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Apex


luvstodans

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5 hours ago, luvstodans said:

With passengers and curious about restrictions ?

Yes - with passengers.    Might be able to see some live (semi-live) blogging on FB.   Same vax rules apply, not sure about masking protocol.  This group had some RCG blog members recently sailing Greek Isles if you wish to fish through the Celebrity posts.  From what I remember reading, light capacity, great service.

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I'm aboard this sailing. We're currently ported in Gran Canaria, having started in Barcelona and porting in Alicante, Cartegena and Cadiz. This is day 6, we have one more port call in Tenerife on day 7 (tomorrow) then a 7d transatlantic crossing ending up in Fort Lauderdale when Apex will cruise this winter in the Caribbean . There are around 1300 guests - US passport holders only. European pass port holders can't get into the US so, can't sail on this crossing. I am told that the last three Apex sailings from Piraeus all had less than 1000 passengers due to poor sales.

I originally booked this cruise in 2019. It was L&S'ed from '20 to 2021. I've lost count of how many times the dates and itineraries were changed on this sailing.... .something like 6 or 7X.  Required patience and flexibility. Had tours scheduled with local vendors (Tours by Locals) in Seville (Cadiz) Gran Canaria and Tenerife that I had to cancel after we had already boarded. Celebrity mandated only ship's tours in all but Alicante and Cartegena. The reason for that as closely as I can determine was based on the cruise immediately preceding this one and sailing from Piraeus to the Greek Isles. This sailing experienced 5 positive COVID cases early on in the cruise -those infected - all Europeans - most likely became so while traveling to Athens. Celebrity sent all five home and identified 56 contacts among passengers and crew. These were quarantined and tested (2X, 4d apart) and none of them were positive on either test.

It's likely this experience prompted Celebrity to impose additional COVID mitigation measures on this Apex sailing. Masks were required indoors except when eating or drinking or in your cabin. Tours were restricted...... you had to stay with the group, no shopping or dining. We took a ship's tour in Cadiz that included a Flamenco performance. Strangely, two tour bus loads of guests (around 60 guests) were crammed into a very small venue with poor ventilation and masks not required. That process was a serious compromise of the mitigation measures that Celebrity imposed on Apex for this sailing. Frustrating...... and these are company, ship specific imposed measures. They aren't coming from local or national health authorities. Also, and I posted about this up thread, he local or national health authorities. The Flamenco performance made all of these inconveniences worth it all risks considered. I'm not sure Celebrity condoned the large number of guests in a small venue but will ask this question of the Shore Excursion manager.

The indoor mask requirement and the tour restrictions stand out as major inconveniences but understandable given Celebrity's pursuit of a zero COVID outbreaks goal. One can argue that none of these restrictions were sensible given Spain's low viral prevalence and high vax rates. I'm not allowing myself to get worked up about it. We're cruising on Apex.

I'm not a big Edge class fan. The Apex build tried to overcome some of the Edge issues. Most of these were behind the scenes stuff that involved placement of serving stations and storage. Apex also changed some of the seating in Eden. The Club - a small performance venue - is functionally inadequate. Sight lines are poor unless you are seated right next to the small stage area. I don't like the "in the round" set-up in the main theater but that's my problem.

I think my wife would disagree but I've heard some grumbling from crew - at least the ones in contact with guests. I rarely hear this from Celebrity crew and never from officers. The first one I heard was the quarantining of crew from the incident I mentioned above that lasted 10d and during which 2 AG tests were conducted before they were released back to work. Other general complaints include being on the ship for 5.5 months without being allowed to get off the ship (there are exceptions). Compared to our recent Apex sailing out of Piraeus in early August, the crew friendliness and willingness to engage with guests, truly genuine, we experienced on that sailing, there seems to be less of that on this sailing 2.5 months later. Crew not as happy and buoyant. I get that. 

These are minor nits but nonetheless make me think less of Edge class ships compared to Millennium and Solstice class ships. Given the option to sail from Fort Lauderdale between Apex and Equinox, both home ported there this winter, I'll chose Equinox every time. Price would also dictate my choice. Apex doesn't sell well and discounted fares are common.  I'd book Apex for the right discounted fare. Also, and I mentioned this up thread, travel in Europe during COVID is tricky. You need to do a lot of pre-cruise work and planning to make sure you are in compliance with the COVID regulations for the airline you travel to Eruope on and the countries you visit for anything other than transit. The EU has recommended to member states is to not accept the CDC record of vaccination as proof of it. Too many forgeries. You'll need a digital COVID certificate with a valid QR code to move freely within the Schengen region. I applied for an received a Swiss COVID Certificate. If you don't have a digital COVID Certificate with a QR code, you can still travel in Europe, you just have to get tested every 2-5d depending on the country's COVID rules.

