LIVE Apex Suite Review 2/25-3/4: Love in the Time of Relaxed Luxury

[dbmmusic]

On 2/20/2023 at 8:43 AM, GenerationX said:

A quick caution/suggestion for anyone else who booked or made any updates to a Retreat, AQ class or Al package cruise in the last week or so:

 

Check your guest invoice and cruise planner order history carefully and make sure that it reflects all of your included perks. 

 

Just after Valentine’s Day, I booked 2 sky suite cruises (this one and one in April) online directly through the Celebrity website.   On the last screen before the final click before fully booking, for both cruises the screen showed that the cruises include the standard Retreat perks of premium wifi, premium beverage package and prepaid gratuities, plus OBC.

 

However, for both cruises, when I received my booking confirmation guest invoice from Celebrity, the premium wifi, premium beverage package and prepaid gratuities didn’t show up on the invoice as they have in the past.

 

Since I booked this cruise so close to sail date, I was able to immediately check Jeremy and I in on the app and view our express passes, and noticed that they also did not have the PALL on them for the premium beverage package inclusion.

 

Doing some online searches revealed a few recent posts on other forums about Celebrity cruisers having issues with inclusions disappearing from their bookings and being told by shoreside that there was a “glitch” in the system last week.

 

I emailed Celebrity customer service attaching my invoice and explaining my concern and asking for confirmation that all of the perks were included with my booking and, if so, requesting an updated invoice confirming it (in case I have to do battle with guest services on the ship).

 

In less than 24 hours (yay!) I received what seems like a somewhat copy paste response (boo) from customer service stating that premium wifi, premium beverage package and prepaid gratuities are included in all Retreat bookings and that a corrected invoice was sent under separate cover.

 

The good news is the auto-sent updated invoice for this cruise that I received shortly thereafter does reflect included wifi and beverage package.  The bad news is: 1) the promo code for the wifi looks like it is the standard wifi, not premium; and 2) the prepaid gratuities are still not reflected as included.

 

Additionally none of the perks show up in my order history in the cruise planner as they usually do, and our express passes still don’t reflect a beverage package.

 

On my ever growing list of things to do today and tomorrow is to find time to put in a call to Celebrity and wait on hold (ugh) and see if everything can get straightened out before we sail.  

 

Worst case, I’ll be bringing a print out of the email stating that all perks should be included onboard with us and hopefully it can all be resolved with a meeting with the Retreat concierge as soon as we board (and hopefully a quick one so that we can get right to the more important and fun job of showing Jeremy around his first E class ship)!

Just got off phone about our cruise too.  Weird glitches showing money due, like 4k, email for a different amountand gratuities not shown when all was booked and paid a month ago.  Frustrated,  after 1+ hr on phone still not corrected.  Traveling 3/11/23 on Apex

[Mimiya11]

16 minutes ago, Kteacher said:

I know you mentioned staying on the ship in San Juan, but if you can get a reservation at Marmalade on Calle Forteleza you will not regret it:

https://www.marmaladepr.com/   We may have booked a cruise once because we were able to dine there 😉.

 

YES   DO it.  Best meal we had while staying in Puerto Rico a few years ago.  Actually one of our best meals outside of Puerto Rico too.    

 

 

[westcoastsue]

1 hour ago, Kteacher said:

I know you mentioned staying on the ship in San Juan, but if you can get a reservation at Marmalade on Calle Forteleza you will not regret it:

https://www.marmaladepr.com/   We may have booked a cruise once because we were able to dine there 😉.

That menu looks amazing!

[Kteacher]

5 minutes ago, westcoastsue said:

That menu looks amazing!

It is. The chef owner is really passionate about what he serves and it shows. 

[RichYak]

3 minutes ago, Kteacher said:

It is. The chef owner is really passionate about what he serves and it shows. 

Thanks for the heads up. I'll be in OSJ next month and am definitely intersted.

