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Celebrity Equinox

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Well worth the wait! 8 glorious days on the Equinox for a party of 6

We  decided on this cruise because it had a 10 day schedule to the southern Caribbean Islands. 

We reviewed information on this cruise on youtube , one word of caution, do not listen to anyone on youtube, I believe they are getting some kind of benefits from promoting these cruises,

I will make a list of issues regarding this cruise,

1. Furniture, bathrooms, fixtures, pool area, spa, stateroom,all need updating. Everything looks worn. Carpets look worn and dirty, bad smell near hot tubs. Chairs have no cushion,

2, Food in general dinning room was very poor quality along with extremely slow service. Food in general buffet area was ok but nothing memorable.  Coffee was horrible.  If you want a good cup of coffee you have to buy it in their coffee shop at $6.00 a cup. No water unless you get it to drink in dinning rooms. Have to buy water if you need in your room.

3. Entertainment was really bad. We only saw one show that was good. The entertainers they hire talk to much, are not old or poor quality singers, magic show was awful...all of it reminded us of an old folks home Entertainment. 

4. Spa and gym. Spa needed a lot of repairs , overall look and quality was poor. Gym was just ok and too small. Be careful about attending any classes. We attended a back pain class abd it turned out to be someone trying to sell us shoe inserts for 200.00. 

5. Ports - only worth while stop was St, Kits, the other ports were a mess, dirty , people chasing us for using them for services, The excursions provided by the cruise, were just ridiculously expensive. 

Summary : We paid a lot of money for this cruise . We had a suite that needed to be updated in everyway, we constantly felt that if we wanted better anything they wanted more money. 

If all you want to do is over eat and drink and no regard for anything else than this is the cruise for you. For us it was not worth the money we spent.

Very Disappointing 

The terrible experience for us was the boarding. Coming from Europe we needed the Esta Permit which we got online. While we had no problem getting into the USA we had problems to get onto the ship. Nowhere does Celebrity state that you have to bring the Esta in print or show it on your handy. As ours was applied for quite a while ago I had problems retrieving ours, took 45 minutes and was a very unpleasant experience.

Once on board we started to enjoy our cruise. Nice cabin with the bed next to the balcony. Gym and indoor pool just steps away. If you want a proper swim do it at 8:00 am or a little before. The solarium was the place for us. It is not our idea of a vacation to lie like sardines with other travelers next to the pools outside, the solarium was less crowded and had much better deck chairs. Also the sports cafe was there for a light breakfast with super Italian coffee.

The shows were ok, we liked the magician and the Neal Diamond singer.

The highlight was the Restaurant Blue. An intimate atmosphere with great staff. Isabel from Zimbabwe and Wayne from Indonesia and the other staff made every evening a special occasion for us. We met some very nice fellow travelers also and most evenings shared our experiences and good laughs with them. 

Ah yes, the food. Wow, having traveled the world and more than 65 countries, let me assure you, the food in Blue is better than in most 5 Star resorts. A very tasty Chianti Classico was the icing on the cake.

We had prepaid basic internet, yes, it was very basic. The classic drink package worked very well for us. Tips were prepaid which was fine and left a lot of room for extra cash hand outs.

Ports visited were Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia Martinique and St. Kitts. The only island we had never been to was Martinique. Unfortunately the ferry’s were on strike so we took a taxi to the beach, was ok.

On St. Kitts we took the ferry to Nevis and visited the Golden Rock Plantation Hotel, lovely. Nevis is one of the nicest Islands.

Disembarking was a breeze and all in all it was a great trip.

Choose Aqua Class and you will get the fantastic Restaurant Blue

I have been on several cruises, mostly with Royal Caribbean but one prior Celebrity cruise eight years ago. The difference between that pervious Celebrity cruise and this one is noteworthy. 

This sailing left from Port Everglades, logistics and parking were typical and if you filled out all the documents and requests prior to embarkation day, it’s extremely quick. It’s worth the time to submit all that digitally and setup the Celebrity app in advance. This was the fastest embarkation experience I’ve had.

