Celebrity Apex

The Celebrity Apex is a Edge-class of ship that is owned by the Royal Caribbean Group and that is operated by the Celebrity cruise line.

Launched in May 2019, the ship became the second to launch in the class that has become iconic for its Magic Carpet, the popular Infinity Balcony and the multipurpose Eden.

My cruise on the Apex was the first time that I had sailed on an Edge-class of ship, but I have sailed on numerous other ships in the Celebrity line, which is one of, if not my favourite cruise line to sail with.

So just where does the Celebrity Apex excel, what are the issues with her and what is my overall thoughts on the ship?

That is just what I look at in this article so if you have booked on her and want to make the most of your time on the Apex or if you are trying to decide if the ship is right or not for your next cruise holiday- this is the review for you!

My sailing on the Apex was in late June to early July when I departed City Terminal at the port of Southampton to Nordfjoreid, Geiranger and Bergen in the Norwegian fjords, with a stop in Zeebrugge on the way.

I sailed in one of the new style of balcony cabins, the Infinity Balconies, and without giving too much away, I was incredibly impressed by it and had an incredible adventure overall.

During the days things are quite relaxed onboard the Apex and whilst there is a full range of activities on offer, if you just want to lounge around the pool or find a quite corner to read a book, you can do.

Things become a lot livelier on an evening, when there is lots of entertainment and activities to do, including some of the best shows we have seen at sea.

She is a ship aimed mostly at adult passengers and those who like a more relaxing getaway as you don’t have big family friendly resort attractions that you find on other ships.

For me, it is an experience that just works as I like to keep my plans open, will often not want to do anything in particular but it’s always great to know that if I did decide to do something, their will be options for things to do.

This was a more basic, round trip on a relatively short cruise holiday which gave the style of a cruise a different atmosphere and style to many I have taken with the line.

This was a cruise full of families, looking to have fun and had a wide range of ages and nationalities all looking to enjoy the fjords.

Its resort casual during the day, resort smart on an evening and for a couples of times a week, its resort chic, the lines twist on formal nights.

If you are looking for an all-action resort style of ship, she is not the one for you but if you want a more relaxed getaway with lots of places to sit and relax or enjoy high quality food and entertainment, she could be the one for you.

I only paid the base rate for this cruise, in fact I paid the very minimum as I got my cabin at the sail away rate, so everything that you see or read about in this revie wis included in your cruise fare.

One of the great things about this class of ship is that it not only offers a range of Main Dining Rooms, 4 is total, but each has its own theming and its own cuisine.

The quality is up there with speciality restaurants on other ships, so if you like French, Greek, Italian of upmarket western cuisine, there is a restaurant right for you.

If you prefer more casual dining, the ships Marketplace Café (or buffet) offers some of the best buffet food I have had onboard a ship before and a great range, so again there should be something for everyone.

Next to the pool, but hidden behind it and separate is the Mast Grill, where you can grab burgers, hotdogs and that sort of thing and you can also help yourself to drinks and ice creams.

Inside the solarium, there is the Spa Cafe, where you can grab a drink and some healthier grab and go food items at certain parts of the day.

There is a included ice cream parlour in the entrance to the buffet known as scoops, whilst the ships Café al Bacio offers free food around the clock included breakfast pastries in the morning, sandwiches at lunch time and cakes all day.

There was a kettle with tea and coffee in my stateroom, although that is likely a UK sailing specific thing and you can have an included continental breakfast delivered to your stateroom each morning.

In the Eden, their is a grab and go place that offer breakfast and lunch, mostly sandwiches, as well as some cakes and you can also get drinks there- but it only has limited opening hours and mostly on sea days.

Away from food, there are activities held throughout the day and the evening that are included as is entertainment in the Eden, the main atrium. The ships lounges and the theatre.

That include singers and musicians playing around the ship and a different show every night in the theatre.

For my sailing, we had guest entertainers including musicians, singers and a magician as well as 3 different production shows and whilst the guest entertainers were all good, it was the production shows that really impressed as again, they were some of the best I have had at sea.

The ship has an outdoor swimming pool and one inside of a solarium and of course there are several hot tubs around the ship.

There is a night club that doubles up as a activities centre during the day and entertainment area on a night but for my sailing, when the World Cup was on, big matches featuring England were moved into their, with the rest of the action been shown in the small sports bar onboard.

On the top deck, the rooftop garden houses a large screen that also show movies but one of the highlights of the ship is the Eden area, a 3 deck mix used space where you can eat, drink be entertained or simply sit looking out over the wake of the ship whilst been surrounded by the relaxing decor with a garden theme- including live plants.

If you want to burn off some of those cruise pounds, there is a figure of 8 running/walking track on the top two decks, a large gym and a couple of table tennis tables.

The thing that many know this class of ship for is their Magic Carpet, that hangs out over the edge of the ship and is used as a tender dock when needed. The rest of the time it is either a seating area up on the pool deck where you can simply take in the views or grab a drink from the bar.

