Advice Please - Which Sky Suite on Apex?

[ian441672]

Hi

 

We are Princess loyalists (top tier), but are looking to venture out and try something new.  We did an amazing Caribbean Cruise on the Silhouette in January (just before lockdown) and had a lovely Aft Sky Suite - spacious and a nice wrap around balcony; we loved the specialist lounges and restaurants and we had a superb time. 

 

Unfortunately our Enchanted Princess July cruise has been cancelled this year (brand new Maiden Voyage trip, so we are sad about that, but with everything going on, we are just grateful to still be able to cruise).

 

So, we have seen 2x7 days cruises (back to back I guess, but billed as 2 different cruises) next July on the Apex around the Med, taking in Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo etc., and it looks a great itinerary.

 

I am rambling, so my questions are:

 

- I think this is quite a new ship also; would people still recommend the same type of Aft cabin (we loved the privacy of the Aft cabin, its private little alcove entrance, portal, decent size room and big balcony), or perhaps one mid ship; similar size and layout?

- I have the options of deck 9, 10 or 12 for the Aft rooms on both cruises, any particular deck for the best room / size / layout/ balcony etc

- I heard the Lumiere restaurant and Michaels Club differ from previous ships; anyone had experience; is it a significant uplift?

- The main draw is the new ship (that we missed on Princess) and the new 'floating deck' - do you need to pre-book this ashore, or can it only be done on board?

-I believe we get all 4 perks (Premium Drinks, so no upgrade needed, as last time we had to pay $10pppn for an upgrade I am sure), wi-fi, gratuities and onboard spend. Seems a good deal.

 

Any other tips worth sharing for the Apex and room or benefits etc?

 

Sorry for a lot of questions, but trying to get excited about cruising again, and this cruise seems something to get excited for!

 

Thanks all.

 

Best wishes.

[C-Dragons]

Apex is the newest ship in X's fleet, and has not had her inaugural sailing yet due to the Covid 19 situation so no passengers have sailed on her yet. She is the sister to the Edge, which we have sailed on twice. We also prefer the aft suites. The size, layouts and verandahs for the suites that are available on decks 9,10 and 12 are the same. The entrances are also the same as on the Silhouette, via an alcove. The suites for our sailings on the Edge were on decks 11 and 12, and we enjoyed them both.

The E class ships were designed to be totally different from the S class. The Retreat Lounge (formerly Michael's Club) is larger, and more bright, definitely an improvement, imo. The Luminae restaurant is also larger, very nice, and the service is fantastic. The “floating deck” called the Magic Carpet can only be booked on board.

 

We loved both of our cruises on the Edge and are booked on Apex for this October. We're really excited to be sailing on her !

Edited May 17, 2020 by C-Dragons

[ian441672]

47 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

Apex is the newest ship in X's fleet, and has not had her inaugural sailing yet due to the Covid 19 situation so no passengers have sailed on her yet. She is the sister to the Edge, which we have sailed on twice. We also prefer the aft suites. The size, layouts and verandahs for the suites that are available on decks 9,10 and 12 are the same. The entrances are also the same as on the Silhouette, via an alcove. The suites for our sailings on the Edge were on decks 11 and 12, and we enjoyed them both.

The E class ships were designed to be totally different from the S class. The Retreat Lounge (formerly Michael's Club) is larger, and more bright, definitely an improvement, imo. The Luminae restaurant is also larger, very nice, and the service is fantastic. The “floating deck” called the Magic Carpet can only be booked on board.

 

We loved both of our cruises on the Edge and are booked on Apex for this October. We're really excited to be sailing on her !

Thanks for the reply - I think aft deck 12 sounds good then!  I also note the new name for Michael's Club, which seems to be part of the new theme. Am I correct in saying there is a 'Retreat' only pool/sun deck area for suite guests? If so, was it busy (like the main pool area), or more comfortable and relaxing?

 

Thanks again.

[Lastdance]

I know C-Dragons stayed on deck 12, because I was on deck 11/ Edge.  I never heard anything above.  When I stayed on deck 12 for S class there was some noise in the early mornings and sometimes in the evenings.  Since she was on 12, there must not have been anything worth mentioning.  You should certainly enjoy Apex, as improvements were made; however, I enjoyed Edge!  My butler was excellent, so a great contact for questions and getting rservations etc.  Your deck will be much larger than S class, but does not wrap around the side; actually, I prefer the larger deck!  I had a b2b on Apex, but sadly had to cancel for this fall.  I certainly hope to book again in the future...You will have a wonderful cruise, as getting to cruise again will really be special!

Edited May 17, 2020 by Lastdance

[C-Dragons]

1 hour ago, ian441672 said:

Thanks for the reply - I think aft deck 12 sounds good then!  I also note the new name for Michael's Club, which seems to be part of the new theme. Am I correct in saying there is a 'Retreat' only pool/sun deck area for suite guests? If so, was it busy (like the main pool area), or more comfortable and relaxing?

 

Thanks again.

Yes, there is also a Retreat pool deck for suite guests. Whether it is busy or not depends upon the weather. It is not large like the main pool area, so not all suite guests can be accommodated at the same time. But it is comfortable and relaxing and there are pool butlers who will get your drink orders. On sea days you can order lunch from a limited menu.

[C-Dragons]

5 minutes ago, Lastdance said:

I know C-Dragons stayed on deck 12, because I was below on deck 11 on Edge.  I never heard anything above.  When I stayed on deck 12 for S class there was some noise in the early mornings and sometimes in the evenings.  Since she was on 12, there must not have been anything worth mentioning.  You should certainly enjoy Apex, as improvements were made; however, i enjoyed Edge!

