Celebrity Equinox Review
A Splendid Time on the Celebrity Equinox
Rating by category
Additional details
The first time for us on a Celebrity ship and to add to the excitement it was one of their Jet Set Sail options. Wonderful for us as we drove the short distance to London Stansted where the car was collected and we waited in seclusion from the rest of the airport. The flight was operated by Titan Air (who?) and for anyone who recalls the heady days of Britannia Airways in the 1980s . . . well, I'll leave that thought with you.
The transfer from plane to Barcelona port was quick and easy and soon we were onboard this rather impressive ship. I had been a little worried about not spring for the usual Royal Caribbean super tanker but I was in for a very pleasant surprise. The Equinox has some lovely public spaces and a great deal of thought has gone into their design. Maybe the fact that this was outside the school holidays helped too. No gangs of feral kids of the warpath.
Thumbs up for the Oceanview Cafe which seemed to have acres of space and didn't feel like the usual scrum of the Windjammer (RC ships). The food here was great too. There was plenty on offer for breakfast and the lunches were exceptional. We didn't have dinner here but I can only assume that they must have been of a great standard too.
Cabin Review
Concierge Class 2
The cabin is situated on deck 12 at the far end of the corridor which may be a problem if there are mobility issues.
The cabin itself is of a decent size but you have to be fairly organised to make the most of the space. There are a few drawers below the TV, a decent sized wardrobe and two cupboards, oddly placed over the bed. Speaking of which, I slept soundly on a lovely cushioned mattress with two decent pillows. There are also several other scatter cushions which seem a little superflous as does the coffee table. A space this small does not need a coffee table!
There is a small fridge with mini bar but (to the outrage of this Brit) no kettle! I did ask the cabin steward but he didn't seem very interested and suggested that I phone housekeeping. Then I discovered Cafe el Bacio on deck 5 and the need for a kettle dissolved!
The bathroom has sink, toilet and a shower which seemed slightly more generous than those on Royal Caribbean ships.
Not a massive balcony but plenty of room for a couple of loungers and a table.
Now for the negative bit! There did seem to be a great deal of noise coming from the deck directly above. This seemed to start around 4am/5am with the sound of chairs being scraped across the floor together with what appeared to be the crashing of heavy doors. if you are light sleeper, then take earplugs!
Port Reviews
Toulon
Arrived on a Sunday when more or less everything was closed save for the sprawling outdoor market! Sat down by the seafront with a coffee and croissant.
Rome (Civitavecchia)
Didn't bother with Rome (been before) and so took the shuttle into Civitavecchia. First impressions were not great but after a little wandering we discovered a lovely seafront and fruit market. An ideal place to stretch your sea legs but not much more.