Celebrity Apex

Celebrity Apex is the second ship in Celebrity's design-forward Edge Class, debuting in 2020 (with first revenue sailings in 2021 after COVID delays). It's an adults-leaning, premium-contemporary ship best known for the Magic Carpet, the cantilevered movable platform unique to the class, and interiors by marquee designers that give it a chic, couple-oriented feel. Crucially, Apex is the original Edge-class size, essentially a twin of Celebrity Edge, and was not stretched like its later sisters Beyond and Ascent.

Dining is the headline strength, with Fine Cut Steakhouse, Le Petit Chef's animated tabletop dinner, and the multi-level Eden complex drawing the most praise alongside eight complimentary venues and seven specialty restaurants. Infinite Veranda cabins convert a glass wall into an open-air veranda at the touch of a button, with the noted trade-off that the AC shuts off when it's open. The Resort Deck pool, Rooftop Garden, and Grand Plaza martini bar anchor the public spaces, and entertainment in Eden and the theater is well regarded, though service can occasionally be inconsistent.

Apex suits couples and adults seeking an upscale, design-led, mostly relaxed cruise across Mediterranean and Caribbean itineraries; it's premium-priced and not ideal for families with young kids. Versus its sisters, Apex lacks Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud, the redesigned larger Sunset Bar, and the extra deck the stretched Beyond and Ascent gained, with those ships running about 66 feet longer and roughly 12% larger. The upside is that Apex can feel slightly more intimate and is often available at lower fares while still delivering nearly the full Edge-class experience.