[mailmama]

Happy to see your review since DH and I had to cancel this very trip. Would have been fun to sail with you but after DH has his cancer treatments, we will plan another cruise!!  Lord willing......

[GenerationX]

4 hours ago, Kteacher said:

I know you mentioned staying on the ship in San Juan, but if you can get a reservation at Marmalade on Calle Forteleza you will not regret it:

https://www.marmaladepr.com/   We may have booked a cruise once because we were able to dine there 😉.

Thank you so much for the suggestion! It looks like they are pretty much booked up other than one slot at 5pm and Jeremy refuses to eat dinner that early.  I will definitely put this on the to do list for my next cruise that docks in PR and make my reservations much earlier. The menu does look amazing!

[Kteacher]

10 minutes ago, GenerationX said:

Thank you so much for the suggestion! It looks like they are pretty much booked up other than one slot at 5pm and Jeremy refuses to eat dinner that early.  I will definitely put this on the to do list for my next cruise that docks in PR and make my reservations much earlier. The menu does look amazing!

You can also try this place: https://311restaurantpr.com/  also on Calle Fortaleza 

[GenerationX]

7 hours ago, dbmmusic said:

Hi there,  new here on cruise critic. Seasoned cruiser and also on Celebrity.  First time on Apex though, boarding March 11th for daughters 21st birthday celebration cruise.  Congrats to your hubby! So how do I find the drink menu in advance to show my daughter? Will be following your live, excited to be back to cruising post pandemic. 

Welcome to cruise critic and welcome back to cruising!  To find the drink menus:

 

-Download the Celebrity app and log in with your Celebrity username and password.

 

-I assume your Apex cruise is your closest cruise coming up, so the app should automatically load that cruise and give you a home page for it that looks like the screenshot below.

 

-Go into Dining at the bottom left and then swipe over at the top of the screen to Bars & Lounges and it will show you all the bars on the ship.  If you click into each bar, it will let you view the drink menu for that bar.  Drink menus for all the restaurants are also included within the posted dining menu for the restaurant.  

Hope this helps!

 

[boxkite]

Charla, thanks for taking the time once again to post your cruise reports!

 

Congrats to your DH for kicking the habit, a cruise is well desired and of course you don't mind coming along with him.

 

We board Equinox next week for our Caribbean cruise and look forward to reading your posts to prepare us for the cruise.

 

I have my own list of possible drinks to try. Sadly I had to remove the Molecular Bar drinks from the list, including Dragonfly and Coming Up Roses.

[hcat]

6 hours ago, cinderellen said:

Wow, Gen Z looks so grown up! Enjoy your cruise. We loved the APEX. 

 

i agree.. Gen Z  is looking  like a  gown up lady now...girl.power! Bet she can't wait for her special "mom and me" cruise

 

on Tortola..the local party place was always BOMBAS shack..(a bit rough)

I do not think it survived a few storms..but they must party someplace..Got the Tee shirt 2 cruises ago!

 

ENJOY!

Edited February 21, 2023 by hcat

[Ripheus]

1 hour ago, GenerationX said:

Thank you so much for the suggestion! It looks like they are pretty much booked up other than one slot at 5pm and Jeremy refuses to eat dinner that early.  I will definitely put this on the to do list for my next cruise that docks in PR and make my reservations much earlier. The menu does look amazing!

I second this suggestion. Marmalade may have been the best dinner I've ever had. DW and I went there before our last cruise, and we couldn't have picked a better place. Dinner started at 515 but we didn't end up leaving until around 10. If I were to ever go back, I'd want to go as early as possible, if for no other reason than to savor all they have to offer. The staff there was very lovely too. They really went (far) out of their way to make our dinner and intimate and special experience. By the time we finished dinner, I think we had met the owner, the chefs, at least of the kitchen staff, and most of the waiters and waitresses. It is a bit pricey, but it should be on everyone's "must visit" list when in San Juan. 

[RichYak]

8 minutes ago, Ripheus said:

Dinner started at 515 but we didn't end up leaving until around 10.

