20 Things You Must Do on Your Next Celebrity Cruises Edge class Cruise!

If you’re planning to take a cruise on an Edge class cruise ship, then it’s important to remember that these ships are really different to most others out there. There are venues and activities onboard that you’re not going to find on other cruise ships, and it’s for this reason that it’s important that you plan what you want to do onboard before you even head to the port.

In this post, I’m going to share with you 20 things that you really should plan to do onboard, based on my recent experience of my cruise in the Mediterranean.

Before we start, what is an Edge class cruise ship? This one’s simple - at the point of writing this post, this is the newest type of cruise ship from Celebrity Cruises. The specific ships in this class are Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Beyond, Celebrity Ascent and Celebrity Xcel.

If you enjoy this post, or find it useful, then please support my site by sharing it with your friends or travel companions! You can also support me by subscribing to my YouTube channel - just click here to go there now, or search ‘Fraser at Sea’ on YouTube.

Edge class cruise ships are very different to their older fleet-mates, but this post will help you plan what to do onboard!

1. Try all 4 of the ‘Main Dining Room’-style ‘Included’ restaurants during your cruise.

On most cruise ships, you’ll have the option to dine at the buffet or the Main Dining Room each evening of your cruise, and both will be included in your cruise fare. On an Edge class cruise ship, it’s a little different.

Instead of a traditional ‘Main Dining Room’, there are 4 individual restaurants: Normandie, Cosmopolitan, Tuscan and Cyprus. Each of these restaurants is visually different and has a slightly different theme, but don’t worry - they share a common menu for the most part. Each restaurant offers a small selection of menu items that are offered specifically to that venue, but most items are found on a menu that’s shared across them all.

In my experience, the waiting staff in the restaurants will be more than happy to bring you an item from another restaurant if requested. For example, if you’re travelling party don’t want to dine at Tuscan, don’t worry - you can still order a Tuscan-bespoke menu item to another restaurant - just speak to the waiting team, who will be happy to help.

Here’s the four restaurant venues onboard - which would be your favourite?

Cyprus is the Mediterranean influnced restaurant onboard the Edge class cruise ships.

Tuscan is the Italian influnced restaurant onboard the Edge class cruise ships.

Normandie is the French influnced restaurant onboard the Edge class cruise ships.

Cosmopolitan offers a more universal menu, with items from a more ‘international’ menu.

2. Go to the production shows in the Theatre while you’re on your Edge class cruise.

If you’re anything like me, you might love the fact that going on a cruise means that you can enjoy ‘dinner and a show’ every night, if you like. If you’re a fan of theatre shows, then be sure to go along to these on your Edge class cruise - they’re like nothing I’ve ever seen on a cruise ship before.

The massive LED screen turns every show into an immersive experience.

The venue itself is incredible - the theatre on this class of ship has a huge LED screen, with elements that then wrap around the audience. There’s then a remarkable lighting and special effects set up (I won’t tell you to much here, because I don’t want to give it away!) that accompanies the performances.

The production team shows are the ones that you want to pay particular attention to - these will usually run 2-3 times during a 7-night cruise. There will usually be two shows each evening - one around 7.30pm and another around 9.30pm, so you’ll have plenty of time to also enjoy your evening meal on these nights.

There isn’t really a ‘bad seat’ in here, thanks to the fact it’s designed totally differently to a more traditional theatre. Every seat will offer you a slightly different experience, so why not try a few different views throughout your cruise?

Aerial artists, a huge LED screen that moves throughout the production and spectacular special effects: welcome to the Theatre!

3. Go to a Martini Show in the Grand Plaza.

The Grand Plaza is a huge venue that spans across decks 3, 4 and 5. In the centre of the plaza, you’ll find a huge chandelier, which sits proudly above one of the most popular bars on the ship: the Martini Bar.

There’s always something happening at the Martini Bar, one of the hubs of nightlife onboard an Edge class cruise ship.

