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

[Silkroad]

59 minutes ago, GenerationX said:

I believe that it’s the plan! Hopefully I haven’t hijacked an official roll call meet up. 😂

 

@KKB hope to see you there! You already know how to find me: map dress, cocktail in hand, look of immense self satisfaction on my face.

And there could be someone nearby who wears a slightly different map dress, cocktail in hand😜🍹Can’t wait!

[mac_tlc]

1 hour ago, Silkroad said:

And there could be someone nearby who wears a slightly different map dress, cocktail in hand😜🍹Can’t wait!

 

2 hours ago, GenerationX said:

I believe that it’s the plan! Hopefully I haven’t hijacked an official roll call meet up. 😂

 

@KKB hope to see you there! You already know how to find me: map dress, cocktail in hand, look of immense self satisfaction on my face.

No dress for me, but I’ll be there. 😜.

 

mac_tlc

[Mrs_Tiki]

4 hours ago, GenerationX said:

O…M…G that is totally the Beyond April sailing that I’m on!!!

 

I also got alerted to the deal through CC and couldn’t resist the pricing. 
 

It’s going to be a fun sailing!

We are on that one also. Can’t wait to meet all of you!

[KKB]

5 hours ago, GenerationX said:

O…M…G that is totally the Beyond April sailing that I’m on!!!

 

I also got alerted to the deal through CC and couldn’t resist the pricing. 
 

It’s going to be a fun sailing!

SHUT. UP.

Seriously, I was already super excited…1st Retreat, @mac_tlc and now @GenerationX. (And it looks like several others here too!!)

WOO HOO!!

 

[onefishtwofish]

Those that are currently on Apex, I have a question......

 

Does Apex offer a Photobook (by itself) for purchase?  We noticed it under Photo but in a combination package, not the book alone. 

 

This is our first Celebrity Cruise and we like to purchase the photobook on RCCL, so wondering if they have the same option....

 

Thank you! 🙂

[GenerationX]

In case anyone is wondering about Jeremy’s initial impressions of his first E-class cruise…

 

Does anyone have experience with taking a cruise booking initially booked as a solo cruise (with full solo supplement) and trying to add a second passenger after final payment with whatever upcharge?

 

For some reason my husband is now much less chill about me sailing Beyond in April without him. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[KKB]

4 minutes ago, GenerationX said:

In case anyone is wondering about Jeremy’s initial impressions of his first E-class cruise…

 

Does anyone have experience with taking a cruise booking initially booked as a solo cruise (with full solo supplement) and trying to add a second passenger after final payment with whatever upcharge?

 

For some reason my husband is now much less chill about me sailing Beyond in April without him. 

YES!

I did this on the Edge in 2021.

I only had to pay taxes & fees for Mom.

[tnm6217]

9 minutes ago, KKB said:

YES!

I did this on the Edge in 2021.

I only had to pay taxes & fees for Mom.

 

I asked my travel advisor about this last week and was told the same for my April 22nd sailing in The Retreat -- it would just be the addition of the extra port taxes and fees for the second person. If they're going to make us pay for "two people" to begin with, it's a nice perk to be able to add someone after final payment!

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

You mentioned that boarding was pretty fast. Do suites (Sky suites) have their own “line” in FLL to board or do we not need it?  I’ll be “herding cats” (9 people) at embarkation and want to mentally prepare. 

[terrydtx]

26 minutes ago, Sox Fan Cruiser said:

You mentioned that boarding was pretty fast. Do suites (Sky suites) have their own “line” in FLL to board or do we not need it?  I’ll be “herding cats” (9 people) at embarkation and want to mentally prepare. 

There is a separate entrance for all suites passengers that will take up upstairs to the VIP lounge for check in then boarding. Our last time we got to the entrance at 11:15 and we were on the ship by 11:35 and on our way to our cabin to drop off our carry-ons. 

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

11 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

There is a separate entrance for all suites passengers that will take up upstairs to the VIP lounge for check in then boarding. Our last time we got to the entrance at 11:15 and we were on the ship by 11:35 and on our way to our cabin to drop off our carry-ons. 

Sweet!

[sea mom]

If possible, can you please post the current beer selection menu at Craft Social.

 

Thanks

[GenerationX]

Good morning from our post-Luminae breakfast lazing on the Retreat Sundeck!  It’s a beautiful morning at sea!

 

It’s a little after 9:30 and it seems like there’s still a decent supply of at least partially shaded seating.  While Jeremy heads down to do battle with a slot machine, a catch up post on our first day on Apex:

 

As mentioned, embarkation was remarkably quick.  We arrived at the terminal at 10:45 and when we were directed to the suite boarding area, the port worker by the security check point told us they expected to start suite boarding around 11:30.  That seemed pretty late to me but I figured maybe there were technical issues or something.

 

Sure enough, just as Jeremy and I had made ourselves a little plate of suite lounge snacks and were putting sugar in our coffees, they started suite boarding at about 10:55.

 

When we went to our cabin to drop off carry on bags and grab our sea passes, we bumped into our very nice stateroom attendant I Made, who was just coming in to finish cleaning the room.

 

After checking in at our muster station, we headed towards the Retreat lounge for the first cocktails and canapés of the cruise and to see if the concierge could help with modifying a couple of specialty reservations I made online pre-cruise.

 

A couple of Apex Retreat lounge food and beverage hot tips:  if you’re a tequila person, Patrick makes a wonderful The Retreat cocktail (which my husband promptly had 2 of).  Also, don’t miss the duck prosciutto and mango salsa canapés!

 

One of the down sides to booking last minute is that unless it’s a pretty empty sailing, prime specialty dining times can be hard to come by in the cruise planner.  When I booked Fine Cut and Raw on 5 online, the only times available in the cruise planner were an absurdly late dinner of 9:30.