Cabin

Concierge class veranda stateroom on deck 10. The stateroom is typical for Solstice class ships and suitable enough for this 10-night journey if not a little small. The big sofa is useful and the tv is nice and large. The power outlets are too few and outdated. Bringing an approved power strip with USB, etc. helps but one more item to pack. As many have mentioned the outlets are far from the beds should that matter for your needs. I did notice the blackout curtains had some cracks in the folds allow a few dots of light through and the bedding, which was pretty thin, had the occasional little mark here and there.

The balcony condition was another issue with the stateroom. It seems common for the glass to not be clean upon Embarkation these days and instead be cleaned at some point in the journey, but I really question why. It makes such a terrible first impression for the balcony glass to be dirty. Beyond that the glass was stained from an extremely sloppy railing varnishing job, drops and streaks of it could be seen on the glass and even once “cleaned”. There was also some severe frosting/white staining of the glass, obscuring the ability to see through it near the corners. The decking was also damaged in several spots, bubbling up from all the water exposure and rust was evident in many places on the ceiling and side dividers.

Bathroom

For some reason they have replaced the handheld showerheads with a fixed showerhead. This was a terrible choice and made the already too low water pressure even less useful since the flexibility of the handheld unit is gone. They have also removed the clothesline in the shower which was very useful for getting items dry. It was much harder to do with the two pegs they have in its place. Two perplexing choices that have made the bathroom a less useful experience. Otherwise, the bathroom is a touch too small, especially the toilet placement, leaving little room for your knees.

Ship

The Equinox looks decent for its age and was in clean condition overall. Some of the softer furnishings on the ship do look lived-in with some fabrics and padding looking and feeling worn-out. The colors and patterns are also starting to look dated but nothing glaring with some of the more recently updated areas, like the Sunset Bar, looking good. The most noticeable sign of things not right was in the extra charge specialty restaurant, Murano. There was a missing glass light fixture and several burnt out light bulbs! Compared to the Silhouette, the other Solstice class ship I’ve been on, Equinox lacked any special touches and the ship artwork collection was not captivating. The Silhouette, which is slightly newer in the Solstice class, had some different, fun, and interesting spaces as we all a great art collection.

Dining

Perhaps the biggest let down and obvious downgrade from my previous Celebrity cruise was the food. It was a disappointing experience with obvious cost cutting and cutbacks having taken place. Gone is any attempt at gastronomy or decadence. Most of the food tasted as if it was prepared with the smallest amount of ingredients as possible. Flavorless sauces, overcooked fish, and a menu that has too few choices and variety. We ended up just avoiding the MDR by the middle of the cruise because of how disappointing it was in both taste and choice. Even the desserts were uninteresting and only okay tasting. The buffet was okay and at least has more options although on a 10-night cruise it does get old too. Getting drink service at tables in either the MDR or Oceanview is not great and got harder to come by with each day. The bar staff and MDR staff were friendly but overworked. We tried two extra cost restaurants, Murano (decent) and Tuscan grill probably offering the best meal of the trip but even these meals had some obvious low points that again seem to be from penny pinching.

Activities/Service/Entertainment

A good number of actives were available although more karaoke and movie showtimes would be nice. A lot of it was for a slightly older crowd. Staff was friendly enough, but some appeared overworked which I assume is either due to shortages or cutbacks. Service was hit or miss. The entertainment was also hit or miss. Some of the shows were interesting and some were just not good. I appreciate the young talent and their eagerness to entertain, it’s perhaps a lack of substance in the materials. Some better audio handling would help the productions overall.

Disembarkation

Celebrity informed us the night before that we would be arriving in a DIFFERENT terminal than we left from and if you parked in the Palm garage a shuttle would be provided. We had a feeling this would be an unwelcome change and it was. It turned out Celebrity was doing this because their new ship was in port and had taken the spot. Now I would generally not care about this detail, but it ended up costing us time and money. The “shuttle” to get you to the area near the parking garage was a chaotic mess. They had people load their luggage into the bottom of greyhound style buses and it took forever. After waiting too long we were offered a smaller shuttle van ride for $7pp. We did this just to get away quicker but, the port should really have a nice clear way to WALK to the garage from this other terminal for cases like this. It’s a nasty mess that you have to pay your way out of.