The Martini Bar is open most of the day, and well into the evening. Here, you can order some drinks that you’re not able to order elsewhere onboard, and you can also experience some entertainment that you won’t see anywhere else.

You’ll find the Martini shows in your daily schedule, which should be delivered to your cabin, or it’ll be available on your Celebrity Cruises mobile app. This is the bartender’s opportunity to show what they’re made of, and be prepared with your camera to catch those drinks flying in the air. If you’re there early enough, you might want to try and secure a ‘front row view’ by sitting at the bar. Not only will this give you one of the best views possible, but you’ll probably also secure yourself a free drink at the end of the show - the team usually offer the drinks that they’ve made during the show to passengers sitting nearby.

So, what are you waiting for? Go and order your favourite drink from the bar and wait for the show to start!

4. Try a Martini from the Martini Bar during your cruise!

We’ve covered the shows, but what about the drinks themselves? The drinks menu at this bar is really impressive - at the point of my most recent Celebrity cruise, there were 18 different martini’s for you to choose from! I know, that’s a lot of taste-testing for research purposes, isn’t it?!

If you’re not a huge martini fan, or if you’re not sure what ‘flavour’ would be your tipple of choice, then you could opt to try a martini flight. A flight at this bar will cost you $40 and it’ll get you six drinks. Yes, the flight will be offering you smaller sizes, but with each martini coming at a cost of around $19USD, it seems like pretty good value to me!

Make time to sample the drinks across the menu at the Martini Bar - they’re well worth a try!

There are so many different variants to choose from - I’m confident you’ll find something to peak your interest…!

My ‘top tip’ for this bar is to think carefully about when you plan to go to enjoy a drink or two. The Grand Plaza is the venue for events like the silent disco, and it’ll be BUSY during this period. If you’d rather relax in peace and quiet with your drink(s), then you’ll want to check your daily schedule to be sure that you’re not planning to go down there at the same time as thousands of your fellow cruisers!

5. Spend some time on the Magic Carpet during your cruise, both while the ship is docked in port and also when it’s out ‘at sea’!

Before taking my first Edge class cruise, I was really intrigued by the Magic Carpet. I had one huge negative in my mind - that it was going to cost me extra to spend time out there.

I was delighted after I boarded the ship to realise that, most of the time, the Magic Carpet is open for passengers to use at no additional cost. There are a couple of evenings during each cruise where this venue is used as an outdoor dining space, and at this time it does come with a cover charge. However, most of the time, it’s completely free!

The Magic Carpet is a huge platform that moves up and down the side of the ship, and you’ll find it in a number of different locations during your cruise. It’ll be a tender platform whilst down on Deck 2, an alfresco restaurant on Deck 5, an extension to the pool area on Deck 14, and a unique dining venue up on Deck 16. The times of it moving will be clearly advertised each day once you’re onboard.

The reason why I recommend you spend time out here both when the ship’s docked and also when it’s out ‘at sea’ is because of the completely different perspectives that it offers you.

The Magic Carpet offers you some stunning views of the port while the ship is docked!

Sitting on the Magic Carpet while the ship is docked allows you to really ‘enter’ your port of call, without even leaving the ship. You feel as though you’re leaving the open decks of the ship behind, largely due to the incredible panoramic views of the port that you get from standing out on the Magic Carpet.

When the ship’s ‘at sea’, you’ve got some absolutely stunning views down either direction on this side of the ship, and also out toward the horizon - it really does need to be seen to be believed.

The views from the Magic Carpet while the ship is sailing really are incredible!

6. Order a ‘Magic Spritz’ on your next cruise!

Did you know - there’s a drink that you can order on the Magic Carpet that isn’t available from any other bar onboard? It contains Aperol, Campari and Prosecco, and it’s one of the most refreshing drinks I’ve ever tasted.

Yes - you guessed it - it’s bright orange!

Go on - order a ‘Magic Spritz’ on your next cruise and give it a try!

