Are the TripAdvisor reviews on the Apex justified

[Qofhearts]

I asked a question about the drink packages as we are about to confirm our booking on the Apex, really appreciate your replies and knowledge. Thank you. 
My husband just read the the reviews on Tripadvisor and we feel we have dodged a bullet as they are awful. Can anyone recommend an alternative company for a high quality cruise company and ship. We are novices to cruising so going into this quite blind. We have a medium to higher budget but really want to enjoy the quality of good food, a beautiful ship and good all round European cruise experience for the end of September early October this year.  
We so disappointed about reading these reviews, as I thought after reading the cruise critic ones and watching many YouTube video experiences  I’d made a great choice 

 

[Boku]

I have no experience of Apex but I do know that TripAdvisor reviews are, invariably, not to be trusted.

[Gracie115]

6 minutes ago, Boku said:

I have no experience of Apex but I do know that TripAdvisor reviews are, invariably, not to be trusted.

Based on what?

 

As a manager of a resort we read and answer every Trip Advisor review and take them seriously.  They are very good at rooting out trolls, or employees or ex employees of properties and eliminating suspect reviews.  

 

I'm not saying whatever review the OP is referring to is legit but if there are a bunch of them I would have to take note and do more research.  

 

[bikerunner]

18 minutes ago, Gracie115 said:

Based on what?

 

As a manager of a resort we read and answer every Trip Advisor review and take them seriously.  They are very good at rooting out trolls, or employees or ex employees of properties and eliminating suspect reviews.  

 

I'm not saying whatever review the OP is referring to is legit but if there are a bunch of them I would have to take note and do more research.  

 

Did a quick peruse, of them and its nothing new.   Drink prices, people in shock that drinks cost a lot with out drink packages.  The stores/shops tend to be higher end and people could not afford things in them.  Usual complaints about the Infinite Balconies.  Those were the common themes overall on the bad ones.  The themes I would look for is food, which is very subjective and service/cleanliness those were not common themes overall. 

 

And that is the problem with reviews, as you said you have watched you tube and also read cruise critic reviews.  So who or what can you trust overall.  Personally I do not pay attention to many of the reviews overall especially once you see great reviews one area and poorly in another site.  

Edited July 16 by bikerunner

[jwlane]

43 minutes ago, Qofhearts said:

My husband just read the the reviews on Tripadvisor and we feel we have dodged a bullet as they are awful. 

 

Unless you can enumerate them here, they do not exist, nor can we comment on same.

Edited July 16 by jwlane

[d9704011]

46 minutes ago, Qofhearts said:

I asked a question about the drink packages as we are about to confirm our booking on the Apex, really appreciate your replies and knowledge. Thank you. 
My husband just read the the reviews on Tripadvisor and we feel we have dodged a bullet as they are awful. Can anyone recommend an alternative company for a high quality cruise company and ship. We are novices to cruising so going into this quite blind. We have a medium to higher budget but really want to enjoy the quality of good food, a beautiful ship and good all round European cruise experience for the end of September early October this year.  
We so disappointed about reading these reviews, as I thought after reading the cruise critic ones and watching many YouTube video experiences  I’d made a great choice 

 

If Tripadvisor doesn't give you a 'feel good', go here.... evidently a source you trust!

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/cruise/celebrity/celebrity-apex

[Boku]

My experiences over the years have made me cautious of taking TripAdvisor reviews seriously. Things that I have heard and read regarding owners and employees giving themselves great reviews whilst rivals give competitors poor reviews. Rightly or wrongly I now treat TripAdvisor with scepticism until I have experienced the establishment for myself.

Edited July 16 by Boku

[Kelownadon]

We took a Mediterranean cruise on the Apex in a sunset veranda cabin and I would rate the total cruise experience a 10/10. There are, however, plenty of people who do not like the infinite verandas on the new ships so they ***** and complain about everything as a result. We will try an infinite veranda on a transatlantic cruise in October. Hopefully we will like it. 

[563toM]

We cruised on Apex March of this year.  We did have booked a February 2025 cruise also on Apex but after returning home the first thing that we did was cancel the cruise.  It wasn't the ship or the room but the crew.  From Officers to Crew they were some of the most miserable people and wouldn't say hello or even break a smile. You can read my previous posts as I go in to detail but I will never cruise on Apex again.

[lv2cruisgrl]

We have cruised Apex twice last year, both times in a Sky suite.  We loved it! The service was great as was the food in Luminea.  Shows were good also.  

[1Virgo]

54 minutes ago, Gracie115 said:

Based on what?

 

As a manager of a resort we read and answer every Trip Advisor review and take them seriously.  They are very good at rooting out trolls, or employees or ex employees of properties and eliminating suspect reviews.  

 

I'm not saying whatever review the OP is referring to is legit but if there are a bunch of them I would have to take note and do more research.  

 

agree. We were at a Sandals resort and a guy hated it. His big complaint…..the burgers were square

[mrgabriel]

1 hour ago, Qofhearts said:

My husband just read the the reviews on Tripadvisor and we feel we have dodged a bullet as they are awful. 

