On May 25, 2025, Celebrity Cruises postponed the embarkation of the Celebrity Apex in Southampton (England) due to a gastrointestinal illness/Norovirus outbreak reported during the previous voyage.
The company confirmed that several passengers on the 8-night roundtrip, which departed on May 17th, experienced symptoms of acute gastroenteritis.
In response, Celebrity implemented enhanced sanitizing protocols both within the terminal and onboard the ship. As a result, embarkation was delayed by two hours, with boarding commencing at 1:30 p.m. All guests were required to be onboard by 4:30 p.m., with final check-in by 3:30 p.m. The cruise line advised guests to adhere to their assigned boarding times to prevent terminal congestion.
Despite the delay, the subsequent 11-night voyage proceeded as scheduled, with planned calls at Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn, and Visby.
Celebrity Cruises emphasized that the health and safety of guests remain their top priority and stated that they continue to monitor the situation closely.
For more Celebrity Apex incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.