You are correct, we didn’t have any problems on deck 12. We're booked on deck 11 on Apex in October and 12 again on the Edge for April 2021. I'm so ready for a cruise..! 😎

[Lastdance]

9 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

You are correct, we didn’t have any problems on deck 12. We're booked on deck 11 on Apex in October and 12 again on the Edge for April 2021. I'm so ready for a cruise..! 😎

 

My DH just had surgery on his arm, so no cruise for us until May of 2021 for Flora/Galapagos.  However, we do have a b2b on Reflection/TA for Oct. 2021 too.  My DH wanted both of these itineraries, but were originally on Apex, as I had a feeling we would have to cancel this year.  No cruise this year is upsetting, but I will add another soon when the new TA"s are announced.

Edited May 17, 2020 by Lastdance

[C-Dragons]

9 minutes ago, Lastdance said:

 

My DH just had surgery on his arm, so no cruise for us until May of 2021 for Flora/Galapagos.  However, we do have a b2b on Reflection/TA for Oct. 2021 too.  My DH wanted both of these itineraries, but were originally on Apex, as I had a feeling we would have to cancel this year.  No cruise this year is upsetting, but I will add another soon when the new TA"s are announced.

Reflection TA October 2021? Come join the roll call! 😁
Please tell your DH we hope he mends quickly. 🌺🌼🌺

Edited May 17, 2020 by C-Dragons

[bigbenboys]

I did not like Suite Life on the Edge. I did like our S1 mid ship. Our cruise friends enjoy the aft S1 on other Celebrity ships and I understand their value. On the Edge, Luminae, The Retreat and Retreat pool are all the way forward. Aft S1's will be great for though that like to walk. The Retreat pool area was very nice, but not a lot of shade. The tables at the pool bar area get wet when it rains. If you order any pool food double what you want. The portions are small. Some flooding, drains not in the low spots. The Retreat Lounge is to large. It has lost the nice warm feeling of the S or M class ships. Also no bar to sit at or order from. Now Luminae. Luminae is also to large. When we cruised on the Edge in March 2019 Celebrity had just added the every evening items to the menu in Luminae. You can not order off the MDR menu. I do understand why you cant.... as Luminae is Allllllllll the Wayyyyyyy Forwarddddd.

I think the 4 restaurants are a good idea. Blu looked very inviting. I thought the casino and casino bar was a good size. I will not say never, if I ever book a Edge class ship. It will be in Aqua, not suites. And only if friends and family really want to book a Edge Class ship.

[ian441672]

21 hours ago, C-Dragons said:

Apex is the newest ship in X's fleet, and has not had her inaugural sailing yet due to the Covid 19 situation so no passengers have sailed on her yet. She is the sister to the Edge, which we have sailed on twice. We also prefer the aft suites. The size, layouts and verandahs for the suites that are available on decks 9,10 and 12 are the same. The entrances are also the same as on the Silhouette, via an alcove. The suites for our sailings on the Edge were on decks 11 and 12, and we enjoyed them both.

The E class ships were designed to be totally different from the S class. The Retreat Lounge (formerly Michael's Club) is larger, and more bright, definitely an improvement, imo. The Luminae restaurant is also larger, very nice, and the service is fantastic. The “floating deck” called the Magic Carpet can only be booked on board.

 

We loved both of our cruises on the Edge and are booked on Apex for this October. We're really excited to be sailing on her !

Thanks for all replies - I think I got a good deal on aft Sky Suite 10267 for both the 7 nights on the Apex, with the free Premium drinks, wi-fi, gratuities and $1000 OBC which I thought was good. Just a shame I have to wait over a year now, but I guess we are lucky to be cruising at all!

 

Thanks again.

[C-Dragons]

10 minutes ago, ian441672 said:

Thanks for all replies - I think I got a good deal on aft Sky Suite 10267 for both the 7 nights on the Apex, with the free Premium drinks, wi-fi, gratuities and $1000 OBC which I thought was good. Just a shame I have to wait over a year now, but I guess we are lucky to be cruising at all!

 

Thanks again.

Congratulations! I hope you have a great cruise. 😊

[Texed]

22 hours ago, Lastdance said:

 However, we do have a b2b on Reflection/TA for Oct. 2021 too. 

 

22 hours ago, C-Dragons said:

Reflection TA October 2021? Come join the roll call! 😁
Please tell your DH we hope he mends quickly. 🌺🌼🌺

 

Ditto!  😎

[Lastdance]

22 hours ago, C-Dragons said:

Reflection TA October 2021? Come join the roll call! 😁
Please tell your DH we hope he mends quickly. 🌺🌼🌺

 

16 minutes ago, Texed said:

 

 

Ditto!  😎

 

 

Actually, I had a b2b booked for 2021, but my DH wanted to see Israel, so I changed my deck 11 aft suite cabin, because of our 2020 b2b. I really wanted Apex, so it will just have to wait...going to miss all of you; however, you can share your notes!  Gary is really having a tough time with getting sick from the swab they used in his nose before surgery, along with hurting all over, as if he aqueezed through a fence with a 7 inch opening.  Now I know why I booked the Apex b2b for 20 and 21, as I must have known 2020 would be canceled.  Gary just told me that we can stay in Europe for several weeks if that helps me feel better about cruising on Reflection.  Yes, that was my plan, but okay it is his idea now!  I plan to book 2022.  have eeither of you done the TP from Sydney to Honolulu?  

 

Texed:  Oct, 2021?

Edited May 18, 2020 by Lastdance

[Texed]

1 hour ago, Lastdance said:

Texed:  Oct, 2021?

 

We are on Reflection, October 10 and 22, 2021.  😊