Celebrity Apex Embarkation Day

Welcome to Port Everglades

Celebrity Apex sails from Port Everglades Terminal 25.  When we first arrived, our shuttle bus driver first went to where Celebrity Reflection was docked.  Everyone on the bus started yelling this is the wrong terminal.

We gathered our hand luggage and checked our bag with a porter.  If you download the Celebrity app, like we did, the embarkation process will be quick and efficient.  Here are highlights from embarkation day.

Prior to arriving at the pier we used the Celebrity app to complete the check-in documents. There are a series of health questions to answer as well as uploading a copy of your vaccination record. 

During the check-in process on the app an embarkation time is generated.  This allows for less congestion making social distancing possible.   Since our group was having a general session with the CEO of Celebrity at 2 PM, we were given priority boarding which superseded the generated times.

Upon arrival at the pier we showed our passports, vaccination cards, negative Covid-19 test results, and the express check-in on the app. After going thru security, we had to show our passports and express check-in on our app a couple more times and then we were on the ship. 

Once we were onboard the ship, we put our masks away as they were not required onboard unless passengers wanted to wear them. The crew wore masks the whole time. On land, masks were recommended.

The embarkation process went very smoothly for the most part.  Celebrity representatives ask you to have all the necessary documents ready to be checked, but there are always a few people that aren't as organized.  That was the only delay as they fumbled around trying to find all their documentation.

After boarding we headed to our cabin and dropped off our carryon baggage.  We then went up to Oceanview Café for some lunch.  We'll dedicate another post to the café.

Not a Fan of Muster Drill?

It's not our favorite thing to do on a cruise either, but safety is the number one priority of the cruise line and crew.  However, thanks to Covid-19, the muster drill has changed.

We watched the required video on our Celebrity app and then could go to our assigned muster station (which can be found on your cabin card) at your convenience.  They simply scan your card and you are all set.

If you have any questions, they will answer them there.

Thanks to the new protocols, embarkation is a smooth process giving you more time to enjoy the ship while maintaining a safe environment for guests.

#2021TogetherConference

Mini-Series

Click on the image on the right to continue our mini-series on Celebrity Apex and our national conference cruise.   Our ship was only 65% full but the crew was at 100% staffing.   This is a great time to be cruising.

Cruising has always been the best vacation value and it still remains so.  Also, it is one of the safest things you can do right now.   The cruise line controls the  environment and with new protocols in place they have been providing safe vacations for thousands of guests for several months now.

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Pre-Cruise in Fort Lauderdale

click images to enlarge

Fort Lauderdale Here We Come

We always fly to the departure port at least one day early to avoid any stress from flight delays or cancellations. Our flight had been rescheduled from afternoon to 7:15 AM by the airline, so we decided to add another night's stay at a local hotel by the airport. It is a good thing that this happened because by early afternoon it started snowing which would have most likely caused delays for us.

We arrived right around lunch time and took their shuttle from the airport to out hotel.

Le Méridien Dania Beach at Fort Lauderdale Airport - Marriott

Lunch is Served

Le Meridien is a gorgeous hotel close to the airport and port.  The only downside is that it is pretty isolated unless you have a car or want to Uber around town.   Therefore our meals were at the hotel.

After checking in with the hotel we went up to our room to drop off our luggage and then came back to the lobby to have lunch with agent friends we met when we arrived.  

We decided to split an order of BBQ wings.   They were so good we decided to have them again for dinner after our cocktail party.   We originally had planned to have dinner in their Tequila Library restaurant, but when our group grew in size we'd have to wait too long to be seated, thus we changed our plans.

Visit Lauderdale Social

The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau hosted a cocktail party for our conference at the hotel the night before our cruise.   Whenever your travels take you to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, we highly recommend you pay a visit to their website for a list of attractions, activities, nightlife, food and other entertainment.

This was our first social gathering as a group since the pandemic began.  There were hugs and smiles all around as we greeted each other and rekindled relationships.  Thank you to the convention & visitors bureau for hosting this great event.

Saturday Morning

Part of the excitement of a cruise vacation (or conference in our case) is the anticipation.  In all the years we've been cruising (more than 30) there has never been a more anticipated cruise than this one.  Our conference had been scheduled for last November on the brand new Celebrity Apex, but as you know, her deployment was delayed due to Covid-19.

The day has finally arrived!  It's Saturday morning and we are all gathering in the lobby of the hotel awaiting our shuttle departures for the port.  Here are some images from the hotel.   This is a great location if you are sailing out of Fort Lauderdale or if you need a hotel near the airport.   

