Apex or Silhouette?

[plucasana]

I am having a very hard time deciding and hope I may bother you for some advice and input.

Background:

This will be our very first time in a Suite (on a Celebrity Ship). We love a quiet and intimate / subdue atmosphere, 

fine dining (had the very best experience in Murano ) and are the relax in our cabin / on the balcony type of cruisers, who do not "use" entertainment/shows.

Although rational reasons like a more interesting itinerary and closer embarkation port steer towards the Apex, I am leaning towards Silhouette: 

The Edge-videos I have seen seem to suggest that it caters to a younger crowd -

which may mean less calm??? Luminae is not as intimate - maybe even noisy? 

And the specialty dining options seem less appealing (I would hate to miss out on Murano - Fine Cut seems not to be a match if I read the reviews correctly, Eden seems a little too queer for our taste / there does not seem to be an option like "Sushi to go" but I may be mistaken on that one)

 

 

I also read that since there are twice as many suites on Apex compared to M/S-Class-Ships, the "attention" / individual service you get is reduced? (Since this is the first and probably last time, we will be in a suite, I would hate to miss out on the pampering)

 

Price is about the same on both cruises, (Apex : Edge Villa, PH on Silhouette).

 

I do hope, you can help me make an informed decision. Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

[upwarduk]

I have been on Silhouette x3, but never on an Edge class ship, so cannot comment on Apex, as no one has sailed on her yet. Remember Silhouette is newly refurbished.

My decision would be itinerary led, and as you do not state the itineraries, I cannot help you make an informed choice.

[plucasana]

thank you for taking the time to answer, @upwarduk.

As to Itineraries:

Sil: Canaries (Southampton - Lanzarote - Teneriffa - Gran Canaria - Lisbon - Porto)

Apex: Iceland/Ireland (Amsterdam - Akurejri - reykjavik - Belfast - Dublin - Cobh)

 

[jelayne]

The Retreat Sundeck on the Edge was beautiful the Retreat Lounge while nice lacked the intimate atmosphere.   Given the 2 options fort us it would be the Silhouette PH.  The Edge and presumably the Apex have far more suites, so while very nice it doesn’t have the same feel as the other ships with fewer suites.

[ipeeinthepool]

25 minutes ago, plucasana said:

thank you for taking the time to answer, @upwarduk.

As to Itineraries:

Sil: Canaries (Southampton - Lanzarote - Teneriffa - Gran Canaria - Lisbon - Porto)

Apex: Iceland/Ireland (Amsterdam - Akurejri - reykjavik - Belfast - Dublin - Cobh)

 

 

Those are certainly two different types of itineraries, both would be nice.  Where do you want to go?  If the itinerary doesn't matter and you are in Suite, pick the Apex. The Edge and the Apex were designed to cater to the suite guests and the Apex has a much nicer top deck area reserved for suite guests.  Although the Silhouette has recently been refurbished, only 3 revenue cruises before the shutdown, the outside Retreat area cannot compare to the Apex.  I would not worry about the age of the cruisers on the videos, it has nothing to do with actual Celebrity cruisers.  If anything the image of having younger cruisers makes the actual old cruisers feel younger. 😀  If you were not in a suite, I would suggest the Silhouette.  Dedicating much more open deck space to the suites crowds the rest of the open deck space for the rest of the passengers.  In addition the infinite balconies on the Apex are completely different from the traditional balcony that you seem to like.  The infinite balconies on the Apex are much smaller and have very uncomfortable furniture.  If you are on a suite on the Apex, you will have a traditional balcony.  I'm also assuming that everyone in your group is in a suite, if that isn't the case then we need to have a different discussion.

[chemmo]

We are booked on Silhouette in September...We did look at Apex and decided against for several reasons.

 

Firstly, our disappointment with the suite space. We usually book a RS with an occasional PH. The RS balcony on Apex is very small. Whilst we have not cruised Edge we have friends who have experienced the RS on her. Whilst they loved the ship experience they were disappointed with the room. Not only did they find the balcony tiny they missed having a lounger chair and a table they could eat at. Their disappointment was made worse by the large overhang meaning that when they were on the balcony they couldn’t look up at the stars at night nor did they get much sun during the day. The balcony is an important part of our cruise experience, for those who are happy poolside then this may be far less of an issue as our friends did say the Retreat Deck was excellent.

