An Exploration of Dining on Celebrity Apex

Know Before You Go! Where to Dine on Celebrity Apex.

After being onboard the stunning Celebrity Apex from March 11th through 18th, 2023, I've provided a detailed review below of the many exclusive Celebrity Cruises dining experiences we enjoyed. You'll find an honest account, tips and tricks, and dining pictorials of various food items and menus.

Let's get on board! Port Everglades Terminal 25

If you have the opportunity to enjoy a suite in The Retreat on Celebrity Cruises, you are in for a treat! You'll start out with a very easy and personal boarding experience in the Terminal 25 suite lounge at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Not only are there comfortable lounge chairs and tables, but you'll also find a terrific spread of savory and sweet snacks, along with sodas, water, coffee and tea. It's a truly luxurious experience and the best way to start off your Celebrity Cruises vacation in suite style.

Luminae

We stayed in The Retreat so our assigned restaurant was Luminae. After looking back, besides from a few really special experiences, I probably would suggest to use Luminae every night. It's truly a specialty restaurant among itself. ​​The Sommelier was top-notch and did a perfect job matching savory and sweet food selections with wines. You'll find the complete menus by clicking here. See below for a few of the choices you'll find. ​​

Breakfast at Luminae

Huevos Rancheros

Eggs Benedict with Spinach Florentine

Amuse Bouche at Dinner

Ham and Cheese Croquette

Marinated Shrimp

Beet Tartare

Whipped Burrata

Appetizers in Luminae

Smoked Salmon Salad

Risotto

Entrees in Luminae

Turbot (heavenly!)

Mushroom & Truffle Fettuccini

Rib Eye (Evening Chic #1) and better than Fine Cut!

Butternut Squash Lasagna (Embarkation Lunch)

Lamb Chops

Butter Poached Lobster (Evening Chic #2)

Cod with Crispy Rice (Evening Chic #1)

Cobb Salad (Embarkation Lunch)

Desserts in Luminae

Dark Chocolate Cake

Baked Alaska (Evening Chic #2)

Mascarpone Cheesecake

Ricotta Cheesecake (I look forward to this every cruise!)

Chocolate Soufflé (Evening Chic #2)

Chocolate Mousse Palet (with real gold!)

A Few Favorite Cocktails and Dessert Wines at Luminae

Moscato recommended with cheesecake and fruit desserts

Ultraviolet

Port recommended with chocolate desserts

Spicy Passion

The Retreat Deck

Lunch is available poolside on Celebrity Cruises' The Retreat Deck during specific hours. From the Retreat Deck pool menu, I would recommend the Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad. The Caesar Salad Dressing on Celebrity Cruises is one of my favorites on land or sea.

However, drinks are available pretty much all of the time. You can order them at the bar or they will come and find you anywhere you choose to lounge. Also, in the mornings, they often come around The Retreat Deck with fresh fruit skewers (usually around 10:30 AM) and in the afternoon (usually around 2:30 PM) they'll arrive with a small cup of gelato. We loved the Butter Pecan and Pistachio flavors. Amazing! ​

Pro Tip Not to eat, but you'll find complementary various strengths (30 SPF and 50 SPF) of sunscreen, aloe vera after-sun, and even SPF-40 sunglasses on The Retreat Deck. They provide small, eco-friendly cardboard dishes to dispense the products in to apply at your seat. Plus, don't forget an icy cold towel to cool off.

The Retreat Lounge

Our family always enjoys The Retreat Lounge throughout the cruise. We tend to meet and gather here prior to dinner for a cocktail and hors devours. Look out for special events that might happen here during your cruise. We enjoyed live entertainment and a Senior Office Meet and Greet. 

On Celebrity Apex The Retreat Lounge, you'll find a Bartender, as well as a few Retreat Attendants to serve you drinks, snacks, tea, and more. 

You'll also find the Celebrity Cruises Retreat Concierges here. If you have any kind of an issue or question (i.e., dining, onboard charges) during your cruise, they are more than willing to spend the time with you to figure it out. ​Your butler can do this too. If you aren't sure what a butler can do, see here for some great and unique ideas.

Seasoned chips (crisps) and spicy pecans for a pre-dinner snack

If you don't want a full sit-down breakfast, stop by The Retreat Lounge in the mornings

The Retreat Lounge bartenders make an incredible extra-dirty martini

Fantastic live performances are often arranged exclusively for The Retreat guests

Craft Social

Craft Social is a casual and fun spot with an amazing selection of bar food, draft and bottled beers, and wines, all while watching sports or other popular events on the many televisions. Craft Social is one of only two spots onboard Celebrity Apex where they serve a selection of draft beer. The other is at The Sunset Bar.

Pro Tip Craft Social on Celebrity Apex is a very small space, so you'll want to get there during an off time to secure a seat. ​

Many of the small bites at Craft Social are top picks from other specialty restaurants. This is a great chance to either enjoy more of them or take the opportunity to try them for the first time.