Overall, this was an okay cruise with the food being the biggest disappointment and obvious change from years ago Celebrity. It feels like Celebrity has decided to keep their fares lower and just reduce the quality of the experience while marketing themselves as still more. That doesn't seem like a great plan long term for the brand. I plan to try Virgin Voyages and some other lines before returning.

Decent cruise with bad food.

Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our cruise (our 9th)-

Great staff, good slick service generally and the ship was in absolutely fine condition given it is about to be dry docked and refurbed.

Main complaint was around chaos every evening in MDR and menu choice which was pretty poor. For the first time every cruising we chose to got Ocean View one evening as the starters consisted of 4 soups and the ever available prawn cocktail and snails. Where you used to have the standard "always avialble" section at the bottom now those are included to make it look like there re more choices. Also the soup/salad course gone and rolled into appetizer choices ( so with soup, salad, snails and prawns basically only ever two choices that changed materially) . Likewise the main course pretty poor too with variations on the same thing with a different veg/carb element eg often often two steak dishes. The service was good in terms of the personnel but the actual number of them and training left a lot to be desired. in the 9 nights we ate there we never once got a table that was fully properly set- always plates, glasses or something missing.

Lot of little things gone ( like welcome on board drink, breadsticks at lunchtime, sweets at ice cream station, fresh juice at brekkie on classic package) and other things that used to be standard not to be paid for ( but in a way don't mind that as then if you don't use you don't pay). Also a real lack of fish ( other than frozen fried/baked) in the OV and salads pretty basic compared to those of old. Also sneakily a number of the bars told us the menus had not been updated so on classic drinks packages many of the things were not included as now $11 rather than 10 as per the menu. To be fair to the staff though they were always happy to make for you and I noticed about 4 days in the bar menus were rarely left out! 

Entertainment was in the main very good other then the main Celebrity performance (Topper). Great silent disco and sad not to see the sky lounge  used more but I suspect as much easier to get everyone engaged and catch their attention if in the main foyer as a central hub. 

Main annoyance was the cabanas you now have to pay for on deck 15- what a  waste of time as never in the  entire cruise did I  see anyone pay to use them and I walked the deck a lot!

Good but still not up to pre covid dining standards in MDR

We have been on many cruises (about 27 now) and have been suite guests for many of them, commonly referred to as Retreat guests. Well, now, on Celebrity they have taken away many of the perks that used to come with being Retreat Guests like no butler service, and the room was just a little bit larger than a veranda room at 3 times the cost. Also, the Sundeck was only reachable by climbing stairs, which made it out of the question for me.

We used to like cruising with Celebrity because of the wonderful way we were treated. Not anymore. People actually told us that these changes had been made to try to bolster their profits that they had supposedly lost from covid but the statements we have been seeing do not support this.

The stateroom we stayed in was on the 12th deck, and was right under the Oceanview Cafe (the buffet) so we heard carts, tables, and chairs moving around at all hours keeping us awake. The balcony was old and rusty and had a roof that extended a few yards so we could not see the sky. 

The menus have changed as did the quality of the food. We tried to order a few things just to be told, "Sorry, we don't have that anymore."

There was no warning about any of this, in fact a couple of the people that worked onboard told us they were told not to tell us anything.

They also turned the air conditioning off every night for a few hours.

We have a couple more cruises already scheduled with Celebrity (Retreat) that we probably cant get out of, but we wish we could.

Things have definitely changed

This was our first cruise since the pandemic and we chose Celebrity based on two prior cruises with the line. 

We were in the Starboard Aft section of the ship. It was an obstructed balcony cabin, but the only obstruction was a bit of decking blocking a direct downward view. Otherwise the view was perfect. Cabin was quiet, comfortable and with enough room for us.