It does move from time to time and can become an extension of bars and restaurants on other decks as well.

The ship offers a range of kids and teen clubs that are included.

As is always the way when cruising, there is lots to pay extra for, but you can have a great time away without spending anything else, as I did.

The usual suspects of alcoholic drinks, pop, speciality hot drinks, internet and tips all comes extra and can be purchased as part of packages.

There are a few specialty restaurants onboard, including a sushi spot and a steakhouse and there is a pay extra restaurant in the Eden with great wake views.

The ships café, Café al Bacio, does offer free food as mentioned above but if you want a speciality tea, coffee or hot chocolate there, it comes at an extra cost- as do the drinks in Café al Bacio II found in the buffet.

A trip to the spa will cost extra, as will undertaking classes in the gym whilst things such as overnight babysitting is at an extra cost.

Everything in the casino, from machines to card tables are pay to play but there are some demonstrations held in there where you can learn/try somethings for free.

The ship features plenty of shops and there is the usual mass-produced art to buy.

This is an area the ship and line really excel at as even on some of the older and smaller ships that I have sailed on with Celebrity, I have seen some of the best shows in the theatre, enjoy some of the best musicians around the ship and have enjoy great onboard lectures from specialists.

Throughout the day and evening, there is a hard-working activities team bringing guests everything from sporting activities to quizzes and from educational talks to interactive learning experiences.

In the theatre, you get a great mix of lectures, guest entertainers and production shows and even though one of the things that I have always loved about the Celebrity line is their traditional theatres that feel more like you are on Shaftsbury Avenue rather than at sea, the modern theatre of this class of ships was just as good.

It is not just a case of making the theatre more of an auditorium so it can be more multi-purpose but at the detriment to the theatre experience, as we found on the Norwegian Prima, but it uses modern technologies and staging to really enhance each show.

The production shows were amongst the best we have had at sea, and credit should be given to Celebrity for still having an orchestra on the ship, including playing for guest entertainers and with so many other lines cutting out this huge part of the theatrical experience to cut costs, still having on a new ship just highlights the greed over service aspect of over lines.

Around the ship, there was a house band that played in a range of places around the ship including the atrium and the Eden, and on the couple of occasions we saw their performances, they played a good range of music and didn’t repeat any songs.

A violinist also played a number of sets in the atrium and different acts could be found around the many lounges at different times.

In the club, there was a mix of live music, activities and a DJ whilst one the big showstoppers for this type of ship is the Martinii show at the Martini bar at the foot of the atrium which is part light show and part bartender show.

I ate and drank in a few different places around the ship including a couple of the MDR’s (Tuscan and Normandie), in the buffet, at the Mast Grill, the Scoops ice cream parlour and the Spa Café- but without a drinks package or spending on speciality dining I cannot really comment on the drinks offering in lounges or the pay extra food onboard.

In the main dining rooms, it was a bit of a mix bag to be honest as the meal I had in the Normandie restaurant was up there with the best I have had on a cruise ship, including in speciality restaurants and was just as good as the Le Bistro pay extra restaurant on NCL but my meal in the Tuscan restaurant was decent but not great.

The buffet was one of the largest ones I have had on a cruise ship but thanks to the use of different stations, it never gets to crowded, well aside from the nominal Gala night and the queue for chocolates!

It also offered good variety and some of the best quality food I have had in a cruise ship buffet with things such as cook to order steak, Duck a’l’orange and lots of great curries a high light for me.

Something else that really impressed was the desert as unlike on many other lines and other ships in the Celebrity family, that use lots of gelatine in their cakes to make them last longer, the ones on this ship didn’t.

Not only did it make them much tastier and look much nicer but it did also make the line limit them somewhat as they were served to you and whilst you could still have as many as you wanted, you do feel a bit greedy asking for 6 slicers of the same cake!

One of the things that I really like about Celebrity is that they either by local produce from where you are sailing or re-create local dishes and they are available to all in the buffet.

With most ports on this itinerary been Norwegian, there wasn’t the usual variety in that regard, but we did have some Norwegian breads and danishe’s and some local fish in the buffet but for me the highlight was moose on the last night.

It was the first time I had eaten moose, and it was very enjoyable, as was the food I had form the mast grill, where the burgers are cooked fresh to order.

The ice cream in the scoops section of the buffet is always a big plus onboard a Celebrity ship and is just as good as what you have to pay for on many other lines.

I stayed in cabin 6167, a balcony cabin on deck 6 that sat just above the tender boats and the ships night club.

That did lead to a couple of issues as it did offer a slightly restricted view but as me and my wife booked on a sail away rate that save us hundreds of £’s each, that was nothing to complain about.

The second issue was the noise from the nightclub, which was annoying some nights but never became too much of an issue.

The shouting, banging and arguments coming from the cabin next door was much more of a concern!

