‘Smooth sailing’ is how I would best describe this cruise on Celebrity Equinox (and that’s not just because of the smooth seas we literally had throughout the entire voyage). Everything from the ship, service, dining, and ports of call was exactly what we wanted. This was my first time cruising with Celebrity and won’t be my last.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Super easy process to get onboard. Celebrity was very organized and there was minimal wait time from arriving at the port to getting onboard. We arrived a few minutes before our scheduled time and were on the ship within minutes. Have all of your paperwork and boarding information from the Celebrity app at hand and be ready to present everything when you arrive.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We dined in Blu (AquaClass restaurant) and most of the specialty restaurants (Tuscan Grille, Murano, Le Petite Chef, and Sushi on Five). The service we received in all eateries was excellent and the crew members all made us feel very special at all venues. There were definitely some standout dishes at every meal we had - tableside lobster preparation at Murano, the deserts at Tuscan Grille, and the adorable visual story that accompanied the meal at Le Petite Chef. Wide variety of items at the Oceanview Cafe buffet. Also giving extra points in the dining category for the delicious gelato and homemade waffle cones at Cafe al Bacio!
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Celebrity Equinox is packed with a number of activities that will keep you as busy as you want, but are also perfect for just relaxing. If you are looking for large waterslides and rock climbing walls, this might not be the ship for you, but there are certainly enough things to do to fill up the days at sea. Some of my favorite spots were the Solarium, the Lawn Club, and the Persian Garden. Also highly recommend The Spa if you are looking to treat yourself. The Spa runs a number of special promotions and discounts during the sailing so keep an eye out for those.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Tons of entertainment options during our sailing. They had the calendar packed from early morning until late at night. We checked out the Silent Disco, trivia games, a comedy show, and a performance of Elysium in the main theatre.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Cannot give enough high marks to great staff onboard Celebrity Equinox! They made this cruise a wonderful experience. Major bonus points to our Cabin Steward Efriham. He checked in multiple times daily to make sure we had everything we needed and that our cabin was in good order.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
This ship’s size and layout are very easy to navigate once you get the lay of the land. I never once felt overwhelmed or confused about finding the venues or activities I wanted to reach. Everything felt very clean onboard, and continually saw crew members sanitizing the high-traffic areas of the ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We stayed in an AquaClass veranda stateroom and were very comfortable with the amount of space. The cabin offered lots of storage, well utilizing all nooks and crannies available for cabinets and other holding areas. The bathroom was pretty standard size for a ship but offered lots of places for storage. We really enjoyed having the balcony to enjoy morning coffee oceanside. Just of note, this cabin and several similar AquaClass rooms on this ship, are located underneath the pool deck. You may sometimes hear noise coming from above depending on the time of day. As a cabin in the AquaClass, there were included yoga mats in our stateroom and we received a light complimentary afternoon snack delivered to our room by our Steward. Overall we were pleased with this cabin.
Ship tip
Use the Celebrity Cruises app to help plan your days onboard Equinox. There is always some sort of activity going on and this will help you keep up with what you want to take advantage of. Also, if you are looking for a quiet place to sit outside and watch the waves roll by check out the lounge areas on Deck 5 (especially those near Cafe al Baccio). These seemed to never be that crowded! If you are cruising on this ship, I recommend bringing a cruise ship-approved power strip - there were limited power outlets in the room.
We chose to take a Celebrity Cruises snorkeling excursion through the tour operator Playa Mia while in Cozumel. This tour left from right by where the ship was docked and transported us to two spectacular reefs via a comfortable catamaran. We snorkeled in two of the famous reefs of Cozumel National Marine Park and saw tropical fish, coral, and starfish. Overall this tour was great, and the guides/crew leading the excursion made it such a fun experience. If you are looking to snorkel and want to spend the day on the water in Cozumel I highly recommend this tour.
Giving high marks for the easy embarkation/disembarkation process at Port Everglades. They were very efficient in making the lines move along. We never seemed to have much of a wait in line.
This was our first time visiting George Town. We took a tour to Stingray City and visited the famous Seven Mile Beach. The beaches are some of the most beautiful that I have seen, with the water surrounding the island being a spectacular turquoise color. Plan your day in advance if you visit George Town - we wish we had more time to explore!
We took the Conch Train Trolley around Key West. It allowed us to hop on/off at some of the sites that we wanted to see on the island. Visited the Hemingway House, Southernmost Point marker, Duval Street, and did a lot of walking around the area.
Very easy process to get off and out into Port Everglades. Was (sadly) off the ship with luggage collected, and basking in the Florida sunshine waiting on an Uber within minutes. If you are a U.S. citizen with a passport, they have implemented a new facial recognition technology that eliminates the need to physically show your passport. There were no lines and everything ran very smoothly.
Wow, sounds like you had a great cruise. I enjoyed reading your well written review. We did Aqua Class once and had a very good experience. The Blu dining room was awesome!
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
