Fewer bars on Apex? Are they crowded? Noisy?

[iandjm]

On 6/10/2024 at 5:52 PM, April Jewel said:

We recently completed a 4 night cruise on Apex. I thought excatly the same - fewer bars and they do get very busy especially on a cruise in cooler weather as the sunset and pool bars don't get used in the evenings.

Martini bar was always busy and difficult to get a seat in the evenings. Eden was generally better and we managed to find seating at nearly any time.

I think the ship would benefit from another couple of bars during the evening hours.

A nice sky lounge type bar would be great wouldn’t it.  I would suggest move the gym to another area and have a bar with those nice views 😁

[NMTraveller]

What no questions about the IVs?

[daydreamer16]

On 6/10/2024 at 12:39 PM, IUSteve said:

From what I can tell, Apex has fewer bars than the Solstice-class ships or something comparable like Sun Princess (which I just sailed).  I count five (not including coffee or suite-only places):  Martini, Craft, Eden, Pool, and Sunset.  This is compared to 8 or 9 on Equinox.  This surprised me.  I loved the Ensemble Lounge in Equinox for a quiet before- or after-dinner drink. 

 

I assume what bars there are on Apex are larger to accommodate the ship capacity.  For those who have been on it, do the bars tend to be noisy and crowded at most times?  What's the best bet for a quiet before- or after-dinner drink?  Thanks!

 

Steve   

I haven't been on Apex but recently did the Edge and I agree with you. We had cool temps & some rain on our 4 sea days and so no outdoor bars for us. Pre-dinner the martini bar was very busy & every night we discussed how much we missed the ensemble lounge☹️

 

How did you like the Sun? We're planning to book for 2026.

 

Thanks 

[hcat]

3 hours ago, iandjm said:

A nice sky lounge type bar would be great wouldn’t it.  I would suggest move the gym to another area and have a bar with those nice views 😁

please no!  gym is ok as is!

no need for more bars...

[kwokpot]

6 minutes ago, hcat said:

please no!  gym is ok as is!

no need for more bars...

To be very frank it's unfortunate that a vacation boils down to all matters related to drinking. I'm no prude but for some people it seems to be all they are concerned with and that's REALLY, REALLY unhealthy. You have people on the Carnival boards bemoaning about the 15 alcoholic drinks/day limit on their beverage package, that's crazy. People want to drink more than 15 alcoholic drinks a day, everyday? 

Edited June 12 by kwokpot

[iandjm]

20 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

To be very frank it's unfortunate that a vacation boils down to all matters related to drinking. I'm no prude but for some people it seems to be all they are concerned with and that's REALLY, REALLY unhealthy. You have people on the Carnival boards bemoaning about the 15 alcoholic drinks/day limit on their beverage package, that's crazy. People want to drink more than 15 alcoholic drinks a day, everyday? 

I guess similar things can be said about the excess of food that people eat on Cruises as well. I think the lack of a forward observation lounge is a big miss on esge class ships though.

[kwokpot]

17 minutes ago, iandjm said:

I guess similar things can be said about the excess of food that people eat on Cruises as well. I think the lack of a forward observation lounge is a big miss on esge class ships though.

So a forward observation lounge that doesn't serve alcohol and is meant as a quiet place to read,relax,and enjoy the views but no bar would be amenable to you?
 

[iandjm]

5 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

So a forward observation lounge that doesn't serve alcohol and is meant as a quiet place to read,relax,and enjoy the views but no bar would be amenable to you?
 

Exactly. Shame about the judgement.
I understand some people want a gym, but why it always gets the best views, when you go there just to exercise is beyond me. 

Edited June 12 by iandjm

[bigbenboys]

7 hours ago, April Jewel said:

 

That wasn't really the question that was asked.

The question was 'do the bars tend to be noisy and crowded at most times?  What's the best bet for a quiet before- or after-dinner drink?'

 

 

Only been on Edge once. Next cruise is Apex to Iceland. What I have heard is the Martini Bar and Eden can get loud. Noise can be heard from the Martini Bar in Fine Cuts Steakhouse. I personally like being able to walk up to a bar and order my drink, then go sit down. I was disappointed that The Retreat Lounge did not have a real bar. I do like The Retreat Pool Bar.

