First the hits: Philip and Okta in the 5th floor coffee shop were excellent. The staff in the kids club were enthusiastic and always engaged with the children. My kids loved the activities and were happy to go to the club. The specialty dining restaurants were worth the expense, although reservations were picked over quickly. The service in the main dining room was solid. Almost all of the staff seemed happy to provide service. Now the misses: Celebrity said the St Barths excursion was cancelled due to poor weather. In all of my trips to St Martin/St Barths the water was as tranquil as I have seen it. The trip was probably undersold and in my opinion, Celebrity chose to not support the excursion at a loss. That was disappointing in a cruise line that advertises itself as upper tier. The overall food quality was not what I would expect from a premium cruise line. Our room was hastily and frequently incompletely cleaned. The classic beverage package was of poor quality for the expense. It was frequently impossible to find seating for the lunch buffet. The Concierge level of service provided 1 (one) Concierge for all of the concierge level rooms. So it was basically a useless markup. Either save your money or upbrade to Aqua class which has a separate restaurant and nice lounge for the extra cost. Read Less

Embarkation was a breeze as we arrived early and got right on the ship. Food was great in MDR, Tuscan Grill and Murano. We enjoyed the Murano the most. All the staff were very friendly and welcoming throughout the cruise. Five out of the seven shows at night were good. The Old and New San Juan tour provided by Celebrity consisted of getting in a van and driving around the streets of Old and New San Juan, stopping at the government buildings and Bastion. We saw no residential neighborhoods nor the day to day living areas of the island. - would not recommend this tour. Guide liked to cuss out other drivers. The Eco Everglades tour and airport drop-off offered by Celebrity was unorganized. The tour host was flippant and we really didn't know if we were in the right place. They herded everyone on multiple buses (some going to Miami Airport and another going to Fort Lauderdale airport) - no tour information / commentary as we drove to the destination nor airport. The boat ride and guide on it were great! The rest of the place - not so great. I don't recommend the tour. Disembarkation took an hour and a half by the time we went through Customs. Read Less

This was our 13th cruise, first with Celebrity. We usually cruise with Royal or Princess. We booked this vacation for a low key spring break with our two teenagers, one balcony cabin and one interior. Despite some issues booking both cruise and air, using the Celebrity specialists, once on board the vacation was very nice and relaxing. The ship is beautiful and well maintained. There was plenty of public seating in all areas of the ship, including the pool and the buffet. The theater is nice, and was used for multiple purposes besides shows, such as Easter mass, Muster Drill and debarkation. We liked the use of the large space for these purposes. We liked the layout of the main area. The bars, the shops and services are all arranged around the center of the ship. The library on board is gorgeous, quiet, and well stocked. The buffet is laid out in a food court fashion, which eliminated one long line, but did lead to a little bit of chaos in finding your choice of entree. The gym is large, clean, good equipment and has a great view. Most classes have fees. The cushions on the pool and deck chairs was a treat! Overall we were very impressed with the layout, decoration, cleanliness, and maintenance of the ship. The cabins were TINY with very limited storage compared to Royal or Princess. The balcony is larger than what we had on the Island Princess, and had two chairs that reclined, one ottoman (other balconies had two) and a wooden table. The beds were very hard, had rounded corners and very small uncomfortable pillows. The bathroom is larger, but minimal counter space and one tall shelf unit. The shower is larger, with glass doors and bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion and a bar of soap. The desk in the room is small, includes 6 small drawers (2 shallow, 4 deeper) and a mini fridge that is full of mini-bar items. Two outlets and a European receptacle were on the lower edge of the two level desk. TV is on the wall. The nightstands are very narrow, 3 open shelves, the phone is on one shelf. The closet is small, and half blocked by an in room day bed, (which is useless). The top shelf is only about 5 inches high. 5 pairs of shoes did not fit on the floor of the closet without stacking them. A backpack and a briefcase were on the other side of the closet floor (there is a divider down the middle). My teenagers had an interior cabin which was very small and very dark. We realized this was attributed to no large mirror on the wall that we were used to. Same set up as balcony room, but no balcony- obviously. The main dining room was beautiful, we had excellent service and delicious meals each night. We did not make use of specialty dining. We ate from the buffet or Mast Grill for lunches and buffet for breakfast. The