a newbie's questions

You don't need to book Shore Excursions so early, however, if you wait until you get on the ship to do so, you run the risk of having the Shore Excursion sell out. The best time to purchase them (as well as dining, drink, and WiFi packages) is during their annual Black Friday sale when everything is half off.

My first cruise was on Celebrity, but I've never been on the Apex so I don't know what all the dining options are on there. I do know that Le Petite Chef is an extra charge, but I'm not sure if it's on Apex or not. The buffet and the Main Dining Room, however are free.

Upon reflection of what we would've done better our first time around,, and at the risk of starting a thread with 3,456 suggestions,,,here are a few I wish someone had told US about back in the day,,,,bring an extension cord...12-16 ft, so it reaches anywhere, and a european adapter..(which you may not need but...).unplug it during the day and stash it.. bring some extra cash for tips...yes I know, they're included etc etc...but...you'll probably be dealing with the same bartenders and waiters and certainly your cabin steward for an extended period...greenbacks speak the same language everywhere...amazing what a 5-10-20 IN SOMEONES HAND will do....get to Ft Lauderdale at least a day early if you can..a night in a motel is cheap insurance...and angst eliminator....theres way more, but it just goes on and on..lots of us take some of this stuff for granted after all this time...

As far as dining goes...allowing for popular dining times etc, you can always make changes, either with the maitre d or sometimes at Guest Services...we prefer a two top...just us...some folks like dining with "strangers" and making small talk...your choice...course, one time we did that, and after one meal, well...changes were made....nuff said..plenty of time for that all day out at sea...now if you meet some folks you LIKE...well then....

"Any other advice"...what, we could probably write a book several hundred pages long.....but, the short answers are as JG said....call your TA or CELEBRITY directly...it really doesn't matter which ship you're on, but some dining policies and "specialty" restaurants vary from line to line...as far as tours go...by all means, do your homework from the pleasantness of your own home, as soon as you're able, AND the cruiselines website has loaded them for your cruise...READ reviews, cruise lines are notorious for descriptions being somewhat inaccurate..of course, you'll have to pay in advance, some folks don't want to...but...the longer you wait, the more likely you'll be looking at something a few thousand of your newest friends already booked...the last place you want to do it is onboard...unless of course you like zoos at the excursion desk, basing their decisions on ...well...not much... As far as ONE hint, given you're on a transatlantic...bring appropriate clothes so you can go outside (on deck) at least occassionally...the warm sunny Carib it ain't!!!! GOODLUCK AND ENJOY!!!

I'm not 100% sure about Celebrity rules.

We book excursion ahead of time, These can be cancelled if needed or changed. As for dinning, most lines offer you the "group" or Select dinning options. Do both, at a table for 8 you can meet great folks, and if you still want a quiet intimate dinner, you can do that also.

but, Please check with your experienced Travel Agent for the latest information.