Apex Eastern Caribbean April 9-16 Photo Review

[micmacmissy]

 

 

’We had an insane amount of OBC when booking this cruise ($1,600), so we booked a bunch of spa treatments and the 3-night specialty dining package before we left.

 

On the afternoon of our first sea day, we hit up the spa for a facial (me) and massage (hubs).  The spa on Apex is lovely…they send robes to your room with a reminder of the appointment.  We were a little confused as to whether we should wear them TO the spa…feels a little odd to be walking to the spa in a robe…but we did.

 

It’s important to note that on Apex you do NOT get access to the thermal suite when you book an appointment.  They instead put you in the “relaxation room” which is essentially a room with cozy chairs and loungers overlooking the side of the ship while you wait for your appointment.  We haven’t cruised in a few years, but I do remember on our last cruise having access to the thermal suite on spa days.

 

Anyway…husband’s massage was lovely and my facial was great.  Massage therapist tried to sell my husband some $300 “detoxifying soak”…LOL.  My facial person tried to sell me a few things but I told her I have a dermatologist at home and nothing goes on my face unless it’s from her.  Be prepared for the sell if you go to the spa!

 

A little walk behind the ship for a view of the wake, and more exploring…

 

Dinner that night was at Fine Cut.  We were seated next to a couple we started chatting with, and wound up eating/talking with them for more than 2 hours.  We were near the outer edge of the restaurant which overlooks the Martini Bar and wow, it is loud.  We felt like we were shouting the whole time.  Service in Fine Cut was slow…food was good, steaks were good.  

 

After dinner we went to the theatre to see the show Crystallize.  I’m not a huge fan of cruise ship shows - I tend to think they’re a little cheesy, and this one was no exception.  A lot of drama and floating and no real plot but lots of people dancing around lit up crystals.  Ummm…okay.  Some of the dancers and singers are very talented.

[micmacmissy]

Day Three:  San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

I knew from reading someone else’s review that I wanted to the walking path around the sea wall, since we’ve been to San Juan a few times before and we’ve walked the fort both times.  The ship pulled in to San Juan around 3:00pm - it is always fun to watch the approach to port, and if you can, go down to deck 5 and watch the dock prepare for the ships arrival.  Maybe we’re weird, but we are entertained by the guys pulling the ropes and docking the ship, setting out the gangplanks, etc.

 

While we were watching this we met a crew guy from Puerto Rico, so he was giving us tips on where to pick up the walking path.  It was really, really warm in San Juan that day!

[micmacmissy]

So we headed toward Paseo de la Princesa for our jaunt.  Plan was to follow it along the sea wall, up to the fort, then cut through the fort back to town.

 

Really lovely walk!

[micmacmissy]

So if you’re going to do this…I recommend sneakers and sunscreen, and definitely take a couple of bottles of water with you!

 

There were stray cats everywhere…mostly skinny and skittish…but my landscape photos quickly evolved into a cat theme…

 

 

[micmacmissy]

There were barely any people on this walk!  It was really nice.

[micmacmissy]

We also saw a few lizards along the way (they totally gross me out!)

 

So we made it alll the way to the end of path, and my husband decided to take a quick detour farther along to peek at the cemetery.  Then we made our way back up to the stairs which let to the fort for our cut-through…and…

 

…it was 5:05pm, and they lock the gate at 5.  So we were on the wrong side of the gate (by now two other couples were there too) and we had to walk alll the way back the way we came.

 

Now, we don’t really mind that, we like walking and exercise but one of the other couples was NOT happy.  So plan ahead if you do this to be sure you can use the cut through if you want!

[micmacmissy]

There were so many lovely areas along the way to take pictures, and several scenic overlooks, too.  Google “San Juan Paseo de la Princesa” if you want details on where to pick up the trail.

 

We wandered through town on the way back to the ship, and it was sad to see how many shops were still closed.  Overall this is an enjoyable and pretty port to spend the day in.

[micmacmissy]

And back to the ship…yay, lemon water and cold towels on the dock waiting!

Edited April 24, 2022 by micmacmissy

[micmacmissy]

Day Four:  St. Thomas

 

Woke up to another beautiful day and had an early excursion to catch:  Champagne Catamaran Sail & Snorkel to St. John/Honeymoon Beach.  We booked this one through the cruise line (I’m a little paranoid about missing the ship, so taking an excursion off island it feels safer to book through Celebrity).

 

Ship excursions are a cattle call.  They gathered everyone in the theatre at 8am (but really they don’t call you off until 830am) and you are given numbers.  Off we went to line up to leave the theatre, then lined up outside for our guide, then lined up and loaded on to open air busses.  It was about 1/2 hour ride to the marina where the catamarans awaited.  Probably about 50 people per catamaran.  Friendly crew and passengers.

 

Bumpy ride over to St. John (about 1/2 hour) and crew pointed out islands and sights along the way. The catamaran anchored near Honeymoon Beach and we were given the option of snorkeling, swimming, or being ferried over on a raft.  We chose to snorkel.