Service- Service on the ship was uniformly excellent. Celebrity still services rooms twice a day and the room was always kept spotless. I did notice that the room steward had no assistant as I had seen on past cruises, but in spite of the workload did a great job and was always very friendly. Staff in the main dining room was attentive, friendly, professional and timely with all food delivery. Bar service was good as well- we never felt we had to wait too long for our drinks.

Entertainment- Production shows were good- one (Topper) is an old one we had seen years ago though. Singer (Leah Canali) was very good. Robert Neary did his Neil Diamond experience show which was good, though Neil Diamond is not my favorite musician. The three comedians on the cruise were all good. So, not blown away but we were very entertained- a four out of five overall. Activities were fine- different contests, exercise classes, etc., all normal cruise fare and all fine.

Ports of Call- There were five ports on this cruise:

- San Juan- We did a sunset walking tour through Celebrity which was very informative. Old San Juan was very interesting

- St. Thomas- We did a party boat and beach tour through Celebrity- I don't recommend this one- the boat was fine but we had an hour on a public beach that was nothing special and had many locals smoking pot right next to us. It's their island, but not what we wanted on vacation.

- St. Maarten- Phillipsburg is a ghost town versus the last time we were five years ago. We took the water taxi into town, walked around for a bit and went back to the ship to relax. Not a bad port, but I wouldn't want to return.

-Tortola- Took a bus tour around the island through Celebrity. Tortola was beautiful! Tour was very nice. Stopped at a local beach for an hour where I would have spent the whole day if I could. I'd consider a vacation on Tortola in the future.

- Puerto Plata- Did a tour through Celebrity that stopped at a rum factory, cigar factory and chocolate factory as well as some shopping, Very fun tour and the rum and cigar factories were really informative about their products. We liked Puerto Plata a lot.

Overall we had a great time on this cruise. Celebrity has cut back a bit in some small ways versus past cruises, but nothing significant. It still delivers a great cruise experience and a definite bang for your vacation dollar.

Great Cruise on the Equinox

We chose this Caribbean cruise because we’ve enjoyed previous cruises (on different cruise lines) and we got a good deal. The good: we were upgraded from an ocean view cabin to a partially obstructed balcony. The embarkation, debarcation, and muster drill were  quick and efficient The crew were outstanding and the service was amazing. The entertainment was enjoyable and varied but I missed daily bingo. We met some wonderful fellow cruisers.  The bad (or disappointing): the food. I was surprised that they charged for three entrees in the main dining room. They offered too many pasta dishes. Most of the desserts in both the main dining room and the buffet were tasteless. In the cabins I missed the towel animals and we couldn’t get cold water from the spigot. Our sheets had a large, gross, stain on them.  As for the “ugly”: the chairs in the public areas were terrible! Either we slid off of them or we could feel springs when we sat down. In the theater, I sat in a chair that tilted down and the armrest was broken off completely. In conclusion, I enjoyed the cruise because of the many positive experiences, but it was not what I expected from Celebrity.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Cruise was chosen because of an offer from the casino, however, I was on this ship approximately 4 years ago as well. I had an amazing balcony view, actually my best yet. The balcony was slightly larger then most standard balconies because of it's location.  I found the food to be delicious in the main dining room. Our waiter Weldon and assistant Lee were attentive, funny, and genuinely nice. I must include a huge thank you to Emile the maitre d who always found a table when needed. The ship has been well maintained. 

My least favorite port was St. Maarteen only because of the aggressiveness of the vendors trying to sell either seats on the beach or trinkets, or the boat taxi people asking for tips when just doing their job. Puerto Plata port was amazing. Use the lazy river and pools right at the port at n/c, they are absolutely beautiful. 

I'll agree with others reviewers that the entertainment as far as production shows needs improvement. I did sit through most shows, not leaving before the end, because there is a lot of talent involved what these people do but it was not the full productions that I see on different ships. 

Only ship I've ever been on that doesn't have a smith machine in the gym.

What an amazing trip

We always enjoy the Solstice class ships and this cruise was no exception.  The service was outstanding--cabin steward, bar service, MDR, coffee shop, etc.   No issues with service anywhere on the ship despite it being a full sailing.   A few guests at the martini bar were expecting 30 second service and voiced some complaints (we all know the type), but the service was excellent and the bar staff should all be commended.

