Just got off a 7 night cruise on the Apex and it was amazing. It has converted me from the M class to the new E class ships. Have 2 more future cruises on it in 2024.
Wow! This truly is a cruise for me to take this year! Thank you so much for taking time out of your cruise to share various tours with us. It was absolutely breath taking. Amen
Hi Zach, love your videos, great contents. My dear husband and I sailed for the first time in the Apex on Nov 2022 and immediately fell in love with such a beautiful and elegant ship. This was our first experience with Celebrity and it did not disappoint. We have sailed with Carnival, RCL, Princess and Disney in years past and wanted a new experience, without little ones running around the deck as our kids are all grown up now. We heard that Celebrity was a great option for mature couples and wanted to give them a try. We loved it from the moment we boarded the ship - so much, that we booked a cruise with Beyond for April 2023 to celebrate our 30th anniversary!! I agree with you about the entertainment and the theater, it is like no other. Celebrity APEX has amazing shows, musicians, entertainers and technology. Not sure that we were going to like the infinite verandas, since there have been so many mixed reviews, but we totally LOVED IT. Especially liked that I was able to control the room temperature, lighting, TV and veranda shutter from my mobile - amazing technology! 🙂 The Celebrity Edge class has truly taken it to another level. The food in the 4 main dining rooms was delicious, the level of service is exceptional and the experience in the specialty dining rooms was superb. We are looking forward to experience the Beyond in April and have booked dinner in Eden as we were not able to get a reservation on the Apex . Celebrity Cruises is our new favorite cruise line!! Cheers
Hi Yvette and thanks for sharing your experience. It makes me happy to hear you both loved the Apex as much as me. She is truly a special ship. As is Beyond, so I’m glad you’ll soon get that experience as well. The Edge ships are like no other and I am just obsessed with them for all the reasons you expressed and more. So much to love. Thank you for following and for watching!
This was a very nice vlog series. It was thoroughly presented and enjoyed.. only been on Solstice class ships with Celebrity…looking forward to my cruise on the Beyond..i hope i have a great experience as you have🚢😊
I lived on Crete for a couple years while in the Air Force. I'd love to cruise those waters one day. We also loved our 12 day Apex cruise. You highlighted many of the reasons. You and I enjoyed pretty much the same areas. We ate in Luminae most often, but also enjoyed Blu. Loved Eden! Next is Edge, so I will also compare. Great series of videos!
Great video. Have been on Edge and Beyond and excited for our upcoming March cruise on Apex! Totally agree with you about the Eden Cafe - my favorite lunch place by far!
My friend and I are booked on a b2b2b staring in October 2023 and we are soooo excited. Thanks so much for all your great information and tips. They are going to help make our 33 days on board a lot better. You are awesome.
We are about to go on our 3rd Celebrity cruise in May. Haven’t tried the Edge series yet, but this video is making me want to check out the Apex. Great content.
Great video Zach! It's nice to see so many familiar places on my favourite cruise ship. Personally I would add the Rooftop Garden Grill to the list - such a great outdoor spot for dinner in warm weather. There's also a very nice covered area with comfy chairs near the pool bar (half a deck up) that's both close to the action on the pool deck and a bit quieter with great views. Looking forward to spending more time on the Apex in 2023. Also looking forward to hearing about your trips on Celebrity and other cruises lines in the months ahead. Cheers.
Thanks, Matt! As I was editing this video I thought to myself "Why didn't I also film Rooftop to include?" So you're absolutely right! I love the entire Rooftop Garden area - and the grill is one of my favorite dining venues on the ship!
So glad you enjoyed the video and even more so that you’re sailing Apex so soon! You’ve made the right move booking Eden. Thanks for watching and have a GREAT cruise!
Looking forward to sailing on Apex at Easter. Booked Aqua Sky Suite, best of both worlds from Suite and Aqua classes, I hope. Thanks for your videos and all your tips/advice.
Great Video Zach! We had first Celebrity cruise on Solstice in January and loved it, so booked on Apex to San Juan, St Thomas and Tortola in March:) Very excited now, except we are both losing sleep staying up late watching cruise videos like yours!😆 - Bill
So glad you had a great first Celebrity cruise! I'm actually sailing Solstice next week. You will LOVE the Apex and that is a great itinerary you picked. Have a great time and thanks for watching!
@@ZachtheTravelingMan Thank you! We did have one quick question - where do you think would be a good place to play a board game (i.e. Scrabble) on Apex, given I don't think they have a card room or library? On Solstice, I think we saw some people using Cafe al Bacio or the World Bar (when not open), but just curious what you thought.
Now I’m even more excited to sail on the Apex this July to Norway. It will be our first time cruising with Celebrity. Thank you for all the wonderful info!
@@Jcstuart1the experience and itinerary were fantastic. To be fair, we had upgraded to a sunset sky suite so that came with extra perks. However, we met so many people on the ship and all the locals were really friendly. Everyone did speak English and service was fantastic on and off the ship. Have you booked any excursions yet?
Gorgeous ship! Great video, Zach! My hubby and I are dreaming of going on it someday. Our first Celebrity cruise was aboard the Equinox last year and are big fans of Celebrity Cruises now. By the way, love the violin music. Wanted to know who the artist is, please. Thanks, Zach!
I have a few videos on my channel of several rooms on the ship. Most of the “balcony” cabins are infinite Verandah meaning a floor to ceiling window that opens.
Oh my! I'm pretty sure we'll see Stromboli this summer on the Reflection. How exciting! We don't have a cruise booked on Apex, just one on the Reflection for summer and the Beyond in December. I'll have to look online, but we're limited by my work schedule. Do you have anything booked on the Ascent? I'm excited to see that ship!
