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?'s about upcoming trip on equinox


rzbkan95
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Hello,

We will be sailing on equinox this sunday 8/20--eastern carib.

 

First time on celebrity--previously sailed on princess and Holland.

Sailing with family (all adults/middle age and our dad --he's a senior but in good health and mobile, etc.)

 

First question is about the ports--San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maarten

We have been to all of these before--we don't usually book shore excursions through the ship--we prefer to be on our own and come/go as we please. In the past, we just got off and roamed around a bit then got back on the ship. I think in San Juan we did a taxi tour and hit the high points and then roamed around where they have the shops along brick streets, etc. Cant remember exactly but remember the old brick streets and it seemed pretty lively.

 

We thought we might do something more this time like go to the beach, etc. while in St Thomas and St. Maarten. I know St Thomas has good shops and so figured we might roam around that morning then head to the beach. I think I have read that you can catch a ferry to St Johns but didn't know if this was worth it or not or best to go to a beach in st Thomas.

 

Also, in St. Maarten I have heard a lot about the Maho beach....so maybe will go there? What's the best time to see the planes? Also, I kinda figured it would be super crowded--is this the case?

 

 

We get into San Juan late so won't do the beach there but any recommendations for any cool bars or things close by?

 

Questions about the ship:

Is aqua spa café included for all passengers? Or is it concierge class only? Was mainly interested in the smoothies/juices, etc. We have the classic beverage package.

 

Also, how much are the frozen drinks at slush? I'm guessing an additional upcharge w/ the classic pkg?

 

Is it best to wait and book specialty dining onboard or before we go? Really wanting to go the Murano and maybe Tuscan Grill. Also, there are 5 of us so we got connecting staterooms (aft balcony--first time on the aft as well) But.....in the room with 3, only the first two guests got the classic beverage option so it left my dad w/o one. And although he doesn't drink a lot I was going to get him one so he could just order what he wanted w/o worrying about the cost. I was wondering if they offer any specials for the drink package once the cruise started--if so, might wait to get my dad's once on-board.

Thanks for any info! JC

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My .02. I would book specialty dining in advance if you have a time you want lock in to dine. You can change reservations later. If you're looking for things to do on your itinerary, if you haven't already done so I'd join your roll call for this cruise,

 

August 20, 2017 Equinox 7 night carribean

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?share_fid=24703&share_tid=2453841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fboards%2Ecruisecritic%2Ecom%2Fshowthread%2Ephp%3Ft%3D2453841&share_type=t

 

Have a good cruise

 

Tom

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Food items at the Aqua Spa Cafe are included, smoothies are covered by the Bev pkg.

 

Don't remember the cost at Slush, but you will pay the difference on any thing over your pkg coverage.

 

Go to your cruise Planner and you can pre buy a 3 night speciality dining pkg for less than on board.

 

Silk Harvest is well worth the visit too. We had 23-25 go from our Roll Call last cruise and it was a blast! Oh, and the food was really good too.

 

For craft beer lovers the GastroBar is a MUST! The beer and food paring event is well worth the $20 cost.

 

If you go to Tuscan, the Filet not the Rib Eye!:D

 

We were on in 2014 & 2015.

EW

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Go to the Port Review site and you will find plenty of reviews and options.

 

If your dad is not a drinker, just present his card for each drink. It will be posted on the room account and will most likely, be less much than purchasing a package. I had gotten beers for as little as $5.

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As far as your Dad's drink package if you don't want him worrying about cost and having to sign receipts or leave tips, I would get him a classic package. It's worth it to not worry about anything!

If you have on board credit to use I would book speciality dining before. If not you can wait and let that be the first thing you do once you board. The speciality restaurant multi-package is nice and saves you some money.

 

 

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Having been to these Ports many times, and took my 26yr old Son in 2016. We hired a Guide/Taxi I found on Trip Advisor for St. Maarten. I had him take us to Orient Beach in the Morning for around 3 hours, we swam, ate and my Son rented a Jet Ski....Had a nice time. Then he picked us up around noon or so and took us to Maho. We were there around an Hour or so. Saw about 6 planes come in. Not much of a Beach as it has been washed away and was Crowded. Then he took us to Phillipsburg, we had about an hour and a half before we needed to get back to the ship......Take a Cab or the Water Taxi. Nice time and very Reasonable!