food there is OK- there is a large amount of offerings, but nearly identical each day. The desserts in the buffet were tasteless, and always the wrong texture. The desserts in the main dining room were really good. The burgers and fries at the Mast Grill were excellent. My youngest ate all of our shares of ice cream. The ice cream bar is in the buffet, offers 10 flavors of hard scoop (including sorbet and yogurt) and 3 flavors of soft serve each day. There were also various toppings and cookies served from this area. The first night the show was a comedian who was very funny, the second comedian of the cruise was not as good. We saw one show with the Equinox staff, and the ariel acrobatics and strength were impressive. We enjoyed the various musicians throughout the ship over the course of the week. For the most part, the noise level at the pool deck was fine, though a couple of the games and the afternoon performers were loud for about 45 minutes. My teen did attempt to go to two of the teen club activities, but when she arrived, the place was dark and vacant. After the second time, they stopped attempting to participate. Surprising since they told us this week there were 500 kids on board. I did see a large group of approx. 5 year olds walk through, so some kid club activities were happening. My husband attended a watch talk that he really enjoyed, and then had a chance at a hands on work shop that he loved. He is still talking about it! We thought prices for some of the other "talks" or gatherings was extravagant and did not participate. We very much enjoyed the martini bar and ordering a flight was entertainment in itself watching the bar tenders prepare! The service overall was very good. Every staff member was exceedingly polite and always had a smile. We had requested waiters most nights, our room attendant was good. As stated before, the ship was very clean. In both San Juan and St. Martin we did our own thing since we had been to these ports before. The San Juan stop was a little odd being there in the evening. We felt fairly limited in things we could do because hiking/kayaking/things in nature obviously can't be done in the dark. We were back on the ship for a late dinner, as it seemed like most passengers were. We were thrilled to see St. Martin back in good shape. There is still some evidence of destruction, but the locals were so happy and loving the spirit of the island is still alive and well. Most stores on Front Street were open, as well as many cafes and restaurants. Had our routine guavaberry coladas and ate another fabulous lunch at The Greenhouse, and stopped by the beautiful little church that was incredibly decorated for Easter. Our kids are now in love with St. Martin as well. Reports from other passengers were the beaches were in good shape and a few beach bars operating- they had wonderful days also. SO relieved to see this island thriving after what they'd been through. It was very clean, no worries about stopping or vacationing here. On St. Kitts we took the Snorkel and Catamaran excursion through the cruise ship. It was well organized. The rum punch, ting, and Carib beer was delicious and flowing. Snorkeling was good, clear waters and lots of fish, but nothing unique. The staff of the catamaran did not get in the water, we had plenty of time to enjoy the calm waters of the bay. We were glad we had an excursion to do on the island- without the excursion it would have been a fast stop I believe. Our teens have been on cruises before, and they enjoyed this as well. They travel very well and do a great job entertaining themselves. For another family or with high energy kids who need entertainment, this may not be the cruise for them. This was a very laid back and mellow cruise, which is what we were looking for. We were impressed with the vacation once we were on board. As stated in the beginning, the difficulties in booking multiple cabins and the airfare left us frustrated to begin with and will make us think twice booking Celebrity again, and the cabin set up is also a detractor. However, if my husband and I are booking alone and there is a good value, we may consider Celebrity again. What Celebrity does well, they do very well. Read Less

Our first Celebrity cruise was the last trip out of Miami on the Zenith before it was sold and service then was less than perfect so we cruised exclusively with Princess. We got a great deal on a Celebrity Equinox when it was repositioned to Miami last summer, so we decided to give them another try, unknown to us when we booked it was a Celebrity Presidents cruise and the itinerary, food and service were excellent! We decided to book again on the Equinox in order to see if Celebrity had improved or if it was just because LLP was on board. Well our question was answered. We had late dining which is 8:30 which we have decided is to late for us, we had also requested a table for two as we don't care to make small talk during our meals, we were assigned a table for six. The dining room didn't open until 8:30 and by the time we ordered we were not served appetizers until well after 9:00pm and we found on the nights we ate in the main dining room we didn't finish until after 11:00. The dining room food was