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LIVEish, 7 Days on Celebrity Edge (aka 3343) (4/14/2019 or 14/4/2019 better yet April 14, 2019)


CGTLH

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One advantage of The Retreat Sundeck is lunch is served. However the suite restaurant, Luminae, isn't open on port days.

Luminae Signature Burger

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Marinated Chicken Sandwich

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Will added the burger served in Luminae is completely different. Much thicker patty and seemed to be hand formed, tempted to say the one up in The Retreat is the same one as used in Mast Grill.

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24 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Buffet style?  Or sit down restaurant?

Sitdown, the photo posted where the bar is seen has some tables and chairs. Not sure, but it might be available no matter where you are up in The Retreat.

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I'm sitting here writing up this post with what I have to say is the most motion I've felt so far this cruise. The funny thing, we are tied up in Costa Maya.

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Also have a neighbor for the day

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I'll power on with showing off some of the photos taken the other day.

Rooftop Garden area

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Also said "Hi" to our neighbor Brilliance

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Also a day and night shot of the main pool/resort deck. Tonight also happened to the The White Party

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Finally the design of the Main Theater isn't the classic proscenium style stage with an apron, rather it is a thrust stage. Performance tonight was comedian Billy Garan.

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Dinner last night was at Raw on 5, an a la carte restaurant. Just like Izumi on Royal using, the dining package provided a credit for $35 a person.

For once I actually have a picture of the venue.

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As with Fine Cut it is located just of the Main Plaza, so once again noise can be a factor. Tonight it didn't seem as bad versus the previous night a Fine Cut.

Starting off the meal I was given a nice view of the sunsetting in Cozumel

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First round...

Truffled Albacore Tuna ($9): Sriracha, white truffle oil, ponzu

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Shrimp Tempura ($10): Avocado, cucumber, pickled burdock, shrimp tempura, spicy mayo, sweet soy

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Next round...

Alaskan California ($10): Snow crab, avocado, cucumber, roasted sesame seeds

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Spicy Tuna ($9): Sesame, soy

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Assorted Sashimi ($8): Tuna, yellowtail, salmon, sea bass

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Main dishes...

Seared Filet Mignon Medallions ($16): Asparagus, mushrooms, scallions, garlic butter

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Spicy Shrimp Stir Fry ($10): Bok choy, peppers (omitted by request), sweet soy glaze

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For dessert

Yuzu Sorbet ($4)

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Overall it was different than the Izumi fare. Guess you can say it was missing the Chef Travis touch with all the eclectic rolls. 

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35 minutes ago, CGTLH said:

Dinner last night was at Raw on 5, an a la carte restaurant. Just like Izumi on Royal using, the dining package provided a credit for $35 a person.

...

Overall it was different than the Izumi fare. Guess you can say it was missing the Chef Travis touch with all the eclectic rolls. 

It looks and sounds quite nice but your last comment suggests the experience wasn't as good as Izumi.  Is that a fair statement?

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26 minutes ago, twangster said:

It looks and sounds quite nice but your last comment suggests the experience wasn't as good as Izumi.  Is that a fair statement?

All comes down to what you're after. I couldn't find any faults with my meal. I really enjoyed the Truffled Tuna, might say a little bit more than the Tuna Wasabi.

All the Izumi comment was implying is don't go in looking for say the Champagne Lobster wrap.

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4 minutes ago, Jedi Jason said:

I would love a photo of the bar at the aft of the ship.  It was one of my favorites.  I think it was the sunset bar.  You can watch the wake from the ship as your are sailing along and it's just around the corner from the rooftop garden.

Ask and ye shall receive 

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Time to go over some of the dining venues I've visited.

First off is Lumine

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This is located on deck 12, port side forward. This is the speciality restaurant for suite guests. By default when booking you are placed in what is called Celebrity Select dining, this is due to the exclusive use of this venue. If you want to bring in non-suite guests a fee will apply. At the same time if you wish to dine is any of the other venues you may do so by making a reservation.

Next up is Eden Restaurant

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When entering Eden you'll find Eden Cafe to the left. Eden Cafe is open for lunch everyday and on sea days breakfast. In Eden Cafe you'll find sandwiches pressed to order, made to order salads, and a sandwich made with fresh carved meat.

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You can also find complementary beverages and made to order espresso drinks. Plus for a sweet tooth fix, complementary baked goodies. 

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Our final stop for this journey is Fine Cut Steakhouse

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Fine Cut also features a semi-private dining room as well, keep in mind this is just left of the entrance.

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I'll give the bar staff at il Secondo Biaco (bar inside of Oceanview Cafe). Requested a drink that they were out of. Currently they are on a man hunt for it. Don't know if it is due to being a member of "The Retreat" or just flat out the level of service they are willing to provide.

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22 hours ago, CGTLH said:

Dinner last night was at Raw on 5, an a la carte restaurant. Just like Izumi on Royal using, the dining package provided a credit for $35 a person.

