Celebrity Cruises has unveiled some of the key developments set to feature onboard its highly anticipated new ship, Celebrity Apex, which it will launch in the UK on 1 April.
New culinary venues, menus and programming, as well as three new stage shows are among the first details revealed by Celebrity, building on sister ship Edge’s onboard offering.
Other features include The Retreat, an exclusive area for suite guests complete with sun deck, lounge and restaurant, as well as the first F45 fitness training centre at sea and a “beer sommelier”.
“Celebrity Edge raised the standard for modern luxury vacations,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and chief executive of Celebrity Cruises. “Celebrity Apex – the second ship in our Edge series – goes even further [and] takes every onboard experience to the very peak of what’s possible at sea.”
Apex maintains and builds on many of Edge’s headline features, including the cantilevered “Magic Carpet” suspended on the side of the ship offering panoramic drinking and dining; all-new theatre productions; and several beauty, fitness and wellness “firsts” at sea.
New eating and drinking venues include the Craft Social Bar, offering cocktails, wine and more than 50 craft beers curated by the ship’s “beer sommelier”, as well as contemporary comfort food that ranges from Kobe beef sliders to mac and brie, while large TVs will show live sports.
Meanwhile, Celebrity’s Michelin-starred chef Cornelius Gallagher has devised new menus options for Le Grand Bistro, including a digital animated story menu fusing entertainment and dining, while Eden offers guests the chance to dine in Celebrity’s an all-new three-storey natural “wonderland”.
The Theatre, which incorporates a range of new state-of-the-art technology including a 23ft-tall curved backing screen, a 360-degree laser projector array and 20ft-high “tree of life” with more than 3,000 LED leaves, will host three new stage shows.
These include Rockumentary, a celebration of some of classic rock’s greatest moments culminating in guests voting via the Celebrity Cruises app for their favourite finale; while light and laser show Crystalize will blend music, video, dance and aerial acrobatics.
Elsewhere, Eden will host various events, interactive art experiences and performances, culminating in Evenings of Wonder at Eden, while The Club will provide a more intimate cabaret environment for guests. There will also be themed experiences and activities throughout the ship.
Apex will be the first Celebrity ship to be launched in the UK for a decade and will debut in the spring with a mini-season of five European sailings before sailing an inaugural summer season in the Mediterranean.