7 Nights Spain & Portugal Cruise

Beautiful Ship and Fabulous Services as always!

We recently sailed the Norwegian Fjords on Celebrity Apex and had a fantastic experience from start to finish. One of the highlights for us was how accommodating and thoughtful the staff were, especially as we were traveling with a deaf person. The care and attention shown were exceptional. A standout moment was at the buffet one morning when a server kindly waited with her to let her know when her omelet was ready—such a simple act, but it meant so much. We also really appreciated the strict hygiene protocols, especially at the buffet where handwashing was mandatory before entry—very reassuring and well-managed. We stayed in an Infinite Veranda cabin, which was perfect for enjoying the spectacular fjord views. However, a quick note of advice: our cabin had a restricted view (looking up and forward), so if having an unobstructed view is important to you, it may be best to avoid cabins on Deck 12. Dining was a highlight of the cruise. We tried all four main dining restaurants and found both the food and service to be consistently excellent. The Oceanview Café (buffet) had a great variety at breakfast and lunch, and there was always seating available. The staff were quick to clear and clean tables, keeping everything running smoothly. We caught a few of the theatre shows—the comedian on the first night was a bit underwhelming, but the magician and the Rockumentary show were fantastic. We also loved the vibe in Eden—it became our favorite spot for pre-dinner drinks and a relaxing catch-up before the evening. We've previously cruised with Princess (among many others), and while it's a close call, we think Celebrity has the edge—pun fully intended! Highly recommend Celebrity Apex for anyone looking for a stylish, welcoming, and high-quality cruise experience—especially around the stunning Norwegian Fjords.

Fabulous ship and cruise

I was astounded to read negative reviews of this wonderful ship! We have sailed on the Eclipse, Silhouette and Constellation previously and were unsure if we would like the Apex. We certainly didn’t need to be concerned. This ship is very spacious and never felt crowded. Entertainment is available if you want it, but tucked away from areas where you can have peace and quiet. The staff in the Craft Social Bar knew our names and preferred drinks within 24 hours. Our cabin was a Concierge class on deck 11, always kept immaculate. We asked to change the rather strange canapés that are brought each afternoon to a cheese and fruit plate. This worked well. We tried each of the Main Dining restaurants in turn and eventually decided that the Tuscan was our favourite, so we arranged to eat there each night. The food and service was excellent. Not being early risers (to say the least!) we generally opt to skip breakfast and go for an early light lunch in the Oceanview Buffet. There are plenty of food choices to please everyone. Embarkation at Southampton was fantastic and we have no reason to expect anything less of disembarkation in two days time. I know there have been comments about the high price of drinks. All I can say is, if you like specialty coffees, teas, bottled water, a glass of wine and a couple of pre dinner drinks, just buy the classic drinks package, which is excellent value. We are sailing on Apex again in October, and are hopeful that we shall enjoy that as much as this sailing.

