Celebrity Apex to the Caribbean 2023 - mainly photos for anyone interested

[Dreamer68]

On 7/24/2023 at 9:58 AM, Irish clare said:

thank you for the memories .. i was on this ship at Christmas and loved it 

Such a gorgeous ship, right?  I did not expect to like such a "big" ship but I fear now that I have experienced an Edge-class ship, I will be prone to compare all the others with it. Quite tempted to book the Ascent in 2024 for the Mediterranean even though there's the perfectly good Constellation itinerary available. 🤦‍♀️

[Dreamer68]

Let me finish sharing some additional photos and I will stop.

So, I never got to try the Magic Carpet for drinks and snacks. I did however, really liked it for getting on the tender. As with many comments on CC, I think Celebrity came up with a brilliant solution using the Magic Carpet although I confess when I first saw it on the side of the ship, I thought it looked so weird and "off". It somehow felt so stable for our leaving the ship to get on a tender for our Belize stop and that morning, the weather was not the greatest.

Belize was one of the stops we did not go with a cruise excursion so based on helpful info on CC, we got up early to get the earliest tender tickets possible. Oh, and our tour operator also requested we get off as early as possible so, we were at Craft Social to get our tender tickets by 8 am. I confess I was somewhat nervous seeing Celebrity excursion group after group being led off the ship as we made our way to the tender tickets assignment spot. What a relief when we scored Group # 2 tender tickets! Phew.

 

[Dreamer68]

There were many venues for music and fun on the Apex, throughout the day and into the night. There were small musical acts at the Martini Bar/ Grand Plaza every day (there's a musician on Instagram who chronicles his life on board cruise ships who was one of these acts around the time we were on the ship), dance lessons with the  Apex performers, trivia, archery, seminars etc.

 

 

[Dreamer68]

Note about "seminars" at the Spa. Sadly, apart from perhaps only two, everything else labelled "seminar" was really a sales pitch for Spa experiences, no real information of any sort. I was there to learn about eating well or Quite the waste of my time, really, disappointingly so. I wish they would stop labelling it a "seminar", I felt misled and I could have planned my free time better. You can see the descriptions of the "seminars" on the screenshots I took of my Celebrity App.  I remember on Holland America long time ago, there were actual seminars and information sessions about so many things including interesting port information. Are there any cruise lines that do those seminars anymore?  PS - the art seminar on Thomas Kincade was good. The one about precious jewels ad diamonds would have been great if there was not so much leading towards shopping at Effy Jewelry on the ship. There. I said it. 🤷‍♀️ If the information I learn is impactful, nobody has to twist my arm to buy anything. When there's too much of a sales pitch, it is unlikely I will buy anything.

Here are screenshots of my Celebrity App schedule. I did enjoy having the app despite some glitches. I liked being able to message DH whilst on the ship without taking the WiFi package. I liked seeing the weather for the day, the menu at the restaurants, information about the activities for the day, etc. PS - the  Chandelier show is that light and music "show" (approx. 10 mins) at the Martini Bar every night.

 

 

[Dreamer68]

I liked these simple ones about the weather upon arrival at port or at sea. 🙂 I wonder if the ones at port actually show the position the ship is docked, at starboard or port side. Does anyone know?

 

 

[Dreamer68]

Here are the descriptions of the seminars at the Spa. Really unfortunate labelling as I felt them misleading. After the first one, the others were all about 5 mins of info (or less) followed by an invitation to buy something. Too bad because I think the medical professionals hosting these "seminars" really had interesting information to share about alternative and holistic health including acupuncture. And yes, I mentioned this on the feedback survey to Celebrity. I guess people figured out the sales pitch and by mid-week, nobody else came for these "seminars" but me...and then, it really got awkward. One-on-one and still I did not learn much as I had heard the invitation to purchase the same thing 2 "seminars" prior. Maybe I need to release the standard about cruise seminars that was set by HAL many years ago 🤔

 

[Dreamer68]

Evening shows... I have to say I enjoyed all the shows in varying degrees. I may have remembered wrongly but I think the Apex is one of 2 Celebrity ships with 2 performing teams on board. One performs in the main theatre and the other at Eden. They were together for at least one of the evening shows, Crystalize. Actually I think the whole team was together for the final night, Rockumentary.  Most of it was musical with some acrobatics Really beautiful, actually. There was a singing trio, the Divas 3 (loved them!), who came on twice. A magician (pretty cool ...and he was funny!). Although they say you won't get a bad seat in the theatre (which is why I wasn't concerned about where I sat), I found that at Crystallize, the projected visuals would have been best appreciated if we had been seated in the centre of the theatre. You can see a video below and see if you know what I mean. Apart from that show, the short person that I am was able to see well from the front section on the right and left of the stage. My favourite shows were the Tree of Life and Rockumentary. 🙂

PS - go to the chat session with your Cruise Director and Captain. Really great Q & A. CD Shawna was just fantastic. Captain was in the crowd every night for the shows. I appreciated that.

 

[Dreamer68]

Video from Crystallize that made me mention that perhaps there are some better seats in the house. 😉 There was a range of vocalists on the two performing teams as well. Several were bigger powerhouses than the others but in general, I was fully satisfied with the entertainment onboard the Apex. 😍

[Dreamer68]

Several videos from Crystallize, Tree of Life, and Rockumentary. Seeing these again made me smile. I had a great time on the Apex. ❤️

[Dreamer68]

Tree of Life...the songs brought back lots of memories ... the visuals prompting me to go through my seasons of life. The winter song got me teary-eyed, thinking about loved ones who have passed and about what I am currently doing to live out my own legacy. I don't know if anyone else on the Apex liked this show but it was my favourite. Corny, yeah, I know. 🤷‍♀️❤️

[hcat]

10 hours ago, Dreamer68 said:

Here are the descriptions of the seminars at the Spa. Really unfortunate labelling as I felt them misleading. After the first one, the others were all about 5 mins of info (or less) followed by an invitation to buy something. Too bad because I think the medical professionals hosting these "seminars" really had interesting information to share about alternative and holistic health including acupuncture. And yes, I mentioned this on the feedback survey to Celebrity. I guess people figured out the sales pitch and by mid-week, nobody else came for these "seminars" but me...and then, it really got awkward. One-on-one and still I did not learn much as I had heard the invitation to purchase the same thing 2 "seminars" prior. Maybe I need to release the standard about cruise seminars that was set by HAL many years ago 🤔

 

We were gullible &  tried one these "so called" health seminars. A.close rel had cancer and we thought we might gain  some healthy insights.  We were crammed into a small " classroom" and it became clear  that  it was  a heavy duty sales pitch for some type of seaweed  capsules..pricey and more than a one shot.

 

 Towards the end quite a few of us started to drift out..without making a purchase,  the sales reps got quite huffy and said we were insulting them by not making a purchase.... We would never attend any of these again..false pretenses to sell sell sell!

[hcat]

Thanks for the pics and videos.  We had similar positive experiences on EDGE in the theatre..the CLUB..and in EDEN...and in BEYOND as well.  Looking foward to ASCENT ,next and then APEX.

 

  Your review  has a great format..thank you! 

[Dreamer68]

Rockumentary was touted as the "must-see" show. It was quite good. And a treat seeing both theatre cast members. Wonderful to hear Tina Turner represented but I gotta say Tina dances best. 🙂

 

[Dreamer68]

25 minutes ago, hcat said:

Thanks for the pics and videos.  We had similar positive experiences on EDGE in the theatre..the CLUB..and in EDEN...and in BEYOND as well.  Looking foward to ASCENT ,next and then APEX.

 

  Your review  has a great format..thank you! 

Oohhh... you will experience all 4 Edge-class ships! ❤️ ❤️  The prices for ASCENT for the itinerary I was interested in just went up by almost a thousand $$ per couple... yeesh... wonder if the prices will come back down..?

Yeah, the sales pitch at the Spa seminars. 🙄 If Celebrity didn't call them "seminars", I would not have felt this negative. Quite unfortunate, really, because I know from research, that there are some incredible things from the East that can complement Western cancer treatment. They could have actually shared some do-able tips/ habit changes, supported with scientific research (there's quite a bit these days, written in English, in academic journals to support stuff like Traditional Chinese Medicine or Ayurvedic ways in treatment of major illnesses). Sending hope and prayers for your friend's complete healing. 🙏

Glad you are enjoying my trip down the APEX memory lane. Will post some Eden videos now.