For once I actually have a picture of the venue.

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As with Fine Cut it is located just of the Main Plaza, so once again noise can be a factor. Tonight it didn't seem as bad versus the previous night a Fine Cut.

Starting off the meal I was given a nice view of the sunsetting in Cozumel

20190418-20190418_190604.thumb.jpg.56087a33636f757c889a24574f22cf43.jpg

First round...

Truffled Albacore Tuna ($9): Sriracha, white truffle oil, ponzu

20190418-20190418_190800.thumb.jpg.e2266d323712443bbc7d618b8931687f.jpg

Shrimp Tempura ($10): Avocado, cucumber, pickled burdock, shrimp tempura, spicy mayo, sweet soy

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Next round...

Alaskan California ($10): Snow crab, avocado, cucumber, roasted sesame seeds

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Spicy Tuna ($9): Sesame, soy

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Assorted Sashimi ($8): Tuna, yellowtail, salmon, sea bass

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Main dishes...

Seared Filet Mignon Medallions ($16): Asparagus, mushrooms, scallions, garlic butter

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Spicy Shrimp Stir Fry ($10): Bok choy, peppers (omitted by request), sweet soy glaze

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For dessert

Yuzu Sorbet ($4)

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Overall it was different than the Izumi fare. Guess you can say it was missing the Chef Travis touch with all the eclectic rolls. 

Is there anyway you would have time to go back and get a quick pic of the menu? I am going on this with my family for New Years Eve cruise and I want them to see the Menu so that this could be one of the places we go.. I saw a menu online but it didn't have the filet or spicy shrimp stir fry so I was hoping to get the menu you had.. Thanks 

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11 hours ago, AGSLC5 said:

Is there anyway you would have time to go back and get a quick pic of the menu? I am going on this with my family for New Years Eve cruise and I want them to see the Menu so that this could be one of the places we go.. I saw a menu online but it didn't have the filet or spicy shrimp stir fry so I was hoping to get the menu you had.. Thanks 

Haven't forgotten about this request, been a busy last day.

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12 hours ago, AGSLC5 said:

Is there anyway you would have time to go back and get a quick pic of the menu? I am going on this with my family for New Years Eve cruise and I want them to see the Menu so that this could be one of the places we go.. I saw a menu online but it didn't have the filet or spicy shrimp stir fry so I was hoping to get the menu you had.. Thanks 

Sorry again for the delay, hope they came out clear.

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Ain't tequila, but it is one of the last drinks served at the Casino Bar. #notjustsoda

Still, 1:42 am and the Casino is closed with the bar cleaning up...

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Wanted to add, by 2 am the ship was pretty much shutdown. The Club, empty; Casino, sealed off; Oceanview Cafe, complementary beverages only. In contrast, some of my previous Royal sailings still had something going on celebrating the last few hours of the sailing. One highlight is one of the drink fridges in The Retreat Lounge was still available.

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If you don't mind decaf espresso/coffee the machine was still available (machine uses pods, only decaf was out) or a selection of teas (one of the brands is Tea Forte,  I've kinda grown addicted to the Raspberry Nectar variety)

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Thank you for this wonderful blog. I am living for a ride on the Edge. The food pictures are awesome. Now the best was the red velvet cake. When SWA cancelled my flight, I needed a couple of slices. I am glad you had a fantastic cruise. How was the casino?

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Disembarkation thoughts... Toss up between Terminal A and Terminal 25, edge might be towards T25. Both use the facial recognition system, however luggage pickup is after the scan. So at that point it is grab bag and head towards the exit. Still the disembarkation off the ship was fairly painless just a bit after 9am. Also the private vehicle pickup wasn't that bad. Big challenge is trying to find a spot to pull in.

Pricing: Lyft to Miami airport $38, time 40 minutes.

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Thanks for the excellent live blog.  I especially enjoyed the food pictures and menus of the specialty dining.  I have been on only one Celebrity cruise but it was on the Edge.  I had an onboard credit so we tried the French restaurant for Lunch and the garden grill for a Lunch.  We managed to try three different main dining rooms for dinner on our 3 night preview cruise.  I might have to consider a suite next time on Edge or one of its sister ships that will be arriving in the future.  I was in an infinite verandah on my Edge cruise.  My wife and I are booked in a balcony in  concierge class on the Equinox post refurbishment.  It was only $100 more than regular non obstructed balcony.

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Some post cruise thoughts...

Edge is a very sleek and modern ship (yeah yeah #modernluxury). No point did the ship feel like it was crowded, maybe at the end of a show. It also didn't seem like it was that much a late night ship. Casino was usually the latest place open, not sure about The Club. Know most times late night when I passed by it didn't seem like it was open.

Outside of room service no other food options were available past 1 am. However they did have a 24 hour beverage station in Oceanview Cafe.