It really was so exciting to sail right past it. I hope you see it. I may or may not be sailing on Ascent in December. I’ll have more info in a video that’s available next Sunday!
@@ZachtheTravelingMan you do a great job. We love Celebrity but have never been on an Edge Class ship. We are considering the Ascent Italian Riviera cruise for our 20th anniversary in 2024.
Great video!! I am going to book the Apex for April 2024. I did have a question though. As soon as Celebrity releases its 2025 Mediterranean schedule, I plan on booking one on either the Accent or Beyond. My travel group of friends are all wondering if May is too early to book the Med because the weather can still be quite mild? I rarely travel in the summer, because the weather is so perfect where I live, so I am hoping to find the right time to go.
QUESTION Zach booking b2b on Apex first time on Edge class. With the 4 complementary restraunts you just show up at any of the 4 for so called Main Dinning ?
We’re thinking of booking in the celebrity Apex for next year. We would be three adults and one 15 year old boy. Would there be enough to keep the teenager entertained one the week’s cruise? We are going to the Norwegian fjords.
Sometimes one's first encounter with a line is the most special. It may be that way with you. What do you prefer to do on a cruise while onboard the ship? What areas of the ship did you spend the most time? Were you a retreat passenger? How much did the crew contribute to your feeling this ship is better than its sisters?
We are finishing up our week on Apex this Saturday-1/28. Having cruised with nearly all the major lines the last 18 years, I wouldn’t call Apex the greatest ever. Gorgeous for sure. Different vibe and design. Little complaint about, outside of some poor dinner experiences- quality and consistency lacking. Eden is fantastic, Le Grande Bistro was incredible, Fine Cuts was about as good as a nicer steakhouse at home. The many shows at the Club were often over filled due to the small size of the venues. Theater is astonishing and shows were fantastic. Sold on it being best? Not this trip. We’ll compare this to Beyond next month.
The physical ship and dining aren't related. You can have great ingredients and service on any ship. However, crowding due to the size of the venue is related to a ship's design. There's a lot of reasons why I rate this class of ship inferior to HAL or the upcoming Sun Princess ships. Breaking down types of cruisers let's start with Veranda types. If you like real balconies you may or may not like the infinity verandas. And there are a lot of them onboard this ship. First polarizing item. Let's go next to specialty restaurants. Can't fault the ship here except for maybe the location of Raw on 5 and the Bistro taking in the noise from the Grand Plaza. Cafe al Bacio does as well but that's usually foyer located. Next deck space. I'm not sure here but it may deliver very well. So far so good. Next is theater venue and the new venue is terrific. Next is social dance area variety and venues. Here it fails. Celebrity puts a dance floor in the Martini Bar. Fine. You can use any atrium/foyer/plaza bar in any ship or set up a band and use it as a dance floor. The Martini Bar loses its intimacy as well it had on earlier ships as it is in the foyer/plaza. Next is The Club. Good nightclub, big dance floor, multi-levels but it's not a lounge with ambiance like say the Wheelhouse Bar on Princess ships or the Ensemble Lounge on the Solstice class ships. The other area inside the ship is maybe a bit of an area of Eden but that's a big space and not a dedicated lounge like area. Then, to add insult to injury, there's no observation lounge. I can't think of any class of ship that doesn't have one. Celebrity just flat out deleted it. That's a big omission to lounge type of cruisers. I like the four main dining rooms. Eden is like it or not but there are some logistical problems with it that have been voiced by cruisers. A lot of prime real estate is taken by the Retreat area. So you feel a class system more. I think the social areas of this ship feel almost like an afterthought and the focus is way too much on specialty restaurants at the expense of social/dance areas. HAL and Princess and older Celebrity ships balance out dining venues with social venues as does NCL and RCI. Celebrity's Edge ships really don't do it for me. They need to bring back card rooms and libraries as well plus a lot more lounges on their next class of ships and if there is an Eden, maybe make it smaller and more focused on not trying to do too many things. I think right now Celebrity should use one or two specialty dining areas as a supper club. Bring in a band, put in a bar, and put a dance floor in one of the nice restaurants. You can still bring in restaurant money but you offer more ambiance to a music venue.
You answered one of my questions when you said you were invited to dine at Luminae. I have the good fortune to be traveling in Retreat Class on my next Med. cruise on the “Beyond”. So it sounds like I can invite non Retreat guests to dine at Luminae. Do they have to pay an up charge, or is that complimentary?
Hi there - thanks for watching! I believe there is a charge associated with this. But I guess it really depends on Luminae and how they handle it when you arrive.
We have also been in the retreat class (suite class) on the Apex. As far as we were told, no, you cannot invite people to eat at Luminae unless they are also in the same class.
Hi Dana - I talk more about that in my Celebrity Apex Food Review video I posted a few weeks ago. I go into detail about all the food in Luminae. Thanks for watching!
I’ve never sailed on the APEX however I have sailed on the BEYOND and the EDGE. I’m sailing on the SUMMIT this upcoming week. I can’t even imagine how APEX could possibly be better than BEYOND. BEYOND is PERFECT. There is not a single space on BEYOND that is not GORGEOUS. BEYOND is by far THE BEST cruise ship in the world in my opinion.
@@benjaminsmith2287 The title of the video is “10 Reasons Why Celebrity Apex is the Best Cruise Ship in the World.” You may now express your opinion directly to Zach the Traveling Man by letting him know “Apex is not the best cruise ship in the world for every type of cruiser.” He will be eager to receive your “words of wisdom” I’m sure. 🙄
@@benjaminsmith2287 I sailed on the Summit last April and it was an enjoyable cruise though not the mind blowing experience I experienced on the Beyond. The Summit doesn’t have four main dining rooms to choose from each night as does the Beyond. We had a great room with a balcony on the Summit though. I would definitely recommend the Summit and I would sail on the Summit again.
