Pre-Cruise Fort Lauderdale

Early Morning Chicago to Fort Lauderdale

Vacations should not be stressful, so we recommend flying to your embarkation port a day early.  We took our own advice and stayed at Hampton Inn near O'Hare last night, so that we could get to the airport for our early morning flight without hassle.

Staybridge Suites Fort Lauderdale Airport

We arrived in Fort Lauderdale around noon and headed to Staybridge Suites Fort Lauderdale Airport West.  Please be aware that there are two Staybridge Suites in Fort Lauderdale, so be sure to select this one if you are looking for a hotel near the airport and pier.  After checking in we arranged the shuttle to the pier for 10 AM and headed up to our room.

On Saturdays, the hotel serves breakfast only.  They have a pantry where you could by frozen foods to prepare in your room.  We decided to check what was near-by instead.

There was a brand-new Wendy's four blocks away and Happy Pappy's restaurant.  We picked up sub sandwiches and brought them back to the hotel for dinner and ate lunch at Wendy's.  This way we wouldn't have to go out again.

Also close by is the the brand new Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. We had an amazing view of it from our sixth floor hotel room window.

 Check out this video for an example of the Guitar Facade Light show

Tomorrow we will have breakfast at the hotel and then take the shuttle to the pier.   Be sure to follow us on our social media throughout the cruise.

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These Are My Favorite Edge Things

Counting Down ...

As the days get closer to embarkation day for our 7 night Western Caribbean sailing on Celebrity Edge,  we reflected on some of our favorite things from our first look at her last November, when we sailed on one of the 2 day Trade & Press Preview cruises.   It just wasn't enough time to really enjoy our favorites of course.  Here we are again getting ready to depart and the anticipation builds. It's time to start plotting what we don't want to miss on our cruise.

Pamper Yourself on Celebrity Edge

At the heart of The Spa on Celebrity Edge is the SEA Thermal Suite and its eight distinct spaces. Complimentary for all AquaClass guests, it’s a playground for the senses and an incredible place to relax before or after your treatments at The Spa. Guests in other cabin categories can purchase a one-day pass or length of cruise pass to the thermal suite, subject to availability.

 We don't have an AquaClass cabin, so the Spa will be one of our first stops once we are onboard, so that we can purchase the couples pass for the entire cruise. We loved spending some relaxation time there each day during the preview sailing.

Celebrity Edge Resort Deck

Another adults-only retreat is located in the Solarium on the Celebrity Edge Resort Deck. Celebrity ships are known for their covered pool area.   Relax in one of the water lounge chairs, soak away your aches and pains in the hot tub, or simply lounge on one of the chairs.

The Solarium features a three-dimensional art wall that represents the beautiful colors and movement of the ocean. It’s the perfect complement to the serene atmosphere.

Magic Carpet

There's no shortage of innovation on Celebrity Edge. The industry-first Magic Carpet^SM is both the best way to take in spectacular views and the most exciting place to be. By changing function and location, it provides an incredible array of visual perspectives and a distinct experience on every deck it visits. We particularly enjoyed having a drink while enjoying a sunset during our past cruise. We are looking forward to some beautiful sunsets once again.

This is only the beginning of what awaits us on Celebrity Edge. Follow our social media channels and bookmark our anchor diary post for lots more live from Celebrity Edge.  We may be sailing to 4 ports of call, but there is a 5th destination awaiting to be explored further  - we can't wait.

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EdgeCited to Set Sail on Edge Again

Second Time on 
Celebrity Edge

November 2018 we sailed on Celebrity Edge for one of the Trade and Press Preview sailings. We immediately fell in love with the ship, and vowed to sail on her again. Two days just wasn't enough time to fully experience the ship.

 Celebrations at Sea 

After the cruise we checked upcoming sailings, and as luck would have it, there was a Western Caribbean itinerary during my birthday week. A cruise can enhance any special celebration, so we decided to book a Sunset Veranda cabin.   Last time we sailed on Edge, we were in an Infinite Veranda.  This way we could experience the difference in order to share with our guests.

We are especially EdgeCited that Captain Kate McCue will be the skipper for this sailing. Follow her on Instagram

We began our story about Celebrity Edge in our Post:

Most Anticipated Ship of 2018 Arrives Florida

The story continues here (we'll pick up where we left off).  For convenience, we'll combine both experiences into one.  We'll do more videos this time as well.  Be sure to follow our social media accounts so that you can sail along with us.

Bookmark this Page - we will be posting more soon

BLOG POST LINK (click title)	Photo Albums / Videos
Celebrity Edge Revealed	First Glimpse
Xcited to Meet Celebrity Edge	Concierge Cabin
Setting Sail on Celebrity Edge	Resort Deck
Introducing Infinite Veranda	Solarium
Celebrity Edge Resort Deck	Magic Carpet
How Suite it is on Celebrity Edge	Edge Villas    Sky Suite      Luminae Royal Suite    Iconic Suite
Pamper Yourself on Celebrity Edge	Edge Spa & Fitness
Pre-Cruise Fort Lauderdale	Staybridge Suites          Hard Rock Hotel Guitar Light Show (Video)
Celebrity Edge Embarkation	Embarkation
Edge Embarkation Lunch	Embarkation Lunch
These Are My Favorite Edge Things In Martini Heaven on Celebrity Edge	Martini Bar      Bartenders Juggling (Video)
Making Birthday Memories  Tiny Chefs EdgeCiting Meal	Sunset Veranda  Le Petit Chef     LePetit Chef Playlist (Videos)

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Dare to Make a Wish Come True

2019 Dare Conference

Giving Back

Wishes make life better for kids with critical illnesses.  This simple, but powerful belief drives Make-A-Wish. 

Granting Wishes

In 2011, the world’s largest cruise agency and award-winning leisure travel company World Travel Holdings forged a partnership identifying Make-A-Wish® as its signature charity. Since then, the travel company has raised more than $100,000 each year, and in 2018 reached a fundraising milestone exceeding $1 million in donations and granting more than 100 wishes to children with critical illnesses.

“My brother Jeff and I believe in the importance of instilling a strong corporate culture of giving back and because of our shared values and the fact that more than 75 percent of wishes involve travel, Make-A-Wish proved to be a natural fit,” said Brad Tolkin, Co-CEO/Chairman of World Travel Holdings. “I am in awe of how our employees have rallied together around one cause and shown support year-after-year.”

Exceeding our Goal

The goal for this year's National Conference for Cruises Inc., CruiseOne, and Dream Vacations, the home-based arm of World Travel Holdings,  was $120,000.   Throughout the conference several events and a silent auction were held to raise funds.  As of this writing the total raised was $136,000.

I'm proud to be a part of this corporate initiative to make wishes come true for children with critical illnesses.   Watch this video to learn more about Make-A-Wish and visit their website.




Symphony of the Seas Playlist (click here)

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