The Celebrity Edge ocean liner has 29 bars, restaurants, and lounges, making it a floating resort with a myriad of specialty areas. Photo / Supplied
As Barcelona disappears into the distance the farewell parties on board Celebrity Edge crank up. The outdoor lounge decks are bulging with guests, cocktails in hand, enjoying the start of a Mediterranean summer holiday under glorious blue skies.
I’m seated at the Sunset Bar, high on an upper deck at the stern, sipping on a drink and watching this enormous vessel power through the sea. Suddenly my attention is diverted hundreds of metres below.
In the undulating wake, a pod of dolphins are tailing us, bounding out of the ocean over the waves churned up by our ship.
“It’s a sign that it will be a good passage,” Captain Tasos Kafetzis will tell us halfway into the trip during an exclusive look at the workings of the bridge.
Admittedly it is a slightly nervous step back into international travel after a four-year hiatus. But to cruise Spain, France and Italy on board an ocean liner that promises a revolutionary experience for a week-long journey across the Mediterranean seems to more than make up for all summer holidays lost in pandemic lockdown.
Celebrity Edge is enormous. Some 3000 passengers are on board and with 29 bars, restaurants and lounges, 16 levels and myriad specialty areas, it’s nothing short of a floating resort. Even by the end of seven days I will not have not set foot into some parts and strike moments when I struggle to navigate my way around. But one of the first things I do is get my bearings and work out where my room (level six, just down from the central lifts) is in relation to dining areas, theatres and the all-important cafe I will visit every morning for a coffee.
My shared accommodation is a spacious stateroom with the Edge’s new infinite verandah design where the balcony is sectioned off by an internal door. It will remain open the entire voyage giving a larger studio feel and an uninterrupted floor-to-ceiling ocean view.
Unfortunately the sun-soaked aspect of the voyage is short-lived. Within the space of 12 hours the skies cloud over as we arrive at our first port of call, Valencia.
By the time a bus drops us off near the famed old town I bitterly regret not bringing my umbrella.
At least we manage to reach the twin-turreted city gates with their enormous ancient wooden door before the first drops start falling.
We should have been strolling along narrow cobbled lanes, admiring the cheerfully painted terraced homes, loving the bright magenta pops of colour as summer blooms spill over upper balconies. Instead when the heavens open our focus shifts to shelter. And there’s not a lot of it. We duck from doorway to doorway, seeking shelter from the intensifying downpour.
“This is the first time it has rained in nine months,” declares the assistant at a souvenir shop.
Perhaps it is no accident that the only public place offering any form of refuge from the storm - and one of the few public buildings open on a Sunday - is a church. What’s more St Nicholas Church not only dates back to the 13th century but houses a spectacular Baroque-style fresco on its vaulted ceiling.
Inside everyone speaks in hushed tones, gazing up to marvel at the stunning craftsmanship by Spanish painter Dionis Vidal. We sit and listen to the steady beat of the rain before giving up on sightseeing, and heading back to the boat and the promise of sunnier climes ahead.
Before laying eyes on Ibiza the only thing I knew about this holiday island was its party reputation, renowned for its raves.
After our ship berths at the farthest point of a marina packed with superyachts, we walk the several kilometres into town and take in this Spanish resort at our own pace, heading for the old walled city perched high above the bustling seaside shops and eateries.
It’s a bit of a trek from sea level to the ancient quarter, and a challenge for anyone wearing shoes other than flats. We amble our way without a map in the general direction of up, until we come across the steep cobbled gateway to the old city.
We wander the historic town for an hour, venturing along a maze of zig-zagging avenues lined with shops and homes and passing through the occasional tunnel until we reach the very top; stone embattlements with cannons still in place along the cliff top and glorious Insta-worthy views from the mountains to the sea.
An afternoon thunderstorm makes our return trip treacherous underfoot, but it is a dislodged cobble on the flat that painfully claims my friend’s ankle.
If I knew little about Ibiza, I knew even less about Corsica.
Now dealing with a badly injured ankle which, on doctor’s orders restricts movement for the first 48 hours, we limit exploration of the port city of Ajaccio to a few kilometres from our central city waterfront berth.
Famed as Napoleon’s birthplace, this capital city hints of an earlier period of opulence with multi-storied hotels and apartment buildings lining the main streets.
