See Inside Celebrity Cruises’ Newest $1 Billion Ship

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.

As a result, several major cruise lines have seen strong bookings into the future, with some itineraries selling out in record time.

Source: CNBC, Insider

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.

The ship was once set to make its grand debut in March 2020.

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.

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.

The 16-deck Apex is manned by almost 1,320 crew members.

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.

All staterooms have a king bed and a touchscreen that controls features like the temperature, lights, and shades.

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.

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.

And what would be a luxury cruise without a variety of food and beverage options?

… which range from the “casual country club atmosphere” Sunset Bar …

Source: Celebrity Cruises

… to the classic cruise ship buffet …

… to an outdoor grill-forward eatery.

The Celebrity Apex has 29 eateries, bars, cafes, and lounges …

The new ship also has a Celebrity first: the Craft Social Bar, a craft beer and sports bar.

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.

Or try the Eden Bar, a cocktail bar extension of the Eden Restaurant, one of the cruise ship’s seven specialty restaurants.

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 …

… and French bistro-themed Le Grand Bistro, to name a few specialty options.

The latter also doubles as the restaurant for Le Petit Chef and Family …

… which uses overhead projectors to display an animated storyline onto the dining table before every course.

Besides these few eateries, the ship has four main restaurants that come with the base price of the cruise: Cosmopolitan (American), Cyprus (Greek) …