Great cruise to some very different ports. Make sure you prepare for the weather, it's often cold and rainy in the summer (even more than I had expected), but that didn't prevent it from being a great trip.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Quick and painless. Took the train into Southampton, quick taxi ride to the terminal, and onto the ship in less than 15 minutes.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Food on Celebrity is always well above average. You really don't need to do speciality dining if you don't want to as the MDR food is of high quality. That being said, the speciality restaurants are exceptional quality and worth it. Even the buffet is better quality than most.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Activities are a bit limited, but they tend to be fun. Many of those listed in the daily program are shopping, spa, fitness, etc, so its misleading aren't there aren't a lot of more general things to do.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Shows were great. They have a show or entertainer in the theater every night of the cruise. Their "Beyond the Podium" guest speakers are always informative and give you some great information about the places you are visiting.
Children's Programs
No kids
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Another area Celebrity shines. The staff in the MDR got to know me by name quickly, greeting me as I arrived and being very personable and attentive. Officers are friendly and always tend to be visible in the public areas of the ship. Never have an issue getting servers for drinks as they have plenty.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Very nice ship, third time I have sailed on the Apex.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Solo balcony, it's adequate, but the storage space is limited for clothing. The "obstructed view" is simply the lifeboats, and you can see over them, so I don't find it to be an issue.
Didn't visit Southampton, but did do an excursion post-cruise to Windsor Castle that had a drop-off at Heathrow. Didn't have nearly enough time to spend there, but it was good for the time available.
Small village with limited offerings. This was the first visit there by the Apex and it is the largest ship that has been to the port. Did an excursion that was a walking tour of the town which was interesting, and nicely finished up at the one brewery in town and included a sampling of local beers.
No excursions offered were of much interest, either by the cruise line or other companies, so I walked around town on my own. They have a few shops and an old church worth visiting. There are quite a few historic sites in the area if you can manage to set up a way to get to them.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