Hi Zach I just booked a trip on the celebrity apex for next month and was wondering what the average age range of the passengers are because I feel like it will effect my experience being a younger passenger I’m 24. Also how old are you if you don’t mind me asking ? :) thanks in advance
It’s usually an older demographic but it won’t hurt your experience at all. There are still so many events that draw folks of all ages. A lot of nightlife to be enjoyed on Apex. I hope you have a fantastic cruise on the best ship in the world!
I’m wondering if you are being compensated by Celebrity? I just got off the Apex on April 1st and was VERY disappointed. I thought the ship was absolutely gorgeous, just beautiful! But the food in the main dining rooms was way worse than I’ve ever had on ANY cruise I have taken in the past ( I’ve been on over 40 cruises… started late). I’m 76 and I was bored on this ship. There is nothing to do during the day. I will say, the ships headliner shows were the best I’ve ever seen on any cruise. If you like the pool and hanging out on the pool deck or going to the club at night for 45 minutes, you might be ok. Otherwise I don’t think anyone younger than 90 would enjoy this ship. Also it was very crowded during our cruise. This is totally my opinion. Everyone has different expectations, likes and dislikes. We were with a younger couple and they felt exactly the same way we did. Also, the ship was extremely rocky during the entire cruise. Zack, you are excellent at describing everything accurately on your voyages, but Jan.1st a lot of changes took place on a lot of cruise lines/ ships and DEFINITELY not for the better. Our experience was noting like portrayed in this video. I wish the food did look that good. We were on Edge, just last year and it was completely different, the food was amazing the entire cruise, that’s why we booked Apex. We were terribly disappointed.
Hi Zack, Was that not the best cruise! We had such a great experience on the Apex those 12 days. We are booked on the Reflection, April 23 to Barcelona. One of our favorite destinations. Hope to see you onboard on another cruise.
It was the best cruise I’ve ever been on. Still can’t believe some of the places we saw! The Reflection transatlantic should be amazing and I hope you have the best time! I also love Barcelona. I’ll be on Solstice to Mexico next month then finally going to Alaska in May on Norwegian. Hope to see you again soon! All the best to you both.
Lovely tour, thank you! Quick note: Theater is not "in the round." It is, technically, thrust configuration, but with a rounded apron. In the round would have 360 audience seating/or at least on 4 edges of the staging area, with aisles for exiting included.
Right. We took it transatlantic and it was incredible. So much to see and do and lots of room. Would do it again in a hearbeat. But only transatlantic where you can really appreciate the ship and as best as possible fully participate in what it has to offer. On a seven day in the Carribean the ship is pure overkill and would be way too crowded to enjoy it in all its aspects. That said. For a seven day, as an adult the The Edge class is the best ships afloat. Nothing better. And the food and food service is far superior to the Oasis Class. The Oasis class only comes close if you do all specialty restaurants which is a fairly big add on. We have been on the Apex twice and the Beyond, just recently. Especilly the Beyond, is by far the best ship afloat at any price. Elegan, modern, main show lounge is better than Broadway. Like nothing you have seen or been on. The ship is pure class and you can pay four or five time more and not equal it. Period. Would not go on the ICON which advertises itself as a floating water park unless I could get a suite and had children with us, younger ones or grandchildren who are ready for a waterpark. Good luck geting on and off and at home port or any port. Good luck on dinner reservations or chaises at the pool or reservations for the shows. Unless you have suite priority or better. You will be disappointed.
Great thoughts on Edge series, Shepard. I am in love with those ships and think they’re perfect. Haven’t been attracted by Icon for many of the reasons you present. Thanks for sharing.
This is my second comment regarding my dissatisfaction and disappointment with the Apex. I have a few photo of the food currently being served on Apex. I could kick myself for not taking pictures of each meal ( I usually do because they are plated and presented so beautifully, but not in this case). There were no bowls of shrimp on the buffet at all, any day. No crème brûlée at dinner, very few choices during the week, same food every night just rotated through the 4 main dining rooms. The soups were watered down or tasteless, the meats Were poor cuts, just poor quality all around. This is my opinion. I’m not interested in cruising Celebrity again, unless some major changes are made. The Buffett was a little better than than the main dining room for breakfast and lunch. Also, the ship was VERY crowded! I was on Edge last year and the food was amazing! Quality and presentation of food was just about perfect. As of January 1st. 2023, the ships reviews have gone down considerably. I couldn’t wait to get home to have a decent meal.
That's all not an issue with the Apex as a ship. That's not delivering on the Celebrity product of premium food and presentation on one of their ships at the time of your sailing. As for the ship being crowded, that may be an issue with the ship. I've had wonderful and bad food on Celebrity on the same class of ships as did you apparently.
We cruised the Celebrity Silhouette in September in a Celebrity Suite, and the food the service were great. But we left feeling Celebrity pricing for the Retreat class is now too high. We sailed Holland America Kongingsdam two weeks ago and found the menu variety, quality and service in the main dining room better than what Luminare offered. Also found the included drink package better on HAL than what Celebrity offers, even to Retreat guests. We did cruise the Edge last year in a regular cabin and it was fine but not spectacular. We are older so the more traditional cruise experience is more to our liking. Nice that Celebrity offers options. To each his own.
