Celebrity Apex Inaugural Cruise
The Celebrity Apex is the second ship in Celebrity’s Edge series and is a visionary masterpiece for ship connoisseurs and cruise newbies alike. The ship was originally supposed to be named and set sail inaugurally in March of 2020, but was of course pushed back due to the pandemic.
Haley set sail on the Apex in November to experience the ship on its inaugural run, here’s what she thought of her experience!
As with any vacation, there are some preparations that need to be made prior to departing on the trip. Traveling during these post-pandemic times makes these preparations even more important. First, all guests and crew members eligible to be vaccinated aboard a Celebrity Cruises ship need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and will need to provide proof of vaccination prior to boarding the ship.
In addition to being fully vaccinated, all guests aged 2 and older needed to provide a negative Covid-19 test result that was taken within 48 hours of boarding the ship. Our trip left on a Tuesday, so the Sunday before we left, we went to an asymptomatic testing site and got a PCR test and our results came back that night. As long as our negative results came in before we boarded the ship, we were good to go.
Safety precautions on the ship also made us feel incredibly safe. Celebrity is cruising with fewer guests on board for more space and has implemented enhanced cleaning and sanitization protocols throughout the ship. There is also 100% fresh, filtered air continuously supplied to all areas, so we knew we could breathe easy.
Knowing that we were so safe on the ship made it even easier for us to have fun!
Celebrity Cruises are about living and feeling luxurious, and that was evident from the moment we stepped on to the ship. The Apex was featured in the 2021 TIME World’s Greatest Places in Athens, and it’s easy to see why.
The ship has world-class dining options for many different types of food. There are 29 food and beverage experiences throughout the entire ship, broken out into categories it includes: 12 bars, cafes and lounges, seven specialty restaurants, four complimentary dining venues, four main dining restaurants and two exclusive restaurants for those staying at The Retreat on board or members of the AquaClass.
While on the ship, we dined at two of the main dining restaurants, Normandie and Tuscan, and enjoyed every last bite. Normandie features contemporary French cuisine in a romantic and charming atmosphere where you feel at home from the moment you step in. Tuscan has cuisine inspired by southern Italian eateries and mirrors designs from Italian fashion and film.
The wait staff at both restaurants were incredible and the service was unmatched. While we just experienced these two restaurants, there was also a Greek inspired restaurant, Cyprus, and a new American restaurant called Cosmopolitan. We’re sure you couldn’t go wrong with any main dining choice while on the Apex.
While the main dining restaurants are great for dinner, there are plenty of other quick and more casual dining options for breakfast and lunch. The Eden Café provides a spot to grab a bite to eat in the morning or for lunch, along with an al fresco dining option. While the open seas provide a gorgeous backdrop for your meal, the interior of the café also is equally stunning.
The Oceanview Café and Mast Grill are also great choices for a quick meal before you’re on to your next activity, which might include grabbing a drink at one of the many bars and cafes located on the ship. Located in the epicenter of the ship is the Martini Bar, which features handcrafted cocktails and nightly choreographed bartending shows!
The Magic Carpet is also a can’t miss bar on the ship. It has space for live music performances and comfortable seating that overlooks the magnificent view. For the coffee lovers- Il Secondo Bacio offers specialty coffees and freshly squeezed juices to go along with your meal or enjoy on their own. And for the craft beer connoisseurs, Craft Social Bar offers a variety of craft beers, along with wines and cocktails on tap.
We’re truly just scratching the surface here on all the culinary treats the Apex has to offer and it really only gets better when you try them all out for yourself!
It’s hard to not think of entertainment when you think about all the activities that cruise ships have to offer, and Apex does not disappoint!
The theatre shows on Apex can catch anyone’s attention. Whether it’s Rockumentary- an epic performance full of rock history, Tree of Life- a journey through the seasons and moments that bring us together, or Crystallize- a sensory overload of dancing, pop violin and a high energy light show, the shows at the theatre will take your breath away.
The shows don’t stop there- the Club on the ship also provides some thrilling entertainment. Caravan is the Club’s twist on a circus variety show with intimate seating and a fantastic performance. Eden also has nightly events with live music meant to surround you with a “deep chill” effect that will turn anyone’s “vacation mode” on.
If you’re someone who likes a good casino, you’re in luck here. There is a Vegas-style casino on the Apex that gives land-based casinos a run for their money. There are over 2,000 slot games and 148 table games on board guaranteed to thrill, and hey- maybe you’ll leave the ship richer than when you boarded it days prior?
We couldn’t talk about Apex without talking about the infinite veranda in our room! The floor to ceiling window that retracts to be the balcony with a touch of a button gives you all the control. While we enjoyed the stateroom with the infinite veranda, there are plenty of other options.
The ship has family veranda staterooms, sunset veranda staterooms, accessible veranda staterooms and more.
We couldn’t talk about Apex without talking about the infinite veranda in our room! The floor to ceiling window that retracts to be the balcony with a touch of a button gives you all the control. While we enjoyed the stateroom with the infinite veranda, there are plenty of other options.
The ship has family veranda staterooms, sunset veranda staterooms, accessible veranda staterooms and more.
In addition to the veranda staterooms, there are of course ocean view staterooms, inside staterooms, AquaClass staterooms, and staterooms that are a part of The Retreat on the Apex.
Every room inside the Apex will make you feel right at home from the moment you step on board, and you can rest assured that you’ll have a great night of sleep no matter where your room is or what kind of room you have. And even though your stateroom is important, we definitely spent more time outside of our room enjoying the ship than inside.
Overall, the Apex is a pinnacle of luxury cruise travel, and we enjoyed every second of our stay. The Apex has already set sail and has some sailing dates coming up in 2022. Call our travel agents today to book your spot on Apex’s next voyage!
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