We have been on over a dozen cruises. In the past 10 years all our cruises have been with Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. It seems with this new EDGE ship, celebrity expended all its energy into the innovation and overlooked the experience, ambiance, sophistication, and class. I really don't know where to begin and how to fix all that is wrong with the experience that they offer. The word dull would be an overstatement. The music venues before dinner are appalling. The lack of fun and excitement they offer is overwhelming. Last year on Jewel of the Seas the experience was fabulous. 200 percent better than this ship. I have 5 more days on this ship and can't wait to get off. Good us mediocre at best. Spa is totally changed and you cannot use the steam or sauna without an$80 fee per day. I could go on and on and on, but I think you understand how distasteful I have found this cruise. The new balcony design is very ineffective and I would not go on any other ship that has this feature. Service is lacking. In the grand atrium, that is hardly Grand at all, you have to stand in line like at Starbucks to order your own adult beverage. Totally classless.!! this is the most money I have spent on a cruise and my expectation that being in concierge class with a cabin on the 12th level I would have gotten a better experience. Sadly I've been disappointed from the moment I arrived. Want to hear about the cabin and the storage and the closets? Awful. Pitiful. Thoughtless. Read Less

We have been on many Royal and Celebrity cruises. We hadn’t really planned it, but when our friend let us know they had found a decent price on the new Edge, we were intrigued. We registered and checked in on line, arrived at 11:00 and were at our room in five minutes where our keys were waiting for us, left the carryons, and put our stuff in the safe, and went for lunch. It was suggested to return around 1:00 and our bags were waiting at the door. We basically loved the fun variety of activities, especially in the evening. Nice varied age groups. Basically smart casual dress for dinner. Very few children. Shows were upbeat, dancers and singers work soo hard, the themes might not be for everyone, a little artsy, group doing Beatles songs had everyone singing, clapping and having a great time. One of the comedians was quite humorous, loved the sing and dance a longs of Queen and ABBA, and the great silent disco...fun to watch and participate. Food in the free dining rooms, 4 of them, was quite good. Had the odd hiccup, but the wait staff was helpful and eager to replace anything we wanted to try. Oceanview buffet had a decent variety, and everything was labeled according to the various diet issues, e.g glutton free, sugar free, dairy, etc. Spa cafe food was repetitive, tiny portions, nothing special. Extras like specialty coffees were priced starting at $5.00, bottled water, smoothies, wine, alcoholic drinks, etc. All had mandatory 20% gratuity...you can buy various levels of packages to enjoy unlimited extras which we purchased for non alcoholic drinks once on board. My husband wasn’t keen, so I just bought it for one of us..me.. The gym had all new equipment, was a strange shape, and there really isn’t any supervision or help around unless, here again, you purchase classes, training, etc. The outdoor walking track was perfect, and went over two levels. 4 1/2 laps =1 mile. Lots of seats, at the pool, some in the water, and little areas to read, or watch the sea, have a nap, several bars, fun to explore. Happy to see the Smoking area moved away from the pool deck doors and up some stairs. No library or games rooms, but people were playing cards and some games around the ship. Spa...We didn’t use it, but it looked busy. The cabin...mixed feelings. I did not care for the ‘infinite balcony’, as it is not a balcony. It is a solarium at best. No sitting outside. The top of the window opens, but there are times when that window can be locked by the bridge, ....rain, too windy, washing the windows, It adds three feet to the overall look of the room, but the word ‘balcony’ should not be ‘sold’ to the public. On the other hand the bathroom was super nice, larger than usual, nice drawer under the sink, shampoo, etc in containers, instead of those little one or two use bottles. Lots of hidden shelves inside cupboard doors in the bedroom, Little stool on the floor is hollow to use for ‘something’? the actual hanging part was kinda small. Move the desk into the dresser and you have a long mirror, and probably other little nooks that I didn’t find. Carribbean ports.. beautiful water and beaches, water sports, ..we’re not big shoppers and the shops seem to look the same in every port. There were at least 8 ships in port on arrival back to Ft. Lauderdale, so we got off early to avoid the deluge of all the people getting off the ships at the same time. Super smooth disembarkation. Happy to have been on the ‘Edge’ Read Less

After being in dry dock, it appears that Celebrity is transforming cruising into a two tier system. They "transformed" the upper sunning deck into the retreat, restricted to suite guests. On our cruise several times I went up to see how much use it was getting and found it to be sparsely used. This makes the public area of the pool decks more crowded since those cruisers apparently wanted to be near the action. On pre-dry dock cruises the sunning deck was already crowded and this made it much worse. The service in the main dining room was not up to par. It was especially slow at breakfast. The express breakfast was anything but. The cabin steward rarely showed up before noon and one day he cleaned the room but didn't put any clean towels on the racks, After dinner and the show, around 11 PM, my wife had to go to guest services to get clean towels, then a crew member comes up and gives us only two bath towels. In the main dining room at dinner I ordered a wine. After waiting for 20 minutes and seeing the sommelier serving others, I got her attention and instead of saying "Sorry sir,I forget and I'll get it right away", She started arguing that I didn't order any. The others at the table heard me order, even the gentleman across our table of 6 who is deaf in one ear! Not the best experience, and we have been on about 60 cruise. On the plus side the bar staff, especially at the Martini bar were excellent, the food was very good and the entertainment was also good. Read Less

We have sailed both Celebrity and Equinox in particular several times before, this cruise, by far, was the most disappointing. The staff was completely I'll-prepared in ALL areas! They were slow ( we waited 40 minutes for breakfast), bars were understaffed (the bars were backed up), staff was uninformed (couldn't give direction), staff was rude! (Each time we mentioned something that was unsatisfactory it was as if we were bothering them, they asked us for our cabin # as if they were going to try to remedy the situation, however they did nothing. Dinners were disappointing from quality to service. To make it worse, each night we had to listen to our waiter give a 5 minute dissertation about how he would like us to give him a #10 rating on the survey. The interactive app is inaccurate and works randomly, which is a major frustration. And lastly, when a roomful of people can only get 6 out of 15 answers (the most) on a trivia game, the questions are obviously too obscure, it makes it no fun. Read Less

I am a 58 year old Type 2 insulin dependent diabetic and this trip report is specifically about my experience as a diabetic on my recent cruise on the Celebrity Equinox. This was my first Celebrity cruise, I’ve cruised with Carnival, RCCI and NCL. We(DH63, DD21, myself) were on Deck 9 in a mid-ship balcony cabin(not Aqua or suite). I brought my own travel sharps container but I believe you can ask your cabin steward for one. Oceanview Cafe Breakfast - We ate breakfast every morning in the Oceanview Cafe. I went to the Omelette station every day and also went to the make your own Muesli station and had cottage cheese and shredded melons, there was only berries on the last 2 days. I was so impressed that he crew member who took the egg and omelette orders remembered that my daughter always liked her eggs over hard and would ask me daily if she were coming to breakfast and if he should put her order in! I wish they had berries every day as melons and pineapple tend to spike my blood sugar. We had no problems finding seating outside. I can’t really comment on sugar substitutes for coffee or teas because I drink my coffee with only a splash of cream and I drink my tea black. I wish they offered a flavored coffee option at the Oceanview Cafe. Oceanview Cafe Lunch - We only ate lunch a few times in the Oceanview Cafe because we weren’t really hungry after having big breakfasts! The salad bar had sufficient offerings and there was a wide variety of other hot options. My daughter who is a very picky non-adventurous eater was very happy with the buffet! Main Dining Room - We ate dinner in the MDR every night. We did not make reservations and had to wait no more than 30 minutes each night around 7PM, which we didn’t mind because we enjoyed getting a pre-dinner drink at the Martini Bar. I appreciated the fact that they had symbols under each item noting if something was vegetarian, healthy, no-sugar added, gluten-free, etc. I thought the food was the best MDR food we’ve ever had in terms of quality and variety. For entrees I mostly had whatever was the daily catch but I also had prime rib, lobster tail and beef tournedo - all perfectly prepared. The waitstaff was very accommodating with my sides substitution requests - I would substitute high carb items with lower carb items that I would see offered with other entrees such as - parsnip puree vs. mashed potatoes or additional vegetables vs. pasta or rice. I appreciated that there was at least 1 No-Sugar Added dessert each night. There was always at least a No-Sugar Added Ice cream and was so happy that it was not just vanilla or coffee flavored! Cafe Al Bascio - They had a No-Sugar Added cookie option daily and they offered a sugar -free Vanilla flavor shot. Martini Bar - I ended up splurging every night here because most of the martini’s had juices in the ingredients. The staff was wonderful and so entertaining! Spa Cafe - I grabbed a Salmon Salad and Caprese Salad for lunch and thought they were delicious! I wish nutrition information was available for the food and drinks such as calories and carbs per serving. I am happy to report that although I splurged daily and I ate and drank much more than I normally do at home and did not go to the gym once, my fasting blood sugars were always in the 80’s, I only gained 1 pound and my A1C was not affected because I had it checked the day after I got home and it came back 4.8! In addition, I use a Cpap machine and had to ask our cabin steward for an extension cord due to the lack of outlets near the bed. She also provided a jug of distilled water. Captain Tasos and Cruise Director Dan and team really made our cruise memorable and we look forward to cruising with Celebrity again! Read Less