#2021TogetherConference

Mini-Series

Click on the image on the right to continue our mini-series on Celebrity Apex and our national conference cruise.   Our ship was only 65% full but the crew was at 100% staffing.   This is a great time to be cruising.

Cruising has always been the best vacation value and it still remains so.  Also, it is one of the safest things you can do right now.   The cruise line controls the  environment and with new protocols in place they have been providing safe vacations for thousands of guests for several months now.

Book Your Next Dream Vacation with Us

 

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I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

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Get Ready to Sail On Celebrity Apex

It's National Conference Time 

Each year World Travel Holdings has a national conference for all Cruises Inc., CruiseOne, and Dream Vacations travel professionals. Last year our conference was held virtually due to Covid-19. It was to have taken place on the brand-new Celebrity Apex, but the ship was grounded like the rest of the cruise industry. Finally we are all back together in person for our annual event. We are still holding it aboard Celebrity Apex which has just come over from Europe to begin her Caribbean season out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

Follow along on our social media platforms for an inside look at the ship and how the crew of Celebrity Apex hosts their largest group to date. We have over 800 people in attendance making up 45% of the ship's capacity on this sailing. Tonight we will be kicking things off with a preconference cocktail party at Le Méridien Dania Beach at Fort Lauderdale Airport . Tomorrow morning we will take a shuttle to the pier and board our ship for the next 7 days.

#2021TogetherConference

The theme for this year's conference is Together.   What a fitting theme since this is the first time in over 18 months that we are able to meet face to face with each other.   Normally we'd also have had regional conferences in addition to our national event.   As travel professionals, we are always continuing our education on the products we sell, destinations, and other industry knowledge.  Being together gives us the opportunity to network with our peers as well as others in the industry from our various travel partners.

We flew into Fort Lauderdale this morning and it's already great to see our friends in the industry, shake hands and give hugs to each other.   This will be an emotional week for all of us.  We are thrilled to be sharing it with you, our loyal readers and new followers.  

 

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Freedom Test Voyage from Florida

 One Step Closer!

Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas Test Cruise

Class is in session on the high seas and Royal Caribbean

 is hoping for a passing grade.

After the 15 months pause caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Royal Caribbean International sailed from Miami this past Sunday with 600 employee volunteers.   They are sailing a "Test Cruise" mandated by the CDC as a requirement to verify new health and safety protocols before revenue sailings could begin. 

Freedom of the Seas departed from Miami, Florida on a two night voyage which will have one port stop at the lines' private island Perfect Day at Coco Cay.  All of the test passengers are fully vaccinated.  A CDC representative is also onboard in addition to the employee volunteers and staff.

Cruise lines had two choices in order to resume sailing from U.S. ports:  have 95% of passengers and 98% of crew vaccinated or successfully complete test voyages as dictated by the CDC.   Royal Caribbean opted for the test cruises while their sister line Celebrity Cruises opted for the fully vaccinated option.  Celebrity Edge is scheduled to sail this coming weekend, June 26th.

Return to Sailing a Bumpy Ride

Things got interesting when Florida brought suit against the CDC for it's halt of the cruise industry. A Federal court in Tampa on Friday granted Florida a preliminary injunction against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) decision to prevent an immediate resumption of cruise operations. The order will prevent the agency from enforcing against a cruise ship arriving in, within, or departing from Florida. 

The suit was brought by Florida's Attorney General Ashley Moody back in April. "The federal government does not, nor should it ever, have the authority to single out and lock down an entire industry indefinitely," Moody said. The injunction is stayed until July 18, after which time the CDC's sailing order will only persist as a non-binding "consideration", the order said.

Also, as discussed in Cruise Restart Saga Continues, Florida passed a law which prevents businesses from requiring vaccinations. Royal Caribbean is not requiring passengers to be vaccinated in Florida, guests sailing on upcoming cruises to Alaska out of Seattle will have a vaccination requirement. 

Vaccines are strongly recommended for Florida sailings and "unvaccinated guests must undergo additional COVID-19 testing at their own expense," according to Royal Caribbean's latest update.

Editor note:  Requirements are continually changing.  We meet weekly with Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines to review their latest requirements and protocols.  This is not the time to book travel on your own - please use a travel professional as they can best guide you through the process for a seamless experience. 

We look forward to feedback from the employee volunteers, the CDC representative, and the cruise line following the trial cruise.   Hopefully this will meet current CDC requirements to allow cruising out of Florida.

Royal Caribbean International has had a huge part in the cruise industry recovery by its participation in the Healthy Sail Panel of experts.  We thank them and other participants for those efforts.

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