A look on board Celebrity Apex as it docks in Southampton

Celebrity Apex - one of Celebrity Cruises' most state-of-the-art ships - arrived at around 5am yesterday for the start of a summer of cruises from Southampton which runs until October.

According to Giles Hawke, Managing Director and Vice President of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the ship will also be returning to the city in summer 2025 - with plans afoot to possibly bring her back for 2026 too.

READ MORE: Celebrity Cruises' Apex: All you need to know ahead of arrival

Giles Hawke from Celebrity Cruises (Image: NQ)He said: "Southampton is the cruise capital of the UK and northern Europe, and it is a really important stepping off point for customers - so if you want to be serious about cruising in the UK market, you have to get a ship out of Southampton."

He told the Echo it would bring extra tourism and money into the local economy.

"There's a statistic that 70 per cent of Brits take an overnight stay before or after their cruise - so local taxi and transport companies, hotels, restaurants and other businesses will do well out of this," he said.

"We've got a 35 per cent mix of customers from outside the UK travelling on this ship - and all those people will be flying at least a day before their cruise, if not more. So the benefit to the local economy is significant."

The Celebrity Apex's 'Magic Carpet' (Image: Celebrity Cruises)Celebrity Apex, which was built in 2020 and can take around 3,000 passengers, will kick off her season from Southampton with an eight-night Norwegian Fjords cruise.

This will take in Bruges in Belgium as well as the Geirangerfjord, which sees waterfalls cascade into deep-blue water and snow-capped mountains tower around the ship.

The ship's itinerary includes a variety of four-to-13-night sailings to the Canary Islands, the Arctic Circle, Northern Europe and Ibiza.

Celebrity Apex's Resort Deck (Image: Celebrity Cruises)Complete with 29 restaurants, bars and lounges, the Apex also has a solarium with an indoor pool, a rooftop pool and bar, a theatre and spa and gym facilities.

Among its unique selling points are the Magic Carpet - an adjustable, panoramic platform attached to the side of the ship which turns into a bar or a restaurant - and the two-storey Edge Villas, complete with their own terrace and plunge pool.

By night, Le Grand Bistro restaurant becomes Le Petit Chef - which sees projectors in the ceiling transform each table into a screen, creating an immersive dining experience.

The Retreat Sundeck on Celebrity Apex - for suite customers (Image: Celebrity Cruises)The leader of Southampton City Council, Lorna Fielker, was thrilled to see Celebrity Cruises' seal of approval in Southampton.

She said: "It's wonderful that Celebrity Apex is making Southampton her home. This further cements our status as the home of cruising on the UK.

"We look forward to welcoming many more visitors to Southampton and encourage them to spend some time exploring everything this city has to offer."