Celebrity Equinox Cruise Reviews - Reviews

We thoroughly enjoyed our recent cruise out of Barcelona . Aside from a delay on day 1 due to gastro intestinal issues during the previous cruise, everything went very well. The ports of call were great, my husband and I had gone to Mallorca for our honeymoon in 1977so it was very nice to return there. Barcelona itself was great, a repeat visit will be necessary as there is so much to see. Our ship was beautiful, and most of the time it was hard to believe that there were close to 3000 passengers on board. Service was impeccable particularly in the dining rooms and ocean view cafe. We had select dining, so different waiters pretty much every time. They were all excellent.  We are not huge fans of shows but there were two excellent female singers and the regular cast of singer/ dancers were very good. Magician not so good, funny but the tricks were lame. The hot glass show was top notch and we went to it several times, it was always different. We took a couple of excursions which were very educational, the guides were so knowledgable. Some regret at not taking more excursions but since some were listed as strenuous we decided against them due to physical issues. We had a concierge cabin, not sure if it is worth the extra charges but perhaps we didn't take advantage of the services. This may be due to lack of information which was missing in the first few days. Afternoon canapés were a miss, we figured out we could get our own little plate of goodies at the ocean view cafe around 4.30 pm. Classic beverage package was more than adequate, we had some very good wines and the speciality coffees were the best.  All crew and personnel were very friendly. All expectations were met and in many cases exceeded.

We were pleasantly surprised to find how wonderful the Spain & Portugal sailing was.  Friendly local people, good weather, beautiful scenery, great ship with friendly crews..., we enjoyed very much.

Cruising in the Mediterranean was a fabulous experience, one we would definitely recommend to one and all.  I know that we would consider going again.  The ship, the staff and the amenities were first class.  The ports were very interesting, and definitely recommend a good tour guide if possible.  We had a couple of nights with rougher seas but it really didn't impact us in anyway.  What a fabulous holiday.

The Equinox is a well appointed ship with a great gym, but we sorely missed the Cellar Master wine lounge that we so enjoyed on the Equinox's sister ship, the Silhouette.  Cellar Master was a wonderful place to get a very good glass of wine in a quiet environment.  The perfect spot for a pre-dinner drink.  We also missed The Porch which was a lovely and quiet place to have breakfast. Again, The Porch was available on the the Silhouette, but not the Equinox.  Both Cellar Master and The Porch were replaced on the Equinox with areas we did not enjoy nearly as much.

Greece and Turkey were the highlights on this trip.  Due to current events, Celebrity chose not to make Istanbul a port of call, but opted to stay at sea.  I would rather be safe than sorry and appreciate Celebrity's caution.  Of course, I was sad not to visit Istanbul.

The food on the Equinox was typical cruise fare.  Nothing spectacular, but nothing to complain about.  The two other specialty dining restaurants failed to impress, but The Tuscan Grill was fantastic.  Undoubtedly some of the best steaks we've had.  We like it so much, we opted to eat there three times on this cruise.  The view from Tuscan Grill is spectacular!

Enjoyed the cruise staff, very friendly. Wish shore excursions did not meet so early , would have been nice to break up ports with sea days. Also, many of the ports were extremely crowded due to multiple ships in port at the same time. In Florence, did not have  time to enter any museums-long lines, only three hours, and tour took you to a leather factory. We upgraded to five nights of specialty  restaurants. Tuscan Grill was our favorite and really did not care for Murano. I would recommend this cruise.

We loved every minute of it. The food was excellent and the excursions were also.   We did a shorter version years ago and I would highly recommend the longer version.

Celebrity is the ONLY line I will use.  They blend upscale, comfortable, busy, restful, sumptuous, and fun.  Southern Europe was on our must-do list for a while and this cruise gave us a big return.  Loved the ports, especially Malta (too bad about unrest in Turkey - would've loved to see Istanbul).  Luminae (the restaurant reserved for suite guests) was a brilliant idea!  And Victor surely knows his wines!

This was a wonderful experience, from start to finish.  Every aspect of the cruise, from the stateroom, to the food, to entertainment, was top drawer.  

Some ports are too far to walk to towns. Celebrity's shuttle buses cost  are ridiculously high. For example Dubrovnik,  Celebrity shuttle bus $12. Taxi $13, if you are just a party of 2 the cost is about the same ($12+$12 round trip Celebrity) ($13x2 taxi round trip) If you are a party of 4 you save $22 plus you don't have to wait for the shuttle bus to show up and wait for it to fill up!  Another example Marseille, $19 celebrity shuttle, Taxi $20. At some ports, the ports offer their own shuttles, Corfu free port offered shuttle, Mykonos free, Livorno $5. If the ports can offer free or $5 shuttles, it looks like this is a big money maker for Celebrity.

We loved our Med Cruise. The ship was outstanding. The service and shows we first class. The food was great. The itinerary had us enjoying some of the neatest cities in Europe. Sign us up again!

We began at the pier not knowing that the town of Civitavecchia had suffered a massive power failure, thus rendering the computers for check-in inoperable.  Thus, the boarding process was a chaotic mess, certainly not Celebrity's fault- except, NO ONE from Celebrity made any effort to communicate to more than a thousand sweating angry passengers massed together in a hot warehouse just WHY there was such problems.  The result was pretty ugly, with passengers pushing and shoving through non-working security terminals, angry people cutting in front of others to reach the check-in desks, etc.  Not a good beginning.  To make matters even more stressful, the woman who checked us in gave us serious grief because our 15-year old daughter's last name doesn't match ours.  (I'm her step-father).  Her passport was clearly in order, all of us having passed through Customs without a hitch.  Celebrity had no issues when we made our reservations months before, giving us no hint of any "added requirements".  Suddenly, my wife is being threatened, in a menacing way, that our daughter can't be allowed to board.  ("But, this time, we'll look the other way".)  This was ridiculous, and inexcusable.

    After the life boat drill, as we returned to our room, one of the crewmen exclaimed in a loud voice, "Let's Get This party started!".  Harmless enough, except the message seemed to be that the goal of the ship was a "drink til you drop" Carnival cruise.  (I'm familiar with those).  Not everyone on this ship was there to party.  Though from the music that blared incessantly throughout the ship, whether in the lounges, on deck by the pool, or through the PA system in even the most specialized restaurant, it was not possible to find what some of us were seeking: a little peace and quiet.  Even on the verandah of our suite, the awful music from poolside engulfed us.  I promise the folks at Celebrity that of the roughly 2800 passengers, a sizable percentage were not interested in hearing poorly done 1980s cover tunes.

One aspect of cruising we enjoy is the casino.  In this case, we were greeted by a casino employee, microphone in hand, who sung our first names out to anyone who would listen, with an absurdly enthusiastic "Jeff and Stephanie!  How wonderful to see you!"  As anyone who has been to Las Vegas can attest, that kind of indiscretion would have cost that woman her job in Vegas.  We do not gamble to make friends or become part of some kind of rumba line.  It's a personal experience that clearly, Celebrity does not respect.

Here's a piece of advice   for Celebrity:  Don't schedule Florence Italy as a stop on a Sunday.  With only a half day's time to enjoy one of the world's most spectacular cities, you put us there when the cathedrals and churches were closed to visitors until the afternoon, and for those who enjoy upscale shopping, many of the stores aren't open at all. 

You offer a "teen spa service".  Very nice- we scheduled our 15-year old daughter for a facial.  But, upon arrival, we were told that she isn't allowed to partake unless one of her parents sits with her the whole time.  That is NOT a teenager's idea of a spa experience.

There are a great many more nit-pick complaints, including the wine steward who didn't understand how to re-cork a bottle of very expensive Bordeaux we had intended to enjoy over two nights.  But in most cases, the staff was exceptional.   "Michael's Club", exclusively for suite passengers, was an excellent concept- the manager Bartosz, was wonderfully attentive to our needs, and helped to solve various issues.  Our suite's butler, Cesar, was wonderful.     The specialized dining rooms offered meals far above the cruise-ship norm.  (If only you could eliminate the rock music blaring above our heads).  In every case, the wait-staff and maitre'd were most friendly and helpful.   For breakfast, the one oasis of calm seemed to be the restaurant "Blu", but it was only open from 7:30 to 9:00.  (The typical "all you can gorge" buffet was packed, with a scramble to find a decent place to sit.)

