We chose this cruise because the dates worked for our schedule, not because of the ports (which were nothing to write home about) or the ship (which we've sailed on twice before). Our goals were to: enjoy the warm sunshine, not spend too much money, and relax. We accomplished all of those, so, well done us!
Embarkation was very quick. We arrived at the Miami terminal at 12:00 noon and were aboard by 12:20 with no lines. Cabins weren't available until 1:15 p.m., and we went straightaway to ours and unpacked.
The Equinox itself is in good shape. This is thanks to its dedicated crew who works tirelessly to polish, clean, and keep it up. The color schemes and decor are a little tired at almost a decade old....so a facelift in the near future wouldn't hurt. However, the ship was spotless and the crew took great pride in that.
This was the first time ever we've had an inside stateroom. The cabin was clean in all the right places, and our attendant Jeremiah was very friendly and did a good job. I did notice that there was trash underneath our bed from previous occupants, including a hairband, a child's craft, a flip flop, and a Celebrity Today from the prior sailing. Given the short amount of time they have to turn all of those cabins, I imagine they can't check under every bed.