 

The water was lovely and warm, but not much to see - no turtles, although there were some fish.  The beach was nice, not very crowded, and we swam/snorkeled for about 90 minutes before we headed back.  Overall a nice day.

 

 

 

[micmacmissy]

St. John/Honeymoon Beach coming into view…

[micmacmissy]

We were back at the marina by 1pm and headed back to the ship.  This is a good port - the water is gorgeous and there are some nice shops around the port if that’s your jam.  We’ve been in St. Thomas several times before, and we were hot, hungry, and tired!  We made a quick pit stop in our room, then hit the Oceanview Cafe for lunch.

 

I was really impressed with the food in the buffet this time - it was much better than on previous cruises.  It was still self serve, which was really nice and kept things moving.  A huge selection (except, oddly, for desserts) every day and the pizza is fantastic.  After living in NY for awhile we’re pretty picky when it comes to pizza - and the pizza area in the back of the Oceanview was GREAT.

 

Pro tip:  After you fill your plate, head alllll the way to the back of the Oceanview and you’ll find an outdoor seating area at the aft of the ship.  It is so pleasant out there and it was never crowded.  Bonus:  it’s located near the pizza, which was our “2nd lunch” every day. 😉

[micmacmissy]

Our afternoon routine on a port day:  back onboard, eat, hang out at the Retreat, dip in the pool or hot tub, play cards in the shade.  Delightful!  We tried out the Solarium as well, which had a really nice atmosphere (and probably would’ve been our main hang if we didn’t have access to the Retreat).

 

One odd thing to note:  there aren’t cookies on this ship.  Like, it’s weird!  We like a little afternoon snack and couldn’t find cookies anywhere!  I finally wound up in the Retreat lounge asking the hostess where I might find cookies on the ship.  She picked up her little phone and next thing you know…she tells me that chocolate chip cookies are “discontinued” and they no longer make them onboard.

 

Then, she holds up one finger for me to wait, and picked up her little phone AGAIN, and called someone, and said that the people in room 10118 needed chocolate chip cookies delivered to their room every day at 2pm, so please make sure they are making a batch.  She then asked me why my butler/Retreat host didn’t handle that for me - I felt like I got him in trouble!  I really only asked her where I could find cookies onboard - did not mean to start Cookiegate 2022…and I would never ask my poor hardworking Retreat host/butler guy to be my cookie servant.

 

And yes, we had a plate of cookies in our room every day on the cruise from then on.  I felt guilty every time I looked at them!

 

Entertainment that night was either a comedian (no, I think he was the first night, and he was decent)…I know!  That night it was an Aretha Franklin style singer, Charity Lockhart.  I’m not a huge Aretha fan but the woman was a good singer and it was enjoyable enough.

 

After that, a quick trip to the casino where I continued to lose, and lose rapidly.  Sigh.  The slots were not friendly this week, at all.

[micmacmissy]

Sidebar #1:  I feel like I’m talking to myself in this review so please, feel free to chime in, say hello, throw your two cents in.

 

Sidebar #2:  We enjoy cocktails.  A lot.  Maybe too much?  We hit up Eden for after dinner drinks on a few occasions…other nights Martini bar, one night Craft Social.  But Eden’s drink menu is really good.  I kept ordering “the forbidden” and I’m not sure what was in it other than vodka and something that tasted like apple.  It was served in the coolest glass, too.  We had a premium drink package and only had to pay like $4 for each drink in Eden.  Well worth it!

[peanut head]

Really enjoying your review.  Thank you for taking the time to entertain and inform us.

[mavrick2oo]

I'm enjoying your review, thank you! I love cookies...they're more reliably delicious than cakes as dessert. I would have asked about them too. And been mortified if I got someone in trouble for it too! 

[Silkroad]

1 hour ago, micmacmissy said:

One odd thing to note:  there aren’t cookies on this ship.  Like, it’s weird!  We like a little afternoon snack and couldn’t find cookies anywhere!  I finally wound up in the Retreat lounge asking the hostess where I might find cookies on the ship.  She picked up her little phone and next thing you know…she tells me that chocolate chip cookies are “discontinued” and they no longer make them onboard.

 

Then, she holds up one finger for me to wait, and picked up her little phone AGAIN, and called someone, and said that the people in room 10118 needed chocolate chip cookies delivered to their room every day at 2pm, so please make sure they are making a batch.  She then asked me why my butler/Retreat host didn’t handle that for me - I felt like I got him in trouble!  I really only asked her where I could find cookies onboard - did not mean to start Cookiegate 2022…and I would never ask my poor hardworking Retreat host/butler guy to be my cookie servant.

We had the same mysterious lack of cookies on our recent cruise on Equinox (4/3-4/15). We asked the staff at Cafe Al Bacio what happened to the cookies. They said they didn’t have cookies anymore. There were no delicious little macaroons either🥺 The odd thing is that both were plentiful on Edge in October. My DH is the dessert fiend, but I do enjoy those cookies and macaroons. We made some inroads on their supply on Edge😂

[Silkroad]

Those cocktails look delicious! I’m adding the Forbidden to my cocktail list.

