Celebrity Edge: Magic Carpet and Infinite Veranda

What actually makes Celebrity Edge different from every other ship you could book? Two things, and they are the reasons people either fall hard for this ship or leave slightly puzzled: the Magic Carpet, a cantilevered platform the size of a tennis court that rides up and down the outside of the hull, and the Infinite Veranda, a stateroom whose whole living space opens to the sea at the touch of a button. Neither is a gimmick bolted onto a conventional ship. Both come from the same clean-sheet idea behind the Edge Class — a design built to face outward, toward the water, rather than inward toward an atrium. This guide explains exactly what each one is, how it works, the honest trade-offs, and how to book so you get the version you want.

The Magic Carpet: a room that changes floors

Start with the strangest and most photographed feature on board. The Magic Carpet is a movable orange-accented platform mounted on the starboard side of the hull, and it genuinely moves — riding vertically along the outside of the ship between the top of the vessel and the waterline. It is roughly the footprint of a tennis court, cantilevered out over the sea with nothing but glass and railings between you and open water. There is nothing else quite like it anywhere at sea, and the point is not novelty for its own sake. Because it can stop at different decks, it becomes a different venue depending on where it parks.

Think of it as a single space with several jobs. On some evenings it sits high on the ship as a specialty dining experience, a small and theatrical restaurant hanging off the side of the hull. Other times it drops to the pool-and-resort level and becomes an extension of the Resort Deck, widening the sunbathing and bar space out over the water. In the middle of the ship’s height it works as a stylish bar with live music and some of the best sightlines on board. And at the bottom of its travel, level with a lower deck near the waterline, it transforms into the ship’s tender platform, the safe and sheltered spot where you step onto the small boats that ferry guests ashore in ports without a dock.

That last function is the clever part most first-timers miss. On a lot of ships, tendering means filing through a low, utilitarian hatch. Here the same engineering that lets a huge platform hover four stories up also lets it settle down to become a proper, weather-protected embarkation point. One piece of hardware, several completely different guest experiences, and it all comes down to which deck the Magic Carpet is resting at on any given day.

It helps to understand why a design team would go to this much trouble. Celebrity Edge was a clean-sheet, design-led ship, the first of the Edge Class, built to face outward to the sea rather than inward toward a central atrium — with interiors by outside designers including Kelly Hoppen and Tom Wright, the architect behind the Burj Al Arab. The Magic Carpet is the boldest expression of that idea. Rather than tuck the ship’s best real estate deep inside the hull, the design pushes a signature venue out past the hull line entirely, so the ocean is not a backdrop you glimpse through a window but the thing you are suspended over. That is also why it feels so different from a standard top-deck bar: you are not on the ship looking at the sea, you are hanging off the side of it.

What the Magic Carpet becomes, deck by deck

Where it rests	What it is	What you do there
High on the ship	Specialty restaurant	An intimate, reservations dinner suspended over the sea
Resort/pool level	Pool-deck extension	Extra loungers, bar, and sun space out over the water
Mid-ship	Bar and lounge	Cocktails and live music with panoramic ocean views
Near the waterline	Tender platform	Sheltered boarding point for shore boats in tender ports

A practical note: because the platform is shared across all these roles, its schedule shifts with the day. When it is set up as a restaurant, you will want a reservation; when it is a bar or pool extension, you can usually wander on. On a scenic-cruising day, especially in Alaska, crew often position it as an open viewing space, which turns out to be one of the finest places on the whole ship to watch a glacier. Check the daily planner in the Celebrity app so you know which version you are getting and when.

If you want the full picture of the ship around this one feature, our Celebrity Edge cruise guide walks through the venues, decks, and how they connect, and the Edge Class ship guide explains how this “face the sea” philosophy repeats across her sisters Apex, Beyond, Ascent, and Xcel.

The Infinite Veranda: your whole room becomes the balcony

Now the innovation you actually sleep in. The Infinite Veranda is Celebrity Edge’s signature stateroom, and it rethinks the standard balcony cabin from the ground up. On a conventional ship, a balcony is a separate outdoor slice cut off from the room by a sliding glass door, which means the sleeping and sitting area is often darker and smaller than it could be. The Infinite Veranda deletes that internal wall. The living space runs all the way to the outer edge of the ship, and the outer edge is a floor-to-ceiling window-wall.

Press a button and the top portion of that glass — a bi-fold window-wall — folds down, and a section of the outer pane retracts, so the front of your room opens to the sea air. A screen and railing keep you safe at the threshold. In effect, the veranda is not a place you walk out to; it is the front of your cabin, and you decide how open or closed it is. Close it fully and you have a bright, spacious room with an enormous window. Open it and the ocean breeze, the light, and the sound of the water come straight in while you are still sitting on the sofa or lying in bed.