nothing to rave about on several occasions at least one person at our table had to send back and entree. Portion sizes were small and not filling. We are not early riders and had breakfast in the OVC, the food there was always cold and we were unable to eat it, the scrambled eggs were always runny and undercooked. By day 3 I had reverted to eating cereal and fruit since these are meant to be served cold. On our night in San Juan they offered a discount in Silk Harvest so we decided to give it a try, we were pleasantly surprised, the food and service were amazing. We enjoyed it so much, when they offered the discount again for the last night we jumped at the opportunity to eat there a second time. The shows were the same as our cruise in August and we enjoyed them just as much as we did then. The only bright spot was our daily cocktails at the World Class Bar, the bartenders (Santos and Igor) were the best! Our ports were San Juan, St. Marteen and St.Kitts, all ports we have previously been to. In San Juan we took the ships Bacardi Nights which we both enjoyed. St. Marteen we just took a cab to Maho Beach where we rented an umbrella/chairs to watch the planes. ST Kitts we took the Catamaran Fan-ta-sea snorkel and Nevis beach break, we snorkel a ship wreck which was interesting, followed by time at the beach in Nevis, we had a great time and would choose this tour again. Read Less

Wanted more sea days, less kids, great service, fabulous food, good entertainment! Got it!! We knew going in not to expect Broadway shows, ice-skating, water shows, being constantly kept busy and needing to follow a daily schedule. Sometimes we like that. This time we wanted a bit less activity, quitter, more refined. Aquassorth it for Blu dining. The attention and service in Blu was outstanding. The food was very superior to what we've had in the dining room. We ate at Tuscan Grill, Silk Harvest, Murano, Sushi on 5 and loved them all. The premium drink package was fun to have! Super friendly staff in all venues. Excellent room steward. Easy on/off ship. 3rd time on Solstice class. I'd do it again in a heartbeat! My husband (53) and I (54) have been on 11 cruises-- all different Cruise lines. Celebrity has the best customer service and food hands down. Read Less

Loved our first time cruising on Celebrity... Great ship, fabulous food (in Blu) with superb service. Live music around the ship was also very good but the production shows were dreadful. Awful, nasal voices murdering current sounds with their dreadfully affected musical theatre tones. Other cruise lines really do better in this area, but for all other aspects Celebrity was fantastic. The two comedians that we saw were funny, but felt they'd do better if they were given the opportunity for an adult only show. A couple of times, you could feel them modifying their next move to ensure it was PG-13 all round. Getting on and off the ship was hassle free, with the exception of debarkation in Miami. Very long lines for immigration really slowed the entire process. Lots of stressed families and children melting down, which is a disappointing way to end your vacation. All in all though, loved our time on the Equinox! Read Less

The cruise was great. I think that the staff work very hard. Our cabin stewed worked long hours, the kids would have liked the towel animals though. The buffet was delicious, the night we skipped going to the sit down restaurants they had beef wellington in the buffet, so we had to make do, HA. The MDR had great food and very nice service but the Sommelier was not up to par. We were on the Solstice two years ago and the sommelier was very good and appreciated that we had gone for the premium drink package. So he could offer us other wines. This time we were told if we wanted good wines we would have to order by the bottle, it was very disappointing to feel underwhelmed.The staff at Cafe el Bacio were excellent, fast and helpful. The Tuscan Grill was also delicious and fantastic service, as was Silk Harvest. The Martini bar bartender was exemplary; they even made non alcohol martinis for my son and daughter both 9 and thrilled. The bartender at the Passport was also very good and made a fun atmosphere around him. The World Class bar said that they ONLY make the drinks on the list; he could not or would not make a Mojito and yes he had mint. Then when I did order off the list he did not follow the recipe that was in the ingredient list in the menu??? I guess he couldn't make those either, what he did make was good, just not exactly what was advertised. I feel that the more drink packages they sell, the more they need to increase the service level. In that, if you don't have a drink package and you order a Bucket of beer you don't need to see a server for the rest of the afternoon( well I wouldn't). If you do have a drink package, get ready to get up and get your OWN drinks. There is NO designated spot at the bar for guests to stand and order, so if the bar stools are taken you have to worm your way in with your drink package card and wait for a bartender to acknowledge your existence. Then find your way back to your seat. I had another guest suggest that this was planned service by the cruise line to limit drinks to the package guests. I even had strangers offer to get drinks when they went up so everyone didn't have to crowd around the bar. It was a running joke. At Costa Maya we went to Maya Chan, it was rustic but you knew it was going in. Now they have all inclusive and it was a real treat to have someone get our drinks for us while we just enjoyed ourselves, it was like... being on vacation.Then we had to head back to the cruise and get our own drinks. After all that I still like the drink package idea and would grudgingly get it again. Read Less