Was that by choice or does dinner there really take that long?

[Ripheus]

6 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Was that by choice or does dinner there really take that long?

It was a little of both. We definitely took our time. At the same time, the tasting menu and accompanying wine service takes a while to work through. We could have probably left around 830 or so, but we tried all of the desserts and had after dinner drinks too. 

[LouChamp]

Aloha. As you know I love your posts and food pictures. Have you thought of expanding your horizons beyond the Caribbean. We did the same thing you are doing know and then as our daughter got older, traveled Europe, South America, South Pacific etc. I was able to take a month’s vacation at a time so fortunately that helped but out of the box trips can be had for two weeks.  Just wondering. You never know, that is how we would up loving in Hawaii lol

[peanut head]

19 hours ago, mailmama said:

Happy to see your review since DH and I had to cancel this very trip. Would have been fun to sail with you but after DH has his cancer treatments, we will plan another cruise!!  Lord willing......

Thinking of you and hoping all goes well and you are back on the high seas again. Charla’s thread is great medicine for whatever ails you😊

[GenerationX]

20 hours ago, mailmama said:

Happy to see your review since DH and I had to cancel this very trip. Would have been fun to sail with you but after DH has his cancer treatments, we will plan another cruise!!  Lord willing......

I am so so sorry to hear about your husband. I hope that his treatment goes as smoothly as such things can go, and that you two are back out on the seas soon. 

[GenerationX]

6 hours ago, LouChamp said:

Aloha. As you know I love your posts and food pictures. Have you thought of expanding your horizons beyond the Caribbean. We did the same thing you are doing know and then as our daughter got older, traveled Europe, South America, South Pacific etc. I was able to take a month’s vacation at a time so fortunately that helped but out of the box trips can be had for two weeks.  Just wondering. You never know, that is how we would up loving in Hawaii lol

Aloha! Great to have you along again!  
 

We have ventured into Alaska cruising and Bermuda, but venturing much further than that has been a bit of a challenge due to Jeremy’s vacation time allowance. Up until this year he only got 2 weeks of paid vacation for the entire year, so with other family travel commitments around the holidays, etc. it was difficult for us to make a longer cruise or a 7 day that required a few days of travel time added on happen.

 

As of 2023 though, he’s been bumped up to 3 weeks paid so we are looking at doing a more adventurous trip this November/December to celebrate Jeremy’s 40th birthday.  We’re considering Hawaii or South America with maybe a Panama Canal crossing.  I’m also trying to lobby him to spend a bit bigger and do Galapagos on Flora, but he insists on adulting and going on about the need for funds for appliance upgrades at our house.  🙄  

 

I on the other hand would cheerfully spend a year scrubbing our laundry using a metal tub and a washboard like a medieval peasant if it means I get to go to Galapagos! 

Edited February 22, 2023 by GenerationX

[GenerationX]

Yesterday I received two emails from the shoreside Retreat Concierge team.

 

The first was regarding my (spoiler alert) recently booked bargain April solo sky suite cruise on Beyond, for which I’ve been emailing back and forth with the general customer service email address about similar booking issues (missing perks, random balance due email when the cruise was paid in full at booking, etc.).   

 

The email yesterday from the concierge apologized for all of the errors and had attached an updated, correct invoice showing no balance due and all perks included.

 

The second email was regarding this Apex cruise and the concierge included a link to a form that she requested I fill out regarding preferences for our sky suite on our (very soon!) upcoming cruise, including options for the type of wine we’d like in our suite for embarkation. 

 

She also invited me to call or email her if there was anything else that we need last-minute assistance with before we sail.

 

I thought about emailing her regarding my ongoing quest and to get perks resolved and properly documented for this cruise. But just out of curiosity, I checked and our beverage packages are now showing on our express passes and our paid gratuities and premium Internet seem to be reflected in the cruise planner!

 

I’ve had outreach and assistance from the Retreat shoreside concierge when sailing in a Celebrity Suite or higher, but never before in a sky suite.

