4 Hits and Misses of the Celebrity Apex

Celebrity Apex is the second ship in the Edge Class, a revolutionary design that was a big departure from Celebrity’s older fleet. Apex is a nearly identical design to Celebrity Edge, but Celebrity changed up the design for the third and fourth ships (Beyond and Ascent) and again for Celebrity Xcel and the sixth, yet-to-be-named, ship.

I sailed on Apex on a 7-day Norwegian Fjords cruise, and here’s what I thought were the hits and misses.

Hits

• 4 Main Dining Rooms
• The Views from the Ship
• Elevated, High-class Feel Without Pretension
• Grand Plaza

Misses

• Bars and Bar Setup
• Alternate Entertainment Venues
• Onboard Activities
• Layout and Accessibility

Polarizing

• Infinite Veranda Cabins

Hit: 4 Main Dining Rooms

Rather than one big, multi-deck main dining room, Apex has four smaller dining rooms: Cypress, Cosmopolitan, Tuscan, and Normandie, each with a unique theme.

• Cypress: Mediterranean
• Cosmopolitan: American
• Tuscan: Italian
• Normandie: French

The dining rooms don’t have the grandeur of a massive multi-story dining room with high ceilings and a chandelier, but the modern decor and large windows make them feel elevated and welcoming. The smaller size also made them feel more intimate, like you weren’t on a ship with 3,000 other people. I loved how much light the windows let in, even if you weren’t next to a window, you could see the natural sunlight (especially on a cruise to Norway with almost 24/7 sun).

But my favorite part of the dining rooms was the sheer number of options available. Every night, the menu would have a set of exclusive dishes for each dining room, a set of standard dishes, and a set of rotating dishes that is the same in all four dining rooms. That meant nine appetizer options, twelve main entrée options, and ten dessert options each night. There wasn’t a single night were I couldn’t figure out something that I wanted to order. In fact, most of the time, the struggle was selecting just one dish. On other cruise lines, I would have ordered two entrees if I couldn’t decide, but the portion size on Celebrity was generous and that would have been way too much food.

Tip: All four dining rooms share the same galley, so you can order an “exclusive” dish anywhere. If you love the Tuscan Shrimp Soup in Tuscan, you can ask for it the next night in Cosmopolitan.

I also loved how flexible the dining time were. Although you have to select an early or late dining time when you book your cruise, in reality, dining is flexible on Edge Class ships like Apex. You could either make a reservation ahead of time using the Celebrity app or just walk up and check in. I did both on my sailing, and for a party of two, the longest we waited was 15 minutes, but usually it was only 2 minutes to get a table. We did seem to get better tables by the window when we had reservations, but that could have been luck.

And while I never list the food quality as a hit or miss because it can be subjective and can change by sailing, I should note that the food I had on Celebrity Apex ranked among the best cruise food I have ever had.

Hit: The Views from the Ship

Because this cruise was of the Norwegian Fjords, which are known for their stunning landscapes, being able to enjoy the views was really important. Thankfully, this is where Apex shines. All over the ship, inside and out, there are places to enjoy the majestic vistas.

Eden, a three-story space at the back of the ship with floor-to-ceiling windows, was perfect for cold or rainy weather. You could find comfy seating and just watch the ship glide through the waters for hours.

The pool deck also has great seating. Unlike some other cruise ships, most seating on Apex is oriented towards the outside, so you can relax in a lounge and enjoy the views. The bottom level of the resort pool deck has massive glass panels that protect you from cold breezes (although they make the space less than optimal for photos). The Solarium adult-only pool also has floor-to-ceiling glass windows with seating facing them.

Two bars, the Sunset Bar and the Magic Carpet Bar (a cantilevered bar on the side of the ship), provided great places to grab a cocktail and enjoy the views with friends. Or when we were approaching a waterfall, people would line up on the elevated jogging track for a spectacular perspective.

Even the lower interior decks, like the area by Cafe al Bacio, had large portholes that let in lots of light. The Infinite Veranda cabins (discussed below) also provided amazing views from your cabin.

The only thing the ship was missing was a forward-facing view. Only suite guests had access to the Retreat Sundeck, which included a lounge with a front view. Technically, the gym also has amazing forward-facing views, but that’s not exactly a place you’d relax.

Hit: Elevated, High-class Feel Without Pretension

Apex has an elevated feel without being stuffy or pretentious. Art is integrated everywhere throughout the ship, adding an air of sophistication. Unlike some cruise lines, Celebrity didn’t just rely on Park West Art Galleries to fill the walls with “trendy” reproduced art. Instead, they had a curated selection of art throughout the ship. Seven days into the cruise, I was still stumbling on unique installations I hadn’t noticed before.

