Luxury travel advisors Robyn and Murray Sinfield were recently on Celebrity Edge before she returned for the northern summer in Alaska. Read their impressions in this exclusive review for Karryon Luxury.
We recently took a cruise with Celebrity Edge, staying in ‘The Retreat’.
While weather prevented any excursions or the Magic Carpet – the world’s first cantilevered, floating platform that reaches heights of 13 stories above sea level – we found it the perfect getaway for a multi-generational cruise, or one to take with friends.
A suite life
Like all ships that have a ship within a ship, the Celebrity version ‘The Retreat’ is just as the word implies – a quiet and safe place, a period of seclusion with WOW factor and privacy.
It’s your holiday within your holiday, top-notch service designed to be all that and more, rivalling high-end resorts.
You can expect all the little extras: Priority check-in and escorted departure, dedicated retreat concierge and butler service, flexible dining options and reserved theatre seating.
Our suite was a Sky Suite, the lead-in to The Retreat in the middle of the ship (11170). It was light and spacious both inside the suite and on the deck (the deck is very private).
There was a good work space, well lit with a large, comfortable couch. A negative was the power source as it was only one side of the king-sized bed, and only small adaptors would fit in the space where the power source was on the desk.
We had plenty of water provided, a welcome bottle of Veuve Cliquot and fresh fruit.
The bathroom was well lit, with a separate makeup area, basin area and toilet. Bath towels are lux rather than the standard ship offerings of towels, but were not much bigger than the hand towel.
Wining and dining
Our favourite restaurant was Luminae, the exclusive, private restaurant for guests staying in The Retreat on Celebrity Edge-class ships.
Why? Within two meal sittings, the team knew our likes, our dislikes – the sommelier remembered our party of ten preferred drinks, and there was personalised attention.
The food was piping hot, the choice was great, and they handled our gluten-intolerant friend’s needs expertly. With just three nights onboard, we didn’t have time to try the 13 specialty restaurants, but we did try the steakhouse Fine Cut, which was excellent.
We then head from deck 12 to deck 15, our own private oasis, The Retreat Lounge, where small bites are available for breakfast and lunch and evening bites. It’s a quiet space open from 7am to 11pm, to read or watch the dolphins over your preferred cuppa.
There was excellent service in this warm and inviting space where from within you can ascend the stairs to The Retreat sundeck, where for this faded red head there was lots of sun protection, a private pool and nooks and crannies to enjoy the outside air on plush deck furniture which was ideal for our group chatter and for a nap!
Life onboard
The SEA Thermal Suite has eight distinct spaces: A hammam; crystalarium, salt room, steam room, sauna, infrared sauna, float room, rainfall water therapy room and heated tile lounges.
Currency onboard is USD, and there is shopping galore, including the signature Celebrity offering of the iLounge by Apple.
Chic bars, casino, theatre shows, and live music are all listed in the Celebrity Today newsletter delivered to the suite. Of course, they also have the X App by Celebrity.
Tips
- The Future Cruise Desk was busy, but there is the option to book a cruise onboard or just pay the AU$100 p/p non-refundable deposit to book a cruise within six months. Music to our ears when the guests were reminded that it would go straight back to their personal cruise advisor.
- This was cruise talk, a sampler cruise. It’s also a great little getaway from life. The ship returns in October, and this is a great time to go through your database and reach out to clients celebrating something special, common interest groups like wine lovers and those who don’t know if they would like a cruise.
For more information, visit Celebrity Cruises.
