We were seeking a cruise that included two days each in Israel and Egypt; Celebrity Equinox seemed the best choice, at a lower cost for a veranda stateroom than the two others we considered.

I am not as totally enamored with the ship as most reviewers seem to be. In general, I prefer smaller ships (Windstar is my own personal favorite, which will give you an idea where I am coming from). Equinox's pluses include lovely fast elevators, beautiful public restrooms, fine dining in Blu, and good production shows with terrific gymnasts/acrobats. Our stateroom was comfortable and well-located, very quiet.

Things I missed: a promenade deck for walking and viewing, a complete library with a librarian, a good-sized card room (the one on Equinox is pitifully small for a 2800-passenger ship), and quiet places to curl up with a book. On other cruises there has been better itinerary support in terms of on-board lectures and materials in the library. If one chose to dine in the Ocean View buffet in the evening, it was pretty bare-bones with no elegant touches. Much fine dining was on offer elsewhere (including the elegant Blu, exclusively for Aqua class passengers -- we loved it!), but sometimes after a long tiring shore day, a casual quick evening meal seems more inviting. Read more