Apex uses natural and artificial light to create an airy feel. The Grand Plaza’s massive LED chandelier completely transforms the space throughout the night. Hallways are accented with cove LED lighting that gives a modern feel while brightening the space significantly.

I loved the use of natural wood stairs on the ship. You don’t see that often anymore, but the Grand Plaza has hardwood stairs and floors with a high-gloss polish that make it feel warm and elevated.

Another example is Journey to Eden, an art installation in the walkway between the Grand Plaza and Eden. Celebrity could have just put a plain hallway here, but instead went with unique art and wavy walls that catch you off guard as you enter.

And of course, there’s Eden, with decor showing a symbiotic relationship with the earth. A plant library with terrariums lines the walls, moss and vines hang from the ceiling, and even some chairs are designed to look like plants. I’d seen plenty of pictures of Eden, but the immersive beauty didn’t hit me until I stepped inside.

Another thing I liked was that it wasn’t just about design or Instagram-worthy photos. When I sailed on Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady, I was stunned by how uncomfortable all the furniture was; it looked great in pictures, but was impractical. On Apex, the seating looked unique but was also comfy and easy to get in and out of.

Hit: Grand Plaza

The Grand Plaza is the heart of Apex, anchored by the Martini Bar at the far end. It’s visually striking and makes an impression the minute you step on board. In fact, if you look at any photo, you can immediately identify this ship by the atrium.

Celebrity says the Grand Plaza was inspired by the glamorous days of old cruising, with spectacular ballrooms, accented staircases, and ornate chandeliers. Finished with rich-toned hardwoods and natural colors, the space has a warm and intimate feel even though it’s large. Fine mesh screens add sparkle and help avoid the cavernous feeling that such a big space might otherwise have.

The massive 7-ton LED chandelier over the Martini Bar is impossible to miss. The colors change throughout the day, transforming the vibe, or become dynamic during the Martini Bar show.

The Grand Plaza pulls together everything on the ship. Most of the shopping, bars, and several specialty restaurants are off the plaza, making it easy to understand where you are and where you’re going. The only part I could see being a problem but can’t comment on is if having the extra-fee specialty restaurants off this venue lowers the feel. Raw on Five, Le Grand Bistro, and Fine Cut Steakhouse all have openings so noise bleed could conceivably be a problem.

Over all three decks of the Grand Plaza, there’s plenty of seating: hallway seating, tables at Cafe al Bacio, or comfortable couches. At the same time, it transforms into a dance floor at night; the lower levels fill up for the lively “Silent Disco.”

Other ships have tried similar setups. Carnival’s Vista Class ships have an open three-story atrium with a massive LED funnel, but the space feels confined compared to the Grand Plaza. Norwegian’s new Prima ships have a central atrium, but they lack the grand scale of Apex. The concept is simply implemented better here. The sister ships Beyond and Ascent evolve the design further by moving the bar to the center of the plaza for more seating and expanding the space even more.

Miss: Bars and Bar Setup

While Apex has nine bars, the actual bar space is small. The main bar in the Grand Plaza only has 12 seats. The Eden Bar? It only has has five stools at its bar. Most other bars were around that range as well.

Most Americans are used to grabbing drinks at the bar and bringing them back to their seats or setting up “camp” at the bar itself. Instead, Celebrity focuses on table service with small cocktail tables, couches, and chairs. It’s more in line with the European style of bars. Servers circulate in nearly every venue, so you rarely wait more than five minutes. Except during peak hours at Cafe al Bacio, this worked very well.

But it meant it was hard just to grab a drink quickly and continue on your way. It also made socializing harder; lots of two-tops and four-tops meant groups of friends had trouble finding places to gather. And you’re less likely to meet fellow passengers when you’re not waiting in line at the bar.

Almost all the bars on Apex had unique menus, which I appreciated, but the drink quality was inconsistent. I ordered several cocktails that were clearly made incorrectly (like a mojito with an entire lemon in it). Service was always friendly, but bartenders rotated across four bars in a single day, which made specialty drinks hit or miss.

Then there’s the drink packages. Celebrity has two tiers: Classic (up to $12) and Premium (up to $19). But most drinks on the menus cost more than $12, and in Eden, almost all exceeded the Premium $19 limit. According to our research, Celebrity has the highest drink prices of any North American cruise line, so paying per drink gets pricey fast.

Miss: Alternate Entertainment Venues

In the old days of cruises, every cruise ship had a massive theater that would accommodate half the guests on board, and all entertainment would happen there. They would have early and late showings of every production so the whole ship could see the show, and everyone knew that was “the thing” to do that night.

That has changed in modern times. Now, cruise ship theaters only accommodate 25 to 33% of guests on board. They assume not every guest will want to see the entertainment, so they shrink the theaters. In addition, most modern cruise ships have multiple theaters to offer entertainment at the same time, splitting out the thousands of guests on board. Think of Royal Caribbean’s AquaTheater or Studio B ice rink, or Carnival’s Grand Central stage on its new Excel Class of ships.

