Is Celebrity Apex Too Small? An Icon fan's Honest Review

I've always been a fan of big cruise ships — the Oasis class, the Icon of the Seas, the floating cities with waterparks, shows, and space to breathe. But I recently found myself wondering: Is my love of cruising tied to the sheer size of these ships, or is there something more to it?

To find out, we booked a 7-night cruise on Celebrity Apex, sailing from Barcelona, Spain to Southampton, UK. It’s a route rich in culture, coastline, and culinary treats — and the perfect setting to test my theory.

Celebrity Apex: A "Small" Ship with Big Expectations

Let’s get one thing straight: Celebrity Apex isn’t a small ship. At 307m long and 130,818 gross tons, it belongs to the Edge Class—currently the 11th largest cruise ship class in the world. It’s bigger than Carnival’s Vista Class and Royal Caribbean’s Freedom Class, but smaller than the giants like Oasis, Icon, and MSC's World Europa.

Still, for us, Apex felt small. It’s the second smallest ship we’ve sailed on, the smallest being our very first cruise 14 years ago on the now-retired Celebrity Century. Back then, that trip sparked our cruise obsession, but since then, we’ve only sailed on the megaships. So this was a noticeable shift.

First Impressions: Crowded?

Many people think smaller ships are less crowded, but on Apex, that wasn’t quite the case. With only around 3,000 passengers onboard, it somehow felt more cramped than Icon of the Seas, which carries over twice that.

The Windjammer-style buffet (Oceanview Cafe) was often full, and on a few mornings, we really struggled to find a seat. Elevators felt painfully slow and frequently overcrowded. Compared to the destination elevators on Icon and Utopia of the Seas, which are far more efficient, Apex's traditional system was frustrating during peak times.

It’s worth noting that this was the ship’s first cruise after dry dock — and in the early days, it felt like everything was still being ramped back up. Service was noticeably slower at the start, and while it improved over the week, that rocky beginning stuck with us.

Boarding in Barcelona was also chaotic. The ship was three hours late, and check-in times were essentially ignored. Everyone turned up at once, creating long waits and confused passengers.

I’m willing to chalk that up as a one-off — a side effect of dry dock delays — but I do think Celebrity could be more upfront when you’re booking a post-dry dock sailing. After all, you expect the full experience, regardless of timing.

Similarities to Royal Caribbean

Celebrity is owned by the same parent company as Royal Caribbean, and it shows. Here are a few ways the two lines overlap:

• Booking process, gratuities, and add-ons follow the same structure.

• Drinks packages and internet bundles are nearly identical in pricing and functionality.

• Boarding and safety procedures are almost identical, right down to the app design.

• Staterooms are surprisingly similar. In fact, the rooms on Apex felt nearly identical to those on Icon. Beds, fittings, tech, and even the TV placement were the same. They’re likely supplied by the same manufacturer.

Like Icon of the Seas, Apex comes with the Edge-class signature Infinite Veranda staterooms. These have a large window that lowers to transform your room into an indoor-outdoor space. It’s a bit divisive among cruisers, but we really liked ours. Watching the Spanish and Portuguese coastline sail by at night from bed was a real highlight.

That said, when the window is open, the A/C shuts off — fine in Lisbon’s 20°C breeze, but maybe not so pleasant in a Caribbean summer. Also, the window motor is loud. Our neighbours seemed to open theirs around 2am every night for some reason, which wasn’t ideal.

The Food: Apex Comes Out on Top

One area where Apex beat Icon hands down was food quality. While we enjoyed the dining on Icon, we never once felt the need to upgrade to a specialty restaurant on Apex. We could have eaten at Oceanview Cafe every night.

That said, Icon had far more variety. From Pearl Cafe’s early morning pastries to grab-and-go bites throughout the ship, there were just more casual options available at all hours. On Apex, if you wanted a 6am coffee and snack, your options were slim.

Drinks and Service

We had the premium drinks package, priced similarly to Royal Caribbean’s. But the service didn’t quite compare. Drinks were slower to come, bartenders didn’t have the same energy or friendliness, and we were regularly served in old, cracked plastic glasses. Not the end of the world, but consistent enough to be disappointing.

Celebrity Apex is hosting the President’s Cruise in May, so perhaps they’re refreshing stock soon. But it felt like we were getting the tired, pre-refresh version.

Internet: Starlink, But Slower

Both Icon and Apex use Starlink internet, but the performance on Apex was noticeably worse. Some say Starlink is slower in Europe, but older reviews suggest otherwise. It felt like Apex simply caps bandwidth more aggressively.

At times, I resorted to using my phone’s 5G, especially when hugging the coast of Spain and Portugal. (Just be mindful of your data plan before doing the same.)

Port Days: A European Treat

Unlike the Caribbean itineraries where the ship is often the main attraction, this cruise featured stellar ports: Lisbon, Porto (with an overnight stay) and La Coruña.

Porto was our favourite. The overnight stay meant we didn’t have to rush back to the ship, and on the second day, we stayed onboard while most passengers went ashore. It felt like having the ship to ourselves.

Weather and Ship Design

We lucked out with beautiful weather. And that made me think: the Edge Class ships rely on good weather more than you might expect. Icon works well because even if it’s hot outside, the ship is designed with enough indoor space to absorb the crowds. If Apex were sailing colder itineraries like Alaska or Norway, it might start to feel cramped without outdoor space in use.

Cruising with Kids on Celebrity

Celebrity isn’t known as a family-first line. No waterslides, no climbing walls, no flowriders. I was a bit nervous about how our 7 and 8-year-olds would fare.

To my surprise, they loved it. With only around 100 kids onboard, the kids club was quieter and more personal. On Icon, the sheer scale overwhelmed them. On Apex, they made friends quickly and looked forward to going back each day.

I did worry about how fellow passengers would react to kids on board. Celebrity does attract an older crowd, and I’d seen some comments online from cruisers who weren’t thrilled about children on board. But we had no issues. Everyone was kind, and our kids were regularly chatted to in elevators and around the ship.

That said, as they get older, I imagine the attractions of Royal Caribbean’s more youth-oriented ships will win out.

What We Loved:

• Food quality on Apex was excellent

• Incredible European ports, especially the overnight in Porto

• Quieter, more engaging kids club experience

• Infinite veranda was a great way to enjoy the coastlines

• Similar stateroom layout and comfort as Royal Caribbean

What We Didn’t Love:

• Service didn’t match the friendliness or speed of Icon

• Slower internet despite same Starlink branding

• Fewer casual dining and snack options

• Cramped buffet and elevator experience

Final Thoughts

There’s no such thing as a bad cruise, and Celebrity Apex delivered a fantastic week. But when we finished the cruise and talked about tipping extra, we struggled to name stand-out staff — something that’s never happened before.

Would we sail Celebrity Apex again? Absolutely. But when comparing to Icon of the Seas, it felt like Apex fell just a little short in the areas that matter most to us: service, space, and atmosphere.

It was a great reminder that while size isn't everything, it still plays a pretty big part in the overall cruise experience.