Any questions on this sailing just ask.  

    

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4 hours ago, luvstodans said:

Did they allow children to sail? Was vaccine a requirement?

From Celebrity site for cruises departing US:

"All sailings departing the U.S. are subject to guidance from the CDC. Celebrity Cruises will continue to abide by CDC guidance and require all guests, 12 years and older to be fully vaccinated with all COVID-19 vaccine doses administered at least 14 days prior to sailing.  To comply with this requirement, documentation of full vaccination must be provided at the terminal as a condition for boarding. We will sail with all crew and guests who are eligible fully vaccinated.

For sailings departing the United States, to be recognized as fully vaccinated, guests 12 years of age and older, must complete a vaccine series with the last dose administered at least 14 days prior to sailing. The CDC will also consider a guest fully vaccinated with proof of vaccination that can include mixed doses of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines. Celebrity Cruise will not accept any form of Certificate of Recovery.

Out of an abundance of caution, Celebrity Cruises will be enhancing COVID-19 testing requirements for both vaccinated and unvaccinated guests. For sailings on or after September 13, 2021, departing through October 31, 2021, all vaccinated guests are required to present a negative COVID-19 test result at the time of embarkation. This test may be taken as either as an Antigen or PCR test, conducted within two days of boarding the ship. Each guest is responsible for making their own arrangements with an accredited testing provider as well as covering all associated costs.   

Unvaccinated children between the ages of two and eleven years old
will be required to bring a negative Antigen or PCR test conducted within three days of boarding. These guests will have an additional PCR test at the terminal prior to embarkation and on the day before disembarkation. Please note, the CDC has advised unvaccinated guests cannot be tested twice in one day as it may affect the accuracy of the test results, therefore the COVID-19 test required before arriving at the terminal cannot be taken on boarding day. A registration link for required onsite testing at the terminal will be emailed separately.  "

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21 hours ago, luvstodans said:

Did they allow children to sail? Was vaccine a requirement?

I didn't see any children but am not aware of specific rule preventing it. No European passport holders because they can't enter the US (until 11/8/21) probably drove no kids aboard. IOW, it's not a no kids rule. It's hard to get into and travel in Europe as US passport holding adults. Traveling with US kids in Europe is hard hard and expensive giving testing requirement. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Apex arrived in Fort Lauderdale this morning and I'm back home. Couple of post cruise observations:

Celebrity introduced a new cast and a new show called Crystalize on our last day before Fort Lauderdale. I had mentioned that I didn't like the "in the round " stage in the main theater. Well, that was stupidly wrong. Saw two current (Tree of Life and Rockumentary) and one brand new (Crystalize) shows that optimize the stage and take full advantage of the lighting and backgrounds that are very high tech. The visual presentation is very high quality and engaging.

Also regarding Apex entertainment, it took a step up from the unpopular Edge entertainment in Eden (production cast members dressed up and floating around you while you ate in the Eden restaurant or sat at the adjoining bar. They are now doing a series of 30 minute short shows with specific dancers and vocalists that do these productions in Eden and The Club. The theme of the show in Eden was an Alice in Wonderland short called Night of Dreams. If you sit at the edge of the performance area you are right on top of the show and have a close-up clear view of the dancers, acrobats and aerialists that are performing it. Stunning costumes, dance, aerial routines and vocals. The short in The Club is called Caravan and features more acrobatics and aerialists. Very cool.

Debarking somewhere in the neighborhood of 1300 guests should be easy. It was. The crew also had to pass through immigration. This was done starting at 5am and finished up by 7am with everyone returning to the ship. Guests could debark at 7:30 if they carried their own luggage off. After that, it was by luggage tag number. We were off the ship by 8:20 and at home by 9:05. We live in Coconut Creek just a shade north of Fort Lauderdale and Port Everglades. It's a 20 minute Uber ride. The terminal at the port uses facial recognition technology to clear you through immigration. You show your passport, get a photo and you're done. Remember long lines to clear C&I? Gone. Of course there was one ship - us - with few guests. I suspect it may be a little harder as cruising ramps back up. Cruising now is the best!