 

Does anyone know if this is now officially a standard thing for sky suites?

 

If so, having dedicated shoreside assistance, even at the lowest suite level, to step in and get issues like this resolved when they pop up is a nice additional perk.

 

Sharing pics of the preference form below. 

 

I’ve seen that there’s sometimes a disconnect between the shoreside and onboard teams, so it will be very interesting to see if our preferences/requests actually come through.

 

 

 

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

On 2/20/2023 at 5:56 PM, GenerationX said:

Thank you! I kind of took a live and let live position on his habit for a long time because he’s a grown man after all and as you said we all have our vices.  
 

It really started to worry me though when I could tell his asthma was getting worse.  
 

We both got the flu this winter and Jeremy got much sicker than me and barely got out of bed for over a week. The doctors said the smoking was probably a factor in why he got so sick.  I think it was the wake up call that he needed.

 

OK - Charla time to sail with you and Jeremy -   We can all jump on Iain who still smokes.   I'm an Ex smoker of 40 years and know how hard but how easy it is to stop.   

 

I quite while teaching a College course on Understanding Addictive Behavior.   One day I had a revelation.   hmmmm..   Why don't I try what I teach.   Very easy first step -    Don't have the First XXX whatever the addiction.  Meaning to never have the first regardless of how long off the substance or activity the first sets off a chain reaction.

[Sadebud]

Hi Charla, so glad to see you're cruising again!  Looking forward to another "cruise" with you!

[Redking]

3 hours ago, GenerationX said:

Yesterday I received two emails from the shoreside Retreat Concierge team.

 

The first was regarding my (spoiler alert) recently booked bargain April solo sky suite cruise on Beyond, for which I’ve been emailing back and forth with the general customer service email address about similar booking issues (missing perks, random balance due email when the cruise was paid in full at booking, etc.).   

 

The email yesterday from the concierge apologized for all of the errors and had attached an updated, correct invoice showing no balance due and all perks included.

 

The second email was regarding this Apex cruise and the concierge included a link to a form that she requested I fill out regarding preferences for our sky suite on our (very soon!) upcoming cruise, including options for the type of wine we’d like in our suite for embarkation. 

 

She also invited me to call or email her if there was anything else that we need last-minute assistance with before we sail.

 

I thought about emailing her regarding my ongoing quest and to get perks resolved and properly documented for this cruise. But just out of curiosity, I checked and our beverage packages are now showing on our express passes and our paid gratuities and premium Internet seem to be reflected in the cruise planner!

 

I’ve had outreach and assistance from the Retreat shoreside concierge when sailing in a Celebrity Suite or higher, but never before in a sky suite.

 

Does anyone know if this is now officially a standard thing for sky suites?

 

If so, having dedicated shoreside assistance, even at the lowest suite level, to step in and get issues like this resolved when they pop up is a nice additional perk.

 

Sharing pics of the preference form below. 

 

I’ve seen that there’s sometimes a disconnect between the shoreside and onboard teams, so it will be very interesting to see if our preferences/requests actually come through.

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Charla, really good to know that you've received this level of contact from shoreside. We had really poor service for our last cruise in  Royal Suite which I have provided feedback on to the CEO's office.  Hopefully they are onto it and are lifting their game. 🤞 the connection is good between shoerside and the ship. Wishing you both a wonderful cruise and looking forward to following along.

[MzShae]

I always enjoy following your "lives". Soon I'll be back on my first cruise since 2017 and my first solo. You always have such a fabulous time and I hope this one 💕 will be too!

[JazzyV]

Yay, another Charla "live". And congrats to Jeremy for quitting. I'll be going on my first Celebrity cruise in April, a transatlantic (also a first for me) on Apex.

Edited February 22, 2023 by JazzyV

[TPCRUISER2]

Congrats on your husband beating the one of the hardest things to give up. And GenZ is such a beautiful young lady. 

Charla, You always have your sites set high. Want to be like you when I grow up! Enjoy your cruise.