Apex 2024 Dry Dock

[Raxter54]

The Apex is now scheduled for a dry dock in late October 2024 into November. I was wondering if anyone would know how extensive Celebrity dry docks are? Will it just be a "refurbishment" dry dock, just tidying up things, or will it be extensive, adding new venues and upgrades? Just curious, since we sail on her in February 2025. If nothing else, maybe she'll have that "New Ship" smell when we get on 🙂

[jelayne]

Every ship has a required dry dock every 5 years.  These are primarily for maintenance and inspection of the major systems.  I would not expect any significant changes likely any worn carpet or soft good will be replaced.

[twincheryl]

Looks like it’s only about two weeks.  We are on 10/12 sailing from Southampton which return 10/23.  Next sailing is 11/9 from Lisbon, which is a TA.  Unless there is a charter during that time, must be when they are doing a short maintenance…?

[Raxter54]

Here's the e-mail about the dry dock. Looks like some of the cancellations are due to rescheduling after the dry dock. Yeah, 2 weeks is just a refurbishment time...

 

Edited June 15, 2023 by Raxter54

[hcat]

We are now booked on APEX for Jan 2025..7 days

Fingers crossed ..no changes!

 

We had a nice 5 day itin on APEX for March 2025,  but they cancelled that by turning it into a 7 day trip that did not work with our schedule.,

[Saab4444]

3 hours ago, Raxter54 said:

The Apex is now scheduled for a dry dock in late October 2024 into November. I was wondering if anyone would know how extensive Celebrity dry docks are? Will it just be a "refurbishment" dry dock, just tidying up things, or will it be extensive, adding new venues and upgrades? Just curious, since we sail on her in February 2025. If nothing else, maybe she'll have that "New Ship" smell when we get on 🙂

You know that Apex is only 3 years old? No ship gets extensive updates after that time, why should it?

[Raxter54]

5 minutes ago, Saab4444 said:

You know that Apex is only 3 years old? No ship gets extensive updates after that time, why should it?

Yeah, which makes you wonder - 3 years in service, and almost 1 1/2 years of that in "moth balls", why does it need a dry dock anyway? Just curious....

[mahasamatman]

1 hour ago, Raxter54 said:

3 years in service, and almost 1 1/2 years of that in "moth balls", why does it need a dry dock anyway?

 

The same reason an airplane needs an annual inspection to be considered airworthy regardless of whether it has flown or not.

[MarkWiltonM]

21 minutes ago, mahasamatman said:

1 hour ago, Raxter54 said:

3 years in service, and almost 1 1/2 years of that in "moth balls", why does it need a dry dock anyway?

 

The same reason an airplane needs an annual inspection to be considered airworthy regardless of whether it has flown or not.

 

I have read elsewhere that cruise ships have to go into dry dock at least every three years "by law" but under what jurisdiction was this law created, if anyone knows? Just wondering since cruise ships are registered in various countries around the world.  

[Ellaleah]

11 minutes ago, MarkWiltonM said:

 

I have read elsewhere that cruise ships have to go into dry dock at least every three years "by law" but under what jurisdiction was this law created, if anyone knows? Just wondering since cruise ships are registered in various countries around the world.  

I’m pretty sure that I have seen many cruise ships that do not go into dry dock every 3 years or anything near that.  I am also pretty sure that there were errors made in the pricing o& the 11/3/24 cruise.  I’m not sure there is any dry dock.

[hcat]

One of our CC  ship rules experts will likely chime in ..hopefully!

I could see it more for BEYOND...the creaky ship!

[swjumbo]

2 hours ago, Raxter54 said:

Yeah, which makes you wonder - 3 years in service, and almost 1 1/2 years of that in "moth balls", why does it need a dry dock anyway? Just curious....

The undersides need to be cleaned. Barnacles grow on barnacles, weed and the azipods (propellers) need to be checked as do the thrusters.

Lots of stuff we never think about and take for granted beneath the waterline!!!

A fresh lick of paint too.

Just like a beautiful lady taking time to do her make up! Makes her feel better 

[Raxter54]

1 hour ago, Ellaleah said:

I’m pretty sure that I have seen many cruise ships that do not go into dry dock every 3 years or anything near that.  I am also pretty sure that there were errors made in the pricing o& the 11/3/24 cruise.  I’m not sure there is any dry dock.

According to the Celebrity website, the last cruise of the Apex in October 2024 is the 12th, an 11 night cruise that starts and ends in Southampton. The next scheduled cruise is a 12 day trans-Atlantic on November 9th, starting in Lisbon and ending in Ft Lauderdale. That leaves a 16 day gap, plenty of time for a 2 week dry dock....