[kwokpot]

8 hours ago, April Jewel said:

 

That wasn't really the question that was asked.

The question was 'do the bars tend to be noisy and crowded at most times?  What's the best bet for a quiet before- or after-dinner drink?'

 

I suppose it depends on your definition of 'most times' but I would contend that the main bars are busy for most of the evening. That's not to say that you can't get a drink within a few minutes, but we sometimes had to go to the bar and queue up ourselves as the waiter service was somewhat sparse.

Is there really a quiet bar for an after dinner drink? The martini bar is the main focus in the middle of the ship and tends to be pretty 'buzzy' all evening (or it was on our sailing). We recently did a cruise with Princess and they had a number of quiet bars away from the atrium that were lovely to sit and relax in after dinner.

 

This sounds like I disliked the Apex and I really didn't. In fact we have booked another cruise on her next year. I just wanted to give an honest answer to the question asked.

Whatever our opinions I hope we all enjoy our future cruises.

I think you answered the question spot on. For better or worse the design of the E-Class ships aren't conducive for an indoor spot that's quiet for an after dinner drink and conversation. I suppose you could get a drink at the Eden Bar and find a secluded spot on the upper level (or take the seating at the entrance to Eden) which would be less noisy but whenever the entertainment starts it's not going to be quiet. On the newer Beyond and Ascent the World Class Bar would be the best place for a more relaxed and less hurried environment both at the bar area and around the wall at the seating areas. 

People are correct that the E-Class ships have nothing comparable to the S-Class Ensemble Lounge or the more secluded World Class Bar. 

Edited June 12 by kwokpot

[PTC DAWG]

The Ensemble lounge on S Class reminds me of a waiting room..and not a good way.  

[kwokpot]

Just now, PTC DAWG said:

The Ensemble lounge on S Class reminds me of a waiting room..and not a good way.  

LOL, just goes to show you everyone likes/wants different things. I would tend to agree, it's always so dark and dreary. 

 

On the E-Class ships I think my favorite spot is Cafe Al Bacio. Since it's so large there's various places you can sit depending on your mood. You can sit way in the far right corner near where they setup the photo background; or right up front facing the walkway near the counter to watch the comings and goings, or by the railing so you can see what's going on down below at the Martini Bar. 

 

One spot on all E-Class ships that I failed to mention is on Deck Five right before the entrance to the Eden corridor and just past one of the designer boutiques. It's pictured below from the Apex. I never see anyone sitting there at any time on any E-Class ship, which is ashame since it's out of the way and quiet enough for conversation.

 

[phoenix_dream]

On my two Apex sailings the bars were jammed and noisy. The martini bar was never available and the area around it was very, very full also. Eden had seats if you were willing to sit very far away or upstairs. That said, I just booked her again for next year primarily due to the itinerary and somewhat lower suite prices than newer E class ships 

[Lena11033]

3 hours ago, iandjm said:

Exactly. Shame about the judgement.
I understand some people want a gym, but why it always gets the best views, when you go there just to exercise is beyond me. 

 

Exercising facing a blank wall is boring - I tried running a 10k on my treadmill at home with no view and couldn't do it. Had to put an iPad on the treadmill for a 'view'

 

[hcat]

4 hours ago, kwokpot said:

To be very frank it's unfortunate that a vacation boils down to all matters related to drinking. I'm no prude but for some people it seems to be all they are concerned with and that's REALLY, REALLY unhealthy. You have people on the Carnival boards bemoaning about the 15 alcoholic drinks/day limit on their beverage package, that's crazy. People want to drink more than 15 alcoholic drinks a day, everyday? 

Lately..that's all we hear..  How many bars,  where are the bars, what drinks are included in Happy Hour, or in the packages,  etc.  Sometimes I think it must be Carnival!

 

When drink packages were first offered by X, we saw a big change in the X demographic. Many drinkers  came onboard from other lines and then  wanted X to become more like the cruise lines they came from. Less upscale.... 

 

  Now with expanding perks for crossovers, there will be another influx.

 

Used to be more about fine dining, wine tastings and  wine pairings..We enjoy our drinks,  but we do not cruise to drink!

