Celebrity Equinox....the good AND the bad

Celebrity Equinox Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 39

Overall rating:

3.8 out of 5
Celebrity Equinox

7 Night Western Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 29, 2018

Ship: Celebrity Equinox

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 1561

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

I would rate this ship a 3.5 out of 5. For the following reasons. The food was exceptional as was the service. Unfortunately, they are utilizing an old technology on their keys/Seapass and is easily demagnetized. RCL utilizes better technology that does not do this. Tv was out for 4 of 7 days. Entertainment was average at best. RCL’s newest ships have Broadway shows and Celebrity tries to create their own. Casino is small and had high minimum limits which is bad for a person that wants thrill of action without risking $2-3k. Internet was also bad as we had to continually resign in to get internet access.

Embarkation

4 out of 5
Embarkation was relatively painless and once we made it thru check in lines we walked straight on the ship.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
We were Aqua class and had dinner each night in Blu. Service and food were extraordinary.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5
I saw 3 pools. One was all adult but was not well ventilated even though they had windows that could be opened. The grassy areas looked like bocce and croquet all the time but in reality were a place to lay down a towel and catch some rays.

Fortune's Casino

2 out of 5

Limits were high and staff was not as friendly as rest of ship. $15 craps table is too much for a cruise ship with one table. Same for $15 BJ.

Entertainment

2 out of 5
Ships shows were nothing special. While RCL does Broadway productions, Celebrity does their own productions with the same performers in all. The comedians/musicians were average at best.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Service was exceptional from waiters,asst waiters, wine stewards, bar tenders and room stewards. We had premium drink package and simply showed our card and never had to sign anything and this also covered all 18% tips.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5
This ship was s due for renovation in April but was generally clean and well maintained.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Balcony room was typical balcony room but did have balcony that was wide enough for 2 chairs with ottomans and a nice table. Room had adequate storage with a full size hanging closet, with storage shelf above. Additional storage included 4 drawers and two compartments above the bed. All luggage fit under bed. Room had a hair dryer and cheap binoculars. In our Aqua class room we had fresh fruit and daily fresh appetizers and tea.

Ship tip

Be prepared for high minimums in casinos. Craps was $15. BJ had one $5 and rest were $15 and up. Premium drink package was awesome from 1 ltr Evian to specialty coffee to great wines...all covered including tips. Buy 3 things. One is power brick that can accommodate more plugs and usb. Second, towel clips to hold towels on chairs in windy conditions and finally, small magnetic hooks to mount on wall and hold things like clothes, belts, purses, etc.

Ports of call

Key West, Florida

3 out of 5
Best time to be at Key West is sunset as street performers come out to entertain then. Unfortunately we left well before that.

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

3 out of 5
We shopped and then hung out at the free pool. Nice chairs and bar service available.

Cozumel, Mexico

3 out of 5
We did the beach break at Nachi-Cocom. They provided no transportation, but did have 2 beach chairs under a palapa, free lunch, and free drinks. They did have a pool also. Optional for a fee activities included paddle boards, kayaks, banana boat, etc. Beach was clean but shelly.

George Town, Grand Cayman

3 out of 5
We shopped a bit and returned to ship.

Disembarkation

3 out of 5
We carried our bags off and had no problems except Miami custom officials were rather rude.
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1 Comment

DeniseHangs    5 years ago

In case you didn’t realize, it sounds like you are talking about Oasis class ships with RCL only. The rest of their entire fleet does not have Broadway shows. This is not Celebrity’s top of the line ship. Would hate to see you book a cruise on a different RCL class ship and find only regular entertainment.

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