We are a couple who has been cruising since 1984 on various lines but mostly Celebrity. Our first sailing (that my husband didn’t want to try) was a prize I won for a real estate sales contest. We went and were immediately addicted even though weather was rainy and the ship was basic. There is lots of talk on these boards about reduced amenities and lowering of standards and l’ll give my 2 cents here. We found the Equinox beautiful, a good value and would sail on her again in a second (we have sailed Equinox previously). This sailing was my husband and I in a Concierge cabin on the 10th floor and our adult son down the hall as a single in an inside. Embarkation was a breeze with our express pass —there was no need to wait on line and stand at the desk while a picture is taken and cards are printed. Picture is taken a you approach the ship in the terminal by Celebrity personnel. We got onboard at 11:30. We had the Concierge embarkation lunch after grabbing our keycards and dropping our carryons in the cabins (our cabins were ready). It was good and so nice not to have to brave the buffet crowd. Equinox looks wonderful with the blue paint job and the public rooms redone with new carpet, etc. Our cabin had new carpet and drapes & linens and recovered couch, all very pretty. The rest of the room was not redone and the stone counter was cracked/broken on one side. The balcony furniture was minus the footstool and had a little table —. not as comfortable but not a big deal. We put a towel on the table and used it as a footstool. My son liked his cabin with 3 chairs and it was in good shape except one day he had trouble with the a/c not working — it was eventually fixed within a few hours. We had room service breakfasts a few days— prompt with the Concierge expanded menu— good coffee, French toast, fried eggs, corned beef hash, pastry, yogurt, oatmeal (not on the same day lol) and our son loved the buffet. The eggs Benedict in the dining room were divine — something we do once per cruise. Lunch was in Dining room or Oceanview or once at Mast grill. There were so many choices and the food was very good. The best thing I had at the buffet was spanakopita and the pizza Dinner was Main Dining and one night in Tuscan Grille. Tuscan was great with the best filet I’ve ever had. Our server got the recipe from the chef — I wish I had gotten the tiramisu recipe. My husband and son ate the Branzino fish and we shared an antipasto and had 1/2 portions of pasta. Seriously good. The Main Dining good and service was delicious too with great service from Leandro and Asst J. We had beef, fish, lamb and wonderful desserts. The vegetable portions are small fresh and al dente which we liked but there is soup and salad or you can size up. One night, really 2 nights we added an extra entree to share. There was a comedy show, lots of music and full moon and Motown parties, movies, DJ and activities— there just wasn’t enough time to get it all in & put my feet up on the balcony too. What I would change if I could was the venues. Too many events including Captains Club event with Captain Tasos were held in the atrium/lobby People standing around the railing or on the sides of the dance floor instead of a comfortable venue like the sky lounge or theater. We especially enjoyed the singer Hannah Goodwin with musicians including good horn players from the band. The casino had some fun new slot machines — fun because they actually let you win a bit before they take all your money or a little of our money in our case. A standout fun time was our Key West sailaway party on the helipad with drinks. The first time invitation for us and the view was incredible. The horn scared the you-know-what out of us lol. We were in Cozumel before and this time a ship excursion to Mayan ruins and beach break was so good with Luz, our informative guide. In Key West our glass bottom boat ship excursion as cancelled because of the wind, so we walked around, stopped at the Key West bakery 511 Greene street for delicious Key Lime pie and coffee. A nice time there, & excursion refunded. Didn’t care for the photos done — too rushed. We saw no chair hogs, there was a nice mix of passengers and a lot of people we overheard remarked about the food being especially good. Equinox is a special ship. With good coffee and oh my goodness the donuts at Cafe al Bacio in morning and the Oceanview afternoon teatime blueberry were yummy. So, we live in Florida. There were some perks with our booking, there is free laundry and some other Elite perks and the price was lower than other lines for similar sailing believe it or not. We had a great time, did something or nothing— the crew and staff had great attitudes and the ship is in great shape. I didn’t have anything important to complain about which is unusual for me (joke). Oh, just one thing I would change. I do not like the large pump containers in the shower. I believe (I’m trying to put this delicately) when I’m in the shower the personal products I use should be kept personal. Maybe I’m too subtle but you get the point. I don’t know whether this was done for economical or environmental reasons. I would bring my own, especially body wash next time. Disembarkation was painless. Oh, my husband did have a 3-block walk here also on embarkation not finding the shuttle from the terminal to the parking garage. The porters are helpful. We did have a customs inspection the day before disembarkation where the customs people boarded in the morning and we lined up to have our documents looked at. It wasn’t fun at 7am but it went fast and was handled efficiently. Looking forward to our next sailing. Read Less

