Apex Jan 14-21

[CaptFantastic]

Hi all,

 

Just returned from the Apex Jan 14-21. I can answer questions if you have any, but I have a couple of my own:

 

- The ship was rolling pretty dramatically entering San Juan - water spilling from the pool, etc. Did anyone hear anything?

- Does anyone know how full the ship was? My stateroom attendant said he thought there was about 1900 booked, but not sure if they all made it onboard.

 

This was our first cruise in almost 4 years thanks to our daughter being born and that pesky Covid thing, and first with our now toddler (definitely a different cruise experience). I don't think I noticed as many cutbacks (other than the lack of stations open in the Oceanview at dinner) that have been discussed on here, but perhaps I simply can't remember the way it used to be. I will say that it still feels like a Celebrity cruise and despite the new ship, still feels familiar.

 

I don't know how I feel about the IV. I think it makes the most sense in cooler or more temperate climate cruises. For example, it was a little cool leaving Fort Lauderdale and quite pleasant the next day so I had it open for an extended period those days. As the temps climbed, I would only open it for a few minutes at a time. I also think it's too small with the divider closed and that groove for the blind if you're trying to use it as a traditional balcony. However, I did like how it becomes and extension of the room.

 

Other than that, nothing much to report. I thought the food was good, some misses in Oceanview but ate in Tuscan a few times and thought it was quite good, staff was friendly and quite a few friendly passengers as well.

[kwokpot]

35 minutes ago, CaptFantastic said:

I don't know how I feel about the IV. I think it makes the most sense in cooler or more temperate climate cruises. For example, it was a little cool leaving Fort Lauderdale and quite pleasant the next day so I had it open for an extended period those days. As the temps climbed, I would only open it for a few minutes at a time. I also think it's too small with the divider closed and that groove for the blind if you're trying to use it as a traditional balcony. However, I did like how it becomes and extension of the room.

I think when the executives first looked at the mockup designs for the whole IV concept it didn't account for the actual structural issues and other things, i.e. like the pleated shades having to be several inches into the room taking up space, which in the final product came to be a very small space.  So small that you have to move furniture around in order to open and close the blinds and/or the frosted glass dividers. 

[jalves]

3 hours ago, CaptFantastic said:

- The ship was rolling pretty dramatically entering San Juan - water spilling from the pool, etc. Did anyone hear anything?

I was standing on my balcony (10121) as we entered San Juan and didn't feel any dramatic rolling.  Certainly nothing like the seas we had the night we left Port Everglades.  

[CaptFantastic]

jalves , I may have still been getting my sea legs back, but my wife said our daughter almost rolled out of bed. I was up on the top deck by the hot tub taking some pics of the fort and water was sloshing around in it and the pool deck was all wet when I went back down…..and a pool butler with a “now what am I going to do with this mess” look on his face…haha. 
 

I fully agree with kwokpot too, I tried closing the dividers, which are a little stiff, to see how it works. I kept tripping over the chairs so quickly decided that wasn’t going to work, and just left them open all week. I did appreciate that you could stop the blind wherever you wanted in order to allow amount of light into the room.

[montythecat]

Apex was certainly rolling quite interestingly for a short while on

entering San Juan. It must have cost Celebrity quite a few dollars

to replace the broken plates which made a bolt for freedom in

one of the midship restaurants. The rolling we experienced is

apparently not unusual but was more noticeable than usual on

this occasion.