Overall, the crossing on Apex was most excellent. We like the shows and food so our cruising days are filled with these. We don't gamble so no casinos for us although they are busy in the evenings. We eat breakfast and lunch in the Ocean View Cafe (buffet style). The food choices there are astonishingly varied and too numerous to go through them but you will find something new that you like, every day. Presentation is very appealing and the chefs take a lot of pride in that. No specialty dining this cruise. We think the main dining room and Ocean View food is so good and it's good enough for us. We dined in the evenings after cocktails at the Eden bar in the Cosmopolitan. We sought out our waiter from a previous Apex cruise and found him (Joel from Peru). He's an eight year veteran and knows his way around a formal dining table. New menu each night of signature dishes specific to each of the four main dining rooms. The rest are called classics and these are the same in each restaurant.

We ate in Normandy, one of the complimentary main restaurants, once. The waiter offered us a dish that was not on the menu - a bone in filet of beef. I have no doubt the kitchen had extra cuts of this high quality beef that would normally be offered and served at Fine Cuts on Five - a specialty steakhouse restaurant. Fabulous.

The ship grew on me as time passed. Not an Edge fan after our intial sailing on that new ship a year or so ago. I carried that attitude to Apex. It was undeserved. I grumbled in a post above on day 6 of this 14n sailing. Over the following 8d, there were just too many things that we fell into a routine with - exercise in the morning, alternating a light breakfast and heavier late lunch with a full breakfast and a light lunch, cocktails at Eden, a show, then dinner. Never worrying about keeping your house clean, making beds, doing laundry, preparing meals. I napped when I felt like it. Watched a lot of good movies in our cabin. It's a great life! I could have easily kept going on Apex with this routine. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Reporting from Celebrity Millennium today. We're on Day 2 of a 4n Fort Lauderdale to Cozumel and back with sea days on either side of that port visit. Most of you Celebrity enthusiasts know that Millennium is the oldest ship in the Celebrity inventory. Her keel was laid in 1999 and she sailed her first revenue itinerary in July 2001 from Amsterdam to Baltic ports. Underwent a major refurb in 2019 and that's what I want to focus on.

We sailed Millennium out of Singapore on an 14d Asian ports itinerary in 2016. At that time the ship was still ship-shape and didn't seem tired or worn at all. The refurb was quite extensive adding cabins, more suites and Celebrity's "Retreat" and upgrading existing ones with new design and appointments. The shops on deck 5, and the Rendezvous bar were redone and quite beautifully. An Ice Bar was added (smaller than the Solstice Class ships), Sushi on 5 was remolded and is adjacent to Celler Masters. The Ocean view Cafe was also modernized with new furniture. Big update that, IMO, really turned out well.

The ship is sailing with about 2/3 capacity - around 1600 passengers or so. It's a popular cruise that attracted younger working folks. The age median is probably around 35-40. A few kids but not many. Few older looking folks but they're here. The price was right with incentives to book Concierge class and the "elevate" package. The price for a veranda with everything included was right around $650 pp and a $275 total cabin credit (booked through Delta Skymiles cruises). As you can see, the price was under $170 per day, per person. Pretty remarkable which is why we squeezed it in right before the holidays and another 12n S Caribbean itinerary out of Fort Lauderdale on Equinox,, December 10th.

Typically high quality food in every included dinning area. We don't do too many specialty venues and this ship doesn't offer Murano - our fave. We did book lunch at Tuscan on the last sea day. That's reasonable and I've got to find a way to spend $275 CC in 72 hours. I will. no problem. Have heard positive comments on Sushi on 5 but walking by any of these, they look underutilized.

This ship is sailing the winter from Fort Lauderdale into the Caribbean on all types of itineraries. Looking at the skyrocketing prices of cruises, this one is a bargain and does not sacrifice one bit any of the high quality service, friendly, engaging staff, great food and entertainment. I recommend this ship and the winter itineraries it is sailing out of easy to access Fort Lauderdale. 

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From Millennium again....... correction on one point: there are 962 passengers all US passport holders. I way over estimated how many guests were aboard. Will see more European and Canadian guests now that US boarders are open. Also the fitness center and spa were redone too as part of the 2019 refurb. Well done as I recall the original fitness area on Millennium was a bit tight. There seems to be quite a bit more space. There are 3 operational Peleton bikes and 2 not plugged in. Didn't see anyone using them. Big spin studio.