@@ljacobs357 I think the Solstice ships are more representative of Celebrity as a cruise line. I dislike the Edge ships due to their lack of nice lounges and making the top part of the ship reserved for Retreat passengers. I will never, ever book a suite. My stateroom is a place to sleep, change clothes and bathe/groom and then I'm off to enjoy the public spaces in the ship. The Edge class has no observation longe, no card room, no secondary theater (I don't regard Eden as a theater), I don't know why this ship is rated so high by traditional Celebrity cruisers. It doesn't even have the rich, characterful, evocative decor of the Solstice and previous classes. It has more the beige/gray soft colors that everyone is using and will date the ship as a 2020s ship rather than one with timeless design elements. I also don't love the Martini Bar being part of the lobbyish area that really isn't a Grand Foyer anymore. I like some things but overall, the balance of social spaces for type of cruiser is a big fail IMO and there's too abrupt a shift in their product identity on these ships. The HAL Pinnicle ships are really nice as they kept the HAL signatures and added some areas. They have a dueling piano lounge, a 2 deck lounge, an observation lounge as well as Ocean Bar and their usual type of venues. They also have some specialty restaurants but maybe Celebrity got a bit excessive with the amount of them on the Edge class. Princess also offers plenty of social areas (lounges, bars) along with the specialty restaurants on their upcoming Sphere class ships. btw, I'm not criticizing those that book suites. I'm just stating my priorities. Suite perks are part of cruising. Enjoy them as you paid for them. I'm criticizing deleting a lounge almost every ship has for Luminaires that has forward views. Both Luminaires with forward views and a top lounge with forward views could have been accomplished with a better, more inclusive design of that part of the ship.
Another death ship waiting to roll over. Massive design flaw. This will always lean to one side after a flood rendering half of the lifeboats inoperable, then as the list a flood continues the other half become unusable.
Multiple reports and videos of what appears to be cuts to food options and quality on Celebrity, including Apex, post 1/1/2023 sailings. Means barebone buffet at dinner. Lots of reports by other cruise lines acknowleding their cuts, but no transparency by Celebrity. Eden Cafe is open only certain sail days, which on some itineraries is once or twice a 7 day cruise for each meal time. It's hours are short too. It is not a reliable / available option, and not close to the pool/ resort deck. The 4 MDRs are really just different seating for the same kitchen and shared menu items. Not truly 4 choices.
You couldn’t be more wrong. I sailed on the Beyond and the Edge in 2023 and had dinner at all four main dining rooms. There were no problems or issues whatsoever. I can’t say enough good things about the experiences.
@@ccdoe2441Yes he is wrong. Each main dining room does in fact offer special dining options for each particular dining room. He is misleading people with his bad information.
Just got off a 7 night cruise on the Apex and it was amazing. It has converted me from the M class to the new E class ships. Have 2 more future cruises on it in 2024.
So glad you enjoyed Apex as well! Enjoy your future cruises on her.
Wow! This truly is a cruise for me to take this year! Thank you so much for taking time out of your cruise to share various tours with us. It was absolutely breath taking. Amen
Thank you for always watching, Katrina. It’s a joy to hear from you each week. I pray you get to go on this cruise!
Going on my first Celebrity Cruise on the Apex in a few weeks. Can’t wait to try it out!
Thanks for sharing this awesome video. I love how detailed and candid you are plus sharing such great videos of the ship.
Thank you so much, Carolyn! I’m glad you enjoyed. 😊
Hi Zach, love your videos, great contents.
My dear husband and I sailed for the first time in the Apex on Nov 2022 and immediately fell in love with such a beautiful and elegant ship. This was our first experience with Celebrity and it did not disappoint. We have sailed with Carnival, RCL, Princess and Disney in years past and wanted a new experience, without little ones running around the deck as our kids are all grown up now. We heard that Celebrity was a great option for mature couples and wanted to give them a try. We loved it from the moment we boarded the ship - so much, that we booked a cruise with Beyond for April 2023 to celebrate our 30th anniversary!!
I agree with you about the entertainment and the theater, it is like no other. Celebrity APEX has amazing shows, musicians, entertainers and technology. Not sure that we were going to like the infinite verandas, since there have been so many mixed reviews, but we totally LOVED IT. Especially liked that I was able to control the room temperature, lighting, TV and veranda shutter from my mobile - amazing technology! 🙂 The Celebrity Edge class has truly taken it to another level.
The food in the 4 main dining rooms was delicious, the level of service is exceptional and the experience in the specialty dining rooms was superb. We are looking forward to experience the Beyond in April and have booked dinner in Eden as we were not able to get a reservation on the Apex . Celebrity Cruises is our new favorite cruise line!! Cheers
Hi Yvette and thanks for sharing your experience. It makes me happy to hear you both loved the Apex as much as me. She is truly a special ship. As is Beyond, so I’m glad you’ll soon get that experience as well. The Edge ships are like no other and I am just obsessed with them for all the reasons you expressed and more. So much to love. Thank you for following and for watching!
happy 30th anniversary!!
Great information
Have travelled on RCL . Will travel on Apex .Again thanks for your wonderful UA-cam channel .
Thank you for watching! You’ll love the Apex, I promise.
This was a very nice vlog series. It was thoroughly presented and enjoyed.. only been on Solstice class ships with Celebrity…looking forward to my cruise on the Beyond..i hope i have a great experience as you have🚢😊
Thank you for watching it all. I’m very glad you enjoyed. I hope the Beyond blows you away. It’s an amazing ship too!
I lived on Crete for a couple years while in the Air Force. I'd love to cruise those waters one day. We also loved our 12 day Apex cruise. You highlighted many of the reasons. You and I enjoyed pretty much the same areas. We ate in Luminae most often, but also enjoyed Blu. Loved Eden! Next is Edge, so I will also compare. Great series of videos!
Thank you so much! You’ll love Edge also. Very few subtle differences from Apex but it still has Eden and all that delicious food!
Thanks for taking us along on the Apex with you Zach! Have loved the whole journey and look forward to the next adventure 🇦🇺🛳️
Thank you so much for following along. I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed. 😊
Great video. Have been on Edge and Beyond and excited for our upcoming March cruise on Apex! Totally agree with you about the Eden Cafe - my favorite lunch place by far!