[Ellaleah]

7 minutes ago, Raxter54 said:

According to the Celebrity website, the last cruise of the Apex in October 2024 is the 12th, an 11 night cruise that starts and ends in Southampton. The next scheduled cruise is a 12 day trans-Atlantic on November 9th, starting in Lisbon and ending in Ft Lauderdale. That leaves a 16 day gap, plenty of time for a 2 week dry dock....

That is certainly possible, but it is fishy at the least.  The same letter that said there would be no Apex cruises 10/23/24-11/23/24 showed our 11/3/24 cruise being substituted with a 11/9/24.  No one at Celebrity knew anything.  Btw, when I called Celebrity several weeks before to see why our cruise was no longer showing on it’s website I was told that they must being doing maintenance.  I called again a few days later and was told it was sold out even though it was so very far out.  That was not believable in itself.  This whole deal was anything but normal!

[Raxter54]

54 minutes ago, Ellaleah said:

That is certainly possible, but it is fishy at the least.  The same letter that said there would be no Apex cruises 10/23/24-11/23/24 showed our 11/3/24 cruise being substituted with a 11/9/24.  No one at Celebrity knew anything.  Btw, when I called Celebrity several weeks before to see why our cruise was no longer showing on it’s website I was told that they must being doing maintenance.  I called again a few days later and was told it was sold out even though it was so very far out.  That was not believable in itself.  This whole deal was anything but normal!

Yeah, very confusing to say the least. 🙄

[chengkp75]

5 hours ago, Raxter54 said:

Yeah, which makes you wonder - 3 years in service, and almost 1 1/2 years of that in "moth balls", why does it need a dry dock anyway? Just curious....

That time in "moth balls" is worse on a ship's hull than operating.  The anti-fouling paint on the bottom of the ship, designed to keep barnacles and seaweed from attaching, requires that the ship be moving a lot, so that the water flow past the hull cleans away the dead growth, and the depleted paint surface.

4 hours ago, MarkWiltonM said:

 

I have read elsewhere that cruise ships have to go into dry dock at least every three years "by law" but under what jurisdiction was this law created, if anyone knows? Just wondering since cruise ships are registered in various countries around the world.  

The "law" is SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) Convention, the international safety convention, sponsored by the IMO (the International Maritime Organization.  The IMO is a subsidiary of the United Nations.  167 member nations have signed SOLAS, representing about 99% of the world's shipping tonnage.  SOLAS regulations are enforced by the "flag state" (the nation where the ship is registered), and the "port state" (the nation where the ship is in port), because a condition of approval of SOLAS is that the approving nation enact laws that use the exact wording of SOLAS.  Further, SOLAS is enforced, and in particular the drydocking rules, by the "classification societies" (think of an insurance underwriter) that certify a ship as seaworthy, on behalf of the flag states.

3 hours ago, Ellaleah said:

I’m pretty sure that I have seen many cruise ships that do not go into dry dock every 3 years or anything near that.  I am also pretty sure that there were errors made in the pricing o& the 11/3/24 cruise.  I’m not sure there is any dry dock.

The regulations require that every ship (whether cruise ship or not), be inspected in a drydock "twice in five years" (in other words, around 2.5 years).  The drydock every 5 years is mandatory for all ships. Special compensation is made for new ships (less than 15 years old), where the "mid-period" drydocking (the one in between the 5 year intervals) can be replaced by a UWILD (UnderWater In Lieu of Drydocking) inspection by divers with video equipment, which can be done over several port calls without interrupting service.  After 15 years, it is considered that the need for more intensive inspections (hull thickness measurements, weld inspections, etc) require that the ship can no longer be inspected in the water.  Some cruise lines, notably HAL, do not rely on a UWILD, and do in fact drydock even their newest ships every 2.5 years.

[Xrayal]

16 hours ago, MarkWiltonM said:

 

I have read elsewhere that cruise ships have to go into dry dock at least every three years "by law" but under what jurisdiction was this law created, if anyone knows? Just wondering since cruise ships are registered in various countries around the world.  

SOLAS (International Convention) and adhering to Lloyds Register best practice/guidelines which will affect corporate governance arrangements, including validity and cost of asset insurance.

[chengkp75]

14 minutes ago, Xrayal said:

SOLAS (International Convention) and adhering to Lloyds Register best practice/guidelines which will affect corporate governance arrangements, including validity and cost of asset insurance.

The class society issues a "certificate of class", which indicates the ship meets SOLAS, and is considered seaworthy for insurance purposes, but without this certificate, the ship's "register" (think of a car title) is invalid, and cannot sail.

