Cruise Destination

Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Apex Gives New Luxury New Meaning

The Magic Carpet

Beauty and wonder met excitement and anticipation as Celebrity Cruises’ stunning new-luxury ship, Celebrity Apex, kicked off its inaugural Caribbean season, setting sail from Ft. Lauderdale in Florida. The festivities included the ship’s official naming ceremony led by her inspiring Godmother, Reshma Saujani, the founder of groundbreaking non-profit Girls Who Code and author of bestseller, “Brave, Not Perfect.” Apex’s much-anticipated arrival to U.S. ports is a landmark moment for the brand, as the vessel’s launch was originally planned for late March 2020. Following a short run of Greek Island sailings, the ship embarked for the first time from U.S shores on rotating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, to the picturesque islands of Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Belize, Grand Caymans and more. In keeping with nautical tradition, Reshma Saujani joined executives at a well-attended and highly anticipated naming ceremony onboard to officially name Celebrity Apex.

The Apex of New Luxury at Sea

Like her multi-award-winning, industrychanging sister ship, Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex features innovative outward-facing design and visionary spaces from world-renowned designers, connecting guests to the breathtaking world around them like never before. The ship’s onboard experience also stands apart from anything else at sea with many new offerings:

• The exclusive The Retreat® with its stunning suite accommodations, a private restaurant, and an exclusive lounge and sundeck to rival any high-end resort. In addition, a dedicated team of Personal Retreat Hosts on-hand 24/7, ensures everything is taken care of.

• Transformational accommodations, from modern two-story villas with plunge pools to staterooms with infinite verandas, blur the boundaries between indoor/outdoor living.

• The Magic Carpet®, soaring cantilevered above the sea and offering guests uninterrupted vistas while sipping cocktails or having dinner.

• A curated collection of 29 culinary venues including the brand-new Craft Social Bar, offering 40 handcrafted boutique beer selections, creative cocktails, and a wide selection of a la carte, gourmet comfort food and bar bites. Globally inspired menus, crafted by Michelin-starred chefs bring the flavors of the world straight to the plate, for an epicurean journey unmatched at sea.

• 7,000 square feet of retail offerings featuring such renowned luxury stand-alone boutiques as Bvlgari, Cartier and the first-ever Montblanc lifestyle boutique.

• First-at-sea F45 classes, along with Peloton bikes, and “Women in Wellness” onboard content and experiences from some of the most influential female leaders in wellness augment well-being offerings.

Unbelievable artwork and sculptures adorn the ship

Stateroom interior

The Solarium

Naming Celebrity Apex

Reshma Saujani follows Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, the first Edge Series Godmother, who inaugurated Celebrity Edge in November 2018, and is renowned for her advocacy of educational opportunities for girls everywhere. Saujani also represents women breaking ground, having led the charge to provide opportunities for women in the traditionally maledominated tech field. In honor of Saujani’s work, Celebrity Cruises will offer fun, interactive beginning coding activities from the Girls Who Code curriculum as part of the cruise line’s onboard Camp at Sea program.

Journey Safe, Journey Wonderfull

In September 2021, Celebrity Cruises launched a multimillion-dollar global advertising campaign enticing consumers to reawaken their wanderlust and reconnect with the people and the world around them. With the tagline, “Journey Safe, Journey Wonderfull,” the campaign powerfully taps into the transformative wonders of experiencing the world from the perspective of a Celebrity ship. The campaign blended new luxury experiences with places and people at its heart, doubling down on a message of inclusivity. The brand became a leading advocate for vaccinations in the travel industry, requiring all crew and eligible guests to be fully vaccinated to board a Celebrity Cruises ship. Celebrity Cruises is applying the recommendations of the Healthy Sail Panel of public health and scientific experts to provide a safer and healthier cruise vacation on all of its sailings. Health and safety protocols, regional travel restrictions and clearance to visit ports of call, are subject to change based on ongoing evaluation, public health standards, and government requirements for U.S. cruises and guests.

Celebrity Cruises’ iconic “X” is the mark of a fleet of 14 award-winning ships redefining luxury cruise travel with cool, contemporary design and accommodation; dining, spa and entertainment experiences for modern tastes; and culturally rich and diverse destination experiences, all complemented by warm, personalized service. Simplifying the luxury vacation experience, WiFi, drinks and service charges are now Always Included on every Celebrity cruise. Celebrity has pioneered many industry firsts at sea, including: the first use of solar panels on a cruise ship; the first to eliminate use of plastic water bottles; the first American female Captain of a cruise ship; the firstever all-female bridge and officer team sailing; the first West African woman to work on the bridge of a cruise ship; and one of the first legal same-sex weddings performed at sea. Driven by wanderlust and a passion for opening the world, Celebrity journeys to all seven continents, visiting nearly 300 destinations in more than 70 countries. Celebrity Cruises is one of five cruise brands operated by global cruise company Royal Caribbean Group.

In fact, Royal Caribbean International’s Navigator of the Seas became Los Angeles’ newest resident with the Hollywood debut of the next-level ship. After a $115 million amplification, there’s more to do, see, taste and play for all ages across record-breaking thrills – like the longest waterslide at sea – and signature adventures, such as a FlowRider surf simulator and ice skating. Onboard entertainment goes from day to night, thanks to features like a new resort-style, Caribbean pool deck; the first blow-dry bar at sea, a variety of restaurants and nightlife; and more:

• The Blaster – Propel through more than 800 feet of hills, drops and straightaways as you feel the rush of the ocean air. This is Royal Caribbean’s first aqua coaster and the longest waterslide at sea.

• Riptide – Jump in to be swept up by the industry’s only head-first mat racer waterslide at sea; it features a thrilling finish through a translucent tube that extends over the side of the ship.

• Three Levels of Caribbean Flavor – Sweeten every sunset with drinks from a lively, three-level pool bar, The Lime & Coconut, complete with a rooftop deck for ocean views and stargazing.

• To Dry For – Pamper yourself with the first standalone blow-dry bar at sea, offering blowouts, hairstyling, polish changes and champagne.

• Endless Flavors and Nightlife – Satisfy your cravings with a range of restaurants, bars and lounges, including a New England-inspired menu at Hooked Seafood, Jamie’s Italian by chef Jamie Oliver, and hibachi and fresh sushi at Izumi. When the sun goes down, all bets are off at Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, a tiki-chic bar and lounge – The Bamboo Room – the Studio B ice-skating rink and Royal Theater for award-winning entertainment, and more.

Many spots to mix and mingle with other guests

Several dining options to choose from, pictured here is Tuscan Restaurant

Inside Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas

With 1694 staterooms, the Navigator of the Seas offers guests amenities such as an art gallery, card room, conference center and jogging track. Other facilities onboard include mini golf, outdoor movie screen, PADI five-star dive center and rock-climbing wall. With many activities for kids and teens, several bars and lounges, and choice of complimentary and specialty dining, there is no end to the options available. The ship will provide short 3-, 4- and 5-night cruises to Catalina Island in California and Ensenada and Cabo San Lucas in Mexico.

Have you decided where you want to cruise to now?

Daytime deck views

(Images by Ruksana Hussain)

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