We opted to go on Edge because we wanted to experience the new concept.  It was a little disappointing to say the least.  First, we'll start with the very few pluses, check in at the port was extremely easy and much smoother than ever before.  Having to retrieve your room keys from your room is a very welcome change!  Being able to leave your items in your stateroom again is a huge convenience!  Hooray, for those changes.  We're hoping the next cruise in April is the same?  Our stateroom room attendant, Bernadeth, room #12114 (Concierge class) was amazing from the second we met her.  She could not be more efficient and accommodating.  Our room was cleaned and looked perfect every day when we returned from breakfast!  We never had to wait!  She truly was the best we've had in all of our cruises!  Leaving the ship was also very smooth especially not having to stand in customs lines.  We didn't take advantage of being able to stay on board and we did have a later flight but that too is a great new addition!  We had one server, Roger, who was in Normandie Restaurant which we weren't able to enjoy until January 3, 2020!  He was excellent, very friendly and accommodating!  The gangway when exiting in port is a huge improvement!  It's so welcoming! That's about it for the pluses!  The disappointments are quite a few, however, we'll touch on only the ones that "really" disappointed us!   The infinite stateroom, which is a huge upcharge, is disappointing!  We understand the concept, however, it's not like having a veranda/balcony!  It's more like a room with a huge window and when you close the doors it's very, very cramped!  We did like the "charging stations" and the fact that you can use the hair dryer in bathroom.  The new beds were pretty comfortable and the amenities were nice that they were big bottles.  I always brought shampoo and conditioner because those little bottles were always an inconvenience.   The dining situation needs to be explained a little better to first time cruisers on these class ships!  We called prior to boarding but no one could really explain what the whole new dining experience was all about!  We went to the woman we were told to see, Paola, to see if she could help us out.  We were traveling with friends, another couple, so it was just 4 of us and not a large group.  She also didn't explain things in any kind of clear manner.  She informed us that we had to make a reservation in whatever dining room we chose to eat in on those particular evenings.  Well, obviously, every time we tried they had nothing available so by the second day she told us to just go at 8:30 and we should have no problem getting in.  Eventually, that's what we did having to wait sometimes 15-20 minutes to be seated in a near empty restaurant?  The menu in those now "Specialty Main Dining Rooms is underwhelming at best!  The items they offer as "specialty" items are terrible!  Most nights we chose to eat the items off the regular menu because they just weren't very good!  When we cruise most times we buy a Specialty Dining package like on our scheduled 11 night cruise in April we'll be purchasing a 7 or 8 night package because we thoroughly enjoy the specialty restaurants!  We tried to book in the Steak house but were told that it was booked for the entire cruise???   And yes, both couples are Elite and Concierge class and still couldn't get a reservation.  With a little persistence, we were put on a waiting list and finally were able to dine at 6:15 in the Steak House on January 1, 2020 because they said they were full later.  We left the restaurant at 8:45-9:00 and no one came and sat at the empty tables???  Our friends "dry rub aged" NY strip steak, which was another additional charge, was 80% fat!  How disappointing!  No one ever came to ask him if it was ok or why he didn't eat most of it.  Totally lacking the personal touch in this restaurant and at $70/head extra, they should at least be more friendly and experienced servers.  We didn't want to spend New Year's Eve in one of the Main Dining Rooms as again, we weren't too impressed with either one, Tuscan and Cosmopolitan that we had eaten in prior to New Year's Eve.  We were told the only thing available was the Rooftop Grille!  Ok, we thought, it has to be better than the others.  We booked it and had a reservation for 8:00 PM.  Well, unfortunately, it had been raining a little.  We assumed some of it had to be undercover in case of inclement weather or that there would be some kind of alternative?  It had stopped raining by the time we arrived for dinner, however, they had seat cushions piled up on a counter directly behind where they decided to seat us.  We were seated in the chairs which weren't completely undercover and as soon as we both sat down we realized that our seats were wet!  Now, here it is, New Year's Eve, so we both have "evening chic" clothes on, and now they are soaked!  Should they not have checked those before seating someone in those chairs?  The woman, whom we assumed was in charge, looked totally frazzled.  They eventually brought us "blanket" to cover our shoulders because it had started to drizzle again.  We moved our table as far as we could go undercover which meant that our friends were literally up against the kitchen counter with the staff immediately behind.  Our friend actually was getting sprayed with something from the sauté pan that the Chef/cook was making!  Still, we tried to make the best of it!  After all it was New Year's Eve and the main reason we chose to take this cruise on this ship!  Much to our disappointment, dinner did not get any better!  Our server came to take our order.  We had asked if we could order our apps first then decide on our other items.  He informed us that they had a party of 18 coming in and we needed to place our entire order then????    Really??  Again, the lack of professionalism of the servers is apparent in almost every instance!  Needless to say the party of 18 had to be relocated, a matre'd actually came up and accommodated them because they were not happy that they were "expected" to sit out in the rain and dine in their "evening chic" dinner wear!  The woman, who we thought was in charge, apparently, didn't have a clue! So now we're trying to dine with all of this commotion going on.  They "squeezed" another couple next to us, which we actually started talking and laughing with them because that's how close they were and we were still trying to make the best of this horrible dining experience!  However, just when you think it can't get any worse, it does when they bring the food out!  I had ordered soup, it was luke warm at best, no bread was ever delivered to the table, perhaps they don't serve bread up there?  I thought ok, the rest will be better, well we were so rushed, it was crazy.  We weren't finished with one course and they were bringing out the next!  Our apps were again not hot at all and the topper was when our entrees arrived, I believe we all had filets, every one of them was cool, not even warm!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was a total disgrace.  There were only about 15-20 people in the entire restaurant!  Why was our food cold?  We chose not to say anything because, apparently, nothing was being done to accommodate guests.  So we paid $45/head for terrible service, wet dining conditions, and cold dinners!  Again, a disgrace for what we paid for this cruise and specialty restaurant!  Fortunately, the water stains came out from our "evening chic" dress and suit after sending it to the dry cleaners at home!  We managed to salvage the evening with a wonderful New Year's celebration up on the pool deck!  That was a lot of fun!   Another thing lacking on this ship are seats at the bars and the lack of bars and wait staff serving drinks!  We understand that the drink packages impact this, however, we paid for them!  We should be able to get a drink!  At the martini bar, we think we counted only 8-10 seats at the bar?  That's ridiculous!  At the Sunset bar, the same thing!  The "Club" is dark and not very appealing, and Eden, was just too wacky!  We didn't attempt to eat in Eden because we don't want to interact with people while we're trying to dine!  We didn't attempt Bistro because there were an awful lot of families with young children and were afraid that would be more to their liking.  We assumed there were so many families because basically kids go free and of course, it was a holiday.  We vowed to ourselves never to do that again.  We've always gone on Celebrity because it suits our age and service has before this cruise always been top notch.   Lastly, we booked an excursion online before the cruise, St. Bart's on your own, when we booked it we thought our friend did as well, they had forgotten to book it so when we attempted to book theirs, the one that we were on, was fully booked, we paid $119/head.  There was another one leaving earlier.  In order for us to all go together we had to cancel our originally booked one and go on the earlier one. That was fine, however, when we returned home, we realized they charged us $124/head instead of the $119/head.  We know it's not much, but it's the principle of the thing.  Why didn't they charge us the same?  We understand that our friends should have paid the higher price but we should have never been charged the higher price when we rebooked it!   We are truly hoping that our next cruise in April will not be as disappointing!  We have been cruising Celebrity for almost 20 years!  We will not be cruising on Edge or the new Apex anytime soon unless it's an amazing itinerary and an amazing deal!  We really hope that these issues are addressed and that we get some kind of response from the Celebrity family!  As Captain's Club Elite members we should have been treated better!   Read Less

Enjoy travel with Celebrity. Got a great package on this cruise..However dining room meals left much to be desired Limited menu. . Had meals twice in dining room then selected buffets. Enjoyed three nights of Specialty Dining. Raw on five was a great surprise. Oysters and Crabmeats were fresh and delicious. SHOWS were disappointment. Loud. More for younger crowd. Chose to skip shows in favor of entertainment at various longer areas. Greatest disappointment was the room's design. Very large with king bed. However, if you want, or expect, a balcony on which you can sit in the sun as the ship is sailing. Or have breakfast in the morning this is not the ship. You have a window to raise or lower.our cabin location on deck six provided a partial view of lifeboat s which limited ocean viewing.Not in any way anything I would select again. Regardless of discount offerings. Read Less

NYE Cruise for a large family group of 14 to 89 year olds. I have cruised with Celebrity twice before and recently did the RCCL Symphony. Embarkation was an issue. Those that showed up to port early had an hour plus long delay getting to the port. We got there an hour an a half before sailing and most greeters were packing it in so although there were few people in line it took quite a bit. Then Celebrity claimed that it had not received some docs they needed from me that I had emailed 4 days before and they did not have a copier handy to make copies so the lady had to trek to the office, etc, etc, about 45 minutes to check in although we did online check in. Pros Love the ship, it is really nice, the recent up grades show, it does not look like a 10 year old ship at all. Many craft beers to choose from and top shelf scotch and rum, really premium stuff like Macallan, JW Gold, Blue, etc. Many common areas to unwind and lounge Cabins are comfortable Coffee bar is great Cons Food in the MDR and lunch buffet is pretty meh (pizza, burgers and the Indian food are the exception) Service is very spotty, you can't get anyone to take a drink order at Breakfast, can't keep your water glass full at dinner, you ask for a drink and they are missing an ingredient they make no effort to find it. There are things that defy explanation. We ordered two different wines the first day and they told us that they didn't have either one, they tried to push their private label cab which is a pretty crappy $25 cab that they sell for $105. The second day they found one bottle of one of the wines, but they didn't open the wine until half way through dinner, the sommelier apologized, said he had to take care of 75 tables by himself. I was upset, couldn't get the wine I wanted and now was getting bad service. The sommelier came back and told me he had found the original wine that I wanted, 4 bottles he said, over the week a total of 13 bottles materialized which we bought..how does that happen?? Another time the very premium bottle of Rum we were drinking (which was always hidden from view in every bar (???)) tasted different....this is a rum that we drink all the time so we know exactly how it taste..what is that about? For the younger demographic (15 to 23) there is not much to do, music peaks at late 1990s vintage. Still, I enjoyed it more than the Symphony, it's more intimate and more upscale and next time I would just do exclusively specialty dining (tried to here but they couldn't accommodate the large group in short notice) Read Less