[cr2000]

Anyone happen to know when this dry dock is happening? I've seen mixed reports of this October and March/April of next year, however I see cruises scheduled during those times? While the ship got off to a late start with covid, I've spoken with a couple people that said a lot of the soft goods - seating, bedding, mattresses, particularly in the suites are in need of replacement. Also the carpet in some of the common areas is showing quite a bit of wear, apparently there was some minor flooding after a storm a couple months ago? We were thinking of cruising Apex next year but I'm wondering if it worth it until after the ship gets a refresh. I don't want to pay a premium for a tired/worn ship. Anyone been on it recently can comment on the overall condition? Thanks!

[Lastdance]

1 hour ago, cr2000 said:

Anyone happen to know when this dry dock is happening? I've seen mixed reports of this October and March/April of next year, however I see cruises scheduled during those times? While the ship got off to a late start with covid, I've spoken with a couple people that said a lot of the soft goods - seating, bedding, mattresses, particularly in the suites are in need of replacement. Also the carpet in some of the common areas is showing quite a bit of wear, apparently there was some minor flooding after a storm a couple months ago? We were thinking of cruising Apex next year but I'm wondering if it worth it until after the ship gets a refresh. I don't want to pay a premium for a tired/worn ship. Anyone been on it recently can comment on the overall condition? Thanks!

This was the latest information I could find, but whether it is true or not, just not sure.  There have been several changes to the schedule which was slated for this year:

 

..."Several sailings onboard Celebrity Apex have been affected by the rescheduling of the drydock. The sailings that were scheduled to embark on November 9 and 21, 2024, as well as those between March 8, 2025, and April 26, 2025, have been cancelled. These sailings include a 12-night transatlantic crossing and a nine-night Caribbean cruise in November, as well as a series of seven-night cruises to the Caribbean between March and April.”  

 

**I have a TA/b2b for the fall of ’25, so am hoping this does not change!

 

~this was from “Cruise Insider Tips."

Edited yesterday at 01:09 AM by Lastdance

[cr2000]

2 minutes ago, Lastdance said:

This was the latest information I could find, but whether it is true or not, just not sure.  There have been several changes to the schedule which was slated for this year:

 

..."Several sailings onboard Celebrity Apex have been affected by the rescheduling of the drydock. The sailings that were scheduled to embark on November 9 and 21, 2024, as well as those between March 8, 2025, and April 26, 2025, have been cancelled. These sailings include a 12-night transatlantic crossing and a nine-night Caribbean cruise in November, as well as a series of seven-night cruises to the Caribbean between March and April.”  

 

**I have a TA/b2b for the fall of ’25, so am hoping this does not change!

 

~this was from “Cruise Insider Tips."

 

Thanks, what's interesting is that their website shows cruises that are bookable during those times, which would suggest that it's not going to be in dry dock then.

[Lastdance]

4 minutes ago, cr2000 said:

 

Thanks, what's interesting is that their website shows cruises that are bookable during those times, which would suggest that it's not going to be in dry dock then.

I know; would not mind, but prices are high on both of my cruises, even though I booked the first week.  The only constant is change and I am not a spring chicken🤷‍♀️.  I have an SV for 12 nights, then a suite for the TA...I hope someone will post more information.

Edited yesterday at 01:15 AM by Lastdance

[phoenix_dream]

1 hour ago, cr2000 said:

Anyone happen to know when this dry dock is happening? I've seen mixed reports of this October and March/April of next year, however I see cruises scheduled during those times? While the ship got off to a late start with covid, I've spoken with a couple people that said a lot of the soft goods - seating, bedding, mattresses, particularly in the suites are in need of replacement. Also the carpet in some of the common areas is showing quite a bit of wear, apparently there was some minor flooding after a storm a couple months ago? We were thinking of cruising Apex next year but I'm wondering if it worth it until after the ship gets a refresh. I don't want to pay a premium for a tired/worn ship. Anyone been on it recently can comment on the overall condition? Thanks!

Anyone who would call Apex a tired and worn ship is way too particular IMHO. I sailed her last year and she was in great shape overall.  Can't believe she's gone way downhill that quickly. I loved the mattress and in fact wished I could take it home! I don't want to sail on something tired and worn either but some people's expectations frankly just blow my mind.  I just booked another sailing on her in February and I have no qualms at all about her condition. 

[caroline genovese]

I have a reservation for November 10, 2024 and just spoke to a manager from Celebrity who told me he does not know anything about this and my reservation has not been cancelled.  I am very confused about this and read him the letter you received.  As of yet I have not received any communication from them about the dry dock.  He insisted that as far as he knows my reservation has not been cancelled.

[Lolou127]

I really hope it’s not the April 2025 dates as that’s when our Canary Island cruise is due!