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1 hour ago, JeffB said:

From Millennium again....... correction on one point: there are 962 passengers all US passport holders. I way over estimated how many guests were aboard. Will see more European and Canadian guests now that US boarders are open. Also the fitness center and spa were redone too as part of the 2019 refurb. Well done as I recall the original fitness area on Millennium was a bit tight. There seems to be quite a bit more space. There are 3 operational Peleton bikes and 2 not plugged in. Didn't see anyone using them. Big spin studio.

Glad you give it such a positive review. I will be on her on Dec 9th and again on Dec 23rd. I love Celebrity and the refurb made me want to jump on these cruises since like you I live in Ft. Lauderdale area. 

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It's was and remains a beautiful ship. It sails from terminal 25 (at least it did for this sailing). If it continues to do so for your sailing, parking at the Palm Garage right across the street is a good value if you're on a 4d sailing. $15 per day amounts to $60 which is what Uber/Lyft cost from Coconut Creek area where we live. Drop your bags off first then U-Turn and head back to the Palm Garage on your right, get a ticket and find a place to park. There's construction going on within level 1 and it is closed off. We found a place on level 2. Palm Garage looked looked pretty full.

Celebrity and Port Everglades have this check in thing down. I hope the scheduled arrival times continues. It really eases the crowds - we rarely book Concierge but did this time we did because it was cheaper than a balcony. We also booked a GTY cabin on the advice of my TA. Part of my CC was $50 pp incentive to do that. The cabin assignment was fine because the COVID era and health and safety protocols limit guests making plenty of cabins available.  I did not know this but you get priority boarding by virtue of giving you the option of an 11:30 -12:00 arrival time (you also get priority departure - a QR code in your cabin scanned with your phone will take you to a web page to detail your departure preferences. 7:30 am was available - bags delivered to and picked up in terminal. 

Cabins aren't ready and Millennium doesn't have the same system as the Edge Class ships use where you can go straight to your cabin even if you board early. Sea Pass cards though are in an envelope on your cabin door. The check-in thing at a counter has been eliminated. It's all done with hand-held tablets as you go through the check-in process.  Cabins were announced ready a little before 1pm. Concierge also gets you baggage priority. Our luggage was at our cabin when we got to it at 1pm.

Your documents get checked several times. Check-in with the Celebrity App then print your boarding pass and test results. For us, it's easier to have paper copies even though they are also in digital form on our phones. I've found it frustrating to get your phone powered up after it shuts off automatically and locate the digital copies on your phone. YMMV. When you see other guests unprepared to present their boarding pass, passport and test results, fiddling around in their carry-on stuff or their phones, when you're prepared, you just walk right by them get through immigration and security checks and head to the gangway. Took us about 10 minutes from walking into the terminal to heading up the gangway.

I think what made me think there were more guests aboard than there actually were was that the Ocean View Cafe and Sunset bar area, both all the way aft, were busy when we went there immediately after boarding. Not such that you couldn't get what you wanted to eat and drink easily, just a lot of people milling around with bags. My advice is to check everything with the porters curb side.

Something else worth mentioning, short cruises over the weekends attract younger guests. Seems to me guests like the Everything Included packages. So, drinking starts right away and goes on all day every day. The pool bars (including Mast) are packed during the day. The Martini Bar is also mobbed from about 5pm until well after 9p. That there are less than 1000 guests makes me wonder how available service at a bar will be when Millennium class ships are full. We found two bars that were relatively calm and quiet - Rendevouz on deck 5 aft and the Sky Lounge on deck 11 all the way forward.  Cellar Masters bar is the old Martini Bar, replaced with an Ice Bar, is adjacent to Sushi on 5. It's small so fills up fast. Also of note there is no bar servers right now wandering about and taking drink orders in the Ocean View Cafe or the Metropolitan. I suspect that's a staffing issue as have always seen them prior to COVID and they were plentiful on both Edge and Apex as well as Equinox all of which we've sailed aboard since July.  There are some in the pool area I believe but we don't frequent the pool.

Hope this stuff is helpful for those of you sailing on the Millennium the remainder of this year.

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44 minutes ago, JeffB said:

It's was and remains a beautiful ship. It sails from terminal 25 (at least it did for this sailing). If it continues to do so for your sailing, parking at the Palm Garage right across the street is a good value if you're on a 4d sailing. $15 per day amounts to $60 which is what Uber/Lyft cost from Coconut Creek area where we live. Drop your bags off first then U-Turn and head back to the Palm Garage on your right, get a ticket and find a place to park. There's construction going on within level 1 and it is closed off. We found a place on level 2. Palm Garage looked looked pretty full.

