Celebrity Cruises and Park West Gallery Return to the Seas with the First Voyage of Celebrity Apex

The cruise industry came back in a big way last week thanks to the new Celebrity Apex, one of the latest ships from Celebrity Cruises.

The ship set sail for a seven-day journey on the Aegean Sea, marking the first European passenger cruise by a major cruise line since March 2020. This special voyage also witnessed the return of Park West Gallery’s popular cruise ship art programs to the high seas. Park West invited an exclusive group of their VIP collectors to join them for the inaugural sailing, which departed from Athens, Greece.

“This was, hands down, the most elegant cruise experience I’ve ever had,” said Jordan Sitter, Park West’s Principal Auctioneer for the Apex sailing. “Almost every guest said it was the best cruise they’ve ever been on. The fact that everything on this voyage went so smoothly is an enormous testament to Celebrity Cruises and proves that the cruise industry is officially back!”

The entire crew of Celebrity Apex was vaccinated for COVID-19 and at least 95% passengers were vaccinated as well. The ship enforced rigorous safety protocols and, by the final day of the cruise, not a single crew member or passenger had tested positive for COVID-19. Throughout the sailing, passengers had the chance to enjoy the idyllic Greek scenery and visit Rhodes, Mykonos, Santorini, and Limassol.

Park West Gallery brought 130 VIP collectors along for the luxurious journey, hosting shore excursions, fine dining, and their signature live art auctions. The collectors were joined by three major contemporary artists—Mark Kostabi, Orlando Quevedo, and Viktor Shvaiko. Amazingly, all three artists broke their career-best auction records during the live auctions on Celebrity Apex.

“We were completely knocked out at how excited our collectors were to get back on board a cruise ship,” said Albert Scaglione, Park West Gallery’s Founder and CEO. “They wanted to collect art, see old friends, and just enjoy the experience of cruising again. We can’t wait to get back on more ships and share our art with even more passengers around the world.”

Park West Gallery is scheduled to return to multiple cruise lines throughout 2021 and 2022, bringing its cruise ship galleries and live auctions back to seafaring travelers worldwide.