7. Enjoy brunch at the Eden Cafe.

You’ve heard of ‘Eden’ on an Edge class cruise ship, but have you heard of the Eden Cafe? There’s a chance that you haven’t - there were so many people on my cruise that hadn’t heard about it when I spoke to them later in the cruise!

As you can see, it was almost as though passengers didn’t know about this venue during my cruise! This photo was taken at the height of lunch service on a sea day.

You’ll find this cafe within Eden, the huge multi-use venue at the back of the ship. Eden spans Decks 4, 5 and 6, but the Eden Cafe is on Deck 5. The cafe is open for breakfast and lunch, but it doesn’t serve a dinner menu. Therefore, if you visit Eden in the evening, you’d be forgiven for not even knowing that this place exists.

The food in here is fantastic - think healthy salads, snacks and made-to-order sandwiches, among other items.

There’s fresh and healthy snacks in abundance down at the Eden Cafe.

There’s seating both inside and outside here. Inside, you’ll be dining in Eden, making it a really unique spot to grab lunch. Outside, you’ll be enjoying your food while listening to the ocean waves lapping up against the side of the ship, thanks to the quiet location of this cafe’s terrace.

I’d highly recommend this place, so be sure to add it to your ‘next cruise’ to do list!

8. Dine at the Oceanview Cafe, but outside of peak times!

There’s no denying it - the cruise ships in the Edge class of ships aren’t small. They carry thousands of passengers, and if all of those passengers chose to head to the buffet at the same time, then good luck to you.

The Oceanview Cafe (the onboard buffet) is a stunning venue on this class of ship - it’s got high vaulted ceilings, loads of different seating options and floor-to-ceiling windows offering you some glorious views outward.

The Oceanview Cafe offers some absolutely stunning views while you relax with your meal!

The Oceanview Cafe is open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks, dinner, late night snacks, and just about everything else in between. In other words, you’re not going to be left without food on your next cruise on one of these ships!

The Oceanview Cafe got a massive thumbs up from me - especially the salad station, which made a Caesar salad inside a cheese wheel! However, it’s really important that you figure out when it’s going to be at its’ busiest, and avoid those times! If you go early, or go later, you’ll probably secure a much quieter venue - believe me, it’s worth missing the crowds!

The presentation at the Oceanview Cafe is something to see with your own eyes, especially early in the meal service!

9. Try a speciality cocktail at the World Class Bar.

You can find the World Class Bar on Deck 5 of the ship, on the upper level of the Grand Plaza that I told you about earlier in this post. Here, you’ve got a menu full of drinks that you won’t be able to get elsewhere on the ship due to their specialist nature.

Ordering a drink from this bar really is an experience in itself, and it’s something that I’d really recommend doing during your cruise. Even if you don’t drink alcohol - they have a really unique range of mocktails to order here, too!

If you’re looking for my drink recommendation from this bar, it would have to be the ‘Highlander’ (of course it would - I’m from Scotland, after all!). This is a whisky-based cocktail that has a sprig of smoking Rosemary hanging out of the glass, and it’s such a unique taste that I’ve never experienced before in any cocktail!

Ready to try something different? Head to the World Class Bar on Deck 5!

Drinks aside, the location of this bar gives you some of the best people-watching views available onboard. From up here, you’re able to look down over all of the venues around the Grand Plaza, so what better place to make yourself comfortable for a while during your cruise?

With views like this, who could refuse the offer of spending some time here?!

10. Enjoy Coffee and Cake from Cafe al Bacio throughout your cruise!

If you’re new to Celebrity Cruises, then Cafe al Bacio is the speciality coffee shop that you’ll find across the fleet. Here, you can order your favourite coffee that you’d enjoy at your chosen coffee shop on land, and you can also sample the many cakes on offer.

Coffee from this venue isn’t included in your basic cruise fare (if you’d like free coffee, just head to the Oceanview Cafe, where you’ll find large dispensers), but the cake doesn’t come with an additional charge. Result!

I couldn’t believe the quality of the snacks on offer here. In the morning, you’re also able to get fresh pastries that you can’t get from the dining venues, and yes - they’re well worth trying, especially if you like Nutella…!!