See our photos from this cruise at https://www.flickr.com/photos/snjnova/collections/72157695390270365/ We had taken his older brother on Celebrity Century for his 8th birthday and now it was the middle grandson’s 8th birthday. We chose to celebrate that birthday with another Celebrity cruise, this time on Equinox. We picked this sailing because it aligned perfectly with his spring break and it sailed from Miami, where he lives. This cruise was going to break new ground for us as we had never been to any of the ports, and it would be one of the largest ships on which we had sailed, most of our previous sailings having been on ships closer to 2,000 passengers. Boarding in Miami was effortless, thanks to having booked a Concierge Class cabin, which allowed us access to the expedited check-in and boarding areas. The recently completed tunnel from Miami also helped – I think we were on the ship less than an hour after boarding the bus at the Miami International Airport car rental building. Once on the ship, we headed up to the Oceanview Café for lunch and a place to sit while waiting for our cabin to be ready. We found a table near the Oceanview Bar and were able to watch the seaplanes taking off while eating and waiting. Cabin availability was announced about 1 PM and we headed down to our cabin (1042) on deck 10. This cabin was on the starboard side of the ship and was configured with the bed near the door and to the right when entering the cabin. The sofa was near the sliding doors to the balcony. The five drawers in the dresser had barely enough capacity for my wife’s and grandson’s clothing, and I used the over-bed compartments, which neither of them could reach. Having sailed on Silhouette in 2012, we expected this arrangement, but still found it a hassle. Closet space was adequate, and the bathroom had sliding doors for the shower stall, preventing the floor-flooding problem found on so many ships. However, it was lacking a clothesline on which to hang wet bathing suits. The cabin was right off the forward elevator lobby, making it very convenient for getting around the ship and especially when dropping off or picking up our grandson at the Fun Factory. Celebrity is known for the friendliness of the staff, and this trip was no different. Everyone always greeted us as we moved about the ship, and the ship officers (including Captain Kate, preparing to assume her new assignment) were highly visible. One unexpected treat was the presence of a rabbi to host a Passover Seder on our last night. While some parts of the meal and presentation were lacking, we were impressed that Celebrity actually made the effort to provide a meaningful experience for its Jewish passengers. We did not use many of the ship facilities other than the dining room, buffet, and Fun Factory, as this sailing had four ports and two sea days. We ate dinner our first night in the MDR and enjoyed the food and service, but the buffet seemed to fit our needs with our grandson better so we ate all subsequent meals there. We found the food quality to be mixed – some foods were either under- or over-cooked, and many hot dishes were not as hot as they should be, something I recall from the buffet on Silhouette. Overall, the food was not as good as I remembered from earlier Celebrity sailings on Summit and Mercury. Our grandson really enjoyed the Fun Factory, begging to go whenever we were not in port. He made several friends whom he spotted and greeted when we were eating or on shore excursions. The Fun Factory had a large staff with lots of activities, including the option of dinner every night, with the kids making pizzas in the Oceanview Café for one dinner. Our sailing was the second one with the new operators of the glass blowing exhibition, and we attended a demo our first evening, which was very interesting because they were trying to create a new design on the fly. We saw the finished and cooled piece on the last sea day. For the rest of the cruise, people signed up to work with the glass workers to make their own pieces. The demo was a nice experience. One thing I missed on Equinox compared to other ships was a place to relax on a chaise in the shade and away from the loud music by the pool. Other ships have chaises on the promenade deck, which is usually pretty quiet, but Equinox had chairs instead of chaises on that deck. About the only place on the pool and other upper decks that had reliable shade was outside the Solarium, and that area was too close to the pool area to avoid the loud music. Luckily, our Concierge Class cabin had chairs with reclining backs and foot rests so I spent more time there. One major complaint I had was their choice of times to clean the solarium pool