This was our second cruise with Celebrity (we sailed on the Silhouette last year). We knew Celebrity Equinox would be very similar and it did not disappoint. We chose Statement 9239, which is just off the aft staircase and elevators and the Card Room. Although the proximity to the stairs was great (we rarely take the elevator), it turned out that this is a "staging area" for the stateroom attendants and there was nearly always one or two large carts outside our room in the hall. It didn't really bother us that much but next time we'd move a few staterooms further down the hall. It appears to be one of the very few design flaws that there's not some sort of alcove or cranny where these carts can be easily stowed when not in use. Otherwise, our statement was pleasant except for some issues with the television system. At first we thought the remote wasn't working but even when it was replaced the TV was sluggish and often didn't respond (especially the "Off" button requiring me four times out of five to get out of bed to turn off the TV).

As with our last cruise, we were impressed at the beauty of the ship's common areas, especially the Celebrity art collection, which is comprised of incredible works of art throughout the ships by noted contemporary artists (not to be confused with the mostly schlocky art sold in the Park West gallery). The food in the fabulous Oceanview Cafe was excellent and of great variety, though I wish the coffee was a bit stronger/richer. The food in the main dining room was always decent and on a few occasions excellent. (We don't expect too much when 3,000 dinners are being prepared over the course of just a few hours.) The food in the specialty restaurant Murano was top-notch, but for the second time I was not thrilled with Tuscan Grille and probably won't bother dining there next year (we are booked on the Equinox for Jan. 11, 2016). The specialty restaurant steak house on Holland-America's Eurodam is far superior, as is the steak house on the Crown Princess. We also enjoyed the popular Cafe Bacio for free pastries and not-free cappuccinos, and we tried out the new GastroBar. The menu was enticing but the a la carte food not worth the $33 we spent to have lunch there. I never saw more than a few people in this bar and none were eating food. In general, I think the charges are creeping up. $5.00 is too much for a cappuccino when you can have coffee for free. We also spent $150 each for an "inside access" tour of the ship, and although we thought it was expensive prior to the tour it turned out to be the highlight of our cruise. The tour, which takes you to the bridge, engine room, galleys, mooring station, crew dining room/gym/bar, theater (back-stage), etc. lasted more than five hours and included, as our last stop, a wonderful three-course luncheon in the Murano, which was a delightful surprise. We have previously sailed on Carnival, Princess, and Holland-America but now plan to sail exclusively on Celebrity as long as there are ships leaving from our home town of Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades).