Equinox is a comfortable well designed ship with an extremely accommodating staff. Entertainment was surprisingly good. Tuscan Grill specialty restaurant is well worth the cost.
Unadvertised surprises were very much appreciated. Example 1: A one time, specialty chef Barbecue dining experience, in the evening outside, with dim lighting & soft live music. Many grilled food plates served family/tapas style including lobster,shrimp,lamb,steak to name a few. Example 2: Invited to go to the outside front of the ship The Helipad area, for the sail away leaving a port, with cocktails. Well Done Celebrity!!
More surprises were offered but these 2 were our favorites
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Smooth as silk
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Specialty restaurant Tuscan Grill EXCELLENT as usual. The main dining room gets the job done; not excellent, but definitely not bad either. You won't starve. LOL The buffet, The Oceanview, offered a nice variety & never felt overcrowded like other ships. It was very clean at all times. Praise goes to the design & set up of this area.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We just relaxed. Used the Solarium often. Hot tubs & pool were just the right temperatures. No overdone chlorine smells or fading of colors to our bathing suits like other cruise lines. Celebrity knows how to stay on top of the little things that matter.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Best on any ship we've sailed & we've been cruising for MANY years with several lines. The stage shows were truly well done & costumes blew me away. So professional. The specialty twosome acrobatic act, from Bulgaria ( I believe ) were absolutely phenomenal. I don't usually care for this type of entertainment, but they changed my mind, as well as lots of people we spoke with. DON'T MISS THEIR PERFORMANCE. The comedian Ralph Lewis was top notch & the serious "skit" he added into his act, brought tears to my eyes. He is a fine actor as well as a very funny guy. The Beatles show could only have been better if it was even longer! Wonderful Beatles music with the audience smiling & singing along to old favorites!
Children's Programs
No children
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Overall the service was really excellent. Cabin 1207 steward's name is Made ( pronounced Mad-Aaa ) Theeee best! Room service never quite got our daily morning order 100% correct, but they did try. They consistently "forgot" 1 or 2 items. No big deal, just mildly annoying. Dining room waiter ( table 248 ) Cahya needs additional training. He basically just read the menu to us; he lacks a personal touch & hardly smiled. I know they work hard but he had body odor that needed to be addressed, sorry to say :(
The assistant waiter, Michelle, was fabulous. Our entire table tipped her more than the regular gratuities because she was THAT good. She....should be the waiter, & Cahya be the assistant. We spoke with guest relations on the phone for 2 separate matters, & in person for 1 matter, & each time issues were handled promptly with courtesy. We very much appreciated the daily phone messages from the Concierge & Captain's Club directors, informing us of upcoming events & info. This was a giant step ahead of previous history of leaving notices that sometimes came After events. Good thinking Celebrity! The staff at Future Cruises were perfect. They are extremely helpful & organized. The staff we encountered at a few of the shops were friendly & helpful. The staff overall, was wonderful.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Clean, Clean, Clean The ship is immaculate We have been on other ships where this was not the norm. Lots of appreciation goes to this. The Equinox is a very comfortable ship & design features are very pleasing & soothing.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin was just as expected as we are familiar with Concierge class. Plenty of storage, many hangers in closet, & ample space for 2 people. The configuration was the couch & desk area were close to balcony & bed close to bathroom/closet. We prefer this as we enjoy morning coffee on couch and or balcony. To my great delight, the bed was very comfortable. We requested a foam topper the 1st day as generally the beds are too hard or lumpy. The mattress was good & the topper made it even better. This was the 1st cruise ever that sleeping was not an issue.
Ship tip
Personally we recommend a cabin midship. Easy access to all areas of ship & smoother trip.
No exursion. Surprisingly the port area was very pleasant. Lots of the usual shops with the same trinkets but also a few specialty shops with items not sold everywhere else. Shop owners helpful in steering us to authentic food area where they also eat & had a delicious lunch. Public restrooms Clean & well maintained. Roaming muscians.
Swim with the Dolphins area was fun to watch. There is a free "tram" that runs back n forth, from the ship to the port activity area, which was quite nice. We all tipped the drivers a few dollars.
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