 

I’m really enjoying your  beautiful photos and entertaining comments. Thanks so much for sharing your journey with us!
 

 

[BigTorino]

Thank you for your entertaining review and your very nice pictures! I like your quick pace and observations, kind of in the style of BennyBrun and GenX. You can tell I spend way too much time daydreaming and scrolling thru CC, waiting for my time, coming up in May...

[PinkSandGirl]

On 4/17/2022 at 6:31 PM, micmacmissy said:

Le Meridien is not in a walkable area, but it’s close to the airport and to Port Everglades ($25, ten minute cab ride).  It’s a pretty new hotel with a nice lobby bar and comfortable rooms.

 

 

 

We stayed here this past October and it was perfect since we just stayed at the hotel after arriving from the airport and didn't leave until going to the ship.  We had snacks, cocktails, dinner and breakfast.   We did plan to go out and about but after getting there later than expected due to a flight delay, we were happy the hotel had everything we needed.  After booking it a few times and having to cancel due to multiple cruises getting cancelled due to the shutdown,  we were so happy to finally be able to get there.  😉

 

The tequila library is a huge selection of tequila and even rare ones.  My boyfriend loved it.  

 

🍹

[PinkSandGirl]

6 hours ago, micmacmissy said:

Sidebar #2:  We enjoy cocktails.  A lot.  Maybe too much?  We hit up Eden for after dinner drinks on a few occasions…other nights Martini bar, one night Craft Social.  But Eden’s drink menu is really good. 

 

Cocktails.  There are so many to choose from.  Do you order drinks that are old favorites, new ones you find or keep trying new ones?   Decisions, decisions.  All three options work!   😅🍹🍸🥃🧉

 

No cookies?!   I always get a little bag from Cafe al Bacio.  They were plentiful on the Equinox this past October. 🍪   An odd thing to cut back on. 

 

🍹

[micmacmissy]

On 4/24/2022 at 8:39 PM, Silkroad said:

We had the same mysterious lack of cookies on our recent cruise on Equinox (4/3-4/15). We asked the staff at Cafe Al Bacio what happened to the cookies. They said they didn’t have cookies anymore. There were no delicious little macaroons either🥺 The odd thing is that both were plentiful on Edge in October. My DH is the dessert fiend, but I do enjoy those cookies and macaroons. We made some inroads on their supply on Edge😂

The Retreat host told us they were discontinuing cookies onboard…it was weird!  We did have lunch in Eden cafe one day, and they had cookies in there - that was IT for the week!

[micmacmissy]

On 4/25/2022 at 1:46 AM, PinkSandGirl said:

 

Cocktails.  There are so many to choose from.  Do you order drinks that are old favorites, new ones you find or keep trying new ones?   Decisions, decisions.  All three options work!   😅🍹🍸🥃🧉

 

No cookies?!   I always get a little bag from Cafe al Bacio.  They were plentiful on the Equinox this past October. 🍪   An odd thing to cut back on. 

 

🍹

 

No cookies in Bacio…they did have some great desserts there, but no cookies!

[vettegal99]

On 4/3 Edge sailing we asked in Oceanview Cafe where were the cookies?  We were told if we wanted them they can be sent to our room.  Ate lunch the rest of the week in Eden Cafe.  Cookies!  A special walnut chocolate chip cookie made for Eden we were told.    They are out along with brownies and chocolate cake from noon to 1:30.  

[micmacmissy]

Day 5:  St. Kitts

 

We had never been to St. Kitts before and we were definitely not up for a ship’s excursion…so the day before I looked around facebook and trip advisor and came across the Discovery Beach Bar.  Reviews said the place was small, occupied mostly by locals, quiet, and on a beautiful beach.  Sounded good to us.  We arrived at St. Kitts and our plan was to find a taxi.

 

The St. Kitts port area reminded me somewhat of Falmouth, Jamaica.  Built up port area with tonnnssss of people hustling for rides, tours, etc.  We bypassed all that until we saw a parking lot and went there to find a taxi.  The taxi driver had never heard of Discovery Beach Bar and tried to talk us into going to Shipwreck beach:  “that’s where all the cruisers go.”  Which is exactly what we DIDN’T want.  After a quick google search for an address we were on our way.

 

Our taxi driver was excellent and basically gave us a tour and pointed out things on our drive.  St. Kitts is gorgeous and not nearly as “depressed” looking as some other Caribbean islands.  It was about a 15 minute ride to Discover Beach Bar, which is halfway between Shipwreck and Carambola.  I’ll stop talking and let the photos speak for themselves…

[micmacmissy]

There is one guy, Morsi, who runs the place.  Drinks and food will be slow, but two lounge chairs and some rum punch will run you a whopping $22.  There was one other couple there (Americans who lived part time in St. Kitts), and later we were joined by another couple from the Apex.

 

The water was warm, beautiful, and calm, and the natural shade of the palm trees was plentiful.  It was the most gorgeous spot ever!