We have sailed on the Equinox three other times and had a great experience so we decided to try the New Year's eve cruise. We have a total of 30 cruises with all on Royal Caribbean except the Celebrity cruises on the Edge and Equinox. Getting on the ship was a breeze and we were amazed at how fast boarding went. Our luggage arrived before we sailed and was delivered about an hour after our arrival! Nicely done. One of the reason we chose the Equinox is due to their excellent food in the Oceanview Cafe. I am sorry to report that we were more than disappointed with the quality and selection of the food. Originally we had planned to eat every mean there and skip the Main Dining Room but we ended up going to the MDR to get better food. The food in the MDR was a bit better but the portions were very small! The service in the MDR was excellent and Waiter Michel and his assistant Amol did a great job. My wife ordered a meal that had mashed potatoes . The size of the potatoes was similar to a golf ball! Another reason we booked the Equinox was the Martini bar. Again we were very disappointed in that on past cruises the bartenders were very professional and remembered what you preferred to drink from day to day. There has always been a big following at the Martini bar but things have changed. There was no spark that got the customers happy. The usual bar tricks were now at a minimum and service was quite slow even when there were few people there. The Martini bar DJ was a non issue unlike past cruises. We did find a hidden treasure in the Sunset bar on deck 15. It fit our needs perfectly and Oneil, our bartender did a great job. Only downside was cigarette smoke in the area. The ship was in good condition and clean. Our room was good with a comfortable bed. Sharilyn was our attendant and did a good job on a daily basis but there were no extras like folded towels like animals...it was just basic cleaning and nothing else. Overall the crew was pleasant but no one stood out in customer service. Departure from the ship was easy with self serve. We started departure at 7.15am and by 8.00 we were through Customs, transported to our parking and on our way home! Well done. Overall it was a nice cruise and we enjoyed the New Year's festivities. Fortunately Christmas decorations were still in place for most of our cruise and were beautiful. Yes, we booked again for another New Year's cruise! Read Less

We have cruised many times, mostly on Celebrity. The Equinox is our favorite ship. (The Edge was our least favorite). Everything was very well organized, food was great, loved Captain Tazos, specialty restaurants were highest quality, especially Murano. Book Murano early or you won’t get in. We didn’t do excursions. Service was perfect. Dining room server Melanie was fantastic. We enjoyed the casino. The hostess Andrea was friendly and helpful. We rang in the New Year/ New decade in the ensemble lounge which was quiet as we wanted. The music by Michael Redden there was very enjoyable. My husband took two classes in the ilounge and learned many things about using his iphone that he didn’t know before. We also enjoyed that art auctions. The only thing that could have been better was the size of the bed. The highlight of our trip was meeting Gary Drayton, one of the stars of the Curse of Oak Island. He is a great guy and his family are very friendly. Read Less

My stay on the Celebrity Reflection was absolutely wonderful. From the remarkable staff and the marvelous entertainment to the magnificent rooms, the Reflection was anything but a disappointment. I highly recommend this ship if you are looking for a nice family getaway. I loved how it felt like all of the passengers were a part of one big family. At every single one of the entertainment shows, they placed a ton of emphasis on getting everyone involved, and this allowed for everybody to connect with each other. Furthermore, the cruise director Guiseppi was phenomenal. He was very funny and approachable. He made the trip enjoyable. The ports that we visited were not the greatest, but if you are with your family it can be fun if you visit the beaches in St. Marteen or St. Thomas. Also, the food on this ship was delicious . I recommend going to the Opus dining room for every meal and requesting Horace and Nina if possible. The waiters and waitresses were all nice and did a great job at meeting all of my family's demands. I am very happy that I chose this cruise line to enjoy the holidays and be with my family. Read Less

Choose cruise for timing rather than itinerary. Had not cruised in a long time and this was first on Celebrity, but certainly not our last. Excellent in every way. Ship is beautiful and in excellent shape. We found all crew to be very friendly and accommodating. Food and entertainment ranged from good to great. Crowded at times but never oppressively so. Qsine and Murano were worth the up charge, for us, the Tuscan Grille was not. There was a good choice of bars and lounges with varied types of musicians and singers. Could always find a place to unwind. There was some up selling efforts early on which were not bothersome to us. If you are checking bags, use the valet airline service to disembark which delivers boarding passes and luggage tags to your cabin the last night. Definitely worth the extra $25 per and we disembarked and cleared customs in 15 minutes. Saved our backs as well. Read Less

Fist time on Celebrity Cruises, but probably the last time since we were not happy with the entertainment and activities on the ship (boring for couple age 50+ with son 20): GOOD: Excellent: embarkation and disembarkation Nice: cabins with infinitive veranda Very clean new ship Good food, excellent coffee Ports and Shore excursion organized well IMPROVEMT REQUIRED: Entertainment - more live music, little entertainment for young generation - 18+, I did not feel Christmas on the ship (except seeing Christmas Trees) Sports Activities - very little (no zip lining, tubes) instead we had 2 ping pong tables with lineup- not like at NCL Shows - are very similar daily (acrobatics or singers) Restaurants - missing live music, no restaurant open all day (we are not buffet people) Service - improvement required, staff not putting enough energy since they are not weighted by customers on daily basis (not cards to score the service). To change sitting in the restaurant we were sent to 4 different people. Aqua area with Adults Swimming smells Chlorine since is closed area Ship is beautiful to admire and relax but it is not very practical to have a party and sport activities Read Less

We chose this cruise for the Caribbean itinerary and previous experience with Celebrity. BOAT DESIGN Really like the design of the boat. Now second favourite to Viking ocean cruise ship. It felt fresh and light filled Enjoyed the solarium with soaring glass ceiling and windowed walls for the days when it was too windy to sit outside. It was supposed to be adults only until 4:30 although a couple of people brought kids in. The boat didn't feel too crowded on sea days. The common areas were very comfortable. Lots of places to sit. The Library was a good design feature with comfortable chairs - multi-storey. Didn't have much by way of books that one would actually want to read (lots of decor books). But as with many others, I was reading on my iPad so that lack of books not a problem. There was also a well-designed room with board games that seemed quite popular. DINING and food. Main dining room had good food, good service and was quite elegant. Did not try the speciality restaurants. Had breakfast and lunch at the buffet was quite good with many options. There were always Asian and Indian food, pasta options. The ordinary coffee Lavazza (ie not the premium coffee drinks that you pay extra for or a la carte) was very good. Best of cruise ships I have tried (Princess, Norwegian and Disney ). The a la carte coffee drinks seemed to be a bit more expensive than other ships from what I can remember but the regular coffee was decent. I don't drink alcohol but my husband does. Husband was able to buy a drinks package without me purchasing one (not all cruise ships allow). GYM was very good with good classes. From past experience I knew the spin classes might sell out so went straight to the gym on boarding to sign up. The two fitness instructors were very good, friendly, encouraging and enthusiastic. The gym is on the 12th deck - cardio equipment with views of the sea. There are machines and free weights. Near the gym is the AquaSpa cafe with such things as oatmeal with apple cider vinegar, mini wraps, gluten free mini - muffins etc. SPA was very pricey. There were discounts for spa services later in the cruise and I ended up doing the teeth whitening which gave me good results. Entertainment - really enjoyed the American Ballet Theatre performance (two principal dancers doing pieces from Nutcracker). Entertainment otherwise okay - prefer Princess ships for music and comedy in the evenings - in terms of quality and quantity. Loved the Celebrity App which used the ship's internet for free for messaging with spouse and finding out what events were on - when dining rooms opened etc. NB you don't need to purchase internet to get the free messenging. Paid for regular internet was slow but okay for checking messages.We didn't pay for the expensive streaming internet. Excursions were fine. Would have preferred more detail on the excursions. We did the bike trip in San Juan which was good. Although the description apparently indicated the wearing of closed toe shoes, there wasn't a reminder on the ticket - which resulted in me having to run across the street to buy water shoes or not be allowed on the trip. Best embarkation and disembarkation on a ship I have experienced, Read Less

