because it offers the most interactive fun along with good food. Dinner at this venue is an animated production. Each animated figure prepares a different course, and this is projected on to the diner's dinner plate. When the cartoon character finishes cooking, the wait staff presents the actual dish atop of the animated version, making every effort to time their arrival with the cartoon’s finish. At the end of the meal, diners vote for the "best chef." The one who created the truffle ravioli gets my vote - and he is declared the overall winner.

Most overrated:

Eden - Food is unique, and it is all about presentation at this venue designed to look like the Garden of Eden, where characters roam in costume. The open kitchen allows one to watch the chefs prepare various courses on a set menu. The best part is a chocolate dessert.

Artwork aboard the ship is stunning, including one of vibrant blue dripping paint. Don’t miss it.

For more information or to book a trip, contact "Commodore" Camille today.

This article was accurate when it was written, but everything in life changes. Enjoy the journey!