We sailed on the Edge from Vancouver, BC, to Honolulu, Hawaii, starting embarkation on September 18, 2026, as a first step in our 50th Anniversary celebration. This was our third cruise to Hawaii leaving from either Seattle or Vancouver. Prior cruises included port calls at the Big Island, Maui, and Kauai. The Edge cruise itinerary included only stops at Hilo and Kailua-Kona on the Big Island before Honolulu. On day six, the captain abandoned the itinerary because Hurricane Nolo chased us out to sea. The ship stayed in deep water about 350 miles north of Hawaii for two extra nights before sailing to Honolulu for our scheduled disembarking on September 28.
She is a modern, well-designed, and attractive, hosting 3,000 passengers supported by 1,300 well-trained and efficient staff. The food was excellent, served in four main dining rooms with different menus and several specialty restaurant options.
The entertainment was among the best we have enjoyed on cruise ships and other venues. The crew made every effort to keep the ship clean and organized. The disembarkation experience was well done without making the exiting passengers feel pushed out the gangway door.
My main complaint is that Celebrity has used Edge (and maybe Edge Class ships) to create a class system that goes beyond stateroom location and amenities, which is common among cruise lines. Unless you pay for “The Retreat” staterooms, you are mere proletariat on this ship. Retreat has its own restaurant, pool, hot tub, bar, and lounge area, all strategically located on the top two forward decks. A special area in the Edge Theatre is set aside for Retreat guests.
One of the things we have enjoyed about leaving from Vancouver to Hawaii is cruising west from Canada Place under Lions Gate Bridge into the sunset from a forward lounge, sipping a glass of wine. The same experience happens when leaving from Seattle, cruising west out of Puget Sound to the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula. Not on the Edge. That viewing experience is reserved for the Retreat guests. On the other end, I’ve enjoyed getting up at dawn upon arrival in Honolulu, watching the ship slowly slip into the Port of Honolulu, meeting a pilot boat to take on a harbor pilot, then watching tugboats escort us to a dock area. You can watch from the sides of the ship, but not from the front. One can only hope Celebrity isn’t setting a cast-system trend for future cruising.
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