In St. Thomas, My wife loves to shop there in the Morning, then we had Lunch and got a Cab to Emerald Beach, which is very nice and not crowded. This Beach is on the other side of Downtown ( Where the Allure, Oasis Dock) not where the others go, below Bluebeards ( Havenstaed...pardon the spelling) worked out well....I don't think there is enough time to take the ferry and shop Downtown......Just a couple of thoughts.....Have a Great Time! Mark

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We are just off of the ship yesterday. Aqua spa cafe is open to all, but I'm not sure if the smoothies or slushes with alcohol are on the classic package. I did see someone get a non-alcoholic slush with a classic non-alcoholic package.

Don't worry about the specialty dining too much yet. It was easy to get reservations and they ran 30% off specials twice on our cruise. If you really need a certain night and time, reserve and pay for it now, but otherwise wait and you may get a discount. Drink packages are not any cheaper on board. We really liked Tuscan Grill. Did not get to Murano. St. John is beautiful, but it is a lot of travel time to get there. We took a taxi to Sapphire Beach and enjoyed snorkeling and lunch - go in the morning to get a spot under a tree for shade. We did a beautiful sail with lunch at St. Maarten on a boat called Random Wind. You can google them. We watched the Maho beach planes land from the water. If you google Maho beach flight landing times, you will find the fight schedule. Have a great cruise! We loved the Equinox.

 

 

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Going to St. John is quite a trip...transportation to the ferry...then you have to get transportation to a beach...and back to the ferry, and back to the ship. If you want the best beach in the world...you will make that trip! If you just want a bit of beach time...stay on St. Thomas.

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Hello,

 

We will be sailing on equinox this sunday 8/20--eastern carib.

 

 

 

First time on celebrity--previously sailed on princess and Holland.

 

Sailing with family (all adults/middle age and our dad --he's a senior but in good health and mobile, etc.)

 

 

 

First question is about the ports--San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maarten

 

We have been to all of these before--we don't usually book shore excursions through the ship--we prefer to be on our own and come/go as we please. In the past, we just got off and roamed around a bit then got back on the ship. I think in San Juan we did a taxi tour and hit the high points and then roamed around where they have the shops along brick streets, etc. Cant remember exactly but remember the old brick streets and it seemed pretty lively.

 

 

 

We thought we might do something more this time like go to the beach, etc. while in St Thomas and St. Maarten. I know St Thomas has good shops and so figured we might roam around that morning then head to the beach. I think I have read that you can catch a ferry to St Johns but didn't know if this was worth it or not or best to go to a beach in st Thomas.

 

 

 

Also, in St. Maarten I have heard a lot about the Maho beach....so maybe will go there? What's the best time to see the planes? Also, I kinda figured it would be super crowded--is this the case?

 

 

 

 

 

We get into San Juan late so won't do the beach there but any recommendations for any cool bars or things close by?

 

 

 

Questions about the ship:

 

Is aqua spa café included for all passengers? Or is it concierge class only? Was mainly interested in the smoothies/juices, etc. We have the classic beverage package.

 

 

 

Also, how much are the frozen drinks at slush? I'm guessing an additional upcharge w/ the classic pkg?

 

 

 

Is it best to wait and book specialty dining onboard or before we go? Really wanting to go the Murano and maybe Tuscan Grill. Also, there are 5 of us so we got connecting staterooms (aft balcony--first time on the aft as well) But.....in the room with 3, only the first two guests got the classic beverage option so it left my dad w/o one. And although he doesn't drink a lot I was going to get him one so he could just order what he wanted w/o worrying about the cost. I was wondering if they offer any specials for the drink package once the cruise started--if so, might wait to get my dad's once on-board.

 

Thanks for any info! JC

 

 

We took an Uber to the fort in OSJ then had an early dinner at Raices in OSJ.

 

St Thomas & St Marteen we took taxi tours. Around $50-$60pp for a private tour. St Thomas was a nice tour but our guide in St Marteen/Martin was not good. He knew nothing but restaurants on the island and areas destroyed by a hurricane 20 years ago. I'm sure tour guide quality is hit or miss though. I would have preferred to just go to Orient beach for the day.

 

AquaSpa food is complimentary, smoothies about $5 plus gratuity. Slush drinks are $10-11 plus gratuity. Don't miss Sunset Bar! I enjoyed the margarita coronita daily :)

 

 

 

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Hello,

We will be sailing on equinox this sunday 8/20--eastern carib.

