In conclusion, we were disappointed in the cruise and the ship. We had high expectations for Apex and it failed to meet those expectations. We were hoping it would be a nice alternative to Oceania. Not even close. In fact, we had the Apex booked for a 12 day cruise to UK and Ireland and decided ti cancel while we were on the ship. That should say it all. In fact, we booked Oceania.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Easy and fast for suite class.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
This was a challenge. We have traveled Celebrity several times and I feel like there had been a meaningful drop off in food quality and choices. On two occasions in the paid specialty restaurants (Garden Grill and Eden) my wife’s steak was not even close to being cooked right. Not once but twice in each restaurant. The suite restaurant, Lumina, was probably the best one but again, it was not great. One of the more disappointing elements of the cruise.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
For such a large ship I found this crew focused on quantity over quality. If you looked at the daily schedule you would think there was a lot to do. But a closer look would tell a different story.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Very hit or miss. I found the sincerity of their courtesy to be somewhat manufactured. They would be nice but not engaging. Big difference. I do not travel in Royal or Norwegian so it’s hard to compare. When compared to Oceania or Regent, it’s not even close even when you adjust for price.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
We went on this specific ship, Edge class, as a test drive for a European cruise in the late summer. In fact, it was the exact ship, the apex. We were disappointed in the lack of classy lounges and sitting areas. The best place we had was the Retreat lounge, which often got crowded. In fact, I find the Retreat element of this ship to be vaporware. The private area gets so crowded. I don’t know who does the math here but they clearly missed “the boat”. Most people by the second day would get up early to save a space. If you did not do they, good luck. They should sell the Retreat as an upswell. We were so disappointed we canceled our European cruise and booked Oceania.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Cabin was the sky suite. I was expecting alittle larger. Not a fan of shower. Don’t understand why new cruise ships don’t must have walk in showers. Not a lot of seating area other than a hard couch. Tv is not near couch so hard to watch. Overall it was good but not great.
Ship tip
Don’t bother with the specialty restaurants. Waste of money. Also, don’t expect great advantages to The Retreat. Sounds great on a website but allowing ALL suture to access the areas is simply too much. Great concept. Bad execution.
Why does a cruise company take you to a port where their excursion team openly tells you not to venture beyond the port unless you are in a ship excursion. Filthy place. Just stay in the ship and take advantage of fewer people.
To add to the pain, you have the tender. And for some reason the ship was nearly 30 minutes away. This is a filler stop. A joke.
Memo to Belize: get it together. Either choose to be a destination or not.
I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to cruise 30 plus years ago when the main dining room exceeded what today is a specialty extra charge. When service was Key and the experience unforgettable.
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