After 12-15 cruises on various lines, we tried a Celebrity Cruise as a nicer ship from the Royal Caribbean ships. While scheduled for a makeover next year, the ship really needs it. cabins were worn and tired and in need of some better housekeeping. My biggest complaint was the entertainment. Having been so impressed on other ships, especially on Royal Caribbean, we were looking forward to the shows and other entertainment on this ship. The website is so intriguing with a lot of variety and options. The 2 major shows were adequate, nothing special, but the rest was just awful. Excited to hear a Neil Diamond tribute singer, either he was drunk or unprepared or something else. It was a joke, with audience members making comments during and after the show. In fact it was the talk of the entire ship with the late show already hearing the comments from the earlier show. I cant believe that the cruise director allowed this show to go on. The website also shows pop up shows in the atrium that looked fun- none occurred. I could continue but let me summarize that the entertainment was far below expectations and a major let down. They also need to train the dining room staff on how to manage reservations, especially if you have a large group. Otherwise, expect to sit in the back corner of the dining room. I would not recommend this ship at this date. Read Less

We were on the 12/20/19 sailing of the Reflection. The itinerary had stops in San Juan, St. Thomas and Sint Maarten. We got a great deal when booking just 45 days out for a suite and booked 2111 since there was a YouTube review of that stateroom and it fit our needs pretty well since we like privacy on our balcony. Dining: We ate most meals in Luminae with the exception of the first dinner which was in Murano, and Christmas Eve dinner at Le Petit Chef. During the first lunch in Luminae the host offered 30% off of specialty dining, so I highly recommend waiting until you’re on the ship to book speciality dining nights. Murano was absolutely delicious and I highly recommend the experience. The tableside preparation of the lobster feels old school, but in the best way possible. The service like everywhere on the ship was really exceptional, especially from our waiter Oswaldo. Le Petit Chef was fun, but I wouldn’t necessarily do it again. The food was good, but like many others have said, you go for the experience rather than for the food. Luminae was outstanding. We sailed on the Norwegian Bliss in the Haven back in October and the Haven restaurant menu never changed. The food was delicious there also, but it was really nice to have variety for every lunch and dinner. We also ordered off of the main dining menu from Luminae on occasion. Cocktails: My husband purchased the Drinks and More package as an upgrade to the Premium Drinks package after we booked. It came with 2 bottles of wine which were already in our stateroom, a wine tasting on Christmas Day, $50 casino credit pp, and the minibar replenished daily. I think the Drinks and More/Premium Plus package might not have been socialized to everyone because guest services, our butler, and his supervisor didn’t seem to know much about the package. It ended up working out ok, but corporate could have been better about giving folks on the ship info about the package. World Class Bar is an absolute do not miss if you like any sort of craft whiskey cocktails. Miguel and Santos were stellar. If you’re a Sazerac fan, they make a fantastic one. We also signed up for the mixology class which was a lot of fun and really informative. We talked to them later and they mentioned that they could easily have taught a 3 hour class, and I would’ve been 100% there for it. They were a real highlight of the cruise, and were a big part of the reason I left the ship feeling like Celebrity is exactly what I’ve been looking for in a cruise line. Casino: The last night we finally made it to the casino to use our $50 free play. I ended up playing slots because I don’t know how to play any table games and won $25. I know that’s nothing to “real” gamblers, but I’m not much of a gambler. The real highlight here was Barbara who was working one of the Texas Hold ‘em tables. There was no one else at the table, so my husband sat down with his chips and Barbara very patiently and kindly explained how to play and took him through a bunch of hands. He ended up winning about $150 which paid for the Drinks and More package and then some! I wasn’t a gambler, but after that experience watching him play, I’m definitely interested in getting more into it. It was the most fun I’ve had at a casino. Staff and Service: I’ve mentioned a couple of the folks that we interacted with so far, but I can’t have a complete review without mentioning our butler Jo, room steward Sunil, Vishal who’s a waiter in Luminae, and Alina the Luminae host. We’ve been on two other NCL cruises in suites with a butler. Those experiences were good to disappointing. Jo was just spot on and nailed everything. He made sure bottles of San Pelligrino were overflowing in our room and his service was attentive without being obtrusive. His service was exactly what I hope for when I imagine what butler service might be. He really surprised and delighted us several times on the cruise and made us feel welcomed and well taken care of. Wifi: The wifi was fast and convenient on the Reflection. When I first got on I used fast.com to test the speed and got 2.2Mbps down. The upload speeds weren’t great, but wifi backups of photos could wait until I got home. I never felt frustrated by the speeds, and it was dead simple to sign on and sign off different devices. My husband and I both work remotely, so it’s really nice to know that we can go on a Celebrity cruise and not have to worry about being cut off or burning more vacation days than necessary. With the perks we got one device per person which was plenty. Excursions: BOSS Underwater - When we got to St. Thomas we met the excursion at 12pm. I can’t emphasize how nice it was to not have to be up and off the ship first thing in the morning. There was a short 20 minute boat ride out to the dive site, and after some instruction we were broken into 3 groups. Two groups snorkeled while the divers took one group on the underwater scooters. Everything about this excursion was a blast. I was glad I snorkeled before getting in the scooter since I had the chance to get comfortable in the water first. On the way back to the dock, the captain gave us a harbor tour and we saw a bunch of yachts and got some history. Maho Beach - I love planes and large machinery in general, so my husband surprised me with a trip to Maho beach to see the planes fly directly overhead. At Sunset Bar and Grill you can watch the planes fly in over the water. I really enjoyed watching the planes, but Sunset Bar and the beach itself is a mad house. There are people aggressively selling things on the VERY crowded beach, and the bar is incredibly loud. They play music everywhere and have entertainment on the stage. The food is reasonably priced though, and the service was pretty good. You have to pay to use the restroom, and it’s somehow also chaotic in there also, so I recommend going before you leave the ship for the excursion. If you like planes, it’s a must-see. If you want to chill in Sint Maarten it’s the opposite of where you want to go. Wrap up: The Reflection itself is a gorgeous ship. It doesn’t have all the waterslides and racetracks, and I think its better for it. The finishes are understated and elegant, and the staff reflects that with their service. I would go on the Reflection again and again if there weren’t so many other ships out there to try. Costs: Sky Suite - $4600 including 4 perks (wifi, gratuities, premium drinks, $300 onboard credit) plus a $350 Costco cash card Drinks and more package - $50pp - includes 2 bottles of wine, wine tasting, $50 casino credit per person, minibar setup replenished daily Murano - $50pp Mixology Class - $40pp Extra gratuities: $150 to Butler $50 to Cabin steward $20 each to select bartenders and waiters Read Less