Celebrity and Port Everglades have this check in thing down. I hope the scheduled arrival times continues. It really eases the crowds - we rarely book Concierge but did this time we did because it was cheaper than a balcony. We also booked a GTY cabin on the advice of my TA. Part of my CC was $50 pp incentive to do that. The cabin assignment was fine because the COVID era and health and safety protocols limit guests making plenty of cabins available.  I did not know this but you get priority boarding by virtue of giving you the option of an 11:30 -12:00 arrival time (you also get priority departure - a QR code in your cabin scanned with your phone will take you to a web page to detail your departure preferences. 7:30 am was available - bags delivered to and picked up in terminal. 

Cabins aren't ready and Millennium doesn't have the same system as the Edge Class ships use where you can go straight to your cabin even if you board early. Sea Pass cards though are in an envelope on your cabin door. The check-in thing at a counter has been eliminated. It's all done with hand-held tablets as you go through the check-in process.  Cabins were announced ready a little before 1pm. Concierge also gets you baggage priority. Our luggage was at our cabin when we got to it at 1pm.

Your documents get checked several times. Check-in with the Celebrity App then print your boarding pass and test results. For us, it's easier to have paper copies even though they are also in digital form on our phones. I've found it frustrating to get your phone powered up after it shuts off automatically and locate the digital copies on your phone. YMMV. When you see other guests unprepared to present their boarding pass, passport and test results, fiddling around in their carry-on stuff or their phones, when you're prepared, you just walk right by them get through immigration and security checks and head to the gangway. Took us about 10 minutes from walking into the terminal to heading up the gangway.

I think what made me think there were more guests aboard than there actually were was that the Ocean View Cafe and Sunset bar area, both all the way aft, were busy when we went there immediately after boarding. Not such that you couldn't get what you wanted to eat and drink easily, just a lot of people milling around with bags. My advice is to check everything with the porters curb side.

Something else worth mentioning, short cruises over the weekends attract younger guests. Seems to me guests like the Everything Included packages. So, drinking starts right away and goes on all day every day. The pool bars (including Mast) are packed during the day. The Martini Bar is also mobbed from about 5pm until well after 9p. That there are less than 1000 guests makes me wonder how available service at a bar will be when Millennium class ships are full. We found two bars that were relatively calm and quiet - Rendevouz on deck 5 aft and the Sky Lounge on deck 11 all the way forward.  Cellar Masters bar is the old Martini Bar, replaced with an Ice Bar, is adjacent to Sushi on 5. It's small so fills up fast. Also of note there is no bar servers right now wandering about and taking drink orders in the Ocean View Cafe or the Metropolitan. I suspect that's a staffing issue as have always seen them prior to COVID and they were plentiful on both Edge and Apex as well as Equinox all of which we've sailed aboard since July.  There are some in the pool area I believe but we don't frequent the pool.

Hope this stuff is helpful for those of you sailing on the Millennium the remainder of this year.

Always felt the bar service staff was a little short.   Did you notice if the Tuscan restaurant area was updated?  We sailed Milli shortly after its Revolution upgrade, and where disappointed  that the Tuscan area looked like it was worn out (retained the old decor).    Retreat area was nice, but the service lacked what Michael's used to offer.  The staff told us the "self service" food and beverage was the new path forward, but didn't find that attitude on other Revolutionized ships.     Everything else seemed fine, but it was shortly after the upgrade.  Guessing it was just growing pains.

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We will eat lunch in Tuscan tomorrow. I'll report back after that.

I'll try to track down the Food and Beverage manager and ask about the lack of circulating bar staff. In the Ocean View Cafe, there is a walk up wine and beer service. There were two bar staff (in sommelier uniforms). For other alcoholic beverages to be consumed in the Ocean View the Sunset bar was it. Except for that first day right after boarding, it was easy to get a beverage in either of those two bars.

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I did find the F&B manager and his assistant outside the entrance to the theater. When I asked (careful not to complain) about circulating bar staff I did not get the line, "we are trending to self service." In fact, they were very forthright about working out staffing issues as Celebrity gets back up to hosting ship's at capacity. There is no intention to not have circulating bar servers. In the interim wait staff are being instructed to ask if the guest would like a beverage from the bar. It seems that message may not be getting through to wait staff. Was told, "we will fix this" ..... and I got a bottle of Champagne in my room thanking us for letting them know. Classic Celebrity.