 

Jat our concierge (who greeted us warmly with a smile and offered us another round of cocktails) connected us with the specialty dinning manager who was able to move our Raw on 5 reservations up to 6pm.  For Fine Cut, she said the restaurant was almost fully booked for the whole cruise already but she’d see what she could do.  By the time we got back to our room after dinner last night, we had a card saying our reservation had been moved up to 8:30!

 

After a little exploring we headed to lunch in Luminae about 12:30.  The restaurant was pretty busy but there wasn’t a wait for a table.  I was a little worried with how crowded it was that service would be slow, but it turned out not to be the case at all.  Start to finish I think we were in and out in less than 45 minutes skipping dessert.

 

For lunch Jeremy had the ceviche and Luminae burger and I had the pea soup and steak frites.  Jeremy said his ceviche wasn’t bad, but paled in comparison to the amazing one we had in FLL the day before.  The Luminae burger rarely disappoints, but Jeremy said he wished they’d melted the cheese on better.  

 

My soup was served hot with lots of flavorful ham strips.  The real surprise was how good the strip steak was.  It was so tender it almost ate more like a ribeye than a strip and nice and garlicky.  My pro tip: skip the potato wedge fries that come with the steak and ask for the truffle fries that come with the burger instead.

 

Our lunch sommelier Arnold remembered me from one of Red and I’s cruises last year and as he refilled my Pinot noir, convinced me to sign up for the blendtique wine event (which I’ve never done before) and the premium wine tasting.

 

I’m going to go for a swim and then maybe take a little sea breezes nap (it was a late night).  Soon to come: a report on our Eden dinner and first night of partying on Apex.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

m

 

[terrydtx]

@GenerationX We will be in the Retreat this summer and our 12-year-old granddaughter is cruising with us, do you know if she can come into the Retreat Lounge with us? Her first cruise and we are introducing her to the Suite Life.

[acstall]

Were you able to use the priority luggage drop or is that only for upper suites?

[terrydtx]

29 minutes ago, acstall said:

Were you able to use the priority luggage drop or is that only for upper suites?

In FLL you really do not need the priority suites luggage drop. 

[GenerationX]

Sharing some pics of our stateroom 9179, an S2 sky suite.

 

I booked this stateroom as a suite guarantee.  I’ve never done a guarantee booking before and was a little nervous about what we may be assigned.  

 

However when I looked at the suite availability for the cruise, the handful of suite cabins left were all S2’s in a decent location, so I figured odds were good we’d be satisfied.

 

Plus, the guarantee booking price was over $2K cheaper than picking my own stateroom, so the cost savings were well worth the risk to me!
 

Thus far it’s worked out well. No issues with noise from the hall or surrounding areas and it’s a quick walk to the forward elevators to get up and down to Luminae and the Retreat deck.

 

We noticed that our pre-cruise preference sheet requests for welcome bottle, extra hangers and stateroom temperature were also honored.

 

I think my favorite thing about the suites on E Class is the bathrooms. I love the lower but wider tub, toilet  having its own enclosure and the mirrors that slide open so you can look out at the sea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GenerationX]

40 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

@GenerationX We will be in the Retreat this summer and our 12-year-old granddaughter is cruising with us, do you know if she can come into the Retreat Lounge with us? Her first cruise and we are introducing her to the Suite Life.

 
Yes she is welcome in all Retreat areas. I’ve seen a handful of kids in Luminae this sailing.  I’ve sailed with our 10 year old daughter in suites and she LOVES it. All the crew treated her like a little princess.  You’ll be setting your granddaughter up for high cruising expectations!

[GenerationX]

32 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

In FLL you really do not need the priority suites luggage drop. 

This is very true.  There was a pillar with a sign for Retreat luggage, but there was a line of cars waiting to pull in there so we kept going down to general luggage drop. Our bags were all still delivered by the time we got done with lunch in Luminae.

[allinwonderland]

22 hours ago, GenerationX said:

O…M…G that is totally the Beyond April sailing that I’m on!!!

 

I also got alerted to the deal through CC and couldn’t resist the pricing. 
 

It’s going to be a fun sailing!

Gosh, with the way you're making it look, I would *die* to sail in the Retreat on E-class, but PHEW those prices!! 🤯 especially since I don't have a built-in sailing buddy and would likely be sailing solo. How does one find this "bargain pricing"?? 

[thebutlerdidit]

14 hours ago, KKB said:

YES!

I did this on the Edge in 2021.

I only had to pay taxes & fees for Mom.

They didn’t make you pay the prevailing rate? 

[Jim_Iain]

It always excites me to see pictures of the ship on the webcam.   She is beautiful.

 

Always gets my excitement going when I see you pictures of the inside of the ship.    

 

 

[Lena11033]

2 minutes ago, allinwonderland said:

Gosh, with the way you're making it look, I would *die* to sail in the Retreat on E-class, but PHEW those prices!! 🤯 especially since I don't have a built-in sailing buddy and would likely be sailing solo. How does one find this "bargain pricing"?? 

 

I'm in the same boat so to speak - maybe one day my husband will cruise with me but would not be while we have 4 dogs so for now it's just me and huge costs for one person 😅

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, acstall said:

Were you able to use the priority luggage drop or is that only for upper suites?

There is both Priority Luggage for all suites and "Special Delivery Desk"  for the upper suites.   Both are near the Suites entrance and sometimes the police in FLL don't let the drivers enter the area.

 

I find it easiest to just give my bags to the first porter I see. 

[Texed]

We were on Apex for a B2B in January.  We loved it.  So, thanks for the review and pictures for a rehash.  😊