area, a place I like to go after dinner to relax in a quiet and comfortable place. The Equinox solarium should be especially nice for that, with the lights dimmed at night, a wall of changing lights, and quiet music playing. Unfortunately, management chose to do major cleaning or maintenance (varnishing) in that area on at least three of our seven nights on the ship, either chasing everyone out or having so many people moving things around that the solarium became uninviting. Queries to the guest services desk never had a response. Ports: This was our first time to any of these ports and we booked ship excursions in all of them. Key West: We booked the “Hop-On-Hop-Off Conch Tour Train” in anticipation of a relaxing tour of the island with multiple options to get off to see something interesting. Instead of that, we found that the first leg of the tour was 45-50 minutes long during which it felt like the tour guide was trying to describe every building we passed – definitely information overload for an 8 year-old, as well as for adults. And the open car environment made it hard to understand a lot of what he said. The highlights of the trip were our visits to the butterfly conservatory and the aquarium. The aquarium at first felt like a throwback to the 50s with a dark indoor exhibition area, but the outside section where the guide described the work being done with rehabilitating injured turtles was excellent. Costa Maya: We had booked the “Mayans Through the Ages” tour, which promised a visit to a Mayan ruin. The tour guide was excellent, and we visited a pyramid during which the guide explained the Mayan counting system and calendar. We then went to a Mayan extended family residence and enjoyed freshly roasted chicken on homemade tortillas. The only drawback to that tour was the 40-minute ride from the port to our destination. The company used a full-size tour bus, which limited visibility but was probably more comfortable than a van. Cozumel: Our trip on Cozumel was the “Legacy of the Maya,” which included a lengthy visit to the San Gervasio historical site, with an excellent guide who explained the history of the site and the probable uses of each of the buildings. We then drove along a lovely stretch of beach road with a brief stop for snacks, souvenirs, and photos of the surf activity. The last stop was at the Mayan Cacao Company, with a demonstration of how chocolate is made by hand. Grand Cayman: Although Grand Cayman is known for its beaches, we chose to visit the Grand Cayman Turtle Farm, which has a hatchery and the opportunity to swim with some turtles. Our grandson enjoyed the opportunity to feed and hold the sea turtles. The visit to the Turtle Farm included a brief tour of the island with a stop to see “Hell,” a fascinating geological formation. Overall, we had an enjoyable week on Equinox and had the opportunity to visit several new and interesting ports. And the 8 year old enjoyed his first cruise. Read Less

Cruised with Daughter, son in law ,2 grandchildren 7 months and 65 1/2 years, and inlaws. We chose this cruise because we have always enjoyed celebrity, the dates were good. We had flown into Miami and arranged for transport by fgcarservices, which was a great experience, and promptly boarded the boat. Although the cabins were not ready until 1pm, we ate lunch, and awaited the rest of our party from NYC. The ship was clean, the staff were friendly, and the food was good all week. The stops were not great, but the two grandkids were only 350pp as opposed to 700-800 on other ships . The kids had a pull down bunk bed and a play and go. The steward was great!! We had cabins 7177 and 7175, and had the balconies opened to connect. The room was kept immaculate, and I saw the staff steam- cleaning the carpets, room to room during our voyage. Our late time dining experience started off poorly, the first night was very haphazard. I discussed changing the time with the maitr'd to anytime at 7 or 7:15, which has never been a problem before.(We had a table for 8), as I was concerned with consistantly getting a table for 8 at a set time. The 8:30pm was too late for the kids. After some discussion, the maitr'd and supervisors elected to offer us to come later at 6:30pm in the early seating, with a nice table by the window and great waiter and asst waiter service. Ashron and Rosales were great, and the maitr'd was Custudio...Food choices were generally very good. At sea days were crazy with people hoarding deck chairs and not showing until 2pm..We always get up early , reserve chairs, and sit while some of the group gets breakfast, and change off. thus using the chairs...They did try to enforce by removing personal items after 30 minutes.... Over all we really enjoyed the cruise and recommend the equinox. The cruise director was not as visible as on other cruises, and the shows were just ok..I did not like that the casino only had 10 dollar tables, which meant that 3 card poker was really a 30 dollar bet per hand minimum.. anyway, played poker slots, won and walked away...Was with the grandkids anyway... The stops were ok, not as fun as the southern or eastern caribbean..(but who knows what eastern is like after the storms) Costa Maya we did the dolphin encounter and the kids loved it...Cozumel we walked around and back to the ship to enjoy the pool with low traffic, Grand Cayman we visited the turtle farm and again back to the ship to enjoy while 2800 or so of our new best friends were off the ship..Key west was enjoyable. Read Less