Edited July 29, 2023 by Dreamer68
Addtional sentence.

[Dreamer68]

Just wanted to note that the Divas 3 trio was great. Here's their website: https://www.divas3lasvegas.com/ Well-done covers of the top songs from the female powerhouses of the 1960s through the 1990s. What a treasure chest we have in such incredible songs and music. The 3 singers that made the Apex home for this short stint were Crystal Garrett, Trenyce Cobbins, and Charity Farrell. I enjoyed their 2nd night on stage as well. DH and I actually sat in front of them one night at one of the theatre productions and they kindly agreed to a selfie. I heard a lot of other passengers show appreciation for their vocal talents. Well-deserved. ❤️

 

 

[Dreamer68]

Eden.*sigh* This is such a fabulous space. 3 storeys. Many combinations of seating configuration, many different types of chairs and seats. The performance space is small and the performers make it work.There was a violinist who was spectacular. Stylish and beautiful (male and female) acrobats grace the space. I enjoyed every visit I made to Eden, including the ones where I just spent time in one of those colourful hanging basket chairs just to read and watch the sunset. Oh, there was a little space/ alcove with some shelves and I found a few books there. There isn't a library on the Apex. I added a picture here of Eden from the outside of the ship. 🙂 And sorry, I may have repeated one video. I was mesmerized by the waves...

[Dreamer68]

The only specialty restaurant I went to was Raw on 5. Figured since it was touted on the Celebrity website as "Every Sushi Connoisseur's Dream" and I'm a huge sushi fan having had it in various cities including several in Japan. I chose the Omakase Sashimi (chef's choice of 5 pieces of sashimi) and the Sunset Roll (salmon, mango, avocado, spicy mayo, tempura crunch).

 

Although the price was decent (considering it's on a spectacular billion-dollar cruise ship), i.e. approximately USD2 for each piece, sadly, the meal was mediocre at best, especially the roll. The filling looked sparse and the roll was not tightly rolled. You'll see what I mean in my photo. The avocado was a greyish green (would have loved it to be a brilliant green gradient, the sauce dabbed on top was basic. The mango was bland, like the watermelons I spoke of in the MDRs. The Omakase was slightly better but of the raw fish selection, only the salmon was memorable. It was smooth like butter while the other fish tasted dry 🤷‍♀️ The octopus was the best part of the plate.

 

So, my sushi choices at Raw on 5 were a miss. I can definitely get better sushi here at home. If I return to Raw on 5, it would be to try the seafood platters with a few friends.😉

I'm open to suggestions of specialty restaurants to visit the next time I'm on an Edge-class ship (please include why I should visit your choices)...I'm thinking of Eden for dinner or Le Petit Chef....🤔

[Dreamer68]

Some other things I appreciated on the cruise were beach towels in my cabin the night before a port stop plus chocolates on my bed every night. No biggie but nice touch.

 

[Dreamer68]

As for excursions, we chose only 1 with the cruise line - Stingray City because the cost was competitive with options we could book ourselves. I did appreciate the convenience of booking with Celebrity. I found I was not looking at my watch at all (versus all the other options we did on our own).

In Key West, we knew there was a hop-on/ hop-off bus but if you're mobile, it's actually not far to walk from the ship to the "southernmost point" in the continental USA, and back. I felt we actually got there faster by walking as the bus stops were not easy to spot and the bus was not very frequent, at least I felt it was not.

 

In Belize, we booked with cavetubing.bz after reading lots of reviews here on CC and on TripAdvisor. Mitsugirly here on CC has lots of photos and information about this provider. Our best tour guide happen to be with cavetubing,bz. I think people are scared about not returning to the ship on time and book with the cruise lines. Our guide was pleasant, knowledgeable, spoke proudly and fondly of his country, shared any historical tidbit we were interested in, got us to the river and cave differently than those on big tour buses. I feel we got more for our money, especially when it turned out we were his only guests that morning. Apart from the personal service, we got the most delicious homecooked lunch by the mom of a staff member. It was like coming home to your Aunt Matilda or Tia Nina's place for lunch y'know? A delicious Belizian meal of rice, chicken and coleslaw.

 

In Cozumel, we booked through Viatour, a trip that included a glass-bottomed boat, snorkelling (had to jump off said boat), an hour or supposedly 2 at a Beach club at Playa Uvas including lunch, some ATV riding and an amazing Tequila factory tour.

 

I can go into some details if anyone has questions about those excursions. In general, all the tours we booked on our own where cheaper than ship ones by 20-40% per person. Peace of mind though, about getting back to the ship is worth quite a lot. So, know what your own criteria is and be happy with your choice. We were. 🙂
 

[Dreamer68]

Glass bottomed boat in Cozumel.

[Dreamer68]

All in all, I had a wonderful cruise on the Celebrity APEX. Looks like most of the misses for me were in the food area (and the hard sell for spa services). Service was generally good throughout the ship, our cabin attendant was friendly and attentive. The ship sparkled every day. I loved the modern decor. My OV cabin bathroom felt luxurious thanks to shower doors and a mirror that never fogged up! The entertainment was entertaining. I loved having little chocolates left by my cabin attendant every night. I appreciated the beach towels that magically appeared on our bed the night before each port. I was happy to have another Celebrity canvas bag to bring home. The Cruise Director was hilarious, the Captain's presence daily during the evening shows was appreciated. I felt like he was getting his work-life balance right somehow, y'know? LOL!

 

The misses I mentioned were not huge but made for an inconsistent experience in the guest journey for me, especially the food in the MDRs (clumpy pasta, bland fruit, caring about food allergies, etc.). Also, if a ship is hyped for its art, it would be good for Guest Relations staff and Art Gallery people to know that an art book showcasing Apex's art actually exists. Considering the Apex was launched in 2021, and there is an Art tour onboard, I'm surprised that GR members did not know about this component. 🤷‍♀️

There was an interesting thread by @Bimmer09 about what constitutes a "luxury cruise". Celebrity presents itself as one. I personally do not think Celebrity has reached that level as there are still inconsistencies with some basics.

 

What I found most memorable and impressive was the ship itself. The APEX, if you have not heard me say it enough, is an absolutely stunning ship. Her modern decor appeals to me, a non-Suite traveller. 🙂 I would sail another Edge-class ship in a heartbeat even though I truly enjoyed my time on the Summit as well (we saw her at some of the same stops). Thanks for reading this whole thing which was originally intended to be just a photo dump.

I wish you all calm seas and wonderful opportunities for memory making on your future cruises. Signing off with some amazing sunsets as seen from the APEX plus a double rainbow approaching Belize...and my last bite from OVC before we took our sweet time to disembark as we had 8 hours to explore FLL before our flight back to the Great White North.❄️

 

PS - 2 or 3 days upon arrival home, DH tested positive for Covid. 🤷‍♀️

Edited July 30, 2023 by Dreamer68
addition

[Reel Love]

Wonderful review and terrific pictures!  Thank you so very much for bringing us along 🙂

[Wendylvs2travel]

Absolutely loved seeing your pictures and your very honest reviews about the food. Thank you very much for sharing with us! 

[dazey]

Enjoyed your review.  Appreciated your recent listing of tours(both Celebrity and non-Celebrity) as you mentioned you would do.  Any tendered port we went with Celebrity tours.  You are definitely correct - private tour operators are less money and mostly give a more private and different tour.  It is our first choice but taking a tour with Celebrity does eliminate the "missing the boat" issue.

 

Agree with you about Raw on 5. We find Sushi on 5 has a wider sushi menu.  Not the best sushi(it is hard to find many excellent sushi restaurants for sure but good for a little change in dining onboard maybe once on a cruise.

 

Looking forward to sailing on Apex in December and your review makes me feel like "I cannot wait!".

 

 

[CunucuMom]

@Dreamer68 thank you so much for taking the time to share your journey in both words and visuals.   I've been somewhat 'meh' about our upcoming Ascent preview cruise but your travelogue has definitely rekindled my excitement.  Btw, thanks for your comments about the spa seminars; I won't waste time trying to melt off my excess fat.  🤣🤣

 

Happy future travels and wishing your DH a speedy recovery (and immunity for you!).