This was our third couples cruise in 19 years after becoming a family of 3. We approached it as a budget cruise as we built a new house over the pandemic and had little cash to spare so my review will be in that context.

Cabin was a Deluxe Porthole Veranda, 9110, we won as a Move-up bid for $5 over the minimum amount from Deluxe Inside. Well worth it. We loved having a veranda to enjoy the ocean, air and see sunsets and sunrise in private. It is minimally obstructed viewing with the window washer parked outside, but didn’t bother us in the least.

Apex is a beautiful new ship and seems uncrowded. Depending on the time of day and area, you can sometimes feel like it is your ship. I heard capacity was at 75%. It is a ship you need to walk to discover. If you think there aren’t enough bars, lounges, or loungers in both shade or sun, you haven’t tried hard enough. We loved the layout and design complex, including 4 main dining rooms. We sat at tables for 2 and then chatted up our neighbors (sorry neighbors. Haha.) Had no problem meeting others this way and even had dinner with a nice couple we met at one of the ports. Read more