The Apex still has a large theater, which holds 936 guests and is quite impressive. Rather than a traditional proscenium stage setup like you’d see in Broadway theaters, this theater is almost like a theater-in-the-round. There is a circular stage in the middle with seats wrapped around it. A massive $6.5 million LED screen lines the entire back wall, offering immersive productions. The chairs are really comfortable, and there is not a bad seat in the house.

But the problem is the secondary venues on the Apex. In addition to The Theater, where the Celebrity Apex’s production cast puts on three different shows, the ship also has a second cast called the Eden Cast. This cast has two singers and a variety of acrobats, aerialists, and dancers. They put on three shows in two venues: Eden and The Club.

The Eden Cast puts on several shows in the Eden space. While the three-story space is great for relaxing, lounging, and enjoying the views, it is absolutely awful for putting on a production. They use the dance floor in the middle of the second level to stage the show. They use the chairs from the Eden Cafe to supplement the lounge seating in the area, but I would estimate it could barely hold 100 people, if that. People end up having to stand and have limited views. People walk back and forth to the bar or talk, making it harder to enjoy the show. Even though the Eden space has a large ramp on the far side, against the windows, where people can sit, none of the action is oriented that way, so those seats are basically useless.

The other location where they have shows is The Club, a two-story multi-purpose space on the ship. At first, I thought this venue would be much better for shows, but it was just as bad. While The Club is larger than Eden, it is not set up for shows either. Again, the dance floor is used as the “stage,” so the performers are in the middle of the venue. On the first floor, a low overhang by the bar seating area makes it hard to view what is happening when the performers are above the stage. In addition, it is lounge seating, not all of which points towards the stage. There is a second story in The Club, but it is not tiered, so only the first row of seats can see. Even then, the view is not optimal, and thick columns limit sightlines. It means there are very few good seats and plenty of bad seats.

It is really frustrating that they hire talented performers and put them in these awful venues. Even the lighting and sound are not optimized for performances, with some performers being in the dark during their routines. These shows have a lot of acrobatics and stunts, but most guests miss them because of poor sightlines. I do not understand why cruise lines keep trying to “reinvent” the theater to make something more “experiential.” The theater design has been around since the Greeks, and there is a reason it has stuck around for so long.

To be fair, when Eden first launched on the Beyond, Celebrity had a different, more experiential entertainment plan for Eden, but guests did not like it. They quickly switched to the current style of shows without being able to repurpose the space.

Miss: Onboard Activities

You will not find any climbing walls, bumper cars, or water slides on the Apex (or any Celebrity ships). Celebrity’s key demographic skews a bit older than sister cruise line Royal Caribbean, so they do not focus on bells and whistles, but that does not mean a ship should be boring.

The Apex does not have a ton of activity space available for daytime activities on board. They tried to fit some in. For example, the Rooftop Garden, a beautiful space at the top of the ship with seating, plants, and sculptures, has a pickleball court jammed in the middle of it. On another deck, they have a single ping pong table set up.

When the entertainment staff offers activities, they cram them into a small space by the end of the main Resort Pool. Here you will find things like beanbag toss, ladder golf, putting competitions, and more. When these activities were offered, they were popular and drew large crowds of all ages.

It just shows that not all Celebrity guests want to sit around. Some want something a bit more engaging. If they want to attract a younger crowd like millennials, they will need to offer more. It does not mean they need a water park onboard, but some more options would help. Virgin Voyages can be seen as an example, with an adult arcade on board, outdoor workout equipment (although it is seldom used), and a game/social club. Celebrity does seem to be taking this feedback into account, as the newest ship, the Xcel, will add a retro-type arcade on the top deck of The Club, and when their older ships are renovated, they will receive a new social/gaming space.

The entertainment and activity schedule seemed a bit light as well. For example, on the last sea day on the Apex, they only offered one trivia; a “Musical Murder Mystery” that was jam-packed. In comparison, on a recent sailing on Star of the Seas, they offered ten different trivia or game shows on the last day of the cruise.

For this specific sailing, it was not a problem for me because it was a destination-based vacation. But if I were to do a week-long Caribbean sailing, I would probably want more to do on board.

Miss: Layout and Accessibility

Overall, I really enjoyed the layout of Celebrity Apex, but at times it could be confusing. Getting between the pool level, hot tubs, and aft outdoor areas could be challenging. Some stairs are only on one side, and other times you seemingly have to take the jogging track to reach certain parts, which in the afternoon could be busy with actual running.