Had a superb Mediterranean cruise last summer on the Reflection and looked forward to a similar experience. In many cases it was but there were several areas where the Equinox comes up far short of the Reflection. Let's start from the beginning and work through the week. Originally we had reserved a parking space near the port with a shuttle. After doing a satellite map view I saw cars stacked bumper to bumper and realized when we got out we'd probably be stuck for awhile waiting for our car to get pulled out of that mess. We opted instead to park at the port. For $152, I parked right across the street from the ship. When we got off, we were on the road in just a matter of minutes. If you can afford it, port parking is a wonderful way to go. Bars are crowded on the first day and I expected a wait but I never expected to run into guys like Donovan at the Mast bar. 3 times he asked me what I wanted and everytime I said Heineken Light draft and pointed to the tap. I eventually got regular in a bottle. When I said that wasn't what I ordered I got a lot of attitude from Donovan. Later in the week with the bar less than half full, he walked right by me to serve others that had walked up minutes after I had. I didn't get served until I said something, even though I was standing right in front of 2 other bartenders that were washing glasses. At the Ensemble Bar, the guy likes to grab cards from 3 couples and then make all the drinks One day, I noticed a premium drink on my bill even though I never ordered one. Guest Relations removed it but it's good to watch your bill on the TV account for phony charges. Another day with the same bartender, a man got some women's card back. Fortunately he noticed it and caught her before she walked away. At the Martini bar, I ordered a dirty martini, extra spicy. The bartender came back and said he didn't have tabasco so he made it with bloody Mary mix. It was horrible, the only drink we didn't finish and to add salt in the wound, it included an upcharge. By the way tabasco was available at every other bar as well as the buffet. It's impressive to see a guy pour out 7 drinks at once but any rookie barkeep knows how to make a spicy drink. Every other bar was outstanding and the bartenders were good and worked hard at getting it right. Food The first night, 3 people at my table ordered escargot. They all found it bland at best and never ordered it again. Other than that, the food was outstanding everywhere, (Murano, Main Dining, OceanView Cafe). The Room. We had a good room steward (Maria) and everything went well except for an issue with the safe. I called Gst Rel and someone was up quickly to unlock it for us. She said it would take an electrician for change the batteries. As we were leaving for shore, she suggested we go to Gst Rel when we got back and specifically ask for an electrician, otherwise they'd send her back first. So when i got back I specifically stated we didn't need the safe opened, she was already there, we just needed an electrician for batteries. 20 minutes later, here comes a guy to open the safe. He tells us we need an electrician. Another 20 minutes stuck in the room and finally we get the batteries changed. This summarized our biggest frustrations with this ship. Many people smiled and asked how you are, but then didn't have a 3rd graders understanding of English. They'd ask how you were but couldn't tell you how they were. And if Guest Relations can't get it right, who the heck can? Entertainment I never have been on a cruise where I watched all the shows without walking out of some of them. Not this time. There's a lot of talent on this ship, great singers, acrobats, comedians, all good. We saw them all and recommend them all. Excursions I've been to Key West and Cozumel many times so we didn't book anything. It's a little sad how at Coz they've built a port away from town and try to corral you into their own shops near the ship. It's a short cab ride to town though where the locals could use your support, plus the city square area is worth a little walking around time. At Costa Maya, we booked the water park and got to zip line into the pools. Well worth it. At Grand Caymen, were looked forward to Stingray City but came away largely disappointed. We were the 4th ship into port and by the time we got out there, only a dozen or so stingrays were around. I guess they had already been fed. The Ship Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised since it was Easter week, but still, the number of kids on the boat did surprise me. Put 15 kids in those little pools and it's too crowded to even bother with. We talked to some people on a Royal Caribbean boat docked next to us and wow, there is so much more for the 5-20 crowd on RC. In one port they were right next to us and from the top deck that RC boat looked fantastic for kids. Overall, the ship is clean and well maintained. Other than the things mentioned above, everyone else was superb. Read Less