Cafe al Bacio offers a beautiful space to sink into an armchair with a coffee and a cake - what more could you need?!

You can order your coffee ‘to go’ from Cafe al Bacio, allowing you to continue exploring and experiencing the ship with your caffeine fix in hand!

Did someone say CAKE? The cake selection at Cafe al Bacio is fantastic!

11. Use the Jogging Track on the Top Decks!

Don’t worry - I’m not going to preach about a fitness regime when you cruise. It’s for some people, and isn’t for others, but this is also a fantastic place to simply go for a walk and soak in your surroundings. The track is split into two ‘lanes’ - one for those who are jogging/running, and another for those who are walking, so don’t worry about getting in the way of any runners who are moving faster than you when you’re out for a walk!

The Jogging Track on the top deck allows you to get some exercise in the fresh air outside!

You can find the jogging track on an Edge class cruise ship up on the top deck. It’s been very cleverly designed, and it’s completely different to the tracks that you’ll find on other cruise ships! The biggest difference is that the jogging track on these ships features both ‘uphill’ and ‘downhill’ sections, offering you more variety in your workout than the simple ‘run in a circle’ tracks that you might be used to elsewhere.

Thinking about distance, 3 laps of the track equates to 1km and 5 laps equates to 1 mile, so you actually don’t have to do too many laps to build up a good distance.

12. Make sure you’re enrolled to the Captain’s Club loyalty programme before your cruise!

If you haven’t cruised with Celebrity Cruises before, then this one’s for you. For each night that you spend onboard a Celebrity Cruises ship, you’ll build up loyalty points, which then allow you to build a loyalty status with the cruise line. If you’re cruising in a suite, then you can expect to build more points per night than someone cruising in a ‘standard’ stateroom.

It’s free to sign up to the loyalty programme, so what are you waiting for? Click here to learn more.

13. Get to know the crew!

All of the crew on a Celebrity Cruises ship will wear a name badge that displays where they’re from. Why not make the effort to get to know the crew a little better? Perhaps they’re from a country that you’ve visited before, or maybe a country that is on your bucket list.

In my experience, you can make some great connections simply by showing an interest.

I’m always so plesantly surprised when I go on cruises to meet crew members who I’ve interacted with previously on other ships. Who knows - you might just make a connection with your new favourite crew member!

14. Go to the Pride Party at Sea!

One aspect of Celebrity Cruises that I really admire is their approach to inclusivity. If you’re cruising on one of their ships during Pride month, then you can expect to see the Pride flag proudly flying on the top of the ship.

On every Edge class cruise, you’ll find a Pride Party taking place on one of the nights. On my recent cruise on Celebrity Ascent, the space dedicated to this was the Rooftop Garden, which was turned into an open air disco party for a couple of hours.

It was great to see people relaxing and having a great time outside, and simply enjoying each others’ company. Note: you don’t need to be part of the LGBTQIA+ community to take part in this event - the more the merrier! Simply head to the venue for the party and have a great time - you might also want to pack your dancing shoes…!!

15. Go for a swim in one of the longest swimming pools at sea!

I’ve been on cruise ships with swimming pools that are impossible to swim a length in due to their size (I won’t ‘name and shame’ them here). This simply isn’t the case on an Edge class ship - I couldn’t believe the size of the swimming pool on here!

Now, remember that this is the main swimming pool that’s shared by the whole ship. In other words, during peak times, it’s going to be BUSY out here. During peak times, you should expect it to be more of a ‘stand in and hang out’ pool…

However, if you go for a swim outside of the busy periods, then you can expect to find a lovely peaceful pool that’s ready for you to swim your morning or evening lengths in.

LOOK at the size of this swimming pool - can you believe this is on a cruise ship?!

This isn’t the only swimming pool onboard these ships - there’s another next door within the Solarium complex. The Solarium pool and area is adults only though, and it’s more of a ‘relaxation pool’, rather than one that people would actively swim in.

