Boris and I are making our second trip to Norway.  The first was a one-day stop on a Baltic cruise.  We are once again cruising, but this time it is an in depth visit to the fjords of Norway, even crossing into the Arctic Circle.  We are traveling on the Celebrity Apex, one of their new ships in the Edge Class which is slightly larger than many of their other ships but still under 3,000 passengers.  The ships might be best known for “the magic carpet”, a bar/restaurant that generally rests at the 14^th floor but can move to lower levels.  The bar is attached to the outside of the ship and sits above the water.

We were trying to beat the hurricane out of Houston and our plane to Heathrow took off only nine hours before Hurricane Beryl made landfall.  Our plane was delayed an hour and a half due to the outer bands of the storm that were already hitting the area around the airport.  Due to lightening, they “closed the ramp” and none of the workers were allowed outside.  Our plane had already pushed back halfway when our pushback was halted, and the driver of the vehicle had to go inside.

Once the plane reached cruising altitude, we relaxed about being able to get out and make the cruise and started worrying about the house. Peabody was originally supposed to be home with a house/pet sitter, but she let us know just the day before departure that she had COVID and was not fit to watch him.  We scrambled and got him into the vet which probably was better because they have a generator and someone staying with them in anticipation of the storm.  

Our cruise is leaving from Southampton and then we have a full day traveling in the North Sea to reach the western Norwegian coast.  The sea day was a great time to catch up on our sleep, deal with jet lag, and explore the ship.  The Apex has a lot to recommend it.  We (as we typically are) are in a balcony cabin.  The balconies on the ship class are unique.  They are enclosed but at the sea end have a full wall of windows and can be opened halfway.  It is a slow, noisy operation, but easy.  There are folding glass doors to close it off if you like.  The window itself reminds me of the “Juliet balconies” on the Uniworld River Boats.  When the doors to the balcony are left open, it gives the room a much larger feel.  The balcony is also completely private with solid side walls.

Another great feature of these balcony cabins is a larger bathroom, featuring a larger shower.  Cruise ship bathrooms are always a challenge, so the larger space is a big bonus.

The other unique concept of these ships is that they have eliminated the single large ballroom dining spaces and offer four more intimate main dining rooms.  Unless you specifically reserve a space in one of them, you can go to any of the four at any time during their service hours.  Unlike the “anytime dining” we have seen on other ships where the standby lines were always long, and people complained about sometimes waiting 30-90 minutes for a table, most people on our sold-out cruise were seated within five minutes of arrival.  Most of the menu is the same at all four restaurants each night, but each of the main dining restaurants feature three appetizers, three main courses, and a dessert that are unique to that restaurant.  While the common items change daily, the unique options remain the same throughout the cruise.

Cruise lines are always updating their ships and common areas can change drastically, especially with a new design over a refurbishment.  The theater onboard the Apex was completely updated.  Gone are the side wings and the entire stage is wrapped with a screen.  Performers enter from the audience or through doors in the screen that are not visible most of the time.  The shows are specifically designed for this new concept.

Boris and I got our first taste of the theater when we went for the morning presentation by the ship’s guest lecturer on the first sea day.  She gave us a little information on all the ports.  I had hoped for something more in depth about Norway, its people, the Arctic Circle, the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights, etc.  Leave the ports to the excursion staff and tell us about Vikings!  

Another thing that Boris and I have noticed during our recent trips is that most of the excursions can get booked out early.  If you wait to book when you get on board, there will not be much left to choose from.  In fact, depending on when you book your cruise, excursions will probably already be unavailable even when you purchase the cruise six months or more before sailing.

Particularly nice, especially when we will be sailing in cooler weather, is that the solarium-enclosed pool area-on this ship is much larger and can accommodate a lot more people.  The tall, two-story ceilings add to the spacious feel and over terrific views.

One of the areas I really liked on board was Eden, a three-storied bar, restaurant, and performance area that allowed for more intimate contact with the artists.  This isn’t new for regular musical acts, but the acrobatic, singing, and dancing performances in this space allow for a really close up view you won’t get in the main theater.

However, the most popular place on the ship is the coffee bar on deck four just off the main atrium (Grand Plaza) that runs from floors three to five.  It is hard to get seating here and the dance floor between decks three and four is generally full.  It should be noted that our unique sailing that included the Arctic Circle was completely sold out.

The one thing on the ship that immediately turned me off was the art.  In my opinion it is truly awful.  It ranges from strange to stupid.  There is one passageway that tried to make something out of silver reflective walls and white Styrofoam.  It wanted to laugh out loud when I passed through. What a waste.  Of course, everyone has different taste, so hopefully they will have passengers who can appreciate the effort and find beauty in the installations.  I just wish it wasn’t always so big and glaring like the large hands in a heart sculpture and shark teeth alleyway by the main pool.

One more negative before I move on, it is a point of frustration was that you can not tell if someone is in the stalls in the public bathrooms.  The bathrooms are slick, spacious, and always clean, but you must figure out if a stall in available by looking at which direction the bolt is pointed.  Ridiculous.

Wanting to end my ship comments on a positive note, I also want to recommend the rooftop garden with the large outdoor screen for movies, a pickleball court, a bar and dining area featuring comfy lounge furniture.  On a warmer sailing, I probably would spend more time here.  The walking/jogging path wanders through this area and they have certainly done a good job of making that pathway more scenic than most.

This evening’s entertainment was pianist Harrison Treble who led with Ray Charles and closed with Jerry Lee Lewis.  It was an upbeat presentation and he blended well with the ship’s onboard orchestra.  It was worth checking out both the entertainer and the theater in action.

I am mostly itinerary driven when deciding which cruise sailings to take; however I am so impressed with the Celebrity Apex that I will probably start with looking at available sailings on this class of ship if we book another cruise on board. 

The breaking news from Hurricane Central (the name my sister Emma gave her self-appointed posting in Houston) was that while our home was without power, damage was minimal.  We lost panes of glass from our front door and there were downed leaves and branches, but it looks like the other doors, windows, and most importantly the roof held.  While the next-door neighbor’s tree was uprooted and fell on our yard, it didn’t hit anything.  Peabody is safe at the kennel.  Now we just have to monitor how long the power is out so we know if everything from the refrigerator needs to be thrown away.  A big thank you to Emma for monitoring things and making some repairs.

Now we can go into the rest of our trip, knowing things are safe at home.  Tomorrow, we reach the Norwegian coast.  Stay tuned.

–Natasha