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Last sea day on Millennium and for Cruisellama a review of Tuscan Specialty restaurant for lunch. First, there are twoTuscan lunch services on sea days. One is a compacted regular dinner menu at $25pp. Second is the sea food special that features Lobster Thermadore and Cococonut Shrimp. Branzino and a red snapper are on the menu too. That one is $40pp.

I would call the specialty dining up-charge worth it for the Tuscan Sea Food special. We had the coconut shrimp and lobster thermadore - dishes prepared as we would not get them in local restaurants ashore. Started with bread basket with fresh basil and olive oil, baked scallops, very nice, and a watermelon and feta cheese salad - a Celebrity fave of mine. The main courses were shrimp and lobster prepared in a heavy sauce with lots of cream and butter. You cannot go wrong with those ingredients appropriately seasoned. The coconut shrimp had a distinct yet subtle coconut flavor. The lobster, more of a subtle mushroom flavored sauce. Both excellent. I paired my lobster thermadore with a Pinot Noir (Cherry Pie). My wife likes reds and is not particular; she had a cab with her coconut shrimp  - Conundrum and if you're not familiar it is really good and a pretty good copy of the much more expensive Caymus wines. There were two sides served with the mains - au gratin potatoes and a baked cauliflower also in a cheese sauce. Dessert was an English Trifle (a cake/custard sort of thing) one banana one strawberry.

Table service was attentive as is the case in the specialty restaurants where the guest to wait staff ratio is much better than in the mains. Never a dirty plate or empty glass. The food, service and presentation were of very high quality and worth the up-charge of $40.  Now specifically to Cruisellema's observation. You are correct there are some Tuscan improvements/upgrades but these are not as extensive as elsewhere. Here they cut some corners. The area of the ship the Tuscan is in was formerly the Olympia. That was before all the classic cruise liner themed restaurants on the Century and Millennium class ships were eliminated in 2016 and replaced with Tuscan Grill. Not a popular change at all. The old area that contained the Olympia area was cut in half so the Tuscan is smaller and a bit more intimate. The ceiling of the Olympia remains. That's about all that's left of some of the beautifully displayed artifacts of this cruise ship of the golden age. So, the furniture is getting a bit worn ("tired") as Cruisellama noted. The entrance is upgraded and the Tuscan area has a much different design. It's fine and doesn't distract from the excellent dining experience for the Seafood themed Tuscan lunch. Can't speak for the dinner or other sea day Tuscan lunch experiences. I think in general, the Tuscan has not been particularly popular but no question Celebrity has tried. The seafood menu is an example and it is good.

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On 11/14/2021 at 1:37 PM, JeffB said:

Last sea day on Millennium and for Cruisellama a review of Tuscan Specialty restaurant for lunch. First, there are twoTuscan lunch services on sea days. One is a compacted regular dinner menu at $25pp. Second is the sea food special that features Lobster Thermadore and Cococonut Shrimp. Branzino and a red snapper are on the menu too. That one is $40pp.

I would call the specialty dining up-charge worth it for the Tuscan Sea Food special. We had the coconut shrimp and lobster thermadore - dishes prepared as we would not get them in local restaurants ashore. Started with bread basket with fresh basil and olive oil, baked scallops, very nice, and a watermelon and feta cheese salad - a Celebrity fave of mine. The main courses were shrimp and lobster prepared in a heavy sauce with lots of cream and butter. You cannot go wrong with those ingredients appropriately seasoned. The coconut shrimp had a distinct yet subtle coconut flavor. The lobster, more of a subtle mushroom flavored sauce. Both excellent. I paired my lobster thermadore with a Pinot Noir (Cherry Pie). My wife likes reds and is not particular; she had a cab with her coconut shrimp  - Conundrum and if you're not familiar it is really good and a pretty good copy of the much more expensive Caymus wines. There were two sides served with the mains - au gratin potatoes and a baked cauliflower also in a cheese sauce. Dessert was an English Trifle (a cake/custard sort of thing) one banana one strawberry.