 

 

There's an old adage that is VERY true and I'm paraphrasing here. If you have a good experience, you tell one person. If you have a bad experience, you tell ten. And that's SO true when it comes to reviews of restaurants, hotels, and cruises.

 

If someone has a complaint, they'll scream it all over the place. If someone is happy, they might mention it to their mother. They're likely not going to post it on Tripadvisor.

 

We have not sailed on Apex but did sail on Ascent at Christmas. And we've sailed on Celebrity about 23 times. Sailing on a Celebrity ship is not the same as sailing on a smaller ship like Silversea or Oceania. But you're going to be paying about half the price. Except for one sailing on Solstice last September, we have always been very pleased with the service, the food, and the ship. And even on the Solstice sailing, we didn't walk away feeling like we had a terrible time. 

 

We don't like the infinite balconies so we prefer the older ships. 

 

And if my sister or my boss or a stranger asked me if they should take a Celebrity cruise, I would say yes. 

[cw2go]

Cruised Apex this past Feb. Best cruise of 4 Post Covid to date. It was lively, clean and the crew were super fun, active and engaged. 

 

I am one who likes and almost prefers the Infinite Veranda, so for me the ship is a win! Second only to the Beyond because I prefer the martini and sunset bar on her but if the itinerary was what I wanted, I'd have no second thoughts on Apex. 

 

 

Best of luck, 

Patty 

 

[jelayne]

We sailed the Apex on a transatlantic, 14 N cruise.

We loved the ship, the crew was excellent, food was very good to excellent, entertainment was varied and overall very good.  
 

We didn’t write a review then, nor have we written a review on Trip Advisor, Cruise Critic or any other site on any of our 70+ sailings.  So as @mrgabrielsaid happy customers are less likely to write a review than someone who is unhappy. 

[Lastdance]

I have been on Apex in Europe twice; once in an SV and in a Sunset Suite.  Of course, I prefer the Sunset Suite because it has a huge balcony, but the Sunset Veranda was wonderful and so much less.  I only cruise with balconies; however, on Ascent for this fall’s TA, I had to book a concierge guarantee, so have the IV.  The price was a great deal.  So, next fall I have a b2b with an SV and suite(TA part).  These are on Apex again!

 

Maybe you and your hubby should book a suite on Ascent in Europe, as many of the ports are just excellent; it is a new ship and sounds like you have the money.  Also, book a dining package that includes Eden+ and Daniel B(special fee) since you are foodies.  If you are not happy with all those perks, maybe consider an EV for an upgraded suite.  Then all your dining comes with the suite, not to mention a wonderful butler to attend to your every need!

 

Edited July 16 by Lastdance

[SFCAcruiser]

1 hour ago, Qofhearts said:

...We so disappointed about reading these reviews, as I thought after reading the cruise critic ones and watching many YouTube video experiences  I’d made a great choice 

 

 

You read positive reviews on Cruise Critic and saw favorable YouTube videos. Yet you prefer to put your faith in the negative reviews on Trip Advisor? OK, we all have to do what works for ourselves. But good luck in finding a cruise line which does not have negative reviews posted somewhere. 

It seems to me that you would do well to avoid Apex since you would embark with a skeptical attitude and perhaps set yourself up for an unpleasant cruise. (I've never been on Apex)

 

Have you looked into the luxury brands like Silversea, Regent, Seabourn? These are all a lot more expensive than Celebrity, so they may not be consistent with your desires. Asking for recommendations from Celebrity cruisers will likely not be helpful to you; if you ask 10 people here, you will get 20 answers... then what do you do?

 

[gordylad]

is any cruise review really justified......after all its only the OPINION of the people doing the review.......we have stopped reading reviews of movies and tv shows as we find that when we actually watch them they are pretty good

[Qofhearts]

Thank you everyone for your replies. Having never cruised before I spent a few days searching quite obsessively and thought I’d found us a great ship with the bonus of a perfect itinerary. It is very narrow minded of us to be steered away by a batch of random reviews. It just unnerved us as it’s a milestone birthday and wedding anniversary treat to each other so wanted to find something special. I’ll take a breath, a further look into others but I feel we may now, after all your advice go with the Apex. Many of your comments hit home with a common sense wake-up call.  
Much appreciated 

[Liao]

2 hours ago, Qofhearts said:

I asked a question about the drink packages as we are about to confirm our booking on the Apex, really appreciate your replies and knowledge. Thank you. 
My husband just read the the reviews on Tripadvisor and we feel we have dodged a bullet as they are awful. Can anyone recommend an alternative company for a high quality cruise company and ship. We are novices to cruising so going into this quite blind. We have a medium to higher budget but really want to enjoy the quality of good food, a beautiful ship and good all round European cruise experience for the end of September early October this year.  
We so disappointed about reading these reviews, as I thought after reading the cruise critic ones and watching many YouTube video experiences  I’d made a great choice 

 

I am not a Celebrity loyalist or cheerleader.  I did just look at the TA reviews for Apex, and on the main page from a total of 92 reviews, it shows:

 

excellent/very good: 55%

Average: 15%

Poor/Terrible: 25%

 

I did not take the time to read any of the reviews, primarily beacuse I really don't care what is in them.  In addition to sailing on Celebrity, I also follow along here as well as on FB.  You should go check out FB, they rave about Celebrity and don't you dare ever criticize them or you get villified.  Frankly most of FB is a joke, so there is also that.  My own personal expereince with Trip Advisor reviews is mixed at best.  Most not all Celebrity cruisers (including me) here seem to be overall satisfied with the on-board experience, crew, food, entertainment etc.  I much more trust posters here than any other medium, but that is my experience.  Though there are complaints about myriad things, cost, loungers, butlers etc. but those seem to be due to Celebrity's inconsistency and mixed messages.  Bottom line IMHO, continue to do your research from multiple sources, make your own decision on how to spend your $.  Good luck whatever you decide.

 

 

 

[SFCAcruiser]

10 minutes ago, Qofhearts said:

Thank you everyone for your replies. Having never cruised before...

 

I have been negligent in failing to welcome you to the Celebrity Board on Cruise Critic (coincidentally owned by TripAdvisor). I hope you enjoy your time and make informed decisions for your cruising goals.

[SbbquilterUT]

We have sailed 21 nights on the Apex and she is an amazing ship.  The biggest issue with that ship style has been the Infinate Veranda as it is very different from a traditional balcony.  For us the ship is beautiful, food very good and service top notch.  We will be sailing her sister ship for a very long trip from Australia to Canada and cannot wait.

[George C]

My sister cruised them last month and last year both to Norway they were very happy with the experience, they were in sky suite both times.

[mnpurple]

I am new to Celebrity and just booked a transatlantic on Apex in March 2025.  I love what I've researched so far.l  While doing this research though, I am thinking about my past cruise experiences. We cruised in 1992 and then not again until 2018. We cruised on NCL in the Haven with our kids. I did not do nearly enough research then and ended up learning as we went and having a lot of "surprise" fees. That didn't make my cruise bad at all, but because I didn't do the up front research, it really could have given me a sour taste, which I imagine is something that happens to a lot of people who write reviews.  Really loved that cruise and we went on another NCL with our kids, which we were better prepared for.

 

I really enjoyed the Haven experience, but it was too much, so I looked around cruise critic and learned about MSC and Yacht Club. If you want to read bad reviews, look into MSC! However, I still went in with an open mind and knowing that there might be things we wouldn't like or many people from other countries who do things differently. I'm glad we tried it without basing our judgements on reviews.

 

My point being, you are obviously doing research, but be sure to check all levels of experiences, what is included and what you may have to pay more for (restaurants, experiences, spa, etc.). Also look into costs to fly to a location where you embark or the costs involved at various ports. Are there going to be things at each port you want to do? How do you get on and off the ship and do you mind waiting in lines? Do you have to pay for room service? How are you with crowds and what size of ship do you think you'd like. Etc... 

 

When you decide, try to keep an open mind. If you order something and you don't like it, you can likely get it replaced or find other options. There is never a lack of food or drinks.  Also, you can never have a bad day when you're sailing on a beautiful ship with people you enjoy.

[NMTraveller]

I think that TripAdvisor is excellent for their reviews.  I look at the rankings and compare the numbers.  I will chose the highest ranked hotel or cruise ship for the price.

 

I believe that the Ascent has a 3.5 and the Equinox has a 4.0 on TripAdvisor.  Therefore I would sail S class.  This is also consistent with recent polls on our board that give S class a higher ranking.

 

Do you like real balconies or just want an open/close window?

 

At the end of this link there will be ideas of where people are going ...

Some Oceania,  some MSC Yacht Club, etc.

 

 

Edited July 17 by NMTraveller

[nimiq]

Hello new cruiser and welcome.

My first experience with the Edge class ships was actually on the Apex and was blown away with the ship, service, entertainment and food. 
 

Loved it so much that did the Beyond once and Ascent twice since being on an Edge class.
 

I think the Edge Class has almost everything to please anyone and that is why for me it has the advantage on the other 2 classes of ships M and S.

 

If you want more luxury then book Aqua class or Concierge giving you more dinning option and private areas like the retreat. 
 

if you don’t like the infinite Veranda the choice is yours to book a balcony. Although they don’t have much balcony the choice is there so I don’t understand people complaining about the infinite Veranda when the chose it themselves.

 

If you decide to go with the basic MDR dinning you still have to select between for different places making it so enjoyable and a deferent vibe each night. 
 

The Edge class have also great specialty restaurant if you like to splurge yourself. 
 

The drinks on Celebrity are a bit on the expensive side but of very good quality and also you have the option to take a drink package or an almost all inclusive option with drinks and wifi. 
 

The entertainment is plentiful and of good taste. 
 

The best part is this will be your first cruise so everything will be new to you to enjoy and don’t have to compare so just let yourself go and enjoy every moment. 
 

Have fun 

Sea ya

Eric