 

Our second reason for opting for Silhouette was about price...Unlike yourselves when we booked we could get the PH on Silhouette for a similar price to the CS on Apex. 

 

The final reason came down to past experience and what we know we value and enjoy on a cruise.  We have enjoyed the S class on several occasions. Our evening entertainment is about pre dinner drinks in Michael’s/Retreat or another bar, a nice relaxing meal in one of the speciality restaurants, sometimes another drink or a walk around the deck and then always balcony time...We no longer want shows nightly we are happy meeting new friends, listening to a little live music and enjoying time together. With her range of speciality restaurants, suites designs we know we will enjoy and an ambiance we know will suit us we just hope our cruise will happen...

 

I think the point I am trying to make is it does depend on what is important to you. Apex will offer novelty and a nicer suite deck, Silhouette will offer better RS/PH suite rooms...I cannot comment on other suite rooms as I haven’t done the necessary research. I do hope lots of people give you advice, I am very aware our perspective is quite personal...

 

Whatever you choose, sincere best wishes for a fantastic cruise!

[plucasana]

Thanks @chemmo @jelaine  and @ipeeinthepool  for your perspective. That was exactly the kind of information i was hoping for.

 

 

 

[Schmoe38]

We have sailed in both types of staterooms. The PH on Silhouette is a wonderful stateroom with a gorgeous main bathroom and plenty of room on the balcony to enjoy some quiet time. We sailed in an Edge Villa on Edge in November 2019. The Edge Villa is a wonderful 2 storey stateroom with your bedroom on the second level. Your bed faces the window to the water, so your wake-up is second to none. Your Edge Villa also has an access door with direct access to and from the Retreat. The TV in your 2nd floor bedroom comes down from the ceiling....nice “toy.”

 

The balcony on our Edge Villa was like a wind tunnel when we sailed. It was hard to enjoy the outside furniture and the outside hot tub when we were at sea as it was very windy. Our itinerary was in the Caribbean. As well, the hot tub takes a while to get warmed up, so if you choose this stateroom, ask the butler to start warming up the hot tub about 45 minutes before you plan on going in. When we sailed, our butler serviced only the Edge Villas. We are very low maintenance, so he was always visible, looking for something to do.

 

In terms of dining, Apex will have Fine Cut Steakhouse which was a very good comparable to Murano on Silhouette. The food and the service in both specialty restaurants would come up a winner in both. Apex has a hidden gem in La Grand Bistro, which should be a lunch option for you. We found many people refused to pay $20 for lunch there early in the cruise, so getting in was not an issue. As people realized their mistake, the crowds got larger as our cruise wore on. Raw on 5 on Apex gets the nod over Sushi on 5 on Silhouette. Food is better and service was way better. Remember, you will get unlimited specialty restaurants on both ships when you are in the PH or Edge Villa.

 

The big issue for us was Luminae. On Silhouette, Luminae is divided into 2 sections, a front and a back. The front is a little noisier than the back due to it being closer to the entrance door. The back side is closer to the kitchen access area. Luminae on Apex is open concept and was definitely noisier when we sailed on Edge. Food and service was excellent on both. The other difference comes from Luminae’s limited menu.

 

On Silhouette, if you see a Luminae menu where you cannot eat or prefer not to eat any of the entrees, you can order off the Main Dining menu. The kitchens are close to each other, so wait staff do not have to go far if you order off the Main Dining Room menu. As such, your choice is expanded immensely. You cannot do the same on Apex as Luminae is higher on the ship and much farther away from the Main Dining Room kitchen. As such, your choices will be reduced as compared to Silhouette.

 

At the end of the day, if the itineraries are both acceptable to you, I would choose the PH on Silhouette. The stateroom is open concept and more conducive to your enjoyment inside and outside on the balcony. The Edge Villa, although it would be a beautiful stateroom on a new ship, is a little choppy due to the 2 storey structure and not as enjoyable inside and outside on the balcony.

 

Just my 2 cents’ worth.

 

Randy

Edited December 27, 2020 by Schmoe38

[upwarduk]

5 hours ago, plucasana said:

thank you for taking the time to answer, @upwarduk.

