Our cruise was the first caribbean cruise after the transatlantic. We were advised in advance of the delay in boarding expected as a result of needing to clear customs and all related paperwork and inspections. As a result of this awareness and clear communication from Celebrity about this, we had no problem with waiting 2 hours before boarding.
The public areas were beautiful and immaculately maintained. We enjoyed the artwork throughout the ship, though some pieces were rather bizarre. The Equinox didn't show it's age being over 5 years old.
Food and service are central in importance to our cruising experience. Celebrity is still the best cruise line in these 2 areas that we have experienced. Having said that, we have noticed some things declining partially due to the larger ships and mass marketing. We loved the 1,2,3 Go program and thoroughly enjoyed the drink packages selected (I stayed with the Classic and my husband upgraded to Premium). The food selection and quality in the Ocean View restaurant was outstanding! On the other hand, the staff and service was below expectations. Many times the tables weren't cleared in a timely manner and we always had to go up to the bar ourselves to get a drink. It appears staff are overworked and lack motivation with gratuities being shared regardless of performance.
Our cabin was adequate in size and storage space. We knew in advance that we had booked an obstructed view balcony cabin on Deck 6, so weren't surprised by the lifeboat view. Since we are budget conscious travelers, we feel we got value for the price paid. The bed was comfortable, good linens and the largest bathroom we have ever had. The design of the shower stall was great with plenty of room. The amenities like shampoo, conditioner were good BUT the quality of paper goods like toilet paper and facial tissues is awful (single ply sheets of TP break apart and are worthless and blowing one's nose was a painful experience). Cutting this corner isn't up to Celebrity's standards.