Thank you! You’re going to love Apex. I hope you have a great time and enjoy many lunches at Eden Cafe. Thanks for watching!
Nothing like coming to one of your reviews after a stressful day of work. I hope my dream turns into a reality very soon.
Fingers crossed! Thanks for watching!
My friend and I are booked on a b2b2b staring in October 2023 and we are soooo excited. Thanks so much for all your great information and tips. They are going to help make our 33 days on board a lot better. You are awesome.
Thank you so much! I am kind of jealous at all the time you are going to have onboard this amazing ship. Have the best time and thanks for watching!
We are going on our first Celebrity cruise-Apex out of Ft Lauderdale to W. Caribbean. Can’t wait and great video!
Your videos are an absolute joy to watch.
Loved the classical dramatic music that you played while you all passed the volcano and on the other footage ❤😊
Thank you
We are about to go on our 3rd Celebrity cruise in May. Haven’t tried the Edge series yet, but this video is making me want to check out the Apex. Great content.
Great video Zach! It's nice to see so many familiar places on my favourite cruise ship. Personally I would add the Rooftop Garden Grill to the list - such a great outdoor spot for dinner in warm weather. There's also a very nice covered area with comfy chairs near the pool bar (half a deck up) that's both close to the action on the pool deck and a bit quieter with great views. Looking forward to spending more time on the Apex in 2023. Also looking forward to hearing about your trips on Celebrity and other cruises lines in the months ahead. Cheers.
Thanks, Matt! As I was editing this video I thought to myself "Why didn't I also film Rooftop to include?" So you're absolutely right! I love the entire Rooftop Garden area - and the grill is one of my favorite dining venues on the ship!
Thank you for sharing. We will be on the apex very soon. It will be our first on Celebrity and we can’t wait 😊
Oh my - you are going to have an amazing time. Be prepared to be blown away. Have a great time and thanks for watching!
We have been on the Beyond and we will be on the Apex in April. Thanks for the wonderful video!
Hope you enjoy it!
My husband and I agree......the Apex is super.....the best.....well, we also like the Edge and Beyond....so the three are our faves......
They are all great ships! The best, in fact.
We are sailing on Apex next month and your video makes this anticipation even greater. A dinner at Eden is already booked!
So glad you enjoyed the video and even more so that you’re sailing Apex so soon! You’ve made the right move booking Eden. Thanks for watching and have a GREAT cruise!
Looking forward to sailing on Apex at Easter. Booked Aqua Sky Suite, best of both worlds from Suite and Aqua classes, I hope. Thanks for your videos and all your tips/advice.
Have a great time! You’ll love it.
what an amzing , amazing cruise bro !!
Thank you for watching!
I just booked a cruise on the Apex! Fantastic deal, infinite veranda, Caribbean, three new ports for me... can't wait!
How exciting! I know you will love it and sounds like a great itinerary as well.
Great Video Zach! We had first Celebrity cruise on Solstice in January and loved it, so booked on Apex to San Juan, St Thomas and Tortola in March:) Very excited now, except we are both losing sleep staying up late watching cruise videos like yours!😆 - Bill
So glad you had a great first Celebrity cruise! I'm actually sailing Solstice next week. You will LOVE the Apex and that is a great itinerary you picked. Have a great time and thanks for watching!
@@ZachtheTravelingMan Thank you! We did have one quick question - where do you think would be a good place to play a board game (i.e. Scrabble) on Apex, given I don't think they have a card room or library? On Solstice, I think we saw some people using Cafe al Bacio or the World Bar (when not open), but just curious what you thought.
Thanks Zach! So nice to see Apex again. Great video!
Thank you for watching, Steven!
I’m going on the Apex in October out of Athens . I’m super excited thanks for the also videos of the ship !
Thank you for watching! Enjoy your cruise.
Love the Celebrity Apex. We were on a Caribbean cruise in 2022. Just lovely.
I’m glad you enjoyed!
Been a fan of celebrity for a long time and will be sailing a TA cruise on Apex this march. Will certainly visit all the locations you’ve highlighted
You’re going to love it. So much time to enjoy the beautiful ship!
We sailing on the Apex in March. We have an Aft cabin.
Zach, this was so encouraging because we are spending our 50th wedding anniversary on the Apex!
How awesome! I'm so glad it was encouraging to you and I hope you have an amazing anniversary cruise. Happy 50th!
Zach’s videos are the reason I got interested in the Celebrity Apex. I’m sailing on the Apex Feb 2024
Very happy to hear this. You’ll love it!
Seeing Stromboli, Etna and Vesuvius all in the span of two days was the highlight of our Med cruise last summer.
Yes! All within a day of each other. And so beautiful.
Thanks. I’m going to check out Apex.
I think you’d love it. She’s amazing!
Now I’m even more excited to sail on the Apex this July to Norway. It will be our first time cruising with Celebrity. Thank you for all the wonderful info!
Wow, what a great itinerary to try out this fantastic ship and cruise line. Have a great time!
My girlfriend and I are doing our first cruise on Apex in Norway this coming July! How did you find the experience and the cruise?
@@Jcstuart1the experience and itinerary were fantastic. To be fair, we had upgraded to a sunset sky suite so that came with extra perks. However, we met so many people on the ship and all the locals were really friendly. Everyone did speak English and service was fantastic on and off the ship. Have you booked any excursions yet?
I am a waiter of celebrity and celebrity apex is one of my fave ship..i'll be on Apex this comming May..see you there..
Thanks for all you do! Hope to see you on Apex sometime.
Excellent review.
Thank you so much. 😊
Food is absolutely amazing
Gorgeous ship! Great video, Zach! My hubby and I are dreaming of going on it someday. Our first Celebrity cruise was aboard the Equinox last year and are big fans of Celebrity Cruises now. By the way, love the violin music. Wanted to know who the artist is, please. Thanks, Zach!