We have cruised 35+ times, majority RCL and Celebrity. Embarkation was a breeze, really like the new terminal and how fast you go thru and get on the ship. We experienced this with our last RCL cruise at Miami's new RCL terminal also. Cabin: We were in an Infinite Balcony, deck 7 mid ship. We loved the cabin design/decor, and absolutely love the roll down balcony. The cabin feels much more spacious. The bathroom was very nicely done as well. Lot's more storage, and a much cleaner feel. Dining: We had Select Dining. The wait staff service in the dining rooms proved night after night, to be the dissapointing on this ship. We tried all 4 dining rooms. Across the board, the attitude was more of a 'ready to place your order', no 'suggesting', no somelier (until we asked for a wine list...we all had premium drink packages). On two nights, we had to ask for a bread basket, one was never brought to the table. We had one at our table who was vegetarian, one night they brought him the vegetarian menu, took his order, and then came back 20 minutes later stating they gave him 'yesterday's menu, he needed to re-select the entree. That of course put everyone's dinner on hold. We did like the idea of four different restaurants, giving the dining room a more cozy feeling than a grand dining room. Friday night, was lobster. We were never offered 'any additional'. My husband did want another tail since his 'tasted weird'. He was accomodated. The next day, he was ill and was ill for five more days. He does think there was somehting wrong with the lobster he ate. He had symtoms similar to norovirus. The trip home, and 4 days after, were quite unpleasant for him. Entertainment: Celebrity needs to pre-screen the entertainers. One of the two 'bands' that played in the Central Lobby/Martini Bar area, the singer was 'afraid' to sing into the microphone. She sounded and looked like she was in a kareoke bar. There is no place for anyone to dance, other than perhaps one couple on the tiny dance floor near the band. Shows: We attended two of the shows, both were well presented, one was Paul McCartney Live and the other Kaleidescope. Gym: I went to the gym a few times, it is small, but has very good quality equipment. However, two days there, no towels? The Purell wipes dispensers empty? This was mid-afternoon. In the morning there were towels, seems no one is replenishing the gym towels or Purell wipes in the afternoons. Cabin Service: our housekeeper was very nice and provided what we needed. When she noticed we used all the towels, she left extra towels the next day. Excursions: We booked two snorkel trips thru Celebrity. Golden Eagle in St. Martin, they crammed 86 people on the catamaran. We were unable to find a place to sit, some people spread out on a seating for 8, for 4 people, leaving other people trying to share an unpadded box to sit on. There is no way that catamaran should have had more than 40 people on it. It was ridiculous to say the least. Then at the snorkel site, the water being very rough, they anchored really far from where the 'fish' were supposed to be. Many people got in the water and quickly returned onto the boat, because the water was too rough. That is not the fault of the supplier, rough water, but they should have anchored somewhere safer. Norman Island 1/2 day snorkel: was on a dive boat instead of a catamaran. It was also packed in like sardines. There was no 'instruction' to beginner snorkelers on how to put on masks/use snorkels. There was no staff in the water with the snorkelers to point out things, or carrying any safety ring etc. They said 'if you get into trouble' raise your hand and yell. Really, If anyone has ever had a bad exprerience in the water, it's hard to muster up the energy to 'yell'. There was a slice of orange after snorkeling included with the activity. Overall: the ship is beautiful. We didn't like that the front of the ship is completely blocked off for 'suite class'. It would be nice to be able to have at least one deck for the regular cabins, to experience the front of the ship. Would we sail on Edge again? We would love to say we would, but robably not, as we like to dance, there is no venue accomodation nor band providing dance music. We like to have wait staff that are not just 'order takers', but making the cruise dining experience fun and somehting special than what you exprerience at your local restaurant. We would probably go back to Solstice Class and hope that when they remodel those ships, they remodel them after the Edge interiors for the Staterooms. Read Less

The only real ‘positive’ on the Edge was the dinning, fitness and service. The Suit areas were not up to expectations. The private pool area was nothing more than a a wading pool - with very little shade. The outside bar had room - for maybe 6 people. The Retreat was just OK for daytime. Really not a place you wanted to be in the evening....Lights from the toilet were shining right in your face..Could not even be dimmed. REALLY!? The staff worked out of the same area. Should have there own space. Also, should have a bar. Shopping was a joke! Nothing but jewelry and the same Art! Entertainment was nothing special either. The stage productions need improvement as does the stage. Too much techno-Background! The Club was dark and dreary.. The entire Entertainment needs re-thinking.. The Ocean View Caffe was excellent...lots of variety and super service .. If you’re looking for food, work-out/spa, great service, and relaxing by a pool; buy the cheapest ticket the Edge has. .. Then you can’t be disappointed! Read Less

HIGH-SPEED INTERNET With Celebrity aggressively pushing their packages, many more guests than in the past are opting for the internet package. Coupled with this, there’s the increasing number who are Elite status, with free 2x45 minutes internet, so many, who may not otherwise be using the internet, were. The result was I had to wait 36 minutes just to view my Gmail, at 4 am, yes the internet was that slow! Celebrity did give me some more minutes, but explained the fault was Gmail's security. Huh? I certainly dodged the bullet when my daughter declined our invitation to join us on the cruise since internet service would have been an essential for her. I assured her on a pricy new ship like the Edge the internet would be superfast. Had she been persuaded, we would have been enemies for life! FOOD A result of Celebrity pushing their “free” packages, seemed to pay off for this sailing since most people had very generous obc ($350+) I’m guessing many spent it on specialty dining (gratuities and drinks also already included). This meant guests were spread throughout the ship for dining making the Oceanview Cafe, even at breakfast and lunch peak periods, a pleasant experience. So too was each of the four “free” dining rooms. Such a unique treat! No doubt the specialty dining was busy with obc, but I wouldn’t know since we didn’t visit. Dinner in the main dining rooms was an absolute burst of delight to the palate! Multiple types of fresh berries abound for breakfast! And lunch offered such a variety, I had a hard time trying to eat my way through everything. At 117 lbs. I can only accomplish so much. We ate three times a day, and three times a day we were in ecstasy. For this reason all by itself, we decided we must return, probably on the Apex next time. I'm sure the food will be just as mesmerizing. Celebrity food is back with a bang, after slipping a bit recently! ACTIVITIES A thing of the past is abundant activities with their prized little gifts. Not even shuffle board. However, we did enjoy what was offered. A suggestion to Celebrity: Wooden games were laid out daily on the 15th floor Rooftop Garden area (no grass) for use anytime during the day, however we didn’t know how to play these games and there were no instructions. I’d like to suggest the first activities of the cruise be these games, so that guests can play at will later. Or, instead of simply bringing out the games, stay around for questions. I really enjoyed the nightly “game shows” which were held during a convenient time slot between shows. HOUSEKEEPING FAILED MISERABLY The Edge is a sparkling new ship, however it will needlessly deteriorate significantly if the Hotel Manager is not replaced. Soot is a problem for this ship. Every outside chair for the Oceanview Cafe was speckled with soot stains. The mattresses on the outside pool lounge chairs were similarly stained. The lounge chairs in the solarium were stained, though of course not with soot. The salt and pepper dishes had food stains, even for early breakfast. I showed them to a supervisor on three separate days. The carpet on the stairwells is worn and stained. I was told they are being replaced under warranty. Sofas in The Eden area are soft to the point of sitting on them brings you about 9” off the floor. Most of this does not have to be. The soot covered chairs are zippered, so they could be replaced nightly with a spare set while the original set is being washed. Or simply wash them between 1 am and 5 am nightly. The salt and pepper dishes may be topped up nightly, but they certainly are not wiped and dried with a clean cloth. The beautiful wash station outside the Oceanview Café is inviting, but defeated if cruets etc. are not cleaned frequently. THE SHIP OVERALL The lounge chairs throughout the ship are oh so comfortable and plentiful! A big plus in my book! I enjoyed this ship's uniqueness from other ships. Not necessarily good or bad, I just enjoyed the change. Some more than others will be frustrated with the ship’s layout. Seldom can you walk to a destination without encountering a dead end. Its even more noticeable outside in the pool area. You can see two walkways up top, but it’s a mystery how to get there with no stairs in sight. We were relaxed on vacation and decided not to let it bother us. While we really enjoyed the ship with its beautiful décor, two areas didn’t thrill me. Eden on the 5th deck was nice enough, but its really just a replacement for the Sky Lounge without the stunning 180-degree view on the top deck. Eden as a substitute didn’t even come close. Otherwise it was OK. Much of the activities are held in “The Club” which has no windows and is reminiscent of a warehouse, or maybe, to be generous, a nightclub. The ship is geared to appeal to the millennials, so maybe they liked it. For this retiree, it was dark and dingy and unfortunately most of the activities we enjoy were held there. The Magic Carpet in my view is no big deal. I don’t see any difference between sitting facing the rail on a deck facing out, than doing the same thing on the “magic carpet”. The view is the same. Now if part of the floor was see-through glass, maybe I’d get excited. CABINS - See the cabin section THE CAPTAIN Who cares to read about the captain, but like the ship, the captain is unique. Not only is she female, and is beautifully easy on the eyes, has a pleasing personality, but most of all she is American! Not a balding kindly old Greek who barely speaks English. What a breath of fresh air! She was uniquely visible too, at the archery game (passengers vs. crew) and I’m sure lots of other venues and functions. She also stood along the long line of passengers disembarking wishing them all a safe journey home. I’d like to say her daily messages were easily understood over the paging system, but the system is not clear. I only heard her message once when I was inside and it indeed was entertaining. She said the bridge crew in August will be all female. How’s that for smashing the glass ceiling! EMBARKATION (more for Celebrity’s information): Outside, right from the curb, we were treated like royalty with a procession of 5 different people along the way welcoming us and wishing a warm bon voyage. Inside, personnel along the route to security did the same. Security went like clockwork. Once in the waiting area there was one solitary overwhelmed employee asking passengers to please sit down. The overhead announcement was hollow and could not be understood. I tried to ask this solitary employee a question about my ticket but through the crowd, I could only get an invitation to sit down. Even when I tried to make it over to talk to one of the 4 employees waiting to check IDs (again) for embarkation, I didn’t make it and was asked to take a seat. When it was time for Elite to embark, and after finally reaching the beginning of the line, sure enough, there was a problem with my ticket. I then had to go to a desk where another 5 employees stood idle (but unreachable due to pressure to sit down). The problem was then sorted out, and I had to get to the back of the line for the next group embarking. ALL of the 5 employees outside could have been better employed helping out this sole employee in the waiting area. Lunch in the Oceanview Café was served before its normal time. A pleasant surprise. I didn’t hear an announcement that the cabins were ready, but happily they were ready quickly. I know I’ve listed negatives, but absolutely, overall, a great cruise, on a great ship with a great crew and worth the extra cost (or is the new term – I am bigly happy)! Read Less