Another problem that could arise is the levels. Throughout the ship, you will find lots of stairs, tiered seating, and half levels. While they create visual interest in the space, they can be limiting to guests with mobility issues. The pool deck, for instance, has stairs from the main walkway to the pool, and more to the bar. The Grand Plaza has a bunch of different levels with a couple of stairs between each. Similarly, to get around Eden, you often have to walk up and down several small steps to get from one space to another.

Many of the areas are still accessible to people in wheelchairs or who might have a problem with stairs, but it takes more thought to get around. It is just an odd problem. If the spaces were flat, there would be very little change to the function of the space. It feels more like an aesthetic choice.

Polarizing: The Infinite Veranda

The most polarizing part of the Celebrity Apex (and other Edge Class ships) is the Infinite Veranda staterooms. On these ships, nearly all traditional balconies were replaced by “Infinite Verandas.” These verandas are essentially floor-to-ceiling windows in your cruise cabin. At the touch of a button, the top half slowly lowers to the height of a standard balcony railing, creating a “balcony-like” experience in the cabin.

There are some things to like about this setup. You get impressive, uninterrupted views of the scenery from your cabin, which is nice. And because they did not shrink the space, but essentially pushed the wall out to the edge (where the balcony would have been), you also get an additional 50 square feet, making a standard cabin feel huge. The window also has a motorized shade that provides a near-blackout experience, something that was very appreciated when sailing in the land of the midnight sun. It also feels much more private, as you can’t see or hear your neighbors out on their balcony, and it is nearly impossible to look around into the cabin next to you.

But the Infinite Veranda is not without its downsides. While you get fresh air when the window is open, you do not get the same kind of breeze or experience on a traditional balcony. If you like to lounge on a balcony and get sun, the Infinite Veranda is not ideal; the surrounding walls limit direct sunlight.

Another issue is that you lose the ability to use it as a “second space.” If you are a couple and one person likes to get an early start on the balcony with a coffee while the other sleeps in, that is not an option in this type of room. As soon as the window opens, the air conditioning turns off. In the Caribbean, that means hot, humid air quickly rushes in and takes over the room. The powerful AC system overcomes it fairly quickly after you close the window, but it would not be pleasant for the person sleeping. The balcony section has folding doors you can close, but they are frosted plastic that let in a lot of light and are not airtight, so they do not help with the temperature change.

With all that being said, this type of cabin was perfect for this sailing in the Norwegian Fjords, where we had a high of 78 degrees. One day, I opened the window and let the fresh air flood the room as I napped. The huge windows made enjoying the beautiful views much easier, and I appreciated the extra cabin space.

Verdict: A Sophisticated Ship That’s Great for Quiet Relaxation

Overall, I was really impressed by the Celebrity Apex. It felt like a modern take on traditional cruise ships with refreshed spaces and concepts. It feels sophisticated without being needlessly formal. I also loved how many places there were to enjoy the ocean views.

You might like Celebrity Apex if:

• You’re on a destination-focused itinerary
  • The setup and venues of the Apex make it great for taking in scenery. In addition, if you have tender ports, the Magic Carpet makes getting on and off much easier.
• You like a mid-size ship
  • While larger than Celebrity’s older ships, the Apex is still much smaller than the newest ships from Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Princess Cruises.
• You want a cruise with fewer children
  • On a Celebrity cruise, you will likely have only a few hundred kids at most, compared to Royal Caribbean, where you could have several thousand.
• You want a more relaxed experience
  • Celebrity Apex has activities and events throughout the ship, but overall, you’ll find it easier onboard to find a relaxed, quiet experience if you want it.

You might not like Celebrity Apex if:

• You want onboard attractions
  • You will not find a FlowRider, water slides, or climbing walls onboard.
• You like Celebrity’s older ships
  • Some of Celebrity’s most loyal cruisers do not love the layout and design of the Apex, preferring the smaller Millennium Class (M-Class) and Solstice Class (S-Class).
• You like traditional balconies
  • A regular balcony setup is hard to come by on the Apex.
• You want a more casual atmosphere
  • While I was surprised by how informal the Apex felt, it is still more formal than Royal Caribbean and some other cruise lines. For example, shorts are not allowed in the dining room. Norwegian and Virgin Voyages might provide a more casual atmosphere.

Follow Along on our 7-Day Norwegian Fjord Cruise

Celebrity Apex – Cruise Blog - Day 1 – Southampton

Celebrity Apex – Cruise Blog - Day 2 – Bruges

Celebrity Apex – Cruise Blog - Day 3 – Sea Day

Celebrity Apex – Cruise Blog - Day 4 – Flam

Celebrity Apex – Cruise Blog - Day 5 – Geiranger

Celebrity Apex – Cruise Blog - Day 6 – Bergen

Celebrity Apex – Cruise Blog - Day 7 – Sea Day

4 Hits and Misses on Celebrity Apex

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