As to Itineraries:

Sil: Canaries (Southampton - Lanzarote - Teneriffa - Gran Canaria - Lisbon - Porto)

Apex: Iceland/Ireland (Amsterdam - Akurejri - reykjavik - Belfast - Dublin - Cobh)

 

We have done both itineraries, the Canaries one will be warmer whatever time of year. When we arrived in Akurejri, it had snowed the previous day. This was the beginning of July!!
However, Iceland is beautiful and you will see the Rift Valley, waterfalls, volcanic  mud pools - amazing. 
The channel between Iceland and Ireland was very bumpy when we were there, so if you choose that itinerary, I would recommend a mid ship cabin.

[C-Dragons]

3 hours ago, Schmoe38 said:

We have sailed in both types of staterooms.

 

The big issue for us was Luminae.

On Silhouette, if you see a Luminae menu where you cannot eat or prefer not to eat any of the entrees, you can order off the Main Dining menu. The kitchens are close to each other, so wait staff do not have to go far if you order off the Main Dining Room menu. As such, your choice is expanded immensely. You cannot do the same on Apex as Luminae is higher on the ship and much farther away from the Main Dining Room kitchen. As such, your choices will be reduced as compared to Silhouette.

 

Just my 2 cents’ worth.

 

Randy

Another 2 cents...😉

X listened to feedback from Suite guests sailing on the Edge. A mistake was made when planning/building the Edge because the Luminae galley was too small for the venue (our favorite waiter also admitted this to us on the Inaugural sailing).

When building the Apex, X increased the size of Luminae's galley. Since passengers have yet to sail on Apex, no one can actually confirm that guests will not be able to have items off the “Main” Dining room menu (there are actually 4 dining Main rooms 😊).

Imo, there will most likely be standard everyday items offered. 

[plucasana]

thanks everybody so much for the input !

 

@Schmoe38 if I may add some follow-ups?

- did you experience any difference in the level of service between the S-class PH and the EV on edge?

-is it possible to order dinner (/lunch) from specialty restaurants to the suite on edge?

- is it possible to fill the plunge-pool yourselves or can only the butler do that?

 

 

[Schmoe38]

The butler was much more attentive and visible on Edge because he serviced a smaller number of staterooms. The butler on Silhouette will service a greater number of staterooms and may not be as proactive. If you want or need something, butlers on both ships are available to assist in any way they can. When we travel in a PH on S Class or M Class ships, we find that the level of attentiveness of personnel on board is higher than when we travelled in the Edge Villa. Somehow, that 1611 or 1616 stateroom number on your card seems to carry a bit more weight. Just our opinion.
 

You can order specialty restaurant meals to your stateroom, although we did not order any meals to our suite on Edge.

 

You can also fill the plunge pool by yourself. It takes a while to fill. Ask the butler how the controls work before you try it yourself. 

 

Hope this helps

 

Randy

[plucasana]

thanks a lot Randy, that does help !

[Schmoe38]

1 hour ago, C-Dragons said:

Another 2 cents...😉

X listened to feedback from Suite guests sailing on the Edge. A mistake was made when planning/building the Edge because the Luminae galley was too small for the venue (our favorite waiter also admitted this to us on the Inaugural sailing).

When building the Apex, X increased the size of Luminae's galley. Since passengers have yet to sail on Apex, no one can actually confirm that guests will not be able to have items off the “Main” Dining room menu (there are actually 4 dining Main rooms 😊).

Imo, there will most likely be standard everyday items offered. 

I understand the Edge menu has added a few “always available “ items. When we sailed, Luminae definitely had a fish/seafood prominent menu. My wife has a fish/seafood allergy, and does not eat red meat, so sometimes the menus were a challenge. We had advised Celebrity in advance, and in fairness, they worked diligently every night to ensure any food allergies and preferences were accommodated in true Luminae fashion.

 

Randy

Edited December 27, 2020 by Schmoe38

[Ashland]

Go for the Apex not for the ship but for the itinerary...that's always the decision for us.

[LGW59]

8 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Go for the Apex not for the ship but for the itinerary...that's always the decision for us.

agree, that APEX itinerary is sweet!

