This was our second exceptional experience on a Celebrity cruise after three progressively deteriorating floats with Carnival. We enjoyed the longer itinerary which seemed to weed out booze cruisers and buffet hogs. There were quite a few, singles, families and folks from Europe, Asia, and South America mixed in with us Gringos which made the voyage a delight. The staff worked very hard, with smiles and name recognition. Fantastic vacation.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Our embarkation experience could not have been smoother due to the Celebrity app. But, the smoothness really began when we climbed aboard the Park 'N Go shuttle. It’s amazing how a few little details can make such a significant difference in getting your smooth going...
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The dining was very good overall. We took advantage of eating breakfast in the MDR off the menu versus rummaging through all the selections in the buffet. The highlight of our evening dining was let petit chef. We also we enjoyed the view in the Tuscan Grille.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Loved the Silent Disco and the Sky Lounge on the first night. The gentleman with the magic sandals was quite entertaining. Loved seeing everyone having a good time.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The Life show was excellent, especially the gymnast rope swing part.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
The children's programs appear to be excellent. In our party there was one child of nine years age and she wanted to spend every minute she could in the program.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The service was on par with our last Celebrity cruise—excelente! We especially enjoyed Putu, our cabin steward. His smile was infectious and he fixed each little thing requested by the next time we entered our room.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Super clean with a fresh coat of paint and recent revolution. It is hard for us to imagine a nicer ship then the Equinox, but we are keeping an eye on Edge sailings!
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The room was very clean. The bathroom well laid out. From the balcony we were right on top of the lifeboats which inhibited the view to some extent, but only when we were outside... But what the hay, we knew this at the time of booking. The room was very quiet—we never heard anyone above below or to our sides. It’s quite amazing to throw open the curtains of a veranda cabin and let the sunrise bring you to life in the mornings while sailing in to the various ports. Can’t imagine staying in an inside room.
Ship tip
If you can get several perks included it can make a big difference in your experience. We had the Wi-Fi, the classic beverage package and free gratuities.
The hop on hop off trolley tour was very informational and we enjoyed the butterfly and nature Conservatory very much. It’s hard to beat a couple of margaritas and a Cuban sandwich at Sloppy Joe’s while the shoppers are sweating their way up and down Duval Street.
We did Mr. Sanchos this time. All of us fell in love with the Mr. Sancho's special Tamarind Margarita. The whole fish was tasty but not that much meat while the chicken fajitas were awesome. Somehow we did two tequila tastings, one at the Tres Tonos At Mr. Sancho’s, and then another we had the Taxi driver stop at Regalo De Dios On the way back to the ship. Quite enjoyed the organic tequilas.
At Georgetown we waited around for almost 2 hours in the less than inviting port area for our stingray city and starfish beach tour to leave. We were not all that impressed with the tour organizers and lack of organization but the snorkeling was good, the stingrays were friendly and the water felt great.
Costa Maya has a cute little shopping set up, and the Mayan human bird show was interesting but the highlight was a couples massage upstairs under the thatched roof with views of the water.
It was an absolute no wait walk off from getting our bags to climbing aboard the shuttle. We don't think it will always be that way, but the bar is set really high now.
Celebrity is altogether better than Carnival, and the Equinox has been voted the best all round cruise ship the last couple of years... We’re on her again soon but disappointed to see Capt. Kate has just been ‘promoted’...
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