We are loyal Celebrity passengers and have loved the Solstice class ships. We decided to try the Edge and were really happy we did. The ship is gorgeous and we had a great time. The design is different enough from the Solstice class ships to feel like a new ship experience and enough like them to still feel familiar. We stayed in a suite this trip so I cannot comment on the infinity balconies. The redesign on the pool spaces is really awesome. The main pool is really big and the Solarium is beautiful as well. Since we were in a suite we also had access to the private pool area accessible to only suite guests. It was really nice as well but I don't think I would miss it if I didn't have access to it. Same goes for the lounge area for suite guests - there are plenty of other awesome spaces to go and hang out. I would however book a suite again for it's access to the Luminae and Blu restaurants. Read Less

Found a nice deal monetarily on this cruise which included gratuities. In addition, I have looked on line and found that celebrity is rated number 1 in the more economically priced cruise lines. The Capt. and executive crew were very professional and funny. On one occasion the Capt. said he is going to sound his horn 3 times going by a certain area which he said "because I can" which I thought was hilarious. The entertainment was very good. That being said, I was very disappointed in the quality and availability of the food. To be fair, we did not participate in the specialty dining at all which costs additional money, so I have no idea about that quality. They were constantly pushing, coming to your table to sell you something. Specialty dining, beverages, etc. My wife and I don't drink alcoholic beverages, so a beverage package, at the cost they charge for it, was not worth it. This leaves us with coffee, tea, water and some juice through a juice reconstitution machine. So, not great. The food was very average in taste. A lot of the food was very spiced, leaning toward indian spices. I don't mind hot food at all, but it seemed like spices on most of the food was an attempt to mask mediocre food. At times you were left with pizza as a better choice. This was the buffet food. They did have a grill for burgers and such, but wasn't on the cruise to eat burgers, hot dogs and French fries. The wait staff in the main dining room were excellent. Dennis and NiKadek very professional and helpful. Again though, the food was very average at best. Not at all what I expected from the number 1 rated cruise line. We had a balcony room. Nice balcony. Beds and pillows are terrible. No comfort to the beds at all. Very hard. Pillows flatten out, but they give you lots of them. Bathroom was ok. Decent size shower. Tight toilet area for a balcony room. Single bowl sink. Room was adequate. No pen or note paper provided in the room. Nice tv with ok programming. Again, not on a cruise to watch tv, but was sometime on this cruise left with that being a better choice for the time. I had to mention to the room steward to vacuum the floor and clean the toilet. ( we don't leave the room messy, so the steward may have felt he could do a once over and call it good). My wife had some of her medication taken from her pill bottle. The bottle was only in the room, so it had to be cruise staff. Never got our $50 on board credit. My wife had a little money on the cruise card which she didn't use up at the casino, $19 and change. We went to the customer relations for reimbursement and they weren't able to return the money. Spent an hour on the phone post cruise and still don't have it resolved. So, pluses and minuses to the cruise. Wouldn't go out of my way to book with celebrity again. They need better problem solving staff. Oh, I almost forgot, really enjoyed the almost entirely real grass top deck. They had a nice video screen to watch movies while sitting on a real grass lawn. Read Less

We boarded the ship in FLL and it was actually the simplest boarding process ever. We did the whole thing and were on board in about 10 minutes. We did do the preboarding process so all they needed to do was look at passports and take our photo’s. We booked this cruise quite awhile ago and it was sold as a ‘revolutionized’ ship. Well we all know that did not really happen on the Equinox. They did change Michaels into the Retreat but our S1 cabin looked EXACTLY like our S1 cabin on the Eclipse. Oh wait the robes were different and the nice hair products that were there before are now replaced by big bottles of something else. I must admit the cabin was disappointing. Our butler and cabin steward were both awesome. This was very nice after our last cruise when or butler just got out of butler school and really had no idea what he was doing. We did not ask for much but what we did request we got on a very timely basis and they could not have been any nicer. Celebrity really does have the service part down to a science. Everywhere you go, they are very kind and willing to do what ever they can to give you a good experience. We upgraded our premium beverage package to something else (not sure what it was called) but basically you had unlimited access to anything in the mini bar that was restocked daily and you also got 50.00 each in credits to spend at the casino. This was such a deal for us. We had some OBC from Celebrity that we had to use so it really only cost us 50.00 and we walked away from the Casino after playing for a couple of hours with 60.00 that we cashed out. It was very nice to be able to pop open a bottle of wine in the mini bar and not have to worry about the cost. We did have some bad weather on this trip. Our first excursion was cancelled due to the high winds so that was a bit of a bummer. We had the best time at Grand Cayman doing Sting Ray City. Well worth the cost for that one and it was so much fun. This was our 5th cruise on Celebrity and the first one where we did not have plans every day. It was very relaxing to just go with the flow. We had some very wonderful meals in Lumine, our best meal was in Murano. We also tried the La Petite chief and the show was amusing. The food not so much. I would not spend money and that one again. The retreat on 16 is very nice but with no water there I cannot imagine it gets much use. I did go up there twice. The winds were howling so I did not stay to long. Again, decorating is very nice but not sure I would go out of my way to have a special place to lay in the sun and cook. All in all, it was a great vacation. My only disappointment was really the room not even getting a new bedspread! I am hoping my next cruise scheduled for Aug 2020 has a ship that is completely revolutionized! Read Less