Dinner on the Edge (Magic Carpet Experience)

One of the best experiences onboard! If you have the opportunity to dine on the Magic Carpet Dinner on the Edge, I highly recommend it. The only downfall is that you will not know which night this will happen until you are on board. If you already have a Celebrity Cruises specialty restaurant or excursion planned (if a port at night) you will need to change it at the last minute and a substitution unfortunately may not be available. But you won't be sorry! Between the view, the service, and delicious food, Dinner on the Edge on the Magic Carpet was a highlight of our cruise. 

As you are dining on the tangerine Magic Carpet at Dinner on the Edge, all of your photos will have a mysterious orange glow about them. You'll notice this on my photos below, but that's what makes it fun!

We found out only once onboard Celebrity Apex that our Dinner on the Edge was scheduled for the fourth night of Tortola. This was surprising because we would be at sea. I had wrongly assumed that it would be held the first port day of San Juan since we were docked until late night.

​Dinner reservations for the Magic Carpet were assigned to everyone at 7:00 PM. We had a party of six and they generously gave us 3 of everything to easily share between our table-mates.

Burrata is always a treat for me. This one was truly fresh and delicious.

A lovely charcuterie board with a perfect assortment of cured meats and cheeses.

Grilled Lobster, Bronzino and Chateaubriand. You do have the option of how you'd like the Chateaubriand cooked. As long as you have a table-mate who enjoys the same, it works out.

Decadent Guava Tarts (filled with a guava jam and a whipped cream cheese filling) and AMAZING chocolate cigar filled with chocolate mousse. One of our favorite desserts of the cruise!

Fine Cut Steakhouse

It may not be a popular opinion, but as much as I had wanted to like it, Fine Cut Steakhouse was not one of my favorites. I didn't think the service was spectacular and the steaks didn't have much taste. The only piece of meat that was a hit in my family was the Prime Rib my son ordered. I was truly disappointed afterwards because I had originally also ordered it, but I somehow let the waiter talk me out of it. ​You'll find the complete menu by clicking here.

Never mind the food, the views at Fine Cut can't be beaten.

Signature Crabcake. It wasn't the kind of crab cake that I was used to, but it was tasty.

Prime Rib Eye, Truffle Parmesan Fries, Bernaise Sauce

Brownie dessert

The Ice Cream Sundae for dessert was my highlight!

Rooftop Garden Grill

A really delicious meal with outdoor seating, The Rooftop Garden Grill is a fun experience. The food is unique to traditional Celebrity Cruises food, but that's a good thing! It's casual (although disappointing they still require long pants for men, it can get quite hot outside on the top deck of the ship) with typically American-style food. However, not all choices at Rooftop Garden on Celebrity Apex are going to be fan favorites. Our party of six found the burgers to be a top pick, although the ribs were dry and flavorless. For dessert, it's tough to choose between the warm cookie and Mason Jar S'mores. So why not get them both?! ​You'll find the complete menu by clicking here.

The Rooftop Garden is a beautiful space any time of day

A gorgeous view during dinner while docked in San Juan, PR.

I'm still dreaming about these Train Wreck Fries. Don't miss them! (Calories don't count when you are on a cruise...)

The chicken wings were another favorite. They were small (which my family likes) and very flavorful.

A burger with onion rings on top? Yes, please!

Their burgers are really delicious! Probably the best one I had on the ship.

Rack of Ribs, Cornbread, and French Fries.

Amazing S'mores in a Mason Jar (chocolate mousse and homemade marshmallows!)

Warm gooey chocolate chip cookie topped with vanilla ice cream.

Cafe al Bacio

Did you know they have cocktails at Cafe al Bacio on Celebrity Cruises? They are perfect to go with the complimentary pastries, cakes, and cookies. 

Pro Tip You'll notice below that all of the treats around the Celebrity Cruises ship are labeled if they contain nuts, gluten-free, etc. for those who are cruising with food allergies. 

Raw on Five

We ate at Raw on Five twice for lunch throughout our Celebrity Apex 7-night cruise, so you know it must be good. There is an a la carte charge for everything. Although, the beverages and cocktails are still under your beverage package, if you have one. The fresh seafood tower is pricey, but it well worth it. I'm still amazed how Celebrity Cruises keeps the quality up on fresh seafood for the entire length of the cruise. I ate oysters almost every other day and they were impeccably fresh and delicious. You'll find the complete menu of Raw on Five by clicking here.

Oceanview Cafe

We dined at the Oceanview Cafe on occasion and didn't find anything lacking. The quality and selection of the food is wonderful. For lunch, they offer an international station where they feature a country's traditional cuisine. I once filled a plate with Fish and Chips, and Shepard's Pie - can you guess which country was this day? It was delicious!

Spectacular desserts are offered throughout the day. Our Celebrity Apex cruise was over March 17th, St. Patrick's Day, and the Oceanview Cafe did a phenomenal job making green treats. I'd also suggest to not miss Celebrity Cruises' pizza. They are constantly making it fresh and it's hot, cheesy, and crispy. They even offer a variety with a gluten-free crust. ​

Have you cruised with Celebrity Cruises on Celebrity Apex yet? I'd love to hear what your favorite restaurants are!