[Ashland]

7 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

agree, that APEX itinerary is sweet!

Been there done that and it was definitely one I would do again...just amazing !!!

[C-Dragons]

56 minutes ago, Schmoe38 said:

I understand the Edge menu has added a few “always available “ items. When we sailed, Luminae definitely had a fish/seafood prominent menu. My wife has a fish/seafood allergy, and does not eat red meat, so sometimes the menus were a challenge. We had advised Celebrity in advance, and in fairness, they worked diligently every night to ensure any food allergies and preferences were accommodated in true Luminae fashion.

 

Randy

Yes, the staff on board X ships are excellent in dealing with food allergies. I also have one and have only had 1 problem in 12 years (unfortunately it was in BLU). Our waiters usually have alternate suggestions ready at lunch and dinner when any dishes might be problematic.

[LGW59]

3 hours ago, C-Dragons said:

Yes, the staff on board X ships are excellent in dealing with food allergies. I also have one and have only had 1 problem in 12 years (unfortunately it was in BLU). Our waiters usually have alternate suggestions ready at lunch and dinner when any dishes might be problematic.

I have a dear friend who often cruises with me.  She has a severe allergy to nuts and mushrooms, always carries EpiPens with her.  Celebrity has ALWAYS been able to accommodate her restrictions in any restaurant.

[chemmo]

21 hours ago, Schmoe38 said:

We have sailed in both types of staterooms. The PH on Silhouette is a wonderful stateroom with a gorgeous main bathroom and plenty of room on the balcony to enjoy some quiet time. We sailed in an Edge Villa on Edge in November 2019. The Edge Villa is a wonderful 2 storey stateroom with your bedroom on the second level. Your bed faces the window to the water, so your wake-up is second to none. Your Edge Villa also has an access door with direct access to and from the Retreat. The TV in your 2nd floor bedroom comes down from the ceiling....nice “toy.”

 

The balcony on our Edge Villa was like a wind tunnel when we sailed. It was hard to enjoy the outside furniture and the outside hot tub when we were at sea as it was very windy. Our itinerary was in the Caribbean. As well, the hot tub takes a while to get warmed up, so if you choose this stateroom, ask the butler to start warming up the hot tub about 45 minutes before you plan on going in. When we sailed, our butler serviced only the Edge Villas. We are very low maintenance, so he was always visible, looking for something to do.

 

In terms of dining, Apex will have Fine Cut Steakhouse which was a very good comparable to Murano on Silhouette. The food and the service in both specialty restaurants would come up a winner in both. Apex has a hidden gem in La Grand Bistro, which should be a lunch option for you. We found many people refused to pay $20 for lunch there early in the cruise, so getting in was not an issue. As people realized their mistake, the crowds got larger as our cruise wore on. Raw on 5 on Apex gets the nod over Sushi on 5 on Silhouette. Food is better and service was way better. Remember, you will get unlimited specialty restaurants on both ships when you are in the PH or Edge Villa.

 

The big issue for us was Luminae. On Silhouette, Luminae is divided into 2 sections, a front and a back. The front is a little noisier than the back due to it being closer to the entrance door. The back side is closer to the kitchen access area. Luminae on Apex is open concept and was definitely noisier when we sailed on Edge. Food and service was excellent on both. The other difference comes from Luminae’s limited menu.

 

On Silhouette, if you see a Luminae menu where you cannot eat or prefer not to eat any of the entrees, you can order off the Main Dining menu. The kitchens are close to each other, so wait staff do not have to go far if you order off the Main Dining Room menu. As such, your choice is expanded immensely. You cannot do the same on Apex as Luminae is higher on the ship and much farther away from the Main Dining Room kitchen. As such, your choices will be reduced as compared to Silhouette.

 

At the end of the day, if the itineraries are both acceptable to you, I would choose the PH on Silhouette. The stateroom is open concept and more conducive to your enjoyment inside and outside on the balcony. The Edge Villa, although it would be a beautiful stateroom on a new ship, is a little choppy due to the 2 storey structure and not as enjoyable inside and outside on the balcony.

 

Just my 2 cents’ worth.