We had a great time on this cruise! While this itinerary’s ports of call were not amazing, it was more than made up for by the ship, her crew, and the whole Celebrity experience. The ship’s design is well thought out and modern, but there are dated aspects that seem disjointed and exhibit the fact that the ship’s Revolutionization was not completed. An example of this is the aesthetic design of the rooms. Our veranda room felt slightly dated but was clean, had lots of storage, and the shower was exceptional in function and form. The bed was firm and spacious, and the bedding felt high quality and comfortable. The TV was large and had an excellent mount that made it visible anywhere in the room. The fridge was nice to store cold water, the safe was spacious, and the closet was huge. There were only two US outlets and one European outlet at the desk. Disappointingly no USB and no outlets near the bed for charging phones. Our cabin attendant Ariel was great and continuously exceeded expectations by ensuring we had what we needed, whether it be fresh towels, incidentals, or information. Our cabin, 6108, was located on the starboard side, directly below the bridge wing and right above the bow thrusters. This meant that there was considerable operations noise throughout the cruise, especially in the early mornings when docking. We didn’t mind it that much as there is bound to be noise no matter where you are on a ship, but we would pick a different location or deck next time we sail. The pool deck is more intimate than other ships, but the four hot tubs and ample seating options were perfectly aligned to the guest composition. We spent most of our relaxation time in chairs or on cushions here reading or in the hot tubs. The use of towels to “claim” chairs or spots was rampant and often meant the best were completely unavailable. Music on the pool deck was awesome. The entertainment options were mixed, with “OK” theater productions and comedy, but some good musical acts, especially Michael Redden and Jesse Hamilton Jr.’s show. Movies on the lawn seemed like a fun idea, but were surprisingly (and completely) empty and lacking food or beverage service. I think Celebrity would be well served to put more focus on the live grass lawn deck as a relaxation option; to us it felt like an afterthought. We had one exceptional excursion (Chichen Itza, booked through Celebrity) but otherwise just explored the ports of call on foot. They were rampant with high-pressure sales and tourist mainstays, but not surprisingly so. Just say “No thanks” and move along. We never felt unsafe, and usually could navigate around easily on our own. The ports with tenders, ferries, and shuttles were accessible as well. Due to weather, Grand Cayman’s Georgetown port was closed, but our Captain (and I assume the line) decided to use an alternate port on the South side of the island at what I’m sure was considerable cost. This was hugely appreciated, and as we watched the other two cruise ships that were supposed to dock there sail away and abandon the destination entirely, it was clear how much Celebrity cares about the guest experience. The standout of our trip was the food; with every food and beverage option we partook in being excellent. The buffet was surprisingly good, with rotating and varied options. The bread options were exceptional. The pizza again surprisingly good. The meat dishes well cooked. Breakfast, same. Ice cream, same. Salad bar could use more options in toppings but was again high quality. It’s actually a little baffling how good everything was at such high speed and quality. Since we were not Suite or Aqua class guests, we could not partake in Blu or Luminae, and honestly, I think an opportunity to try them might be an excellent way to get us to book higher class in the future. The specialty restaurants seemed fine, but our meal at Tuscan did not feel like it was differentiated enough from the main dining room to justify the fee. The main dining room left nothing to be desired. Every dish was well composed, had nice if slightly neutral flavor profiles and portions were generally perfect for someone not trying to die by calories on a cruise. If you want to, though, they’ll bring you seconds without a second thought. The single best thing I ate on board was the apple crumble on the third (I think) night — just perfect execution of a simple dish, with Tahitian vanilla ice cream to top it off. The only thing better than the food in the main dining room was the wait staff. Our waiter, Henry, took exceptional care of us, and when I was ill one evening, he kindly expressed his concern and took great care of my wife. The rest of the team was just as helpful, and we felt like family under their care. The wait staff at large was incredibly accommodating, even to the guests that were obnoxious in their requests and demeanor. One guest near our table remarked at how their waiter’s first language wasn’t English and continually had issues with dishes, wine selected, or other aspects of their meals. While I did catch their waiter rolling their eyes after one such interaction, they never provided the d-bag anything less than the very best and most attentive service. Don’t even get me started on the people that not only had eight lobster tails on lobster night, but also had to have each of them meticulously shelled by the wait staff. Not one waiter showed their annoyance, at least not openly. The Captain, cruise director, activities manager, and every person on staff that we interacted with were great representatives of the Celebrity brand. Their use of levity was much appreciated and helped to make the communication of itinerary or safety information more effective and memorable. This was our first Celebrity cruise, and we chose it because of great last-minute pricing, but we’ll go back to Celebrity because of our experience with the staff. I think that when the Equinox completes its refit that it will be an even better option for a near-luxury cruise on a mid-sized ship. Read Less

In anticipation of our cruise, I read and reread all the reviews I could find on the Equinox. I appreciated the time cruisers took to give a review and want to "Pass it Forward" with our own cruise review. My husband and I flew in one day early to Ft. Lauderdale. We stayed at The Riverside Hotel on Las Olas. Great Hotel. We recommend it. We arrived at the pier probably around 11:30, road up the escalator, got in the line and went through pretty quickly. We had checked in online, submitted photos, had all our documentation in hand and before long, was greeted with a small glass of bubbly. We went directly to our cabin, got our Sea Pass Cards, stored our bags and went to grab a bit in the Ocean View Café (Buffet). We had our first fun beverage (had the Premium Beverage Package), ate lunch and around 1pm went back to our cabin. We had booked Aqua Cabin 1599 (On the Hump), Deck 11. Upon meeting our cabin steward, Sherwin, I requested a lounger for our balcony. So, we had 1 lounger, 2 chairs, 1 footstool and 1 small table. Our luggage had already arrived so we unpacked before exploring the wonderful Equinox. Sherwin did a great job and was always pleasant. The cabin had plenty of storage (use the storage above the bed) and we really enjoyed the spa shower. Our bed was next to the closet. It was fine there except I found the closet a little hard to get to toward the back. But, we worked with it ! No biggie !! We had brought magnetic hooks to use and found them extremely useful ! We hung our lanyards on them, damp swimming suits, paperwork, etc. Highly recommend them. I also brought my own hair dryer and a cruise approved outlet with usb ports. Used every night to charge phones, etc. We really enjoyed that the majority of cruisers were perhaps 40+. Some younger couples and a few children. We tried Celebrity after mainly cruising RCL (approx. 14 other cruises). We Loved Celebrity !!! Plan on going back. We went to Café Al Bacio every day for coffee drinks (cold, hot, "adult") It's a wonderful place to just relax a bit and people watch. We dined in Blu most nights, tried Tuscan Grille and Murano. I favored Tuscan Grille and hubby favored Murano. All one's perspective. We spent a lot of time in the Solarium and a couple tries at the outside pool area. We were lucky enough to find an empty "clam bed' and tucked away lounger. I brought 2 books and really enjoyed relaxing, kinda dozing and spending time with my hubby ! There were the usual shops, games, etc. on board. We really enjoyed 2 of the shows, Topper and Elysium and a comedian Dan. There was always something going on. You could be busy or take it easy. Your choice. We had a massage one day and loved them. I will say we had a bit of an issue getting time on the heated loungers. People were not very respectful. They overstayed the courteous 30 mins and if you were waiting for a lounger and someone walked in, they would walk in front of you to take one. We tried twice and gave up :( We did the Hop On Hop Off Trolley in Key West (lots of fun), Mr. Sanchos in Cozumel, walked around a bit in Costa Maya and due to high winds, our Stingray Excursion was cancelled in Grand Cayman. The wonderful captain anchored on the other side of the island where transportation was provided to Georgetown. We shopped a little and came back to the ship and relaxed. Can't be upset due to Mother Nature. We had the best time, didn't sweat the small things, enjoyed time together and hope to return to the lovely Equinox another time. I'm happy to answer any questions. Read Less