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Celebrity Apex


cruisellama

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Apex is still chilling in the French ship yard. Around Oct 10th its supposed to make a trip along the French Rivera and port in Barcelona.  Oct 22nd the schedule shows it will start its trek to Ft. Lauderdale to begin the Carribean season.   Wondering if we're still shut down if it will stay in the Med or quarantine in Carribean waters, just incase things open late in Q4.  They're still selling Q4 Carribean cruises and its a ship I'm sure they want to start collecting revenue if the green light turns on.

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I lifted and shifted that Apex Translant/Repo cruise Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale departing 10/22/20 to 10/21/21. The issues for me were less about Port Everglades being open to cruise ships but rather restricted entry to EU countries. Our plan was to fly to Lisbon, spend two days there, fly to Geneva spend a week there then fly to Barcelona to catch Apex to return to our home in Fort Lauderdale. We may get the CDC to lift it's no-sail order from US ports before the arrival of Apex but I think it unlikely, given the current up-tick in community spread of the virus throughout the US as well as COVID upticks in various EU countries struggling themselves to contain the virus, that American citizens will be allowed to visit there and/or travel within the EU like we had planned to do.

I can see some level travel restrictions for US passport holders (meaning that's the only citizenship that traveler holds) wanting to travel from the US to EU locations lasting through the first quarter of 2021. 

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  • 1 month later...

Spoke with a couple of Celebrity agents this week regarding my next cruise.  Both were optimistic about possible late 2020 restart.   Mentioned the priority port for Celebrity restart is FLL, and the two ships that have the highest probability of first out are Apex and Edge.  As Edge class, they are also have the highest integration (most features) with the Celebrity App (which also will interface with Muster 2.0).

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22 hours ago, twangster said:

 

 

We sailed Edge and really enjoyed it (and were supposed to be on her this Nov), but there are some "quirks" the crew and Celebrity had to fix as guest comments started coming in.  I'm anxious to see comments on Apex - meaning did they start out avoiding errors on Edge.   For example, they discovered excess wind across the Magic Carpet limits when you can use and and what you can actually do with it during sailing.   When in port, its can be used for all functions including recovering tenders, but when sailing, there's a wind speed/direction limit for bar/restaurant services.  Overall the design really leans forward with great space design/usage and great culinary offerings.

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1 hour ago, cruisellama said:

We sailed Edge and really enjoyed it (and were supposed to be on her this Nov), but there are some "quirks" the crew and Celebrity had to fix as guest comments started coming in.  I'm anxious to see comments on Apex - meaning did they start out avoiding errors on Edge.   For example, they discovered excess wind across the Magic Carpet limits when you can use and and what you can actually do with it during sailing.   When in port, its can be used for all functions including recovering tenders, but when sailing, there's a wind speed/direction limit for bar/restaurant services.  Overall the design really leans forward with great space design/usage and great culinary offerings.

I have to believe they learned from Edge.  A new ship in any class will always create some great intentions that require fine tuning for the real world.  That's how innovation happens.  

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Sailed Edge in January on a 7n Western Caribbean itinerary before "it." Tried to rebook for an Edge cruise in mid-march right after an 11n Reflection cruise. That got cancelled. We had also booked Apex for a Barcelona to Miami East bound translant that would have departed 10/22/20. That's been L&S'ed.

Edge is a great cruise ship with a ton of innovative features, some a bit quirky for my tastes. We booked a deluxe inside cabin. The pricing makes this option a good one on these ships. We prefer OV on Millennium class and Balconies on Solstice class.....when they are discounted. Edge class features the infinity balconies that I'm told aren't worth the up-charge. They are no more spacious than an inside deluxe but, of course open to a veranda view. That veranda is small and enclosed.

These ships feature the exclusive Retreat with some very pricey villas and exclusive dining in several restaurants such as Luminae. Celebrity has a specific passenger target for these ships. I'm not in it but also don't feel I'm not treated as importantly as Retreat guests. IMO, the upcharge for this sort of exclusivity isn't worth it. Food is the same, service is no better or no worse, accommodations are better but that's not a factor for us. Price is.   

