Celebrity Cruises Cancels a Month of Sailings for One Ship

Celebrity Cruises has reached out to guests booked aboard select sailings of Celebrity Apex in late 2024 to inform them that the sailings are now cancelled due to a change in dry dock availability. Alternate sailings are available for guests who wish to rebook from the four impacted cruises.

Celebrity Apex Cruises Cancelled

A total of four Celebrity Apex sailings are now cancelled for the Edge-class vessel, owing to a change in dry dock schedules that has forced the cruise line to adjust the ship’s deployment plans. Celebrity Cruises has reached out to guests to inform them of the changes, which impacts cruises from October 23, 2024, through November 23, 2024.

“These sailings must unfortunately be redeployed to accommodate an earlier dry dock schedule,” the email reads. “Due to this change in dock availability, we must cancel bookings and reaccommodate guests to alternate sailings.”

Four sailings are now cancelled, including an 11-night Canary Islands cruise from Southampton, the ship’s post-dry dock transatlantic sailing, and two Caribbean itineraries. The impacted cruises are the October 24, November 3, November 16, and November 23 departure dates, all in 2024.

There is no explanation given for the shift in the dry dock schedule, but such changes are not uncommon, especially for schedules more than a year in advance. This gives the cruise line and the shipyard plenty of time to make necessary adjustments.

The second ship in the innovative Edge class, Celebrity Apex debuted in 2020. The 130,818-gross-ton vessel has not been in service long, owing to the enforced layup of the industry-wide pandemic shutdown, but all cruise ships undergo dry docks for general refreshment and maintenance every few years.

Celebrity Apex can welcome as many as 3,405 guests aboard for each sailing, and 1,320 international crew members are available to provide superior service to make every passenger truly feel like a celebrity.

Alternative Cruises Available

Celebrity Cruises has offered several comparable sailings for guests to rebook their vacations, with similar departure dates in November and December 2024.

Six alternatives are available, five of which are also on Celebrity Apex, while one – another transatlantic option – is aboard the slightly smaller, Solstice-class Celebrity Silhouette. “It is our hope that you will sail with us aboard a comparable Celebrity Cruises sailing,” the email said.

The destinations for the alternative sailings vary but are similar to the now-cancelled cruises. Two itineraries are “Canaries and Portugal” sailings, two options are transatlantic cruises, and two are Caribbean voyages calling on top ports such as St. Kitts, Tortola, Key West, Bimini, and Labadee.

For all the alternative offerings, guests’ booking rates are protected or will be changed to the lowest available rate in like accommodations.

Travelers can also choose to rebook aboard any Celebrity Cruises ship for any sailing at the prevailing rate and will receive an onboard credit of $200 (USD) per standard stateroom, and $400 per suite.

Guests who choose not to rebook will receive a full refund of all monies paid back to the original form of payment.

“We know how precious your time is an never intend to complicate your vacation planning,” the email said. “We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this causes.”

All affected guests should note that the cruise line is not offering reimbursement for cancelled flights because of this adjustment. Since the now-cancelled cruises are at least 16 months away, however, most airlines will be willing to change travel plans or offer refunds for cancellation, if guests have even booked airfare yet at this early date.

Similarly, guests who may have already made independent tour arrangements at the various ports of call should contact their tour operators for cancellation and refund options.