Thanks for watching! You’ll love Apex if you liked Equinox. I’ll have to look up the name of the artist and I’ll let you know. :)
I can't wait to go in December!
Have fun!
I agree Sailed twice on Beyond and once Apex my favorite Apex
Apex just can’t be beat. Thanks for watching!
really wanted to see the rooms- I hear there is no balcony on this ship unless you are in a suite? can you do one showing all of the rooms?
I have a few videos on my channel of several rooms on the ship. Most of the “balcony” cabins are infinite Verandah meaning a floor to ceiling window that opens.
Is Eden free for lunch? Or the same price as dinner? Looks awesome!
Eden cafe is included for lunch. Only a few up charge items.
Oh my! I'm pretty sure we'll see Stromboli this summer on the Reflection. How exciting! We don't have a cruise booked on Apex, just one on the Reflection for summer and the Beyond in December. I'll have to look online, but we're limited by my work schedule. Do you have anything booked on the Ascent? I'm excited to see that ship!
It really was so exciting to sail right past it. I hope you see it. I may or may not be sailing on Ascent in December. I’ll have more info in a video that’s available next Sunday!
Looking forward to it!
I really enjoy the music you choose for your videos.
Thank you! I always take time in selecting the music.
@@ZachtheTravelingMan you do a great job. We love Celebrity but have never been on an Edge Class ship. We are considering the Ascent Italian Riviera cruise for our 20th anniversary in 2024.
I would highly recommend that. I know Ascent is going to be amazing and there’s no better way to see Europe than on an Edge series ship!
Great video!! I am going to book the Apex for April 2024. I did have a question though. As soon as Celebrity releases its 2025 Mediterranean schedule, I plan on booking one on either the Accent or Beyond. My travel group of friends are all wondering if May is too early to book the Med because the weather can still be quite mild? I rarely travel in the summer, because the weather is so perfect where I live, so I am hoping to find the right time to go.
I sailed the Beyond in May 2022 and the weather was perfect. Not too hot, not too cold. I would say it’s a great time to cruise the Med.
@@ZachtheTravelingMan Thank you!!!
QUESTION Zach booking b2b on Apex first time on Edge class. With the 4 complementary restraunts you just show up at any of the 4 for so called Main Dinning ?
As long as you have Select dining, yes! You can also make reservations on the app.
I’ve been on the Apex as well and loved it. Nice review. Minor correction: it’s Destination Gateway not Getaway.
Haha you are correct. Whoops! Thanks for watching and for clarifying.
We’re thinking of booking in the celebrity Apex for next year. We would be three adults and one 15 year old boy. Would there be enough to keep the teenager entertained one the week’s cruise? We are going to the Norwegian fjords.
I think there would be. They have The Basement on deck 2 just for teens. And you’ll love Norway, I just got back!
Wow that dessert spread in the buffet was impressive. Looks like something out of Alice and Wonderland. The food def is more upgraded on Edge ships
So good!
Food should be the same on all classes of Celebrity ships.
Sometimes one's first encounter with a line is the most special. It may be that way with you. What do you prefer to do on a cruise while onboard the ship? What areas of the ship did you spend the most time? Were you a retreat passenger? How much did the crew contribute to your feeling this ship is better than its sisters?
We are finishing up our week on Apex this Saturday-1/28. Having cruised with nearly all the major lines the last 18 years, I wouldn’t call Apex the greatest ever. Gorgeous for sure. Different vibe and design. Little complaint about, outside of some poor dinner experiences- quality and consistency lacking.
Eden is fantastic, Le Grande Bistro was incredible, Fine Cuts was about as good as a nicer steakhouse at home. The many shows at the Club were often over filled due to the small size of the venues. Theater is astonishing and shows were fantastic.
Sold on it being best? Not this trip. We’ll compare this to Beyond next month.
Thanks for sharing. Enjoy the rest of your cruise and the Beyond!
The physical ship and dining aren't related. You can have great ingredients and service on any ship. However, crowding due to the size of the venue is related to a ship's design.
There's a lot of reasons why I rate this class of ship inferior to HAL or the upcoming Sun Princess ships. Breaking down types of cruisers let's start with Veranda types. If you like real balconies you may or may not like the infinity verandas. And there are a lot of them onboard this ship. First polarizing item. Let's go next to specialty restaurants. Can't fault the ship here except for maybe the location of Raw on 5 and the Bistro taking in the noise from the Grand Plaza. Cafe al Bacio does as well but that's usually foyer located. Next deck space. I'm not sure here but it may deliver very well. So far so good. Next is theater venue and the new venue is terrific. Next is social dance area variety and venues. Here it fails. Celebrity puts a dance floor in the Martini Bar. Fine. You can use any atrium/foyer/plaza bar in any ship or set up a band and use it as a dance floor. The Martini Bar loses its intimacy as well it had on earlier ships as it is in the foyer/plaza. Next is The Club. Good nightclub, big dance floor, multi-levels but it's not a lounge with ambiance like say the Wheelhouse Bar on Princess ships or the Ensemble Lounge on the Solstice class ships. The other area inside the ship is maybe a bit of an area of Eden but that's a big space and not a dedicated lounge like area. Then, to add insult to injury, there's no observation lounge. I can't think of any class of ship that doesn't have one. Celebrity just flat out deleted it. That's a big omission to lounge type of cruisers.