 

First time on celebrity--previously sailed on princess and Holland.

Sailing with family (all adults/middle age and our dad --he's a senior but in good health and mobile, etc.)

 

First question is about the ports--San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maarten

We have been to all of these before--we don't usually book shore excursions through the ship--we prefer to be on our own and come/go as we please. In the past, we just got off and roamed around a bit then got back on the ship. I think in San Juan we did a taxi tour and hit the high points and then roamed around where they have the shops along brick streets, etc. Cant remember exactly but remember the old brick streets and it seemed pretty lively.

 

We thought we might do something more this time like go to the beach, etc. while in St Thomas and St. Maarten. I know St Thomas has good shops and so figured we might roam around that morning then head to the beach. I think I have read that you can catch a ferry to St Johns but didn't know if this was worth it or not or best to go to a beach in st Thomas.

 

Also, in St. Maarten I have heard a lot about the Maho beach....so maybe will go there? What's the best time to see the planes? Also, I kinda figured it would be super crowded--is this the case?

 

 

We get into San Juan late so won't do the beach there but any recommendations for any cool bars or things close by?

 

Questions about the ship:

Is aqua spa café included for all passengers? Or is it concierge class only? Was mainly interested in the smoothies/juices, etc. We have the classic beverage package.

 

Also, how much are the frozen drinks at slush? I'm guessing an additional upcharge w/ the classic pkg?

 

Is it best to wait and book specialty dining onboard or before we go? Really wanting to go the Murano and maybe Tuscan Grill. Also, there are 5 of us so we got connecting staterooms (aft balcony--first time on the aft as well) But.....in the room with 3, only the first two guests got the classic beverage option so it left my dad w/o one. And although he doesn't drink a lot I was going to get him one so he could just order what he wanted w/o worrying about the cost. I was wondering if they offer any specials for the drink package once the cruise started--if so, might wait to get my dad's once on-board.

Thanks for any info! JC

 

 

We have a Roll Call for this sailing if you care to look at it.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2453841

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Orient Beach in St. Maarten is our favorite. We usually just get a taxi from the pier ( many waiting and they usually wait until filled so cost is reasonable). The beach is beautiful. The taxi to town in the later afternoon to stroll around and water taxi back to ship..

 

We also enjoy Emerald Beach in St. Thomas. If you want to go to St. John's I would recommend taking the ships excursion ( usually one that is just transportation only). A lovely boat ride over and then take a cab to beach. Doesn't cost much more than going on your own and a lot less hassle. Enjoy!

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In st Martin I would highly recommend a bout tour we did best tour ever in Caribbean there the tour included 2 snorkel stops a beach stop a fantastic lunch at a local restaurant best rice and beans ever then off to see planes land right over your head then a race with other boats back one fantastic tour check it out on trip advisor he is highly rated won't say name of tour but very easy to figure out which one he has several boats that go out. I love murano but would wait to book on board to try and get discount.

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If your dad doesn't drink much why pay over $60/day for a bev package. Better the obc idea suggested earlier.

 

We've seen frequent discounts of 20% - 30% on specialties. If you really have a day and time you want book ahead. You can always cancel and re-book onboard if a sale materializes. Second the recommendation on Silk Harvest. Great food and atmosphere.

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STT-Emerald is a good choice, we love Coki as it is great snorkeling and super clear, calm waters. Good food also. Sapphire is also fantastic for snorkeling but the amenities are not as good as Coki.

 

SMX-Orient Beach all the way!! Best people watching beach ever! Food is reasonable as well as drinks. A few little shops on the boardwalk. Lots of watersports if you desire. Only place we go to anymore in SMX

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To clarify, smoothies at Aqua Spa Cafe are NOT included with the classic beverage package although they only cost about $5-6. They will be included if you upgrade to the premium package, although you're free to just buy them without the upgrade. At least those were the rules when I was on Equinox in May. Went there almost every morning for a smoothie or two-- delicious!!!

 

Tuscan Grille had good food but the service was lacking for a specialty restaurant on our visit. Our main dining room staff was far more attentive. No need to book reservations in advance.

 

Have a great cruise!

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Taste of St. Maarten is independent excursion that is cheaper and smaller group (maybe only 4) and and better than the same tour/same company offered by the ship. Besides great food tastings all over the island it's a wonderful tour.

Maho Beach - best/biggest planes from around 2 till 3:15 or so. Check princess juliana airport schedule on line.