Table service was attentive as is the case in the specialty restaurants where the guest to wait staff ratio is much better than in the mains. Never a dirty plate or empty glass. The food, service and presentation were of very high quality and worth the up-charge of $40.  Now specifically to Cruisellema's observation. You are correct there are some Tuscan improvements/upgrades but these are not as extensive as elsewhere. Here they cut some corners. The area of the ship the Tuscan is in was formerly the Olympia. That was before all the classic cruise liner themed restaurants on the Century and Millennium class ships were eliminated in 2016 and replaced with Tuscan Grill. Not a popular change at all. The old area that contained the Olympia area was cut in half so the Tuscan is smaller and a bit more intimate. The ceiling of the Olympia remains. That's about all that's left of some of the beautifully displayed artifacts of this cruise ship of the golden age. So, the furniture is getting a bit worn ("tired") as Cruisellama noted. The entrance is upgraded and the Tuscan area has a much different design. It's fine and doesn't distract from the excellent dining experience for the Seafood themed Tuscan lunch. Can't speak for the dinner or other sea day Tuscan lunch experiences. I think in general, the Tuscan has not been particularly popular but no question Celebrity has tried. The seafood menu is an example and it is good.

Appreciate the update.  On our Alaskan sailing, the King Crab Feast was offered as the special.   It did not meet expectations - not much crab, but many deep fried sides (and service was really stretched).  Sounds like your offering was very nice - so glad to hear the service and food quality met your expectations and shows signs of improvement.  Your reviews are well done and appreciated!

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  • 11 months later...

Celebrity cabin pricing is up on average by 20-30% in the categories I want to book. The cost of sailings from European ports is on the high side of that range. You really have to shop aggressively for low prices. Verandas for under $200/d-pp don't exist anymore and that used to be easy to find before COVID. Suites under $400/d-pp are there but hard to find. There seems to be strong demand for Celebrity Suites so, unless you get in on intro pricing, you'll end up paying a lot. Repositioning (Translant/pac) sailings are still decently priced but nonetheless up)

I've started looking at Princess. Never sailed that line. I booked a Club Mini-Suite for June, 2023 aboard Caribbean Princess under "Black Friday" incentive pricing. Hundreds below equivalent Celebrity Suites and availability was good - why Caribbean Princess suites were decently priced. The special offerings attached to each cabin booking are confusing - I had a good idea of what I wanted but relied on my TA to make sure I was getting what I thought I was getting. She did and agreed special offers are complicated. 

We have friends, same ages, who sail Princess regularly and like it. That does not mean I'm abandoning Celebrity but I'm price conscious so, there is that. I have 7 Celebrity sailings booked through January 2024, nne NCL (A Broadway Tour out of NYC and the Princess Cruise I just described). 4 of them are suites (3 on Celebrity) and I got a bargain on a Beyond Suite booked on-board an Equinox sailing almost a year ago for January 2024 when sailings were first bookable.

I'm committed to getting to Zenith before I die. We have 65 Celebrity sailings out of 74 total under our belts since January 2001 but I'm still short of Zenith. Even the cheapest Celebrity suites are off-putting from a price standpoint and the pricing is not off-set by the extra points you get for booking suites. I'd rather sail more often and book fewer suites to allow that. I will book OV and verandas (often the same prices) to do that to stay within my travel budget.

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36 minutes ago, JeffB said:

Celebrity cabin pricing is up on average by 20-30% in the categories I want to book. The cost of sailings from European ports is on the high side of that range. You really have to shop aggressively for low prices. Verandas for under $200/d-pp don't exist anymore and that used to be easy to find before COVID. Suites under $400/d-pp are there but hard to find. There seems to be strong demand for Celebrity Suites so, unless you get in on intro pricing, you'll end up paying a lot. Repositioning (Translant/pac) sailings are still decently priced but nonetheless up)

I've started looking at Princess. Never sailed that line. I booked a Club Mini-Suite for June, 2023 aboard Caribbean Princess under "Black Friday" incentive pricing. Hundreds below equivalent Celebrity Suites and availability was good - why Caribbean Princess suites were decently priced. The special offerings attached to each cabin booking are confusing - I had a good idea of what I wanted but relied on my TA to make sure I was getting what I thought I was getting. She did and agreed special offers are complicated. 

We have friends, same ages, who sail Princess regularly and like it. That does not mean I'm abandoning Celebrity but I'm price conscious so, there is that. I have 7 Celebrity sailings booked through January 2024, nne NCL (A Broadway Tour out of NYC and the Princess Cruise I just described). 4 of them are suites (3 on Celebrity) and I got a bargain on a Beyond Suite booked on-board an Equinox sailing almost a year ago for January 2024 when sailings were first bookable.

