If your vision of going on a cruise is Captain Stubing and the Love Boat, then it's time you hit refresh.
Cruise ships these days couldn't be any more different than the cliche famous Pacific Princess made famous by the 70's TV show.
Celebrity Edge is the latest ship off the dock from Celebrity Cruises and from bow to stern is a ship full of different experiences.
The Magic Carpet:
If sitting on the deck of a boat drinking a cocktail or champagne wasn't quite enough, then imagine doing it on a bar that's essentially floating next to the ship above the blue ocean.
That's pretty much what the Magic Carpet is. With different menus and cuisine for different levels of the ship, it really is a moving feast.
The Spa:
(Oh the spa...) Such good memories. This luxurious onboard spa offers the usual body melting experiences such as facials and massages, but it also comes with a few treatments that were entirely new to me such as the Salt Room, a simulated salt cave that is believed to help the body deal with respiratory and skin conditions.
There's an infrared sauna that offers similar qualities to the skin as natural sunlight without the use of ultraviolet. Finally, the RAinfall water therapy room is more than just a large shower. The water speed, temperature, intensity and size oscillates to provide the enjoyment of walking in the rain, without getting your clothes wet.
Mingle:
The options for locations to socialise and enjoy cruising in either the summer sun or the starlit evening skies are plentiful onboard the Celebrity Edge.
Eden is an indoor multi-level space and is perfect to use as a meet-up spot onboard the ship before beginning your evening activities.
With massive floor to ceiling windows and a very spacious design, you won't feel like you're inside. At times it got too popular, and was in need of extra bar staff however.
The rooftop garden is a maze of chilled reclusive chillout zones and flowers and trees providing some privacy and making the location feel a lot more intimate.
Dine:
If I was to list all of the dining experiences available, you'd be scrolling until your finger was sore.
As well as a massive buffet offering everything from fresh meat and seafood to authentic Asian cuisine. It's a food hall that seems to be endless with different dining options.
I also visited the Fine Cut Steakhouse, Le Grand Bistro and Raw on 5. To get an idea of what Raw is about, imagine walking into a restaurant and seeing a bed of fresh oysters, crabs, lobsters and champagne. All matched to compliment each other.
After Dark:
If you have any energy left after a long day of onboard activities and an evening of dinner and wine, you have options.
There's a massive bar right in the middle of the ship with live music until late. The skills of the bar staff here has to be pointed out. In this image, and seen in real time in the video above, a barman throw a raspberry in the air, put a toothpick in his mouth and position himself so the raspberry lands on the stick, stabbed straight through the middle.
There's also a nightclub not far from the main bar which does get busy and plays the hits well into the early morning.
If you're like me, however, after a day of excitement and exquisite food, my preference was to head back to my room and recharge my batteries.
It won't take long to get to sleep on the cloudlike beds, add the sound of waves lapping at the bottom of the ship below and a sky without any sign of light pollution displaying the stars above, it can feel like you've slipped into a world where everything is perfect and anything can happen onboard this ship.
Maybe it's not so different from the Love Boat after all.
Dan Lake was a guest of Celebrity Cruises.
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