The America's Cup sailboat race is really fun. Even your dad will love it, he doesn't have to do an active role, but it's fun however you do it.

We never take the water taxi in St. Maarten - we prefer to walk the sidewalk which is about 15-20 min, to town and so much nicer than that noisy, bumpy water taxi.

Walking around the town on Grand Case is a lot of fun, great little shops and places to eat.

We've never gone to Orient Beach - not being beach people - but we might go this next cruise.

 

In St. Thomas I go to my local jewelry store (not one of the "international" places or anyplace at all the ship recommends) and tend to business, and then we shop around downtown. Heading to St. John's is great - many ways to get there - ferry from the ship, or taxi to the ferry. National Park there is good and so are several beaches.

We have done snorkel trips out of St. Thomas.

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In st Martin I would highly recommend a bout tour we did best tour ever in Caribbean there the tour included 2 snorkel stops a beach stop a fantastic lunch at a local restaurant best rice and beans ever then off to see planes land right over your head then a race with other boats back one fantastic tour check it out on trip advisor he is highly rated won't say name of tour but very easy to figure out which one he has several boats that go out. I love murano but would wait to book on board to try and get discount.

 

I'm curious to know which company this is...don't think it's a problem to discuss tour companies on here, believe it's only travel agents you can't discuss but I could be wrong. Any hints on which company you're recommending?

Thx, Cathy

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I'm curious to know which company this is...don't think it's a problem to discuss tour companies on here, believe it's only travel agents you can't discuss but I could be wrong. Any hints on which company you're recommending?

Thx, Cathy

 

Hi Cathy, This one in St Maarten........Soualiga Destinations Capt Bob Cass Search Tripadvisor under St. Maarten. Mark

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I'm curious to know which company this is...don't think it's a problem to discuss tour companies on here, believe it's only travel agents you can't discuss but I could be wrong. Any hints on which company you're recommending?

Thx, Cathy

Here is the link to the video of the tour we did last year.

Absolutely one of the best we have done in our 6-7 times to St Maarten!

EW

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Hello,

 

We will be sailing on equinox this sunday 8/20--eastern carib.

 

 

 

First time on celebrity--previously sailed on princess and Holland.

 

Sailing with family (all adults/middle age and our dad --he's a senior but in good health and mobile, etc.)

 

 

 

First question is about the ports--San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maarten

 

We have been to all of these before--we don't usually book shore excursions through the ship--we prefer to be on our own and come/go as we please. In the past, we just got off and roamed around a bit then got back on the ship. I think in San Juan we did a taxi tour and hit the high points and then roamed around where they have the shops along brick streets, etc. Cant remember exactly but remember the old brick streets and it seemed pretty lively.

 

 

 

We thought we might do something more this time like go to the beach, etc. while in St Thomas and St. Maarten. I know St Thomas has good shops and so figured we might roam around that morning then head to the beach. I think I have read that you can catch a ferry to St Johns but didn't know if this was worth it or not or best to go to a beach in st Thomas.

 

 

 

Also, in St. Maarten I have heard a lot about the Maho beach....so maybe will go there? What's the best time to see the planes? Also, I kinda figured it would be super crowded--is this the case?

 

 

 

 

 

We get into San Juan late so won't do the beach there but any recommendations for any cool bars or things close by?

 

 

 

Questions about the ship:

 

Is aqua spa café included for all passengers? Or is it concierge class only? Was mainly interested in the smoothies/juices, etc. We have the classic beverage package.

 

 

 

Also, how much are the frozen drinks at slush? I'm guessing an additional upcharge w/ the classic pkg?

 

 

 

Is it best to wait and book specialty dining onboard or before we go? Really wanting to go the Murano and maybe Tuscan Grill. Also, there are 5 of us so we got connecting staterooms (aft balcony--first time on the aft as well) But.....in the room with 3, only the first two guests got the classic beverage option so it left my dad w/o one. And although he doesn't drink a lot I was going to get him one so he could just order what he wanted w/o worrying about the cost. I was wondering if they offer any specials for the drink package once the cruise started--if so, might wait to get my dad's once on-board.

 

Thanks for any info! JC

 

 

 

Capt Bob Soulinga Destinations runs a fabulous trip around the island including lunch (French side cafe) and beer onboard about $110 we do it every time in St Martin goes 10am-4 pm. 15 minute walk from pier

 

 

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