Celebrity Apex Review – The Ports of Call

Celebrity Apex stopped at four ports on our cruise – Key West, Belize, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. The only place we hadn’t visited before was Belize, so we booked a shore excursion on that island. I looked forward to shopping in the ports this time more than seeing the sites.

  

Key West

Having visited Key West numerous times, we strolled off the ship and roamed around Front St. and Duval. I picked up a few essentials at a CVS store. We found a Key West Aloe store and I bought hand creams and shower gel. It was very hot outside. I ate a super sweet, chocolate-covered Key lime pie on a stick. Who can go to Key West without eating Key lime pie? We were back onboard Celebrity Apex in time for lunch. If you visit this port and have never been here before, I suggest you do the Conch Train Tour. Otherwise, you can see the historic sites, stroll along the waterfront, and try the various restaurants.

             

Belize

We took the two-hour city tour in an air-conditioned bus for our shore excursion. At first, we drove along the coastline. Then we went inland and wove through the streets. We visited the rich side of town and then the more common side, noting a distinct difference. We also passed grocery and furniture and hardware stores, gas stations, and other commercial sites. Stray dogs roamed the streets that definitely had a third-world country vibe. The guide mentioned that the highest elevation was 4000 feet. They produce shade-grown coffee, and Mayan cacao farmers make chocolate. They also grow sugar cane on this island and make rum. We stopped at a rum factory store and at the Belize sign along the way.

     

              

Shopping by the port terminal was the best bet. There are plenty of shops and a couple of restaurants for lunch. The recommended Wet Lizard was crowded so we ate at a different restaurant with a water view. We bought bags of ground coffee and chocolate bars, which cost six to seven dollars apiece depending on the store. No gift boxes of fancy chocolates as I’d expected. It was fun shopping here for souvenirs.

Cozumel

Cozumel is one of my favorite shopping ports. We’ve been to Tulum and done the Mayan ruins, so we don’t have any need to go there again. We have shopped downtown and at their various docks, so nowadays we just shop around the port. These complexes have more than enough stores to keep you busy. We ate lunch in Margaritaville with our friends, Ann Meier and Pat Babcock.

          

Grand Cayman

We’ve also seen the sites at Grand Cayman and spent time on their famous beach, so this time we tendered into town and walked around the main shopping street which didn’t take too long. We headed back to the ship for lunch.

             

Celebrity Apex Ports of Call Western Caribbean #cruising #CelebrityCruises Share on X

This concludes my journal of our voyage on Celebrity Apex! I hope you’ve enjoyed these photos and descriptions. We’re ready to book the next trip!

Cozumel

Cozumel, Mexico

Ships can dock at several different piers in Cozumel. Our pier had a concrete shopping center with a wide variety of native goods, jewelry, and liquor. We passed on catching a taxi into town or doing a shore excursion, having been here before. Instead, we spent several hours browsing the port shops and buying some beautiful woven blankets.

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We ate lunch at Senor Frogs by the water, enjoying Bahama Mamas and splitting a beef fajita. The food was good and the rum was plentiful. By the time we boarded the ship, we were both ready for a nap.

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Cozumel has beautiful crystal-clear water that is perfect for water sport enthusiasts. As Floridians with our own swimming pool and beaches, we chose to go shopping instead. Besides, we’re coming back here in February on the conference cruise sponsored by Florida Romance Writers.

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And so ends our cruise aboard the Celebrity Equinox. I hope you’ve enjoyed my journal entries.

 

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