The upside is space and light. Because the balcony is folded into the room rather than partitioned off, Infinite Veranda cabins feel notably larger and brighter than the square footage suggests, and you get that giant wall of glass whether the weather is warm or wet. That is the whole design thesis of the Edge Class in miniature: keep the sea in view no matter what is happening outside.

The honest pros and cons

This is a divisive cabin, and pretending otherwise does you no favors. It is worth being clear-eyed before you book, because whether you love it comes down to how you personally use a balcony.

• You will likely love it if you value a big, bright, open room; you spend balcony time reading, napping, or watching scenery rather than dining outdoors; and you like the idea of opening the whole room to the air on a nice day.
• You may not if your ideal is a fully separate outdoor space with its own chairs and table where you can sit outside with the interior sealed off behind you. The Infinite Veranda does not give you a distinct “outside” room in that traditional sense — the outdoor zone and the indoor zone are one continuous space.
• Climate and air conditioning: when the window-wall is open, that section is essentially outdoors, so the room’s cooling behaves accordingly. Most guests simply open it when the weather is pleasant and close it when it is not, which is exactly the intended rhythm.
• The sound and the light: some people adore waking to sea air and daylight through a wall of glass; others prefer a darker, more sealed cabin. Neither is wrong — it is a genuine preference.

If you are new to the line and weighing this decision, our guide to what to expect on Celebrity Edge puts the Infinite Veranda in context alongside the other cabin types, and this rundown for first-time Celebrity cruisers is useful if the whole modern-luxury style is new to you.

Where the Infinite Veranda fits among the cabin categories

The Infinite Veranda is not the only choice on board, and knowing the ladder helps you place it. At the entry end are Inside cabins, then the signature Infinite Verandas themselves, which come in a range of positions and price points. Above those sit Concierge Class and AquaClass — the latter a strong pick for foodies and spa lovers, with access to the Blu restaurant and the Solarium. Sunset Verandas aft trade the folding wall for a classic large balcony facing the wake. At the top is The Retreat, the ship-within-a-ship suite enclave with its own sundeck, the Retreat Lounge, and the suites-only Luminae restaurant.

For most people, the sweet spot is an entry-level Infinite Veranda if you want the best value, or a midship Infinite Veranda on the mid-decks if you want the best all-round experience — steadier motion, quick access up and down, and that signature opening wall.

Why the Infinite Veranda shines in Alaska

Here is where the design stops being a talking point and starts being genuinely useful. Celebrity Edge sails seven-night Alaska Inside Passage voyages from Seattle, with ports and scenic cruising that can include Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, a day of glacier cruising at Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier or Hubbard Glacier, and an evening call at Victoria, British Columbia. Ports vary by sailing, so confirm your exact voyage in the Celebrity app.

Alaska weather does not cooperate on a schedule. You can have brilliant sun over the Mendenhall Glacier and driving rain an hour later. A traditional balcony forces a choice: go outside and get wet, or stay in and lose the view behind a partly obscured door. The Infinite Veranda dissolves that problem. On a cold, wet morning of glacier cruising you can keep the window-wall closed and still have the entire tidewater glacier filling a wall of glass from your bed. The moment the weather breaks, you press the button, fold the wall down, and let the cold clean air and the sound of calving ice into the room. In a place where the scenery is the entire reason you came, being able to keep it in view “whatever the weather,” as Celebrity puts it, is worth real money.

The Magic Carpet earns its keep in Alaska too. Positioned as an open viewing platform on a scenic-cruising day, it hangs you out over the water for an unobstructed look at a glacier face, and the open-air Rooftop Garden does much the same higher up. Between your own cabin, the Magic Carpet, and the Rooftop Garden, Edge gives you three distinct glacier-viewing perches — which is exactly the kind of thing that matters on the days that define an Alaska cruise. For a fuller itinerary breakdown, see our guides to the Celebrity Edge Alaska Inside Passage and sailing Celebrity Edge round-trip from Seattle.

Practical booking advice

Both innovations reward a little planning. A few grounded tips before you commit to a specific cabin or dinner reservation.

Choosing your Infinite Veranda

• Go midship on a mid-deck for the best balance. You get steadier motion for anyone prone to seasickness, and short walks to the pool, the dining rooms, and the elevators.
• Study the deck plan for obstructions. Some lower-deck verandas are partly blocked; on a ship whose whole appeal is the view, an obstructed window undercuts the point. Confirm before you book.
• Mind what is above and below you. Rooms directly under the pool deck or the Oceanview Café can catch early-morning noise, and cabins near the nightlife or Eden’s late shows can run loud. Forward high-deck rooms feel motion the most.
• In Alaska, position matters less than category. The window-wall gives you the scenery no matter which side you are on, since the ship turns and scenic cruising happens in both directions — so prioritize a clean, unobstructed cabin over a specific side.