I like the four main dining rooms. Eden is like it or not but there are some logistical problems with it that have been voiced by cruisers. A lot of prime real estate is taken by the Retreat area. So you feel a class system more. I think the social areas of this ship feel almost like an afterthought and the focus is way too much on specialty restaurants at the expense of social/dance areas. HAL and Princess and older Celebrity ships balance out dining venues with social venues as does NCL and RCI. Celebrity's Edge ships really don't do it for me. They need to bring back card rooms and libraries as well plus a lot more lounges on their next class of ships and if there is an Eden, maybe make it smaller and more focused on not trying to do too many things. I think right now Celebrity should use one or two specialty dining areas as a supper club. Bring in a band, put in a bar, and put a dance floor in one of the nice restaurants. You can still bring in restaurant money but you offer more ambiance to a music venue.
Going on my first Celebrity cruse on the Apex this weekend! I will be sure to check out all of your suggestions!
Woohoo - hope you have a tremendous time!
You answered one of my questions when you said you were invited to dine at Luminae. I have the good fortune to be traveling in Retreat Class on my next Med. cruise on the “Beyond”. So it sounds like I can invite non Retreat guests to dine at Luminae. Do they have to pay an up charge, or is that complimentary?
Hi there - thanks for watching! I believe there is a charge associated with this. But I guess it really depends on Luminae and how they handle it when you arrive.
We have also been in the retreat class (suite class) on the Apex. As far as we were told, no, you cannot invite people to eat at Luminae unless they are also in the same class.
I would have liked to see you type in the food you ate as I was guessing in the Illumine
Hi Dana - I talk more about that in my Celebrity Apex Food Review video I posted a few weeks ago. I go into detail about all the food in Luminae. Thanks for watching!
I thought stromboli volcano was going to be some type of food dish 😂
😂 does sound pretty bomb, huh?
Any suggestions on how to get a great price?
Book and keep watching for price drops!
I’ve never sailed on the APEX however I have sailed on the BEYOND and the EDGE. I’m sailing on the SUMMIT this upcoming week. I can’t even imagine how APEX could possibly be better than BEYOND. BEYOND is PERFECT. There is not a single space on BEYOND that is not GORGEOUS. BEYOND is by far THE BEST cruise ship in the world in my opinion.
I agree!
Not perfect for every type of cruiser. Beyond is better than Apex as it improved on several areas.
@@benjaminsmith2287 The title of the video is “10 Reasons Why Celebrity Apex is the Best Cruise Ship in the World.”
You may now express your opinion directly to Zach the Traveling Man by letting him know “Apex is not the best cruise ship in the world for every type of cruiser.” He will be eager to receive your “words of wisdom” I’m sure. 🙄
@@JDCUSA I'm really glad for you that it is the best for you. It's good to find a ship you love. Now will you like the Summit? It's much different.
@@benjaminsmith2287 I sailed on the Summit last April and it was an enjoyable cruise though not the mind blowing experience I experienced on the Beyond.
The Summit doesn’t have four main dining rooms to choose from each night as does the Beyond. We had a great room with a balcony on the Summit though. I would definitely recommend the Summit and I would sail on the Summit again.
Hi Zach I just booked a trip on the celebrity apex for next month and was wondering what the average age range of the passengers are because I feel like it will effect my experience being a younger passenger I’m 24. Also how old are you if you don’t mind me asking ? :) thanks in advance
It’s usually an older demographic but it won’t hurt your experience at all. There are still so many events that draw folks of all ages. A lot of nightlife to be enjoyed on Apex. I hope you have a fantastic cruise on the best ship in the world!
I’m wondering if you are being compensated by Celebrity? I just got off the Apex on April 1st and was VERY disappointed. I thought the ship was absolutely gorgeous, just beautiful! But the food in the main dining rooms was way worse than I’ve ever had on ANY cruise I have taken in the past ( I’ve been on over 40 cruises… started late). I’m 76 and I was bored on this ship. There is nothing to do during the day. I will say, the ships headliner shows were the best I’ve ever seen on any cruise. If you like the pool and hanging out on the pool deck or going to the club at night for 45 minutes, you might be ok. Otherwise I don’t think anyone younger than 90 would enjoy this ship. Also it was very crowded during our cruise. This is totally my opinion. Everyone has different expectations, likes and dislikes. We were with a younger couple and they felt exactly the same way we did. Also, the ship was extremely rocky during the entire cruise. Zack, you are excellent at describing everything accurately on your voyages, but Jan.1st a lot of changes took place on a lot of cruise lines/ ships and DEFINITELY not for the better. Our experience was noting like portrayed in this video. I wish the food did look that good. We were on Edge, just last year and it was completely different, the food was amazing the entire cruise, that’s why we booked Apex. We were terribly disappointed.
Hi Zack, Was that not the best cruise! We had such a great experience on the Apex those 12 days. We are booked on the Reflection, April 23 to Barcelona. One of our favorite destinations. Hope to see you onboard on another cruise.
It was the best cruise I’ve ever been on. Still can’t believe some of the places we saw! The Reflection transatlantic should be amazing and I hope you have the best time! I also love Barcelona. I’ll be on Solstice to Mexico next month then finally going to Alaska in May on Norwegian. Hope to see you again soon! All the best to you both.
Lovely tour, thank you! Quick note: Theater is not "in the round." It is, technically, thrust configuration, but with a rounded apron. In the round would have 360 audience seating/or at least on 4 edges of the staging area, with aisles for exiting included.
Have you been on wonder?
Not yet but I hope to soon!
