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Anyone on Apex now?

misslab

By misslab,
in Celebrity Cruises

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misslab

misslab

Posted
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We sail on Apex next week 😬 and just wondering how things are going this week on the ship.  I know it won't be an apples-to-apples comparison as I'm sure it's busier for Christmas, but wondering if everything is going smoothly.  Over the last few days I've been reading the Royal Caribbean boards and sounds like things are a sh*tshow on some boats. Ship capacity is a hot topic everywhere and it sounds like RCL reallly packed the boats this week.  Any insight on Celebrity? Staffing seems to be a huge issue on RCL as many crew have tested positive.  Shows and entertainment cancelled, not enough waitstaff, etc.  We are doing B2B the 1/3 sailing and the 1/8 sailing and wondering if we should postpone til later in the year.  I have so much anxiety about all of this...with flight cancellations (we're traveling from NY), having to covid test on New Year's Day as well as before the second cruise, etc.  I am not afraid of getting deathly ill, just afraid of the vacation getting derailed and a lot of $ down the toilet!  

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kwokpot

kwokpot

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5 minutes ago, Istew4u2 said:

I was Alex Dec. 11-20.  Fabulous!!!  1/3 full. Service was amazing. Shows wonderful. Beautiful ship. Perfect sailing. 

I was on the same sailing and can confirm everything was great,no issues of any kind on the 9 day sailing. All shows went on,no masks were required anywhere on the ship.

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CalTexCruiser

CalTexCruiser

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Following along for news. 

 

We board Jan 8 and are a bit concerned, especially any news on outbreaks among the crew.

 

I called Blue Chip Club this morning to see if they can move my reservation to March, but they said I would have to cancel, wait for FCC, then apply the FCC to a new booking.  So no luck there.

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ShelleyUM

ShelleyUM

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Posted (edited)

On Apex now. It’s business as usual. The ship is about 50% capacity but I’m hearing that it will be much higher for the NYE sailing, about 70%. Mask usage is higher than our November Reflection sailing but the majority of pax are still mask-less. The crew is still masked up and I’ve noticed greater adherence to that than the November sailing. Hope you have a wonderful cruise!

Edited by ShelleyUM
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cruisedoctor

cruisedoctor

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Have been on Apex for the XMAS sailing and continuing on for the New Years sailing.  Everything seems to be going well.  Just shy of 1400 passengers this week.  I was on the Transatlantic in October, and I didn’t notice any difference this week compared to that sailing.

 

All the shows went on as scheduled, no word of any COVID problems.  Haven’t noticed any staff shortage, in fact the crew members have continued to be most gracious and welcoming.  They are extremely grateful to be back working again.  The Retreat was completely full again as that is a big source of revenue for the cruise line.

 

There are 90 passengers who are doing back-to-back (XMAS & New Years).  This morning we all were given the mandatory Antigen Covid test…no word if anyone didn’t pass.  All I can say is that it is such a pleasure NOT having to wear a mask on board the ship.  I feel sorry that the crew has to.

 

Dr. J

 

P.S.  Cruise director mentioned this evening that we had 120 children on board this week.  I would never have guessed such a high number as I barely ever saw any of them.  She hinted that the children’s program kept them busy and out of sight.

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detilliondl

detilliondl

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Just boarded the Apex at 12:30 pm. Completed all checkin thru the app. Very easy. Ws onboard before 1 pm. No masks for passengers. Everything is wonderful…doesn’t seem crowded…only saw 2 kiddos so far. 
 

A spa staff member said they were expecting 1900 plus this sailing (about 2/3 capacity) but would probably be less than expected due to flight cancellations and delays. We are staying in Ft Lauderdale late for those who do make it this evening. Not sure what time we are sailing but the information displayed on the route board indicated a 9 pm departure for Ft Lauderdale. 
 

I don’t have wifi onboard with the exception of 1 day. I will update when we decide what day that will be. 
 

lunch was wonderful with no crowds. No need for show reservations. We usually cruise with Royal Caribbean (40 plus cruises) but I have to say this ship is amazing and really looking forward to this cruise. No issues so far. 

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TennesseeNationVol

TennesseeNationVol

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On 12/26/2021 at 11:57 AM, CalTexCruiser said:

Following along for news. 

 

We board Jan 8 and are a bit concerned, especially any news on outbreaks among the crew.

 

I called Blue Chip Club this morning to see if they can move my reservation to March, but they said I would have to cancel, wait for FCC, then apply the FCC to a new booking.  So no luck there.

I will see you 1/8 with DH.  I cannot wait! Heather & John

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Host Anne "Live from...." Rare

Host Anne

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Folks, PLEASE read through the COVID posting rules at the top of every Cruise Critic page.  Speculation, guessing and rumors are going to be removed.  Please only share facts that you know are definitely true!

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Nado44

Nado44

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Here are some Day 1 observations from the APEX:

 

- Boarding was smooth. We were on the ship 15-20 minutes after arriving. TIP: To expedite boarding, have these four items in hand and ready to go when arriving: 1) passport; 2) Xpress / Set Sail pass; 3) COVID vaccination card; 4) COVID vaccination test. 