A stylish journey along the NW Iberian coast

Review - it’s a long one… Intro We were very excited to book a cruise on Celebrity Apex. We had previously sailed on both Eclipse and Equinox and never thought we would like one of the Edge class ships due to their very modern design and decoration. However when this itinerary to Northern Spain and Portugal appeared at the right price we decided to give it a go. Boarding We only live about an hour's drive from Southampton but chose a later arrival time so we could have a more relaxing day. After parking the car we entered the cruise terminal at 2:15 p.m. and it was empty. In fact, some of the staff were already leaving. We sped through check-in and security and were already on board Apex in less than 10 minutes after entering the terminal. It was a great start. The ship From the moment we stepped on board we could tell that this ship was a different level to the Solstice-class ships. Everything looked clean, fresh and very stylish. And, of course, there were the expected unusual touches like weirdly-shaped chairs and strange art sculptures. One thing we noticed straight away was that nearly every member of staff would make eye contact and greet you in a friendly manner. The cabin We stayed in an infinite veranda on deck eight near the front of the ship on the magic carpet side. We were very happy with our choice. It was very stylishly decorated with plenty of storage and a very nice bathroom with great shower. The digital lighting & a/c control unit was useful though we found a good room temp hard to maintain. We enjoyed the veranda space, the full wall of glass and being able to open the window. However we found the sliding doors very difficult to open. They were very noisy and seemed to serve little purpose as they did not block the light. You also had to move the chairs around in order to open and close them. The location of the cabin was also very convenient for the front bank of lifts up to the Spa Café. It was also only three flights of steps down to access the facilities of the Grand Plaza. However, being close to the front of the ship, there was some shade cast by the bridge up ahead. Our cabin attendant was very pleasant and kept the cabin very clean though a few items were missing on arrival that we had to ask for including cups. We were surprised at his reply when we asked for cups and he told us to go and bring some back from the Oceanview Café. Breakfast & Lunch We tend to eat fairly lightly during the day so were pleased to have the two options of the Spa Café and Eden Café. Despite the celebrity app showing Eden Café only open two or three times during the week, it was actually open every day for breakfast and certain days for lunch. The staff in both cafes were very friendly and always greeted us, even when we saw them working in other locations on the ship. Both venues offer a limited menu but it is just big enough for you to select different items each visit. One advantage of Eden Café is that it has an outside dining area which is nice to sit in when the weather is good. And if it happens to be busy there is plenty of space in Eden including the row of seats on the sloping walkway looking out over the wake of the ship. Dinner Our previous Celebrity cruises were in aqua class eating in Blu, so on this cruise we decided to try all of the main dining room restaurants. We reserved two nights in each restaurant, having dinner in the OceanView Café on our final night. Most nights we were taken straight to a table with no waiting. Occasionally we had to wait one or two minutes. If you like a table for two there are some good tables around which give you plenty of space. However, there are also rows of tables in at least three of the restaurants, which are quite close together and you may feel awkward. The service was generally very good although in one restaurant in particular waiting staff seemed to be frantic on both our visits. We enjoyed the food. Sometimes it was excellent and we never had a bad meal. We ordered several bottles of wine over the course of the cruise and there was no problem retrieving the bottles between any of the restaurants until the final night in the OceanView Café. Again, the food here was very good and there were several different areas in which to sit. They also dimmed the lights making it feel more like a restaurant and not a buffet. After checking with the sommelier the previous night we were assured that retrieving a saved bottle in the buffet would not be a problem. Yet the wine waiter in the OceanView Café looked quite put out when we said we had a saved bottle. He did go and retrieve it but simply plonked it on the table and walked off leaving us to go to the bar and ask for some glasses. We were not impressed given how good the drinks service was in the main restaurants. I do think they could improve the wine service in the main restaurants by going to get your wine immediately instead of your having to ask them to retrieve a saved bottle, given that you have already checked in at the front desk and especially so when you have a reservation. Theatre I wasn't sure I'd enjoy a theatre in-the-round but the configuration worked very well with the enormous screen behind. The seats were very comfortable and we enjoyed the three shows that we saw, especially the production show Crystallize, when we sat quite close to the stage. The seating rake was good from the middle rows back. We had unobstructed views even with tall people in front of us. Service Overall the service we received in all venues was of a high standard. Staff were friendly yet professional and willing to meet requests. It was nice when you returned to a venue and the staff said welcome back. Apart from the OceanView Café, the only other place we noticed a drop in service standards was in Café Al Bacio where some of the staff behind the counter looked very miserable and treated you like an inconvenience, which seemed very out of place. Ports Zeebrugge - we had been to Zeebrugge before on several occasions so decided to stay on board and explore the ship, which was new to us. La Coruña - in the morning we walked through town to the beach and then up to the lighthouse. We then returned via the beach promenade and found a traditional café in town where we had coffee and cake. We then made our way back through the lovely park on the harbourside of the city, admiring the handsome buildings alongside. After a stroll through the Old Town and the Plaza de España, we found a little bar overlooking the harbour and ship where we enjoyed a couple of glasses of local Albariño before returning to the ship mid-afternoon. Porto - we had planned to make our own way into town using the metro so after taking the shuttle bus to the port gates we walked for about 10 minutes to the nearest metro stop, which, out of town, is actually an overground tram system. The ticket machine at the stop would not take credit cards that day so we had to pay using euros (€2.60 each). About 30 minutes later we were in the centre of Porto. We had planned a walking route to include the major sites and a stop for coffee and a pastel de nata. Crossing the Dom Luis I bridge was a highlight as well as the view from the cathedral terrace. On the south side in Vila Nova de Gaia, we walked around amid the port warehouses and decided on some lunch. However a national power cut meant the restaurants were not serving food and this cut short our stay in Porto as we decided it was important to get back to the ship. We eventually managed to get a bus back along the coast through some little beach resorts to the cruise port where we enjoyed a little time on the local beach before returning to the ship. Vigo - after breakfast we headed out to a Mercadona supermarket to buy some gin and white rum we like at amazingly low prices. We returned to the ship via the “English Cable” monument just along the front from the ship and got ready to go out into the city again. Our walking route took us through some pretty squares, with a stop for coffee, then up the multiple travellators past El Corte Inglés department store, as we headed up to the castle on the hill and its lookout. There were fantastic views from the lookout of both the ship and the bay towards distant islands. After descending many steps we stopped for lunch at a local bar enjoying tortilla de patatas and a beer on the terrace before winding our way through the city streets and pedestrian area admiring the handsome buildings (early 20th century granite) including the theatre. We also passed the Mer-man statue before returning to the ship via a bar at the marina side and a glass of Albariño in the sun. We were truly surprised at how pretty Vigo was. Bilbao - neither of us had been here for many years and again we chose to use public transport. We discovered there was a free shuttle run by the port to the local metro stations (this was not advertised by Celebrity). We were alone on the bus and the lady said no one had been using it. At the metro station we bought return tickets (€4.20 each) & 30 mins later we alighted at Casco Viejo station. The celebrity shuttle was €17 each. As it was the first of May, there were lots of parades and marches and locals were out on the streets. After a walk through the Old Town and a coffee in the Plaza Nueva, we followed the river walkway around to the Guggenheim Museum and then into the newer part of the city where we found a nice bar to have some lunch outside (cheese and ham tortilla and a beer). We then continued our stroll back towards the Old Town where we took the metro back to the initial station and waited for the free shuttle to the ship. It was a very easy & cheap journey. We had been very lucky with the weather in all the ports as it had been unseasonably warm in Western Europe that week for late April. It had been sunscreen and not umbrellas. A few more observations… We were surprised that we were able to walk the length of the ship very quickly and no venue seemed like a trek. The lifts were also quite fast and responsive. Although there were lots of different places to sit around the ship, nowhere was particularly quiet as music was played everywhere, and this was not always welcome. It did seem that there were fewer public toilets than on other ships. After reading comments about aggressive selling, not once were we asked to buy a beverage package. The only sales pitch was from the sommelier who pointed out the first evening that if we were having a glass of wine with dinner every day, it was much cheaper to buy a bottle and it was, even more so with the Select discount Finally I don't know if we will be able to go back to an S-Class ship now after our cruise on Apex. Maybe it will have to be another in the E-Class family…