The ship itself showed well in the common areas and in the guest rooms given the age of the ship.  It is starting to show it's age in the exterior--a lot of visible rust, railings need some attention,  pool showing a little age etc.   Given it's age and not being given a full overhaul like the Silhouette, she remains a great ship.  It is certainly not on par with the glitz and glam of the new Edge class ships--but still a very fun.

The MDR was very good.  There are far fewer options that change on a daily basis, but we never struggled to find something of interest.  The service by the MDR ream was outstanding.  The wine selections for the premium package have been tightened up a bit--don't expect Cakebread or equivalent.  The buffet was fine as well--plenty of options.  Again we heard some complaints about the food from other guests--but I'm pretty sure they aren't eating 4-5 star meals every night at home.

We don't go to the shows or do any of the ships run excursions so I can't make any comments on those events.  It was very nice that we were the only ship at each of the ports.  That was a first for us to have no other ships at any of the ports!

Overall, just a very nice cruise with a nice itinerary.  Certainly nothing happened on board to make us think about cancelling any of the 8 future bookings we have with Celebrity.

Another great time on the Equinox

We have sailed on Carnival and Royal Caribbean in the past, and wanted to try something different. We had heard very positive reviews about Celebrity and when we found that the second person was 75% off, we went with the Celebrity Equinox. Overall, we had a good cruise. Some things that could not be controlled included the blistering hot and humid days every day of this 8-day trip (that's what we get for traveling in August). 

PROS: Spacious concierge balcony cabin, excellent air conditioning, a good selection of TV stations, plenty of activities (we're trivia buffs), and the specialty restaurants (Murano, Tuscan Grill) were excellent! I've never had lobster as succulent as that served at Murano. Our room attendant, Hasib, was absolutely fantastic. We couldn't have asked for a better attendant. Towels were provided at the pool which was a nice perk. Although we needed earplugs when in the theatre to watch the evening show (it was way too loud), the talent was excellent. Embarkation and disembarkation were always a breeze. The bed is comfortable and there was plenty of storage! The shower easily accommodated my 6'4" husband, but it took forever to wash my long hair because of the water pressure. Staff everywhere were extremely hard working and friendly.

CONS: We were extremely disappointed most of the time with the Oceanview Cafe (buffet). Neither of us like peppers (green, red, yellow) and it seemed like there were peppers in everything (leaving the food tasting like peppers even after the peppers were picked out). The desserts appeared to be purchased in bulk from a large warehouse grocery chain (like Sam's Club) every day; very little (if anything) made from scratch.  It was often difficult to find a place to sit to eat (we finally figured out that if we went to the Cafe about 10-15 minutes before it opened, we could easily find a table). There were a few really good lunches (the first day and the day when fresh shrimp was served), but the dinners were lacking. Frequently, the food was luke warm at best. Breakfast was good; the French toast was outstanding. The pizza station and ice cream are in the buffet rather than separate and elsewhere on the boat (there is ice cream at the Cafe al Bacio). The main dining room (MDR) - Silhouette - was busy and noisy, particularly with kids and babies. We went there one night when they were having lobster - it was dry and cold. The shrimp cocktail was four small rubbery shrimp inside a small bowl with a little bit of lettuce.  The French onion soup was outstanding. The way the safety drill is conducted is genius!

VERY HELPFUL THINGS THAT WILL MAKE YOUR TRIP MORE ENJOYABLE: Leave your clothes on your thin home hangers and pack them that way. When you get to your room, just take the clothes out and hang them up. Take lounge chair clips to hold your towel in place. A hanging over-the-door shoe organizer was the best thing we took with us; we used it for everything from boat shoes to deodorant which kept the room organized and tidy.  I read a lot of tips and used many of the ideas, such as magnets for hanging up wet bathing suits, small travel size laundry detergent so I could wash underwear in the sink, and sports water bottles that we could fill with ice water and take with us as we walked on the boat and on our excursions.

Overall, a good cruise, but next time we won't go in August!

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