But pushing a wheelchair along the historic footpaths and cobbled streets proves difficult. I take the path of least resistance, allowing gravity to dictate where we go. After reaching Place De Gaulle, which separates the old town from newer districts, and surveying the large monument with Napoleon depicted in Roman style, we meander haphazardly down lanes where we are privy to a lovers’ embrace, a driver stopping in the middle of the road for a chat, and discover a patisserie - open for business since 1860 - that sells the most delectable millefeuille I have ever tasted.
And while the Napoleonic influence looms large, including a museum celebrating his connection to the island, not far from the port a promenade lined with palm trees and white sands beckons. The sparkling blue waters of the Mediterranean cool swimmers on a hot early summer’s day before the afternoon thunderstorm rolls in.
There is just one day spent at sea on this cruise. I sign up for a cooking lesson with the ship’s executive chef who sets about teaching us how to make pasta from scratch. We gather in the stunning Eden restaurant kitchen where food is prepared in view of passengers and the “window-to-the-world” glass panels of the ship’s stern give a glorious vista of the disappearing horizon.
Eden is one of an array of dining options to suit every taste and budget.
Buffet food is available across the day, and evening meals with distinct cuisines are served in the restaurants.
While Eden offers arguably the best taste sensation of the trip - a ricotta gnocchi and accompanying silken sauce that melts in my mouth - it is the meal on the floating Magic Carpet perched high on the outside of the ship’s upper level that easily tops every other dining experience.
This unique alfresco setting is mindblowing - and perfect for a balmy summer’s Mediterranean evening.
Everything sparkles on the morning we arrive in a bay at the northwest of Italy and look along the coastline dotted with villages. The sun is brilliant and it’s not hard to understand why people flock to the Med for their holiday.
The magic carpet is transformed into a floating disembarkation platform for the tenders, and we travel to the resort bolthole of Portofino.
Superyachts line the waterside path to the shops and cafes, and homes perched on the steep cliff face tower above, looking down on to the picturesque bay.
I make a beeline for a waterside cafe to enjoy a freshly made coffee and Italian pastry. The simple pleasure of sitting back enjoying good food and great coffee at the water’s edge, in the early morning warmth of the sun’s rays, is pure magic.
We explore a little, climbing to vantage points high above the bay, but when the temperature starts to soar towards midday and crowds start to flock in, it’s time to head back to the ship
There is one must-see location I have looked forward to from the moment we set sail.
Every port of call offers excursions to cater to all tastes, ranging from adventure experiences to food and wine tasting and cultural destinations. After a lifetime of waiting to visit Italy, I sign up to see Pisa and its iconic Leaning Tower.
Pisa is inland, so it means travelling from La Spezia by bus, past the famous Carerra marble quarries that look like snow fields on distant mountains, before taking a ferry up the Arno River and transferring to a sightseeing trolley train in Pisa.
As we weave through deserted streets - our excursion coinciding with a national holiday - I crane at every turn to get a glimpse of the famous bell tower. ”There it is,” gestures our guide Gabriel, pointing to his left.
I look, snap a picture, and marvel at pretty much everything about it. It is far whiter, larger and more ornate than I had realised. And that famed five-degree angle seems so pronounced.
There is so much to see in the Square of Miracles with a cathedral, domed baptistery and graveyard all requiring tickets to enter and, as I will later discover at the Colosseum in Rome, long queues at every turn. It is definitely a place you need a day to explore, rather than 30 minutes.
A week after setting sail from Barcelona the Edge berths in the early hours of the morning at Port of Civitavecchia - the Port of Rome - on the other side of the Mediterranean. Guests begin to disembark from daybreak.
I take a final stroll around the near-deserted upper decks, where staff have already washed down the fitness trail in preparation for the next cruise. I return to the Sunset bar high above the water where I watched the spellbinding dolphin display on the very first day, and think about that special moment.
Everything the ancient mariners said was true.
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CELEBRITY EDGE
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Celebrity Edge will be heading to Australia and New Zealand in December, sailing Australasian waters for the first time. For itineraries and more information, see celebritycruises.com/nz/cruise-ships/celebrity-edge
The trendy spot is just six minutes from the Waikiki beach.