Table of Contents
- 1 Leisure travel levels are quickly creeping back to pre-COVID-19 levels as borders continue to reopen and pent-up demand for travel remains high.
- 2 As a result, several major cruise lines have seen strong bookings into the future, with some itineraries selling out in record time.
- 3 To usher in the return of the cruise industry, Royal Caribbean Group’s Celebrity Cruises has launched its latest luxury ship — the Celebrity Apex — in the US after over a year of delays.
- 4 The ship was once set to make its grand debut in March 2020.
- 5 But after a year of no sailing, the summer of 2021 provided a glimmer of hope for the company and its ship: The Apex began operating several Greek Island itineraries.
- 6 And now, the luxury ship is finally in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and has already begun bringing eager passengers to a variety of warm weathered Caribbean destinations.
- 7 The 16-deck Apex is manned by almost 1,320 crew members.
- 8 These crew members then serve a little over 2,900 guests, all of whom will stay inside Apex’s almost 1,470 staterooms and 176 suites.
- 9 All staterooms have a king bed and a touchscreen that controls features like the temperature, lights, and shades.
- 10 But those with deeper pockets and finer taste might want to opt for the more ultra-luxurious accommodations, which include the Iconic and Penthouse Suites.
- 11 The former is the largest suite on all Celebrity ships and includes a terrace with a hot tub, a bedroom with sweeping views of the ocean, and an in-suite Peloton.
- 12 And what would be a luxury cruise without a variety of food and beverage options?
- 13 … which range from the “casual country club atmosphere” Sunset Bar …
- 14 … to the classic cruise ship buffet …
- 15 … to an outdoor grill-forward eatery.
- 16 The Celebrity Apex has 29 eateries, bars, cafes, and lounges …
- 17 The new ship also has a Celebrity first: the Craft Social Bar, a craft beer and sports bar.
- 18 But if you’re more of a cocktail aficionado, there’s the Martini Bar, which sits at the heart of the ship under the glow of the LED chandelier in the Grand Plaza.
- 19 Or try the Eden Bar, a cocktail bar extension of the Eden Restaurant, one of the cruise ship’s seven specialty restaurants.
- 20 If you’re looking to pay a little more for specialty dining, there’s also a raw bar called Raw on 5, the Fine Cut Steakhouse …
- 21 … and French bistro-themed Le Grand Bistro, to name a few specialty options.
- 22 The latter also doubles as the restaurant for Le Petit Chef and Family …
- 23 … which uses overhead projectors to display an animated storyline onto the dining table before every course.
- 24 Besides these few eateries, the ship has four main restaurants that come with the base price of the cruise: Cosmopolitan (American), Cyprus (Greek) …