Despite those few issues, the plusses far far outweighed them start with the room attributes you expect from a Celebrity ship.

That includes lots of storage, a large interactive television, a huge yet comfy bed and lots of useful touches such as plenty of usb charging ports, an umbrella and large shopping bag.

The bathroom was one of the largest I have had on a cruise ship and bigger than some I have had in hotels, which included one of the largest showers I have had which included a glass door- always a huge plus for my wife.

The highlight of this type of cabin is the ‘Infinite Balcony’ that made their debut on this class of ship and it was the reason we chose to sail in the cabin in the first place- as me and my wife usually sail in an inside cabin.

I had sailed in a balcony cabin once before, in fact it was a very similar cruise to the fjords from Southampton, but to be honest, I never really got enough use out of it to ever justify splashing out on one again.

This new style of balcony, that is part of your room and can either be a floor to ceiling window, a traditional external balcony or an internal balcony and at different times, we used every set up.

When sailing somewhere such as Norway, where the weather can turn in a second, that flexibility really allows you to make the most of the balcony and by having as an internal part of your room, you get so much more use out of it.

Convertible at the touch of a button, it’s easy to use and set up how you want it and the black out blind, again that you can pull down with the touch of a button also get rid of any issues with daylights streaming into your room, again especially useful in the fjords when it stays light late and the sunrises early.

If you have ever had similar concerns as me, that you would never get enough use out of paying for a balcony room to justify the up charge, I would recommend giving one of these styles of balcony a go, if you can.

As a large, modern ship you may think that she isn’t for those wanting a traditional cruise experience but that isn’t the case.

For a ship her size, and for the amount of people on her, things don’t feel crowded and you can still do what you want, when you want with no need to book into restaurants and the theatre.

You can book dining before hand to make sure you can eat when you want, and you can even do it the traditional style of the same time in the same place each night, if you don’t want to take advantage of the different cuisines across its four including dining rooms.

There are plenty of modern twists on cruising to make it a great option for those wanting a more resort style of getaway.

She is not a ship for those wanting an all-action getaway however, as you will not find water parks, roller-coaster or ice-rinks and you will not have street parties on an evening, but its also not a ship where you struggle to keep occupied.

For me, she has found a happy medium between a modern mega ship with a never-ending supply of things to do and a traditional cruise ship relying on basic activities and getting dressed up to the nines to while away the time.

On my sailing, there was a good mix of family groups, couples and those celebrating special occasions but for me, the Apex may not be my first choice if I was sailing with my young niece- but if they are happy in a kids club, that may not be an issue.

No matter your age or who you are sailing with, if you enjoy delicious food and great entertainment- she’s the ship for you although one thing I think I should point out is that she is not a ship designed for sailing in cold water places or areas of outstanding natural beauty.

On my sailing, there were few places to take in the majesty of the fjords and fewer places to get out of the bad weather and still be able to enjoy sailing along a fjord.

There are lots of things that stand out for me including the theatre, where they really use modern technologies to improve there in house productions.

The roof top garden is a great place to sit and relax whilst the walking and running track that wraps around the upper two levels has taken something that is often an afterthought on a cruise into a great feature.

I really like the idea of having different MDR’s offering different cuisines and the buffet is really well thought out and offers some of the best food at sea.

There was nothing of any real concern to me with regards to the ship, well aside from the noise in our cabin from the club, but that’s easily solved.

My only other worry was the lack of places to stand and especially sit outside where you could take in the views.

The lack of a real promenade deck is also something to think about but aside from that, she is a ship that works as you would think and that you can have a great holiday onboard.

The peace and quiet of the garden area at the top of the ship is also somewhat ruined by it getting taken over by a pickleball court from time to time and that highlights the lack of any sporting facilities onboard- aside from table tennis tables.

As a relatively modern ship, she hasn’t had to much of a history to discuss here although it was a slow start for the Edge-class of ships.

After been announced at the steel-cutting ceremony for the Celebrity Edge, that the second ship was to be known as the Beyond it wasn’t until 2018 when she took on the name of the Apex.

Her sea trials were hit first by bad weather and then by a port strike, but she finally managed to complete them in February 2020.

The covid pandemic led to further problems when it comes to the ship delivery, naming ceremony and her inaugural season of cruising.

That was due to be sailing out of Southampton, but that got put back and in the end, she would reposition to Fort Lauderdale, due to their lapse handling of the issue and that led to many more problems and lawsuit for the line and ship.

I think that you will have probably gathered by now that my thoughts on the Celebrity Apex are very positive. She has lots to like and a as fan of the Celebrity experience, she has really taken on lots of the lines most positives aspects and improved on them.

She doesn’t do anything revolutionary but that a great thing as this class of ship seems to have really focussed on doing the things people like about cruising really well and what more could you want than that.

If you have never sailed with Celebrity before or have always had concerns over large, modern ships, I would highly recommend you sailing on an Edge-class as they are a great ship and will likely avail any concerns you have.

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