We just returned from a great 10 day cruise on the Equinox with sailing dates of January 2-12th. My wife and I are early 60's. This cruise had a nice cross of people from young adults to the elderly. We met some great folks on this cruise. We go on a cruise with an open mind knowing everything will not be perfect, but that we are fortunate to have the opportunity to cruise and to be able to spend this valuable time with each other and recharging the battery so to speak. Any review is subjective so take this as being our experience only. This was only our 7th cruise having sailed Royal Caribbean, Princess, Carnival and Celebrity previously.

Pre Cruise--Two nights in Fort Lauderdale at the Holiday Inn Express on 17th street. Enjoyed new years eve dinner outside on the deck at Bimini Boatyard. Took advantage of Duffy's Bar and Grill on new years day watching a few football games. Everything within walking distance including stores for picking up last minute items. We went to Total Wine for a couple of bottles of wine to take with us. Visiting this store is like taking an excursion for anyone who enjoys wine. We even had a partial view of the top of the ship on departure morning from our 5th floor room. Taxi to ship was 10 minutes and cost $10 plus a tip.

Embarkation--This was the only part of our cruise that disappointed us. We arrived at port at approximately 11:30 and waited in line for nearly 40 minutes to hand over Xpress pass, show our passport, provide a credit card, and receive our keycard. Only one clerk handling two decks. We heard from other passengers who arrived later than us who waited over an hour. I am not sure if it was just our deck or our clerk who was slow or what was the issue. I know there was customs issues for the people getting off the previous cruise, but not sure why that was a problem for us checking in. Once checked in, it was only 5 minutes to board and start enjoying the next ten days Read more