I take cruises more for the relaxation and entertainment. Educational experiences are normally a pleasant extra, but this trip totally opened a new dimension of understanding world affairs in the Middle East as well. Our trip to many areas with Muslim populations was only heightened by the fact it was Ramadan, the holy period for Islam.
First, I'm not strongly opinionated on any religion. But this cruise opened my eyes as well as my understanding of a part of the world that is remote via television and newsprint. I feel now having walked in many places Jesus walked, where biblical stories (such as David and Goliath) were seen firsthand, and where Muslims observed/celebrate Ramadan that I can relate and empathize readily to the faith that drives us all to find common ground.
First, Celebrity Equinox is a great ship and Celebrity crewmembers were the move professional and "happy" team I have ever experienced of any cruiseline or service segment (hotels, resorts, etc). We landed in Rome for a pre-cruise stay at the Crowne Plaza St Peters in Rome. The hotel was very nice, clean and got our a room early. It's not in the middle of Rome sites/restaurants, but we explored the town (about 12-15 minute walk along a narrow roads) and caught the free hotel shuttle to downtown central rome and walked to all the major attractions. Celebrity provided great directions on how to get our luggage from our hotel straight to our room on the ship on August 31.
Cabin 7223. On the "hump" Port Side with Bed near the Balcony. We could hear noise from the cabin above but we were able to explain to our neighbors that we could hear them stomping around 2 AM in the morning and they were relatively quiet after that.