I participated in a Texas hold-em tournament just outside the casino, where we were buffeted by what seemed to be a K-Mart blue-light special grab fest for cheap purses and jewelry.  A hundred or more passengers with shopping baskets, swarming over piles of what appeared to be cheap junk.  ("Purses, $10.  Buy 4, get one free!")  Really?  Tacky in the extreme.  An onboard flea market.

 The past four times we have cruised have been on Crystal Cruise Lines.  I now understand why they get the prices they do.  You get what you pay for.  In the future, we would opt again for the more expensive and considerably more sophisticated cruise.  Celebrity seems to try to have it both ways- offer a hint of elegance, with a constant theme that lets everyone know that if you miss the "party days" with Carnival, you can still find them here.  

Had a wonderful time as first timers, staff were excellent courteous and helpful. The dinning was superb and the shows first class. Very impressed with the Equinox. It sailed extremely smoothly.

We very much enjoyed the cruise ship, the staff, the food and the entertainment.  We are looking forward to doing another one in the future with Celebrity.

My favorite part was being with family celebrating togetherness, one daughter's birthday and my mother's legacy.  

The things that were difficult were the extreme heat and overwhelming  crowds, especially in Rome.

My wife and I went on this cruise to celebrate our 15 year anniversary. We could not have asked for a better experience. The service was the most attentive we have seen in our 3 previous cruises. We are now Celebrity Cruises for life after this cruise. The food was exceptional and the ports were outstanding. If there were two items I would have asked for is a greater selection of draft beers and slightly better shows. There is a ton of bottled beer from a variety of locations but I am partial to draft beer. The entertainment was good but I have experienced better on other cruises, including Celebrity. Outside of those two minor items, very happy with our cruise.

The ports in Greece and Turkey wer Interesting and historically significant.  The Equinox itself is elegant without being flashy.  Service was excellent; food very good.  Loved the glass-blowing exhibitions.  Most importantly, the air temperature on the ship was comfortable (not freezing as on some cruise ships).

Excellent stops on this cruise - Monaco/Nice, Florence, Santorini and Ephesus were our favorites.  The food wasn't any better on Celebrity than it is on Princess.  Neither is the service.  I believe they're comparable.  Celebrity had bigger showers and the rooms were better appointed, but I don't think they're differentiating themselves enough from Princess and I wouldn't pay more for Celebrity.

mediocre type cruise...2 small pools...1 was only 3' for the kiddies..the other small pool only 6'..

not enough outdoor dancing/music...food in main cafeteria was just 'ok'.

dining room food was not 5 star culinary...many dishes had much to be desired.

most important...my husband suffered abuse from another celebrity cruise guest, and matters were not taken seriously by Hotel Director, security officers lacked supervision during this time.

we were told by Christophe Belaubre that he did not have 3,000 security officers to protect the 3,000 guests....but this was not the best thing to say on his part....there should have been adequate supervision during the early morning tender ticketing that caused another Celebrity guest to be upset at having to wait long period and cutting in front of line..to front of my husband who was 1st in line. pushing him to the side, and finally released his anger by punching my husband in the face causing a 2-3 inch crack opening his skin under his right eye/over his cheek, bleeding all over the floor, probably required stitches that were not given..just put together back with tape..i have photos...i have requested to preserve the surveillance video and send to me, along with all witness reports that others wanted the abuser off the ship, he was a threat at this point !

I have sailed Celebrity before and highly recommend it over other cruise lines I have been on. The staff is unbelievably responsive, friendly and helpful. The Concierge room was roomy, well maintained and just fine for a long cruise. The food was very good generally with sufficient variety for everyone.  The Eastern Mediterranean Ports were all perfect with the exception of Crete, which I might skip, but each stop gave you sufficient time for a solid overview of the historic sites, the people and some free time. I would do your own research for excursions rather than rely on the few ship ones, particularly focusing on private tours rather than the big bus ones. The downside on the cruise is the entertainment and activities - not top notch, but ok. Overall, it was a terrific trip with lasting memories of people, places and experiences.

The crew was always very friendly and their customer service was definitely great! The ship is really nice. Very classy, perhaps too classy for us. They were always auctioning art paintings for which we didn't care about. Their raffles were a joke however. (A designer bag raffle prize in a jewelry store was a iPhone case... lol). This cruise was mainly for retirees and honeymooners (like us). The activities and shows were pretty boring for active folks