The Solarium Pool is next door to the main Pool deck, but it’s not suitable for lap swimming.

16. Go for an ‘Art Walk’!

There is art absolutely everywhere on these cruise ships: it’s hanging from the walls, it’s attached to the ceilings, and it’s even built into some of the floors! In one example, there’s an entire corridor that’s been transformed into an art installation - it’s incredible!

My advice is to start from the bottom of the ship and work your way up, snaking up and down each deck. That said, perhaps you’d rather start from the top down, and that way you won’t have to climb any stairs.

If you’re into your art, you’re going to be right ‘at home’ on this ship - it’s fascinating to see! One piece that’s worth checking out can be found spread across 4 digital screens beside Guest Services - it’s an immersive art piece that’s absolutely mesmerising, as it constantly changes as all of the pieces move constantly!

This corridor had been completely transformed into a modern art installation on Celebrity Ascent - incredible, isn’t it?

If you’re travelling with kids, then maybe you could play a game with this - why not choose some pieces of art to include in a Scavenger Hunt that family members have to find the quickest? Good luck!

17. Enjoy ice creams at ‘Scoops’ on Deck 14 - it’s FREE!

At the start of my cruise, I spotted ‘Scoops’ while having lunch at the Oceanview Cafe (the onboard buffet), and I assumed it came with an additional charge. For that reason, I then avoided it for a couple of days until I really craved one.

After a couple of days, I gave in to temptation and opted for ice cream, and I was so surprised to see that both soft serve and scoops of ice cream were totally free of charge!

Yes, this discovery did lead to numerous more visits throughout the cruise, but that’s stood me in good stead to recommend it to you. If you’re an ice cream fan, then be sure to go up here during your cruise - it won’t cost you a penny, or a cent, extra!

The soft serve available at Scoops was SO tasty. Go on, give it a try…!

18. Go to the Captian’s Welcome during your cruise!

Towards the start of each cruise, there will be a special ‘Captain’s Welcome’ event in the main theatre. This is where the Captain themselves will take to the stage to welcome all of the passengers onboard.

They’ll also share more about themselves, which is really interesting. It’s great to see a cruise line actively trying to make the Captains appear more ‘human’, and therefore more approachable. Our Captain even explained that he loves a selfie, and encouraged passengers to approach him if they saw him around the ship, which I thought was a really nice and welcome touch.

You’ll find the Captain’s Welcome in your Daily Schedule, but it’ll probably be just before each of the evening shows in the main theatre on the second night of the cruise.

You’ll be able to learn more about your Captain, and their Senior Officers, at the ‘Captain’s Welcome’ event.

19. Find the most photogenic spots onboard, and get your picture taken there to remember your cruise!

I find this class of cruise ship to be incredibly photogenic - the design team have done an amazing job of making this ship easy on the eye. There are photo opportunities everywhere: from the Grand Plaza to the Spa, you’ll find plenty of places to have your next social media post taken. Even if you’re not a social media fan, find your perfect spot to send your friends back home a photo - just to show off where you are this week…!

Here’s a few of my favourite spots onboard - take a note for your next cruise…

The top decks on these ships are just so photogenic, with photo opportunities everywhere you look!

You'll find this seating area within the Spa - isn’t it the perfect spot for a photo?

Here’s Le Voyage, one of the speciality restaurants. Beautiful, right? Imagine yourself posing holding your favourite cocktail in here, before tucking into your evening meal.

20. Watch a Ship Tour of an Edge class cruise ship before you head to the ship!

As I mentioned at the very start of this post, this class of ship is different to most others out there. For that reason, you’ll find things like ship tours will be so valuable to help you familiarise yourself with the ship before you even get onboard.

You’ll find my full ship tour of Celebrity Ascent below. Remember - this tour will also give a good idea of what the onboard experience is like for the other ships in this class, too.

If you enjoyed this post, then I’ve got lots more to show you - just head to the drop down menus at the top of the page to explore more!