This was our 25th anniversary cruise and our second on Equinox. We are both in 50's and have also cruised most other lines over the past 20 years.
We arrived two days early and stayed at the Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina. This hotel is so close to the port that you can see the boats while in your room. Also walking distance to Grocery, Liquor and plenty of Restaurants. The hotel itself is small and manageable, with great tiki bar and views of the intercoastal.
We grabbed a cab around 11 and went to the port. Check in was very easy and we waited a bit in the lounge area before being called to board. Think airport gate area for the lounge area, with less crowds.
I like the room as it has a huge balcony and separate bedroom. That said the bathroom is tiny and little to no storage or counter space. We visited a Sky Suite and the bathroom was much larger. Also, this enormous "hump" balcony only has a small table with two chairs and one lounger. Now they know there will be two in the room, why not two loungers. there was plenty of room. The room comes with a butler and we did utilize him for breakfast almost every morning. Location is great as you are behind a sliding door and very private. One issue is that the Attendant Area is right outside the door and as they were preparing the carts etc... in the morning there was noise.