 

Randy

 

Randy,

 

Very useful information! As we usually cruise RS with an occasional PH but didn’t like what we had seen/heard re these staterooms on Edge we would possibly have looked at the Edge Villa. However, with the possibility of it feeling ‘choppy’ and the wind tunnel balcony I don’t think it is for us!

 

When we finally get round to trying Edge/Apex we may look at a lower category suite cabin and then get a dining package...When we have booked the PH on S and M class it has always been a ‘Wow’ on entry...On S class for the decadence of light and space, on M class for the balcony! The compromises on RS, PH, and EV on Edge/Apex now reduces the appeal.

[Schmoe38]

If you have any issues with stairs, you will definitely want to stay away. One of the things we didn’t think about, happened on embarkation day when our luggage was delivered to our stateroom. You guessed it....on the main floor of the suite. With personnel scurrying on the first day, we found ourselves lugging our bags up the stairs to the bedroom area.

 

When we disembarked, we actually took our bags out the 2nd floor door to the retreat. I wheeled them over to the elevator and then down 1 floor to the main floor of the suite. Not the prettiest picture. Yes, I could have waited for the butler (and he asked)...but we’re Canadian, what can I say!

The other thing to watch, for people looking at an Edge Villa....don’t get the room immediately next to the Retreat Lounge. It is not the main door to the Retreat Lounge, but it is really convenient to go from that Edge Villa into the lounge. The only problem is the staff use that doorway to get supplies and other needs for the lounge. It was a swinging door with no window. I was hit once while entering our room and had 2 near misses. We spoke with the Hotel Manager and mentioned in our end of cruise evaluation, that serious consideration be given to having a door with a window. Not sure if that was addressed for subsequent Edge cruisers or if it was addressed for Apex.

 

Don’t get me wrong, we were glad we did the Edge Villa, but we really don’t feel the need to do it again.

 

Randy

 

 

 

[Miaminice]

Silhouette was my favorite ship before we sailed on Edge. Now we love both equally.

 

Don’t worry about a younger crowd on Apex. There is no difference - at least not on European cruises. Actually we found the guests on Edge a bit more sophisticated and wondered if it was because of the relatively high prices.

 

Usually we book Aqua or suites for the quieter dining room. More often Aqua because we don’t care for a larger room or the other amenities too much. On Edge, however, we enjoyed the 4 dining room concept so much that we book a regular stateroom.

[chemmo]

1 hour ago, Schmoe38 said:

If you have any issues with stairs, you will definitely want to stay away. One of the things we didn’t think about, happened on embarkation day when our luggage was delivered to our stateroom. You guessed it....on the main floor of the suite. With personnel scurrying on the first day, we found ourselves lugging our bags up the stairs to the bedroom area.

 

When we disembarked, we actually took our bags out the 2nd floor door to the retreat. I wheeled them over to the elevator and then down 1 floor to the main floor of the suite. Not the prettiest picture. Yes, I could have waited for the butler (and he asked)...but we’re Canadian, what can I say!

The other thing to watch, for people looking at an Edge Villa....don’t get the room immediately next to the Retreat Lounge. It is not the main door to the Retreat Lounge, but it is really convenient to go from that Edge Villa into the lounge. The only problem is the staff use that doorway to get supplies and other needs for the lounge. It was a swinging door with no window. I was hit once while entering our room and had 2 near misses. We spoke with the Hotel Manager and mentioned in our end of cruise evaluation, that serious consideration be given to having a door with a window. Not sure if that was addressed for subsequent Edge cruisers or if it was addressed for Apex.

 

Don’t get me wrong, we were glad we did the Edge Villa, but we really don’t feel the need to do it again.

 

Randy

 

 

 

 

Thanks for that further information! So hard to tell from photographs what a suite is actually like to live in...This is exactly why CC is so useful!

[plucasana]

I am really glad to be able to profit from your experiences so thanks @all for your input!

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Thanks for the input, especially the direct experience of Schmoe38. We cancelled our B2B in a Villa on Apex and booked the PH on Silhouette, our favorite ship.  Even our CVP thinks we made a good decision, she was a Villa and thought it looked like a small loft town house, very narrow and the steps would become a literal pain over 2 weeks.  It's too bad the balcony on the Royal Suite is so small.

Edited December 29, 2020 by CHEZMARYLOU