Celebrity Cruises’ Ship Kicks Off Second Season From the UK
Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Apex is on the cusp of her second seasonal homeporting in Southampton, poised to launch operations from the UK port on April 13, 2025.
Offering a wide range of itinerary lengths from 4 to 14 nights, the ship will sail in multiple regions, including Scandinavia, Norway and the Arctic Circle, the Canary Islands, and destinations in the Western Mediterranean through mid-October.
The cruise line also has revealed that the 2,910-guest ship, second in the line’s popular Edge class, will host its President’s Cruise 2025, an 8-night Norwegian Fjords voyage in May 2025 with the cruise line’s top executive, Laura Hodges Bethge, on board.
“Guests told us how much they loved the amazing itineraries we offered with our Celebrity Apex sailings last year, so we’re excited to homeport this revolutionary ship in Southampton again this summer,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises.
“I am excited to join Apex this May for the 2025 President’s Cruise and spend time enjoying the incredible Norwegian Fjords itinerary alongside our guests,” added Bethge.
Celebrity Apex will open the summer season with the 11-night Canaries & Portugal cruise, calling at Porto and Funchal, Portugal; Arrecife and Tenerife, Canary Islands; and Vigo and La Coruna, Spain.
The ship’s shortest itinerary for the season is the 4-night Rotterdam & Bruges sailing, which visits the Holland and Belgium destinations.
The 130,818-gross-ton Celebrity Apex entered service in 2021 and has 29 restaurants and bars.
The ship wows guests with several unique onboard destinations, such as Magic Carpet, the cantilevered platform featuring a lounge and entertainment space; The Retreat, offering luxury accommodations with private restaurant, lounge, and sundeck; and Rooftop Garden, an outdoor recreation space used for picnics, movies, and other entertainment programs.
Onboard entertainment features the popular “Rockumentary” as well as cabaret shows and aerial acrobatics.
Celebrity Apex is one of four existing Edge-class ships, joining Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Beyond, and Celebrity Ascent. A fifth ship in the class, Celebrity Xcel, is due to enter service in November 2025.
President’s Cruise to Feature Line’s Executive Team
The President’s Cruise onboard Celebrity Apex promises to be a unique experience for all guests, especially members of the line’s Captain’s Club loyalty program. The VIP members will have opportunities to meet and interact with the cruise line’s executive team.
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All guests will enjoy culinary events featuring the cruise line’s own chefs, including celebrity chef David Boulud, the line’s global culinary ambassador. Special entertainment is planned for the President’s Cruise, too, along with shore excursions hosted by the cruise line president herself.
Bethge was appointed to the top post at Celebrity Cruises in 2023 after a long career with parent company Royal Caribbean Group, where she most recently served as an executive vice president.
Departing on May 17, 2025, the President’s Cruise will call at Zeebrugge (Bruges), Belgium; and Olden, Geiranger, Alesund, and Stavanger, Norway.
Celebrity Apex was deployed to Southampton for the first time in 2024 and sailed a series of voyages similar to what is offered in 2025.
On October 19, 2025, Celebrity Apex will sail a 13-night transatlantic repositioning cruise to Port Canaveral, and spend the winter season based at the Central Florida port and operating Caribbean and Bahamas voyages.
In April 2026, the ship is scheduled to return to Southampton for a third summer season.