After 18 months of anticipation, the Celebrity Apex was christened at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale Florida on November 2, 2021. The festivities included the shipโs official naming ceremony led by her inspiring Godmother, Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code and author of bestseller, “Brave, Not Perfect”.
My husband and I flew in from New York for the occasion. Requirements for all guests on board included proof of COVID-19 vaccination and a negative COVID test 48 hours prior to boarding. Knowing that all our fellow passengers and the crew had been tested and received the vaccine made our time on the ship worry-free, and gave us the opportunity to completely enjoy ourselves and all that the Apex had to offer.
Celebrity Apex Naming Ceremony
As we entered our Sky Suite, a bottle of Champagne and hand-made chocolates were waiting for us to enjoy. Our suite consisted of a beautiful main room with a king-size bed, writing desk, lounge area with sofa, balcony, and a full-size bathroom. With modern interior design by Nate Berkus and Kelly Hoppen, we felt right at home. In fact, we thought our cabin would make a great bedroom in our Manhattan apartment!
A gala naming ceremony and christening took place in The Theatre that afternoon, as well as being streamed live throughout the ship.
Celebrity Apexโs much-anticipated arrival to U.S ports was a landmark moment as the vesselโs launch was originally planned for late March 2020. Following a short run of Greek Island sailings in the summer of 2021, the ship will now sail on rotating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, where guests will visit the islands of Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Belize, Grand Cayman and more.
โCelebrating Celebrity Apex is certainly long overdue and itโs a day I have been waiting to celebrate for quite a long timeโ581 days, to be exact. This stunning ship truly represents a new standard in new-luxury travel, and we canโt wait for our guests to finally experience it for themselves,โ said Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo.
The Magic Carpet
In keeping with nautical tradition, Reshma Saujani officially named Celebrity Apex on board the ship in a beautiful ceremony.
Reshma Saujani follows Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, the first Edge Series Godmother, who inaugurated Celebrity Edge in November 2018, and is renowned for her advocacy of educational opportunities for girls everywhere. Saujani also represents women breaking new ground, having provided opportunities for women in the traditionally male-dominated tech field.
โI canโt think of anyone better to serve as Godmother for this ship than the incredible Reshma Saujani,โ said Lutoff-Perlo. โReshma is a visionary, leading the charge to challenge stereotypes and inspire a whole new generation of girls and women to bravely pursue tech jobs; just as Celebrity is working to close the gender gap at sea, growing our percentage of women serving as bridge officers to 30 percent in an industry where the average is 2 percent.โ
Main Pool Deck at Night
As we prepared for the christening of the Apex, wine was served to the guests assembled in The Theatre, and Saujaniโs family joined her onstage. When the moment came to press the button and send the huge bottle of Champaign crashing into the hull of the ship, Saujaniโs young son was eager to help. They pressed the button in unison as Saujani said: โI name this ship Celebrity Apex. Bless her and all her sail on her.โ
Itโs both thrilling and humbling to serve as the Godmother of Celebrity Apex,” said Saujani. โI canโt think of a more inspiring place to learn about the wonders of the maritime industry than on board Celebrity Apex and Girls Who Code is honored to help in this effort.”