Right. We took it transatlantic and it was incredible. So much to see and do and lots of room. Would do it again in a hearbeat. But only transatlantic where you can really appreciate the ship and as best as possible fully participate in what it has to offer. On a seven day in the Carribean the ship is pure overkill and would be way too crowded to enjoy it in all its aspects. That said. For a seven day, as an adult the The Edge class is the best ships afloat. Nothing better. And the food and food service is far superior to the Oasis Class. The Oasis class only comes close if you do all specialty restaurants which is a fairly big add on. We have been on the Apex twice and the Beyond, just recently. Especilly the Beyond, is by far the best ship afloat at any price. Elegan, modern, main show lounge is better than Broadway. Like nothing you have seen or been on. The ship is pure class and you can pay four or five time more and not equal it. Period. Would not go on the ICON which advertises itself as a floating water park unless I could get a suite and had children with us, younger ones or grandchildren who are ready for a waterpark. Good luck geting on and off and at home port or any port. Good luck on dinner reservations or chaises at the pool or reservations for the shows. Unless you have suite priority or better. You will be disappointed.
Great thoughts on Edge series, Shepard. I am in love with those ships and think they’re perfect. Haven’t been attracted by Icon for many of the reasons you present. Thanks for sharing.
@@ZachtheTravelingMan Big Thanks Zach. We think alike.
This is my second comment regarding my dissatisfaction and disappointment with the Apex. I have a few photo of the food currently being served on Apex. I could kick myself for not taking pictures of each meal ( I usually do because they are plated and presented so beautifully, but not in this case). There were no bowls of shrimp on the buffet at all, any day. No crème brûlée at dinner, very few choices during the week, same food every night just rotated through the 4 main dining rooms. The soups were watered down or tasteless, the meats Were poor cuts, just poor quality all around. This is my opinion. I’m not interested in cruising Celebrity again, unless some major changes are made. The Buffett was a little better than than the main dining room for breakfast and lunch. Also, the ship was VERY crowded! I was on Edge last year and the food was amazing! Quality and presentation of food was just about perfect. As of January 1st. 2023, the ships reviews have gone down considerably. I couldn’t wait to get home to have a decent meal.
That's all not an issue with the Apex as a ship. That's not delivering on the Celebrity product of premium food and presentation on one of their ships at the time of your sailing. As for the ship being crowded, that may be an issue with the ship. I've had wonderful and bad food on Celebrity on the same class of ships as did you apparently.
Just curious; are you sponsored by Coca-Cola?
Nope! Just love Coke Zero. They should sponsor me.
😄
Not even close. Like Celebrity but the Edge class has too many steps and a poor layout. Luminare more crowded than the Solstice class ships.
What’s your favorite?
We cruised the Celebrity Silhouette in September in a Celebrity Suite, and the food the service were great. But we left feeling Celebrity pricing for the Retreat class is now too high. We sailed Holland America Kongingsdam two weeks ago and found the menu variety, quality and service in the main dining room better than what Luminare offered. Also found the included drink package better on HAL than what Celebrity offers, even to Retreat guests. We did cruise the Edge last year in a regular cabin and it was fine but not spectacular. We are older so the more traditional cruise experience is more to our liking. Nice that Celebrity offers options. To each his own.
@@ljacobs357 I think the Solstice ships are more representative of Celebrity as a cruise line. I dislike the Edge ships due to their lack of nice lounges and making the top part of the ship reserved for Retreat passengers. I will never, ever book a suite. My stateroom is a place to sleep, change clothes and bathe/groom and then I'm off to enjoy the public spaces in the ship. The Edge class has no observation longe, no card room, no secondary theater (I don't regard Eden as a theater), I don't know why this ship is rated so high by traditional Celebrity cruisers. It doesn't even have the rich, characterful, evocative decor of the Solstice and previous classes. It has more the beige/gray soft colors that everyone is using and will date the ship as a 2020s ship rather than one with timeless design elements. I also don't love the Martini Bar being part of the lobbyish area that really isn't a Grand Foyer anymore. I like some things but overall, the balance of social spaces for type of cruiser is a big fail IMO and there's too abrupt a shift in their product identity on these ships.
The HAL Pinnicle ships are really nice as they kept the HAL signatures and added some areas. They have a dueling piano lounge, a 2 deck lounge, an observation lounge as well as Ocean Bar and their usual type of venues. They also have some specialty restaurants but maybe Celebrity got a bit excessive with the amount of them on the Edge class. Princess also offers plenty of social areas (lounges, bars) along with the specialty restaurants on their upcoming Sphere class ships.
btw, I'm not criticizing those that book suites. I'm just stating my priorities. Suite perks are part of cruising. Enjoy them as you paid for them. I'm criticizing deleting a lounge almost every ship has for Luminaires that has forward views. Both Luminaires with forward views and a top lounge with forward views could have been accomplished with a better, more inclusive design of that part of the ship.
Another death ship waiting to roll over. Massive design flaw. This will always lean to one side after a flood rendering half of the lifeboats inoperable, then as the list a flood continues the other half become unusable.
Multiple reports and videos of what appears to be cuts to food options and quality on Celebrity, including Apex, post 1/1/2023 sailings. Means barebone buffet at dinner. Lots of reports by other cruise lines acknowleding their cuts, but no transparency by Celebrity. Eden Cafe is open only certain sail days, which on some itineraries is once or twice a 7 day cruise for each meal time. It's hours are short too. It is not a reliable / available option, and not close to the pool/ resort deck. The 4 MDRs are really just different seating for the same kitchen and shared menu items. Not truly 4 choices.
Incorrect information about MDRs.
You couldn’t be more wrong. I sailed on the Beyond and the Edge in 2023 and had dinner at all four main dining rooms. There were no problems or issues whatsoever. I can’t say enough good things about the experiences.
@@ccdoe2441Yes he is wrong. Each main dining room does in fact offer special dining options for each particular dining room.
He is misleading people with his bad information.
I have been on a few crusies but Jeeeezis Christ , if you think there is no God after seeing these views, sumthin wrong!
These were beautiful destinations!
Ok -I’m 10 minutes in and you have not told us reason 1 why its the top cruise ship for you. Boring and now I don’t care.
Ok