One of the things I liked on Edge was the spacious passageways. This is an exceptionally well laid out ship easy to find your way around in but it also has some funky design features. The Grand Foyer concept is gone and replaced by an Italian style Piazza. It's nice but I don't think it works. It's designed to be a gathering area but it's smallish. The bar - supposedly a martini bar - is too small. Solstice class Ice Bar is much more spacious and well laid out. Missed that. 

Eden which occupies 4 levels in the aft portion of the ship is the featured design element. It's beautiful, has a bar, 2 restaurants and in the evening at the main specialty restaurant within Eden, dancers dress up in costumes and float around the area. It's a little weird and, IMO, overdone. We have ONE favorite specialty restaurant aboard Celebrity ships, Murano, and it's gone on Edge class. Edge's specialty restaurants beyond Eden are very nice. We've felt the up-charge for specialty dining these days isn't worth it unless it's coming out of big OBCs. Main dining room food quality and service is usually very good. The specialties just aren't delivering a 5 star dining experience like I thought they did in the past and we've been sailing Celebrity since 2001 

Just need to get back to this. Right now all my 2020 L&Ss fill 2021 ..... and they're paid for!

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I was hoping that loyalist demand for new ships like Edge and Apex would create a glut in demand on early classes of ship leading to price opportunities.  Then the virus happened and all sense of supply and demand factors have been thrown into a salad spinner.  

I'm not a fan of paying new ship premium charges.  I sailed the Symphony transatlantic because it was bargain relative to Symphony fares upon reaching America.  I'd like to try Edge or Apex at some point, maybe years down the road when "new ship" premiums wear off.   Until then the prior classes have a lot to like about them, especially the M class that were refreshed in a meaningful way.

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Is the glass-enclosed space the Eden section of the ship? Seem to recall Edge-class Eden area has at least some basis off Two70 Lounge design / location on Q-class. You can definitely see the Q-class inspiration from this angle. If it didn't say Celebrity APEX on the back I'd be wondering if this was some Q-Ultra ship or the like.

Never seen Edge from the back, so if that is Eden that's gotta be some interesting mechanical shade design and implementation to close it off during shows. Also looks like the archways on the far left are open, with waist-high glass / railings?

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9 hours ago, JLMoran said:

Is the glass-enclosed space the Eden section of the ship? Seem to recall Edge-class Eden area has at least some basis off Two70 Lounge design / location on Q-class. You can definitely see the Q-class inspiration from this angle. If it didn't say Celebrity APEX on the back I'd be wondering if this was some Q-Ultra ship or the like.

Never seen Edge from the back, so if that is Eden that's gotta be some interesting mechanical shade design and implementation to close it off during shows. Also looks like the archways on the far left are open, with waist-high glass / railings?

Yes - the asymmetric glass windows enclose the Eden area.  Two +  levels - the Eden restaurant (lower) and the bar, lounge, cafe , and entertainment area. Also a small book/magazine cart they refer to as the library.  The main and 1/2 level are connected with a Fibonacci curve/ramp that also accommodates seating, swings, lounges (very quiet area).  There are shades that may be deployed.  But the space temps are very well controlled.  There is entertainment, but no large stage.  The entire area is used as an open and interactive entertainment area.   Areas for aerial performers,  gymnasts , Green Bush People from the Eden commune , and various ensembles.

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6 minutes ago, cruisellama said:

Yes - the asymmetric glass windows enclose the Eden area.  Two +  levels - the Eden restaurant (lower) and the bar, lounge, cafe , and entertainment area. Also a small book/magazine cart they refer to as the library.  The main and 1/2 level are connected with a Fibonacci curve/ramp that also accommodates seating, swings, lounges (very quiet area).  There are shades that may be deployed.  But the space temps are very well controlled.  There is entertainment, but no large stage.  The entire area is used as an open and interactive entertainment area.   Areas for aerial performers,  gymnasts , Green Bush People from the Eden commune , and various ensembles.

PS the asymmetry of the AFT window isn't really noticeable when you're on the inside looking out (sitting in the lounge).  But looking at the aft of the ship from the outside  is a bit peculiar.

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