 

- We set sail an hour late (530 pm). Several passengers/groups were denied boarding due to not having their proper papers. See above tips!

 

- About 60% of passengers initially wore masks. Passenger mask wearing and physical distancing dissipated after a few hours of being on board. Only about 5% are masked now at the time of writing (Day 1). Crew members are all masked as required. Elevators are usually full.

 

- About 1900 passengers onboard. 

 

- Main dining room. Empty tables in between dining parties as to allow physical distancing. 

 

- All ship wide announcements have been rosy and forward looking. No COVID commentary.

 

- All scheduled shows, activities, etc are taking place as planned. TIP: Avoid the True and False activity in the Club. Game requires everyone (~100 people) to closely congregate and almost shoulder to shoulder on the main floor. We felt uncomfortable and decided to watch instead.

 

- Casino. Was busy. No physical distancing at tables. Everyone was shoulder to shoulder.

 

- The mood is quite festive given it's NYE week. Everyone is dressing to impress and looking their best! 

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as3369

as3369

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3 minutes ago, Nado44 said:

Here are some Day 1 observations from the APEX:

 

- Boarding was smooth. We were on the ship 15-20 minutes after arriving. TIP: To expedite boarding, have these four items in hand and ready to go when arriving: 1) passport; 2) Xpress / Set Sail pass; 3) COVID vaccination card; 4) COVID vaccination test. 

 

- We set sail an hour late (530 pm). Several passengers/groups were denied boarding due to not having their proper papers. See above tips!

 

- About 60% of passengers initially wore masks. Passenger mask wearing and physical distancing dissipated after a few hours of being on board. Only about 5% are masked now at the time of writing (Day 1). Crew members are all masked as required. Elevators are usually full.

 

- About 1900 passengers onboard. 

 

- Main dining room. Empty tables in between dining parties as to allow physical distancing. 

 

- All ship wide announcements have been rosy and forward looking. No COVID commentary.

 

- All scheduled shows, activities, etc are taking place as planned. TIP: Avoid the True and False activity in the Club. Game requires everyone (~100 people) to closely congregate and almost shoulder to shoulder on the main floor. We felt uncomfortable and decided to watch instead.

 

- Casino. Was busy. No physical distancing at tables. Everyone was shoulder to shoulder.

 

- The mood is quite festive given it's NYE week. Everyone is dressing to impress and looking their best! 

Sounds like you are off to a good start!

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fsr44

fsr44

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We’re aboard now.  Easiest boarding ever. Sail away was a bit late, but we saw four police cars pull up on the dock and one person with luggage put off the ship before we sailed.  No idea what happened there.  Smooth sailing,  Many people masking in indoor areas (us included) many people, well, seemingly unconcerned.  To each their own.  We took one look at the large number of unmasked people in the gym and decided not to chance it.    Plenty of room to spread out and plenty of lovely outdoor spaces where even risk averse folks like me feel comfortable unmasked.  

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ispendmoney

ispendmoney

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We did a back to back on the Apex from No. 27 thru Dec. 11th.  It was a wonderful cruise. Because the ship was only about 60% full, we almost had a 1 to 1 ratio of crew.  They were so happy to be sailing again and everything went smoothly.  Masks were not required for thevaccinated, however, in crowded venues such as the Theater and the Club, I wore a mask. The shows were excellent and the separate entertainers they had on the cruise (uptown) were also very good. If you have any other questions, I would be happy to answer them.

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PTC DAWG Holiday Sharing Rare

PTC DAWG

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4 hours ago, Nado44 said:

Here are some Day 1 observations from the APEX:

 

- Boarding was smooth. We were on the ship 15-20 minutes after arriving. TIP: To expedite boarding, have these four items in hand and ready to go when arriving: 1) passport; 2) Xpress / Set Sail pass; 3) COVID vaccination card; 4) COVID vaccination test. 

 

- We set sail an hour late (530 pm). Several passengers/groups were denied boarding due to not having their proper papers. See above tips!

 

- About 60% of passengers initially wore masks. Passenger mask wearing and physical distancing dissipated after a few hours of being on board. Only about 5% are masked now at the time of writing (Day 1). Crew members are all masked as required. Elevators are usually full.

 

- About 1900 passengers onboard. 

 

- Main dining room. Empty tables in between dining parties as to allow physical distancing. 

 

- All ship wide announcements have been rosy and forward looking. No COVID commentary.

 

- All scheduled shows, activities, etc are taking place as planned. TIP: Avoid the True and False activity in the Club. Game requires everyone (~100 people) to closely congregate and almost shoulder to shoulder on the main floor. We felt uncomfortable and decided to watch instead.

 

- Casino. Was busy. No physical distancing at tables. Everyone was shoulder to shoulder.

 

- The mood is quite festive given it's NYE week. Everyone is dressing to impress and looking their best! 

Sounds just about perfect, enjoy.

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Steve_MI

Steve_MI

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The one thing that is kind of sad is people are noticeably less social to others from different parties. We’ve seen very few interactions between couples & groups who obviously aren’t together. I assume it’s fear of quarantine if someone tests positive. 

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