Making the most of the Magic Carpet

• Book the dining experience early. When the platform is configured as a specialty restaurant, seats are limited and it is popular. Reserve as soon as you can in the Celebrity app.
• Use it as a bar even if you skip dinner. Riding a moving platform up the side of the hull for a sunset cocktail costs nothing beyond your drink and is one of the ship’s best free thrills, especially under the Always Included fare that bundles a drinks package.
• Watch the daily schedule. Because the platform relocates, its role changes through the voyage. The app’s daily planner tells you when it is a restaurant, a bar, a pool extension, or a viewing deck.
• On tender days, it is your gateway ashore. In ports without a dock, the Magic Carpet drops to the waterline and becomes the tender platform — a calmer, more sheltered boarding point than most ships offer.

Fare and value

Celebrity’s Always Included fare bundles a drinks package, Wi-Fi, and gratuities into the price, with tiers that scale up the drinks and Wi-Fi. Because so much of the Magic Carpet experience is about lingering over a cocktail with a view, the included drinks package changes the math on how you use the space — you are not counting every round. Confirm which tier suits how you travel, and check current pricing and cabin availability in the app rather than assuming; both shift with season and demand.

It is also worth thinking about how the Magic Carpet fits into the rest of your dining plan. Edge gives you four included main dining rooms — Cosmopolitan, Cyprus, Normandie, and Tuscan — that you can rotate through at will, plus complimentary casual options at the Oceanview Café and the Eden Café. The Magic Carpet’s dining experience is a specialty, extra-cost occasion, so treat it as a special night rather than an everyday meal, and reserve it for a scenic evening when the light over the water does the most work. That way you are not paying a premium for a view the weather has hidden.

One more piece of timing advice that applies to the whole trip: if you are sailing Alaska, book your shore excursions early, because the marquee tours — whale-watching, the White Pass & Yukon Route railway from Skagway, the Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau, and the flightseeing trips to a glacier — sell out well ahead. And fly into Seattle a day early so an airline delay never costs you the ship; it also buys you time for Pike Place Market and the waterfront before you board.

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Get the complete Celebrity Edge playbook

Want every cabin comparison, dining reservation, and glacier-day plan worked out in advance? “The Ultimate Guide to Sailing on Celebrity Edge” is part of the Ultimate Ship Guides series by Leo Sotropa, with clear action steps in every chapter so you board knowing exactly how to use the Magic Carpet, the Infinite Veranda, and the rest of the ship.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is the Magic Carpet on Celebrity Edge?

It is a cantilevered, movable platform about the size of a tennis court mounted on the outside of the hull. It rides up and down the side of the ship and becomes a different venue depending on which deck it rests at — a specialty restaurant high up, a bar, an extension of the pool deck, or a tender platform down near the waterline. There is nothing else like it at sea.

How does the Infinite Veranda actually work?

Instead of a separate balcony behind a sliding door, the whole living space runs to the outer edge of the ship, which is a floor-to-ceiling window-wall. At the touch of a button, a bi-fold section of that glass lowers and part of the outer pane retracts, opening the front of your room to the sea air behind a safety screen and railing. You control how open or closed the room is.

Is the Infinite Veranda worth it, or should I book something else?

It is worth it if you value a big, bright room and use your balcony for relaxing and watching scenery. If you specifically want a fully separate outdoor space with its own furniture, sealed off from the interior, you may prefer a Sunset Veranda aft or a suite in The Retreat. It is a genuinely divisive cabin, so match it to how you actually use a balcony.

Which Infinite Veranda cabin should I choose?

For the best all-round experience, pick a midship cabin on one of the mid-decks — steadier motion and quick access to everything. An entry-level Infinite Veranda is the best value. Check the deck plan for obstructed verandas and avoid rooms directly under the pool deck or Oceanview Café and those near late-night venues if you are sensitive to noise.

Why is the Infinite Veranda especially good for Alaska?

Alaska weather changes fast. With the window-wall closed you still have a tidewater glacier filling a wall of glass from your bed on a cold, wet morning; when the weather clears you open the wall and let the air and the sound in. It keeps the scenery in view whatever the conditions, which is the whole reason people cruise Alaska.

Do I need a reservation to eat or drink on the Magic Carpet?

When it is set up as the specialty dining experience, yes — reserve early in the Celebrity app because seats are limited. When it is configured as a bar or pool-deck extension, you can usually just walk on. Check the daily planner to see which role it is playing on a given day.

Where does Celebrity Edge sail?

She sails seven-night Alaska Inside Passage voyages round-trip from Seattle, with ports and scenic cruising that can include Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, a glacier-cruising day, and an evening in Victoria, British Columbia. She later repositions to Sydney for an Australia and New Zealand season. Ports vary by sailing, so confirm your exact voyage and schedule in the Celebrity app.