I'm committed to getting to Zenith before I die. We have 65 Celebrity sailings out of 74 total under our belts since January 2001 but I'm still short of Zenith. Even the cheapest Celebrity suites are off-putting from a price standpoint and the pricing is not off-set by the extra points you get for booking suites. I'd rather sail more often and book fewer suites to allow that. I will book OV and verandas (often the same prices) to do that to stay within my travel budget.

 

I loved my Celebrity sailings and really enjoyed my sailing on Discovery Princess a couple months ago.  The ship was full and the service didn't suffer.  One of the best parts was with a drink package, you can get drinks delivered to your room, which enhances a premium feel.  The room doesn't feel quite as upscale as Celebrity in a normal balcony, but it is close enough. Ive been either Royal Caribbean or Celebrity for years, but I will certainly look at Princess every time now.  I always get wifi, Drinks, etc, so Celebrity and Princess are appealing with Royal Charging $100 a day for those with tips included.  I am particularly looking forward to the new Sun Princess.  

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Ship:  Apex (second of the Edge class) is only about a year and half old.    Meticulously maintained and looked new as we sailed it.  Still had the "new ship" smell and didn't notice any wear issues that caught our eyes.  Well curated with art throughout the ship.  Each Edge class ship has a unique artistic branding to maintain visual differences between the ships.  But in general, deck plans for both Edge and Apex are identical.   The new Beyond has an additional upper deck.

Cabin:  Sailed in an aft Sky Suite with ample space and slightly larger balcony (which provides Retreat/Luminae access).  Balcony was equipped with 2 lounges, 2 upright chairs and small table.   The table was not adequate to hold more than a single plate and a couple of beverages.   While a very comfortably equipped cabin, the balcony furniture configuration isn't ideal for room service.  Being an aft cabin, plenty of sun and room, so heading to public sun areas is not necessary.  Bathroom was large with ample storage and an oversized tub and 3 way shower head location design.  Closet space is ample, but not as efficient as it could be.  Room safe is small and would not accommodate a laptop or tablet computer.   Edge class ships offer cabin climate and TV controls through the APP  which was very handy.  APP is very functional, the only missing linkage is to any spa appointments you may wish to add to the calendar.  Cabin came with a butler and steward.  Both were extremely helpful and attentive.

Service:  Apex service was a high point.   The rooms butler checked in at least daily, worked with the concierge for reservations or updates, and ensure the room remained fully stocked.  Room steward was cleaning whenever we left.  Always came back to a fresh room which is a notable post pandemic service upgrade (previously we would see 1 or 2 visits unless called).  Restaurant wait staff also excelled, they were active and worked to ensure needs of guests were satisfied.

Food:  Not a highpoint.  Not sure if this is due to supply chain issues or not, but we noticed changes in Luminae and some special restaurant menus that were not for the better.  It was tough to distinguish a "finer" food quality between the specialty restaurants and main dining offerings (4 MDR options plus buffets, and cafes).  The primary distinguishing feature was service, not food or menu quality.  We came to the conclusion the cost/benefit of specialty restaurants on this cruise wasn't there.

Entertainment:  Two main performance areas,  forward theater and Eden with production shows.  They're not the high end Oasis or Quantum types of productions, but 50 minute productions by singers, dancers and acrobats.  The main theater has a huge high def screen behind the stage that is part of the show.  So there are stunning visual enhancements to those productions.   Eden shows entail acrobatic/dance which is fine, tends to look the same for each performance.   Great vocalists and comedian rounded the entertainment also with the various solo performance and instrumental performers.  Of course there are venues that also offer silent disco and games to keep you busy.  The martini bar tenders also display their talents under music and lights.

Other:    The ship sailed at full capacity (3100ish).  A lot of families with small children, which we've not really seen on Celebrity, even on holidays.   Even the Retreat area was at capacity on sea days.  Kids behaved pretty well, we spoke to a few and they relayed that there really isn't much for them to do on-board.  (not surprised).   Elevators were fully stressed.   Long waits as they filled up and would have to pass floors due to loading considerations.   Made for using the stairs most of the time.  While it was a very nice week, I would rate the overall experience as a 3.5/5.0.    Service was top notch, but the food just didn't raise the bar on this trip.   We'll be on Wonder and Beyond in 1Q23.

 

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