 

 

[hcat]

3 hours ago, kwokpot said:

LOL, just goes to show you everyone likes/wants different things. I would tend to agree, it's always so dark and dreary. 

 

On the E-Class ships I think my favorite spot is Cafe Al Bacio. Since it's so large there's various places you can sit depending on your mood. You can sit way in the far right corner near where they setup the photo background; or right up front facing the walkway near the counter to watch the comings and goings, or by the railing so you can see what's going on down below at the Martini Bar. 

 

One spot on all E-Class ships that I failed to mention is on Deck Five right before the entrance to the Eden corridor and just past one of the designer boutiques. It's pictured below from the Apex. I never see anyone sitting there at any time on any E-Class ship, which is ashame since it's out of the way and quiet enough for conversation.

 

on Ascent this was a great spot for reading.. no speaker overhead so no loud music!  We will seek it out on APEX!

[hcat]

4 hours ago, iandjm said:

Exactly. Shame about the judgement.
I understand some people want a gym, but why it always gets the best views, when you go there just to exercise is beyond me. 

great views , great workout!

[jelayne]

3 hours ago, kwokpot said:

LOL, just goes to show you everyone likes/wants different things. I would tend to agree, it's always so dark and dreary. 

 

On the E-Class ships I think my favorite spot is Cafe Al Bacio. Since it's so large there's various places you can sit depending on your mood. You can sit way in the far right corner near where they setup the photo background; or right up front facing the walkway near the counter to watch the comings and goings, or by the railing so you can see what's going on down below at the Martini Bar. 

 

One spot on all E-Class ships that I failed to mention is on Deck Five right before the entrance to the Eden corridor and just past one of the designer boutiques. It's pictured below from the Apex. I never see anyone sitting there at any time on any E-Class ship, which is ashame since it's out of the way and quiet enough for conversation.

 

 Cafe Al Bacio is a good spot to have a drink in the evening.  Near the back it can be quieter and there are windows.

[critic2023]

I just got off the Apex a few weeks ago. It's a lovely ship, but this was one of my main complaints. There aren't many dedicated bars and they get crowded quickly, leading to slow service. At least once a day I'd sit somewhere and just give up because I'd been there for 30 minutes and no one came to take my order (solo cruiser so I couldn't get up and order from the bar myself or my seat would be snatched instantly). This happened at multiple different bars, so there's not just one culprit.

 

Of course you can get creative and order from the bars at places like the club or OVC and take them on the road, but darn it, it's vacation and I just want to sit and relax somewhere with a nice atmosphere, drink in hand

[Jim_Iain]

Personally I never found it difficult to get a drink on Apex -   In addition to those listed there is also -

 

al Bacio Segundo (entrance to OVC that is more of a Bar and Juice station than a Coffee station.

The Club Bar -  Open in the Evening

Le Grand Bistro  -  Also Sells Wine and Drinks in the hallway side of the Bistro

Mast Grill -- Mostly Beer and Wine

 

[gordylad]

"every night we discussed how much we missed the ensemble lounge",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,X2

[hcat]

Thanks for the reminder Jim..

Club Bar is often overlooked..very nice and not overcrowded unless there's a show or performance in progress.  Order at bar or find a nice seat upper level

[daydreamer16]

LOL, just goes to show you everyone likes/wants different things. I would tend to agree, it's always so dark and dreary. 

 

LOL,  I think of it as dark & sexy. Before or after dinner there is usually music to enjoy with my husband & the seating is very comfortable, unlike Edge class in general.

 

[NMTraveller]

3 hours ago, hcat said:

Lately..that's all we hear..  How many bars,  where are the bars, what drinks are included in Happy Hour, or in the packages,  etc.  Sometimes I think it must be Carnival!

 

When drink packages were first offered by X, we saw a big change in the X demographic. Many drinkers  came onboard from other lines and then  wanted X to become more like the cruise lines they came from. Less upscale.... 

 

  Now with expanding perks for crossovers, there will be another influx.

 

Used to be more about fine dining, wine tastings and  wine pairings..We enjoy our drinks,  but we do not cruise to drink!

 

 

I think some of it has to do with the younger demographic X is after.  More loud and shouty and more party party party.