Only major problem I felt was the lack of bars. Can't vouch for Resort deck or Solarium service, but the roaming waiters were plentiful and quick. Other problem was lack of shade at the outside bars. Sunset Bar, unless the ship happened be sailing towards the sun you were getting toasty. Felt shaded areas were in general a bit lacking. Even up on The Retreat sundeck there were only a few spot that were fully shaded. Looping back to the bar discussion. I felt there were really only three main spots, four if you included The Retreat Lounge. One of those I'm not 100% if the were completely full service. On deck 5 you have Cafe al Bacio, at first glance it is primarily a coffee bar with spirits and complimentary snacks. Deck 4 introduces the Casino bar. Then finally on deck 3 the Martini Bar. Other bars include Sunset bar 15 aft, pool bar 14 midship also on 14 was the bar in Oceanview Cafe, the the Magic Carpet that could be on either deck 5, 14, or 16 at any given time.

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Time to play dinner catch up, I'll be covering Friday and Saturday. Due to dining in Lumane and Blu I didn't go wild on the picture taking. In Fact I kinda forgot about taking pictures altogether at Blu except for the entree.

Friday night was the second Chiq Night of the cruise, also the traditional lobster night.

Forgot to take a picture of what would have been my appetizer, so I'm not going to bore with any details.

First Entree (or second appetizer in my opinion) were the Seared Scallops.

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To the order is four scallops, after eating the first one started remembering to take pictures...

Second Entree, Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb

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The person I was dining with ask for a lobster tail and the 4oz filet (the filet could be found on the kids menu). I did sample a bite of the tail and it was cooked just right. Texture wasn't that of chewing rubber bands and had a slight roasted flavor. Overall saltiness was overpowering. I'm not sure if it was the butter poached version from the menu or steamed/roasted tail removed from the shell prior to plating.

Between the main course and dessert a Chef's taste was brought out.  

It was orange or tangerine segments in some type of syrup. I'm not really recalling the flavor profile off the top of my head.

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This also occurred before appetizers were brought out. In that case it was some type of chicken liver mousse.

Dessert time!

First dessert sampling was the Chocolate Bar served with peanut butter gelato

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Yes, a small bite was taken before the picture was taken.

Next dessert was the Luminae Baked Alaska. Presentation of it was phenomenal, was not expecting a meringue spiked cube.

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Digging in for a cross sample

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Now for the only picture I took in Blu at Saturday night's dinner. Only reason I did, in honor of @WAAAYTOOO's husband and his love of lamb shank.

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Taste is always a subjective topic. Luminae vs Coastal Kitchen, I might give a slight nudge towards Luminae. Still between to the two it was very close, menu similarities run very close between the two. Keep in mind I only dined twice in Luminae. Blu, I did feel Luminae was better. On a service level, I would say Luminae.

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Swear all I ever post about is food...

So it is now the depressing final day of the cruise. With it being a day at sea one goal was to finally visit Eden Cafe for breakfast with one goal in mind, a cinnamon roll.

Eden Cafe is tucked away inside of Eden in the back of the ship. During the day it has the stunning wake views that are reminiscent of 270 on the Quantum class. At night Eden all about performance, both acting and culinary. Still I'm here for breakfast...

You know your journey towards the back of deck 5 is complete once you pass thru the forest...

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and then spot the first Eden sign...

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once the second sign is spotted, just keep a careful eye out it might disappear on you, hang a left.

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The breakfast goal was finally insight, the Fresh Baked Cinnamon roll. 

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If I wanted the also had some breakfast sandwiches that would be heated/press to order. Also had some cold options such as Muesli, Yogurt parfait, fruit, or just plain yogurt. 

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Nope, I had one goal and was going to stick to it. Finally the warm baked goodie was on plate and in hand.

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After enjoying my cinnamon roll I took the time to browse the Eden area in the daylight.

Some views from deck 5

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Moving up to deck 6

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The primary way up to deck 6 is via a ramp. All along the ramp are little seating areas to be out of the way. At the time others were enjoying their privacy, so sorry no pictures of those areas.

After what might have been my final visit to Eden I was off towards the Main Theater for the Captain's Navigation Talk.

 

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10 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Me too!  I just need her to be in NA in the summer!

Yea she unfortunately moves to Europe for the summer.. I can't see that changing for a Long time. Celebrity seems to always put their newest ships in Europe for the summer.. 

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One of the nice things, at least on Edge, is they allow your carry on bags to be dropped off in the room upon boarding. None of this hallways closed off until 1 PM stuff. All doors were closed and locked so for the most part dropped off bags were secured.20190421_081436-1008x756.thumb.jpg.5843ffefc12b5f32566b0697d0b1d178.jpg

At this time I did bump into the stateroom attendant and he mentioned that just some final touch ups had to be completed and kindly asked not to linger around too long.

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